I looked up and saw the girl who had developed blisters earlier get up in a panic and run out again.
I felt extremely disappointed. I was disappointed because it wasn't my master who wiped my sweat, and I was also disappointed because I had once been completely honest with this girl, but now she burst into tears just because I held her hand.
Later I gradually realized that her departure was not because of me, but because the whole house was shaking. Suddenly the ground shook violently, the oil lamp on the table overturned to the ground, and many ceramic tiles fell off the roof.
I was trying to get up when, with a loud "—", the wooden beam on the roof beam broke off right in front of me, smashing down one side of the outer edge of the bed.
I have never seen such a scene before. It was as if a stone monkey was born and caused chaos in the sea, mountains collapsed and the sun and moon lost their light. I was so frightened that I stood there dumbfounded.
What made things even more disheartening was that a medical book on the table fell to the ground and "whoosh—" was instantly ignited by a spark from the oil lamp, the flames rising straight up the corner of the table and bursting into flames.
Tiles and plaster kept falling down, and before I could fully understand what was happening, a person dressed in plain clothes entered through the thick smoke. The master asked in a calm voice, "Xiao Xiang, are you alright?"
I was huddled in the corner with my knees drawn up to my chest, and mumbled a reply, "Master, I'm here."
With a loud crash, it sounded like something else had collapsed. I vaguely heard my master say, "Don't move, just stay there and wait for me to come."
Then everything went black and he passed out.
When I woke up again, several days had passed. I then learned that I had experienced a devastating earthquake. I had fallen ill on the way to the mountain with my master to collect herbs, and the abandoned house where we rested was located at the foot of the mountain. After the earthquake, my bones were crushed to ashes.
The clan chief said that the master was treating patients in the town at the time. He observed the celestial phenomena, said, "This is not good." He hurried down the mountain and saw the house on fire from afar.
The clan chief was clearly very excited. He gripped my hand, tears streaming down his face, and said, "I thought you were beyond saving. The house was smashed beyond recognition, and then it caught fire. When Doctor Xia carried you out, his face was extremely grim. Thank God for his mercy. Good deeds are rewarded. It's good that you were saved."
Upon hearing this, I glanced at the master, who simply handed me a damp cloth and calmly said, "Wipe your face."
The master's expression was calm, not at all as alarming as the clan chief had described.
I originally wanted to change my "I yearn for you so much, and you yearn for me so much too?" to the more fitting "Until the mountains have no peaks, and heaven and earth unite, only then will I part from you," but after thinking about it, I decided against it.
After the clan chief and I broke down in tears, he turned to his master and asked, trembling, "Is Doctor Xia's right arm badly injured?"
I asked, "Master, are you injured?"
The clan chief once again spoke with a tearful voice, "To save you, when the roof beam collapsed, Doctor Xia shielded you. If it weren't for Doctor Xia's good health, I don't think anyone could have survived."
I looked at my master again, seeking the truth of his words, and he simply said, "It's not a serious injury, you're fine."
I have always kept this in mind, because my master saved my life, and I should repay him with my body.
Last time, An Chen cured me of the poison, and I wanted to repay his kindness by marrying him, but my master couldn't remember, so I had no way to repay him. This time, I finally found a reason to repay him with my body, and I will keep it in my heart for the rest of my life, and take it out to remember it from time to time.
This dream was wonderful, so when I fell asleep I thought I should strike while the iron was hot and have another one, and that's how I had a second dream.
The next dream was a bit surreal; I dreamt that Lou Xiyue took a knife and stabbed me to death.
I don't know what day it was, but I dreamt of blood in two consecutive dreams. Then I woke up in a cold sweat.
Lou Xiyue tilted her head and looked me up and down with a strange expression.
I wiped away a bead of cold sweat and asked him, "What's wrong?"
He paused for a moment, then asked, "What did you dream about just now?"
I said, "Was I talking in my sleep?"
He smoothed Xiao Jiu's hair, raised his long eyebrows, and said slowly, "Hmm, you keep saying: Lou Xiyue, no..."
I thought for a moment, my face flushed slightly, and I said, "..."
After traveling for half a month, Lou Xiyue and I returned to Yangzhou.
He received three letters on his way.
The first letter said that Jade Luo Gate was repeatedly attacked by assassins, Lou Sanjian was still unconscious, and the future was extremely worrying. It hoped that the Seventh Young Master would return soon.
The second letter said that Lou Yufeng had arranged another marriage for him and hoped that her son would return home as soon as possible to carry out the wedding arrangements.
The third letter said that the Lou family in Jiangnan had received a robbery note with only the two bloody words "Give money" on it, and they wanted to confirm with Lou Xiyue whether he had been taken hostage.
We found a restaurant, sat down, and discussed our next route.
I said, "I plan to take Xiao Jiu back to Medicine King Valley. If you want to get to the Red Dragon Embracing the Pillar, send someone to deliver the medicine to the valley. I will prepare the antidote and give it to you."
Lou Xiyue pondered for a moment, then slowly asked, "Are you going back to the valley this time and never coming out again?"
My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and I lowered my head and mumbled, "Well... sometimes I come out to treat someone or something."
He nodded and chuckled softly, "Xiao Xiang."
I responded with a "Mm".
Lou Xiyue said lightly, "After curing Uncle San's poison, I will return to Medicine King Valley. You are still my master, so you should teach me medicine."
I was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then replied, "Of course."
Because I felt cold, I couldn't travel at night. I found an inn in Yangzhou to stay overnight before continuing my journey. Since I had been disguised as a man when I last visited the Lou residence, I had been slapped several times by Lou Yufeng. After thinking it over, I decided it was best not to visit her.
Knowing that Xiao Jiu and Lou Xiyue were very affectionate, and perhaps knowing that I would take it back to Medicine King Valley tomorrow, it clung to Lou Xiyue's collar with its two front paws all night, very reluctant to part. Lou Xiyue then asked for a room to stay at the inn.
The setting sun casts its rays on the water, and the dawn moon peeks through the air.
Behind the inn is a fenced courtyard with a path paved with blue pebbles and a low pavilion standing beside it.
I took a jug of wine and went to say goodbye to Lou Xiyue.
He had just finished bathing, and was dressed in a simple white brocade robe. A jade hairpin was loosely pinned in his hair. He sat at the stone table in the pavilion, tilting his head and fiddling with something in his hand.