When the troops in the camp heard that the prince had returned victorious, they rushed out in excitement, but were all driven back mercilessly by Gao Lin. He asked: “Where is Second Young Master Liu?”

“We don’t know, ah. He wasn’t around this morning. It seems that he never came back after going down the mountain to diagnose patients.”

Liang Shu had gone into battle this time and also brought Ku You with him, and Liu Xianche, as a doctor, naturally chose to follow him. Before he left, he made a special trip to tell his little brother not to be lazy with his medical skills, and also arranged a rule compelling him to go to the foot of the mountain for consultations every fifth and tenth day — in fact, he said every fifth and tenth day, but the people in the surrounding villages rushed over after hearing the news and it was not just every fifth and tenth day.

This lazy fellow was terribly exhausted.

And so was A-Ning.

Liu Xian’an even thought, I might as well live in the village. Anway, the prince and Da-ge aren’t at the camp, so I don’t have to travel back and forth. But the guards of Xiao Wang Palace and the Imperial Guards who were in charge of his protection disagreed. This was the Southwest, after all, the old nest of the Baifu Sect, and no one knew what dirty things were staring out from such a dark place. The prince had given orders that Second Young Master Liu must not stay outside.

In this way, Liu Xian’an had no choice but to carry on, measuring the length of the mountain road with horseshoes time and time again. Finally, two days before Liang Shu’s return to camp, he succeeded in becoming sick and exhausted, lying in bed and burning like a piece of red coal, his eyelids unable to be opened.

Liang Shu pressed his chest and walked back all the way. After walking for a long time, he still didn’t see his forty-eight thousand year old Sleeping Immortal. Instead, he met a few aunts carrying baskets of vegetables, who were asking around to see if Second Young Master Liu was recovering from his illness, and insisted that he keep the eggs they had brought.

Now, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t care about putting on a show for him anymore. He swung his horse whip and rumbled into the residence. The courtyard was quiet, and A-Ning sat on the steps, flipping through a thick medical book in his lap. The commotion in camp just now had not spread to this back courtyard, so he was very surprised to see the prince appear at this time, and hurriedly stood.

“Where is Xiao An?” Liang Shu got off his horse.

“Still sleeping.” A-Ning whispered, “The young master caught a cold, and he had a fever last night. It only subsided near dawn.”

After the fever was gone, it was time to relax and sleep peacefully. Liu Xian’an was usually a good sleeper, and couldn’t be shaken awake by thunder. Presently, he was so sleepy that he was dead to the world. To him, all the sounds and movements in the world were lighter than a feather, and the only thing heavier was the quilt covering his body—plus one of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s arms.

Liang Shu leaned sideways at the head of the bed. He rubbed those chapped lips with his thumb, then bowed his head and kissed them gently.

A-Ning quickly brought hot water and asked: “Does the prince want something to eat?”

“No need.” Liang Shu moved his aching muscles and bones, and after a hasty wash, he also took off his clothes and went to bed. Hugging the man in his arms, they traveled to the Three Thousand Worlds together.

This time, the hot spring was much hotter than before. Second Young Master Liu was also soaking in it. His hair was wet and sticking uncomfortably to his back, so Liang Shu helped him tie it up.

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was sleeping soundly in bed, and when he inadvertently turned over the touched the hair of the person next to his pillow, Second Young Master Liu in the hot spring called out, “Ah.”

Liang Shu didn’t let go. He tugged his hair and asked, “Why do you keep running to me lately?”

Liu Xian’an said, of course it’s because I miss the prince.

No matter how tired he was during the day, he thought he would try his best to have a dream at night and soak in the hot spring for a while.

Liang Shu suggested: “Since you think so, then you can stay here forever.”

But Liu Xian’an refused, because he felt that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang might be returning soon, so he must leave quickly.

Liang Shu said: “Don’t go!”

Liu Xian’an didn’t listen. He dragged his wet robes all the way, his body piercing through layers of fiery rain and clouds, and he fell all the way into the present world.

He just happened to be caught firmly by his sweetheart.

Liang Shu embraced the flailing man in his arms, and bowed his head to kiss him while he was half awake and half asleep. Thus, Second Young Master Liu fell asleep again, thinking that the dream was not bad, so he gave up on getting up and continued to lie down comfortably.

One of the two had been fighting for days, and the other had been seeing patients for days. Both of them were exhausted to the bone and needed a good rest, so they slept for half a day and a night. It was not until the next morning that Liu Xian’an stretched his waist and sat up, refreshed.

Someone behind him pulled his hair.

Liu Xian’an: “…….”

Liang Shu chuckled: “Are you silly? Turn around and let me see.”

Liu Xian’an could clearly distinguish the difference between the voices of the Liang Shu’s in the two worlds. Although they were the same, one was leisurely and relaxed, while the other was much more lively and amiable. He turned his head slowly and looked at the person leaning against the bed for a long time, his brain buzzing. Then he said with pleasant surprise: “Your Highness?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice was unbearably hoarse. Liang Shu got out of bed and poured him a cup of warm tea. Liu Xian’an still had some difficulty swallowing, but he was extremely thirsty, so he drank most of the pot in one go, only then feeling more comfortable.

He asked: “When did the prince return?”

“Yesterday afternoon.” Liang Shu also rinsed his mouth before returning to the bed. He let Liu Xian’an lie in his arms, and reached up to test the warmth of his forehead. The fever had subsided. This person seemed weaker than before, so he touched twice more. “How did you get yourself sick?”

Liu Xian’an replied, because the prince did not let me stay at the foot of the mountain.

Facing this calamity from the sky, Liang Shu didn’t change his expression. He replied calmly, well, I am also sick. My heart hurt all the way back.

Liu Xian’an didn’t believe it. He said: “But the prince was fine when he poured tea, and Da-ge also went out with the army.”

“In any case, I’m in pain,” Liang Shu insisted. And the pain was strange. He would bear it during the march, and even healed for a short time when facing First Young Master Liu, but once he was back safe in bed with his sweetheart, he immediately felt uncomfortable here and there, and the pain was overwhelming.

“You take a look, I’m injured.”

The bandage on his chest was applied with Gao Lin’s help. It was surprisingly thick, but couldn’t scare Liu Xian’an, because he could tell at a glance that based on Liang Shu’s complexion and movements that the depth of the wound didn’t exceed one point. Sure enough, when he opened it up, some places had already scabbed over.

Liang Shu didn’t feel guilty at all. “One kiss. It will feel better after one kiss.”

Liu Xian’an lowered his head and brushed a kiss to his heart. Liang Shu felt a little ticklish, and pulled him to his chest, kissing him tenderly.

He really did have a heartache yesterday, presumably due to his old injury being induced during several days of travel. However, he was already in good shape after a good sleep, and the tenderness with his sweetheart threw the remaining dull pain to the wayside. Liu Xian’an pushed himself up on his stomach and said: “Good news spread frequently about the prince’s expedition this time. When I went to see patients at the foot of the mountain, all the common people were talking about it. Within two years, the Baifu Sect will be uprooted.”

“Less than two years.” Liang Shu promised, “When spring is warm and the flowers bloom next year, I will definitely take you back to Wangcheng.”

Wangcheng, when spring was warm and the flowers were blooming. Just by hearing this, he felt that the scenery would be beautiful to behold.

Lying beneath the warm quilt, Liu Xian’an followed Liang Shu’s descriptions and carefully outlined twenty-four streets in Wangcheng in his mind, then slowly filled it with restaurants, tea houses, and palaces filled with silk and music.

As a result, he set a trap for himself.

And got more sleep.

On the other side, the team led by Ku You also returned to camp. A-Ning greeted: “First Young Master!”

“Why are you alone, where is Xiao An?” Liu Xianche asked.

“He’s in the back courtyard with the prince.” A-Ning tactfully did not mention the matter of ‘sleeping for more than ten hours,’ but said righteously that they must be discussing military affairs!

Ku You heard this and said: “What military affairs?” From his posture, it could be seen that he wanted to go and discuss them too.

A-Ning: “……”

Fortunately, at the critical moment, First Young Master Liu spoke up in time and sent this disobedient patient back to rest. Gao Lin heard that Ku You was back, and searched for him all the way to his residence. When he looked inside, Ku You wasn’t resting, but sat at a table, tracing shapes on it and murmuring to himself.

Lieutenant General Gao leaned in the doorway and sighed, talking like that, someone will say that you’ve been recruited into the Baifu Sect and that you’re reciting mantras.

As soon as he spoke, a brush soaked in ink flew toward him. Gao Lin ducked away and then stepped forward with a smile to hug his shoulders: “Not resting just after you got back, what map are you drawing?”

Ku You leaned back in his chair and said quietly: “I have a headache.”

“It’s not that you never fought alongside the prince in the Northwest. Why do you have a headache now?”

“It’s not the same.”

When he was in the Northwest, the prince was the veritable first commander. As the lieutenant general, he only had to obey his commander and fight every battle that was handed over to him. But in the Southwest, he became the leader, and had to look at the overall situation independently.

Ku You let out a long sigh: “I thought I had done well enough.”

But the facts proved that what he thought was good was far from good enough.

The same soldiers and horses, the same enemy, the same terrain, but the prince was able to defeat the Baifu Sect with his divine soldiers, making them hide all over the Southwest. These were tactics he couldn’t think up even after racking his brains.

When Ku You finished speaking, he added another sentence, what the hell are you laughing at?

“Okay, okay, okay.” Gao Lin gave him face and only smiled. He analyzed, “It’s not just a matter of strategy. The prince put you in the Southwest because you’re diligent. Everyone has their own style, why are you so sentimental?”

Ku You said: “In short, I want to reflect on my life.”

“Okay, then continue to reflect.” Gao Lin poured him a glass of water. “When you’re done reflecting, come find me in the torture room.”

At this time, there were as many as three hundred members of the cult captive. If even one person confessed a word, it was enough to peel the skin off the Baifu Sect. The first thing to do now was to deal with the Ghost Boys.

Liu Xian’an was in healthy condition. After lying down for two days, he returned to the village at the foot of the mountain to see patients, and this time Liang Shu was also with him. He took off the heavy armor, which made his whole person a bit less murderous, and wore a brocade robe. With his hair tied up in a silver crown, he stood there straight and tall, and was a little more approachable.

Thus, the common people were not scared away, and still waited in line according to the original plan. The first patient wore an expression of distress and lowered his voice when he came up, speaking a long paragraph quickly and quietly.

Liu Xian’an’s hearing was good, but he was not familiar with the accent in this area, and didn’t understand: “What?”

The patient repeated it again.

Liu Xian’an still didn’t understand, and tried to make him slow down, but Liang Shu couldn’t bear it anymore, and explained: “He says that he has had nausea, retching, and loss of appetite lately and wants to ask for medicine to stimulate his appetite. I say, what is there to be shy about with these symptoms?”

The patient was trembling: “…..Answering the prince, it’s because I’m nervous.”

Liang Shu looked at him shaking like a sieve and wondered, why are you nervous, could it be that I am not approachable enough today?

Liu Xian’an simply comforted the patient with a few words, inspected him, and prescribed him some medicine to invigorate the spleen and whet the appetite. Then he said to A-Ning: “Next.”

This time, it was a young man in his early twenties who came in. Liang Shu had learned from experience just now, and after the other party sat down, he ordered: “Speak louder when describing your condition!”

The young man paled: “Ah?”

Liang Shu frowned: “What, did you not hear what this lord said?”

His tone was actually very mild, but even if His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was calm, he looked threatening, and few people in the world could bear it.

So the young man had no choice but to say loudly and a bit tragically: “I, I have a kidney deficiency!”^[1]

Liang Shu: “……”

Liang Shu’s eyes were quite sympathetic: “All right, all right, I’ll allow you to speak in a low voice.”

Liu Xian’an diagnosed him carefully, and Liang Shu tried not to smile, showing a calm and breezy expression on his face. It wasn’t until the young man left that he went: “Pfft.”

“If the prince makes trouble again, I’ll replace him with A-Ning.” Liu Xian’an put his brush back. “What’s so funny about a kidney deficiency?”

“I don’t know. In any case, I’ve done nothing wrong.” Liang Shu cleared his throat and moved his head closer. “Why don’t you give me a try?”

Liu Xian’an stared directly at the door. Won’t try!

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[1] Having a kidney deficiency widely means that a man is bad in bed. ⮐

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Chapter Ninety-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Eight