Chapter 46: Surprise

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Surprise

Qiao Suluo looked dazed for a moment. If Yue Hanzheng died, her mission would fail. Would this Beast World Continent be wiped out?

Just as she was lost in thought, Que Hongjin reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. Lowering his head, he said softly, "Wife, I’m here."

Those simple words instantly steadied her nerves.

Qiao Suluo looked at Steward Lin and asked directly, "Where is he?"

"In the medicine room in the backyard."

"Please take us there, Steward Lin," Qiao Suluo said with a focused expression. She had no idea where the medicine room was, and the layout of the residences in the Outer Valley of Medicine King Valley was a complex maze. She couldn’t afford to take a wrong turn and waste time.

Steward Lin frowned impatiently. "I have other matters to attend to. You can find it yourselves." Since the man was on the verge of death anyway, he certainly wasn’t going to waste his time. With that, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

At that moment, Que Hongjin stepped forward and blocked his path. He stared at the steward, a daunting, icy glint in his eyes. "Lead the way."

Meeting Que Hongjin’s gaze, Steward Lin instinctively shivered and involuntarily led them to the medicine room in the backyard.

Only then did Qiao Suluo realize just how small the room was—it was barely larger than a woodshed. She didn’t even dare to imagine how Yue Hanzheng had survived all this time. Upon entering, she spotted him lying unconscious on the floor.

His hair was as dark as ink, and his skin was as white as snow. His brow bone arched like a mountain ridge carved by winter snow, and his sharply defined cheeks exuded a cold sharpness. Despite his stern, unapproachable appearance and frigid aura, he lay there quietly, carrying an air of tragic, fragile beauty.

This was exactly the Yue Hanzheng she had seen in her dreams. She hurried over and gently checked for a pulse. He was still breathing, though it was extremely faint.

Qiao Suluo communicated with her system in her mind, "System, what should I do? How can I save him?"

"Host, you must first feed him the Life-saving Elixir from the medicine chest," the system replied. "This will protect his heart meridians and keep him alive.

"Once you awaken your Divine Doctor abilities, you will be able to cure him completely."

Hearing this, Qiao Suluo planned to use her mind to feed the elixir to Yue Hanzheng right away.

The system quickly stopped her. "Host, you cannot give him the medicine here. Don’t let the people of Medicine King Valley notice anything suspicious.

"It’s better to take him back first."

"But won’t he die if we wait?" Qiao Suluo asked anxiously. Seeing him in such a fragile state, she was genuinely worried that simply moving him might cause him to breathe his last.

"It’s fine. He’s still alive. The villains of this world possess formidable vitality. He won’t die so easily."

Relieved by those words, Qiao Suluo turned to Steward Lin. "Steward Lin, if I am to take him back, please return his indenture contract as well."

"Miss Qiao," Steward Lin scoffed disdainfully, "you were the one who sold him to us in the first place. We spent fifty taels of silver to buy the rights to his life and death. He has nothing to do with you anymore.

"I’m already showing great mercy by allowing you to take him back to arrange his funeral, yet you still dare to ask for the indenture contract?"

Qiao Suluo’s expression turned cold and sharp, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That wasn’t what you said back then, Steward Lin.

"You said the poison in Yue Hanzheng’s body was quite unique. You claimed that if you brought him back to Medicine King Valley for research, you might be able to cure his body and his legs."

According to the original owner’s memories, she recalled that Steward Lin and his people had deliberately tricked her predecessor into selling Yue Hanzheng for a mere fifty taels of silver. If the original owner had known he was going to be treated as a medicine man, she definitely would have demanded an exorbitant price.

Now, she could use those very words to corner Steward Lin.

"No matter what Yue Hanzheng has become, he was once the Princely Heir of the Duke Dingguo Mansion. Even if they don’t care whether he lives or dies right now, the people of the Duke Dingguo Mansion value their reputation above all else. If I throw caution to the wind and go to the Capital City to spread the word about this, Duke Dingguo will definitely demand an explanation, even if you are from Medicine King Valley. Isn’t that right?"

Qiao Suluo knew exactly what Steward Lin feared, so she struck right at his weak point.

Steward Lin’s expression shifted multiple times before he finally relented and pulled out Yue Hanzheng’s indenture contract.

"Regardless of what happened back then," he said unwillingly, "we still spent fifty taels of silver. There’s no reason for you to just take the indenture contract for nothing."

"Fine," Qiao Suluo said indifferently. "I’ll buy it back for one tael of silver."

"One tael is not enough!" Steward Lin argued.

Qiao Suluo turned on her heel and headed for the door in a swift, unbothered manner. "If that’s the case, I won’t waste my effort.

"As you well know, Steward Lin, I’m no saint. The only reason I wanted his indenture contract to handle his funeral was out of fear that the Duke Dingguo Mansion might cause me trouble later.

"Since you are willing to deal with it, Steward Lin, that works out perfectly for me."

Seeing her walk away, Steward Lin’s heart skipped a beat. He was only a low-level steward of the Outer Valley; he was terrified that the Duke Dingguo Mansion might eventually remember Yue Hanzheng and come looking for him. If that day came, whether he could keep his head attached to his neck would be a different story entirely.

"Wait, Miss Qiao, please wait! One tael of silver it is!"

Qiao Suluo turned back and looked at him with cold eyes. Finally, feigning extreme reluctance, she handed over one tael of silver and took Yue Hanzheng’s indenture contract. She inspected it carefully to ensure there were no issues and let out a silent sigh of relief, though she kept a perfectly straight face.

The reason she insisted on buying the indenture contract back for a single tael of silver was to prevent Steward Lin from using it as leverage in the future. With this, the trouble was completely resolved.

Que Hongjin watched the entire exchange from start to finish. He had planned to step in if she needed him, but to his surprise, his wife was far cleverer than he had imagined.

Shortly after, Qiao Suluo took the unconscious Yue Hanzheng away.

The ox cart slowly drove out. Once they had put some distance between themselves and Medicine King Valley, Qiao Suluo hastily took out the elixir and fed it to Yue Hanzheng. The most important thing was to save his life first.

Que Hongjin noticed Qiao Suluo’s actions, and his picturesque brows twitched slightly. He knew she harbored secrets, but seeing her pull out a strange elixir to feed Yue Hanzheng still surprised him. He wondered where the elixir had come from.

It reminded him of the medicine she had applied to his wounds that night. That, too, had been miraculous, able to rapidly stop bleeding and heal injuries. He had no idea where she got these things.

After feeding Yue Hanzheng the elixir, Qiao Suluo carefully checked his breathing with her hand. Feeling that his breaths had stabilized, she knew he had pulled through and was no longer in critical danger.

"Where to now, wife?"

"Change directions and head to the medical clinic in the county," Qiao Suluo said thoughtfully. She needed to find a doctor to check on Yue Hanzheng’s physical condition first. In this moment, she desperately wished she already possessed her Divine Doctor abilities.

To reach the county’s medical clinic, they had to take a small mountain path detouring from Medicine King Valley. This route was quite a bit closer.

They hadn’t been traveling for long when the system spoke up excitedly, "Host, three hundred meters to your front-left, there is a rare wild medicinal herb worth three thousand points!"

Qiao Suluo’s heart leaped. "Three thousand points?" She knew the Space Mall highly valued wild items, especially wild medicinal herbs, which sold for a high amount of points.

"Hong Jin, head in that direction."

Hearing the slight excitement in her voice, Que Hongjin didn’t ask why. He simply replied in a gentle tone, "Alright."

When they neared the location, Qiao Suluo asked him to stop the ox cart and immediately hopped down.

Seeing her abrupt movement, Que Hongjin’s heart leaped into his throat. "Careful, wife."

But watching her happily bound off in that direction, he could only sigh helplessly and massage his temples. He truly couldn’t do a thing about her.