"Uncle-Master, Uncle!"
Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan’s voices drifted in before they appeared.
Nan Shiying’s thoughts, pulled from her memories, followed the direction of the voices. Qing Yuan had grown taller, her plump cheeks now possessing a maiden’s contour, though she seemed to have suddenly lost weight, giving her a sickly pallor. Qing Zhu’s build hadn't changed, but his complexion was as pale as Qing Yuan's.
Nan Shiying sighed.
They still hadn’t escaped the nightmare of Chang Ming Mountain.
It was natural, for those were the master and fellow disciples they had relied on for survival.
Nan Shiying put away the token and offered them a smile. Du Lao tugged at the corner of his mouth, unable to greet them in a more enthusiastic manner.
Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan ran in, their hair slightly disheveled. Everyone had always seen them in a composed and gentle demeanor, never like this hurried and flustered appearance of a medical immortal from Medicine King Valley. The innkeeper’s heart skipped a beat. Were not only Du Lao but also his disciples so highly regarded?
"Come, sit."
Nan Shiying beckoned for them to sit and asked the innkeeper to bring some pastries.
The innkeeper dared not delay, personally overseeing the preparation in the kitchen.
Nan Shiying picked up the teacups and poured a cup of tea for Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan. As she poured, she inquired about their recent situation. Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan accepted the cups with both hands, took a sip, and replied, "We're doing alright!"
Where the "alright" lay was not elaborated upon.
It felt more like a beautified answer meant to prevent her from worrying.
Nan Shiying hummed, not probing further. Others' guidance could only alleviate her internal questions; true resolution came from self-digestion, self-reconciliation, and self-healing.
"Uncle… Uncle-Master, why aren't you going up the mountain?"
Qing Yuan’s fingers fiddled with her teacup. The return of awkward silence made her feel inexplicably uneasy. As if fearing her uncle-master would launch into questions after the silence, she preemptively initiated a new topic. However, the moment the words left her mouth, she realized the mistake and hastily tried to cover it by pretending to pause, then added "Uncle-Master."
Du Lao: "..."
That was rather obvious, wasn't it?
However, Du Lao had no intention of arguing with a child. Without lifting his head, he continued to sip his tea. He was pondering whether his unlucky disciple, if she truly intended to go to Da Li, would have Ji Jinmo, that wife-obsessed maniac, disguise himself and accompany her.
After all, it was Da Li.
And it was Yu Cheng Xuan’s stronghold.
"Oh, too lazy to climb the mountain!"
Nan Shiying, without any qualms, borrowed Du Lao’s excuse. Du Lao raised an eyebrow and glared at her.
Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan: "..."
That answer was even more perfunctory than their own "alright"!
Fortunately, the innkeeper arrived with the pastries just in time, preventing the atmosphere from freezing.
"Esteemed medical immortals, these are our inn's signature pastries: Moluo Marzipan, Crystal Phoenix Pastries, and Chilling Fruit Drops."
The innkeeper placed the pastries on the table one by one, introducing them meticulously. Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan had certainly tasted them before, but the innkeeper was introducing them to Du Lao and his disciples.
Nan Shiying nodded and tasted them one by one. The flavors were unique but not unpleasant.
The ingredients for these pastries could only be found near Medicine King Valley, so they were unavailable elsewhere. Nan Shiying took a light bite, and the pastries ultimately all found their way into Qing Yuan’s stomach. A smile bloomed in Nan Shiying’s eyes as she reached out and ruffled Qing Yuan’s hair.
Qing Yuan, holding her stomach, slumped onto the chair with no regard for her image.
As if recalling their time in the capital, a flicker of melancholy and pain crossed Qing Zhu’s eyes.
Just as the emotion began to surface, a sharp slap landed on his head. Qing Zhu clutched his slightly ringing head, looking up in bewilderment. Even his uncle-master was grinning at him.
Qing Zhu: "..."
Qing Yuan, who had witnessed the entire scene, instinctively sat up straighter.
"Does it hurt?"
Nan Shiying inquired with concern.
Qing Zhu’s mind was still a bit fuzzy. So, had his uncle-master actually hit him?
He nodded, "It hurts!"
Nan Shiying hummed and pulled out a needle bag from her embrace, tossing it to him. "Here, give yourself an acupuncture treatment. Use a long needle and the flicking technique."
Qing Yuan’s back became even straighter.
Don’t see me, don’t see me, don’t see me!
She chanted desperately in her mind, like covering her ears to steal a bell.
Qing Zhu took the needle bag, drew out a long needle, disinfected it, and inserted it into the acupoint on the inner side of his right leg. After gently twirling the silver needle into the correct position, he flicked the needle's tail with his finger. The long needle swayed, trembling as if shaken by the wind.
The innkeeper, standing behind the counter, kept craning his neck to get a better look. The flicking technique, was it really the flicking technique? This young man, no older than twenty, was not just of high status?
Du Lao had only left Medicine King Valley seven or eight years ago. Even if he had taken disciples, how high could their medical skills possibly be?
He had held this notion until this very moment, witnessing her assess Qing Zhu, a prime figure among the current generation of medical immortals.
It turned out this person truly possessed skill!