Jinyi Spring

At twelve years old, Xiao Chuchen had already blossomed into a beautiful and refined young woman, standing tall and graceful. Walking along the country lanes, she was enveloped in an indescribable and unique aura, both incongruous with and perfectly natural in the countryside.

Although she was dressed in ordinary clothes, her refined and noble air was undeniable. Though she was only a teenager, her eyes already held a quiet serenity and composure. Though she walked on a dirt road, it was as if she were walking among colorful clouds…

Wang Tu even felt that this child was more like a princess than those princesses and noblewomen raised in the deep palace.

He was extremely gratified, grateful to Doctor Feng, and even thankful for the blessings of heaven.

He didn't dare approach them, but hid far away under a big tree, watching them return to the Feng family home and close the courtyard gate before silently leaving...

The face before me, though many years have passed, still clearly retains the features of that child. Beautiful, spirited, tall, with a unique charm, like a clear mountain spring, like a shimmering orchid under the moonlight…

The man's lips moved, but he still dared not easily utter those weighty words.

He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse and slow, "I... know Doctor Feng, she's a good person."

Feng Chuchen nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "Yes. My aunt was a wonderful person. It's a pity she passed away the year before last."

The man froze, a deep sorrow flashing across his eyes, and murmured, "What a pity... Why don't good people live long?"

Then she looked at Feng Chuchen, her eyes filled with tears, love, and heartache, as if she were watching a child she had risked her life to protect, who had finally grown up.

He smiled again, a smile as gentle as the spring sunshine, shining through layers of gloom, warming one's heart.

"Thank you, Doctor Feng. She taught you so well. And thank you even more, Miss Feng. Master Xuanji said that you pulled me back from the clutches of Yama."

Looking at the barely suppressed fervor and affection in his eyes, Feng Chuchen's eyes also reddened.

She was almost certain that the person in front of her was Wang Tu.

This man, to protect his master, disfigured himself, lived in anonymity, and spent half his life wandering and suffering. He waited for her in the distance for sixteen years, twice risking his life to return to the capital, just to catch a glimpse of her from afar to see if she was well.

She suppressed her surging emotions and gently continued to treat the wound, saying softly, "Uncle, take good care of yourself. Dawn will break, and you will get better."

The man could no longer hold back his tears, which slid down his cheeks as he murmured, "Yes, the sun will rise, it will rise."

The two seemed to have spoken their minds, yet also seemed to have left something unsaid, as if they were still holding onto a final thread.

After treating the wound, Feng Chuchen gave him another acupuncture treatment.

Before leaving, Feng Chuchen bent down to tuck his blanket in and said, "Get some rest. I'll come again."

The man looked at her, a very faint smile curving his lips. "Thank you, Miss Feng. I am unworthy to have you personally heal my wounds."

Feng Chuchen bent over, lowered her head, and looked deeply into his eyes, her gaze solemn and almost dignified.

"You deserve it."

As I stepped out of the courtyard, the sun was already setting in the west.

Instead of returning the way he came, Feng Chuchen turned towards another grove of trees.

Peony panicked, "Miss, you've gone the wrong way! Go that way!"

Feng Chuchen shook his head and walked straight ahead.

As she walked into the woods, she stopped and said to the seemingly empty tree shadows, "Come out. I see you."

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure leaped down from the tree and landed steadily in front of her, clasping his hands in greeting, "Miss Feng."

Feng Chuchen had met this person twice; he was Ming Shanyue's bodyguard.

She whispered, "I have urgent business with Lord Ming. When is the earliest I can see him? Can he leave the city tonight?" She added, "Make sure he is not discovered."

The man glanced at the sun and said, "There's a post station five li from here. I'll go borrow a horse and then get into the city as fast as I can. It's late afternoon now, so we should arrive by late evening at the earliest."

After saying that, he ran away as fast as he could. Feng Chuchen took the peony back to her quarters.

Uncle Wu had just returned from burning incense and said with a smile, "I was just about to go look for the young lady when she came back."

Feng Chuchen was preoccupied with something, so she simply nodded, went back inside, and closed the door.

Peony is still in a daze. She doesn't know who the man with the scar on his face is, why the girl talked to him alone for so long, and it seems she even cried.

Now, he suddenly feels an urgent need to see Lord Ming.

But she didn't ask a single question.

Her current pragmatism stems mainly from Guo Hei's frequent private admonitions: "If the master doesn't speak of her affairs, then don't meddle. To be a good, loyal servant, fighting isn't enough; you also need to ask less, observe more, and think more. Never ask about things the master doesn't want you to know. Do what the master asks you to do without being told..."

Inside the room, Feng Chuchen was restless.

They were afraid that Ming Shanyue wouldn't arrive in time, and even more afraid that the person would be discovered.

The melodious evening drum sounds, each beat steady and unhurried, like the unchanging breath of this ancient temple deep in the mountains.

Feng Chuchen stood by the window, watching the sky darken inch by inch.

In the mountains during early winter, darkness falls early. The setting sun sinks behind the western ridge, leaving only a pale purple afterglow on the horizon. The distant mountains gradually blur their outlines, layer upon layer, merging into the deep twilight.

The mountain wind grew stronger, squeezing in through the cracks in the window, carrying the unique coolness and scent of vegetation characteristic of the deep mountains.

Peony returned carrying a food box. The temple's dining hall was some distance away, and the food had already gone cold, so she took it to the stove to reheat it.

Feng Chuchen only ate a few bites and continued to wait.

The evening drumbeats stopped.

The mountains and fields fell into silence.

As darkness fell completely, countless stars framed a bright moon that appeared in the sky.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the courtyard.

Feng Chuchen walked out of the small house, and Peony, who was guarding the yard, quickly opened the door.

Dressed casually and wearing a straw hat, Ming Shanyue led Guo Hei and Song Xian in quickly.

It's only the beginning of the Xu hour (7-9 PM).

Feng Chuchen was both surprised and delighted, "So fast?"

Yesterday afternoon, Ming Shanyue had just returned to Beijing from the Jokhang Temple when he learned that Feng Chuchen had been invited to the Jokhang Temple to treat the monks and had not yet returned. He was very disappointed; if he had known earlier, he would have gone to find her and personally conveyed Master Yuhui's words to her.

I started to worry when I learned at noon today that she still hadn't returned home.

After leaving his post, he shook off his spies and left the city in plain clothes with his men. Not far from the west gate, he saw Number Thirty-One approaching on horseback.

Thirty-one quickly told him what Feng Chuchen had said.

The group then hurriedly made their way to the Jokhang Temple.

Feng Chuchen and Ming Shanyue went inside, while the others waited outside.

Feng Chuchen lowered her voice and said, "I was asked to treat an uncle who has a large scar on his face. He said he knows Doctor Feng..."

A glint flashed in Ming Shanyue's eyes. "The patient you're seeing isn't a monk, but an uncle with a scar on his face?"

Feng Chuchen nodded excitedly, "Yes. The uncle didn't say who he was, but I'm sure it was him. He seemed to recognize me too..." (End of Chapter)