When Liu Pucheng and the others returned to Qianjin Hall, A’Ru and many disciples all wore anxious expressions, and the main hall was not bustling as usual but completely empty.

No matter how you looked at it, having a dead person laid out in front of Qianjin Hall still made everyone feel somewhat superstitious.

Being summoned by the authorities, it was impossible for everyone from Qianjin Hall to go, not to mention there were still hospitalized patients, especially Madam Xie who required intensive care, so A’Ru and the others had stayed behind.

Seeing Liu Pucheng and the others enter, A’Ru and the others eagerly approached them, wanting to ask but not daring to, each wearing expressions of worry and distress.

“It’s nothing now,” Liu Pucheng said. “It’s been determined that the injuries were too severe for treatment, and it has nothing to do with us.”

Ah? A’Ru and the others were stunned.

“It’s nothing now?” Hu San couldn’t help but ask, thinking he had misheard.

“That’s right,” Liu Pucheng replied, finding their expressions rather strange. “That’s how it was originally—of course there’s nothing to worry about.”

“But… Master, she…” Hu San said, pointing toward the room.

Everyone fell silent as the sound of a woman’s crying came from inside the room.

Could it be that she was weeping so bitterly not because she was wronged and punished?

Just as everyone was looking at each other in confusion, Qi Yue’s crying stopped, and she rushed out of the room.

“Bring your tools, come with me to settle accounts with that family!” she shouted.

Everyone in the hall was stunned, with Hu San being the first to react.

“What are you standing around for! Let’s go!” he shouted.

Liu Pucheng tried to stop them but couldn’t, and a group of people rushed out with a whoosh.

However, they returned very quickly.

“They’ve already run away!” Hu San shouted angrily in the room.

“Run away?” the disciples who hadn’t gone asked in surprise.

“They didn’t even properly bury the dead person, just hastily buried him, and the whole family ran away—even their neighbors and fellow villagers don’t know where they went,” Hu San shouted.

“Guilty conscience!” the disciples cursed angrily. “Now others should see their true colors, right?”

At this, Hu San became dejected again.

“No, the neighbors said they were afraid of retaliation…” he said.

Everyone carefully looked at Qi Yue.

Perhaps from running around, Qi Yue’s face was flushed, and she actually looked more spirited.

“They got lucky this time, but I don’t think they’ll be so lucky every time!” she said, clapping her hands. “Alright, if you often stand by the river, how can you not get your shoes wet? This time we were unlucky, but next time we’ll have good fortune. Don’t worry.”

We’re worried about you…

The disciples didn’t know what to say, but seeing this woman regain her spirits, everyone felt happy.

“Yes,” they responded in unison with loud voices.

When night fell, everyone was still busy in Madam Xie’s hospital room.

“There was blood in the afternoon… bleeding,” A’Ru said.

“It’s fine, just a small amount of bleeding. Bring that packing cloth,” Qi Yue said.

With her there, everyone felt at ease and busied themselves following her instructions.

Soon the bleeding from Madam Xie’s incision stopped.

“Teacher, you should go rest tonight. I’ll stay here,” Qi Yue said.

Liu Pucheng looked at her and nodded.

When Old Mrs. Xie entered, Qi Yue and A’Ru were studying how to suction phlegm, while Chang Yuncheng sat to the side, quietly watching her.

Madam Xie, who was in a coma, also briefly awakened at this moment. Unable to speak, she could only look at Chang Yuncheng with tears in her eyes.

Seeing Madam Xie wake up, Qi Yue turned and went out.

Watching her retreating figure, Old Mrs. Xie’s expression was complex.

“Can Zhengmei eat anything?” she asked A’Ru.

A’Ru was momentarily stunned.

Seeing her hesitation, Old Mrs. Xie quickly said to Chang Yuncheng, “Go ask Miss Qi.”

Chang Yuncheng hesitated slightly.

“Do you want your mother to starve to death! What’s the use of just standing around here day after day!” Old Mrs. Xie whispered harshly.

Only then did Chang Yuncheng get up and walk out.

Madam Xie watched him leave with a nervous expression.

Old Mrs. Xie grasped her hand firmly.

“Zhengmei, are you still in pain? What do you want to eat?” she asked softly. “You scared your mother to death…”

Accompanied by her gentle murmuring, Madam Xie’s emotions gradually calmed.

Chang Yuncheng walked out and saw Qi Yue standing in the courtyard, looking up at the night sky.

He walked over a few steps and then stopped.

Qi Yue seemed unaware of anyone behind her and continued silently gazing at the night sky.

“When you were away, did you miss home?” she suddenly asked.

“Yes,” Chang Yuncheng answered with a simple word, not saying more.

“How nice,” Qi Yue smiled and said. “You miss home but can return anytime—this kind of longing, even with its bitterness, still has sweetness, doesn’t it?”

That depends on who you’re missing, Chang Yuncheng thought but didn’t speak.

Qi Yue didn’t speak again either, looking at the night sky as silence fell between them.

“In this matter, I didn’t mean to look down on you,” Chang Yuncheng said in a low voice. “If… if it weren’t for my mother’s situation…”

“Even without your mother, I still couldn’t have saved that man,” Qi Yue said.

“I’ve caused you trouble again,” Chang Yuncheng said quietly after a moment of silence.

“So you see,” Qi Yue turned to him and said, “Outsiders watch the excitement, while we insiders understand the principles. What should have been a simple matter—well, you outsiders have made it into this mess…”

Chang Yuncheng didn’t speak.

Qi Yue looked at him and sighed helplessly again.

“Is two people in trouble better than one person in trouble?” she asked.

“Yes,” Chang Yuncheng answered.

Qi Yue glared at him, then finally shook her head with a smile.

“Actually, it’s nothing. There will always be troubles,” she said, looking at the night sky again. “For unknown and novel things, people will always be afraid. If you always cure patients, it’s divine skill, but once you fail to cure someone, then it’s sorcery.”

At this point, she waved her hand.

“But if there are both successes and failures, then it’s medical skill,” she said.

Chang Yuncheng didn’t speak.

“Where were you hurt?” Qi Yue asked.

The question was sudden, and Chang Yuncheng was taken aback.

“There’s no free merit that falls from the sky—you were injured, weren’t you?” Qi Yue asked.

Only then did Chang Yuncheng understand, feeling a swelling ache in his heart.

“It’s nothing,” he said, averting his gaze. “Just surface wounds.”

Qi Yue didn’t press further.

Silence fell between them again.

“Take care of yourself,” Qi Yue said.

“You too,” Chang Yuncheng replied.

Qi Yue smiled, walked over a few steps, and reached out to pat Chang Yuncheng’s arm.

“It’s not bad either. Life is quite exciting—when you lose something, you gain something, isn’t that right? Although both you and I have lost face and taken the blame, you’ve gained the good father you’ve always dreamed of, and I’ve gained the opportunity to shed my divine status and become human. It’s truly cause for celebration,” she said with a smile. “Congratulations.”

With that, she walked away.

Seeing her brush past him, Chang Yuncheng felt his heart suddenly empty and instinctively reached out to grab her.

Qi Yue was slightly startled and turned to look at him.

“Yueniang,” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and called out softly, his voice trembling. “I, I, I…”

Feeling the hand gripping her wrist trembling slightly, its heat burning through her clothes to her skin.

In the end, after several “I’s,” nothing was said.

Qi Yue smiled at him, reached out to place her hand on his, patted it, lowered her gaze, and withdrew her hand.

When Qi Yue entered the hospital room again, Madam Xie had fallen back into unconsciousness.

“Yueniang, why is she still sleeping?” Old Mrs. Xie asked with a worried expression.

“It’s very normal—partly because of the illness itself, and partly because Dr. Liu used pain medication, so she sleeps more. She’ll be fine in three days,” Qi Yue said while checking the blood pressure and intake/output records that A’Ru had made.

“Then how will she eat?” Old Mrs. Xie asked again.

Chang Yuncheng had also entered at this time.

“We’ll have to use nasal feeding,” Qi Yue said, looking at the unconscious Madam Xie.

Nasal feeding?

“That means putting food in through the nose,” Qi Yue explained, gesturing with her hand.

Putting it in through the nose…

Old Mrs. Xie couldn’t help but show some distress.

How uncomfortable it was when food accidentally went into your nose during normal eating, and now she had to eat through there…

“Once she’s fully conscious, she can eat normally through her mouth,” Qi Yue said. “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Old Mrs. Xie made a sound of acknowledgment. Her worrying wouldn’t help anyway—now all hope could only be placed in this woman.

“Old Mrs. Xie, you should also rest well. Your health isn’t very good… The nurses here can take care of everything…” Qi Yue said.

Old Mrs. Xie felt a slight sourness in her heart.

“Alright, I understand. Thank you so much,” she said, nodding.

Qi Yue stopped looking at her and walked out with A’Ru, leaving the inside and outside to fall into the quiet of night.

“Grandmother, you should sleep,” Chang Yuncheng said, personally coming over to make up the bed.

“How did it go?” Old Mrs. Xie grabbed him urgently and asked.

“How did what go?” Chang Yuncheng asked, puzzled.

Old Mrs. Xie clicked her tongue.

“Didn’t you say something to Yueniang?” she asked.

Chang Yuncheng lowered his head and continued spreading out the bedding.

“Say what,” he said indifferently.

Old Mrs. Xie hit his arm.

“Tell her how much you miss her!” she said.

Chang Yuncheng placed his hand on the arm where Old Mrs. Xie had hit him—that woman had also hit him in the same place just now…

She had smiled brightly, like a star in the night sky, warm and soft on his arm…

With intimacy and with ease…

Such a big incident seemed to have left no trace on her at all…

Instead, she remained full of hope and the strength to move forward.

Where did such powerful strength come from in her seemingly delicate body?

“I’m talking to you! What are you daydreaming about!” Old Mrs. Xie hit him again.

Chang Yuncheng withdrew his hand, having finished making the bed, and stood up straight.

“Why talk about that,” he said. “It’s not good for her.”

“How is it not good? This is exactly the right opportunity…” Old Mrs. Xie said.

Before she could finish, Chang Yuncheng interrupted her.

“Grandmother,” he raised his voice slightly, glanced at Madam Xie and then lowered his voice again. “Let her be.”

Let her be…

“Because of us, she’s already had enough…” Chang Yuncheng said quietly.

Already had enough bad luck…

Old Mrs. Xie stopped talking and also glanced at Madam Xie.

“You sleep first. I’ll sit outside for a while,” Chang Yuncheng said, then quickly walked out.

Old Mrs. Xie watched his hurried retreating figure, sighed heavily, and lay down.

Because of this incident, the hospitalized patients had almost all left. With fewer inpatients, there were also fewer disciples working the night shift, so there was no longer the usual late-night snacking under the lights, and the courtyard seemed quiet and lonely.

Chang Yuncheng slowly sat down on the steps nearby, took something from his chest, and held it in his hand. By the light of a lantern swaying in the wind, it could be seen to be a small gourd.

Of the three gourds he had originally requested from Prince Qinghe, only two remained. One was put away, and this one was kept close to his body.

Though he didn’t know what significance it had, he always liked to hold it in his hand, as if this way his heart could avoid feeling empty.

“Ha, ha, I know now… like this… switch to an air bladder…”

Suddenly, Qi Yue’s laughing voice came from a room.

Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but look over and saw a large room not far away, brightly lit, with several figures shadowed on the window lattice, some standing, some sitting.

“…Master, Master… there are also tubes… we can use pig intestines too…”

“…the key is the sealing problem…”

Intermittent voices from the room drifted out, carried by the night wind, sometimes loud, sometimes soft.

A slight smile appeared on Chang Yuncheng’s lips as he turned the gourd in his hand, his gaze fixed on the window lattice over there.