“My blood isn’t tasty.”
“Of course not!”
Cao Er stood up and took the bowl away, saying, “Who would drink your blood!”
Seeing her place the bowl by the window, Cao Er stepped forward and wrapped the three-finger-long cut with a simple cloth bandage, telling Xi Fuhong not to move around.
If she opened the wound and bled to death, no one would care.
Then she picked up the clay bowl and walked out of the wooden house.
The room returned to silence, and Xi Fuhong closed her eyes, panting slightly.
She felt that her emotions had been too intense just now, and now she was dizzy and uncomfortable.
She panted and unknowingly fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, it was Cao Er shaking her awake.
In a daze, she felt the rim of a bowl pressed against her lips.
Xi Fuhong felt parched and opened her mouth to gulp down the contents of the bowl.
But as soon as her tongue tasted the medicine, she regretted it.
Unlike the bitter medicine she had before, this one was spicy.
She was so startled that she choked twice, but Cao Er didn’t give her a chance to resist and forced the medicine down her throat.
“This medicine is precious.
If you dare waste it, I’ll skin you alive!”
Cao Er said mercilessly.
Xi Fuhong didn’t have the energy to deal with Cao Er.
Her throat burned painfully, and every inch the medicine traveled felt like it was on fire.
Soon, her body began to sweat.
Cao Er stepped forward, took her wrist to check her pulse, and after a moment, unwrapped the bandaged wound.
She took out a small dagger and reopened the slightly healed area.
By this time, Xi Fuhong could no longer feel the pain.
She watched as fresh blood flowed from her arm, blinking her sweat-dampened eyelashes, feeling utterly exhausted.
“I understand why Master wanted to keep you.
The previous medicine people were so delicate they could only provide medicine once, but your body is strong enough to endure a second dose.
Truly impressive.”
Watching the blood drip from her fingertips, Cao Er nodded in satisfaction.
After listening to Cao Er’s rare praise in a daze, Xi Fuhong felt her mind was muddled, unable to think of anything.
Seeing her in a daze, Cao Er finished taking the blood, bandaged her wound, and left directly.
Closing the door, she carefully carried the blood bowl into the medicine room, where Mu Er had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Cao Er, Mu Er immediately took the blood bowl, poured in the prepared medicine powder, added clear water, and boiled it.
Two hours later, they distilled a bowl of slightly bright red medicine.
The two didn’t have a moment to spare, carrying the medicine bowl into the main house.
The white cloth inside fluttered slightly as the door opened, and Mu Er hurriedly closed the door.
Behind layers of white cloth, an incense burner was placed on the bed, burning calming poria.
Cao Er and Mu Er respectfully knelt by the bed, offering the medicine bowl with both hands.
“Master, please drink the medicine.”
Cao Er’s demeanor changed completely from her harshness towards Xi Fuhong, appearing obedient and respectful.
After speaking, a pair of slender jade hands slowly reached forward.
The white sleeve brushed over the bed, the left hand holding the bowl, the right hand covering the face, and the medicine was downed in one gulp.
Seeing this, Mu Er stepped forward to take the empty bowl and retreated behind the bed, while Cao Er knelt beside her.
In less than half an incense stick’s time, the room’s temperature dropped a few degrees, and the rising white smoke was scattered by an invisible force.
The atmosphere in the quiet room was oppressive, the white curtain rustling with the force, and the window frames creaked and swayed.
An hour later, the temperature slowly rose, and the fragrance of the medicine in the burner once again lingered in a thin line.
At this time, Mu Er, who was kneeling, stood up.
She took a snow mink fur coat from the side and draped it over the person on the bed.
“…Cao Er, how is the medicine person?”
A woman’s uniquely charming and lazy voice came from behind the curtain.
“Yes, Master, that medicine person is strong.
After taking the second dose, she is just a bit dazed.
I think after a night’s rest, she’ll be fine.”
Cao Er said respectfully, bowing her head.
Thinking of the previous medicine people, those girls from the village were all weak.
After taking blood once, they were half-dead, let alone taking a second dose of medicine.
Her master, known to the world as the Divine Doctor, had long been afflicted by cold poison.
Every few months, she needed to take medicine to stabilize the poison.
However, her body was special, with blood containing various toxins.
Ordinary medicine not only couldn’t be absorbed but could also cause rejection.
So, they had to find medicine people to take the medicine, then use their blood as a guide.
Only after distilling the medicine water could it be effective.
But the medicine to suppress the cold poison was extremely potent.
The first dose could be used to make a tonic after three days, but the second dose was mainly to counteract the cold, using extremely hot ingredients.
Just a small spoonful would feel like standing under the scorching sun.
If someone drank a whole bowl, their organs would feel like they were burning.
Often, medicine people would die from the pain after drinking the second dose, but this time, the medicine person managed to endure it, which was rare.
“…Since she’s taken both doses, take good care of her.
She’ll be useful in the future.”
The lazy tone clearly lacked energy.
“Yes!”
Cao Er agreed and left the main house with Mu Er.
The two walked in silence under the moonlight, with Cao Er holding Mu Er’s hand tightly.
They were twin sisters, born under the care of their master’s master, known as their grandmaster.
Originally, they were not meant to survive, but their mother insisted on giving birth to them.
In the end, the grandmaster had no choice but to save the children at the cost of the mother, and they were raised by their master for ten years.
Their feelings for their master were like those for a mother.
Since they could remember, their master was their sky, their earth.
No matter what happened, their master would protect them.
Because of this, once they had the ability to repay their master, they actively sought out antidote ingredients, unwilling to let their master suffer any more pain or hardship.
“Mu Er, you go back to sleep first.
I’ll go check on the medicine person.”
Cao Er was worried about Xi Fuhong, fearing that the strong effects of the medicine might kill her.
It would be troublesome to find another medicine person.
Mu Er nodded and went inside, while Cao Er turned and walked towards the small house.
As she pushed the door open, she was shocked to see Xi Fuhong freeing one of her restrained hands.
The wrist was covered in blood marks from the rope.
Xi Fuhong was so focused on freeing herself that she didn’t notice Cao Er had entered.
She was trying to untie the rope on her injured hand.
“Stop!”
Cao Er rushed forward anxiously to restrain Xi Fuhong.
“Are you trying to rebel?
Stop it now!”
“…I… I need to go to Li Jiang Mountain… Sister Cui is still waiting for me…” Xi Fuhong weakly struggled, but the petite Cao Er pressed her back onto the bed.
She took a clean cloth to wrap Xi Fuhong’s injured wrist and tied her back to the bedpost.
Seeing the other’s swift movements, Xi Fuhong was very anxious.
In her hazy consciousness, she dreamed of Shi Cuiyan, seeing her locked in a dungeon by that big man, covered in blood, looking terrifying.
Her cries made Xi Fuhong’s heart ache.
Waking up to find herself lying safely in bed, she felt ashamed.
She shouldn’t be lying here!
She should be rushing to Li Jiang Mountain to get help!
“That little girl… the little girl… I, I need to take her down the mountain…” Xi Fuhong, in her muddled state, thought of the little girl.
As long as she took the little girl down the mountain, she could go to Li Jiang Mountain.
“You’re only thinking of her now?
Mu Er already took her down the mountain.”
Cao Er glared at her.
Reaching out to check Xi Fuhong’s pulse, she found her breathing erratic and her energy and blood insufficient.
Cao Er frowned.
Clearly, when she took the blood earlier, there were no such symptoms. How did it become like this in just a few hours?
Hmph, if Master hadn’t said to keep her alive, she would have let her fend for herself.
Taking a few calming pills from her sleeve, Cao Er pried open Xi Fuhong’s mouth and forced her to swallow them.
Instantly, a sweet taste filled her mouth, and the previous heat vanished, followed by a wave of dizziness.
Before her eyelids closed, Xi Fuhong seemed to hear Cao Er sigh and say, “Being Master Xue Baihua’s medicine person means having no freedom.”
Xue Baihua, this was the first time Xi Fuhong had heard of the renowned Divine Doctor.
She had often wondered about the appearance of the Divine Doctor, hidden behind layers of white cloth—what kind of face could be so mysterious?
She hadn’t even heard her voice, but now she finally had some understanding of the Divine Doctor.
