Marrying a White Snake Wife is Super Cool

An elderly doctor took Gu Gaoxu’s pulse and performed acupuncture, then shook his head and let out three long sighs.

By all appearances, Gu Gaoxu wasn’t going to make it through the night.

Gu Ziye, standing to the side, wrung her delicate hands. "Doctor, what’s wrong with my nephew? Is it serious?"

The doctor removed the Silver Needles from Gu Gaoxu’s body one by one, returning them to his needle case.

This doctor didn’t rush to answer Gu Ziye. Instead, he picked up a brush from the table, dipped it in some freshly ground ink, and wrote a prescription for internal medicine on a sheet of paper that was already laid out.

Zhao Qiao’Er was impatient and couldn’t stand such dallying. She put her hands on her hips, sashayed forward, and said, "Look, Doctor Li, everyone in Taiping City knows you’re the most highly skilled physician we’ve had for years."

"But you have one flaw—you’re too slow! What’s wrong with the patient? Hurry up and tell us! Are we shorting you on silver or something?"

The doctor unhurriedly slung his medical case over his shoulder and addressed the two of them. "Ladies, the patient has a strong constitution. His life is not in danger."

"So he’s fine, then?" Zhao Qiao’Er cut in.

The doctor stroked his beard and continued, "His superficial wounds will heal within ten days with a bit of Golden Wound Medicine. The internal injuries, however, are another matter. I’m afraid it will take two or three years to fully treat them. And even then, I doubt the patient will ever be able to practice Martial Arts again."

The doctor had deduced that his patient was a lifelong practitioner of martial arts just from the calluses on the web of his right hand.

Marching armies, fighting battles, training soldiers, and practicing Martial Arts—these were the things Gu Gaoxu loved most in life.

’If Gu Gaoxu finds out he’s lost all his Martial Arts, how is that any different from being a cripple?’

Gu Ziye stood there, completely stunned. She’d always gotten along best with this nephew of hers. Seeing Gu Gaoxu so gravely injured, she had no idea what to do.

After glancing at Gu Ziye, Zhao Qiao’Er took out ten taels of silver from her sleeve and pressed it into the doctor’s hand. "Doctor Li, thank you for your trouble today. I must ask you not to mention this matter to anyone."

The doctor accepted the silver taels, hoisted his medical case, and vowed, "Please rest assured, Madam. My business is only to treat the sick. I will not breathe a word of anything else."

Zhao Qiao’Er had someone see Doctor Li out, then she wrapped an arm around Gu Ziye’s petite frame. "Yue’Er, don’t you worry. We’ve already sent someone to Changliu Village. Once our man finds out, he’ll know how to cure him."

Listening to Aunt Zhao’s comforting words, Gu Ziye nodded and forced a smile. "You’re right, Aunt Zhao. Lu Yuan’s medical skills are the best of all. He’ll definitely have a way."

The heavy snows blocked the roads, making the journey to the village treacherous. The messenger Zhao Qiao’Er had sent could only trudge through the drifts on foot, which would inevitably cause a long delay.

After being unconscious for two days and one night, Gu Gaoxu slowly opened his eyes. He scanned his surroundings, his gaze falling on the corner of the cotton quilt. Four words were embroidered there: "Lu Mansion, Taiping City."

Gu Gaoxu tried to sit up, but pain shot through his entire body. He lost his balance and tumbled to the floor beside the bed.

Clutching his back with one hand while trying to prop himself up with the other, Gu Gaoxu couldn’t get up no matter how hard he tried. He muttered, "You sons of bitches... If I ever find out who did this, I swear I’ll flatten your hometowns!"

Gu Ziye pushed the door open just in time to see her nephew’s pathetic state. She hurried over in a few small steps and struggled to help him back onto the bed.

"Gods, nephew, you’re heavy," Gu Ziye said breathlessly. "Your dear auntie has such delicate arms and legs, I can barely even hold you up!"

Gu Gaoxu managed a weak laugh. "It’s a rare sight, seeing Yue’Er take care of somebody. I wonder, do you look after your own man this way?"

Gu Ziye playfully tapped him with her little fist. "Don’t be ridiculous!" she huffed. "Lu Yuan would never dream of letting me wait on him. I’m treated with plenty of respect now that I’m married, thank you very much."

"HISSS..." Even that light tap sent a sharp jolt of pain through Gu Gaoxu’s body.

Gu Ziye called for a servant. "Instruct the kitchen to prepare the medicine. And have them send over something soft to eat!"

"Right away, Young Mistress!" the maid said with a bow before leaving.

"Nephew, tell your aunt, who beat you into this state?" Gu Ziye’s expression was one of pure, unadulterated curiosity, as if she were settling in to watch a good show.

Gu Gaoxu thought for a moment. "I’m not telling you," he said. "Yue’Er would just make fun of me!"

"Fine, be that way!" Gu Ziye pouted and crossed her arms, feigning annoyance.

Gu Gaoxu slowly lay back down and turned his head away. "Nope, not falling for it. Save the cute pouting for your own husband!"

...

Lu Yuan pinched the freshly refined blue Elixir between his fingers before storing it in his System Space.

Su Liyan set a hot meal on the table and knocked softly on the door. "Lu Yuan," she called, "a messenger from the mansion has arrived. They say it’s an urgent matter."

With a wave of his hand, Lu Yuan recalled the Pill Furnace floating in mid-air into his System Space, then stepped out of the room.

Lu Yuan sat down, picked up a piece of braised pork, and tossed it into his mouth. "What’s this? You made braised pork today?" he said as he chewed. "It’s surprisingly good."

Su Liyan smiled. "Lu Yuan, you haven’t eaten a single bite of the food I’ve brought these past few days, just holed up in your room refining Elixirs. I figured you must be starving."

Lu Yuan grunted twice in agreement and shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice. "Has our daughter, Ruyan, taken that Elixir of Eternal Youth?"

Su Liyan replied, "She’s much better. Her temperature has come back up over the last few days. The cold poison must have been expelled."

"That’s good," Lu Yuan said, then asked, "By the way, what’s happened at the mansion?"

Su Liyan stood and called in the two trusted men waiting outside. One of the men stepped forward and said, "Master, King Yan’s second son is gravely injured. The Second Madam requests that you return to the mansion to see him."

"My dear, we’ll head back to the mansion today."