Сhаpter 45: Тhе Firе Моth Party
Аftеr escаping from thе саmр, Shеn Du аnd the othеrs saw someone waiting оutsidе—it was аnothеr grоuр оf the Innеr Guаrd stаtiоnеd in Yingzhou Сity.
Without hesitаtiоn, Shen Du mоunted his horse, rаised his whip, аnd coldlу оrdеrеd:
"Lеt’s gо, bеfore thеу reаlizе whаt’s haрpеning."
Нe glanсеd baсk in the directiоn where Mо Qiаnzhi hаd beеn, but there was nо sign оf him аnymоrе. Shеn Du turnеd аwаy withоut furthеr delаy аnd led the grоup аwау.
On thе сitу wаll of Yingzhou Citу, Zhu Yan paced аnxiously, аlmost weаring down thе briсks benеath her feet. As the sky began to lighten, there was still no sign of their return. Her heart tightened with worry, and her hands and feet felt clumsy and unsteady.
"Look, someone’s coming!"
Hearing this, Zhu Yan rushed to the parapet and looked down. A small black dot appeared outside the city, followed by more dots. The small dots gradually grew larger and clearer as they approached.
It was Shen Du and the others returning.
Tears welled up in Zhu Yan’s eyes and spilled over as she slumped against the bricks, the dark clouds in her heart finally lifting.
Remembering that Shen Du would soon enter the city, Zhu Yan gathered her strength, descended the city wall, and obediently waited by the city gate.
With a creak—the most heavenly sound Zhu Yan had ever heard—Shen Du rode in first. It was now the second quarter of the mao hour, with the faint light of dawn breaking through and autumn mist rising. The buildings were hazy in the morning fog, but Shen Du immediately spotted the petite figure within it. His heart swelled, and he could no longer suppress his emotions. He dismounted and pulled her into his arms.
Only when she was nestled in his warm embrace did Zhu Yan’s anxious heart finally settle. Her nose tingled with emotion, and before she could shed tears, she couldn’t hold back a sneeze.
"Ah-choo!"
Only then did Shen Du realize how chilly the autumn morning dew was. He quickly removed his cloak and wrapped it around Zhu Yan, cupping her face to examine it closely. Unable to resist, he leaned down to kiss her cheek, then moved to her soft lips. Having stood outside all night, Zhu Yan’s lips were cold, and Shen Du felt a pang of tenderness, kissing her even more gently.
The dark clouds in Zhu Yan’s heart dissipated with the kiss. But as she breathed in, she caught a whiff of blood. Opening her teary eyes, she felt Shen Du’s weight sink onto her shoulders. Alarm bells rang in her heart as Shen Du’s head drooped onto her shoulder, his full weight knocking her to the ground.
"Shen Du?!"
Even after Shen Du was carried back to his room, Zhu Yan couldn’t make out what Jing Lin was saying. All she knew was that Shen Du was covered in blood—bright red blood on his arms and back, seeping through as if it would never stop. Shen Du’s face was pale, and his eyes, which usually struck fear into others when he stared, were tightly shut. No matter how she called to him, he wouldn’t wake up.
How could this be? Wasn’t the White King of Hell invincible?
Zhu Yan’s face turned pale as she watched Jing Lin clumsily try to remove Shen Du’s clothes. Clenching her hands, she stepped forward to take over, instructing Jing Lin to fetch a doctor and boil water.
Jing Lin looked at her with concern—her face was ghastly pale, and she trembled violently, as if she might collapse at any moment.
"I’m fine, I can handle it."
Jing Lin gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and turned to make the arrangements.
Zhu Yan wrung out a cloth from the basin of water and first wiped Shen Du’s hands and face. When it came time to undress him, her initial discomfort was quickly replaced by worry. She turned her head slightly to the side and unfastened his buttons and belt one by one, removing his clothes and wiping him down. Just as she was worrying about how to turn him over, Jing Lin arrived with the doctor.
The doctor clearly hadn’t fully woken up—Jing Lin must have forcibly knocked on his door to wake him and bring him here.
The doctor examined Shen Du’s pulse and inspected his wounds. Just then, hot water was brought in. The doctor ordered strong alcohol to disinfect the wounds, applied medicinal ointment, and left some internal medicine with a few instructions.Jing Lin offered silver to the physician, who initially dared not accept it. After Jing Lin said something, the physician eventually took it, agreeing to return the next day.
Meanwhile, Shen Du showed faint signs of waking. As soon as Jing Lin noticed, he hurriedly found an excuse to leave.
Zhu Yan: "...Sigh, at least help him put his clothes back on before leaving."
Turning her head, she saw Shen Du open his eyes and look at her.
It was already Chen hour. The sun had climbed the treetops, casting dappled light into the room. Sparrows chirped and hopped on the windowsill as a gentle breeze drifted in. Zhu Yan blinked once, then again, her initial sorrow swiftly transforming into delight. She rushed forward, clasping his hand, her voice trembling:
"You're awake?"
Shen Du nodded. He had been awakened by the pain. Smelling the alcohol, he understood what had happened. On military campaigns, injuries and treatments were commonplace, and being roused by pain was nothing unusual. But today was different—it had been a long time since he was last wounded, and never before had he woken to see the person he held dearest in his heart gazing at him with such concern.
"Does it hurt badly?"
The woman before him trembled slightly, tears glistening in her eyes. Dark circles shadowed her lower lids, her eyelids were swollen, her nose quivered, and her cheek pressed against the back of his hand as she hovered on the verge of weeping.
Shen Du shook his head: "It doesn't hurt."
But Zhu Yan truly began to cry, tears streaming down her face. Shen Du panicked: "It really doesn't hurt."
Flustered and unsure what to do, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes, he quickly tried to comfort her: "I obtained the antidote. Hurry and take it to Pan Chi so he won't die."
"That way, you'll have repaid the debt you owe him."
Zhu Yan laughed through her tears: "Jing Lin already delivered it."
Shen Du was at a loss for words. Glancing down, he saw his clothes still undone, though the wound had been bandaged. Urging Zhu Yan to rest, he said: "I'm fine. You should go get some sleep."
Zhu Yan was about to refuse when she remembered the physician's instructions. Hurriedly, she took out a pill and insisted Shen Du take it.
Shen Du complied. Not long after, drowsiness set in, but he kept a firm grip on Zhu Yan's hand. Eyes closed and half-asleep, he murmured:
"Don't leave. I want to see you when I wake up."
How could Zhu Yan refuse? "Alright!"
Only then did Shen Du relax and fall asleep.
Seizing the moment, Zhu Yan rested her head on Shen Du's arm and dozed off. When she awoke, Shen Du was still deeply asleep, likely due to the pill's effect. She rose to check on Pan Chi.
After taking the antidote, Pan Chi showed rapid improvement. Though still unconscious, the white filaments on his body were gradually dispersing. All that remained was to wait for the poison to fully clear.
Jing Lin had arranged for Inner Guards to wait there. Reassured, Zhu Yan remembered she hadn't washed up yet and turned to leave in search of water to freshen up.
Just as she reached the courtyard, she saw Jing Lin surrounded by Inner Guards and yamen runners, all clamoring about something.
Zhu Yan smiled softly. With Shen Du safely returned and Pan Chi having taken the antidote, her worries were resolved, and her mood was light. She passed through the crowd toward the kitchen, thinking of preparing some light, tasty dishes for Shen Du.
"Madam!"
Zhu Yan turned to see Jing Lin calling her, puzzled.
Jing Lin waved her over: "Madam, come save me!"
What was this fellow talking about?
Nevertheless, Zhu Yan walked over as asked, stepping into the circle of sturdy young men. Smiling, she asked: "What did you need me for?"
Jing Lin quickly pushed through the crowd, pretending to be annoyed: "They insist on knowing how we defeated the Fire Moth Party last night. I can't explain it clearly—better for you to tell them."
The young men chimed in: "Yes, yes, tell us about it!"
Zhu Yan was taken aback, never expecting this to be the reason. Pressing her lips together, she glanced around the group, her gaze finally settling on Jing Lin."Didn't you tell them it was Illusion Art?"
Jing Lin scratched his head, looking rather troubled: "I did, but I couldn't explain it clearly. I know the details of the ambush, but they didn't ask about that. They just wanted to know how we managed to create the momentum of a thousand troops without a single soldier."
Oh, so it was a group of young people thirsting for knowledge.
Zhu Yan didn't refuse either, speaking frankly: "Actually, it's just a simple Illusion Art. I learned this Illusion Art from the leader of the Fire moth party."
Someone exclaimed in surprise: "Does Madam Shen really know how to use Illusion Art?"
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