jdhmnovel Chapter 112 The Way of Medicine
Chapter 112 The Way of Medicine
The four cats were horrified. Lachlan and Jakir were not very strong at the moment, and Aigis was even less strong at all times.
"Cousin, save Aigis, Aigis doesn't want to die..."
The little cat girl hid behind Hayou, her big blue eyes misty. She didn't seem to understand why a group of people who were just enjoying themselves suddenly turned into a war. As for Hayou, he didn't even know which side he should stand on. If he protected his cousin, he wouldn't be able to win against the combination of Eric and Angie, and it would just be an extra mouth to be killed; as for helping me kill Lahlan, he couldn't do it either.
"Lahlan, say something!"
Hayu kicked his cousin. Lahlan was stunned for a moment before he reacted.
"We...we are also willing to follow you, sir..."
Although the words sounded harsh, I was actually in a dilemma.
Aigis and Jakir obviously listen to Lachlan. I may not be able to control this small team directly. If I only control Lachlan indirectly, then what bargaining chips can I have to ensure that this rich second generation will not be a traitor? What's more, the other party is a tiger man with an erratic personality and basically broken credit. Having a tiger man store in the territory is already a headache. If I continue to increase the number of cats in the team, isn't it really a landmine for myself?
However, from another perspective, I have already established preliminary cooperation with the tiger people. If I kill Lachlan and others at this time, will my previous efforts be ruined? Killing Lachlan will definitely offend Hayou. He and Akali's niece are lovers, and the tiger caravan will soon know what I did. As for killing Hayou, I can't live with my conscience. Besides, Helata and Ariana have just joined. If I kill my own people, they will definitely be nervous. Just like the wife lover who killed Lü Bushe's family, which led to Chen Gongtai's betrayal and the three-surnamed slave stabbed him from behind.
I don't have that many eunuchs as my relatives, and every subordinate is very precious. If we continue like this, what kind of cohesion will the team have?
"Lord Locke, I am willing to vouch for Lachlan and Aigis. They will never betray you."
While Hayou was pleading with me, he secretly winked at Lahlan. The three cats also swore an oath, saying that they had been wandering for half their lives and only regretted that they had never met a wise master. From now on, they would follow me and go through fire and water without hesitation.
"Hayou, think carefully. Eric and I are friends for life and death. The fact that he is a werewolf is not only his own secret, but also the secret of the Companions. If this matter gets out and the Companions come to hold you accountable, not only will I not be able to protect you, I will also cooperate with them to capture you as soon as possible."
Hayou nodded seriously.
"My mother wrote to me and asked me to take care of my cousins. I can't just sit there and watch them get killed. I will keep my promise to you. I am willing to guarantee them with my life. If they betray my trust, then I will take it as my bad luck."
Having said that, I can only choose to trust him.
"Lahlan, I know you look down on Hayou because of your fathers' power, but you saw today that he has saved your lives twice. I can tell you clearly that the people I look down on the most are people like you who have nothing to offer except their backgrounds. This is Skyrim, and your family is nothing in my eyes. If you want to win respect, show me what you can do; if you just want to be a playboy, pack your bags and go back home. Now, I give you the power to choose. If you choose to stay, you must follow my instructions and obey my orders, otherwise you must leave Skyrim."
Lachlan did not hesitate and chose to stay. I pretended to be dignified and solemn, but in fact I had already read all kinds of three-character classics in my heart. He was obviously a rubbish rich second-generation with high expectations but poor skills. He insisted on establishing a self-made persona. Isn't this just causing trouble for me? How to arrange these three cats? I have to spend some time thinking about it.
One thing we have to admit is that the society we live in is actually built on the basis of consensus. In his hometown of Elsweyr, Lachlan is the son of a wealthy merchant family. People generally agree that this guy can get resources and connections with just his mouth. Naturally, he is surrounded by a group of like-minded or flattering friends, making him mistakenly believe that he is also a dragon among cats. However, in Skyrim, he is just one of the few tiger people, an inconspicuous one among the most despised race. After stripping off the halo of his identity as a rich second-generation, Lachlan is incompetent, narrow-minded, self-righteous, and unrealistic. To say that he is mediocre is to flatter him.
"Miss Angie, you have worked so hard. You must set off now to return to Falkreath and ask Lord Danger to send someone to pick us up. Then we will go to Helgen to invite Lord Ilandur. Lydia needs his treatment. Aigis, you must go with Miss Angie and follow her orders on the way. I warn you, if you touch anything with your claws, I will chop it off! I will make a dish called Dragon-Tiger Fight, which uses the meat of Argonians and Tiger Men as ingredients."
The little cat shuddered violently and looked at her cousin timidly. Hayou nodded solemnly. He had eaten the piglet stewed with mushrooms that I made, so he knew that I was not bluffing when I said that I could cook with tiger people.
It was already daybreak, and we were all very tired after a night of fighting. After Angie and Aigis set off, Eric, Hayou and I took turns to guard, while the other wounded rested. It was not until the next morning that we had rested enough and set out on our way home. We walked very slowly, and it was not until three days later that we met Soraf who came to pick us up near the Sunshine Garden Fortress. Lydia and Jakir got on the carriage, and the team moved faster.
Ilandul had been waiting for us in Falkreath. After checking Lei Mei's injuries, he took a deep breath.
"Who treated this injury? This is ridiculous! You all go out, Angie and that kitten stay to help."
I felt a little embarrassed because I was the one making such a fuss.
"Lord Locke, Lord Danger invites you to come over."
I wanted to wait at the door, but was called away by Tecora. The old fox had already boiled a pot of pine needle tea, and when she saw me come in, she immediately poured a cup and handed it to me.
"Sit down, my child. I heard you were in danger again."
"Fortunately, we have accomplished our mission and obtained the head of Skuna, a half-man, half-wolf. Let's see what General Tullius can say this time."
"I think we shouldn't rush to send this thing to General Tullius."
Ah? This is a good opportunity to damage the reputation of the Imperial Legion, but Danger is not prepared to take advantage of it? Could it be that he has a change of heart and thinks death is the greatest virtue?
"I think that the Imperial Legion's collusion with the werewolves is a heinous crime. We must show this solid evidence to everyone in Skyrim. So I plan to arrange for someone to take this head to all the nine territories."
The head was sent to the nine frontiers. This treatment is comparable to that of the governor of Liaodong. I knew this old fox was not a kind person...
"Also, I have already persuaded Nanyang Manager to temporarily stop construction of your villa. There is no need to demolish it to save manpower and resources. You should arrange for someone to build a low-key house first and bring your mother over as soon as possible. Don't let the old lady live in a hotel all the time. Nanyang Manager has a stubborn temper, but she is not unreasonable. You should just go along with her in person, and I will help you speak up for you later."
"Thank you, sir."
Danger waved his hand and pointed at the teapot, indicating that I could help myself.
"Helgen sent me some pine needles. He said they were picked from the Scattered Bones Mountain. They have a unique flavor. Should I ask Tecora to pack some for you?"
I thanked him quickly.
"My lord, I am going to Hafengarn next. I think I should conceal my identity and go to Whiterun first in the name of a diplomatic mission, and then go to Morningstar in the name of doing private business for Lord Horik, and then enter the Border Territory of Arr from there. Please tell others the same thing."
Danger stood up, took out a letter from the bookshelf and handed it to me.
"I'm ready. You can go directly to Morningstar City as an envoy. Lord Skade has agreed to join the Talos Alliance, but he will not withdraw from the Stormcloak camp. Just bring this letter to him. It's okay to read it yourself first. It's all old-fashioned diplomatic rhetoric."
It was my expectation that Lord Skade would join the Talos Alliance. Morningstar City's daily necessities are heavily dependent on the supply of Whiterun, and he would not miss the opportunity to ease relations with Lord Balgruuf.
"Sir, has the deal with the Rich people been finalized? My personal opinion is that both sides don't fully trust each other yet, so those who participate in the market must be strictly controlled. Don't let someone's greed for a little profit ruin the relationship that has been hard to build."
"I know that. Lord Horik is busy with this matter. He has many Reach people under him, and they are very dedicated in doing things. Also, Mrs. Montoya has volunteered to go to Sunny Garden Fortress to serve as our envoy to the Reach Tribe. You should take some time to talk to her. Maybe I am old and timid, and I always feel that the crow hag cannot be trusted. So, my child, you must keep an eye on the Reach girl next to you."
When I came back from Danger, Ilandur had just finished the treatment, so I hurried over to ask about Leimei's condition. The dark elf was sweating profusely, and it seemed that the treatment process was not easy.
"This girl's bones were broken, but she drank a lot of healing potions without resetting them, causing the broken bones to grow together in a dislocated manner. I could only reset them for her, which was a very painful process, but she was quite strong."
"Will this... leave me disabled?"
"If you rest well, you shouldn't be disabled, but pain is inevitable on rainy days. But you have to rest for the next five or six months, you can't exert yourself, and you can't fight."
Only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Brother Locke, you are the one who treated the injuries, right? I was anxious and said something harsh."
I didn't answer, but nodded somewhat disappointedly. Barbas' words echoed again: I am a mediocre person with bad luck. Isn't it? I am only half-baked in both magic and martial arts. If I had been good at one of them, I wouldn't have let Lei Mei suffer such a serious injury, and then I treated her smartly, but let her suffer twice.
I should just be a cook.
Yilandur wiped his hands and patted my shoulder.
"Will you buy me a drink?"
The Dead Man's Wine Inn has reopened. Ilandur and I ordered two bottles of gin and mead. The dark elf gently turned the glass and asked with a smile:
"Brother Locke, in your opinion, which branch of magic is the most difficult to master? You don't have to be so angry. We are just chatting. Although I advise you to concentrate on martial arts, you can always have your own little hobbies."
My face should not look good. Previously, Yilandur had tried his best to persuade me to give up the idea of practicing both magic and martial arts, but now he is teasing me again.
"I think the basics are the most difficult. Helgi and I used the same summoning spell, but the creatures we summoned lasted for different periods of time. We still don't understand why. As for other spells, I haven't used them much, so I can't say I have any experience with them."
"Then do you want to hear my opinion?"
Yilan Du paused, as if he was organizing his words.
"In my experience, restoration is the most difficult. The difficulty is not in the magic itself. For other magic, as long as your spells and gestures are correct and you have enough mana, the results will be similar. But restoration is different. Whether your spell can achieve the desired effect depends on whether you can accurately judge the patient's condition."
"I understand. For example, if a patient has a fever, it could be due to a cold, heat stroke, or a wound infection. Different causes require different treatments. If you choose the wrong method, not only will it not cure the disease, but it will cause greater harm."
Yilandul raised his glass and clinked it with mine.
"That's right. Whether you are treating an illness or healing an injury, the most difficult thing is to accurately judge the patient's physical condition. Even the most experienced doctors can make mistakes in this regard. So, Brother Locke, you don't have to blame yourself too much. This mistake was only due to your lack of experience."
I tried to force a smile, but it didn't seem to be very successful. Yilanduer probably thought that I was still upset, so he continued the topic.
"In short, it is very difficult to train an excellent doctor. Any sane lord would not use experienced medical staff as consumables. I have been treating patients for many years, but I dare not say that I know the causes and treatments of all injuries. Moreover, I always have a strange feeling that the more I know, the more I don't know. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I can probably understand. It's like we light a torch in the endless darkness, which can illuminate a small area in front of us. Then we light more torches to illuminate a larger area, but we find that the darkness around us is also getting bigger. At first, we will be excited and continue to light torches, but gradually we will feel doubt and fear. We will doubt whether this darkness really has boundaries, and we are afraid that even if we burn all the torches and our own lives, we will not be able to illuminate all corners."
Yilandur looked at me blankly for a while before he burst into laughter.
"It's really fun to chat with Brother Locke! As you said, the way of medicine is like a torch in the dark night. We may not be able to illuminate all the dark corners in our lifetime, but we have writing to pass on our discoveries so that our descendants can live in a brighter world. Brother Locke, you must run that school! For all of us, and especially for our descendants."