Chapter 144 New Weapon

Chapter 144: New Weapon

Zhou Yinyun looked left and right, thinking that since Cheng Ge was hurt, he ought to help Caicai look after him a bit.

After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke, "The other day I hunted a tigress with some guys.

She just had a cub two days ago, and it's still at the estate. Muyu, would you like to come see it?"

Cheng Ge's eyes widened. "!!!"

A tigress! That's sick, that's sick!

Yun Xunyu suddenly straightened up, the shattered jade in his palm clicking crisply.

He walked to the bedside, his shadow falling over half of Cheng Ge. "I'm curious..."

His gaze fell on the gauze wrapped around Cheng Ge's wrist, "This wound's poison—who among you can cure it?"

The room went quiet. Physician Wu's silver needle case snapped shut with a click.

Cheng Ge yanked his wrist back and looked up at Yun Xunyu.

He figured the creep kinda had a point; his life was more important.

Thinking this, he sneakily picked up the pastry crumbs that had fallen to the edge of the bed, about to shove them in his mouth.

Lin Nanshu gently plucked the crumbs away, handed him a fresh piece, and wiped the corner of his mouth.

Zhou Mingqi shot up, annoyance flickering in his eyes. Cheng Ge jumped and looked up at the emperor.

"This inn's too shabby. You'd better stay in the palace for now. I'll set up separate rooms.

If the Third Prince doesn't mind, you can come to the palace too. With the imperial physicians nearby, it'll be safer."

Lin Nanshu slowly stood up and bowed to Zhou Mingqi. "The palace runs on strict schedules, and every hall already has its occupant. It'd be improper for Muyu to stay there."

Cheng Ge polished off the pastry and turned to Lin Nanshu, thinking he also had a point.

For a moment, the people in the room were deadlocked, and the air got thick with tension.

Cheng Ge looked around, feeling like he'd stumbled into a harem drama.

Just as the standoff seemed endless, Lü Rou came into view.

She walked gracefully, stopping three steps from the door.

She pressed her right hand over her left wrist and gave a perfect curtsy: "Greetings, Your Majesty, Crown Prince, Third Prince, His Highness, and Master Lin."

Her moon-white skirt didn't move, and the tassels at her waist hung still as a picture.

Behind her came a weird pair—a dog and a snake. The dog, Dahuang, carried a fat rat in its mouth, tail spinning like a windmill.

Star Frost, the snake, was coiled around the dog's neck, its shiny scales now caked with mud.

From a distance, it looked like a mudfish that just crawled out of a hole.

But it still raised its head and flicked its tongue, looking totally smug.

Yun Xunyu: "..."

When Dahuang saw Cheng Ge, it ran over to show off, the rat's tail still swinging.

It dropped the rat, pinned it under its paw, and barked at Cheng Ge a few times.

When Cheng Ge saw Lü Rou, his face lit up. "Sister Lvrou, what are you doing here?"

Lü Rou lowered her eyes, her voice soft but clear: "I came to see how you were doing."

Then she stepped forward slowly and knelt by the bed.

Her eyes swept over Cheng Ge's wound, and her heart ached. She said softly.

"The general sent word: the camel hump he brought back for you, smoked three times with red willow branches, is buried in a snow jar under the old plum tree in the manor."

Cheng Ge's eyes went wide, and he leaned halfway over the bed, swallowing hard.

"He also brought a bunch of beef jerky and sand date honey, all saved for you.

And..." Lü Rou looked up at the stony faces around her, hesitating.

"And what?" Cheng Ge grabbed Lü Rou's hand, his eyes full of hope.

"And... the general seized a set of weapons at the border, said he sent them for you to use!"

At the word "weapons," Cheng Ge's eyes lit up like crazy. He shot up from the bed like his butt was on fire.

Ignoring his bandages, he scrambled to get off the bed.

"Careful!" Everyone was startled and rushed forward.

Lin Nanshu quickly grabbed his waist, but Cheng Ge had already hopped onto the floor on one foot, wobbling all over.

"Yuli, I'll come see you another day! I gotta get back to the manor now, or my camel hump will go bad..."

Everyone: "..."

Lin Nanshu sighed helplessly, quickly bent down to put on his boots, and helped him get dressed one piece at a time.

"That weapon set must be from the Northern Di—ow!" He didn't finish before pulling his wound and wincing in pain.

"Muyu, don't rush. I'll take you down." Lin Nanshu carefully held his hand and bent slightly to scoop him up.

Dahuang immediately grabbed the rat and followed, its paws pattering across Zhou Zhan's robe.

"I'll take my leave now." Lü Rou hastily bowed and chased after them.

The others watched the three figures, the dog... and the traitorous snake disappear.

For a moment, the autumn chill seemed to sweep through their hearts, leaving them all feeling desolate.

Zhou Zhan clenched his fist, bitterness in his heart. "This maid appeared at the worst possible time."

Zhou Yinyun slowly turned, glanced at Zhou Zhan, and said flatly, "That's not a maid. That's Muyu's beloved wife."

Everyone turned back in unison. "!!!"

...

Cheng Ge was practically half-hanging on Lin Nanshu as they returned to the estate.

"Yuli, hurry up, hurry up!" With legs dangling in the air, he still thought Lin Nanshu was walking too slowly, tugging at the man's collar to pull him forward.

"Lü Rou! Where is that weapon? Is it in the study? Or in the armory?"

Lin Nanshu's collar was yanked open, revealing half of his collarbone, yet he still steadily held Muyu's knees.

"Muyu, your wound is about to reopen—"

"We're here, we're here!" Lü Rou scurried ahead to push open the vermilion courtyard gate, her moon-white skirt brushing over the stone steps.

Cheng Ge patted Lin Nanshu's chest and slowly sat up straight: "Bring it here quickly!"

"Right here." Lü Rou finally emerged from the inner room carrying a gilded box, and Cheng Ge's eyes lit up instantly.

Then… he stared blankly at the ornate arm guards inside the box.

"That's... it?" His voice suddenly wilted, and he poked the gem-studded leather with his finger, even the cowlick on his head drooped down.

The man who had been beaming with excitement just moments before now looked as sour as if he'd been swindled out of millions by a Burmese scammer.

Seeing his expression, Lü Rou burst out with a "pfft" of laughter.

She immediately brought out another box from behind her. "This is the weapon the general asked me to bring you."

Cheng Ge instantly beamed, eagerly opening the box to reveal a nine-section scorpion-tail whip inside.

The whip was made of nine sections of fine steel chain, with a three-edged barb at the tip.

Cheng Ge's expression shifted from dazed to ecstatic in an instant, his eyes sparkling as if stars had fallen into them.

"Holy shit!!!" Clutching the whip, Cheng Ge's heart raced with excitement—this looked so damn cool.

Imagining himself wielding the whip and cutting down enemies left and right, he thought, wouldn't that be insanely cool?

"Yuli! Isn't this awesome?" Cheng Ge immediately turned to look at Lin Nanshu.

Suddenly, his expression froze, all the smile fading from his face as he asked coldly, "How did you start bleeding here?"