50: Internal Energy Affliction
By now, the back mountain of Chaoquan Peak was in complete disarray. Lu Yanran carried Fu Peibai into Yun Ruoling's medicine hall. The large doors were tightly shut, leaving everyone outside with anxious faces, chattering among themselves.
"What happened to Little Bai? I saw blood on his face just now. How did that happen? Wasn't today the inner disciple examination? Could someone have beaten him that badly?"
"Oh dear, this Fu boy really has a hard life. How many injuries does he suffer in a year? It's truly miserable."
"Isn't that the truth? He left saying he was going to learn martial arts, not to suffer. Now he comes back looking like this. If they had known, he might as well have stayed peacefully on our peak. Why did he have to go learn martial arts?"
"Waaah, waaah. Brother A-Pei, Brother A-Pei won't die, will he?"
When Meng Yan heard this, he slapped the back of Huo Jiaran's head. "Bah, bah, bah! What are you saying? Your Brother A-Pei is perfectly healthy. Tomorrow he'll be full of life again."
Huo Jiaran pouted and sobbed, trying hard not to let the tears fall.
A group of older women nearby began whispering among themselves. "Hey, did you see that just now? Our Peak Master actually carried Little Bai back without any regard for the distinction between men and women. Do you think the two of them might be..."
"Don't say it, but it's true. The Peak Master's face looked terrible just now, so full of worry. In my opinion, it must be..."
But before these women could finish speaking, Meng Yan loudly shouted them down. "What are you lot gossiping about! Are you that idle? Go chop firewood and cook! Disperse, all of you!"
The people had never seen Meng Yan lose his temper like this. In an instant, they scattered like birds and beasts.
Only Meng Yan, Ding Yi, A-Fu, and little Huo Jiaran remained standing outside the door.
None of them spoke. They simply stood there with heavy expressions.
Inside the room, Yun Ruoling was taking Fu Peibai's pulse. After a long while, she withdrew her hand, her expression grave. "Little Bai's body has become very strange now. How should I put this? Peak Master, you can imagine her body as a vessel. Previously, the two energies, cold and hot, were fighting within her, but they actually achieved a delicate balance."
"But when she suddenly had that episode last time, by some fortunate coincidence, the cold energy in her body dissipated. This left the hot energy to dominate, continuously generating from within Little Bai. It has already exceeded the limit of what her body can contain. When something is too full, it declines. When things reach an extreme, they reverse. She cannot withstand it, nor can she control this powerful force."
Lu Yanran glanced at the unconscious Fu Peibai and frowned. "How can it be resolved?"
Yun Ruoling's face was filled with worry. "My medical skills are too shallow. I do not know how to resolve this. For such a difficult affliction, only one person in the world can cure it."
"Who?"
"The Medical Sage. But the Medical Sage has long since retired from the martial world. No one knows his whereabouts now."
"So you are saying her illness has no cure?"
"Only by finding the Medical Sage can we attempt a cure. The hot energy in Little Bai's body has subsided this time, but her body is like a vessel with a fuse buried inside. If the hot energy erupts again, perhaps it will not be as simple as coughing up blood."
Lu Yanran reached out. Her slender fingers rested on the corner of Fu Peibai's mouth, gently wiping away the remaining blood.
Her voice remained calm, but her fingertips trembled slightly. "Then is there a way to suppress it?"
"I am not yet clear on the reason for this sudden surge of hot energy. We should ask Little Bai after she wakes."
Lu Yanran gave a low hum of acknowledgment. "Watch over her for now. I will arrange for people to search for the Medical Sage's whereabouts."
……
After what felt like an eternity, the tightly closed door of the medicine hall finally opened. Meng Yan could not contain himself and stretched his neck to peer inside. "Peak Master, is Little Bai alright?"
"She is fine for now. She has not yet regained consciousness. Do not go inside and disturb her." Lu Yanran then turned to A-Fu. "Go find Xing Guang."
"Yes, Peak Master."
A-Fu departed. Outside the door remained Lu Yanran, Meng Yan, Ding Yi, and little Huo Jiaran. The atmosphere among them was somewhat heavy.
Meng Yan had a dark expression, his face full of worry. Ding Yi was afraid of Lu Yanran, so he did not dare to speak. As for Huo Jiaran, having just been scolded by Meng Yan, he wanted to cry but did not dare to. He could only wring his hands and sniffle.
The group fell silent. Only when the door opened again and Yun Ruoling walked out did the stillness break. She told them she was going to fetch some dried herbs, then hurried away. The atmosphere among those remaining once again sank into silence.
Lu Yanran noticed that the three of them seemed uncomfortable standing there with her, so she intended to walk to another spot. But the moment she took a step, a small, chubby hand grabbed the hem of her robe. She looked down and saw Huo Jiaran with a pouted mouth and a tearful expression.
"Sister Peak Master, what happened to Brother A-Pei?"
Lu Yanran was not skilled at dealing with children. She could only soften her voice as much as possible and speak to Huo Jiaran. "She is fine. She will be better after a sleep."
Huo Jiaran's round little eyes glistened. "Really?"
Lu Yanran stared at those eyes and suddenly thought that Fu Peibai must have had eyes just as round and clear when she was young.
This thought led her to imagine what Fu Peibai might have looked like as a child. She had heard Fu Peibai talk about some childhood memories before. Surely she would have been running freely through the fields, a bold smile on her face, full of wild joy.
"Sister Peak Master..."
Huo Jiaran's soft voice drifted over, pulling Lu Yanran from her wandering thoughts.
"Really." She bent down and patted the boy's head. "Let me take you back first. Brother A-Pei will feel bad if he wakes up and sees you waiting here all this time."
Huo Jiaran still had a bubble of snot on his face, but a smile bloomed again, revealing two little tiger teeth.
Lu Yanran smiled faintly. The little boy's hands were habitually black from playing all day, but she did not find it unpleasant. She took those small hands and led Huo Jiaran toward a cottage in the distance, leaving Meng Yan and Ding Yi standing there dumbfounded.
Only after the figures of the woman and the boy had walked far away did Meng Yan nudge Ding Yi with his elbow. "Ding Yi, pinch me."
Ding Yi said "Oh" and gave Meng Yan's arm a vicious pinch.
Meng Yan jumped up from the pain and yelped, "You brat, what are you doing!"
"Didn't you tell me to pinch you?" Ding Yi asked innocently.
"I told you to pinch me, not to pinch me to death!"
Ding Yi shrugged. "My apologies then, Brother Meng." But in his heart, he thought that he had barely used any strength. How could this grown man be more afraid of pain than a woman?
Meng Yan rubbed his sore arm and asked, "Did you see the Peak Master's demeanor just now?"
"I saw it. It was truly hard to describe. Very strange."
Meng Yan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Right? Right? When I saw the Peak Master like that just now, I practically thought I was dreaming. I've been on this mountain for over four years, and I have never seen the Peak Master behave like that. When she was lost in thought just now, her brows and eyes were so tender they seemed ready to drip with water. There was a smile on her lips. I wonder what she was thinking about."
"I guess the Peak Master was thinking about a man she likes. I've seen that kind of look back when I was down the mountain. Girls who are about to get married all look like that."
"Bullshit. I've never heard of the Peak Master having a man she likes." After saying this, Meng Yan paused. An image surfaced in his mind of the Peak Master rushing over with Little Bai in her arms.
Earlier, his mind had been entirely focused on Fu Peibai, so he had not noticed this detail. Now that he thought about it, he was greatly shocked. A woman carrying a man like that was unheard of, never before seen. Moreover, they were an unmarried man and woman. That posture was far too intimate.
Ding Yi saw the complicated and colorful expression on Meng Yan's face. He waved his hand in front of Meng Yan's face. "What's wrong, Brother Meng?"
Meng Yan knocked his hand away, looking as if he had lost his soul. "Do you think the Peak Master and Little Bai... could there be something between them?"
"What? Something between them?"
"I mean romantic feelings, of course! Didn't you see the Peak Master carry Little Bai back just now? Both are unmarried. Do you know what it means for her to carry him back? You young kid, why don't you understand anything?"
Meng Yan spoke with great seriousness, but Ding Yi burst into laughter, bending at the waist.
Meng Yan was annoyed and slapped him on the back. "What are you laughing at? I am being very serious about this!"
Ding Yi straightened up, his face flushed red from laughing. He waved his hands repeatedly. "Impossible. The Peak Master and A-Pei definitely have nothing going on. Trust me, Brother Meng. They absolutely do not have romantic feelings for each other, and they never will."
"You are not them. Why are you speaking so confidently?"
"Come on, just believe me. I'm right."
Meng Yan looked at him suspiciously, then grabbed him by the neck and applied slight pressure. "Do you know something? Speak!"
Ding Yi shrank his neck guiltily. "How could I? I don't know anything."
"Then why did you say just now that it is absolutely impossible between them?"
Ding Yi's eyes darted around. He loudly declared, "Because, because A-Pei already has a girl he likes! She's down the mountain. They're already betrothed. They're just waiting for A-Pei to finish his training and go down the mountain to get married. So there is absolutely no possibility between him and the Peak Master!"
Meng Yan's eyes went wide. "You are spouting nonsense! He clearly told me he likes the Peak Master. How could he possibly have a sweetheart down the mountain?" As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had let something slip. He quickly covered his mouth and looked around. After confirming no one was nearby, he lowered his voice. "I was just spouting nonsense earlier. Do not take it seriously."
But now it was Ding Yi's turn to look shocked. His jaw hung slightly open as he slowly asked, "You, you just said that A-Pei likes the Peak Master? Our Peak Master?"
Meng Yan looked annoyed. "I told you I was spouting nonsense!"
"No, no, I heard it. You said A-Pei likes the Peak Master, didn't you?"
There was no hiding it now. Meng Yan decided not to bother pretending anymore. "Yes, yes, yes. Look at this mouth of mine. Really."
Ding Yi furrowed his brows, his expression complicated. "How could that be... How could A-Pei like the Peak Master... That doesn't make sense."
"I was shocked when I found out too. But we can't blame Little Bai. Our Peak Master is beautiful and kind-hearted, and her martial arts are so high. It is no wonder he fell for her."
But Ding Yi seemed not to hear and kept muttering to himself. "How could that be? It doesn't make sense."
Meng Yan saw him acting so strangely and was about to scold him when he caught sight of a young woman's figure running toward them from the distance. He quickly tugged at Ding Yi to make him shut up.
By the time Lu Qingwan ran up to them, both of them had returned to their normal expressions.
"Greetings, Second Young Miss."
Lu Qingwan was slightly out of breath. She asked anxiously, "Where is A-Pei? He's inside, isn't he?"
"Yes. Little Bai hasn't woken up yet. The Peak Master said not to go in and disturb him."
Lu Qingwan slowly withdrew her hand from the doorframe. She asked with disappointment and worry, "Is he alright now? What exactly happened? How did he suddenly get injured?"
Meng Yan put on a serious face. "I don't know the specifics. I only heard that Little Bai defeated twelve disciples in today's inner disciple examination and won every match. But after winning the last one, he coughed up blood and fainted. A-Ruo has already examined him. There is no serious harm. He just needs to wake up. Do not worry, Second Young Miss."
Lu Qingwan nodded and asked, "When will he wake up?"
"I do not know that."
"Then I will wait here with you."
Both men waved their hands hurriedly. "No, no. Second Young Miss should go back first. When Little Bai wakes up, we will have someone inform you."
Lu Qingwan bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. "Very well then. Remember to tell me the moment he wakes up."
"We will."
Only after Lu Qingwan's figure had walked far away did the two of them let out a breath. Meng Yan stroked the stubble on his chin and narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, what kind of love potion did Little Bai use to win the hearts of both of the Sect Master's daughters? This boy's romantic luck is truly overflowing."
Ding Yi scrunched up his face with an expression that was hard to put into words. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to grab Meng Yan by the shoulders and shake him hard, shouting for him to wake up. A-Pei is a woman.
But he could not do that. And he would not.