Qin Yining naturally understood Mu Jinghu’s difficulty. He was a person who valued loyalty and righteousness. Since he had originally promised his great master to protect Tianji Zi’s safety, he wouldn’t go back on his word. That he could violate Tianji Zi’s wishes to come rescue them was already extremely precious. Naturally, Qin Yining couldn’t keep holding onto Mu Jinghu and not let go, even though they very much needed protection from someone with such superior martial arts skills.

By this time, Lu Heng had already used his fluent Tatar and superior social skills to make the Mino tribespeople present develop great fondness for them. After chatting for a while, Qin Yining quietly told Lu Heng about letting Mu Jinghu return.

Lu Heng then smiled and explained to the tribespeople. Although she couldn’t understand what he said, seeing the understanding smiles on everyone’s faces, Qin Yining could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Lu Heng turned back and said to Mu Jinghu in the Great Zhou language: “Since you have elders at home who need your care, go back quickly. Thank you very much for your help today.” As he spoke, he bowed to Mu Jinghu.

Mu Jinghu returned the bow and said: “I feel very guilty that I cannot continue protecting you.”

Lu Heng smiled: “You’ve already helped us so much—why feel guilty? If anyone should feel guilty, it’s us for dragging you into such a chaotic situation.”

Mu Jinghu was not good with words and even less skilled at such polite conversation. He just smiled bashfully and bid farewell to Lu Heng and Qin Yining once more.

Chagan Bala stood up and led Mu Jinghu out through the side door.

Ha’er Bala then took Lu Heng and Qin Yining to a room at the back of this large house. “We have too many people here, and all the rooms have been assigned to women and children. Everyone else crowds together by the fire in front. I can see that you two probably aren’t used to resting together with others, so sleep here for the night. Later I’ll find a way to contact the tribespeople and think of a method for us all to escape together.”

Lu Heng smiled and said: “Good, we’ll go with whatever arrangements you make.”

Ha’er Bala smiled and left.

By this time, Qin Yining was already running a fever. The whip marks on her body were of varying depths, and after the initial burning sensation had passed, now even moving a finger could pull at her wounds, causing her to furrow her brow in pain. In front of others, she could still force herself to maintain her composure without showing any weakness, but now there was no need to continue enduring.

Seeing Qin Yining’s complexion, Lu Heng knew it must be her wounds causing pain. He gently supported her as she sat down on the makeshift bed covered with dry grass and worn sheets. Lu Heng asked worriedly: “Are you alright? Are you running a fever?”

Qin Yining’s body was shaking. Holding her bundle, she curled up in the cold corner and smiled with effort: “I’m fine. The wounds are infected—fever is normal. I have a good constitution; I’ll be better after resting.”

“I’ll go ask them for some firewood to light a fire here and boil some hot water for you to drink.” Lu Heng immediately started to go out.

But Qin Yining quickly grabbed his robe hem: “Don’t trouble them. The Mino tribe has been treated terribly by A’na Ri. Didn’t you see that nearly thirty people in the front hall were sharing just one fire? It seems that even firewood isn’t something they can use freely here.”

“No, your injuries are serious now, and you’re running a fever. We can’t be careless. At minimum, you need to drink clean hot water. We finally managed to escape—if you lost your life over something so small, do you think it would be worth it?”

Qin Yining’s whole body shook uncontrollably, and even her fingertips were so cold that she couldn’t help but clench them into fists.

Seeing her growing weaker, Lu Heng hurriedly went out to communicate with Ha’er Bala and Chagan Bala.

When the two heard that Qin Yining had been whipped by A’na Ri, they both shook their heads in distress: “We don’t have medicine here. All our tribe’s men have been killed, and the elderly, weak women and children work like oxen and horses for that female demon, getting beaten and humiliated at every turn. Many people have already died from fever caused by infected wounds… I’ll try to find some firewood for you to use first, but we don’t have a doctor here, and we can’t afford to hire one either.”

The two young men’s faces wrinkled with worry.

“Being able to give her some hot water to drink would already be very good. Besides, we killed the female Khan, and there are pursuing soldiers searching outside—we don’t dare hire a doctor and draw attention.” Lu Heng said.

Only then did the two young men nod, helping to carry firewood to the inner room where they lit a fire and set up a worn clay pot to boil water.

By this time, Qin Yining was already in a semi-conscious state, curled up in the corner trying to make herself as small as possible.

By the firelight, Lu Heng saw the cold sweat on her forehead, her unnaturally flushed face, and her pale lips. Becoming anxious and no longer caring about propriety between men and women, he quickly reached out to place his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.

So hot!

The wounds on Qin Yining’s body had been hastily bandaged by herself. The medicine definitely hadn’t been applied properly, and the wounds really needed to be cleaned and re-treated.

Thinking of this, Lu Heng went out again to seek help. Fortunately, there were only elderly, weak women and children here, and several old women had experience treating wounds and were willing to help.

Lu Heng waited outside, asking the old women to help Qin Yining clean her wounds and reapply medicine.

Ha’er Bala moved close to Lu Heng’s side and said quietly: “I thought you and that fairy-like woman were a couple. I can tell you care about her very much—why don’t you take this opportunity to take good care of her? That way you could also cultivate feelings and make her grateful to you.”

Lu Heng shook his head with a bitter smile: “You don’t understand. She’s already married. This time she was captured by A’na Ri and Si Qin. Although I have feelings for her, she has a noble character and is loyal to her husband. I don’t want to take advantage of someone in distress, and I certainly don’t want to force her. If I stayed to care for her today, she would indeed be grateful to me, but she would also distance herself from me.”

Hearing this, Chagan Bala smiled: “You people from there have so many rules. If this were in our Mino tribe, any girl or warrior who liked someone could actively pursue them. If two people weren’t harmonious together, they could also apply to the tribal chief to separate, and after separation, everyone would be free to seek others. I’ve heard that women from your place will commit suicide if someone even touches them?”

“It’s not quite that serious. Among common folk, for the sake of livelihood, there are women who show their faces in public. Our place has just emerged from the fires of war and hasn’t been stable for even two years yet. Those noble rules can only be used by noble people—they can’t constrain us common folk. But we consider morality more.”

“Morality, indeed. Only we miserable bottom-dwellers have such thoughts. Noble people, like that female Khan, never consider whether something is moral or not when they act—they only think about whether they themselves are comfortable or not.”

“Fortunately, that female demon is already dead.”

“Yes, and it’s all thanks to you two.”

Lu Heng and the Chagan Bala brothers exchanged smiles.

Qin Yining struggled through most of the night, and it wasn’t until the early morning hours of the next day that her fever gradually subsided.

Seeing this, Lu Heng could finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

In the following days, they hid in the Mino tribe’s house. The streets were under martial law, so they didn’t dare move about freely and could only gradually gather information about what was happening outside.

At this time, in Prince Zhongshun’s mansion in the Great Zhou capital, Pang Xiao looked at the note in his hand, his whole body beginning to tremble.

“Alive, she’s still alive! Do you see this? She’s still alive!”