Chapter 176 No one but me is allowed to touch him.

Chapter 176 No one but me is allowed to touch him.

Yanmen Pass, the main tent of the central army commander.

The underground heating inside the tent was burning very brightly, making it warm as spring and completely isolating it from the severe cold outside.

However, the atmosphere inside the tent was even colder than the ice and snow outside.

"Your Highness...the Princess's wound is too deep. It must be cleaned and stitched up immediately, otherwise, if she develops a fever, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Li, the Imperial Physician who had accompanied the army, was standing by the bedside with two senior military doctors, sweating profusely with anxiety.

On the bed, Tang Li's eyes were closed and her face was flushed, clearly showing signs of fever.

Her red dress was already tattered and stuck to her wounds, a sight that was horrifying to behold.

Pei Yunjing sat on the edge of the bed, without saying a word.

He had just washed away the bloodstains and changed into a clean black robe, but the gloom in his bloodshot eyes had not dissipated in the slightest.

He stared intently at Tang Li's wound, like a demon ready to unleash its fury at any moment.

"I'm sorry."

Judge Li dared not delay any longer. He picked up a sharp pair of scissors and, with trembling hands, reached towards Tang Li's left shoulder, preparing to cut open the piece of fabric that had long since grown into her skin.

The scissors gleamed coldly; they were inanimate objects. And Judge Li's hands were trembling slightly with nervousness.

In Pei Yunjing's eyes, this was practically an impending secondary injury.

The old judge's hands are so rough, and the scissors are so cold. What if he pricks her? What if he hurts her?

She's so fragile right now, like a porcelain doll that would shatter at the slightest touch...

"Snip." The sound of scissors closing.

To Pei Yunjing, the sound was like a thunderclap.

"Get out of here—!!!"

Pei Yunjing, who had been silent as still water, suddenly erupted in rage without warning. He abruptly stood up and kicked the mahogany medicine box that was placed beside his feet.

"Bang!"

The heavy medicine chest, along with the bottles and jars inside, was kicked away instantly, smashing against a pillar of the tent and shattering into pieces on the ground.

"ah!"

Judge Li and several military doctors were terrified, dropping their scissors and hastily kneeling on the ground: "Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down!"

"Who gave you permission to touch her?"

Pei Yunjing stood by the bed, looking down at the group of quack doctors with a sinister gaze that seemed to want to devour them.

"Your hands are so dirty, and your movements are so rough..."

He pointed at Judge Li's calloused hands, his voice chilling to the bone:

"If you hurt her, I will chop off your claws!"

"But Your Highness... the Princess's injuries can't be delayed any longer!" Imperial Physician Li kowtowed repeatedly, almost bursting into tears.

"Get out."

Pei Yunjing wouldn't listen to a word he said.

His reason told him that the doctor was there to save lives, but his emotions, which were on the verge of collapse, told him that he could not trust anyone but himself.

"Leave the medicine here, and get out of here, all of you!"

Pei Yunjing gave a sharp shout, which frightened the army doctors so much that they scrambled out of the tent.

The tent fell silent once more.

Pei Yunjing took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the violent rage surging in his chest.

He turned around and walked to the basin of water.

This time, he washed his hands exceptionally carefully. He scrubbed them three times with soap until they were spotless, even reddish, before he stopped.

He carried over a tray with the strongest liquor, the cleanest cotton cloth, and the best wound medicine.

Pei Yunjing sat back down on the edge of the bed.

Looking at the unconscious Tang Li, the gloom in his eyes instantly transformed into an overwhelming tenderness and pain.

"Don't be afraid..."

He murmured to himself and picked up the scissors.

The hands that had just been intent on killing were now as steady as a rock. He carefully cut away the stuck-together fabric bit by bit. After each cut, he would stop to observe her reaction.

Finally, the wound was completely exposed to the air, the skin and flesh turned inside out, and the bone was visible.

Pei Yunjing's heart clenched violently.

He picked up a piece of cotton cloth and soaked it in strong liquor. This was used for disinfecting and cleaning wounds; it was effective, but also the most painful.

"Be patient..."

Pei Yunjing bent down, gently blew on the edge of the wound, and then gently pressed the alcohol-soaked cotton cloth onto it.

"Sizzle—"

"Hmm!"

Even in her deep coma, the intense pain still made Tang Li's body tremble violently. She frowned, let out a painful whimper, and instinctively tried to curl up and hide.

"Don't hide..."

Pei Yunjing pressed down on her shoulder with one hand to hold her in place, but his other hand did not stop.

He had to clean out the filth inside, otherwise the wound would fester.

"It hurts so much... Waaah..."

Tang Li cried in her nightmare, tears streaming down her face.

Every cry was like a knife stabbing into Pei Yunjing's heart.

His eyes were red-rimmed as he gently and precisely cleaned the wound, apologizing to her repeatedly.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He acted like a madman, torturing her (cleaning her wounds) while simultaneously comforting her.

"This is the last time... just bear with it a little longer..."

"Sweetie, it won't hurt for long..."

Pei Yunjing kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, tasting a bitter, salty flavor in his mouth.

After the wound is cleaned, apply a cooling ointment and bandage it with new gauze.

Tangli finally stopped trembling, her brows relaxed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Pei Yunjing slumped on the edge of the bed, as if he had fought a battle even more difficult than the Battle of Broken Soul Valley. He was drenched in cold sweat.

He held Tang Li's uninjured hand against his cheek, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her like a dragon guarding a treasure, wary of any disturbance around him.

No one but me may touch her, not even once.