Sang Ji’s face was pale, a graze on his left cheek extending from the corner of his eye to his ear. He had multiple fractures: his thigh bone, forearm, sternum, and ribs. Fortunately, his spine was intact; otherwise, he might have been confined to a wheelchair for life.
Hearing footsteps outside the door, Sang Ji moved his neck and looked towards the entrance.
The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of brown shoes. He recognized them; the man had worn them when he came to Siping Village from Ping’an County yesterday.
Why was he here again? Had something happened in the capital? Were officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Dali Temple all unable to leave?
“Your Highness, please come in.”
Just as Sang Ji was filled with worry, he heard Zhou Cheng, the county magistrate of Ping’an County, speak with a respect that bordered on fear.
Your Highness?
The Regent?
Sang Ji struggled to sit up, eager to know if the “Your Highness” Zhou Cheng mentioned was indeed Regent Ji Jinmo.
“Ah, don’t move, don’t move. The doctor said you mustn’t move. If a bone is displaced, you’ll be crippled.” Zhou Cheng’s peripheral vision caught Sang Ji attempting to shift his body. He hurried over, placing a hand on him. This person could not suffer any harm here. Negligence was a minor offense; if it delayed a major state affair, even a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough.
Sang Ji no longer needed to struggle. As Zhou Cheng rushed over, he shifted his position, revealing the tall, slender figure behind him. Sang Ji had only seen this person once in his life, but that one encounter was enough to etch it into his memory forever.
“Your subject, Sang Ji, pays his respects to Your Highness.”
Sang Ji attempted to get up, but as soon as he moved, Zhou Cheng pushed him back down.
Sang Ji glanced at him, feeling helpless. This was Ji Jinmo, the God of War from Lin Yuan. Even if all his bones were shattered, even if he had only a single breath left, he had to perform his salutations.
“You are excused!”
Ji Jinmo waved his sleeve, signaling Sang Ji not to rise to reply.
“Thank you for Your Highness’s grace.”
Hearing this, and unable to resist Zhou Cheng’s grip, Sang Ji stopped struggling to sit up.
Nan Shiying stepped forward, nudging Zhou Cheng aside. She bent slightly, examining Sang Ji from head to toe. Zhou Cheng dared not speak, standing with his hands by his side. Fearing he would be in the way, he stepped back a few paces, quite sensibly.
Ji Jinmo picked up a stool and placed it beside Nan Shiying. “Sit!”
“Thank you~”
Nan Shiying pulled the stool behind her and sat down. Ji Jinmo stood behind her, like a bodyguard.
Not only Zhou Cheng, but even Sang Ji was stunned.
This… this person was actually letting His Highness serve her so brazenly? Should she be considered bold and careless, or should one ponder her relationship with His Highness?
Right, who was this person?
Nan Shiying lifted Sang Ji’s sleeve and felt his pulse.
Then, she lifted his clothes and examined the bandaged wounds. She pondered for a moment, then beckoned to Thirteen. Thirteen, understanding implicitly, handed her the medical kit.
She took out surgical scissors and directly cut open Sang Ji’s bandages.
“This…”
Zhou Cheng opened his mouth, wanting to object, but catching sight of His Highness standing behind her, he swallowed his words.
Sang Ji’s muscles tensed instantly, his mind racing. Nan Shiying took out silver needles and inserted them into his body. The stinging sensation hit his brain, interrupting Sang Ji’s chaotic thoughts.
“I’ll re-dress your wounds for you,” Nan Shiying explained. Her hands moved skillfully as she began to set bones and apply medicine. Sang Ji felt a sudden pain in his bandaged wound, followed by a cool, comfortable sensation as the pain subsided. Later, the wound began to feel warm, as if streams of heat were flowing into his body from the wound, being guided by the silver needles to circulate throughout him.
Sang Ji let out a comfortable hum.
Watching the other person’s more skilled technique than the previous physician, Zhou Cheng finally remembered why the name sounded so familiar. Feng Luan, the direct disciple of Medicine King Valley, the physician known to the world as a living Buddha, the divine physician Feng Luan?
From the initial setup, he had thought His Highness was the mastermind behind everything, and upon hearing there were survivors, had come to silence them. His thoughts had even strayed to whether His Highness would spare his family if he were silenced. He hadn’t expected His Highness to be here to save him.
After re-bandaging and re-setting Sang Ji’s bones, Nan Shiying nodded, giving her bandaging technique a hundred percent affirmation. “All done. Even if the carriage bumps around later, the bones won’t shift.”
Sang Ji: “…”
If he hadn’t felt his body gradually improving, Sang Ji would have truly believed the other person was here to kill him. However, from her words, it seemed they intended to leave him half-crippled.
Could he… no, could he lie in a carriage at this point?
Nan Shiying turned to look at Ji Jinmo, who in turn looked at Zhou Cheng. Zhou Cheng paused for a second, then said, “Your Highness, Divine Physician Feng, I just remembered I have some matters to attend to. I shall take my leave.”
“Mm!” Ji Jinmo replied.
Zhou Cheng bowed and took his leave, thoughtfully closing the door.
Thirteen leaped onto the rooftop, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
“Tell me, what happened!” Nan Shiying leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the edge of the bed, appearing ready to listen attentively. Sang Ji glanced at her. Zhou Cheng had just called her Divine Physician Feng, and recalling her diagnostic techniques earlier, Sang Ji was certain this was the renowned divine physician Feng Luan.
Considering her relationship with His Highness, Sang Ji pondered for only a second before speaking, “It’s like this… Your subject and Feng Shaoqing were poisoned and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I had already been rescued by Tieniu.”
“Do you know this is at the foot of the mountain?”
Sang Ji nodded. “County Magistrate Zhou told me. He said it’s a hundred li from that ruined temple.”
“So, have you considered why they didn’t finish you off at the ruined temple, but instead brought you all this way, only to throw you… or you from the cliff?”
Sang Ji had been pondering this question for the past two days. He said, “I’ve thought about it for a long time, and there’s only one explanation.”
“What?”
“There’s someone they know among us, or… there’s someone they want to keep alive among us.”
Nan Shiying rubbed her chin and asked him, “After you woke up, did you ask County Magistrate Zhou to search for others along the route?”
Sang Ji nodded. “Yes.”
“However, Ping’an County has insufficient manpower, so a thorough search can only be conducted once officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Dali Temple arrive.”
At this point, Sang Ji hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been bothering him. “Your Highness, did… something happen in the capital?”
Ji Jinmo looked down at Sang Ji, his voice cool. “No!”
“Then…” Why did you come?
Sang Ji did not dare to ask the rest of his question!