Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 8

"Han Xiao!"

"Yes, Master, this servant is here."

"You're getting more and more eloquent."

"Thank you for your praise, Master. I also feel that my skills in dealing with situations have improved under your guidance."

"roll!"

"Yes, Master, this servant will leave." And so, she obediently left.

Watching her disappearing figure at the door, Nie Chengyan was somewhat taken aback. She really just obediently left like that? A moment later, he realized she hadn't even moved the flowers and plants yet, and she dared to run away like that. He found himself feeling strangely stifled by the empty house.

A young man appeared outside the window and called softly, "Master." He had a smile on his lips, clearly having witnessed what had just happened.

Nie Chengyan leaned back relaxed and glanced at the man: "Qiyang, do you find this funny?" Huo Qiyang quickly straightened his expression, bowed his head in greeting, then jumped in and handed Nie Chengyan a letter.

As Nie Chengyan opened the letter, he found his bodyguard, who had been with him for ten years, rather dull. If it were Han Xiao, she would have loudly replied, "Yes, Master, it's funny."

The letter was from Long San. He first congratulated Nie Chengyan on surviving his near-death experience, and then recounted the information he had gathered in Xie Jingyun's hometown. The Xie family grieved for several days after their daughter's death, holding a memorial service and observing the seven-day mourning period. Not long after, the entire family moved away. The inn where Nie Chengyan had been injured was now deserted; the innkeeper, who had run the business for fifteen years, had dismissed his workers, absconded with the money, and disappeared after that night.

He inquired about Lin Yang's whereabouts, but to no avail. There were no rumors circulating in the martial arts world about Nie Chengyan's injury; it was as if nothing had happened. This didn't fit the gossipy nature of the martial arts world, which tends to jump to conclusions at the slightest hint of news. Either someone was keeping the information under wraps, or there was more to the story. Therefore, Long San believed that this matter was likely more than just internal strife at Cloud Mist Mountain, and that Nie Chengyan, who had barely escaped death, needed to be extra careful. He hoped that the two of them would meet again alive.

At the end of the letter, he also expressed his gratitude to the old master of the Nie family, Elder Yunwu, for not helping him in his time of need, and to Han Xiao, his nominal concubine in the Long family, for her heroic act of kicking and shoving him to cure his illness. Now everyone in the Long family knows that he, Long San, was kicked under the bed by a young girl. In addition, he was also seriously injured in a sneak attack while trying to find out the truth about Nie Chengyan's injury. In short, he put all the blame on Nie Chengyan and would definitely demand repayment from him one day.

Nie Chengyan read the letter, folded it up, and handed it back to Huo Qiyang, complaining, "That Long San guy is always so petty."

Huo Qiyang dared not respond to the criticism, but respectfully took the letter and put it in his pocket, saying, "Master, Third Master Long's headache has improved a lot. He just needs some more recuperation."

"Qiyang, don't you want to say that I'm just as meticulous as your master when it comes to every little detail?"

"Your subordinate dares not."

Nie Chengyan found it boring: "You're such a coward."

Huo Qiyang didn't speak. He had been guarding Nie Chengyan since he was a child, following him all over the country and experiencing many battles, big and small. He never flinched in the face of swords and blades, yet he was still called a coward.

Nie Chengyan added, "If it were Xiaoxiao, she would definitely say the same thing."

"Yes, Miss Han is very lively."

"All you do is talk back, what's there to be angry about? Few people on the mountain know about the Green Snow Poison, and even the herb garden has no record of it. You guys keep an eye on those disciples who are popular with the old man, and see who I've offended."

"Understood."

Huo Qiyang left silently, just as he had come. Nie Chengyan watched his figure disappear behind the window, and thinking about how he had praised Han Xiao for being angry, he felt a little annoyed. This girl's anger was truly infuriating.

Han Xiao knew that someone was secretly visiting Nie Chengyan every few days, but Nie Chengyan hadn't said anything, which meant this person was one of their own, so she wasn't on guard. She knew her own abilities and wouldn't think of interfering in her master's affairs. Her challenge was to get Nie Chengyan to step out of the house, even in a wheelchair, and face the public with composure. But she didn't succeed.

She tried various methods. First, with the old man's permission, she washed Nie Chengyan's hair, which made him happy all day. With his hair clean, she styled it into a crown. His complexion had improved considerably after this period of recuperation, and his combed hair immediately made him look dashing and spirited. She brought him a mirror, and seeing him admiring himself with satisfaction, she quickly advised, "Master, you look so refreshed, why don't you go for a walk?" But he confiscated the mirror and sent her away.

Han Xiao thought again, this must be because there were no fine clothes. Her master loved beauty, and without expensive clothes, he might be too proud to show his face. So she went to the head steward, Bai Ying, and asked him to make several sets of clothes in colors that her master liked, preferably long robes that could cover his ankles when sitting. Bai Ying understood and quickly brought several sets of new clothes. Han Xiao held the new clothes and looked them over all over the room, praising their elegance and beauty. She then said to Nie Chengyan, "Master, Master, let's go for a walk after changing our clothes." But he confiscated the clothes and sent her away.

Han Xiao later came up with another wicked trick. She stopped being so diligent in wiping Nie Chengyan's body and combing his hair. She even explicitly told Nie Chengyan, "Master, since you don't go out anyway, no one else will see what you look like. As for me, I don't mind what you look like, so it doesn't matter if I wipe your body less or comb your hair less. At worst, you can just stop looking in the mirror every day and feel at ease." Nie Chengyan was naturally angry. At first, he didn't want her to handle his body and bathe him, but she was infuriatingly diligent. Now he was used to her service and was comfortable exposing his body in front of her, but she started to slack off. But he stubbornly refused to leave his room. After several days of this, she softened. She felt that it was already pitiful that her master couldn't move, and that someone as clean as him would be very uncomfortable if he didn't clean himself every day. So her plan to use cleansing to coerce him into going out failed, and she resumed her daily diligent washing and wiping of him.

That day, taking advantage of Nie Chengyan's rest, Han Xiao informed him that she wanted to visit Han Le, and Nie Chengyan granted her request. When Han Xiao arrived at the hut, Xue Song was examining Han Le, accompanied by a physician servant. Han Xiao and her brother had been on the mountain for over a month, and Han Le had been taking the new medicine for over a month. While her organ ailments had significantly improved, and she was much more energetic, her legs remained weak. Each time Xue Song came to examine her, he couldn't understand why. He consulted with Elder Yunwu, but the pulse, symptoms, and medication were all correct. Elder Yunwu couldn't find the problem either, and could only say that after he was less busy, he would personally examine Han Le.

Han Xiao listened to Xue Song's analysis of the illness, but she only had a vague understanding of it. However, she made a bold suggestion: "Dr. Xue, since the legs and feet are fine and the internal organs are getting better, and we still can't find the root cause of the illness, could it be that there is a disease inside the head?"

Xue Song was surprised: "Judging from the pulse, there is nothing wrong with Lele's brain, and her symptoms are not usually in the head."

Han Xiao hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up boldly: "I read in a medical book that for ailments of the head and face, one should needle the Zhiyin acupoint, and for ailments of the legs and feet, one should needle the Fengfu acupoint. Doesn't this mean that ailments of the head can be treated by needling the Zhiyin acupoint on the foot, and ailments of the feet can be treated by needling the Fengchi acupoint on the head?"

“Miss Han, what the medical book says is true, but its meaning is not as simple as it seems on the surface. Lele’s condition is not suitable for this.” Xue Song patiently explained, which taught Han Xiao a lot. Han Xiao blushed a little after listening, “Dr. Xue, I don’t know anything about medicine. Please forgive me.”

Xue Song hurriedly said, "No, no, Miss Han's idea is bold. Although it is unlikely in theory, since Lele's illness is so difficult to treat, it is not unreasonable to consider various possibilities. However, my skills are not good enough to diagnose it. I will discuss it with my master and it would be better if he could take a look himself."

Han Le exclaimed from the side, "Dr. Xue, my sister is so smart. She knows everything. Although she only knows a little bit about medicine, she always gets to the point. Doctors in the past have cured many stubborn diseases by following my sister's approach."

His tone was both proud and arrogant, clearly showing his protectiveness towards his sister, which made everyone in the room laugh. Han Xiao patted his head and pinched his nose, and Han Le giggled along, hugging his sister affectionately.

Xue Song was about to give Han Le a massage and moxibustion, so he asked his servant to bring out some mugwort. The servant, Qinghao, rummaged through his medicine bag, his face flushing red; he had forgotten to bring it. Xue Song's expression darkened, and he told him to quickly go to the pharmacy to get it. Seeing Qinghao's flustered look, Han Xiao quickly offered to go with him.

Han Xiao and Qinghao headed towards the pharmacy. After chatting for a while, they learned that in addition to the farm servants who planted the herbs and the medical servants who prepared and decocted the medicine, there were also medicine servants who were specifically there to test the medicines.

Of all the servants, the medicine servants had the most leisurely yet most dangerous job. Their responsibility was to test various medicines, allowing the doctors to observe and record the reactions and symptoms. Living deep in the mountains, these servants tested numerous poisons and antidotes. Because of the nature of their work, their contracts of servitude included a death penalty clause. However, their monthly wages were higher than other servants, and their daily living conditions were better. Each medicine servant even had a personal servant girl to attend to them. The medicine servants were often domineering and picky, but the other servants dared not say anything, for if they displeased them, the doctors would hold them accountable.

Xue Song's physician, Qinghao, was often bullied by the medicine servant, Shi'er. Knowing that Shi'er would be in the pharmacy today, he was afraid of running into him and couldn't help but complain to Han Xiao. Han Xiao asked, "Are all the prescriptions, poison pills, and antidotes from this mountain tested on the medicine servants?"

“Yes, we usually test rare new prescriptions before using them. Of course, we also have the medicine servants test poison pills and antidotes, otherwise how would we know their effectiveness?” Qinghao was still very unhappy: “That Shier is the most senior among the medicine servants. He’s also very capable. He’s tested the most poisons, and he’s survived them all. So he’s usually very arrogant and doesn’t take anyone else seriously. Some doctors even try to curry favor with him because they feel most at ease using him to test medicines. But he doesn’t seem to realize that, in the end, he’s just a servant. How is he any different from us? It’s really unreasonable for him to bully people like this.”

Han Xiao comforted him for a few moments, and the two quickly arrived at the pharmacy. Despite its name, the pharmacy wasn't a single room; it was actually a large courtyard connected to the medicinal herb gardens and fields behind the mountain. There was also a large drying area for herbs, a warehouse for storing raw materials, and several rooms for processing medicinal herbs. The pharmacists and their servants processed the dried and prepared herbs here. In the front courtyard were the display cases for the processed herbs, and to the left was a row of kitchens for decocting medicine.

Medicine was usually retrieved from the cabinet in the front yard. Walking inside, Han Xiao was thrilled to see rows of large medicine cabinets; so many medicines, how many people could they save? Yuanzhi, the physician who had delivered medicine to Nie Chengyan last time, happened to be there. He greeted Han Xiao, and Qinghao, noticing the stone ear mushroom wasn't there, was overjoyed and quickly tried to grab some mugwort. However, the cabinet containing mugwort was empty, so another physician told Qinghao to go to the storeroom in the back yard to get it. Han Xiao had never been to a pharmacy before and was filled with curiosity, so he quickly followed Qinghao into the yard.

It was early afternoon, and many of the medical servants were resting after a long day's work, so there were few people in the backyard. Qinghao led Han Xiao towards the storeroom. Upon entering, they were greeted by a room overflowing with medicinal herbs. Han Xiao felt a surge of joy and excitement. She couldn't help but examine and touch them closely; these were all top-quality herbs. She and her brother had traveled to so many places, struggling to find even a single herb, yet here they were piled up like mountains. Just as she was feeling touched, she suddenly heard Qinghao, who had walked to the back, scream for help. Startled, Han Xiao rushed over. Reaching the corner, she saw a person lying behind the mountain of herbs, with Qinghao standing beside him, looking terrified. Before Han Xiao could approach, Qinghao pointed behind her and shouted, "Watch out!"

Without thinking, Han Xiao rolled to the ground, barely catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. She dodged it, pulled a dagger from her boot, and slashed in that direction, blood splattering onto her. When she steadied herself, she saw that it was a blue snake.

At this moment, Qinghao leaned close to Han Xiao, pointed to the side, and said tremblingly, "Over there, over there, there are..." Han Xiao turned his head and gasped. There were actually several snakes with their necks arched and heads raised, flicking their tongues at the two of them.

Heart-piercing rescue

Although Han Xiao had some courage, she was not a heroine. Besides, she was still young, and girls are most afraid of such soft and vicious things. When she saw it, her legs trembled a little.

But the artemisia buds huddled behind her, causing Han Xiao's strong, older sisterly nature to surface again. She tried to remain calm and focused her gaze, only to discover that there were all sorts of snakes. The one she had narrowly avoided being slashed by was a bamboo viper, now coiled on the left shelf, its tongue lolling out at them. Several flat-headed snakes resembled cobras, but they didn't look exactly alike. She looked up the shelf further up and saw even more snakes climbing on it—brown, black, white, patterned, large, small… Turning her head, she saw snakes on her own shelf too. Startled, Han Xiao took a few steps back.

But he tripped and realized it was the same person he had seen lying on the ground earlier. Qinghao said in a trembling voice, "It's Shier, the medicine servant I told you about." Han Xiao took a few more steps back and found that the snakes were no longer approaching, but they had gathered together and formed a semi-circle, effectively blocking the way out.

Han Xiao examined Shi Er closely. He had several bloodstains on his body, and two bloody holes on his wrist, indicating he'd been bitten by snakes multiple times. There were drag marks on the ground, showing he'd crawled all the way from the medicine shelf entrance to this side. Han Xiao stared at the snakes; they remained guarding the exit, not venturing inside.

Suddenly, Qinghao exclaimed, "I understand! The snakes in the snake pit weren't properly secured, and they escaped!" Behind the pharmacy's main courtyard was a smaller courtyard specifically for breeding venomous creatures, containing three snake pits alone. That courtyard was usually securely locked; could someone have been careless today?

Han asked with a smile, "Is there any realgar in this room?" With so many medicinal smells mixed together, she couldn't detect the scent of realgar.

As expected, Artemisia annua replied, "No."

"What about wild cassia?"

Wild cassia is a miraculous medicine for warding off snakes and can also treat stomach ailments. He certainly knew about artemisia, but according to his recollection, wild cassia was stored in the warehouse next door. The negative answer did not discourage Han Xiao. While observing the snakes and making sure they were not approaching, she slowly retreated and searched the medicine shelves inside.

Qinghao rummaged around, shouting for help towards the door as he went, but no one answered. He remembered that when he came in, the area was completely deserted; they were probably trapped and helpless. Fortunately, he finally found a long wooden stick next to the shelves, probably used by the medical servants to lift the shelves when storing and organizing medicines. He picked up the stick and smiled at Han, saying, "You take a few bundles of medicine to scatter the snakes, I'll use the stick to pry them away, and we'll rush out together. At worst, we'll get bitten a couple of times, but there'll definitely be medicine to treat us once we're out; we won't die." Even as he said this, the thought of being bitten by snakes sent cold sweat down Qinghao's back.

Han Xiao wasn't looking for weapons; she was rummaging through herbs. Many of these herbs hadn't been dried or cut; the farm servants had simply picked them and stored them for later processing by the medicine-making servants. The medicine servant, Shi Er, wasn't running away after being bitten, but instead crawling inside, and the snake certainly didn't dare to come in, indicating that there must be herbs in the house that snakes fear.

"Found it!" Han Xiao cheered. Qinghao turned her gaze away from the snakes and looked at the medicine: "Grass River Powder? Aren't these kinds of medicines usually kept next door?"

Han Xiao didn't respond to him. She had no idea how they had put the medicine in; as long as there was medicine, that was good enough. She dragged Shi Er over, checked his pulse, and happily told Qing Hao, "He's not dead. He's still breathing." She then began searching for Shi Er's wounds by looking for traces of blood.

Qinghao was a little scared: "Miss Han, let's use the grass cart to drive away the snakes and get out of here quickly. Shier has been bitten so many times, and we don't know how much time has passed. I'm afraid the two of us can't save him. Let's rush out first and find our master, uncles and elders to take a look."

While tearing at Shi Er's clothes and trousers, Han Xiao replied, "Snakebite is something that should not be delayed. If we wait until we go out to call for help, we might delay his life. There is medicine here. Let's save him first. If we don't do our best and he really dies, how can our conscience be at peace?"

She used strips of cloth torn from her clothes and trousers to bind her arms and legs, then swiftly cut open Shi Er's wounds with a dagger, sucking out the venomous blood without hesitation. Shi Er had been bitten more than ten times; if she hadn't died, she probably wouldn't survive. Qing Hao actually felt that Han Xiao's efforts would be in vain, but seeing the young girl's selfless dedication, he couldn't object. He took some of the herb and threw it into the snake swarm, seeing that they indeed dispersed somewhat. He was delighted and quickly arranged the herbs in a row, placing them between the snakes and the three of them, making sure they weren't attacked by the snakes first.

After he finished doing all that, he looked back at Han Xiao. She had finished sucking the wound from her third wound and looked up at him, saying, "Come and save him. He's not dead, really."

Qinghao looked at the snake and then at her, and finally couldn't bear it. He squatted down and began to suck the wound on Shier's arm, cursing as he sucked: "Shier, you wicked thing, you bullied me, and now I'm saving you. If you live, you'd better remember my kindness."

Working together, the two quickly treated the wounds. Han Xiao tore off a leaf from the grass and chewed it. Qinghao hurriedly shouted, "This is poisonous!" Han Xiao nodded to indicate that she knew. She chewed the leaf, spat it out, and applied it to Shi Er's wounds. Then she chewed it again. Qinghao looked at her, not knowing what to feel. She just slapped Shi Er hard across the face and said angrily, "You fucking want to live, you know? I went through all this trouble to save you. You dare to die and see what happens."

After Han Xiao had applied medicine to her wounds, the two decided to escape quickly. However, upon closer inspection, they realized there weren't many grass snakes left; it probably wouldn't be enough to help them drive away the snakes. Qing Hao gritted his teeth, determined not to lose to a young girl: "Miss Han, I'll cover you. You run first, and I'll help you drive away the snakes. Once you're out, call for help." His words were brave, but a hint of fear still lingered in his voice.

Han Xiao shook her head. She looked around and quickly thought, "I've got it! We can use fire."

"Fire is strictly prohibited in the medicine storage room." This is the rule.

"What rule is more important than human life?" Han Xiao said dismissively.

Artemisia wanted to say that many of the rules in Cloud Mist Mountain put human life aside, refusing to treat this or that. But she swallowed her words and only said, "There are no flints here."

Han Xiao had already pulled out a sturdy little medicinal branch, and then took the stick that Qinghao had found earlier. He pressed his legs down, used a dagger to dig a small hole in the stick, inserted the medicinal branch into it, and then wrapped a strip of cloth around the branch. Holding both ends of the cloth, he pulled back and forth, causing the branch to spin and rub rapidly against the stick. Qinghao was dumbfounded: "You, what else don't you know?"

"Quick, quick, bring over those dried herbs over there, they're sparking! Hurry up!" Han Xiao didn't reply, only urging him to act quickly.

Upon seeing this, Qinghao quickly noticed a spark and grabbed some dry medicinal branches to ignite it. It burned rapidly, emitting thick smoke. Han Xiao spread out the grass-root and threw it at the snakes, causing them to retreat somewhat. Qinghao then handed over a torch of herbal medicine, still flaming, and the snakes dispersed again. Han Xiao then hoisted the stone ear mushroom onto his back and shouted, "Let's get out of here quickly!"

Qinghao nodded, holding a torch in one hand to clear the way, and kicking the grass cart to drive away the snakes with her foot. Han Xiao gripped the dagger tightly, carrying Shi Er on her back, and followed closely behind. The two of them carefully made their way out of the predicament.

Once outside, Han Xiao's legs went weak, and he put Shi Er down. Qing Hao shouted, "I'll go get help!" But before he could run away, a number of people had already run in from outside, drawn by the thick smoke. "Who burned the herbs? No fires allowed here!"

Artemisia shouted, "There are snakes in the medicine storehouse, and maybe more elsewhere. Everyone be careful! Shi Er has been bitten by a snake! Come quick, save him..."

More and more people gathered around. Shi Er lay on the ground, and no one dared to move him. After all, it was a matter of life and death, and no one dared to take the responsibility. Several people ran out to call their master, uncles, and the divine doctor. A few others went to inform the poisonous creatures in the back courtyard that they had escaped. More and more people ran in to watch the excitement.

Artemisia caught her breath and glanced at Han Xiao. Sure enough, she was right. If he hadn't been treated inside and had run out and been delayed like this, even the divine doctor probably wouldn't have been able to save him.

Many people also came to the nearby vegetarian medical clinic. The vegetarian medical clinic is where female doctors work. Although they are called female doctors, they are more like assistants to the doctors. Of course, they are several levels higher than maids like Han Xiao. However, women are not traditionally doctors. There are exceptions in medical holy places like Cloud Mist Mountain, but the achievements of women are limited. The most outstanding ones stay in the vegetarian medical clinic, providing assistance to the doctors and providing recuperation for patients who are about to recover.

But Su Medical Clinic is, after all, a medical clinic. Han Xiao shouted to them, "He's been poisoned by a snake! Come quickly and save him!" Among those who came from Su Medical Clinic was Lin Zhi. Her father was the eldest disciple of the Cloud Mist Elder, and she had been exposed to medicine from a young age, going to the mountain to study at the age of ten. Her medical skills were the best in Su Medical Clinic. She walked to Shi Er's side, examined the wound, and took his pulse. She sighed, "Miss Han, Shi Er's snake bite is probably incurable. Look, he has no pulse at all; he's dead."

Han Xiao grasped Shi Er's pulse and carefully examined it. At this moment, Chen Rong and several doctors arrived, loudly questioning what had happened. Qing Hao answered hesitantly, gently kicking Han Xiao with her foot to remind her to get up and answer.

Han Xiao ignored him completely. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran headlong towards the front yard. Qing Hao was dumbfounded, completely unexpected that when the manager arrived, this girl Han Xiao would actually abandon him and run away.

Chen Rong, loud and hot-tempered, with Qinghao still holding the burning medicinal branch in his hand, had the evidence in his grasp. He didn't care that Han Xiao had run away and quickly reported the whole story. Wang Liu, the fourth disciple of the Cloud Mist Elder, listened and went to examine Shi Er's body. Lin Zhi said, "Too many wounds, too much poisoning, he's already passed away." Wang Liu checked his pulse and confirmed it was true. He sighed; the antidote was probably useless now.

Just then, Han Xiao ran back, panting, with a servant chasing after him: "How dare you! Return the needle bag immediately!"

Han Xiao ignored them and rushed forward as if her life depended on it, shouting, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" The crowd hesitated for a moment, but they actually moved aside to make way for her.

Han Xiao rushed to Shi Er's side, checked his pulse, then pulled out a dagger and slashed Shi Er's finger, blood gushing out instantly. The crowd gasped, several shouting, "What are you doing to Shi Er?!" "He's already dead, and you're still treating him like this!"

When Wang Liu saw blood seeping from Shi Er's finger, a thought struck him. He waved his hand behind him, stopping the crowd from rushing forward. He then checked Shi Er's pulse, confirming it was indeed a death pulse.

At this moment, Han Xiao opened his needle bag, revealing two large rows of needles. Han Xiao ripped open Shi Er's clothes at the chest, causing everyone to gasp. Han Xiao ignored them, picked out the longest, thinnest needle, and with a swift movement, thrust it into Shi Er's heart. Everyone gasped again, but Han Xiao remained unaffected, inserting and withdrawing the needle with lightning speed. Shi Er seemed to be stimulated, his whole body convulsing. Wang Liu, quick-witted and agile, swiftly pressed two major acupoints on his forehead.

Han Xiao placed her hand on Shi Er's neck pulse, while Wang Liu's hand remained on Shi Er's wrist. Both of them simultaneously felt a faint, almost imperceptible pulse. Han Xiao was overjoyed and shouted to Wang Liu, "He's alive!" She turned to the crowd and exclaimed joyfully, "He's not dead! He's alive!"

Wang Liu didn't recognize the girl, but vaguely guessed that she was the legendary girl who was supposed to be married off to bring good luck. He had only heard that this girl was extremely lucky, but seeing her today, he was afraid that it was more than just good luck.

At this moment, Shi Er's heartbeat returned, and Wang Liu quickly stuffed the antidote into his mouth, closed his jaw, and pinched his throat to help him swallow the medicine. He looked up and saw Han Xiao intently watching his technique. Seeing him looking at her, she smiled shyly at him, seemingly embarrassed that he had secretly learned the technique. She had saved the person and was seizing the opportunity to learn; her smile was genuine. Wang Liu smiled back at her, feeling a growing fondness for this girl.

Wang Liu beckoned for two servants to carry Shi Er away. At this moment, Chen Rong began to settle scores: First, Han Xiao, a lowly maid, was not allowed into the pharmacy courtyard according to regulations. Who brought her? Who allowed her in? Second, the courtyard was unguarded. If something happened, no one would know. What if someone died or something was stolen? Who was in charge today? Third, the locks on the cages and doors of the snake pit in the back poisonous area were broken. Who was responsible for guarding them? Fourth, fires were strictly prohibited in the medicine storeroom. Han Xiao and Qing Hao lit a fire without authorization; they must be punished. Fifth, Han Xiao, a lowly maid, stole medical instruments and used crude methods to treat patients without any reason or evidence…

He listed off the charges one by one, his voice incredibly loud, and no one dared to respond. As soon as Xue Song arrived, Qinghao quickly hid behind her master, not daring to utter a word, hoping that with her master present, Doctor Chen wouldn't dare to punish her too severely.

But one person remained unconvinced: Han Xiao. After Chen Rong finished speaking, she asked gently, "Dr. Chen, Han Xiao would like to ask, what crime is committed for saving a life?"

"Dare to talk back?" The servants lowered their heads. Wang Liu raised an eyebrow, and Xue Song stepped forward and stood next to Han Xiao. Han Xiao seemed oblivious to their presence. She asked again, "Today, the snake den was open, and a group of snakes lurked inside the pharmacy. One of the servants was unfortunately injured and nearly died. If it weren't for Brother Qinghao's righteous risk to save him, and if Han Xiao hadn't dared to try, wouldn't that servant Shi Er have died unjustly?"

"A daring attempt?" Chen Rong scoffed. "You're quite bold, aren't you? Using needles to pierce the heart—what school of medicine teaches that?"

"Han Xiao doesn't know."