When Huo Fenglie woke up, he was in bed. He slowly opened his eyes and just vaguely saw a figure sitting next to him. Likely as a continuation of his dreams, he reflexively called out in a hoarse voice: “Qing-ge?”

His vision gradually became clearer, and the man turned around to look at him helplessly.

“Fenglie, don’t call for Qing-ge anymore. If you do, Young Master Liu will be sad and go away,” Yue Xuqian said.

Huo Fenglie frowned slightly. “Where is he?”

The corners of Yue Xuqian’s mouth twitched. “You’re not going to ask about your health first?”

Huo Fenglie looked at Yue Xuqian without answering.

Yue Xuqian could only say: “Your treatment ended yesterday, and the miracle doctor said that the first step was a success. Young Master Liu was at your bedside just now. He stayed with you every step of the way, but he was just called away by the miracle doctor to explain what he had written.”

Huo Fenglie seemed to just breathe a sigh of relief at the question of his own life or death. He didn’t care much about the ordeal of the previous days, and didn’t continue to ask questions.

But Yue Xuqian couldn’t help saying: “Do you know that on the third day, you almost couldn’t hold on and got people confused? You kept calling for Qing-ge over and over again, and Young Master Liu heard it. Even a fool would know that name belongs to Liu Zhenqing.”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and his pupils quivered uncontrollably. He had only thought Yue Xuqian said it because he had just called it out, and was teasing him. He didn’t expect this to have happened.

“You said I kept shouting it on the third day…..”

“Yes, ah, you shouted it in front of him,” Yue Xuqian said.

“What else did I say?” Huo Fenglie instantly panicked, fearing that he had unconsciously said something he shouldn’t.

Yue Xuqian said: “You either told him not to leave or to stay. The main thing was the name you called out.”

When Yue Xuqian finished speaking, he saw that Huo Fenglie seemed to almost hesitantly breathe a sigh of relief, but also seemed to be a little concerned.

“Hey, don’t think he will misunderstand anything just based on these few words. When you were unconscious at the time, there was fear that you would inadvertently ruin the treatment, and the medicine boy told us it would be best if the person you were thinking about could talk to you and let you control your subconscious mind. But you kept talking to Liu Zhenqing, and not anyone else. His heart is truly with you. No matter how many times you called out, he would pretend to be that person to humor you. Eventually, his voice became hoarse.” Yue Xuqian gave a light sigh and said: “He was willing to cooperate and go along with your words, but will he still guess your feelings for Liu Zhenqing? From your tone at the time, it seemed as if Liu Zhenqing was your life. The miracle doctor present was Liu Zhenqing’s master. When he heard Young Master Liu humoring you, the look in his eyes changed when he opened them and glanced over. He definitely discovered that something is amiss with you, let alone Young Master Liu.”

Although Yue Xuqian initially agreed with this “substitute method” in order to let his good brother live well, now he couldn’t help but sympathize with Young Master Liu. Especially when he pretended to be Liu Zhenqing to cater to Huo Fenglie, he looked so calm and gentle, without any dissatisfaction or surprise at all, which truly made Yue Xuqian admire him.

Yue Xuqian deliberately said this to arouse Huo Fenglie’s guilt and make him look at the good thing in front of him, and stop thinking about the person who had passed away.

He watched Huo Fenglie’s gradually changing expression, and felt a bit satisfied when he heard Huo Fenglie’s low, hoarse voice tremble slightly: “He saw me like this…..”

“You can explain, but he’s so clever that it will be hard to fool him.” When Yue Xuqian finished speaking, he saw Huo Fenglie’s expression turn even worse. He stepped forward and patted Huo Fenglie’s shoulder, saying: “Sure enough, you have some sincerity toward Young Master Liu, right?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t answer, as if he was stuck on some sort of difficult question. His whole face went tense, and there was fear and uneasiness in his eyes. This look was even more unsightly than when he had to make the difficult choice about treatment before.

Yue Xuqian thought of what he had said before, and said after some consideration: “Don’t be discouraged. Since Young Master Liu likes you, he will definitely not change his mind easily.”

Huo Fenglie suddenly murmured: “When a person like him has someone he likes, he will never change his mind.”

Yue Xuqian thought Huo Fenglie was agreeing with his statement, so he nodded accordingly. “So when the time comes, just coax him a little. Who wouldn’t let it pass? After all, that person is gone and won’t interfere with anything.”

Huo Fenglie suddenly chuckled. Yue Xuqian really couldn’t tell what sort of laughter it was. It seemed a little bitter, brimming with a chill. He wanted to speak up again, but Huo Fenglie had fallen asleep again from exhaustion. 

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing explained to the miracle doctor three times the surgery principle he had written down in detail. According to his master’s previous ability to understand, he should discuss it with him two times at most. It was currently the third time, but his master still didn’t say a word.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but wonder, could it be that his master was getting old, and his thinking ability couldn’t keep up?

Liu Zhenqing turned to look at his master sitting on the couch. “Senior, what do you think…..”

Although the miracle doctor was old, his eyes were still very bright and sharp, like an elderly eagle. Liu Zhenqing’s heart instantly trembled.

“Where did you learn this?” The miracle doctor directly asked Liu Zhenqing a question that was difficult to answer.

He could only say: “I read about it in some ancient books.”

The miracle doctor inexplicably scoffed, and then lowered his eyes. Liu Zhenqing could only regard him patiently, waiting for his next question.

But suddenly, the miracle doctor closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and made a tsk tsk sound.

Liu Zhenqing reflexively went to pour tea for the miracle doctor, but when he was about to turn around with the tea cup, he froze and quickly set it down. Just as he was feeling uneasy, he heard a deep voice come from behind him. 

“Why aren’t you bringing it over?”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart thumped. He respectfully raised the teacup and brought it to his master.

Closed eyes and pursed lips was a sign that his master was thirsty and wanted tea. Only those close to him would know to serve him.

Liu Zhenqing suppressed his breathing and tried to calm himself down.

But he heard his master suddenly say: “Xiao Huo was calling for Qing-ge earlier. Do you know who that is?”

Liu Zhenqing hesitated and said: “I can probably guess that he is my distant relative, the rumored Prime Minister Liu.”

His master scoffed coldly and said: “Prime Minister Liu. He’s just a dimwit evildoer.”

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Liu Zhenqing’s face.

“Then do you know what the relationship was between him and Xiao Huo?” His master asked again.

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t sure what to say. Judging from Er-gou’s behavior that day, his master had probably guessed that Er-gou had wicked intentions toward him.

It was unspeakably uncomfortable for an elder to witness such a scene.

“I heard he was like a sworn brother.”

“The rumors also say that he killed Xiao Huo’s brother!”

Liu Zhenqing said with a frown: “General Huo doesn’t believe that.”

“Hmph, I don’t believe it either. I knew that fool best. Even if everyone in the world says he is a traitor, who else knows that when the Huo brothers were crawling on the ice and sleeping on the snowy battlefield, my fool was also spending every evening and night in the court. In this old man’s eyes, he was just a fool who thought he could save the country, but couldn’t even save himself.”

The familiar words of condemnation and trust warmed Liu Zhenqing’s heart, but at the same time, he was a little uneasy. Why was his master telling him this out of the blue?

But the miracle doctor promptly changed the subject and said: “Xiao Huo is a child with a tough life. He went through the gates of hell when he was born, and if my wicked disciple hadn’t refused to give up at that time, Xiao Huo probably wouldn’t have had the chance to open his eyes and see the world.”

Liu Zhenqing felt inexplicably embarrassed about his elder pairing them up.

“I don’t know whether it was their fate. Xiao Huo was more attached to him than a brother since he was a child, and Xiao Huo could often be seen trailing after him. I remember that back then, Xiao Huo was sick with a fever and would only call out for him. He would stay by Xiao Huo’s side and respond to him over and over again, so that Xiao Huo could sleep peacefully even in his nightmares.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly, and in the next second, he heard his master say in a heavy voice: “Just like you did today.”

Liu Zhenqing instantly raised his head and met his master’s eyes, and it was as if the older man’s eyes could see through everything in the world.

He suddenly felt guilty so deep in his heart that even his bones seemed to tremble slightly. He could only feign normal behavior. “For General Huo, I could only pretend for a while.”

His master looked at Liu Zhenqing distantly for a moment, but Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to look at him again. He didn’t know what emotions were in his master’s eyes, and didn’t dare to know.

It was unknown how long it took, but Liu Zhenqing felt his back being soaked with cold sweat, and then heard his master say impatiently: “Get out.”

It seemed that every time he was tested by his master, the man was angry with himself for blindly accepting him as an apprentice who didn’t study medicine well, and yelled at him to get out.

Liu Zhenqing would give a mischievous sigh every time and run away.

This time, he bowed respectfully and turned to leave, but suddenly heard a voice from behind. “Wicked disciple!”

Liu Zhenqing’s footsteps halted as if his feet had been nailed down, and he could no longer walk.

He heard the almost tragic tone in his master’s voice as he called him, closed his eyes, and finally turned around. Rushing to the couch in two steps, he knelt down in front of his master and saluted.

“Master, please accept this evildoer’s bow. Master…..I’m sorry. Zhenqing was wrong, Zhenqing….was wrong.” As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing almost choked up.

Even being recognized by Huo Fenglie hadn’t made him lose his composure.

But the person before him was the only elder he respected in this world.

The only elder who could reprimand him, punish him, and…..who didn’t feel ashamed when he was weak.

His master stepped off the couch tremblingly, and his hand, which could hold a hundred gold needles without being unsteady, moved shakily to the top of Liu Zhenqing’s head, patting it a few times.

“Wrong? You still know that you were wrong. You…..you are a rebellious and unfilial disciple. You…..are a rebel who didn’t intend to think of your master!”

His master practically gritted his teeth as he cursed while gently stroking the top of Liu Zhenqing’s head, using two extremely contradictory emotions to vent the shock of his recognition.

In the end, he was still as angry as before and pinched Liu Zhenqing’s ears. “You stinky brat! I see you need a spanking!”

The thick melancholy was instantly diluted. Liu Zhenqing skillfully grabbed his master’s wrist and used it to stand up. “Aiyaya, it hurts, it hurts, Master, it hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong, I won’t dare do it again. It hurts!”

Seeing that familiar pleading look, he clearly knew that this boy was acting melodramatically for him just like before. It had always rendered him incapable of being cruel to this useless disciple. Now that he was looking at a different face, the master sadly found that the act still worked, and he could only let go of the person and blow his beard with a glare.

Liu Zhenqing covered his ears with a pitiful expression on his face. “Master, why are you still so strong, ah! My ears will be twisted off.”

“Hmph, who made you be disobedient. Sooner or later, I’ll twist them off of you!” After saying this, his master raised his hand to teach him a lesson. In any case, seeing this vexing disciple made his hands itch.

Liu Zhenqing quickly dodged, then saw his master’s familiar disdainful look again.

After his master sat down, the room became quiet once more. Liu Zhenqing’s heart was in a mess. He really didn’t know what to say, so he could only say: “Master, how did you figure it out….”

His master rolled his eyes at Liu Zhenqing and said, “The way you responded to that kid Xiao Huo, the way you acted. I am old, but not blind, and the things you wrote down are nearly the same methods as those you created in the past. I don’t believe that there are such coincidences in this world.”

Liu Zhenqing sat next to his master and massaged his shoulders fawningly, saying: “Then you believe this mysterious thing?”

“The deeper you study medicine, the less likely you are to see any miracles.”

The master traveled often, and had extensive knowledge about life and death. Perhaps there were many legends that were true. Therefore, his master was more accepting of his resurrection than a normal person would be.

“When?” His master asked.

“Five months ago. Liu Xiaozhu was kidnapped and died unexpectedly, and I just came here.”

“What about Ruoruo?” 

“I…..avoided Junior Sister and didn’t let her know.”

His master gave him a strange look. “You didn’t even tell her, but you let Xiao Huo know?”

The look in his master’s eyes made Liu Zhenqing extremely embarrassed. “I originally didn’t want anyone to know, and just planned to live my life again. Er-gou found out by himself.”

When his master heard this, he immediately raised his eyebrows and said, “It is a good thing that you came back. Why not let us know?”

Liu Zhenqing said with a sigh: “It’s not that I didn’t want to recognize everyone, but my identity is equivalent to a fatal poison. Anyone who knew would be infected by this poison, so how could I harm the people I care about? If everyone knew that I was still alive, wouldn’t they want to clear my name? Wouldn’t they want to help me with this matter? I’m afraid that even if I did nothing, they would have a more violent reaction when others say things about me. I don’t want everyone to carry such shackles. Too many people near me have died in the past. Since everyone already faced my death and moved on, why should I bother them unnecessarily? If one more person discovers my existence, it would be dangerous for me and for those who know. I don’t want to put anyone in danger anymore. And as for Junior Sister…..in the end, I still feel guilty and don’t dare to see her.”

“What are you thinking, child, how could Ruoruo have such thoughts!” His master retorted sternly.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “This disciple is tired. With another life to live, I just want to quit working, do nothing, and be a wealthy idler with a leisurely life. I don’t want to face everything in the past anymore.”

His master was slightly stunned, but in the end, he still felt sorry for his disciple. He patted his hand and said: “Then what are you doing now? Following Xiao Huo on adventures? Still getting injured? Let master see how your wound is doing.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to let his master look at his shoulder, where teeth marks were still visible. He said hastily: “Master, even though I am your worst disciple, I still know how to handle my own body. And being with Er-gou…..it is because this branch of the Liu family has gotten into trouble, and I can’t ignore it. I don’t want to be labeled with unfounded charges and live a life of upheaval in the future. I must prove my innocence, so…..”

Before Liu Zhenqing could finish his explanation, he saw his master narrow his eyes slightly and say with a chuckle: “Making up lies again.”

Liu Zhenqing retorted at once: “I’m not.”

Yes, he was actually worried about whether these things were related to the problems he left behind before. He didn’t want the trouble he created to drag others down. Not to mention that Er-gou, who should have been taken care of well by him and Huo Feihan, had taken over the matter. As an older brother, he would always worry when his younger brother did things. But he didn’t dare to tell this to his master in detail, because his master had hated when he did these things back then.

But his master smiled strangely and said: “I’m not a stubborn old man. If you are with Xiao Huo, I won’t say anything about it. He is a talented and handsome man. This master noticed several years ago that Xiao Huo is obsessed with you.”

Liu Zhenqing’s face turned red in an instant, and he said: “Old fellow, you are talking nonsense about your juniors! That is absolutely not the case, Er-gou and I aren’t…..”

“Aiya, you’re being ridiculous!” Liu Zhenqing’s master immediately pinched Liu Zhenqing’s ear and walked the evildoer around amidst pleas for mercy.

Liu Zhenqing covered his ears, and couldn’t help but say stubbornly: “Er-gou and I have never…..”

His master narrowed his eyes in warning.

“Cough, cough, cough. Then Master, how do you know that he’s treating me like…..” Liu Zhenqing asked awkwardly.

His master thought for a moment and let out a helpless sigh, saying: “Leaving aside everything else, he has never actively cooperated with treatment before. I warned him every time that he would only have a few years to live if he continued like this, but he still cooperated passively, as if it didn’t matter if he died. This time, the two of you contacted me for treatment. I was quite surprised. This didn’t seem like Xiao Huo’s behavior. Now he is so actively cooperating with the treatment, and it seems that he wants to live.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned upon hearing this. The potential meaning of his master’s words was so heavy that he couldn’t face it.

“Are you senile? How could this be possible…..”

His master raised a hand, and Liu Zhenqing quickly dodged.

“You are stubborn and unwilling to admit it. Could it be that you don’t have those kinds of feelings for Xiao Huo, and only treat him as a younger brother…..”

Liu Zhenqing nodded reflexively, but in the end, he could only pause.

His master couldn’t see through the calculations in his mind, and said directly: “All right, since we have recognized each other as master and disciple, and you do not wish to continue being Liu Zhenqing, then leave the Liu family affairs alone. Leave it to Xiao Huo, and you can go back to the Medical Valley with your master and live your free and easy life. Your master is getting older, so you should attend to his last needs.”

Liu Zhenqing was shocked from head to feet, and stared at his master in astonishment.

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T/N: Guys, I have so many great stories I want to translate. There’s ancient, modern, horror, survival, all kinds of genres. If I won the lottery, I would just translate all the time. But alas, this translator has a day job.

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Chapter Sixty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-One