When they'd left the county town in a hurry, they’d only stayed at an inn for one night. There was no way to know if the disease had already reached the city then.
Along the way, they’d initially passed populated areas, but as they neared the border, they’d noticed fewer and fewer people.
The sparse population near the border had lulled them into carelessness.
After scouting the area and learning more, Ge Liang’s initial tension upon hearing Ji Taoyu diagnose the disease as contagious that morning had deepened.
Though he’d remained calm—after all, he’d seen all sorts of situations in the military, the discovery that the disease was this severe changed things.
Finding a doctor who could treat it was one problem. Finding one at all was another.
"Brother Huo, what should we do now?"
"Even if Tian Fu and the others can push on to Yuchang Prefecture, if the authorities there already know about this illness, they likely won’t let us pass."
Now, they could neither advance nor retreat.
The only options were to temporarily camp here, observe whether the sick could pull through, and continue searching for doctors nearby—or abandon the infected and let the healthy press on to Yuchang Prefecture.
Huo Shu and Ge Liang exchanged a glance, both understanding the situation perfectly.
"Let’s stay and wait for now."
Ge Liang sighed in relief, grateful that Huo Shu hadn’t decided to leave.
Even if they hardened their hearts and abandoned their companions to enter Yuchang Prefecture, doing business wasn’t the same as waging war.
The road ahead was long, and if they discarded their own at the first sign of trouble, those left behind would inevitably grow wary, fearing they’d be the next to be cast aside.
After hearing their discussion, Ji Taoyu’s mind was in turmoil.
He bitterly regretted not studying harder at home—had he slacked off just once less, he might have had one more way out today.
Before the two could settle on a proper plan, groans came from the tent.
Huo Shu and Ge Liang hurried over to find Tian Fu crawling out: "It itches! It itches too much!"
Stripped down to just his undergarments, his skin was scratched raw, the broken flesh oozing blood. Though the bleeding wasn’t severe, the sheer number of wounds made it a gruesome sight.
Ge Liang wanted to help him up but hesitated.
"I have an anti-itch and anti-inflammatory ointment. Let’s try that first."
"Give me some! Give me some!"
Wang Yong, panting weakly, half-crawled out of the tent, raising a trembling hand.
Ji Taoyu quickly ran back to fetch the ointment.
Covering his mouth and nose with a cloth, he moved to apply it—but Huo Shu grabbed his wrist.
Ji Taoyu met Huo Shu’s furrowed brow: "I’m a doctor. If even I’m afraid, then this illness is truly hopeless."
"Applying medicine doesn’t require a doctor. I’ll do it."
Ji Taoyu tried to insist, but Huo Shu tightened his grip: "Your body is already weaker than most. Don’t make me worry."
"Just watch from the side."
Ji Taoyu pressed his lips together. "Fine."
To minimize contact, Ji Taoyu tied a cloth over Huo Shu’s face and gave him gloves.
He only needed to apply the ointment by pressing the bottle to the skin, avoiding direct touch.
As Tian Fu watched the two assist him, his heart churned with mixed emotions.
He never thought that at this critical moment, it would be Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu going to such lengths for them.
The ointment was cooling, bringing immediate relief. The sick soon calmed down.
Ji Taoyu exhaled slightly, quickly disinfecting Huo Shu’s hands with strong liquor.
Then he returned to flipping through medical texts.
The group had returned near dusk. Fortunately, spring made it easy to forage, so they wouldn’t starve—but with Ji Taoyu buried in his books, no one cooked.
Dinner was just simple porridge and flatbread. The meager meal left everyone uneasy, especially with Tian Fu and the others showing no improvement.
At least no new cases had emerged today.
By nightfall, everyone retired to rest.
Normally, Ji Taoyu would’ve been the first to burrow under the blankets, but today, he didn’t dare pause for a moment.
The night was quiet, the breeze cool.
Someone stepping out in the middle of the night spotted two figures by the fire, still as trees in the forest.
The man noticed the moon had already begun to sink, it must’ve been past midnight.
Huo Shu keeping watch by the fire wasn’t unusual, but the young ger nestled against him was.
Ji Taoyu, wrapped in Huo Shu’s cloak, still clutched a medical text.
The man couldn’t read, but he could tell Ji Taoyu had gone through several books by their varying sizes.
In the flickering firelight, Ji Taoyu’s fair, delicate face was weary—yet he studied with unwavering focus.
Everyone knew Ji Taoyu was frail and even a bit spoiled. Before the journey, Village Head Ji had said to treat him as their on-the-road doctor.
They’d all agreed outwardly, but inwardly, they’d doubted.
Now, facing this plague, it was him working tirelessly.
The man’s heart ached—both from realizing appearances could deceive and from worrying about their plight.
Dawn broke, dew clinging to fresh grass, the morning air tinged with the scent of herbs.
Ji Taoyu’s voice, hoarse and faint, reached Huo Shu’s ears:
"My ancestor was a royal physician, our family has practiced medicine for generations. I was too lazy, my skills inadequate… but I can’t disgrace my ancestor. This time, I should be able to..."
With that, he slumped against Huo Shu and fell into a deep sleep.
Thank you for the update!!!
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