Chapter 73: Ning Sanniang and Pei Xueyan

Ning Hongwu noticed his younger sister’s absent-mindedness and cleared his throat before asking, “San-niang, what do you think?”

“Ah?”

At his words, Ning Sanniang snapped out of her daze, nodded, and replied, “Leave this to me. But guiding true energy to protect the heart’s meridian is a delicate task—especially when it’s someone else’s. There must not be the slightest mistake.”

She paused, her tone turning serious. “I’ll need peace and quiet. Please try not to let anyone disturb me.”

“As it should be…”

Physician Zhang and Yuan Xiaofei exchanged a glance. After signaling to the others, they quietly left the room.

Seeing that her eldest brother and Feng Jun were about to leave as well, Ning Sanniang said, “He won’t be waking up anytime soon. You should both go back—he’ll be safe with me here.”

Ning Hongwu, the leader of the Qingsha Gang, and Feng Jun, the master of the dock hall, both had important affairs to handle. There was little they could do here beyond standing guard outside.

Both nodded and said, “We’ll visit again tomorrow,” before departing.

Meanwhile, in another sickroom, the door opened and an elderly doctor, accompanied by Xiao Yuhong, stepped out.

As their paths crossed, Xiao Yuhong and Yuan Xiaofei almost spoke in unison, “How is Brother Shen/Madam?”

The two old doctors exchanged a smile. Physician Zhang simply said, “Liu Shen’s constitution is unique, and he has innate martial energy protecting him—he should be fine.”

“The madam is also not in any real danger,” the other doctor said, stroking his beard. “Her wounds are mostly superficial. The fainting was due to overwhelming grief and exhaustion, and she caught a chill in the rain. With ten days or a fortnight of rest, she should be well.”

“That’s good, that’s good…”

Inside the room…

After removing her shoes, Ning Sanniang climbed onto the bed and propped Liu Shen up into a cross-legged position. When she touched his skin and felt the astonishing heat radiating from within, she couldn’t help but mutter, “He really is like a furnace…”

Without further thought, she sat behind Liu Shen, pressed her palms to his back, and began channeling her energy into him.

The bed curtains and sun-shielding drapes suddenly rippled without wind, as if a calm lake had been disturbed by a pebble—waves radiated out and then faded back to stillness.

As Ning Sanniang’s true energy flowed into him, Liu Shen’s previously limp body gave a visible shudder; even his spine straightened a little.

Seeing her energy had safely shielded his heart’s meridian, Ning Sanniang closed her eyes and focused.

From morning to midday, and from midday into evening, an undisturbed silence filled the room as night descended upon the earth.

By midnight, Yuan Xiaofei, who had been waiting outside the door all day, finally succumbed to fatigue and dozed off, slumped over the railing.

Inside the room…

Liu Shen’s Pure Yang body had fought the poison that accompanied the arrow for an entire day before finally suppressing it. The feverish flush on his skin faded away, and the raging heat within him subsided to normal.

Still unconscious, Liu Shen let out a muffled groan, and a thin trickle of black blood oozed from his nose, staining both his body and the sheets.

Ning Sanniang noticed the change immediately—she realized that Liu Shen’s Pure Yang constitution had managed to expel the heart-attacking toxin.

That meant he was out of danger. All that remained was for the wound in his shoulder, pierced by the arrow, to heal—and he would recover fully.

For a robust martial artist, as long as the internal organs and bones were unharmed, most injuries were no more than “flesh wounds.”

Ning Sanniang withdrew her energy and let out a long, relieved sigh. Without support, Liu Shen’s limp body toppled backward.

…

Just as Ning Sanniang opened her eyes, she saw Liu Shen’s head drooping into her lap—he had collapsed right into her arms, his head resting squarely on her legs.

Her expression froze, and her body stiffened instinctively. She was about to move him aside, but seeing that he was still unconscious—his face, chin, and body still streaked with black blood—yet sleeping so peacefully, so comfortably, she felt something stir in her heart.

Perhaps it was that innate maternal instinct that all women possess, for seeing him like that, she hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to push him away.

“Let’s call it tending to my junior brother in advance…”

She wrung out a towel from the bedside basin and gently wiped the blood from Liu Shen’s body.

Meanwhile…

In another sickroom…

Pei Xueyan lay on the bed, her brows tightly knit, slender fingers twitching. With a soft moan, she slowly opened her eyes.

She found herself lying in a hospital bed, her foot bandaged, her whole body aching as if she’d been torn apart—every inch sore, every inch in pain.

At her side, Xiao Yuhong, chin propped in her hand, had been dozing. The sound of Pei Xueyan’s moan roused her, and seeing the lady struggling to sit up, she hurried over with delight. “Madam, you’re awake?”

“Mm, Yuhong…”

Pei Xueyan rubbed her brow, frowning, but then as if recalling something, abruptly sat up and clutched Xiao Yuhong’s shoulders, her voice trembling with anxiety. “Where is Liu Shen?!”

“Brother Shen…” Xiao Yuhong, startled by her reaction, pointed toward the neighboring room, stammering, “He’s… in the room next door…”

Before she could finish, Pei Xueyan was already scrambling out of bed, but as soon as her foot touched the floor, a sharp, tearing pain shot through her.

“Madam, you mustn’t get up!” cried Xiao Yuhong, her face turning pale with fright. She hurried forward to help, pleading, “The doctor said the skin on your foot is worn raw. You need to stay in bed and rest for at least half a month before you can walk.”

“Liu Shen! Liu Shen!” Pei Xueyan seemed possessed, mumbling his name over and over, oblivious to Yuhong’s words. Gritting her teeth, she staggered out of bed and ran outside, blood staining the bandages around her foot.

Xiao Yuhong was beside herself, unable to stop her but unable to let her go, on the verge of tears as she chased after, calling, “Madam, slow down… please slow down!”

Outside the other sickroom…

Yuan Xiaofei, dozing on the railing, was jolted awake by the sound of Yuhong’s frantic cries. He turned just in time to see the madam, still in her white underclothes and barefoot, pushing open the door.

He was startled wide awake and quickly called out, “Madam, Brother Shen is inside…”

“Liu Shen! Liu Shen!” Pei Xueyan, tears streaming down her face, pushed open the door and rushed in—only to freeze in place the moment she entered, as if petrified, confusion and… deep fear written all over her face.

…

There on the sickbed, the unconscious Liu Shen was half-reclined in Ning Sanniang’s arms, his head pillowed on her lap.

Ning Sanniang, holding a damp towel, was gently wiping blood from Liu Shen’s body. She too looked surprised at the sudden intrusion.

The two women locked eyes—and for a moment, time itself seemed to freeze.