Chapter 70
Zhao Jiangui wants to speak, Xiao Lin is ever-so-slowly coming to.
Wei Qi's hand had really come down too ruthlessly then. The nape of Xiao Lin's neck aches dully, and he rubs at his neck, gazing fixedly at the sky, thinking he's still in a dream.
Zhao Jiangui asks him, "Are you alright?"
Xiao Lin says stunned, "Zhao Daxia? We... How did we get here?"
Zhao Jiangui goes over everything that just happened in great detail with him. Xiao Lin's face is still vacant, it seems his spirit hasn't yet returned. After quite a long while he at last opens his mouth to murmur, "Jiaozhu is really good to Zhao Daxia."
Zhao Jiangui, "...Don't talk bullshit."
Yu Xian'er already can't help covering his face as a smile rises.
Xiao Lin is still talking distractedly, "If he wasn't good to you, how would he just excuse you this easily, and let you go."
Yu Xian'er grins.
Zhao Jiangui, "..."
"Fine, we should set out." Yu Xian'er says with a smile, "That gifted doctor won't stop in the village long."
"Gifted doctor?" Xiao Lin is somewhat uncertain, inevitably asking, "Isn't Yan Daifu a gifted doctor? Since he helped Jiaozhu lie over and over again, aren't you guys and him really in the same place?"
At the mention of Yan Daifu, Yu Xian'er's expression also becomes a little strange.
"This person Yan Daifu, he's somewhat bizarre." Yu Xian'er knits his brows, "Xiao Wei and I both doubt his identity, even to the extent that Xiao Wei thinks he fundamentally doesn't have medical skills."
Xiao Lin says, "How can that be, his technique in changing Jiaozhu's bandages is definitely quite skillful."
Yu Xian'er asks, "Have you seen it?"
Xiao Lin shuts up his mouth.
Yan Daifu has always disliked spectators beside him, however he remembers that every time when changing bandages Yan Daifu had only at most shown a teacup of gongfu, thus inferring that Yan Daifu's techniques are skilled, that's all.
Xiao Lin thinks for a while, also saying, "If he doesn't know medicine, how can Jiaozhu stand him at his side."
Yu Xian'er wants to speak but hesitates, considers it for a moment, continues, "So Xiao Wei feels like he's just overthinking it."
Xiao Lin nods, "Definitely overthinking it."
He turns his head to look, however he sees that Zhao Jiangui and Yu Xian'er both have grave expressions.
"What's up with you both?" Xiao Lin says blankly, "Did I say something wrong?"
Zhao Jiangui slowly shakes his head, "Let's set out first."
Once they arrive at the little village Yu Xian'er mentioned, it's already been two days.
These two days, Zhao Jiangui has been thinking deeply on this matter in his heart. He also worries Ji Han's serious injuries haven't yet healed, and doesn't know whether or not there will be an accident en route. He just thinks briefly that the two days are as endless as a few years. Moreover, he doesn't feel the poison dispersing from his body, instead intensifying in its seriousness. He can only move a little, an acute pain ongoing in his core. His whole body's neigong has been suppressed completely into uselessness by the poison.
Their carriage is still outside the city's entrance, having just seen quite a few people of Jianghu from the righteous sect.
Zhao Jiangui is still burdened by the accusation of having killed Mengzhu's top disciple, not at all daring to show his face at the moment. He's forced to hide inside the carriage, leaving it to Yu Xian'er to face the outside and connect with that gifted doctor. They hear that gifted doctor is staying in the village's little inn nowadays. It's a tiny and run-down inn long overflowing with people seeking medical attention. Xiao Lin lifts the curtain of the carriage to look around outside, inevitably clicking his tongue and saying, "What daifu is staying here after all."
Zhao Jiangui says, "A famous doctor in Jianghu, there are only so many people."
Xiao Lin continues, "We came so late, I'm afraid we can't even get in line."
Yu Xian'er sends the driver out to ask for a report, knowing from this that daifu has already closed his doors to receiving patients, saying he's unwilling to see anyone.
Xiao Lin sighs, "This is just a mess, he's unwilling to see anyone, how can we still request him come remove the poison in Zhao Daxia's body."
Yu Xian'er says with a smile, "Naturally I have a way."
His face smiling, he's already fetching something from inside the carriage's secret compartment.
That thing is about three chi long, wrapped in grey cloth. Zhao Jiangui's intuition tells him that it should be a sword. Yu Xian'er takes the thing and goes out from the carriage, blocked by a small child guarding the door, and requests he bring this thing in.
The young child appears somewhat impatient.
"Our mister isn't seeing patients, and he isn't receiving gifts." He mutters to himself, "I already said this to you guys hundreds of times."
Yu Xian'er says, "This thing isn't a gift, and also it isn't being given to your mister."
The young child lifts his head to look at him.
Yu Xian'er smiles his smile, "Trouble you to deliver this to your madam."
That small child appears startled, doesn't immediately extend his hand to receive it.
Yu Xian'er continues, "If you're unwilling, we also have a way of getting in with this item. However at that time, I fear your madam will blame you."
The young child twitches his lips, receiving the thing, and returns into the room.
Yu Xian'er also returns to the carriage, and Zhao Jiangui asks him, "Was that a sword?"
"Yes, it's Zhao Daxia's sword." Yu Xian'er smiles faintly, "I never thought Zhao Daxia would be this worried about Jiaozhu, actually even forgetting his own sword."
Zhao Jiangui can't help knitting his brows. When he'd been detained in that prison in the Demon Sect, the guard had sought out his sword, when Wei Qi had gotten him out he still hadn't given him the sword. These few days he'd been preoccupied with his sorrows, he had actually forgotten this matter for a while.
From beside him, Xiao Lin voices an inquiry, "Why did you want Zhao Daxia's sword taken in?"
Zhao Jiangui says, "Could that gifted doctor be surnamed Mo?"
Xiao Lin asks, "Mo Qingfeng?"
Yu Xian'er nods with a smile on his face.
Xiao Lin is still completely at a loss, "But why would you want Zhao Daxia's sword brought in?"
That child has already come out from inside the room, giving them the sword, also quietly speaking a few sentences with Yu Xian'er.
Zhao Jiangui can't openly come out of the carriage, so they're forced to stealthily go around to the inn's back entrance, quietly getting out of the carriage. That child once more leads as they enter the back courtyard.
In the courtyard, there are already two people waiting.
Those two seem to be a young married couple. Zhao Jiangui strides across the courtyard, the woman has already come forward a few steps, grabbing his sleeve, softly calling, "Da-shixiong."
Zhao Jiangui also gently grasps her hand, "Jue'er."
Behind her, that man greets Zhao Jiangui with clasped hands, smiling as he says, "Da-shixiong."
Zhao Jiangui nods slightly, "Qingfeng, I trust you've been well."
Xiao Lin says with amazement, "Zhao Daxia, Mo Shenyin* is your shidi?"
Mo Qingfeng has let out a laugh.
Zhao Jiangui is forced to explain, "He's my meifu.**"
Xiao Lin also shifts his gaze to that woman's form, "Meifu? Then... Then this must be Gu Nüxia***?"
Gu Jue gives a faint smile, "The two characters nüxia, I certainly don't dare use them."
Xiao Lin hastily waves his hands, "Gu Nüxia, no need to be this modest."
Mo Qingfeng says, "If my wife doesn't dare call herself nüxia, then there are still few in Jianghu who can be called as such."
Gu Jue casts a light glare at him, saying lovingly, "You're still making trouble in front of da-shixiong."
"What I said was all true, at what point did I make trouble." Mo Qingfeng smiles, "Even if I was in front of your shifu, I'd still talk this way."
Zhao Jiangui sees the couple's affection, not knowing why he feels it hard to bear in his heart then. He was never like this before, however at this moment he also doesn't resent the two of them. He only feels the two are a married couple deeply in love, and it's actually making him quite envious.
Gu Jue pulls on Zhao Jiangui's arm, saying, "But da-shixiong has come to see Jue'er."
Zhao Jiangui says, "Fifteen minutes ago, I I had thought you two were still in the valley."
Gu Jue asks, "Then why has da-shixiong come to this place?"
Zhao Jiangui hasn't yet opened his mouth to speak. Mo Qingfeng has already looked him over for a while, expression gradually darkening, suddenly he opens his mouth to say, "I'm afraid da-shixiong has been poisoned."
----------
*神医/shényī - Gifted doctor. As with the other forms of address, I'm keeping the pinyin for direct address/reference.
**妹夫/mèifu - Younger sister's husband. (In this class, his shimei's husband.)
***女侠/nǚxiá - Warrior. Like "daxia" but specifically referring to women. (女/nǚ meaning female/woman.)
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel