A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 42

The cumulus clouds were thick, and the faint morning light was a continuation of the night. After the rain stopped, the air was briefly fresh, but soon became heavy and oppressive again.

Qing Ge rounded up folk doctors as if press-ganging men, seizing anyone he saw and bringing them to the manor.

In the courtyard stood a pile of old men with medicine chests, shivering from the cold.

Where on earth did he find so many old fogeys?

Rong Jun really couldn’t bear to watch, but couldn’t directly say that the ones he found were obviously incompetent, each worse than the last, and not even as good as the ones from yesterday.

He was so worried he kept pulling at his hair.

In the past, when serving His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, whether carrying out a task or delivering an order, he never knew how to be subtle; he was always direct and unvarnished.

The word ‘tact’ was something he truly hadn’t mastered.

But now he was staying as a guest in this man’s manor, and the man had just saved the Emperor’s life and was enthusiastically “catching” doctors everywhere.

He didn’t know how to send them away.

Although Qing Ge was burly and rough, he was fortunately observant beneath his rugged exterior.

“Lord Rong, are none of these acceptable?”

Rong Jun was relieved.

He was still a clever man; it made sense. If this man were brainless, why would His Royal Highness have appointed him as the city’s general?

“Then, should this subordinate go out and catch some more?”

“…” Rong Jun said, “Not for now.”

“My lord, my lord.”

A voice came from the crowd of doctors.

Qing Ge said, “What is it?”

A half-centenarian elder in a grey cloth shirt squeezed out of the crowd, half-raising his hand, “My lord, this young lady’s illness is truly strange and beyond the skill of doctors like us. Why not find a famous physician in Yongdu to take a look?”

Nonsense!

Didn’t they just escape from Yongdu?

If they sent her back, there would be no need for treatment; she might as well slit her own throat for a quicker death.

“Hey? How do you know the young lady’s illness is strange?”

Qing Ge’s alarm was immediately raised.

When he had scolded people out yesterday, he had personally instructed them not to say a single word about anything they had seen once they left the manor gates.

He thought carefully; he had given instructions to everyone, not missing anyone.

This instruction was not just an instruction; it was also a “threat.”

The man in the grey cloth shirt said, “My lord, you already caught this humble man once yesterday.”

Rong Jun: “…”

Qing Ge: “…”

“Did a dog lick your mouth? Why didn’t you say you’d been here yesterday?”

Qing Ge hastily tried to save face.

“I did say so. But my lord told this humble man not to make a fuss.”

“Then, this, this is truly embarrassing.”

Qing Ge was dark-skinned, and his embarrassment in front of the lord from Yongdu made his face flush a reddish-black, like an overripe plum.

“Everyone, leave, leave! Take some reward money, and keep your mouths shut tight outside.”

The old doctors bowed in thanks and took their leave.

The man in the grey cloth shirt still stood there.

Qing Ge, “Why are you still here?”

The man in the grey cloth shirt said, “My lord, if you find Yongdu too far, you might try your luck at the Jiuhua Mountain Manor in the neighboring Liangxi City. The manor lord, surnamed Ye, enjoys studying various strange illnesses and might be able to find the cause of this young lady’s sickness. However…”

The old doctor spoke slowly.

Qing Ge, with his fiery temper, was impatient.

“Did you eat arsenic with your rice? Why stop mid-sentence? However what?”

The man in the grey cloth shirt bowed slightly, “It’s just that the manor lord and his wife have a rule: they do not treat officials.”

A young lady wouldn’t be an official.

“Nor can official dependents.”

This made Qing Ge recall something.

He seemed to have heard about this when he first took office in Yongjia City.

Liangxi City once had an epidemic, and it was the couple from Jiuhua Mountain Manor who, as healers, saved the world and controlled the plague. But they stuck to this one rule: not to save people from the official sector. Therefore, the official dependents seeking medical help at the time had to wear rags and pretend to be common folk.

Jiuhua Mountain Manor… What was the manor lord’s surname again?

Right, it was Ye.

The man in the grey cloth shirt added, “Jiuhua Mountain Manor hasn’t always had this rule. It was after the great fire at Jiuhua Mountain Manor a few years ago, when the old Lord Ye was burned alive, and the Ye family’s eldest daughter took in a son-in-law, surnamed Pei, that the manor changed its name, and this rule was established.”

“But, you see…”

The man in the grey cloth shirt, having spoken too much, took a breath and timidly glanced at Qing Ge.

Fortunately, the dark-faced lord did not seem intent on scolding him.

“The Ye couple are soft-hearted people. When you go, don’t reveal her identity; just say she is the daughter of a merchant family, and it might work.”

The man in the grey cloth shirt was not muddled; with the courtyard full of armed guards and an official frantically searching the city for a doctor, the young lady must be an extraordinary person.

He had lived long enough to understand that, although he knew the young lady was of no ordinary status, he should not ask, guess, or say too much.

“It’s a pity, speaking of which. More than twenty years ago, there was also a Lingxiao Mountain Manor in Liangxi City, which was also a family of healers. But they must have offended some enemy; they were massacred one rainy night. Hey, that family’s manor lord was also surnamed Pei.”

The man in the grey cloth shirt was particularly talkative and wanted to tell Rong Jun and Qing Ge a few more strange things that these two “young men” wouldn’t know.

Qing Ge impatiently said, “Stop rambling. Take your reward silver and be on your way.”

Hearing movement inside the room, Yuan Rong and Dai Qing carried the washing items and pushed the door open to enter.

Xie Wenjun walked over to the dressing table, and the two maids unconsciously stepped back.

They took half a step back, then froze.

They exchanged glances and knelt down together.

Xie Wenjun could probably understand why Yuan Rong and Dai Qing were so afraid of her, so she did not scold them.

Chen Liangyu expressed understanding and excused them, saying, “They aren’t as tough as me.”

“You should say they aren’t as good at fighting as you,” Xie Wenjun said, rubbing the back of her neck with her palm. “That hand was really heavy.”

In the final moment when her hand reached out to kill Chen Liangyu, she recognized the face before her.

But at that time, she only knew the face was familiar, but still did not recognize her.

Then, the person casually withdrew, dodged, and a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck.

She had been knocked unconscious.

Rong Jun paid his respects outside the room.

Xie Wenjun simply washed up, got dressed, and walked out.

The courtyard was not large; they had heard the conversation outside just now.

“We’re going to Liangxi,” said Chen Liangyu.

The official gazettes from all prefectures still had no news of the Crown Prince’s death. Xie Yu was dead, the situation in Yongdu was unclear, and a few days ago, she had lost contact with Yongdu. Attempts to contact the Northern Territory also received no reply.

She gripped the iron-clad letter tube that Uncle Yan had given her.

In Liangxi City, there was a dispatch post for the Feimang network.

Liangxi City and Yongjia City were not far apart, but because Liangxi City was surrounded by mountains and built halfway up a slope, the journey from Yongjia City required circling half the mountain.

They traveled and asked for directions along the way, only arriving at Liangxi City when the red sun was high in the sky.

The market in the city was extremely lively, with small stalls selling goods everywhere.

It was noon, and the waiters from various shops stood in the street, enthusiastically soliciting customers.

The city was built against a mountain, and the citizens had a custom of worshipping the Mountain God.

A group of beggars lived in the Mountain God Temple in the city, and not long ago, all of them died tragically in front of the Mountain God statue. The citizens all said that the offerings last year were not generous enough, which displeased the Mountain God, who sent a punishment.

Therefore, this year’s sacrifice was exceptionally grand.

After the sacrificial ceremony, every household had to post a portrait of the Mountain God and offer incense daily.

The group changed into merchant attire, and Rong Jun, with his Eastern Palace guards, also changed into plain clothes. They did not accompany them directly but escorted them, hidden in the crowd.

Following the map, Chen Liangyu found an ironware shop. The shirtless man hammering iron immediately understood when he saw the letter tube engraved with the Feimang arrow on her hand.

Xie Wenjun’s carriage was parked at another intersection, with Rong Jun guarding nearby.

Leaving the ironware shop, she headed toward the carriage.

The ironware shop faced the street, and diagonally opposite was a su-candy shop.

The fragrance hit her face, suggesting su-candy that had just come out of the oven. The shop was crowded with people vying to buy.

Xie Wenjun had only taken a couple of bites of her breakfast, saying there was no taste in her mouth.

Chen Liangyu leaned in to peer into the shop and then joined the queue.

A moment later, she realized that this group of people did not intend to queue; there was no order.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

She immediately squeezed into the crowd.

After great difficulty squeezing in a little, she was pushed out again.

She squeezed for a long time but was still on the periphery.

She settled her mind, rolled up her sleeves, pushed left and squeezed right, grabbed with her hands, blocked with her elbows, and, spotting a gap, slipped through nimbly, finally reaching the front.

But the shopkeeper was busy without a moment’s rest, acting as if he didn’t see her.

She observed how the people next to her made purchases.

They had to shout.

So, she joined the others, shouting loudly at the boss.

“I want some too! I want some too!”

She received a palm-sized oil-paper package from the shopkeeper; she weighed it in her hand, and it was still a bit hot.

Chen Liangyu carried it as if presenting a treasure, lifted the carriage curtain, and held it out to Xie Wenjun.

“Many people are queuing at this candy shop; the taste should be good. Your Highness, please try it.”

Yuan Rong took it, unfolded the oil paper wrapping the su-candy, and held it in her palm.

She leaned in to smell it, and threads of sweet fragrance entered her nostrils. Xie Wenjun finally agreed to eat.

As her taste buds opened up, her stomach began to rumble.

“Jiuhua Mountain Manor is still some distance away. Let’s rest for a while.”

A restaurant was not far ahead.

Chen Liangyu tied the horse to a post on the side. Just as she stepped across the restaurant’s threshold, a female thief in black, her face covered with a black veil and half-hidden by her hair, directly cut the rope tying the horse, leaped onto its back, and attempted to ride away.

Chen Liangyu intercepted both the person and the horse, then used her sword to knock the female thief off the horse, saying, “You stole from the wrong person.”

Before the female thief could stand steady, she struck out with a palm at extreme speed, which Chen Liangyu dodged.

Chen Liangyu did not want to be entangled for too long and immediately drew her sword.

A fierce killing aura seeped out from the flashing sword shadows. The female thief’s rudimentary fighting skill was no match for a single move, and her black veil was torn off by Chen Liangyu. Her dark hair lifted, revealing the hidden half of her face, which was hideous and ugly, seemingly scarred by a great fire.

Rong Jun was about to act, but seeing it was just a petty thief, he didn’t step forward to engage, only moving closer to Xie Wenjun’s side.

The female thief snatched the black veil torn off by Chen Liangyu, frantically covered her face, and her eyes darted around nervously.

Chen Liangyu said, “If there’s a chance, we can spar again. Farewell.”

Her current clothing and appearance did indeed resemble a martial artist, so she spoke in the tone of one.

Xie Wenjun’s face grew paler and paler.

Chen Liangyu re-tied the reins to the horse post outside the restaurant. Just then, she saw Xie Wenjun’s body go limp, like a wilting autumn leaf, leaning backward gently.

Chen Liangyu swiftly caught her.

Huddled in Chen Liangyu’s arms, Xie Wenjun trembled and curled up, her features contorted in pain.

Chen Liangyu’s throat tightened, and she swallowed dryly, placing her palm on Xie Wenjun’s thin back to regulate her breathing with internal energy.

“Rong Jun,” said Chen Liangyu.

“Your subordinate is here.”

“Immediately ride fast to Jiuhua Mountain Manor and see if you can invite the manor lord here,” Chen Liangyu said. “If you can’t invite him, knock him out and bring him; I will apologize myself. Waiter, open a private room.”

Rong Jun answered, took two men, and rode away on horseback.

Suddenly, a black figure stood in front of them, and a hand reached out.

Chen Liangyu subconsciously went to block, but the hand did not dodge, countering her with one hand for two moves. She looked up and saw it was the female thief from moments ago.

The female thief slapped Chen Liangyu’s hand away and placed her hand on Xie Wenjun’s pulse, checking it while saying, “Strange, she doesn’t look old, yet she feels so frail.”

Chen Liangyu was still regulating Xie Wenjun’s breathing, and upon hearing this, she wished she could strike this rude female thief dead with a single palm.

“What you’re doing is useless; it’s merely a temporary fix,” the female thief said. “Why are you going to Jiuhua Mountain Manor?”

“To seek medical help.”

“A force was forcibly poured into her body, and it doesn’t look like any proper cultivation technique. Her innate constitution is poor, and she can’t control it, which is why she became like this. If you force more internal energy into her, she will surely die.”

The female thief pulled out a jade-green, gourd-shaped ceramic bottle from her bosom, poured out a pill, and was about to feed it to Xie Wenjun.

Chen Liangyu grabbed her hand, “What is it?”

The female thief slapped Chen Liangyu’s hand away again, “It’s to save her life. Someone like her wouldn’t live much longer anyway. Giving her a dose of my poison seems like a waste of my poison.”

Poison?

After the old doctor in the grey cloth shirt left, Chen Liangyu wanted to ask some questions, so Qing Ge invited him back. He had said: “Liangxi City once had two major medical manors. The Pei family of Lingxiao Mountain Manor excelled at treating internal and external injuries. Lord Pei loved collecting rare medicines from all over the world and studying various difficult and strange diseases. The Ye family of Jiuhua Mountain Manor excelled at making poison. The old manor lord firmly believed that poison could harm as well as save people, advocating using poison to fight poison. After Lingxiao Mountain Manor vanished, only the Ye family of Jiuhua Mountain Manor remained. However, since the old Lord Ye died a few years ago, the Ye family has rarely used poison in their medicine.”

Seeing that she didn’t recognize the value of the item, the female thief put the pill back into the ceramic gourd bottle. She turned to leave.

“Miss Ye,” Chen Liangyu suddenly spoke.

The female thief showed no reaction, not even pausing her step, and vanished around the corner in an instant.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.