Chapter 76

Simple conversation, asking for some hot water, this kind of simple interaction was something Luo Shixin could easily manage.

Taking the hot water Luo Shixin brought, Pei Qingyi said thank you and sipped it in small mouthfuls, feeling as if all the fatigue from the journey was being washed away by this cup of hot water, giving rise to a feeling that nothing was more comfortable than drinking warm water on a snowy day.

Luo Shixin was also in a similar state. To save time, they had mainly been eating dry rations and cold water on the way, enduring the harsh conditions of the northeast, which were even worse than military campaigns.

It was fortunate that the three of them could endure hardship and suffering; otherwise, they would have collapsed long ago.

"Shixin, good news! I went around the village's medical hall and restaurant, and there was no news of Doctor Sun. Doctor Sun must have been left behind!"

Qi Hua was overjoyed. Since they had entered the heart of Goguryeo, to be cautious, they had been using their designated identities, with Qi Hua being the elder brother, and Luo Shixin and Pei Qingyi being called Shixin and Qingyi, respectively, without their surnames.

At first, it felt a bit unnatural, but after a while, it became natural.

"Great!" Luo Shixin handed the hot water to Qi Hua and said, "All our hard work these past few days has been worth it. I didn't expect it to go so smoothly." He paused and continued, "Let's settle down in this village first. Elder Brother, give the doctor at the medical hall some benefits to help us keep an eye on Doctor Sun's movements. This small village is the closest supply point at the foot of Mount Taibai. I believe Doctor Sun will definitely stop here to prepare if he wants to study herbs in the mountains. Given his travel pattern, the medical hall is a place he must visit."

Sun Simiao, who had traveled the world, was skilled in human relations. When practicing medicine in a new place, he would first greet the local medical hall, open his clinic there, share part of his earnings with the hall, and obtain herbs from them, benefiting both parties and avoiding exclusion.

Qi Hua nodded with a smile, "I've already arranged it."

Luo Shixin didn't say anything more and went with Qi Hua to find a place to stay.

Goguryeo was not like the Central Plains. In this remote and harsh area, only cities of a certain size had inns, which were far less common than in the Central Plains. To find a place to stay in a village, they had to ask each household if they had any spare rooms.

If it were spring, summer, or autumn, most of the hunters and ginseng gatherers in the village would be in the mountains, and empty houses would be easy to find. In the snowy winter, however, finding a place to stay was quite difficult.

Fortunately, money could make even the impossible possible. After paying enough for the room, a neighboring brother's family squeezed out a room and a bed for them.

Qi Hua shared a bed with the two brothers, while Luo Shixin and Pei Qingyi, this "couple," naturally shared a room.

Luo Shixin and Pei Qingyi looked at the table and bed in the room, exchanging glances.

The former felt a bit awkward, while the latter's face turned red as if burned.

On their journey, they had often slept outdoors, huddled by the campfire, but sharing a room like this was a first.

"Uh... I'll go boil some water. Let's wash up properly and rest early today." Luo Shixin, seeing the awkward atmosphere, left first.

Pei Qingyi responded absentmindedly, her mind racing with thoughts: I am a person of the martial world. My master has often said that people of the martial world don't fuss over trivialities. In such a critical moment, everything is trivial, and there's no need to worry or care. It's just sleeping in the same bed; what's the big deal? In the past, Liu Xiaohui even undressed and held a woman, and no one criticized him; instead, they praised him for his self-control. General Luo is both wise and brave; how can he be compared to Liu Xiaohui? There will be no problem.

Pei Qingyi's mind was filled with such thoughts.

Luo Shixin walked out of the room and saw the woman of the house already boiling water for them. The villagers were practical; having received so much money, they were diligent and meticulous in their work.

To avoid the awkwardness, Luo Shixin didn't want to return to the room immediately. Remembering the small tavern they had passed while looking for a place to stay, he invited Qi Hua to have a drink to warm up.

Qi Hua, who wasn't good with alcohol, smiled and declined.

Luo Shixin didn't insist and went to the tavern alone, braving the wind and snow.

The wind was strong, and the snow was heavy, with no one on the streets, making the scene desolate.

Pushing open the tavern door, he saw that the place was empty, with the innkeeper dozing off at the counter.

The door opening let in a cold gust of wind, making the innkeeper shiver. Seeing a customer, he quickly came to greet him.

Luo Shixin ordered two pots of hot wine and a few small dishes, then sat in a corner.

His Fuyu language was only good enough for simple responses, and he couldn't engage in deep conversation. Worried about saying too much and making mistakes, he didn't chat with the innkeeper and drank alone.

After drinking for a while, he saw that the snow was getting heavier. The hot wine warmed his body, and suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps in the snow, moving quickly and getting closer.

The tavern door opened, and a tall, strong young man with thick eyebrows and a heroic appearance walked in.

The young man wore a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, covered in snow, with a pair of iron halberds slung across his back, giving him an extraordinary presence.

In this harsh, small village, it was rare to see such a person, and Luo Shixin couldn't help but look at him a few times.

The heroic young man's gaze fell on Luo Shixin, and his expression showed surprise.

The innkeeper said, "Look at you, all wet. Go inside and change your clothes."

The heroic young man nodded and passed by the innkeeper, muttering something.

Luo Shixin's wrist trembled involuntarily. He pretended to drink, but his heart was in turmoil.

His senses were sharp, far superior to those of ordinary people. Although he didn't hear clearly what the heroic young man said, the faint sound was like a heavenly melody: it was the tone of his native language. The heroic young man was speaking Chinese.

The heroic young man's figure disappeared through the back door of the tavern.

The innkeeper waited a moment at the counter and then came over, saying, "The snow is getting heavier, and it's almost closing time. What do you think... should we close?"

Luo Shixin thought for a moment and replied in Fuyu, "Sure, give me ten pounds of wine to take back."

The innkeeper quickly prepared ten pounds of wine and gave Luo Shixin a discount, reducing the price and seeing him out of the tavern.

Luo Shixin walked slowly, and sure enough, he heard the sound of the tavern door being locked after just a few steps.

Seeing no one around, he quickly circled to the back of the tavern, put down the wine pot, and climbed over the not-too-high wall.

"Uncle You, the news has come. Gao Huizhen plans to take Uncle and Doctor Sun to Pyongyang and hand them over to King Yeongyang. Second Uncle, what do you think?"

Indeed!

At this moment, Luo Shixin heard clearly. They were speaking Chinese, with a slight Guanzhong accent, indicating they were from Guanzhong. However, he didn't know why they were in Goguryeo.

"Yuncong, what do you think?" The voice was that of the innkeeper, but now it had a strong Hebei accent.

The heroic young man named Yuncong said, "Gao Huizhen is very cunning. I think this is a trap, a trick to lure us into rescuing the prisoners. But even knowing it's a trap, we must take the risk and not let Gao Huizhen take Uncle to Pyongyang."