After Tonight

Li Yan was already severely injured.

Beaten bloody by Wang Gou'er, his head split open and his back a mangled mess of flesh, he lay unconscious in a pool of blood, his fate unknown.

After driving Wang Gou'er and his men away,

Yang An hurriedly carried Li Yan back into the house. Just as he settled him onto the bed, Yang Ning shoved the family’s last remaining silver into Yang An’s arms and urged, "Little brother, you must leave now!"

"Wang Gou'er is vicious beyond measure."

"Two years ago, someone accidentally bumped into him at a tavern, spilling wine on his clothes, and he had their legs broken. That man still lies paralyzed in bed to this day."

"You gouged out one of his eyes—he will come for revenge!"

"Take this silver and flee!"

"Don’t worry about the family. I’ll take care of your brother-in-law!"

Though Yang An had already resolved to kill Wang Gou'er and his gang, he smiled reassuringly at his sister. "Don’t worry, sis. Wang Gou'er won’t seek revenge. Saving brother-in-law comes first."

"But—"

As the two spoke,

Old Physician He arrived, panting, his medicine box slung over his shoulder. "Let this old man examine Li Buliang at once!"

When Wang Gou'er had been assaulting Li Yan earlier,

Old Physician He had stood among the onlookers, wanting to intervene but too afraid. Wang Gou'er’s notorious cruelty in Yunzhou made the elderly man hesitate, fearing retaliation.

He could only watch helplessly from the crowd.

Only after seeing Yang An drive Wang Gou'er away in defeat did the old physician rush over with his treasured medicinal herbs.

Moved by his kindness,

the Yang siblings thanked him profusely and quickly made way.

Without another word,

Yang An dashed outside to retrieve the Black Jade Lotus.

Earlier, consumed by the urge to kill Wang Gou'er, he had left both the Black Eagle meat and the lotus discarded in the yard.

While he fetched the herb,

Old Physician He examined Li Yan inside, sighing heavily. "Ah! Li Buliang was already wounded, and now his injuries have worsened. His body is like a candle in the wind, barely clinging to life. Though I have a few ginseng and fleeceflower roots saved up—some decades old—they can only sustain him for a few days. To truly save him..."

He sighed again.

"Madam Li, please take care of yourself. Don’t lose heart."

Though she had braced herself for the worst,

Yang Ning nearly fainted upon hearing this. Tears welled in her eyes as she pleaded, "Old Master, is there truly no hope for my husband?"

"There is... one."

Old Physician He gave a bitter smile. "But it requires a century-old Black Jade Lotus."

At the mention of a cure,

Yang Ning pressed urgently, "Master He, where can we buy such a lotus? We’ll sell everything we have!"

The old man shook his head.

"The Black Jade Lotus grows on sheer cliffs,"

"guarded by the ferocious Black Eagle. Even the most skilled hunters in Yunzhou must work together for months to harvest a single bloom."

"A mere decade-old lotus sells for hundreds of taels of silver. One over a century old? Priceless. I haven’t seen one in Yunzhou for at least six or seven years."

"This isn’t something money can buy."

"Then my husband..." Yang Ning’s lips trembled, her tears falling like rain.

Unable to bear the sight,

Old Physician He sliced the ginseng he had brought and fed it to Li Yan to prolong his life.

Having done all he could,

he was about to advise the siblings to prepare for the worst when—

Yang An rushed back in, carrying a bundle. He handed a small cloth-wrapped package to the old physician with a smile. "Master He, I’ve brought the Black Jade Lotus. Please see if it’s suitable."

Old Physician He froze.

Yang Ning’s sobs caught in her throat.

For a moment, neither seemed to comprehend his words,

staring at him in stunned silence.

Then Yang An unwrapped the cloth—

A cold, medicinal fragrance instantly filled the room.

The old physician inhaled sharply.

With trembling hands, he carefully took the lotus from Yang An and sniffed it again.

His aged lips quivered in disbelief.

"T-t-true Black Jade Lotus!"

"How did you obtain this, Second Young Master?"

Yang An scratched his head. "Master He, will this cure my brother-in-law?"

But celebration was premature.

An ordinary Black Jade Lotus wouldn’t suffice—

it had to be at least a century old.

Old Physician He hurriedly inspected the lotus.

This one had ten leaves, and its central seedpod bore fifteen intricate patterns.

His shock deepened.

"Each pattern takes ten years to form! This lotus has fifteen—it’s a hundred and fifty years old!"

"A spiritual herb worth a thousand taels of silver!"

"Heavens! Second Young Master, where did you find such a treasure?!"

The old man’s face flushed with excitement.

Yang Ning, too, forgot her tears, gaping at her brother.

By sunrise tomorrow,

Yang An would be dead at the hands of that vile woman Qin Guo'er.

Not wanting to worry his sister,

he lied with a smile. "Pure luck, really. While searching the mountains for medicine, I came across a group of nobles hunting a Black Eagle. They ran into trouble."

"I helped them slay the beast."

"The nobles had no interest in the lotus, so they gifted it to me, along with some Black Eagle meat. Before leaving, they even gave me this indestructible dagger."

Drawing the blade from his waist—

the very one Qin Guo'er had discarded in the snow—he lightly ran it across the corner of the table.

With barely any force,

the edge sliced clean through, the severed piece falling to the floor.

The cut was smooth as glass.

Even Yang Ning and Old Physician He, who knew little of weapons, recognized its immense value.

To further convince them,

Yang An opened his bundle, revealing chunks of Black Eagle meat.

Old Physician He stepped closer,

dabbing a fingertip in the blood and tasting it. His aged eyes gleamed. "No foul stench—this is genuine Black Eagle flesh!"

With all evidence laid bare,

no matter how stunned or skeptical they were, Yang Ning and the old physician had no choice but to believe Yang An’s tale.

Old Physician He stroked his beard, chuckling. "Second Young Master, your fortune is truly remarkable!"

But Yang Ning couldn’t muster a smile.

Her eyes fixed on the three bloody gashes across Yang An’s back,

and his tattered leather armor.

Even a fool could see his story glossed over the danger.

She pulled him into a tight embrace, her tears soaking his collar. "When did you become so reckless?! What if something had happened to you?!"

"How could I go on living?!"

Yang An patted her back gently. "Sis, I’m fine. And now I’ve made connections with nobles. They promised to look after our family."

"We don’t need to fear Wang Gou'er."

"And I promise you won’t see him again after tomorrow."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up.

Yang Ning exclaimed joyfully, "Really?"

Yang An gave a firm nod.

"Excellent, excellent!" Old Doctor He laughed heartily beside them. "I’ve got more good news for you—the 150-year-old Black Jade Lotus is incredibly potent. If it had been harvested a few decades later, it might have evolved into a third-grade spirit herb!"

"With such medicinal power, not only will it help Li Buliang recover from his injuries, but it might even enhance his cultivation. Once he’s healed, he could use this opportunity to break through to the next martial realm!"

"Li Buliang is a good official, and Madam Yang is virtuous."

"They never failed to send this old man food and drink during festivals! Good people are always rewarded! Your family is finally about to live a better life!"

"Hahahaha!"

Yang An smiled and said, "Yes, my sister and brother-in-law have worked hard all their lives. They deserve happiness."

"It’s for all of us!"

Yang Ning held Yang An’s scarred hands, her heart aching. "We’ll have a good life together."

Yang An looked at his sister and smiled without a word.

Though Old Doctor He was advanced in years,

his medical skills remained impeccable. With swift, practiced hands, he carefully prepared the Black Jade Lotus, blending it with a few treasured herbs from his own collection.

Soon, a bowl of pitch-black medicinal broth was brewed.

He fed it to Li Yan.

Afterward, he treated the wounds on Yang An’s back and hands.

Finally, he divided the remaining medicine into fifteen packets.

Handing them carefully to Yang Ning, Old Doctor He instructed, "Madam Yang, remember this well: three packets of medicine, brew one each day, and have Li Buliang drink it before noon. In three days, he’ll be able to walk again."

"If he isn’t fully recovered after finishing all of it, you can come and smash my signboard! Hahaha!"

With a booming laugh, Old Doctor He took his leave.

Yang Ning thanked him profusely.

Yang An, too, was deeply grateful.

Old Doctor He had been exceptionally kind to their family—not only rushing to save them but also contributing precious herbs without asking for payment.

Yang An couldn’t let him leave empty-handed.

When the old doctor departed, Yang An cut off twenty or thirty pounds of ferocious eagle meat and carried it to his home.

By the time he returned,

the sky had darkened completely.

Yang An stayed with Yang Ning to tend to Li Yan for a while. After dinner, his sister, seeing his injuries, shooed him off to rest.

He didn’t resist.

Yang An returned to his room and lay quietly.

As time passed, the night deepened, and the howling wind and snow grew even more mournful.

After resting for an hour, Yang An opened his eyes.

Expressionless, he sat up from the bed.

He changed into a black robe and wrapped his wrists and palms tightly with a strip of white cloth—this would prevent his hands from dislocating when striking and keep his grip firm even if his weapon grew slick with blood.

Once prepared,

Yang An glanced at Li Yan’s leather armor but thought, I can’t wear this—it’d implicate my sister and brother-in-law.

So he only tucked a dagger into his belt.

Then, soundlessly, he pushed open the door.

Stepping into the courtyard,

the night’s chill bit deeper than the day’s, and the swirling snowflakes took on a somber hue in the darkness.

The only light in the Li family’s small compound

came from the faint glow of a candle in Yang Ning and Li Yan’s room.

By its flickering light,

Yang An peered through the window one last time at his sister and brother-in-law. Exhausted, Yang Ning had fallen asleep beside Li Yan, a smile on her lips—perhaps dreaming of something good.

"Don’t worry, Sister."

"After tonight, no one will ever bully you again."

Yang An pulled down the brim of his hood.

And vanished into the blackened night, swallowed by the storm.