Chapter 15: Scattering Wealth

The oxcart rolled slowly along the mountain road. When Old Niu occasionally grew tired, it would wander to the roadside to graze. Lin Yan did not stop it, merely watching quietly.

He was a man of action. After learning about this doctor at the inn, he had asked around along his journey. As it turned out, everyone had nothing but praise for Doctor Zhou. She had often treated the poor for free in the past. Now, to find a way for the plague-infected villagers to survive, she had even risked her own life, volunteering to come here in search of a cure. Given all this, there was nothing left to hesitate about.

After traveling for over two hours, Lin Yan found the village—and the doctor—in a mountain hollow more than thirty miles from Qingzhou City.

A row of thatched sheds had been erected outside the village. A massive crowd was gathered there, packed tightly together. Men and women, young and old, squeezed in front of the sheds, waiting to see the doctor or get their prescriptions filled. Some of the severely ill were carried on wooden door panels, the stench of their festering sores detectable from far away.

As for Doctor Zhou, she was surprisingly a woman. Wearing a veil over her head, her face was completely obscured. She was clad in a plain white cloth robe with the sleeves rolled up, revealing fair wrists. At this moment, her fingers were pressed against a sick man's pulse. Her pale, slender fingertips were as steady as a rock. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the thatched roof onto her shoulders, giving her an inexplicable, divine aura. Even without seeing her face, her figure alone was enough to leave a lasting impression at a single glance.

Another woman stood outside the shed. She wore black clothes and black boots, with a longsword hanging at her waist. She had a sallow face, and her features barely moved when she spoke, as if she suffered from natural facial paralysis. However, the way she stood there was incredibly steady, much like the sword resting at her hip. The people around her kept a wide berth, their eyes harboring fear. Not even the children dared to run near her.

Lin Yan wove through the crowd and walked straight toward the shed. The black-clad woman's gaze immediately fell upon him.

"What is your business?"

Lin Yan glanced at her, then quickly withdrew his gaze. Instead of answering, he walked up to Doctor Zhou's table and set down the iron box. The weight of it made the table legs shudder.

Doctor Zhou was in the middle of writing a prescription, and the commotion caused her pen to pause.

"Are you Doctor Zhou?" Lin Yan asked softly. "I heard you're in desperate need of silver."

Doctor Zhou did not answer immediately. She finished writing the prescription, handed it to the patient, and gave a few quiet instructions before slowly looking up. From behind the veil, her gaze landed on Lin Yan.

"My surname is indeed Zhou, and I am indeed in need of silver," she said, her voice as crisp and melodic as a mountain stream. "But I only accept charitable donations. If you are giving me money for any other purpose, then please leave."

Lin Yan shook his head. "Nothing else."

He did not open the box, only moving his hand away from the lid. "Use this silver to buy medicine."

With that, he turned and left, not glancing at the box or the people in the shed again. He departed as decisively as he had arrived.

Doctor Zhou stared blankly for a moment. She reached out to open the box, but the black-clad woman's hand was faster.

"Never expose your wealth," she muttered, pressing down on the lid. She then pulled Doctor Zhou away, leading her to a secluded corner behind the thatched shed.

The lid was flipped open. Under the midday sun, the gold, silver, and jewels inside glinted with blinding brilliance. Doctor Zhou was stunned, and even the black-clad woman was slightly taken aback. The two stared at the box, speechless for a long time.

"This is too precious..." Doctor Zhou finally murmured. "Mei, we need to return this money right away."

The black-clad woman shook her head. "Since he's willing to part with it, it comes from a chivalrous heart. Using it to buy medicine will actually fulfill his wishes."

Biting her lip, Doctor Zhou suddenly looked up. "At the very least, we should find out his name."

Mei pondered for a moment before nodding. "I'll go ask." She spun around, her figure unfurling as she darted out of the shed like a black butterfly.

Lin Yan had already untied Old Niu's reins. The old fellow was in the middle of eating and seemed a bit reluctant to be pulled away. Ultimately, it didn't throw a temper tantrum, obediently heading back down the path they had come from. The mountain road was winding, the ox's hooves clopping against the loose gravel.

"Sir!" a voice called out from behind Lin Yan. The tone carried a mix of admiration and warmth.

Lin Yan did not turn around.

"Say no more," he said, driving the oxcart forward. "That money isn't for you. It's for those waiting for medicine."

The black-clad woman stopped a few paces behind the cart. "At the very least, tell me your name."

"Meeting by chance is fate enough. If we are destined, we will meet again," Lin Yan replied, departing with natural grace. As the sunlight bathed him, he looked like a celestial being.

She watched the dilapidated oxcart slowly disappear around the bend in the mountain road and did not give chase.

"Will we really meet again?" she murmured.

As the oxcart rounded the foot of the mountain, the view suddenly opened up. In the distance, Qingzhou City loomed faintly through the light mist. Lin Yan leaned back against the cart shafts and closed his eyes, acting as if nothing had just happened.

At the Shen Mansion.

Shen Qingci stood in front of her mother's room. Her fingertips were already touching the carved wooden door, yet she didn't push it open right away. Flickering candlelight leaked through the crack in the door, accompanied by the distinct smell of medicine—a scent far stronger than when she had left home. She remembered that her mother only ever used jasmine incense to scent the room, claiming the fragrance was elegant and free from the vulgarity of other spices. But now, this medicinal stench mingled with it, seemingly seeping into the very walls of the room.

Shen Qingci pushed the door open and entered. Mrs. Shen was sitting on the edge of the daybed, clutching a handkerchief. Seeing her daughter enter, she froze for a moment before quickly raising a hand to smooth the hair at her temples, as if trying to hide something.

"Why have you come over so late?" Mrs. Shen asked, steadying her breathing. "The wind is strong outside, yet you didn't even put on an extra layer."

Shen Qingci didn't reply. She walked straight up to her mother and sat on the low stool at her feet. She had loved sitting in this spot ever since she was little. As a child, she would rest her chin on her mother's knees and listen to her stories.

"Mother, where is my younger brother?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Shen's fingers tightened slightly. "Your brother went out on some business. He'll be back in a few days."

She turned her face away to fiddle with the lamp wick on the table, not daring to meet her daughter's eyes. "You must be exhausted from the journey. Get some rest for a few days first. We can talk about everything else later."

"Did he really go out on business?" Shen Qingci didn't want to beat around the bush any longer. "I've already asked the servants. My brother was taken away by force!"

Mrs. Shen snapped her head back around. "Which loose-lipped servant has been gossiping in front of you?"

"Mother, it doesn't matter who it was," Shen Qingci said, looking into her mother's bloodshot eyes. "Even though I've married into the Liu Family, I'm still a member of the Shen Family. Besides, I know a very powerful martial arts expert. If he is willing to help, our family's dilemma will easily be resolved."