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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 16 Pharmacist Academy
Lin Chuyu narrowly dodged a deadly strike once again, but the Vermilion Bird seemed enraged. The bird before her was not only fast but also seemed hell-bent on killing Lin Chuyu.
Confused, Lin Chuyu wondered why this Vermilion Bird was so intent on harming her. The other bird had not been injured by her; it had hurt itself in a reckless charge, which had nothing to do with her at all.
She had no time to ponder further as the Nirvana Fire shot toward her again. Although she managed to evade most of it, she still felt a searing pain as some flames caught her, causing her body to spin uncontrollably in the air.
Seizing the opportunity, the Vermilion Bird struck Lin Chuyu with one of its wings, sending her crashing down onto a low mountain. At that moment, she could no longer maintain her Vermilion Bird Form; her human form was revealed. The bird landed heavily on her head, and Lin Chuyu felt as if her skull might be crushed under its weight.
The Vermilion Bird let out a sound of surprise and leaned closer to Lin Chuyu. The foul stench emanating from its mouth nearly suffocated her.
"You are not an illusion; you are human!" The bird suddenly went wild. "You are human!" Realizing that Lin Chuyu was indeed human sent it into a frenzy. It flapped its wings violently, seemingly preparing to unleash fire upon her at such close range—if it hit, she would undoubtedly perish.
Despair filled Lin Chuyu's eyes as she gazed at the bird, but she refused to resign herself to fate. Remembering the Vajra at her waist, she quickly drew it and stabbed upward at the foot pressing down on her head. The Vermilion Bird screeched in pain and lifted its foot off Lin Chuyu's head. Seizing the moment, she sprang up and thrust the Vajra toward the bird's chest.
The Vermilion Bird fell to the ground in agony, hot blood gushing from its body and splattering onto Lin Chuyu. Eventually, it lay still, lifeless.
As Lin Chuyu realized what she had done—killing a Vermilion Bird—she felt a wave of dread wash over her. If anyone discovered that she had slain one of these creatures, her fate would mirror that of the bird. She attempted to transform into her Vermilion Bird Form to escape, but in her current state of exhaustion, she could not manifest it. Gritting her teeth, she resolved that even if it meant breaking her legs, she would find a way to escape.
The sounds of their battle attracted Li Tang's attention. Moments later, Li Tang spotted Lin Chuyu struggling to climb the low mountain. From high above, Li Tang was far away and did not notice Lin Chuyu beneath him.
Seeing the Low Mountain Guardian dead on the ground shocked Li Tang. "She killed the Low Mountain Guardian!"
At that moment, Li Tang watched as Lin Chuyu fell to the ground with a thud. Concerned for her safety, he descended rapidly and transformed into his human form upon reaching her side. Noticing the pain etched on Lin Chuyu's face, he rushed forward to support her and asked, "What happened?"
Lin Chuyu clutched her chest, her face pale as she said, "I feel so dizzy, like I'm suffering from heatstroke."
Li Tang gazed at Lin Chuyu. "Heatstroke? What is that?" Although Li Tang could transform into a human form, she could not comprehend such discomfort. Regardless of whether Li Tang could understand or not, it was clear from Lin Chuyu's current state that she was not well. Lin Chuyu had injuries that Li Tang recognized as wounds from her battle with the Low Mountain Guardian.
With concern, Li Tang asked, "Can you still walk?"
Through gritted teeth, Lin Chuyu insisted, "I can. I have to get out."
Li Tang had yet to decide how to handle Lin Chuyu. Now that Lin Chuyu had killed the Low Mountain Guardian and brought her back, she would certainly face judgment from the Enforcer. However, if she let Lin Chuyu go, it would mean punishing herself. Li Tang had never felt so helpless before.
Li Tang and Lin Chuyu were essentially strangers; even Li Tang couldn't understand why she cared so much about this unfamiliar person. They were not far from the exit of the halo now. If she wanted to, Li Tang could easily carry Lin Chuyu on her back and take her out, but she refrained from doing so. To do that would clearly violate the Enforcer's orders.
However, Lin Chuyu's performance exceeded Li Tang's expectations; she had never thought Lin Chuyu would be capable of killing the Low Mountain Guardian.
Staying on the Low Mountain was too conspicuous. Li Tang led Lin Chuyu down the mountain and found a patch of grass for her to rest temporarily.
The grass blades in Zhuque Chenjing were as large as lotus leaves, densely arranged to form a massive mat. When Li Tang laid Lin Chuyu on the grass, it sank slightly under her weight, causing Lin Chuyu to feel even more dizzy.
As Lin Chuyu lay down, she felt a bit more comfortable. She shifted her body slightly; despite lying on the grass, her injured back still ached a little. Nevertheless, she was grateful that her quick thinking had allowed her to escape a dire situation.
Li Tang watched Lin Chuyu with a look of unease in her eyes.
Kneeling beside Lin Chuyu, Li Tang carefully examined her injuries. On the surface, there were scratches that were merely superficial wounds and not serious. Li Tang had already noticed the injury on Lin Chuyu's back and slowly turned her over to adjust her position so that she could lie comfortably on her back before checking the wound further.
Li Tang took out a small bottle containing healing powder used by the Zhuque for treating wounds. As she applied the powder to the injuries, Lin Chuyu felt a significant reduction in pain.
Pale-faced, Lin Chuyu slowly opened her eyes and said, "I'm so tired... I just want to sleep..."
Li Tang replied, "Then take a moment to rest; no one will come here for a while."
Lin Chuyu murmured, "Is my injury serious...? Am I going to die...?"
Li Tang chuckled softly, "You're not going to die, but it might take about half a month for your wounds to heal."
Lin Chuyu's consciousness seemed a bit hazy as she asked, "Are you here to take me back...?"
This question was difficult for Li Tang to answer. He couldn't provide an accurate response; given Lin Chuyu's current condition, capturing her and taking her back would be easy, yet he seemed to have no intention of doing so.
Gradually, before Lin Chuyu could receive an answer from Li Tang, she fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Chuyu had no idea how long she had slept, but she could feel a surge of energy flowing into her body. Her body trembled slightly, and then she felt her strength returning. She opened her eyes to see Li Tang with beads of sweat streaming down his face.
Li Tang withdrew his hand from where it had been pressed against Lin Chuyu's chest. At that moment, she forced herself to sit up, breathing heavily as she asked, "Why... why did you save me?"
Li Tang leaned back slightly, gasping for breath. "I don't know why I saved you; all I know is that I can't let you die here."
Lin Chuyu felt grateful for everything Li Tang had done for her. "Thank you... thank you."
---
Wherever Prince Huixin went, Chen Yushan followed closely behind. With a gaze full of curiosity, she watched every action of her savior. When Prince Huixin inquired about an injured soldier, she stood quietly by, listening intently.
Although there were others in a similar situation as Chen Yushan, this girl had caught Prince Huixin's favor. He took her in, determined not to let her return to the refugee camp, for it would be nearly impossible for her to survive alone.
Unfortunately, for an untrained girl with no combat experience, danger lurked everywhere.
They were in Qingyang City, but it was not a particularly safe place at the moment. Many people continued to fight on the front lines for Qingyang City, and numerous others were following suit.
Chen Yushan seemed very interested in medicine. On one occasion, she had startled the Military Doctor. The Military Doctor had been ordered to leave Qingyang City to treat injured soldiers at an outpost and had not expected Chen Yushan to secretly follow him. He rode out on his mount, and it was only halfway there that he realized she was behind him. At that point, he could not send her back and had no choice but to let her accompany him.
Upon returning to the city, the Military Doctor reported this situation to Prince Huixin. He scolded her sternly, saying, "You must not do that again! What if something happened while you were sneaking out? Do you want others to worry about you while they are fighting?"
Chen Yushan lowered her head in dejection and nodded. However, Prince Huixin suspected that this girl would likely persist in her ways. Her fearless attitude reminded him of himself.
Though Prince Huixin appeared to be reprimanding her, he was not truly angry. He asked her, "Why did you sneak out after the Military Doctor?"
With shining eyes, Chen Yushan replied, "I want to learn the medical skills that can save lives."
Prince Huixin smiled slightly. "You want to study medicine?"
Chen Yushan nodded eagerly.
"You can't just run around following the Military Doctor if you want to learn medicine," Prince Huixin said. "I will arrange a place for you to study. Remember, no more wandering off."
Chen Yushan nodded happily.
At that moment, a soldier led a group of women dressed in white toward Prince Huixin. The leading woman wore a blue patterned brocade robe and a light orchid-colored veil. Her smooth hair was styled in an elegant high bun, adorned with a jade hairpin that swayed gently as she moved. Her skin was as smooth as fine jade, and she wore a sea-blue jade bracelet on her delicate wrist, giving her an air of grace and elegance.
The soldier approached Prince Huixin and reported, "Your Highness, disciples from the Pharmacist Academy seek an audience."
Prince Huixin's face lit up with joy. He had long wanted to invite someone from the Pharmacist Academy to assist him, as their medical skills were renowned. With the ongoing conflict against the Hall of Malevolence intensifying, he desperately needed the help of those knowledgeable in medicine.
"How wonderful that you could come! I was just thinking of meeting your academy's head," Prince Huixin exclaimed happily.
Leading the group was a woman whose eyes glistened with tears, yet her expression remained proud. Suddenly, she knelt before Prince Huixin. "Your Highness, please grant us justice."
As she knelt, the other women behind her followed suit.
Prince Huixin was taken aback and quickly urged them to rise. "What has happened?"
Tears streamed down the woman's face as she spoke, "Our academy head has been killed by the Arbitrator."
Prince Huixin's body trembled in shock. "How... how could this happen?"
The woman’s expression was filled with sorrow, but her tone was laced with anger. "It was the Great Seat of the Hall of Malevolence. About half a month ago, the Great Seat demanded our submission to the Hall. Our head refused firmly, and in a fit of rage, the Great Seat severed her right arm. She was skilled in medicine and could have staunched the bleeding and escaped this calamity, but the Great Seat declared that anyone not serving them would be considered an enemy. The Great Seat ordered us to be captured and killed. Our head protected us as we fled, but she is now beyond saving."
Prince Huixin's expression grew grave. Although he wasn't very familiar with the academy head, he had visited a few times. "This is outrageous!" he said indignantly. Taking a deep breath, he added, "Let’s discuss this further inside the city."
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