Chapter 32: The Situation
"...Feng Laosi suddenly grabbed Da Hu's knife and swung it at me. Ninth Master blocked it with his shoulder to save me!" A Sen sobbed, wiping his seemingly endless tears with the back of his hand. "If I'd known this would happen, I should have bitten Feng Laosi when he caught me. He would've been furious and killed me outright..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Fu Tingyun scolded him softly while carefully lifting the right side of Ninth Master Zhao's robe. "Ninth Master was willing to take a blade for you—that means he sees you as his own brother. How could you say such a thing? Wouldn’t his sacrifice be in vain then? Think how hurt he’d be if he heard you!" As she spoke, she gasped sharply.
Ninth Master Zhao’s right shoulder was hastily wrapped in strips of cloth, clearly torn from old clothes, now completely soaked with blood that had seeped into his robes.
No wonder he was wearing dark clothing.
Fu Tingyun’s heart twisted with pain.
No wonder he looked so pale, gulping down water desperately.
He must have been feeling unwell even back at the City God Temple.
And yet, he had still given her a dagger for protection.
He must have sensed the severity of his injury, worried he wouldn’t make it safely to Xi’an, which was why he’d done that.
But she had refused his kindness, pushing all responsibility for their safety onto him... And to think she had even thrown a tantrum and stubbornly ridden the handcart... Pushing the cart required arm strength, and his injury was on his shoulder... He never let her walk before, but ever since then, whenever she wanted to walk, he never stopped her—it must have been because the pain was too much.
Fu Tingyun was filled with regret and self-loathing.
Regret for her carelessness, hatred for her spoiled willfulness.
Tears blurred her vision.
Now he was injured and unconscious, and it was her turn to protect him, just as he had once done for her.
Even as she thought this, she knew the vast difference in their strength.
What could she do?
How could she find a doctor to treat him? How could she get him away from here? How could they reach Xi’an safely?
The mere thought made her legs feel weak.
No matter what, she couldn’t let him die here!
He was so young, with so much ahead of him...
She thought of her uncle’s family’s fate.
Her eldest cousin’s two sons might have grown up to pass the imperial exams, become top scholars, even rise to high office as renowned ministers—but all that had vanished when the children died young...
She couldn’t let his future be cut short here too!
Fu Tingyun wiped her tears fiercely.
She called out to A Sen, "I noticed Ninth Master and you both know this area well. Do you know where the nearest town is?"
"Miss, what are you planning?" A Sen’s eyes were red. "It’s a famine year—those towns are probably crawling with migrant bandits and freelance gangs that prey on outsiders. Without Ninth Master to protect us, even if the bandits don’t rob us, the gangs won’t let us go!"
"I know!" Fu Tingyun said. "But where there’s a town, there are doctors. No matter what, we have to try. We can’t stay here forever. The midday sun is scorching, and there’s no shade. If Ninth Master stays exposed like this, I’m afraid he’ll get dehydrated. And if any bandits pass by, the cruel ones would rob us all the same. Besides, I wasn’t planning to enter the town anyway."A Sen looked at her in confusion.
"Since those migrant bandits have all gone to the town to beg, the City God Temple must be empty," Fu Tingyun explained her plan to A Sen. "Ninth Master and I will stay at the temple while you go into town to see if you can find a doctor. If you can, that would be best. If not, make your way to Xi'an Prefecture—it's only two days' journey from here. Your Brother Yucheng and Brother Yuanbao should both be in Xi'an, right? Rather than dragging Ninth Master all the way there with our uncertain situation, it would be better to have your Brother Yucheng and Brother Yuanbao come meet us..."
Larger villages all had City God Temples, let alone towns.
Before she could finish speaking, A Sen jumped up excitedly. "Ah! How could I have forgotten about Brother Yucheng and Brother Yuanbao! Miss's idea is excellent. We can ride horses there and reach Xi'an in just one day." He added, "I know there's a Linchun Town about thirty li from here—it's on the main road from Xi'an to Lantian County. I'm not sure if they have doctors, but I know there's a City God Temple at the eastern end of town."
Fu Tingyun's spirits lifted. "Do you still remember the way?"
"Yes!" A Sen said. "I went there once with Third Master."
"Good!" Fu Tingyun stood up. "Let's go to Linchun Town."
A Sen nodded vigorously.
Working together, they lifted Ninth Master Zhao onto the small cart. One steadied it while the other pushed, wobbling and stopping frequently until they finally reached Linchun Town after dark.
Along the way, Fu Tingyun gave Ninth Master Zhao water three times. The last time, he groggily asked where they were going.
"To Linchun Town," she said. "A Sen says it's quite prosperous there. We might find a doctor."
Ninth Master Zhao didn't respond, tilting his head and falling back asleep. It was unclear whether he approved of her decision or simply hadn't understood what she said.
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The City God Temple at the eastern end of Linchun Town wasn't large either—a main hall with three sections and five or six side rooms behind it.
When they entered, there was only one man in the main hall. He crouched in the southwest corner, using three stones to prop up an iron pot as he cooked something. The firelight illuminated his rough, fierce-looking face. He merely glanced up briefly when they entered before returning his attention to the pot.
Fu Tingyun found the atmosphere in the temple unsettling.
She quickly scanned the hall.
It was relatively clean, as if people often stayed here.
Why was there only one person?
She exchanged glances with A Sen and noticed he also seemed uneasy.
"Did you notice anything?" she whispered to him.
"It's strange," A Sen murmured. "Why is there only one person?"
They were thinking the same thing.
A Sen glanced at the rough-faced man and said, "I remember there are a few side rooms in the back. Maybe we should stay there? There's only one entrance, so it would be easier to guard."
If Master Qi were here, Fu Tingyun wouldn't have objected. But the suggestion came from A Sen—not only was he a child, but he was also injured. If a skilled fighter really came in, like that rough-faced man, they'd be like turtles caught in a jar!"We should rest in the woods outside the City God Temple," Fu Tingyun suggested. "Though the trees there are all dead, at least they provide some shelter..."
As she spoke, a loud voice called from outside the temple gates, "Anyone inside?" Following the shout, a tall man strode in.
He appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with fair skin and regular features. He wore a silk Straight Robe whose color was indistinguishable in the dim light, belted neatly at the waist, giving him the tidy appearance of a shopkeeper.
Upon seeing the scene inside the hall, he seemed momentarily surprised. After a brief pause, he clasped his hands toward Fu Tingyun and the others with a smile. "Travelers must help one another. We'd like to stay here for the night if you'd be so kind."
Fu Tingyun herself hadn't yet decided whether to stay, so she remained silent. Strangely, none of the rough-faced men spoke either, creating an increasingly eerie atmosphere.
Unfazed, the man turned and called outside. Three more men filed in one after another.
All appeared to be in their early twenties. One was burly with piercing eyes, pushing a small cart loaded with miscellaneous items; another of average height had an ordinary face but carried himself with an air of ease, empty-handed; the last was handsome with a friendly demeanor, carrying a bundle on his back. They all wore silk garments belted at the waist.
The burly man declared loudly upon entering, "This place isn't bad," his booming voice nearly deafening.
A Sen immediately pressed closer to Fu Tingyun, whispering, "Miss, this man knows martial arts."
Fu Tingyun felt a prickle of unease as the burly man clasped his hands toward her. "Miss, there are several of us. We'd like to rest in the northwest corner. Would you mind?"
Only then did Fu Tingyun realize she was blocking their path.
She quickly lowered her head and stepped aside.
The group passed by her.
The shopkeeper-like man and the burly one cast curious glances at Ninth Master Zhao lying on the cart, while the average-built man's gaze lingered on Fu Tingyun for a long time. The handsome man first followed the burly one's look toward Ninth Master Zhao, then turned to observe Fu Tingyun when he noticed the other man staring at her.
"Miss," A Sen whispered almost inaudibly, "perhaps you should stay inside the hall? Those four don't seem like bad people. I'll go to town and be back within half an hour at most."
Being around more people usually brought a greater sense of security.
Fu Tingyun was no exception.
Gazing at the shadowy world beyond the temple, she nodded. "Go quickly and return soon."
A Sen acknowledged.
After some thought, Fu Tingyun chose a spot in the southeast corner, far from both groups of men.
She spread out a straw mat and helped A Sen move Ninth Master Zhao onto it. Positioning the small cart as a barrier, she created a secluded corner for their rest. After A Sen left for town, Fu Tingyun retrieved a dagger and placed it beneath the mat, then quietly called to Ninth Master Zhao, "...Would you drink some water?"
Ninth Master Zhao opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, shook his head vaguely, then closed his eyes again in deep sleep.
Her heart clenched. Setting aside propriety between men and women, she touched his forehead.
Burning hot!
Alarmed, Fu Tingyun wet a cloth and began wiping his forehead, desperately trying to recall how her childhood nurse had cared for her during fevers.It would be best to wash the shoulder with salt water and re-bandage it.
But she didn’t know how to bandage it and didn’t dare touch the cloth strips.
If only Ninth Master Zhao could wake up—even for just a moment—to tell her how to wrap the bandages!
She wrung out a cloth and placed it on his forehead again.
Noise drifted in from outside.
The group in the northwest corner had already finished preparing their bedding. Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look toward the temple door.
Only the man standing in the northwest corner didn’t even lift his head.
The noise grew louder—men laughing, cursing, and shouting, women screaming and crying.
Torches lit up the sky.
Fu Tingyun thought of the scene when Master Feng Four had appeared that day.
Her expression tightened as she gripped the dagger in her hand.
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Fixed typos...
O(∩_∩)O~
(End of chapter)
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