lava

Chapter 5

Nie Chengyan looked at her, but spoke to the old man in the clouds, "Did you find this girl?" His tone was indifferent, leaving no room for interpretation. Han Xiao racked her brains, hoping she hadn't displeased her master. Nie Chengyan continued, "Where is her indenture?"

Han Xiao felt uneasy. She bit her lip and heard Nie Chengyan continue, "What does my servant have to do with your Yunwu Mountain? The indenture is naturally with me."

Han Xiao was both surprised and delighted. When she met Nie Chengyan's gaze, she suddenly realized that from this moment on, her identity as Nie Chengyan's personal physician was truly recognized by her master.

Two days later, Bai Ying brought in a few servants, carrying in a new bed. It was made of fine sandalwood, carved with mythical beasts and branches, magnificent and imposing. Straight railings lined the headboard and sides, and there was also a railing above with a tassel hanging from it. When hung, it was decorative; when lowered, it made it easier for Nie Chengyan to sit up. It was clear that considerable thought had been put into its design and manufacture. But Nie Chengyan sneered, "This woody fragrance is overwhelming. Is it because you think I stink, or is it so you can use poison without being noticed?"

Bai Ying froze on the spot, cold sweat pouring down her back. Although they had only met a few times, Han Xiao had a very good impression of Steward Bai Ying. He didn't look down on her because she was a new servant and didn't belong to Yunwu Mountain; on the contrary, he made things convenient for her in every way and took care of her in every matter. Although Han Xiao was young, she was perceptive and had great respect for kind-hearted people. Seeing that Nie Chengyan had taken someone's good intentions as malicious and even made sarcastic remarks, she felt somewhat resentful.

In the end, Bai Ying didn't say anything. She waved her hand, signaling the servants to move the new bed out. Then she bowed her head, apologized for her lack of consideration, and said that the new bed would be delivered again in two days. Then she left as well.

Although Han Xiao was upset, he still cautiously tried to verify the information, fearing that there might be some inside story he didn't know and that he might have wrongly blamed Nie Chengyan. So he asked, "Master, is there something wrong with Steward Bai?"

“There’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just looking for trouble.” Nie Chengyan answered with such confidence that Han Xiao was speechless.

That evening, Han Xiao brought a large basin of warm water and carefully wiped Nie Chengyan's entire body from head to toe. Although there was a brazier in the room, making it warm as spring, Nie Chengyan was very dissatisfied with her handling his body.

“Our master is very particular about cleanliness. To avoid being disliked for the smell, it’s best to wipe it down more often,” Han Xiao said confidently.

Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth and didn't reply. Later that night, when it was time to sleep, Nie Chengyan said that there was no fragrance in the room and that he, a master who loved cleanliness and hated smells, couldn't sleep. So, the little maid Han Xiao held an incense burner and served by the bedside, watching him with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips.

Han Xiao sighed inwardly, thinking to herself that she had been too impulsive. She didn't seem to be this reckless with other patients before. You know, illness is the hardest thing to endure, and it's common for patients to be unreasonable and throw tantrums. Besides, someone like Nie Chengyan probably had a temper when he was healthy and strong. Now that he can't walk, has a huge poison in his body, and is bedridden, it's fine for him to throw a tantrum. Why did she have to be so stubborn and argue?

The wisps of smoke from the incense burner made Han Xiao feel a little dizzy. She straightened her back and stood up straight. To force herself to stay awake, she began to concentrate on reciting the herbal medicine recipes in her mind. As she recited, she thought of the names of everyone on the mountain. She wondered if anyone was named Chenpi (dried tangerine peel), or Mabiancao (verbena officinalis), or Zaojia (soapberry), or Badou (croton). She amused herself by thinking about it and burst out laughing.

Nie Chengyan was secretly annoyed. She could even chuckle while being punished by standing in the middle of the night; he wondered what was going on in her head. But it was for the best. If someone with a gloomy face, constantly crying and trembling with fear were by his side at a time like this, it would probably annoy him even more. Undeniably, the girl the old man had found for him was quite good.

"Go to sleep." He finally couldn't help but shoo her away. She probably didn't know that as she recited it, she was silently chanting it aloud. She probably also didn't know that the happier she became as she recited it, the angrier he got.

Han Xiao was taken aback upon hearing the order, then shouted, "Yes, Master!"

After a while, Nie Chengyan said again, "Take the incense burner away." She went to sleep, but instead of going to bed, she actually brought a chair and placed the incense burner at the foot of his bed to keep it burning. She was definitely doing it on purpose. Nie Chengyan thought to himself, this little girl actually has quite a temper.

"Yes, Master."

After a while, "You're not allowed to recite it anymore."

The soft sounds from the small couch by the door immediately stopped, and after a while Han Xiao stammered, "Yes, Master."

"If you're going to carry it, then go outside." The reluctance in her voice made him blurt out the words, and then he heard her reply, "Yes, Master." And then she really went outside.

Nie Chengyan finally couldn't help but grin. This girl was truly extraordinary. What was so special about memorizing a medicine formula? It was worth her running out in the middle of the night. She was probably the only person who had brought him any joy since his injury. Nie Chengyan slowly drifted off to sleep. Before falling asleep, he wondered what kind of trouble he should cause that girl tomorrow.

Trust Relationship (Revised)

That night, Nie Chengyan was awakened by excruciating pain. When he regained consciousness, he found his body convulsing, especially his legs. He was covered in cold sweat and could only grit his teeth. This was due to the poison; he had occasionally experienced such flare-ups before, and since the poison had not yet been eradicated, he was mentally prepared for this.

A small, thin figure rushed over; it was Han Xiao. She was startled by the sight and hurriedly tried to call for help, but Nie Chengyan said, "Don't call, just hold on."

Han Xiao saw his face contorted in pain, turning pale, and he was so anxious that he wanted to scream. Nie Chengyan grabbed her hand and said, "There's nothing you can do about this pain. You can only endure it. Calling people over will only make you another spectator." He spoke with difficulty, but he still tried his best, clearly not wanting anyone else to see him like this at this moment.

Han Xiao understood what he meant; this was probably not the first or second time this had happened. She anxiously wrung her hands, and seeing his body convulsing and trembling violently, she simply pressed herself against him, carefully avoiding the injury on her ankle, and pinned his legs down with her own.

She could feel the tension in his body from the pain, and her face was right in front of his scars. Imagining the ordeal he had suffered, she felt truly sad.

"Girl."

"Yes, Master."

"Girl."

"Yes, Master, this servant is here."

He called her name several times, and she responded several times, but he didn't say anything else, he just kept calling. He was so vulnerable, and although he wouldn't admit it, his helpless, subconscious calls made Han Xiao feel sorry for him, and her eyes welled up with tears.

He endured the pain that night, and finally fell asleep from exhaustion. She stayed by his bedside, but eventually couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep at his feet.

In Han Xiao's view, the relationship between a doctor and his servant, besides providing care in terms of daily life and healing, also includes spiritual support and encouragement. Sometimes, they even support and encourage each other. After that night, she felt that she and Nie Chengyan had become a little closer, but the next morning, he managed to infuriate her, who always considered herself to be kind-hearted.

Where did you go?

"Go see my younger brother."

Did I give you permission to leave?

"It's not even dawn yet, you were just asleep." In other words, there's no way to ask for an opinion.

"So you can just run around like that?"

"I didn't run around, Master. I just ran to the small house next to this courtyard." It was a purposeful run, as if afraid of being late, and it was a run with all its might.

"That won't do either. Don't you have any sense of being a servant?"

"Yes, Master." He answered so fluently and self-consciously.

He glared at her, and finally said, "You are not allowed to leave this courtyard without my permission, not even to see your brother." The same malice he had shown on the night of his death, "How wonderful, at least I have someone to be buried with me," reappeared.

Han Xiao was taken aback, then gritted her teeth and replied, "This servant cannot grant this request."

"Can't agree? You call yourself a servant? If you can't do what your master asks, then get out." Clearly, he was in a bad mood that morning.

Han Xiao was also furious. He had been in pain and hadn't slept well last night, so he was naturally irritable, but she was also in a bad mood when she saw her brother's condition this morning. Most importantly, his request was unreasonable. She had been taking good care of him without neglecting anything, and she wouldn't have done anything wrong by checking on him when he was asleep. She only saw her brother once a day, and seeing his sad and reluctant expression made her sad too.

Han Xiao looked at Nie Chengyan, who seemed to have made up his mind. She finally couldn't help but shout, "I came here for my brother. If you don't let me see my brother, how is that any different from sending me away?"

"How dare you!" For a seriously ill person, his voice was not small.

"Can I go see my brother if I'm a little timid?" She believed in reason.

He was clearly speechless, his lips pressed tightly together, and the two stared at each other. Just then, a male voice came from outside: "Miss Han, I've brought medicine for the young master."

Han Xiao turned and walked out. She was angry, but she couldn't delay taking her medicine. But as soon as she stepped outside, she froze; she didn't recognize the person.

"Who are you?"

"Miss Han, my name is Yuanzhi. I am a medical servant at the pharmacy."

Han Xiao looked outside. Only Lu Ying was in the courtyard. Last night, she had said that Qin Jiao would be the one to prepare and deliver the medicine this morning. She didn't recognize this Yuanzhi.

"Where is Qin Jiao?"

"He burned his hand at the pharmacy, so I'm here to deliver the medicine."

Who prepared this medicine?

“It’s me. I’m in charge of your medicine at the pharmacy.” Yuanzhi answered patiently and earnestly.

"Then tell me, what are the ingredients?" Han Xiao had already memorized Nie Chengyan's prescription, and this was the perfect opportunity to verify whether what he said was true or false. Yuan Zhi frowned, but still recited the prescription once. The young master used many medicines, and fortunately, he had followed the process of preparing and decocting the medicine from beginning to end, otherwise he would have really been stumped by this strange girl.

"No, it's missing one ingredient, Lycoris radiata." Han Xiao pointed out the error in the prescription he was carrying.

Yuanzhi was taken aback, but quickly said, "There is absolutely no Lycoris radiata. I know your prescription best, it is the one I just mentioned, and there is no Lycoris radiata."

Han Xiao then smiled and said, "I was mistaken. There are indeed no spider lilies. Thank you. I will bring them to you right away."

She took the tray containing the medicine into the room, first tasting it herself with a spoon to confirm that the taste was the same as the one Xue Song had brought last time, and the temperature was also suitable. Then she helped Nie Chengyan lean against the headboard, took a cloth to cushion his neck and shoulders, and then used a new spoon to feed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful.

Nie Chengyan stopped glaring and remained silent, obediently drinking the medicine. This surprised Han Xiao; she had expected him to yell at her again, but he was surprisingly docile. However, Han Xiao felt the matter wasn't over yet. Sure enough, after finishing the medicine, he cleared his throat and spoke: "That Yuanzhi can be trusted."

Han Xiao paused in her packing, thinking they would first discuss her future or whether she would visit her brother. Who knew they'd talk about this?

"Yes, Master," she replied listlessly, and continued tidying up.

"On this Cloud Mist Mountain, Elder Cloud Mist has a total of thirty-eight disciples, and Xue Song ranks fifth."

"Does Master mean that Doctor Xue is also trustworthy?" Han Xiao finally became curious. What did he mean by saying this? Of course, she also thought Xue Song was trustworthy. That doctor looked like a nice guy and was kind. He could never be a bad person.

Nie Chengyan nodded and continued, "Aren't you surprised that Yunwu Mountain, known as a holy land of medicine, only assigned so few people to take care of me?"

"Yes, yes." Han Xiao nodded vigorously: "I can see that the divine doctor is very concerned about your injury, but he has not sent many people."

Nie Chengyan replied, "Because he doesn't know who stole that green snowflake either."

"Huh?" Han Xiao's eyes widened: "Is it the Green Snow Poison that Master was poisoned with?"

Nie Chengyan nodded: "Green Snow is a unique poison that he has been developing for many years, and he only made three pills. After this incident, he found that there were only two left."

Han Xiao frowned and said disapprovingly, "Master, what you told me before was clearly misleading me into thinking that the Divine Doctor was the one who did it. Whoever did it is who did it, we can't frame someone, Master, you're not doing this right."

Nie Chengyan raised an eyebrow at her. If it were the elegant young man he once was, such a gesture and expression would have been dashing and charming. Unfortunately, now his face was sallow, and his head was wrapped in a greasy bun, making him look only comical. Han Xiao was amused by his appearance and wanted to laugh but dared not, her face twitching a few times.

Nie Chengyan didn't understand what her expression meant, and only said, "I didn't say that he was the one who poisoned me, but if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have suffered this misfortune." He paused, and his voice lowered, "Yun'er wouldn't have died either."

His sorrow was almost too much for Han Xiao to bear, and she couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "How did the person you loved go?"

Nie Chengyan glared at her, quickly regained his composure, and changed the subject: "In short, the poisoning and slashing of me must be related to this Cloud Mist Mountain."

"If he fails this time, will he try something crooked again?"

“The old man in the clouds only assigned a few trustworthy people to handle my treatment. The person who poisoned me will definitely understand, so even if he wants to do it again, he has to be extremely careful.”

Han Xiao nodded: "Then why doesn't the divine doctor send away all the suspicious people? It's too dangerous for Master to be here."

“Before, I wasn’t sure if I would survive, so sending everyone away would have made it harder for them to slip up. Now that my injuries are no longer life-threatening, there’s definitely something fishy going on in these mountains. Sending people away now would just give the murderer a legitimate reason to escape.” Nie Chengyan’s analysis earned Han Xiao’s admiration: “Master, you and the Divine Physician have such a good understanding. You know his plans even without him saying anything.”

"Hmph, I have no chemistry with him; this is just a logical deduction. He drove my parents away and killed Yun'er; he's my enemy." Nie Chengyan turned and glared at Han Xiao: "Have you remembered that?"

"Remember him as your enemy?" Han Xiao was a little surprised. There was no need to remember that, was there?

To everyone's surprise, Nie Chengyan answered decisively, "Yes."

"Yes, Master, I understand." Han Xiao sighed inwardly. It turned out that a twenty-year-old man and a ten-year-old boy were the same when they were being childish and throwing tantrums. This morning, Han Le had said, "That Lord Nie, who snatched my sister, is my enemy."

Han Xiao quickly changed the subject: "Master, why did the murderer target you?"

"If I knew, wouldn't that mean I'd know who he is?"

Han Xiao frowned and thought seriously, "Is it because Master has a bad temper and offended someone?" He was met with a glare.

"Did the master build Hundred Bridges City and steal business from Cloud Mist Mountain?" Nie Chengyan didn't react.

"Are you trying to steal your master's things?"

"What are you robbing?" he asked.

“I heard the storyteller say that people only harm others because of love, money, or resentment. If there is no resentment, then it is love and money, so it is either to steal love or to plunder money.”

He looked at her for a long time: "You're not stupid, you're just too stubborn."

Han Xiao pursed her lips: "Does Master still intend to send this servant away?"

"Of course not. The situation in this mountain is unclear. Where am I supposed to find another servant who has the guts to block someone at the door with a prescription and who can use lies to find out the truth? Let her be stubborn. I, as her master, am magnanimous and can tolerate it."

"How could I possibly tolerate this?" Han Xiao thought, but she was actually quite happy inside. "But I must see my brother every day. I came here with great difficulty just to get treatment for him. If I can't see him, wouldn't my trip have been in vain?"