Chapter 140: The King's Anxiety

The girl's breathing was rapid, Feng Yan's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Imperial physician! Call the imperial physician quickly!"

The soldiers hurried over, and after hearing Feng Yan's shout, they each scattered again.

"How could this happen!" Feng Yan cried helplessly, but could only watch the girl suffer; at that moment, he felt that she should not be the one suffering.

"Imperial physician, arrive!" the soldier shouted, and the imperial physician took a pill from his medicine box and gave it to the girl.

After swallowing the pill, the effect was obvious; the girl's complexion improved markedly, and she gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Feng Yan let out a long sigh, feeling that the matter was temporarily settled.

Yet a lingering unease remained in his heart, as if something big would happen; Feng Yan looked at the girl with worry and asked the imperial physician, "How is the girl's condition?"

"As you can see, my lord, the girl is exhausted from extreme fright, her strength is depleted and her body is not in good shape, so we cannot administer medicine because the symptoms are unclear."

Hearing the imperial physician's words, Feng Yan relaxed and then ordered the soldiers to carry the girl into the room.

"Lord, please continue to observe the girl's condition," the imperial physician warned Feng Yan.

"Hm?" Feng Yan showed surprise and asked, "Didn't you already give her medicine?"

The imperial physician shook his head and explained, "At first I thought the same, but this girl suffered some... and later almost died; my lord, where did you see her?"

The imperial physician's question went unanswered by Feng Yan, but Feng Yan already had an answer in his mind. He nodded and said, "I understand. Imperial physician, you must have many affairs to attend to, so I will not stay."

The imperial physician, not understanding Feng Yan's meaning, nodded and left.

Watching the imperial physician walk away, Feng Yan's doubts were partially resolved. He knew the girl was hard to save, yet these physicians not only returned but could appear before him in a few days with a healthy body. He thought something was amiss, and the physician's words confirmed this suspicion.

After pondering for a long time, Feng Yan obtained some answers and felt sorrow for the girl. He turned and pushed open the door to the room; the girl had already awakened, her cheeks flushed, and a wet towel was still pressed to her forehead to cool her.

"How is she now?" Feng Yan asked with concern.

The girl shook her head, indicating she was fine.

Feng Yan said nothing, nodded, and slowly left the room, gently closing the door.

After confirming Feng Yan had left, the girl finally exhaled, and with a "wa" sound she spat out a clump of black stuff.

The girl gasped, a smile appearing on her pale face, then lay back down, thinking she already knew where her brother had gone.

Because soon she might have a chance to reunite with him.

"Probably," the girl thought, then wiped the remaining grime from the corner of her mouth with her right hand and smiled.

After leaving the room, Feng Yan's lingering doubts finally received partial answers; the girl suddenly became as healthy as a normal person, surely some medicine had been used, and its side effects had just manifested, so Feng Yan guessed why the king was so anxious.

Feng Yan nodded, confirming his thought.

Later Feng Yan arrived at the palace gate, where the guards, looking at him, performed their duties respectfully and then stopped him.

"We need the king's command or a written order," the soldier explained to Feng Yan.

Feng Yan understood the soldiers' difficulty but could not return just to go out, so he told them, "I'll go out now; you soldiers act as witnesses. After I leave, report that I have an urgent matter. Is that acceptable?"

"This?" the soldiers were at a loss, looked at each other, and finally nodded.

"Then thank you both for your assistance," Feng Yan said modestly, but the soldiers, frightened, knelt on the ground.

"Please don't do that!" the soldiers' voices trembled, but when they stood up, they only saw Feng Yan's back.

At that moment, the soldiers realized the Adventurer was just a boy of no more than twenty.

"So the adult Your Majesty mentioned was just a boy," the soldiers sighed, watching Feng Yan depart.

"Then, where should I go?" Feng Yan began to ponder after leaving the palace.

Watching the people outside the palace busily moving, Feng Yan was momentarily confused, having no idea what his next step should be.

"Um, perhaps I need a place," Feng Yan reasoned to himself, then entered an inn.

"Waiter!" Feng Yan entered the inn, casually took a table, and called out to the attendant in front of him.

"Ah! Coming!" the attendant shouted upon hearing someone call, finishing his task and rushing over.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" the attendant asked Feng Yan.

"First a pot of tea, then a plate of dim sum," Feng Yan said.

"Got it! One pot of tea, one plate of snacks!" the attendant shouted, then ran to the back kitchen.

While waiting, Feng Yan had nothing to do but look around, noticing a variety of people; the inn's decor was not luxurious but still elegant.

Feng Yan, still idle, inadvertently overheard some idle chatter.

"Did you hear? Wu Wang has already had his leg cut off by an Adventurer!"

"That kind of person, cutting off a leg is nothing? Even if they die it's no big deal, just a scum."

"His and that master's academy have harmed how many children? Claiming to become the elite? That kind of person should have died long ago!"

"By the way, have you heard? The king even begged that Adventurer to repair our nation's divine artifact!"

Feng Yan listened to the neighboring table's patrons, smiled, and the attendant soon brought tea and pastries.

"Enjoy your meal," the attendant said, placing the tea and pastries before Feng Yan and pouring a cup of tea.

The aroma of the tea leaves drifted into Feng Yan's nose, and he took a sip.

As the tea's bitterness turned to a lingering sweetness, Feng Yan's furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

"Ah~" Feng Yan felt very bitter in his heart, yet still didn't know what he had lost, those precious, sorrowful, painful things he seemed never to have possessed.

"Alas!" After a long sigh, Feng Yan sighed again, recalling that boy.

From that moment, Feng Yan felt guilt, a deep sense of sin arose in his heart; he knew that if the two were between the Yellow Springs, he would not escape a tirade of curses.

Feng Yan shook his head, took another sip of tea, and called the attendant.

"Is there something you need?" the attendant asked.

"I would like a room," Feng Yan told the attendant.

"What kind of room would you like?" the attendant asked.

"The best one!" Feng Yan replied.

"You mean it?" the attendant whispered close to Feng Yan's ear.

Feng Yan nodded, the waiter knew, Feng Yan wasn't joking.

"Please follow me." The waiter led Feng Yan upstairs to look at the rooms.

"This is it, rest for now, I'll go tell the proprietor." The waiter ushered Feng Yan upstairs, then went downstairs himself.

Feng Yan looked at the crystal pendant, the exquisite carvings all around, the floor plated with a thin layer of gold; although it seemed a bit less grand than the palace of Li State, the room was much smaller, but as a top‑tier private room of an inn, it was quite impressive.

"Indeed not bad!" Feng Yan said after looking at the decorations, then lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

After the waiter went out, he came to the accounts room, found the proprietor and told him about this.

"Proprietor, someone is staying in our best private room, should we give it to him?" The waiter approached the proprietor and asked softly.

The proprietor didn't answer him at first; after a moment, he clicked the abacus, made a rough calculation, then replied: "Anyway, the king said there are honored guests in the country recently, so this room was surely reserved for that person? Let him have it for now; when the person comes, we'll just kick him out—problem solved."

Hearing that, the waiter didn't dare say anything, just kept nodding, then slowly retreated from the accounts room.

"Your Majesty, leaving the adventurers unchecked is truly inappropriate!" After hearing the soldier's report, finally a general could no longer stand it, and he expressed his opinion to the king.

"Do you have a way to repair our nation's treasure?" The king countered.

"But..." Before the general could finish, the king waved his hand, signaling him to step down; the general had no choice, so after performing his salute, he left unwillingly.

"All of you, retreat." The king ordered all the palace maidservants to withdraw.

"Summon the imperial physician." The king ordered the soldier.

"Yes!" The soldier received the king's order and also slowly withdrew.

In the vast palace, only the king and a few guards remained.

The king slumped in his throne, not understanding that he had already abandoned royal dignity; in the end, why did Feng Yan still go out? Moreover, without even saying hello—did he not want to help us restore it? Or had he discovered something? The more the king thought, the more his mind became confused, and he slowly grew flustered.

The king was clear. The medicine used on the girl would not last a few days, but to wake that girl, he had already expended enormous effort; now, how to prolong the girl's life is another major problem facing him.

After all, before asking others for help, some things must be done well to show one's sincerity and to put others at ease.

"I only hope that girl can hold on a little longer." The king said.