The scorching sun was obscured by thick clouds, and the forest gradually darkened.

Lu Tong raised her eyes, looking at the person standing beside her.

How had Pei Yunying come here?

Qi Yutai’s cold voice rang in her ears: “What does the Commander mean by this?”

“Can Young Master Qi not understand?”

He smiled slightly, looking toward Qi Yutai, his eyes gradually gathering killing intent. “I said, people cannot kneel to beasts.”

The mockery in these words was heard by everyone present. Qi Yutai’s face darkened: “You!”

“Young Master Qi,” his knuckles gripping the waist saber turned white as he interrupted Qi Yutai’s words. “The Empress Dowager has worshipped Buddha at Wan’en Temple for years, enlightened in Buddhist principles, pure and inactive. Yet you borrow the Empress Dowager’s name to let evil beasts commit acts against heaven and reason, damaging the imperial family’s reputation.”

“The matter of livestock is light, but the imperial family’s clear name is weighty. When it concerns the Empress Dowager’s reputation, how can it be carelessly dismissed?”

“I think,” he said, “it would be better to have the censors write memorials for presentation after returning to court, to discuss this matter seriously in court.”

The young man’s tone was indifferent, his gaze as cold as ice, piercing Qi Yutai with a shiver, followed immediately by a catch in his heart.

This bastard!

Earlier, he had brought up the Empress Dowager, wanting to use her imperial gift to punish Lu Tong’s crime. Pei Yunying was even more ruthless, bringing up the Empress Dowager’s reputation, talking about having censors submit memorials after returning to court, clearly wanting to make the matter bigger.

His father valued face above all else. To preserve the Qi family’s reputation, he would certainly not insist on pursuing the matter and would definitely make him bow his head first. Moreover, after the imperial night banquet incident, Pei Yunying had gained considerable imperial favor, and the Empress Dowager treated him with particular kindness.

Pei Yunying was clearly backing Lu Tong.

Qi Yutai looked toward Lu Tong.

She stood beside Pei Yunying, who had one hand supporting her back, looking as if he was protecting her in his embrace. She appeared pale as gold paper, fragile and about to shatter, looking quite pitiable.

Very heart-stirring indeed.

But he hadn’t forgotten Lu Tong’s fierce appearance when she had madly killed the dog just moments ago.

This scene appeared particularly jarring to Qi Yutai’s eyes, making him more convinced that there had long been something between Pei Yunying and Lu Tong. Otherwise, he wouldn’t back Lu Tong in front of so many people, much less oppose the Qi family so directly.

No wonder it had made Qi Huaying weep so sadly—what a fine pair of adulterers.

Qi Yutai’s gaze toward the two suddenly turned sinister.

No one around spoke, the undercurrents fell in everyone’s eyes, each with their own thoughts.

It was Crown Prince Yuan Zhen who broke the stalemate, speaking lightly: “It’s just livestock, why make such a big fuss? The hunting ground is inappropriate for this. If there’s anything to discuss, let’s talk about it after going down the mountain.”

His words indicated he wanted to let the matter pass.

Currently, the outcome between him and Yuan Yao was undecided, and the Palace Front Division was also a useful bargaining chip that everyone wanted to compete for—at least there was no need to make enemies.

Pei Yunying calmly said: “Naturally.”

Seeing this situation, the Crown Prince pulled his reins, turned his horse around, and ordered the cavalry to go down the mountain. The people around who had watched this drama, if they were smart, didn’t dare linger. Various scrutinizing gazes fell on her, and Lu Tong saw that commander from the Bureau of Military Affairs, Yan Xu, who had confronted Pei Yunying on the forest path before going up the mountain, looking deeply at her with meaningful eyes.

She knew well that after today, rumors about her and Pei Yunying would fly everywhere. Not just Yan Xu—probably the Imperial Medical Academy and everyone who knew Pei Yunying would think their relationship was extraordinary.

Just as she was thinking, her vision suddenly darkened.

Qi Yutai walked toward the two of them.

He seemed extremely unwilling to give up. However, although he had a father who was Grand Tutor, he was merely an idle position without real power in the Ministry of Revenue, having no deterrent effect on someone as ruthless as Pei Yunying.

Qi Yutai glanced at Lu Tong beside Pei Yunying and said with a cold smile: “Commander Pei certainly cares extraordinarily about Imperial Physician Lu’s affairs. Those who don’t know might think you two have an unusual relationship.”

Lu Tong looked at him coldly.

Qi Yutai smiled again: “Rushing back so urgently, may I ask the Commander, what is she to you?”

His words were neither loud nor soft, just right for the surrounding people to hear clearly. There were still officials who hadn’t left, and hearing these words, they all turned their heads, their gazes revealing some expectation of a good show.

Pei Yunying—the Commander of the Palace Front Division with limitless prospects, also the heir of Duke Zhaoning, whose appearance and methods were among the most outstanding in the capital. Such a person would surely marry a noble lady in the future. Previously, people in the capital had even speculated that the pampered eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor’s mansion was still unmarried, and perhaps she might form a marriage alliance with the Pei family.

However, today Pei Yunying had not hesitated to offend the Grand Tutor’s son for a lowly medical woman.

A medical woman had no power or influence, only beauty. Beauty was a bone-scraping steel knife. Pei Yunying was young and romantic—being furious for a beauty’s sake wasn’t outrageous.

What was outrageous was that this young commander was still unmarried, and before marriage, he was already involved in romantic affairs with others…

This was very bad indeed.

The mischievous gazes around fell on Lu Tong, and she frowned slightly.

Qi Yutai had gone mad suddenly over the Qi Huaying incident, and Pei Yunying’s actions were undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. For himself, it was extremely disadvantageous.

If he were rational, he should immediately distance himself from her now, using any high-sounding reason.

“Creditor.”

She heard Pei Yunying’s voice.

Lu Tong was stunned.

In the deep, dark forest with lush trees, the distant ravine’s water flowed murmuring.

Pei Yunying was gripping her arm tightly. Illuminated by sunlight filtering through the forest branches, his expression was blurred and unclear.

He said calmly: “She is my creditor.”

…

A perfectly good hunting trip thus came to an abrupt end.

Originally, after the summer hunting at Miao ended, they would count the prey and reward according to merit. However, both the Crown Prince and Third Prince encountered attacks, making it impossible to continue the hunt. This summer hunt at Miao ended hastily. The Crown Prince’s group, with the guard escort, immediately returned to the palace.

As for Lu Tong…

As an unknown minor medical woman from the Imperial Medical Academy, aside from Qi Yutai, no one paid attention to her for the time being. But because she was injured by the vicious dog and her wounds were serious, making it inappropriate to travel immediately, she stayed with the remaining Imperial Medical Academy physicians in the tents below the hunting ground, waiting to depart early the next morning.

Lin Danqing also stayed behind.

It was already evening, with the sunset gradually sinking and red clouds filling the sky. In the tent, Lin Danqing, who was cleaning Lu Tong’s wounds, looked at the hideous wounds before her and couldn’t help but show horror.

“Sister Lu,” her voice trembled, “how did you get hurt so badly?”

Earlier during the confrontation on the mountain, although she saw Lu Tong covered in blood with a pale face, she hadn’t shown excessive pain, and her expression was relatively calm, so she thought perhaps more of the blood came from the hunting dog.

However, now that the clothes were removed and washed with clean water, once the wounds were exposed, they were shocking to see.

This was definitely not a “minor injury.”

She was frightened by what she saw and even hesitated to bandage, cursing through gritted teeth: “That bastard Qi Yutai!”

Lu Tong leaned on the simple low couch made of wooden boards, glanced at the wound on her arm, and said: “Fortunately, it didn’t injure my face.”

“What time is this to joke around!” Lin Danqing glared at her. “You should be thankful it didn’t injure your throat!”

Lu Tong lowered her eyes without speaking.

When the vicious dog pounced to bite her, she instinctively protected her head and face.

The Imperial Medical Academy had an unwritten rule that those with disfigured appearances could not practice medicine.

Perhaps that was also another kind of “dignity,” but at that moment she had only one thought: she had worked so hard to get here and couldn’t let it all be in vain.

Thinking about it now, she had only focused on protecting her head and face, forgetting to protect her abdomen. If that vicious dog had torn open her belly and dragged out her intestines, even immortals couldn’t have saved her now.

Indeed frightening in hindsight.

Lin Danqing carefully bandaged her wounds. As she bandaged, her tone suddenly became melancholy.

“It’s all my fault.”

She said in a low voice: “When the guard led you away, I should have been more careful. If I had followed you together, maybe you wouldn’t have been injured.”

These wounds, while not life-threatening, might leave sequelae if not properly cared for.

Moreover, they might leave scars in the future…

Seeing her like this, Lu Tong smiled faintly.

“It has nothing to do with you. It was aimed at me from the start,” she said. “If not today, it would be tomorrow. There would always be such a time.”

“What do you mean?” Lin Danqing looked up in confusion. “Did Qi Yutai do it on purpose? When did you offend him?”

“Didn’t you say that the Empress Dowager intended to arrange a marriage between the Qi and Pei families?”

“That was just gossip, who knows if it’s true…” Lin Danqing’s voice halted, and she looked at her in shock. “Could it be…”

Lu Tong remained silent.

She opened her mouth in astonishment: “Qi Yutai, this madman!”

It was just fancying a son-in-law when nothing was settled yet, and the Pei family might not even agree to this marriage alliance. Even the imperial family wouldn’t go to such extremes.

But the Qi family dared.

They were simply a bunch of madmen!

After finishing the last bandage, Lin Danqing helped Lu Tong put on her outer garment and sat by the couch, speaking worriedly: “This is bad. If the Qi family is truly this arrogant, and today you killed his vicious dog and refused to submit even unto death, I’m afraid the grudge will deepen… Unless Pei Yunying publicly declares he’ll protect you to the end, something will happen sooner or later.”

“What an undeserved disaster. What will you do in the future?”

Lu Tong’s heart was heavy.

This was also her greatest worry.

It would be effortless for the Grand Tutor’s mansion to deal with her, while it would be harder than ascending to heaven for her to get one step closer to the Grand Tutor’s mansion. Pei Yunying could protect her once, but what about next time? What about the future?

He couldn’t appear every time.

She couldn’t place her hopes on others.

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong said: “It’s fine, we’ll take it one step at a time.”

The Grand Tutor mansion’s hostility had arrived ahead of schedule. When she returned to the Imperial Medical Academy, she would face even more violent storms. However…

However, fortunately, some things had reached the time when they should happen.

In the coming period, the Grand Tutor’s mansion should be very busy—too busy to deal with a small “ant” like her.

Just as she was thinking, a shadow appeared on the white tent, and Ji Xun’s voice rang outside: “Imperial Physician Lu.”

Lin Danqing was startled and whispered to Lu Tong: “Why did he come?”

Lu Tong shook her head.

During the day on the mountain, Ji Xun speaking up for her was not only beyond others’ expectations but also surprised Lu Tong.

If Pei Yunying spoke for her because of their past friendship, Ji Xun was now no different from a stranger to her. Their only conversation at the Imperial Medical Academy had ended unpleasantly.

His speaking up for her—Lu Tong couldn’t find a reason and could only attribute it to this person being kind-hearted and upright in character, which led him to speak out for justice.

Lin Danqing left with the medical box, and the tent flap was lifted as someone walked in.

Lu Tong looked toward Ji Xun.

He walked in two steps, still with his usual cold and aloof appearance. His gaze fell on Lu Tong as he asked: “How are your injuries?”

It sounded like concern, though his tone was still as distant as always.

“Not bad, not too serious,” Lu Tong replied.

He nodded: “I took the dog’s brain. Apply it to the wound tonight.”

Lu Tong looked up in surprise.

Medical books once recorded: “Anyone bitten by a dog will have attacks every seven days. If there’s no attack within twenty-one days, they’re safe. Only after a hundred days can one be considered completely free.”

The remedy was: “Kill the biting dog, take its brain and apply it, then it won’t recur.”

Lu Tong wasn’t worried because, according to Lin Danqing, although the Qi family’s mad dog bit people, there had been no previous cases of people dying from hydrophobia shortly after being bitten, so it wasn’t that dangerous.

On another note, she also had other medicines to prevent this condition.

But she hadn’t expected Ji Xun would actually go get the gray dog’s brain matter.

Qi Yutai treasured the mad dog like a pearl. He was already furious that it died at her hands. He would certainly be unwilling to use the gray dog’s brain matter as medicine for her. Ji Xun’s action would inevitably offend Qi Yutai.

Lu Tong asked: “Young Master Qi actually agreed?”

“He doesn’t know yet,” Ji Xun replied. “No one was watching the dog’s corpse, so I took it myself.”

Lu Tong stared at him in shock, as if seeing this person for the first time.

But he remained calm, as if unaware how much this action damaged his image as a gentleman. He simply said: “I examined the wounds on the dog’s corpse. The neck vessels, Tianmen, Fei Shu, Xin Shu, Tianshu, Baihui… you hit them very accurately.”

Lu Tong replied composedly: “Naturally. I reviewed the acupoint charts just three days ago.”

“Looking at paper and actually touching are different,” Ji Xun looked puzzled. “Even the masters at the Imperial Medical Bureau might not locate them as accurately as you.”

Decisive and clean, hitting the mark every time—even if ordinary physicians had such eyesight and technique, in dangerous situations, it would be impossible to remain so calm.

Panic is human instinct.

Lu Tong looked at him calmly: “Physician Ji seems to have forgotten that I was first on the red list in the Imperial Medical Bureau’s spring examination. Naturally, it’s not all boasting—I must have some exceptional qualities.”

Ji Xun was startled, seemingly remembering his previous mocking words about the spring examination red list, and his face reddened slightly.

Seeing him like this, Lu Tong turned her head aside and frowned slightly, as if pain was drawn from her wound, softly “hissing.”

Ji Xun looked up and saw a shallow scratch near her left cheek close to her neck.

It was probably scratched by the gray dog. The wound wasn’t deep, just grazing the surface, but like a crack on white porcelain, it was particularly jarring.

After a moment of silence, he took out a medicine bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

“Immortal Jade Skin Cream from the Imperial Pharmacy. You have too many wounds. Without careful care, they’ll inevitably leave scars.”

Lu Tong was somewhat surprised, then heard him say: “Rest well. You shouldn’t move around in the coming days. After returning to the city, you don’t need to come to the Imperial Medical Academy first. I’ve spoken with Chief Physician Chang and approved half a month’s rest for you.”

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong nodded: “Thank you.”

He gave a few more instructions about medication, which Lu Tong acknowledged one by one. It wasn’t until the last trace of evening glow disappeared into the forest that he left the tent.

After he left, Lu Tong looked at the small medicine bottle on the table.

The bottle was exquisite. She had seen it once at the Southern Pharmacy when she was there. It was top-quality scar removal medicine from the Imperial Pharmacy, made with precious materials for palace nobles. She had heard He Xiu mention that one bottle was very expensive.

She hadn’t expected Ji Xun to give it to her.

…

The sky gradually darkened.

Most of the guard escorts and nobles had already returned to the city. Only a few physicians, injured guards, and some servants remained in the tents outside the hunting ground, waiting to depart early the next morning.

The nobles could leave at will, but the small vendors who followed weren’t so convenient.

Especially the food vendors, who had set up stoves and fires here with great difficulty, planning to make a fortune at tonight’s market. Now that the cavalry had left, only scattered servants moved about. Since moving everything wasn’t convenient, they could only continue their stalls in the forest, pushing small carts hung with lanterns and loudly hawking their wares.

There were still dozens of white tents not yet taken down, with nearly a hundred people remaining. Although not as crowded as in previous years, it gave the forest night market several touches of lively brightness.

Lin Danqing had also gone out to buy food. Lu Tong was alone in the tent, listening to the somewhat noisy voices outside, pushed off the thin blanket covering her, and stood up from beside the couch.

As soon as she moved, the leg wound pulled painfully. Lu Tong frowned and took a long while to settle down.

Supporting herself against the tent’s edge, she slowly moved to the table.

The wounds bitten by the vicious dog, after applying medicine, began to spread delayed pain slowly. Her head and face weren’t seriously injured, and her abdomen was well protected. Most injuries were to her limbs, all avoiding vital points. The most serious injury was to her left arm, because in her urgency she had stuck her entire arm into the vicious dog’s mouth, and the dog’s teeth had almost completely penetrated it, like being wounded by sharp knives and blades.

There was a “window” at the tent table—a small section of curtain that could be rolled up. Lu Tong rolled up the tent flap.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, a cool night breeze blew in from outside.

She looked out the window.

Not far away, by the thin, winding stream in the hunting ground forest, lights were now bright. The scattered dim yellow lights in the forest illuminated the water surface, making the night under the hunting ground bright and lively, with bargaining voices floating from the night market.

“Oh, this fine cold noodles are cut quite thin! Give me a bowl! Add more sesame!”

“Coming right up! It’s hot, why don’t you try some mustard cucumber too, sir? It’ll taste refreshing together!”

“Alright, and add a sugar mung bean dessert, give me a cheaper price…”

The noisy sounds fell in the forest. Without the carriages and nobles, the night at Huangmao Hill showed a more simple and authentic character.

Lu Tong listened carefully for a while, then slowly sat down supporting herself against the table.

Turning her head, she suddenly remembered that the medicine Lin Danqing had brewed for her was still undrunk. After sitting so long, it should already be cold, so she turned around.

She didn’t want to get up and walk over again—the leg wound shouldn’t be moved carelessly. Those few steps just now had been quite difficult, so she simply leaned toward the low table made of wooden boards by the couch.

The low table wasn’t far, but the medicine bowl was placed quite far inside. She stretched her body with difficulty, her fingertips barely touching the edge of the medicine bowl, trying hard to pull it closer to herself.

A hand reached from behind her, helping her pick up the medicine bowl.

Lu Tong’s movement stopped.

Pei Yunying placed the medicine bowl on the table, then reached out to support her back, helping her sit properly at the table, before slightly frowning as he looked at her: “Didn’t I tell you to rest in bed? Why are you wandering around?”

Lu Tong was stunned.

The brown medicinal soup rippled slightly under the candlelight. He sat down at the table and pushed the medicine bowl toward Lu Tong.

Lu Tong looked down at the medicine bowl and instinctively asked: “Why didn’t you leave?”

Except for a few injured Dragon Martial Guards, all had followed the Crown Prince’s group back to the city. As Commander of the Palace Front Division, how could Pei Yunying still be staying here?

He said: “I was also injured, so naturally I need to stay and treat my wounds.”

Injured?

Lu Tong suddenly remembered—she seemed to have heard Lin Danqing mention that the Third Prince was attacked in the forest, and Pei Yunying had protected him down the mountain.

At that time, he had stopped Qi Yutai’s humiliation and, as Commander of the Palace Front Division, had to accompany the Crown Prince down the mountain, while she was brought back to the camp by Lin Danqing, Chang Jin and others, never seeing Pei Yunying again. At the time, Pei Yunying appeared composed and behaved normally, showing no signs of injury.

As if sensing her thoughts, Pei Yunying explained: “A minor wound. Chang Jin treated it for me. But you…” He paused, looking at her with grave eyes. “You’re seriously injured.”

Lu Tong remained silent.

Actually, it wasn’t very serious.

She lowered her eyes, brought the medicine bowl to her lips. The medicinal soup had already cooled considerably. Lin Danqing had deliberately brewed it longer, making it thick and bitter. She drained the bowl in one gulp, then set it down. A piece of colorful wrapped candy appeared before her.

Pei Yunying handed her a candy.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Tong took the candy and held it in her palm. She faintly heard the bustling sounds from the distant night market carried by the wind. After a while, she said: “You shouldn’t have intervened today.”

Pei Yunying looked at her quietly.

“The Qi family wants to win you over,” her voice was calm. “In full view of everyone, you confronted him directly, making Qi Yutai lose face. He’ll surely hold a grudge against you afterward.”

“With the Commander’s astuteness, you shouldn’t have acted so rashly.”

“I don’t understand…”

Lu Tong slowly raised her eyes: “Why did the Commander help me?”

Although Pei Yunying was mysterious in his movements, Lu Tong could vaguely sense that his schemes couldn’t be discovered by outsiders. Just like herself—showing conflicts on the surface too early would bring her a hundred harms and no benefits.

For these powerful people, her kowtowing three times would be painless and itchless, while the vicious dog lost its life. No matter how you looked at it, she had gotten the better deal.

Even she herself had almost resigned to fate, had decided to accept this unavoidable humiliation, but he had stood up at that moment.

The moonlight was cool, and the tent’s yellow light flickered.

He looked at her, his tone somewhat inexplicable: “You’re quite thoughtful in considering things for me.”

Lu Tong remained silent.

“Didn’t I say it? You’re my creditor.”

Creditor?

Lu Tong was somewhat puzzled.

Was this about the debt of gratitude for saving Pei Yunshu and her mother?

But that debt of gratitude had long been squandered in the various subsequent matters. After that… he hadn’t owed her any favors.

The wind swayed the moon’s shadows, and countless flowing moonbeams rushed in, making the weak candle on the table flicker.

He reached out, trimming the wick with silver scissors, speaking casually: “It is somewhat troublesome.”

“However…”

“Old friend’s kindness is weighty, truly hard to forget.”

Lu Tong was startled, suddenly realizing something, and looked sharply at Pei Yunying.

Not far away, in the night market by the forest stream, mist was light and red gauze lanterns bright. The young man sat in the tent, with moonlight spreading across the ground behind him where the tent flap was open. And the silver ring he held in his fingertips fell into her sight so unexpectedly and unprepared.

It was an old, blackened ring, roughly silver, mottled and unclear. Illuminated by the dim candlelight, it showed some of its former gentle warmth.

Lu Tong’s heart trembled.

The young man sat quietly, the dim lamp illuminating his handsome features. His eyes looking at Lu Tong were silent, their emotion unclear—whether joy or sorrow.

He looked at her: “Isn’t that right, Seventeenth Miss?”