Chapter 105
With such naive belief, he disappointed his family's expectations and his master's wishes, and joined Yaoqing's army without hesitation.
Yaoqing's army has been fighting on extraterrestrial planets for many years. Based on the medical school he inherited, Jiaoqiu has developed many medicinal and edible cauldron recipes, which can not only cope with the increasingly difficult and complex stationed environment, but also improve the living conditions of the soldiers.
Due to the rarity and remarkable efficacy of his medicine, his reputation quickly spread Yaoqing army, earning him the trust of all the soldiers.
However, these achievements could not alleviate the heaviness in his heart at all.
Every day, when the departure horn sounds, the patients he had cured will once again step onto the battlefield.
Every day, as the footsteps of those returning to camp sound, the number of faces gathered around the cauldron always decreases.
Among them, the one who impressed Jiaoqiu the most was a young Foxkin who served as a scout. According to the normal Order of Yaoqing, at his age, he should have been studying in a carefree environment or having a passionate love affair. However, for some reason, he joined the Verdant Hill Army.
Their faces, barely out of their teens, showed no sign of confusion; their eyes, seemingly devoid of regret, were filled with anticipation for victory and triumph. This quality was all the more precious in the oppressive and despairing military camp, shrouded in death.
He loves eating the braised dishes made by Jiaoqiu, and every time he finishes eating, he will shout his praises loudly, regardless of the other people around him.
He was a vibrant and energetic young man, and unusually, a naive type who loved collecting and reading all sorts of "heroic" stories. Because he knew many stories that other soldiers didn't, he would always tell them one story after another in detail on quiet nights after returning to camp, thereby cleansing the hearts of the soldiers who had been oppressed by death for so long.
Although everyone always scolds him for being a complete naive brat, whenever he tells a story, everyone quiets down to listen to his voice and unconsciously reveals a warm smile.
Jiaoqiu also loved seeing the hope shining in his blue eyes when he told stories, and sincerely hoped that he could survive the cruel war.
But this insignificant wish seems too naive and too greedy on this battlefield woven with blood and regret.
Coincidentally, it was another day, and the sound of returning to camp rang out. Jiaoqiu did not find the young man who usually shouted that he wanted to eat from the cauldron when he returned to camp. Instead, he found his corpse, which consisted of only the upper half, in the tent where the dead were piled up.
The cheerful smile on his face was gone, and the look in his eyes, which had never shown any remorse, was replaced by the despair of impending death.
Jiaoqiu found a letter that could be called a suicide note in the inner pocket of his chest. Most of the envelope was damaged by dark bloodstains on his chest, and only a few words at the end were legible.
"I regret it so much; I didn't apologize to my father and mother."
Jiaoqiu didn't know what to think. He squeezed his eyes hard and found that they had become so dry that he couldn't squeeze out any tears.
The most ridiculous thing is that Jiaoqiu didn't realize he had never known the young man's name until he died.
The most tragic thing is that their names are often the least valuable thing in war.
The sirens have sounded again, and the army is ready to depart. Soon, the field hospitals will be overflowing with seriously wounded soldiers. Even with his miraculous medical skills, the endless war continues to devour those young lives.
Faced with endless slaughter and death, Jiaoqiu gradually felt weary and even numb.
As he watched familiar faces turn into cold corpses, he couldn't help but ask himself, "If the patients I treat are destined to die anyway, what is the meaning of being a doctor?"
Jiaoqiu didn't know the answer.
He could only look up at the dark red sky shrouded in the smoke of war and pray to the omnipotent Reignbow for an answer.
However, what he received in return was a cold and merciless beam of light.
A scorching heatwave appeared without warning, turning the weak, Abominations of Abundance into a bloody mist. An unbearable light tore through the sky, reducing all the mountains to dust, and turning all the soldiers who couldn't escape in time into dust along with the Abominations of Abundance.
Beliefs, stances, and determination all seemed weak and pale before that beam of light.
The cruel and bloodthirsty Buli person, the hideous and terrifying Wingweaver, the horribly gruesome and Abominations of Abundance, the desperately struggling soldiers of the Xianzhou —all were indistinguishable, equally reduced to dust, a process more cruel than death itself.
Indeed, the cold and ruthless gods show no mercy to anyone; under their divine power, mortals are no different from humans.
From that moment on, his clear, bright, pale golden eyes gradually became blurry and cloudy. He learned to squint, not so much because he didn't want to open his eyes, but because he couldn't bear to watch those vibrant faces disappear before his eyes once again.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Jiaoqiu survived that war.
He refused the army's offer to stay and returned to the familiar Flying Rain Lake Yaoqing.
Having long grown tired of returning to the medical profession, Jiaoqiu removed the dusty signboard of "Flying Rain Clinic" and replaced it with a brand-new signboard called "Flying Rain Restaurant".
He had intended to live out his remaining years in obscurity as a cook, but was ultimately tricked by his master into becoming the imperial physician for the newly appointed Merlin's Claw, under the pretense that "someone can tell you... what the meaning of a doctor truly is."
However, it wasn't until they met that Jiaoqiu was surprised to discover that the new general who had promised to give him the answer was actually Feixiao, the girl he had saved on the battlefield.
After spending some time together, Jiaoqiu witnessed Feixiao's terrible behavior—she was clearly afflicted by a terminal illness and living a life where seeing the Sun tomorrow was a luxury, yet she displayed a nonchalant and carefree attitude. It was precisely this frivolous attitude of not caring about her own life and casting everything aside that angered Jiaoqiu.
If the survivors treat their own lives so lightly, what about those who have already sacrificed themselves? Were their deaths and the efforts of the medical staff meaningless?
Jiaoqiu thought this way, and in order to refute his own opinion, he agreed to serve as the imperial physician and vowed to cure her.
Serving as Feixiao's physician was far from easy. It wasn't that her illness required complex treatments or rare and precious medicinal herbs... but rather that there was simply no cure.
Ultimately, "Moon Rage" is not a disease, but a genetic defect deeply ingrained in the bloodline of Foxkin.
While struggling with how to treat his own patients, Jiaoqiu had to deal with all sorts of troubles alongside Feixiao in order to free Feixiao time for her treatment. Unbeknownst to him, he had transformed from a physician into what others called a general's advisor.
This change did not bring Jiaoqiu much joy; instead, it added a lot of trouble for him. Unpleasant comments such as "that smiling guy doesn't look like a good person" gradually became his reputation.
One day, while accompanying Feixiao to hunt down the remnants of the Medicine King's Legacy Clan within Yaoqing, Jiaoqiu encountered an extraordinary individual.
Perhaps out of some grudge, that person slaughtered all 117 remnants of the Medicine King's Legacy Sect before Feixiao arrived. When Feixiao and he arrived, all they saw was that person's blood-stained back standing in the middle of countless corpses, with a poor boy suffering from the Medicine King's Legacy on his shoulder.
Feixiao, appreciating the talent, took the man under his wing despite objections. It was only much later that Jiaoqiu learned the man's name— Bai Jun.
At first, Feixiao assigned Bai Jun a role similar to that of a bodyguard. However, the bodyguard position was later taken over by the unfortunate young man who was tormented by the Medicine King's Legacy. Bai Jun became Feixiao's strategist. But it was good, as he took on a lot of work for Jiaoqiu, which finally freed up Jiaoqiu's time to continue treating Feixiao.
While performing his duties as a strategist, Bai Jun also needed to solve some unsavory problems for Feixiao, so Jiaoqiu had to take time out from time to treat him. However, to Jiaoqiu's surprise, the usually aloof Bai Jun actually praised the food he cooked.
At the time, Jiaoqiu didn't pay much attention, only noticing that Bai Jun was different from the others.
It wasn't until a certain event later that Jiaoqiu's views were completely changed.
I remember it was a cloudless afternoon. After dealing with Buli person Bu Liren who had infiltrated Yaoqing, Bai Jun dragged his battered body back to Flying Rain Restaurant. His injuries were particularly severe that time, supposedly because he had single-handedly dealt with fifty Onda and two Denfather.
Why was this injury so severe?
"Those Buli person seem to have used some kind of berserk drug; their strength is a bit beyond my expectations. I was accidentally injured."
Compared to his horrifying injuries that stained half the floor red, Bai Jun's explanation seemed rather childish.
That disregard for one's own life, and that frivolous attitude so similar to Feixiao's, inevitably angered Jiaoqiu once again.
"Are you an idiot? In an emergency, couldn't you have run away first? Did you have to fight them head-on to the death? Both you and Feixiao are idiots who don't value their own lives. In that case, doesn't it make my treatment seem completely unnecessary?"
As if to vent all his pent-up emotions and release all the pain suppressed in his heart, he unleashed it all on Bai Jun in front of him.
"If you're so eager to die, go find a dark and secluded corner!"
Images of the nameless Foxkin youth, the soldiers, and all those who had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield flashed through Jiaoqiu.
These sights disrupted Jiaoqiu's thoughts. He talked on and on, finally opening his eyes and roaring, "You're not allowed to die in front of me again!"
The roar echoed through the restaurant, and the only sound in the silence was the rising and falling of Jiaoqiu's shoulders.
However, Bai Jun, who was silently enduring this anger, instead revealed a smile.
That was a smile that Jiaoqiu had never seen on Bai Jun's cold face before; it could only be described as gentle.
"I just realized, doctor, your eyes are actually very beautiful."
"Wh-what?"
The words of praise he hadn't heard in so long stirred up Jiaoqiu's long-dormant Remembrance. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, yet he didn't want to deny Bai Jun's smile, so he could only ask in a somewhat embarrassed voice.
"I mean, doctor, your eyes are very beautiful, why do you usually not want to open them?" Bai Jun repeated softly, patiently.
Suddenly, Jiaoqiu noticed that Bai Jun's eyes were a deep blue, similar to those of the young man who had died long ago. Perhaps because he had never opened his eyes before, he only realized this now.
Like a cornflower, and the purest azure blue.
Drawn to the radiant light, Jiaoqiu looked up at the other's profile illuminated by the setting sun outside the window, and at the warm red hues of his hair, and couldn't help but ask softly:
"If the patients we treat are destined to die anyway, then what is the meaning of being a doctor?"
"I don't know either, but I'm really grateful for your help."
Faced with the soft whispers that seemed to be answering his own questions, Bai Jun conveyed his most sincere thoughts to the other person in words.
"Is that so..."
Gazing into that gentle smile, Jiaoqiu found her "answer."
So that no one will suffer anymore, so that everyone can smile carefree under the deep blue, cloudless sky.
Foolish, a kind of clear-eyed stupidity.
It's that simple.
From that day on, the signboard of "Flying Rain Restaurant" was changed back to "Flying Rain Clinic".
Early in the morning, Jiaoqiu was awakened by a faint sound, whether from a dream or from somewhere else.
He suddenly sat up, gently pressed his fingers to the corners of his eyes, and when he released them, his fingertips were wet.
"Honestly, I'm not a child anymore. Having dreams like this all the time is so childish."
He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with a slight hint of distress, but his tone was unusually gentle.
Looking out the unfamiliar window, I saw that it was raining.
P. S.: I accidentally wrote too much. Originally, Dr. Jiao's story wasn't supposed to be this long, but it feels like I'm getting the treatment of a female lead... But I guess this can be considered a supplement to Bai Jun's past interludes.
Hmph, what a sinful man he is.
By the way, the unlimited bounty program has ended. Starting today, become the King of Debt!
Chapter 135 The Old Married Couple Section (Four Chapters Combined)
It's raining.
This may be the last rain of spring and the first rain of summer.
Bai Jun was awakened by the sound of rain in the early morning and instinctively tried to close the window. After groping around for a while without finding the window handle, he realized that this was no longer the home he used to be in.
The room was dimly lit and quiet, with a still breath flowing through every corner. The lights of Exalting Sanctum City outside shone in through the window, and everything was peaceful and serene.
It's 6:30 in the morning. Recalling yesterday's chaotic afternoon, Bai Jun couldn't help but sigh, sit up, and walk to the window.
Outside the window, everything was shrouded in mist, and the sky was so dark it was as if a curtain had been drawn. After standing blankly in front of the French windows for a while, thinking that it was still early before work, Bai Jun lay back down on the bed, ready to take another nap.
Listen quietly to the raging rain outside the window, falling on the glass like mayflies tracing lines that converge into streams of water.
The warm orange clock on the bedside table ticked slowly, just like the crimson pendant he always wore. Both were gifts given to Bai Jun by a certain Crimson Dragon Maiden and had been with him ever since.
Bai Jun, who should fall asleep quickly, found himself tossing and turning and unable to sleep today. He turned over several times, feeling like he had forgotten something, so he suddenly sat up and stared blankly at the street outside, completely unable to fall asleep.
The torrential rain covered the world outside the window, spreading into wisps of mist in the air, settling on the bluestone streets, blurring the colorful lights of the roadside signs, and turning the lights into a sea of orange stars.
The cold rain melted away the sharp edges of all the buildings and light, making the world quiet.
Then red and blue light peeked out from the fog, making the streets look beautiful. Sometimes a few figures would flash by, leaving a trace in the mist. Perhaps some newly fallen leaves would fall and be swept up by the moist air currents, flying high onto the eaves.
Gazing at the scenery outside the window, Bai Jun remembered something he had forgotten.
"You should be free tomorrow morning, right? Let's have breakfast together. Remember not to sleep too long, or I'll take an unflattering picture of you."
Speaking of which, is Jiaoqiu coming to see him today?
When the idea popped into his head, Bai Jun was quickly amused by its somewhat silly nature.
How could that be? It's raining so hard outside, they probably won't come...
Foxkin hate rain; they particularly dislike the feeling of their Tail and ears getting wet.
This can perhaps be explained by nature and instinct. Undoubtedly, unless necessary, no matter how lively Foxkin, regardless of age or gender, they would find it hard to go out when faced with the fine rain outside the window. They would obediently stay under the eaves and wait for the rain to stop.
But as he gazed at the rain streaking across the sky outside the window, Bai Jun seemed to sense something.
Seemingly to verify this guess, Bai Jun kicked off his slippers and walked step by step toward the door outside the entryway.
With a few gentle turns of the latch, Bai Jun opened the door. The first thing he felt on his skin was a damp and chilly air. The world in the rain was just as he saw through the window; the torrential rain that covered his vision seemed to have taken away the hustle and bustle of the city.
However, the scenery that came into view made Bai Jun's eyes widen slowly.
Good morning! How did you sleep last night?
The pink-haired Foxkin stood silently under the eaves outside the door, holding up an oil-paper umbrella.
After standing there for an unknown amount of time, Jiaoqiu gently turned to look at the doorway. Even with an oil-paper umbrella, a few drops of rain still slid down his earlobes, soaking part of his coat, and his fluffy, soft pink Tail was also partially wet.
Why didn't you ring the doorbell?
Bai Jun leaned against the door frame, suddenly unsure of what to do.
"I've never seen rain in Luofu before, I'm just curious and want to enjoy it a little longer."
"... Okay, you win."
The other party's answer, given without a second thought, sounded like a pre-prepared lie. Bai Jun sighed, feeling that all his doubts had become incredibly idiotic. So, he roughly grabbed Jiaoqiu by the back of her collar and dragged the soaking pink fox into the house without offering any further explanation.