“Miss Jiu’er, won’t you have a drink of water?” A brother with an injured leg, moving with a somewhat unsteady gait, slowly made his way to Feng Jiu’er’s side with a water pouch in hand.

Feng Jiu’er had just finished treating a wounded brother’s injuries and was rising to her feet.

“His spine is injured — he must not be moved. Bring a tent over and pitch it here to shade him from the sun.”

“Yes, Miss Jiu’er.” The brother nearby who had been helping responded.

When Feng Jiu’er turned around, she saw the brother who was reaching out to hand her the water pouch.

She glanced down at his leg, wrapped in a rough and hasty bandage, and immediately stepped forward to support him.

“Sit down — let me take a look.”

From start to finish, Feng Jiu’er never so much as glanced at the water pouch in the brother’s hand.

“Miss Jiu’er, I’m fine,” the brother said, smiling at her.

Compared to the injuries everyone else had sustained, he did not think his own wound amounted to much, and so he had bound it up carelessly himself and given it no further thought.

“Sit down first, then we’ll talk.” Feng Jiu’er still insisted on making the man before her take a seat.

Seeing the urgency written across Miss Jiu’er’s face, the brother felt a twinge of regret for having come over and disturbed her.

“Miss Jiu’er, this was just distributed a little while ago by General Zhao — the water should be clean. Please drink first; whatever is left, I’ll drink after.”

The brother smiled and offered the water pouch in his hand to Feng Jiu’er.

Yet Feng Jiu’er did not even spare a glance at the water pouch in his hand. Once he had sat down, she dropped to one knee before him and began to undo the wrapping bound around his ankle.

“Who bandaged this for you? How did it end up like this?”

Seeing Miss Jiu’er not only drop to one knee before him but also show no aversion to undoing the blood-soaked cloth wrapping, the brother was so moved he could not find a single word to say.

Feng Jiu’er shook her head and promptly set about cleaning his wound, applying medicine, and tearing another strip of cloth from her own robe.

The sound of fabric ripping jolted the brother back to his senses all at once.

“Miss Jiu’er.” He immediately drew back his injured leg. “I’m fine, really I’m not…”

“Don’t move!” Feng Jiu’er commanded in a firm voice. “You’ve injured the tendons and bones — how could you treat this so carelessly?”

“From this moment on, stop walking around. Sit, lie down — whatever suits you. But that leg must not move again.”

The brother had not imagined that such a simple wound would actually have reached the tendons and bones.

Seeing Miss Jiu’er, normally so gentle, speaking to him with such forcefulness, he was left entirely without a response.

Feng Jiu’er bound up his wound at the swiftest speed she could manage, then lifted her gaze to meet his.

Recalling that this fellow had not been stationed here to begin with — that he had walked over here under his own power — Feng Jiu’er felt a surge of irritation.

“Rest well. If you don’t, your leg will have a very hard time recovering its former agility. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” The brother gave a nod. “I understand, Miss Jiu’er.”

Seeing his pitiful, sheepish expression, Feng Jiu’er genuinely felt a little bad.

“Was this the water you brought for me?” She swept a glance at the water pouch in his hand and asked quietly.

“Yes.” The brother nodded vigorously and immediately held out the water in his hand. “General Zhao had it sent over — it’s clean.”

“Miss Jiu’er, please drink.”

“You drink it — I can go get my own.” Feng Jiu’er stood. “You’ve lost quite a bit of blood. You need to drink more.”

Leaving those words behind, she turned and walked away.

Spotting Jian Yi making his way toward her, Feng Jiu’er moved quickly to meet him.

“What’s the situation? Are there still brothers in critical condition?”

Afraid of missing any chance to save a brother’s life, Feng Jiu’er moved so fast she barely let her heels touch the ground.

Jian Yi passed her a water pouch; without a second thought, she took it and began gulping it down.

Not counting the time it had taken to travel here from the Nanmen Manor, Feng Jiu’er had already been out under the direct sun on the battlefield for well over an hour.

With the brothers’ situation pressing and urgent as it was, how could Feng Jiu’er possibly spare a thought for whether she was getting sun-damaged?

Fortunately, she was young — each time she was sunburned, her face would stay red for the better part of a day and then be perfectly fine.

“Finish drinking before you walk.” Jian Yi looked at the young woman gulping water and gasping between mouthfuls as she walked, and felt a discomfort settle in his chest.

He reached out and caught hold of her arm, bringing her steps to a halt.

Feng Jiu’er paid him no mind; she drained nearly the entire water pouch in one go before lowering it and holding it out.

Jian Yi released her arm and had barely taken the pouch from her hand before Feng Jiu’er was already all but gone from his side.

He exhaled a quiet sigh and fell into step behind her in long strides.

“The situation is more serious toward the northwest — go take a look over there.”

“Noted.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod and set off in the direction Jian Yi had indicated.

At midday, Miss Jiu’er was still occupied; through the midday rest period, her hands never once stopped.

It was only by dinnertime that every brother in need of treatment had received care.

Some of the brothers were still resting inside the tents; others sat outside eating their meal.

Those nearest to the large central tent would glance over toward it from time to time.

No one could say how much time had passed, but as the sky was beginning to darken, everyone saw Miss Jiu’er emerge from inside the tent.

Her face, flushed red from hours of sun exposure, carried an expression of grave solemnity, and no one dared say a word.

In the end, Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi mounted their horses and rode away from the camp, while several more brothers, physicians in tow, followed behind them.

By the time Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi reached the west gate, it was already deep in the night.

“Jiu’er, what brings you here?” Xiao Yingtao had received word that Feng Jiu’er was coming to camp and immediately roused herself and rushed out.

Catching sight of that familiar figure, she leapt down from her horse in one swift motion and ran to Feng Jiu’er’s side.

Feng Jiu’er also dismounted and looked out toward the encampment not far away.

“What’s the situation?”

“Over a hundred wounded; eleven of our brothers died, and seven of Qiao Mu’s.” Thinking back on how the day had unfolded, Xiao Yingtao’s voice grew heavier.

“Noted.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod. “Have all the injured brothers been stabilized?”

“Yes.” Xiao Yingtao also nodded. “Six physicians were sent from outside, and between them and my brothers from the Heavenly Mechanism Hall, everyone has been stabilized.”

“Good — let’s talk inside.” When Feng Jiu’er raised her gaze again, she saw Xue Gu riding toward her.

She mounted her horse and rode to meet Xue Gu.

“Xue Gu — are you unharmed?” Feng Jiu’er asked quietly.

“I’m all right.” Xue Gu shook her head.

The four of them entered a tent together and sat down around the low table. Xiao Yingtao hooked her arm through Feng Jiu’er’s and leaned against her.

“Jiu’er, have you been well these past days? I’ve missed you terribly.”

They had barely arrived before the fighting broke out, and Xiao Yingtao had not even had a chance to exchange half a word with Xue Gu — and knowing Xue Gu’s nature, she likely would not have said much even if she had.

Now, seeing Jiu’er appear before her in person, Xiao Yingtao only then realized just how much she had missed her.

She had worried she was not eating enough or dressing warmly enough, worried she might be injured, worried she might be set up by someone.

Xiao Yingtao had longed desperately to stay by Feng Jiu’er’s side — even walking through fire and boiling oil would be better than being left behind.