Nightmare bite
The Jiangbei Prince's Mansion was solemn and quiet under the torrential rain, and no one passing by could have imagined that a bloody massacre had just taken place inside.
It seemed to be more than the first time such a thrilling assassination had occurred. The guards handled the body in an orderly manner, and the winding trails of blood were washed away by the torrential rain, as if nothing had ever happened.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the rain had not yet stopped. Everyone was seated inside the hall.
The one with the worst complexion was Dou Yu, who was experiencing a dangerous crisis for the first time. Even though the black-clad assassin wasn't targeting him, and even though Lang Rong rushed over and took him to a safe place with Uncle Ban by his side, Dou Yu was still shocked by the corpses all over the courtyard and the stench of blood that even the rain couldn't mask.
He sat blankly in the chair, his hands clenched tightly on his knees, startled by the slightest sound.
Sitting in the main seat, Jiang Yan rubbed her slightly throbbing temples. The fact that she hadn't slept all night after such a big commotion wasn't a big deal in itself, but what worried her were the two people who had been frightened.
Jiang Yanhui instructed, "After examining Ah Chou, have Doctor Zhang prescribe some calming medicine for Dou Yu. Keep a few more people on night watch in his room these days."
It doesn't matter who sent the assassin. There are countless forces that want to kill Jiang Yanhui. After ten years of constant probing, Jiang Yanhui has long lost interest in the person behind the scenes and finds them as annoying as flies.
Uncle Ban emerged from a small bedroom on the side of the main room, followed closely by Doctor Zhang carrying a medicine box.
Uncle Ban said, "Ah Chou is awake."
Jiang Yanhui breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt a surge of anger. If A Chou couldn't give a reasonable explanation for pushing her away, Jiang Yanhui wouldn't mind thinking about what kind of interesting compensation she could ask for.
"We've been busy all night, let's call it a day and go home to rest."
Jiang Yan got up and went into the small bedroom.
The room could only fit a single-poster bed, and it wasn't until Uncle Ban mentioned Jiang Yanhui that I learned of its existence.
The Prince's mansion occupied such a large area that Jiang Yanhui could not possibly know all of the nearly one thousand rooms. Fortunately, Uncle Ban and Aunt Pan, who were in charge of the affairs, were very capable and saved her a lot of trouble.
The young boy, who had just woken up, sat with his knees drawn up to his chest against the wall. His black hair was scattered and hung on the quilt. His crossed arms covered most of his face, revealing only his trembling, downcast eyes. He was still trapped in fear and anxiety.
Her anger dissipated considerably when she saw the fragile and vulnerable boy. She unconsciously slowed her pace and sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping an arm's length distance from Ah Chou, who was pressed against the wall.
Having Jiang Yan comfort someone is far more reliable than having her cook a three-dish meal in the kitchen. At least she wouldn't say something as astonishing as "you'll get used to it" to someone who's been frightened.
Ah Chou slowly raised his eyes, his wet eyelashes clinging together in clusters. The complex and chaotic memories intertwined, giving Ah Chou a disorienting feeling of time and space being disoriented. He couldn't tell whether he was in the emerging memories or in the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion as he knew it.
The torrential rain, the fierce eyes illuminated by lightning and thunder, and the tearing sound of sharp blades clashing and slicing flesh echoed in Ah Chou's ears.
Ah Chou Mumu's eyes were fixed on the hand reaching out to him. His violently contracted pupils and trembling jaw were proof that he was still immersed in painful memories. A huge sense of fear and helplessness enveloped him, making it hard to breathe.
Just as Jiang Yan was about to touch Ah Chou, the taciturn man suddenly grabbed her wrist and bit her arm.
His teeth pressed tightly against her flesh, his cheeks bulging with force, as if the person in front of him was a mortal enemy with whom he could bite off her arm in one bite.
Uncle Ban, who was keeping watch at the door, noticed something was wrong inside and rushed in, only to be met with an absurd scene that made him gasp in shock.
The usually cautious Ah Chou seemed to be possessed, biting Jiang Yan Hui's arm tightly, the blood flowing from the wound soaking her forearm and dripping onto the quilt.
Jiang Yan Hui seemed oblivious to the pain, offering no physical resistance whatsoever. She merely stared strangely at the bewitched Ah Chou, filled with bewilderment.
Uncle Ban stepped forward and grabbed Ah Chou by the back of the neck, skillfully pinching him so as not to hurt him, but to make Ah Chou release his mouth in pain.
Uncle Ban glanced at Ah Chou, who was huddled in the corner of the bed, his displeasure practically written all over his face. He knelt down and held Jiang Yan Hui's bleeding arm, saying, "Your Majesty, I'll have Physician Zhang come in to bandage your wound."
Jiang Yan moved her stinging arm. "Perfect timing, I also have many questions to ask her."
Dr. Zhang never expected that no sooner had she left than Wang Zun and his servant would be in such a sorry state. Her professional ethics as a doctor compelled her to criticize them, but her fear of Wang Zun's status reminded her that she was not dealing with an ordinary patient.
Suppressing his grievances, he first carefully treated Jiang Yan Hui's wound, saying, "She must not get it wet for three days, and the gauze will be removed after seven days."
Jiang Yanhui casually lowered her sleeve to cover the white veil wrapped around her, and frowned, saying, "Go see what's wrong with him."
In a state of stress, Ah Chou perceived any touch as an attack. Only when Uncle Ban restrained Ah Chou's hands and pressed them to the bed was Dr. Zhang able to take his pulse and examine him carefully.
In his fear and struggle, Ah Chou strained until his eyes turned red, clenched his teeth, and let out a low, hoarse purring sound from his throat, which sounded extremely eerie in the small room.
Doctor Zhang gestured to Uncle Ban to let go, and replied with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, this servant has a damaged heart meridian and an old brain injury. The assassination attempt last night triggered his violent reaction."
It's not surprising that slaves bought and sold have injuries. When we brought Ah Chou back, he didn't have many good patches of skin. But what was the reason for the damage to his heart meridian?
Jiang Yan looked back at A Chou, who was cowering timidly at the foot of the bed, her furrowed brows never easing. "What should we do?"
Physician Zhang said, "This servant is suffering from a nightmare. The sedative medicine I prescribed can be boiled and fed to him. He must not fall asleep before he wakes up, otherwise he may never wake up again."
Uncle Ban glanced at Jiang Yanhui, who was deep in thought, and quietly called for Doctor Zhang to leave.
Without Jiang Yanhui's oppressive aura, Doctor Zhang lifted his medicine box a couple of times and couldn't help but ask, "What's the background of that servant?"
“Wang Zun bought it on the road in early winter. Later, he liked it so much that he kept it by his side to take care of it.”
Uncle Ban's words were vague. Everyone in the Prince's mansion who was well-known was a shrewd person. After a few words, Doctor Zhang understood the relationship between the two and nodded repeatedly to acknowledge Uncle Ban's kindness.
Thinking of how Jiang Yanhui had been bitten so badly but hadn't resisted, Dr. Zhang worriedly reminded Uncle Ban again, "When you get back, you must tell Wang Zun that people possessed by nightmares don't distinguish between right and wrong. Once they start attacking, they won't stop. Tell Wang Zun to be careful."
"I know." Uncle Ban saw Aunt Pan arranging matters within the manor, his gaze sliding down to the bandaged area before he said, "Go and keep watch by the King's side; I reckon he has something to tell you."
Aunt Pan nodded and said before leaving, "I've arranged everything. Go back and rest after you're done."
Uncle Ban pursed his lips, suppressing a smile, and nodded in agreement.
Just as Uncle Ban had predicted, Jiang Yan Hui did indeed instruct Aunt Pan to investigate Ah Chou's background.
"Start by investigating the caravans that trade slaves. Lingzhou is only so big; we're bound to find some clues about him."
Aunt Pan looked away from the white gauze peeking out from Jiang Yan Hui's sleeve. "Yes." She added, "I'll send someone to guard A Chou. You should go back and rest."
“Let that…” Jiang Yan hesitated, then waved his hand and said, “The person who watches over the library come and keep him company.”
The Jiangbei Prince's Mansion covers a large area, and the assassins mainly attacked areas where Jiang Yanhui frequently operated. Under the cover of the rain, almost no one realized what had happened last night.
Xiao Le, who was fast asleep, dared not delay upon learning that it was Wang Zun's order. He didn't even have time to press down the hair sticking up on his head with water before hurriedly following the servant who had called him over to the small bedroom on the side of the hall.
Seeing Ah Chou huddled at the foot of the bed, looking completely lost, Xiao Le, whose prickly nature instantly flared up, exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong with her!"
After calling out to Xiao Le, he noticed there was another person inside and immediately turned off the fire. "Manager Pan, Ah Chou looks strange."
Since Xiao Le was going to keep her company, Aunt Pan decided not to hide it from him. She told him the truth and relayed Dr. Zhang's instructions to Xiao Le, asking him to stay with Ah Chou until Ah Chou recovered.
Only the two little boys huddled together for warmth remained in the small side bedroom. Xiao Le kept in mind what Aunt Pan had said and stayed at a distance from A Chou. He belatedly realized the meaning of Aunt Pan's words.
Such a terrible assassination attempt occurred in the Prince's mansion while everyone was asleep. No wonder the atmosphere felt strange as we walked along.
Xiao Le rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps, feeling irritated by the pattering rain outside. The danger of Lingzhou, bordering the mainland, was obvious, but he never imagined it would be so close to him.
Seeing Ah Chou, who was terrified, looking like a completely different person, Xiao Le felt even more panicked and uncertain.
Soon a decision took root in her heart, and she whispered, "Ah Chou, Lingzhou is too dangerous. I don't want to stay here. I want to live."
The nightmare-stricken Ah Chou naturally wouldn't give a positive response as usual. He just hugged his knees and silently huddled in the corner, deeply trapped in the terrifying memories and unable to escape.
Meanwhile, another person, still startled by the commotion last night, dared not close their eyes. Dou Yu clutched the blanket tightly, peeking out from time to time to look at the straight back of the person sitting in the outer room, calling out worriedly, "Are you still awake?"
“He’s awake,” Lang Rong replied.
It was probably Lang Rong who took the panicked Dou Yu to safety last night, so Dou Yu trusted her a lot. As long as Lang Rong took him back to his house, he would pitifully and domineeringly refuse to let her leave.
Dou Yu's weak voice came from inside, "I'm still scared. Please come sit in the inner room."
Lang Rong shook his head and said in a serious tone, "This is against the rules. The General will reprimand us if he finds out."
Dou Yu wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, looking around unsafely, so she said, "Then you can cover your eyes and not see anything, then you'll be fine."
Lang Rong had no choice but to pull off his hairband to cover his eyes, and at Dou Yu's repeated requests, he sat on the footstool under the bed.
He said helplessly, "Is it okay now?"
"Mmm." Dou Yu responded softly, her slender white fingers subtly tugging at Lang Rong's wrinkled clothes. "Even if I'm asleep, you can't leave."
With Lang Rong's approval, Dou Yu felt relieved and closed her eyes, drifting into a light sleep.
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