The Snarling Rabbit

Hearing Su Qing's words, the woman on the ground looked up at her...

Then, she suddenly stood up and pressed her sword against Su Qing's neck.

Under the warm glow of the setting sun, the long sword shimmered with a cold, metallic light. The blood on it, not yet dry, bore witness to the fierce battle that had just taken place, and the thick scent of iron was nauseating.

If an ordinary person were here, held at swordpoint by a woman radiating such murderous aura, they would likely have been paralyzed with fear.

Unfortunately, the one standing here was not an ordinary person, but Su Qing—an old monster who had lived for nearly a thousand years.

Even if she just stood there and let the woman strike, the woman would likely shatter her sword before she could even scratch Su Qing's skin.

This was the fundamental difference between the immortal and the mortal.

Naturally, she felt not a shred of fear.

In fact, she found it somewhat amusing and entertaining...

With the sword at her throat, Su Qing's eyes showed no trace of terror; instead, they were filled with curiosity.

Seeing that Su Qing wasn't intimidated in the slightest—and was even looking at her with such inquisitive eyes—the sword-wielding woman couldn't help but feel strange.

She didn't know if Su Qing was truly unafraid or just pretending...

But regardless of which it was, it was enough to make her admire Su Qing. After all, for someone who clearly knew no martial arts to display such mental fortitude was truly impressive.

As for why she was so certain Su Qing knew no martial arts...

It was because the woman's own Martial Dao Realm was very high; she could tell at a glance if someone practiced martial arts. While she might not be able to pinpoint an opponent's exact level, if someone had never practiced at all, how could they have any martial cultivation?

She looked at Su Qing, her gaze turning slightly colder, and said, "You're the doctor, aren't you? Since you're a doctor, treat me! You'd better not scream, or I'll kill you. Don't worry, as long as you treat me well, I won't cause you any trouble, and I won't shortchange you on the reward."

The woman sounded as if she were negotiating, yet it was clearly a threat...

As she spoke, she moved the sword even closer to Su Qing's neck.

The icy edge was now almost touching Su Qing's skin. It seemed as though if the woman's hand trembled even slightly, her throat would be slit in the next instant.

However, despite being seriously injured, the woman's hand was exceptionally steady. The sword was as if fixed in place, incredibly close to Su Qing yet never actually making contact.

She had perfect control over her distance—almost as if she were afraid of actually hurting Su Qing.

Su Qing looked at the woman, smiled faintly, and said, "I am a healer. Naturally, I will save a patient when I see one. There's no need to threaten me with a sword. I don't particularly like being threatened... If you keep this up, I might have to play some tricks while I'm treating you. Don't underestimate a healer; even my disciple, who isn't even two years old yet, can concoct a colorless, odorless, and invisible lethal poison."

Su Qing had started her usual bluffing again...

Su Qingyu couldn't even recognize all her characters yet, let alone concoct poison!

However, Su Qing wasn't lying entirely. As a doctor, she could indeed do exactly what she claimed.

The woman didn't speak, only staring coldly at Su Qing, the sword still held at her neck. It was as if she had already made her stance clear.

Su Qing simply shrugged and said, "Fine, follow me inside."

This murderous woman was no threat to her at all. To Su Qing, this supposedly fierce woman was nothing more than an injured rabbit, baring its teeth and claws while brandishing its weapon.

If that counted as a threat, it would be quite laughable indeed.

The reason she chose to save her instead of killing her was purely out of curiosity about what had happened to the girl. Additionally, Su Qing could sense that the woman didn't actually want to kill her.

Hearing Su Qing's words, the woman nodded without saying much, simply following Su Qing into the medical hall.

Once inside, Su Qing called out to Ao Yiyi, "Yiyi, come help! Lin'er, watch the little one and don't let her run around. If she doesn't listen, tell her I'll spank her when I get back tonight."

Hearing Su Qing's call, the woman behind her snapped, "Don't call for people."

"You're too late..." Su Qing said calmly. "And don't worry, they're just staff in the shop."

"..." The woman was speechless, merely watching the outside warily.

She only wanted to treat her wounds quietly and then leave. The longer she stayed, the more trouble there would be, and she might even drag the doctor into it.

Outside, Ao Yiyi, who was with Su Qingyu, didn't ask any questions upon hearing Su Qing's voice and simply walked in. She knew Su Qing was calling her to help treat the person who had appeared in the backyard, so there was no need to pry.

Upon seeing Su Qing, she glanced at the woman. Seeing her pointing a sword at Su Qing, she found it slightly odd but didn't bother saying anything. Since Su Qing had chosen to save her, she must have her reasons.

If Su Qing hadn't intended to save her, the person would likely have been sent to meet the Buddha by now. After all, she knew Su Qing well. Although Su Qing was usually very amiable, she was never hesitant when it came time to act.

She ignored the woman and asked Su Qing, "Sister Su, what do you need me to do?"

Ao Yiyi's calm demeanor struck the woman as very strange. If Su Qing's composure was an exception due to her extraordinary character, then what about this one? This girl was just like Su Qing—an ordinary person without any martial arts training!

If Su Qing was an exception, was this one too? It couldn't be that everyone in this medical hall possessed such incredible mental fortitude, could it? Or was she herself not scary enough right now?

She was covered in blood, after all. An ordinary woman would have been screaming in terror at the sight.

However, she could somewhat understand that—people in a medical hall were used to seeing blood. What truly baffled her was that they weren't just unafraid of blood; they weren't even afraid of the sword in her hand. It was as if the blade posed no threat to them at all.

"Could it be... their martial arts level is higher than mine?"

"No, even if their level was higher, I could still tell if they practiced. These two have clearly never trained..."

"Then why?"

Endless doubt filled the woman's heart. She didn't think these two were plants set by her enemies to wait for her. She had happened to fall into that backyard by chance, and happened to come into this medical hall, only to encounter such strange people.

Just as she was pondering this, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. Blood surged up her throat, and she spat out a mouthful.

She knew in her heart that the poison in her system was starting to take effect. She had thought that with her martial cultivation, she could suppress the poison, but she had overestimated herself and underestimated its potency.

Su Qing, who had been speaking to Ao Yiyi, noticed the woman's condition and turned to look at her. The woman was now half-kneeling on the ground, using her long sword for support, her aura withered.

Su Qing wasn't surprised. She had seen long ago that the woman was severely injured. Although she could still move and speak without sounding unusual, she suffered from heavy internal damage as well as external wounds.

Su Qing looked at her and said flatly, "Lift your head and take off your veil. Let me see."

Hearing Su Qing, the woman spoke faintly, "There's no need. I have internal injuries and I've been poisoned... Just treat my external wounds and help me suppress the poison. I'll leave after that. If anyone comes asking about me later, don't bother lying; just tell them which way I went. They won't dare to kill people indiscriminately in broad daylight."

The woman said this because she didn't want to drag Su Qing and the others into this whirlpool. Even if her enemies might not find this place, it was better to be clear beforehand. At the same time, it was a way to put Su Qing at ease and show her own attitude.

She realized that Su Qing and Ao Yiyi were definitely not ordinary, so threats were meaningless; she might as well change her approach.

Seeing the woman speak this way, Su Qing couldn't help but smile. It seemed this girl had figured out how to communicate with her. Su Qing didn't say much, only nodding. "That's easy to handle. In fact, even curing you completely wouldn't be difficult for me. As for the reward, I don't care much about that. What I care about more is your identity and why you ended up like this."

"..." The woman coughed twice and said coldly, "You don't need to worry about those things. You shouldn't know... it won't do you any good. It might even bring you great trouble."

"Trouble? I'm not afraid of trouble. Lately, I've been more worried about being bored than being in trouble," Su Qing said, rolling her eyes. She then chuckled and added, "But never mind. If you won't say it now, I'll just wait a bit longer. I'm sure you'll tell me soon enough."

The woman didn't respond. Although these two women were likely not simple, they couldn't possibly be a match for such a massive organization. It was better to avoid dragging them into the mess if possible.

Su Qing stretched her neck and then said to Ao Yiyi, "Take her over there... I'm going to grab some tools."

Ao Yiyi nodded and approached the woman. "Can you still walk? Do you need me to carry you?"

Unlike Su Qing, Ao Yiyi's kindness was more pure. Su Qing's attitude in this matter was primarily about finding entertainment; saving the person was just a side effect.

"No... that won't be necessary," the woman said, shaking her head. Although she was indeed heavily injured and in great distress, she could still manage to walk. Besides, letting a girl so much younger than her carry her was somewhat embarrassing.

Ao Yiyi didn't insist, merely supporting the woman as they stood up and headed toward the treatment area. A medical hall naturally had more than just the consultation area out front; the back was equipped to handle patients needing more intensive care—like those with broken limbs or sword wounds.

"By the way... I haven't asked for your name yet!" Ao Yiyi didn't stay idle on the way, asking for the woman's name.

The woman was silent for a moment before saying, "You can just call me Li Anran."

"Li Anran? That's a lovely name."

Li Anran gave a bitter smile but said nothing more. However, Ao Yiyi wasn't finished. She continued, "So, can you really not tell me what happened? You're so badly hurt; it looks like you were in a really intense fight."

Li Anran still didn't answer, only saying, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you... it's for your own good."

"Fine! I am quite curious, though," Ao Yiyi said with a helpless smile. "But if you don't want to say, then forget it. My master told me never to force others."

"More than that, I'm curious... why aren't you or the doctor afraid of me? Even when I pointed a sword at you, you didn't show a hint of fear?" Li Anran was desperate to understand.

Ao Yiyi didn't intend to hide it; Su Qing had never said this was a secret. After thinking for a moment, she said, "If I were to use Sister Su's words... would you be afraid of a rabbit pointing a toothpick at you?"

"...???" Li Anran was completely bewildered. What was that supposed to mean?

Seeing her confusion, Ao Yiyi explained further, "Basically, Sister Su feels you aren't a threat... so naturally, she isn't afraid of you!"

"And you?"

"The same?" Ao Yiyi said, sounding a bit uncertain. She truly wasn't worried about Li Anran attacking, but she didn't exactly look down on her either. After all, if they fought, the furniture would get broken.

However, compared to Ao Yiyi, Li Anran was the one who was truly unsettled. She could hardly find words to describe her current mood and thoughts. In short, she was a mess, completely dazed. She couldn't even fully comprehend Ao Yiyi's words.

"Don't overthink it, I didn't mean to look down on you... it's just that we are indeed a bit different," Ao Yiyi said, seeing the woman's expression. "In any case, don't worry about it... just assume our martial arts are actually even higher than yours."

Li Anran's lip twitched slightly. She felt this talkative shop assistant really didn't know how to speak. Hearing that hadn't improved her mood at all.

Through their brief exchange, Ao Yiyi had brought her to the treatment room.

"Sit here for a moment... Sister Su will be here soon," Ao Yiyi said with a beaming smile. "Don't worry, Sister Su's medical skills are superb. Everyone in Linzhou City knows it, so she'll be able to heal your wounds easily."

"Mm..." Li Anran nodded wordlessly, but she still didn't let go of the long sword in her hand.