Jishitang Hall

Suppressing the unease in her heart, Rong Xianxian pressed her forehead with a headache. It had been a long time since she last worked a night shift; ever since she had her second child, she hadn’t taken one again.

Recalling those days when fear of the night shift consumed her, Rong Xianxian felt a heavy weight in her chest.

She decided to focus on the urgent training sessions—nursing for single-condition cases should be easier to handle. With that resolution, she rested briefly and watched the two children run off to play in the training room. Their agile movements, lively and cheerful, lifted her spirits considerably.

Remembering she needed to check on Ren Tian and the others next door, a headache crept back.

Ren Tian’s criminal record made Rong Xianxian wary of letting them go.

If she released them and they caused trouble again with reinforcements, it would be nothing but their own fault.

But killing them was out of the question—they hadn’t truly harmed anyone.

Keeping them alive like this felt like a loss.

“Madam, you’re finally here! Please, let us go. Or at least give us some food! We can’t just starve to death here,” pleaded the oily-faced fellow as soon as he saw Rong Xianxian enter, bowing theatrically.

“You seem quite energetic. Didn’t I already prepare food for you?” Rong Xianxian smiled faintly at his state. Whether from cowardice or common sense, he was the only one who had put in no effort to resist; his lung collapse was the mildest among them. After three days without contact, except for mild shortness of breath, he showed no other symptoms. Yet here he was, daring to act the clown before her. Maybe it was time to teach him a lesson.

Startled by her malevolent gaze, he shivered and silently slipped into a corner.

“The four of us guys, that little bit of food was barely enough to nibble on. We finished it long ago,” another man snapped irritably.

Rong Xianxian had prepared four bags of biscuits, four cans of eight-treasure porridge, and four bottles of water. Since they were healing and didn’t need much energy, as long as they didn’t starve, it should suffice.

“You’re prisoners, not my honored guests,” Rong Xianxian sneered, casting a glance at Ren Tian.

She had scoured the safe zone but saw no sign of Ren Cheng or Liao Yong.

Though they might have been drafted into the army for missions, no one had been seen. Something felt off. Others didn’t say, but Rong Cheng and the other timid fellow probably wouldn’t be valued by the military.

Rong Xianxian merely thought this to herself, with no intention of digging deeper. They were adults and none of her business. Still, she remained extra cautious around Ren Tian.

“What are you looking at? If you want to kill us, just get it over with,” one of them grumbled, clearly annoyed by her scrutiny.

“We’re soldiers. Even if she had the guts, she wouldn’t dare kill us,” another said, trying to sound fierce but clearly bluffing.

“Yeah, you better let us go. Aren’t you afraid our comrades will come looking for us?” The previously timid man suddenly grew bolder, but as he raised his voice, he seemed to clutch his chest, struggling to breathe.

“We’ll see about that,” Rong Xianxian said with a half-smile.

Good. They looked so lively—starving them for a couple more days wouldn’t hurt.

“If you let us go now, we won’t make a fuss,” one of them said, his expression unreadable. Was he a fool? Rong Xianxian clearly didn’t believe a word they said. Ren Tian wanted to silence them, but a sudden pang in his chest held him back.

“You came here planning to kill and steal treasures. Do you really think you’d tell others where you are? Given the current situation, they might just think you’re cowards who fled,” Rong Xianxian said lightly, unimpressed by their foolishness.

The man who spoke reddened and paled repeatedly, while the other shrank away, turning his head.

Even in the army, not all soldiers were brave enough to charge into battle. Some were cowardly, afraid to die, dissatisfied with the precarious life soldiers led. Rong Xianxian didn’t believe they hadn’t complained in private.

Suddenly, a rapid knocking sounded on the door, making Rong Xianxian’s heart skip a beat.

“Sister Rong, come quick! Jiang Jie has a high fever,” Wang Qirui said anxiously as soon as she opened the door.

With a snap, Rong Xianxian shut the door and threw the key to Wang Qirui. “Lock it tight.” She hurried out next door.

Just as feared, a bad premonition grew stronger in her heart.

Her previous treatment had been by the book, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Usually, such cases didn’t cause fever. The poison should have been dealt with early, the wound uninfected, and recovery quick.

But Jiang Jie’s wound was swollen and purplish; a deep, dark purple bloodline stretched beneath the skin across the wound, eerie and striking.

The drainage bag contained about half a bag of pale pink toxic blood, but the drainage tube was dry—no new poison had been expelled for some time.

Rong Xianxian pointed at the drainage bag. “How long has it been since the poison level increased?”

Her question made the group exchange uneasy glances.

“When did that bloodline appear?” She pointed to the dark streak beneath the skin.

“Just now, before the fever,” Xia Kai answered swiftly.

Rong Xianxian furrowed her brows tightly. Perhaps recent smooth progress had made her treatment a bit careless.

Now, there was no chance to request a consultation. Her mind raced, searching for cases involving toxins.

Maybe she shouldn’t have hastily opened the wound for drainage; after all, the toxin hadn’t spread so rapidly before.

But even if the poison didn’t spread quickly, it wouldn’t disappear—it would accumulate, and once it erupted, the consequences would be worse.

Yet Jiang Jie’s condition worsened only after her intervention. Rong Xianxian felt stifled with frustration but had no time to dwell on it. The priority was finding a cure.

She examined Jiang Jie’s wound carefully. The boy’s face was flushed red, his body burning hot, semi-conscious and confused.

She gave him an antipyretic pill, which took effect in about half an hour.

Then Rong Xianxian retrieved gold needles and inserted them at several acupuncture points to protect the heart meridian and slow the toxin’s spread.

Seeing Jiang Jie’s fevered delirium pained her deeply.

She felt some guilt. Before detoxification, the poison hadn’t spread so quickly. Now, with this high fever, it was clear the toxin had entered the bloodstream.

“I’m going to the Healing Hall to find some medicine. You all watch the children,” she told the few people gathered around.

“I’ll come with you,” Cui Lie stepped forward.

“You watch the children. The Healing Hall is complicated. I have the barrier pearl on me; it’s easier for me to go alone,” Rong Xianxian refused. If she had any other choice, she wouldn’t go there at all.