Chapter 387

Pan Yun blinked in surprise, "Blood-sucking worms?"

Read Mu Lin's eyes lit up, "You know about this worm? Can you cure it?"

Pan Yun frowned and shook her head, "Couldn't the Imperial Medical Bureau help?"

Read Mu Lin froze, "You know who I am?"

Pan Yun said bluntly, "You even told me your surname is Mu, and then imperial brocade guards came looking for you—how could I not know? Tell me, are you from the Yunnan Mu Fu?"

Read Mu Lin quickly waved his hands, whispering, "We're not the Fu—we're just the Duke's Mansion. Don't call us that, especially not here in the Central Plains."

"You're quite cautious. Who got infected with the corpse poison?"

Read Mu Lin: "I can't tell you, but I can tell you the Imperial Medical Bureau can't help either."

My father contracted corpse poison, and even within the court few know—much less can it be spread among the people, or it would cause panic and criticism.

So this matter remains known only to a very small circle.

Pan Yun didn't press further; after a moment's thought, she said, "I can't save him, but I can give you a vial of pills and a few talismans. They won't save his life, but they'll ease his suffering."

She paused, then added, "You might go to Long Hushan and ask their high Daoist priests if they have a cure."

"That's right—go find a Daoist priest from Long Hushan. This corpse poison was first discovered by an official of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and he was the one who dealt with those spreading it. He couldn't save lives, but there are Daoist priests more powerful than him—perhaps they can."

Read Mu Lin's eyes grew brighter still; he asked Pan Yun, "Are the most powerful Daoist priests in the world on Long Hushan?"

Pan Yun hesitated a moment, then nodded, "Though I hate to admit it—yes."

Read Mu Lin: "Then I'm going to Long Hushan!"

Pan Yun pulled a vial of pills from her pack and handed it to him, her face twisted in visible pain.

Read Mu Lin tugged twice before she finally let go.

These were antidote pills crafted by Senior Brother—she only had one vial.

Pan Yun sighed and kept rummaging through her pack, pulling out several talismans.

She folded them neatly and handed them to him: "This is a Sleep Talisman—place it by the bed or hold it in your hand to let him sleep peacefully. This is the Antidote Talisman—if his pain becomes unbearable, burn it, dissolve the ash in boiling water, and drink it."

Read Mu Lin swallowed hard, "Drink talisman water?"

Pan Yun: "Not all talismans are meant to be ingested—but my Antidote Talisman only works if you drink it—and it works very well."

Pan Yun said plainly, "If you hadn't held off the brocade guards for us, I wouldn't have given you these pills or talismans."

Read Mu Lin reached out to take them, then paused and asked, "Are we friends now?"

Pan Yun: "Of course."

She realized she hadn't introduced herself, so she bowed and said, "I am Pan Yun of Mount Sanqing."

Read Mu Lin finally smiled, returning the bow: "I am Read Mu Lin of Yunnan, though my ancestral home is Ding Yuan."

Pan Yun nodded, "You'll see how effective my talismans are once you use them. If you need more later, write to the Sanqing Temple on Mount Sanqing—or send a letter to the Long Hushan Academy. I'll receive both."

Read Mu Lin: "You're also at Long Hushan?"

Before Pan Yun could answer, the courtyard gate creaked. She instantly turned her head.

Read Mu Lin glanced outside and realized he'd been there a long time. He clutched the talismans and vial, tucked them into his robe, and bowed to Pan Yun again: "I must go. Until we meet again."

He bowed to Wang Cong and the others, then turned and left.

He stood before the gate, paused, as if confirming the other side was his own people, then gently opened the gate, stepped in while folding his umbrella, left the umbrella leaning against the doorframe, and closed the gate behind him.

Pan Yun and the others watched him depart from the window.

After a long while, Wang Cong said, "He didn't ask my name."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Didn't ask mine either."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "He only wanted to be friends with Little Master."

Hong Yan: "Can Xiao Hong come out? The thunder's stopped, and there's no sun."

Pan Yun pulled her gaze away, "Let her out."

Xiao Hong emerged from the gold hairpin, exhaled deeply, and said, "I nearly suffocated."

She was curious about the three people lying inside, looked them over one by one, then sighed with regret: "You should've let me out right after they died."

Pan Yun: "You want to eat them?"

Xiao Hong looked disgusted, "They're too stinky and ugly—I wouldn't eat them. I was just curious—wanted to see if I could spot the soul rising from a freshly dead body."

Pan Yun: "Don't bother. It's just a wisp of smoke, shapeless, utterly unremarkable."

The rain gradually stopped; the sky began to lighten, though it remained gray and hazy.

The sound of oxen and horses neighing echoed before the Mountain God Temple.

Cao Ye and the others brought the horses back and noticed Read Mu Lin's shoulders and arms were soaked; they frowned.

Jin Shu patted the water off Read Mu Lin's shoulders and scolded, "Young Master, these tasks are for us to handle—why did you go out in the rain? If you catch a chill, how will we answer to the Governor and the Duke?"

Read Mu Lin wiped the water from his arms, unconcerned: "It's fine."

Cao Ye turned away, not thinking further: "The rain's stopped. Let's pack up and go."

The others in the Mountain God Temple also decided to leave immediately after the rain ended—this place leaked wind and rain and wasn't fit to stay in.

Soon, the temple, once packed with people, stood empty; the previously deserted road now saw a steady flow of travelers.

Because Read Mu Lin's group left first, they didn't notice: after everyone departed, a carriage still stood nearby, with a horse still under its canopy. Pan Yun appeared before the temple, Pan Xiaohei perched on her shoulder, watching everyone leave one by one.

Wang Cong walked up beside her and asked, "Are we leaving?"

"Can Hu Jing move?"

Wang Cong said, "Best not to move him—his lower back wound is severe. The attacker didn't want to kill him outright, but didn't intend for him to live long either."

Pan Yun said, "Then we won't leave. We'll stay one more night."

A night's rest will let Hu Jing recover—and give Pan Yun time to erase all traces from the temple.

The benefits of this storm quickly became clear: the heavy rain had washed away nearly all traces in the courtyard.

"A stormy day is indeed a fine day for killing and dumping bodies—saves so much trouble."

Wang Cong pointed at the two corpses nearby and asked, "Should we bury them?"

Pan Yun, thinking of Liu Jing and the others still pursuing them, nodded and said, "Bury them. Destroy the bodies, erase the traces."

!. Read

They buried the men right there in the courtyard.

Hu Jing took another dose of medicine that evening; by the next morning, when he woke, his spirits were much improved.

Pan Yun looked at him. "Can you be moved?"

Hu Jing was about to nod when Pan Yun turned her head to ask Tao Yanbai instead. "Shouldn't be asking you—you're the patient, what would you know? Tao Yanbai, you answer."

Tao Yanbai nodded. "Light movement should be fine."

"Then lay more quilts in the carriage, let him lie on his side. Wang Cong, drive slower on the road, don't jostle him."

Wang Cong agreed.

Hu Jing was deeply moved and, with great effort, cupped his fist and said, "Daoist Sanzhu, for saving my life, this Hu fellow has no way to repay…"

Pan Yun cut in, "You can pledge yourself to me."

Hu Jing's body stiffened. He laughed awkwardly. "Daoist Sanzhu jests."

"No, I'm not joking. I'm serious." Pan Yun whipped out a sheet of paper and held it up before his eyes for him to read clearly. "See? I've even written up the indenture contract."

Hu Jing gaped. This really was pledging himself!

He looked at Pan Yun, opened his mouth, opened it again, and for a long while could not speak.

Seeing Miao Zhen and the others had already begun packing—things that needed packing were packed, items meant as cover were stuffed into the luggage bags.

Only Wang Cong stood at Pan Yun's side, gazing at Hu Jing along with her.

Pan Yun said in a drawn-out tone, "I knew it. Your 'no way to repay' was just polite talk."

Hu Jing's face flushed red. He hastened to say, "No, no, it's just—I've simply never imagined selling myself into servitude… It feels strange. Daoist Sanzhu, you'd better just kill me instead—take my life."

"Good!" Pan Yun praised. "I like that backbone of yours—rather die than be a slave."

"Look again," Pan Yun shook the paper in her hand and said. "Although I call it an indenture contract, it actually isn't one. It won't make you a slave."

Only then did Hu Jing fix his eyes on it and read aloud: "In gratitude for Daoist Pan Sanzhu's life-saving grace, I, Hu Jing, swear: One, I shall never deceive Pan Sanzhu; whatever she asks, I shall answer truthfully…"

Hu Jing paused for quite a while before continuing to read on: "Two, I shall never betray Daoist Pan Sanzhu. Whether the other party be demon or villain, be the Emperor, or claim to represent righteousness—anyone who inquires about information on Pan Sanzhu and her senior brothers, senior sisters, and junior nephews with the intent to harm Pan Sanzhu's interests, I shall never reveal or betray it;"

Hu Jing could not help but look up at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun nodded at him, encouraging, "Continue."

Hu Jing: "Three, I shall treat Pan Sanzhu's interests as my own, and hold in aversion all persons and things that harm Pan Sanzhu's interests; Four, whatever Daoist Pan Sanzhu asks me to do, so long as it does not violate morality, I shall obey…"

Hu Jing let out a breath of relief and reached out to take the paper.

Pan Yun had only just produced her brush when he had already nimbly bitten his finger and signed and pressed his fingerprint right on it.

Pan Yun silently put the brush away and gave Hu Jing a thumbs-up. "A true hero."

Wang Cong stepped forward to apply medicine and bandage his finger.

Once the bandaging was done, Pan Yun waved her hand and said, "Tao Yanbai, take the door off its hinges and carry him onto the carriage."

"Wait," Hu Jing quickly said. "Daoist Sanzhu, what about the two assassins who tried to abduct me yesterday?"

Pan Yun: "Buried."

Hu Jing: "…They're both dead?"

Pan Yun nodded. "Both dead. Thoroughly dead."

After a moment of silence, Hu Jing asked, "I don't know why they wanted to abduct me. I don't know—how did Daoist Sanzhu know they were going to abduct me?"

Pan Yun said, "We'll talk about that on the road. Hero Hu, there are still pursuers behind us. Are you sure you want to discuss it here?"

Hu Jing was taken aback. "Are they Japanese pirates too? They sent so many people after me?"

Pan Yun gave him a faint smile, shook her head, and said, "No. They're the Imperial Brocaded Guards."

Hu Jing's expression hardened, and he said no more.

Officials dislike being entangled with the Imperial Brocaded Guards, and so do men of the jianghu.

Anyone connected to the Imperial Brocaded Guards will meet with no good outcome—whether the matter itself is good or bad.

(End of chapter)