Unfortunately, since that fellow had returned to Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, Long Qingzhi could only explain things to Fang Shuwen based on her own understanding.
Fang Shuwen didn’t mind. He was completely ignorant about the Northern Domain, aside from the Sword God Palace and the Heaven-Cutting Saber’s Zhao Clan. With Long Qingzhi to fill him in, he could at least learn the basics.
However, they had been traveling for the better part of a day without seeing a single town, and Fang Shuwen was growing impatient.
He took out a map and glanced at it. Now that they had traveled some distance, more of the landmarks on the map were visible around them.
This allowed him to pinpoint their location. He discovered that the nearest town was at least eighty li away.
The distance wasn’t great, but Long Qingzhi knew no Martial Arts.
"Miss Long, how about I use my Lightweight Technique to carry you for a stretch?"
"Yes, thank you for the trouble, Young Hero Fang."
Long Qingzhi’s expression was one of easygoing acceptance.
Seeing this, Fang Shuwen didn’t hesitate. He reached out, grabbed Long Qingzhi’s shoulder, and with a tap of his foot, his figure blurred into a streaking arc of light.
He moved like lightning, and the world around them became a frantic, receding blur.
At first, Long Qingzhi tried to keep her eyes open, but within a single breath, she found it difficult to breathe. The sensation was so nauseating she felt the urge to vomit.
She hurriedly squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look again.
’What kind of speed is this? How can he be so fast?’ she thought in horror.
They traveled at lightning speed. In just a few moments, the eighty-li journey was over, the distance disappearing beneath Fang Shuwen’s feet.
When the roaring wind in her ears subsided, replaced by the hubbub of a crowd, Long Qingzhi finally opened her eyes. For a moment, she was utterly speechless.
’We’re... here?’
"Come on, let’s go buy some clothes."
Fang Shuwen’s voice broke through her stupor. Long Qingzhi suppressed the shock in her heart and nodded.
The two of them quickly found a clothing shop and each picked out two new outfits.
After buying the clothes, Fang Shuwen found an inn. He asked the innkeeper for a bucket of hot water so Long Qingzhi could wash up properly.
In her current state, she was no different from a beggar.
’Once she’s cleaned up, she can rest. We can continue our journey tomorrow.’
Fang Shuwen considered his next move. ’Tomorrow, I can buy a couple of horses. One for each of us. That should speed things up a little.’
In his room, Fang Shuwen brewed himself a cup of tea while mulling over his plans.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Young Hero Fang."
"Come in."
CREAK. Long Qingzhi pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Fang Shuwen glanced over and nodded in approval.
"Now that’s more like it."
With the black grime washed from her face, Long Qingzhi’s true features were revealed.
The young woman was prettier than most, but having already known Zhou Qingmei and Yu Yaoguang, Fang Shuwen’s standards for beauty were far higher than the average person’s. He didn’t find her exceptionally attractive.
Still, she had a pure and innocent air about her, especially her eyes, which remained bright despite the terrible ordeal she had suffered.
Dressed in a moon-white robe and a small, blue jacket with a white floral pattern, she looked like the girl next door.
But after looking at her for a moment, Fang Shuwen felt a bit puzzled.
"Why is your face so red?"
"Red? It’s not..."
She subconsciously reached up to touch her cheek.
"Actually, I feel a little cold."
Fang Shuwen froze. He hurried over to her and placed a hand on her forehead. His brow immediately furrowed.
"You’ve caught a chill. You have a high fever."
"Ah?"
Long Qingzhi stared blankly. She tried to say something, but her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
"It’s that serious?"
Fang Shuwen didn’t dare delay. His own Inner Strength was so developed that he was immune to heat and cold.
But Long Qingzhi not only knew no Martial Arts, she had also been bled daily by Dugu Han and his men, leaving her utterly drained and weak.
Even though Fang Shuwen had shielded her with his Inner Strength on the journey over, she had still caught a chill, primarily because her body was too frail.
This left Fang Shuwen at a loss. His Muscle Strengthening Scripture could grant him immunity to all poisons, ’but can it cure illnesses?’
At this thought, he placed a hand on Long Qingzhi’s back and began to channel his Inner Strength into her.
Soon, Fang Shuwen withdrew his hand. The results weren’t ideal.
He laid her down on the bed to rest, then left the inn and hurried to the town’s clinic.
After describing her symptoms to the physician, he was given three large packets of herbs. The physician assured Fang Shuwen the medicine was guaranteed to work.
As Fang Shuwen headed back with the medicine, he sensed eyes on him. The observers were cautious, but they couldn’t evade his perception.
’They’re here this fast?’
Fang Shuwen’s eyebrow twitched. For the moment, he ignored the hidden observers and hurried back to the inn. He had considered just giving the herbs to an attendant to have them prepared, but after a moment’s hesitation, he asked the attendant to bring a stove and a clay pot to his room instead.
The attendant agreed readily.
Fang Shuwen had just returned to his room and glanced at the unconscious Long Qingzhi on the bed when the attendant arrived with the requested items.
After placing charcoal in the stove and lighting it, Fang Shuwen began to brew the medicine, which had to be decocted from five bowls of water down to one.
Fang Shuwen had worked in a clinic in his youth, so he was quite familiar with the process. Still, it had been a long time, and the task felt strangely novel.
Soon, the medicine was brewed. He helped Long Qingzhi sit up and gently opened her mouth. With a light touch to her throat, he used his Inner Strength to guide the way, quickly pouring the entire bowl of medicinal soup down.
The physician hadn’t lied. As soon as the medicine was down, a thin sheen of sweat broke out on Long Qingzhi’s forehead.
Fang Shuwen, however, felt a bit conflicted. ’She’s lying there fully clothed and sweating this much. Her clothes are going to be soaked through, aren’t they?’
’The clothes themselves don’t matter. The problem is that when the sweating stops, the soaked clothes will get cold. The sudden change in temperature will just bring the fever roaring back.’
’But I can’t just strip her, can I?’
’I’ll wait and see. If she wakes up soon, I’ll just have her change herself...’
With that thought, his gaze shifted to the window.
’I wonder how much longer you all can hold back?’