Chapter 748: A Way Out of Despair

Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations

On the official road, two swift horses galloped past, carrying a girl in green and another in white. Both were exceptionally beautiful and carried themselves with a heroic air.

Suddenly, another horse came running from the opposite direction, its rider, a man in a white robe, lay prone, his clothes almost completely soaked in blood, dripping onto the ground, his life hanging by a thread.

Witnessing this, Chu Qingzhi and Ge Lihua instinctively stopped.

With a gentle gesture, Chu Qingzhi summoned a bamboo leaf to her hand and with a light blow, the oncoming horse also came to a halt.

They dismounted and approached the man.

The man’s horse was restless, shifting uneasily and flicking its tail in distress.

Chu Qingzhi gently stroked the horse’s head, calming it down.

When Ge Lihua saw the man’s jade pendant, her eyes narrowed. She quickly lifted the man’s hair and shouted in disbelief, “Senior Brother.”

The man, Ling Yanjiang, was her master’s eldest son.

Her master, a renowned swordsman from the northern border and a friend of her father’s, had moved his family to the eastern border for his younger son’s official position. It had been years since their last meeting.

She never expected their reunion to be under such circumstances.

“Your Senior Brother?” Chu Qingzhi was astonished at the coincidence.

Ge Lihua carefully helped the man down from his horse and laid him on the grass nearby. “Senior Brother, who did this to you?”

Chu Qingzhi pulled out a life-saving pill from her bag and administered it to Ling Yanjiang, “Lihua, help stop his bleeding first.”

Ge Lihua quickly replied, “Okay.”

Just then, a kind-hearted villager passed by and offered help, “My home is nearby. Let’s take him there.”

Ling Yanjiang had many wounds that required his clothes to be removed for treatment, which wasn’t suitable to do there. Chu Qingzhi looked at the villager, “Thankyou,brother.”

“It’s no trouble,” the villager lifted Ling Yanjiang, “Follow me.”

They arrived at Zhao Village, where the villager, Zhao San, lived at the entrance with his parents, wife, and three children. His family was startled to see him carrying a bloodied man back home.

“Don’t be afraid, they are not bad people,” Zhao San reassured them.

He laid Ling Yanjiang on a bed in one of the rooms. “Ladies, please treat him quickly. He’s lost so much blood; he might not survive if we wait any longer.” Ge Lihua thanked him and then asked, “Do you have clean clothes? I’ll pay for them.”

“We don’t, but the village chief does. I’ll go borrow some for you,” Zhao San offered.

“There’s no need to borrow,” Ge Lihua gave him some silver, “Please buy a set for me, and keep the rest as thanks.”

Seeing his own modest means, Zhao San accepted without demur, “Thankyou, miss.”

Inside the room, Chu Qingzhi had already dressed two of Ling Yanjiang’s wounds, both deep sword cuts to the bone. After cutting open his clothes, they found three sword wounds on his back and four on his chest, along with a stab wound that reached his lung, narrowly missing his heart…

Was someone trying to torture him to death?

Blood continued to pour from the wounds. It took Chu Qingzhi two bottles of hemostatic powder and half an hour to finally stop the bleeding and properly bandage all the injuries.

Zhao San returned with clothes, “Miss, let me help him change. It’s not appropriate for you ladies.”

Ge Lihua expressed her gratitude, “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.” Zhao San waved his hand dismissively and carefully helped Ling Yanjiang into the new clothes.

Chu Qingzhi told Ge Lihua, “Watch over him. I’ll look for some anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving herbs nearby. With such severe injuries, he’ll likely develop a fever if he doesn’t take any medicine.”

“Thankyou,” said Ge Lihua.

“It’s nothing.” Chu Qingzhi took a basket and headed outside the village.

Ge Lihua returned to the room, sat by the bed, and stared intently at Ling

Yanjiang, “Senior Brother, what exactly happened?”

After a while, Ling Yanjiang regained consciousness. The moment he opened his eyes, he was on high alert. Upon seeing Ge Lihua, his expression turned to disbelief, “Little Junior Sister…”

Ge Lihua, seeing him struggle to sit up, gently pushed him back down, “It’s me. My friend treated your wounds. You need to rest and not move around.”

Ling Yanjiang relaxed, his face breaking into a relieved smile, “I never thought

I’d find a way out of despair. Truly, there’s always hope!”

Ge Lihua was deeply concerned, “Senior Brother, who wants to kill you?”

Ling Yanjiang didn’t want to drag Ge Lihua into danger, “Little Junior Sister, don’t ask. I won’t say. It’s lucky enough for me to have met you and been saved by you.”

Ge Lihua frowned, “How can I help you seek revenge if you don’t tell me?”

Ling Yanjiang’s expression hardened, “I don’t want your help with revenge. It’s enough for you to be safe.” He paused before asking cautiously, “Do you still have family?”

He had rushed to the northern border upon hearing the Ge family had been attacked, only to be told that the entire Ge family had perished. Discovering that his little junior sister was alive filled him with joy.

Ge Lihua shook her head softly, “No.”

Ling Yanjiang felt an immense guilt, “Little Junior Sister, I’m sorry.”

Ge Lihua’s sorrow surfaced but she suppressed it, “It’s not your fault. Let’s not talk about the past.”

Ling Yanjiang asked about her current situation, “Where are you living now?”

Ge Lihua replied, “In Cloud Village, Shuiyun County, with a farming family. Everything’s fine. If it weren’t for going out with Qingzhi to buy calves today, I wouldn’t have run into you.”

Ling Yanjiang inquired, “Is Qingzhi the daughter of the family you’re staying with?”

Ge Lihua nodded, “Her name is Chu Qingzhi, a divine healer. She treated your wounds. She’s out gathering herbs right now.”

A divine healer? Ling Yanjiang was impressed, “I’ll thank her in person later.” “Alright.” After a moment of contemplation, Ge Lihua suggested, “Why don’t you come back to Chu’s Village with us?”

“Okay.” He had nowhere else to go.

Outside, Chu Qingzhi’s herb gathering attracted a following of curious children.

Strangers were rare in the village, and her presence quickly garnered attention. Starting with one child, the number of followers grew…

Zhao Xiaowa, keeping pace, asked, “Sister, what are you doing?”

Chu Qingzhi bent down to pick a dandelion, placing it in her basket as she answered, “Gatheringherbs.”

Zhao Xiaowa pointed towards Zhao San’s home, “Is it for that bloodied man?”

Word spread quickly in the small village, and the news of Ling Yanjiang being brought back by Zhao San was already common knowledge.

“Don’t tell others about the stranger in the village, okay?” Chu Qingzhi cautioned. Given that Ling Yanjiang was deliberately wounded, talking carelessly might endanger the entire village.

Zhao Xiaowa nodded earnestly, “We know. We won’t talk.”

“Good, go back home. I’ll be heading back too,” Chu Qingzhi said.

Reluctantly, Zhao Xiaowa and the others insisted, “We’ll walk back with you.”

“Then be careful,” Chu Qingzhi said, carrying her basket and moving on to gather a few more herbs.