Chapter 459: The First Winter (VI)

Describing Wei Ci as a sick beauty was apt.

“Didn’t you ask for trouble?” Zhang Ping pushed the door open, and the room was completely dark, the air filled with the distinct smell of sharp-tinged medicine. A faint air of deterioration and boredom permeated the air. He sat at Wei Ci’s bedside; his expression was rather helpless. His friend fell sick frequently and seeing this, his heart was broken. Yet there was no counter solution. “If your illness deteriorates, you will really become a medicinal container.”

Wei Ci took his medications. His limbs were chillingly cold but slowly regained some warmth. “Fret not, Ci will not die yet.”

While saying this, he wore an indifferent expression, but between his brows a mildly downcast expression was visible.

Zhang Ping and Wei Ci had known each other for years, and obviously, he was aware of the environment Wei Ci was brought up in.

He was not one to fear the cold by nature, it was only afterwards that it occurred. Since young, he had been labelled by the Wei’s as an unlucky star and his life was somewhat tormented.

Now that he had painstakingly become an adult, Wei Ci was beginning to concern himself with boosting his health. Only, improving one’s health was not immediate. When his health improved mildly, he would forget and stop treating his body well. He insisted on heading north, but nobody knew his intentions.

So Wei Ci desired to head north. Except the man’s luck was unusually bad, and even Zhang Ping was starting to question life. First the other man had been struck down with a serious disease and had finally recovered. The trio traveled near the borders of the nine prefectures, but there they encountered a plague.

What was that pandemic?

The earth spoke of devils that transformed!

Wherever the disease spread, it signified a location where desolation occured, and a living hell was established.

Corpses filled the wilderness, and no one came to claim them. They became the food for the beasts and birds, they returned to dust and became a haven for insects to make their homes in.

Zhang Ping had a compassionate heart, but he wasn’t a foolish man. If he continued staying on, he would be doomed to die.

Wei Ci was almost convinced by Zhang Ping to leave, but when the time came to leave, he changed his mind.

By the roadside, he discovered a severely ill, seven to eight-year-old girl on the brink of death. Wearing ragged clothing, her skin was yellow, and she appeared to be undernourished. Some unknown yellow pus was observed on her skin, and her entire countenance looked terrifying. When Wei Ci noticed her, she barely opened her deep black eyes, revealing a desire to live, yet alas she couldn’t win against the malady that plagued her health. Her anxious breathing became increasingly weak, the light in her eyes slowly became dim…

A life is lost in an instant, as if a shooting star across the sky, it disappears almost immediately.

Such a scene brought him back to an incident many years ago.

Briefly searching through his memories, that heart-rending, searing pain still lingered in his broken innermost heart, an unrelenting ache emerged.

“This child is out of breath, yet her body still exudes a sick aura. You, sickly one, should stay away from her…”

Zhang Ping felt he was increasingly assuming the role of Wei Ci’s nanny. He put in so much effort giving advice that his mouth and tongue were dry.

Wei Ci ignored Zhang Ping’s words, a conflicted and anguished expression appearing on his face, but he returned to a serene state eventually.

“This plague can be treated. Let’s stay.” Wei Ci’s words were shocking.

Zhang Ping was startled and almost lost his voice.

“It’s not that, Wei Zixiao, are you certain your superficial medical skills are able to cure the sick? Zixiao, this pandemic isn’t like other regular flu with high temperatures. If you’re not careful, deaths will occur. You desire to stay and save them but be cautious that before even half a life is saved, you may lose your fragile life first.”

“Ci has a tough life; I won’t die yet.” Wei Ci laughed; he suppressed the memory that uncovered secretly in his mind and did his utmost to allow his expression to be as close to natural. “Xiheng should get on your journey, the air is full of diseases and to prevent you from being infected, we should just meet up in Xiangyang district.”

Zhang Ping discreetly spit.

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One who is sickly dared to live in the diseased area, why would he, who had a strong constitution and immense Yang energy, be afraid?

The truth was Wei Ci indeed could heal the disease; his medical skills were far above average. Judging from his composure, he seemed to have rich experience in treating plagues, and Zhang Ping could only support him behind the scenes.

Perhaps it was good luck, or his preventive measures were meticulously implemented that both man and servant didn’t catch the disease. Except Wei Ci’s face looked increasingly ill, his pale green eyes were more apparent, and he looked even more like a patient than the patients, as if he would collapse in a gust of wind.

Because of the pandemic, they had been held back at this place for more than two months.

When they were completely free from the shadows of the plague, Zhang Ping realized how skinny he had become, let alone Wei Ci.

“I couldn’t tell that Zixiao has a heart to heal the sick…”

He clearly hadn’t majored in medicine, yet his medical skills were comparable with doctors who had been practicing for about ten years.

Pei, heaven is unfair.

Wei Ci rubbed his face. Those days he literally wore a displeased face, it felt like his cheeks were going to freeze in place.

“I was bored so I browsed through a few medical books, my knowledge is only superficial.”

Zhang Ping: “…”

Back then when Wei Ci said he knew somewhat about carving; his artistic product of a sleeping beauty wasn’t inferior to the great artists. Now he says he has superficial medical knowledge yet can treat these illnesses with familiarity, moreover, he managed to snatch many lives from the King of Hell…will you die if you stop pretending for a day?

Zhang Ping didn’t understand what pretending was, but his feelings were the same as the viewers.

Feel like beating this fellow to death.

Without waiting for Zhang Ping to make his moves, there rushed in twenty fearsome bandits from outside, each held a sword and they were extremely valiant. They came forth and immediately asked for the doctor who treated the plague, then without hesitation they kidnapped Wei Ci and conveniently took Zhang Ping and his page boy along.

There are no other reasons for the bandits to kidnap him but solely for Wei Ci to treat their leader.

Wei Ci didn’t cooperate at the start, but when he saw who the bandit leader was, he agreed.

Though they were bandits, they didn’t engage in any vices or harm anyone. It was a helpless situation that they resort to become bandits after fleeing to the mountains.

“How are you sure they were at their wits end?” Zhang Ping asked doubtfully. This was equivalent to saying nothing.

Wei Ci spoke calmly and plainly, “This should be the sins of Tsing Yi army. They are rampantly recruiting prostitutes in the army; they send their men to secluded wilderness to forcefully take women and young ladies…These bandits were dissatisfied with such actions and raised their swords in rebellion. Since his crime is premature, what is wrong if Ci saves his life…”

Zhang Ping was stunned, “Recruitment for prostitutes to serve in the army, taking ladies forcefully to the camp to serve as whores…this…”

Wei Ci smirked mockingly, “Is this surprising? Since times past, women are absent from the army, but this doesn’t mean the army camp is devoid of women. It only means these women are servants in the day and at night, they serve to satisfy the lust of men. Tsing Yi army only made this beastly characteristic obvious, yet many army camps of Dongqing also secretly harbour such acts, including the Count of Zhenbei’s manor, the Mengs of Cangzhou… These incidents have long been accepted quietly, even by an infamous warrior like Meng Jing who isn’t exempted from the practice. Many feel that going to war is for their country and it’s only reasonable for women to meet their needs. Yet these women are mostly women of virtue or from the wilderness… Forget it, why am I telling you these things…”

Once Wei Ci was also similarly naive, but since then, he had witnessed and experienced much. Naturally, he has become more knowledgeable.

“But, isn’t it only sinful women who will be sentenced to prostitution at camps…”

“How can there be so many sinful women in the world?”

Wei Ci mocked coldly; his gentle eyes looked chilling.

These words not only broadened Zhang Ping’s perspective. At the same time, it struck the chords in the hearts of the robbers.