Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 46

Han Xiao listened intently, and Chi Yanxing continued, "Originally, it wouldn't have been so bad if life had just been a little hard, but back then this place was sparsely populated. I couldn't treat more difficult and complicated diseases, couldn't save more critically ill patients, and couldn't study advanced medical techniques anymore. I had the talent to learn medicine, but Nie Mingchen forced me to the point that I almost couldn't even be a doctor anymore. And my beloved wife, it was my stupidity that made her come here with me to live such a hard life. But I didn't expect that the cruelest thing was yet to come. Once, I took my wife to collect herbs, and we encountered bandits on the way. My legs were crippled, and my wife was raped and killed..." Chi Yanxing paused here. It was an extremely painful story, but his tone was indifferent, as if he were telling someone else's story.

“I only wanted to practice medicine with good intentions and save lives, but this is the result I got in the end…” Chi Yanxing said, “All of this is thanks to Nie Mingchen. I will never forget the way my wife looked when she died in front of me. For the past few decades, every time I get to the middle of the night, I think of the feeling of lying in the wild, covered in wounds and unable to move my legs, waiting to die.”

Han Xiao could no longer feign composure. Her face was pale, and her hands, gripping Nie Chengyan's chair, turned blue from the force. Every word Chi Yanxing spoke corresponded to every experience Nie Chengyan had gone through. She simply couldn't imagine how someone who had suffered so much could be so heartless as to inflict the same pain on others. She had to gasp for breath, feeling a chill of fear. If fate had been slightly off, if she hadn't met Nie Chengyan, would she and he have been completely different? She would have lost Lele, her family, her home, forever reduced to a lowly maid. And if he hadn't died, would he have suffered daily like Chi Yanxing, becoming a cruel and heartless person?

Nie Chengyan didn't need to turn around to know that Han Xiao was heartbroken; he could feel her panting and slight trembling. He reached behind her and grasped her hand, squeezing it tightly before pressing it against his shoulder. He had known all along that Chi Yanxing was behind everything, but many details remained unclear. He was determined to take revenge, waiting only to find the old man before he would slaughter the enemy who had ruined his life. But he hadn't expected such a story behind it all.

Looking at the expressions of the two men, Chi Yanxing continued, "Back then, an old doctor from the Xia Kingdom passed by and saved me. He took me back to the Xia Kingdom, and I lived in a daze for two years. During that time, I suddenly realized where I went wrong during the medical skills competition. I suddenly understood that there are people in this world who would poison others just to win a reputation for superior medical skills. I was desperate at the time. My wife was dead, my legs were crippled, what was the point of living? I had given up on life, but unexpectedly, the King of Xia fell seriously ill and the palace was summoning doctors. To repay his kindness, I accompanied the old doctor into the palace, hoping to help him cure the King and receive a reward. This journey marked the beginning of a completely new chapter in my life."

Nie Chengyan already knew what happened next, but Chi Yanxing's narration still revealed some details: "Originally, we were an old man and a cripple, and no one cared for us. But King Xia was terminally ill, so they had to let all the doctors try. At that time, I managed to open King Xia's eyes in just three days, which astonished everyone. I saw admiration and respect in their eyes; I hadn't seen such eyes in a long time. I felt like I had suddenly come back to life. Later, I completely cured King Xia's illness, and my medical skills earned King Xia's praise. So the old doctor received a reward and wore a brocade robe." I returned to my hometown and became a royal physician, settling down in the palace. One day, I overheard news that Nie Mingchen, that fellow, actually claimed to be the greatest physician in the world, and had even recruited disciples, claiming Yunwu Mountain as "Divine Physician Mountain." I realized that all he had achieved was by trampling on the blood of his patients, my reputation, and the lives of my wife and children. I couldn't swallow this hatred; he had ruined my life, and I had to take revenge. So I also began recruiting disciples, cultivating confidants, and planting spies. I spent over twenty years learning and planning step by step. Heaven had eyes, and finally, I avenged my great grudge.

"You're talking nonsense." Han Xiao was so angry that she wanted to cry, and she couldn't help but swear: "Ayan doesn't even know you, he has never hurt you in the slightest. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor. You poisoned an innocent person, and if God has eyes, you are the one who should be punished."

"Hmph, what do you know? Strike the snake at its vital point. Nie Mingchen is heartless and arrogant. Even if I could turn him into someone like me, given his pride, he would never want to live. Death would be the end of all suffering. I won't let him escape so easily. I want him to suffer unbearable pain, yet be unable to die. I want him to grieve and worry over his grandson's poison, to see his crippled leg and experience my helplessness, to see his only family member become like me, using the poison he concocted himself, to make him regret, to make him live the rest of his life in the resentment and hatred of his loved ones. I want him to remember every moment of his mistakes, and he must pay the price..."

Before he could finish speaking, Han Xiao couldn't contain herself any longer. She rushed forward and kicked Chi Yanxing. Seeing this, Chi Yanxing's attendant slapped her away. Before Huo Qiyang could react, Nie Chengyan's whip lashed out at the attendant's hand. The attendant cried out in pain, clutching his bloodied hand and staggering back. Nie Chengyan deftly twisted his whip, wrapping it around Han Xiao's waist and pulling her back to his side.

Han Xiao couldn't help but shed tears, struggling to curse at Chi Yanxing: "Your heart is no better than that of the divine doctor, you are not worthy of being a doctor."

Nie Chengyan held her tightly, pulling her close to his chest: "Be good, save your fancy moves for me, don't waste your energy on irrelevant people."

Chi Yanxing looked at the two of them, completely unaffected, and continued, "I heard that Nie Mingchen is developing a powerful poison, so I started developing one too. In terms of medical skills, I am no less skilled than him in any aspect. I was too foolish in the past; I shouldn't have fallen for his trick and shouldn't have been so stupid to come to the desert. But now that I have the royal family backing me, I naturally want to compete with him again. So I switched his poison. I want him to discover that this poison is stronger than his when he uses it, and he will know that it was me who did it. Under heaven, only I am better than him."

"Green Frost isn't necessarily that strong either." Han Xiao glared at him resentfully: "Many doctors can treat it nowadays."

Chi Yanxing smiled and surprisingly agreed: "That's right. With that antidote book, neither Green Snow nor Green Frost will be considered rare poisons anymore." He gave Han Xiao a meaningful look: "Everything was going according to my plan, but an unexpected incident occurred."

Nie Chengyan tightened his arms around Han Xiao, pulling her into a protective embrace. Han Xiao looked up at him, confused. Then she heard Chi Yanxing say, "That accident was you, little girl."

"Han Xiao, an orphan girl, is only fourteen years old. She brought her younger brother to seek medical treatment because he was weak, his pulse was blocked, his internal organs were diseased, and he could not walk. She is quite famous in Baiqiao City. No patient who has been treated by her has ever died." Chi Yanxing recited the information about Han Xiao reported by his scout, which he had memorized, and curled the corners of his mouth: "Girl, do you know that I used to have a title called Divine Healer? The reason is that no patient I treated ever died."

Seeing Han Xiao's surprised expression, he continued, "However, I relied on my strength, while the rumors say you relied on luck." He paused, waited for a while but didn't hear Han Xiao's rebuttal, and felt somewhat surprised.

"Do you also think you got there by luck?" he asked Han Xiao. If you lacked confidence, how could you have done those things on the battlefield?

Han Xiao, seething with resentment, replied sharply, "I can heal and save lives, that's all that matters. What do you care about how I do it? I don't harm anyone, I don't do anything wrong. What's so great about a reputation? What good is a big name? The heartless are still heartless, and those who can save lives can still save lives. Aren't you ashamed of harming the good and kind? The Divine Physician was wrong, he was shameful! But if you hadn't been greedy for fame back then, you wouldn't have done this. You suffered misfortune, yet you're heartless enough to harm others. How are you any different from the Divine Physician back then? It's hateful!"

He ignored her angry outburst and continued the previous topic: "I originally thought that after Nie Mingchen figured out that I was behind it, he would come to find me soon. I've been waiting. But I didn't expect that he would spend so many days teaching you medicine. I've been wondering, what's so special about you?"

Han Xiao remained silent, not thinking she was anything special, but Nie Chengyan interjected, "Where is my old man now?"

Chi Yanxing smiled and said, "Kid, don't be nervous. There's no need to change the subject. I told you, if I had any intention, I wouldn't have let you stay here peacefully until now. I don't want to harm you."

“But you also said that my current state is all thanks to you.” Nie Chengyan didn’t believe any nonsense about it not being harmful. He had come prepared, and Chi Yanxing certainly understood that as well.

Chi Yanxing was silent for a moment, then spoke again, his voice deep and heavy: "Your appearance is indeed my doing. I have avenged my great enemy, and I should be overjoyed, but I feel it's not enough. I still can't sleep well. I imagine your condition, and I hope Nie Mingchen will come to find me." He looked at Han Xiao, then at Nie Chengyan: "Later, when I learned of the existence of this 'Lucky Star Healer,' I suddenly felt that the things of this world are truly mysterious."

He paused, seemingly waiting for the two to ask a question, but neither of them responded. Chi Yanxing had no choice but to continue himself: "Girl, you are like the first half of my life, with talent, passion, and a foolish heart that only wanted to cure the sick and save people. But Lord Nie is like the second half of my life, disabled and powerful, but unfortunately, he has a stubborn illness in his heart."

“You’re wrong. None of us are like you.” Han Xiao couldn’t help but shout loudly, “I would never bet my medical skills on someone just to gain a reputation. Even if I encounter misfortune, I will not blame it on unrelated people. Although Ayan can’t walk, he is strong and optimistic. He has helped many people seeking medical treatment.”

“I have also saved many people, but what does that prove? Nie Mingchen has also saved many people, so what? It is medical skill that saves lives, but not the heart. I pondered deeply why I was still in pain even after avenging my great enemy, until I finally met Nie Mingchen, and then I understood.”

"Where exactly is he?" Nie Chengyan had no interest in listening to his nonsense; he vaguely felt that something deep inside him had been dug out.

He's gone, and I don't know where he is.

"You're lying."

"Why would I?" Chi Yanxing showed no remorse. "He did find me, but I had no intention of killing him. I've already taken my revenge. I want to see what he'll do next."

"What did he do?" Nie Chengyan was worried. He searched everywhere for the old man but couldn't find him. Could it be that he did something reckless in a moment of impulse and then met with a terrible fate?

Chi Yanxing pursed his lips: "We spent three days together and talked a lot." Han Xiao and Nie Chengyan stared wide-eyed in disbelief, and Chi Yanxing continued: "He probably didn't expect to see me in a wheelchair. He probably didn't expect that I would be like him, with no one close to me except my apprentice. He said he originally planned to apologize to me for what happened back then, and then kill me for the sake of his grandson's revenge. But later he gave up."

Giving up? Nie Chengyan was filled with mixed feelings. The old man would actually give up on revenge? That stubborn, ruthless, and vicious old man, would he give up?

“He neither apologized nor killed me. He only stayed with me for three days, and then he left.” Chi Yanxing’s expression was complicated when he spoke of the Cloud Mist Elder. Before Nie Chengyan could ask, he continued, “He didn’t tell me where he was going. He only said that he had already entrusted everything to Cloud Mist Mountain, and that he could be like me, with no more worries.”

"Entrusted?" Han Xiao was stunned, feeling a little sad. Did the divine doctor not plan to go back?

Nie Chengyan pondered for a long time before asking, "If what you say is true, then what brings you here today if not to seek a method of preventing poisoning for the Xia army?"

"As a physician, I naturally have a thirst for knowledge about the skills of others. When the Xia King ordered me to develop battlefield poisons for the Xia army, I spent a month researching and finally created poisonous smoke. This saved the Xia army a lot of effort, and taking Yanhun Pass was just around the corner. The Green Frost and Gu worms of Qingshan Valley are old tricks, but just when victory seemed within Xia's grasp, a lucky star appeared out of nowhere, not only breaking my poisonous smoke but also reviving the old general. Not only that, but they could also silently blind the Xia soldiers..." Chi Yanxing looked at Han Xiao: "I examined them carefully, and I couldn't figure out what method you used. Those blind soldiers all recovered without medicine after three or four days." Blindness for three or four days was enough for the Mu family army to defeat the Xia army. In fact, those soldiers, fearing they would be blind for life, surrendered on the battlefield seeking medicine. Some who were rescued were sent to the border city for Chi Yanxing to examine, but he couldn't find the cause.

Nie Chengyan was somewhat surprised. He knew that Han Xiao had done some great things in the army, but he did not expect it to be such a miraculous thing, to poison someone without their knowledge and then inexplicably cure them. What kind of method was this? Now even he was curious.

Chi Yanxing said, "I want to know how you managed to do that? I guarantee it won't be used in the war between Xia and Xiao, and I can protect you and help you leave here safely in exchange for your answer."

"I won't tell you," Han Xiao replied firmly, her face expressionless.

Chi Yanxing narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his fingers as usual: "That's right, I didn't intend to ask that easily when I came. So how about this, I harmed Lord Nie, and it's only right that you come here to seek revenge. Tell me how you want to avenge this? I've said it before, I've lived long enough, I've seen Nie Mingchen, and my heart is at peace. You can do whatever you want to vent your anger, but I hope that in the end, you can tell me the method of that bewitching eye technique. I don't want to be worried about this even in the underworld."

"Any way to get revenge?" Han Xiao was stunned, turning to look at Nie Chengyan, who was clearly surprised as well. He had imagined the scene of meeting Chi Yanxing countless times, he had lost count of how many people involved and the possible conspiracies had swirled in his mind, he had guessed what methods they would use, he had imagined what actions they would take, he had anticipated how they would sophistry and cover up the truth. So he had been extremely cautious, truly taking every step carefully along the way, and his settlement here was also ingenious and meticulously planned. He had made so many arrangements, but in the end, the other party simply said that his wish had been fulfilled and that he was at Nie Chengyan's mercy. This soft and gentle punch disrupted Nie Chengyan's pace.

If Chi Yanxing were to resort to sophistry, Nie Chengyan was prepared to expose him step by step. If Chi Yanxing had imprisoned the Old Man of Cloud Mist, Nie Chengyan had also arranged for spies and manpower to investigate the facts and rescue him. If the old man had passed away, then there was nothing more to consider, and Nie Chengyan would have no more scruples and would take revenge on his enemy.

But now that they're saying they'll do whatever they want with me, Nie Chengyan is caught off guard and doesn't know what to do.

It turned out that Chi Yanxing's situation wasn't just about being forced to the desert by the old man; his child had died, his wife had been brutally murdered, and he himself had broken his leg. Nie Chengyan had to admit that if it were him, he probably would have taken even more ruthless revenge. The current situation was simply a tragedy caused by the old man's ruthlessness, and because of Chi Yanxing's revenge, it had all happened to him once again. Nie Chengyan suddenly felt nauseous. This was his family, and the person opposite him was his enemy, yet he couldn't quite tell who was more hateful and who was more pitiful.

He looked at Han Xiao and subconsciously gripped her hand tightly. What should he do?

Author's Note: I've added the following paragraphs, but it seems more appropriate to stop here. Actually, it's because I didn't know what to do with Nie Chengyan after writing this much. What do you think?

Mystery within a mystery

Han Xiao was never good at revenge, so she couldn't offer Nie Chengyan any practical advice. However, her anger towards Chi Yanxing was surging. Nie Chengyan's grip on her hand hurt, and her heart felt even more choked up. She gritted her teeth, enduring it again and again, but finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted at Chi Yanxing, "Doctor Chi, are you feeling guilty about what you've done?"

Guilt? These words struck Chi Yanxing's heart. He pursed his lips, thinking that he had asked Nie Mingchen the same question back then: "Look at me now, have you ever felt guilty?" He looked up at Han Xiao, whose hand was tightly clasped with Nie Chengyan's, and whose other hand was clenched into a fist. Her eyes were as bright as stars, and she exuded an aura of sternness.

Chi Yanxing's heart was filled with emotion. When he was young, he was just like that. He was once righteous and upright, and he was once broad-minded. He once vowed to learn the most profound medical skills and save all the patients in the world... He had all these past experiences, but now, he really didn't know if he had ever felt guilty.

Nie Mingchen didn't answer the question he asked. He only said that what he had done couldn't be taken back. When Chi Yanxing heard this, he didn't know what to feel. Now that he was asked the same question, he suddenly understood what Nie Mingchen meant. What's done is done. If time could be reversed, who could say whether he would have made different choices?

He was a completely different person then and now. Chi Yanxing thought, he would definitely seek revenge again, he would definitely do the same thing again, and then suffer the same torment again, but he had to do it. His legs, his children, his wife, all the suffering, pain, and humiliation he had endured, he had to get his revenge. So, did he feel guilty? He only knew that he still couldn't sleep at night.

Chi Yanxing's expression was complicated. Han Xiao persisted, "Then may I ask, Doctor Chi, have you ever regretted poisoning someone and breaking their legs?" Chi Yanxing's face twitched. He had asked Nie Mingchen the same question, but Nie Mingchen couldn't answer it. At this moment, Chi Yanxing realized that he couldn't answer it either.

"So what's the point of your hypocritical talk about being at my mercy?" Han Xiao's voice grew louder and louder. "If you truly repent, you'll know to take the initiative. You're setting conditions and acting like a shameless rogue. Do you think others will grant your request? What do you expect the Divine Physician to do to you? To die together? That way you can find peace and liberation? Even if the Divine Physician has left as you say, he's probably seeking his own salvation. And you? You come here to bully my master in search of your own salvation?"

Nie Chengyan was in a state of turmoil, torn between killing and not killing, and the dilemma of what would happen if he didn't. But seeing Han Xiao so sternly and fiercely reprimanding an old man much older than her, accusing him of bullying him, made him find it rather amusing. He tugged at her hand, wanting to tell her not to be angry, that no one could bully him. But Han Xiao was in the middle of her tirade, and stubbornly shook his hand away, ignoring his gesture, and continued her tirade.

"How can you be such a scoundrel? You hate the ruthlessness of the Divine Doctor, but aren't you the same? If you truly feel guilty, then you should find a way to make amends and resolve the situation yourself. You want peace of mind, yet you're cowardly and irresponsible, letting others do whatever they want to you. What does it matter? If you're so capable, tell me yourself, what do you want? Say it, whether you agree or not is up to Ayan, whether you accept it or not is up to Ayan. You were framed, suffered misfortune, were hurt, wronged and in pain. Didn't Ayan feel the same way? If you truly repent, you should take concrete actions. Don't let others harm you in the end. Where is your sincerity? You talk about atonement here, while the poison you created is causing trouble on the battlefield. Are you a doctor? Why don't you use your skills to heal and save lives?"

Han Xiao finished speaking in one breath, and only then did she have time to turn around and look at Nie Chengyan, who had been holding her hand. His suppressed laughter puzzled her, but before she could figure out the meaning of his expression, she suddenly remembered it and turned back to Chi Yanxing loudly, "And the eye-bending technique I used in Qingshan Valley, you don't understand, do you? You want to know, right? Let me tell you, I won't explain it to you, I'd rather die than tell you. You do bad things and then expect others to do what you want, what kind of logic is that?"

This was probably the most Han Xiao had ever lectured anyone in her life. Although Chi Yanxing was also a victim in this matter, and she had witnessed Nie Chengyan's suffering, she could imagine the torment Chi Yanxing had endured. But this was a zero-sum game, a situation where no one was truly innocent. The most innocent one was actually Nie Chengyan. He had done nothing wrong; he was simply preparing for a happy future with his beloved when disaster struck, destroying everything. Han Xiao turned to look at him, only to see Nie Chengyan looking at her with a smile in his eyes. What was wrong? Had he come up with a brilliant plan?

The courtyard fell silent. Han Xiao looked around, unsure of what was going on. She retreated to Nie Chengyan's side, leaning close to him so that he could lean on her as well.

After a long silence, Chi Yanxing suddenly said, "You're right. I thought I could find my old self again, but those past experiences can never be recovered. I will think carefully about what to do and give you an explanation."

He paused, looked at Han Xiao, and continued, "Girl, I once asked myself, if my past self had met my post-revenge self, would I have looked down on you? I didn't know the answer, but after coming here today, I know. You are indeed just like my past self, but I..." He wanted to say that even if he looked down on her, his past self would probably have followed the same path, but he decided against it and only said, "If I still harbor any resentment towards Nie Mingchen, it has probably vanished today."

"What do you mean?" Han Xiao frowned, confused. How did the miracle doctor get involved again?

“That old man told me he met a kid who looked a lot like me, whose talent was no less than mine back then. At the time, I thought he was trying to belittle me, to tell me that I wasn’t the most talented one. But he didn’t say anything more, he just drank. I know he was talking about you, and I know what you’ve done and everything you’ve achieved. Seeing you today, I suddenly understand that his intention to cultivate you was an apology to me. He ruined one person’s talent for medicine, and now that he has the opportunity, he’s cultivating another one.”

"..." Han Xiao wanted to retort, but after thinking about it, she couldn't say anything. She had always felt a little surprised. She was a servant girl, a young woman. She had never formally studied medicine, yet she could carry the divine physician's medicine chest and receive personal instruction in medicine from him. She thought it was because she was smart enough. She thought it was a means to prevent her from falling in love with Nie Chengyan. She thought it was because the old man wanted her to assist Nie Chengyan in inheriting Yunwu Mountain. She had thought about all these things, but she still felt that there were some things that didn't make sense. Now that Chi Yanxing said it, she understood everything.

It turns out that it wasn't just the victims who were tormented. There were no winners in this whole affair; everyone was suffering and everyone was in agony. Han Xiao realized this, and her heart ached even more.

“Girl, I hope that no matter what you encounter in the future, you can always maintain this sincere heart for medicine. What Nie Mingchen and I could not do, you must do. We are all old, we should all be gone. Those ugly things cannot be erased, so don’t forget our lessons.”

"Don't worry, there are many good doctors in this world."

“But none of them possess our unparalleled medical skills.” Chi Yanxing suddenly stopped, tilted his head slightly in thought, and said, “Perhaps they will in the future? That antidote manual is excellent; you did a better job than any of us.” He seemed to be muttering to himself, then added, “You truly are an exception…”

He waved his hand behind him, and his attendant turned his chair around to push it aside and leave. As Chi Yanxing walked out, he said, "I'll go back first, and come back to you after I've thought it through and made the arrangements."

Han Xiao turned to look at Nie Chengyan, her eyes asking him if he was just going to let this person go like that? Nie Chengyan patted her hand: "Let him go, I have my own plans."

Upon hearing this, Chi Yanxing waved his hand in agreement, but Han Xiao hurriedly stopped him. After he stopped, Han Xiao asked, "Dr. Chi, what is Lian Qiao to you?"

“She is my apprentice, and I have no children. She looks young and is honest, so I sent her to Cloud Mist Mountain.”

Han Xiao remained silent. Although she had already guessed it, the confirmation still saddened her. Those were once her best friends, yet they were the ones who harmed Nie Chengyan, the ones who shot arrows at her on the battlefield.

Chi Yanxing seemed to have guessed what she was thinking. He said, "Girl, I don't know about other things, but I do know that girl is a master archer. She never misses her target."

Han Xiao suddenly looked up and realized what was happening. But she still asked, "Did she replace Green Frost with Green Snow?"

"Yes. But she didn't know that Lu Yang stole one, nor did she know why he died. She didn't do it. Lian Qiao was a good girl."

"Did she know that you were going to use this poison to harm people?"

Chi Yanxing fell silent. He sighed and said, "I planned and arranged everything. It's good that you know it was me who committed the crime. Don't pursue the other details. Pursuing them will only bring sadness and grief, and you won't gain anything. The grievances have their source, and the debts have their debtors. Your enemy is me alone." He paused again, then suddenly turned to Nie Chengyan and added, "But I have never forced anyone to do anything for me. Everyone did it willingly, whether to repay a debt of gratitude, out of loyalty, or to obey their master's orders."

Han Xiao didn't understand. She saw that Nie Chengyan also seemed stunned. Chi Yanxing nodded and said, "Do you know where to find me? If you make any decisions, just tell me, and I will take responsibility for the consequences." After saying that, he really left.

"Master." Han Xiao knelt down, resting her head on Nie Chengyan's knees. As soon as Chi Yanxing left, all the guards who had been protecting them withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard. "What did he mean by his last words?"

"I don't know." Nie Chengyan stroked Han Xiao's head: "Luckily I have you, Xiao Xiao, luckily I have you."

"I wonder how the divine physician is doing now?"

"We'll find out. We've been searching here for a long time without any results, so it seems he really has left. This is a clue, though; we should change direction and continue our search."

"Master, what exactly does Doctor Chi want? What should we do?"

“Let’s move to another house first and wait and see. I’ve had people watching his every move, so I’m not afraid he’ll do anything bad. In fact, I was planning to go see him in the next few days.”

"These past few days?"

"Yes, I tested her, and Yun'er finally agreed to introduce me to the divine doctor who saved her back then, it's this Chi Yanxing."

Han Xiao felt a lump in her throat when she heard him call Yun'er so intimately. Although he said it was a fake Xie Jingyun, and although she felt that this way of addressing him was just a habit, just like how she could never get rid of calling him "Master," now that there was a living Xie Jingyun around, she really felt like she was seeing enemies everywhere.

Han Xiao remembered the old grudges, wrinkled her nose, pouted, and said resentfully, "I'm still angry about how you treated me."

Nie Chengyan's face flushed slightly, but he stubbornly said, "Anyway, this is how we were supposed to be. If you're angry, then be angry."

Han Xiao jumped up and turned to walk towards her old room. Nie Chengyan shouted beside her, "Where are you going?"

"Go be angry." She locked herself in her room, seething with resentment. She sat there blankly for a while, then suddenly realized she hadn't seen Feng Ning in so long. Chi Yanxing was coming; there would be a show to watch. Why hadn't she shown up? She couldn't help but run out, but couldn't find anyone to ask. After thinking for a moment, worry finally overcame her anger. She ran to Nie Chengyan's room. He seemed to have heard her footsteps from afar and was stuffing something into his robes. Han Xiao didn't notice, only focusing on asking him bluntly, "Master, do you know where Feng Feng went?"

“Long San took her on an errand; they’re going to the next city to assassinate the Xia King.” Nie Chengyan’s answer made Han Xiao’s mouth drop in surprise: “Assassination?”

"Yes, Long Da also serves the imperial court. When Long San travels the martial world, he occasionally helps with things that are inconvenient for them due to their official status. This time, the invasion of Xia Kingdom has angered the emperor, and he hopes to resolve the issue completely. Helping Xia Kingdom change dynasties is one way." Long San left in a hurry, so he only just found out.