Chapter 266 – Trust
After smoothly entering the military camp, Yan Xiaosi first led her chestnut horse to the stable, then returned to her own tent to sleep.
The tent was pitch black, with no sign of Wu Bin and the others.
She then remembered that Long Yu’s army transport had been robbed by bandits from Mount Cangwu, and Wu Bin and his two companions, as commanders with distinguished military achievements, had gone with the War King to suppress the bandits at Mount Cangwu.
Having already taken a nap at Tian Dazhuang’s home, she was now quite alert—in good condition for cultivation.
The empty tent suited her purposes well.
She hid the still-warm paper package of food and focused her mind to enter her Portable Space.
As usual, she first watered the plants and coral mushrooms, then went to the training room on the third floor of the villa to cultivate.
After sitting in meditation for an hour, fine sweat appeared on her body. She plunged into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and enjoyed a comfortable bath before exiting the Portable Space.
The moderately sized tent remained quiet and dark.
After cultivating, she felt a little hungry. Sitting in her bedroll, she took out the pan-fried potatoes Ms. Zhong had given her.
Usually, she loved pan-fried potatoes with pepper and salt, but tonight she only ate two before putting down the paper package.
Somehow, tonight’s pan-fried potatoes didn’t taste as delicious.
Could it be that her mother’s cooking skills had deteriorated? That can’t be!
Putting down the paper package, she licked the oil from her fingertips and snuggled into her bedroll.
With a full stomach, it should have been the perfect time to sleep, but she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, her mind fixated on one question.
Why hadn’t the War King returned yet?
In the morning, Old Jin had said that Mount Cangwu was right next to Xize County. Given the War King’s rush to suppress the bandits, he should have returned by now!
Could it be that the bandits of Mount Cangwu were so arrogant and powerful that even the War King was struggling to defeat them?
The more she thought, the more alert she became. She lay there with her eyes open, staring at the pitch-black tent until the hour of Zi (around midnight).
Just as the first quarter of the Zi hour arrived, the previously quiet military camp suddenly came alive with activity.
It was Long Yi’s voice, speaking almost at a shout:
“Quick! Wake up Military Doctor Murong! The King is injured!”
Hearing these words, Yan Xiaosi jolted awake, scrambling out of her bedroll with hands and feet, deftly putting on her clothes and shoes, and rushing toward the commander’s tent.
When she arrived, a crowd stood outside the commander’s tent, all anxiously staring at the hanging curtain.
A moment later, a basin of bloody water was carried out from the tent.
“Let me go in and see.”
Judging by the scene, Long Yu’s injuries were serious. She frowned and tried to push through toward the curtain when suddenly a hand stopped her.
The person who stopped her was Zhao Ben, the right-wing general under Long Yu’s command.
This Zhao Ben was a cousin of Zhao Duo, the current garrison commander of Luo City and the vanguard general under Long Yu’s command. Like Zhao Duo, Zhao Ben was fiercely loyal to Long Yu.
“Military Doctor Murong is already inside.”
By all accounts, Yan Xiaosi had only been in the military camp for two days. Zhao Ben only knew she was a newly arrived military doctor and had no idea of her medical skills. Seeing her still-youthful face, he was reluctant to let her enter.
Just then, another basin of bloody water was carried out.
Yan Xiaosi glanced at the basin of blood, her brows tightly knitted, her expression more serious than ever before.
“If you don’t want the War King to die, let me in.”
She gave Zhao Ben a challenging look, her demeanor formidable.
Zhao Ben was taken aback by her forcefulness. As the right-wing general with numerous military achievements, no one in the camp except the War King had ever dared to speak to him in such a commanding tone.
While he was still stunned, a hand pulled back the hanging curtain.
Long Yi had been about to call for Yan Xiaosi’s help and, upon opening the curtain, immediately saw her. He urgently said: “Young Master Yan, His Highness wants to see you. Come in quickly.”
For some reason, at this moment, Long Yu desperately wanted to see Yan Xiaosi’s youthful face.
He suddenly feared that if he died, he would never see that face again. This thought filled him with a sense of dread and anxiety.
Zhao Ben had no choice but to step aside, making way for Yan Xiaosi.
“Hmm.”
Yan Xiaosi nodded briefly and followed Long Yi inside.
On the bed behind the screen sat a man with a haggard, pale face. An arrow had struck the left side of his chest.
The long arrow had penetrated halfway into the man’s body.
The man silently watched as Yan Xiaosi approached. Yan Xiaosi stared at the arrow embedded in his chest, feeling a sharp pain in her own heart.
“You came.”
The man spoke, and Yan Xiaosi was startled to find a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
Even at a time like this, he could still smile—impressive.
Long Yu was also surprised that he could still smile. For some reason, seeing that youthful face made him happy and brought a smile to his lips. After seeing this face, the previously excruciating pain from his wound seemed to ease somewhat.
“Yes.”
Yan Xiaosi nodded lightly and walked to his side. “Don’t move, don’t speak. Let me take a look.”
After examining Long Yu’s wound, Yan Xiaosi’s expression became grim.
Murong Qinjian was also at his wit’s end.
“As you can see, this arrow has entered very close to Long Yu’s heart. If we’re not extremely careful when removing it, it could damage the heart.”
That’s why, since entering the tent, he had been trying to stop Long Yu’s bleeding but didn’t dare to remove the arrow.
“Little Yan, do you have a solution?”
Although he didn’t quite believe that Yan Xiaosi, who was even younger than himself, would have a solution, he couldn’t help but ask.
Though the situation was challenging, it wasn’t beyond Yan Xiaosi’s ability to save him.
In her previous life, she had been an extraordinary talent, skilled in internal medicine, surgery, and traditional Chinese medicine. She was not only an excellent internist and traditional Chinese medical practitioner but also an outstanding surgical doctor. With complete surgical tools, safely removing the arrow from Long Yu’s chest wouldn’t be too difficult.
She had a complete set of surgical tools in her Portable Space.
So, the most challenging part now was to bring Long Yu into her Portable Space for treatment.
“I can treat him.”
Murong Qinjian’s face lit up with joy.
Having shared a brotherly bond with Long Yu for many years, he naturally didn’t want to see Long Yu killed by bandits from Mount Cangwu—that would be too humiliating.
The mighty War King, not dying on the battlefield but having his heart pierced by bandits? That would be ridiculous.
“What needs to be done? How many assistants do you need? What medicines and tools are required?”
Faced with Murong Qinjian’s excited three questions, Yan Xiaosi calmly replied: “I can manage by myself. Everyone else should leave and wait outside the tent. Without my summons, no one is allowed to enter the tent or peek inside.”
“…Can you handle this alone?”
Murong Qinjian was worried.
Having studied medicine for over a decade, he wouldn’t dare to handle such a delicate situation without assistants. How could this young, barely grown boy handle it?
Yan Xiaosi didn’t want to answer this question again and simply looked at Long Yu, waiting for the War King’s decision.
Long Yu, with his pale face, said: “All of you, do as he says. Guard the entrance. Do not look inside..”
For some reason, at this moment, he was very willing to trust Yan Xiaosi.
