Nightfall

Sangsang's Illness

A black carriage rushed in the eastern city and ran to the Vermilion Bird City Gate. Someone in the carriage made the gate open by showing the guards two ID tokens, and then the carriage continued to run along the straight state highway to the Academy in the south.

In the carriage, Ning Que hugged Sangsang tightly, his right hand fumbling on the wall of the carriage. He couldn’t stop panting. It was not because he was weary or tried. He was always very healthy and after he learned the Great Spirit, his breath became even longer and more peaceful. It was because he was terrified. He could feel that Sangsang’s body was becoming colder and colder, even though she was wrapped in a thick quilt.

Finally, he found the little flagon he had put in the carriage and without any hesitation, he opened the lid and passed the flagon to Sangsang’s mouth. A strong aroma of alcohol permeated the air.

Sangsang’s eyes were closed, her eyelashes were flattering and her face was pale. Her grey lips were pressed together and her teeth were clenched, which made it impossible for the strong liquor to flow into her mouth. It flowed down at the corner of her mouth and wet the quilt.

Ning Que was occupied by an extreme dread when he saw the flowing liquor and her pale face. He felt weak on his legs and lowered his head in pain. He tightened his armed around her.

It had been a while since Sangsang fell ill last time. More accurately speaking, she hadn’t become ill since they left the City of Wei and came to Chang’an. But today her illness was more severe than any time that Ning Que could remember. Therefore, he was scared. He decided immediately that instead of taking her to a clinic, he would take her to the carriage and go to the Academy with her.

The Academy did not have doctors, but the Headmaster was there, his Senior Brothers were there. Ning Que believed that as long as Sangsang was still alive when they arrived at the Academy, she would be fine.

It later proved that Ning Que’s choice was right.

Carrying Sangsang in his arms, he ran through the mist, climbed to the cliff platform in the back of the mountain and bellowed at the lake. His loud voice woke the Seniors Sisters and Brothers up and they walked out of their rooms to find out what had happened. Seventh Sister was the first one to go out. Last night she stayed up late to embroider a picture of a cat chasing butterflies and didn’t go to sleep until midnight. And now with a needle pinned in her hair, she walked out with great anger and tiredness.

But when she saw the terrified expression on Ning Que’s face, she realized what had happened and the anger and tiredness on her face turned serious. Without saying anything to Ning Que, she observed Sangsang’s face and drew out the needle in her hair and prodded it on Sangsang’s neck for four times.

Sangsang groaned when the needle pricked into her skin, but her brows still frowned and she didn’t wake up. However, the pale color on her face faded and her face became the original dark color.

“Seventh Sister, how is she?”

Ning Que looked at Seventh Sister and asked shiveringly. He never knew that apart from the tactical array and embroider, Seventh Sister was also good at acupuncture. He became hopeful when seeing the change of the color on Sangsang’s face.

“Her heart suffered from coldness. It is dangerous and all I can do is to suppress the coldness with the needle,” said Seventh Sister.

Ning Que’s arrival had wakened all people living near the lake in the back of the mountain. Eldest Brother also appeared in the distance, but he was walking slowly as usual, it seemed that nothing could hurry or worry him.