SS CH62

Even while unconscious, Chu Xiwei held on to Ye Fusheng with a death grip, leaving Ye Fusheng with no choice but to huddle inside the carriage alongside him while handing the duty of driving over to Qin Lanshang. Fortunately, though the young lady was still angry, she knew how to prioritize. Her driving was far from skilled, but she managed to keep it steady enough to reach the village around midday.

Though Qingxue Village bore an elegant name, it was an entirely ordinary mountain hamlet.

It was not too far from Mount Anxi, nestled beside mountains and rivers. Though devoid of prosperous towns in its vicinity, it was self-sufficient, simple in customs, and filled with a peaceful, leisurely atmosphere detached from worldly strife.

Outsiders were rarely seen here. As the carriage rolled in, the elderly, weak, women, and children showed no fear, craning their necks to watch. Having never been stared at like this in her life, Qin Lanshang flushed bright red. Yet, thinking of Chu Xiwei inside the carriage, she dared not lose her temper and could only look back at them one by one.

The place was thoroughly humble. Most of the dwellings consisted of thatched roofs and mud walls, interspersed with only a few brick houses that likely belonged to the village’s “wealthy households.” Qin Lanshang weighed the keys Ye Fusheng had thrust into her hand. Though well-preserved and free of rust, they clearly showed their age. A wave of sorrow washed over her, making her feel that rather than living in a rickety thatched hut, she might as well make do in the carriage for the night.

However, after asking for directions along the way and finally arriving at the destination, she froze.

It was a small courtyard residence set slightly apart from where the villagers lived. The plot of land was modest, lacking stone guardian beasts at the entrance, and the plaque above the door was somewhat decayed, bearing two large characters written upon it: Jinxing.

Ye Fusheng supported Chu Xiwei as they stepped down from the carriage. The latter remained unconscious, leaving Ye Fusheng with no heart to worry about much else. Qin Lanshang stepped forward to unlock the door, revealing a small courtyard alongside just three small rooms: a central front hall, a bedroom on the right, and a room on the left tightly secured by a heavy lock.

The courtyard had gone unswept for a long time. Against one wall stood a dust-covered weapon rack, though its shelves were now completely bare. Aside from that, a large tree stood in the yard, its fallen leaves blanketing the ground and covering the stone table and stools beneath it.

Qin Lanshang brushed aside the leaves on the table, only to reveal a chessboard underneath. Black and white stones were interwoven in an undecided draw. She picked up a chess piece; beneath it, the stone surface was completely clean, indicating this game had been sitting here for a very long time.

She paused, feeling a sudden, inexplicable hesitation to act recklessly, and placed the piece back where it was.

Ye Fusheng had already kicked open the bedroom door. Surprisingly, the room was not as thick with dust as the outside, covered only in a thin layer, showing that someone had lived here at least a month or two ago.

Seeing the weapon rack in the courtyard, she had assumed a warrior lived here. Yet inside this room stood yellow rosewood shelves filled with books and a wooden table laid out with the Four Treasures of the Study, clearly styled to the tastes of a scholar.

Supporting Chu Xiwei with one arm, Ye Fusheng endured the pain in his left shoulder as he shook open the dust cover draped over the bed, revealing clean bedding underneath. Only after carefully inspecting it did Ye Fusheng settle Chu Xiwei onto the bed.

Calling Qin Lanshang inside, Ye Fusheng instructed, “I’m going to fetch a physician. Tidy up the room first, and don’t leave your young uncle here alone.”

Qin Lanshang responded submissively. Watching Ye Fusheng head out, she fetched a wooden bucket and basin, quickly drawing water from the well in the courtyard before rolling up her sleeves to start cleaning.

She randomly pulled out a few books from the shelves, discovering that one row consisted of handwritten classics with annotations on every page, all signed off with the name “Zhou Shen.” Another row contained original printed volumes arranged in neat order. As Qin Lanshang flipped through a few pages, a yellowed sheet of paper slipped out, bearing handwriting that was remarkably rugged and bold: Congratulations to A-Shen on his fourteenth birthday. Written by Qin Yunfei.

The Northern Hero, Qin Hebai, possessed the courtesy name Yunfei.

Qin Lanshang had never heard the name Zhou Shen. However, the Southern Scholar, Ruan Feiyu, went by the name Ruan Shen, and his surname Ruan was taken after his master after entering the world, with no one knowing what his original surname had been.

Her heart shook violently, and the book in Qin Lanshang’s hand fell to the floor with a loud clack.

Her gaze swept inch by inch across every corner of the room, then passed through the half-open window frame toward the small courtyard. It was as though she were witnessing a forgotten stretch of time compressed within this tiny space—yet like the moon in the water or a flower in the mirror, visible but unreachable, painful to ponder yet impossible to pursue.

Ye Fusheng returned quickly. Never one to drag his feet, his anxiety now made him move even faster, nearly working the elderly physician to death on the run.

There was only one physician in this village, who indeed bore the surname Li. Approaching sixty years of age, it was said that over thirty years ago he had followed his father to the border to serve as a military doctor, only for an unknown tragedy to occur that left his father there forever, with only him returning alone.

Though living in a rural area, Dr. Li’s experience was by no means lacking. Seeing Ye Fusheng’s state before stepping inside to check on Qin Lanshang and Chu Xiwei, he proved remarkably tactful, dexterously taking pulses and conducting examinations without a single word of nonsense.

Ye Fusheng sat to the side, throwing his own injuries entirely to the back of his mind, as if it were not his blood flowing nor his own flesh and bone wounded. His eyes were fixed solely on the pale, bloodless Chu Xiwei on the bed.

After a long moment, Dr. Li withdrew his hand and stroked his silver beard, saying, “He has suffered internal injuries and took potent medicine that forcefully drained his stamina and depleted his Qi and blood, causing him to fall unconscious.”

Ye Fusheng’s heart skipped a beat, while Qin Lanshang nearly burst into tears, hastily asking, “Can he be saved?”

“He can. I will first apply acupuncture to settle his chaotic internal energy, then prescribe medicine to treat his wounds and replenish his Qi. However, this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause—it is merely a temporary reprieve, so you must make further plans.”

Ye Fusheng let out a long sigh of relief. He had long felt something was wrong with Chu Xiwei recently; it was highly likely his cultivation technique had gone awry. Solving the problem required the one who caused it, so they could only wait until he woke up to find a remedy. For this old physician to manage this much was already excellent.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Relaxing inwardly, he cupped his hands in gratitude, only to pull on the wound on his left shoulder and wince in pain.

Dr. Li smiled kindly. “Though your external injuries are not severe, they should be treated early. I will apply medicine and bandage you up shortly.”

As he spoke, he turned to write down the prescription. Before Qin Lanshang could even finish exhaling, she heard Ye Fusheng suddenly ask, “Dr. Li, there are two questions I would like to consult you on.”

Dr. Li turned back. “Feel free to ask.”

“The Soul-Severing Grass of the Northern Frontier kills instantly upon touching blood, and it is said there is no antidote. Yet I once saw someone come into contact with its blood, only to appear entirely unaffected.” Ye Fusheng paused. “How… could that be?”

Though everyone had been given Canglu beforehand, the Crimson-Heart Snow Lotus was not a divine relic capable of neutralizing all poisons under heaven; it merely rendered common poisons useless, only able to suppress and delay extraordinary poisons.

Soul-Severing Grass certainly did not fall into the common category. Yet when Ruan Feiyu was wounded with this poison by Zhang Ze, he not only suffered no fatal poisoning, but seemed completely fine. This was truly strange.

Hearing this, Dr. Li’s brow furrowed. “Does that person… constantly cough, occasionally with blood, while being emaciated, restless in sleep, and especially prone to continuous bleeding whenever a wound appears?”

Qin Lanshang finally realized, her face turning pale instantly. Ye Fusheng’s expression darkened as he said, “That is precisely the second question I wished to ask you, sir.”

“So it is…” Dr. Li let out a sigh. “The two questions you ask are indeed difficult for ordinary people to answer. In my entire life practicing medicine, I have only encountered a tiny handful of cases, and if one symptom appears, the other is guaranteed to follow.”

Ye Fusheng raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Qin Lanshang held her breath as Dr. Li continued: “Soul-Severing Grass is a poison unique to the Northern Frontier, unknown to outsiders. Even physicians who have practiced for decades might not know it possesses a special trait: once someone survives its poisoning, the poison becomes entirely ineffective against them from then on.”

Ye Fusheng asked, “How can one survive its poisoning?”

“The entire Soul-Severing Grass is toxic, but people usually take only the leaves and discard the root and stem, unaware that the root and stem serve a special purpose.” Dr. Li recalled carefully. “If someone is poisoned by Soul-Severing Grass, chewing its root and stem raw allows one to temporarily combat poison with poison to delay the onset. Then, supplemented by acupuncture, medicinal baths, and pills refined from the Five Poisons, taking it continuously for thirty-six days will neutralize the poison. However…”

Qin Lanshang could not help but interject: “However what?”

“Though this medicine can neutralize the poison, it is far too toxic and severe. Even if that person doesn’t die at the time, they won’t have many years left to live.” Dr. Li looked at her. “I once met two such people. I thought they had escaped death, only for both to contract the exact same strange illness shortly after—the very symptoms I described earlier. Within two or three years, their internal organs decayed, their Qi and blood withered, and they passed away.”

Ye Fusheng asked, “If there were famous physicians and fine medicine, could it be cured?”

“It can only be delayed, not cured, and at most delayed for no more than seven years.”

Qin Lanshang stood frozen on the spot.

Ye Fusheng suddenly asked, “I heard you served in the army with your father in your early years, sir. Have you ever heard of General Qin Hebai?”

Nowadays, whenever Qin Hebai was brought up outside, regardless of what people thought in their hearts, most feared the court and spoke of him as a ‘traitor.’ Yet in this mountain village far removed from the noise, people did not harbor such grievances.

Hearing the name, sadness welled up in Dr. Li’s eyes. “Naturally I knew him. What a pity… The war was critical back then, and thanks to General Qin’s fierce resistance against the Barbarians, things held together. Unfortunately, he met no good end in the end.”

Ye Fusheng also sighed. “The court executed a loyal man on charges of ‘relying on military power to act arrogantly and plotting rebellion.’ It was indeed a tragedy. I only wonder why General Qin insisted on remaining at Jinghan Pass and refused to return to the capital back then, or else it wouldn’t have…”

Dr. Li suddenly grew agitated, interrupting him: “How could the general leave? At that time… at that time, a plague had broken out in Jinghan Pass!”

Qin Lanshang blurted out, “A plague?”

“For so many years, I didn’t dare tell anyone, fearing people would call me a madman or bring disaster upon myself. But at my age, I have nothing left to fear.” Dr. Li’s eyes turned red, his voice hoarse. “That year, I was only in my twenties. My father was a military doctor in Jinghan Pass, so I went to find him. Unexpectedly, that autumn, an epidemic broke out among the Northern Barbarians, killing many people. Those bastards actually colluded with black-hearted traders, having infected soldiers disguise themselves as commoners to bring disease-tainted hides and food into the city…”

Qin Lanshang’s face turned ghastly white, while Ye Fusheng’s fingers slowly clenched into a fist.

“By the time it was discovered, over a hundred people were already infected… In a vital border fortress, news of such an outbreak would mean absolute ruin. General Qin dispatched men to gather the physicians and patients in a secluded area for centralized treatment, but it yielded little result, all while having to guard against the restless Barbarians. Tell me, how could he possibly leave?”

Qin Lanshang asked in a trembling voice, “Then why… didn’t he report the truth to the imperial court?”

The answer came from Ye Fusheng: “Little girl, do you know what method the court uses when an untreatable plague breaks out, just to prevent it from spreading? It’s very simple: eradicate it down to the root.”

Qin Lanshang felt cold from head to toe. Dr. Li let out a long sigh. “Yes. If he had reported it to the court, then everyone who might have been infected at that time would have been burned alive.”

Qin Hebai’s entire life was defined by righteous devotion; how could he disregard hundreds and thousands of lives? Yet by doing this, he had also staked the safety of the entire city upon his shoulders.

In terms of humanity, he did not fail; in terms of the greater picture, he was in the wrong. Thus, when the Lueying Guard arrived, Gu Zheng moved to capture him.

Qin Lanshang could not utter a single word. Ye Fusheng glanced at her, refraining from speaking further as he sent Dr. Li off to write the prescription.

Qin Lanshang didn’t even know how she went to fetch the medicine and boil the water, acting like a marionette who moved however Ye Fusheng directed.

By the time she finally snapped back to reality, dusk had already fallen. Dr. Li had long returned home, Chu Xiwei lay sleeping in bed after his acupuncture treatment, and Ye Fusheng had dug up a small jar of wine from somewhere, sitting beside her.

The orange glow of the setting sun draped over her body, yet she felt no warmth, only a chill seeping deep into her bones. Qin Lanshang curled her body inward. Ye Fusheng unfastened his outer robe and draped it over her, saying, “For a young girl, letting your body get cold isn’t good.”

Qin Lanshang watched him drink, her eyes moving slightly as she asked, “Why are you so good to me?”

“First, you’re a girl, and quite a pretty one at that.” Ye Fusheng smiled. “Second, A-Yao is your uncle.”

Qin Lanshang didn’t know Chu Xiwei’s former name, but she guessed the form of address referred to her own uncle. Her expression shifted slightly, but she said nothing more, wrapping the robe tightly around herself as she sat in silence.

Seeing her so quiet, Ye Fusheng felt somewhat unaccustomed. “What are you thinking about?”

“A lot of things, but I don’t understand any of them.” Qin Lanshang turned her head to look at him. “Uncle Ye, do people become harder to understand the more they grow up?”

“One of the most regrettable things in this world is that you’re no longer a child.” Ye Fusheng rubbed the wine jar. “When you grow up, no one will block the wind and rain for you, no one will plan and arrange things for you, and you’ll have to learn to shoulder everything yourself. If you fall, don’t expect anyone to pull you up—stand up on your own and keep walking. Do you understand?”

Qin Lanshang understood only half of it, merely feeling that such simple words carried the weight of a thousand pounds, pressing down until she could barely breathe.

“Since you can’t figure it out, why not go take a look?” Ye Fusheng motioned with his chin toward the left. “Isn’t there still another room over there?”