107. The Nation’s Father-in-Law

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Chapter 107

When Yue Qianxue spoke, her voice was still trembling.

Yuan Tianci’s blood stained her hands. It felt scorching hot and unbearable, and she clenched her fists tightly.

Hearing her words, Zhan Liancheng said, “So now you are blaming me instead?”

If he had not restrained himself, he would probably have already killed Yue Qianxue.

Those who betrayed or deceived him would never meet a good end.

Yue Qianxue’s expression turned cold. Both of them were stubborn by nature, and there was no way they could reason with each other now.

She smiled, but there was unmistakable disappointment in it.

“I would never dare blame Prince Zhan. So what now? Do you intend to take revenge on me? To kill me?”

He had already wounded Yuan Tianci. She could not be certain that Zhan Liancheng would spare her.

Zhan Liancheng pressed his lips together. After a moment, he said, “Yue Qianxue, you truly are something. This time, I suppose I was blind to have trusted you.”

Yue Qianxue lowered her eyes and calmly began putting away her medical supplies.

Her voice was clear as she said, “Prince Zhan, at first I approached you because I wanted to help Susu discover what the archive truly was. In that sense, I did harbor ulterior motives, and I accept the lesson I have received. But aside from concealing the fact that I am the Ghost Physician, I have never harmed you or betrayed you. Now that you know I am the Ghost Physician, so be it. You may vent your anger on me if you wish—I am willing to bear it. But I never imagined that you would hurt Tianci. I was blind as well.”

She paused, then continued, “Tianci cured your sister. Now that she has recovered and no longer needs him, you have wounded him. I never told you before because you are the most heartless person I have ever known. It is as though you have no heart at all!”

After she finished, Zhan Liancheng saw that she had risen to her feet.

The long sword that had pierced Yuan Tianci still lay nearby. Yue Qianxue gave a cold laugh and walked over to pick it up.

Seeing what she was doing, Zhan Liancheng could not help asking, “What are you going to do?”

“I once stole your Seven-Colored Spirit Herb, but I have no way to repay you now. Do you intend to take my life as payment?”

Zhan Liancheng frowned. “Yue Qianxue! I never said I wanted your life!”

Yue Qianxue gave him a bleak smile. “That is true. You still love me. No matter how heartless you are, that small measure of affection will not allow you to kill me at once. I was afraid you might harm me, but I never imagined that you would harm my friend because of me...”

The sunlight struck the sword, and a dazzling gleam suddenly flashed from its blade.

While Zhan Liancheng was momentarily distracted, he saw the sword slash across Yue Qianxue’s wrist.

“Yue Qianxue!”

Emotions could not always be controlled. For once, Zhan Liancheng lost his restraint and leaped to his feet, rushing toward her.

His gaze tightened when he saw the blood dripping from Yue Qianxue’s wrist. It fell like pearls from a broken string, yet when the drops struck the ground, they resembled blooming plum blossoms—vivid and brilliant.

Zhan Liancheng was nearly frantic. He reached out to bandage her wound, but Yue Qianxue withdrew her hand.

“One sword is enough to sever the affection between us,” Yue Qianxue said.

Her eyes were cold and clear.

A heaviness pressed against Zhan Liancheng’s chest. He could not help saying, “You had a choice. I let you choose. If you had not acted, I would have forgiven you... So it seems I thought too highly of my importance?”

Yue Qianxue turned away without looking at him. The blood continued to flow slowly from her wrist. This time, she would take it as a lesson: some people were simply too dangerous to love.

Because loving them not only brought disaster upon oneself—it could also bring calamity upon those nearby.

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She spoke slowly. “Prince Zhan, perhaps I am not worthy of your love. But liking someone should not be like this...”

Yue Qianxue walked over and carried Yuan Tianci onto her back. Fortunately, she was still strong enough; otherwise, she would never have managed to carry him.

She had to move with extreme care, or she might aggravate his wounds.

Seeing that she was about to leave, Zhan Liancheng continued staring at her wrist. The sight of that blood pierced his eyes.

Without turning around, he said, “Yue Qianxue, if you leave this place today, then from now on, you and I will go our separate ways.”

Yue Qianxue lowered her eyes, concealing her sorrow.

She had cast her heart away, yet before she had even had the chance to truly love, she had already received such an ending. It was bitterly ironic.

All she said was, “Just as I hoped.”

Carrying Yuan Tianci on her back, Yue Qianxue left Prince Zhan’s residence. She did not know how much blood she had lost, but her face had already gone pale.

Hua Tao, who had been waiting outside, was so frightened that she nearly burst into tears.

“Miss, what happened to you?”

“I’m fine. Come, help me get Tianci into the carriage.”

Yue Qianxue spoke as she asked Hua Tao for assistance.

Once they had placed Yuan Tianci inside the carriage, Yue Qianxue made certain that he was not in immediate danger before finally letting out a breath of relief.

Hua Tao quickly opened the medical chest. “Miss, stop the bleeding first! Look, your sleeve is completely stained red.”

Yue Qianxue glanced down. It was indeed soaked in scarlet. Her expression remained淡—her medical knowledge was profound, and she had known exactly where to cut. The wound was not fatal and would not affect the movement of her hand. At most, it would cause her to lose a little more blood.

But that was enough. This time, she would see clearly that there were some people she could never afford to love.

Loving them would not only bring disaster upon herself; it would also implicate those around her.

Yue Qianxue stopped the bleeding herself, then applied medicine and bandaged the wound.

Hua Tao did not know what had happened. Seeing how frighteningly grim Yue Qianxue looked, and knowing that Yuan Tianci had also been gravely wounded, she understood that something terrible must have occurred at Prince Zhan’s residence.

She did not dare ask and could only watch in silence.

In the end, Yue Qianxue could not bandage one hand with the other, so she asked Hua Tao to help. Hua Tao finally came back to herself.

“Miss, does it hurt?” she asked softly.

Yue Qianxue gently shook her head. She closed her eyes, her face deathly pale.

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s nothing serious.”

She had endured far worse things in her life. This little ache in her heart was nothing.

Seeing her answer so calmly, Hua Tao said nothing more.

Yue Qianxue had lost too much blood and was growing dazed. By the time they reached the General’s Residence, she had already fallen unconscious.

With no other choice, Hua Tao had someone carry Yue Qianxue inside. As fate would have it, Yue Yongcheng happened to see them. He had been on his way back to the Western Hills military camp to inspect the situation, but upon seeing Yue Qianxue return covered in blood, he immediately stayed behind and carried her inside himself.

“What on earth happened?! How did she get injured?” Yue Yongcheng demanded furiously. The bandages around her wrist were still seeping tiny spots of red.

Hua Tao was terrified and hurriedly replied, “I don’t know, General. Miss went to Prince Zhan’s residence and came back like this. Divine Physician Yuan was also seriously injured. Someone from Prince Zhan’s residence came to ask Miss to save someone. I only delivered the message—I truly had no idea she would meet with such misfortune there...”

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Yue Yongcheng gave a cold snort. “Prince Zhan’s residence?”

His expression was grim. He had previously learned that Zhan Liancheng cared for Yue Qianxue and had been counting on him to look after her. Who could have imagined that Yue Qianxue would end up injured at his residence?

Yuan Tianci was now gravely wounded and unconscious as well. Worried about Yue Qianxue’s condition, Yue Yongcheng immediately sent for a physician.

After examining the wound, the physician said, “General Yue, please rest assured. The young lady has merely lost too much blood; there is no serious danger. As long as she takes some restorative decoctions, she will recover. The wound should heal within a few days. It seems the person who wielded the blade showed some mercy.”

Only then did Yue Yongcheng relax.

Yue Qianxue lay there utterly lifeless. What father could bear to see his daughter in such a state?

After careful consideration, Yue Yongcheng still felt that Zhan Liancheng could not be let off lightly. He decided to confront him and demand an explanation.

“Hua Tao, take good care of Miss.” With that, Yue Yongcheng turned to leave.

But a faint cry came from beside the bed.

“Father...”

Yue Yongcheng stopped in his tracks and hurriedly turned around. Yue Qianxue had already awakened, though she lay quietly on the bed.

“Xue’er, how are you feeling?” Yue Yongcheng asked, his heart aching. His eyes had turned red.

In the past six months, Yue Qianxue had never given him cause for concern. Now that she had suddenly been injured, how could he possibly not worry?

Yue Qianxue gently shook her head. “I’m fine. Father, don’t go to Prince Zhan’s residence.”

She had lost too much blood, and her voice was faint.

“Why not? What happened to you there? You were injured at his residence—Zhan Liancheng cannot escape responsibility!”

“I inflicted this wound myself,” Yue Qianxue said calmly.

Yue Yongcheng stared at her in shock. “W-why?! Are you insane? You actually hurt yourself?”

Yue Qianxue did not wish to explain. She merely said, “Father, please don’t ask. Whatever happens, Zhan Liancheng and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.”

Yue Yongcheng frowned. This clearly had something to do with Zhan Liancheng. How could she say otherwise?

He snorted softly. “He must have bullied you. Don’t be afraid. No matter how powerful he is, your father is not afraid of him.”

Yue Qianxue could only say, “It isn’t like that. I can’t explain everything clearly right now. I’ll tell you later. In any case, please don’t go looking for trouble with him.”

Yue Yongcheng hesitated. Seeing that Yue Qianxue seemed ready to say more, he quickly agreed, unwilling to burden her further.

He patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Your father will stay here and watch over you. Rest for now.”

Yue Qianxue murmured assent. She was indeed exhausted, and the moment she closed her eyes, she fell asleep once more.

Yue Yongcheng’s expression remained terrible. He could not wait until Yue Qianxue woke and told him what had happened, so he immediately sent people to investigate.

Yet no news came from Prince Zhan’s residence. In the end, someone managed to obtain information from the Commander of the Imperial Guard and promptly reported it to Yue Yongcheng.

Yue Yongcheng listened in silence for a long while.

“General?” Qingyang had returned with the information and was somewhat astonished. Still, he was not entirely surprised. He had once seen Yue Qianxue save Qingqing, and her skill at healing was truly unparalleled.

“My daughter... is actually the Ghost Physician?” Yue Yongcheng murmured. Then his eyes lit up. “This is wonderful! What joyous news!”