Chapter 26: with translation of chapter title

Gu Jiu Ling took out the deeds of the two shops, set them aside separately, and then suddenly remembered something.

"Jiu Yue, bring over the medicine box, the smaller one."

"Yes, master," Jiu Yue hurriedly turned and went to the storeroom, took out a small medicine box, and brought it to Gu Jiu Ling.

Unexpectedly, on the table the master had already placed a pile of bottles and jars, which looked like they contained various medicinal ingredients.

She didn't dare ask further, and Gu Jiu Ling stuffed all the anti-inflammatory medicine, wound-cleansing medicine, and wound disinfectant from the table into the box.

"Let's first go to the Bei Di Yi Guan to deliver some medicine to the Prince of Bei Di."

Jiu Yue replied with a smile, "Master, you are truly kind-hearted. I've heard that the Prince of Bei Di has suffered greatly in Southern Qi, and those nobles there don't even treat him as a person."

Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brows slightly, sighed, and said, "He's just a pitiful person; since I have the fate to save his life, I'll see this good deed through to the end."

"I can't just watch him die, after all I'm a healer."

After Gu Jiu Ling finished packing, she took Jiu Yue and left the Wangfu by carriage, heading toward the main street of Zhu Que Jie.

At this moment, the Bei Di Yi Guan was desolate, its gate tightly shut, with only a few Bei Di servants hurrying along with heads down.

In the rear courtyard, the warm pavilion where Tuo Ba Yu stayed echoed with a faint wail, the sound seeming to come from fear in hell.

Tuo Ba Yu leaned sideways against the pillow, wearing only a jade-white robe, his three thousand strands of black hair cascading down, his features exquisite, his complexion icy and pure like snow fallen on a ten-thousand-year glacier.

Because of excessive blood loss, his pale lips were like a single plum blossom in the snow, beautiful yet shocking.

He leaned there, coldly gazing at the blood-covered man kneeling before him: "When hunting in the hunting grounds, was it you who brought this prince here?"

"Your Highness! Your Highness! I dare not again! It was Xiao Wei… it was Xiao Wei…"

The man lifted his head in pleading, only then seeing that the skin on his face had been peeled off alive, revealing the bloody flesh underneath, terribly horrifying.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Please! Your Highness! Please!"

The man trembled all over like chaff in a sieve; he had accompanied Tuo Ba Yu in Southern Qi for seven years, but he could no longer endure it and wanted to find another patron.

I thought Tuo Ba Yu would die, but unexpectedly a woman saved him.

Tuo Ba Yu's purple pupils flashed, like shattered violet jade glittering with icy light.

He let out a cold laugh: "You… have no chance left."

The kneeling man on the ground didn't even have time to utter a gasp before his head was chopped off, rolling all the way to the edge of Tuo Ba Yu's bed.

Tuo Ba Yu's expression remained unchanged, his eyes full of contempt.

He gestured, and the outside servants hurriedly bowed and entered, dragging the man out, then promptly cleaned the warm pavilion.

His trusted guard Gu Lv sheathed his blade, half-kneeling before Tuo Ba Yu: "My lord, I returned late; please forgive me."

Tuo Ba Yu waved his hand: "How is the Bei Di capital? Has my dear father missed me yet?"

Gu Lv hurriedly whispered: "Our people are already placed beside the king."

Tuo Ba Yu nodded, gazing at the light seeping in from outside the window: "Seven years have passed; I've waited far too long."

"Since everyone is involved in this game, it's time for us to take control of the board!"

He slowly raised his hand, his fingers taking on a jade-like hue; though a man's hand, it was extraordinarily beautiful.

His slender fingers held a jade game piece, gently placing it on the board before him at a crucial point.

"Prince! Princess Consort of Rui has arrived, saying she's brought medicine for you!"

The servant outside knelt at the door to report.

Tuo Ba Yu startled, sat up straight, and tapped the window.

Gu Lv hurriedly opened the window to let the bloody smell out; upon turning around, he discovered his master already half-reclined on the couch, the board pushed aside, frail and helpless, showing none of the earlier decisive ruthlessness.

He hurriedly took down and stored the board; Gu Jiu Ling had already entered carrying the medicine box.

"Princess Consort of Rui, are you well?" Tuo Ba Yu propped himself up, eager to rise.

Gu Jiu Ling dared not let him rise, quickly stepping forward to press his arm, and she looked at Tuo Ba Yu's chest.

When she previously performed surgery to remove the poisoned arrow, she also cleaned the wound around his chest; at that urgent moment, the bandaging was hasty and she hadn't properly examined the surrounding area.

This time she felt embarrassed to directly undo the bandage, given the propriety between men and women.

However, seeing his complexion was alright, she took the medicine box over, opened it, and took out the medicine inside.

"Your Highness, please keep these medicines."

"Have your servants remember to clean your wound daily; this is disinfectant for wound cleansing, this is an external ointment, this is oral anti-inflammatory medicine—remember to take one dose in the morning and one at night, two tablets each time."

Gu Jiu Ling routinely explained the usage and dosage; Tuo Ba Yu obediently replied, his gaze at her purple eyes growing deeper.

He smiled at Gu Jiu Ling: "Thank you, Princess Consort, for your life-saving grace!"

He stared steadily at Gu Jiu Ling, the corners of his eyes reddening slightly, revealing a different kind of delicate pity.

Gu Jiu Ling sighed: "Your Highness need not be distressed; in life one inevitably encounters various obstacles, but gritting one's teeth will see them through."

"Take good care of your wounds, I must go!"

This is the Bei Di Yi Guan; Gu Jiu Ling dare not linger too long, after all the relations between Bei Di and Southern Qi are delicate.

She merely delivered enough dosage this once; this box of medicine is sufficient to heal him.

Before leaving, Gu Jiu Ling still took Tuo Ba Yu's pulse, breathed a sigh of relief—nothing serious.

She then bade farewell to Tuo Ba Yu, who propped himself up on the bed to thank her once more.

After Gu Jiu Ling left, a complex shade crossed Tuo Ba Yu's face; having endured seven years of humiliation and scorn, he never expected this ray of light to come from the Princess Consort of Rui.

Beside him, Gu Lv hurriedly said: "My lord, let's change the medicine."

"Hmm," Tuo Ba Yu replied softly, slowly lowering himself from the bed and opening his arms.

Gu Lv hurriedly unwound the gauze on his chest bit by bit; his waist was taut, clearly that of a martial artist, though he took medicine daily to suppress these signs.

Gu Lv carefully applied medicine to his chest; sunlight streamed through the carved lattice window, falling on his slender side waist.

On his side waist was tattooed a palm-sized Red Scorpion, its tail menacingly raised; a scar ran from the tail upward, cutting across half his lean frame straight to the shoulder.

He clenched the anti-inflammatory medicine left by Gu Jiu Ling in his hand; his slender fingers slowly brushed over the bottle, a smile tugging at his lips, heart-stopping.

Ah-choo! Gu Jiu Ling sat in the carriage and sneezed hard.

Master! Watch out for getting cold! Jiu Yue draped the cloak over Gu Jiu Ling's shoulders.

Gu Jiu Ling rubbed her nose, lifted her head to look at the dark clouds overhead, and faintly there was an oppressive pressure over the city.

Jiu Yue hurriedly said, "Master, the weather's changing—it's going to rain!"

Gu Jiu Ling nodded: "Yes, the weather's changing!"