Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part I - Born of the Water Moon: 9. Miracle Salve

Yang Ming Xi had already heard the horses clattering up the path and was exiting out of the front of his home, holding an umbrella over his head, when they appeared in view. He started to run when he saw that Cui Xi was unconscious.

"What happened?" he cried, reaching out hands to help carry the girl into the house.

"Your adopted daughter was whipped at least twenty times," Murong Yan said, nodding to the old man and striding into the house without further invitation.

"This way, this way!" said Yang Ming Xi, taking them to his medicine room. He went to fetch herbs for a poultice and Xiao Yu went to get hot water. Murong Yan laid the girl down and then stepped back to allow the doctor to work.

For the second time since arriving in Tiansheng, Cui Xi was unconscious. Yang Ming Xi wondered if this would become a regular occurrence and furrowed his brow.

Impatient to go, A'Bo crossed his arms as he stood in the doorway looking on with a frown.

"A'Xi! So pitiful!" Yang Ming Xi muttered. He lifted a corner of the cloak and his hands shook with anger, his face turning white, but a very, very tiny voice whispered in relief that it was not A'Yu. Then he flushed with guilt. Over the last few months, his affection for A'Xi had grown and he treated her like his own daughter. To have this happen to her hurt his heart. His lips flattened into a grim line as he contemplated the tiny mole under her eye. The sign of a bitter life...

"It was the City lord's son, Gao Wei," said Xiao Yu coming back with clean white cloths and hot water. She saw the look of rage on her father's face. "He tried to take me away and A'Xi wouldn't let him. They would have killed her if this person's Master hadn't intervened."

Murong Yan looked anxious.

"Will she live?" he asked the old man.

"She can be saved," said Yang Ming Xi, peaking under the cloak through the shreds of fabric. He dared not pull it off; in the short time it had taken to get up the mountain, the cloak had been caked in blood and had already begun to stick to the wounds. The bloodied cloth would have to be soaked and cut off with shears along with the rest of her clothes. This would have to be done as soon as possible.

"That is very good," said Murong Yan, quietly relieved. "Then we should not linger any longer. We must return to our Master. Here," he said, removing a jar from his sash and pressing it into Yang Ming Xi's hand.

The old man looked at the jar, opened it, and sniffed cautiously. His expression changed rapidly to disbelief.

"This -This wound salve is only made for the Royal households...." he said, his eyes narrowed, staring at the two men. "Y-you! Who are you?"

A'Bo shrugged, arms crossed.

Murong Yan did not bother to volunteer the information:

"The salve is a gift from our Master for the girl. Hopefully, her wounds will not scar so badly," said Murong Yan. "Also, do not trouble yourself about the matter with Gao Wei. Our Master will deal with it."