Chapter Thirty-Four

Jiang Bai turned her head and smiled, "It’s alright, I’m used to it. The mountain paths are treacherous; it’s always better to be well-prepared."

Jiang Ye nodded. He knew his sister was always cautious and never let anything go wrong. He walked over to her side and helped pack some lightweight items into her wicker basket.

"Sister, what time are you leaving tomorrow?" Jiang Ye asked as he organized the items.

"At the first light of dawn," Jiang Bai replied. "I want to take advantage of the remaining warm weather to gather more medicinal herbs."

Jiang Ye murmured an "oh," silently noting the time in his heart. He resolved to wake up early tomorrow to see her off.

Once the packing was finished, Jiang Bai looked at the sky; it was already quite late. She turned to Jiang Ye and said, "Xingzhi, it’s time to sleep. You have to go to Brother Duan Jing’s place tomorrow, so you mustn’t be late."

Though reluctant, Jiang Ye nodded obediently. "Alright, you get some rest early, too, Sister."

Jiang Bai smiled and patted his head before blowing out the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Lying in bed, Jiang Ye listened to his sister’s soft breathing and prayed silently for her success the next day.

Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Jiang Bai rose on tiptoe. She dressed, shouldered her basket, and was about to leave when she found Jiang Ye already waiting at the door.

"Xingzhi? Why are you up so early?" Jiang Bai asked, surprised.

Jiang Ye rubbed his sleepy eyes and smiled. "I wanted to see you off."

A warmth spread through Jiang Bai’s heart. She crouched down and gave him a gentle hug. "Alright. I’m leaving now. You be a good boy and listen to Brother Duan Jing."

Jiang Ye nodded firmly. "Yes, Sister, don’t worry, I will."

Jiang Bai stood up, took one last look at her brother, and turned to walk out of the courtyard. Jiang Ye stood at the gate, watching her silhouette gradually disappear into the morning mist, silently praying for her safe return.

After meeting up with the other military medics, Jiang Bai headed toward the mountains. The morning air was fresh with a hint of chill. The group followed familiar trails and soon entered the depths of the forest. The mountains were rich with various herbs. As they walked, they searched diligently; the young medicine apprentices would occasionally crouch down, using their sickles to cut the herbs they needed and placing them into their baskets.

Time passed as the sun rose higher, and the mountain mist gradually dissipated. Their baskets were already filled with herbs, and Jiang Bai was exhausted. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and decided to venture a bit deeper; they had already harvested most of what was available in the last area, and she hoped to find better medicinal ingredients elsewhere.

Once they found a spot where the herbs were concentrated, Jiang Bai gave the others instructions on what to look for and took Zhang Tiezhu with her to explore further, hoping to find something rare.

"This is..." After walking for nearly an hour, Jiang Bai finally spotted the herbs she needed. Just as she reached out to pick them, she suddenly heard a faint moan not far away.

"Someone’s there! Doctor Jiang, watch out!" Zhang Tiezhu became alert instantly, gripping his sword as he blocked Jiang Bai, his gaze scanning the direction of the sound.

Jiang Bai stood up and used her ability to sense the surroundings through the plants. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else."

Zhang Tiezhu looked around carefully. "This place isn't safe. Perhaps we should retreat and rejoin Pan Rui and the others."

Jiang Bai glanced at him and shook her head. "There are young apprentices over there; it wouldn't necessarily be safer."

Zhang Tiezhu thought for a moment and suggested, "Then you climb a tree, and I’ll go check it out."

Although Jiang Bai knew there was only that one person lying there, she didn't argue. After all, she was just an ordinary military medic; how could she be more capable than a scout?

Seeing Jiang Bai safely hidden in the tree, Zhang Tiezhu followed the sound. Pushing through a dense thicket, he finally discovered a man under a large tree. He was wearing worn, light armor; his face was pale, his lips cracked, and he was clearly severely wounded.

Zhang Tiezhu scanned the area again. Finding no one else, he crouched down to examine the man. Suddenly, he felt the attire looked familiar, but the man’s face was so covered in blood and mud that his features were indistinguishable. He tore a piece of fabric from the man’s clothing, poured a bit of water from his canteen to wipe him clean, and leaned in closer. His expression changed instantly. "Isn't this... isn't this Captain Duan?"

Zhang Tiezhu rushed back to the tree where Jiang Bai was. "Doctor Jiang, come down! Something terrible has happened!"

Jiang Bai climbed down. "What is it?"

Zhang Tiezhu nodded, his tone anxious. "There’s an injured man ahead. His name is Duan Qi; he’s our captain. He led a scouting party out a few days ago and never returned—everyone thought he had perished! I never expected to find him here!"

Jiang Bai frowned, a sense of unease settling in her heart. The captain had been missing for days, only to suddenly appear in these deep mountains, wounded. She couldn't help but associate this with the assassination attempt from a few days ago.

"Never mind that for now; saving him is the priority," Jiang Bai said, taking herbs from her kit to treat Duan Qi’s wounds.

Zhang Tiezhu stood guard, his emotions complicated. Many of them were actually quite fearful of this captain. He was a man of great martial prowess with a sharp tongue who often pushed them to the brink of death during training and berated them relentlessly. Yet, seeing him in this state, he couldn't help but feel worried.

Jiang Bai carefully tended to Duan Qi’s wounds, her brow furrowed. His condition was far worse than she had anticipated; he had multiple knife wounds, one of which was deep enough to reach the bone. His breathing was shallow, clearly due to excessive blood loss.

"Zhang Tiezhu, help me hold his wound; I need to stop the bleeding first," Jiang Bai said urgently, her hands moving with steady precision.

Zhang Tiezhu stepped forward, following her instructions to press down on the wound. His hands trembled, filled with both worry and tension. "Doctor Jiang, will he... will he survive?"

Jiang Bai didn't look up, focusing entirely on the wound. "Yes."

Just then, a faint sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. Zhang Tiezhu became alert again, tightening his grip on his sword. "Someone’s coming!" he whispered.

Jiang Bai stopped her work and looked toward the sound. Her ability allowed her to sense more information through the surrounding plants, and they told her there were five people approaching. Without using her powers, she and Zhang Tiezhu would be no match for them.

Jiang Bai gritted her teeth and made a decision. "I’ll carry him; you follow behind me, and we’ll leave quickly."

Zhang Tiezhu nodded and helped Jiang Bai pack her medicine kit. Just as they were about to move, several figures in black burst from the thicket, wielding long blades with cold, ruthless glares.

"They're here!" Zhang Tiezhu shouted, blocking the path between the attackers and Jiang Bai and Duan Qi, his sword raised in defense.

The men in black didn't speak; they charged. Zhang Tiezhu met them head-on, and a fierce clash of steel ensued. Jiang Bai seized the opportunity to lift Duan Qi and hoist him onto her back.

"Doctor Jiang, go!" Zhang Tiezhu yelled as he fought.

Jiang Bai gritted her teeth, straining to carry Duan Qi as she ran toward the depths of the forest.

The attackers clearly realized their intent, and two of them broke away to pursue. Zhang Tiezhu felt a surge of anxiety, but he was pinned down by the remaining men and unable to break free.

"Damn it!" Zhang Tiezhu roared, exerting all his strength to push back his opponents as he tried to catch up to Jiang Bai.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, Jiang Bai wasn't afraid. She remembered a spot ahead that was perfect for dealing with these people.

This was it! She suddenly stopped, turned to face the pursuing men, and stood before a large tree marked by a vertical, ancient scar. Beside it grew a cluster of vibrant purple-spotted peonies, and right next to them was...

"Stop!" Jiang Bai said coldly.

The men clearly hadn't expected her to stop and hesitated for a moment, but their cold expressions soon returned as they continued to close in.

"Who are you? Why are you chasing us?" Jiang Bai stared at the approaching men.

They didn't answer, only stared back, their blades glinting coldly in the sunlight.

"Not talking? Then don't blame me for being impolite." Just as the men were about to reach her, Jiang Bai raised her hand, a flicker of green light flashing at her fingertips. The surrounding thorns seemed to respond to her call, growing wildly and lashing out to entangle the men.

"What?!" The men had never seen such a thing. They slashed at the encroaching thorns, but the vines seemed alive, growing faster and wrapping tighter.

"Monster!" the men screamed, but they were soon pierced by the thorns, and in a short while, they would be left here forever.

Jiang Bai had almost grown accustomed to being called that. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay further away, but the screams of these villains were always so shrill, and they never bothered to use new insults—it was all so cliché.

"Doctor Jiang, are you alright?" A familiar voice came from behind. Jiang Bai looked up to see Zhang Tiezhu. He was covered in blood, clearly having endured a brutal fight, but he had still managed to catch up.

"You got here so fast?" Jiang Bai asked, surprised. His speed was incredible; she had run quite a distance, and it hadn't been long at all.

"I shook off those guys and hurried to find you," Zhang Tiezhu gasped for air. His gaze fell upon the men caught in the thorns, and he sucked in a cold breath. "This is...?!!"

"A large thicket of thorns—they fell into it," Jiang Bai explained dismissively.

Zhang Tiezhu now looked at Jiang Bai as if she were a reclusive master, his eyes filled with immense respect.

"Alright, we need to treat Duan Qi’s wounds immediately. I’m not sure what state he’s in after being jostled on the way here," Jiang Bai said. She knew her running hadn't been very smooth and could only pray it hadn't caused secondary injuries.

"We’ve gone too far; it’ll take at least half an hour to get back. Doctor Jiang, how about this? When we were patrolling last time, we found a cave nearby where we rested. It’s about a quarter of an hour from here. We can go there to rest and treat the Captain."

Jiang Bai nodded and followed Zhang Tiezhu into a narrow, rugged path. Though uneven, it was easy terrain for the both of them.

"Zhang Tiezhu, your wounds..." Jiang Bai looked up and saw the blood on him; he was also significantly injured.

"It’s nothing, just minor scratches, it doesn't matter," Zhang Tiezhu waved his hand dismissively. "What about Captain Duan?"

"His injuries are severe; he needs treatment as soon as possible," Jiang Bai frowned, her tone laced with worry.

"Then let’s pick up the pace; we’re almost there." Zhang Tiezhu quickened his stride, leading Jiang Bai and Duan Qi toward the cave.

Jiang Bai followed closely, their footsteps swift. They passed through a dense forest where the soil underfoot was soft and damp, with the occasional sound of birds echoing in the distance. Duan Qi remained on her back, his breathing weak but steady. Jiang Bai checked his breathing from time to time, terrified he might take a turn for the worse.

"Zhang Tiezhu, are you sure this is the right way?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask. Though she trusted him, the path was incredibly secluded, and the tall, dense trees blocked out almost all the light, creating a stifling atmosphere.

"Rest assured, I remember it clearly. This is the same path we took when we were patrolling last time." Zhang Tiezhu looked back at Jiang Bai with a faint smile. "Don't let the gloom fool you; this is actually the safest path. Those chasing the Captain would never guess we’d go this way."

Jiang Bai nodded and said nothing more, silently quickening her pace. Her focus never left Duan Qi, fearing any sudden complications.

After walking for about ten minutes, the trees began to thin, and the light grew brighter. Zhang Tiezhu suddenly stopped and pointed ahead. "We’re here. It’s right there."

Jiang Bai looked in the direction he pointed and, sure enough, saw a hidden cave not far ahead. The entrance was obscured by several large rocks; unless one looked carefully, it would be difficult to spot.

"Let’s go inside," Zhang Tiezhu said, heading toward it with Jiang Bai close behind.

Upon entering, Jiang Bai discovered the space was much larger than she had imagined. Several unlit torches were stuck into the stone walls. Although the light was dim, the ambient glow from the outside was enough for them to see their surroundings. A crude stone bed lay within, covered in dried grass—evidently left behind from the last time Zhang Tiezhu and his men had rested there.

"Let’s put the Captain down first," Zhang Tiezhu said, gesturing toward the stone bed.

Jiang Bai nodded, carefully lowering Duan Qi from her back and laying him gently on the stone bed. His face remained pale, but fortunately, there were no signs of his condition deteriorating.

"What do we need now?" Zhang Tiezhu asked.

"Water, and some gauze," Jiang Bai said, searching through her supplies, only to find that she was running low on gauze.