Chapter 22: I’ll Make Your Life Worse Than Death

"Oh! I didn't mean to do that. Is the young master alright? I'll put it out right now."

Qin Hanxiao panicked the moment the fire started. In her haste to extinguish it, she accidentally pulled down the bed curtains, which fell onto the bed. As they were made of soft silk, they ignited instantly upon contact with the flames. She scrambled to pat out the fire on Young Master Zheng, but the more she tried, the more it spread.

After realizing what was happening, Young Master Zheng jumped up and began beating at his clothes, but as soon as he put out a flame in the front, another sparked on his back.

"What is wrong with you? Hurry up and put out the fire!" The scorching heat on his back sobered him up significantly, and he opened his mouth to call for help. Just as he was about to cry out, he was struck hard at the back of his head and went limp instantly.

The commotion made the maids outside suspicious. "What happened to Young Master Zheng? Do you need us to come in and serve you?"

Qin Hanxiao dared not let them in. "It’s nothing. Young Master Zheng is drunk and lost his footing. He tells you all to go away and come back with water in an hour."

Because of this, the people outside had no reason to doubt her. "Understood."

Once the sound of footsteps faded, Qin Hanxiao quickly extinguished the fire. She felt for Young Master Zheng’s pulse—he was still alive. She tried the door again, but it wouldn't open; it must have been locked from the outside. Fortunately, the windows could be opened—one led to the corridor, the other to a bamboo grove. Qin Hanxiao struggled to push Young Master Zheng out the window into the bamboo grove, then shut the window tight. She set fire to the flammable items in the room and escaped through the window.

The estate was vast, and she had no idea where the exit was. Fortunately, it was night; she couldn't see the path, but neither could anyone else. She hid whenever she saw people and ducked into an empty room along the way. Once the fire she had started elsewhere grew and drew attention, she set another fire in this room as well to create more chaos. Listening as the commotion moved toward the first fire, Qin Hanxiao smeared dirt on her face and ran in the opposite direction.

On the way, she was stopped by someone. "Where are you running off to? Why aren't you helping put out the fire?"

Qin Hanxiao didn't dare look up for fear of being recognized. "The honored guest is injured; the master ordered me to fetch a doctor."

The man didn't suspect her. "Then hurry up and go."

Just then, someone shouted, "Steward Zhang, the master is calling for you."

As Steward Zhang hurried away while answering, Qin Hanxiao let out a long breath, relieved she hadn't been discovered. But just as she had taken a few steps, Steward Zhang called out to her again, "Take the side gate, it's faster. Hurry and bring a doctor back!"

"Yes."

Qin Hanxiao hiked up her skirt and ran in the direction he had indicated, not daring to look back. She hadn't run far before she ran into an old woman. "Which courtyard are you from, girl? Why are you running about?"

"I serve Young Master Zheng. He is injured, and Steward Zhang ordered me to take the side gate to find a doctor."

Lies became easier to tell the more she repeated them, though she could still hear her own heart thumping loudly. The woman didn't suspect her either and instead urged her on, "Go, go quickly!"

Just as Qin Hanxiao turned to leave, she heard Wang Dalin’s voice: "Stop!"

She had been able to fool the steward and the old woman because they hadn't seen her before, but she would never be able to fool Wang Dalin. Her heart leaped to her throat. She lowered her head further, hoping that in the dark, Wang Dalin wouldn't recognize her.

Wang Dalin had only glanced over by chance and found her silhouette familiar; now that he was closer, his suspicion grew. "Turn around."

How could Qin Hanxiao dare to turn around? She deliberately disguised her voice and said, "Steward Zhang ordered me to hurry and fetch a doctor."

Wang Dalin barked, "I told you to turn around!"

Qin Hanxiao took off running, specifically heading toward the darkest areas.

"Catch her!"

With them right on her heels, Qin Hanxiao couldn't escape for long and was soon dragged back.

*Slap!*

The blow made her ears ring, and half her face burned with pain. "Causing such a scene—you certainly have your ways." Suddenly, her chin was grabbed with force. "Where is Young Master Zheng? Speak!"

Since she hadn't been able to escape, Qin Hanxiao didn't want to suffer any more and prudently revealed his location. "He is severely injured and could die at any moment. He will also be left with scars. I am a doctor; I can heal him."

Wang Dalin stared at her for a long time. Seeing that she was still trying to bargain, his mind raced through countless ways to make a person wish they were dead. Finally, he laughed out of sheer fury.

"I underestimated you." He shoved her face aside. "You had better be telling the truth."

Qin Hanxiao was brought to a brightly lit room. The middle-aged man and Young Master Zheng were both there—one fuming with rage, the other unconscious. The moment the middle-aged man saw her, he rushed over and kicked her. "Wretched woman, daring to ruin my plans!" If not for the fact that she claimed to be able to save Young Master Zheng, he would have killed her on the spot. "What did you do to him? Why isn't he waking up?"

Qin Hanxiao, kicked in the thigh, was in too much pain to speak. Suddenly, her scalp stung as she was grabbed by the hair and forced to look up. She gritted her teeth and said, "I can heal him."

Wang Dalin dragged her by the hair to the bedside. "You had better be able to save him, or I will make you wish you were dead."

"The old matriarch of the Huang salt merchant family is currently under my care." Fearing they wouldn't believe her, she mentioned the seventh young master of the Huang family. "Huang Yuezhi searched all of Mingjiang Prefecture for a doctor to treat the old lady. No one could, only me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dalin and the middle-aged man exchanged a look; they had heard of the Huang family’s situation. But could it really be her? Seeing their doubt, Qin Hanxiao pressed her advantage.

"I struck Young Master Zheng in the head; I intended to kill him. He has blood clots in his brain now, and only I can save him. If you bring any other doctor, even if they manage to save his life, he will be left an idiot."

She was bluffing; Young Master Zheng was merely unconscious and would wake up on his own soon enough. But to save her own life, she had no other choice. Under their murderous gazes, she continued, "I will write a prescription; go buy the medicine now. Also, return my silver needles. Only by using them can I save him."

Wang Dalin remarked, "She used those needles to hurt two of my brothers earlier." By now, he was mostly convinced. "Master Chang, the safety of Young Master Zheng is paramount."

Master Chang looked at the pale, unconscious Young Master Zheng, then at Qin Hanxiao. "Save him first."

The needles were brought over quickly. Qin Hanxiao began to administer acupuncture in front of them, but Young Master Zheng remained unresponsive.

Wang Dalin asked coldly, "Why isn't he waking up? Don't try any tricks." It wasn't just suspicion; Qin Hanxiao’s previous actions made him wary.

Qin Hanxiao remained calm as she worked. "Intracranial blood clots are not like other injuries; he won't wake up that quickly. At the earliest, it will be tomorrow at noon. Besides, the medicine hasn't been administered yet; it’s impossible for him to wake up this soon."

They waited a while longer until the medicine was bought. At the same time, they had also summoned two other doctors. It was clear they still did not trust her.