A slightly hoarse voice.
Rong Zhi startled, looking down to meet Xia Yunting’s gaze, filled with curiosity and confusion.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
Xia Yunting continued, “Do you need something from me?”
There was no unsolicited kindness in the world; all favors came with a price.
He couldn’t accept the other person’s help with peace of mind if he didn’t know their intentions.
Rong Zhi felt a surge of excitement. She could finally say it!
It felt like the clouds had finally parted to reveal the moon.
“I want to return to Medicine King Valley!”
“Return?”
Xia Yunting seized the key word.
Medicine King Valley had submitted to the imperial court fifteen years ago. The court had stationed guards there, forbidding anyone from entering or exiting.
If this girl wanted to return, when had she left?
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
Actually, Rong Zhi didn’t know her exact age. She didn’t know her birthday or her name, so eighteen was a rough estimate.
“What is your connection to Medicine King Valley?”
“My mother was once a disciple of Medicine King Valley.”
She absolutely dared not mention anything about reincarnation or borrowing a corpse to inhabit.
In the past, the Emperor of Tian Que Kingdom had favored Taoism, and fortune-telling, divination, and exorcism were common among the populace.
However, since her rebirth, Tian Que Kingdom had begun to vigorously suppress talk of spirits and deities. Even the Great National Master, Cheng Yichen, had gone into seclusion, citing closed-door cultivation.
Anyone who mentioned spirits or deities, regardless of who they were, would be immediately imprisoned.
“Your mother?”
Xia Yunting clearly harbored some doubt.
Rong Zhi nodded.
“My mother traveled extensively to practice medicine and found it inconvenient to bring me along. So, she entrusted me to a friend in the imperial city. However, that friend later passed away. I couldn’t find my mother and grew up wandering alone. The mountains were high and the roads were long, making it impossible to return to Medicine King Valley. Moreover, your men are stationed there, which is why I came to you.”
She looked at Xia Yunting and said sincerely,
“I will help you to the best of my ability in exchange for your help in returning to Medicine King Valley.”
“My medical skills are excellent, so this is a fair trade.”
Xia Yunting fell silent. Medicine King Valley had indeed submitted to the court, but… the military authority was not in his hands.
He nodded, “Alright, I will help you.”
He closed his eyes again.
Beside him, Rong Zhi’s voice, now noticeably lighter, could be heard.
“There’s a village down the mountain. Let’s find a family to stay with.”
Rong Zhi had regained her strength. She slung Xia Yunting over her shoulder and set off again.
Perhaps it was Xia Yunting’s promise that gave her renewed motivation. She managed to walk out of the mountain range in one go.
The village was about three li away at the foot of the mountain. It was late at night, and no lights were on in any of the houses.
Rong Zhi still had concerns:
Those assassins had pursued them this far and would surely question the nearby villagers.
If the villagers spoke, they would be exposed very quickly.
After much thought, she decided to hide Xia Yunting somewhere first. She tore off a piece of cloth from her clothes, covered her face, and approached a house.
This was the closest house to the mountain, a simple mud-brick dwelling, isolated from the rest of the village, as if deliberately separated.
There was no sound from inside. Rong Zhi guessed that no one might be home. If that were the case, they could move in and use the stove inside to boil medicine for Xia Yunting.
She was already utterly exhausted.
She hadn’t slept for a day and a night, and her head felt groggy, her legs still weak.
She pushed open the door, and in a daze, only saw a contorted face float out like a ghost, its eyes fixed on Rong Zhi, as if seeking her soul.
A ghost!
Rong Zhi cried out in alarm. The blood rushed to her head, combined with her exhaustion, and she fainted.
Rong Zhi was awakened by the sunlight.
She looked up at the thatched roof of the mud hut. After a moment of blankness, a flood of memories surged into her mind—the fire, the assassination, the escape, the ghost…
The ghost!
Rong Zhi sat up abruptly.
Turning around, she found Xia Yunting lying beside her. His red robes were tattered, his face ashen, and his breathing shallow.
It was a mud house with a narrow door. Through the crack, she could see a very thin figure outside, chopping firewood with an axe, bit by bit.
He was turned sideways, his exposed half-face covered in pockmarks, his features as if distorted by some force.
Rong Zhi instantly recalled the ghostly figure she had seen yesterday.
So, it was just an ordinary villager.
Rong Zhi’s tense nerves relaxed. It seemed they were safe here.
The person suddenly turned his head, and his gaze met Rong Zhi’s.
Rong Zhi pushed the door open and greeted him.
“Thank you for taking us in, uncle. May I ask your surname!”
“My name is Yu Cheng. You can call me Uncle Yu.”
The man smiled, and his features immediately twisted, making him look even more terrifying, but his tone was kind.
“Thank you, Uncle Yu.”
Rong Zhi was unfazed.
Having practiced medicine in two lifetimes, she had seen all sorts of patients. This man was clearly suffering from some kind of poisoning.
Yu Cheng looked into the room.
“Where are you two from? You collapsed at my doorstep yesterday, which startled me.”
“We are from a town in the south. My husband is a martial artist who offended someone. He was chased and killed on our wedding day, forcing us to flee here.”
Rong Zhi’s lies flowed effortlessly, delivered with apparent sincerity.
Yu Cheng sighed with emotion, “So that’s what happened. It’s not easy. Are you hungry? I’ll fetch you something to eat.”
Saying that, Yu Cheng put down his axe and headed towards the kitchen.
Seizing this opportunity, Rong Zhi took in her surroundings.
The courtyard was not large but was kept tidy. Various tools were stacked in the corners. Against the wall, there was a shed filled with neatly piled firewood.
It was clear that this uncle was a meticulous person.
A horse’s whinnying came from the backyard.
Rong Zhi started, and following the source of the sound, she saw a black horse leisurely grazing.
“Xiao Hei!”
Rong Zhi was both surprised and delighted. She hadn’t expected Xiao Hei to be here!
She had thought Xiao Hei might have been discovered by those assassins…
Wait a minute!
Rong Zhi suddenly had a bad premonition.
She returned to the room and found that Yu Cheng had already placed the food down and was looking at Xia Yunting.
Noticing Rong Zhi, Yu Cheng even grinned.
“City folk are indeed good-looking. Young lady, you are truly fortunate.”
Rong Zhi returned his smile.
“Eat your meal. Call me if you need anything.”
Yu Cheng left tactfully.
After he left, Rong Zhi’s gaze fell on the bowl of porridge.
She pulled out the silver hairpin from her head and stirred the porridge a couple of times.
The silver hairpin remained unchanged.
Rong Zhi wiped the hairpin clean and put it back on her head.
It seemed she had been worrying needlessly.
“Xia Yunting, eat something.”
She nudged Xia Yunting. He slowly opened his eyes. Rong Zhi scooped up a spoonful of porridge and was about to bring it to his lips when Xia Yunting suddenly frowned and spoke, his tone puzzled.
“Who… are you?”
*Clatter.* The spoon dropped back into the bowl of porridge.
Meeting Xia Yunting’s vacant gaze, Rong Zhi suddenly had a bad feeling.
“You… you don’t remember me?”
Xia Yunting shook his head.
“Do you remember who you are?”
He shook his head again.
“Do you remember what happened before?”
He continued to shake his head.
Well, he had amnesia.
Rong Zhi’s mental defenses seemed to crumble like a dike breached by a flood.
Heavens, you must be joking with me!
She had finally waited for Xia Yunting to return to court, finally established contact with him, and finally managed to get him to agree to help her return to Medicine King Valley, only for him to lose his memory right after agreeing.
Rong Zhi suspected she might have stepped on dog poop when she went out.
“Who exactly are you?”
Seeing Rong Zhi’s somber expression, Xia Yunting began to doubt their relationship.
Rong Zhi took a deep breath:
“I am your wife.”
“Wife… is this our home?”
Xia Yunting looked down. Indeed, he was wearing wedding attire, but it was covered in knife slashes, with several pieces missing from the hem and dark stains everywhere.
He looked even more bewildered.
“No, we just got married, and then we were chased. Uncle Yu Cheng took us in.”
“Who chased us, and why?”
“Because you dug up someone’s ancestral grave.”
Rong Zhi said through gritted teeth.
How was she supposed to know why? All she knew was that she was having terrible luck!
Unexpectedly, Xia Yunting took her casual lie seriously and pondered it for a moment. Then, he earnestly retorted:
“I would never dig up someone’s ancestral grave. This must be a misunderstanding.”
*Pfft!*
Rong Zhi almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
“…That’s right, it’s a misunderstanding! Let’s eat first. After eating, I still need to treat your illness.”
“What illness do I have?”
“Contagious bad luck syndrome.”
Rong Zhi replied with a straight face, and before he could ask another question, she stuffed a spoonful of white porridge into his mouth.
Eat, eat, eat!
Rong Zhi was angry, and her actions lacked gentleness. The process of feeding him also lacked patience.
Xia Yunting frowned as he swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot porridge, his face gradually darkening like charcoal.
Finally, he licked the remnants of porridge from the corner of his mouth, his expression solemn.
“Was I forced into marriage by you?”
“Why?” Rong Zhi was stunned.
“You are so rough. If I wasn’t forced, I wouldn’t have married you.”
“……”
Don’t get angry, don’t get angry, he is a patient.
Rong Zhi really wanted to punch him, but after a brief moment of despair, her first reaction as a doctor was concern.
Logically speaking, amnesia could stem from three causes: drug reaction, severe external injury, or significant emotional trauma leading to selective forgetting.
However, the Seven-Day Fiend Toxin that Xia Yunting had ingested did not cause amnesia. As a seasoned general, Xia Yunting wouldn’t lose his memory from a mere shock.
Therefore, it could only be an external injury.
“Get up.”
She reached out and helped Xia Yunting sit up, then touched his head.
“What are you doing?”
Xia Yunting tried to struggle.
“Don’t move!”
Rong Zhi’s tone was sharp, and she glared at Xia Yunting. However, her glare lacked any real intimidation.
Rong Zhi had a refined appearance, with almond-shaped eyes and delicate eyebrows. When she wasn’t expressing herself, her face conveyed innocence and purity.
Even when angry, she was like a startled kitten, incapable of truly frightening anyone.
Seeing her earnestly angry, Xia Yunting’s heart skipped a beat.
Is she really angry?
He suddenly felt a flicker of interest.
A teenage girl possessing the maturity and composure of someone much older was inherently suspicious.
He had been wondering how to uncover her other side, and it seemed that making her angry was the way.