Chapter 2964 - 2965: Repaying a Favor

Chapter 2964: Chapter 2965: Repaying a Favor

"Lord Bai, please don’t hold it against that brat. Zhizhi isn’t fully recovered yet. If you leave, who am I supposed to beg?" Master Xue pleaded.

Bai Ruozhu cupped her hands in salute. "Master Xue, I still have matters on me. I must hurry to the Barbarian Tribe as soon as possible. We’ve already been delayed too long. If I stay any longer, I’ll be defying the imperial order. Please understand, Master Xue."

Those were just polite words; Master Xue understood in his heart, but he could no longer keep them.

In the end, he could only glare hard at his son, then personally escort Bai Ruozhu and the others out.

"I was thinking of changing places to recuperate anyway. This works out better," Ao Song said as soon as they stepped out of the Xue Family.

"Yeah, we really had to leave. I was afraid you’d end up killing that Xue Zhuo," Bai Ruozhu joked.

Ao Song snorted coldly. "So what if I killed him? He’s just some minor officer’s nephew, and he almost killed me. If I went home and said a word, those old monsters in my family would flatten the Xue Family to the ground."

Gao Zhou said helplessly, "Your family is that overbearing?"

"Old man, what do you know? There are few descendants in my family. Every child is treated like a treasure," Ao Song said.

It was said that the Zhong Family bloodline could only have one child.

Chatting as they walked, the group soon found an Inn to settle in.

Bai Ruozhu had refused Master Xue for form’s sake, but she couldn’t really make the newly injured Astrologer rush on the road, could she?

Back in the Room, Bai Ruozhu muttered to Jiang Yichun, "Otherwise I’ll say time is tight and we’ll go on ahead, and let Ao Song stay behind to take care of Astrologer, give them a chance to spend some time alone?"

Jiang Yichun laughed. "You’re a very dedicated matchmaker. But better not. The Xue Residence business is a bit strange. If we all leave and just the two of them stay, it won’t be safe. A Miss with a patient in tow—just a few more people would be enough to stop them."

"True. Wouldn’t do if the Red Line isn’t tied but trouble comes instead. Better to play it safe." Bai Ruozhu sighed as she spoke. "Why has everything been so unsettled lately? What about that uncle of yours? He seems very well-behaved these two days."

"As long as he has a place to practice inner strength, he doesn’t care about anything else. But he’s also embarrassed to go wandering around, especially since he’s delayed us and my aunt’s death at the Xue Residence weighed on him a lot," Jiang Yichun said.

Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You don’t hate him anymore?"

"My father told me a lot about what happened back then. He’s actually a decent man, values loyalty and feelings, just a bit stubborn. After all, he was stupid for quite a few years." Jiang Yichun tapped his own head.

"How did your father cure him?" Bai Ruozhu had actually forgotten to ask Gao Zhou. She was very curious, but before she’d been too angry and hadn’t wanted to see the Eternal King.

"My father said he did a craniotomy. I don’t really understand the specifics," Jiang Yichun said.

Bai Ruozhu curled her lip. "Your father even has that skill? I need to go ask him."

Gao Zhou had done far too many craniotomy surgeries in modern times, but with the limited medical conditions of the Ancient Times, how had he dared to do it?

Bai Ruozhu, curious, went to question Gao Zhou. Gao Zhou said with a helpless look, "I wanted to back then, but the conditions didn’t allow it and I didn’t dare mess around. Then an accident happened—we were ambushed, my inner strength was sealed, and that silly kid risked his life to save me, took a blade to the head..."

Gao Zhou’s tone was tinged with bleakness. Bai Ruozhu listened quietly. She hadn’t expected things to have been that dangerous back then. No wonder Gao Zhou had faked his death and parted ways with Achun; otherwise, at Achun’s age, it would have been even harder for him to enter the Imperial Palace at Chengshui.

"At the time I thought I wouldn’t be able to cure him and was really dejected, but I didn’t want to give up. So I went ahead and used the wound to do the surgery, and it wasn’t even sterile," Gao Zhou said with a sigh. "Even now, when I think of it I’m terrified. After I finished the surgery, my hands were shaking for the entire day."

"Maybe he’s just tough, or maybe his constitution is special; even the inner strength he practices is very unusual. He actually survived. When he woke up, he wasn’t stupid anymore, and he understood a lot of things."

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help saying, "He’s still not exactly bright."

"You don’t know how stupid he used to be. Any random palace maid or eunuch saying, ’I’ll take you to play,’ would make him overjoyed. Whatever they told him to shout, he’d shout. If they told him to kneel, he’d kneel. When I met him, they said they were playing with mud, and smeared his face with feces and urine. He was still standing there grinning like an idiot." Gao Zhou covered his forehead. "He was a pitiful child."

"Fine. Since he once saved you and you’re speaking up for him, we’ll write off him kidnapping Dengdeng for now. But if he ever harbors any crooked thoughts again, Achun and I won’t let him off. No one’s persuasion will be any use then," Bai Ruozhu laid the ugly words out first.

Gao Zhou laughed. "I’ve already talked to him. He always listens to me."

"Father, people change. You’ve been apart over ten years. You should still keep your guard up and observe more," Bai Ruozhu said.

"All right."

Early the next morning, Master Xue arrived at the Inn with Servants. The moment he saw Bai Ruozhu, he dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Lord Bai, I beg you, please save my son! I really had no face to come and ask you, but none of the doctors in all of Linjiang Village can save him. Right now we’re only keeping him alive with ginseng," Master Xue said.

"Your son is under the Curse too?" Bai Ruozhu asked in surprise.

Master Xue shook his head hastily. "No, assassins broke into the Residence last night. He took a sword to the chest."

Jiang Yichun’s face darkened. "Master Xue, you’re not suspecting that we took revenge on him, are you?"

"No, no. If I truly thought that, how would I dare come beg you?" Master Xue said. "My elder brother was able to invite you to treat my wife because he trusted your character. His judgment has always been spot-on. How could I not believe you? Besides, you saved my younger daughter—she can already sit up on her own today."

Hearing that Xue Zhi had improved, Bai Ruozhu genuinely felt happy for this dutiful girl.

"Have you found out what’s going on with that letter?" Jiang Yichun asked again.

"We can’t find anything. The handwriting looks very much like mine, but it’s definitely not written by me. I’ve also written to my elder brother, telling him to be extra cautious," Master Xue said.

Jiang Yichun looked toward Bai Ruozhu. If Bai Ruozhu was willing to save him, they’d go; if she wasn’t, they wouldn’t. If anyone dared say anything about his wife, he’d cut them down.

"A sword to the chest—I might not be able to cure that. I’m no Immortal," Bai Ruozhu said after thinking it over. Others had already failed; if she didn’t succeed, she’d still end up taking the blame.

"As long as you and the Medical Saint go take a look, I’ll have no complaints even if you can’t save him. I beg you." As he spoke, he knocked his head hard on the floor.

Gao Zhou came down from upstairs and said to Bai Ruozhu, "Let’s make a trip. I owe Xue Wenhui a favor. I’ll consider this repaying him."

"All right."

Bai Ruozhu told Jianqi to fetch the medicine box, and went with Gao Zhou and Jiang Yichun to the Xue Residence. The others stayed behind at the Inn.

"Father, how do you owe Xue Wenhui a favor?" Jiang Yichun asked in a low voice on the way.