“I respected you as a great doctor, but you definitely can't say such words. My lady suffered severe injury because she was so kind-hearted...”

“If she were kinder, she would save people's lives from the hands of Yama.”

An Rushuang tried her best to comfort Nanny Liu with blue veins revealing on her forehead, in case she would wrangle with Bian Wen out of anger. “Nanny, you should go back to have a rest. You just recovered from the disease, and can't exhaust yourself by looking after me. Silver, send nanny back as soon as possible,” An Rushuang ordered in a hurry.

She did prevent an impending b.l.o.o.d.y accident.

With Ye Chengzhi's help, Bian Wen sat on the chair beside the bed before looking up at An Rushuang, who, forcing a smile, intended to get up but failed because of her weakness. “Thank you very much, sir,” she said slowly in bed before nodding to Ye Chengzhi and adding, “Physician Ye.”

“With pleasure,” Ye Chengzhi answered in a hurry.

After taking her pulse, Bian Wen closed his eyes and said after a long pause, “Not bad.”

Staring at him in confusion, An Rushuang, having no idea what he meant, turned to Ye Chengzhi, who also felt bewildered.

Feeling anxious and upset, Zhao Xiaotao, her eyes bloodshot, seized Bian Wen's robe before asking in urgency, “Physician, is Miss An all right?”

Catching a glimpse of her, Bian Wen mocked, “Of course not all right. With her head struck by the stick, she, though seeming sillier than before, can still live for a long time. If she merely minds her own business, it is easy for her to enjoy longevity.

Speechless at his words, Zhao Xiaotao looked at Bian Wen and then An Rushuang, not knowing whether she should be happy or sad.

Gazing at the funny and annoying old man, An Rushuang said slowly with a smile, “If this kind of thing happens upon another poor girl, I would still lend a hand. To me, it's not others' business.”

“Even if you have to sacrifice your own life for the sake of a stranger?”

Bian Wen looked sideways at her.

“Since Xiaotao was injured for me, I must help her in reward. Thanks to her and her mother, I could return home. I never regret what I have done.”

An Rushuang was still smiling. No one could escape from fate and kama.

“Lady...”

Zhao Xiaotao whimpered, wetting her sleeves. Not wanting An Rushuang to see her uncollected appearance, she hurried out of the room.

“What's wrong with you?” Hong Yu, stepping in with a bowl of hot porridge in her hands, was nearly knocked to the ground. When she collected herself, Zhao Xiaotao had already gone far. Hong Yu turned around and entered the room with a frown.

“Miss An, the porridge with dates and lotus seeds is ready. Since you haven't taken meal for many days, please have some food now.”

She placed the bowl on the low table at bed, a puff of warm fragrance lingering in the air.

An Rushuang nodded before turning to Bian Wen. “Mr. Bian, hurrying here just now, you must have not taken meals. What about having some food here? Physician Ye, help yourselves to some food.”

“I will fetch bowls and chopsticks, and ask the chief to make some dishes.” Hong Yu echoed in a hurry.

Ye Chengzhi, intending to go to the kitchen to lend a hand, actually saw Bian Wen shaking his head while saying, “No. Since we are not acquaintances, it's not suitable to eat together.”

Everybody turned silent at once. As short-tempered as Hong Yu was, she at once raised her willow-leaf shaped eyebrows in anger. “Our lady was being polite...”

Learning about her temper already, Ye Chengzhi, his finger still stinging when thinking of the bite last time, covered her mouth with his hand immediately before dragging her out of the door. It was beyond his expectation that Hong Yu would bite him again!

“Ah... Let go of me! Please, please...” He tried his best to lower his voice. “ Go to prepare dishes at the kitchen. Don't ruin Miss An's plan!”

Hong Yu, knowing her lady wanting to ask the old man for help, kept her eyes wide open...

“You can help her?” She asked after a second thought.

Ye Chengzhi nodded before pus.h.i.+ng her to the kitchen again. “I can. I can. Go to the kitchen at once,” he promised.

It was until then that Hong Yu left reluctantly, keeping looking back for many times.

Returning to the room, Ye Chengzhi, in order to break the deadlock, said to Bian Wen with a smile, “Since Hong Yu had no idea what you would like to eat, I went out to tell her...”

Even before he finished speaking, Bian Wen slammed the chair forcefully, producing a crisp clang.

“I'll eat nothing! Help me back as soon as possible!”

Staring at his master silently for a moment, Ye Chengzhi, catching a glimpse of An Rushuang who seemed too weary to say a word, made up his mind to tell the truth.

“Why did you lose your temper, master? Back at home you said what Miss An did is a chivalrous deed, but why do you change your att.i.tude now? Isn't it because you waited for her for a whole day at yard yesterday?” Ye Chengzhi stared at Bian Wen. Since he had decided to tell everything to An Rushuang, he must hold on to the last minute.

“Though she didn't fulfill her promise, you have to forgive her, because she didn't wake up that day, right?”

Bian Wen glared at Ye Chengzhi, seemingly intending to suffocate him at once.

Ye Chengzhi took two steps back, in order to keep a distance from his master. “If master can't be honest to your heart, all the good disciples will escape out of fear.”

Upon hearing Ye Chengzhi's words, An Rushuang suddenly remembered that before she fulfilled her promise to visit Bian Wen three days later, she was implicated in this accident.

An Rushuang then looked at Bian Wen in sincerity. “Mr. Bian, I actually went to the Eastern Street to visit you that day, because I have figured out the answer.”

Bian Wen snorted, his face, though, wrinkled, his eyes still flickering with smart light.

“Really?”

“Yes.” An Rushuang nodded, a wisp of resoluteness revealing on her pallid face. “I want to learn medicine not for saving people's lives...”

She chuckled, seeming to state her opinion to Bian Wen, or murmur to herself, “As weak as I am, there is no need for me to think about how to save people's lives. Just as you said, I may lose my life if I mind others' business again. So, in this chaotic world, I merely want to mind my ownbusiness...”

She looked up at Bian Wen while saying, “I want to live on; I want my friends and families to live a good life. However, if there is someone I must kill, I will not withdraw.”

According to the monk in her dream, someone would die every time she takes a step forward, then she would save some people's lives while others were being killed.

The people who deserved to die must face their doom, while the ones that should live on must live a good life.

Under Bian Wen's gaze with a frown, An Rushuang never moved her resolute eyes away.

“Is this your answer?”

“Yes.” An Rushuang nodded.

Bian Wen sighed. “Given your homicidal intent, I shouldn't accept you as my disciple, but I really appreciate your decisiveness.”

Surprisingly, Bian Wen continued, “After seven days, it will be up to the ancestors whether you can be one of my disciples.”

Ye Chengzhi was totally confused at his master's words about the ancestors, let alone An Rushuang.