Chapter 6

I pushed through the crowd and saw several ferocious-looking men surrounding a young doctor. At their feet rolled a straw mat giving off a foul stench.

“You killed my wife! How are you going to pay for this?”

The young doctor being cornered had a slender figure, looking like he couldn’t withstand a single punch, yet he remained remarkably calm, neither servile nor overbearing. “Although your wife had multiple injuries on her body, they were not fatal. The medicinal herbs I prescribed were fully sufficient to ensure her recovery.”

He paused, “But if she was beaten again, damaging her internal organs…”

One man suddenly raised his voice, cutting him off. “What beating? Are you saying I would beat my own wife?”

“I am not saying you beat her…”

“Still making excuses! You just don’t want to pay, right?”

The man raised his hand high and violently shoved the young doctor. Just as he was about to strike again, I grabbed his wrist and twisted outward.

The man’s expression twisted into a grimace. “Who are you?”

I ignored him and shot the young doctor a look. “Go report to the authorities.”

The young doctor looked at me, his face filled with concern. In that brief moment of hesitation, the man I was holding swung a fierce punch at me. “Who the hell do you think you are, you bitch?!”

They had brute strength, but no technique or skill. Subduing them was easy. I twisted the arm of the man in my grasp and, amidst his cries of pain, threw the thugs to the ground one by one.

With a kick to the back of the knee of the man next to me, he dropped to his knees. I stepped on his back to keep him pinned, untied the token at my waist with one hand, and dangled it in front of his face.

“Shenfeng Battalion, Liu Min,” I said. “I might not be anyone special, but I have jurisdiction over you.”

There are quite a few generals in Great Jing, but I am the only female general, the one who personally severed the enemy commander’s head. Naturally, rumors about me ran wild in the streets.

Just from what I’d heard, rumors claimed I had three eyes, was nine feet tall, looked like Zhong Kui, and other outrageous tales—some said my name could stop a child from crying at night.

After a moment of dead silence, the crowd suddenly erupted.

Onlookers had already alerted the authorities. When the constables arrived and saw me, they jogged over. They might not have recognized my face, but they recognized the token in my hand.

After they bowed to me, I heard someone mutter, “Is it really her? She doesn’t look like a yaksha at all.”

Hearing that, I nearly snapped the bones of the man under my boot.

“General Liu…” The constable looked at me, troubled. I kicked the man over to them and said, “It has nothing to do with me. These people were demanding an explanation from that doctor. When they saw me, they wanted to spar.”

The constables bound the troublemakers and were about to take the young doctor away too, but he walked toward me, his eyes exceptionally bright. He pointed at my hand. “General Liu, you’re injured.”

Those eyes hooked my attention. Rarely had I seen such clear eyes; it was as if a pool of water resided within them, speaking volumes without a word.

I was momentarily stunned. Raising my hand, I noticed a minor scrape on the back of my hand, oozing a few traces of blood.

“Let me bandage that for you.”

I wanted to say that such a minor scratch was nothing, but he had already spoken to the constable, asking them to wait a moment, so my words of refusal never left my mouth.

His touch was very gentle. He wiped the dirt from the wound, applied medicinal wine, and finally wrapped it in gauze, circle by circle.

From my vantage point, I could see the young doctor’s long, raven-black eyelashes. His expression was serious, his entire focus dedicated to my injury.

Since moving into the Ji Manor to practice martial arts, injuries and pain had been as common as daily meals. On the battlefield, it was even worse; even if stabbed by a sword, I’d just grit my teeth and bandage it myself. In the military camp, the wounded were countless, but healers were scarce, so their hands were inevitably rushed.

Now, having such a tiny wound treated with such meticulous gentleness made me feel quite unaccustomed to it.

I lifted my hand. “Thank you.”

The young doctor smiled warmly. “I should be the one thanking you.”

The constable approached. “General Liu, may I take him away now?”

I stepped aside for the young doctor and watched them leave. Touching the meticulously wrapped gauze, my heart suddenly stirred. I chased after them, pulled out a dagger, and handed it to the young doctor. “If you run into any trouble, come find me at the Liu Manor on the East Street.”

He stood there, visibly astonished. I lowered my voice and leaned close to his ear. “These thugs won’t let this go after losing a fight.”

He also lowered his voice and said, “Thank you.”

As they walked away, I spaced out for a moment until I suddenly heard Aunt Ji’s voice.

“Does Minmin like this kind of gentleman? He looks decent and has a good temper, but his status…”