OFTLHFRO C68

Chapter 68: The Bad Uncle Is a Good Man

The carriage stopped at the gate, and a woman in yellow stepped down, bloodstains all over her clothes yet bearing no wounds herself, which meant the injured one was not her.

Seeing Luo Mingchen, the woman asked urgently, “Young sir, is this Huo Yan’s home?”

“This is Huo Yan’s home. And you are?”

Eyes rimmed red, the woman in yellow said, “I’m Hua Niang. Xiao Lin is Huo Yan’s friend, and he has some things he wants to tell Huo Yan.”

Catching the heavy scent of blood, Luo Mingchen had a bad feeling. “Huo Yan has gone out. Is Xiao Lin in the carriage? What happened to him?”

Surprised to hear Huo Yan was out, Hua Niang still forced down her tears and said, “We were ambushed on the road out of the city. He took an arrow to the chest. The doctor said pulling it out would make him bleed even more and could cost him his life. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to speak after the arrow was removed, so he told me to hurry here.”

And to find Huo Yan wasn’t even at home…

“Let me see.”

With a deep frown, Luo Mingchen climbed into the carriage and found Xiao Lin lying inside, face ashen and blue, blood still slowly seeping. He took a handful of mutated herbs, chewed them, and pressed them to the wound.

When he saw Luo Mingchen, Xiao Lin grabbed his wrist. “Tell Huo Yan… don’t go to Black Mountain, and… three, seven, nine, six…”

Though he didn’t understand the meaning, Luo Mingchen committed it to memory.

With the bleeding temporarily slowed, he said to the driver, “Uncle, please help me carry him inside.”

The driver had been paid handsomely, and though he felt Xiao Lin might not last long, he still helped lug him into the house with Luo Mingchen.

That arrow absolutely couldn’t be left in…

Unsure whether local doctors could treat such a wound, and after only a moment’s thought, Luo Mingchen told Hua Niang to go to the clinic to find Huo Yan and bring a physician back as well.

Once Hua Niang and the driver had left, he used water tendrils to shut the door, laid out the medical chest, fed Xiao Lin a pill, crushed the mutated herb to squeeze out a bowl of juice, and set the remaining pulp aside.

A water tendril turned into a sharp, palm-sized spinning disc and, in the blink of an eye, sliced off the arrow’s fletching.

Every nerve taut, Luo Mingchen focused his ability on the flow of Xiao Lin’s blood.

At the instant he drew the arrow free, blood spurted out, and he swiftly pressed the hemostatic herb over the wound while guiding the herbal juice into Xiao Lin’s mouth.

The surging blood stopped quickly. Not relaxing in the least, he continued to press the wound and feed the juice.

Sensing the man’s condition stabilizing, he finally let go.

After a short while, a knock sounded from outside. When Luo Mingchen opened the door and saw Huo Yan, his anxious heart settled.

Whether or not Huo Yan’s return would help, it was a comfort. “Where’s the doctor? I pulled the arrow. The bleeding’s stopped.”

Hearing that Huo Yan was back, Hua Niang hurriedly pushed past them into the room. Seeing Xiao Lin lying on the bed, her tears flowed uncontrollably as she clutched his hand with trembling fingers.

The doctor entered with his medicine chest and, spotting the broken arrow and herbs to the side, exclaimed, “You pulled the arrow yourself? And even stopped the bleeding?”

“Yes.”

Calm as steel, Luo Mingchen said, “He’s stable for now. Please examine him.”

“Very well.”

The doctor took his pulse and examined him. “He really has stabilized. To survive a wound to the heart vessel borders on miraculous. I’ll write a prescription. Give him a dose. If he gets through tonight without heavy bleeding, then let him recuperate in peace for a good while. No complacency, keep a calm heart.”

The couple both nodded.

Hearing the doctor’s words, Hua Niang’s tears only fell harder, as if finally releasing all she’d held back on the road.

Huo Yan escorted the doctor back to the clinic, then returned with the medicine.

Seeing Luo Mingchen waiting by the gate, lanterns hung on either side of the house, he quickened his steps.

“How are things over there?”

Knowing he meant Chen Xiuyue, Huo Yan said, “All is well.”

Relieved, Luo Mingchen sighed as they walked. “What a day, so many things happening.”

If it wasn’t someone fainting, it was someone getting shot.

“Right—Xiao Lin told me in the carriage not to go to Black Mountain, and then he said a string of numbers: three, seven, nine, six. What does that mean?”

To choose not to have the arrow removed, to come straight to entrust his last words—Luo Mingchen couldn’t help but admire him.

But considering his condition, treatment might have killed him faster; leaving a final message first wasn’t unreasonable.

At this, Huo Yan frowned. “Did he say why?”

“No, just that number afterward.”

Seeing Huo Yan’s expression turn grim, Luo Mingchen asked, “What’s wrong with Black Mountain?”

“Previously, we destroyed a bandit stronghold there. When we sent them to Heishan County, the magistrate’s tone was odd. If he was hurt by those from Black Mountain, they might be coming for revenge.”

Saying this, Huo Yan felt a headache coming on.

Bandits colluding with officials and coming all this way for vengeance—absurd, unless…

He recalled the numbers Luo Mingchen mentioned. “That number points to where Xiao Lin buried money. He said if he died, he’d tell me where to dig it up—eighty percent for Hua Niang, twenty percent for me as travel funds.”

Uh, well…

Luo Mingchen had suspected it might concern an inheritance, but he hadn’t expected it to be so ridiculous.

“He kept himself alive to deliver that warning and mention Black Mountain; perhaps there’s something else hidden.”

Hearing this, inspiration struck Luo Mingchen. “He took the bandits’ treasures, and now they’re here to take them back?”

“That’s possible.”

Huo Yan paused, then added, “Heishan County is hundreds of li from here.”

“Hundreds of li? What did he take from them?” said a startled Luo Mingchen.

“That we’ll have to ask him.”

They stopped outside the guest room and looked at Xiao Lin, still unconscious on the bed.

“Hua Niang rushed for so long she must be exhausted. I’ll make congee and decoct the medicine. Check on the three children, and later we’ll take turns keeping watch.”

After all, this was a man who had risked his life alongside Huo Yan, and he was not yet out of danger.

Huo Yan only looked calm on the surface; he was deeply sentimental. Otherwise, Xiao Lin wouldn’t have trusted him with his legacy.

“Alright.”

He went to the children’s room. The three were still awake, and their eyes lit up when they saw him.

“Daddy!”

Huo Xiang, who opened the door, hugged Huo Yan. “Is Granny Chen alright? Is that bad uncle going to die? He bled so much—more than last time.”

Gently rubbing his head, Huo Yan said, “Granny Chen is fine. Uncle Xiao isn’t a bad person, and he won’t die. He’ll wake up tomorrow.”

Huo Xiang nodded. “Then I won’t call him a bad uncle anymore.”

“Good.”

Huo Yan looked to Huo Yuhui. “Turn in early tonight.”

“Okay,” Huo Yuhui replied.

Before leaving, Huo Yan scooped up Huo Xinyue, but the little one mumbled, “Yueyue wants Daddy to hold me…”

“Be good. Daddy needs to simmer the medicine. Tomorrow, Daddy will hold you.”

Hearing this, Huo Xinyue sighed and nodded obediently. “Alright then.”

With a soft smile, Huo Yan patted her back and didn’t go until he had lulled her to sleep.