lava

Chapter 7

Lin Zhi's expression changed upon hearing this, but she quickly recovered and replied with a faint smile: "I'm busy taking pulses and prescribing medicine for patients at Su Yi Pavilion. I'm afraid I can't help with this kind of work. However, I'm familiar with the young master, and I know his preferences best. If he gives you any trouble, I can give you some pointers to get you out of it."

Han Xiao thanked her outwardly, but inwardly looked down on her. Perhaps she had some feelings for her master before, but now that her master was truly in dire straits and needed constant care, she claimed to be too busy. Hmph, no wonder her master said she was just a beauty and didn't need to be bothered; she must understand her situation.

Lin Zhi had been chatting with the girl for a while, but she seemed rather unenthusiastic. She wondered if the girl was a bit slow-witted or genuinely unafraid of Nie Chengyan's temper. The maids who used to serve him were frequently scolded to tears, and a single kind word from Lin Zhi would move them to tears. Why was this girl so cold and unapproachable? Perhaps her background wasn't as simple as everyone said. Nie Chengyan was shrewd and arrogant; having escaped death so easily, he couldn't possibly be oblivious to his surroundings. His guards weren't on the mountain; he had no reason to keep a slow-witted girl by his side.

She thought for a moment and decided to stop beating around the bush: "If you are feeling better, please pass on a message to me, Miss Han."

"What did you say?"

"Regarding my father's matter, Linzhi hopes to have a face-to-face discussion with you, young master."

"What does this matter concerning your father, young lady? Please explain clearly, otherwise I'm afraid the young master will become impatient and blame me."

Lin Zhi bit her lip and said, "The matter of your poisoning has nothing to do with my father. Now that my father has disappeared, the divine doctor seems to have suspicions. I want to clear my father's name, so I would like to have a face-to-face talk with you."

Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat; they were talking about poisoning. She agreed to Lin Zhi's request, said goodbye, and hurried back to Yanzhu. To her surprise, Nie Chengyan didn't get angry at her for not returning soon; he simply said, "I thought you'd been carried off by an eagle."

Han Xiao looked around the room suspiciously. Nothing had changed, but she still felt like someone had been in. When she returned, she had clearly asked Lu Ying, who said they had been guarding outside the door and hadn't heard the young master call for anyone. He confirmed everything was alright before she came in. But now, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Was it because the air in the room smelled better, or was something else off?

But since Nie Chengyan was lying there perfectly fine, she decided to ignore the feeling and quickly reported, "Master, I saw a red-headed eagle."

"good."

"Master, I also encountered Linzhi."

"Um."

"She said that her father was not the one who poisoned you, but he has disappeared and is suspected by the miracle doctor. She wants to clear her father's name and wants to meet you."

"Ignore her for now." Nie Chengyan seemed unsurprised by the news. Han Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Master, is it really possible that her father was the one who poisoned her?"

"It's hard to say right now."

"Wasn't that Linzhi girl with you before...?"

This question finally made Nie Chengyan turn around, but the answer was: "No."

Han Xiao pressed on: "But the way she spoke suggested that her relationship with her master was quite unusual."

"Her mouth isn't hers."

"But the master also praised her as a beauty."

"Her beauty is undeniable, but beauty alone cannot win my heart. I am not such a shallow person."

Upon hearing this, Han Xiao praised, "Master has truly discerning eyes. My father often says that virtue is of utmost importance for a young lady, and one should marry a virtuous wife."

Nie Chengyan subconsciously clenched his fist and brought it close to his heart, but said, "That's because you're not pretty, and your father was just comforting you."

Han Xiao pursed her lips and changed the subject: "Master, could it be that Miss Linzhi had feelings for you, and you unintentionally hurt her feelings, so Old Man Lin wanted to avenge his daughter and committed a heinous act?"

Nie Chengyan looked at her seriously: "You're quite bold in your guesses."

Han Xiao shrugged, guessing what she wouldn't dare to do. Nie Chengyan replied, "His father disappeared before my accident. That's why he's a prime suspect. But the motive of avenging his daughter is utter nonsense."

"When he disappeared, was Green Snow also lost?"

"I don't know, I only discovered it after I was poisoned." Nie Chengyan seemed to have become interested in talking, and said, "More than three months ago, I took Yun'er back to my hometown to ask her parents for her hand in marriage. Yun'er and I were in love, but the old man had always been against it, so he brought people to block us halfway, and we got into a fight. Later, in the inn, I discovered that the food had been poisoned, and Yun'er collapsed and died. I used my internal energy to resist the poison, but I couldn't hold on for long. In my hazy consciousness, I saw someone wielding a knife and slashing at me. When I woke up, my Achilles tendons were all severed, and I was covered in wounds. The old man saved me, but he didn't know who the murderer was."

Han Xiao felt a sharp pain in her heart as she listened. Nie Chengyan continued, "My poison matches that of Green Snow, which is how I discovered that one of the Green Snow plants in Cloud Mist Mountain is missing."

Han Xiaoqi asked, "That person is really strange. Why did he only steal one? If it were me, I would have stolen them all. What's the difference between stealing one and stealing three?"

Nie Chengyan hesitated for a moment, unable to answer the question either. He continued, "The old man said that Yun'er's family took her body away, but I was worried that he would be heartless and leave her body exposed in a foreign land. I have known Long San for many years, and he must know about this matter. So he went to find out the truth for me, but I didn't expect to be injured halfway."

"Then does the pair of earrings that Young Master Long gave you mean that Miss Yun'er is actually not dead?"

Nie Chengyan shook his head, and after a long while, he choked out, "I saw her die with my own eyes, and I was holding her body... If Long San knew she wasn't dead, he would have made you speak frankly, instead of just bringing a pair of earrings. These earrings were a gift I gave to Yun'er. Long San was just indicating that he did go to Yun'er's residence and get her belongings. He found some clues and information and wanted to stimulate my will to live."

Han Xiao was heartbroken and didn't know what to say to comfort her. She hid her emotions and grabbed a cloth to vigorously wipe the tables, chairs, bed, and cabinets. Nie Chengyan came to his senses and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her like this: "Silly girl, I struggled on the brink of death for three months. Since I couldn't die, I've come to a realization. If God doesn't let me go with her, it's because He wants me to stay in this world to find out the truth and avenge her and myself."

"Mmm." Han Xiao nodded vigorously, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. Her master was a devoted and good man; she had to treat him well.

"Girl, how old are you?"

"Fourteen, Master."

"Hmm, she's not young anymore. She can get married in another year or two."

"I'm not in a hurry. I'll find a good family to marry into after my brother recovers."

"What do you mean by a good family? Tell me, and don't forget that you signed a lifelong contract with me. As your master, I have to think about this for you."

Han Xiaoxiang smiled and said, "I talked to my younger brother about it. I said I wanted to marry someone who sells medicinal herbs so that I wouldn't have to worry about not having money to buy medicine when I'm sick. My younger brother said that by then I would definitely be healthy and pain-free, so I should marry someone who sells meat so that I can eat meat every day."

Nie Chengyan then decided to tease her again: "If you ask me, you should find someone who doesn't care about looks before you can get married. No one knows a daughter better than her father. Didn't your father already plan this out for you?"

Han Xiao was displeased. She turned her head and carefully wiped the small cabinet. No girl likes being told that about herself, especially since she was just a little thin, her skin was rough from years of hardship, and her hair was a little dry. She wasn't nearly as bad as he made her out to be; at least she looked much better than him now. Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly noticed something.

"master!"

"Um?"

“Master wrote to request manpower last time, and now that the helpers have arrived, there’s no need to hide it from me. I promise I won’t ruin Master’s plans.” She met Nie Chengyan’s surprised gaze and took out the mirror: “Master loves beauty, so after you look in the mirror, you should have the helpers put it back exactly as it was to avoid being discovered.”

Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth, his face slightly flushed. Very well, this brat is thoughtful and clever enough, but has no one ever taught her not to expose her master's little flaws?

Maid protects her master

Nie Chengyan's minor flaws weren't limited to his focus on appearance; he also had a bad temper, was picky, impatient, and prone to swearing. Han Xiao thought that if it were the healthy, carefree Lord Nie from before, he would have been quite particular about all aspects of life, including clothing, food, utensils, and more. Now, with no clothes to wear, no combing his hair, and taking more medicine than eating every day, it must be a painful form of torture for someone like him.

Actually, these were the words Han Xiao would say to herself after being scolded by her master. She could eat, drink, run, jump, bathe, and comb her hair; she was much happier than her master.

So she always managed to put on a smiling face for him, which both annoyed and pleased Nie Chengyan. He was annoyed that she wasn't afraid of any way he tried to suppress this little girl; not only was she not afraid, but she could also talk back and argue with him, always calling him a good master and a dutiful master, outwardly obedient but inwardly rebellious. How could he not be annoyed? But because of this, he was also somewhat pleased. Seeing her always smiling and radiant, she was far better than any of the maids who had served him before. Those maids would be afraid after a few words, or burst into tears after a few shouts, crying as if someone had died in their family. It annoyed him, which was why he later disliked using maids and only used servants. But this Han Xiao was completely different from the others, which was good. In his current state, he really didn't want to see such a miserable face anymore.

Furthermore, after observing him for the past few days, Han Xiao was indeed loyal, courageous, and meticulous. Since he wouldn't allow her to open the window and draw the curtains, she secretly opened them every night to ventilate the room. He found her presence too bothersome, yet still insisted he know she was there, so she made a long pink bell ribbon. When she was there, she hung it by his bedside; if he wanted to call her, he could pull the ribbon, and the bell would ring, letting him know. If she wasn't there, the bell ribbon would be blue; when he opened his eyes and saw it, he would know that pulling the ribbon would summon Qin Jiao or Lu Ying, who were waiting outside. She added a bed curtain to his bed, lowering it when he rested so she wouldn't disturb him while tidying the room. She also made him a small silk pouch to store his precious earrings; the pouch had a loop, so he could hang it on his finger or hold it in his palm.

She didn't press him about what the red-headed eagle did, nor did she ask who the helpers he had found were. She wouldn't pry into things he wouldn't tell her. In short, Nie Chengyan knew that, given his temperament and the care he needed, the maid Han Xiao was the best choice.

Yet, their relationship, master and servant, was still plagued by daily arguments. That day, Nie Chengyan was in relatively good spirits when the head steward, Bai Ying, delivered a custom-made wooden chair. The chair was large and sturdy, with a soft cushioned backrest, and seemed quite comfortable. However, Nie Chengyan was very unhappy because the chair had two wheels, a clear reminder that his legs were useless and he could no longer walk. He immediately lost his temper, smashing the bowl of medicine he had just finished drinking at the chair.

Bai Ying hurriedly led her people away, while Han Xiao, her face grim, picked up the broken porcelain shards from the chair, her unusual displeasure evident. After a long while, she finally got the chair in place, but Nie Chengyan's anger hadn't subsided. He was furious at the sight of the chair and yelled at her to throw it away, but Han Xiao didn't budge. She even said, "My brother would be so happy to sit in this chair for a while. Master always takes kindness for granted, he doesn't appreciate his good fortune."

"Get out!" he sulked, lying on the bed. To his surprise, Han Xiaozhen responded, "Yes, Master, this servant is leaving." Fine, she'd leave, but before she left, she even moved the chair to the head of his bed, clearly trying to provoke him. This ill-tempered little maid—he'd really spoiled her rotten. He closed his eyes and lay on the bed, telling himself not to stoop to her level, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Just as he was about to call her in and give her a good scolding, he heard a commotion outside.

It turned out that Chen Rong, the second disciple of the Cloud Mist Elder, wanted to come into the house to visit Nie Chengyan. He said that his master and the fifth brother, Xue Song, had both gone down the mountain today, and he was worried that the young master would be left unattended, so he came to check on him.

Although Lu Ying and Qin Jiao had been instructed by Elder Yunwu not to allow anyone to enter the house to disturb the young master if he disagreed, they were only allowed to stand guard outside. However, Chen Rong was Elder Yunwu's most prized disciple, possessing the highest medical skills among his disciples, and naturally, the most arrogant. Moreover, since the Divine Physician and Doctor Xue were indeed absent today, they dared not take responsibility if anything happened to the young master. Therefore, after some persuasion, and with Chen Rong's threat and promise that he would not let Elder Yunwu blame him, they reluctantly stepped aside.

But Han Xiao wouldn't have it. She knew her master's condition perfectly well. He'd just had the poison removed a couple of days ago, and since then his pulse had been much calmer, his night sweats had improved, his short naps were more restful, and the dark veins on his palms had lessened. She meticulously recorded these observations three times a day, taking his pulse and examining his palms; there was no way she was wrong. It was precisely because the illness had improved and the situation was stable that the divine physician felt comfortable descending the mountain. And today, a clinic at the foot of the mountain was seeking help; there was a critically ill patient on the verge of death, which was why Doctor Xue had rushed there. Even if they weren't there, in Han Xiao's view, her master was perfectly fine and didn't need any examination.

Moreover, in the past few days, Nie Chengyan had explained the general relationships among everyone in the mountain to her. Lin Yang, the eldest disciple of the Cloud Mist Elder, and Chen Rong, the second disciple, were considered the most prestigious, experienced, and senior among the disciples. Therefore, Nie Chengyan's decision to build a city at the foot of the mountain offended more than just the Cloud Mist Elder. Furthermore, the Cloud Mist Elder was getting old, and to put it bluntly, he needed an heir. Although Nie Chengyan had no intention of inheriting, blood ties were unavoidable. Therefore, the Cloud Mist Elder had argued and reprimanded him about this issue over the past two years. However, from a cynical perspective, if Nie Chengyan were gone, then the first choice for succession for Cloud Mist Mountain, and even Hundred Bridges City, would likely be these two.

These were conclusions Han Xiao reached after Nie Chengyan explained the relationships between the characters, adding her own speculations. Of course, these speculations were quite reasonable, and Nie Chengyan didn't say they were impossible. In fact, Han Xiao felt that her master also had deep suspicions, which was why he forbade the others in the mountains from visiting him. Firstly, to prevent the murderer from striking again; secondly, to keep the murderer from knowing his exact current situation, keeping him in suspense and making it easier to find clues. The third reason, as Han Xiao herself analyzed, was that her master was too concerned with his appearance and didn't want too many people to see his current state, neither human nor ghost. However, Han Xiao could understand this. When she cared for a wealthy old lady, the old lady was the same; she would never let outsiders see her near-death state, saying it was a matter of dignity.

So, for all these reasons combined, Han Xiao stood like a guard at the door, refusing to let Chen Rong step into the house. Chen Rong pleaded for a while but to no avail, and naturally became furious. He slapped Han Xiao across the face. Chen Rong knew martial arts, and since he was in a fit of rage, his strength was naturally considerable. Han Xiao, though small, reacted quickly. Seeing that he was about to attack, she knew she couldn't dodge, so she simply lunged forward, thus avoiding most of the slap's force. She then grabbed Chen Rong's arm and bit his forearm.

Chen Rong's slap was hard, and Han Xiao's bite wasn't light either. Clearly, Chen Rong hadn't expected this young girl to dare bite him. He raised his hand to strike her head, but then realized that if he hurt her or caused a death, neither Elder Yunwu nor the young master would let it go. So he simply swung his arm to push her away, pointing at her and cursing a few times. But the girl wasn't afraid. Despite her injured cheek, she loudly replied, "If I've done anything wrong, my master will punish me. What does it have to do with you? It's just that my master didn't instruct that if you want to enter this door, you'll have to step over Han Xiao to get in."

Chen Rong was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. If he advanced, he would truly have to defeat the girl, and he had come against his master's orders. The girl's loyalty to her master was undeniable, so he dared not. But if he retreated, where would he put his old face?

Just as he was wondering what to do, Nie Chengyan's voice came from inside the house: "Xiaoxiao." At the same time, Bai Ying also arrived: "Doctor Chen, what's wrong?" It turned out that when Qin Jiao saw Han Xiao blocking the door with a fearless look, he knew that the situation was going to be bad, so he quickly ran to find Bai Ying. The only person who could still be spoken to on this mountain now was probably Steward Bai.

When Chen Rong heard Nie Chengyan call out the girl's name, he guessed that the girl was very popular with the young master. And with Steward Bai here, he naturally dared not be presumptuous again. He quickly repeated his excuse. Bai Ying was also very polite, saying that Doctor Chen had gone to a lot of trouble. Then she led him away without making a sound.

Seeing that things had calmed down, Han Xiao glared fiercely at Lu Ying and Qin Jiao before running back into the house. Nie Chengyan actually pulled himself up by the curtain on the bed rail and sat up, leaning against the headboard. Han Xiao quickly went over and got him a backrest to place behind his back.

"You got beaten up?"

"Yes, Master."

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts, Master."

"Fool."

"Yes, Master."

He glared at her and scolded her for being stupid, yet she answered so fluently. Han Xiao then said, "But I'm not afraid. He's just venting his anger; he wouldn't dare to really hurt someone. He can't bear the responsibility if he damages them."

"Then you're still stupid. Why bother taking this? Lu Ying and Qin Jiao are cowards and didn't dare to stop him. So what if you let him in? I'm older and more experienced than you, and I'll handle it myself. If you try to block him outside, no one will help you."

“He has ill intentions. Master instructed that he not to enter, so I cannot let him in. However, I will be more careful next time. I have a younger brother, and I cannot allow anything to happen to him.”

Nie Chengyan couldn't help but glare at her again: "You're dumber than a pig."

"No, Master, pigs aren't stupid. When I was in Tian Village, Aunt Li's pigs would even help her herd chickens."

"Then you're even dumber than a chicken, getting chased by a pig."

Han Xiao thought about it and realized that this was an insult to Chen Rong, calling him a pig. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Reporting to Master, pigs know martial arts."

Nie Chengyan looked at her face and said only, "Once I'm better, I will definitely help you get it back."

Han Xiao shook her head: "No need for Master to trouble yourself, I asked for it myself. I bit him, I really bit hard." Nie Chengyan looked at her in surprise. Han Xiao straightened her back and clenched her fist: "I am young and inevitably get bullied outside, so I have long been trained. When it comes to fighting for my life, I am also very fierce."

Nie Chengyan gave her a deep look, then said, "Chen Rong is narrow-minded. You need to be careful on this mountain." Han Xiao nodded vigorously, feeling a little touched. It was really good that her master cared about her.

The next day, at Nie Chengyan's request, Bai Ying brought over a box of medical books. Han Xiao touched this one, looked at that one, and was reluctant to put any down. Nie Chengyan said that he was too bored recuperating and asked Han Xiao to read the medical books to him. This naturally made Han Xiao overjoyed. Two days later, Nie Chengyan gave Han Xiao a small dagger, saying that it would be good for her to have a weapon to protect her master. Han Xiao happily accepted it and practiced it several times under his verbal guidance.

Han Xiao knew this was Nie Chengyan's reward to her. He had absolutely no interest in those medical books. Every time she read them aloud, he would frown with impatience, sometimes even taking out those earrings. He was definitely thinking of his deceased beloved, not listening to the medical texts. He didn't say anything when she read softer and softer, and he didn't mind when she stopped reading and just focused on reading herself. Only if she stayed up late reading at night would he scold her.

As for the dagger, Han Xiao knew that protecting her master was just Nie Chengyan's excuse to save face. If something really happened, he certainly wouldn't rely on her. So, she gave the dagger to her only so that she could use it for self-defense.

What Han Xiao didn't know was that, not long after, she would actually save her own life with this dagger.

Ever since they got that chair, Han Xiao had been trying her best to persuade Nie Chengyan to sit down and go for a walk, but each time Nie Chengyan would scold her. Since direct persuasion didn't work, Han Xiao tried other methods.

She would secretly open the window, only to be discovered and scolded, then close it again, only to be scolded again. So the two of them would keep opening and closing the window, constantly competing with each other. Later, Han Xiao finally made Nie Chengyan understand with facts that no one dared to peek at him from outside the window even when it was open, and Nie Chengyan gradually calmed down.

Han Xiao then moved several potted plants and green branches into Nie Chengyan's room, which naturally made Nie Chengyan furious again. But Han Xiao argued, "Master is getting better every day. He should look at more lively things. This will be good for his recovery."

"Something that gets angry? Aren't you something that makes people angry?"

"Yes, Master, it wouldn't hurt to add these few pots of flowers and plants as a supplement."

Nie Chengyan couldn't help but glare at her again. If he could get out of bed, he would throw all the plants and her out with him. He ordered her to make everything disappear, but she said she had hurt her back from moving them and couldn't move them now. Nie Chengyan closed his eyes, trying to control his emotions, and finally said, "It's a miracle that the patients you've taken care of haven't been driven to their deaths by you."

"Fortunately, they don't have the temper of their master."

"Or perhaps he was really about to die, but you made him so angry that he couldn't rest in peace, and he came back to life."

"That's good, Master. You've come back to life after all."