3: Wolf Tally
Gusts of mountain wind howled through, sweeping across the green bamboo leaves.
In an instant, a sharp, rustling sound filled the air.
The spring chill was still biting. The wind pierced Ruan An’s thin skirt and crept into her sleeves.
She began to tremble, her heart filled with terror. Her small, pale feet, clad in straw sandals, instinctively stepped backward.
Though she knew Huo Pingxiao was a military officer, he was severely wounded, unarmed, and facing seven strong men. How could he possibly stand against them?
“Don’t be afraid.”
The man stepped in front of her, blocking the harsh mountain wind. His broad back and shoulders, his powerful, narrow-waisted frame, also shielded her from view.
Ruan An’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart remained suspended in fear as she hid behind him.
Advisor Liu, enraged by Huo Pingxiao’s action, turned his mockery on Ruan An, cursing, “You little harlot! You think taking up with a brute like this means I can’t deal with you?”
The words he hurled were too harsh. Ruan An had never been subjected to such filth. She felt her cheeks burn as if struck.
Then she noticed that even Huo Pingxiao’s uninjured arm was tense, faint blue veins slightly bulging on the back of his hand, as if he were restraining his anger.
Advisor Liu issued an order to the men behind him, shouting sternly, “Go! Carry that little wench to the sedan chair! If the auspicious hour is missed, you’ll answer to me!”
Behind him to the left stood the four musicians, playing the suona and beating drums and gongs.
To the right stood two burly sedan bearers.
Having received the order, the six men split into two groups.
The four on the left charged aggressively toward Huo Pingxiao, only to find that they had lunged at nothing.
The leading officer suddenly felt something amiss in his hand.
Where had his wooden club gone?
“Thud—”
“Thud—”
Two heavy impact sounds rang out, and his expression changed dramatically.
The four men turned to see the two sedan bearers writhing on the ground, clutching their stomachs with agonized faces.
Advisor Liu was horrified.
This brute’s martial skills were so exceptional, and he had already predicted their attack route!
His old face turned ashen. Gritting his molars, he ordered in a trembling voice, “Attack again!”
The four who had not yet faced Huo Pingxiao hesitated for a moment and did not immediately obey Advisor Liu’s command.
Huo Pingxiao tilted his head lazily.
After this series of movements, the man had not even broken a sweat, as if he had merely stretched his muscles.
He lowered his gaze slightly, his expression casual and indifferent, and asked contemptuously, “Still want more?”
His long legs had not moved an inch from their original position, as if silently declaring that he would not even deign to use his legwork against them.
With just one hand, he had knocked them all to the ground, teeth scattering.
Advisor Liu cursed inwardly—this brute was far too arrogant!
Squinting against the sunlight, Huo Pingxiao narrowed his deep-set eyes.
With one hand, he casually twirled the wooden club. A sharp “swish, swish” cut through the air as he performed a clean and impressive display of spinning tricks.
A sudden gust of wind rose from the ground, carrying fine dust and grit that flew straight into Advisor Liu’s hideous, contorted face.
Advisor Liu stumbled back several steps, but still got grit in his eyes, leaving him unable to open them for a long while.
Dizzy with rage, he then heard a loud “smack—”
“Ah!”
Advisor Liu let out a miserable scream. Huo Pingxiao swung the club again, landing a heavy blow to his stout waist and abdomen. His knees buckled, and he crashed to the ground in a pathetic heap.
The strike felt as though it had rearranged his internal organs.
A coppery taste rose in his throat. He coughed several times and spat out blood.
Huo Pingxiao’s expression was cold and indifferent. He finished his move with a sharp flourish, his face filled with disgust. Looking down at Advisor Liu and his entourage, he commanded in a deep voice, “Get lost, now.”
The remaining four dared not cross swords with Huo Pingxiao any longer. They hurriedly asked Advisor Liu, “Advisor… Advisor, are you alright?”
Clutching his chest, Advisor Liu rolled his eyes several times, nearly fainting from the pain, unable to speak for a moment.
Given the circumstances, he could not continue to act tough.
None of these men were a match for this brute. It was not worth risking his life against this madman.
Moreover, the scheme to forcibly take Ruan An as a concubine was something he and the young master had planned behind the county magistrate’s back. The young master was obsessed with this fair-skinned, flower-faced village girl and was simply looking for a taste.
For now, the only option was to return to town quickly and discuss this matter with the young master.
As Advisor Liu was being carried out of the courtyard by the officers, pale as death, a sudden idea struck him.
This brute was still wounded. Since seven men could not handle him, he would have the young master send more.
Then, let the young master come to the mountains himself.
That way, the young master could take the village girl right there and also humiliate her pretty boy lover thoroughly.
Advisor Liu and his men fled in disgrace. Though Ruan An breathed a sigh of relief, she still worried they might return at any moment.
After the scuffle, peace did not last long outside the cottage.
Moments later, Wang Er, a villager from Xinghua Village, came rushing urgently toward the courtyard.
Wang Er was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. “Miss Ruan, please come with me. My wife has suddenly gone into premature labor.”
Since Ruan An lived not far from Xinghua Village, she naturally served as the village physician. Whenever the villagers had any illnesses or ailments, they would come to her for treatment.
Moreover, Xinghua Village was nestled deep in the mountains, almost completely isolated from the outside world. The villagers were simple and honest. Though they all knew Ruan An was not an elderly woman but a young maiden, not one of them had ever revealed her true age to outsiders.
Ruan An also never charged the villagers any consultation fees.
Wang Er’s wife was about to give birth—a matter of life and death that could not be delayed.
But Ruan An was still worried about the safety of the children.
Her face flushed with anxiety, unsure of what to do.
Then the man’s low, calm voice came from above her bun: “Go without worry. I’ll stay here to protect them.”
By the seventh hour of the night, the sound of a baby’s cry rang out from the Wang family’s cottage. Wang Er’s wife had safely delivered a son.
Including this birth, Ruan An had now delivered thirty-two infants. Every mother and child had been safe, with no deaths or miscarriages.
Seeing the joyful smiles of Wang Er’s family, Ruan An felt relieved, but she was still concerned about Wang Er’s wife’s condition.
The afterbirth had not come out with the baby but remained in the mother’s body, indicating that there was stagnant blood adhered inside her.
A postpartum woman was too weak to forcibly expel the afterbirth.
Therefore, Ruan An asked Old Mrs. Wang to bring paper and brush. She quickly wrote down the names of medicinal ingredients: ginseng, raw astragalus, bupleurum, roasted licorice, and others.
She handed the prescription to the medicine apprentice beside her and instructed Wang Er, “This is the Buzhong Yiqi Decoction. Come with us to the cottage later to get the herbs. After it’s brewed, have your wife drink it. One dose should be enough to expel the afterbirth.”
Wang Er took the prescription and expressed his gratitude repeatedly: “Our family of five thanks you, Miss Ruan.”
Old Mrs. Wang knew Ruan An did not accept payment for her medical services and had already prepared cured meat and eggs. She could not help but ask, “I heard from Ah Shun that you saved a man in the mountains and he’s been recovering at your place. Miss Ruan, be careful—he might have enemies after him.”
Hearing Old Mrs. Wang mention Huo Pingxiao, Ruan An realized she could not linger any longer. She quickly took her leave from the Wang family along with the medicine apprentice.
Old Mrs. Wang stood outside the courtyard, watching Ruan An leave.
Having traveled far and wide over the years, visiting many places, she had never seen a girl as beautiful as Ruan An.
Dressed in simple clothing with a thorn hairpin, her extraordinary beauty could not be concealed. Though she wore no makeup, her skin was fair and flawless, her cheeks as smooth as freshly peeled lychee.
She was stunningly beautiful, yet never seemed unapproachable. When she spoke to others, she was gentle and kind.
But such a sweet, pure young woman was an orphan with no parents.
When the renowned physician Sun and his first wife were still alive, they had considered finding Ruan An a good family, hoping she would live a stable life as a wife and mother.
But Ruan An had aspired to study medicine since she was three years old. Old Mrs. Wang had witnessed all the hardships she had endured on her path to learning medicine since childhood.
Watching Ruan An’s petite figure recede into the distance, Old Mrs. Wang could not help but feel a pang of sympathy.
One could not change one’s birth. Old Mrs. Wang only hoped that Ruan An would someday marry a reliable husband and live a peaceful, happy life.
As night deepened, Ruan An had Sun Ye and the medicine apprentices gather their supplies. For now, she set aside the thought of what had happened with Huo Pingxiao.
She only knew that Huo Pingxiao was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, and she had no desire to become the young master’s concubine. So, while helping Huo Pingxiao change his bandages, she planned to persuade him to flee with them.
The candlelight in the side room was dim. Ruan An patiently unwrapped the bandages with her slender hands.
Huo Pingxiao’s wound had healed well—no signs of inflammation or infection, and the injury had mostly scabbed over.
To make changing the bandages easier, she pulled the left side of his tunic down further.
The man’s physique was well-proportioned and strong, not overly bulging or fierce. The half-exposed muscles were marked with numerous old scars, his flesh taut and firm, without any excess.
Ruan An recalled the sight of him in Lingnan. No wonder he could look so majestic, like a heavenly warrior, even in heavy armor.
Sensing her thoughts beginning to wander, she pressed her lips together and forced herself to focus.
With her head bowed, she felt Huo Pingxiao’s gaze on her.
Ruan An looked up and met the man’s deep-set eyes. Throughout the entire bandage change, he had not so much as furrowed his brow.
The young woman could not help but ask softly, “Doesn’t it hurt?”
As soon as she spoke, she immediately lowered her face again.
Her gaze fell on the uniquely shaped wolf talisman hanging around his neck. Set into the talisman was a piece of high-quality deep-sea amber, its scent reminiscent of pinewood cracked under the scorching sun, exuding a faint, warm fragrance.
“It hurts so much.”
He drew out the last syllable, enunciating the three words slowly, even deliberately deepening his breath as if to humor her.
But his tone clearly betrayed no sign of pain.
He was teasing her.
Those brief words brushed against the young woman’s heart like a gentle feather.
Ruan An had not forgotten her intention. Just as she was about to bring up the idea of fleeing together, she suddenly noticed a black shadow flash past the window.
Then, several more agile black figures swooped down from the rooftop, landing with soft “swish, swish” sounds outside the courtyard.
Ruan An’s pupils contracted sharply. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to race wildly with fear.
Had Advisor Liu sent more skilled fighters to deal with them?
“Stay here. I’ll go check.”
With that, Huo Pingxiao used his one good hand to adjust his clothing and rose swiftly from the low couch.
The man’s profile was sharp and composed, his expression unchanged. Yet the defined line of his jaw and the hint of ferocity lurking in the corners of his eyes and brows sent a shiver of chilling menace through Ruan An.
Huo Pingxiao strode out of the room, and Ruan An followed closely behind, hiding by the mud wall, her heart pounding like thunder.
More than a dozen young warriors in deep chestnut-colored robes filed into the room. But the expected fight did not come. Huo Pingxiao, standing before her, made no move.
In fact, he even loosened his grip on the long staff in his hand.
Ruan An was stunned. Judging by their appearances, they did not look like ordinary officers.
Just as she was pondering who these newcomers might be, the young man at the front assumed an extremely respectful demeanor. He and the dozen or so behind him bowed in unison with their hands clasped.
What they said next made Ruan An’s eyes widen considerably—
“We are late, my lord. Greetings to the Marquis of Dingbei.”
Elsewhere.
Tang Yi, the county magistrate’s eldest legitimate son, stared grimly at the thatched cottage not far ahead. Behind him were nearly twenty officers.
Advisor Liu was still recovering from his injuries, unable to move a single step. The men Tang Yi had summoned this time were specifically chosen—they were the most skilled officers available.
Accustomed to a life of ease and comfort, and with no sedan bearers to carry him up the mountain path at midnight, Tang Yi had exhausted himself greatly on this ascent.
The sycophant beside him, quick to read the situation, immediately handed him a water flask. Tang Yi took it impatiently, drank some, then hurled it to the ground in anger.
The thought that the young beauty he had coveted for so long might have already been deflowered by that brute made his blood boil.
Moreover, he would have to take her for the first time in this desolate wilderness. When had he, Master Tang, ever been reduced to such a sorry state?
With that thought, Tang Yi issued a cold command to the officers behind him: “When we get inside, remember to cripple that pretty boy’s other arm for me first!”
**