Chapter Forty-Six: Hanging by a Thread

Master Luo said, "If we had more time, we could even carve patterns on this lantern to make it more elegant and grand. However, Doctor Chu, as fine as this lantern is, if someone bumps into it, there’s still a risk of fire."

Chu Yun smiled and waved his hand lightly. "No need to worry about that. We just need to hang it up or fix it somewhere out of reach, and we'll be fine. It might be a bit more troublesome to light the lamp, that's all."

Hearing this, Master Luo patted his head in embarrassment. "That's right! Just tie it with a hemp rope and hang it up—no one will be able to bump into it!"

Luo Qi chimed in, "Not only will it be out of reach, but if the lantern hangs in the middle of the room, it will light up the whole place."

With those words, he dashed outside.

Soon after, he returned with a length of hemp rope.

He blew out the oil lamp inside the lantern, tied the rope securely to the lantern, relit the lamp, and hung it from the main beam in the hall.

Seeing this, Lady Luo hurried to close all the doors and windows.

As expected, the entire hall grew much brighter, all thanks to that one oil lamp.

Just then, Luo Feng returned.

He saw the door to the hall was shut and couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Why is the door closed?"

As he spoke, Luo Feng pushed the door open.

Chu Yun, hearing his voice, pointed toward the lantern. "Lord Luo, look—what do you think that is?"

Luo Feng looked in the direction Chu Yun indicated and saw an oil lamp inside a square frame, its light softened by a thin cloth cover.

The pungent smell of oil was almost gone, and bothersome moths could hardly get near the flame to snuff it out.

Moreover, with the cloth shielding the lamp from drafts, the flame was less likely to blow out.

Surprise lit up Luo Feng’s face. "Doctor Chu, did you come up with this?"

Chu Yun laughed. "Indeed, I did. Yet I hadn’t thought it would be something so simple."

Luo Feng replied, "It seems simple only now that it’s made. Before that, who would have thought of it?"

He waved his hand, sending all the servants away. "All right, you may leave. I have something to discuss with Doctor Chu in private."

At his command, everyone turned and left at once.

Chu Yun understood why Luo Feng had sent them away. When only the two of them remained in the hall, Chu Yun asked directly, "Lord Luo, how is the situation? How is Young Master Qi’s condition?"

Luo Feng’s brows furrowed at once. The joy from the lantern vanished entirely. "Doctor Chu, Young Master Qi’s condition is dire. Since yesterday, he’s been unable to eat. The Qi King has already begun preparing for the worst. If he can’t eat, he can’t take medicine either—even a god would struggle to save him."

Chu Yun frowned deeply at this news.

Luo Feng looked at him. "Doctor Chu, you have inherited divine knowledge. Tell me honestly—how confident are you in treating Young Master Qi?"

Chu Yun shook his hand. "Without seeing the patient, I can’t say. My only worry is that I might not even get the chance to see him."

He felt a pang of regret in his heart. After all, curing Young Master Qi would be the fastest way for him to rise to prominence in this world.

Though he came from a more advanced civilization and could profit greatly from creating any number of things, he was alone here, without power or influence. Protecting his interests would be extremely difficult.

He recalled the rumors he’d heard before he crossed over: that a certain great nation’s technological superiority was thanks to capturing a being from an advanced civilization. Whether or not that was true, he knew he should keep a low profile until he gained enough power of his own.

Even making something as simple as soft steamed buns had brought him trouble, though it benefited others more than himself—let alone introducing firearms.

Luo Feng, meanwhile, placed his hands on Chu Yun’s shoulders, looked at him earnestly for a moment, and then knelt down.

"Lord Luo, what are you doing?" Chu Yun quickly reached out to help him up.

"Doctor Chu, I beg you—please do everything in your power to save Young Master Qi. I watched him grow up. He’s like family to me. I truly can’t bear to see him die like this."

As he spoke, Luo Feng could not hold back his tears.

Were it not for Chu Yun’s knowledge that people in this world were simple and deeply loyal, he might have suspected Young Master Qi was Luo Feng’s own son.

Chu Yun asked, "Does the Qi King truly allow me to treat Young Master Qi?"

Luo Feng nodded. "Young Master Qi is at death’s door—if there’s any chance, the Qi King will take it. He saw how quickly my wounds healed, heard about your miraculous medicine, and was impressed. So, he’s decided to give you a chance. That’s why I’ve come to take you to the palace at once."

Chu Yun asked, "Won’t the high officials Li Duofu knows in the capital, or the shamans from the Sorcerers’ Sect, try to stop me from treating him?"

Luo Feng frowned. "I don’t know. As soon as the Qi King agreed, I hurried back to fetch you. But I suspect those people will cause trouble, so we’d better bring the lantern along. There’s no more time to test the medicine."

Here, he smiled again. "Doctor Chu, it’s lucky you invented this lantern and had it made so quickly."

Chu Yun smiled faintly. "Very well, let’s set out with the lantern at once."

They took down the lantern, removed the oil lamp inside, cleaned it thoroughly so no one could tell what it was, and went to the stables for their horses, riding swiftly toward the great Qi Dynasty’s palace.

On the way, Luo Feng said, "Doctor Chu, don’t be nervous—I’m with you."

Chu Yun answered with an easy smile, "Don’t worry, Lord Luo. I’m not nervous. Don’t forget—I’m the descendant of an immortal. How could I be afraid?"

Luo Feng laughed awkwardly. "Ha, it seems I underestimated you."

By moonlight, he saw that Chu Yun genuinely appeared at ease, which reassured him further.

And so, they continued on their journey.

You are reading the latest update of "Overlord of the Humble Clan" by Jin Xixi. Please remember to bookmark this page to catch the next update!

Chapter 46: Hanging by a Thread—Free to Read.