Su Xiaoying asked in surprise, "Leave? Didn't you say you had nowhere to go?"
Yi Mei was nearly driven mad by him, and shouted, "Who told you there's nowhere to go! Have you ever heard of wandering the world? Let's find another place to stay!"
Su Xiaoying seemed to understand something, then said "Oh," and added, "Anyway, as long as you pay, that's fine."
The Linjiang Villa was quickly engulfed in flames. This small and dilapidated inn burned unexpectedly fiercely and intensely; if it were night, the firelight might have illuminated a patch of the sky.
Su Xiaoying stared blankly, her face full of regret, then turned to Yi Mei and said, "Actually, you didn't have to burn it. What if you come back here again in the future..."
Yi Mei, on the contrary, was quite calm and said nonchalantly, "I will never come back here again. There are many places in the world, and I can make home anywhere."
Su Xiaoying's mouth dropped open as she finally remembered something Fu Daiyue had said. She sighed with deep emotion, "Assassin Yi Mei truly lives up to her name!"
Yi Mei said, "Why are you being so sarcastic?"
Su Xiaoying then shifted the blame to Fu Daiyue, saying, "I heard it from Fu Daiyue."
Yi Mei turned her eyes and looked him up and down, saying, "What does Fu Daiyue look like? What do you look like? He looks like a young master, but you look like a helper."
Su Xiaoying wasn't angry and smiled, "You just said that you and I are quite compatible."
Yi Mei asked, "When did you say that? Who heard it?"
After thinking for a moment, Su Xiaoying had no choice but to honestly admit, "Nobody heard anything."
Yi Mei nodded in satisfaction, then looked him up and down again, and asked, "Have you brought the Twilight Rain Sword?"
Su Xiaoying said, "I brought it with me."
Yi Mei asked, "Where did you put it? I can't see it."
Su Xiaoying then laughed and said, "Anyway, I've already brought it. — Boss lady, let's go, let's get going as soon as possible."
Yi Mei was unwilling, but she only shrugged the bundle on her shoulder and said, "Let's go." As she spoke, she had already taken a step, but after taking about ten steps, she stopped, turned around and faced Su Xiaoying's face, saying, "That move, the one you blocked Fu Daiyue's move..."
Su Xiaoying smiled and said, "It's not as difficult as you think. He suddenly unleashes his killing intent the instant his sword and net intersect. At that moment, although the killing intent is very strong, the sword moves are often very simple. As long as you aim carefully, you are guaranteed to succeed in one fell swoop."
Yi Mei looked thoughtful and suddenly asked, "Do you know what Fu Daiyue's sword is called?"
Su Xiaoying asked, "What?"
Yi Mei said, "The first sword of the assassin."
Su Xiaoying asked, "And what about you?"
Yi Mei said, "I am nothing, just a strong contender for the title of the number one assassin."
Lividity reappears
Su Xiaoying felt that to truly "roam the world," one should at least buy two horses and gallop freely along ancient, dusty roads, the billowing dust obscuring her dashing figure. Even if one were to concede, it shouldn't be about trudging through mud in a drizzling rain, soaked to the bone, struggling to move.
Unfortunately, the spring rain continued unabated, and although it was getting late, the rain showed no sign of stopping. Looking around, there was no one in sight, only a dilapidated house that seemed barely enough to shelter one from the rain.
Su Xiaoying pointed ahead and said, "That house looks like an abandoned post station. Let's spend the night there."
Yi Mei listlessly hummed in response. The rain had been falling for a long time, and the water seeped into her raincoat, causing the wound on her right hand to throb with pain from the dampness.
Fortunately, there was a dry spot inside the inn, so they didn't care about the dirt, took off their rain gear, and sat down on the ground. Su Xiaoying's raincoat wasn't as good as Yi Mei's; his clothes were already soaked, and when he sat down, the wind made him shiver. He had to stand up again, drag over a few broken chairs from the inn, and with great effort, he lit three or four tinderboxes before he could start a fire.
Yi Mei, who had been sitting dejectedly, suddenly shouted, "Su Xiaoying! What are you doing!"
"What are you doing?" Su Xiaoying ripped off her shirt in one go, wrung it out, and said irritably, "There's not much fire here, I need to dry my clothes. If I get sick later, my one string of cash won't be enough for medicine."
Yi Mei exclaimed, "How can you be like this! With me here, you should at least tone it down and say hello first!"
Su Xiaoying said, "Alright, I'll greet you now."
Yi Mei said, "What's the point of you fighting me now?"
Su Xiaoying said, "What's the difference between fighting first and fighting later? Are you going to go outside to avoid it?"
Yi Mei jumped up in anger, but as soon as she jumped, she felt pain in her wound and felt unwell all over, so she had no choice but to sit down again and lie down angrily with her clothes on.
Su Xiaoying said, "Take off your outer clothes and find some clean clothes to cover yourself with."
Yi Mei covered her face with the bundle and ignored him.
When she woke up the next morning, she felt a bit chilly and sneezed several times. Yi Mei coughed a few times, looking dejected.
Su Xiaoying was somewhat gloating at the time, because he didn't know that it was so troublesome for women to get sick. In fact, in Su Xiaoying's opinion, it wasn't really an illness at all; at most, she had just accidentally sneezed a few times and caught a minor cold.
Upon reaching the next village, the two took a bath, changed their clothes, and cooked a pot of ginger soup. Su Xiaoying felt that Yi Mei's spirits had been completely revitalized. However, Yi Mei remained unusually stubborn, insisting that she still had a headache, itchy lungs, and a fever.
Su Xiaoying originally intended to persuade her, but later found that it was completely useless, because when Yimei was sick, she was more womanly than any other woman, and absolutely unreasonable.
When a woman is about to be unreasonable, never try to reason with her. Su Xiaoying was very grateful that she had finally realized this.
After asking the villagers, Su Xiaoying learned that this road was originally an official road, but it gradually fell into disuse as travelers changed their route due to the rise of Ganzi. Ganzi was about two days' journey from here. Su Xiaoying then asked a villager to buy a horse-drawn carriage and decided to send Yimei to Ganzi first.
Ganzi was a small place, but it occupied a crucial transportation hub between north and south. To the north, it led directly to Xuanzhou, and to the south, it was the only main route to Jizhou. According to the map of the southern kingdom, upon reaching Xuanzhou, one would dismount and travel by boat westward along the Grand Canal, reaching the capital, Hecheng, in less than two days. Ganzi was often a must-pass place for travelers heading to the capital, so it was bustling with merchants and travelers. Even at night, caravans would often enter the city looking for lodging.
Su Xiaoying's carriage entered Ganzi at the beginning of Hai hour.
By this time, most of the inns in the city had already closed, so Su Xiaoying stopped the carriage in front of the largest one, Jufu Inn. Then he turned around, lifted the curtain a crack, and whispered inside, "Yimei, Yimei, get out of the carriage quickly, we've arrived in Ganzi."
His voice was soft and pleasant, and his tone was like a father coaxing a young child.
In these past few days, Su Xiaoying has mastered this tone to perfection; even when he uses the Twilight Rain Sword, he may not be able to do it so freely.
Inside the car, Yi Mei hummed in a voice barely above a whisper, "I'm not going, the blankets are damp."
Su Xiaoying said, "No, this inn is very big and grand."
Yi Mei scoffed, "There will be mosquitoes."
Su Xiaoying said helplessly, "I'll help you catch up."
So Yimei groaned a few times and said, "My head hurts."
Su Xiaoying said, "Ganzi is a big place. I'll find a doctor to see you tomorrow."
Yi Mei then lifted the carriage curtain, lowered her head, and stepped down with a dejected expression. Her complexion was actually quite good, somewhat rosy, and she didn't look like she had a headache at all, but she pressed her hand against her head and looked at Su Xiaoying with a worried expression.
Su Xiaoying sighed and comforted her, "Don't worry, there are definitely good doctors in Ganzi who will make sure you're healthy and lively again."
The best doctor in Ganzi was surnamed Jiao, and had a very beautiful name: Enzhi. Unfortunately, Dr. Jiao's consultation fee was as beautiful as his name—a full ten taels of silver. Su Xiaoying felt that ten taels of silver was somewhat disproportionate to Yimei's illness, and fearing Yimei would find fault, she chose an elderly doctor with gray hair at a clinic next to Jiao's family clinic. In the medical profession, unless one has already made a name for themselves, the older one gets, the more intimidating they become, especially with patients like Yimei.
The old doctor took Yi Mei's pulse for a short while, then said to Su Xiaoying, "Young lady, you are in good health, please don't worry."
Su Xiaoying's heart skipped a beat, and she prompted the doctor, "Travel is tiring, and it's easy to be exposed to the elements. She...she always...has headaches...could you prescribe something to relieve them?"
The doctor found it very strange and said, "As the saying goes, medicine is three parts poison. If you are not sick, it is best not to take medicine indiscriminately. In my opinion, the young lady is healthier than the average young man."
Su Xiaoying said with a wry smile, "Take another look..."
Before the doctor could even speak, Yi Mei's face turned extremely pale. Su Xiaoying quickly pulled the doctor out, paid him a string of cash for the consultation, and hurriedly saw him out.
Then he went back into the room and said to Yimei, "Don't worry, the most famous doctor here is unavailable this morning. I'll definitely invite him over later." Before Yimei could react, he dashed out.
Su Xiaoying strolled around Ganzi City, chose a fairly lively restaurant, ate a bowl of rice, half a pound of braised beef, and two plates of seasonal vegetables. After paying the bill, she went straight to the nearest small clinic on the corner, found the doctor inside, and said to him, "Please write me a prescription."
The doctor was taken aback and said, "You have to see the patient before you can prescribe a prescription."
Su Xiaoying handed him a tael of silver and said, "Listen to me, just do as I say, and I'll prescribe any medicine that won't kill you." As she spoke, she leaned close to his ear and carefully gave him his instructions.
Yi Mei was sulking in her room at the inn when she saw Su Xiaoying enter. She glared at him fiercely. Although she had a "big headache," her glare was surprisingly powerful. Su Xiaoying pretended not to notice and eagerly introduced the doctor.
“Yi Mei,” he said gently, “this is the best doctor in Ganzi. His medical skills are superb. Let him take a look at you.”
Yi Mei coldly said, "A doctor uses the four diagnostic methods of observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation. 'Observation' comes first. So tell me, what's wrong with me?"
Su Xiaoying breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate. If she hadn't been informed beforehand, even the Jade Emperor probably wouldn't have noticed anything wrong with her.
The doctor put on quite an air of authority, stroking his beard and pondering for a while before saying, "When essence is abundant, qi is strong; when qi is strong, spirit is vigorous; when spirit is vigorous, body is healthy; and when body is healthy, illness is rare. Judging from the young lady's complexion, it is likely that her essence and qi are insufficient. This is a sign of wind-evil entering the body."
Seeing that he spoke logically and reasonably, Yi Mei was somewhat tempted, so she asked, "It seems that wind-evil has entered the body. How should it be treated?"
The doctor said, "If the wind evil is on the surface, there will be chills and fever, and the patient will feel tightness. It is advisable to induce sweating. If the wind evil is inside, there will be stagnation in the internal organs. It is advisable to use purgatives to clear the stagnation. The symptoms may seem similar, but the treatment method can only be determined after examining the pulse."
Su Xiaoying chuckled inwardly and said, "Let's take his pulse first."
The doctor then sat down to take Yimei's pulse. After taking her pulse for a long time, he stroked his beard and asked, "Miss, are you restless at night, have difficulty falling asleep, have a persistent but not severe headache, and feel hot but do not sweat?"
Yi Mei nodded and said, "Yes! Yes!" Her tone already showed a hint of joy.
The doctor smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. I'll prescribe a medicine. Take this decoction three times a day for seven days, and your health should be almost fully recovered. If you feel you need further care, soak Atractylodes lancea in rice water for half a day, scrape off the skin, dry it in the sun, and grind it into powder. Then wash Lycium chinense root bark with warm water, remove the core, and knead it with ripe mulberries in a porcelain basin. Press the juice through a silk bag, mix the juice with the powder to form a paste, pour it into a basin, and let it dry in the sun and dew at night. Once dry, grind it into powder, mix it with refined honey, and make small pills the size of red beans. Take twenty pills each time, with wine, three times a day, and it will nourish your qi and replenish your blood."
Yi Mei nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, thank you!"
Su Xiaoying, standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Gan Zi's doctor is indeed very skilled."
Yi Mei looked at him with some confusion for a while and said, "Why do you look so sly?"
Su Xiaoying prepared the medicine for her according to the prescription. The decoction was thick and pungent, but Yimei drank it all down as if it were fine wine. Su Xiaoying was somewhat surprised, and then realized that Yimei probably had an unspeakable fear of her illness.
After drinking the fourth bowl of medicine, Yi Mei was completely cured of her "ailment." Not only that, but her temper had also returned to normal. At this point, if she were asked to admit that Su Xiaoying had chased away mosquitoes for her, she would probably immediately deny it and even try to fight someone. Of course, Yi Mei's life wasn't so easily threatened, so Su Xiaoying wisely kept quiet about what had happened a few days earlier.
The first person mentioned was Yi Mei, who said to Su Xiaoying, "I've been sick for so many days, but I'm finally feeling better now."
Su Xiaoying gave a vague and perfunctory reply: "Hmm."
“So,” Yimei emphasized, “I’m going to visit that doctor and thank him.”
Su Xiaoying felt something was amiss, but having no reason to refuse, she could only vaguely reply, "That doctor is always very busy..."
Yi Mei rolled her eyes and said, "If I can't see him, seeing his wife and children is just as good!"
Su Xiaoying's concern was that the clinic's storefront was too small to be worthy of the title "best doctor." Fortunately, Yi Mei was quite honest and thought that since he had cured her illness, he was a highly skilled doctor no matter what. She thought Su Xiaoying had good judgment by not judging people by their appearance.
But despite the bustling crowds during the day, the clinic remained tightly shut. These small clinics were typically used for business in the front and residence in the back, and from the back rooms, the sound of weeping could be faintly heard. The weeping was quiet and intermittent, yet it sent a chill down one's spine. Yimei, somewhat puzzled, asked an elderly woman sunbathing nearby, "Where has the doctor gone?"
The old woman sighed, gestured inside, shook her head, and after a while said, "Alas, what a tragedy, such a young child, just like that, died."
Su Xiaoying immediately remembered the little girl playing at the door when she came to fetch the doctor a few days ago, and asked, "Is it that little girl with pigtails, who is about four or five years old?"
The old woman sighed again.
Su Xiaoying said, "He was jumping around just a few days ago, how could he die so suddenly? What kind of acute illness was it?"
The old woman sighed, "Nobody knows what kind of sudden illness it was. Doctor Jiao from the east of the city came to see me yesterday, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong either. It was a very sudden death." As she said this, she revealed a mysterious expression, but then stopped herself from speaking.
Su Xiaoying knew that the old woman actually wanted to say something but was just being deliberately mysterious, so she replied, "Really? Wow, that's so fast!"
The old woman leaned closer to Su Xiaoying and whispered, "I heard she's covered in bruises, one after another, like flowers." She continued, "Her father was a doctor for most of his life, but in the end, he couldn't even save his own daughter's life. Poor mother, she only had one daughter when she was thirty..."