Chapter 16
Inside the room, the oil lamp's light was dimmer and flickering than when he left, as if it might go out at any moment. The stale, damp smell in the air, mixed with the stench of blood, medicine, and the pungent medicinal odor lingering on Su Zhelan, became even more intense and oppressive.
Xiao Qiyun sat in the only sturdy-looking old wooden chair in the center of the room, the back of which was against the wall. His face was frighteningly pale in the dim light, and his lips had lost all color.
His left arm wound had been hastily bandaged with strips of torn cloth, but the dark bloodstains mixed with the medicinal powder, spreading a dark patch on the cloth. His eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat; he was clearly enduring the discomfort of the anesthetic and the pain of the wound.
Hearing the door open, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife. Only when he saw that it was Sheng Xuan did his tense body relax slightly.
On the other hand, Su Zhelan's condition in bed was even more worrying.
He huddled under the thin blanket, his body trembling uncontrollably, like a leaf about to wither in the cold wind.
Broken, suppressed groans of pain escaped intermittently from between his tightly clenched lips. His face was deathly pale, almost transparent, and cold sweat soaked his temples and pillow, making him look as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
The pain from the complete activation of the poison by the medicinal catalyst was tearing at every nerve in his body.
"Medicine!" Sheng Xuan rushed to the bedside, his voice hoarse, and shoved the medicine packet in his hand into Xiao Qiyun's arms. "Quick! There's also wound medicine and bandages!" He spoke rapidly, his eyes anxiously scanning back and forth between Su Zhelan's pained face and Xiao Qiyun's pale face.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Qiyun immediately and precisely retrieved the small porcelain bottle containing the antidote from his medicine bag. Without hesitation, he poured out the liquid and drank it down in one gulp. The liquid tasted spicy and bitter, but it brought a cooling sensation after entering his throat, quickly dispelling the numbness spreading to the wound on his left arm.
Sheng Xuan found the "An Shen Wan" (a traditional Chinese medicine for calming the mind), uncorked it, poured out a black pill that emitted a bitter medicinal fragrance, and quickly poured a glass of water that had cooled down on the table.
"Ze Lan, Ze Lan! Open your mouth and take your medicine!" Sheng Xuan knelt by the bedside, carefully lifting Su Ze Lan's sweaty head and neck with one hand, feeling its icy coldness.
Su Zhelan's consciousness seemed to be fading, her body instinctively resisting, her teeth clenched.
"Ze Lan! Be good! The pain will go away after you take the medicine!" Sheng Xuan's voice trembled with a pleading tone that he himself didn't even realize, as he tried to pry open Su Ze Lan's jaw.
Xiao Qiyun also came over to help, using his uninjured hand to pinch the sides of Su Zhelan's jaw, forcing him to open his mouth.
With lightning speed, Sheng Xuan quickly stuffed the pill into Su Zhelan's mouth and carefully poured in a little water. Su Zhelan swallowed unconsciously, then choked and coughed due to the intense pain, the medicine mixed with saliva spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Sheng Xuan and Xiao Qiyun's hearts were in their throats as they stared at him nervously.
A few breaths later, perhaps the medicine began to take effect slowly, or perhaps the pain had temporarily reached its peak, Su Zhelan's trembling seemed to lessen somewhat, and his suppressed groans gradually subsided, turning into soft, painful gasps. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and although his face was still deathly pale and cold sweat had not yet dried, at least he was no longer on the verge of collapse as before.
"Phew..." Sheng Xuan let out a long, lingering breath, feeling the cold sweat on his back. He carefully laid Su Zhelan down and wiped the water stains and cold sweat from the corners of his mouth with his sleeve.
"He's stabilized for now." Xiao Qiyun's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with obvious fatigue.
"Your injury!" Sheng Xuan immediately turned to Xiao Qiyun, her gaze falling on the strip of cloth on his left arm soaked with blood and medicine powder. "Is it treated? Let me help you!"
Xiao Qiyun didn't try to be brave and nodded. The anesthetic needed time to take effect, and his left arm was still weak and sore, making it difficult for him to treat it himself. He leaned against the wall and extended his injured arm.
Sheng Xuan deftly untied the makeshift bandage on Xiao Qiyun's arm, which was now covered in blood and medicinal powder. When the gruesome wound was exposed to the dim light, Sheng Xuan's pupils contracted sharply. The wound wasn't deep, but the edges had an unnatural bluish-black tinge, clearly the mark left by a numbing dagger. The skin was slightly turned outwards, and blood was still slowly seeping out.
"These bastards!" Sheng Xuan cursed under his breath, his eyes blazing with anger. He quickly picked up the medicine bottle and sprinkled the pale yellow powder inside evenly onto Xiao Qiyun's wounds.
The powder stung the wound, causing Xiao Qiyun to furrow his brows and clench his teeth, but he didn't make a sound.
Then, Sheng Xuan picked up a clean bandage. Although his movements were somewhat rough, he bandaged the wound with exceptional care and firmness. He wrapped it layer by layer, tightening it tightly to ensure effective hemostasis.
Throughout the entire process, Xiao Qiyun silently endured it, with only the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and his slightly trembling fingertips revealing the pain he was suffering.
After bandaging Xiao Qiyun, Sheng Xuan tied a knot and, looking at Xiao Qiyun's pale face and tightly closed eyes, couldn't help but ask, "How are you feeling? Did that medicine... work?"
Xiao Qiyun slowly opened his eyes and tried to move his left arm. Although it was still sore and weak, the irritating numbness was indeed fading, and the stinging sensation of the wound became clearer.
"Yes, it's working. The wound... is fine." His voice was still hoarse, but it had a bit more strength than before.
He looked at Su Zhelan, whose breathing seemed to have stabilized somewhat, and asked, "How... is he?"
Sheng Xuan also looked at Su Zhelan. The boy lay quietly, his brows still slightly furrowed, but his breathing was no longer so rapid and broken, and the cold sweat seemed to have stopped. However, his face was still frighteningly pale. He was curled up, one hand unconsciously clutching something in his sleeve pocket—the outline of the mutton-fat jade pendant.
"She seems... to have fallen asleep?" Sheng Xuan's voice carried an uncertain hope. "...Should it be working?"
Xiao Qiyun struggled to get up from the chair to check on Su Zhelan, but Sheng Xuan pressed down on his shoulder: "Don't move! She's just been bandaged up, save your energy! I'll go check on her."
Sheng Xuan walked to the bedside and carefully touched Su Zhelan's forehead. It was icy cold to the touch, but no longer the deathly cold; instead, it carried a faint warmth, the warmth of a living person. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally eased a little.
Sheng Xuan walked to the bedside and carefully touched Su Zhelan's forehead. It was icy cold to the touch, but no longer the deathly cold; instead, it carried a faint warmth, the warmth of a living person. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally eased a little.
Looking at Su Zhelan's pale but finally peaceful sleeping face, and then glancing at Xiao Qiyun leaning back in his chair, his face still pale and his sleeves stained with blood, Sheng Xuan belatedly realized that he too was covered in dust, sweat, and a faint smell of blood. The small room was filled with an unpleasant mixture of odors.
"I'll go ask the shopkeeper for some hot water," Sheng Xuan said to Xiao Qiyun in a low voice, his voice hoarse with fatigue. "I'll wipe your faces and clean the blood around your wounds so you'll feel more comfortable." He pointed to the stains on himself and Xiao Qiyun's bodies.
Xiao Qiyun nodded slightly, offering no objection. He did indeed need something warm to dispel the chill and discomfort within him.
Sheng Xuan tiptoed out of the room, closed the door behind her, and walked down the dimly lit corridor. Behind the counter, the gaunt shopkeeper was dozing in his chair, his head nodding.
"Shopkeeper?" Sheng Xuan tried to keep his voice down, but still startled the other person.
The shopkeeper suddenly opened his sleepy eyes, and when he saw that it was Sheng Xuan, his face immediately showed impatience. Especially when he saw the dust and faint bloodstains on Sheng Xuan's body, his brows furrowed even more: "What is it now? In the middle of the night!"
"Excuse me, could you please bring me some hot water?" Sheng Xuan said patiently and politely. "The person in the room isn't feeling well and would like to take a shower."
"Hot water?" The shopkeeper scoffed, looking Sheng Xuan up and down with disdain and contempt in his eyes. "Do you think this is your own private residence? Hot water? A few copper coins for a night's stay, and you expect hot water?"
He stretched out his withered fingers and tapped on the greasy counter. "Want hot water? There's firewood in the kitchen in the back and water in the water tank. Go boil it yourself! You think you can act like a big shot just because you're paying a few coins? No way!"
Sheng Xuan was so taken aback by this abrupt rebuke that she almost choked on her breath.
He had been running around all night, experiencing a life-or-death struggle, and braving Su Yan's wrath to retrieve the medicine. He was now exhausted, both physically and mentally. The shopkeeper's harsh words instantly ignited the anger and grievances he had been suppressing.
He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes blazed with anger, almost unable to resist slamming his fist on the counter.
But reason instantly prevailed over impulse. He couldn't afford to cause any trouble! There couldn't be any disturbance here! Su Zhelan and Xiao Qiyun were still upstairs and needed quiet to rest!
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his violent rage, pulled out a few copper coins from his pocket, and slammed them on the counter with a "smack," his voice as cold as ice: "Firewood money! Is that enough?"
The shopkeeper glanced at the few copper coins, pursed his lips, and reluctantly accepted them, but still showed no intention of getting up. He simply gestured with his chin toward the direction leading to the backyard: "The kitchen is over there. Help yourself and you'll have plenty to eat! Don't expect me to serve you!" After saying that, he closed his eyes again, acting as if it were none of his business.
Looking at the shopkeeper's face, Sheng Xuan felt a surge of resentment rising in his chest. He gritted his teeth, said no more, and strode towards the backyard. The kitchen was small and dark, cluttered with miscellaneous items, and the water in the vat was icy cold. He found some firewood, clumsily started a fire, and choking smoke filled the air, making him cough.
He suppressed his coughing as he ladled water into the pot, watching the cold bottom slowly heat up under the leaping flames, and the steam began to rise. He felt a surge of frustration and helplessness.
Serving the young masters? He gave a self-deprecating twitch of his lips. Wasn't he serving two "young masters" right now? He even had to boil water himself!
After finally boiling a pot of water, Sheng Xuan filled a wooden bucket halfway with the scalding hot water, added some cold water, and tested the temperature to make sure it was just right. Then, carrying the heavy bucket, covered in soot and exhausted, he prepared to return to that cramped and oppressive room.
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