A Different World - Chapter 6: The Divine Doctor

“Ninth Prince, slow down!” The little eunuch followed behind the Ninth Prince, seeing him grab the reins to mount his horse, and hurried forward to assist him.

Xie Ningzheng sat high on the horse and extended his hand toward the eunuch. “Bring me that new longbow I acquired!”

The little eunuch handed the bow and arrows over with both hands, asking curiously, “Why has the Ninth Prince suddenly decided to practice archery at the training grounds today?”

Xie Ningzheng pulled the longbow, closed his left eye, and tried to aim the arrow at the bullseye. However, his strength wasn’t enough. He could handle ordinary bows and arrows well, but this longbow was too heavy, and he truly couldn’t pull it back.

“Remember the person I mentioned before? The one who went to the battlefield at eleven years old, achieved numerous military merits, and whom the Emperor said would one day be a pillar of the Great Qi dynasty—Little General Lu.”

The eunuch nodded. The Ninth Prince often mentioned the eldest son of the Lu family, always exclaiming how he wanted to meet him in person. Puzzled, he asked, “I remember, but what does that have to do with you practicing archery today?”

Xie Ningzheng’s eyes were full of anticipation. “The Lu family just won a battle and will soon return victorious. The Emperor promised me that when General Lu returns, he’ll suggest summoning Little General Lu to the palace to give me some pointers. I figured I can’t be too terrible; I need to leave a good impression.”

“Oh, Ninth Prince! The Valiant Cavalry General has praised your riding and archery skills before, and even the Emperor said you are the most diligent in martial practice among the princes. No need to worry!” The little eunuch laughed as he tried to reassure him.

“You don’t understand!” Xie Ningzheng waved him away and continued trying to draw the bow.

—

Ye Chang’an clenched his teeth, enduring splitting headaches as he swung his blade, cutting down the bandits blocking his way, step by step moving closer to Ye Yin.

Who were the voices in his head? Why couldn’t he remember anything?

Blade after blade fell, severing all distractions. The past didn’t matter now—he just needed Ye Yin to be safe!

Ye Yin turned at the sound and saw a bandit collapse in agony from an arrow, blood splattering onto Ye Yin’s face. What surprised him wasn’t the blood but the sudden appearance of Chang’an.

Chen Laoda noticed the knife against his neck slacken and quickly dodged, attempting to escape, but the person behind him had no intention of letting him go.

Ye Yin swung his blade down, severing Chen Laoda’s Achilles tendon. He then tilted his blade to rest it against Chen Laoda’s shoulder and loudly commanded the rest of the bandits in the stronghold: “I know most of you came here out of desperation. Today, I won’t kill you, considering that you may have families waiting for you. Spring planting season is coming—go back down the mountain and live properly. If I find anyone committing crimes again, this will be their fate.”

As he spoke, his thin blade scraped Chen Laoda’s neck, and blood spurted, staining his blue robe and pale face, making him resemble the soul-collecting specter of legend.

“Yes!” The bandits trembled as they responded, fleeing out the gate without daring to look back.

The rescued women wanted to step forward to express their gratitude, but the sight of the two young men, bloodied and intimidating, scared them. They hesitantly bowed slightly to show their thanks: “We will never forget the great kindness of our two benefactors!”

With that, they helped each other down the mountain.

“As for you deserters…” Ye Yin glanced at the kneeling deserters, his eyes lowering slightly as he walked toward them step by step.

The remaining bandits didn’t dare to flee, afraid of ending up like Chen Laoda. But as the “ghost” approached, blood dripping from his blade, they trembled in terror on the ground.

They hadn’t expected to fall into the hands of two children. It wasn’t that they were careless; these two were simply reckless beyond belief.

Ye Chang’an coldly eyed them and asked Ye Yin, “What should we do with them?”

Ye Yin hid his trembling hand behind him and, letting down his guard, said to Ye Chang’an, “Tie them up.”

He had killed Chen Laoda as a warning to the others, making him pay for his sins. As for the rest, he wasn’t sure if they still had military status. Desertion was a matter for military law. Killing them outright would have been too easy on them.

Noticing Ye Yin’s pale face, Ye Chang’an wanted to check on him first, but after hearing the instruction, he nodded obediently, grabbing the deserters’ belts to tie them up one by one. He threw them into the cage where the women had been imprisoned and locked it.

“Ye Yin, you…” After securing the cage’s key, Ye Chang’an turned toward Ye Yin, only to find him collapsed on the ground.

A wave of panic surged through him, but he pushed it aside and rushed to Ye Yin, shouting, “Ye Yin! Ye Yin, what’s wrong?”

Ye Chang’an struggled to lift Ye Yin’s upper body, letting him lean against his chest, calling his name repeatedly.

But in Ye Yin’s current condition, they needed to find a doctor immediately. Where in Mount Qiong would they find one?

Determined, Ye Chang’an hoisted Ye Yin onto his back, though Ye Yin was nearly half his height.

“Hang in there. I’ll find a doctor for you!” Ye Chang’an gritted his teeth and staggered toward the gate.

Those fleeing bandits and rescued women viewed them as demons, desperate to stay far away. Though Ye Chang’an understood the coldness of human nature, Ye Yin’s willingness to protect him made his bond all the more precious.

He would not give up on Ye Yin—not even in death.

“A doctor? You’re looking for a doctor?”

Hearing a voice, Ye Chang’an turned around warily. A man, yawning and strolling out of the bandit’s den, came into view. Ye Chang’an gripped his knife tightly, ready to fight to the death.

Zuo Qingchuan woke up to find the stronghold empty, Chen Laoda lying dead in a pool of blood. Looking toward the gate, he saw two blood-soaked youths about to leave, the younger one muttering about a doctor.

What a coincidence—he was a doctor.

As Zuo Qingchuan approached, the younger boy bared his teeth, brandishing his knife and warning him to stay back.

“I really am a doctor!” Zuo Qingchuan raised his hands in surrender, genuinely meaning no harm.

Ye Chang’an didn’t believe him and questioned, “If you’re a doctor, why are you colluding with bandits?”

Zuo Qingchuan chuckled awkwardly and explained, “They invited me up the mountain. I’ve been living well here, with good food and drink, so…”

Seeing the person in front of him furrow his brow in obvious dissatisfaction with his explanation, he quickly added, “But staying here did weigh heavily on my conscience. Still, I’m just a doctor—how could I possibly fight against bandits? Fortunately, I encountered the two of you, which led to my rescue!”

He explained that he had heard of an epidemic spreading in the area and came with good intentions to help. However, before he had even been at the foot of the mountain for two days, he was abducted by the bandits. The leader, Old Chen, demanded he first treat the epidemic affecting the other members of the Crimson Moon Cult. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, he agreed.

But after curing them, Old Chen went back on his word and refused to let him leave. He had tried to escape but was caught before he even made it past the gates.

“In short, that’s the story. If you don’t let me examine your elder brother’s condition soon, he might not make it.” Zuo Qingchuan looked at the pale, barely breathing person in front of him, who clearly showed signs of nearing death.

Seeing the boy still hesitating, Zuo Qingchuan clicked his tongue in annoyance and stepped forward, directly picking up the unconscious man and carrying him into the nearest wooden hut.

Ye Chang’an followed closely, wary of any tricks. Once inside, he hurriedly prepared the bed, ensuring Ye Yin could lie comfortably.

“Quite considerate,” Zuo Qingchuan remarked with a raised eyebrow as he sat on the edge of the bed and began examining the patient. His expression shifted between moments of delight and sighs of concern.

Ye Chang’an, watching anxiously from the side, asked hurriedly, “How is he?”

Zuo Qingchuan pondered for a while before finally speaking. “Your elder brother isn’t ill; he’s been poisoned. And this poison is peculiar—despite traveling far and wide, I’ve never seen a case like his.”

Hearing this, Ye Chang’an looked at the unconscious Ye Yin with worry and asked with a trembling voice, “Can he still be saved?”

Zuo Qingchuan adjusted his robes and replied nonchalantly, “If it were anyone else, they would have died long ago from such an excruciatingly corrosive poison. But your elder brother is truly extraordinary—not only has he resisted it, but he’s also held on for this long. Impressive!”

He rolled up the patient’s sleeve to examine him further. The wounds left by venomous insects and snakes had not yet healed, though it had likely been months since they occurred. Such tenacity was beyond ordinary human capability.

“What’s your name, kid?” Zuo Qingchuan asked, seemingly curious.

Ye Chang’an, entirely focused on Ye Yin, answered absentmindedly, “Chang’an.”

“Chang’an, my little brother, considering you’ve taken out the Crimson Moon Cult, and I happen to be intrigued by your elder brother’s poisoning, I’ll help detoxify him,” Zuo Qingchuan said as he began contemplating the treatment plan.

Ye Chang’an stood up to offer a formal bow of gratitude but was stopped by Zuo Qingchuan.

Zuo Qingchuan, not entirely confident yet, explained, “But let me make it clear upfront: I can’t detoxify him immediately. It’s not entirely hopeless, but I’ll need time.”

“Having a solution at all is already the best news. Divine Doctor, please accept my bow!” Ye Chang’an knelt to the ground and expressed his gratitude. When he turned back to look at Ye Yin, his eyes carried a newfound hope.

Ye Yin didn’t know how long he had been asleep. When he finally awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. Instantly on guard, he tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. He held his head and leaned against the bed frame for a long while before the sensation subsided.

He vaguely heard footsteps approaching and, recognizing Chang’an’s light steps, relaxed.

“You’re awake. Are you still feeling unwell? I’ll go get the doctor!” Ye Chang’an put down the medicine bowl and was about to head out to find Zuo Qingchuan.

“Chang’an.” Ye Yin’s hoarse voice stopped him. He coughed lightly before asking, “Where are we? And which doctor?”

Ye Chang’an truthfully replied, “We’re still at the Crimson Moon Cult. As for the doctor…”

Hearing the commotion, Zuo Qingchuan entered the room unprompted and introduced himself, “I’m Zuo Qingchuan.”

He walked over to check Ye Yin’s pulse, his eyebrow lifting slightly. “Not bad. Your pulse is much steadier now. But you still need to rest properly and avoid running around.”

Ye Yin was a little surprised but reasoned that perhaps he had overlooked the existence of the divine doctor in his travels. Either way, he was grateful to have received such aid.

Ye Chang’an blew on the hot medicine to cool it, handing the bowl to Ye Yin. Only after seeing him drink it did he ask, “Now that we’ve found the divine doctor, where should we go next?”

This was the third time Chang’an had asked this question. Supporting himself on the bed frame, Ye Yin slowly got up and walked out of the hut. Looking at the now desolate Crimson Moon Cult, he already had a plan in mind. Speaking softly, he said, “This time, we’re not leaving.”

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading!