“Xibei City?”
“Yes.” Yu Rong pointed to the distant village, “After that village, we’ll reach Xibei City. If nothing goes wrong, we should enter the city and meet the general by evening.”
“Good, let’s continue walking.” Gu Qingtong became happy, but her foot suddenly went soft, and she fell to the ground.
Yu Guang and Yu Shi rushed forward to help her sit down.
Yu Rong removed her shoes and socks, finding them swollen: “Sister, we’ve walked too much these past days, and you haven’t had proper rest. Your feet are swollen.”
Gu Qingtong looked at her unusual calves and swollen feet, finding no sensation, furrowing her brow: “We must enter the city quickly.”
Yu Rong looked helplessly at Yu Shi and Yu Guang, shaking his head: “No, if we continue walking, your feet will be ruined.”
Gu Qingtong was about to speak, but Yu Rong continued: “We were anxious before and didn’t pay attention to your feet. Now they’re like this; we can’t let your feet suffer more.”
Yu Shi also nodded, pulling out a small porcelain bottle: “Rong’er, apply this for her to soothe her. I saw many precious medicinal herbs in the valley earlier. I’ll go find some herbs to invigorate blood circulation.”
“Okay.” Yu Rong took the bottle and began applying oil to Gu Qingtong’s legs, while Yu Shi and Yu Guang left.
Although Gu Qingtong’s feet were oiled, she felt nothing. She even pinched her foot, seeing a bruise form without feeling pain.
Yu Rong caught her hand, his tone full of concern: “Sister, with the general there, Young Master Jiang will be fine. If these feet are ruined, the general will blame us, and we’ll feel terrible.”
“
Gu Qingtong saw tears welling in her eyes, sighed softly, and nodded, looking at the mountain canyon: They had spent a day walking from the valley to here, and Yu Shi and Yu Guang searching for herbs would take at least a day and night.
Yu Rong, seeing sitting here wasn’t ideal, glanced at the distant village, slipped a note under the stone where Gu Qingtong sat, and helped her up: “Sister, let’s go to the village and stay the night.”
“Okay.” Gu Qingtong, unable to feel her feet, could only rise by instinct, leaning on Yu Rong as they walked.
