Chapter 30: Intoxicated by Maples (Part I Opening)

The maple leaves fluttered, a sea of red stretching to the horizon like a grand, wealthy family marrying off a daughter, with a dowry trailing for miles and a bustling wedding procession. It was as if the sunset had clung to the leaves, frosting them in a crimson hue that stretched infinitely, turning the world into flowing cinnabar.

The donkey cart rumbled over layers of fallen leaves. The path was bumpy, making Yan Kuang feel even more dizzy, until he could not help but grab the side of the cart and pull himself up to a sitting position.

Cheng Ruyi said hurriedly, "Why are you sitting up? Don't worry, don't worry. Once we reach Danhua Village ahead, your injuries will be taken care of..."

Looking at Yan Kuang's deathly pale face, Cheng Ruyi could not help but feel anxious, thinking to himself that it was fortunate they were almost there, as the houses of the village were already faintly visible...

Suddenly, Cheng Ruyi felt a weight on his shoulder.

"Master Yan?"

Cheng Ruyi heard Yan Kuang say in a hoarse voice, "If you truly want me to live, there is no need to take me to find a physician."

Cheng Ruyi thought that Yan Kuang must have lost his mind. Or perhaps his injuries were so severe that the fever had made him delirious.

"Listen to what you are saying... Master Yan, please, just go back and lie down," Cheng Ruyi said, dismissing the comment and continuing to drive the cart forward.

In reality, the opposite was true. Yan Kuang was perfectly clear-headed. He understood that the medical clinics here could not save his life, and they would likely invite other troubles. They had only just left the capital when people had already begun hunting them down with desperate haste. To seek medical attention so rashly would likely reveal the gravity of his injuries—news that would delight his enemies and potentially implicate the innocent. Furthermore—

Cheng Ruyi did not yet know that he was dying.

For Yan Kuang’s body, the mere fact that he was still breathing was a miracle. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of medicine would be able to diagnose his condition.

It was better to... keep it hidden for as long as possible.

Yan Kuang took a deep breath and bluffed, "The injury is minor, but this poison is incurable."

Cheng Ruyi exclaimed in surprise, "How vicious! Wait..."

"That's not right..." Cheng Ruyi reconsidered, then added, "Then how are you still... breathing?"

Yan Kuang knew that the reason he had not yet succumbed to the poison was that its "minor toxicity" was being neutralized by the "ancient poison" already residing within his body. What would truly kill him was his own broken, exhausted shell of a body.

However, he continued to feed Cheng Ruyi nonsense: "This poison takes one to three days to manifest. I am strong and robust, which is why I have held on until now. The only thing in this world that can neutralize it is in that bundle..."

Indeed, his own body, which was on the verge of total exhaustion, required only one thing to prolong its life. As he spoke, Yan Kuang patted the bundle on Cheng Ruyi’s back: "Please, bring me the ice-cracked porcelain bottle inside."

"Alright... alright!" Cheng Ruyi did not dare to delay. He quickly took down the bundle, carefully opened it, and rummaged through it.

Red porcelain, white porcelain, blue and white porcelain... Cheng Ruyi wondered why Yan Kuang had so many porcelain bottles, but he didn't dare stop or make jokes, fearing he might delay the "King of Hell's" chance at survival.

"Found it...!"

Cheng Ruyi held the bottle in his palm. The ice-cracked pattern was azure and translucent, truly resembling shattered ice. The bottle was only the size of a palm, delicate in texture. Although it was porcelain, it felt cool to the touch and moist, as if it were carved from jade.

"Pour one for me," Yan Kuang said.

Cheng Ruyi shook the bottle. There were only about three or four pills left. He hurriedly pulled the stopper, poured one out, and handed it to Yan Kuang.

"Eat it quickly... Do you need water? Oh, swallowing it whole... Don't, don't choke."

The moment he swallowed the pill, a surge of warmth like a rushing river flooded his limbs and bones.

Cheng Ruyi chatted away, patting his chest to help him breathe. Yan Kuang closed his eyes slightly, his five senses recovering rapidly as his blood flowed. In an instant, the sound of the cart wheels, and even the rustle of leaves falling in the wind, became perfectly clear.

"Master Yan... you weren't trying to scare me, were you?" Cheng Ruyi asked cautiously, gently patting Yan Kuang's back.

***

Yan Kuang opened his eyes, meeting a pair of eyes like pearls frozen in frost, now set in a dirty, worried face.

Yan Kuang frowned. "Cheng Ruyi..."

Cheng Ruyi responded immediately, "Yes... Master Yan, what’s wrong?"

"Your hair is greasy. Don't lean in."

"..."

Fengzhou Prefecture, Danhua Village.

The last time Cheng Ruyi had been here, he had accompanied the Prefect of Fengzhou to audit the accounts of Linyang County, which was under the jurisdiction of Danhua Village. It had only been a few months ago, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Cheng Ruyi pulled Yan Kuang in the donkey cart and, after spending some silver, successfully borrowed a vacant farmhouse.

Now that they had a place to stay, the two could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Cheng Ruyi got off to tie up the donkey. Yan Kuang, having just taken the Snow-Clear Pill, felt his strength returning and moved to get off the cart to help.

"Master Yan... slow down!"

Cheng Ruyi rushed to support him, looking him up and down again. "I say, Master Yan... do you really not need a physician to help you bandage those wounds?"

Yan Kuang replied, "No need. I will do it myself."

He had an injury on his leg as well, and his limp was indeed unsightly, so he allowed Cheng Ruyi to support him.

Cheng Ruyi sighed, "I never expected Master Yan to be so frugal and self-reliant... Fine, as you wish, I’ll listen to you."

After helping Yan Kuang into the house and seating him, Cheng Ruyi scanned the small room. It was small, containing only one bed, one table, and three stools, but it was clean. The stove was outside, and other daily necessities were complete. It was enough to settle down for a few days.

Cheng Ruyi said, "Master Yan, you bandage your wounds here, and then get some proper rest. I’m going out to buy some supplies and tonics."

Yan Kuang acknowledged this, then added, "Go to the clinic first and have your own wounds treated."

Cheng Ruyi’s heart tightened at these words. He pursed his lips and said, "Then won't you..."

"Don't worry about me. Go." Yan Kuang closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.

Yan Kuang’s words were always reliable in Cheng Ruyi's heart, and besides, his complexion did not look as frightening as before.

Cheng Ruyi followed his advice and headed out with the silver. It was near dusk, and the sky was heavy, giving the world the feeling of being intoxicated by strong wine.

Danhua Village was named after the sea of maples outside the village, and every household in the village had a maple tree to add to its beauty.

As the night wind blew, a shower of red maple leaves fell. Cheng Ruyi reached out, and a leaf landed in his palm. It was a perfect, vivid red, so beautiful that he couldn't bear to throw it away, so he tucked it into his clothes.

Cheng Ruyi first went to the clinic to have his wounds treated. Fortunately, the "miracle medicine" Yan Kuang had given him earlier had already caused most of the minor wounds to scab over. The deeper wounds on his chest and back, which had been inflamed from the water, no longer felt painful after the medicine was applied.

Feeling lighter in body, his heart naturally felt lighter too.

Cheng Ruyi bought some fresh vegetables, thinking that since there was a stove in the courtyard, he might be able to cook something. He also bought new clothes and shoes for himself and Yan Kuang, and walked back carrying several large bags.

The night moon hung high in the sky. Cheng Ruyi looked up at the clouds drifting with the moon, the stars moving, as if the moon itself were drifting more freely tonight.

Suddenly, Cheng Ruyi tripped—

"Ouch!"

"Hey...!"

He stumbled and nearly fell!

As he steadied himself, he saw a little girl crouching on the ground. It must have been her...

***

Cheng Ruyi reached out to help her, but the little girl stood up on her own, tilting her head with its two little buns, looking at him with curiosity.

Cheng Ruyi said worriedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, little girl! Are you hurt?"

The girl, about ten years old, patted the dust off herself and shook her head. "I'm fine. Sorry, big brother, I almost made you fall... I dropped something and was picking it up; I didn't see you."

Cheng Ruyi was stunned. He had expected the girl to burst into loud tears, followed by her family rushing out with brooms to chase him through the village...

The little girl said crisply, "Big brother, I haven't seen you before... where are you from?"

Cheng Ruyi snapped out of it. "I... I'm just passing through. I'm staying at the entrance of the village over there."

"No wonder... I've never seen such a good-looking big brother... You're even prettier than my sister!" The little girl smiled at Cheng Ruyi.

Cheng Ruyi smiled awkwardly, never expecting to be teased by a little girl until he blushed.

"Little one... it was truly my fault just now. I am so sorry for bumping into you."

Cheng Ruyi pulled a new handkerchief he had just bought from his bundle, bent down, and wiped the dust off the girl's hands. He then noticed the girl was holding a maple leaf, which was also a beautiful red, though somewhat damaged.

"Thank you, pretty brother, I'm really fine!" The girl looked at the handkerchief and said, "Little brother, I got your handkerchief dirty. Give it to me, and I'll take it home, wash it clean, and return it to you."

Facing such a cute little girl, Cheng Ruyi showed a rare, gentle smile.

He nodded, stuffed the handkerchief into the girl's hand, and leaned down with a smile. "Are you looking for pretty maple leaves?"

"Yeah...! That's right, it's a pity this one is broken, it's not pretty anymore..." The little girl pouted.

"Here, take this one!"

As he spoke, Cheng Ruyi pulled out the one he had kept earlier from his clothes. When the girl saw it, her face lit up, and she happily took the red leaf.

"This one is pretty, thank you, little brother!"

"You're welcome, consider it my apology. It's getting late, you should head home soon."

Cheng Ruyi mimicked the girl's tone to tease her, then turned and headed toward the village entrance.

The little girl shouted, "Pretty brother, I'll return the handkerchief to you once I wash it!"

"Alright...!" Cheng Ruyi turned back and smiled at the girl, then headed back to the farmhouse with his bags.

He pushed open the wicker gate, entered the small courtyard, set down the produce, and didn't forget to pat the donkey’s head in the shed.

Entering the house, Cheng Ruyi was about to call out, but found Yan Kuang sleeping while holding his sword, an oil lamp still lit on the table for him.

The sky had darkened, and without light, one always needed to light a lamp.

This "King of Hell" seemed to have lit the lamp for him many times already.

Cheng Ruyi stepped closer softly and discovered that Yan Kuang had actually bandaged his own wounds. Bandages were visible on his arms, thighs, and collar, which looked both somewhat humorous and heartbreaking. Cheng Ruyi sighed, pulled a quilt off the head of the bed, and carefully covered Yan Kuang.

Autumn frosts were heavy and the dew was thick; it was best not to catch a cold...

After putting away the things he had bought and feeding the donkey, Cheng Ruyi rolled up his sleeves and headed to the stove.

He lit the stove with the firewood piled in the courtyard and washed the cabbage he had bought. But the original knife in the kitchen was rusted and unusable.

The King of Hell in the room had a sword... but thinking of his usual bloodthirsty manner, he decided against it.

Cheng Ruyi tore the cabbage by hand, broke up some red scallions, and stir-fried them with eggs, then steamed the buns he had bought.

White steam rose from the pot. Cheng Ruyi reached out to warm his hands. The aunt in the neighbor's courtyard was also cooking, and hearing they were from out of town, she hospitably sent over a few soft rice cakes.