lava

Chapter 26

Nie Chengyan finally lost his patience, frowned and snapped at him, "Are you taking it off or not?"

"Take it off, take it off, I'm taking it off now." Han Le hurriedly replied, and quickly and happily took it off, muttering, "Really, what a temper. I'll tell my sister."

Nie Chengyan pursed his lips and remained silent. The brat was so annoying. The brat stripped naked himself and then boasted, "See? No need for the great hero to lift a finger, I gave in on my own."

"Lie down properly, let me see your back."

Han Le rolled over and obediently lay face down on the bed, saying, "Lord City Lord, can you help me get better?"

“Not necessarily.” Nie Chengyan reached out and pressed several acupoints on him, saying, “If you feel uncomfortable, tell me.”

Han Le agreed, and feeling the acupoints he was pressing, he added, "These acupoints were where the divine physician used acupuncture on me back then."

"I know."

"I still get massages every day and haven't noticed any problems." Han Le was very cooperative and explained the situation.

Nie Chengyan pressed the points once, but indeed felt nothing unusual. He thought for a moment, then focused his internal energy into his fingertips and pressed again. This time, the internal energy penetrated through the skin and reached deep into the acupoints. At four acupoints on the back of the neck and spine, Han Le cried out in pain.

"What kind of pain?" Nie Chengyan felt a little panicked, and a bad premonition welled up in his heart.

"It stings." Han Le's answer made Nie Chengyan close his eyes. Sure enough, how was he supposed to tell Xiaoxiao now? He truly felt ashamed, the shame that old man had brought him.

Han Le turned his head and saw his expression, and was startled: "Lord City Lord, am I going to die?"

Nie Chengyan took a breath, patted his head, and said, "No, on the contrary, you'll get better soon. I know how to treat you."

The little guy didn't quite believe it. He frowned and asked, "Then why do you look like this?"

"I am sad. Why didn't I think of this sooner, so that you would suffer for so long for nothing?"

Han Le carefully observed his expression, then suddenly grinned and said, "Are you serious, Lord City Lord? I'm really almost better?"

Nie Chengyan nodded, and Han Le rolled around on the bed happily: "I'm going to tell my sister, tell my sister I'm all better, the city lord promised."

"Lele, let's keep this a secret for now, okay? Don't tell your sister."

"Why? My sister will be very happy. I want to make my sister happy."

I want to make your sister happy too, but I'm afraid that if she knew the truth, she would think that we Nie family are too dirty. Nie Chengyan thought to himself, and coaxed her, "Wouldn't it be better if we secretly cured her first, and then gave your sister a surprise?"

Upon hearing this, Han Le's face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, "Yes, yes, I can secretly heal her, and then I can run over and hug my sister. She'll definitely be shocked. Oh, I'm so happy, this is great!"

Nie Chengyan was heartbroken by these words. He also wanted to hug the little girl's sister, but he couldn't just hug her randomly. Moreover, he would never be able to run over and hug her again in this lifetime.

He's not only heartless, he's also a cripple!

Author's Note: It was really hard to think of a title for this chapter. This one doesn't seem quite right either. What I wanted to say was that Nie Chengyan did things for Xiaoxiao. Although he still disliked himself and felt inferior, he was trying his best to do things to make Xiaoxiao happy.

If you have any good titles to suggest, let me know, and I'll choose one I like and modify it.

Oh, by the way, I'll be updating a Little Demon King side story later tonight. It'll be very late, so please don't wait up. Go check it out tomorrow.

Layer upon layer of enticement

Han Xiao was surprised when Nie Chengyan suddenly suggested taking Han Le to Baiqiao City for a while. Nie Chengyan said that he wanted to go to the city to discuss her antidote book. Han Le had also told him several times that he wanted to go down the mountain to play, so he simply took this opportunity to take him to relax.

"And what about me?" She seemed a little aggrieved, which softened Nie Chengyan's heart. It was as if she was pleading with him, "Why did you take care of your younger brother but not me?" He composed himself, calmed his mind, and chuckled, "Aren't you still watching over Linzhi's poisoning and compiling antidotes?"

"This isn't something that can be done immediately. Miss Lin's condition has stabilized a bit, but I haven't found a way to completely detoxify her yet. I can only try it little by little. That book also needs to be prepared slowly..." Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she truly felt sad.

Nie Chengyan looked at her, feeling incredibly reluctant to part. He hadn't even left yet, but he already missed her. He had deliberately kept Han Le's illness from her, as he had brought her down the mountain for treatment. He truly didn't want her to know that Han Le's prolonged illness wasn't due to the old man's poor medical skills, but rather because his skills were so exceptional that they could deceive others and allow him to secretly harm her. He didn't want his image to worsen in her eyes.

The two looked at each other, each keeping their thoughts to themselves. Finally, Han Xiao asked, "Then, if this servant doesn't come along, how can Master be left without anyone to take care of her?"

"With so many servants down the mountain, are you worried about not having anyone to take care of me?"

Han Xiao felt a pang of sadness. Wasn't it him who said that if she weren't there, he would have no one to serve him? Wasn't it him who said she couldn't live without him? But now he seemed to have forgotten all of that. She paused for a moment, then emphasized softly, "This servant will not be separated from my brother."

Unfortunately, Han Le wasn't cooperating at all this time. He was holding his little bundle, waiting for Nie Chengyan to take him away. When he saw Han Xiao come in, he asked excitedly, "Sister, did the city lord announce our departure?"

Han laughed and said, "Lele, I can't come down the mountain with you..." She was expecting Han Le to pout and be unhappy, but the little rascal waved his hand generously and said, "Don't worry, sister, I have the city lord with me. I'll go down the mountain with him for a few days. Be good on the mountain and wait for me to come back."

Han Xiao was speechless. Did even her younger brother need her?

Nie Chengyan really did leave with Han Le, leaving Han Xiao behind, which made her feel indescribably depressed. She continued to treat Lin Zhi's poisoning every day and organized the materials needed for compiling the classics, but she had no enthusiasm for the days.

A few days later, Shi Er, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, came to Xi's clinic to find her. He seemed to have deliberately chosen an opportunity when she was alone. Han Xiao understood and closed the door. Sure enough, Shi Er had something to say. He told her that he had decided to run away in a few days.

"If you don't regret giving me that young general's jade token, I'll find an opportunity to go down the mountain in a few days and go seek refuge with that general's mansion." Shi Er lowered his voice, cautious and careful.

"Of course I don't regret it. But why didn't you leave back then? Now that there's no longer the risk of testing the poison, why are you setting off?"

“If I had left that day, you would have become the sole target of the person behind it all. I couldn’t do something so heartless. Besides, it’s fortunate I didn’t leave. Didn’t I uncover Miss Lin’s methods? That pharmacy is my territory.” He paused. “A few days ago, the young master asked me to do something, to secretly gather information. He said that the Divine Physician’s Green Snow had been replaced with Green Frost. The appearance was identical, and the poison’s effects were similar, so it couldn’t be a coincidence. Clearly, the person who created Green Frost poison was very familiar with Green Snow and seemed determined to rival it. He suspected that the other party not only switched the poison but must have also left a note.”

"Leave a note?" Han Xiao didn't understand.

"In other words, the other party targeted Young Master, trying to embarrass the Divine Physician. Once the Divine Physician discovers that Young Master is poisoned with Green Snow, he will definitely check the box where Green Snow is stored. At that time, he should find three Green Frosts that are exactly the same as Green Snow and a letter with provocative content. This will enrage the Divine Physician to no end. This should be the culprit's goal." Shi Er shrugged: "This is Young Master's speculation, but I think it makes a lot of sense. It must have been done by the Divine Physician's enemies."

Han Xiao thought seriously, "Could it be that Doctor Lin discovered the change of medicine, knew who did it, and confronted that person with the Green Frost and the letter, only to be poisoned? He was on the cliff for too long, so the Green Frost was preserved intact in the bottle, but the letter was destroyed. Could that be?"

Shi Er scratched his head: "Very likely, I've guessed that way too. Or perhaps Doctor Lin really did want to steal Green Snow, but just as he put the poison in his pocket, he saw the letter, mistook it for the formula, and was reading it when he was discovered. Fearing that his actions would be exposed and others would think he switched the poison, he tried to kill him to silence him, but unexpectedly, he was the one who met his end. However, the young master said that whether he confronted the person or was discovered, that person wouldn't be the one who switched the poison. The young master thinks Doctor Lin was killed by sheer coincidence. Because if the person who switched the poison found that one poison was missing and the letter was also gone, they should have replaced everything to achieve their goal. The fact that he did nothing suggests that he may have already left, or he may have been guarding the mountain without knowing anything."

Hearing him repeatedly say "Young Master," Han Xiao felt even more distressed. Her master hadn't said anything to her, but had spoken to Shi Er. Was she truly becoming less and less important to her master? Or was it because she was so engrossed in medicine that she had neglected her master, which was why he said obedient and well-behaved girls were hard to find? But why was he so encouraging and supporting her in creating the antidote manual? As she pondered these thoughts, she sighed.

Shi Er thought she was lamenting about the matter, so she said, "This matter is a bit complicated. Anyway, the young master asked me to secretly investigate the situation of the doctors after Doctor Lin disappeared that day. The medical servants who are with the doctors know the situation best. Also, the reactions of the people in the mountains after the divine doctor thought that only a green snow was stolen."

Han Xiao nodded: "Those of us who are unaware of the situation would surely think that a single Green Snow is missing. Only the person who switched the poison would be secretly anxious because their goal wasn't achieved. But if they were to send a message or do anything else at that point, it would be too easy to expose their identity." She suddenly thought of something else: "Then why are you thinking of escaping when you're helping your master investigate?"

Shi Er looked somewhat ashamed: "Regarding the matter you entrusted to me, young master, I've been investigating for some time now but haven't found any concrete information. However, I've heard that the Divine Physician is paying close attention to me. Last time, I exposed the spy who helped Miss Lin change her dressing in the pharmacy, which probably caught his attention. Being targeted by both you and the Divine Physician, I'm definitely doomed. I've thought it over. Whether I handle this matter well or not, being caught between those two, grandfather and grandson, will be difficult to explain. I really don't know what kind of cruel treatment I might suffer. Besides, what if the person behind it all becomes desperate and does something rash? Now that you're not on the mountain, I've heard that the Divine Physician has been acting mysteriously lately. I'm afraid he might take this opportunity to attack me. So, after much consideration, you're right, I should run away."

Han Xiao didn't know what to say. With Shi Er's identity, it was indeed too dangerous for her to stay on the mountain. However, she was selfishly biased towards Nie Chengyan. If Shi Er left, wouldn't her master be without a helper when he wanted to find the answer?

Shi Er took out a bag and stuffed it into Han Xiao's hand: "Here you go."

Han Xiao opened the package and found it contained silver. She looked up at Shi Er in surprise, only to hear him say, "I know you are different from us. You don't have a monthly allowance, and you rely entirely on the young master for your food, clothing, and other necessities. If you want to leave in the future, you might not have any travel expenses. I have received your kindness and have nothing to repay you with. Keep this silver for when you need it."

He then pulled out a letter: "This contains all the clues I've found. Although I want to save my life, I don't want you to look down on me. I've done my best to fulfill your orders, young master. Now I'll hand it over to you."

Han Xiao took the document, thought for a long time, and said, "Now that the Divine Doctor is watching you, it won't be easy for you to leave. I have an idea for you. Doctor Xue is planning to go down the mountain soon. He is a kind and reliable person. I will go and talk to him and ask him to hide you and take you down the mountain."

Shi Er was overjoyed upon hearing this: "That's wonderful, Miss Han, I entrust my life to you."

That day, Han Xiao found an opportunity to discuss the matter with Xue Song, who readily agreed. Three days later, Xue Song obtained permission from the Elder of Clouds and Mist to travel and practice medicine. His carriage left Clouds and Mist Mountain at noon, carrying his medicine box, some medical books, and the skills he had learned over the years on Clouds and Mist Mountain, heading towards the vast world beyond the mountains.

Han Xiao watched the carriage depart. The two precious friendships she had gained on Cloud Mist Mountain vanished with the carriage, leaving her feeling a pang of sadness. Nie Chengyan wasn't by her side, nor was her beloved younger brother. Although Huo Qiyang and He Ziming were faithfully protecting her, she still felt lonely.

That night, she did something outrageous and disrespectful. She went to Nie Chengyan's bed, hugged his pillow, and cried her heart out. She comforted herself, feeling as if her master was right beside her, comforting her, because she had her master's pillow to hug and his blanket to wrap her in.

This assumption proved useful, and the next day, Han Xiao felt much better. But what truly lifted her spirits was Nie Chengyan's letter.

She left the house early in the morning, and Huo Qiyang handed her a letter—it was from Nie Chengyan. Judging by the timeline, it must have been written and delivered up the mountain overnight. Han Xiao was startled; had something urgent happened? She nervously opened the letter, only to find five words: "Xiaoxiao, be brave!"

Seeing Han Xiao holding the letter, both tears and smiles, Huo Qiyang finally felt relieved. He hadn't dared not report to his master yesterday when he saw her so downcast. He didn't know what his master had written, but had rushed over and ordered it to be given to Han Xiao first thing in the morning. Now it seemed the letter had truly worked. Seeing Han Xiao carefully put the letter away, her whole demeanor restored, and her spirits lifted as she headed to the clinic, Huo Qiyang felt a surge of energy.

However, Huo Qiyang's relief lasted only one day. The day after receiving the letter, the old man of the clouds and mist sent someone to summon him, saying he wanted to see Han Xiao alone.

Huo Qiyang and He Ziming accompanied Han Xiao to the old man of the Cloud Mist's courtyard, but they were not allowed to enter and could only wait outside. Han Xiao was also flustered, wondering if her help in Shi Er's escape had been exposed. But what the old man of the Cloud Mist said to her was completely unexpected.

He asked, "Would you like to learn my medical skills?"

Han Xiao was stunned, but subconsciously answered, "Yes."

The old man in the clouds said again, "I can teach you."

"What are the conditions?" Han Xiao was no longer the naive girl they first met. The old man of Yunwu obviously knew this as well. He nodded and said, "I have to go into seclusion for many years and I don't know when I will be able to come out. This mountain cannot be without a master for a day. If you can persuade Ayan to inherit Yunwu Mountain, I will teach you everything I have learned in my life before I go into seclusion."

Han Xiao was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. It took him a long time to react: "Master has his own plans, and I can't persuade him."

"How do you know you can't persuade someone if you haven't even tried?"

"Han Xiao is a nobody, her words carry little weight. You can tell without even trying." She bit her lip, her mind a jumble. What was this miracle doctor up to?

The old man in the clouds seemed to have anticipated her reaction, and he wasn't in a hurry. He said slowly, "Han Xiao, you've been up the mountain for two years. Do you feel like you've changed a lot?"

"Han Xiao has learned a lot on the mountain and has certainly benefited greatly." Han Xiao thought carefully before replying, speaking cautiously and prudently.

“Ayan has changed a lot too, to the point that I hardly recognize him.”

Han Xiao lowered her head, pursed her lips, and remained silent. At this critical moment, she dared not utter the slightest mistake.

The old man in the clouds continued, "So although Ayan had no interest in Cloud Mist Mountain before, things might be different now. You should try to persuade him. If he is willing to inherit it, I can go into seclusion with peace of mind."

Han Xiao wanted to ask what she was going to do in seclusion, and whether she would be away for many years. But she held back. She didn't know how to answer appropriately, so she simply kept her mouth shut and remained respectfully bowing her head.

“If he is willing to take charge of this mountain, and you have learned my medical skills, the reputation and status of my Cloud Mist Mountain can be preserved. So you don’t need to think too much about it. I have no other purpose.”

If the old man in the clouds had said this when they first came up the mountain, Han Xiao would have believed him. But after experiencing so much, she dared not believe him so easily.

"When Master returns, Han Xiao will ask him about it."

"It's not about asking, it's about persuading him to accept." The old man's assertive attitude resurfaced, and Han Xiao pursed her lips. The old man emphasized again, "I'm not joking. If Ayan agrees to take over this mountain, I will pass on all my medical skills to you. Don't you want that?"

"Han Xiao can't afford it." Han Xiao thought to herself, with so many disciples, how could it be her turn? She continued, "The Divine Doctor's lifelong learning must be exquisite and profound. Han Xiao is just a beginner in medicine, and dares not presume to learn it in such a short time."

“Girl, I don’t want to praise you, but you are indeed exceptionally talented. If you were to put your mind to it, your future skill level would far surpass that of my other disciples. I will personally teach you, so I will focus on the key points. You can take all my treasured medical books to study; many of them are rare and rare editions.” The old man in the clouds seemed to know what she was thinking and began to coax her gently: “You know my personality; of course, I won’t do anything that will put me at a disadvantage. You persuaded Ayan to inherit this mountain, and you have also learned medical skills. Isn’t that what you wish for—to treat more patients?”

This last sentence hit Han Xiao's weak spot. If she were to learn a skill, wouldn't she be able to save whoever she wanted and treat whoever she wanted?

The old man in the clouds saw that she was interested and said, "You can tell Ayan everything I have to say and let him make his own decision. I will not force him."

He wasn't forcing her; he was just trying to entice her. Han Xiao didn't want to get entangled in this. Anyway, she had already reported back to Nie Chengyan, so he could make the decision. She softly agreed and then asked if she could take her leave.

Unexpectedly, the old man in the clouds said, "Since you have agreed, I still have something to say, which is the condition for you to learn medicine from me."

So there are conditions? Han Xiao listened, her heart pounding for no reason. She heard the old man in the clouds say, "I don't care how you practice medicine outside after you learn my medical skills, but if you treat patients in my Cloud Mist Mountain, the rules of Cloud Mist Mountain cannot be broken. That is, those conditions for treating patients must be met."

Han Xiao frowned. What she disliked most about Yunwu Mountain was these rules, but fortunately, she could treat patients freely outside.

"There is another condition: you must swear that you will never marry Ayan in this lifetime."

Han Xiao was startled and looked up sharply. The old man in the clouds said slowly, "This should be easy for you to do, right?"

Author's Note: This is how Han Xiao acquired her superb medical skills: talent + diligence + a renowned teacher + practical experience. She will have the opportunity to leave Yunwu Mountain, so please don't worry.

Make a vow

Han Xiao stared at him without speaking. The old man of the Cloud Mist, who had been confident and composed, suddenly felt a little guilty after being stared at by her for so long. The girl's eyes and expression gave him the feeling that it was A Yan staring at him. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his dominant aura, and said sternly, "Girl, what do you have to say?"