Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 84

During the night, Lianyi woke up once. She lay quietly on the couch, patiently waiting for her dreams and memories to fully merge.

Hoping Liu Fenyun could get more rest, she didn’t take the opportunity to share the contents of her dream. For now, she tucked it away in her heart like a gift, planning to save up more before sharing it all with Liu Fenyun at once.

Holding Liu Fenyun, she closed her eyes peacefully.

The nights in late autumn had begun to grow long, when the hour of dawn arrived, the sky was still pitch black.

After an unknown amount of time, a violent pounding erupted at the door.

“Is Physician Ran there? Please, save them! Save them…!”

Perhaps because the knocking went unanswered for too long, the person outside began to shout loudly.

Liu Fenyun was a light sleeper and woke up as soon as she heard the knocking. She didn’t rush out of bed, however, but first confirmed with her system that the person wasn’t a hostile “red named” character. Only then did she throw on an outer robe, loosely tie her hair, and pull a screen over to hide the person and demon sleeping haphazardly on the floor before heading to open the door.

It wasn’t even light out yet. Based on Liu Fenyun’s years of experience assisting a top-tier physician, anyone knocking this early and this urgently could only be a patient.

The door opened to reveal a pale young man standing outside, his hand still frozen in mid-air from knocking. Seeing Liu Fenyun, the light returned to his glazed eyes.

Without waiting for Liu Fenyun to ask, the youth immediately grabbed her hand, intending to lead her away. He was promptly pushed back by a rushing Lianyi.

“Is this your attitude when begging someone to save a life?” Lianyi stood in front of Liu Fenyun, her voice cold and rebuking. “You haven’t explained the condition, yet you try to drag the physician away? To someone who didn’t know better, it would look like you’re trying to kidnap her!”

The youth’s face flushed. He waved his hands frantically in explanation. “No! I truly came to beg Physician Ran to save someone! I am the caretaker for those wounded soldiers. After returning, I heard about Physician Ran treating them. They all slept soundly last night, and we are all so grateful! But just now, ten more wounded were brought in…”

Seeing the youth on the verge of tears, Liu Fenyun took Lianyi’s hand and stepped back inside. “I understand. Give me a moment to change and prepare my tools.”

“You’re really going to save them?” Lianyi asked, watching her pack with lightning speed the moment the door closed. “It’s far too early…”

“Healing the wounded and saving the dying is a healer’s duty.” Liu Fenyun shouldered her medicine chest and rubbed Lianyi’s head. “I’ll be back soon. You and the others stay here and rest.”

“No, I can’t sleep peacefully if you aren’t here!” Lianyi refused, immediately grabbing Liu Fenyun’s arm. Her clothes shifted into a fresh outfit in an instant. “I’ve rested enough. I’m coming with you.”

“Why are you guys up so early?” Awakened by the noise, Meng Nie sat up, rubbing her eyes with her hair disheveled. She usually didn’t sleep so deeply, but last night she had wanted to experience Qi Ran’s sleeping spell, which had left her dead to the world.

“There’s been another demon attack. A caretaker came to find me for the wounded,” Liu Fenyun said. “Since you’re awake, remember to tell Qi… Wenzhi. Tell her to find us at yesterday’s location. We’re heading out.”

Since the injuries couldn’t wait, Liu Fenyun and Lianyi followed the youth downstairs. They found he had already hired horses, the three of them mounted up and hurried toward the small hut where the wounded were being kept.

As they neared the hut, Liu Fenyun suddenly pulled her horse to a stop. She handed a mask to Lianyi, instructing her to wear it at all times. Then, she jumped down, told Lianyi to find a place to hitch the horses, and sprinted toward the hut with her medicine chest.

Lianyi hitched the horses and followed the scent to the location. Only then did she realize why Liu Fenyun had insisted on the mask. The stench of death permeated the area around the hut, a mix of blood and decay. Given her constitution and sensitivity to smells, she wouldn’t have been able to get close without the mask filtering some of it out.

Standing outside the door, she could hear the groans of the newly arrived wounded.

Occasionally, the voices of other patients could be heard offering comfort: “Don’t be afraid. Physician Ran can even save brothers with severed limbs. You’ll be fine.”

“Once Physician Ran arrives, we can rest easy!”

“But Physician Ran is a traveling doctor. What if there’s another demon attack after she leaves?”

“Then we can only petition the imperial court. If only they would just send a physician…”

Lianyi was a demon, and she made no effort to hide her true form. As soon as she appeared, she gave the wounded inside a massive fright.

“Why is there a demon finding this place!?”

“Where is Guard Lin? Someone stop this demon! Don’t let her disturb Physician Ran!”

The youth who led them, the one they called Guard Lin Jingfeng, had just returned from hitching the horses and quickly explained: “Don’t panic, everyone! This is Physician Ran’s demon guard, Yun He! She won’t hurt anyone!”

After his explanation, Lianyi stepped through the door, walked to Liu Fenyun’s side, and helped her examine the newly transported wounded.

She was used to her role as a Saintess, her bearing was elegant, and her every movement exuded the grace of a noble lady. This slowly allowed the crowd, who were wary of demons, to lower their guard.

“Since you all witnessed the demon attack at Yellow Leaf Hill, do you have accurate intelligence on the demons in that area?” After observing for a while, Lianyi suddenly asked.

“What kind of intelligence do you mean?” Lin Jingfeng asked quickly.

“The species of the demons involved in the attack,” Lianyi said. “If it’s just ordinary beasts turned demon like tigers, leopards, or wolves perhaps we can go suppress them. But if it’s an exotic beast like a Nine Tailed Fox…”

“Oh! I understand.” Lin Jingfeng nodded as if realizing something. Seeing that Lianyi seemed somewhat uncomfortable, he led her outside to the fresh air and spoke truthfully: “I haven’t been to Yellow Leaf Hill myself, but from the descriptions of the survivors, even though those demons are the ‘ordinary’ beasts you mentioned, they are far stronger than normal animals.”

“That is the result of inhaling the aura of a Great Demon,” Lianyi said grimly. “I heard the conflict is between your city’s guardian spirit and a Nine Tailed Fox of unknown origin. A Great Demon capable of being a guardian spirit wouldn’t release demon energy recklessly. The fox must be causing the beasts to mutate, likely to use them as fodder for the battle.”

Lin Jingfeng smiled bitterly. “But the Guardian Spirit Lord has been here for a long time, and hasn’t offended any demons recently…”

Lianyi shook her head. “Humans have a saying: ‘A gentleman’s revenge is never too late even after ten years.’ A demon’s lifespan is far longer than a human’s. Even seeking revenge for an old grudge is not uncommon. But with such a major incident, the imperial court hasn’t sent any demon hunters?”

“It’s because the demon attack hasn’t reached the city yet…” Lin Jingfeng whispered, then sighed. “If I may be blunt, Shengkun City is simply too large. If it’s just a small-scale attack that doesn’t harm the city’s civilians only local soldiers, the court’s demon hunters won’t intervene.”

They certainly wouldn’t risk their lives to stop a fight between a guardian spirit and a Nine-Tailed Fox.

“The demon hunters and physicians of your country are quite the ‘lords’,” Lianyi sneered after hearing this. “Very protective of their own lives.”

She actually found herself missing the demon hunters and physicians of the Candle Flame Kingdom. Even though those people had no love for demons, at least none of them retreated when facing a battlefield or a demon attack.

Lin Jingfeng could offer nothing but a bitter smile in response.

“If you want to reduce casualties, you must solve the problem at its source,” Lianyi continued. “Where is this Yellow Leaf Hill? How long does it take to ride there? Are there any phantom arrays, barriers, or seals on the way?”

Lin Jingfeng froze, blurting out, “Could it be that you…!”

“I am a traveling physician’s demon guard; I have no interest in the trivial affairs of other countries.” Lianyi glanced at the busy Liu Fenyun inside the room, her voice softening involuntarily. “But if the demon attack is resolved, my partner won’t have to wake up this early.”

Lin Jingfeng understood immediately. When he had gone to “invite” Physician Ran, the physician herself hadn’t reacted much, but this cat demon looked like she wanted to shred him on the spot.

“Yellow Leaf Hill is to the west of the city. Go out through the White Tiger Gate, pass through a bamboo forest, and you’ll see a hill where red maple leaves fly all year round,” Lin Jingfeng said. “There are no arrays blocking humans, but I don’t know if there are any against demons. After all, that is the guardian spirit’s territory.”

Lianyi noted the location and didn’t forget to remind him: “We might take a look if we have time. If not, we won’t.”

Meng Nie and Qi Ran soon arrived as well. Seeing the carnage inside, Meng Nie frowned and pulled Qi Ran aside. “When are we going to find the Nine Tailed Fox?”

She had also heard about the demon attacks and knew who the culprit behind all this was.

“Help out first.” Seeing that Liu Fenyun had no intention of leaving yet, Qi Ran dropped her words and went to grab some tools.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Liu Fenyun had finally finished treating all the wounded and had even checked on those she treated yesterday. Only then did she leave amidst the grateful cries of the crowd.

“We cannot stay in Shengkun City for long,” Lianyi told her on the way back. “Aside from anything else, the fact that you are treating the wounded for free is enough to draw the resentment of local physicians.”

Liu Fenyun sighed softly. “But since I know about this, I can’t just ignore it.”

“Then it’s better to go meet that Nine Tailed Fox directly to stop it from causing indirect harm,” Lianyi said. “I’ve already found out the location of Yellow Leaf Hill. Go back and get some sleep, we’ll head out once you’re rested.”

Liu Fenyun had intended to see the Nine Tailed Fox ever since she heard about it. Hearing this, she said, “My energy has been exceptionally good these past two days. I don’t need extra sleep. But your body…”

She wasn’t lying. Treating a large number of wounded in a short time was indeed an exhausting task, both mentally and physically. Yet she didn’t feel tired, as if her energy and stamina were being refilled by some power as soon as they were spent.

Lianyi looked her over suspiciously. Finding no signs of fatigue or forced alertness, she pouted and said, “Don’t think of me as so fragile! I am a demon, after all, not just some common cat.”

Liu Fenyun understood her meaning and smiled. “Then let’s grab some breakfast. We’ll set off once our stomachs are full.”

At this hour, the breakfast stalls had just begun setting up. Watching Qi Ran and Meng Nie order several meat buns while Liu Fenyun ordered buns and rice porridge, Lianyi couldn’t help but tug at Liu Fenyun’s sleeve. “Is there no spicy soup (hulatang) or mutton soup with bread (yangrou paomo)?”

“This is a city of the Hua ethnic group, they don’t sell those two items in the morning. You’d have to go to a restaurant to order them,” Liu Fenyun explained helplessly. “They do have sesame porridge, though. Do you want to try some?”

Lianyi shook her head, letting go of her sleeve in disappointment and obediently taking a bowl of hot porridge to drink.

However, Liu Fenyun left her seat and went elsewhere, returning a moment later with an oil-paper wrap which she handed to Lianyi. “Try this.”

Lianyi opened the wrap to find slices of flatbread toasted to a golden brown, smelling of sweet honey. It looked somewhat familiar, and she couldn’t help asking, “What is this?”

“It’s honey roasted mantou slices,” Meng Nie answered, glancing over as she looked up. “They’re incredibly fragrant and crunchy. I didn’t expect them to be sold here, the quality looks quite good.”

Lianyi took a curious bite. The texture was exactly as Meng Nie described, unexpectedly delicious.

Her thoughts drifted back to her dream from the night before. In that dream, the “other” Liu Fenyun often made breakfast herself, including toasted mantou slices. However, that Liu Fenyun would spread “condensed milk” on the slices, occasionally using the same method for toasted bread.

Liu Fenyun had just taken two sips of porridge when a slice of roasted mantou was held up to her lips.

“I’ve tried it, and I really like the flavor.” Lianyi turned her head, her smiling eyes meeting Liu Fenyun’s. “You have some too.”

Qi Ran had grown accustomed to the couple’s constant “feeding” back when they were in the Candle Flame Kingdom, but the Great White Lion living in her sea of consciousness couldn’t stand it. As Qi Ran ate, her mind was filled with the sound of Si Yangshen grinding her teeth.

“I can’t believe I have to watch them being all lovey-dovey even in the lower realm!” Si Yangshen said through gritted teeth, her voice sounding particularly irritated. “She’s just an ordinary demon, what right does she have to keep a God all to herself…”

Qi Ran didn’t want to provoke her, so she pretended not to hear the grumbling and continued eating her bun in silence.

After breakfast, the group returned to the post station to pack up briefly before heading to the White Tiger Gate at top speed to make their way toward Yellow Leaf Hill.

“Just as Lin Jingfeng said, there is indeed a bamboo forest ahead.” After walking for a while, Liu Fenyun stopped to check the system map. “But there is a formation set up in that forest. I’m not sure if it’s an illusion array or a trap. Let’s stay close and not get separated.”

“Humans can enter and leave the bamboo forest freely. Follow me,” Meng Nie said, giving Liu Fenyun an uncertain glance. Although Liu Fenyun looked human and never showed demon characteristics, Meng Nie could sense a very rich demonic aura coming from her.