As dusk approached, Physician Liu led two burly men into the village.
Near the Jia family gate, they first heard a “kachi kachi” sound.
Taking a few more steps forward, they saw a young boy in the courtyard swinging a sword to chop wood.
His movements were sharp and precise, the blade striking the wood as effortlessly as slicing through water.
“What fine swordsmanship,” one of the burly men blurted out.
The boy glanced over, his pitch-black eyes showing not a trace of amusement, his face expressionless.
Without pausing, his sword continued the “kachi kachi” rhythm.
It looked like he was peeling a melon, or rather…
Peeling someone’s head.
The sudden thought startled the three men, causing them to hastily step back.
Liu, caught in the middle with nowhere to dodge, got stepped on by both sides and howled in pain.
What the hell was that noise?
Luo Yan stretched lazily and stood up from the rattan chair.
Seeing old acquaintances, she smiled warmly and waved, “Uncle Liu.”
“Miss,” Liu put away his grimace and limped past Zhu Yun into the courtyard. “Are you still able to bear the new prescription?”
“I can bear it.”
Seeing Liu’s limp and slightly embarrassed expression, she kindly didn’t ask further and invited them to sit. “Uncle Liu, this is A Yun. Please take a look at him.”
“…Yes.”
Luckily, Zhu Yun was cooperative.
Liu steadied himself and took his pulse, puzzled. “Young Master seems almost fully recovered.”
“Really?” Luo Yan squeezed beside Zhu Yun and also reached out to feel his pulse, sensing a steady and strong heartbeat, though nothing unusual.
A smile flickered in Liu’s eyes. “I’ve never dealt with poison-making or antidotes, but judging by the young master’s abundant blood and qi, and his pulse returning from stagnation to normal, I deduce he’s close to recovery.”
Zhu Yun expected this and withdrew his hand, only to be gently elbowed by Luo Yan. He lazily said, “Since I’ve recovered, I won’t be going to the clinic anymore.”
“What?” Liu nearly jumped out of his seat upon hearing this. Pretending to wipe sweat on his sleeve to avoid the young man’s dark gaze, he looked toward Jia Yufang. “May I speak with you privately?”
“Grandmother and Uncle Liu can talk right here.” Luo Yan pointed to the chicken coop. “We’ll go feed the chickens.”
After they left, Liu let out a long breath. “What do you plan to do, old sister? I think that young master is quite skilled, probably someone from the martial world. He doesn’t seem a proper match for our Miss.”
“You don’t know the whole story.”
Jia Yufang carefully recounted Luo Yan’s changes over the past two months, half relieved, half helpless. “Her clothes, food, and shelter are far from what they used to be. She even lacks a maid to keep her company. Luckily, A Yun came along; the Miss finally has a companion.”
The Luoxian family no longer exists.
What else matters now besides the Miss’s health and happiness?
Liu understood but found it hard to accept.
Then Jia Yufang asked, “Miss has looked well lately, probably hasn’t coughed for a long time. Has her health truly improved?”
To her surprise, he shook his head and after a long pause said, “The Miss’s symptoms are strange—no matter how carefully cared for, she won’t get better, nor will she get worse. An incurable disease. Incurable.”
The conversation fell exactly into Zhu Yun’s ears.
He looked at the carefree girl in front of him and frowned. “The wind’s picking up. Let’s go inside first.”
“?”
The sun seemed to rise from the west—he actually spoke words resembling concern.
Luo Yan tiptoed to touch his forehead and muttered, “You don’t have a fever.”
“…”
He really shouldn’t have said that.
Seeing Zhu Yun’s shifting expression, she laughed happily and then obediently coaxed, “I’m just joking. Why are you so easy to anger? Come inside, come inside, let’s play a game of chess.”
Night had fallen, and Jia Yufang also got up to see them off.
Liu slowly packed up the medicine box, glancing sideways at the intimate pair.
Once outside the courtyard, he quietly suggested, “Miss refuses to go to the capital. The marriage will probably hit a snag. The young master looks decent and has some skill; he’s barely a suitable match.”
“You mean…”
“Just take him in as a child husband for our Miss.”
Luo Yan was still young and had endured life-and-death hardships; Jia Yufang hadn’t seriously considered her marriage.
But Liu was right—without a prominent maternal family, no matter how beautiful a girl was, she could only become a wealthy family’s concubine or a poor wife. Both would disgrace the Miss; it’s better to take in a son-in-law.
Being taken in requires both good looks and character.
Jia Yufang had yet to see a man more handsome than Zhu Yun, so that hurdle was cleared. As for character, though he usually wore a cold face, he treated Luo Yan kindly enough.
If he was willing to abandon his past and quietly stay in Qingyuan Village with the Miss, he would be the perfect choice.
“The Miss still has Qin Kin alive; it’s not up to an old servant like me to decide.” Jia Yufang was pleased but couldn’t reveal too much to outsiders. She only said politely, “Thank you for your help today, Uncle Liu.”
Inside the house, Zhu Yun propped his chin, pretending to think but actually eavesdropping.
He didn’t understand what a “child husband” was, but caught the phrase “still has Qin Kin alive.”
According to the Great Li Legal Code, if an unmarried girl’s parents both die, she should be taken in by relatives. If she still has kin, how did she end up in Qingyuan Village…
While pondering this, a sharp pain stabbed his abdomen, cold sweat immediately dripping from his temple.
The remaining poison was acting up.
Just as the physician said, the lingering Yuanyang Warmth was minimal, and in two days it might be completely healed.
But now, his face was pale, veins bulging on his hand, frightening Luo Yan so much that she threw down her chess piece. “What’s wrong?”
Zhu Yun waved her off and moved to sit cross-legged on the bed to regulate his qi.
Luo Yan mistakenly thought he was too hurt to speak, wetting a handkerchief to wipe his sweat while shedding tears.
“I should have let you go down the mountain with Uncle Liu earlier. There are plenty of clinics in town; surely they have doctors who can detoxify.”
After a moment, he suppressed the poison and opened his eyes slowly.
Seeing her small face flushed from crying, he couldn’t help but tease, “Everyone has to die someday…”
“Don’t you die.” Luo Yan sobbed softly.
Zhu Yun’s lips twitched upward. “Why not?”
Unexpectedly, confusion flashed in her eyes before she racked her brain and quickly came up with, “You haven’t taught me martial arts yet, and you haven’t taught me how to catch fish either.”
“…” His smile stiffened, voice rising unconsciously, “So you want me to teach you before I die?”
Luo Yan was stumped and blankly replied, “Is that allowed?”
“No, no, no.”
Hearing his firm voice, she first froze but then relaxed seeing his lips regain color. “You’re okay?”
“Mm.” Zhu Yun answered coldly. “Disappointed you.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she sighed, “Your poisons and illnesses really don’t make sense. None of my common knowledge applies. Forget it, I’ll go down the mountain tomorrow and have Uncle Liu prepare more health tonics.”
Mentioning going down the mountain, Zhu Yun had his own matters to attend to.
“I’m not going to the clinic. I have to find a weapons shop to repair my sword.”
Luo Yan narrowed her eyes. “From the tone of your voice, you don’t plan to take me with you.”
“You’re slow and keep complaining about being tired. Why bother?” He spoke casually but honestly.
She didn’t argue and went to her room to bring two heavy chests, opening the one on the left first.
“I want to pawn some things in town. You come help me decide.”
Zhu Yun was all too familiar with the official trunk and its contents—his spoils of war.
His expression instantly darkened, and he said coldly, “Do you know what’s in this chest?”
“No.” She answered frankly. “But it looks valuable.”
“Every item inside is engraved with the owner’s name. If you pawn them today, you’ll be dead at home tomorrow.”
Luo Yan gasped. “That valuable? Then why is it here in my house? Could someone be trying to frame me?”
Zhu Yun’s lips twitched. “You sure have a big ego.”
If a martial world insider were here, they’d easily recognize each piece’s origin—and they shared a common trait: all the owners died at the hands of Lan Yue Tower Jiaqi.
Seeing Luo Yan’s face fall and tears still wet on her cheeks drop with a soft “plop,” he cleared his throat. “Melt the gold and silver. Dismantle and sell the jewels. Keep the secret manuals and elixirs.”
Hearing this, her eyes immediately widened, pupils gleaming.
Zhu Yun instinctively looked away and doused her enthusiasm with cold water. “Do you know how to melt them?”
“…”
“No.”
Luo Yan wasn’t discouraged.
Opening the other chest, it contained her old belongings. “Should I pawn these first?”
He picked up a pair of pure gold armlets with intricate patterns, clearly very valuable.
Feeling the inner stamp, he held it close— a small “Luo” character.
So, Jia was a servant woman’s surname.
“Did you figure something out?” Luo Yan tilted her head curiously.
Zhu Yun scraped off the stamp with his dagger and tossed the armlets back.
“Easy to sell, but what do you need money for?”
She pouted. “Not managing a household, don’t know the cost of rice, oil, and salt.”
Although she said that, Luo Yan didn’t really know the prices.
In her past life, her family was wealthy, but she spent every day in hospitals, wearing patient gowns and eating nutrition meals, money was just a string of virtual numbers.
Here in Qingyuan Village, water was drawn from the well, vegetables grew in their garden, and clothes were sewn by her grandmother’s hands.
How much income the embroidery brought, the price of meat, or what other expenses existed, she didn’t know.
But she did know modern rich people think raising children costs too much.
What about a woman over fifty in ancient times?
Supporting both of them, the money must be tight, right?
Zhu Yun didn’t argue and nodded. “Then let’s go to town.”
“Eh—”
Luo Yan casually picked up a picture book depicting little figures fighting and caught the key point.
“You just called this a secret manual? And those bottles actually hold elixirs? I knew I saw you sneaking a taste.”
The pot calling the kettle black.
Zhu Yun furrowed his brow, thinking he should have killed her long ago.
Just as the thought arose, Luo Yan leaned in close, her black hair falling naturally, exposing a slender neck.
Zhu Yun caught a faint floral fragrance, probably from hair tonic.
His heart jumped, and he raised a hand to push her away.
Unaware, Luo Yan had only been trying to pick up a fallen hairband. Seeing his reaction, she scolded, “What’s wrong with you!”
“Stay away from me.”
“?”
Luo Yan stood up from the low stool and sat on the bed, pressing her shoulder against his, wide-eyed and challenging: I want to be close, I want to be close.
Zhu Yun’s expression stiffened slightly.
His hand on the bed clenched into a fist, then relaxed.
After several repeats, he changed the subject. “Going to town isn’t close. You have to take the main road down the mountain, then walk several miles.”
“I have a plan.” Luo Yan gestured for him to lean in. “Tell grandmother this later…”
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