PROVOCATION 3

Mediation was only halfway to success. Li Heng had been trying his best to break the tension. He gave orders via Wu Qi or Hu Nayin, and both of them subsequently passed the orders to the new members. Li Heng tried not to say much, and just watched their work without commanding as he always did before. Yet their ability was indeed below average, and the problem was, they were not desired to improve themselves. They still moved in a relaxed and slow manner, and were unwilling to think hard. They were already antipathy with Li Heng from the beginning, so the presence of Wu Qi and Hu Nayin did not give much help. Even more, Wu Qi and Hu Nayin started to become irritated at their attitude.

"Xue Mei, that's not the right way to concoct herbs," Hu Nayin said in Miao language to Xue Mei, her tribal friend. Hu Nayin herself had been so annoyed to repeat the same sentences - she had explained it three times at this moment.

Xue Mei stared sharply at Hu Nayin. "It's okay, Nayin. This is exactly what Physician Li said, right?"

"That's not the correct way, my goodness... Haven't I explain it so many times?"

"I think, it's you who make mistakes when explaining." Xue Mei replied. "You don't understand medicine, do you? You just simply have strange talents to diagnose people... but that's all you have, nothing more."

And while Hu Nayin got so astonished she could not say anything in response to Xue Mei, Xue Mei now turned off the stove, then said casually, "You know better than us, why don't you do it by yourself?"

Xue Mei thus stepped out of the room, leaving Hu Nayin who was dumbfounded by Xue Mei's actions that clearly showed her opposition.

On the other hand, Wu Qi also experienced the same thing Hu Nayin did - no, the situation was even getting worse.

At that time he was delivering Li Heng's instructions - to bring a herb named Huoxiang (Korean mint) - to Rui and Payloth. When they brought the wrong herb and Wu Qi protested in a vexed tone, they glared furiously.

"You are just like that old fart. Still insisting on telling us to do the same thing whom we have been doing earlier!" said Rui.

"But, the herbs you just brought is the incorrect one!..."

Payloth slammed the herbs he was carrying. Then, he took Rui out of the room.

Wu Qi watched their "action", stunned. But, unlike Hu Nayin, he was unwilling to do nothing. He ran into the yard, thus blocked their way.

"What's your purpose on blocking our way, huh?!" Payloth yelled angrily.

"Finish your duties well and not by opposing like this!"

"Who is opposing? We did what we were supposed to do, but it was you who kept commanding us!" Rui also complained.

"You!..."

Wu Qi's yell was interrupted because he had fallen to the ground. Rui beat him up.

"You... you're crazy?!" Immediately getting to his feet, Wu Qi grabbed Rui's collar. But now Payloth also beat him and thus Wu Qi fell back down again.

Wu Qi tried to resist, yet Payloth defeated him easily - he was a former soldier, after all. Besides, Wu Qi had to face two opponents. And finally, Wu Qi was beaten up completely by both of them.

"Stop it! Stop, all of you!" Guo Songmi, who was inside a room just now, went out quickly because of the tumultuous fighting sound.

But Rui and Payloth seemed to be deaf to Guo Songmi's yell. They kept beating Wu Qi. Guo Songmi tried to break them up, but beyond expectation, he was being pushed violently.

Realizing that he was facing a kind of situation which was out of his ability, Guo Songmi called the guards for help. With the help from three guards, Guo Songmi could withdraw them from Wu Qi, whereas they were still struggling and trying to keep beating.

"What's wrong with them, anyway?" Guo Songmi asked in surprise as seeing Rui and Payloth were still wriggling like crazy people. But he did not have much time to think about it. Lying on the ground, Wu Qi was now moaning in pain since his entire body - which was severely injured - was filled with severe bruises.

***

Zhu Su and Li Heng straightaway visited Wu Qi, he was now lying on one of the bedrooms in the medical center. Appearing so pathetic, no part of his body was not injured. He could not move his hands and feet. According to Li Heng's diagnosis, Wu Qi must have bed rest therapy for at least two days to regain his vigor completely.

Staring worriedly at Wu Qi, Zhu Su asked slowly, "Wu Qi... can you tell me, why did they become so cruel to you?"

Wu Qi was still able to speak, yet he had to endure the pain when talking due to a bruised wound on his chest. "I... actually just asked them to bring the correct herbs... cough... in fact, it's just a simple problem... but they overdo it!... Cough cough!..."

After that Wu Qi did not stop coughing. Unable to ask more questions, Zhu Su said, "Fine, Wu Qi, just take a rest, and don't talk anymore..."

"I am okay, Your Highness!... please let me continue!..." Wu Qi shouted. And then, he told the chronology he had experienced in the fight just now in a halting voice, sometimes choking due to coughing.

After Wu Qi finished his story, Li Heng said, "If I'm not mistaken, I heard Hu Nayin also had a quarrel with Xue Mei..."

"Did Hu Nayin also get beaten?" Zhu Su asked in panic.

"It shouldn't be... I just heard that she complained about Xue Mei's manner." Li Heng sighed. "What's wrong with this new member? Why are they always fighting and unwilling to cooperate?..."

Zhu Su bit his lips. He thus got to his feet.

"Your Highness, where do you want to go?" asked Li Heng.

"I want to get Rui and Payloth interrogated. I want to know their true reason, why they can have a stomach to do this brutality," Zhu Su answered.

"Your Highness!..." Suddenly Wu Qi shouted. "Be careful!... I... feel something wrong with them... you must be very careful!..."

Zhu Su looked at Wu Qi, then smiled, calming him. "Okay, Wu Qi. Relax, and take rest."

"May you permit me to accompany you, Your Highness." Li Heng also stood up.