Finest Servant

Chapter 534 Reunion with Yueya'er

"Little Li has been hit with eight arrows. Four of them went through both of his hands and feet, one in each of the Jianjing acupoints on his shoulders, and one in the large Quepen acupoint. He also has arrows in his Tianchi acupoints on the right rib and left chest. From what I can see, his main problem is the injury to the Tianchi acupoint in his left chest. This has led to the blockage of his Qi and blood flow, making it difficult for him to regain consciousness. Additionally, I suspect that there must be a clot in his lower abdomen near the Dantian, which is causing him unbearable pain and obstructed Qi and blood flow. To treat this, we need to use saffron as the primary ingredient, mixed with honey, balloon flower, and young chrysanthemums to smooth the meridians," Gao Qiu explained in great detail, his hands moving with fervor as if he were a medical expert.

Terms like 'Tianchi', 'Jianjing', and 'Qi', were beyond comprehension for many. Hu Bugui was wiping sweat from his nose, and Lin Wanrong was also tense, breaking out in cold sweat. According to Gao Qiu's explanation, Little Li's symptoms resembled menstrual cramps. Was Gao Qiu some sort of gynecologist?

"Uh, Brother Gao, can you simplify that?" Lin Wanrong wiped his forehead, full of lingering fear. "Just tell us why Little Li's heart is still beating, but he can't wake up."

Gao Qiu nodded solemnly, "Based on my experience in the martial world and in healing the injured, although the arrows have been removed from Little Li, his meridians are still under abnormal pressure, causing—"

"Brother Gao, are you saying that Little Li's nerves in his chest are compressed, causing insufficient blood supply to the brain and that's why he can't wake up?" Lin Wanrong interrupted, getting straight to the point.

Gao Qiu clapped his hands joyfully, "Exactly, that's what I mean! Ah, Brother Lin, I didn't expect you to be as skilled in medical science as I am. You understood after just a brief explanation!"

"Skilled in medical science? Ptoei!" Lin Wanrong spat disdainfully, clearly not impressed with Gao Qiu's so-called expertise.

Hu Bugui sensed the tension and took Gao Qiu aside, whispering, "Brother Gao, how many patients have you successfully treated before?"

Gao Qiu replied confidently, "Old Hu, you still don't trust me? In my twenty years wandering the martial world, every patient who has come into my hands has recovered. Well, except for those who died."

Hu Bugui rolled his eyes and was utterly speechless.

Four hours had passed since they left Bayanhot. The sky gradually lightened, and the morning mist on the prairie was cool and dewy. It dampened the horses' hooves and moistened everyone's cheeks. Four warriors were carefully carrying Little Li's stretcher. The soldiers spontaneously placed Little Li in the center, shielding him from the cold wind and rain.

Among the five thousand soldiers, when it came to martial prowess, Gao Qiu was undoubtedly the finest. Skilled both in martial arts and medicine, one would assume that Gao Qiu would also excel in the medical field. Surprisingly, he turned out to be all talk and no action. Despite his elaborate explanations, he was less clear than Lin Wanrong's straightforward insights. It seemed as though all the time Gao Qiu could have spent mastering medicine had been squandered wandering the eight great alleys of the capital city.

However, Li Wuling was gravely injured, and among the five thousand soldiers, only Gao Qiu had some semblance of medical expertise; everyone else fell far short. Lin Wanrong looked at Li Wuling, whose eyes were tightly shut and face was pale, gripping his hand and letting out a silent, bitter smile.

Seeing Lin Wanrong remain silent, Gao Qiu blushed for once, awkwardly laughing. "Brother Lin, don't worry. Li Wuling is blessed with a strong constitution. He'll pull through, no matter what."

Lin Wanrong had a rough idea of the situation. Li Wuling was likely in his state due to an arrow wound to the left chest, compressing a nerve and leading to poor blood circulation and respiratory difficulty, further causing him to fall into a deep coma. In his past life, such a critical condition could have been addressed through thoracic surgery. But here they were, in the vast open plains, with five thousand warriors and not a single one capable of performing the necessary surgery.

Lin Wanrong nodded reluctantly and sighed, "Brother Gao, what do you suggest we do to improve Li Wuling's blood circulation?"

Knowing that Lin Wanrong was also an expert in the medical field, Gao Qiu dared not bluff anymore. He cautiously responded, "I've already applied top-grade wound medicine to prevent his wound from festering. However, his internal injuries are difficult to manage. He needs both internal and external treatments to invigorate blood circulation. This would require high-quality medicinal herbs. Li Wuling's heartbeat is extremely weak right now, and he's barely holding on. If we don't treat him promptly, I fear the worst."

Gao Qiu wasn't lying this time. Li Wuling's feeble breathing was evident to all. But where could they find top-quality herbs for activating blood flow in these vast plains? Their army had packed lightly for the journey, even common herbs were in limited supply, let alone premium ones.

A somber silence fell over the crowd; no one knew what to say. Li Wuling's miraculous recovery had given the isolated army an enormous boost in morale and confidence. Losing him again would be a devastating blow to everyone.

"Where can we find the medicinal herbs?" Lin Wanrong muttered, his brows tightly furrowed.

The five thousand cavalry rode swiftly, bathed in the colors of the morning dawn. The clopping hooves trembled the plains. The only sounds were those of the horses; even coughs were absent, as the atmosphere was filled with concern for Li Wuling's condition.

"Report!" A scout rode in from the front, startling Lin Wanrong out of his silence. "General, we've discovered traces of the enemy twelve miles ahead!"

"What?!" Lin Wanrong was shocked. Although he had been prepared for such an eventuality, he could never have expected that the Turks would appear so close—only twelve miles away—after just a few hours.

Hu Bugui wore a face of astonishment and urgently asked, "Where did these cavalry come from? How many are there?"

The scout shook his head, "General, it's not Turkic cavalry. It's a caravan of Turkic people, totaling only a few hundred."

"A caravan of Turkic people?"

Lin Wanrong paused, then broke into elation. "If it's a caravan, they must have medicinal herbs!"

Hu Bugui caught on quickly and said, "Exactly. Tea leaves, silk, and herbs—every caravan from the nomad lands that have been to our Great China would have these treasures. Little Li has a chance now!"

Lin Wanrong gestured broadly, "Order all scouts ahead to hide and keep an eye on the caravan's actions. No one moves without my command."

"Understood!" The scout hurriedly rode off. Hu Bugui exhaled deeply and excitedly pumped his fist, "This is truly rain after a long drought, getting exactly what we needed. The caravans from the Turks never leave our Great Hua empty-handed; they must have excellent herbs."

Lin Wanrong remained silent for a moment before asking, "Brother Hu, have you ever wondered why a Turkic caravan would appear in front of us during this time of war and chaos?"

Hu Bugui was no fool; alarmed, he replied, "General, are you suggesting that this is a trap?"

Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, "I can't be sure if it's a trap. But their timing and location are far too coincidental—so close to Bayanhot, right after our surprise attack on it!"

Once reminded, Hu Bugui also found the situation exceedingly strange. However, he was not fully convinced it was a scheme from the Turkic people. Firstly, news of the attack on Bayanhot must have only recently reached them; they could not have dispatched a caravan beforehand to wait for them on the plains. Secondly, there was no need for such tricks. If the Turks discovered them, they could simply send a large cavalry force to annihilate them. What would be the point of sending a caravan?

Lin Wanrong had considered all the doubts Hu Bugui had. They were the same questions puzzling him. Could it truly just be a fortuitous meeting?

"A caravan of Turkic people?" Gao Qiu, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head mysteriously and said, "Brother Lin, could it be that person?"

He clenched his hands, put them to his mouth, and mimicked blowing a horn. Lin Wanrong was utterly baffled, "Brother Gao, which person are you talking about?"

Gao Qiu chuckled, "Have you forgotten? The one we met in Xingqing, whose rouge you've tasted—"

"Yueya'er?" Lin Wanrong was shocked. At a time like this, Gao Qiu was still thinking about a Turkic woman. Besides, Yueya'er played the jade flute, not the horn as Gao Qiu was miming. The two were as different as heaven and earth!

Gao Qiu nodded solemnly, "It's highly likely. Brother Lin, think about it. Of all the Turkic caravans we've encountered recently, only this one stands out. If it's not that Turkic lass, then who could it be?"

Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of caravans traveling between Great Hua and the Turkic lands. How could one be certain that this was Yueya'er's? It seemed that Gao Qiu wouldn't rest until he had abducted a Turkic woman.

"General, what do we do now?" Hu Bugui whispered, "Should we intercept this caravan or not?"

Lin Wanrong stared at the sleeping face of Li Wuling on the stretcher and clenched his teeth. "For the sake of Little Li, we have no other choice! Brother Hu, Brother Gao, come with me. Go!"

With a crack of his whip, his Turkic horse neighed and soared forward, galloping away and disappearing into the distant horizon like a tiny speck of dust. Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu hurriedly spurred their horses to follow him.

After a while, they could see, from a distance, a few scouts of their own hiding in the thick grass. Lin Wanrong dismounted and landed beside them, whispering, "Any word on the caravan?"

Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu caught up as the scout whispered back, "The caravan is about one point five miles away. They should be passing through here shortly."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Lin Wanrong nodded without saying another word, and the three of them lay in wait with the scouts.

The damp grass chilled them to the bone, a mingling scent of earth and fresh grass in the air. Lin Wanrong took a deep breath, feeling invigorated.

Ting-a-ling— Ting-a-ling—

From afar, the pleasant sound of camel bells echoed gently, gradually filling everyone's ears. About thirty fine horses slowly came into view. Turkic merchants, riding atop these steeds, wore exotic robes and carried sabers at their waists. Their deep blue eyes glinted mysteriously. Unaware of the danger lurking ahead, they proceeded leisurely, laughing and shouting.

In the middle of the caravan were dozens of large wagons. From the creaking wheels and the burdened camels, one could surmise that these wagons were laden with valuable goods.

"Hmm, where's Yueya'er?" Gao Qiu, hiding next to Lin Wanrong, scanned the surroundings. He had adopted the name "Yueya'er," initially given to the Turkic girl by Lin Wanrong. Despite looking all around, all he saw were Turkic men; no sign of a woman, let alone the celestial beauty that was "Yueya'er." Disappointment was evident in his expression.

Lin Wanrong chuckled. It was better that "Yueya'er" wasn't in the caravan. Otherwise, when the time came to act, would he kill her or spare her?

Suppressing his inner laughter, he saw that the caravan had entered their strike zone. Just as he was about to give the order, he heard a crisp 'ding.' A petite, vibrant blue-roan-colored horse suddenly sprang out from the caravan. The rider wore a golden hat and a red skirt bordered in black and threaded in gold. The rider’s long, powerful legs were evident, and her figure swayed like a willow. While the horse galloped, a veil fluttered across the rider's face, revealing glistening skin that shimmered golden in the faint morning light. Her eyes, moist as spring water, held a tinge of deep blue. When she smiled, her eyes narrowed, resembling the most beautiful crescent moon in the sky!

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