20demayo 677. Make every effort to rescue
677. Make every effort to rescue
They eventually traveled for two hours before stopping in a historically quiet area.
As dusk settled, the tawny wasteland was bathed in a golden glow.
The other men and guards who had set up camp also relaxed their tense nerves for the time being and began to start fires and cook, with wisps of smoke rising into the air.
After the convoy stopped, Wang Zhuang, as the leader, also circled the entire area. On the surface, he appeared relaxed, but in reality, he was thoroughly surveying the area to ensure that nothing unexpected would happen during the night.
After confirming everything, Wang Zhuang found his niece again.
"Ling'er," Wang Zhuang's voice carried a sense of helplessness from someone who had been through it all, "It's not that I'm trying to discourage you, but this thing... it's incredibly resilient if it can even last until sunrise tomorrow. Your act of kindness will probably be in vain in the end, just a waste of your energy."
Wang Ling'er looked at the horribly blackened charcoal on the haystack, the strange smell of burning mixed with a faint stench of blood lingering around her nose, her face turned slightly pale, but the purity in her eyes remained undiminished.
She stubbornly pursed her lips, ignoring her uncle's words, and deftly began rummaging through her small wooden box. The contents of her box were more complete than one could imagine: clean cloths, clear spring water, disinfectant powder, and even a small silver knife and several silver needles.
"Let it be a waste, Uncle Zhuang," she said, her voice not loud, but unusually firm.
"We can't just stand by and watch someone die; it's never wrong to do good deeds, right?"
As she spoke, she carefully soaked a clean cloth in spring water and gently wiped the less fragile parts of the charcoal surface that did not have the scarlet bloodline pattern.
Wang Zhuang looked at his niece's focused and earnest profile, beads of sweat already trickling down her smooth forehead, her eyes shining with a pure and innocent light. He could only let out a deep sigh and shake his head. He knew his niece was very naive, but he simply couldn't bear to hurt her.
The guards in the convoy kept glancing at Wang Ling'er, who was focused on treating her, and at the strange charred body, and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Such a kind heart is truly rare, Miss!"
"Our young lady is beautiful, kind-hearted, and hardworking. There's no one else like her in the entire Qianhua City."
"Hey, speaking of that," Old Li, who was in charge of driving the camel cart and had seen a lot, stepped closer, lowered his voice, and looked on with longing in his eyes, "Do you guys remember that place that's been all the rage these past few years?"
"Where?" The group was intrigued.
"The Valley of Healing and Poisoning! One of the three valleys of Central Plains!"
Old Li's tone was filled with longing, "I've heard that the new Valley Master there, Valley Master Xiao! He's a truly extraordinary person! So young, and his appearance is said to be absolutely stunning!"
"That's secondary. The key is her medical and poison skills. Tsk tsk, after the great calamity that befell the Pill Tower three years ago..." He paused, glancing cautiously in the direction of Wangzhuang in the distance, seeing that it was patrolling the edge of the camp, before continuing, "Everyone says that the Pill Tower was severely weakened and has been dormant for quite some time. Now, many forces outside are secretly saying that when it comes to life-saving methods that can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, that female valley master is probably still superior! The masters of the Pill Tower may not even be able to rank at the top!"
"Wow, really?" Some people expressed doubt. "The Pill Tower has thousands of years of history. How could it be surpassed by a newly emerging force?"
"Exactly, I don't believe it at all. Could it be that Valley Master Xiao is just too beautiful, and this is just hearsay?"
"Nonsense!" Old Li glared at the man. "Why do you think the Heavenly Nether Sect is cowering now? How arrogant and domineering they were a few years ago! And now? I heard that several of their important strongholds in the east were quietly and directly wiped out by the Medicine and Poison Valley."
"If you didn't have real skills, how could you make an established powerhouse look so humiliated?" His words drew a collective gasp.
At this moment, Wang Ling'er, who had been quietly tending to the "injured person," seemed to be drawn to the conversation. She looked up, her face still bearing traces of black dirt from wiping, but her large eyes shone with pure admiration, like bright and dazzling stars.
"Valley Master Xiao," she replied softly, her tone filled with heartfelt admiration, "it's not just about looks! I've heard many alchemists who have traveled all over the country say that Valley Master Xiao's poison fighting aura is unpredictable and divine; she can save or kill people in the blink of an eye. Her methods of controlling poison with poison have reached a state of perfection. What's even more remarkable is that she saves people in unconventional ways, with strange yet immediate results!"
"He's a truly important figure in the entire Central Continent!" The girl's face flushed with excitement as she mentioned her idol.
"Wow, Miss knows a lot!" Old Li chuckled and praised.
"Of course." Wang Ling'er puffed out her small chest, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future.
"Once I work harder in my cultivation and break through to the Dou Ling realm, I'll know that's the minimum requirement for the Medical Poison Valley to recruit outer disciples. I definitely want to give it a try! If I can learn even a little bit of skill from Valley Master Xiao..."
A burst of good-natured laughter suddenly came from around the campfire.
"Haha, Miss has lofty ambitions!"
"Yes, yes, if Miss really becomes a top disciple of the Medicine and Poison Valley, we'll all be counting on her for any headaches, fevers, or injuries we might have." "Then we'll also benefit from being honored guests of the Medicine and Poison Valley!"
"I think it's a good idea! Miss is definitely going to amount to something!"
After dinner, Wang Ling'er once again darted to the side of the charcoal-faced man.
She had wanted to learn medicine for a long time, and after repeated study, she had gained some experience. She could treat the wounds of the people in the caravan without any problems.
She had never treated seriously injured or critically ill patients before, but now this was a good opportunity.
She also took out all the medical books she had collected, preparing to save the person in front of her with a bunch of bottles and jars.
Outside the carriage, the faint sounds of men talking and laughing in hushed tones drifted over, some speculating about what new tricks the young lady would pull off on that dark lump. Wang Ling'er pouted, feeling a little wronged, but showed no sign of giving up.
The people around her didn't really stop her; their eyes were mostly filled with kind tolerance and a touch of sympathy. After all, everyone could see that this dark-skinned man was barely clinging to life, probably just hanging on by his last breath.
Without a truly extraordinary physician, there's no way to save him. If Wang Ling'er is willing to try, then let her try. It's even possible that due to her inadequate technique, she might send this poor, dark-skinned man to his death in one go, thus ending his suffering.
Wang Zhuang stared at Wang Ling'er for a while, then shook his head. He had already come to a conclusion in his heart: in the future, if any of the brothers in the caravan were seriously injured, no matter how urgent the situation, they would have to be sent to a doctor or alchemist in the city. Young and impetuous, they had plenty of courage, but their methods were questionable. If they encountered a truly difficult case, it would be a double torment for both the patient and her.