VOLUME 9 CHAPTER 74: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS THE AFTERMATH OF THE BATTLE (1)Liu Bei POV
“Yuan Zhi, let’s discuss this later.” I said as I made an apologetic gesture to Yuan Zhi before catching up to the rest.
“Ah… Umm…” Yuan Zhi stopped me just as I stepped out and looked at me with worry in her eyes, “May I ask how Lord Zhang Fei is?”
I would like to explain everything to her in detail but now is not the time.
“Nothing much. It’s just exhaustion from the battle.” I said, trying to make things seem more simple and less serious but Yuan Zhi’s frown did not ease from hearing what I said though her hand which held the hem of my clothing did loosen up.
“Ah… Umm, that’s it for now then.” I said after waiting for 2 seconds, deciding to leave Yuan Zhi for now and check on Yi De’a condition, and immediately ran off when I finished. Yuan Zhi seemed like she had more to say to me but I do not have the leisure to think about other things for now.
“Lord Hua Tuo, how is she?!” Yun Chang yelled out once more just as I entered the hall from the courtyard. I looked over and saw Yi De lying down on the ground with her head on Zhou Cang’s lap. Hua Tuo was kneeling beside Yi De and taking her pulse.
“So what is–”
“Yun Chang, calm down.”
“Wu…”
Yun Chang was too anxious and yelled out again. When Hua Tuo frowned and addressed Yun Chang by her courtesy name directly, Yun Chang realised that she was acting up and got up and retreated to a pillar near the doorway.
This is not the first time I am seeing Yun Chang being this anxious but it still pains me to see her like this.
I went up and stood quietly beside Yi De as I awaited the diagnosis. Yi De was by now looking much better and seemed like she was merely sleeping.
“Un… There shouldn’t be any serious issues.” Hua Tuo slowly said as she withdrew her hand.
“Really?!” Yun Chang exclaimed almost instantaneously as she bounced away from the pillar and came over. I too went up close.
“Un.” Hua Tuo nodded as she helped Yi De sit up with the help of the rest of us, “Her pulse is a little unstable but it seems to be improving. All Lord Zhang Fei needs now is to rest up.”
“There won’t be any major issue right?”
“Not for now.”
“Then will there be any impact on her amnesia?” I asked.
“That is…” Hua Tuo hesitated and looked troubled, “Difficult to say. In any case, let’s get her inside first.”
“Un, alright.” Yun Chang nodded and carried Yi De to her room with the help of Zhou Cang.
I wanted to go as well but was unsure how I could help so I merely watched as they carried her in, feeling a little relieved at Hua Tuo’s diagnosis. This ordeal has been a terrible one for my nerves.
“But what happened? Why did Lord Zhang Fei faint all of a sudden?” Hua Tuo looked up and asked with a puzzled look.
“Un… Yi De was subjected to a vicious barrage by an enemy general in the battle today and she was forced back as she did not remember how to use her Serpent Spear.” I replied to which Hua Tuo sighed.
“Anyone could have taken her place. Why did it have to be Lord Zhang Fei?” Hua Tuo said.
The atmosphere got rather awkward when she finished as we both knew who those words were pinpointed at even though she did not name her. It was a good thing that Yuan Zhi was not here or it would be even more awkward.
“But on the other hand…”
“Un?&
rdquo;
“Why did Yi De not voice an objection back when Yuan Zhi announced the deployment?”
It’s true that saying this now is a little late but it has been bugging me for a while now. If Yi De had said something, I believe that Yuan Zhi would not have forced her to do it. At the same time, we are all responsible as well to a certain degree for letting it go. That said, we never expected something like this to happen.
“Who knows?” Hua Tuo said as she blinked, “But Lord Zhang Fei should be fully aware of her amnesia by now so she might have went along with it for the sake of not disappointing everyone.”
“Un…” I grunted as I sank into silence and considered what Hua Tuo said. It does seem plausible. The Yi De now is a much more thoughtful person after all. When I thought about how Yi De reacted back during the meeting, it does seem like she was forcing herself.
“Don’t dwell on this too much. No matter what, this should serve as a warning.” Hua Tuo sighed and decided to conclude the topic, “I will prepare some medicine that facilitates recovery and boosts mental energy. Make sure Lord Zhang Fei finishes it. And do not let her go onto the battlefield again. She needs rest.”
I vigorously nodded when Hua Tuo finished.
“I know… But Hua Tuo…”
There was something else that bothered me but I did not know if I should tell her.
“Don’t mumble and hesitate. I’ve been sticking with you lot for the longest time now. If there is anything, just shoot.” Hua Tuo smiled as she softly said so.
“Well, since you said so, I’ll be honest with you then.” I cleared my throat and pointed at her and the 2-3 year old sapling in front of her, “You were talking to a sapling the whole time. I’m over here.”
“Eh?! Ah… Ahhh!” Hua Tuo’s eyes bulged in surprised before narrowing as she squinted hard and when she found that what I said was true, she gave a surprised yelp as she turned around to where I stood, “I-I’m sorry for my rudeness!!”
“No no no, this happens a lot anyway.” I did not really mind but I was not sure if this was enough to comfort her.
“Ah yes, is it alright for you to be standing here?”
“Eh?” Hua Tuo had a very puzzled look on. Looks like she has completely forgotten what she has to do.
“Ah, Yuan Zhi, that is to say Lord Xu Shu, said that you were going to tend to the wounded?”
“Ah!” When I finished, Hua Tuo yelled out again as she leapt almost half a meter into the air. While mid-air, her legs began moving so fast that she seemed like a cartoon character.
“I forgot that I had to go to the medic squad!”
Un? She continued to mutter as she ran into her room. 1 phrase in particular that she said caught my attention.
“Medic squad?” I asked. This was the first time I heard this word being used since I came here.
“Ah, yes.” Hua Tuo said as she came out of the room with her walking stick, “My abilities alone are insufficient to save everyone so I started a training course.”
Hua Tuo was still very anxious and only remembered to put on her shoes after she entered the courtyard, losing her balance as she did so and tumbling to the ground. When she finally put her shoes on and got her bearings, she continued, “Right now, I have about 30 people in the medic squad. They should be gathered at the encampment right now, waiting for me.”
“Un,” I nodded, “Go on then.”
“Alright, I’ll be going now then. When I return, I will prepare the medicine for Yi De.” When she finished, she did not even salute and went scampering off.
But really. Even Hua Tuo has begun to form her own group huh? As I looked at her back, I felt grateful and glad that she had set up a team dedicated to helping the sick and wounded. With that, we can now save more lives.
But now that I think about it, she used to be the overall leader of the Yellow Turbans so perhaps gathering people under her was not too difficult for her.
“Ah yes! Hua Tuo!” I suddenly recalled something and yelled out to Hua Tuo who was by now some distance away.
“Ah?”
“Don’t forget to treat the prisoners-of-war as well!”
“I will!” She looked at me for a moment when I finished before beaming toward where I a.s.sume she thinks I am and yelled a reply before she left.
As I continued to stare at her back, I began to think that she was probably more mature than the rest of us and the only reason why I realised this now was because her childish demeanour and nearsightedness only obscured this maturity.
“Big brother, has Lord Hua Tuo left?”
“Ah, un, she has.” Just then, Yun Chang and Zhou Cang came over with less anxious expressions than before, “How is Yi De?”
“We changed her clothes for her. She should be sleeping now.” Yun Chang said as she sat down on the stone steps, letting out a tired groan that made her seem like an old granny as she did so. But when I looked at her, I knew that this was just mental fatigue from the anxiety from before.
“Eh! Really… Even though Lord Zhang Fei is like this, why was she deployed?” Zhou Cang vented as she ma.s.saged her own shoulders and stretched her neck, seeming rather exhausted. The words she spoke without thinking made Yun Chang frown and made me nervous once more.