Focusing on herself, she either ignored it or didn’t care, lacking the previous foolish enthusiasm, making it uninteresting to deceive her.
As for Xi Fuhong at the stern, she had no mind to be upset because the heat surging within her was almost making her dizzy.
It started a few moments after boarding the ship; she felt a bit stuffy in her chest at first, not paying much attention until the stuffiness turned into intense pain, forcing her to curl up beside the mast, her head throbbing and her body weak.
Gritting her teeth, she planned to endure it silently, knowing in her heart that it must be Xue Baihua’s doing.
She hugged her legs, facing the riverbank, not noticing Shi Cuiyan leisurely approaching.
Shi Cuiyan couldn’t sit still, thinking that since they were traveling together, there was no need to act like enemies.
Although Xi Fuhong wasn’t easy to coax now, with Shi Cuiyan’s skills, she believed she could handle the little girl from the valley.
“Xi sister, I bought some sweet pastries on the way, let’s eat together?” Shi Cuiyan said, taking out oiled paper from her bosom.
Hearing her approach, Xi Fuhong immediately hugged herself tighter, frowning, not wanting Shi Cuiyan to know she was poisoned, but the burning sensation kept surging, making her dazed.
Shi Cuiyan stood behind her, puzzled, noticing Xi Fuhong’s odd behavior.
With a quick thought, she cleverly grabbed her arm, suddenly feeling like she was holding a scalding kettle, her expression turning serious.
“Are you sick?!” She forcefully turned Xi Fuhong around, indeed seeing her flushed face and rapid breathing.
Frowning, Xi Fuhong barely spoke, “…No, nothing.” Her voice was surprisingly hoarse.
“Why didn’t you say you were sick?! Damn it!” Shi Cuiyan didn’t give Xi Fuhong a chance to struggle, scooping her up horizontally and carrying her into the cabin.
She hurriedly laid Xi Fuhong on the bed, pressing her fingers on her pulse.
Although not a doctor, she had learned some basic medical skills from her years in Jianghu.
Her qi and blood were chaotic, heat attacking her heart, and she was sweating profusely.
Shi Cuiyan furrowed her brows, took out a Xue Tian Wan from her sleeve, and put it in Xi Fuhong’s mouth, then pressed her sleep acupoint to let her rest.
After a while, the heat in Xi Fuhong’s body gradually subsided.
Fortunately, Shi Cuiyan always carried good medicine with her.
Although Xue Tian Wan couldn’t cure all diseases, it was useful in emergencies.
Lowering her head, looking at her sweat-drenched face, Shi Cuiyan covered her with a quilt and left.
She went to the bow, asked the boatman for hot water, and quietly returned to the cabin with a basin.
She carefully sat on the edge of the bed, checked her pulse again to ensure the heat had dissipated, and then began to undress her.
Shi Cuiyan wrung out a wet cloth, wiped her wheat-colored neck, then her chest.
Her movements were gentle, not waking Xi Fuhong, until Shi Cuiyan lifted her waist garment, discovering several scars on her side.
The newly grown flesh was particularly delicate, and the touch was very soft.
“…Does it hurt…” She murmured, not knowing if she was asking Xi Fuhong or herself.
Seeing those dozens of whip marks, her heart ached.
When she completely removed Xi Fuhong’s clothes, the marks on her thighs were even more unbearable to look at.
Some dark red scabs hadn’t even healed.
She took out a golden wound medicine, carefully applying it to the wounds, frowning with each touch.
She knew that Xi Fuhong’s current situation was her fault… She was the one who started it all.
Gui Po’s words about Xi Fuhong hating her suddenly came to mind, inexplicably bothering her.
She quietly dressed Xi Fuhong, carried the basin out of the cabin.
At this time, the sun was setting, and theirs was the only boat on the river, swaying gently.
Shi Cuiyan stood in the cool early autumn breeze, lost in thought.
The boatman, seeing her like this, put down the wooden pole and took the basin from her hands.
“Miss, it wouldn’t be good to get your clothes wet.” The boatman smiled, placing the basin on the ground, then looked up and said, “Where’s your servant? Isn’t carrying a basin something servants do?”
“…Servant?” Shi Cuiyan looked at the boatman, suddenly finding it amusing, “Yes, do you think my master would reward me for being so diligent?”
“Huh?!” The boatman was puzzled, could this elegant lady be a servant? And the one in coarse cloth the master?
“Unfortunately, my master is stubborn and difficult, never showing a good face despite all I’ve done.” Although most of it was harm.
Shi Cuiyan laughed self-deprecatingly, leaning against the mast, looking up at the sky full of clouds, feeling indescribable melancholy and depression.
The boatman, seeing this, said no more and returned to his work.
Two hours later, Xi Fuhong slowly woke up, lying weakly on the bed, coughing dryly a few times, feeling no longer as hot as before.
With the temperature gone, she only felt dizzy but not unable to walk.
Walking to the bow, she saw Shi Cuiyan’s thin back leaning against the bow, hesitated for a moment, and then approached.
“…Um…” She bit her lip, softly saying, “Thank you.”
“Next time, tell me earlier, okay? Don’t forget,” Shi Cuiyan turned to look into her eyes, smiling sweetly, “My life is in your hands.
If you die, I can’t live either, understand?”
Xi Fuhong nodded.
She knew Shi Cuiyan’s help wasn’t sincere, only because Granny had placed a Gu poison on her.
Without the antidote, she was responsible for her safety.
Thinking about her childish refusal to let Shi Cuiyan know she was poisoned, almost implicating Shi Cuiyan, she felt a bit guilty.
“Alright, don’t give me that look,” Shi Cuiyan said seriously, seeing her frowning, “Do you know who poisoned you?” Although she was a Jianghu expert, besides the Black Dragon Tail Ring news, she rarely inquired, let alone where Xi Fuhong had wandered or whom she had met recently.
“This poison…” Xi Fuhong lowered her head further, timidly saying, “Xue Baihua.”
“Xue Baihua?! Miao Shou Yan Luo Xue Baihua? Oh dear, Xi sister… how did you provoke such a troublesome person?” Shi Cuiyan sighed deeply.
She had heard of Xue Baihua, known for her strange temper in Jianghu, yet possessing excellent medical skills, being the disciple of the late medical immortal Songchi Old Man, a doctor who could bring the dead back to life, and a Yama who could kill with poison.
Getting involved with her was definitely not good.
Xi Fuhong was helpless too; she didn’t intend to become Divine Doctor Xue’s test subject…
“You must cure this poison, or you won’t make it to Wu Xun Peak,” Shi Cuiyan paced back and forth at the bow, thinking that only the person who tied the bell could untie it.
This poison must be personally cured by Xue Baihua.
She didn’t trust ordinary Jianghu doctors.
With this in mind, she immediately ran back to the cabin.
Grabbing a piece of rice paper, she ground ink and wrote quickly.
After a while, a letter with only four words: “Find Divine Doctor quickly” was in Shi Cuiyan’s hand.
She hurried back to the bow, Xi Fuhong looking at her puzzled, not knowing what this clever Jianghu expert was up to.
She saw Shi Cuiyan put two fingers in her mouth and blew a whistle.
Suddenly, something circled twice in the dark night sky and swooped down.
Xi Fuhong looked closely, realizing it was a majestic, large eagle.
She had seen such birds twice in Wu Feng Valley but never one this big.
Its claws hooked onto Shi Cuiyan’s shoulder, flapping a few times before settling down.
Shi Cuiyan rolled the rice paper into a strip, tied it to the eagle’s leg with a thin string, patted its wings, and suddenly shouted “Go!” The eagle seemed to understand, screeching a few times before flying away, disappearing into the thick night in no time.
“What did you send it to do?” Xi Fuhong tightened her clothes, looking in the direction the eagle flew away.
“I sent it to find someone,” Shi Cuiyan turned back confidently, “to find the Divine Doctor.”
