Super Main Gauche Dorée

Chapitre 20

The old man in the clouds ignored Lin Zhi, only glancing back at Nie Chengyan one last time before leading the way out of the courtyard. Lin Zhi, finally stopping, her eyes brimming with tears, looked utterly pitiful: "Young Master..."

Nie Chengyan didn't look at her, but said to the servant beside him, "Push me back." Han Xiao was stunned. Why didn't he tell her to push him? The servant pushed Nie Chengyan back to the inner courtyard. Han Xiao and Lin Zhi stood there dumbfounded. Lin Zhi watched Nie Chengyan's retreating figure, and tears finally fell. She glared at Han Xiao fiercely, then turned and left.

Han Xiao felt a mix of emotions. How could she have been neglected after just one night? What was Shi Er's current condition? How was Yan Shan's injury? Had he confessed who the murderer was? After much deliberation, she decided that her master's situation was the most important, so she hurriedly followed him back into the house.

Upon entering the room, Han Xiao heard Nie Chengyan instructing everyone to leave. He gritted his teeth, went over to stand beside Nie Chengyan's chair, and softly called out, "Master."

Nie Chengyan remained silent and did not dismiss her. Only after everyone in the room had left and the door was closed did he turn his gaze to her. Han Xiao felt uneasy and called out again, "Master."

Nie Chengyan looked at her for a long time, then suddenly said, "You only wrote it sixty-eight times last night."

Han Xiao was taken aback. What did he mean by that? "Then, then I'll rewrite it today."

"Hmph!" Nie Chengyan looked displeased, but that familiar feeling returned. He said lazily, "I'm tired, help me back to bed."

With so many servants around, he didn't go back to bed, but now that she's all alone, he's causing trouble. Yet, this secretly pleased Han Xiao. She replied, "Yes, Master," and went over to push him to the bedside. Her slender shoulders supported him, and with a strong lift, she moved him onto the bed. She bent down to take off his shoes and straighten his legs.

"My foot hurts."

She sat down and began to massage him carefully. He closed his eyes briefly and said, "You've made me very angry."

"I didn't mean it," Han Xiao replied, her hands still moving.

"It's not that he's deliberately trying to annoy people, but if he does it on purpose, what will become of him?" He was clearly looking for trouble.

Han Xiao remained silent and continued her massage intently. But Nie Chengyan was still dissatisfied: "Why didn't you say you wouldn't intentionally upset me? Are you holding back something?"

Han Xiao didn't dare to respond. If she praised his wisdom now, would he really get angry? She massaged his thigh. He was taking good care of himself; his body and legs were noticeably fuller and more toned.

Nie Chengyan let out a comfortable sigh, but then continued to urge her: "Speak!"

"This servant doesn't know what to say."

"You can thank me for saving your life, show your loyalty, and promise me that this kind of trouble will never happen again." His tone was condescending, yet it carried a hint of seriousness.

Han Xiao paused, then looked up and asked, "How did you find me yesterday, Master?"

“When you didn’t return for a long time, I sent someone to ask the driver. He said he had taken you up the mountain, so I knew something had happened to you. I then had Qi Yang and the others mobilize people to search all over the mountain. Finally, it was Chi Shou who reported the news and found you at the bottom of the cliff.”

"Red-headed?"

“That red-headed eagle was trained by me for many years to find people, deliver messages, and gather information.”

Han Xiao continued massaging, unable to help but say, "Master's spies..." She paused, swallowing back the second half of her sentence, "Why did you have to hide it from me?" What right did she have to complain?

Nie Chengyan seemed not to hear him and continued, "I rescued you last night and interrogated Shi Er and Yan Shan overnight."

"Dr. Yan is awake?"

"Yes, I woke up just before dawn. The old man questioned me personally, and Qi Yang interrogated me as well."

"Then why did he want to kill me?"

Nie Chengyan pulled her to sit beside him and replied, "He said he couldn't stand that a girl of unknown origin like you could carry that old man's medicine chest. He also said that you were spoiled and arrogant and had made things difficult for him several times. So he held a grudge and wanted to invite you to the back mountain to talk and give you a warning. Unexpectedly, he accidentally pushed you off the cliff."

"I didn't." Although it was expected, Han Xiao was still a little excited: "I didn't take advantage of his favor. I carried the doctor's medicine box with utmost care. I only wanted to learn more skills. How could I dare to give the doctors a hard time?"

Nie Chengyan held her hand and said, "Of course I know all this."

Han Xiao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked, "Master, when I accompanied the divine physician on his house calls, did you send someone to monitor me?"

“Surveillance?” Nie Chengyan was displeased: “I did send people to follow him. Call it surveillance or monitoring, but I did send people to follow him.”

There are two sides to this story; either way is acceptable. Han Xiao gritted her teeth and said, "Doctor Yan wasn't warning me; he pushed me off the cliff without even saying hello."

Nie Chengyan glared at her: "You're quite perceptive, aren't you? Let's see if you dare to go off with random people again next time."

“This servant did not follow anyone recklessly. Doctor Yan is usually kind to this servant, and this time he said he was in a hurry to save someone. He spoke sincerely, so this servant naturally had no suspicion.”

“In this world, you can’t even trust your own family, you can’t trust anyone.” Nie Chengyan’s words chilled Han Xiao: “Master, that’s not how it is.”

Nie Chengyan waved his hand, unwilling to argue with her at this time. He said, "Yan Shan has a simple background and no power in the mountains. If we understand it normally, his motive for killing you can be explained."

Han Xiao understood: "Master means that if we analyze the matter of poisoning you back then, Doctor Yan is not a suspect, is that right?"

“Killing me would not do him any good. If he is seeking revenge, his background and origins are not suspicious.”

Han Xiao was somewhat discouraged: "Then this servant has no grudge against him. This servant has always been polite to everyone. If it weren't for Master, why would he target this servant? It would make more sense to analyze it from Master's perspective."

Hearing her words, Nie Chengyan stared at her intently. Han Xiao felt a little uneasy. What had she said wrong? After waiting for a while, Nie Chengyan spoke, but he changed the subject: "There's one more thing."

"What?"

"After you fell off the cliff, Shi Erdao saw a skeleton in a tangled web of vines."

"Yes," Han Xiao also remembered, "I was quite startled."

Nie Chengyan patted her hand reassuringly: "The skeleton has been brought up. Judging from the skeletal features and the ornaments on its body, this person is Doctor Lin Yang, who is also Lin Zhi's father and the old man's eldest apprentice."

Han Xiao stared in astonishment, his mouth agape. After a moment, he realized, "How could it be him? Miss Lin said her father is missing. Does that mean he fell off a cliff and died?"

Nie Chengyan nodded, and Han Xiao asked again, "Master, if you are no longer here, wouldn't Doctor Lin be the first choice to inherit Cloud Mist Mountain?"

Nie Chengyan looked at her intently and answered softly, "Yes."

Han Xiao didn't pay close attention to Nie Chengyan's expression. Her mind was completely absorbed in this mystery. She jumped up and paced around the room, saying, "Master, this is it. They really do want Cloud Mist Mountain and Hundred Bridges City. They harmed you and Doctor Lin."

Nie Chengyan couldn't help but add, "Dr. Lin disappeared before my accident."

"Huh?" Han Xiao laughed. This made it even harder to understand. "Or maybe it was a premeditated conspiracy. The others couldn't reach an agreement with Doctor Lin, so they killed him to silence him, and then waited for an opportunity to attack you, Master." Han Xiao thought for a moment and then asked, "Master, why did Doctor Lin die?" She was too flustered and rushed yesterday and didn't look at the skeleton carefully.

"There was a dagger stuck in his ribs, and there were marks from the dagger on his bones. He must have been stabbed before falling off the cliff."

"Then, then..." Han Xiao spun around, feeling that the truth of the matter was not far away: "Doctor Yan may know the reason, otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he chose that cliff when he wanted to kill me?"

"Yan Shan doesn't admit to this. Qi Yang said, looking at Yan Shan's reaction, he seemed very surprised and flustered."

"Panic? You haven't done anything wrong, why are you panicking?"

“This is worth pondering,” Nie Chengyan said. “You did a good job with the first aid yesterday. He’s definitely not going to die now that he’s in the old man’s hands. Once he’s recovered, we’ll interrogate him again.”

Han Xiao nodded, still trying to think, when she heard Nie Chengyan call out, "Xiao Xiao."

"Yes, Master."

"A small bottle was found at the site of Lin Yang's remains."

Han Xiao nodded and walked closer to him. Nie Chengyan continued, "We found a green snow in the small bottle."

Han Xiao stood there dumbfounded. Green Snow? How come there's Green Snow again?

"Today, the old man took the two in his hand, as well as the one from Lin Yang's remains, and looked at them in front of me. All three are indeed exactly the same."

Han Xiao was stunned. All three green snows were still there. What kind of poison had Nie Chengyan been given?

“The symptoms of the poison I was afflicted with are indeed those of Green Snow.” Nie Chengyan seemed to know what she was thinking and spoke up to clear her up. He looked at her and took her hand: “Xiaoxiao, things are not over yet. Perhaps, they have only just begun.”

"Then...this servant..."

"How can I feel at ease when you are so careless?"

Test poison on yourself

"This servant has been very vigilant. This servant reminds myself to be careful every day," Han Xiao argued softly, her mind still preoccupied with the Green Snow Poison.

"Reminding yourself to be careful every day, and you still end up falling off a cliff." Nie Chengyan snorted coldly, scolding her irritably.

Han Xiao bit her lip in grievance. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. She had returned safely, and the punishment had been given, but she was still being scolded. Nie Chengyan continued, "The green snow that was found is the same as the two in the box. Whether they are real or not, we need to test them."

How do you test it?

Nie Chengyan looked at her and said, "Naturally, we need to find someone to test the poison."

Han Xiao's heart turned cold: "Tested for poison?" The poison of Green Snow—would the person who tested it still be alive? Han Xiao suddenly understood, "Master, you said your symptoms match Green Snow, meaning the Divine Physician had someone test it when he made the poison?"

“Yes, my symptoms are the same as the person who tested the poison, so it’s definitely Green Snow.” Nie Chengyan said, staring intently at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao swallowed hard and asked, "Where is the person who tested the poison now?"

"He is naturally dead."

"Has the divine physician found a way to cure the poison after saving the master?"

"No, he wasn't sure how he saved me. I talked to him in detail today, and he clearly said that when he saved me, I was on the verge of death and needed medication urgently. He had exhausted all the available medicines and methods, and in the end, he even pulled you up the mountain."

Han Xiao trembled slightly: "Then, if we test the poison again now, using the same medicine and methods as before, could we save the person who tested the poison?"

"He doesn't intend to do that, and even if he did, he might not be able to save me. I've consumed many rare and precious medicines since I was a child, so my resistance to poison is stronger than that of ordinary people. This is probably why the person who poisoned me used Green Snow right away. My internal strength is not weak, and I can withstand the method of external force penetrating my twelve meridians. Besides, no matter what, I am that old man's own grandson. He is willing to expend his internal strength and spend rare medicines."

Han Xiao felt increasingly cold: "So that means the person who tested the poison didn't have the master's physique and skills, and had no connection with the divine physician, so they were bound to die?" Nie Chengyan didn't speak, but his expression had already answered Han Xiao.

"This is too cruel, this is clearly murder." Han Xiao clenched his fists, trying hard to control himself. This place was indeed as Shi Er said, dirty and ruthless.

“Xiaoxiao…” Nie Chengyan looked at her carefully, his brows furrowed.

"Master, can't we not test it? Regardless of whether it's true or false, we can investigate other clues. Doctor Yan must know the inside story. Now that he's been caught, his accomplices will definitely be restless. We'll definitely find out the truth. Can't we stop testing the poison?" Her eyes were red with anxiety.

“Xiaoxiao, the authenticity of the Green Snow is one of the clues.” Nie Chengyan frowned: “You once said why not steal three? Stealing one or three carries the same risk. Perhaps you are right, the three Green Snows have already been switched with three fake ones.”

"So what if they've been switched?"

"Lin Yang was killed while carrying Green Snow, and his body was dumped at the bottom of a cliff. Perhaps it was due to internal strife, or perhaps he discovered that Green Snow was fake and was killed to silence him. Long San once said that he found a body in the desert with a similar poison to Green Snow, but he has not been able to find any more clues in the past six months. So the authenticity of Green Snow on this mountain is related to whether it is related to the old man's old grudge."

Han Xiao remained silent for a long time before softly asking, "Master, aren't human lives important?"

Nie Chengyan stiffened, and he replied in a hoarse voice, "Xiaoxiao, everyone's fate is different from birth."

“Some are rather despicable, aren’t they?” Han Xiao’s voice was barely audible, a tear rolling down her cheek. Nie Chengyan stared at her. He knew these words would surely hurt her. He didn’t care what others thought of him, but seeing her sad and disappointed expression, he found it difficult to speak.

"In short, I wanted to tell you this personally so you could be mentally prepared and not overthink it. The person chosen for the poison test has already been selected, and this has nothing to do with you. Recently, Yan Shan's accomplices have been making moves, so don't go out."

"It's confirmed? Who is it?" She looked up at him with sparkling eyes and asked.

Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth. He suddenly regretted it. He should have asked Qi Yang to convey the message. Why did he think of telling her in person? He was afraid that she would overthink it or be disgusted by it. But what could he change if he told her himself?

"The medicine servant with the strongest resistance to poison in the mountains." He didn't say the name, but emphasized to her, "Xiaoxiao, you should know that the medicine servant's contract of servitude is a life-or-death contract. The old man has the right to use them to test poisons."

Han Xiao could no longer hold back and knelt down with a thud: "Master, Master." She knelt down and begged, sobbing uncontrollably: "Brother Shi, save my life. Please beg the divine physician to let him go. Don't test the poison anymore, please don't test it anymore, okay?"

"Xiaoxiao." Seeing her like this, Nie Chengyan almost choked up and couldn't say anything. He said with difficulty, "I agree with the old man's decision."

Han Xiao stood frozen, her head bowed to the ground, motionless. Shi Er's words still echoed in her ears: "Our lives are cheap; no one cares except ourselves." Han Xiao thought sadly. Even though she was aware of being a pawn, when faced with life and death like this, she still couldn't accept it calmly. Shi Er was right; her master, like the divine physician, was heartless. But the problem was that, even now, she still believed that her master's kindness towards her wasn't feigned. He helped her realize her ideals and cared about her safety. As a servant, she should be content to have such a master. Right? She should be content! Han Xiao lay on the ground, her mind buzzing.

"Get up, don't do that, look up at me." Nie Chengyan's reprimand sounded somewhat distant to her, so she had a strange illusion that there was a hint of panic in her master's voice. She did as she was told and looked up, her eyes clear and bright.