The situation Luo Mi had predicted soon came to pass. The hot iron had cauterized several major blood vessels to stop the bleeding, but Huo Liuxing’s breathing inevitably pulled at his wounds. Though the movements were minimal, the repeated motion could easily cause small areas of the wound to rupture.

Shen Lingzhen had been watching over him without closing her eyes. As soon as she saw deep red blood seeping through the freshly wrapped bandages again, she quickly followed Luo Mi’s earlier instructions and pressed the ground medicine tablet under Huo Liuxing’s tongue.

This ingenious method both avoided the danger of forcing liquid medicine down his throat and choking his windpipe, and also accelerated the medicine’s effectiveness. About one incense stick’s time later, the wound’s bleeding showed signs of improvement.

Shen Lingzhen had just breathed a sigh of relief when she touched Huo Liuxing’s face and discovered he had developed a fever.

With injuries this severe, not running a fever would be impossible to escape—this too was expected. She called for Bailu and Jianjia to bring clean water, had Kongqing assist beside her, and applied cold compresses to Huo Liuxing’s forehead and armpits while moistening his cracked, peeling lips with tea water.

After caring for him non-stop like this for over two hours, though Huo Liuxing’s fever hadn’t broken, at least it had stabilized without rising higher.

By this time, less than half an incense stick’s time remained until daybreak. The roomful of people who had bustled about all night collapsed as one. The three servants sprawled directly on the floor, while Shen Lingzhen fared slightly better, collapsing onto the chair by the bedside.

Kongqing stared at her with hollow eyes and a dazed expression: “Young Madam, will the young master never wake up…”

Shen Lingzhen kept her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Huo Liuxing, who showed no signs of regaining consciousness, and shook her head: “Don’t speak such dispiriting words. The time hasn’t come yet.”

The group continued waiting in silence until, two incense sticks later, a rooster’s crow shattered the surrounding stillness.

Shen Lingzhen suddenly lifted her head and looked toward the window, discovering that daylight had already broken.

Kongqing’s face turned mournful as he muttered incoherently: “The time has come, the time has come, what are we to do… From birth, the young master has never lived a single day in peace. In the end, he didn’t even have time to leave final words—what sins must he have committed!”

As he spoke, he burst into wailing sobs: “Even if the young master committed killing sins, he shouldn’t have to repay this debt! The young master said long ago that the previous dynasty’s fate was exhausted, that restoration might just be an impossible pipe dream in everyone’s hearts… But the young master wasn’t the one qualified to call for it to stop. As long as Young Prince Meng doesn’t stop, as long as those former dynasty loyalists who have endured and laid low in Bianjing don’t stop, as long as the master doesn’t stop, the young master can’t withdraw either!”

“Oh, my poor young master!” This outpouring of genuine grief was wailed with everything short of beating his head against the ground.

Jianjia and Bailu looked on with sympathy, also wiping away tears for Huo Liuxing’s tragic and desolate life.

Seeing Shen Lingzhen sitting dazed and confused by the bedside, Kongqing remembered his duty to protect his master and asked: “Young Madam, what you said last night—that wasn’t sincere, was it?”

Shen Lingzhen turned her head absently, not immediately comprehending: “What?”

“This humble one means, the young master’s fate has been so unfortunate all his life, and only with you could he find a moment’s comfort. If you really were to remarry as you said last night, the young master would be heartbroken in heaven!” Kongqing probed humbly, “You wouldn’t abandon the young master, would you?”

Of course Shen Lingzhen wouldn’t. But she dared not accept these words, as if accepting them would truly mean considering Huo Liuxing’s funeral arrangements.

This moment of silence, heard by the person in question, clearly became “hard to say, possibly, maybe.”

Shen Lingzhen suddenly felt a chill down her spine. Before she could realize where this cold air came from, she heard a weak and slow voice: “She dares…?”

Everyone in the room froze simultaneously. After a three-count delay, the three servants scrambled to their feet in a tumbling rush.

Shen Lingzhen whipped her head around and saw Huo Liuxing gazing at her lightly with a distinctly displeased expression. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as she reached to cup his face: “My lord has awakened!”

Huo Liuxing wanted to smile but the pain prevented him from moving his lips. He wanted to wipe away her tears but couldn’t lift his hand, and could only swallow with difficulty, furrowing his brow to indicate his thirst.

Shen Lingzhen immediately dried her tears and prepared to pour him water, only to turn around and discover the servants had all slipped away cleanly.

She poured a bowl of boiled water that had been kept warm on the small brazier, propped up Huo Liuxing’s head with a pillow, and carefully spooned the water to his lips: “My lord, be careful, don’t move at all.”

This time Huo Liuxing couldn’t put on a brave front and obediently let her feed him. After finishing the bowl of water, he finally felt the reality of having survived and said in a low voice: “Last night, who was it whispering in my ear about not keeping widow’s mourning for me and wanting to remarry? Nearly angered me back to consciousness…”

How could he, having barely returned from death’s door, still be fixated on this?

“Who said that?” Shen Lingzhen wrinkled her nose. “How terribly bold—I’ll help my lord beat ‘her’!”

Huo Liuxing smiled silently: “‘She’s’ terribly bold, but what about you?”

“How would I dare? My lord is so fierce—if you knew I’d remarried, you wouldn’t let me go even as a ghost!”

“Good that you know…”

Taking advantage of his inability to move, Shen Lingzhen pinched his nose and scolded: “My lord is already in this state and still threatening me! In the future, don’t act foolishly like last night again, deliberately walking into a trap you knew was there.”

Huo Liuxing shook his head and smiled: “But this trip was worth taking the risk.”

She frowned: “Did my lord discover something?”

“Yes.”

Huo Liuxing’s trip last night was to test Ya Lichong’s martial skills. If he truly came from the Huo family army, truly was raised and trained by Huo Qi, his martial foundation would necessarily resemble the Huo family’s.

One technique might be coincidence, so Huo Liuxing needed further confirmation.

But with Ya Lichong’s abilities, unless facing a formidable enemy, he had more than enough capacity to conceal his habitual techniques. And apart from Huo Liuxing, who had completely inherited the Huo family’s martial arts, others might not be able to discern the clues.

Therefore, this matter could only be done by Huo Liuxing personally.

Ya Lichong had counted precisely on this point when setting this trap. He guessed that Huo Liuxing’s leg was healed, and also guessed he would disguise himself as a wandering assassin to come “assassinate” him, planning to kill him in counterattack during the defense. At that time, even if the Emperor blamed him, he could deflect responsibility with the excuse of “not knowing the person was actually General Huo.”

Once the Emperor learned of Huo Liuxing’s secret deception, he would probably even secretly celebrate that Ya Lichong had eliminated such a traitor for Daqi. Why would he break the hard-won peace with Xiqiang on behalf of the Huo family?

So for Xiqiang, this was an opportunity to make the Huo family suffer in silence and let Huo Liuxing die without a sound.

Only Ya Lichong had laid out his dragnet, but ultimately still failed to eliminate Huo Liuxing.

And though Huo Liuxing was severely injured, he gained certainty in his heart during that vicious battle.

“Ya Lichong should indeed be the orphan my father brought back to the army that year. In that final battle back then, he must have followed Xiqiang’s orders and played a role in sowing discord. The remaining question now is just how far his discord went…” Huo Liuxing had to take a deep breath after every long sentence, blinking hard to stay conscious. He pointed at the door: “First call Jingmo for me.”

Shen Lingzhen recalled the words Kongqing had said during his earlier “mourning,” and seeing that the first thing Huo Liuxing did upon waking was attend to larger matters, she sighed.

After Jingmo entered, Huo Liuxing asked: “Has there been any new movement from Ya Lichong’s side?”

“As you predicted, he didn’t return to the capital but continued west. However… he sent a report to His Majesty about being attacked.”

Even if Ya Lichong wanted to pursue Huo Liuxing, he couldn’t kill his way into the capital as a Xiqiang envoy. The opportunity lost, having exposed his identity before Huo Liuxing, he naturally had to rush back to Xiqiang without delay. Otherwise, if the Huo family caught evidence against him and exposed his traitor background, he would have lost more than he gained.

But having failed to kill his target, he was naturally unwilling to let it go and had to create obstacles for Huo Liuxing with the Emperor. For instance, telling the Emperor that the assassin’s martial skills were formidable and unlike ordinary wanderers, or informing the Emperor that he had wounded the assassin’s waist and abdomen with his curved-head axe.

This way, the Emperor might cast suspicious eyes toward a group of martially exceptional military generals in court, believing someone was attempting to reignite conflict between Xiqiang and Daqi.

Shen Lingzhen listened with her heart in her throat: “If His Majesty investigates my lord at this time, my lord truly has no way to conceal it…”

Huo Liuxing shook his head with a smile.

Since he had long anticipated Ya Lichong would make this move, he naturally had prepared a countermeasure.

“Then I’ll make sure he has no opportunity to investigate me.” He turned to instruct Jingmo: “Go spread news of Ya Lichong’s attack in a small circle outside, let the military generals at court know that the assassin’s waist and abdomen were injured.”

Jingmo’s eyes lit up: “My lord is brilliant.”

Shen Lingzhen, having stayed up all night, was muddled-headed and hadn’t yet grasped the meaning. Hearing Jingmo say the plan was brilliant, she figured it probably was brilliant.

Huo Liuxing’s heart was entirely on larger matters, so she could only focus on his physical condition. Seeing that this workaholic had finally finished arranging official business, she brought him a bowl of light porridge, fed him mouthful by mouthful, then gave him pain-relieving and fever-reducing medicine.

“My lord should sleep well again,” she said.

Huo Liuxing, having recovered a bit of strength, lightly patted the bed: “You come sleep too.”

She immediately shook her head: “Even if I were to sleep, I couldn’t get on my lord’s bed—what if I bumped your wound?”

“I trust your sleeping posture.”

“I don’t trust it.”

Huo Liuxing frowned: “Don’t make me waste words. I’m tired.”

So fierce the moment he came back to life. Shen Lingzhen had no choice but to carefully climb onto the bed and lie flat beside him like a wooden person, keeping her hands and feet tucked in.

Huo Liuxing lay ramrod straight, unable to hold her and feeling something was missing. After thinking, he took hold of her hand.

Shen Lingzhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Who holds hands while sleeping?”

“Last night I heard you telling me to hold your hand tight, but I couldn’t muster any strength no matter what. Now that I’m holding it first, I don’t have to worry.”

Shen Lingzhen felt a sour sensation rise in her heart as she looked at him: “My lord must have been terribly frightened in your dreams last night…”

Huo Liuxing turned his head to look at her, emotions of loss and recovery surging through his heart like overturning seas: “Having survived a great disaster, shouldn’t we celebrate?”

Shen Lingzhen was taken aback: “Yes, but in my lord’s current condition, how can we celebrate?”

“There’s a way. Climb up a little.” Huo Liuxing directed her, having her lean diagonally on the bed with her head extended toward him.

While carefully avoiding his wound, Shen Lingzhen was utterly confused. Just as she was about to ask “what next,” a hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, bringing her nose-to-nose with him.

Huo Liuxing lightly pecked her lower lip, then before continuing with the next action, said in a breathy voice: “This isn’t called biting, it’s called kissing—something married couples do when showing affection. Understand?”

The intimate scene from that late night in the thatched hut last year suddenly flashed before her eyes. Shen Lingzhen’s entire being ignited with a “whoosh” as if set on fire. She let out a soft “ah” and held her breath.

“Do you understand or not?” Huo Liuxing pressed against the back of her head, confirming again.

She swallowed nervously and nodded with the tiniest possible movement.

“Then I’ll continue,” Huo Liuxing said with a smile.