Soulbound: Chronicles Of A Shadow Assassin-Chapter 46: Oddly Familiar

Madam Wang entered the room that had been prepared for Jiang Yichen at the infirmary, carrying a tray of steaming wild ginseng tea. The aroma of the tea wafted through the air, filling the room with its earthy scent.

"Young Master, I brought you some tea," Madam Wang said, stretching the tray towards Jiang Yichen. "It’s wild ginseng tea. Drink up, please. It’ll help restore your energy and vitality after your recent ordeal." Her voice was gentle, filled with concern for Jiang Yichen’s well-being.

Jiang Yichen’s eyes lit up as he eyed the cup of tea, his interest piqued. "Wild ginseng?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. Madam Wang nodded, her expression serene. "Yes, ginseng. It’s excellent for replenishing energy and strengthening one’s constitution." Her words were laced with a deep understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.

Jiang Yichen’s face lit up with excitement, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "You can leave it on the table. I’ll drink it when I get back," he said, trying to leave, but Madam Wang’s sharp voice stopped him.

"You... are you trying to leave the tea for Yinzhi to drink again?" she asked, displeased, her tone turning stern.

Jiang Yichen turned back to her, his expression softening. "It is cold outside. He deserves to take something nice and warm," he said, his voice filled with compassion.

Then his tone suddenly turned scolding. "Why did you even make him sweep the yard out in the cold?"

Madam Wang felt offended by his words, her face reddening with indignation. Letting out a huff of breath, she dropped the tray on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "He is getting treated for free in an infirmary of high caliber. The least he could do is show appreciation to the owner, so I asked him to sweep," she explained.

"Why does it have to be him? Could you not do it instead?" Jiang Yichen asked, his brow furrowed in concern, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Madam Wang was taken aback but recovered quickly, her expression smoothing out. "I’ve got my hands full with having to heat up your medicines, prepare meals for you, and take proper care of you," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

"Yinzhi will take care of me. You don’t need to worry," Jiang Yichen said, his voice softening, his words filled with reassurance.

Madam Wang was stunned, her mouth agape, her eyes wide with surprise. "Ah... I see. So you only care about Yinzhi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jiang Yichen bit his lips, aware of Madam Wang’s tactics—using her sad face against him since she knew it was his weakness.

"Since I’m now considered useless, I’ll go outside and sweep the yard just like Yinzhi. Humph," Madam Wang said, looking the other way. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Overcome with guilt, Jiang Yichen’s voice softened. "It’s not like that at all. It’s just that I feel like I’m putting you through a lot," he said, his words filled with empathy.

He pointed to the wild ginseng tea, his eyes filled with concern. "How long did it take you to boil this wild ginseng tea?"

Madam Wang crossed her arms over her chest, her expression still hurt. "I boiled it for the entire day," she said, still not looking at him.

"See!" Jiang Yichen said, his voice filled with conviction. "That’s my point. You must not have slept a wink. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Madam Wang finally slowly looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and frustration. "Not good?" she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Exactly," Jiang Yichen said, his voice filled with understanding. "I know I put you through a lot because of the troubles I’ve been causing. Look at how tired you look. You used to have porcelain skin," he said, his words filled with regret. Madam Wang subconsciously touched her face as Jiang Yichen continued.

"I think you should be the one drinking this wild ginseng tea," Jiang Yichen said, his voice filled with concern.

Madam Wang sighed, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her responsibilities. "So, are you saying you aren’t going to cause more troubles? I’ve run out of words to say to the leader on your behalf."

Jiang Yichen’s smile spread across his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gazed at Madam Wang. "If he punishes me, so be it," he said, a hint of defiance in his voice. "My spiritual core is active now, which means I can finally be part of the Jinxing Mages." The words tumbled out of his mouth with an infectious enthusiasm, and Madam Wang couldn’t help but be swept up in his excitement.

Madam Wang’s expression softened, and she smiled fondly at Jiang Yichen, her eyes shining with warmth. "Are you that happy that your spiritual core has been unsealed?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Jiang Yichen nodded without hesitation, his face alight with a radiant glow. "Yes, I am," he replied.

"Once I enter Jinxing and become a better mage than Lin Xiaowei and Feng Zhenyu, they’re going to regret not taking me in sooner," he said, his voice laced with a hint of competitiveness, but beneath the surface, a deep-seated determination burned.

The fire in his eyes was palpable, and Madam Wang couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the young man’s unwavering resolve.

Jiang Yichen’s gaze fell upon the tray of wild ginseng tea, and he picked up one of the roots, his movements deliberate and precise.

"Here, you can have one of the roots," he said, placing it gently in Madam Wang’s palm, his touch warm and gentle. "Thanks for the ginseng. I appreciate it, okay?" The words were simple, but the sentiment behind them was profound, and Madam Wang felt a sense of gratitude towards Jiang Yichen.

With that, Jiang Yichen turned to leave, his movements swift and purposeful. Madam Wang watched him go, a gentle smile still playing on her lips. "Sure," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as she gazed at the root in her hand.

Meanwhile, outside the infirmary, Mingyu was busy sweeping the yard, gathering the dried leaves that littered the ground, when Master Zhang and a physician suddenly appeared, walking towards the infirmary. The cold air was crisp, and the sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet filled the silence.

Master Zhang pointed his finger accusingly at Mingyu as he approached. "You must be Jiang Yichen’s spiteful servant," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. Mingyu didn’t say a word, instead stopping his sweeping to bow his head slightly in greeting.

The physician looked at Mingyu with concern. "What are you doing? We just treated your wounds. Your wounds could get infected." Mingyu’s expression remained stoic. "I got treated for free, so I was told to show gratitude."

Master Zhang’s eyes narrowed. "It was Head-servant Wang, wasn’t it?" he said, his voice laced with scorn. "Such a wise woman she is. You must sweep the yard nice and clean. And when you’re done, manure the medicinal garden as well." With that, he began to walk towards the infirmary, the physician following closely behind.

"Alright," Mingyu said, his voice flat, but his eyes gleaming with resentment as he glared at Master Zhang’s back. ’Just you wait, Zhang Renyi,’ he thought to himself, referring to Master Zhang by his full name. ’I might be sweeping your yard today, but one day, I will get rid of Jinxing... your infirmary too.’

As Master Zhang and the physician walked away, Mingyu’s anger boiled over, and he began to sweep the leaves aggressively in their direction. The broom swooshed through the air, sending leaves flying towards them. Master Zhang and the physician turned around in surprise.

"Hey, watch it!" Master Zhang yelled, his face reddening with anger. "Was that on purpose?" he asked, his voice rising as he walked closer to Mingyu.

Mingyu shook his head, feigning innocence. "No," he said, his expression nonchalant. Master Zhang’s eyes narrowed. "I think it was on purpose, though." Mingyu stood his ground, his jaw set in defiance. "That’s a false accusation."

Master Zhang’s gaze lingered on Mingyu’s face, and suddenly, his expression changed. He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening in recognition. "Now that I think about it, you do look oddly familiar," he said, his voice filled with curiosity.

He moved closer to Mingyu, his hand stretched out to touch his red hair, but pausing midway. "This hair... even your ears," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He touched Mingyu’s ear instead, his fingers tracing the contours of the ear.