After he had gone some distance, Zhan Haochen stepped forward.
“Everyone, please be quiet for a moment!”
He was only a boy, and this was his first time taking the lead. He was still somewhat timid, and even his voice trembled.
But he understood that if no one stood up to lead the group, their morale would soon collapse.
Thus, he forced himself to steady his nerves. “With Sister-in-Law gone, we can’t just sit around and wait for death! Since the caravan isn’t leaving for the moment, we should stock up on as much food as possible and prepare for the road ahead!”
He swept his gaze over the crowd, his tone gradually becoming steadier. “Anyone who’s still able to move, come with me into the mountains! Grapes, hawthorn, persimmons, goji berries—pick as much as you can! The elderly and children don’t have as much strength, so you can gather the things growing lower down, or dig up Chinese yams and kudzu roots! They’re filling and can be stored for a long time!”
His words lifted everyone’s spirits somewhat.
That was right. Cheng Yao’s life or death was still unknown. The only people they could rely on now were themselves!
After a brief silence, the crowd began to move.
The able-bodied men hefted their baskets and carrying frames onto their backs once more and headed back toward the mountain forests.
The elderly and children also picked up their crude tools and slowly followed.
No one complained. No one slacked off. No one allowed themselves to dwell on the future and deepen their fear of what was to come.
…
Deep within Heartless Valley, Cheng Yao continued toward the Hundred Herb Garden under the “escort” of two maidservants.
The farther in she went, the more clearly she could sense the powerful formations that permeated the valley.
Invisible fields of energy blanketed the entire valley like a web. The formations’ fluctuations were especially intense in areas where spiritual energy was particularly dense or where rarer medicinal herbs grew, carrying an unmistakable warning and defensive intent.
Cheng Yao carefully reined in every trace of her mental power, not daring to let the slightest bit leak out. She feared that she might trigger some unknown restriction and invite unnecessary trouble.
Seeing that she was walking so slowly, one of the maidservants asked kindly, “Miss Cheng, are you tired? Shall we rest for a while?”
Cheng Yao smiled. “I’m fine.”
She walked with her hands clasped behind her back, appearing somewhat bored and listless. In reality, she was relying on her keen perception of energy fluctuations to analyze the formations’ patterns, nodes, and weak points. Gradually, she was piecing together a complicated map of Heartless Valley’s “safe” and “dangerous” areas.
“Ow!”
A cry of pain rang out.
Cheng Yao turned toward the sound and saw an old man hunched over as he struggled to loosen the soil around the medicinal herbs. He clutched a finger that had been cut by a stone and sucked on the bleeding wound.
The old man’s clothes were ragged, and he was so thin that he looked little more than skin and bones. His face was covered in wrinkles and grime, making it impossible to guess his exact age. Only his pair of cloudy eyes revealed a dull, numb resignation.
His movements were sluggish. Each time he bent over seemed extraordinarily difficult, and his entire body exuded the lifeless air of someone nearing the end of his days.
Cheng Yao’s brows drew together almost imperceptibly.
The old man’s internal energy was in disarray. His complexion was purplish, and his lips were cyanotic. He looked as if he had been poisoned.
Perhaps sensing someone approaching, the old man slowly raised his head. He glanced at Cheng Yao with cloudy eyes, then indifferently lowered his gaze and continued his mechanical labor.
Something stirred in Cheng Yao’s heart. She slowed her steps and approached, stopping several paces away before speaking softly and gently.
“Old sir, this herb you’re tending is growing quite well. The soil around its roots seems a little compacted, though. If you loosened it another half-inch deeper, it might do better.”
The old man’s hands paused slightly. He raised his head again and looked at Cheng Yao with surprise. His hoarse voice sounded like air escaping from a broken bellows.
“You recognize this herb? And you know how to care for it?”
Cheng Yao smiled faintly. She crouched down while keeping a safe distance, casually sifting through the soil beside her as she spoke naturally. “I know a little. My family taught me some of the basics. Old sir, your health… doesn’t seem to be very good.”
At her words, a trace of bitterness appeared on the old man’s numb face. He shook his head without answering and merely let out a sigh.
But Cheng Yao continued in a low voice, “Your qi is stagnating in your chest, the poison has settled in your liver, and your kidney essence is nearly exhausted… This poison has been tormenting you for a long time.”
The old man’s eyes flew wide open. He stared at Cheng Yao in disbelief.
Even the ordinary disciples of the valley could not identify his poison. Yet this strange young woman had seen through his condition at a glance.
“You knew the state of my health without even taking my pulse. You… who exactly are you?” His voice trembled.
Cheng Yao glanced around. The two maidservants were standing a little way off, so she lowered her voice and said, half truthfully and half evasively, “My surname is Cheng. I’m a guest the Valley Master ‘invited’ here. You’ve been poisoned so deeply, Old sir. If you don’t receive treatment soon, I’m afraid…”
A flicker of excitement crossed the old man’s eyes, only to be swallowed by even deeper despair.
He gave a tragic smile and whispered, “It’s useless… We can’t leave Heartless Valley. Nothing matters anymore! I—I brought this upon myself!”
Under Cheng Yao’s gentle gaze, the old man seemed to have found an outlet for his pent-up feelings and began to speak haltingly.
It turned out that he was the herbal doctor who had saved Shao Yutong and her mother back then—the very man who had mentioned the Seven-Leaf Flower and revealed information about Heartless Valley because he could not keep his mouth shut.
“Just because I said a few words, Valley Master Gu had someone force this ‘Silk-Corroding Bone Pill’ on me! It’s a slow-acting poison that gradually eats away at one’s vitality, causing the victim to waste away in agony!
“They only give me an antidote once every two months! If I leave, I’ll die without the antidote. If I stay here and work as a laborer, at least I can cling to life a little longer…”
Tears streamed down the old man’s face, and his voice was filled with regret and fear.
As Cheng Yao listened to him, a chill ran up her spine.
Just for speaking a few words and revealing a few rumors, Gu Wangchuan had used such vicious methods to control an innocent old man.
His cruelty and brutality were utterly horrifying.
Previously, she had only thought Gu Wangchuan was obsessive and dangerous. Now, she had truly experienced the coldness of someone who regarded human life as worthless. From now on, she would have to be even more careful around him, treading as cautiously as if walking on thin ice.
“What about Shao Yutong?” Cheng Yao asked tentatively.
The old man wiped away his tears and said bitterly, “Her? She’s lucky. The Valley Master treats her like a precious treasure! How could she care about what happens to the rest of us?”
Cheng Yao understood.
She offered the old man a few words of comfort and asked for his name.
The old man said his surname was Wu. Seeing that Cheng Yao not only understood medicine but was also so gentle, he seemed to have found a kindred spirit, and he became increasingly talkative. Sitting down on the grass, he began describing the properties and medicinal effects of the various herbs he had encountered over the years, his eyes once again shining with an almost fervent light.
Cheng Yao could sense that Physician Wu possessed a pure love for medicinal herbs and the art of healing itself. He was a good man who had simply suffered misfortune—and been unable to keep his mouth shut—and thus fallen into such dire circumstances. She could not help feeling a pang of regret for him.
“Elder Wu,” Cheng Yao said earnestly as she looked at him, “the purpose of medicine is to save lives and help the world, and to explore the mysteries of life. As long as that passion in your heart hasn’t been extinguished, then no matter where you are or what you’ve endured, you haven’t reached a dead end. Perhaps one day, a turning point will come.”
Her words carried a deeper meaning, like sincere encouragement.
Physician Wu stared at her, a faint glimmer rising in his clouded eyes. “Miss, do you truly mean that?”
