Chapter 126: The Slumbering Qianyin

Mo Lan held her close, her heart aching, and carried her into the bathroom. There was a large tub filled with herbal water, still scalding hot. Mo Lan set her down beside it, unable to bear placing her back on the bed just yet.

From time to time, she reached down to test the water, then reached out to stroke Qian Yin’s cheek. Mo Lan’s tears fell uncontrollably, landing drop by drop on Qian Yin’s hand.

Memories began to flood her mind. How many things had they endured together over these many years? Although they had chosen different paths and reached a fork in the road, they had ultimately ended up together. Qian Yin had truly done so much for her.

"I’m sorry," Mo Lan choked out, her voice raspy. "I failed you after you were so good to me."

But Qian Yin was gone, lost in a state of unconsciousness. In her heart and mind, she saw only Leng Xue, fantasizing about their happy days and the first time she ever laid eyes on him.

"I was wrong. If you give me a chance, I’ll change, alright?"

Mo Lan murmured to herself, unheard by anyone outside. Her tears flowed like an endless river, falling incessantly. Checking the water once more, she found the temperature just right, so she set aside her heavy thoughts and began to undress Qian Yin.

Only after removing her clothes did she realize that the clover charm was well-protected, entirely unlike the one Leng Xue had. Qian Yin’s body was covered in wounds that had yet to heal; it seemed she would need to ask Elder Xian for more medicinal herbs.

As Mo Lan pondered this, she reached out to touch the clover charm. The moment she brushed against it, Qian Yin’s hand shot up to grab her, whispering slowly, "Don’t try to take my things. I’ll give you money if you want, but please, don’t take my things."

Mo Lan suddenly wanted to laugh—how could Qian Yin be so adorable even while asleep? She placed her into the water and washed her carefully, taking care not to touch the charm again. Seeing those wounds, she realized how much Qian Yin had suffered.

After the bath, Mo Lan dressed her in the culottes they had bought with Bai Bai, which looked stunning on her. Once she had settled her in bed, Mo Lan began to hand-wash the clothes herself.

Elder Xian arrived with a bowl of freshly brewed medicine, intending to feed Qian Yin. He knocked on the door several times, but receiving no reply, the four disciples—East, South, West, and North—panicked and pushed the door open, rushing inside. Mo Lan, busy washing clothes with the faucet running, hadn't heard them.

Seeing Qian Yin lying safe and sound on the bed, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, though their eyes continued to scan the room for Mo Lan.

"Mo Lan, what are you doing?" Elder Xian set the medicine down and called out toward the bathroom upon hearing movement.

Mo Lan walked out, clothes in hand, startled to see everyone present. Why had they all come in? Had something happened?

"What’s wrong? I’m just washing clothes."

"It’s nothing," Elder Xian replied, while the others kept their eyes locked on Qian Yin.

Mo Lan didn't mind. She glanced at the medicine on the table, felt it, and realized it was too hot. "I’ll feed her in a while. You should all go out and rest. And the four of you, your clothes are soaked—go change. I won’t do anything to hurt Qian Yin."

Elder Xian examined Qian Yin’s condition and realized she might never wake up. He turned around with a somber expression, saying calmly, "Don’t try to shake her; you won’t be able to wake her. Just be careful when you feed her."

The four disciples turned pale, asking in unison, "What happened?" They kept glancing at Mo Lan, suspecting she might have done something.

Mo Lan’s own expression darkened. How could she not wake up?

"She doesn’t want to wake up. She might, or she might never wake up for the rest of her life. It depends on her own will," Elder Xian said, turning away in frustration. He left without looking at anyone, his heart heavy.

Who had they offended? Were Leng Xue and Qian Yin really going to leave like this? Two such beloved disciples, just gone like that. Elder Xian felt miserable, but he had no one to vent his anger upon.

As the four disciples moved to sit down, Mo Lan blocked their path. She swallowed hard and said, "You all should go out for now. Deal with your own matters first, then come back. I will take care of Qian Yin. I won’t let her die."

The four young ones exchanged looks, and East, saying nothing, turned and left. Soon, all four were gone, leaving Mo Lan alone in the room with the clothes.

With a sigh, Mo Lan returned to finish washing the laundry and hung it out on the balcony. She checked the medicine again; the temperature was perfect. She propped Qian Yin up with pillows so she was semi-reclined.

Watching the sleeping Qian Yin—so quiet, so gentle, so beautiful—Mo Lan felt a piercing pain in her heart. Did "never waking up" mean she would be a vegetable, or that she would simply fade away, cold and lifeless?

Mo Lan placed a towel under Qian Yin’s chin and carefully spoon-fed her. She discovered that Qian Yin wouldn't open her mouth; even when forced, she would only take a tiny amount, the rest spilling out.

Mo Lan frowned; this wouldn't do. Still, she remained patient, feeding her one spoonful at a time.

The room remained as it once was, but the two girls whose smiles had been like sunshine were gone. Now, there was only one who refused to wake and another who waited for her to return.

Meanwhile, at Wolf Bear Mountain, the Boss was flying into a rage. Seeing the two men kneeling before him, a surge of fury rose from his gut. He had thought these two were talented assets, yet they had botched their first mission.

"Explain yourselves. What happened?" The Boss didn't want to look at them and turned to face the stone wall. His voice was harsh, thick with malice.

"It was all thanks to that Boss Wang," Han said, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "He wouldn't sleep in the middle of the night and started beating Mo Fan. An Feng brought some strange medicinal powder, and we were caught off guard. I barely managed to drag myself back." If it weren't for the fact that An Feng had taken Boss Wang away, Han would have torn him to pieces.

"Medicinal powder?" The Boss sounded puzzled. In this day and age, was there still someone skilled in the use of medicine?

The other man in black was Leng Xue, who had returned in a disheveled state. He couldn't bring himself to face Qian Yin. Seeing her looking so heartbroken made him feel both happy and deeply worried about her safety without him by her side.

The Boss stared at Leng Xue, waiting for him to speak, but he remained silent. The Boss sighed, realizing that the talents in the world of assassins were all the same—none were truly cold-blooded enough, and those who were, were too loyal to be of use.

He had finally found two rebels, yet both were trapped by their emotions, and over the same woman at that. How troublesome.

The Boss clutched the Seven-Colored Light Jade in his hand. A new idea struck him: since An Feng had that medicinal powder, there must be a physician nearby. Bringing that physician to serve him would be a fine prize indeed.

The two men watched the calculation in the Boss’s eyes, but said nothing, kneeling quietly in the silence.