It was roughly half an hour after the young woman had left that Zhao Yi’an finally opened his eyes, his gaze vacant.
‘…It’s that familiar ceiling again.’
After sitting up, Zhao Yi’an rubbed his still-dazed head and stared blankly at his surroundings.
‘Was I… brought back to Doctor Niu again?’
*Hiss —*
‘I remember I was planning to go listen to Old Liu’s storytelling. How did I end up back here?’
The youth muttered in confusion. He checked his clothes and, after confirming nothing was missing, walked out of the room with practiced ease, wanting to see what time it was.
Doctor Niu was currently standing in front of the cabinet, taking stock of his herbs. His fingers moved rhythmically across an abacus.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Doctor Niu turned his head. His expression was calm, seemingly unsurprised by Zhao Yi’an waking up and appearing there.
“This is the seventh time you’ve been carried here this month.”
Doctor Niu paused, set down the abacus, and looked at the slightly stiff youth before him. He spoke with a hint of astonishment in his voice.
“It’s truly strange. How can one person be so unlucky? If you aren’t being chased and bitten by a stray dog while walking, you’re being beaten up by a drunkard while passing a tavern.”
“You don’t exactly look like someone born under a cursed star, do you?”
Zhao Yi’an scratched his cheek awkwardly. Being scrutinized like a new biological specimen by Doctor Niu made him feel beyond embarrassed.
“Cough, Doctor Niu, please stop staring. I wanted to ask, is my injury serious?” Zhao Yi’an interrupted, still confused about his own condition.
“It’s not that serious. You were unconscious for less than one hour, and your bones are sturdy enough.” Doctor Niu curled his lip, stroking his beard as he retracted his gaze.
“I’ll prescribe some wound medicine for those burns later. You can take it back and apply it yourself.”
Hearing this, Zhao Yi’an quickly cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
“Then I thank you, Doctor Niu.”
The figure at the medicine cabinet waved a hand without looking back, returning to his busy state. Seeing this, the youth didn’t say more and simply stood to the side, waiting for the doctor to prepare the herbs.
‘Honestly, who hit me that hard?’
‘My back is itching like crazy.’
The youth turned his head to scratch his back, complaining under his breath. Suddenly, he paused as if remembering something and looked up at Doctor Niu.
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
“Doctor Niu, regarding the fee for the medicine… can I pay you in a few days? I’ll have the money once I complete the task assigned by the horse gang leader.”
“No need. Someone already paid for you.”
Doctor Niu rummaged through the drawers, occasionally pulling out herbs, and spoke nonchalantly.
“Your luck isn’t all bad. That girl didn’t just carry you here; she didn’t skip out on the bill either. You won’t have to work yourself to the bone running errands to pay off the debt this time.”
“Calculating the time, she should be back soon.”
‘A girl?’
‘Why would a girl pay for me?’
‘Could it be…?’
After hearing the doctor’s words, the idle Zhao Yi’an rubbed his chin, his imagination running wild.
‘Is it possible that a peerless heroine saw me getting hurt by villains, felt pity, and brought me to the clinic to wait for me to wake up?’
‘Then, realizing I’m a peerless martial arts prodigy, she’ll hand me a martial arts secret manual? Once I’ve mastered it, we’ll roam the Jianghu together?’
“…Hah, there I go fantasizing again.”
Zhao Yi’an couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his own thoughts, shaking his head at the absurdity.
‘I suppose a kind-hearted girl saw me with no one to help and took pity on me.’
‘Well, the world is full of good people.’
Zhao Yi’an raised his hand and squeezed his own arm.
…Still no muscle.
“As expected, I’m really not made for martial arts.”
Sighing, Zhao Yi’an had long since grown accustomed to his somewhat weak body after all these years, yet he couldn’t help but dream of one day learning martial arts and wandering the Jianghu.
“Perhaps my only talent is being a punching bag?”
Reaching out to take the herbs handed to him by Doctor Niu, the youth forced himself to cheer up.
‘Whatever, I should focus on reality!’
‘I’ll have to find a day to visit and thank that lady. It couldn’t have been easy for her to carry a man like me in this heat.’
Heighed the medicine bag in his hand and thanked Doctor Niu.
“Much obliged. When that lady returns, please tell her that Zhao Yi’an, an Outer disciple of the horse gang, will come to visit her and express his gratitude in person.”
He cupped his fists, and without waiting for a reply, he strode toward the clinic’s entrance.
*Bang!*
“Physician! I’ve gathered the medical fees!”
As the door swung open, a clear, beautiful voice rang out. Entering the clinic along with the voice was a striking figure dressed in white.
Liu Yao pushed open the door, panting as she entered. She saw Doctor Niu looking at her with a stunned expression.
Confused but with no time to think, she reached into her waist pouch, pulled out a small bag, and held it out to him.
“Here! This should be enough, right?”
Doctor Niu didn’t immediately take the money bag. He looked at the girl with a complicated expression.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes…”
“What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
“Is this the time for that?”
Seeing Doctor Niu still looking dazed, Liu Yao felt a surge of dissatisfaction.
She shoved the money bag into his arms and said crossly, “Don’t just stand there! I’ve gotten the money together, shouldn’t saving him be the priority right now?”
Doctor Niu snapped out of it and coughed awkwardly. Narrowing his eyes, he weighed the bag in his arms, reverting to the mercenary merchant persona Liu Yao remembered.
“Hmm… it’s enough.”
Looking away from the money bag, the doctor turned to the girl, unable to suppress his curiosity.
“How did you gather this much money in such a short time? Seeing how distressed you were earlier, I thought it would take you much longer to return.”
“I just pawned a few trinkets.”
Liu Yao patted her waist and sighed helplessly.
Doctor Niu looked over the girl and noticed that the sword she had been wearing at her waist was gone.
“You were certainly willing to part with it.”
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Doctor Niu looked at Liu Yao calmly and said, “The person actually woke up shortly after you left. He even asked me to pass on a message to you.”
“He’s awake? That’s good, that’s good.”
Hearing that he was awake, Liu Yao breathed a huge sigh of relief. This meant no one had died, which was a good thing.
‘Wait, what did he just say?’
‘That guy woke up and asked someone to give me a message?’
‘It couldn’t be a threat, could it…?’
Phrases like “I’ll definitely be back!” or “You’ve walked into a trap!” sounded exactly like something that small fry would say.
“You said he asked you to give me a message? What did he say?”
Realizing the situation, Liu Yao quickly questioned the doctor.
“I think it’s better if you ask him yourself.”
Doctor Niu didn’t answer her question directly, instead offering a cryptic response that left her puzzled.
“Huh?”
Ignoring her confusion, Doctor Niu pointed at her feet.
“Take a good look at what’s under your feet.”
Following his words, Liu Yao did feel like the ground beneath her was a bit uneven. She looked down at her feet and saw a youth dressed in simple green clothes.
She was currently stepping on his head, and he had evidently fallen backward, hitting the ground and passing out once again.
Eh?
EH!
‘Why are you dead again?!’
Frantic due to the sudden situation, the girl had no idea what to do. She quickly moved her foot away and frantically began checking on the once-again unconscious Zhao Yi’an.
Watching the chaotic scene, Doctor Niu couldn’t help but shake his head, muttering to himself.
“I’ve seen unlucky people, but never anyone this unlucky. Kid, you’re in for a rough time.”
Under the blazing sun, the flustered girl and the unconscious boy haphazardly turned the first page of their destiny.