Chapter 55 He Is My Husband

"You're awake!"

Hearing her voice, Ling Yuan panicked slightly.

Su Yunqing curved her lips into a smile and asked, "You saved me, didn't you? What about Uncle Kun? He was heavily injured."

Only then did Ling Yuan react to her question about Uncle Kun. "Uncle Kun is fine; he's already been taken to get treated for his wounds. How did you end up together with him?"

"As long as he's fine!"

"You saved Uncle Kun, right?"

According to Ling Yuan's deduction, Uncle Kun must have been injured and fallen into the sea, where the waves washed him ashore to the shallows, and she had rescued him.

Yet, why had she come to Dragon Hidden Mountain? And alone at that.

Su Yunqing lowered her head to take a look. The clothes on her body were long since no longer her own. She hurriedly looked up at Ling Yuan with a look of terror, clutching the blanket tightly with both hands, stopping herself from speaking further!

"Jiaojiao was the one who changed your clothes."

Hearing Ling Yuan's words, she finally released her grip and let out a secret sigh of relief.

She got up and walked toward her pile of damp clothes. Ling Yuan followed cautiously behind her as she shook out the garments one by one, searching through them meticulously as if looking for something.

Ling Yuan turned and picked up the dagger from the table. "Are you looking for this?"

Su Yunqing shook her head and continued her inch-by-inch search.

"What are you looking for? Tell me, and I'll help you—"

Su Yunqing disappointedly discarded the pile of wet clothes, patted her own person with both hands, and sat back down on the bed with a look of dejection. Because she had just woken up, her steps were still somewhat unsteady, and Ling Yuan maintained a proper distance, guarding her side.

Su Yunqing pouted, "The Dragon Saliva Grass and the Ink-Feather Vajra are both gone."

"You came looking for the Dragon Saliva Grass again? Wasn't the last batch enough?" No wonder she had appeared here once more; it turned out she was searching for Dragon Saliva Grass.

Su Yunqing shook her head and said nothing, her mood plummeting to rock bottom. She had finally managed to find it, nearly losing her life in the process, only for it to vanish just like that.

"Don't worry. If it's lost, it's lost. I'll help you look for it again—"

"And the Ink-Feather Vajra! I caught it with such great difficulty!"

"The Ink-Feather Vajra?" Ling Yuan frowned as he tried to recall. "Is that the large bird?"

Hearing this, Su Yunqing's eyes lit up. "Yes! Big Brother Ling, did you see it?"

"It's dead," Ling Yuan said. "That big bird was crushed to death by you!"

Su Yunqing instantly felt like crying without tears. The nest of the Ink-Feather Vajra had been attacked, so they would likely move away overnight to seek shelter elsewhere. Catching another one would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Everything was gone...

***

Fortunately, Uncle Kun was safe. Thinking of this made Su Yunqing feel a little better.

"That big bird... is that Ink-Feather Vajra very important?" Ling Yuan asked.

Su Yunqing nodded. "I managed to catch it with so much effort, and past today, they will be moving away..."

Ling Yuan quickly offered, "I'll go help you look for it—"

Su Yunqing raised her eyes and looked at Ling Yuan in confusion. Why had he suddenly become so... meddlesome?

Based on their time together on the boat, she knew Ling Yuan had a kind heart and wasn't a cold person, but he certainly couldn't be described as enthusiastic either. In the past, he had never shown this level of zeal for anything.

Seeing her staring at him without understanding, Ling Yuan lowered his gaze and stood up. "I'll have Jiaojiao come keep you company. You've caught a chill and need a good rest. Make sure to keep yourself covered."

With that, he curved his lips into a smile at her, turned around, and walked out the door.

***

Song Jiao was standing next to a holly tree, pouting and venting her anger. As Ling Yuan approached, he saw that the perfectly good holly tree had already been stripped bare of its leaves, leaving only barren branches.

"Miss... Miss Cheng is awake. Go keep her company."

Song Jiao plucked another handful of leaves from the pitiful holly tree. "He's nothing but a liar!"

"What did she lie to you about?" Ling Yuan asked, perplexed. "Didn't she even give you a hat? Weren't you head over heels for it?"

"I—" Song Jiao grew even angrier. "I can't talk sense with a blockhead like you!"

With an angry huff, she stormed into the room!

***

Su Yunqing felt lightheaded, and her nose felt stuffed up as well. Seeing Song Jiao's displeased expression, she asked, "Miss Song Jiao, why do you look so unhappy? Thank you for helping me change my clothes."

"You're welcome!" Song Jiao pouted, her tone somewhat sarcastic. "My aunt brewed some ginger soup; she'll send it over in a moment. Just focus on getting a good rest!"

"Thank you!"

Song Jiao turned to look at Su Yunqing, who lay on the bed looking rather listless yet dressed in her favorite attire, revealing such an exquisite-looking young woman. She let out another heavy sigh of frustration.

Picking up the set of men's clothing, she said, "I'll go have someone wash these clothes first."

Su Yunqing spoke up again, "Thank you, Miss Song Jiao. Could you please call your brother over? I have something to ask him."

"Oh!"

***

Half an hour later, Ling Yuan knocked and entered the room with a smile he couldn't hide, his voice cheerful. "You were looking for me?"

Su Yunqing said, "When we were in the sea, I saw Uncle Kun's injury. It was very serious and needed stitches. Is there a physician in the mountain now?"

Ling Yuan replied, "Don't worry, Dr. Tian has already disinfected, stitched, and bandaged him up."

"Dr. Tian?" That was the medicine apprentice who knew nothing about medical theory. Su Yunqing frowned. "Is he reliable?"

***

"He's already quite skilled now. Just to practice his hands, they slaughtered two pigs for him in the mountain within a month!"

"Then what happened when someone fell ill in the mountain before Dr. Tian arrived?"

"We went down the mountain to fetch a physician. Back then, there were no government troops at the foot of the mountain." Ling Yuan sat down on a stool by the round table. "In a couple of days, Uncle Song will send people to negotiate with the official authorities and persuade them to withdraw their troops."

"What are they going to use as leverage?" Su Yunqing asked.

Ling Yuan looked at her. "Chiye, the Wokou leader you held hostage last time, and the traitor Han Jian."

Hearing this, Su Yunqing happily sat up straight. "You captured them alive?"

Ling Yuan nodded.

"Big Brother Ling, you're amazing! You're so formidable!"

Ling Yuan pursed his lips and lowered his gaze. "A young lady like you could effortlessly hold a knife to his neck; how could I dare lose to him?"

Su Yunqing lay back down. "Of course he wasn't your match. However, the Wokou have always been ruthless and full of deceit. Big Brother Ling, you all had better watch him closely and not let him escape."

Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Rest assured, their mouths have already been sealed. Even with his silver tongue, we won't give him the chance to use it."

"So, do you plan to hand them over to the authorities?"

Ling Yuan said, "At first, everyone had reservations. After discussions, we realized this is the most reasonable choice. Tian Youguang can use Chiye to claim credit at court, and the people of Dragon Hidden Mountain will also be able to come and go freely."

Su Yunqing pressed her lips together in speechlessness. Tian Youguang hadn't been proactive in dealing with the Wokou, yet he had dispatched a large number of men to surround Dragon Hidden Mountain, taking the opportunity to cry poverty and demand donations from wealthy households everywhere...

Once he got the money, he stuffed it into his own pockets, only to pull out a tiny fraction to deal with the people truly resisting the Wokou.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Seeing her fall silent, Ling Yuan voiced the doubt in his heart, "You've risked your life time and again to come up the mountain for the Dragon Saliva Grass. May I ask, who is the sick person?"

Su Yunqing smiled faintly, "It's my husband. He was attacked by Chiye and his men at sea, and now he is bedridden and unable to move. Only the Dragon Saliva Grass can cure his illness."

*Husband?* Ling Yuan didn't hear a single word of what followed. He only felt as though a mass of cotton had been stuffed into his head, and the smile froze on his face.

"Big Brother Ling, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" Ling Yuan pressed his hand against his knee and asked again, "Then what about the Ink-Feather Vajra? What was that for?"

"N-nothing much. I just like it and wanted to raise it..."

Ling Yuan asked no further. He simply muttered, "I understand," and stood up to walk out the door.