Third Senior Brother and Su Yu were good friends, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble for Su Yu's poisoning incident. Yet at this moment, he was not by his side taking care of him, but had gone to the military camp instead.
That could only mean that the situation at the military camp was more urgent. To require Third Senior Brother's presence, someone must be critically ill and beyond the abilities of ordinary physicians. Who could it be? Su Yue felt uneasy in her heart.
But Su Qian did not tell them much, and she did not feel comfortable inquiring further.
Soon, the meals prepared by the General's Residence were delivered. Simple fare of five dishes and one soup, with both meat and vegetable dishes, exquisitely presented, making one's fingers twitch with the desire to eat just by looking at it. To have prepared all of this in such a short time was truly impressive.
The group made their way to the dining table, with Su Qian accompanying them.
Xuan Little Four's eyes lit up at the sight of the dishes, and he immediately began eating with great gusto.
Su Yue also picked up her chopsticks and started eating. After a few bites, hm, the taste was average, and she put down her chopsticks after just a few mouthfuls.
"Little Five, doesn't it taste good?" Xuan Little Four asked with his mouth full.
"If the dishes don't suit your palate, I'll have the servants prepare something else right away," Su Qian said as he was about to stand up.
"No need, I don't eat much," Su Yue replied, not wanting to waste time.
"You're just a picky eater. I'll go make you a bowl of noodles, it'll be quick and won't delay us," Xuan Little Four immediately got up and asked someone to take him to the kitchen.
Su Qian was so surprised that his eyes bulged out. "Brother Xuan Little Four can cook?"
"Yeah, I know a bit," Su Yue replied flatly. Even though she knew the person in front of her was her cousin, she couldn't muster much warmth, finding him a bit odd. She couldn't bring herself to act as overly familiar as Xuan Little Four did with everyone.
"Impressive, impressive," Su Qian fanned himself in admiration. He had thought that as disciples of the Divine Doctor Xuan and the Daoist Xuanji, they must all be exceptional individuals and high-level cultivators. He never expected that they would actually know how to cook, when the saying goes that gentlemen should stay far away from the kitchen.
Soon, Xuan Little Four brought a bowl of noodles. Simple egg noodles with some greens on top. But the eggs were fried to a beautiful golden color, and the greens were a vibrant green, making one's fingers twitch with the desire to eat.
Su Qian unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"Go ahead and eat. Once you're done, we'll go find Third Senior Brother," Xuan Little Four placed the noodles in front of Su Yue, then continued to eat the five dishes and one soup in front of him.
"I'll have my servant take you to him later. My elder brother hasn't woken up yet, so I need to stay here," Su Qian said. "Once my elder brother wakes up, I'll go to the military camp to find you."
"Mm, okay," Xuan Little Four mumbled with his mouth full, responding casually.
Su Qian: ......Looking at one of them eating slowly and elegantly, and the other wolfing down his food, they seemed quite harmonious.
He watched Su Yue quietly eating her noodles, feeling that she looked very familiar, but just couldn't recall where he'd seen her before. He asked, "Brother Xuan Little Five, who are you? I can't help but feel like I've seen you somewhere before, but I just can't remember."
Su Yue's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent.
"You must be mistaken. My junior brother has been on White Cloud Mountain all this time, and this is his first time coming down from the mountain," Xuan Little Four said with one hand holding a chicken leg and the other using chopsticks to pick up dishes.
"Oh, I must have been mistaken then." But I really feel like I've seen him somewhere before, where could that have been? Su Qian tapped his folding fan against his head, deep in thought.
Outside the city, in the military camp...
"Divine Doctor Xuan, there really is no other way," an old man with grey hair said helplessly.
Su Huan, the Zhenguo General, the undefeated war hero of Great Qing, and Su Yue's paternal grandfather, sat in the main seat of the tent, his eyes bloodshot.
"The poisoned arrow is too close to the heart, and it has barbs, any carelessness could injure the heart. With my medical skills, I only have a thirty percent chance of successfully removing it," Xuan Little Three was also at a loss. "If we only neutralize the poison and leave the arrowhead in the flesh to co-exist with Third Paternal Uncle's body, that is also possible. But from now on, he may only be able to live in seclusion and recovery. Going into battle and slaying enemies will be impossible."
Xuan Little Three had a close relationship with Su Yu, and was also very familiar with the people of the Zhenguo General's Residence, so he referred to Su Yi, the third son of the Zhenguo General, as "Third Paternal Uncle."
"That won't do, Father... Father..." Su Yi's only son, Su Yu, growled with red eyes.
"Yu, do not be rude," the Zhenguo General reprimanded in a low voice.
"Grandfather, Father has spent his entire life on the battlefield. If he can't go into battle and slay enemies, isn't that tantamount to taking his life?" Su Yu said, then covered his face and wept.
"Yes, Father. If Third Uncle... If Third Uncle knew, he would never accept it," the Zhenguo General's eldest son, Su Li, also disagreed. For a martial man to be unable to take up arms and fight, it would be better to just die. Third Uncle felt the same way, so he definitely wouldn't accept that outcome.
"But it's still better than losing his life," the Zhenguo General stated firmly.
In an instant, the tent fell deathly silent, so quiet that a dropping needle could be heard.
Xuan Little Three also felt helpless, as these were the only two options he could come up with. If it were someone else, they wouldn't even have a chance to save his life.
"I know it's a difficult decision, but there's no more time left, General. If we delay any further, I won't be able to do anything," he urged.
The Zhenguo General sighed heavily, his body and mind exhausted. "Then let's..."
"Grandfather!" "Father!"
"Report~"
"General, there are two visitors outside the camp. The servants from the residence brought them, saying they are the junior brothers of the Divine Doctor Xuan."
"My junior brothers? Two of them?" Xuan Little Three's eyes lit up instantly.
"There might be a chance for salvation now." Xuan Little Three ran out like the wind, leaving behind an afterimage, leaving the others looking at each other in bewilderment.
Su Yu: The Divine Doctor Xuan... Wow, he's really fast.
Su Huan: Ah, the agility of youth.
Su Li: This kid's lightness skill is impressive, we should spar someday.
......
"Xuan Little Five! Xuan Little Five!" Xuan Little Three ran out without any decorum, calling out as he ran, and soon saw two familiar figures at the entrance.
"Third Senior Brother!" "Third Senior Brother!"
Xuan Little Four immediately opened his arms and ran towards him, but... Xuan Little Three passed right by him without even stopping, heading straight for the petite, unassuming figure instead.
Xuan Little Four: ...... He must have adopted him, Third Senior Brother is just too heartbreaking. I'm such a big guy, how could he not see me?
At this moment, Xuan Little Four might have forgotten that he was indeed adopted by his master, Daoist Xuanji.
"Xuan Little Five, why have you come down from the mountain? How was the journey? Did you encounter any hardships?" Xuan Little Three fussed over Su Yue like an old father, checking her over from head to toe.
"Third Senior Brother, I'm fine. It was Master who instructed me to come down and find you," Su Yue smiled. Seeing her senior brother after so long, she was also very happy.
"Third Senior Brother, you only see Xuan Little Five? I'm here too!" Xuan Little Four pouted like an abandoned puppy.
Xuan Little Three glanced at the large head that had come over, and gave it a slap. "What's there to see about you? Hey, you seem to have grown a bit taller, but your face is still so round." He reached out to pinch Xuan Little Four's cheeks.
Xuan Little Four immediately covered his face and hid behind Su Yue. "Third Senior Brother, why do you always want to pinch my face?"
"Because you have chubby cheeks, who else should I pinch? You've been a glutton since you were young," Xuan Little Three teased.
"Come, let me take you to meet the General. Xuan Little Five, it's a good thing you came. Your senior brother has been troubled..." He led the two towards the main tent as he spoke.
