Baozhu held the reins and said to the Xiedan, "You lead the way in front, and I will follow you from above."
Qingshui Town was rather far from Haowu Mountain, where the Xiedan lived. Leaning against Xiangliu's embrace, Xiaoyao asked, "Why are you still wearing a mask?"
"A wolf's eyesight is exceptionally keen, and a Xiedan's eyesight is even better!"
"Why did you bring Asheng along?" Xiangliu asked.
"The Demon Clan's healing methods and medicinal formulas are different. Bringing him along to witness this will be a great help in improving his medical skills. In the future, Doctor Liu of Huichuntang will be able to stand on his own and manage things independently, which will also be a good deed that benefits the local people."
"Aren't you afraid that the Demon Clan on the mountain might do him harm?"
"How could they? The Demon Clan are simple-minded; they will surely be respectful to the doctor who treats their illnesses. Of course, there are bound to be bad demons among the Demon Clan, just as there are bad people among the human race and bad gods among the God Clan. But don't I have you here? With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?" As she spoke, Xiaoyao put her arms around his waist and began playing with a strand of his white hair, twisting it around her fingers.
Xiangliu chuckled. "Do you trust me just like that?"
"You asked me that very question last night, have you forgotten? Did all nine of your heads forget?"
Just as Xiangliu was about to lose his temper, Xiaoyao reached out her small hand and patted his chest. "Alright, alright, stop showing your fangs like that. I'm not afraid of you anyway. If you really feel you haven't vented enough, I'll let you bite my neck when we get back, how's that?"
Looking slightly awkward, Xiangliu twitched the corner of his mouth.
"If you want to smile, just smile properly. It clearly looks so good on you, why hold it back?"
"I see you're asking for trouble again!"
"Yes, yes, Lord Xiangliu is right, Master is always right!"
After about half an hour, they finally arrived, and the Pegasus landed right in front of the Xiedan's home. Xiao Liu looked around. It was a very simple mountain courtyard, no different from the homes of ordinary hunters in the mountains. Xiao Liu and Asheng followed the Xiedan into the inner room, while Xiangliu sat alone in the courtyard. When Asheng caught sight of Xiangliu's white clothes, white hair, and the ice-crystal mask on his face, he was extremely startled, but Xiao Liu offered no extra explanation.
Entering the room, Xiao Liu took the pulses of the Xiedan's wife and three children one by one, then said, "It's nothing serious! It's just that it's dragged on a bit too long, so recovery will be somewhat slow. You've been channeling your spiritual power to protect their heart meridians all along, so rest assured! There's no danger."
Hearing this, the heavy burden finally lifted from the Xiedan's heart.
"Wait for me outside for a moment; I need to carefully adjust the medicinal formula for the children. Asheng, prepare the medicine for the wife according to the previous prescription and hand it over to the Xiedan to boil."
"Alright."
Asheng answered, but the moment he looked at the children, despite mentally preparing himself, he was still startled. The three children had human-like bodies, but atop their heads grew two upward-pointing ears, and their human faces were covered in a full head of long red fur, with a pair of fierce fangs protruding from their mouths. Although the three children were fast asleep at the moment, Asheng still felt his heart race and goosebumps break out all over his body.
Xiao Liu patted Asheng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "What? Scared? Never seen the Demon Clan before?"
Wiping away a cold sweat, Asheng lowered his voice and said, "I have seen them, but... I've never seen anything like this. When a rabbit spirit occasionally shows its tail, it's still rather cute, but this..."
"The Xiedan is a fierce beast to begin with. Before taking human form, their appearance is ferocious, and I've even heard they eat people. However, the Demon Clan are pure-hearted and know how to repay kindness. Most demons are very easy to get along with, so there's no need to be afraid! You can now be considered a benefactor to them, so rest assured, they won't harm you!"
"Alright, I understand." With that, Asheng hurried off to brew the medicine, while Xiao Liu set about writing the prescriptions.
In the courtyard, the Xiedan stood beside Xiangliu and handed him a cup of tea. "Greetings, Lord Xiangliu!"
Xiangliu nodded slightly.
"Back at Huichuntang, I was actually wondering when a demon with such formidable spiritual power had come to Qingshui Town. I never imagined it would be Lord Xiangliu!"
"Sit," Xiangliu said indifferently.
The Xiedan sat down and poured another cup of tea for Xiangliu.
"You married a human wife, yet a human's lifespan is as fleeting as a passing moment to you," Xiangliu remarked calmly.
"Yes. Years ago, Yue Niang accidentally fell into a ravine while gathering herbs on the mountain, and I rescued her. Gradually, affection grew between us. In the beginning, both of us felt awkward. I didn't want a fine girl of such radiant beauty to marry an ugly monster like me, while she worried that her short lifespan wouldn't allow her to accompany me for long.
"Later on, I figured it out. If a young woman like her dared to break through worldly conventions to marry me, what did I have to be afraid of? At worst, after she passed away, I would bear the heart-wrenching pain all by myself—the pain wouldn't be hers, so what was there for me to fear? That would still be far better than pushing her away and letting her live the entirety of her brief lifetime in misery. So, we got married. Because the villagers could not tolerate her, she followed me deep into these mountains."
"Have you ever felt any guilt?"
"None at all. Because I see the smile on her face—the smile from the bottom of a happy woman's heart. Being with me brings her joy and happiness. What could possibly be more important than that? Furthermore..."
The Xiedan glanced at Xiangliu and continued, "You and I are both of the Demon Clan; you should know that I can extend her life."
"Of course. But such an act defies the heavens. By draining your own vitality to prolong hers, the two of you will have at most another hundred years," Xiangliu said, staring intently at him.
"Yes. But I am not willing to be left behind by her in this world alone. No matter how long a life may be, what meaning would it have without her?"
"Does she know that you are extending her life?"
"She knows. Before we married, I told her of my intentions. She said she respected my decision; if I truly could not bear to live on alone in a world without her, she would accept it. After all, so-called self-sacrifice is sometimes just one person's wishful thinking—it's truly good only if I myself feel it is good."
Xiangliu fell silent.
Meanwhile, Xiao Liu emerged from the room, and the Xiedan hurried forward to meet her.
"The medicine has all been fed to them. Remember, Qingyu must not be given to your wife. The children can have it—do you remember the dosage?"
The Xiedan nodded.
"Don't worry. Follow my prescription, and within three days at most, they'll be fine. After that, it's just a matter of waiting for them to slowly recover, eating some good food, and soon they'll all be bounding around with energy! Come on, let's go treat the others."
For the entire night, the Xiedan led them through the vast mountains to treat hundreds of demons. Because they usually hid deep in the mountains and lived scattered far apart, Xiao Liu nearly ran her legs off. Fortunately, with Asheng helping out, Xiao Liu didn't have to handle every single case personally, which greatly accelerated the rescue and treatment. Luckily, the interventions were relatively timely. Aside from a few severe cases where Xiangliu had to channel his spiritual power to preserve their lives, everyone else was treated smoothly. Asheng also benefited immensely, his medical skills growing noticeably.
Finally, after distributing all the Qingyu, Xiao Liu instructed the Xiedan, "Come back with me later to pick up some more medicine, and come get another batch of Qingyu the day after tomorrow. Once they've finished taking all of it, they'll be completely out of danger!"
The Xiedan led several demon chieftains from the mountain in kowtowing deeply to Xiao Liu and Xiangliu, saying, "Thanks to the generous intervention of Doctor Liu and Lord Xiangliu tonight, the lives of hundreds of our Demon Clan people have been saved. We will engrave this deep in our hearts and never forget it for generations to come. Though we are few and weak in strength, our loyalty is absolute. Even though the two of you ask for nothing in return, should you ever have any need of our Demon Clan in the future, we will follow your lead without the slightest hesitation."
Xiao Liu quickly reached out to help them up, saying with a smile, "There's no need for such formalities. I am a physician, and this is simply my duty. It is Lord Xiangliu whose righteousness is truly great—just remember his kindness."
The Xiedan and the others bowed deeply to Xiangliu once more.
By the time Xiangliu pulled Xiao Liu into his arms and mounted the Pegasus, with the Xiedan carrying Asheng back toward Qingshui Town, the sky was already growing pale with dawn.
Leaning against Xiangliu's embrace, Xiaoyao was dizzy with exhaustion.
"If you're tired, get some sleep," Xiangliu said softly.
"Alright! But why did you reveal your identity in front of Asheng?" Xiaoyao asked, yawning.
"It's fine! Old Mu already had a pretty good idea anyway. After all these years of living in peace, they won't go blabbing about it," Xiangliu replied nonchalantly.
Xiaoyao fell silent. Looking down, Xiangliu saw that she had wrapped both arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest, and was already fast asleep, her pretty face looking somewhat pale from fatigue.
The corners of Xiangliu's lips curved upward as he urged the Pegasus onward toward Qingshui Town.
When the Pegasus landed in the small courtyard, the sky was already fully bright. Shanhu, who had not slept all night, was anxiously pacing the courtyard. Seeing the white-robed, white-haired Xiangliu carrying the sleeping Royal Princess down from the Pegasus, Shanhu stared in wide-eyed shock: So that was how it was... No wonder... The Royal Princess had looked so familiar with Baozhu. Shanhu immediately recalled the kiss marks on the Royal Princess's neck from that day. Could it be...?
Xiangliu had intended to carry Xiaoyao straight into the inner room, but sensing that she was awake, he set her down on her feet and steadied her.
"I must go."
"Won't you stay for breakfast before leaving?"
"No, I should have gone back last night!"
"You should drink a bit more blood; your wounds haven't fully healed, and you expended so much spiritual power last night." Xiaoyao reached up and twirled Xiangliu's white hair around her finger, circle by circle...
"It's fine, I'm mostly recovered. I'll take the medicine you gave me when I get back."
"Alright, but stop abusing your spiritual power!"
Xiangliu nodded.
"The Qingyu should arrive soon. Send someone to pick it up in a couple of days."
"Okay." He looked at her with a smile. "If an epidemic breaks out in the mountains, come get me immediately. The God Clan is different from the human race; don't take it lightly."
"Understood."
"Once I'm done dealing with this current business, you must teach me martial arts. You've already accepted my betrothal gifts, so don't even think about reneging." Xiaoyao tugged at the collar of Xiangliu's robe.
"I won't renege. Once things calm down, I'll come fetch you." Raising a hand, Xiangliu gently ruffled the top of her head. "Very well, I have a few matters to attend to as well. Once I finish them, I will accompany you to learn martial arts."
"I'm leaving..." With a smile, Xiangliu turned around and vanished into the courtyard amidst a flurry of snowflakes.
"Shanhu, Shanhu, I'm exhausted, I need to sleep. Send someone to keep watch at Huichuntang, and wake me up if anything comes up. I must sleep right now, immediately! If I don't sleep anymore, I'm going to die!"
"Yes, Royal Princess."