Chronology of a Hundred Herbs

CHAPTER 08: Xiao Han II

She’d been spending her days and nights out on the streets, and had not had a proper meal in a long time back then. So she was probably a little low on blood sugar too. A sentence popped up in her dizzy head just like that — this was a place she was willing to spend the rest of her life in. 

…It was only afterwards did she learn that the fragrance was because Wan Fu Lian was making lunch. In other words, the “secret assassin that had just killed the master of jianghu’s most famed organisation” was lured away by a meal.  

In another perspective, that also meant that Wan Fu Lian’s cooking was among one of the strongest bug to exist in the jianghu.  

…

”What’s wrong chap? Say, are you not comfortable?” Unbeknownst to her, Xiao Han has inched his way over to her side. It was only then did Hua Rong Yue realised she had been standing for goodness knows how long. She was probably too involved in her thoughts, and as a result straightened up and stood very still. 

When someone stood up straight, they were seen very spirited, and a spirited person sometimes would also appear as though he or she was unsatisfied by the situation. 

Eh… well she was not so much of unsatisfied, she was just wondering if the childish Xiao Han could even match up to the goddess chef Wan Fu Lian. 

Hua Rong Yue had no intentions of provoking Xiao Han. Well, her intention didn’t matter anymore. No matter what she did, Xiao Han would pick bone from the egg and find his way over harbouring hostile intentions. 

Xiao Han stood before the counter, and fixed his gaze on Hua Rong Yue. The former was tense; he seemed as though he was ready to make a move anytime now. Hailing from an established clan, he too belonged to a clan that roamed the jianghu, and the simplest way to settle a dispute was to battle. 

”You should go back, quickly now!” Wan Fu Lian came over to pull Xiao Han, but his weight was not something she could handle. Xiao Han remained standing steadily. 

Even Physician Qi seemed a little nervous. He tried to ease the atmosphere as he sent Hua Rong Yue multiple glances. “Quickly head back now.” 

Hua Rong Yue had mentioned previously that he had roamed the jianghu in the past before. Evidently however, no one in the apothecary believed him. He was dressed meticulously today, as he had always was. The calf-length white robe with blue embroidery was washed clean and bright. His hair was down on his shoulders. A part of his hair was up in a simple hairdo, and held in place by an undecorated silver pin 

Xiao Han expression was ferocious. Even though both Physician Qi and Wan Fu Lian were tugging at him, his rage didn’t calm a single bit. Hua Rong Yue remarked mentally at how easily triggered this chap was. Not only did he burst into his girlfriend’s workplace for no reason, he was threatening her colleagues and was also taking very provocative action. 

What a young master temper, truly a temperament that only a person who had hailed from a well-off family can afford. He must have been very accustomed to having things go his way. 

To him, breaking into his girlfriend’s workplace, raging at a stranger and appearing to be domineering and in power was all just a game, to display to his girlfriend his authority and his background. But this guy’s EQ sure was low. He still had not noticed that Wan Fu Lian had went from just anger to that and disappointment.  

Because of his random bouts of jealousy, the situation was blown out of proportions. And Wan Fu Lian was the kind of person that evidently didn’t like to solve things with violence, and she might even dislike it. Hua Rong Yue silently prayed for Xiao Han in her head. 

She remained standing behind the counter. Up against Xiao Han, she didn’t display any emotions, neither anger nor disdain, instead… it was pity, towards this dense and easily affected chap.

As a result of this pity, or perhaps she was being sympathetic, she didn’t want to see Xiao Han being suddenly dumped. And so, she followed suit after Physician Qi and Wan Fu Lian — 

”You should calm down, things wouldn’t end well if things get out of hand.” ♢ CHRONOLOGY OF A HUNDRED HERBS, CHAPTER 07 is hosted at ZHANLANN.COM ♢ 

The moment she spoke, the apothecary delved into a dead silence. It was the kind of silence that felt as though even the oxygen in the air had been sucked dry. 

Hua Rong Yue, who had not realised what she’d done, had been spooked by this silence initially. After she thought about it, she suddenly realised the words she said earlier didn’t seem too appropriate— 

She shouldn’t speak to Xiao Han in such a tone. After all, she wasn’t a girl that was trying to stop a fight, rather she was now a guy personally involved in this dispute…

It really took her a bit of an effort to shift her perspective of things. And so, her reply — originally intended to let Xiao Han understand how embarrassed his girlfriend already was about his actions — instead added fuel to the fire. Even if she were in her original body, it was fine for her to say this. But given her current identity, such a reply would turn out to be a blatant attempt to stir shit. 

After those words escaped her mouth, it was as though all the effort that had went into improving and soothing the atmosphere went down the drain. The silence was freezing. All three parties sank into silence. 

Xiao Han also paused for a few seconds, before he suddenly gave Hua Rong Yue a cold laugh. His expression warped, he spoke: “You sure are interesting.”

Hua Rong Yue immediately felt a burst of danger. Before she could even react, the muscle memory in her body had already kicked in. 

The next second, the counter that Hua Rong Yue was standing behind had collapsed. 

A loud bang sounded. Wood splits and dust flooded the air, colouring the Hundred Herb Apothecary a shade of brown. 

Amidst Wan Fu Lian’s shrill scream in the background, and the blurred sight, Hua Rong Yue’s vision was whirling. By the time she came to, she realised she was already hanging upside down on one of the beams in the apothecary. 

The sudden and loud commotion from the apothecary had people with sharp hearing outside looking in.

Meanwhile, cold sweat immediately slid down Hua Rong Yue’s forehead as she hung upside down.