6 Chapter 6 Why is the girl looking at me like this? _1

As night gradually fell, the group quickened their pace.

The innkeeper's younger daughter, Zhao Le, dressed in action-ready clothes, personally drove the carriage, which sat within the middle of their convoy.

In the carriage, Huang An was lying in the far banck, covered with a thin blanket, still unconscious.

Had it not been for his slight breathing, the carriage driver would have thought him dead.

Zhao Dun lay at the entrance of the carriage, shirt removed, revealing a back full of scars.

This man was covered in wounds, both old and new, from blades, spears, and swords alike.

If Huang An were conscious, he would have noticed a particularly large hole from a scar on Zhao Dun's waist.

Especially noteworthy was a fresh wound, the most prominent of all.

This wound stretched from the shoulder to the middle of the spine, measuring over a foot in length.

This wound came from a blade, the flesh on both sides of it still fresh. Although half a month had passed, the wound remained wide open. The sight of it steeped in blood and filled with yellow pus was terrifying.

The martial arts institute's senior disciple, Pang Han, held the golden sore medicine, his eyes fixed on his master's wound. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his hand was shaking uncontrollably.

Even though he had administered treatment many times, Pang Han was still heartbroken to see the pus getting worse. Of course, there was also an undeniable fear.

A wound of this nature was feared to have rotted deep within, and perhaps even a divine healer would struggle to cure it.

If his master were not an expert from the Bronze Realm, he would have been bedridden long ago, let alone have been able to fight off the bandits today.

"What are you afraid of, as a man?"

As though he knew his disciple, Zhao Dun removed the piece of soft wood he was biting on and rebuked.

"Apply the medicine!"

"Apply it deeply! If there's rotten flesh, cut it off!"

Zhao Dun then put the wooden piece back in his mouth, closing his teeth tightly.

Clearly, he was aware of his condition. After all, a Bronze Realm expert would have control over their entire body and fully understand their physical condition.

Pang Han steadied his mind and comforted:

"Mas...Master, bear with it just a bit more. Once we get into the city, let Doctor Xue take a look at you. I'm sure he can cure you!"

Yet in his confident tone, there was still evident dread, as well as a lingering hesitation he could not hide.

In the world of martial arts, medical skills are indispensable. He had been trained in martial arts from a young age, and he could see the severity of the injuries on his master's body. As the senior disciple of the martial arts institute, all he could do was comfort his master in this way.

Of course, he was also comforting himself.

The sound of a sharp instrument carving flesh came from within the carriage, interspersed with muffled moans from Zhao Dun.

The carriage driver, Zhao Le, held the gold and silver she had taken from Huang An, toying with it as if it were a pebble, appearing to enjoy the game.

However, this elegant young girl with bright eyes and a dazzling smile had streaks of wetness across her delicate face.

Her bright almond eyes were slightly red, and her lips were tightly pursed as though she was holding back tears.

She was fully aware of the severity of her father's injuries. She worried for her father and also for the family martial arts institute.

She lamented her own negligence. She did not know that her father had been seriously injured before the journey started.

After her mother's death, the martial arts institute had struggled. To support their living and practicing martial arts, her father, along with his disciples, had taken on some tasks of escorting merchant caravans. The institute's affairs were managed by her elder sister, and she wondered how things were going back home.

"Ah!"

Zhao Le sighed, her spirits drooping even more.

When she spotted the silver in her hand, she thought back to Huang An, who she had dumped in the corner of the carriage. She muttered to herself:

"Having taken your money, which isn't much, it should be enough to try saving you once. If it's not enough, it could at least buy a piece of land, dig a hole, and bury you. At least you won't be left in the wilderness for the wild dogs to find."

It seemed as if she was convincing herself, the young girl peacefully stashed the silver into her own robe.

Treatments cost money, practicing martial arts cost money, and so did eating, drinking, and basic necessities. Everything needed money, and Zhao Le had always been a little money grubber.

Luckily, she was fond of money, otherwise Huang An would have already been eyed by the thieves and killed off with a quick stab.

Two days later, early in the morning.

In the backyard of the Zhao Family Martial Arts Institute in the west of Feng'an County,

"Hiss!"

Aches spread across his back. Huang An's eyelids twitched, and he finally woke.

Where was this?

Whose bed was he on?

He lightly assessed his physical condition; he was neither hungry nor thirsty.

The time he had been unconscious seemed to be short.

After assessing his own body, Huang An felt puzzled.

"Eh? Doesn't hurt? Could the effect of the cancer-suppressing drug still be active?"

"No, this feels different. I feel about thirty percent stronger than last month!"

Huang An sobered in an instant, quickly recognizing the strong medicinal scent in the air.

Huang An understood that he had been saved by someone. More importantly, the person who saved him had found a way to alleviate his incurable disease.

A look of intense delight flashed in Huang An's eyes.

This world had great promise!

For his first time here, he was given such a surprise.

All of a sudden.

"Ah?"

"You're awake?"

A voice full of surprise sounded from his side.

This was the language of Daming, Huang An understood it.

The speaker was a male, and Huang An deduced it was a teenager going through the voice-changing period.

"Awake, I'm awake!"

Huang An responded with a somewhat unfamiliar voice.

"Wait here, I'll go call big brother!"

The teenager propped Huang An up against the head of the bed, then quickly ran out of the room.

"Thanks!"

As soon as the words left Huang An's mouth, the boy's figure had already disappeared.

He shook his head, wondering why the young boy was in such a rush, then suddenly felt a discomfort in his body.

Drawing a breath in response to the discomfort, Huang An gently massaged the soreness in his back. He must have injured his waist; it was a little painful.

However, it shouldn't be serious.

He felt himself over. His hemp robe had been taken off; he was left in just his underwear, which was still the same set he originally wore.

The dagger was at the head of the bed, but his silver and gold were gone.

A look of stiffness crossed Huang An's face, but quickly relaxed.

He understood in his heart and was not angry. Instead, he eagerly wanted to meet the "senior brother" mentioned by the young man.

Huang An twisted his waist a little, quickly adapted to the state of his body. He didn't get out of bed, but looked around the room.

The room resembled that of a wealthy household in a historical drama, simple yet clean. Although there were few household items and modern furniture, it was very tidy.

Huang An had some understanding now. Based on the information he had before he fainted, he quickly fabricated an appropriate identity for himself and convinced himself of it to avoid exposure in future.

About a minute later, there was a "clang" sound as the door opened.

Huang An looked towards the noise, only to see an energetic young girl bursting into the room.

"Oh, it's great that you're awake, I thought I couldn't save you," she muttered.

Huang An was startled. Was this the "senior brother"?

Did I remember incorrectly?

Did I confuse the terms "senior brother" and "senior sister" in Daming language?

This is a young girl, probably around sixteen or seventeen.

However, Huang An gathered his desired information, that the people here did indeed save him.

Huang An was increasingly excited. He struggled to get up, but then saw another figure entering from outside the door.

He looked up to see a tall woman dressed in white, probably about 1.75 meters tall.

She had a tranquil countenance, and her willow-like eyebrows were extremely beautiful. Her walking posture and expression suggested a stable personality. However, her face bore a look of worry, but it was unclear why.

Huang An stopped getting up. He supposed that the two women who entered consecutively should be sisters, as there was a resemblance between their eyebrows and eyes.

However, he wondered why the young boy from before had disappeared.

These two women were indeed full sisters, the younger sister Zhao Le and the elder sister Zhao Yan. They were the biological daughters of Zhao Dun, the owner of the Zhao Family's martial arts school.

By the time Huang An had appraised the two women, the younger girl in a green dress had already approached.

She cast a glance at Huang An who looked rather haggard, appearing to understand the puzzlement in Huang's eyes, and began to explain:

"My senior brother is taking care of my father, he's not free."

This young girl was indeed clever.

"But my sister and I are here," she added on her own.

Huang An glanced at the two women, struggled to stand up, and once steadied, placed his hands on his stomach, bowed his head, and said:

"Thank you both for saving my life."

He was unsure about his manners, but Huang An thought they weren't too far off. Human social etiquette always has similarities, and so far, the people he has met were all black-haired and brown-eyed, just like him.

Although Huang An spoke with a strange accent, the two sisters didn't mind it. After all, the world is large and diverse, and regional accents are normal.

Seeing that the female youth in the green dress moved her eyes a few times but didn't respond, Huang An forestalled her and said:

"You don't need to worry, … I mean ma'am."

The room was silent for a moment, a tense atmosphere was hanging in the air.

Uncle?

Perhaps this girl needs glasses, so she calls me uncle. Huang An didn't mind.

Suddenly.

"Since you're awake, you can go!"

The woman in white behind him suddenly spoke. Her voice was like an oriole, pleasant and slightly youthful.

However, what she said caught Huang An off guard.

The woman in white moved forward, raised her right hand.

Huang An saw in her hand a handful of silver pieces, which looked very familiar.

Huang An realized, it must be the ten taels of silver he had lost.

He was shocked. He had just woken up, and he was being asked to leave?

Are people here really that unkind?

He can't leave, he still has to be cured! He quickly gestured a refusal, saying:

"Please accept the silver, as a token of gratitude for saving my life. I will pay the rest later!"

Despite Huang An's refusal, the woman in white remained expressionless, still with that worried expression.

She was plainly not focused on Huang An.

Zhao Le glanced at Huang An then at her sister. She snappily took the silver pieces from her sister's hand and shoved them into Huang An's hands.

"Uncle, your life was saved for a tael of gold. Doctor Xue said that the cost of the medicine was also included in that tael of gold."

Having said that, she reluctantly took her eyes off the silver pieces.

Huang An didn't feel the slightest offense, but rather felt a pleasant surprise.

A little money-lover?

That's an opportunity right there.

What excited Huang An even more was that he heard the name "Doctor Xue."

This person must be the one who was able to restore part of his health!

He must find him!

Eager to find Doctor Xue and be saved, Huang An didn't refuse any further. He took the hemp robe from the head of the bed and fumbled to put it on.

Looking back, the woman in white was no longer in sight.

But thankfully, the little money-lover was still there, someone could direct him.

"May I ask your name, miss, and where can I find Doctor Xue? Please guide me. After I cure my illness, I promise a handsome reward!"

Zhao Le didn't want to deal with Huang An anymore, but when she heard "handsome reward," her eyes brightened. Yet, they quickly dimmed again.

She shook her head and replied:

"My name is Zhao Le, the woman who just left is my sister, Zhao Yan."

Huang An nodded, indicating that he had remembered, but then he noticed the sympathy in Zhao Le's eyes. A pang of unease trickled down his spine, and he hurriedly asked:

"Why are you looking at me like that, Miss Zhao?"