Watching Big Beard convulse uncontrollably, Scarface gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.
With a grim expression, he said seriously to a yamen runner, "You go fetch a Lang Zhong first. For now, let this woman give it a try."
Given the critical situation, he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
Upon receiving the order, the yamen runner immediately dashed forward.
"Go ahead!" Scarface made a gesture of invitation, casting a cold glance toward Shen Wan.
Shen Wan calmly retrieved silver needles from her Space and slowly knelt beside Big Beard.
In the Da Wei dynasty, it was customary for women to carry needles on their person to ward off evil spirits, so no one found it strange.
Holding the silver needles, Shen Wan performed acupuncture on Big Beard with extremely skilled technique.
Watching her focused expression, Xie Mubai suddenly felt that this woman wasn't so ugly after all.
In fact, the "ugly woman's" facial features were quite delicate, especially her eyes and eyebrows, which were exceptionally beautiful.
It was just that her skin was terrible – dark and tinged with a bluish pallor, likely from years of exposure to wind and sun while following Xiangyang Hou at the border.
The ugly woman was right – he didn't really know her.
Before, he had only seen her vulgarity and violence, never realizing she had such a quiet, graceful side.
The weather was extremely hot, and performing acupuncture required complete concentration.
After just a few needles, fine beads of sweat already covered Shen Wan's forehead.
"Officer, do you really believe her nonsense?" Sun Shi, never one to miss an opportunity to stir trouble, deliberately said loudly, "If something happens to this officer, don't say I didn't warn you!"
Shen Wan frowned.
She wasn't patient by nature, and Sun Shi's repeated interruptions during the acupuncture session were making her increasingly irritable.
"Gag that woman! I can't be distracted while performing acupuncture!" she frowned and said impatiently, "If this noise continues, I can't guarantee your boss's life!"
Though skeptical of the ugly woman's medical skills, the yamen runners still came forward and restrained Sun Shi.
Lacking any suitable object, Scarface directly took off his stinky sock and stuffed it into her mouth.
Overwhelmed by the sour, foul smell of the sock, Sun Shi nearly passed out.
Damn ugly woman! If she didn't avenge this humiliation, she wouldn't be surnamed Sun!
Zhou Yiniang, however, secretly rejoiced.
You little bitch, daring to make me drink urine – now you get to taste the stinky sock too!
After the acupuncture was completed, Big Beard still hadn't woken up, lying motionless on the sun-scorched ground.
The yamen runners watched with increasingly grave expressions.
Particularly Scarface, whose calloused right hand had already moved to rest on the long knife at his waist.
Xie Mubai's gaze tightened, his tall body visibly stiffening.
He had been careless.
He shouldn't have let her step forward.
Epilepsy was extremely difficult to treat – not just for this ugly woman, but even the imperial physicians in the palace might not be confident.
Shen Wan didn't move, just sat wearily on the ground, her expression somewhat irritable.
Time passed minute by minute. The scene was terrifyingly quiet, everyone's eyes fixed on Big Beard's pale face.
If he didn't wake up, Shen Wan was doomed!
"I told you this ugly woman doesn't know any medicine, but you wouldn't believe me!" Sun Shi had somehow managed to spit out the stinky sock, wearing a gloating expression. "See? She's going to get someone killed!"
Upon hearing this, Scarface's face darkened with murderous intent, and he swiftly drew the long blade from his waist.
The sharp edge glinted with a chilling cold light under the scorching sun.
Xie Mubai's heart tightened abruptly, and a very small, sharp dagger suddenly appeared in his palm.
"What's wrong with me?"
Suddenly, Big Beard opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.
"Boss, you're finally awake!" Scarface was overjoyed and quickly sheathed his blade to help him up. "You had another epileptic fit just now."
"Nonsense!" Big Beard dismissed it. "If I really had a fit, could I recover so quickly?"
In the past, even with a Lang Zhong by his side, it took him a long time to recover after an episode.
But now, aside from feeling a bit tired, he had no discomfort at all.
Scarface quickly smiled and said, "It was this little girl who saved you."
Big Beard looked up and saw Shen Wan's dark, smudged face.
"Your condition is only temporarily under control. When the Lang Zhong arrives later, you should get some medicine from him," Shen Wan said, rubbing her slightly swollen temples wearily. "But you mustn't overexert yourself recently and need more rest."
Big Beard wished he could rest, but he was escorting prisoners, not sightseeing.
"I'd need the luck for that!" He forced a bitter laugh and glanced at the other Yamen runners. "Listen up, this girl is my great benefactor. From now on, none of you are to treat her poorly!"
"It's too tiring for her to push the cart alone. When you have time, go and lend a hand."
The Yamen runners immediately nodded eagerly like chickens pecking at rice.
Seeing that it was getting late, the group continued on their way.
With the Yamen runners helping to push the cart, Shen Wan naturally had a much easier time.
But she felt inexplicably irritable, as if she had an overwhelming urge to pick a fight with someone.
Strange, why was she feeling this way? Was it because of the extreme heat?
Thinking this, Shen Wan discreetly took a dose of Huoxiang Zhengqi Water.
As they traveled, she stopped occasionally to gather some herbs, intending to brew something to relieve the heat for Xie Mubai as well.
"Didn't you say she didn't know any medicine?" Zhou Yiniang grabbed Sun Shi's arm and asked in a hushed voice.
Sun Shi also looked puzzled. "That's what Shen Yan said!"
Zhou Yiniang sneered, "Do you have any brains at all? Is everything Shen Yan says golden to you?"
"Now that ugly girl has become the favorite of the Yamen runners, her days are bound to be much easier from now on."
"It's all your fault, bringing up the idea of dividing the family for no reason."
"If we hadn't split, we could be benefiting from her favor now!"
Sun Shi was fuming.
This old woman—she had been just as eager to divide the family, yet now she was dumping all the blame on her!
Once they reached Lin Family Village and got the money, she would immediately part ways with this lowly concubine!
There wasn't much by the roadside, just a few worthless dandelions and huoxiang plants.
In no time, Shen Wan had gathered a small handful.
She had thought taking the medicine would make her feel better, but that inexplicable irritability only grew stronger.
"Are you unwell?"
Suddenly, a large hand gently patted her arm.
That light touch was like a spark falling into an oil pan. Shen Wan felt a surge of rage shoot up from her sides, and even the tips of her hair seemed to tremble violently.
In an instant, she reflexively grabbed the large hand and, without thinking, applied hidden force.
"What's it to you?"
Two raging flames of fury ignited in her eyes, and her neck thickened as if ready to explode at any moment.
Xie Mubai’s dark pupils contracted slightly as he watched the woman radiating intense hostility before him.
For a moment, it seemed as if he had once again caught a glimpse of the crude and violent Shen Wan from the past.
Scarface, who was pushing the cart, had seen his share of the world, yet he was still startled by the woman’s demeanor. “What’s wrong with you? Who provoked you?”
This plain-looking woman was a favorite of Big Beard’s—who would dare have the nerve to provoke her?
Noticing Scarface’s flustered expression, Shen Wan snapped back to reality.
No, this was definitely not heatstroke!
Just moments ago, when she had gripped Xie Mubai’s wrist, she had actually felt the urge to crush it into pieces!
Why was this happening?