Chapter 619: Pill King, a plot afoot (2/2)

A sly look flickered past Pill King’s eyes before he continued. “As for what kind of punishment it was, you’ll only know after you go inside. Lass, think it over carefully. You can enter the cave, or leave empty-handed. Master can’t help you with this.”

“Esteemed wangfei, the Medicine Requesting Cave is exceedingly dangerous. There’s no need for you to risk yourself for this one’s sake!” Gu Beiyue said anxiously.

Han Yunxi laughed. “Risking myself once to save your legs is worth it!” What dangers hadn’t she faced before? She refused to believe that a simple cave could hide mountains of knives or seas of flames within!

“Bring a light!” Long Feiye said coldly to Pill King.

Pill King had been waiting for them agree so he could sit and watch the show. This time he was going to leave Han Yunxi for sure. He quickly brought over a lantern to Long Feiye and said, “The two of you can go in. Doctor Gu can stay with me, I’ll naturally take care of him.”

Gu Beiyue had given up on dissuading Han Yunxi now, but protested, “I’ll go with you two!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be out very soon,” Han Yunxi comforted him.

“You’ll only be in the way if you come along,” Long Feiye added coldly.

“Your Highness Duke of Qin, I promise I won’t be a burden!” Gu Beiyue professed. Long Feiye ignored him and used the lantern to scope out the dusky depths.

Han Yunxi consoled him instead. “Doctor Gu, don’t worry. Once we’re out, you’ll be able to stand.”

“If esteemed wangfei doesn’t take this one with you into the caves, this one doesn’t want these legs at all! And I mean it!” Gu Beiyue’s eyes were shining with a serious light. Han Yunxi was startled by the sight, because she’d never seen this gentle man lose his temper before. But still, she refused.

“Doctor Gu, His Highness’s reasons make sense.”

Miss Yunxi, I’m supposed to be your guard. If you meet with dangers for my sake, what’s the use of me keeping these legs, much less this life?

“If Your Highness and esteemed wangfei insists, then this one has nothing to say. But I’m afraid your trip will be wasted and that the medicine won’t do my legs any good!” As Gu Beiyue spoke, a chill settled upon him, changing him into a completely different person. He had plenty of ways to cripple himself for good.

Now Han Yunxi was thoroughly stunned. She only felt that the man before her now was a stranger. In the midst of her hesitation, Long Feiye handed the lantern to Gu Beiyue and personally pushed him towards the caves without a word. Watching their backs, Han Yunxi stopped worrying and felt a touch of warmth in her heart instead. She hurried after them both.

“That’s right, this old man forgot to tell you. You only have two hours!” Pill King shouted after them, chasing them up to the entrance. He would never dare to enter that cave again in this lifetime. The last time he came here to ask for medicine, he’d been trapped inside and thus forced to spend the rest of his life here. That place was nothing less than his nightmare, but now also his only hope. He would wait until Han Yunxi was ready to follow in his footsteps!

The trio quickly vanished into the darkness. Pill King hurried along a side path next to the cave, which had tinted opening to show him what was going on inside. As Han Yunxi’s group headed in, they kept silent. Long Feiye pushed Gu Beiyue’s wheelchair with one hand while holding Han Yunxi’s hand tightly with the other. He was alert to everything around them, even the movement of the air currents. Gu Beiyue had lost all his martial arts skills, but his training was still there. Like Long Feiye, he was paying attention to every detail. Han Yunxi was on guard as well, her hidden needles ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

But despite all their worries, nothing happened. The cave had no traps or pitfalls, just checkpoints along the path for them to pass. As long as they could pass all the checkpoints to the end, they’d be able to bring back any medicine they wanted. Soon enough, they met with their first trial: choosing medicine!

A tightly sealed stone door stood before them, flanked by a small medical novice dressed in black with a bamboo flute in his hand. His other held a box of pills.

“As long as you can categorize all the different pills in this plate in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, you’ll be cleared to go on. Otherwise, you have to stay at the medical cottage for the rest of your life! Any violators will be cursed with a hundred incurable ills!” the novice’s voice was stiff and sharp without a hint of emotion.

“What’s the method for categorization?” Han Yunxi asked.

“You must stand no less than five paces away and do it purely by sight,” the novice explained.

“Just that?” Han Yunxi grew delighted. This was nothing to her. Forget about five steps, even ten to twenty steps was no problem.

“Just that. When you’re ready, we’ll begin,” the novice said.

“Begin!” Han Yunxi got straight to the point.

As the little boy opened the box, Pill King smile slyly from his hiding place on the path. He had witnessed Han Yunxi’s skills firsthand at the Grand Medicine Testing Convention. But he firmly believed that the first trial would be enough to stop her. After all, this was the same test that had failed him in the past!