Ling Yu's eyes fluttered open. Blinking a few times, she struggled to focus. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar at first, but as her vision cleared, recognition set in. A simple room. Modest furniture. The same layout as Chen Wei's room.
A rented courtyard. The inn. Xue Qin Lou. Cores. Victims. The memories surged back like a flood, crashing into her all at once. A dull ache pulsed at her temples, and she grimaced, instinctively lifting a hand to her head. When she tried to sit up, a sharp wave of dizziness made her sway.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Lin Qian stepped inside, carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of medicine. Behind her, Xu Yun followed, a basin of warm water in her hands.
"You're awake," Lin Qian said, setting the tray on the small table beside the bed. Her tone was gentle yet firm. "Slowly now. Don't get up too fast—you'll get dizzy and might throw up."
Lin Qian reached for Ling Yu's right wrist, checking her pulse.
"Did I pass out? What's wrong with me?" Ling Yu asked, confusion lacing her voice.
Xu Yun took out a piece of cloth from the basin, wrung it out, and started to wipe Ling Yu's hands, face, and neck. The warmth of the cloth was soothing, and despite her lingering confusion, Ling Yu found herself enjoying the pampering.
"There's nothing wrong with you, just exhaustion," Lin Qian explained patiently. "I told you that you needed to rest, or your body would force you to. Well, it happened sooner than I thought. And," she added, her tone gentle, "the fact that you just started your first period doesn't help."
Xu Yun smiled. "Congratulations. You are officially an adult."
Ling Yu's mouth fell open in awe. "I'm—I'm an adult? That's awesome! Ouch!" She winced, clutching her head again.
Both doctors chuckled. "Rest. Even though you've been unconscious for most of the day, you still need to recover," Lin Qian said.
Ling Yu's head bobbed slowly in agreement. She felt like she had been hit by a carriage. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably, making her groan. She was about to lie back down when something jolted her memory, and she shot upright.
"Wait! What about the victims in Xue Qin Lou? What time is it?" Panic surged through her as she reached for her shoes, only to be stopped by both doctors.
"Please! Let me go! I need to save the victims! Wait! Where's Iron Wall?"
Xu Yun, struggling to hold her back, frowned. "You can't go. You're too weak. And—who's Iron Wall?"
"That tall guy!"
Lin Qian chuckled. "His name is Xuan Tian. Don't call him Iron Wall."
Ling Yu lifted her chin, undeterred. "He is tall, stubborn, and unbending. Iron Wall."
She resumed trying to put on her shoes, determined.
"Ling Yu, stop," Lin Qian said firmly, placing a hand over hers.
"Xuan Tian already left not long ago. Despite what you might think, he is more than capable of handling things on his own. Please, let him do what he set out to do. Trust him. We do."
Ling Yu looked at Lin Qian and Xu Yun. She saw that they really did trust Xuan Tian. She sighed. "It's not that I don't trust him, but I really think he can't do this alone. You didn't see the number of warriors. There were more than twenty! And Iron Wall said there will be escorts too! He'll be overwhelmingly outnumbered! Aren't you worried about your friend?!"
Ling Yu pushed further. "Iron Wall is only a Low Immortal. He will not be able to handle twenty warriors on his own."
Lin Qian and Xu Yun blinked, staring at Ling Yu as if she had grown a second head. General Xuan Tian is a Low Immortal? Where did she get that information? Had the General himself told her that? Was this part of his plan?
Their minds raced. If Xuan Tian had deliberately given Ling Yu false information, then contradicting her now might jeopardize whatever he was trying to do. The two doctors exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.
Mistaken by the two doctors' silence, Ling Yu believed she was right and became even more determined to go. "So now you see why I have to go. I'm going to help your friend."
Lin Qian saw that she could not stop Ling Yu from going unless she explained that Xuan Tian was not a Low Immortal. And yet, Ling Yu really could not go. It was too dangerous for her, and she might hinder Xuan Tian.
Lin Qian made a bold decision. "Okay, you can go. But I'm coming with you."
Xu Yun, hearing that, immediately added, "Me too!"
Lin Qian turned to her. "You need to stay here. You have to make sure that Lei Wen and Zhao Zhi don't know that we're gone. If they do, they'll follow us, and Xuan Tian will definitely be angry."
"But with just the two of you, it is still dangerous. For Lei Wen and Zhao Zhi, we can leave a letter. They won't follow us since they're not stupid enough to disrupt Xuan Tian," Xu Yun persisted logically.
Ling Yu's eyes lit up. "Why don't you make clones of us so they won't know we're gone?"
Xu Yun chuckled helplessly. "With our cultivation, we can't make one clone, let alone three."
Lin Qian nodded in agreement.
Ling Yu was stunned. "Iron Wall's cultivation is higher than yours?"
Xu Yun sighed. "Much higher."
Ling Yu did a mental calculation. Does that mean they are Low Immortal Stage 1 and Iron Wall is Low Immortal Stage 3? She could hardly believe it—because she absolutely did not believe it. There was no way Iron Wall was that strong!
Ling Yu looked up to see the doctors staring at her with an odd expression. "What?"
Xu Yun, slowly, "He is… that strong."
Ling Yu suddenly realized she had spoken aloud about Xuan Tian's cultivation. She clamped her mouth shut in embarrassment. I can't believe I just insulted their friend.
"Okay," she said hastily, eager to change the subject. "Let's leave a letter and go. We have to hurry. We need to catch up with Xuan Tian."