Chapter 103
The earthworms in the vinegar sauce had finally soaked long enough, and the liquid had taken on an eerie dark green hue. Some of the poisoned soldiers didn't make it in time... but with four out of ten of those afflicted surviving, it was already the best possible outcome.
During this period, they clashed with the Xili army once more, only once. The same methods, the same horrific wounds, but the difference was that the An army, having concocted the antidote, was no longer fearless and was invincible. This battle was won brilliantly.
Apart from that, everything was calm and peaceful. It was as if they were just a lone group traveling in the desert.
"Tell me, what are the Xili thinking? Fighting one battle and then taking a few days off, are they planning to wage guerrilla warfare against us?"
"Is there even a question? They've obviously been terrified! Our Anjun army is a fierce and invincible force!"
The man scoffed, "However, that General of the Cavalry's wife is quite capable; she can even find a way to counter such a vicious Gu technique."
"I told you before that you had misunderstood her. That Doctor Qiu is the biological daughter of the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. She has inherited his skills and even took the emperor's pulse when she was in Mingzhou!"
"If she were truly after fame and fortune, wouldn't it be better for her to stay in the capital? Marching through the desert, even getting enough water is a struggle! If I weren't penniless, I wouldn't be here suffering like this. We're already struggling enough; would a pampered young lady like her be willing to endure this? If you ask me, she truly has the heart of a healer; she genuinely came here to heal and save lives..."
...
Jiang Ji was passing by and overheard these words; he was overjoyed.
He no longer stays by Lin Yi's side to look after him as often as before, but like all the soldiers, he trains and rests on time every day. But he still can't help himself, and whenever he has free time, he runs to the general's tent.
After being reprimanded by Xie Chengnan, he stopped going and switched to the medical tent. There was nothing he could do; the lady was much easier to talk to than the marquis.
He was genuinely happy for Lin Yi, and he embellished the story with great enthusiasm.
Lin Yi just smiled after hearing that.
It's a good thing that people's opinions of her have changed, but Lin Yi no longer cares much about what others think.
What pleased her even more was the system's reward.
It is often said that saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. And the merit gained from treating a dying person is incomparable to that of ordinary pulse diagnosis and consultation.
When choosing to prepay, Lin Yi was only thinking about saving lives, even if it would take a year or two to repay the goodwill points. Little did he expect that once the antidote was prepared, not only was the debt paid off, but he could also earn more goodwill points, which stopped at a very considerable number. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
"How are your injuries from the battle the other day? May I take another look at them?"
"They're just minor injuries, nothing serious!" Jiang Ji rubbed his head. "I'm young, I'll recover quickly."
Although he said that, Lin Yi still wanted to see it for himself.
The young man recovered quickly; in just two days, the cut on his arm had already scabbed over. Lin touched it and turned to pick out a few bottles of ointment.
"But you can't just rush forward recklessly because you're young. Some injuries are unnecessary."
Jiang Ji was somewhat unconvinced: "The general isn't much older than me, and he's always the one charging ahead."
Lin Yi paused, "What are you comparing yourself to him for?"
“He holds the title of General of the Cavalry, and he should fulfill his duties in that position. He can’t be a great general who is leading troops into battle while hiding behind you. If that’s not the case, I would also have something to say about him.”
"Dr. Qiu's tone is exactly the same as my sister's."
Lin Yiqi asked, "You have an older sister?"
Xie Chengnan had mentioned to her before that the child was all alone and had no relatives...
"It used to be there, but it's gone now."
"My family suffered a disaster; everything is gone."
Noticing the sudden somberness in the boy's voice, Lin Yi stopped asking questions.
"This bottle is for speeding up wound healing. This one is for improving blood circulation and reducing bruising. You have other injuries, right? Shall we apply it now?"
"If you find it inconvenient, you can ask someone else for help."
Although Lin Yi treated all the injured the same, no different from the corpses on the examination table, the young man was at the age of vigor and might care about such things.
Jiang Ji didn't say whether to apply it or not. He held it in his hands like a treasure, looked at it, and then put it in his pocket.
"Is your general... injured?"
Xie Chengnan was very busy, reviewing the battle situation and had not returned to his own camp for two consecutive days. He only came to see her once in a hurry on the day of the victory.
She had asked Xie Chengnan then, and he said he wasn't injured, but Lin Yi always needed to confirm with others before she could feel at ease.
Jiang Ji thought about it carefully: "It shouldn't be. The general is wise and brave, capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly. These rabble soldiers can't hurt him."
"Really?" Lin asked.
"really."
Lin Yi felt relieved. This child was honest and kind; he wouldn't lie to her with Xie Chengnan.
But then I thought, the battlefield is so chaotic, and he's not really a god who can take on a hundred men single-handedly. What if he gets injured and no one else can see it? I decided to wait until we got back to the camp that night, grab Xie Chengnan, and see for myself.
She clearly didn't fully believe it, but Jiang Ji, observing this, felt that the general and his wife's relationship was truly wonderful. It was something to be envied, yet something unattainable.
He's just here to deliver a message; he'll be leaving once he's done.
Before leaving, I almost habitually looked around and suddenly noticed a pile of fabrics haphazardly stacked on the table.
"This is... linen? Torn off your battle suit?" the boy asked curiously.
Lin Yi looked up and said, "Yes. Wrapping it around the horse's hooves should prevent sand from being kicked up."
Horses were not suited for traversing the desert. They traded some camels with local nomads, but the number remained limited, and the main force still relied on horses for marching.
Lin Yi wasn't busy all the time; when he had free time, he would think about how he could help them with something.
However, this method was the one mentioned in the original book. The Xili army would tie felt to their horses' hooves to effectively prevent sand from being kicked up. Since she couldn't find felt, she used the wounded soldiers' discarded clothes instead; the cloth was made of coarse hemp, which should also have some effect.
"Wow—" He had been riding for several days, and the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves blinded him. He could only grit his teeth and keep his eyes open, which was both uncomfortable and affected his vision. Jiang Ji, however, had never imagined that this problem could be solved, and he admired Lin Yi even more. "How come I didn't think of that?!"
Lin smiled and said, "Wrapping the hooves should reduce the traces of marching, but I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know if it will actually work."
"Yes, that's right!" Jiang Ji eagerly grabbed a handful of burlap strips. "I'll try it right now!"
Lin Yi shook his head and chuckled as he watched the boy's hurried retreating figure. He had always thought Xie Chengnan was too young, but now, in comparison, he realized that Xie Chengnan had become much more mature.
On their third day in the desert, they faced a most pressing problem: they were running out of water.
The scorching sun, like a giant tongue of fire, squeezed and licked away every last drop of moisture from the air.
My throat, deprived of moisture for so long, was parched and cracked along with my lips, almost burning with thirst. Each swallow felt like swallowing a razor blade.
Dehydration-induced dizziness caused mental confusion. Otherwise, how could he have seen a small, clear lake in the distance...?
The soldier nearly fainted and instinctively took a few steps toward the water source.
That lake is still there... still there?
He gritted his teeth and stumbled toward the water. He didn't know how long he had been running, maybe only a moment, but it felt like several hours had passed before he finally reached the water's edge.
His outstretched hand trembled violently until it touched the cool, smooth water. Only then did he finally believe it and lie down on the lake, drinking deeply.
After the soldiers had drunk their fill of water, they brought the location of the water source back to the camp.
Gu Shuan led a group to personally confirm.
He hadn't drunk water for a long time; his lips were dry and cracked, with deep, bleeding gashes.
"Commander, it's water! It really is water!"
The guard swallowed hard; he could already imagine the refreshing sensation of water sliding down his throat. It took almost all his willpower and strength to keep himself standing and avoid jumping into the water. The commander-in-chief hadn't given the order yet…
"I saw it." Gu Shuan's throat bobbed slightly, but his handsome brows furrowed.
This is illogical.
In the desert, both people and cities live near water. This "lake," though small, is enough to sustain several families.
There were no people, not even plants or animals, around this water source.
Gu Shuan's first reaction was that this was a trap!
He immediately ordered his entourage to be on high alert.
But it was all for naught. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but yellow sand and a sky that was barely clearer than the sand, except for this lake.
The enemy had nowhere to ambush.
Then... he shifted his gaze to the incredibly alluring blue water, which itself was the trap.
"Commander, I have checked and found no enemy activity. The soldiers who drank from this water have also shown no problems. Shall we... fetch more water?"
Gu Shuan frowned even more deeply.
Are you sure there are no problems?
The answer to this question is currently unknown.
But even if there really is a problem, can we still not take this water?
Of course not. They hadn't had water for two days. They still had rations, but no water, so they had to swallow them raw, along with blood. The soldiers were at their breaking point, on the verge of physical and mental exhaustion.
Those who drink poison to quench their thirst are not unaware of the consequences of their choices.
He was simply weighing which option would result in less loss.
The eager gazes of the soldiers behind him almost pierced through him.
After a long silence, Gu Shuan spoke, his voice hoarse: "Fetch some water. Don't drink it yet. Take it back and have the army doctor examine it. Then send a team to camp here."
Only then did Lin Yifang believe that the few bottles of water and dry food on the system shelf were indeed for saving his life.
But she did not redeem it.
She didn't know if this meant she had reached a dead end.
His throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, he couldn't utter a single word, and he couldn't even eat. He had no strength left. Yet, he still insisted on showing up at the medical tent on time every day.
Many soldiers fell.
She didn't know how long she could hold on, but those few bottles of water on the shelf were her hope. Whenever she felt like giving up, Lin Yi would summon the system to check. As she looked, she chuckled to herself, realizing she had mastered the art of "quelling thirst with a mirage."
Hour after hour passed. Lin Yi felt like a god, for she could endure so long even though water was within her reach.
But when she saw Xie Chengnan's bloodied lips, she finally couldn't resist and made the exchange.
She carefully poured the water into her water pouch, not wanting to spill a single drop. Then she threw the empty bottle into the system for recycling, so as not to leave any 'evidence'.
Xie Chengnan's lips are very beautiful, with a bright color and full shape.
But those beautiful lips were now cracked from dryness, and the blood that had seeped out had long since dried, leaving behind a shocking scab.
It shouldn't have been like this.
Lin shoved the water pouch into his hand, and unsurprisingly, saw his lips part slightly in shock.
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