Chapter 682: Chapter 232 Old House
The cliff was bare, and Lu Tong stared at the withered stick in her hand.
The red wooden vines on the cliff had all withered.
This plant was cold-resistant and could survive in extreme cold areas. Its leaves were highly toxic. In the past, she had picked them for Lady Yun during winter days on Luomei Peak, which was also in the midst of a cold winter.
Actually, before she went up the mountain, although she was not absolutely certain, she felt there was a sixty to seventy percent chance of success. She had not expected that within just a short two years of leaving, the vines that she thought would always be lush could also wither, realizing that nothing in the world lasts forever.
Pei Yunmeng took the withered twig from her hand, and gazed at it intently.
Lu Tong came back to her senses.
"The red wooden vines have withered," she turned around, "We’ve come here for nothing."
Pei Yunmeng caught the disappointment in her tone.
He glanced at Lu Tong, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, and he spoke with apparent indifference, "It’s not for nothing. We wouldn’t know the result without trying."
Lu Tong heard the consolation in his words, but disappointment was still unavoidable in her heart.
Cuicui’s life hung by a thread, and the severe poison of Houbian was difficult to cure. If Chang Jin and Ji Xun were to use a new medicine for Cuicui, it would be like quenching thirst with poison, and the red wooden vines from Pingzhou were too old. If this continued, how would the epidemic in Su Nan be resolved?
Was there really no better way?
A gust of cold wind hit her face, and Lu Tong shivered.
The closer they got to the mountain top, the stronger the wind and snow became. The snowflakes fell in large swaths, and with each step, her calves sank into the snow, making it extremely difficult to move forward.
The snow here was heavier than it had ever been on Luomei Peak.
Seeing her pale face from the cold, Pei Yunmeng extended his hand to pull her cloak tighter around her, asking, "What’s the plan now? Should we go back?"
Lu Tong looked into the distance.
It was much colder on the mountain than below, and Su Nan had not seen the sun for half a month. Thick gray clouds piled over Luomei Peak, and it was getting late.
Lu Tong fell into contemplation.
Actually, with her pace and familiarity with Luomei Peak, a round trip in one day was enough. However, it was rarely snowing heavily in Su Nan for many years, and the mountain path was much more difficult than before, with many delays along the way. If she were to go back now, she feared it would be completely dark before they could get down the mountain.
Walking on a snowy mountain at night was far too dangerous, especially with her current physical state...
Lu Tong shook her head, looking higher up: "Let’s keep climbing."
Pei Yunmeng paused slightly, seemingly surprised, but quickly nodded and readily agreed, "Okay."
This time, it was Lu Tong’s turn to be surprised. She asked, "Why don’t you ask where I’m going?"
"It doesn’t matter," Pei Yunmeng replied with an indifferent smile, "You are a Medical Officer, and I am with the Imperial Guards. Protecting you is my duty."
Lu Tong hesitated, unable to help but look towards him.
The person before her looked at her with a smile in his eyes and a serious tone, as if even if she said she wanted to take him to Chaos Burial Mound, he would agree to go without hesitation.
Was he just acting recklessly, or had he become stubbornly attached to her?
After a moment of silence, Lu Tong snatched the withered vine from Pei Yunmeng’s hand, "Then let’s hurry, otherwise we will have to navigate the mountain roads at night before reaching the summit. Mountain roads at night are very dangerous."
Pei Yunmeng raised his eyebrows, watching her retreating figure, and said, "Then Doctor Lu, remember to be careful leading the way."
Lu Tong: "...Hurry up and follow."
The higher they went, the fiercer the wind and snow, and the fluttering snow nearly blinded them. After about half an hour, as the sky grew darker and only a dim gray light covered the mountaintop, amidst the wild dance of the snow curtain, a large expanse of red plum blossoms gradually appeared.
The red plums were gorgeous, with touches of bright red here and there, and not far below, stood a solitary thatched cottage.
The cottage was small and dilapidated, almost engulfed by the overgrown grass, barely revealing a dim shadow. The wind and snow around it blew, making it look like a phantom in the mountain night, indistinguishable between illusion and reality.
While Pei Yunmeng was still observing, Lu Tong had already walked up to it.
She stopped in front of the thatched cottage.
It seemed to be the same as in her memories, yet completely different. She had spent a long seven years here, and apart from the Lu Family of Changwu County, this was the place where she had stayed the longest.
She thought she would never return to this place in her life, but unexpectedly, she was revisiting it today.
"Is this where you lived?" Pei Yunmeng’s voice came from beside her.
There was only this small cottage far and wide. Since she had mentioned to Pei Yunmeng on their way that she had lived here years ago, he was smart and could infer many things at a glance.
So she did not hide it: "Yes."
Pei Yunmeng looked down at her, his lips curving up slightly as if to something, then smiled.
"So, are you inviting me to visit your home?"
Lu Tong: "..."
She walked forward without turning back, carrying the medical box, "You can also stay outside."
When the two of them arrived in front of the cottage, Pei Yunmeng pushed open the door.
As it had apparently been a long time since anyone had set foot here, the moment the door was opened, dust flew everywhere. Lu Tong turned away, waving her hand to disperse the dust, and asked Pei Yunmeng to take out a fire starter from his bag to light it up, bringing some light inside the room.