Immediately, he noticed a few things:
This woman was limping. Despite her refined and demure posture, there was something wrong with the way she walked. She stayed near the wall, holding it closely, but carried no cane.
In addition, she had various bumps on her body. They were largely hidden by her opulent silken robes, but as she shifted, he spotted one on her snowy neck, tinged red and purple. There was also one on her wrist. Some of them bled, and others looked soft.
Xin and Jing grabbed his at that moment, beginning to drag him out of the room. "Just let us bring him to a side room," Xin muttered to Secretary Qing. "And get Madame Red to look at him later."
Qing sighed, waving her hand. "All right, all right. Just get out."
"W-wait!" Qiu Yunru burst, struggling. His body was still weak, but he could writhe enough to impede them. "I--you have syphilis, don't you? I know the cure!"
"Shh!" Xin hissed, covering his mouth. "Shut up, you!"
"Wait."
Madame Red's voice was as sharp as a knife and cold as ice. Her red eyes had zeroed in on Qiu Yunru, pupils thinning.
"Wait did you say, boy?"
Qiu Yunru gasped, shaking Xin's hand off his mouth. "I--Miss Shao has syphilis, right? I'm an alchemist--I can cure her!"
Shao Lu stood there against the wall behind Madame Red, frozen. She looked both horrified and afraid. "How did you know...?" She whispered. "I've covered everything up...!"
"You're limping," Qiu Yunru said quickly. The knowledge from his medical textbooks returned to him as if it had been stored away neatly this whole time. "Stage three syphilis can cause motor function difficulties, such as trouble walking and with coordination. You also have gummas on your neck and wrist. Those are the bumps," He added quickly. "And you're having trouble seeing, so you're holding the wall. You've probably been experiencing deep pains in your bones. Your right shoulder is a bit deformed--you must have one growing inside of the bone. Also, --"
"Enough!" Madame Red hissed. "Are you calling my beloved deformed?"
Qiu Yunru immediately shut his mouth, paling. "I--no, no, it's just a symptom!"
"You're on thin ice, boy," Madame Red snapped.
Qiu Yunru lowered his head obediently. There was nothing else to do in this situation--it was clear to him that the more he protested or tried to defend himself, the angrier she would get!
Madame Red sighed, slowly rubbing her temples. Her scarlet robes flowed around her as she approached Qiu Yunru, looking down at him with both disdain and a flicker of interest. She circled one long-nailed finger around his chin, lifting his face once again. When she spoke, her voice was calm, but terrifying.
"If you're lying, I'll have you flayed alive as entertainment for my girls."
Qiu Yunru felt cold suddenly. He blinked rapidly. "This one is telling the truth. I'll prove it to you! Give me three days to retrieve a certain herb, and I'll heal her immediately."
Madame Red scoffed coldly. Her nail dug into his throat painfully, not breaking skin. "Stupid boy. Why should I let you out of my sight for three full days? How can I guarantee you aren't running away? No." With a flourish, she drew something out of the silken folds of her clothing. It flashed ominously, and Qiu Yunru's heart jumped up his throat.
It was a crooked steel knife, glinting as though it had been polished just earlier today. He could even see his own reflection looking back at him through the eyes of his mask, petrified.
With a swipe, Madame Mo cut three lines across his wrist in the shape of a triangle. Before Qiu Yunru could even register the pain, she had also carved a thin circle around that triangle.
Qiu Yunru held back a yelp. He could feel the hot blood rising to his skin, dripping down his arm. Even though his eyes watered, he didn't protest. The cut wasn't deep, and he recognized this technique.
"A noble brand," Madame Red said, running a hand over it. When her fingers were slick with blood, she raised two of them to her lips and licked them. After licking the blood from her lips, Madame Red waved a hand over the brand. It glowed a hot red momentarily, then faded. Already, his wounds were no longer bleeding, replaced by a scar in the shape of a triangle within a circle.
"I will know where you are at all times over the next three days," Madame Red said, her voice clipped. "If you go beyond the bounds of where you tell me you are going, and if you do not return, I will drain your body of blood and feed the earth with your remains."
Qiu Yunru swallowed the dry lump in his throat. What have I gotten myself into?Fuck...
But in the end, what else could he do but nod? "Ah...Madame Red, will this brand be lifted when I return?"
Madame Red looked down at him over her nose, her expression unreadable. Her bloodred lips curled into a smile, sending a shiver down his spine. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. We will discuss your journey in an hour." Done with him, she swept the silken folds of her robes, turning around to take Shao Lu's hand. "Dearest, why have you come? I'm sorry for all the commotion..."
As Qiu Yunru was dragged out of the room, he couldn't help but weep internally. It had become a habit; every day, he wept for himself at least three times lately. He'd gotten himself into a binding Noble Brand contract with no guarantee of release. What's more, if he didn't return in three days with a cure, he was dead.
It wasn't that he didn't know the in-game cure for syphilis--of course he did! How could he have made such a promise if he didn't?
It was just that--that flower required to cure it was at one of the most dangerous locations in the Demon Realm!