#18: In Peril (4)

Three days later.

Outside the window, the setting sun was like blood. Although the sun was setting in the west, it was still not enough to dispel the chill. The weather in the twelfth lunar month was cold. Several charcoal braziers were placed in the room to restore some warmth. Zichen’s face was pale, and he lay on the bed with a slight frown. His back was bare, and his wound was wrapped in thick white bandages. For the past two days, Yao Yin had stayed by Zichen’s bedside day and night, never leaving. In his sleep, Zichen’s brows remained tightly furrowed, appearing to be in great pain. Yao Yin looked at the lifeless Zichen and felt a sharp pang of heartache, knowing he was injured because of her.

That day, Zichen had been entangled in a fight with Yanguai’s subordinate, gradually gaining the upper hand. The man, seeing he was about to be defeated, suddenly turned his spearhead and attacked Yao Yin. In a moment of desperation, Zichen flew in front of her, blocking the attack and taking the blow for her. Yao Yin’s body was not seriously injured, and she woke up the next day. However, Zichen had been in a coma until now.

Yao Yin asked Yun Yan how they escaped danger that day, but he stammered for a long time, finally only saying, “I was also unconscious at the time, so I don’t know much.”

Yao Yin only thought of him as a child; in a crisis, how could he not be afraid? The fighting scene was very bloody for a child. He had just emerged from his previous trauma, and unexpectedly, he had to endure another baptism of blood so soon. She was very worried that this incident would leave him with another trauma, so she no longer pressed him for details.

In the past few days, Young Master Wenren hadn’t appeared, but he had provided them with a doctor and maids. They said that Young Master Wenren’s close friend was severely injured, and he was tirelessly treating him. Yao Yin felt that such a warm-hearted person was indeed rare in the world and was glad she had met good people.

“Miss Yao Yin, it’s time to change the dressing,” a doctor with a potbelly and a harmless smile slowly walked into the room, carrying his medicine box.

“Thank you for your trouble,” Yao Yin said with a serious face and a nod. He then nodded and bowed, rummaging through his medicine box.

Wenren Liansheng’s mansion was excellent, but this doctor seemed rather unreliable. His sharp features, monkey-like mouth, and two small mustaches, coupled with his every smile, gesture, and movement, exuded a sense of sleaziness. Furthermore, the person on the bed was already so badly injured, yet he could still smile? Various signs truly made Yao Yin uneasy.

The doctor pulled out a pair of scissors from his medicine box, ready to use them on Zichen.

Yao Yin quickly stopped him, blocking his way and asking, “What are you doing?”

“It’s like this... the other day when changing the dressing, I noticed some flesh and blood would stick to the bandage, making it difficult to unwrap. Using scissors makes it much faster.”

“I’ll do it.” Yao Yin said, snatching the scissors and placing them on the table. She then settled by the bed, her hands slowly covering Zichen’s back.

Zichen’s body temperature was slightly warm, almost hot. Yao Yin carefully peeled back the layers of gauze, not daring to be careless in the slightest, fearing that the recently healed wound would open again. When the gauze was completely removed, his back wound was revealed. His wound was just beginning to scab over, reddish-brown like a centipede, and quite horrifying. Yao Yin wrung out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the residual medicine from his back. Zichen’s brows furrowed, and he let out a muffled groan, seeming to show signs of waking.

“Zichen, are you awake?” Just as Yao Yin stood up, a hand tightly gripped her wrist.

“Zichen?” Yao Yin immediately gripped his wrist back and called out a few times, but he didn’t respond again, and his previously moving right hand lost its support.

The doctor came over to examine him for a moment and then smiled, “The young master’s injury is no longer serious. He just needs good rest from now on, and he will surely recover.”

“That’s good,” Yao Yin nodded, a weight lifted from her mind.

As the two spoke, the doctor took out a bottle of black ointment from his medicine box and casually applied it to Zichen’s back. Looking at his clumsy and rough movements, Yao Yin’s face twitched slightly.

Yao Yin frowned and said, “You do the same work every day. I don’t see you taking his pulse or prescribing medicine, just applying ointment once. Forgive my bluntness, but... is this useful?”

“Please rest assured, Miss, I’ll take care of everything!” he said, patting his chest. Accidentally, most of the black ointment spilled onto his body.

“...” Yao Yin was speechless.

He himself was a little embarrassed. The doctor cleared his throat twice, patted the ointment off his body, and went back to the medicine box to get another bottle to start applying.

“The young master said to just apply this every day,” the doctor said solemnly.

“The young master? Young Master Wenren? But aren’t you the doctor?” Yao Yin was full of suspicion.

“Oh dear, look at my mouth.” He turned away, no longer looking at Yao Yin. After quickly applying the ointment and bandaging it, he scurried out of the room and disappeared.

“Is he really a doctor?” Yao Yin withdrew her gaze, looking back at the unconscious Zichen on the bed. She rubbed her forehead regretfully, “If my healing arts weren’t ineffective on Zichen, I would never have entrusted you to someone else. But, in this desolate wilderness, I can only trust him.”

“Miss, it’s time for his medicine,” the maid Xiaoqing brought food and herbal soup.

“Thank you,” Yao Yin nodded, immediately picked up the herbal soup, and carefully fed it into Zichen’s mouth, spoonful by spoonful. While feeding him, she unintentionally looked back and thought she saw Xiaoqing flicking her snake-like tongue, looking at Zichen as if she wanted to eat him. But when Yao Yin blinked again, Xiaoqing had returned to normal.

Yao Yin shook her head, thinking, “I must not have slept well these past few days; I’m seeing things.”

...

After nightfall.

Zichen had woken up an hour ago, groggily drank some water, and then held Yao Yin’s hand, repeatedly calling out softly: “Jiujiu...”

Yao Yin could only keep explaining and comforting him, saying, “We’re already at Young Master Wenren’s mansion, there’s no danger, no need to call for help...” Halfway through her sentence, she realized he had fallen unconscious again. Yao Yin looked at the hand he was holding, strong and powerful. She figured he had already passed the critical stage and would recover with proper rest.

Yao Yin used all her strength to pull her hand free from his grasp. She looked at her reddened wrist and realized that his arm strength was beyond that of ordinary people. Such a young genius, if he cultivated more, would surely dominate the thirty-three heavens in due time... Thinking of the Heavenly Realm, Yao Yin could only sigh. Although the butler Yuan Yao said not to return if she couldn’t find it, she knew that if she truly couldn’t find it, she would undoubtedly bring shame to Immortal Lisheng and implicate her fellow disciples.

It was less than twenty days until Yisheng’s wedding.

Although the Bashe was not a very important item to Divine Monarch Yisheng, it was a grand gift from someone else, and it couldn’t just be brushed aside as if it never happened if it was lost. By then, she would certainly not escape punishment. However, at least this was the mortal realm, where ten days was but an hour in the Heavenly Palace. After they recovered from their injuries, they could make a decision, and it probably wouldn’t matter much...

As Yao Yin thought, she casually walked out the door and headed towards Yun Yan’s room.

At the same time, in the front courtyard of Wenren Manor.

Wenren Tongtian’s carriage was steadily parked in front of the main gate. A woman in a cloak stepped out of the carriage. Wenren Tongtian followed the woman out of the carriage with utmost respect, and in his arms, he held another person. That person’s entire body was covered only by a black cloth, their exposed hands were pale, almost colorless. Yet, it was clear that it was a woman’s hand. But to call her a “person,” her form was more terrifying than even mountain spirits or ghosts.

No sooner had the three of them stepped into the manor than a group of people suddenly appeared in the garden, all dressed as servants, as if they had sprung from the ground.

“Quickly open the spirit coffin!” Wenren Tongtian roared urgently. Hearing this, everyone looked flustered and quickly scattered like birds and beasts.

When the spirit coffin was ready, Wenren Tongtian carried her into the secret chamber.

In the secret chamber, a large, plump man with sharp features, a monkey-like mouth, and two small mustaches had just opened a purple crystal coffin. The spiritual energy within the coffin immediately diffused throughout the room. The fat man took a deep breath and immediately seemed to have shed ten years, feeling completely refreshed and invigorated. Wenren Tongtian slowly placed the woman into the purple crystal coffin. The fat man, having gained some benefits, immediately crowded around, wanting to absorb more essence. However, Wenren Tongtian unexpectedly became enraged and roared, “Do you really think you’re a doctor? Get out!”

The fat man was so startled by him that he almost passed out. He repeatedly prostrated himself on the ground, trembling, “Master, spare me, Master, spare me...”

“Get out!” Wenren Tongtian roared again.

“Yes, yes, I’ll take my leave.” The fat man, as if granted a great pardon, revealed his true form, transforming into a mouse, and quickly scurried out of the room.

In everyone’s impression, Wenren Tongtian was mostly calm and composed, showing little emotion. Now, for the first time, they witnessed such a furious outburst, and the entire room immediately fell silent.

“Damn it!” Wenren Tongtian roared, slamming his palm on the octagonal table, which immediately turned to dust. The cloaked woman stepped forward and silently closed the lid of the purple crystal coffin.

“Let her rest here. For other matters, we’ll discuss them at length,” the woman’s voice was obscure and hoarse, like a knife scraping against sandpaper, making it very uncomfortable to hear. After she spoke, she patted Wenren’s shoulder and left the secret chamber. Wenren Tongtian, however, remained in the secret chamber and did not emerge for the entire night...