"General?" Xiaoman turned around in confusion, only to see a colossal creature lazily slinking out of the kitchen. It possessed a magnificent coat of gold and black fur, with a prominent "King" character on its forehead. Its eyes were piercing and filled with murderous intent. It walked up to Xiaoman, arrogantly sniffing her skirt. Disdainfully, it suddenly opened its mouth wide, revealing a set of fangs—and yawned.
It's a tiger! Xiao Man's eyes widened, and she fainted without hesitation.
When she woke up, the old man was long gone. The first thing she saw was the general's arrogant eyes. It was squatting beside her, looking at her with ill intent, as if assessing whether the few ounces of flesh on her body were enough for it to have a meal.
Xiao Man gasped, her head lolled to the side, and she fainted again.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Someone was whipping her thighs, quite hard. Xiao Man opened her eyes with a cry of pain and immediately saw the general's magnificent back. It was squatting on the ground with its back to her, its tail slapping her legs hard. Seeing that she was awake and about to faint again, it lashed her face with its tail.
"Ouch!" Xiao Man was finally woken up by the blow. She saw it sniffing Ze Xiu's body impatiently. It turned out that the silver needles on his body had all turned black, and it was urging her to change the needles quickly.
Xiao Man carefully wrapped the poisoned needles in a handkerchief and pulled them out one by one. Then, following the old man's method, she replaced them with new needles and threw them all into the copper basin behind her. The general looked at her with great approval, seemingly quite satisfied with her newly learned skill.
Then it stretched out its large, paw-covered paw and patted Xiaoman affectionately. Her face changed, she screamed, and fainted again. The general looked at its friendly paw with hurt pride—it had only wanted to pet her.
When Xiaoman woke up for the last time, she could no longer stay unconscious. She realized that fainting was also a physical activity, and she was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back. She simply didn't have the strength to continue.
Behind the cave was a kitchen, complete with pots, pans, and pans, as well as stored meat and vegetables. Xiaoman hastily made some noodles, and after taking just one bite, she saw the general's burning gaze pierce her. She carefully put down the bowl and offered it to him: "You...you want to eat too? Don't tigers eat raw meat?"
Without any hesitation, the general finished off a bowl of noodles in one gulp. Xiao Man stared blankly at the empty bowl, then at the general's still burning gaze. Finally, she used the largest earthen pot to cook a whole pot of noodles, taking one bowl for herself and feeding the rest to the general.
It was clearly very satisfied with her cooking. After eating and drinking its fill, it immediately abandoned its haughty attitude and shyly ran over to snuggle against her leg. It probably really thought it was a cat. Xiao Man turned away to wipe her tears and took two bowls of water to feed the two half-dead patients in front of her.
Zexiu's face was ashen, and Tianquan's lips were purplish-black; both were utterly dejected, their former vigor gone. Xiaoman squatted in front of Tianquan, gazing at him for a longer period.
She truly believed he was dead. The raging fire soared into the sky, his blood-stained clothes and black hair a stark contrast; his death was tragically beautiful. That night was more terrifying than hell itself. Yet, he was still alive, though now he was practically the same as the dead. But as long as he was alive, there was hope.
Xiaoman watched for a while, then gently stroked his pale face and whispered, "You must live. Dying beautifully is still just dying; only living is truly wonderful." She held his hand, pulled Zexiu's hand in hers, and hugged him tightly.
"You all must live on."
The general, spoiling the mood, continued its affectionate act, plopping down in front of her, revealing its white belly, and wriggling around, wanting her to pet it. Little Man stared blankly at it, and whispered, "Are you... really a tiger?"
Its proud pride was immediately hurt by the pretty little girl, and it ran crying to the cave entrance, ignoring her completely.
For the next three days, people kept coming to harass the cave entrance. Xiao Man was too lazy to go out and check, but she guessed it was Tian Sha Shi Fang and his gang who had figured out the old man wasn't in the cave and still wouldn't give up. As a result, they came one after another with great momentum, only to be scared away by the general. Gradually, no one came to harass them anymore.
At noon, Xiaoman cooked another pot of rice and a pot of meat. She wiped her hands and came out calling, "General! Lunch is ready!"
She called twice, but General didn't come. Curious, she peeked out and saw General happily dart down the cave entrance, barking loudly. Xiao Man ran after him and saw the old man carrying a medicine basket, patting General's head with a grin, then leaping onto its back and running to the cave entrance. "It smells so good!" The old man's eyes lit up as soon as he entered the cave. "What delicious food have you made?" His greedy look was exactly like Ze Xiu's.
Xiaoman took the heavy medicine basket and put it in the kitchen. She then served him a large bowl of rice and a large bowl of meat. The old man's eyes crinkled with laughter: "Good girl, good girl! A woman who can cook is a treasure!"
He ate his food with gusto, chewing his meat heartily; you'd never guess he was a man in his sixties.
"The herbs have been gathered. Luckily it's already February; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to prepare the most important ingredients sooner or later. Girl, you need to help me grind the herbs; I'll need them tonight."
After finishing his meal, he tossed his bowl aside and dumped the contents of his medicine basket onto the ground with a clatter—red, yellow, green, and purple herbs, grass roots, leaves, fruits, and several bloody, unidentifiable entrails. Then, from somewhere, he retrieved a wooden bucket nearly half his height, threw in all the ground herbs, and poured boiling water into it. He worked for the entire afternoon, filling the bucket to about half full, before finally clapping his hands and saying, "Alright, that's enough for today. Girl, come with me, strip those two boys naked and throw them into the bucket."
Stripped...stripped naked? Xiao Man blinked, as if she couldn't believe her ears.
The old man snapped his fingers: "What's there to be shy about! It's clearly a feast for the eyes!"
Xiaoman lowered her head, actually wanting to tell him that she thought the same thing, but she was too embarrassed to show it on her face.
The old man quickly stripped both of them of their clothes. Xiao Man hid behind him, feigning shyness, and covered her eyes with her hands, spreading her fingers wide, trying to grope him with her eyes.
The two people were placed face to face in a large wooden tub. As soon as they were exposed to the medicinal fumes and steam, their brows furrowed, and they seemed quite uncomfortable.
The old man pulled out silver needles and began to prick the two men's backs, saying, "The Deathly Fiend is an extremely insidious poison that causes blood to congeal and turn black, resulting in excruciating death. The young man in white has a more yin-like internal energy, so his poisoning won't be as severe as my deceased disciple's, but a complete cure will be difficult. Ze Xiu's martial arts are yang-like, and the Deathly Fiend counters him; otherwise, given his skill, he wouldn't have been immediately paralyzed after being poisoned. It's truly fate that they've come together; with their cooperation, perhaps there really is a chance to save them."
Xiao Man had no idea what Yin and Yang meant. She squatted beside the wooden tub, looking at this person, who was alluring and flirtatious, and then at that person, who was handsome and refined. She had truly feasted her eyes today, to the point of being completely overwhelmed. But in the end, her eyes settled on Ze Xiu's face. She reached out and tidied his hair, whispering, "Ze Xiu, you will be alright."
The Crimson Butterfly Scroll, Chapter Twenty: To Survive (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-24 17:05:30 Word Count: 3343
Second update.
The water in the wooden bucket quickly turned as black as ink and emitted a pungent smell. Xiaoman kept grinding the medicine and throwing it into another large copper basin to boil. Following the old man's instructions, she poured the heated medicine into the wooden bucket.
After changing the water seven times, and with dawn approaching, the old man took out his pipe, lit it, and took a puff: "Alright, that's enough for now. We'll continue tonight."
Xiao Man collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the two naked figures in the wooden tub, and asked, "Grandpa, shouldn't we help them out? Won't they catch a cold?"
He puffed on his cigarette: "No one will die, don't worry."
Xiao Man agreed, but she was so tired that she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
For the next few days, they continued grinding medicine, boiling water, and changing the water. The toxins being forced out of their bodies decreased, and the water became clearer. The old man was very satisfied and gave them one last acupuncture treatment, saying, "They should wake up soon, but their vital energy will be severely damaged, and they will need to recuperate for a while."
Xiao Man was so happy she almost fainted. She stayed by the wooden tub, refusing to leave, looking at this and that, her eyes shining with excitement. The old man inserted the last needle into Tianquan's back. He suddenly jolted, groaned, and slowly opened his eyes.
Xiaoman immediately rushed over, anxiously asking, "Tianquan! You're awake?"
He slowly raised his wet eyelashes, his eyes clear, and gazed at her silently, without moving. Xiaoman waved her hand vigorously in front of his face: "It's me! It's me! Can you see me?"
He seemed not to hear her, only staring blankly at her. The steam from his breath made his face damp, his hair plastered to his face, giving him an unusually pale and alluring look. While they were unconscious, Xiaoman had looked at their naked bodies countless times each day. Now that he was awake, she was a little afraid to look at him, only giving him a silly smile: "Say something? Are you still unconscious?"
He blinked, and a drop of water fell from his eyelashes. Xiaoman couldn't help but reach out to brush the wet hair from his face: "What's wrong? Grandpa, he seems a bit off!" Before she could finish speaking, she felt a sharp pain on her fingertip as he opened his mouth and bit her.
She almost jumped up, when suddenly a cold voice behind her head said, "What are you doing?"
Xiao Man turned her head in surprise and delight, and sure enough, she saw that Ze Xiu had woken up, his face ashen. ...A. ...Whether it was because he was angry or not feeling well, he looked at her with a fierce and menacing gaze.
"Ah! Zexiu!" she called out again, overjoyed and about to rush over, but he had already stood up naked from the wooden tub, casually picked up the cloak lying beside him and wrapped it around himself, then knelt down on one knee before the old man: "Disciple greets Master. Thank you for your help, Master."
The old man smiled and puffed on his pipe, waving his hand and saying, "It's nothing. I've already taken four thousand taels for your daughter's medical fee, so it's still a good deal for me. You're just recovering from poisoning. Don't talk too much, go lie down."
Xiaoman tried to pounce on him again, but Tianquan held onto her finger tightly. She cried out urgently, "Grandpa, come quick and see him! What happened?"
The old man said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. He's been poisoned for a while. He'll probably fully recover in a few days. Pull him out and let them get some rest."
She went to help him up?! Xiaoman could already feel Zexiu's murderous gaze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Just as she didn't know what to do, he suddenly let go, then stood up naked, dripping wet, and stepped out of the wooden tub. Xiaoman grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around him, standing on tiptoe to barely encircle his neck so that he wouldn't reveal his eroticism.
Tianquan remained silent and expressionless. He grabbed his cloak, walked silently to the tiger-skin cushion, and fell asleep immediately, ignoring his wet hair.
Xiao Man took two dry towels and walked over shakily. Seeing Ze Xiu staring at her, she could only chuckle and ask, "Do you... want to dry your hair?"
Zexiu snatched the towel and started wiping himself, saying calmly, "You go take care of him, don't worry about me."
Xiaoman hesitated for a long time, but she really couldn't do anything about his temper. She could only help Tianquan dry his hair. When she looked down, he was already fast asleep, and his face was gradually regaining its color.
Zexiu threw the towel on the ground, lay down with a thud, and fell asleep without making a sound.
Xiao Man slowly crept up behind him and whispered, "Ze Xiu..."
He said coldly with his eyes closed, "I'm asleep. Don't speak."
The old man had long since run off to the back to avoid these troubles; his children's affairs were the most troublesome thing. He didn't want to get involved.
Xiaoman was conflicted and conflicted for a long time, until she was finally too tired to continue. She leaned against the wall, drifting off to sleep, when she suddenly felt him turn over and carefully take her hand and place it next to his face. Her heart softened, and she chuckled. He didn't say anything, and naturally fell asleep with his arm around hers.
When Xiaoman woke up, Zexiu was no longer beside her. She sat up groggily, two large cloaks slipping off her body. She looked around blankly for a while, then suddenly noticed another person sitting next to her—Tianquan. He had changed into the most ordinary coarse cloth clothes, his hair was down his back, and he was quietly leaning against the cave wall, gazing at the ever-changing clouds outside the cave.
"Tianquan?" she tried calling softly, but he didn't react at all, remaining motionless and silent.
Xiao Man crawled up to him and called out again, "Tianquan."
He finally shifted his gaze from the cave entrance to her face, but remained silent, his eyes indifferent, as if observing the most ordinary scenery. Xiaoman asked softly, "Are you alright? Is there anything else bothering you? Why aren't you talking?"
He didn't say anything, looked at her for a while, and then looked away from the cave.
Xiaoman was getting really anxious about him. She grabbed his sleeve and shook it, asking, "What's wrong with you? Did you get poisoned and go crazy? What exactly happened that day? Were you being chased by someone? Zexiu said there were five corpses in the yard. Who were they?"
He shifted slightly, looked down at her, and suddenly reached out to touch her face. Xiaoman exclaimed, "Don't just stand there! What's there to touch on my face? Get to the point!"
"How long are you planning to let him touch you?" The cold voice rang out again from behind. Xiaoman had no choice but to stand up and turn around, asking, "What... what's going on with him?"
Zexiu crossed her arms and looked at her coldly: "I should be the one asking you what's going on."
Xiao Man sighed and waved her hand, "I... I'll go wash up." She admitted defeat, and avoiding the situation was the best course of action.
Zexiu followed her relentlessly, watching her wash her face and rinse her mouth, and suddenly said, "He's fine. Master said it's probably because he was poisoned for too long and the residual poison is still in his body. He'll be fine in a few days."
Xiao Man nodded repeatedly, feeling incredibly guilty. This man was extremely jealous, to an almost frightening degree, and incredibly awkward; he'd put on a stern face at the slightest provocation. He had just woken up, so it was best for her not to offend him.
She wiped the water droplets from her face with a towel and was about to comb her messy hair when Zexiu suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, rested his chin on the top of her head, and whispered, "Master said you haven't slept for days and is extremely worried. What is he worried about?"
She hesitated for a while, then blinked: "Both are anxious."
He seemed a little angry and stopped moving. Xiaoman whispered, "I didn't want to lie to you. No matter how cold-blooded I am, I can't just watch my companions who came all this way die in front of me. Besides... why do you keep comparing yourself to him? Are you a child?"
He pinched her still slightly damp face, then let go and laughed, "You always have so many twisted arguments. Fine, I'm going to keep Master company. You can play by yourself."
He walked to the back, then suddenly turned back and flicked her forehead: "Don't look at him."
He's so domineering, does she really have to listen to him?
Xiaoman combed her hair, tied it into a bun, and walked forward. Tianquan remained in the same position, not moving an inch. Xiaoman went over and squatted down beside him, whispering, "Are you hungry? Or do you want some water?"
He stood there like a wooden statue, motionless. Xiaoman brought him a bowl of rice from the kitchen and handed it to him, but he didn't take it. She poured him water, but he didn't even look at it. His lips were clearly cracked from dryness.
She had no choice but to place the bowl to his lips and whisper, "Drink some water."
This time he finally moved, took a small sip, and Xiaoman fed him a bowl of water, then mixed the rice and vegetables together and carefully fed him.
After eating about half a bowl, he shook his head and said he couldn't eat anymore.
"Your appetite is much smaller than Zexiu's, that pig." Xiaoman sighed, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and looked up to see him staring at her, his eyes seemingly gleaming, but his messy hair covered his eyebrows, making him look less than neat.
She took out a horn comb, sat behind him, and began to comb his hair, whispering, "Tianquan, it's spring now. Do you know that butterflies emerge from their cocoons in spring? Don't always think about hopeless things. You're not dead, so you should live well. Your life will be brand new from now on. Starting over is better than dying, isn't it? As long as you're alive, there's hope."
She combed his hair, tied it up the way he used to, then leaned closer to look and smiled slightly: "Isn't this much better?"
He stared blankly at the scenery outside the cave, remaining silent the entire time.