lava

Chapter 15

Han Le nodded vigorously. Han Xiao thought for a moment, then took out the dagger and handed it to Han Le: "Lele, keep this safe. If you encounter danger, use this to defend yourself, since you have difficulty walking."

Han Le exclaimed in surprise, "Sis, how did you get this?"

"It was given to me by my master, I don't need it, I'll leave it for you to use." Han Xiao took the instrument as taught by Nie Chengyan, gestured a couple of times, and let Han Le learn it too.

Han Le frowned: "Why would he give you this if it wasn't necessary? Sister, has something happened on the mountain?"

Han Xiao thought about it and decided not to tell him. Her younger brother had a bad temper, and if he took things too seriously, he might threaten to leave, which would be troublesome. "It's nothing. It's just that our master was poisoned, so he's naturally wary. That's why he gave me a dagger as well, so that I can help him in case anything happens."

Han Le pouted: "He's really good at scheming. How annoying."

Han Xiao chuckled, but then heard Han Le say, "However, he's not entirely bad. Giving the dagger to my sister is better than him holding the dagger for self-defense while my sister is unarmed and has to shield him."

Just as Han Xiao was about to speak, she heard someone knocking on the door, followed by Lu Ying calling out, "Miss Han, is Miss Han in?"

The siblings exchanged a glance. Han Le quickly hid the dagger under her pillow. Han Xiao went to answer the door. Lu Ying saw her and breathed a sigh of relief: "Miss Han, the young master wants you to go back."

Han Xiao was startled. Had something happened? She hurriedly went next door to tell Lian Qiao what had happened, and then went back with Lu Ying.

As soon as she entered, Nie Chengyan was sitting on the bed, looking perfectly fine. He just frowned and said to her, "Why did you take so long again today?"

Han Xiao carefully replied, "Lele is asleep. I was reading a medical book and for a moment I forgot the time."

Although Nie Chengyan was not happy, he did not pursue the matter, only saying, "Don't leave me for too long next time."

Han Xiao replied "yes," pondering the meaning behind his words. On one hand, she felt she was overthinking things, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but think that she shouldn't be away from him for too long. His words made her quite happy.

Nie Chengyan then said, "Pack your luggage. We'll go down the mountain tonight and return to Baiqiao City."

"Huh?" Han Xiao was genuinely surprised this time.

"Long San is here, I need to go back to see him, it's inconvenient to stay on the mountain." Nie Chengyan patiently explained to her. Han Xiao understood and began to pack, asking as she did so, "Master, given your current condition, is it alright to go down the mountain?"

"It's alright."

Han Xiao recalled Shi Er's words, "Young Master should have been clamoring to return to Baiqiao City to recuperate long ago, but why is he still here?" Han Xiao shook her head. A servant is just a servant; don't overthink it. A pawn or not, she can protect herself. She's endured so much suffering without complaint. Now, she has to consider things from her master's perspective; he's not wrong in doing this. If she doesn't overthink, she won't be sad.

She quickly packed Nie Chengyan's things and then asked, "Does the divine physician know that Master is leaving?"

"I told them to prepare a carriage, he must know that by now."

"Can the divine physician let our master leave?"

“These feet are part of my body…” He paused, realizing that having feet was practically useless now, and gritted his teeth, changing his words: “If I want to leave, who can stop me?”

"Will the master come back?" Han Xiao pretended not to hear Changjiao's words. She didn't want to be sad for him, and she didn't want to be soft-hearted for him. That way, she wouldn't be heartbroken.

"Of course I'll come back." Nie Chengyan answered matter-of-factly, as if Han Xiao had asked a silly question. Han Xiao bit her lip, inexplicably relieved. Her master had returned; he hadn't abandoned her.

"Please rest assured, Master. I will guard this place carefully until you return, and I will not let them touch these things." See, she is a loyal servant. Even if he really treats her as a pawn, she is still a loyal servant.

But she didn't expect that her words would step on Nie Laohu's tail again. He asked, "What do you mean?" His tone was full of barely contained anger.

Han Xiao was startled: "Master is not here, can't this servant stay here? Then, I'll go and stay with my younger brother."

"What do you mean, 'live with your brother'? Of course you're coming down the mountain with me. Aren't you my servant?" he said fiercely, his temper flaring up again.

Han Xiao was genuinely surprised: "But, but I can't be separated from my brother, I don't want to be separated from Lele."

"I don't want to leave you either, and you're not allowed to separate from me." Nie Chengyan's words burst out in a fit of rage, but as soon as he said them, he noticed Han Xiao's face slowly turning red. He realized his mistake and his anger vanished instantly. He cleared his throat and tried to salvage his image: "You need to be aware of your role as a servant. If you're not here, who will serve me?"

Han Xiao's face flushed. Wasn't he supposed to be going back to Baiqiao City? Wasn't that a house full of his servants? If he didn't like the people from the mountains getting close to him on Cloud Mist Mountain, how could he possibly be so attached to her now that he was back in his own mansion? Han Xiao pinched his leg, telling himself not to overthink it.

After an awkward silence, Han Xiao finally replied, "Anyway, this servant will not be separated from my younger brother."

younger brother Han Le

Nie Chengyan pursed his lips and after a long while said, "Your brother's condition has stabilized recently. It would be good to take him down the mountain for a few days. Go and pack his luggage."

Han Xiao stared blankly for a long time, mouth agape: "Then, you came back for treatment, right?"

"Of course, where else do you think you can take your brother if you don't come back with me?" Nie Chengyan said irritably, feeling annoyed at his compromise.

Han Xiao was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Thank you, Master!" before turning and running outside. Nie Chengyan frowned, wondering if he really resembled her father.

Nie Chengyan could go down the mountain without any problem, but Han Le was prevented from doing so. The old man of the clouds and mist had a clear reason: Nie Chengyan was his grandson, and he couldn't interfere with him taking his servants up and down the mountain. However, Han Le was a patient who came up the mountain to seek medical treatment. Patients who come up the mountain only have two possibilities for leaving: either they give up treatment or they are cured and leave the mountain. In other words, if Han Le went down the mountain now, he wouldn't need to come back up.

Han Xiao, of course, refused. She had just learned that this place was a den of dragons and tigers, so she was determined not to let her younger brother stay on the mountain alone. Once they came down the mountain, she didn't know how long it would take. She couldn't come back up by herself, and Han Le was even less likely to go down by himself. If something unexpected happened, it would be very difficult for the two siblings to meet.

Nie Chengyan was already seated in the carriage. Han Xiao, carrying Han Le on her back, was waiting for Bai Ying to send another small carriage. But instead of a carriage, the old man of the clouds arrived. After hearing what the old man of the clouds said, she bit her lip and remained silent. Han Le clung tightly to her sister's shoulder, clinging to Han Xiao's back. The two children, one big and one small, stood in the twilight, looking exceptionally pitiful.

Nie Chengyan pushed open the carriage door, said nothing, and met the gaze of the old man in the clouds. Han Xiao didn't care what the grandfather and grandson were planning, she declared, "I will never be separated from my brother." Han Le also nodded heavily, hugged his sister tightly, and pressed his head against Han Xiao, expressing his determination to never be apart.

Nie Chengyan glanced at them, then turned to the old man in the clouds and said coldly, "What do you intend to do?"

Yunwu said in a calm voice, “The rules of treatment established by Yunwu Mountain are known to all. Han Le is just one of the patients. He should abide by the rules. If everyone comes and goes as they please, and treatment is stopped and started, and no one knows where they will die, if it is said that Yunwu Mountain has treated patients like this, wouldn’t my reputation as a divine doctor be ruined?”

"Your son and daughter-in-law, even if they died somewhere unknown, why don't you worry about your reputation as a father?" Nie Chengyan's words shocked the old man in the misty clouds: "You..."

Nie Chengyan seemed not to notice, and continued, "Even if I were your grandson, my life would still be ruined by your poison. Now I'm just taking my servant home, and you're interfering again. With this energy, you should clean up your filthy Cloud Mist Mountain properly, so I won't feel annoyed when I come up here again."

His words were sharp, and the old man in the clouds stared at him with a livid face, remaining silent for a long while. Nie Chengyan ignored him and smiled at Han, saying, "Get in the car."

Han Xiao looked at this person, then at that person. Logically, the old man of the clouds was the one who could save Han Le, and she should listen to him. But in her heart, all the voices were biased towards Nie Chengyan. She gritted her teeth, carried Han Le on her back, and climbed into Nie Chengyan's carriage.

The carriage door closed, blocking the old man's gloomy face from the outside. The driver dared not move. Nie Chengyan gave a cold "humph," and in his panic, he finally cracked the whip and shouted at the horses. The carriage slowly drove down the mountain.

The atmosphere in the car was tense. Han Le, unaffected, leaned against the window, peering out. Nie Chengyan remained silent, his face stern. Han Le sat in the car for a long time, finally becoming anxious: "Master, Lele can still come back for treatment, right?"

Upon hearing this, Han Le turned around and hugged his sister to comfort her. Then he turned to look at Nie Chengyan, whom he had only heard about but never seen. He heard Nie Chengyan say coldly, "I said before that if you are a loyal servant, I will help you heal your brother. I keep my word."

Han Le gasped and widened his eyes: "You're threatening my sister? My sister is a wonderful person, the best of all."

"Lele." Han Xiao quickly stopped him from continuing, but Han Le was unconvinced: "Sister, he was the one who was mean to me first."

"Where is he fierce?" Nie Chengyan was very dissatisfied. He glared at the little brat, then closed his eyes to rest. This was the reason he didn't want to be in the same car with them in the first place. Too many people would just make a lot of noise, especially with a little brat around.

Han Le was stopped by Han Xiao and dared not cause any more trouble, but he still couldn't help but whisper in Han Xiao's ear, "Sister, he's still glaring at me." Han Xiao stroked his little head and put her index finger to her lips to make a shushing gesture. Han Le pouted, thinking that he wouldn't be able to see if he glared back at this annoying master, so he simply leaned back to the window to look outside, taking the opportunity to figure out the map route.

Han Xiao sat for a while, noticing Nie Chengyan constantly shifting his body slightly, and knew he was uncomfortable from the car's swaying. She flipped out the backrest and leaned against Nie Chengyan's lower back, massaging his back and legs for a while. She then took off his cloth socks and massaged the soles and toes of his feet.

Han Le watched enviously from the side. His sister's massage technique was the most comfortable, neither too heavy nor too light. But she hadn't given him a proper massage in a long time. He whispered, "Sister, I want one too."

"What do you want?" Nie Chengyan asked, pulling Han Xiao's hand with dissatisfaction. Xiao Xiao wasn't this brat's servant; she was his. Without even opening his eyes, he tilted his head and leaned back on Han Xiao's lap: "Give me a shoulder massage too."

Han Xiao waved to Han Le, gave him a reassuring smile, then adjusted Nie Chengyan's position and began massaging his shoulders and neck. Han Le watched eagerly, when suddenly he saw Nie Chengyan open his eyes, give him a seemingly provocative smile, then close them again to continue enjoying the massage. Han Le was furious. This scoundrel! He stole his sister and was still so arrogant towards him.

Han Le crawled towards the soft carpet, startling Han Xiao: "Lele, don't move around, be careful not to fall." Nie Chengyan heard the noise, opened his eyes and saw the child running this way, and got angry, whispering: "Get lost."

His angry shouts usually scared away many people, but they hadn't scared away Han Xiao before, and they were ineffective against Han Le this time. Han Le's behavior confirmed that he and Han Xiao were indeed siblings. He crawled and rolled over to Nie Chengyan's side, leaned against him against Han Xiao's leg, and even hugged Han Xiao's waist, grinning as he said, "Okay, Lord City Lord, I've rolled over here."

Nie Chengyan's foot was injured, but his hands were fine. He propped himself up with his left hand and used his right hand to push Han Le aside. Han Le crawled over, and he pushed him again; Han Le crawled over again, and he pushed him again.

Because of his illness over the past two years, Han Le is smaller than other children his age and has little strength. Nie Chengyan easily pushed him around with one hand. However, Han Le seemed to understand that Nie Chengyan would not hurt him, so he stubbornly showed his indomitable spirit and pounced on Nie Chengyan again with a "whoosh". He stopped hugging his sister and hugged Nie Chengyan instead.

"You naughty child." Nie Chengyan didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed, seeing that this little kid was really determined to prove someone right.

"You shameless city lord, give me back my sister!" Han Le was small and weak, but he knew how to tickle, which was probably the only offensive move he knew besides biting with his upper teeth.

Nie Chengyan was ticklish; he twisted away and tried to grab the child's hands. The two, one big and one small, with mobility issues, rolled and fought inside the carriage. Han Xiao stared in disbelief, completely dumbfounded.

"Give me back my sister! I hate you! My sister used to love me the most, but you took her away from me."

"Xiaoxiao is my servant, it is her duty to take care of me. You are such an ignorant child, you dare to cause trouble for your master. You are lucky to have met someone as kind-hearted as me. If it were anyone else, you two siblings would be starving."

These words startled Han Le, who lifted his head from him, looking flustered and pitiful, and asked, "You want to kick us out? I was just kidding. My sister is very caring, are you going to kick us out?" This tickling was his favorite game back when his father was still alive.

Nie Chengyan subconsciously turned to look at Han Xiao and said, "I won't kick you out." Han Le asked again, "Really not?" Nie Chengyan frowned and pushed him away a little, "I won't kick you out, but you're not allowed to cause trouble either."

Han Le remained quiet for a while, staring at Nie Chengyan for a long time, as if trying to determine whether what he said was true or false, and then suddenly pounced on him again: "Then I'll continue to fight you."

"Lele." Han Xiao finally spoke up to stop him. Why was this child being so unruly today? Han Le was already tangled up with Nie Chengyan, ignoring Han Xiao's shouts, and yelling, "You cheeky city lord, watch my tickling technique!"

Nie Chengyan was truly anxious now; this brat dared to push his luck! He grabbed the boy's hand with one hand and pressed him down with the other, finally subduing him completely. Han Le was having fun, giggling, and wasn't annoyed at being restrained, but instead called out to Han Xiao, "Sister, I'm sweating."

Han Xiao frowned, picked him up, and took a towel to wipe his sweat: "Don't make a fuss anymore, or I'll get angry."

Han Le obediently let her wipe his sweat, and then said, "Sister, I'm thirsty." Han Xiao got him some water, and as he drank, he said to Nie Chengyan, "I don't dislike you anymore. You're like my father; you're willing to play with me."

"Dad again?" Nie Chengyan's temples throbbed with anger. He knew he shouldn't be too nice to others. "Who's your dad? If you keep disobeying the rules and causing trouble, I'll kick your sister out and stop treating your illness."

Han Le, however, was not afraid: "You threaten people again, and so can I. If you drive my sister away, you will never find such a good servant again. Then you will be left to defecate and urinate in bed with no one to care for you, and you will be lying in bed smelling terrible."

"Hmph, a wife you like is hard to find, but a satisfactory maid is everywhere." Nie Chengyan straightened himself up, leaned back, and turned to Han Xiao: "I'm thirsty."

Han Xiao told Han Le to shut up, then took a water bottle from the cabinet in the car, took out a clean cup, opened the stopper, poured a cup, and handed it to Nie Chengyan. Han Le watched longingly as the host used a beautiful water cup, while he was holding a simple water bag. He took another big gulp from the water bag: "My sister is the best, you can't find her."

"Your sister is now my servant." This brat is so annoying, Nie Chengyan just can't help but argue with him.

Han Le retorted, "So what? My sister still loves me the most." Nie Chengyan replied, "As a servant, it is natural to prioritize taking care of your master."

"Yeah, right." "Of course it is." The two stared at each other, then suddenly turned to Han Xiao: "Sis, who do you love the most?" "Xiao Xiao, who do you take care of first?"

Han Xiao was completely baffled. The atmosphere had been rather cold and austere, so could it be that the aura of her master's father had affected Lele, causing the child to act up? Now, both of them were staring at her, waiting for her to speak, but nothing she said would be appropriate. After a long pause, she reached out and patted their heads: "If you're thirsty, drink more water."

Green Snow Poison

"Drink water? What does that mean?" The two awkward men, one big and one small, were still staring at Han Xiao. Han Xiao chuckled dryly twice and could only say again, "Well, drink some water to cool down." Unfortunately, the two men still didn't move.

Han Xiao had no choice but to press on: "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says, 'One dose of Nourishing Life and Stomach-Regulating Powder, three parts of Qi-Regulating Taihe Decoction.' This Taihe Decoction is just boiled water, isn't it? The Compendium of Materia Medica also says that Taihe Decoction can help Yang Qi and circulate through the meridians. It's a good medicine for clearing heat and removing dampness. So, water is a good thing, you should drink more, drink more!" Changing the subject around the bush was the right approach.

Nie Chengyan handed the cup back to her, with a wry smile: "Taihe Soup isn't just boiled water. It's boiled several times and then drunk when it's lukewarm. How much to drink and how to drink it also depends on the symptoms. It's not something that will cure you just by drinking it. You, on the other hand, only have a superficial understanding."

Han Xiao took the cup, bit her lip. She really knew too little. Just memorizing the books wasn't enough. Even boiling water had its intricacies. The world of medical theory and practice was indeed vast and profound.

Han Le, holding the water bag, pouted unhappily when she saw her sister being scolded. She defended her sister, saying, "My sister is very smart. No one has ever taught her properly. She learned everything by herself by reading books, seeing doctors, and figuring things out on her own. It's already quite an achievement that she can understand even a little bit."

Nie Chengyan ignored him and said to Han Xiao, "Since you are determined to learn, don't worry about what others say, just keep going. It's not enough to just have perseverance, you also need to have the right methods. Rote memorization and being bold and daring won't make you successful. You need to practice more whenever you have the chance."

Han Xiao was slightly taken aback. He had never stopped her from studying medicine; in fact, he had encouraged her, for which she was very grateful. But "becoming capable"—did it mean becoming a doctor? Even the girls at the Su Medical Clinic couldn't be considered real doctors. She was a servant girl; how could she possibly become capable?

Han Le glanced at Nie Chengyan, then at Han Xiao, seemingly lost in thought.

The latter half of the journey back to the Nie residence in Baiqiao City was finally peaceful and smooth. Han Le stopped being naughty and quietly fell asleep leaning against Han Xiao, while Nie Chengyan rested his head on Han Xiao's lap with his eyes closed. By the time they arrived at the Nie residence, it was already completely dark.

The carriage stopped, and someone gently knocked on the door. Nie Chengyan opened his eyes and said to the person outside, "Wait here."

Han Xiao heard someone outside answer, "Yes." She quickly shook Han Le awake. Nie Chengyan had someone waiting for him because he needed to redo his hair and get ready. As Han Xiao combed his hair with a wooden comb, she thought that this was the first time her master had returned to the manor in more than half a year, so it was no wonder he was being so cautious.

Han Le was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and watched his sister comb the city lord's hair. He joined in the fun, saying, "Sister, I want one too. I want to look handsome when I go out."