Extra chapter for May 30th sponsored by Spirit Beast Egg reward for md12
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Zhang Baotang's eyes reddened when he called out for his second brother.
Miss Jun had already opened her medicine chest, looking at the clothes on Zhu Zan's body.
He was wearing clothes on the top, but the bottom was only wrapped in a single sheet.
"Take it off him," she said.
Zhang Baotang and Sifeng hurriedly reached out, but were at a loss how to proceed with the blood-stained sheet that seemed to have grown onto his body, carefully and slowly peeling it downward.
"Have you not had your meal?"
The muted voice of Zhu Zan rose, as he slightly turned his head.
Hearing that, Zhang Baotang almost cried.
"Second brother, are you alright?" he said with a choked voice, hastily approaching Zhu Zan.
"Alright? How can this be alright," said Sifeng irritably, while he half-kneeled and lowered his voice, "Your father has already sent people. That Huang scoundrel is feigning death at home, trying to force His Majesty to kill you, but His Majesty won't hurt you. The key is you have to hold on."
"Hmm," Zhu Zan grunted through his nose, but the next moment he shook violently, letting out a painful cry.
Zhu Zan, half-propping himself up, twisted his head to look back. Sifeng and Zhang Baotang, who were gathered around him, were startled and also looked back.
Miss Jun stood by Zhu Zan's side, peeling the sheet from his hips and legs.
"What are you doing?" Zhu Zan shouted hoarsely, struggling to rise while reaching out to guard his sheet.
With a rip, Miss Jun swiftly tore it off and stood upright.
Zhu Zan cried out, whether from pain or shock, it was unclear.
Sifeng and Zhang Baotang also shuddered.
Indeed, physicians always have such ruthless hands.
"You, you, you shameless person," Zhu Zan glared as he spoke, struggling to cover his now unshielded lower body.
Sifeng couldn't help laughing, although it really wasn't the time for laughter.
"Second brother, Miss Jun is a doctor. She's removing your trousers to treat your wounds," Zhang Baotang earnestly explained.
"Why let her come!" Zhu Zan yelled, "Are all the doctors you know dead?"
"Because Miss Jun can make us…" Zhang Baotang sighed as he spoke.
He was cut off mid-sentence by an elbow jab from Sifeng.
"Of course there are other doctors, but since she's finally here, we hope things can be done once and for all," Sifeng said, "After all, Miss Jun is the most skilled."
"What's so skilled about her…" Zhu Zan began, but cried out again before finishing, falling back onto the plank bed.
Everyone jumped again, only to see that Miss Jun was holding a piece of cotton cloth soaked in medicinal liquid, pressing it onto Zhu Zan's wound.
"Miss Jun, give us a heads-up," Sifeng said, patting his chest, "Let him brace himself."
Miss Jun hummed in acknowledgement.
She did not speak, but Zhu Zan's words did not stop.
"What are you going to do?"
"Just applying medicine, hand it to Baotang, hand it to Baotang..."
"Get your hands off me, what are you groping for..."
Zhang Baotang patiently explained and comforted Zhu Zan, while Sifeng, struggling to suppress his laughter, stood aside, watching Miss Jun apply medicine and inspect the wounds.
"How is it?" he asked in a low voice, "Is it very serious?"
Miss Jun looked at the hideous and scabbed wound, wiped it with the medicinal cloth, and took a sniff.
"This doctor is amazing," she declared, "The wound has basically healed."
Sifeng's brow quirked.
"Jinyiwei are that kind-hearted?" he remarked.
Miss Jun shook her head, having finished cleaning Zhu Zan's wound, she took out a jar of ointment.
"Of course, it's not out of kindness," she responded, leaning down to meticulously rub the ointment on the wound, "It's just to prevent his injuries from being fatal, hanging on to life with medicine. They don't consider him a person at all; while the wound here heals quickly, other parts wear down. It's just robbing Peter to pay Paul."
Sifeng cursed.
"I knew these guys had no humanity," he voiced sincerely, "Then please, Miss Jun."
Miss Jun hummed, passing him another porcelain bottle.
"Feed him this," she instructed.
Sifeng took it and approached Zhu Zan.
"Why is her medicine so good..." Zhu Zan began to say.
But before he could finish, Sifeng stuffed the medicine into his mouth, forcing him to swallow.
Zhu Zan swallowed the medicine and spat, then said no more.
Sifeng looked at Miss Jun, who was meticulously and carefully applying the medicine at the back, then at Zhu Zan.
"Why must you," he sighed, "If you really wanted to, we could have discussed it, found someone else, so it wouldn't have come to this."
"Yes," Zhang Baotang chimed in quickly, "If something happened to you, that would be the end."
Zhu Zan on the plank responded with a murmur, his voice hoarse as he spoke, then fell silent immediately as if unwilling to dwell on the subject.
Zhang Baotang and Sifeng exchanged glances; with things having come to this point, even if they regretted it, they did not want to voice it in front of others. What's past was past, and there was no point in asking about it.
They no longer pressed the matter, asking instead about the condition of his injuries and how the Jinyiwei interrogated him through torture. Zhu Zan responded sporadically before gradually falling silent, motionless.
"Second brother?" Zhang Baotang shouted in alarm, turning to Miss Jun, "He's passed out."
Miss Jun did not look up.
"No, after taking the medicine, it relieved the tension that had been sustaining him, and he's a bit drowsy now. This is also rest, and it's good for him," she explained.
Zhang Baotang and Sifeng breathed a sigh of relief, looking again at Miss Jun who was carefully and meticulously applying the medicine.
Zhu Zan indeed had not passed out; he shortly opened his eyes again, murmuring complaints as the medicine was applied.
Zhang Baotang was about to soothe him, but got pulled back by Sifeng.
"Miss Jun, you carry on. We'll step outside to have a look," said Sifeng, scanning the surroundings, "Feel free to speak if there's anything on your mind."
After saying this, he pulled along a somewhat perplexed Zhang Baotang and left.
The cell fell quiet, with Miss Jun meticulously medicating the last deep wound. Zhu Zan let out a muffled groan.
"Can you be more careful?" he said with a bit of anger, "It hurts like hell."
Miss Jun glanced at him.
"What's the matter? Seems like you've suffered quite a few injuries at his hand," she observed. "Can't handle it anymore?"
Zhu Zan scoffed.
"Can't handle it? In the hands of that beast?" he protested. "That would make me even less than a beast."
Miss Jun laughed out loud.
The laughter echoed, brightly filling the dim prison cell for an instant.
"Laugh what laugh," Zhu Zan said irritably, "Is the medicine on? If it's on, then cover me up quickly."
Miss Jun laughed again, glancing at Zhu Zan's exposed body.
"There's nothing to look at," she said.
Zhu Zan cursed, attempting to prop himself up.
"You scoundrel," he exclaimed.
Miss Jun laughed heartily once more.