Chapter 306 - 302: Little Immortal_1

“What’s your injury got to do with me?”

Zhang Min didn’t give any ground. “Don’t blame your own stupidity on others, I won’t fall for that.”

When he and his master and senior disciple had been on a training journey, they were caught in a large bandit uproar. But when the bandits found out they were onmyojis, they didn’t trouble them and let them pass.

They hadn’t gone far when they came across the Xiao brothers with thirty or forty bodyguards on patrol.

They seized Zhang Min’s group and interrogated them, accusing them of being bandit scouts.

It wasn’t until Master Zhou presented his identity documents that the Xiao brothers let them go.

Later, for some reason, his group encountered the same bandits again, who took advantage of their superior numbers to attack the Xiao brothers’ team, causing heavy casualties.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Zhang Min and his companions rushed to help, only for Xiao Chengjun to assume they were part of the bandits, and turned his attack on Master Zhou’s group. Unawares, he was slashed in the abdomen by a bandit with a saber.

Had it not been for Master Zhou rushing forth to rescue Xiao Chengjun, the youngster would’ve long been slain by the bandit’s hand. He wouldn’t still be standing here, hopping about.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Chengjun woke up, he claimed that his injury was Zhang Min’s fault. Xiao insisted that, had Zhang Min not been present, he wouldn’t have made the incorrect judgment.

Zhang Min was at a loss for words.

He had almost no connection with Xiao Chengjun, except they had been classmates at the Imperial College for a year.

Once, when they were eight, they participated in a selection process for the Prince’s reading companions. Zhang Min could’ve been selected, but he was surpassed by Xiao Chengjun.

But that was no big deal. Zhang Min’s father hadn’t intended for his son to accompany the prince in his studies.

The prince was frail, and if something happened during his studies, all the reading companions around him would have a tough time dealing with the domineering Xiao family.

Zhang Min participated in the selection only because his mentors at the Palace Study Room had recommended him and the Emperor had given a verbal decree, so he had no choice but to go.

Probably the Xiao family had other plans, because before long, Zhang Min’s family was banished from Beijing.

Zhang Min’s father, Zhang Fangshan, a senior scholar of the Hanlin Academy and once a top scholar, was demoted to a governor in Jingzhou for unfounded charges, and the whole family was exiled to that desolate place.

Once they reached Jingzhou, by a fortuitous twist of fate, Zhang Min became an apprentice of Zhou Wuchang.

“Huh! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been injured.”

Xiao Chengjun scanned Zhang Min from head to toe, disdaining the bamboo placard hanging from his waist: nothing but a county medical student. He wouldn’t amount to much in his lifetime.

Zhang Min didn’t want to argue with a fool, so he beckoned Wen Hengyin and Wei Zhan to walk away.

They heard Xiao Chengjun shouting from behind: “Wei Zhan! Come here! I have a question for you!”

Wei Zhan pretended not to hear and scampered away without looking back.

Xiao Chengjun, angry and wanting to run after him, but afraid of being laughed at by Zhang Min, had to suppress his anger.

Watching as the three men walked away, Xiao Chengjun turned and called Nan Zhu: “Go and see why Zhang Min is with Wei Zhan.”

Nan Zhu agreed and followed after Wei Zhan’s group.

At dusk, the Wen family hosted a dinner for Yingbao and Zhang Min.

Xiu Zhenniang and her husband did not eat with them, retiring early to their own courtyard, giving the youngsters some privacy.

Wen Shu served Yingbao some dishes. “I made this. Lotus roots stuffed with glutinous rice and osmanthus, give it a try.”

Yingbao picked up a piece of lotus root and took a bite. It was soft, sweet, and fragrant, evidently containing lots of honey. “Delicious.”

She loved this sweet, sticky honey-cooked lotus root more than sweet dumplings.

Wen Shu gave a slight smile and served her a deep-fried crab.

Small river crabs deep-fried in oil, with even the pincers becoming crispy. They were very delicious when eaten crunchingly.

While eating deep-fried crab, Zhang Min said, “A couple of years ago, I had fried silkworm pupae when traveling with my master. They were very tasty.”

Out of curiosity, Yingbao asked, “I thought your master didn’t eat meat?” Silkworm pupae should count as meat.

Zhang Min, realizing his slip, vaguely replied, “Sometimes he does. Otherwise, in a place with no villages in front or shops behind, wouldn’t we starve if we didn’t eat?”

Yingbao seemed to be deep in thought.

Wei Zhan glanced at Zhang Min, then turned to Yingbao and asked, “Yingbao, are you free tomorrow?”

Yingbao nodded, “I am free.”

She had been free for the past few days, and she was actually considering going to Teeth Row to inquire about any houses for sale near the prefecture school.

“Can you give my mother a check-up then?”

Wei Zhan’s mother’s health had been deteriorating over the years, and she was becoming increasingly weak.

He knew that Yingbao had exceptional medical skills and could cure many complex diseases, but his mother did not believe this. She even accused him of making up such things to justify his escapades to Qinchuan County.

Yingbao blinked, “Does your mother agree to let me diagnose her?”

She was just a seventeen-year-old girl, and it was not common for respectable families to allow her to diagnose them.

Even when she treated the prince, she was just assisting with medication. Majority of the diagnosis was still done by the Imperial Physicians.

Wei Zhan: “Of course she agrees, you always say you’re a little divine doctor, don’t you?”

Yingbao:

“But I’ve already switched to learning forbidden curses.” She intended to become a revered great wizard like Master Zhou in the future.

Wei Zhan was indifferent: “Then you can go and chant a spell for my mother. As long as she gets better, you’ll be a little divine witch.”

Yingbao’s face twitched, catching a glimpse of the others trying to stifle their laughter, she retorted: “Call me a little Immortal!”

A little divine witch, how unpleasant that sounded.

“Oh, as long as you cure my mother, you are a little Immortal.”

Wei Zhan peeled a shrimp and placed it in Yingbao’s bowl: “From now on, I will peel shrimps for you every day.”

Yingbao popped the shrimp into her mouth and nodded, “Alright, start peeling.”

Thus, Wei Zhan moved a plate of shrimp in front of him and began to meticulously peel them.

After dinner, Wei Zhan refused to go home, opting instead to share a bed with Wen Hengyin and Zhang Min.

Yingbao also laid next to Sister Wen. They chatted till late into the night.

When Wen Shu heard Yingbao mention that Wen Yurong also went to the county medical office, she frowned: “What is she doing there?”

The Wen Family had a girls’ school at their old residence in Yuzhou. If their cousin wanted to study medicine, she could simply study in the family school. Why would she need to travel all the way to a small county town to study?

Yingbao commented: “I guess, your cousin might be one of the potential Queens for the prince.”

Wen Shu turned to look at her: “It’s surprising how much you know at such a young age.”

Yingbao smirked: “I just do.”

Wen Shu touched her little face: “You’re quite thick-skinned.”

Yingbao returned the favor: “Yours feels just like mine.”

The two girls giggled and joked around for a while. Wen Shu sighed: “It would be great if you could stay. We could see each other every day.”

“After I finish my travels with my master, I’ll come back to the Prefecture City to see you.”

“How long will that take?” Wen Shu pinched Yingbao’s hand anxiously: “My grandmother wants to settle my marriage. I’m supposed to go back to Yuzhou for match meeting next year and I don’t want to go back to Yuzhou at all.”

She was thirteen this year and would be engaged at fourteen next year. After reaching the age of adulthood, she might have to get married and she felt the time she had with her parents was too short.

After that, she would have to live with her in-laws and spend her life serving her husband and educating their children. The thought of that seemed dull. Yingbao’s life seemed more exciting, as she got to travel around with her master, learning about the vast world.

Yingbao: “My elder cousin was engaged at twelve. After the engagement, she could no longer play outside. After you get engaged, will you also not be allowed to go out?”

“Yes.” Although the Wen Family was not a rich and noble family, its rules were very strict. Let alone a girl who was engaged and couldn’t go out easily, even on ordinary days, the girls living in the old house had to get permission from their elders to go out.