Super Main Gauche Dorée

Chapitre 13

Her father's words, "Xiaoxiao, you must be brave," overlapped with Nie Chengyan's words, startling Han Xiao with her own thoughts. She had just realized that Nie Chengyan, like her father, was a very important person in her life.

Han Xiao quickly finished washing up, jumped ashore, and hurriedly dressed. Suddenly, she felt ashamed of herself. Her master treated her so well, yet she couldn't understand what kind of messy thoughts she had. She slapped her face hard, telling herself that her master was the city lord of Baiqiao City, a big shot, her master, and someone she should serve and take care of wholeheartedly.

Although she wasn't quite sure what she was thinking, the possibility made her panic. She got dressed, took a few deep breaths, and told herself, "Han Xiao, don't overthink it, don't overthink it."

Inside the room, Nie Chengyan watched Han Xiao run off with her clothes in her arms. He sighed, annoyed that he had spoken too harshly and seemed to have frightened her. This girl was usually fearless; why was she acting so timid today? Nie Chengyan frowned, that irritation rising within him again. He subconsciously glanced at the bell ribbon—yes, it had been changed to purple. Every time he looked up today, he saw the black one, which annoyed him terribly. What was wrong with him? Had he really become Xiao Xiao's father?

He reached under his pillow and took out the bag containing the earrings, holding it in his hand. He couldn't quite remember if he had taken the earrings today. He couldn't recall, and his frustration grew, while his foot suddenly began to ache terribly.

As soon as Han Xiao entered the room, seeing his expression, she hurriedly asked, "Master, is your foot hurting again?" She rushed over and carefully examined his ankle: "Did you take your medicine on time today? Did you apply acupressure? Did you also do the herbal foot bath?" Nie Chengyan nodded for every question she asked. She was worried about him, and he suddenly felt very complicated. He seemed less annoyed, yet also more annoyed.

Having done everything, the pain was unavoidable. Han Xiao could only say, "Master, just bear with it, it won't hurt in a while." Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth and remained silent, so Han Xiao turned around and went to the cabinet to rummage through the sheets.

Just as she opened the cabinet and took the things out, she heard Nie Chengyan call her: "Han Xiao".

"Yes, Master, this servant is here." Han Xiao replied earnestly, the two servants pronouncing it very clearly.

Nie Chengyan stared at her, making her feel a little uneasy, and then she heard him say, "Come here."

Han Xiao walked over, and Nie Chengyan reached out and pulled her into a hug. Han Xiao was startled but dared not cry out; her heart was pounding. Nie Chengyan didn't speak, just held her quietly. After a while, Han Xiao finally couldn't help but ask, "Master, won't your feet hurt like this?" Although the question was absurd, she really didn't know what to say.

"No," Nie Chengyan replied quickly, and released her.

Han Xiao really wanted to ask why he was being hugged, but she didn't dare. Nie Chengyan let go of her and suddenly said, "I'm tired, I want to sleep." He then propped himself up to lie down. Han Xiao quickly helped him straighten his legs and lay him flat.

"Get out, don't disturb me." Nie Chengyan buried his head in his sleep, his tone full of impatience. Han Xiao bit her lip, feeling sad again. She turned to look at the sheets she had just taken out of the closet, wanting to say that the sheets hadn't been changed yet, but she didn't dare. She put down the bed curtains and quietly retreated.

Gan Song brought over the noodles, and Han Xiao sat alone in the outer room eating them. When she first came back, she was thinking of telling her master what she had seen and heard that day, and felt that she had a lot to tell her master, but so far she hadn't said a single word.

Nie Chengyan lay awake in bed, the soft touch of Han Xiao still lingering in his arms. He had lied; he had felt his foot wasn't hurting as much when he held her. But he felt he shouldn't have done that. He was still holding Yun'er's earring; perhaps Yun'er had made the pain go away. Was that it? He felt he had lied again.

In the quiet of the night, he listened to Han Xiao eating noodles in the outer room, and to her quietly returning to the small couch by the door to sleep after she finished tidying up. He thought of her bright eyes and the expression on her face when she loudly said "Yes, Master." He felt a mix of itch and pain in his heart.

Medicine Stone Ear

The next day, Nie Chengyan woke up groggily, seemingly having slept poorly the night before. He heard Yun'er's gentle, sweet voice calling him, "Lord City Lord." Why did she call him Lord City Lord? That was how they addressed each other when they first met. Later, after they fell in love, she clearly started calling him "Ayan." She had been gone for over half a year; had she become distant from him?

Nie Chengyan couldn't remember what he dreamed about. He opened his eyes and first turned to look at the bell on the bedside table. It was purple, which meant that Han Xiao was there, which made Nie Chengyan feel comfortable.

He didn't move in a hurry, lying quietly for a while. The irritability from yesterday was gone. He thought that those chaotic emotions from yesterday must have been caused by Gan Song, Lu Ying, and the other two's clumsy handling. They fed him the medicine too quickly, and their pressure points during the acupressure massage were too strong. When he was cleaning himself, they looked at his body and touched it all over, making him feel quite awkward. He thought that next time Han Xiao wasn't around, he would definitely wait until she came back before cleaning himself.

He heard the medicine deliveryman arrive outside, and realized it was time for Han Xiao to wake him. He closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep, and soon heard Han Xiao's quiet footsteps as he entered the room.

Han Xiao placed the medicine bowl and tray on the table, walked to the bedside, rolled up Wei Man's clothes, and softly called, "Master, it's time to get up. The medicine has been delivered."

Nie Chengyan didn't move, and Han Xiao gently nudged his shoulder: "Master, it's time to get up." Nie Chengyan didn't even blink. Han Xiao was quiet for a while, and Nie Chengyan chuckled inwardly, wondering what other method she could use to wake him.

Han Xiao continued to push him, offering nothing new: "Master, it's time to get up, or you'll miss your medicine." She pushed him once, twice, three times, and Nie Chengyan snorted, startling her into pulling her hand away, but he still didn't get up.

Han Xiao finally couldn't hold back and directly exposed his childish behavior: "Master, only children stay in bed late. You're just like my younger brother."

Nie Chengyan suddenly opened his eyes: "Why do you look like your younger brother again? Yesterday you looked like your father."

"When Master is serious, he's like my father; when he's throwing a tantrum, he's like my younger brother," Han Xiao said confidently.

Nie Chengyan snorted: "Is there anyone in your family who doesn't resemble me?"

"Yes, Master doesn't resemble my mother at all." Han Xiao answered quickly as she helped Nie Chengyan up. She brought him water to wash his face, teeth, and hands, and swiftly got him ready.

Nie Chengyan retorted, "I'm not like your brother. He's only ten years old; he's a little devil."

“My dad doesn’t stay in bed.” Han Xiao took the basin away, pulled down his pants, got him a bedpan to urinate, placed the bedpan under the bed, pulled back the mattress to reveal the seat hole in the bed board, and helped Nie Chengyan sit down. Then she emptied the bedpan, washed her hands, put the medicine on the brazier to warm it, changed his bedding, and went out to fetch hot water and a soft towel. Nie Chengyan had just finished and let her help him move aside, not forgetting to retort, “You wouldn’t know your dad stays in bed.”

"Who knows?" Han Xiao wiped his body down and changed him into clean clothes.

"Your mother knows that your father will definitely stay in bed too."

“My mother isn’t here right now, so take my word for it.” Han Xiao took the chamber pot and basin out, lit incense in the room, and tidied everything up, making it clean and tidy. Then, the medicine was warmed to the perfect temperature and the timing was just right, so he brought it over for Nie Chengyan to take, saying, “Anyway, Master looks like my younger brother right now.”

Nie Chengyan hummed as he drank his medicine, cursing inwardly that this brat was always making fun of him indirectly. But seeing that she was in better spirits and normal today, compared to her crying and timid appearance yesterday, he found her current appearance more pleasing to the eye.

Little did he know that Han Xiao had also been in a daze all night, pondering and reflecting, finally understanding herself. She was young and naive, but she still knew her limits. Ever since hearing about Lord Nie's deeds, she had felt a certain admiration, longing to meet him. Now, not only had they met, but they had spent so much time together; to say she didn't admire or miss him would be self-deception. She hadn't paid attention before, but last night, somehow, she was triggered and realized her own thoughts. But Han Xiao understood that these thoughts could only be buried deep within her heart. Even if her master was unable to walk, someone of her status was not someone she could aspire to be near. She shouldn't have such wild thoughts; right now, healing her brother and diligently learning some medical skills for self-defense were what she should be doing.

She figured it out that night. Since her master was so good to her, all she had to do was to treat him with the utmost kindness, and that would be enough.

After this night, the two, master and servant, were able to regain the feeling of being at ease with each other as before. However, they did not realize that the bond of mutual reliance and support over the past hundred days had already unknowingly entangled them tightly.

Nothing much happened that day. After massaging Nie Chengyan, Han Xiao went to the backyard to wash up. Nie Chengyan was, as usual, "daydreaming." He had read the dossier Huo Qiyang had handed him, made annotations, and then closed his eyes to ponder the matter of the Green Snow Poison for a while. When Han Xiao returned to the room, she saw that her master was asleep again. She quietly set the bed, then went to the outer room to grind ink and write, reorganizing and copying all the medical theories and skills she had learned.

She was writing happily when she heard Nie Chengyan call out, "Xiaoxiao." She quickly responded, but Nie Chengyan instructed her, "Go and see your younger brother."

"Yes, Master." Han Xiao glanced out the window subconsciously. Every time Nie Chengyan sent her away, it was actually to talk to someone else. Han Xiao harbored a subtle resentment at not being trusted, but she always believed her master had his reasons for acting, so she never pried into his affairs. On the rare occasions when she returned early and heard voices inside, she would wait in the outer room. She knew Nie Chengyan was aware of her actions; she had always acted so reliable, yet he had never once introduced her to his secret helper.

Han Xiao pursed her lips, reminded herself once again of her duty as a servant, quickly changed the bell to a black one, and then left the room.

She muttered to herself as she walked for a while, intending to visit her younger brother and then run to Qingge to see Mu Yuan. Just as she was about to quicken her pace, she looked up and froze. A man was standing not far away, leaning against a large tree, staring at her. Han Xiao stopped and stared at him, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.

"You are Han Xiao."

"right."

"I am Shi Er." The man introduced himself readily. Han Xiao then remembered him as the medicine servant who had been bitten by a snake. "How come you can walk around now?" Han Xiao was genuinely surprised by his speed of recovery. After being bitten by so many snake venoms, he was already able to wander around in just a few days.

"Hmph, I'm used to poisoning people all the time. They won't be able to harm me so easily."

"Harmed you?" Han Xiao was startled: "Wasn't that day an accident?"

Shi Er waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to discuss the matter further, and said only, "I came to thank you. I heard about what happened that day. If it weren't for you, I probably would have really gone to see the King of Hell. I, Shi Er, am a person who repays kindness. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know."

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Han Xiao quickly called him back: "Wait a minute, you said someone wants to harm you, what's going on?"

Shi Er looked back at her and replied, "It's better if you know less about these dirty and troublesome things."

Han Xiao panicked. Wasn't his master poisoned by a villain? And the murderer might be on this Cloud Mist Mountain. Now that this poisoning has happened, what if there's a connection between them?

"Well, I saved you and ruined those people's plans. What if they turn their attention to me? You should tell me what happened so I can take precautions. Otherwise, I'm a very timid person. If I keep worrying about it, I won't be able to eat or sleep properly."

"Timid?" Shi Er chuckled. "I heard that you rushed out and snatched the needles, then rushed back and stabbed them in the heart without thinking twice. I also heard that you yelled at the Divine Physician. And now, they boast about their courage, always saying, 'Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, and I am just as brave.'"

Han blushed and mumbled in a low voice, "I clearly said I had courage that day, not that I was brave."

Shi Er smiled and said, "Anyway, he just has guts."

Han Xiao quickly steered the conversation back on track: "Anyway, maybe I'm a target now too, so we should work together, right?"

Shi Er thought about it and couldn't rule out this possibility, so she said, "That day, I ran out of mugwort in my house, so I went to get some. I have a habit of doing moxibustion every day, and I clearly remember that there should still be some in the house, but the box was empty, so I went to the pharmacy to get some. The pharmacy in the front yard didn't have any, so I went to the medicine storehouse to get some myself."

Han Xiao was taken aback: "We also went into that room to get the mugwort."

Shi Er nodded: "I went into the medicine storage room and was immediately bitten. I often test poisons, so this bite is nothing. I tried to get out, but the door was locked."

Han Xiao now understood the basis for Shi Er's claim that someone was trying to harm him. She said, "When we went there, the warehouse door wasn't locked."

Shi Er nodded again: "During the day, farm servants and medical servants go in and out of the storeroom, so it is usually not locked. It is only locked after work in the evening. When I went in that day, the door was open, but when I wanted to escape, I found that it had been locked."

Han Xiao listened nervously, subconsciously looking around. Seeing no one nearby, she felt relieved. Shi Er continued, "Snake-eating herbs are usually kept in the storeroom next door, but God saved me. The day before, I was helping a farm servant move a cart of snake-eating herbs, and since there wasn't enough room next door, I moved it into this room. At that time, escape was impossible; many snakes swarmed out. In desperation, I crawled towards the snake-eating cart, and after that, I don't know what happened."

"The snakes dared not approach, so they circled around at a distance." Han Xiao thought back to the scene and felt really scared. If it weren't for the grass carp, the stone ear would probably have been bitten to pieces by the snakes, and he and the artemisia would have had a hard time escaping.

"Do you have any clue who did this?"

Cheap pawn

Clues? Shi Er lowered her eyes and pursed her lips: "Of course I know who wants to harm me, but the range is not small, and I have no evidence."

"You've offended quite a few people, haven't you?" Han Xiao recalled Qinghao's dissatisfaction with Shier. Perhaps this was a case of servants venting their anger in a power struggle?

Shi Er raised an eyebrow in surprise: "You know I've offended people? It seems nothing can be hidden on this mountain." Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat when she heard the second half of the sentence, and then she heard Shi Er say: "Little girl, I don't mean I've offended people. In this dirty place, people's hearts are hidden behind their skin. If you're not assertive, you'll be bullied to death."

Han Xiao frowned: "Dirty? Isn't this a place for healing and saving lives?"

Shi Er smiled at her, then shook his head: "Take my advice, don't be too optimistic. There are dozens of doctors and hundreds of medical servants here, big and small. Do you think many of them are truly here to heal and save lives? People are driven by either wealth or power. If the doctors can complete their training and leave the mountain to join the royal family or open their own clinics, being apprenticed to Yunwu Mountain is a prestigious title. Even if they don't want to leave, staying here and getting a share of the benefits is worthwhile. Those who persevere will eventually see a change of dynasty on this mountain." He gave her a wink and said, "Do you understand?"

Han Xiao felt a chill run down her spine. These words naturally reminded her of what Nie Chengyan had said: if he were gone, Yunwu Mountain, and even Baiqiao City, would fall into whoever's hands after the Cloud Mist Elder's passing. He disliked Yunwu Mountain, but he was an obstacle for certain people on the mountain.

Seeing that she remained silent, Shi Er assumed she hadn't quite grasped the situation and continued, "Let alone the doctors, even we servants have to be constantly on guard and careful. Which doctor you follow determines your future. Those who are literate and literate will fight tooth and nail to get close to a favored doctor, hoping to be accepted as an apprentice. Once you actually become a doctor, you have to trample on your former mentor and fawn over the divine physician. Here, if the divine physician says something is good, then it's really good. If you please him, he'll teach you a few more tricks, and you'll benefit immensely."

"And what about you?"

"Me? I don't want to learn that kind of medical skill, having to memorize books and pick medicine every day, nor do I want to work in the fields as a farm servant, it's too tiring. I can only try poisons and take medicine in exchange for good food, good sleep, and good money, why not?" Shi Er looked into Han Xiao's eyes and suddenly said seriously, "I originally wanted to just thank you a little, but seeing how silly you are, and considering you saved my life, I'll be blunt with you, carrying the divine doctor's medicine box is not a good thing."

"Why?"

"It's probably because we clicked."

"No, I'm asking why it's bad to carry the miracle doctor's medicine chest?"

Shi Er looked around to make sure no one was there, then whispered, "You're neither from Yunwu Mountain nor related to the Divine Physician, so why would he make you carry the medicine box?"

Han Xiao was taken aback: "Uh, probably, Shennong moved him."

Shi Er laughed heartily and patted her head: "If you were so easily moved, how could the divine doctor be where he is today? He and you, young master, are not ordinary people with hearts of stone."

Han Xiao frowned; she didn't like anyone saying anything bad about Nie Chengyan. Shi Er continued, "Let me tell you, most likely, the Divine Doctor is using you, just like he used me."

"use?"

“Yes, it’s about taking advantage of him.” Shi Er pulled Han Xiao toward a more secluded place: “You serve the young master, so you should know that he is poisoned by the Green Snow Poison.”

Han Xiao's heart tightened, and he nodded quickly, focusing all his attention on listening to Shi Er continue.

"Green Snow is a unique poison developed by the Divine Physician, and there are only three of them. After the young master's accident, the Divine Physician sent him back to the mountain for treatment and found that only two Green Snow pills remained. He stayed in his room for a day and a night without going out. At that time, everyone on the mountain was in a panic, and I knew that something bad was going to happen. Later, the Divine Physician called me to the alchemy room, which was a small room behind the Divine Physician's courtyard, and no one was allowed to enter. He made me stay in there for ten days, gave me all kinds of poisons, and then treated them one by one. When I came out, I heard a message that the Divine Physician had found a way to cure Green Snow. Two days later, the Divine Physician had Doctor Chen take my blood, saying that it would be used to make the antidote."

Han Xiao nodded: "So it was you who was used to test the medicine, and it was your blood that allowed the divine physician to save my master. In that case, Han Xiao must thank you on behalf of my master." She was about to bow when she saw Shi Er's sarcastic expression, and she froze, saying anxiously, "Uh, I know, those poisons must have caused you a lot of suffering." She had seen Nie Chengyan when he was poisoned, and it must have been something no ordinary person could endure.

But Shi Er's words shocked her: "The poisons that the divine doctor made me take had nothing to do with Lü Xue. He lied and spread false information."

"But, but the divine physician didn't need to do this. He did find a way to cure the master's poison."

"It is true that he cured the young master's Green Snow Poison, but it was not because I tested the poison, nor was it because of my blood."

"I don't understand." Han Xiao genuinely didn't understand. What benefit would lying about the successful drug trial using rock tripe bring to the treatment of Nie Chengyan?

Shi Er gave a cold laugh. He finally stopped and sat down on a large rock, continuing, "If the divine physician says so, whether the young master lives or dies, I am standing on the edge of a knife. If the young master dies, then I will be the only one who escaped from the Green Snow Poison. If the young master does not die, the divine physician only needs to say that he needs to take my blood again for the antidote. These two things are enough to make the person who poisoned me turn against me."

Han Xiao was stunned. Shi Er said, "A while ago, the divine doctor said that the young master's poison needed to be treated with my blood again. The blood was to be taken in five days, and the other doctors were told not to use me to test the medicine during these five days. As a result, on the third day, I was bitten by a snake."

“This might just be a coincidence.” Han Xiao said this without much confidence. She thought for a moment and then argued, “Pharmacology is interconnected. Although you think the poisons the doctor gave you have nothing to do with Green Snow, perhaps the doctor has his reasons. He tried other poisons and other medicines, but the cure was Green Snow.”

Shi Er scoffed at this claim: "Hmph, I've been on this mountain for almost eight years, and the only thing I've done is test poisons and medicines. I know their taste and the reactions after taking them all too well. The medicines the divine physician gave me were all naturally grown on the mountain, and he had already tested each one. He wasted his time doing these things when the young master was on the verge of death from poisoning, just to create a mystery. He must not have been confident he could save the young master, so instead of guarding him, he set a new target for the murderer. No matter what happens to the young master, the murderer might still target me. This way, leaving some clues will allow the divine physician to find out who poisoned the young master."