Huo Zhan Bai had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
When he awoke, dusk had already settled outside.
The first thing he saw was the nine jade plaques hanging on the wall, engraved with patterns of orchids and lingzhi mushrooms—those must be the Returning Heaven Orders collected this year. The Medicine Master’s Valley only issued ten Returning Heaven Orders each year, treating only ten patients at a high price. These jade plaques had become the most coveted life-saving tokens in the martial world.
Judging by the looks of it, this year’s quota was almost filled.
He tried to turn his head, but the pain in his neck was as if it had been broken. Out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out the Snow Falcon perched on a stand, dozing with its head drooping. A set of delicate needles burned on a silver lamp nearby, while the fragrance of strong medicinal herbs wafted from a silver pot, thick and rich.
Suddenly, he felt at ease.
That familiar atmosphere—it was the only refuge he had during the last eight years of ceaseless wandering and battles.
“You're really tough, aren’t you?” The moment his eyes opened, he was greeted by a familiar, mocking voice.
He turned his head with great effort, and saw the red-hot needles spinning in the delicate hands of a woman dressed in purple, her movements deft and precise.
Xue Zi Ye… A fleeting smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
The woman raised an eyebrow, selecting the right needle while still finding time to mock him: “Tell me, are you trying to freeload off us and pay your debts with your body again? It’s ten thousand per treatment, and you owe me six sessions already.”
Damn woman. He moved his lips, wanting to retort, but all that came out was a dry, raspy sound.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, I just gave you a Nine-Flower Qi-Gathering Pill. Its effects are harsh, so you probably won’t be able to speak for a while,” Xue Zi Ye said, watching him glare at her in frustration from the bed, wrapped up like a dumpling. A mocking smile tugged at her lips. “Be a good boy and keep quiet. It’s going to hurt in a moment.”
Damn woman.
He looked at the set of twenty-four silver needles that had been tempered over the lamp, and involuntarily gulped.
“Scared?” she asked, noticing his reflexive action, her smile growing even wider.
Without any further warning, she spun around and sat in front of him, both hands moving in a flash. The twenty-four silver needles pierced into his joints simultaneously like lightning! She didn’t even need to look closely, yet each of the needles was inserted flawlessly into the acupuncture points with remarkable speed and precision.
Her technique—speed and accuracy—was nothing short of extraordinary.
The overwhelming pain that shot through his entire body made him scream, but a cloth was quickly stuffed into his mouth.
“Don’t make a fuss, you’ll scare the other patients,” she said coldly, twisting the needles delicately, adjusting their depth and angle. She didn’t stop until he was sweating profusely and groaning into the cloth. “The acupuncture points are sealed. I’ll change the medicine on your face first, then we’ll deal with the holes in your body.”
As the searing pain subsided, Huo Zhan Bai felt considerably lighter. He tried desperately to spit out the cloth stuffed in his mouth, his eyes following her every movement.
Strange… there didn’t seem to be any serious wounds on his face. Just a few scrapes, nothing major.
“Hey, don’t be so defiant. What’s more important, your body or your face?” she said, noticing the doubt in his eyes. She patted his cheek and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument, “Honestly, how much do you owe me in medical fees by now? You only have one Returning Heaven Order, but you’ve been coming here for eight years. If it weren’t for that pretty face of yours, I would’ve kicked you out a long time ago.”
She continued her scolding as she unwrapped the bandages from his face. Her fingers dipped into a green medicinal ointment, and she leaned in to apply it meticulously, as if tending to a priceless work of art.
He glared furiously at her familiar face so close above him.
“What’s with that look?” she asked, finishing the application and patting his cheek again. Ignoring his angry glare, she called out toward the door, “Lü-er! Prepare hot water and bandages! Oh, and bring the anesthetic—we’re going to start plugging up the holes.”
“Right away!” came Lü-er’s reply from outside.
“You… evil… woman.” He finally managed to push the cloth out of his mouth with his tongue, gasping for breath. “Still so vicious. I bet… I bet you haven’t found a husband this year either.”
“Wham!” Without hesitation, a medicinal pillow smacked him right in the face, covering the freshly treated wound.
“Care to say that again?” Xue Zi Ye stood there, pulling out a silver needle, her expression cold.
“Gulp.” The Snow Falcon perched on the rack was startled awake by the noise. Its beady black eyes flickered mockingly as it let out a derisive call.
“Ungrateful, feathered beast,” Huo Zhan Bai muttered under his breath, his head spinning from the blow. Her imposing presence held him in check, and for a moment, he didn’t dare retaliate. Instead, he grumbled at the falcon, “I’ll pluck your feathers tomorrow!”
“Caw!” The Snow Falcon’s mocking cry grew louder as it flew down to land on Xue Zi Ye’s shoulder.
“Miss, everything’s ready!” Lü-er entered, carrying a tray of large bandages and medicines, while four other maids brought in a large wooden tub, steam rising from the hot water.
“Alright.” Xue Zi Ye waved her hand, shooing the bird off her shoulder. “Let’s begin.”
Ah… so it was time to be surrounded by these women again? He thought to himself, with a hint of self-deprecation.
In the past eight years, he’d experienced this kind of treatment at least four times, hadn’t he?
Huo Zhan Bai had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
When he woke, the sky outside was already cloaked in twilight.
As his vision cleared, he saw Xue Zi Ye standing by his bedside. She pulled back the covers, her eyes scanning the dense bandages wrapped around his body, the teasing glint in her gaze replaced by seriousness. “Ah Hong, bring Jin-er, Lan Lan, and Xiao Cheng over. Watch carefully—this time, we must be extra cautious. There are thirteen major wounds and twenty-seven minor ones. Not a single mistake can be made.”
“Yes!” the maids replied in unison.
He was all too familiar with this treatment process... Ah Hong, Cheng, Jin-er, Lan Lan, and Lü-er, all trained by Xue Zi Ye herself, were experts in their craft. When treating external wounds, they worked in perfect synchronization as if they had eight hands between them: one hand would cut open the wound, and the others would immediately start extracting debris, reconnecting veins, cleaning the wound, stitching, and bandaging.
Often, in just a moment, before the patient even had a chance to bleed out, the wound was already taken care of.
But... he had too many wounds today. Could even eight hands work fast enough?
Just as he was thinking this, his mind began to cloud.
“The anesthetic is starting to take effect,” Lan Lan said as she fed him the medicine, carefully watching the reaction in his pupils.
“Then let's begin.”
Xue Zi Ye held a sharp silver needle in her hand, her gaze cold and steady, like a deity in control of life and death.
* * *
Such a long... such a long dream.
The worst part was, he was fully aware that he was dreaming.
In the boundless darkness, someone was running and laughing. It was a girl in red, her laughter filled with a charm that tugged at his heart. She ran, glancing back at him with that unforgettable smile. “Idiot, come catch me... If you catch me, I'll marry you!”
He wanted to chase after her, but his body wouldn’t move. It was as if he were nailed in place.
And so, she ran farther and farther away... until he could no longer catch up with that fairy-like girl.
“Please, spare Chonghua, spare us!” Her tear-streaked face pleaded with him just before his journey.
“I wish I had never met you.” A young widow in mourning clothes, clutching a child in her arms, spoke coldly, her words dripping with hatred, “Murderer. You've destroyed my entire life!”
Each word fell like a sword piercing his heart, leaving him utterly broken.
Qiu Shui… Qiu Shui… No, this isn’t how it was!
He wanted to shout, but no sound came from his throat.
Why wouldn’t he wake up? How much longer would this torment last?
“Miss, look at him!” Lü-er noticed that the man soaking in the wooden tub filled with medicinal water suddenly began breathing rapidly, his face pale and covered in cold sweat. His neck turned frantically, his eyes tightly shut, and his body shook uncontrollably.
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