OFTLHFRO C139

Chapter 139: All Understood Without Words

At first, Hua Yaoyue thought Luo Mingchen was worried about this secret being discovered. Confidently, he said: “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’m not afraid of you telling others.”

Luo Mingchen simply felt that Hua Yaoyue seemed to be convincing himself, saving him the trouble of coming up with an excuse.

But no matter how skilled Hua Yaoyue was, he could never guess that Luo Mingchen had a spatial dimension.

Sensing that Luo Mingchen’s expression was off but unable to figure out why, Hua Yaoyue said: “This matter is also helping Huo Yan, isn’t it?”

“I can plant herbs for you, but are you sure you can use them?”

Because the plants he grew were all mutated strains.

After mutation, no one could say for certain whether the medicinal effects would improve or veer off in some other strange direction.

Hua Yaoyue didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“Forget it…”

There was no way Luo Mingchen could explain it clearly, so he simply cut it off. “I’ll tell Huo Yan what’s missing and have him send men to buy herbs from elsewhere.”

Hua Yaoyue didn’t have much of a moral compass—he acted only by his own inclinations.

If it were mutated herbs, he definitely wouldn’t test them on white mice first. More likely, he would use living people as experiments.

Better to buy herbs from outside to deal with the emergency.

Hearing this, Hua Yaoyue was baffled. He couldn’t understand why Luo Mingchen, who had been fine a moment ago, suddenly became so firm in his refusal.

He could only try to persuade: “Now that the snow is melting, going outside the city doesn’t guarantee you’ll find what you need.”

Huo Yuhui, hearing Hua Yaoyue’s words, could tell he really wanted his little dad to plant those herbs.

“How would you know if you don’t try? How much are we short?”

Luo Mingchen, however, was determined to buy outside the city. Helpless, Hua Yaoyue muttered: “I’ll give you the list later.”

“Alright.”

Once he got the list, Luo Mingchen brought it to Huo Yan.

The very next morning, Li Yunde led a troop out of the city to purchase the herbs.

In the pharmacy, while making medicine, Hua Yaoyue saw Huo Yan come to inspect the ingredients and sighed: “Tch, I clearly have so many seeds, but your spouse insists on making you spend silver to buy herbs—and who knows how many days it’ll take.”

Picking up one ingredient, Huo Yan lifted his eyes at those words.

Sensing the look was off, Hua Yaoyue’s back went cold. He forced a laugh: “I was just joking.”

Huo Yan asked: “Where did you get the mistaken idea that you could joke with me like that?”

“Uh…”

“In front of others, I call you ‘senior brother’—that’s giving you face. Outside, yes, your reputation as a poison doctor is big. But the reputation of a Demon Palace remnant is even bigger. If you left here, do you think it would be the martial sects who found you first, or someone else dragging you back as a caged bird? Last year, when I was escorting a caravan, I heard the Youming Palace master was offering a fortune for news of you. A hundred thousand taels of gold. Truly deep pockets.”

As he said this, Huo Yan gave him a meaningful look.

Hua Yaoyue’s scalp went numb. Quickly, he said: “Don’t! Don’t you dare tell them! I’ll never pry into your affairs again. I’ll serve you like a beast of burden, without a single complaint!”

Seeing he had learned fear, Huo Yan set down the herb in his hand. “I have little foundation here and must cultivate my own people. I won’t ask about your past deeds, but you’d best not snoop into ours. Mingchen is pure and kindhearted. I am not. If I hear of such things again, binding you up and trading you for that hundred thousand taels of gold would not be a loss.”

“…I understand.”

“If you can cure the city’s sick, I won’t treat you poorly. The reward may not match what you could earn outside, but here at least you’ll be safe.”

With that assurance, Hua Yaoyue felt much more at ease. He smiled. “A steady life isn’t so bad.”

As he was leaving, Huo Yan added meaningfully: “A steady life is indeed good. But if you insist on living unsteadily, then there’s nothing I can do.”

Finally seeing Huo Yan out, Hua Yaoyue clicked his tongue.

He had thought Luo Mingchen was easy to talk to, and since Huo Yan usually wasn’t very wordy, perhaps he could negotiate a little. Instead, he’d almost gotten tied up and sent off for ransom.

Still, what could he do? With people out there hunting him for a bounty, leaving Huo Yan’s side meant death.

In Han City, the sick were not many. The others who took medicine no longer had fevers.

The streets had been sprayed with medicine, scrubbed spotless, not a single rat left.

“Damn it all!”

From outside the camp came Hu Zhongyi’s booming voice.

Luo Mingchen, who had been watching Huo Yan write, lifted his eyes. Soon, a soldier entered to report: “General, Great General Hu is here.”

Huo Yan, seeing the man rushing over, said: “Invite him in.”

“Yes!”

Hu Zhongyi stormed in, fuming, and immediately snatched up a teapot, draining it in one go.

Luo Mingchen glanced at Huo Yan, curious. “Why is General Hu so angry?”

“It’s Wu Qing, that bastard! I gave him the epidemic prescription, and what does he do? Says we should buy the herbs ourselves and distribute them to Bing City’s people!”

At the mention, Hu Zhongyi looked ready to kill. “That dog is just shirking trouble, unwilling to spend money! I swear, if he were dead, the people of Bing City would live far more peacefully! Hmph!”

He finished and slumped into a chair, practically fuming smoke.

“General Hu, best not speak rashly, lest someone catch hold of it.”

Setting down his brush, Huo Yan covertly hooked fingers with Luo Mingchen, then continued: “Since General Wu is unwilling to take charge, we can send herbs over and have the city lord handle it. Hardly a major matter.”

“Not a major matter, sure, and the silver’s there too. But I just can’t swallow this!”

Frowning, Hu Zhongyi looked at Huo Yan. “Why don’t you react at all? We may have money now, but we must use it sparingly. You’re new here, you don’t understand. In our region, pay for the troops must be requested well in advance, and even then it usually comes short by half.”

Hearing Hu Zhongyi say “we,” Luo Mingchen realized he truly saw Huo Yan as one of his own.

They were both stationed in Han City, after all—they were in the same boat. He just hadn’t expected Hu Zhongyi to be this straightforward, pouring his heart out without even pretending, openly cursing Wu Qing before them.

Huo Yan said: “This is an epidemic. General Hu should know this is not something to be taken lightly.”

Hu Zhongyi was exasperated. “Of course I know it’s not to be taken lightly. If the epidemic spreads…”

Suddenly, inspiration struck. “You mean?”

Huo Yan deliberately left it unsaid. “If it spreads, it will be disastrous. Since General Wu is unwilling, then we’ll help. Later, when it’s spoken of, our conscience will be clear.”

“Good, good! You’re right! I’ll get to it right away!”

Hu Zhongyi once again left, this time in high spirits.

Watching him go, Luo Mingchen rubbed his chin and asked: “Do you think he might, in a fit of anger, throw the patients’ clothes into Wu Qing’s camp?”

Huo Yan’s lips curved faintly. “Would he need to?”

The two exchanged a look.

All was understood without words.