Chapter Four: The Medicine Slave

The mountain breeze was gentle, and Uncle Dou’s story began to unfold slowly.

“More than ten years ago, my wife and I came to Mount Tianmen to make a living by hunting, together with these fellow hunters, the Qingru brothers. Nine years ago, my wife caught a cold during the birth of our second son, leaving her frail and weak. One day, her illness worsened and I went to Jinshui Town to seek medical help. The doctor there, Physician Luo, saw that I was a poor hunter and refused to venture up Mount Tianmen to treat her. I pleaded desperately, but Physician Luo wouldn’t agree. Instead, he shoved me away, claiming I was bad for his business.

He tried to push me, but slipped and fell himself—unfortunately, hitting his head on the stone steps. Blood poured out, and soon he was dead.

Terrified, I hurried home, but the next day, the officials arrived to arrest me for murder. My wife clung to me, refusing to let go, but was kicked by an officer, spewing blood from her mouth. The Huo brothers, enraged, struck the offending officer with a hunting spear. Together, we drove them away and fled into the depths of the mountain, not daring to come out.

My wife died because of this, and we brothers became outlaws.

If there were more good men like Physician Lu in this world, if those corrupt officials were not so blind and greedy, if their officers weren’t as savage as beasts, would we have become bandits?”

“What? You call that lecher Lu Xiuyuan a good man?” Lady Fang’s face turned cold.

“Miss! You may take my life, but you cannot insult Physician Lu. He braved the hardships of these mountains to save young Tiger’s life, and treated these poor hunters without charging a fee. He even brought us food, while we could only repay him with wild game and medicinal herbs. If such a man isn’t good, who is?” Uncle Dou stepped forward, anger blazing.

Lu Liao’s eyes reddened. “Uncle Dou, my father was wounded by this vicious woman’s sword—his fate is still unknown.”

Uncle Dou stumbled, letting out a bitter laugh. “Ha ha ha, I was too hopeful. The Five Poisons claim lives, leaving not even chickens or dogs behind! If blame must be cast, it’s only our misfortune.”

Lu Liao looked at the crowd lying on the ground, and at the few small children. Guilt weighed heavily on her heart. If she hadn’t brought disaster upon them, none of this would have happened.

Her eyes filled with tears as she strode straight to Lady Fang, then knelt rigidly before her. “Please, spare them! They are just ordinary hunters, not bandits. Let them go, and I will serve you as a beast of burden, anything you wish.”

Lady Fang glanced at the kneeling Lu Liao, thinking, so this is the proud scholar? Even Master Lu, brilliant as he was, never had such stature. She silently calculated, a plan forming in her mind.

“Swallow this pill, become my medicinal slave, and I’ll spare them.” Lady Fang produced a black pill, holding it out before Lu Liao.

Lu Liao didn’t hesitate—she took the pill and swallowed it in one gulp, fixing Lady Fang with a steady gaze. “You promised. Let them go.”

Lady Fang smiled coolly. “Do you really think I’m an evil woman who can’t tell right from wrong?”

Uncle Dou was too late to stop her, crying out in alarm, “Liao, don’t do it! The Five Poisons Sect’s pills are nothing to take lightly! You’re a scholar—how could you become someone’s slave?”

Lu Liao, tears in her eyes, bowed to Uncle Dou. “Forgive me! Uncle Dou, it was I who brought her here—it’s my fault you all suffer.”

Lady Fang paid the crowd no further mind, turning to leave.

Lu Liao, panicked, grabbed Lady Fang’s sleeve. “What about them? What will happen to them?”

Lady Fang shook Lu Liao off and addressed Uncle Dou, “Drink plenty of water. In a few days, the medicine’s effects will dissipate.” With that, she beckoned to Lu Liao.

“Uncle Dou, please watch over my father for me.” Then Lu Liao, numb and silent, followed Lady Fang away.

They slept in horse stables and ate coarse buns and rough grain. After more than a month’s journey, Lu Liao grew darker and thinner, though she kept herself clean and neat each day, her robes spotless—clinging to the last dignity of a scholar.

Passing through Mianzhou and Xichang, they entered the mountainous southwest. No longer did they ride in carriages; under Lady Fang’s guidance, they trekked through forests.

Suddenly, a few bamboo houses appeared in a mountain hollow. A robust, dark-skinned elder was watering the fenced patch in front of his house. Seeing Lady Fang and Lu Liao, he greeted them warmly.

“Little Fang, you’re back to the mountain. Where’s your senior brother? Why didn’t he come with you?”

Lady Fang ignored him, snorting coldly.

“Eh! Who’s this young fellow?” The old man looked at Lu Liao with surprise.

“This is my medicinal slave, why?” Lady Fang replied irritably.

“Heh heh, nothing, nothing. You’re quite capable, little girl.” The old man grinned slyly.

Lady Fang tossed her head and led Lu Liao up the mountain, paying no heed to the old man’s chatter.

Lu Liao, dazed and bewildered, followed her into a chilly mountain valley. Scattered among the valley were seven or eight tall bamboo stilt houses, unlike any Lu Liao had seen before. In front of the houses were fenced plots of medicinal herbs. The wind carried faint fragrances of herbs, but the silence was eerie.

Lu Liao couldn’t explain why, but his hair stood on end and his back felt cold. Only after following Lady Fang into a bamboo house did he feel slightly at ease.

Once inside, Lady Fang picked up a bamboo flute and began to play—not a melody, but a strange hissing sound.

A shadow flashed, and a long, emerald-green snake wrapped itself around Lady Fang’s arm, flicking its tongue at the flute.

Lu Liao screamed in terror—snakes were his greatest fear. Seeing this, his body went limp and he collapsed onto the floor.

“Abi! Watch him. If he dares move, bite him.” The girl spoke to the green snake as if it could understand.

Surprisingly, the snake slid off her arm and coiled itself in front of Lu Liao, staring at him intently.

Lu Liao curled up, trembling pitifully.

In no time, Lady Fang fetched several buckets of water from outside and poured them into a wooden tub in the inner room. She paused suddenly, speaking to Lu Liao, “From now on, fetching water is your job.” With that, she entered the inner room, stripped off her clothes, and bathed in the tub, paying no heed to Lu Liao outside.

After changing into regular clothes, Lady Fang emerged, tossing a bundle of dirty laundry at Lu Liao and declaring, “You wash the clothes, cook the meals, and tend all the herb fields outside. If you slack off or do poorly, Abi will bite you to death.”

Lu Liao stole a glance at Lady Fang’s snowy arms and legs, inhaling the faint fragrance on her clothes. His face flushed, feeling a strange intoxication. He slapped himself hard, cursing his own vileness, which left Lady Fang puzzled.

Beside the bamboo house, a low thatched hut served as a kitchen, and the woodshed was where Lu Liao slept.

Lying on the soft straw, gazing at the cold moonlight filtering in, tears flowed uncontrollably. Drying his tears, he clenched his fists, encouraging himself—if Han Xin could endure humiliation, surely he too would have his day.

Because of the exhausting journey, Lady Fang and Lu Liao woke late. After eating the thin porridge Lu Liao had cooked, Lady Fang prepared to go out.

Feigning formality, she instructed Lu Liao, “I’m going to see the sect leader. Don’t wander around. There are poisonous snakes everywhere in Spirit Snake Valley. If you’re bitten, I won’t be able to save you in time. You’ve taken my poison bug, and must take the antidote within a month. Remember to remind me, or else the bug will devour your brain—don’t blame me then.”

Lu Liao cursed silently, “If you want to threaten me, just say so—back in your own territory, now you put on airs.”

Seeing Lu Liao remain silent, Lady Fang was satisfied and left.

Time passed, and Lady Fang did not return. Afraid of snakes, Lu Liao dared not wander, and idly drew a chessboard on the ground, playing against himself. Unknowingly, he became absorbed in the game.

As the chess match grew tangled, Lu Liao bit his finger in thought.

A slender finger traced a circle on a key point of the board. Lu Liao, oblivious, drew an X elsewhere.

Since learning chess from his grandfather, Lu Liao had never met a worthy opponent. Yet this uninvited guest matched him move for move, the game ending with lingering excitement.

Looking up, he saw his opponent—a handsome young man, eighteen or nineteen, dressed in snowy white, refined and elegant. Lu Liao, in scholar’s fashion, bowed, “Lu Liao, provincial scholar of Jinshui County, greets you, brother.”

The white-clad youth was startled—before him was a ragged yet dignified young scholar, already a provincial graduate at such a young age. He quickly returned the salute, “My apologies! I am Su Lichen of Qingshen. I never expected your chess skills to be so outstanding, and at your age already a provincial scholar—your prospects are bright, indeed.”

Looking at the youth’s fine attire, then at himself, Lu Liao managed a bitter smile. “I was abducted here, forced to swallow poison and become a medicinal slave—what prospects remain for me?”

The white-robed youth’s anger flared. “To openly abduct a provincial scholar—I must see who in Spirit Snake Valley dares such outrage! Is there no justice left in the world?”

“Senior brother, you’re back!” Lady Fang’s voice was filled with delight as she rushed to the white-clad youth, her smile dazzling enough to make the blooming camellias pale.

Su Lichen breathed a sigh of relief, his heart equally joyful. He fondly stroked Lady Fang’s hair, feigning anger, “So you remember your senior brother! The sect leader told you to follow me to Yangzhou, to broaden your horizons. But you disappeared alone—if anything happened, how could I explain it?”

Seeing the pair’s closeness and elegance, Lu Liao instinctively shrank back, but found nowhere to hide.

“Hmph! Your so-called cousins called me a barbaric girl—where were you then? I was so angry, I ran off alone,” Lady Fang glared at her senior brother in grievance.

Su Lichen sighed, “You shouldn’t have gone alone. A girl by herself—how would you handle danger?”

Lady Fang raised her head proudly. “I am of the Five Saints Sect—what danger would I fear? I saw the official notice and went to Mount Tianmen to catch the bandits there. I wanted those who look down on me to see that I, Lady Fang, am formidable.”

Su Lichen suddenly understood, casting an awkward glance at Lu Liao. “Mount Tianmen is in Jinshui County, so Lu brother was abducted by you. I don’t care about your bandit hunt, but how could you treat a scholar so disgracefully?”

Seeing Su Lichen truly angered, Lady Fang grew defensive. “Don’t be fooled by how pitiful he looks now—he was very arrogant before. I had no money, so I took fifty taels from a wealthy household in town, and gave some to the street beggars. This crafty fellow caught me and nearly overturned the matter. Besides, he willingly swallowed the poison to become my medicinal slave—I never forced him.”