HAGLTP Chapter 33

To think such an unprecedented medicine would be concocted, it seems this poison is quite dangerous, Shen Yunhe comforted himself.

He glanced at the quietly waiting Bo Lu, steeling his resolve, and raised his hand to gulp down the entire bowl of unknown liquid.

“Ugh…” Shen Yunhe immediately let out a wretched cry and collapsed.

He clutched his throat, feeling an unknown fierce fire burning through his meridians, it was simply too painful.

The pain came not only from his body but also from the taste in his mouth. What on earth was this? Was this the flavor and texture that could be extracted from earthly herbs?

The water stored in the River of Forgetfulness for thousands of years couldn’t be worse!

Xiao Lu, however, sat leisurely beside him, continuously recording notes, and explained, “The poison that Young Master Jiang has been afflicted with is extremely cold, therefore, I chose an extremely hot remedy as an antidote. Young Hero Shen, do you feel like you are on fire right now?”

Shen Yunhe weakly nodded.

“Is the pain in your meridians unbearable?”

Shen Yunhe nodded again, visibly weaker than before.

“Hmm, that’s right.” Xiao Lu circled a step in his treatment notes.

Then, in response to Shen Yunhe’s hopeful gaze, he picked up another bowl of dark liquid with a bluish tint and presented it to Shen Yunhe, “Come, let’s try this one. Young Hero Shen has deep internal strength, you will surely endure it.”

Shen Yunhe took a glance and saw that the bluish liquid glowed under the candlelight, instantly breaking into a sweat. This, this was going to cost him his life!

At this moment, the sun had already slipped below the horizon, and the night spread out. Bo Lu, dressed in red, was half-hidden in the darkness, half-illuminated by the candlelight.

They say that looking at a beauty under the lamp reveals their unparalleled beauty, but this person, while beautiful, resembled Meng Lang, who brewed soup for the deceased by the Naihe Bridge.

“Come, while it’s hot.” A slender hand, as graceful as bamboo, extended the medicine bowl.

“No… no…” Shen Yunhe was already somewhat delirious at this point. He instinctively dodged Bo Lu’s outstretched hand, trying to get up and escape this nightmarish medicine.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, bringing in a chill from the night wind.

A boy draped in a crane cloak hurriedly walked into the room. He went straight to Shen Yunhe, who was about to escape from the bed, and pinched his chin, forcing him to open his mouth.

Xiao Lu seized the opportunity to pour the thick, strange liquid into Shen Yunhe’s mouth.

The two worked in perfect harmony, their movements seamless.

Shen Yunhe trembled all over but could only let out a muffled groan. Anyone could see the pain and torment he was enduring at that moment.

“Ha… ha… ha…” After enduring the most painful part, Shen Yunhe weakly leaned against the pillow, gasping for breath.

Muttering, “Lu’er, you’ve changed… you wouldn’t have treated me like this before…”

Xiao Lu raised an eyebrow. Could it be that this medicine was affecting his mind? It shouldn’t be.

At this moment, the boy beside him spoke up, “Master, it seems Young Hero Shen is a bit delirious. Should we give him something to revive him?”

Xiao Lu looked at the boy.

The boy, named Mo Xue, was Bo Lu’s only disciple, fifteen years old this year.

He had a face like a jade crown and hair like a knife’s cut, always smiling gently, with warm brows and eyes. Though he had not fully matured yet, one could already see he would be a handsome young man in the future. Unfortunately, he was born with a deficiency, his meridians weak, which made him extremely sensitive to cold, almost unable to practice martial arts, and he often needed his master, Bo Lu, to help him.

Xiao Lu exchanged a glance with his good disciple, sensing a certain unique fragrance in those eyes, reminiscent of an old fox.

His eyes held a hint of amusement, like a teacher assessing his student, and he asked, “What do you think, A Xue? How should we address these symptoms?”

Mo Xue’s expression was calm, as if he were gauging Shen Yunhe’s condition: “It seems we need to use acupuncture to guide the energy.”

Xiao Lu was very pleased with this answer: “Not bad, you will perform the acupuncture for him later. Choose the stone needles from the Man Stone Tribe, sourced naturally, tough in quality, perfect for use.”

In translation, that means: thick enough, hard enough, to stab him dead.

“But do we need to heat them first?” Mo Xue asked, his smile as warm as the March sun.

“Hmm, heating them will enhance the effect of awakening the spirit.” Xiao Lu gave him an approving look.

Shen Yunhe, in a daze, heard the two conversing: “…”

Was it him who was becoming muddled? Why did this pair of benevolent healers exude a scent of treating human life as grass?

The following night was the darkest night in Shen Yunhe’s life, one he could not bear to recall, wishing only to bury it deep in his memory, hoping never to see it again.

Years later, among the mountain folk near Spring Letter Valley, there were still rumors: there lived man-eating spirits in the mountains, who would come out at night to prey on passing travelers, swallowing them alive, their wails echoing throughout the night.

Seven days later.

Jiang Qin, who was gravely poisoned and on the brink of death, and Shen Yunhe, who had nearly died from testing the medicine, both woke up together.

As a little troublemaker, Jiang Qin immediately noticed something was off between Shen Yunhe and Bo Lu.

His brother Yun, who had always been indifferent towards any beauty, remained calm while mingling among the many flowers and plants, never showing a hint of losing composure.

He had been like this with Bo Lu before.

But now…

Bo Lu entered with a bowl of medicine. Before he could set it down, Shen Yunhe immediately got up to meet him, taking the tray with both hands, as if he couldn’t bear to let the other tire even a little.

For instance, after Bo Lu checked their conditions and suggested they should adjust their health, his disciple had recently learned a new acupuncture technique that could assist them.

But Shen Yunhe firmly stated that they were still young and had a foundation in martial arts, and with such minor injuries, they just needed to rest for a while; there was no need to trouble Bo Lu.

That look of fearing to tire the other out made Jiang Qin grit his teeth. He thought to himself, it’s fine if you care for someone, but why extend that care to the disciple as well? Could it be that you fancy the little one too?!

That little one…

Jiang Qin rummaged through his memories, hissing… how could he be so outstanding!

Xiao Lu was increasingly pleased with Shen Yunhe’s growing awareness, even skipping the pulse diagnosis, generously letting them be, and went out alone.

Shen Yunhe kept his gaze on his departing figure until the door was completely closed, then slowly withdrew his gaze and quietly sighed in relief.

In Jiang Qin’s eyes, this gaze turned into a tender glance.

Jiang Qin almost thought he had slept for several years, feeling somewhat lost about the changes, but it didn’t prevent him from secretly feeling a sense of crisis.

“Brother Yun.” Jiang Qin’s tone carried a hint of grievance, “Brother Yun, what was that look you just had? Are you perhaps interested in that Bo Lu…”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Qin’er, you are the most important to me. You know this very well, so why say such things to make me sad?” Shen Yunhe skillfully comforted him.

Jiang Qin recalled the scene after he was poisoned, when the other had rushed towards him without hesitation, and his heart warmed slightly.

That’s right, in Brother Yun’s heart, he was still the most important. The reason they came to visit Bo Lu was to treat him and detoxify.

Only then did he belatedly remember: “Brother Yun, how are you? Why did you also collapse?”

Shen Yunhe’s expression stiffened, and he replied perfunctorily, “It’s nothing, just some minor issues. You rest easy, I’ll go out for some fresh air.”

He felt that the experiences of the past few days were too embarrassing, damaging to his heroic demeanor as a young hero, so he was unwilling to elaborate.

Watching Shen Yunhe hurriedly flee the room, Jiang Qin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Something was off, really off; Brother Yun was hiding something from him. It must be that Bo Lu, who did something while he was unconscious these past few days!

Jiang Qin quietly got out of bed, left the guest room, and after confirming that Shen Yunhe had gone to the back mountain to clear his mind, he began searching for Bo Lu’s whereabouts.

In Spring Letter Valley, there was a small lake, beside which stood a simple thatched pavilion, next to a grove of apricot trees that Bo Lu had planted in his early years.

Xiao Lu, dressed in red, leaned lazily against the pavilion, propping his chin with one hand.

Beside him was the boy draped in a crane cloak, who lowered his brows and focused intently on brewing medicine. The two shared a tranquil atmosphere, resembling a serene painting of a secluded apricot grove.

Suddenly, Xiao Lu spoke, “What do you want this time?”

This question came out of nowhere, without specifying who it was directed at.

Mo Xue’s movements didn’t falter at all; he still appeared as the clean and bright young man he was, yet he softly uttered four words: “Bohua Sacred Order.”

An unfamiliar term.

Xiao Lu pondered what this Bohua Sacred Order was.

According to the system’s plot, there indeed was a segment where the demonic sect invaded the martial world of the Central Plains, and Bohua Shen was the deity worshipped by this demonic sect.

However, the existence of the Bohua Sacred Order had not been mentioned in the entire book.

He looked at Mo Xue, but Mo Xue seemed completely oblivious to his gaze, gently fanning the stove, appearing entirely focused, giving no hint whatsoever.

That focused profile was quite handsome; the boy’s figure was like bamboo, and even sitting casually was enough to create a picturesque scene.

Old fox, riddle master, old cucumber painted green, Xiao Lu secretly labeled this scene in his mind.

Look at this acting, delicate and natural, he seemed like a meticulous young man, even the method of brewing medicine was professional, moving neither too fast nor too slow, one couldn’t tell where he had practiced.

Really good at acting.

Since he couldn’t get hints from Mr. A, Xiao Lu thought of another possibility—hidden plot.

Just like in the previous world, where the Starry Radiance occupying Duan Kai’s body changed, and the usage of the Starship had unexplained aspects in the original text, perhaps this Bohua Sacred Order was something that involved a deeper truth in the plot of the entire book.

However, at present, the demonic sect was still lurking in the shadows, and it was still early for an invasion of the Central Plains.

“Brother Bo Lu.” A clear voice interrupted Xiao Lu’s thoughts.

Jiang Qin had finally found his target, walking over with a smile.

He was seventeen this year, one year younger than Shen Yunhe, while Bo Lu was two years older than Shen Yunhe, making him three years older than Jiang Qin.

Jiang Qin was very happy to mention this age difference every time he met Bo Lu, after all, beauty is worth less the older they get.

The man in the courtyard, dressed in red with hair as dark as ink, raised his head at the sound, casually glancing over with the corner of his eye, that glance like a spring breeze sweeping over water, creating ripples.

Such a person, even leaning lazily against the railing, still drew people’s eyes.

After realizing this fact, Jiang Qin’s joy over the age difference vanished instantly. Sometimes, the gap in hard power couldn’t be compensated for by just being born a few years later.

Xiao Lu saw that fun was coming his way and temporarily set aside the still-unknown Bohua Sacred Order, smiling as he assessed this obviously unfriendly young master.

“Has Young Master Jiang come to find me? Is there something you need?”

Jiang Qin unceremoniously sat down in the pavilion, directly taking a seat opposite Xiao Lu: “I just wanted to express my gratitude to Brother Bo Lu, thought I’d come and sit for a while.”

“Oh.” Xiao Lu quietly waited for him to continue.

Sure enough, Jiang Qin opened his mouth: “These past few days, Brother Yun has been taking care of me, so he must have neglected Brother Bo Lu. I’m here to apologize on his behalf. You know how he is, such a deeply caring person; sometimes, when he sees something, he can’t tolerate anything else.”

Xiao Lu caught a whiff of tea fragrance from this statement.

No wonder his old partner was so flirtatious throughout the martial world, yet still managed to end up with a big grassland HE. Look at how skilled this rhetoric is; he probably used it on countless people.

He smiled leisurely: “I’m afraid Young Master Jiang has misunderstood. These past few days, Young Hero Shen has been lying down almost the entire time to test medicine for you; however long you slept, he slept just as long.”

“The care for you was actually done by my disciple; if you want to express your thanks, it’s better to thank Mo Xue.”

The Mo Xue, who was brewing medicine beside them, looked up and offered Jiang Qin a gentle smile: “Young Master Jiang, there’s no need to thank me; taking care of you is merely my master’s duty.”

Jiang Qin was taken aback, not expecting the turn of events to be different from what he had thought. But Shen Yunhe hadn’t mentioned this to him, causing him to come over and perform a show that fell flat.

At this moment, Mo Xue extinguished the stove, took the brewed medicinal soup, and slowly poured it into a bowl: “This medicine was brewed specifically for Young Master Jiang. Since you’re here, why not drink it first?”

Jiang Qin found himself inexplicably transitioning from confronting them to obediently drinking the medicine. The medicinal soup was slightly bitter but carried a hint of floral fragrance and sweetness. At first, it made one frown, but after downing a bowl, it didn’t feel unpleasant at all.

At this moment, Xiao Lu seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Jiang Qin: “Young Master Jiang’s poison has been mostly cleared. I wonder when you two plan to leave?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin, knowing how infatuated the other was with Brother Yun, feared he wanted to find an opportunity to be with him, and immediately said, “We plan to leave today; after all, Brother Yun is busy with important matters, and there are many things waiting for him in the martial world.”

Xiao Lu saw through his thoughts but didn’t expose them, smiling: “That’s quite coincidental; today I just happened to finish calculating the accounts.”

Calculating accounts?

Jiang Qin looked puzzled: “What accounts?”

Xiao Lu smiled ambiguously: “Well, I shouldn’t be asking Young Master Jiang about payment matters; I should be looking for Young Hero Shen instead.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin immediately grew wary: “What’s something he can hear but I can’t? Why not say it to me?”

At this moment, the quiet Mo Xue pulled out a scroll of accounts from his sleeve: “This is the cost of treating Young Master Jiang; please take a look.”

Jiang Qin took it and casually glanced over, seeing a long list of medicinal materials, along with various treatment fees, handling fees, bed fees, and lost work fees… all adding up to a total of three thousand taels of silver.

Jiang Qin’s mouth twitched. He thought they were going to calculate some emotional accounts, but it turned out to be a matter of real silver and gold.

However, was it really this expensive to find a healer to detoxify?

He owned a property in a good location, worth only seven or eight hundred taels. Jiang Qin couldn’t help but feel a bit hollow inside, thinking about how many times he and Shen Yunhe had come to find Bo Lu.

Xiao Lu pretended to scold Mo Xue: “You don’t understand the rules; how can you hand the bill to Young Master Jiang? Quickly take it back.”

Mo Xue said, “Then I’ll take it to find Young Hero Shen later.”

Xiao Lu reached out as if to take the bill: “No need, I’ll personally visit Young Hero Shen later.”

The two played off each other like this, making Jiang Qin’s heart race.

Personally visiting, Jiang Qin couldn’t bear to hear this.

Oh, you Bo Lu, you want to take the opportunity of delivering the bill to get closer to Brother Yun. No way, I can’t give you that chance, absolutely not!

Jiang Qin, in a fit of excitement, reached into his pocket and pulled out several silver notes, shoving them into Mo Xue’s hands: “I’ll pay the consultation fee; you don’t need to find Brother Yun anymore. No need to give me change.”

After saying that, he jumped up and ran, as if afraid that if he was late, his Brother Yun would be remembered by someone else again.

Xiao Lu watched Jiang Qin’s flustered figure with appreciation, while Mo Xue had already organized a stack of silver notes and handed them over: “Master, a total of three thousand five hundred taels.”

“Truly worthy of a young master, so generous.” Xiao Lu said.

To search for the Bohua Sacred Order, he couldn’t just stay in Spring Letter Valley. This place wasn’t like the previous world where everything was free; traveling the martial world was quite costly. Especially in a martial arts world, not to mention items worth a thousand taels, even those worth a thousand gold were not rare.

Xiao Lu even began to look forward to these two getting hurt more in the martial world. As long as they didn’t plan to freeload, he could list them as VIP clients, the kind that was very expensive, perfect for milking.

Xiao Lu stretched comfortably: “You cooperated well; take five hundred taels as pocket money.”

Mo Xue paused in his task of tidying up the table: “Master, I helped you earn three thousand five hundred taels, and you’re only giving me five hundred taels?”

Feeling quite fresh about his long hair, Xiao Lu twirled a strand of Mo Xue’s hair around his finger, mischievously brushing the tip against Mo Xue’s cheek: “Oh, I suddenly remembered, you’ve been my disciple for so many years, and it seems you’ve never paid tuition, so I won’t be taking the five hundred taels.”

Today, the sun was bright, and the dappled shadows of the trees fell on his brows and eyes, adding a touch of smile, dreamlike and ethereal.

“Forget it, a good disciple shouldn’t bicker with a bad master.”

Mo Xue dodged the hair playing tricks on his face, his lips curling up like warm jade meeting the morning light.