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"I don't know how much bad luck I've had; I almost thought I encountered a ghost in the middle of the night."
Xiao Feng vaguely heard the voice of a strange young man while in a daze. The voice was soft and carried a hint of freshness, suggesting that the speaker was not very old.
Sitting beside a fire, Ye Chen looked at Xiao Feng, who lay in a pile of straw behind him. He first warmed his hands by bringing them close to the flames, then slowly drew a short knife from his side and examined it under the firelight. This knife was something he had scavenged from the pile of corpses earlier.
The scene he had just witnessed was frightening enough; if he weren't a modern young man from the twenty-first century who didn't believe in ghosts or monsters, he might have been scared to death. He had completely forgotten how ridiculous he had looked earlier.
The flames flickered in the fire pit, casting a cold light on the blade of the knife and illuminating Ye Chen's slightly youthful and thin profile.
In this era, while knives and swords were not exactly regulated weapons, they were still beyond the means of ordinary families. Ye Chen picked up a pile of clanging scrap metal from the ground, carefully sorting through it until he found a dagger that looked relatively useful. He cautiously tucked it into his pocket, feeling that having a reliable weapon would provide him with some assurance for the journey ahead.
Suddenly, a few muffled groans came from behind him.
Ye Chen turned around sharply to see that it was the "corpse" he had painstakingly dragged back making those sounds.
Xiao Feng was significantly taller than Ye Chen and naturally heavier as well. Ye Chen glanced at the muddy water that had slid in from the entrance of Mountain Temple and couldn't help but grimace.
Although Xiao Feng's appearance and clothing were obscured by mud and bloodstains, it was evident from his attire that he did not belong to an ordinary family. Ye Chen wondered whom he had rescued; could he be someone like a prince or nobleman from a drama who had been ambushed?
With the knife that had been heated by the fire, Ye Chen gently pushed aside Xiao Feng's bloodied collar and steeled himself to cut away the rotten flesh. He used the remaining white inner lining from his package to soak up the blood. Looking at the size of the wound, he couldn't help but marvel at how resilient this person must be to survive such injuries.
As he worked on cleaning the wound, Xiao Feng slowly opened his eyes in a daze. "Who... who are you?"
Ye Chen glanced at him coolly. "I'm the one who saved your life." Without pausing in his movements, he continued to tear the white cloth into strips of even width and carefully wrapped them around Xiao Feng's wound.
Looking at the haphazard bandaging on his chest and the careless manner in which this "doctor" had treated him, Xiao Feng's lips trembled slightly. His already pale face grew even more ghastly. He gritted his teeth against the pain from his wounds and began to scrutinize Ye Chen before him.
Ye Chen had fair skin and a slender build, appearing somewhat unwell. His features were delicate and refined, but this lackluster state diminished much of his charm.
"Thank you for saving me," Xiao Feng said, giving Ye Chen a slight nod.
After finishing the bandaging, Ye Chen stood up, patted Xiao Feng on the Submissive lder, and offered a faint smile that hinted at mischief in his eyes. "You're welcome. Saving a life is worth more than building a pagoda of seven levels. Just give me some money as a fee for the medicine."
Xiao Feng managed a faint smile in return, though it looked somewhat pale. "Alright."
Xiao Feng's wounds were caused by sharp weapons, with extensive damage. In an era with such poor medical conditions, it was uncertain whether he would survive; after all, the risk of infection post-surgery was significant.
As Ye Chen glanced at the wound on Xiao Feng's chest, he felt a pang of conscience. It was definitely not because of Xiao Feng's promise to give him ten taels of gold when help arrived that he had gone to the town's pharmacy to buy medicine for him.
"That'll be one tael in total, sir," said the pharmacy assistant with a professional smile as he handed over the medicine package to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen was taken aback. "How much?!"
The assistant maintained his forced smile. "One tael, sir. It's cash on delivery."
Ye Chen was speechless.
Reluctantly, Ye Chen pulled out a silver coin from his money pouch and placed it on the counter, preparing to quickly grab the medicine package and leave.
However, the assistant did not release his grip and continued to explain, "The white ointment is for external use, and the oral medicine Submissive ld be taken three times a day."
"Ye Chen," he said, pausing for a moment.
"Alright, thank you."
The journey from Fanyang City to the Mountain Temple took about an hour. Ye Chen had bought some provisions along the way, but with food prices rising and the cost of lodging, he found himself with only six coins left.
What could he do with such little money? Could he even afford to rent a shop? Ye Chen looked up at the sky, realizing he had underestimated the cost of living in this world.
"You’re back," Xiao Feng called out from several meters away, straining to lift his head as he gazed toward the temple entrance.
"Yes, I’m back," Ye Chen replied casually. While responding, he tossed the herbs he had gathered into a chipped ceramic pot and squatted beside a makeshift fire to start brewing medicine.
As he brewed the medicine, Ye Chen glanced at the muddy puddles outside the Mountain Temple and the crumbling walls of the temple itself. He couldn’t help but click his tongue; the scene was truly "indescribable."
In truth, Ye Chen had considered taking Xiao Feng to the city for treatment, but his finances were too tight. He had very little silver left.
As for Xiao Feng, he didn’t have any money on him either. Moreover, according to Xiao Feng, those swords were custom-made for their family. If they were sold for cash, he would quickly be caught by his uncle, who was scheming to seize their family fortune and would stop at nothing to do so.
Once the medicine was ready, Ye Chen picked up a broken bowl and walked over to Xiao Feng to hand it to him.
The distance was too close. To help Xiao Feng sit up, Ye Chen had to wrap his arms around him from behind and gently lift him.
In that instant, Xiao Feng caught a whiff of a strong Haitang fragrance that wafted into his nostrils, causing him to pause in surprise.
"Did you bring a sachet?" After steadying himself against a fallen pillar, Xiao Feng instinctively leaned closer to Ye Chen's neck, his movements tinged with curiosity.
"What are you doing?" Ye Chen exclaimed, feeling as if he had been burned. Although they were both men, the distance was far too close. He quickly turned to the side, standing up straight and glaring at Xiao Feng, his cheeks slightly flushed from the sudden proximity.
Xiao Feng was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry," he hurriedly explained. "I just caught a whiff of Haitang's fragrance on you, so..." As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Ye Chen's neck, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed ready to scorch the skin.
Ye Chen felt uncomfortable under such a direct stare, anger bubbling up within him. He instinctively raised a hand to cover the back of his neck and retorted, "Are you a dog? Why are you staring at my neck like that?"
In any other situation, anyone who dared to speak to Xiao Feng in such a manner would have been dragged out and beaten to death. However, the circumstances were different now. Seeing Ye Chen protectively covering his neck made Xiao Feng hesitate, and a bold thought suddenly crossed his mind. He tilted his head slightly, keeping his gaze locked on Ye Chen, and stubbornly asked, "You really can't smell the Haitang fragrance on you?"
Although he had some guesses in mind, Xiao Feng still wanted a definitive answer.
Ye Chen frowned in suspicion, leaning closer to his collar and sniffing vigorously. After a moment, he shook his head emphatically and said with certainty, "No, where did you smell it?"
If the scent of Haitang did not come from a sachet and he couldn't smell it, then it could only be from Xin Xiang.
But judging by Ye Chen's reaction, he seemed completely unaware that he was on the verge of entering his Rain Dew Period.
A mix of emotions surged within Xiao Feng. In an ordinary household, one would not encounter Kun Ze; only nobility and wealthy merchants might raise such beings. Now, in this desolate wilderness, he had stumbled upon a young man about to experience his Rain Dew Period while he himself was Tian Qian—this situation was indeed tricky...
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Seeing Xiao Feng's heavy expression, Ye Chen once again offered him the medicine. "You Submissive ld take your medicine now; it costs two taels of silver. Did you hear that? Remember to reimburse me when you get home." With that, Ye Chen leaned forward and pressed the bowl against Xiao Feng's lips.
Feeling the warmth near his mouth snapped Xiao Feng back to reality. He lowered his eyelashes and glanced at the bowl of medicine. After hesitating for a moment, he slightly parted his lips and drank down the contents in one go.
After finishing, he let out a gentle sigh and looked up at Ye Chen, his gaze filled with complex and inscrutable emotions.
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