Chapter 36 The Wandering Doctor "He may be handsome, but that kind of thing is..."
"Aying, I made some cold dumplings, come out and have some."
Wang Yan slowly got up. The figure outside only paused for a moment, leaving before she could even wait for him to open the door.
"Young Master!"
Hearing the noise, Wang Yan hurriedly went into the courtyard, where she saw Hua Xin and Ying Ming circling around Shen Minghuai, their fingers scraped. Shen Minghuai quickly stepped forward and pulled Wang Yan away, and the two of them tactfully withdrew.
“I can wait, but Leng Yuanzi can’t. If she doesn’t eat it soon, it will disintegrate.”
Wang Yan reluctantly picked up the ceramic bowl, took a small sip, and found that the taste of his first attempt was already comparable to that of the experienced Li Changling.
Seeing that she had put down her bowl, Shen Minghuai immediately took a bite, then reached out and took Wang Yan's portion away, saying, "Don't force yourself if you don't like it."
"Put it down," Wang Yan ordered. He hadn't eaten much today, and now that he realized it, he was indeed hungry. How could he let his stomach upset him? In the end, he convinced himself and ate two large bowls.
Shen Minghuai suddenly said, "That time I went to the valley with you, it wasn't out of intention to spy on your cultivation. It was out of concern and curiosity."
It wasn't just a high-sounding excuse; curiosity also played a part. His frankness surprised her. Wang Yan listened quietly as he continued.
Even with your closest loved ones, it's impossible to be completely open and honest. Everyone needs secrets. I intended to keep this to myself, but your cold ailment shows no improvement due to the chill of the valley, so I—
"My coldness is a mental illness." Wang Yan put aside all his temper and confessed without any reservations.
"I practice the same martial arts as my senior brother, so I have to avoid you. It's not that I doubt your character, it's just that this martial arts technique is really not something that too many people can know about."
"You also practice the Flowing Fire Scripture?" Shen Minghuai seemed quite surprised, his brows furrowing instantly, his expression complex.
The Flowing Fire Scripture is a hot potato in this martial arts world, comparable to a long-lost supreme martial arts manual, with countless people fighting tooth and nail for it. Legend has it that those who cultivate this manual can resonate with heaven and earth, and by simply using their inner strength, all things can be controlled. Grass and trees become swords, mountains and rivers become power, one person is like a hundred, and a hundred are like one.
They all knew that if others found out about this, it would cause a huge uproar in the martial arts world and even in the imperial court.
Shen Minghuai's expression was solemn, as if he had been drawn into another vortex. "You shouldn't have told me about this either."
“It’s always easier for two people to share a secret than for one to carry it alone,” Wang Yan said with a grin. “If anyone leaks it… I will make sure they don’t see the sun rise tomorrow. I believe Shen Lang is not that kind of person.”
She deliberately uttered those two words with tenderness and affection, and Shen Minghuai, his ears turning red, immediately ran away. Wang Yan chased after him, asking questions incessantly.
"Don't you like me calling you that?"
Do you like it when I tie your hair up?
Why don't you smell anymore?
"However, ambergris doesn't suit you. How about I send you some special fragrance next time..."
After a day's journey, and with darkness approaching, the four decided to stay at a nearby inn. Just as they found a spot, they heard several men noisily enter, one of whom had a particularly prominent tumor on his forehead.
Wang Yan hurriedly poured white powder into her hand and covered her face with it. Instantly, countless red dots covered the right half of her face. She then took out a beauty mark and haphazardly stuck it on Shen Minghuai's lip.
Shen Minghuai then peeled off the mole, covered it with her right hand, and patted the remaining white powder onto her forehead.
"Boss, these two look familiar." Slippery tugged at Yuan Tieyi's sleeve.
Yuan Tie glanced at the two faces covered in red rashes and slapped Hua Zi with extreme disgust, saying, "You're really an eyesore for this gang leader."
Shen Minghuai carefully wiped her clean with a damp cloth, warming Wang Yan's palms. The two guards who had just placed the bundle in the guest room returned and, seeing the red and swollen faces of their two masters, almost went to confront the manager, only to find the dishes on the table untouched.
Wang Yan whispered a reminder: "The tumor and braid are nearby, hurry up and fix them."
Hua Xin let his hair down, scratched it haphazardly, and immediately looked like a beggar. Wang Yan was really worried that he would be kicked out by the shopkeeper soon. Ying Ming plucked two strands of hair and let them hang down on either side, making him look quite like a Taoist priest.
Wang Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasingly saying, "Hua Xin can tell at a glance that he doesn't have a favorite lady."
Ying Ming immediately followed up, "I don't have any either."
Wang Yan and Shen Minghuai exchanged a knowing smile. Curious, she casually asked, "Xiao Tan has been courting you for almost half a month, do you really have no feelings for her at all?"
"My dear wife, please don't tease me. We're completely unrelated, it's not appropriate for us."
Wang Yan secretly calculated that Shimen Town was indeed far from the capital, and besides, neither of them would abandon everything they had for the other. True love will eventually prevail, but how many people can go the distance based solely on a fleeting infatuation? There are simply too many things to weigh. She glanced to the side with an inscrutable expression.
After all the dishes were served, Ying Ming counted them three times before saying, "Why are there only six dishes and one soup today?"
"Isn't that enough for you?" Wang Yan took the wooden chopsticks from Shen Minghuai's hand. "Your young master has spent all his money. From now on, you three will have to rely on me to support you."
Ying Ming looked at his young master with deep suspicion, only to hear a light, dismissive remark.
"They can support themselves."
Hua Xin cried out and grabbed Shen Minghuai's sleeve, "Young Master, you can't abandon my brother and me!" Under the warning of Shen Minghuai's sharp, piercing gaze, he had no choice but to slowly withdraw his hand.
Wang Yan served Shen Minghuai a bowl of soup, saying, "As long as you're full, that's fine. How can you be extravagant? When you're traveling the world, it's not uncommon to eat in the wind and sleep in the open. Keeping things simple won't hurt."
Hua Xin, holding a bowl, praised, "The way the second master manages the household is truly admirable."
Shen Minghuai stared at her for a long time. He couldn't fathom her true nature—a woman of both a rigid, rule-abiding noble family and a free-spirited江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world).
Hua Xin is a rough man who can survive as long as he has food to eat. He doesn't care about these things, but he can't help but think about Shen Minghuai. "But my young master has never experienced this before."
It was rumored that Shen Minghuai often went out of the capital to do business for Prince Wei. Wang Yan was initially surprised, but after thinking about it for a moment, he felt it made sense. The young master, who was born and raised in the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, had always had the best of life in terms of food, clothing, and housing. Why would he suffer for no reason?
Shen Minghuai placed the most colorful piece of braised pork into her bowl, saying, "Keep it simple."
"Hey! What's wrong with your faces?"
Just as Wang Yan was about to take a bite, the red meat fell back onto the white rice. A woman with her hair in a high bun, a fake beard, and a loose-fitting outer robe stood there. Her skill in impersonating a man, while not particularly sophisticated, was enough to fool others. Unfortunately, Wang Yan had done this many times before, and he saw through her act in an instant.
"Madam, what brings you here?"
The woman then stroked her beard, coughed twice, and said in a deep voice, "What wife? I am a wandering doctor, a man."
Wang Yan ate his meal as if no one else was there, saying, "No one needs to see a doctor, please leave."
“This rash on your face can be cured, my lady. Don’t underestimate me, both of you.” The woman sat down next to Wang Yan without any hesitation.
Shen Minghuai pulled Wang Yan closer to him, "This lady—"
The woman quickly moved closer to Shen Minghuai, saying, "Young master, your face is truly handsome. If the red rash on your forehead were to disappear, you would be an exceptionally beautiful young man."
Wang Yan had put down his bowl at some point, his smile radiant, yet emanating a sinister, ghostly aura. Shen Minghuai simply pushed the wooden stool aside, causing Xu Ning'an to lean forward and nearly bump into the table.
"Please, my lady, have some self-respect." With that, Shen Minghuai also picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
"I told you I'm not your wife!" Xu Ning'an sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and said, "Your rash, is it fake?"
Wang Yanxuan became alert, lowered his head, and pulled up his sleeves, his voice slightly choked with emotion. "To tell you the truth, my wife, we were chased here by our enemies. We met these two young friends who helped us out of their mischief, which is how we got these masks to get away with it. The three people are currently inside the shop, and Shen Lang and I had no choice but to do this."
Xu Ning'an slammed her hand on the table. "Outrageous! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, how could such an illegal act occur?"
The commotion caused quite a stir, drawing the attention of everyone in the inn. Wang Yanxuan buried her face in her bowl, but fortunately, the three men were engrossed in their drink and didn't notice the commotion. Xu Ning'an was persuaded to stop by Shen Minghuai; to onlookers, it was nothing more than a young lady eloping with her sweetheart and being caught red-handed by her brother—a common occurrence.
"Take this, it contains laxatives and..." Xu Ning'an whispered in Wang Yan's ear, "To prevent him from having children—"
"You should keep it, my lady." Shen Minghuai returned the medicine in Wang Yan's hand to Xu Ning'an, put the laxative into his sleeve, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe Wang Yan's hand.
Xu Ning'an raised an eyebrow and said, "Young Master is so averse to this, could it be...?"
Before Shen Minghuai could speak, Wang Yan hurriedly called the waiter to bring another bowl and chopsticks, inviting the doctor to have a bite as well.
Xu Ning'an noticed that the tips of her ears were slightly red, and teased her by whispering, "You two aren't married yet, are you?"
Wang Yan kept serving her food, cracking jokes and asking her questions about her hometown and teacher, while also complaining that the wine wasn't good and reciting the poem "Linjiang Xian" with Shen Minghuai.
While eating, Xu Ning'an made a suggestion in a low voice without any hesitation: "Although he is good-looking, if he is not good in that way, you should break up with him as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, her cheeks flushed crimson. Wang Yan had no choice but to try another approach, saying, "I wonder if my wife could examine my cold ailment? I have consulted many famous doctors, but none have helped."
Xu Ning'an immediately took her pulse, and her expression changed drastically in an instant, "What kind of cultivation method do you practice?"
Wang Yan withdrew his hand without showing any emotion. "I once met a master who taught me a method to lighten the body and improve one's energy."
“The cold energy in your body is lingering around your heart. If it weren’t for that true energy protecting your heart meridian, you would have died long ago.”
Shen Minghuai's gaze turned colder. Wang Yan covered his hand and looked at Xu Ning'an with some surprise.
Xu Ning'an pondered deeply and said, "It's strange. You clearly cultivate an extremely yang method, so why does the coldness linger for so long... Could it be a mental illness?"
Wang Yan gripped his sleeve tightly, trying his best to calm the shock in his heart. Even the imperial physicians hadn't noticed anything wrong, yet this itinerant doctor disguised as a man had guessed correctly.
Seeing that she remained silent, Xu Ning'an, though he dared not be certain, still advised, "Physical illnesses are easy to cure, but mental illnesses are difficult to heal. If it is truly a mental illness... my lady, you must move forward."
Keep moving forward… When has she ever stopped moving forward? Wang Yan never felt that she had been trapped by that matter until today. Fear? She hated it, hated Jiang Wan's betrayal, hated those so-called righteous sects of the martial world who wanted to kill Li Changling for the sake of the martial arts manual. She hated herself even more.
Seeing that she was upset, Shen Minghuai helped her back to her room and comforted her, saying, "Let's go find Master Dong of Jishengtang again. The world is vast, there must be another way."
Wang Yan stared intently at the water in the glass. "What if I can't let go?"
Shen Minghuai knelt down in front of her, "Then don't force yourself. No matter what, I will stand by your side."
"Everyone tells me not to dwell on the past and to move forward. My senior brother was the one who was hurt the most by their hypocrisy, yet he let it go. But can those despicable acts really be erased? There will always be someone in this world who has to remember them for him."
Shen Minghuai took her hand and gently comforted her, "You don't have to forgive those who hurt you. They probably just want you to let go of mistakes that weren't your fault."
After that incident, she often dreamt that she hadn't brought the snow lotus back in time, and that Li Changling, who remained unconscious in bed, never woke up again. She dared not think about it, did not want to think about it. Lately, she had been plagued by nightmares, and every night when she closed her eyes, she would return to that day. The snowy ground was bitterly cold, and her frozen fingers protected the now useless snow lotus. The snow fox had never reappeared.
Wang Yan burst into tears in an instant, "My senior brother protected me for six years, but I failed to protect the person next to me even once."
Shen Minghuai immediately pulled her into his arms, offering words of comfort. He couldn't remember the last time he felt such heartache. His once numb self was now being stirred by the emotions of one person. He reiterated that she was without fault, that a sapling would one day grow into a towering tree. He knew all too well the weight of the word "protect."
Wang Yan, her face streaked with tears, fell asleep with her head resting on Shen Minghuai's shoulder and neck. As night fell, Shen Minghuai tucked her in, hesitated for a moment, then gently kissed Wang Yan's forehead before closing the door and leaving.
A gentle breeze blows, and the daylight is pleasant.
After Yuan Tie and his companion left, the four of them were leading their horses in the stable when Xu Ning'an's cursing voice came on the wind and pierced their ears. Wang Yan assumed she was having another minor argument with someone and didn't pay any attention, but Xu Ning'an called out to Shen Minghuai from behind.
It turned out that a callow youth had stolen her herbs, claiming they were for his father's medical treatment. He committed the theft because his family was so poor that they couldn't afford the medicine.
Wang Yan pondered to herself, how could they possibly pay for the medical treatment? Could it be just an excuse from the little swindler? She had already leaped onto her horse when Xu Ning'an, pulling the child along, came over and handed her a letter, instructing Shen Minghuai to deliver it to Zhu Yu at Jishengtang after entering the city.
The city gate overlooks West Lake, but Wang Yan and his entourage had no time to admire the beautiful scenery. After entering the city, they went straight to Longxing Temple. However, the young monks sweeping and cleaning at Longxing Temple told them that Master Puyuan had been in seclusion for the past month and the date of his emergence was unknown.
As the weather grew hotter, Wang Yan already looked listless when she sat down at Chunfeng Tower. After the meal, Shen Minghuai promptly escorted her back to her inn to rest.
All three of them went out, leaving her alone. After lying in the room for a while, her fatigue subsided somewhat, but Wang Yan felt utterly bored, so she put on her veil and went out. The marketplace was bustling with activity, and before she knew it, she had wandered into a small alley, wandering around for a long time without finding her way out. Suddenly, she heard the sound of arguing ahead.
"Lier, give your father some more money. Your younger brother is of school age, and since the land was taken, the family can't even afford his tuition. Please have pity on your brother and give him some more..."
"Father, you sold me here when I was fourteen. Every time you come to see me, besides asking for money, have you ever cared whether I eat well or sleep well? I am also your child!"
“Li’er, your father had no choice but to do this back then. This place may not be a good place, but at least it can feed you and give you extra money to help your brother. It’s better than staying at home doing nothing. Li’er, Ping’er and I can barely make ends meet, and we’re all relying on you.”
The sack slammed heavily to the ground, and the woman named "Li'er" tossed out a sentence, "Don't come again next time," before disappearing without a trace. Following his uncle out of the alley, Wang Yan realized that the place they had just been was actually a brothel called "Raoyun."
After asking the surrounding merchants and peddlers, I learned that two kinds of business were actually conducted here. Most of these people were not there for the beautiful women.
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