Chapter 78 — Intervene or Not
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Wei Zhao examined them carefully and found that two of the herbs seemed to have been stored too long and had begun to spoil, their potency naturally much reduced. There was nothing for it but to weigh out a little extra—make up in quantity what was lost in strength.
He checked the several vessels and compounding tools he wanted as well, and only after making sure they were sound did he pack everything carefully and leave the pharmacy.
These days, whether Chinese patent medicine or Western medicine, all sold well; only loose herbs like these moved sluggishly in pharmacies, with few buyers—which was also why Wei Zhao had been able to finish his shopping and leave so quickly.
Once out of the pharmacy, Wei Zhao did not intend to go straight to school. He had already been absent anyway; whether he showed up hardly mattered. He had already bought a whole set of measuring implements and tools for compounding, and he meant to find a place to mix the medicine first.
That was naturally not something to do at school, and certainly not at Gu Mengyao's villa—fill the whole house with the smell of Chinese herbs and those two girls would go mad. The best solution was to rent a room by the hour, get the work done, and leave.
With that in mind, Wei Zhao was in no hurry for school. Instead he wandered the neighborhood around the pharmacy, looking to see whether there was a decent hotel where he could take a room by the hour.
"Hm?" At the mouth of a sparsely peopled alley, Wei Zhao caught sight of the girl from the pharmacy earlier. She was lying on the ground now, a pool of bright red blood spreading beneath her.
Wei Zhao frowned. He did not want to meddle, but in this deserted alley—never mind whether anyone else might pass by, and even if someone did, who would dare stick their neck out over such a thing? If he failed to save her and she died, he would only bring unnecessary trouble on himself.
Wei Zhao hesitated. He was a man with a task of his own, after all, and it was not fitting for him to go poking into other people's business. Besides, those in his line of work had to be ready to lay down their lives at any moment. Yet he knew well enough that if he left her be, she would likely bleed out and die.
But sometimes Wei Zhao truly had no choice, especially with matters that were none of his concern—and this was plainly a troublesome one at that. The girl, at a glance, was no ordinary sort, and this was a mess he really could not afford to touch.
Gritting his teeth, Wei Zhao hurried past her. As he stepped by the girl's body sprawled on the ground, he could not help casting her a look of pity—here's hoping you pull through on your own—and then he quickened his pace and was gone.
Yet he had not gone far when he suddenly stopped short. Wait a moment.
That one glance had shown him something that seemed faintly familiar, though he could not be sure.
Wei Zhao turned around and walked back to the girl's side. He bent low and fixed his eyes on a ring on the little finger of her right hand.
When he had made out the pattern engraved upon it, Wei Zhao sighed. He quickly felt for the pulse at her wrist, found that it was still beating, and carefully lifted her from the ground, hoisting her onto his back.
Though the girl had already fallen unconscious from loss of blood, she still showed some instinctive reaction as Wei Zhao picked her up, struggling weakly a couple of times—perhaps a reflex against outside attack.
Glancing around and finding no one about, Wei Zhao quickened his steps and, carrying the girl on his back, ran off in the direction from which he had come.