Looking from afar, that thing drifted straight with the current. Jing Hengbo leaned forward to look when she suddenly heard the boatman say: “Don’t look!”

Hearing his voice tremble, Jing Hengbo turned back in surprise to see the boatman’s face deathly pale under the moonlight, his whole body shaking, unable even to hold the oar steady. He murmured: “This is bad, the divine physician has lost his temper again. That island absolutely cannot be visited tonight – he won’t treat anyone. Let’s go back! Go back!”

Yelu Qi squinted at the drifting object and said in a deep voice: “A corpse?”

“Should be…” the boatman said tremblingly. “People from Luoyun and Fushui often come seeking treatment, including many high officials and nobles. Most are refused by the divine physician. These people don’t know when to retreat – after being refused they often resort to unsavory methods. But no methods work, and they’re quickly poisoned to death and thrown into the lake. Every time this happens, the divine physician stays in a bad mood for many days, refusing to treat any patients. Whoever comes to his door gets poisoned… It’s impossible now. No matter what, he won’t save you. Let’s go back!”

“That won’t do.” Jing Hengbo wearily rolled her eyes. “There are plenty of people with some skill who have eccentric temperaments. In my opinion, it’s just two words – needs discipline! Keep going, don’t mind him.”

Before she finished speaking, there was a splash. The two turned back to see the boatman had disappeared from the bow, with a head rapidly swimming away across the water surface, waving as he swam: “Consider it my bad luck – I don’t want payment! You’re seeking death yourselves, don’t drag me down!”

Jing Hengbo looked at that fellow speechlessly. He had abandoned even his livelihood to escape, and after a long while said: “Is it really that serious?”

Suddenly the boat side was bumped. Turning around, Jing Hengbo was startled. Somehow that corpse had drifted to their boat’s side. Under the moonlight, its face was pale blue and purple, body rigid, disheveled hair covering the face, hands and feet blackened – indeed a corpse deeply poisoned.

Yelu Qi suddenly said: “Still breathing.”

Jing Hengbo looked carefully at the person’s face and felt the disheveled hair seemed to rise and fall slightly.

“If not dead, why doesn’t it sink or drown?” she wondered.

“Probably related to the poison he’s taken.” Yelu Qi tapped the person’s skin with the oar – it sounded like striking rotten wood.

Jing Hengbo looked around at the vast waters. This lake was not small. Where would this half-dead person drift to? Sooner or later fish would eat him, right?

She touched her belly, and a gentle emotion welled up in her heart. Since becoming pregnant, though she hadn’t yet sensed that little life’s existence, her mindset and emotions had suddenly become much softer. Most of the time she was more sensitive and compassionate.

Like now – she could ignore a corpse, but if there was still breathing, ignoring it seemed impossible.

She herself was someone awaiting rescue and understood that longing and unease.

She reached out to pull the person up. Yelu Qi pressed down her hand, saying: “Forgot what the boatman said? This person is covered in poison, and if we save him, that physician will probably be even more displeased.”

“Didn’t he say that as long as anyone uses inappropriate methods to bother him, he’ll be displeased? Since he’s already displeased, a little more displeasure is the same.” Jing Hengbo gasped as she dragged the person. “Lend a hand.”

Yelu Qi looked carefully at the person, a flash of amusement in his eyes, then flicked with his oar and the body landed on the boat.

His movement wasn’t very courteous. When the person fell, they hit the sharp corner of the bow with a heavy thud. Jing Hengbo hissed and drew in a cold breath, feeling her own back ache.

The person’s body seemed to twist slightly. Jing Hengbo’s gaze flashed.

“We have plenty of good medicine, including some antidotes. Don’t know if they’re right for his condition, but let’s try.” She turned around, rummaging through the medicine pouch, muttering: “This Seven Star Grass – though it causes hallucinations and madness after poisoning, it has detoxifying effects… Or this Turnover Fruit is also good. After eating it you get very hot and strip off all your clothes – maybe steaming can force the poison out… Or this Red Gallbladder Insect powder is also good. Though eating it causes vomiting and diarrhea for a month, maybe the poison can be expelled through all that puking and…”

“Hahahaha enough!” Suddenly someone laughed loudly. “Are you trying to save me or torture me?”

Jing Hengbo turned around. The stiff, nearly dead fellow at the bow had sat up, rubbing his back, squinting: “How did you see through it?”

“The water current’s direction – if it were really a corpse, it couldn’t have drifted exactly to our boat.” Yelu Qi flicked the oar in his hand.

“No matter how eccentric a physician is, even if he throws corpses to vent anger, he wouldn’t throw poisoned bodies to harm the lake water and surrounding people. Either you habitually use this trick to scare others, or you’re purely bored. Or this is one of your testing methods.” Jing Hengbo said lazily.

“Clever. Guessed who I am, right?” The person chuckled. “You’re right. All three. Actually, I was just floating in the river for fun one night, and somehow rumors spread that offending me would result in being poisoned to death and having your corpse thrown in the river. After these rumors appeared, I found much more peace and quiet, so I was too lazy to correct them. It also lets me see who would risk poisoning and offending me to save someone I supposedly poisoned to death. Such foolish people can be treated, because fools at least won’t repay kindness with enmity.”

Jing Hengbo glanced at him, thinking this fellow was also an unlucky soul who had been betrayed by those he’d helped?

His teasing reference to “foolish” meant kind-hearted. There were too many cases of good intentions unrewarded. These days, helping others required first examining their character.

Jing Hengbo didn’t feel ashamed, because when she planned to pull him up, she genuinely intended to save someone – only discovering the doubts after he was on board.

She exhaled a long breath. A moment of kindness had ultimately passed this eccentric physician’s test – that was also luck.

The person sat at the bow, directing their rowing direction. Somehow, Jing Hengbo felt his figure and voice seemed familiar. Turning to see Yelu Qi, he also appeared thoughtful.

Soon they reached the small island. The island wasn’t large, with a few scattered households. The man introduced them as his family’s hereditary servants who had followed him here to help manage household affairs and cultivate herbs. The island’s sand and gravel were all pure white, looking like a silver sea under moonlight, dotted with green branches, leaves, and brown wooden houses – beautiful as a fairy tale dreamland.

An old man met the man at the shore. Seeing him bring people, he smiled joyfully: “Young master has encountered kind people again.”

The man snorted and went ashore first. Yelu Qi helped Jing Hengbo up. Jing Hengbo tilted her head and suddenly saw a large cluster of connected houses on the island’s east side, with white shadows faintly moving about. She smiled: “Looks like there are also Luoyun patients.”

She was used to seeing Luoyun people’s white robes, so seeing such broad white shadows made her think they were Luoyun people. But the man’s back stiffened, and he snorted coldly: “If you want me to treat your illness, the first rule is – don’t go to the east end of the island.” After thinking, he sneered again: “If you really want to go die, that’s up to you.”

Hearing this, Jing Hengbo knew another eccentric rule was coming. She had no interest in arguing with him now and just laughed it off.

Yelu Qi helped Jing Hengbo off the boat. Feeling her spirits were good tonight, Jing Hengbo said: “Just watch yourself. I’m fine.”

“Support her a bit,” the man ahead said while tying his hair, not looking back. “It’s been over two months. The pregnancy isn’t very stable. Be careful with all this getting up and down.”

Jing Hengbo was stunned.

Yelu Qi’s hand reaching out to support her suddenly stopped.

For a moment the two looked at each other at the bow. In Yelu Qi’s eyes, Jing Hengbo saw shock, confusion, melancholy… then faint resignation, shallow helplessness, like a cloud suddenly exploding before her eyes, startling wave after wave. But no matter how much it churned, after an instant it also dissipated into a pale gray shadow.

Such complex, changing emotions were like flower shadows under moonlight, visible thread by thread in his eyes. She saw clearly, and for a moment felt melancholy, helpless, and faintly apologetic. She wanted to smile, but her facial muscles were quite stiff. Finally she just tugged at the corners of her mouth, feeling herself that the smile must look very awkward and ugly.

That hand suspended in mid-air still quickly extended to support her arm. Yelu Qi’s hand remained warm and steady, his voice as gentle and low as before: “Yes, we should be careful.”

The man seemed to sense this moment’s awkward silence and looked back in surprise, just seeing Yelu Qi’s considerate gesture. He smiled with satisfaction.

At this moment Jing Hengbo’s mind was chaotic. After being numbly helped down by Yelu Qi and blown by the cold wind, she suddenly startled.

Something was wrong!

She had never approached that man – how did he know she was pregnant?

Before she could figure it out, the man suddenly stopped, turned around and said: “You have epidemic disease, but your body contains many superior medicinal powers that have already cleansed and tempered your blood and meridians. For now there’s no risk of infecting others. Here you needn’t worry even more. Don’t wrap your face so tightly – it looks uncomfortable.” He raised his hand and removed the mask around her face.

His movement was quick. Jing Hengbo was still distracted and couldn’t stop him in time. The mask fell to the ground as moonlight clearly outlined her face.

Moonlight also clearly showed the man’s face at close range for the first time – tall, thin, and pale, with particularly deep-looking eyes. One eye seemed to have a slight white film.

Their gazes met, and both simultaneously exclaimed “Ah!” and stepped back.

“Qiu Jinfeng!”

“Your Majesty!”

Even Yelu Qi was stunned.

Jing Hengbo blinked rapidly. Of all the possibilities she’d considered, she never imagined that after traveling thousands of miles to find the divine physician, it would turn out to be Qiu Jinfeng – the one from the husband-selection arena who thought she was faking pregnancy for marriage fraud, angrily left in a huff, and was consequently severely dealt with by Gong Yin and Pei Shu. The one with “eyes that can examine muscle fibers by day and see ghosts and spirits by night.”

On the arena that day, her momentary carelessness had offended him badly. She had thought of making amends but never found the opportunity. Who would have thought that today, enemies would meet on a narrow path.

Earlier with his disheveled hair covering his face and backlit, his features weren’t clear. No wonder his figure and voice seemed familiar, no wonder he could see at a glance that she was pregnant.

After being stunned for a while, Qiu Jinfeng suddenly burst into loud laughter, pointing at her: “I thought after floating on the water so many times, I’d finally met someone worth saving. Who knew I was still completely wrong!” Glancing at Yelu Qi, his expression changed to contempt and disdain. “It’s you. I remember now – the one in the cloak on the arena. What, did Her Majesty the Queen select you as royal consort? Truly cause for celebration. But looking at your expression just now, you didn’t know Her Majesty was pregnant, did you? That’s right – why would she tell you? She needs you to protect her while seeking medical treatment. Women with beauty can naturally deceive a bunch of fools. How about it – knowing you’re being played for a fool, yet still so composed? Admirable, admirable! You great men who can bend and stretch – I especially admire such people!”

When he said “bend and stretch,” his tone was heavily sarcastic. His contempt for Yelu Qi seemed to exceed even that for Jing Hengbo. Jing Hengbo gasped and turned to look at Yelu Qi. There wasn’t a trace of anger on his face as he listened with a slight smile. Only after Qiu Jinfeng finished his bitter, sarcastic speech did he respond calmly: “Brother Qiu, I know Her Majesty is pregnant.”

Qiu Jinfeng laughed coldly: “Are you going to say the child is yours? Tsk tsk, I’m even more impressed. What does it mean to be blinded by beauty and driven by wealth? This is it! Even willing to fight over wearing such a green hat!”

“Qiu Jinfeng!” Jing Hengbo could bear it no longer and angrily said: “You don’t know the truth, so stop spouting nonsense here. Whose child I’m carrying is none of your damn business!”

“Of course it’s none of my business, but I have the right to refuse to see such adulterers and adulteresses.” Qiu Jinfeng wore a cold smile, extending his hand: “This place is humble with simple folk customs, unworthy of hosting such prominent figures from the Imperial capital. Please! Please!”

“I also have the right not to beg you, not to see your disgusting face.” Jing Hengbo turned and left. “Yelu, let’s go.”

This Qiu Jinfeng had pride greater than the sky. Being forced to kneel on the arena before countless eyes was absolutely an unforgivable humiliation for him, so she definitely wouldn’t humiliate herself now.

Yelu Qi gently took her hand: “Don’t be angry. Wait.”

“There are plenty of famous physicians in the world.” Jing Hengbo looked directly into his eyes. “No need to trade dignity and humiliation for treatment.”

“Nothing is more important than your life, moreover…” Yelu Qi’s gaze fell on her lower abdomen, then he looked away. “Don’t speak, let me talk, alright?”

Jing Hengbo could only sigh.

“Brother Qiu just now promised to save someone.” Yelu Qi looked directly at Qiu Jinfeng.

“Whether I save people is my freedom!” Qiu Jinfeng was stunned, his expression somewhat unnatural.

“Oh, something promised personally, then immediately reneged with such complacency? Admirable, admirable! Brother Qiu, such a great man who breaks his word – I especially admire such people!” Yelu Qi smiled slightly.

Qiu Jinfeng’s expression looked like he’d suddenly been forced to eat a mouthful of excrement.

Though in poor spirits, Jing Hengbo couldn’t help wanting to laugh. Yelu Qi’s words seemed ordinary but actually hit Qiu Jinfeng’s character perfectly. This fellow was arrogant and self-righteous, lofty and sharp – a person with spiritual cleanliness obsession. Such people demanded high moral standards from others and equally from themselves. Grabbing his morality and face was like grabbing his weak spot. He wouldn’t wear a green hat because he looked down on it, and similarly couldn’t renege on promises.

“I did promise to act,” Qiu Jinfeng snorted after a long while, “but I didn’t promise to save several people.” He coldly pointed at the two: “I can only save one. Choose yourselves.” He finished with a cold laugh and crossed his arms, clearly meaning “let’s see how you fight.”

Who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, both spoke simultaneously.

“Save him!”

“Save her.”

“Hehe.” Qiu Jinfeng glanced at Jing Hengbo, his expression slightly better, seeming somewhat surprised she would take this attitude. But facing Yelu Qi, his expression became even worse.

Jing Hengbo thought to herself this was bad. According to this fellow’s moral judgment standards, he now surely saw Yelu Qi as an “ambitious pretty boy who would do anything to climb the social ladder, putting on airs to curry favor.” This was exactly the type he most despised, making their hopes even more remote.

“Tsk tsk, such deep affection.” Qiu Jinfeng suddenly laughed loudly, beckoning with his hand. The old servant took out a paper from his bosom and handed it over. Qiu Jinfeng waved it before the two, saying sarcastically: “Too bad all your noble character is wasted on blind people. I did promise to save one person, but I also have five categories I won’t save. See for yourselves!”

On the paper, in black and white, clearly written:

“Men who curry favor with power – will not save.”

“Men who harm women and children – will not save.”

“Women who don’t observe wifely duties – will not save.”

“Women who don’t respect parents-in-law – will not save.”

“Those I find displeasing – will not save.”

“The first four lines are nonsense,” Jing Hengbo murmured.

Qiu Jinfeng’s eyes were full of satisfaction at finally having his revenge. The humiliation suffered on the arena now seemed repaid. Smugly he rolled up the paper, smiling as he gestured: “Please, please.”

Jing Hengbo rolled her eyes, turned and left, thinking that as long as she didn’t die, she’d eventually overturn this fellow’s island.

Yelu Qi still didn’t move. Jing Hengbo sighed, about to say it wasn’t necessary to beg him, that there were famous physicians everywhere. But she heard Yelu Qi laugh: “Hengbo, this island has nice scenery. Later I’ll build you a wooden house to live in yourself. Listening to the tides each night will surely be very pleasant.”

“Go build wooden houses in your own underground palace!” Qiu Jinfeng sneered. “Listening to tomb robbers digging walls each night will surely be very pleasant too.”

Jing Hengbo ignored his sarcasm, staring at Yelu Qi. Did this fellow have a solution?

“When I say I’ll build a wooden house, I’ll definitely build one.” Yelu Qi squeezed her hand, smiling at Qiu Jinfeng: “You promised to save one person? A man of your word?”

“Of course.” Qiu Jinfeng answered proudly, then flicked the “five categories I won’t save” paper. “But unfortunately, you meet at least three of the five conditions.”

“That means you won’t save us.”

“Of course.”

“But there’s still one spot available.”

“So what?” Qiu Jinfeng said impatiently. “Can you conjure up another person…”

He suddenly stopped, his expression changing. Jing Hengbo had started laughing.

Yelu Qi was truly brilliant!

“There is indeed another person,” Yelu Qi smiled gracefully, pointing at Jing Hengbo’s belly. “Please, Brother Qiu, use your skillful hands to save this innocent child.”

Qiu Jinfeng’s expression looked like he’d eaten another mouthful of excrement – fresh and steaming.

“Where there are categories you won’t save, there should be categories you must save.” Yelu Qi said leisurely. “Given Brother Qiu’s character, innocent infants naturally wouldn’t be in your five categories you won’t save. If a physician won’t even save innocent infants, I believe shadows will follow his practice for life.”

Jing Hengbo thought Qiu Jinfeng’s speechless expression was truly beautiful – the most pleasing she’d ever found him.

Being with a high-IQ genius was truly satisfying – look at this instant annihilation.

“Do fetuses count as people…” Qiu Jinfeng stared blankly, murmuring.

“If fetuses aren’t people, where did you come from?” Jing Hengbo mocked him.

“This child might be affected by the mother’s condition, leaving hidden dangers. Please save him, Brother Qiu.” Yelu Qi’s expression was very earnest. “You could completely save just the fetus and ignore the mother, not violating your five categories you won’t save. Though this requires extremely high medical skills, I believe Brother Qiu might be able to accomplish it.”

Jing Hengbo wanted to laugh again. Yelu Qi really didn’t fear adding insult to injury when hurting people.

The child was only over two months old, in her belly. Without first removing her disease and poison, how could the child be saved? Even divine medical skills couldn’t accomplish this.

Qiu Jinfeng’s expression cycled through blue, red, purple, and white five or six times before finally barely returning to normal color. He glared hatefully at Yelu Qi and shouted: “Then don’t ever expect me to save you in this lifetime!”

“As you wish.” Yelu Qi smiled casually.

“You understand clearly – you’re the one with poison deep in your vitals!”

“So I won’t trouble Brother Qiu’s medical skills, lest I damage the reputation you’ve worked so hard to maintain. No need to thank me.”

Qiu Jinfeng looked ready to explode again. Jing Hengbo wanted to laugh, but her nose suddenly felt sour.

Yelu Qi squeezed her hand tightly, not letting her speak, saying softly: “Don’t let me waste all this effort.”

Jing Hengbo fiercely turned her head away, vowing that as long as she stayed, whether by robbery, theft, or coercion, she’d drag this fellow to treat Yelu Qi’s poison.

“Fine, I’ll treat her!” Qiu Jinfeng shouted loudly, as if trying to vent all the frustration in his chest. Then he waved his sleeve and said to the old servant: “East side, have her stay on the east side!”

“You just said the east side was forbidden.” Jing Hengbo was surprised.

Qiu Jinfeng turned back, his face full of malicious smiles: “Honored guests shouldn’t go there, but for certain people who use tricks to stay, I needn’t be so polite!”

He finished speaking and turned to leave, as if afraid that saying one more word would make him explode with anger.

Jing Hengbo called out attentively behind him: “Walk faster! Hurry back and flip through more medical books – maybe you can find a way to treat the fetus without treating the mother!”

In the distance, Qiu Jinfeng stumbled…

Jing Hengbo chuckled half a laugh, but when she turned to look at Yelu Qi, her smile had already dimmed: “Forget it, let’s go.”

“Don’t,” Yelu Qi gazed toward the east side of the island, his eyes deep. “Maybe there’s still a chance.”

“He won’t act. What about you?”

“I’ll build a cottage by this white sand island and listen to the tides each night. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Yelu Qi smiled with natural charm, his face seemingly luminous under the moonlight.

Jing Hengbo lowered her eyes, feeling her emotions too heavy and full, increasingly difficult to bear.

“Let’s go see what’s really happening on the east side of the island.” Yelu Qi helped her up, pointing to the old servant already leading the way ahead.

Following the old servant, they circled eastward around the island. The whole island had many houses but was as quiet as a dead island. Especially the east side – under the cliff was a large row of wooden houses that looked like they could house an entire clan. White shadows could occasionally be seen drifting about, but there were no human voices, like a ghost island.

Walking through half the island, going downward, through a not-too-dense forest, past a fence clearly designed as a barrier topped with iron spikes, before them stood actually another tall surrounding wall.

On such a sparsely populated island, to need such multiple layers of protection, Jing Hengbo almost thought nuclear bombs were hidden inside.

The old servant covered his mouth and nose with cloth, going to open a small door in the wall that was severely disproportionate to the wall’s size – so narrow only a dog could pass through. There were actually three locks, with chains as thick as infant arms. Moving them created clanging sounds that echoed across the small island.

Jing Hengbo had a bad premonition.

She felt that after the door opened, she would see things she very much didn’t want to see.

The locks clanged for a while, then the old servant suddenly backed away and used a long bamboo pole to push open the door.

“Creak—”

The door opened.