So it was indeed a dream? Marrying the Northern Campaign General Shao Mingyuan was a dream, Grandfather’s passing was a dream, her parents and family being burned to death in the great fire was a dream, and her being shot to death with an arrow on the cold, desolate city wall was also a dream.

So upon waking, everything would be fine, wouldn’t it?

Physician Li’s pupils suddenly contracted.

That form of address…

“Who are you?” He grasped Qiao Zhao’s hand and demanded.

The rough, thin hand resting on her wrist jolted Qiao Zhao fully awake. She lowered her gaze and stared motionlessly at that hand.

This hand was familiar to her—it had once guided her hand-in-hand through acupuncture and massage techniques, had once laughingly tapped her nose saying she learned quickly.

He was Qiao Zhao’s Grandfather Li, but he couldn’t be Li Zhao’s.

“Who exactly are you, little girl?” Physician Li was not good-tempered, his voice growing colder.

Qiao Zhao raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Due to her fever, her voice lacked its usual gentle quality, hoarse like wind scraping low across grassland: “I am the daughter of Court Academician Li from the capital. Who are you?”

Physician Li didn’t believe her: “What did you just call me, little girl?”

This little girl was strange—she had called him Grandfather Li just now, and this form of address had only been used by one girl before.

Qiao Zhao showed a puzzled expression, her pair of dark, bright eyes narrowing slightly as if recalling: “I was just about to say, ‘Eh… grandfather, who are you?'”

She smiled innocently: “But before I could finish, you interrupted me.”

Physician Li was stunned.

Li… grandfather? Eh… grandfather…

So he had misheard.

He released Qiao Zhao’s wrist, yet somehow his heart still felt somewhat strange.

He couldn’t help feeling this clever, quirky girl resembled the intelligent girl in his memory.

Her illness was also interesting. Setting aside the fever, her spirit seemed quite unstable, as if her mind and body couldn’t integrate well, as though they wanted to separate.

Thinking of what he had been devoted to studying these past two years, a vague notion flashed through Physician Li’s mind. He called out: “Come in.”

Footsteps sounded, and early spring wind rushed in as the door opened, clearing one’s mind.

Chi Can’s gaze went directly to Qiao Zhao. Seeing she had awakened, his previously taut lips imperceptibly relaxed slightly before he looked toward Physician Li.

Physician Li completely changed from his earlier eccentricity, asking gently: “What is this young lady to you?”

Chi Can instinctively step back half a pace.

He had the feeling a big-tailed wolf stood before him! The aged, cunning kind at that.

“Just strangers who met by chance…” Chi Can quickly distanced himself.

“Strangers who met by chance—” Physician Li drew out his words.

Chi Can couldn’t fathom his intention and explained: “The young lady was abducted. We happened to encounter her by chance and are escorting her home along our way.”

“I see.” Physician Li relaxed, smiling: “The young lady is quite ill—she won’t recover in a day or two. How about this: let this young lady come with me. After I cure her, I’ll send her home.”

“She needs to return to the capital.” Chi Can didn’t understand why he responded so quickly.

“That’s even better.” Physician Li stroked his beard. “I’m also going to the capital. We can travel more slowly along the way, convenient for treating this little girl.”

Chi Can fell silent, then after a moment said: “We should ask her own opinion.”

Could this old man be a kidnapper? The girl only had a fever—where was she seriously ill?

Physician Li turned back and asked with a smile: “Girl, I’m one of the world’s finest divine physicians. Would you like to come with me?”

Qiao Zhao answered without hesitation: “Yes.”

Her original plan was to return safely to the capital. Encountering Physician Li halfway, even setting aside their past connection, having a divine physician escort her home versus three young gentlemen escorting her home would result in different circumstances for her future.

Qiao Zhao wasn’t foolish; naturally, she knew how to choose.

Chi Can’s eyebrows twitched. With a cold face, he said word by word: “Have you thought this through?”

Qiao Zhao nodded obediently: “I have.”

Chi Can was exasperated. He turned to leave with a flick of his sleeves, then suddenly turned back and asked her: “Aren’t you afraid of being abducted again?”

Physician Li rolled his eyes: “What nonsense are you talking, brat?”

Qiao Zhao smiled gently: “I won’t be. He’s a divine physician.”

“Just because someone says something, you believe it?” Chi Can was frustrated by her lack of progress.

Where was the dead girl’s cleverness when facing them?

Qiao Zhao blinked: “If he weren’t a real physician, how could Big Brother Chi, being so supremely intelligent and cautiously careful, have let him examine me?”

Chi Can’s lips twitched.

What she said was damn… reasonable!

Chi Can had nothing more to say. Looking at the little girl, he felt inexplicably stifled. He touched his nose, turned, and left.

But the three men who had followed in wouldn’t have it. One hurriedly said: “Divine physician, this… isn’t very convenient, is it?”

Their master had given thousands of instructions—absolutely no complications were allowed; they must quietly escort Physician Li back.

Physician Li glared: “What’s inconvenient about it? If you find it inconvenient, then leave! This young lady has a serious illness. With a physician’s benevolent heart, how can I stand by and watch someone die?”

All three silently twitched their lips.

As if you’re so benevolent.

Finding this divine physician had cost them dearly. Despite countless pleas, he refused to accompany them to the capital. Finally, having no choice, they used their trump card—a rare spiritual herb in their master’s possession—before this immortal agreed.

Now encountering this little girl, suddenly, he had a physician’s benevolent heart?

The three glanced around Qiao Zhao’s face and silently thought: So the divine physician also judges by appearance.

“Do you have any other objections?” Physician Li asked unhurriedly.

The three put on honest faces: “We wouldn’t dare.”

“Good that you don’t dare. Bring this girl along, let’s go.”

“Wait.” Chi Can returned, dragging the still-unconscious Yang Houcheng. Without looking at Qiao Zhao, he fixed his gaze only on Physician Li: “Please, divine physician, with your benevolent heart, save my friend.”

Physician Li curled his lip in a cold smile: “A benevolent heart and foolish kindness are not the same thing.”

All three nodded simultaneously.

See, this was the divine physician’s true nature!

Qiao Zhao observed coldly, also very puzzled in her heart.

In her memory, though Physician Li was affectionate toward her, that was because he and Grandfather were close friends, and she barely counted as his half-disciple. Toward others, Physician Li had always been quite temperamental.

Why, after becoming Li Zhao, did Physician Li want to keep her by his side at their first meeting?

Had that call from “Grandfather Li” aroused the old man’s suspicion?

Apart from her deceased grandfather, no one knew better than Qiao Zhao how remarkably talented this divine physician was. His medical skills were unfathomable, and in recent years had nearly reached divine levels. For such a person to have sensitivity to certain mysterious matters beyond ordinary people was not strange.

In the heavy atmosphere, Qiao Zhao spoke: “Divine physician, the three Big Brothers Chi are all my lifesavers. I’d like to wait for Big Brother Zhu to return and Big Brother Yang to wake up, bid them all farewell, then follow you.”

Though she didn’t know what had happened while she was unconscious, she could guess that Big Brother Yang’s condition was likely for her sake. Physician Li had an interest in her, so presumably he wouldn’t refuse this small request of hers.

Just as Qiao Zhao expected, after hearing her out, Physician Li walked to Yang Houcheng’s side and directly slapped a crystal-clear pill into his mouth.