Chapter 98: Mountains and Rivers Appear Endless, Doubts Arise
Huang Rong felt as if she were in an endless darkness, the darkness swirling, as if controlling reincarnation, with the distant and unending past and future cycling.
Feeling bored on Peach Blossom Island, she met the Old Urchin by chance. They hit it off, and she listened to him talk and tell stories, bringing him wine and food, but was reprimanded by her father after being discovered.
Feeling wronged, she left Peach Blossom Island and traveled northward from Lin’an Prefecture, wanting her father to be unable to find her. Then some rather interesting things happened. Instead of buying a horse, she borrowed the “Night-Shining Jade Lion.” In Zhongdu, she encountered Mei Chaofeng and helped the escorts fight while wearing a mask of the Earth God, only to be struck by wood.
When these memories were clear, Huang Rong felt she was the unluckiest person. Her father scolding her was one thing, but why did she have to suffer such a serious injury from a sudden disaster?
Inside the tent, Mei Chaofeng held her breath, sensing Huang Rong’s breathing. Unseen by her, fine beads of sweat were seeping from Huang Rong’s forehead, her complexion gradually turning from red to white. After this happened twice, she let out a soft cry, her subconscious uttering, “Why am I so unlucky?”
Mei Chaofeng’s body trembled, her breathing becoming rapid. From her Junior Sister coming to the Prince’s Manor’s backyard for help, to traveling south to this place, this was the first time her Junior Sister had spoken voluntarily, and her breathing seemed to have stabilized considerably.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, the Quanzhen Techniques were truly profound and vast. After being guided by Ma Yu twice, she had benefited greatly. Now, this Head Escort could even bring her Junior Sister, who was on the brink of death, back to life.
Thinking this, Mei Chaofeng felt uneasy again. She had just fought the Head Escort to the death. She was a person who would seek revenge for any grievance. Her body was now sore and numb in many places, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Zhou Yan would plot against her in secret.
Huang Rong’s consciousness became clearer, followed by pain between her muscles and bones. She felt as if a thousand pounds of force were pressing down on her from all directions, constantly tearing and piercing.
Father cannot live without me, I cannot die. I haven’t killed the Three-Headed Flood Dragon yet, nor have I provoked the Yellow River Gang. With such thoughts, Huang Rong seemed to be swimming against the current, struggling to survive. Suddenly, a warm and gentle Qi permeated all the painful areas of her joints and meridians. Under the effect of this warm current, she felt as if flesh buds were slowly growing on her body, accompanied by an itching sensation and comfort.
She was still in pain, but this was the most comfortable she had felt since being injured. Driven by this sensation, Huang Rong’s consciousness began to sink, and she fell asleep.
Zhou Yan felt the gravity in his palm continuously increasing, and he had just finished transferring the gentle Qi, extracted from the Jade Guanyin and stored in all the acupoints of the three main meridians, into her.
He exhaled lightly and said to Mei Chaofeng, “Let’s leave it like this for now. Let her rest for a while.”
Mei Chaofeng quickly helped Huang Rong up and asked, “How is she?”
“She’s definitely improved, but the specific effect will depend on her after she wakes up.”
“Thank… thank you.”
Apart from expressing gratitude to Ma Yu, Mei Chaofeng had never spoken words of thanks to anyone. Saying these two words felt awkward and unnatural.
“It’s nothing,” Zhou Yan said, getting up and leaving the tent.
Mei Chaofeng helped Huang Rong lie down and reached out to feel her pulse.
She knew nothing about Taoist Sect cultivation techniques, practicing the Nine Yin Manual by trial and error. However, as a disciple of Huang Yaoshi, she had some knowledge of medicinal principles and pulse diagnosis. She felt that although Huang Rong’s pulse was deep, it was strong, and indeed better than before.
Mei Chaofeng sighed, thinking that heaven was protecting her and her pitiful Junior Sister.
She had completely forgotten that she had been cursing heaven not long ago.
…
Liang Xiaowu and the other runners had already cooked noodles, plain noodles in clear broth, nothing fancy.
Zhou Yan took a porcelain bowl and picked up noodles with his chopsticks to eat.
“Head Escort, how is the Young Master’s injury?”
“It’s hard to say.”
“Let’s hope we can reach Taihu Lake somehow,” said one of the runners.
Zhou Yan felt uneasy.
The Jade Guanyin could heal internal illnesses, but whether it could completely restore Huang Rong’s injuries to her muscles, bones, and viscera, he was unsure. After all, he had never suffered such a severe internal injury himself, so he couldn’t make a comparison.
If not, it would be useless for Mei Chaofeng to send Huang Rong to Guiyun Manor.
Lu Chenfeng couldn’t save Huang Rong, unless Huang Yaoshi happened to be there.
As he thought this, a green-robed Medicine Boy walked over. Liang Zi Weng’s disciples were the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. All the way here, they had looked down on the runners and didn’t pay much attention to Zhou Yan. Now, seeing him fighting Mei Chaofeng as an equal, they became obsequious.
“Lord Zhou, this is ginseng from our master, it can nourish Qi and Blood. Please have some.”
Zhou Yan knew that although Mei Chaofeng was ruthless, she was also discerning. In the Divine Condor world, due to Ma Yu, she was repeatedly hunted by the Quanzhen Sect. She could kill her pursuers, but she always showed mercy.
Therefore, the offering of ginseng was purely for Huang Rong, not to seek his Quanzhen Techniques to treat her ailments.
“Thank you,” Zhou Yan said, taking the ginseng and handing it to Liang Xiaowu. “Wash it, slice it, and eat it with the noodles.”
“Head Escort, you should eat it to nourish your Qi and Blood. You just saved someone,” Liang Xiaowu said.
“Do as I say, quickly. I don’t need ginseng to nourish myself; look at me, do I look listless?” Zhou Yan threw the wild ginseng to the runner.
“Then we’ll do as the Head Escort says.”
Liang Xiaowu took the ginseng, took water from his waterskin to wash it, sliced it thinly with a dagger, and brought half of it to Zhou Yan.
He didn’t refuse and placed the ginseng into a porcelain bowl. While eating, he asked the Medicine Boy, “You are Merchant Mei’s disciple.”
The Medicine Boy glanced at the tent, then withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, “My master is a Ginseng Immortal hired by the Zhao Wang Manor. I was captured by her.”
Zhou Yan smiled and said, “So that’s how it is. You are truly pitiful.”
“Indeed. When I followed my master to the Zhao Wang Manor, just as we were nearing the suburbs, my master’s pet Big Treasure Snake was stolen by some thief. Since arriving at the manor, my master has had a bad temper, scolding me every few days, and sometimes beating me. Now she has kidnapped me again.”
Zhou Yan smiled and said, “Perhaps when this escort mission reaches Taihu Lake, your luck will turn.”
“Lord Zhou, please put in a good word for me then.”
“Alright!”
“Thank you, Lord Zhou.” The Boy left, expressing his gratitude profusely.
Zhou Yan finished the ginseng noodles in a few bites and said to Liang Xiaowu, “The horse carriages will stay here for now. Xiaowu, go to the Yellow River wharf tomorrow to hire a boat.”
“Got it!”
Zhou Yan settled the related matters and sat cross-legged to regulate his breath. Mei Chaofeng, on the other side, came out of the tent and asked the Medicine Boy what he was doing. The boy said he was meditating.
Mei Chaofeng suppressed the urge to confront Zhou Yan. She had the boy fetch her soft whip and then entered the tent to accompany Huang Rong.
The dawn light was faint, and the weather did not improve. The low-hanging clouds were like shackles thrown down by the heavens.
Liang Xiaowu rode his horse straight to the Yellow River wharf, while Zhou Yan entered the woods to hunt two wild rabbits.
An hour later, Liang Xiaowu returned, his face quite solemn. “Head Escort, there are no boats at the wharf.”
“Why?”
“I inquired. There is a war in Shandong. Along the Yellow River in Jinan Prefecture, boats are either destroyed or requisitioned.”
“Who is fighting?”
“A group of rebels who have risen up. They are causing chaos, fighting against both the Jin soldiers and the troops of the Lin’an Prefecture court.”
Zhou Yan really couldn’t recall which rebel group was active in Shandong at this time. However, he scoffed at the Lin’an Prefecture court’s attitude towards the rebels. They wanted to use the rebels to wear down the Jin army, yet they were also afraid that if the rebels grew too powerful, they would threaten their rule, a contradictory stance.
His thoughts returned, and he said, “Head southwest along the Yellow River. We’ll see as we go.”
“Alright!”
The runners hitched the horses, and Zhou Yan informed Mei Chaofeng about the change of route.
Mei Chaofeng had no objections.
Huang Rong had already been placed in the carriage. Zhou Yan asked Mei Chaofeng about her condition, and she said she had slept very well.
He felt somewhat relieved.
The caravan set off, traveling southwest along the Yellow River. By noon, they saw small ferry boats along the way, but these were of no use to Zhou Yan with his carriages and horses.
As night fell again, the caravan passed Liaocheng.
Mei Chaofeng, inside the carved carriage, cried out, ordering the carriage to stop. Huang Rong was spitting blood.
