Chapter 8

Fire Sparrow Herb was a fire-element herb. Its leaves were poisonous; in winter, a small amount could ward off the cold, but too much would be fatal. Out of an entire Fire Sparrow Herb plant, only one leaf could be used, and even then, it took five stalks to make a single dose of medicine.

Xie Tinglan remembered what Ri Xi had once told her. After that, she had sent people out to search for Fire Sparrow Herb so she could take it every month. Unfortunately, the herb was rare, and it was impossible to find it every month. If she didn’t take it, she would have to endure the torment of the bone-deep cold poison.

She had never expected Yushan to have it. After all, medical texts recorded that Fire Sparrow Herb grew in the dry, hot southeast and withered in autumn and winter. Yushan was in the north, where the weather stayed cool and cold year-round, especially in autumn and winter. By rights, it shouldn’t have been suitable for Fire Sparrow Herb to grow here.

The sun was lovely today. Xie Tinglan held a book and lay back in the bamboo chair outside the thatched hut. Bands of sunlight fell across her ice-blue robes, gilding her in a soft wash of gold; she looked like an immortal living in seclusion in the mountains.

Ye Rui had gone out early in the morning to gather herbs. Before leaving, she had made Xie Tinglan a simple breakfast and brewed her tea.

Xie Tinglan hadn’t enjoyed such a leisurely life in a long time. During this period, being far away from the clamor of the imperial court, far away from that place where even the air seemed thick with schemes, had made her lose some of her sense of danger.

At that moment, a black shadow dropped from the roof of the thatched hut and knelt beside Xie Tinglan’s feet. Lowering his head, he said, “My lord, Duke of Wei is trying to use your convalescence as an excuse to handle the Ministry of War’s military pay ledgers on your behalf.”

“Expected.”

Xie Tinglan merely smiled when she heard this. She picked up the tea beside her and took a sip, then couldn’t help frowning.

The tea she bought was still this awful.

“Then, my lord, how should we respond?”

Xie Tinglan turned to look at Yin Yue, who had her head bowed low. After a moment of distraction, she replied, “How did that one respond?”

“That one said he would consider it.”

Xie Tinglan gave a cold laugh, shaking her head with a smile. “It’s fine. If he wants to help, let him. This marquis has her own ways of making him understand that this ledger is not something just anyone can lay hands on.”

Yin Yue nodded, then said, “My lord, the weather has turned cooler recently. It may not be appropriate to remain in the mountains any longer. Could we return?”

Xie Tinglan naturally knew the weather had turned colder, because every night after dark, the chill made her bones ache with a prickling pain like needles.

“Hm…”

Xie Tinglan drew out the sound. Yin Yue knew it wasn’t an answer; she was thinking.

“Come again in three days.”

Xie Tinglan’s fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the bamboo chair, producing a very soft rhythm, like the wind in the mountains.

“Yes.”

After Yin Yue left, Xie Tinglan glanced at the spot where she had been standing and couldn’t help thinking of Ye Rui. Ye Rui was the sort of person who would never kneel before her; she wouldn’t even be willing to lower her head. If she knew her identity…

No, Xie Tinglan believed she wouldn’t lower her head.

At noon, Ye Rui came back in high spirits, taking the Fire Sparrow Herb out of her small basket with a look that said you can’t back out now. “Here. Five stalks of Fire Sparrow Herb. You’re not allowed to welsh on the deal.”

After Hu Tu’s prompt showed that the side quest was complete, Ye Rui’s steps had felt lighter. Whether it was because her agility had improved or because she was happy, she had also come back faster.

“How much are you planning to sell it for?”

Ye Rui set the basket down, gathered the Fire Sparrow Herb together, and turned to look at Xie Tinglan, who was reading with her head lowered.

Sensing Ye Rui’s burning gaze, Xie Tinglan slowly lifted her head, one hand pressing the page flat while the other held up five fingers toward Ye Rui.

“Five taels?”

Ye Rui’s eyes lit up. In Great Yan, one tael was equal to one thousand copper coins; the clothes she bought only cost three hundred copper coins, and even a bowl of plain noodles was only three copper coins. If these five stalks of medicinal herb could earn five taels, that would be enough for her to spend for a long time.

Seeing Ye Rui’s answer, Xie Tinglan first paused, then slowly lowered her hand and leaned slightly forward. “Is your ambition only worth five taels?”

Ye Rui immediately sat down across from Xie Tinglan and said, “If only I knew what this medicine was worth…”

“No.”

Xie Tinglan interrupted her, then continued, “What you should know is what this medicine is worth to me.”

After hearing that, Ye Rui was momentarily speechless. Xie Tinglan was very serious when she spoke, like a teacher patiently guiding her through something; she didn’t sound like she was mocking her mistaken guess.

“Then how much is this medicine worth to you?”

Ye Rui also grew serious. She was good at learning and liked learning very much; since Xie Tinglan intended to teach her something, she would gladly accept the lesson.

“Shouldn’t you be finding that answer yourself?”

After saying that, Xie Tinglan lowered her head and continued reading. There were still twenty or thirty pages left; if she read quickly, she might even finish before tonight was over.

Ye Rui thought it made sense. She stood up and walked around the table once, sizing Xie Tinglan up. Xie Tinglan didn’t seem uncomfortable at all; she let Ye Rui keep looking at her in that odd way, though she couldn’t make out a single word on the page anymore.

After circling once, Ye Rui sat back down. With great confidence, she said, “Last time I held you while you slept, you were shaking all over. You must be very afraid of the cold.”

“And Fire Sparrow Herb has the character for fire in its name, so it must make your body less afraid of the cold.”

After she finished, Xie Tinglan looked at Ye Rui. She didn’t say whether Ye Rui was right or wrong. Ye Rui wasn’t flustered either; instead, under Xie Tinglan’s slightly provocative gaze, she voiced the suspicion in her heart. “That night, your trembling was abnormal, and your body was stiff. I’m guessing you have some hidden ailment, and this still needs the help of Fire Sparrow Herb.”

Xie Tinglan looked back at the writing in the book, and when she heard Ye Rui say “shaking all over,” she immediately felt as though fire were burning at her ears.

“Then how much do you think this Fire Sparrow Herb is worth?”

Xie Tinglan closed the book, her fingertips idly brushing over the title on the cover, though what she was really weighing was Ye Rui’s thoughts.

“Fifty taels.”

Ye Rui copied Xie Tinglan and held up five fingers. Xie Tinglan’s gaze swept over Ye Rui’s slender fingers; her eyes trembled slightly before she looked away, and the five fingers pressing against the book couldn’t help but tighten.

“How much do you think I’m worth in silver, as a person?”

It took Xie Tinglan two breaths to rein in the too-obvious thoughts in her eyes. When she looked at Ye Rui again, she had already regained her composure and clarity.

Ye Rui pressed her lips together, and a rare troubled expression appeared on her face. After a long silence, she said, “I think people aren’t goods; they can’t be measured in silver.”

Hearing that, Xie Tinglan couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You’re not suited to being a merchant.”

Ye Rui pouted and shrugged. “I never wanted to be a merchant anyway.”

“Then what do you want to be?”

Xie Tinglan’s questions came one after another, but Ye Rui didn’t feel overwhelmed. Instead, she felt that Xie Tinglan intended to dig out what she was capable of. Ye Rui understood that the woman before her was no ordinary person; if she could build a little more connection with her, it might be useful for her future travels in this country.

Ye Rui had thought of many possibilities before, and in the end, she decided this woman was probably inseparable from that Xie wolf. In Sanyuan Town, people said Xie the Wolf had been attacked and was recuperating at his residence. Just then, this woman had appeared covered in injuries; most likely, she was on the same side as that Xie wolf.

“Things that use the brain and things that use strength both work.”

Ye Rui thought of how the points added after System tasks seemed to involve physical stats. That made her suspect the road ahead was somewhat specialized.

“My archery is pretty accurate. Maybe if I train my body more in the future, I could be a guard or something.”

Hearing this, Xie Tinglan looked Ye Rui up and down and silently sighed. Although this person learned quickly, there was still much she needed to learn; she couldn’t even recognize all the characters yet.

“Not bad.”

That was Xie Tinglan’s two-character evaluation, but Ye Rui still hadn’t gotten her answer. “Then if I sell you these five stalks of Fire Sparrow Herb, how much are they actually worth?”

Xie Tinglan merely smiled. “I’ll tell you in three days.”

Ye Rui clicked her tongue and muttered, “So mysterious.”

That night, fine rain really did drift down over the mountains. Threads of misty rain fell thick and dense, and the cold wind swept in, making the window rattle nonstop. Xie Tinglan slept by the bed. Even though Ye Rui had already bought her a thicker quilt, she still couldn’t endure the chill rising from her bones; it almost felt as if every inch of her flesh and blood was being frozen until it split apart.

“Y-Ye Rui.”

Xie Tinglan’s voice was trembling. She turned to look at the person sprawled in a starfish shape on the dried grass. Just as she was about to call her again, that person seemed to sense something and woke groggily.

Ye Rui sat up. Seeing Xie Tinglan curled up and trembling all over, while the window swayed in the wind and rain, she immediately woke up more than half the way and hurried over.

“Should I hold you while you sleep?”

Ye Rui sat by the bed. When she saw Xie Tinglan nod, she immediately lay down, turned onto her side, lifted the cotton quilt, slipped inside, and drew Xie Tinglan into her arms.

Familiarity came with repetition. This time, Ye Rui was a little more practiced, and Xie Tinglan was not as resistant either; she even nudged her way into Ye Rui’s embrace like a little cat.

“You, you stop moving around.”

Ye Rui didn’t know whether Xie Tinglan was doing it on purpose or not. Her face kept rubbing against the softness in front of Ye Rui’s chest, as if she were looking for a comfortable place to settle down and sleep.

Perhaps hearing Ye Rui’s words, Xie Tinglan stopped moving, and her body was no longer trembling as badly as before. But after a while, she let out a soft laugh; her breath scattered over Ye Rui’s collarbone, making goosebumps rise on Ye Rui’s skin beneath the warm quilt.

“Are you that afraid of what I might do to you?”

As she spoke, Xie Tinglan’s hand slid to Ye Rui’s waist. Her fingertips traced a rhythmic curve along Ye Rui’s side, as if hinting at some unspoken desire. The skin beneath those fingertips was stiff and trembling; every shiver seemed like a sign of restraint, until Xie Tinglan’s lips lightly brushed Ye Rui’s collarbone…

Ye Rui suddenly flipped over and rose up, straddling Xie Tinglan’s abdomen, and quickly lifted Xie Tinglan’s hands above her head to pin her down. Xie Tinglan’s black hair and silver hair were scattered across the bed. Under the lamplight, her gaze flickered; with both hands held high, her body was completely restrained, yet there wasn’t the slightest fear on her face.

Clearly the prey, yet her posture was that of a hunter. In that instant, Ye Rui simply couldn’t figure this person out.

“If you keep teasing me, then even if you’re that feared and loathed treacherous chancellor, Xie the Wolf, I’ll…!”

When the woman heard the words Xie the Wolf, her eyes seemed to brighten a little; the smile in them deepened. “You’ll what?”

Ye Rui blushed deeply and had nothing more to say.

“Coward.”

In the darkness, Xie Tinglan’s soft laugh sounded again, carrying a trace of mockery, but also a kind of unfathomable indulgence.

Author’s Note:

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It’s here, it’s here; the synopsis is here! Hehehe~

I feel like I was a big orange cat again today [dog head][dog head][yellow heart][yellow heart]

There’ll be more tomorrow too; I feel like if I stop here and there isn’t a chapter tomorrow, you’ll all form a team and come beat me up. [dog head]