The Old General stepped forward and grasped the door bolt, pulling open the heavy gate.
Under the desperate gazes of everyone in the General’s Residence, the door slowly opened, revealing the woman dressed in black outside.
Huh?
It wasn’t the Successor of the Ghost Doctor, but a plainly dressed girl in black.
Her simple attire did nothing to diminish her beauty. She was radiant and stunning, with a delicate and graceful figure—a rare beauty indeed.
Strange, why would such a beauty come to the General’s Residence? Had she come to the wrong door?
The Old General was also surprised. He looked Shen Yuanwei up and down and asked, “May I ask who you are, miss? What brings you to our Xiao Residence?”
Shen Yuanwei bowed slightly in greeting. “This humble girl is Shen Yuanwei. I am here to see the Young General of your residence, Xiao Lingzhao.”
The Old General stared at Shen Yuanwei in astonishment, then asked hopefully, “Miss, are you and our Ling Zhao…?”
Shen Yuanwei smiled faintly. “I have never met him before.”
The light in the Old General’s eyes dimmed.
He had thought she might be his son’s sweetheart—that he had gone mad with longing for a daughter-in-law. But in his son’s current state, what good girl would be willing to marry a madman who could turn violent and strike people?
Just as the Old General was sinking into sorrow, Shen Yuanwei spoke again, “However, I might be able to cure the Young General’s illness.”
The Old General’s pupils contracted sharply.
The servants behind him also stared at Shen Yuanwei in astonishment, unable to believe that such good fortune had suddenly come knocking on their door!
Taking in Shen Yuanwei’s calm and composed expression, everyone in the General’s Residence felt a surge of hope.
Heaven had answered their prayers!
Surely, the heavens had heard their grief and given them another path to survival!
Their General’s Residence was saved!
The Old General was especially thrilled.
Even though he didn’t know where this girl came from or what her identity was, even though he had never seen her before, he was willing to let her try!
He quickly stepped aside and excitedly invited her in, “So the miss is here to save my son! Please, miss! Come in, quickly!”
Shen Yuanwei smiled her thanks, stepped over the threshold, and nodded to the others in the General’s Residence.
“Right this way, miss—”
The Old General and Old Madam, overjoyed, led Shen Yuanwei forward.
Shen Yuanwei followed the elderly couple through several courtyards until they finally stopped before a secluded one.
The Old General turned back and said cautiously, “Miss, my son Ling Zhao is locked in this courtyard. He can be quite frightening when he’s enraged, so please prepare yourself.”
Shen Yuanwei nodded.
She gazed expectantly at the tightly shut courtyard gate, filled with anticipation for the God of War she was about to meet.
The Old General slowly pushed the courtyard gate open, and the figure shackled inside abruptly came into Shen Yuanwei’s view.
Thumb-thick chains bound the man’s limbs. He sat in an iron chair, head bowed, his jet-black hair disheveled and cascading down like a lazy beast comfortably napping, showing no signs of madness.
But the next moment, hearing the noise at the gate, he suddenly awoke!
He abruptly lifted his head to look over, the chains on his body clanking noisily.
As he raised his head, his hair fell back behind him, revealing his crimson eyes and his face in full view.
He possessed a face capable of captivating all who beheld it.His face was as flawless as jade, with a tall, straight nose bridge and sword-like eyebrows that carried a hint of cold severity and sharpness. Beneath them were deep, pool-like eyes with elongated, upward-tilting corners that should have been exceptionally handsome, but at this moment, those beautiful eyes were unfortunately tainted with a crimson hue, lending him a wild and ferocious appearance that made others wary of approaching.
Shen Yuanwei was already quite beautiful herself, so when faced with this peerlessly handsome man, she only felt a momentary sense of awe before returning to her usual calm.
Curiously, she asked the Old General, “You’ve been keeping him locked in the courtyard all this time—aren’t you afraid he’ll get caught in the rain?”
The Old General looked pained as he replied, “We used to lock him inside the house, but he refused to stay indoors. As soon as the door was closed, he would struggle and go berserk, injuring himself all over and even collapsing the room…”
Shen Yuanwei nodded.
As they spoke, Xiao Lingzhao suddenly grew violently agitated!
“Crash!”
He surged to his feet with intense aggression, charging toward the gate!
After just two steps, the chains binding him yanked him back. He roared and struggled, the clattering of the chains ringing out with a terrifying sense of danger.
He was like a caged beast—once freed from his prison, wherever he went would be bathed in rivers of blood!
The Old General and Old Madam called out to him in anguish, “Ling Zhao…”
He showed no reaction, still glaring fiercely at the gate, brimming with battle intent.
The Old Madam tightly grasped Shen Yuanwei’s hand, tearfully pleading, “Miss, please save him… I beg you, save him…”
Shen Yuanwei gently freed her hand from the Old Madam’s grip. “Alright, don’t worry. Let me take a closer look at him first.”
The Old Madam was startled and quickly grabbed Shen Yuanwei again. “Miss, don’t go near Ling Zhao! When he’s berserk, he recognizes no one—not even his own father! He’ll attack anyone who approaches!”
The Old General turned and pointed to the bruise on his right cheek to show Shen Yuanwei. “That’s right, look at this bruise on my face—it was from my son. It’s been days, and it still hasn’t faded. If someone as strong as me can’t withstand a single slap from him, a young lady like you would be sent flying!”
Shen Yuanwei glanced at the Old General’s injury and felt a sudden flutter of doubt.
If he could strike his own father so harshly, would her special constitution really work?
She began to worry that Xiao Lingzhao might just beat her to death.
But then she reconsidered: Was it better to be punched by this clean, handsome God of War, or to be favored by that Emperor—who had already favored hundreds of consorts, was over a decade older than her, and was heirless?
If favored by the Emperor, she might even face the fate of being eliminated after bearing a child!
Well, being punched would only hurt for a few days—it was bearable.
Instantly, Shen Yuanwei’s fear vanished. Gazing at the berserk Xiao Lingzhao in the courtyard, she shook her head and smiled gently.
“It’s alright. He is a hero who has protected countless common people. If I can save him, what does it matter if I endure a few strikes from him?”
The Old General and Old Madam were taken aback by her words.
This young lady before them had never even met their Ling Zhao, yet she was willing to risk being struck to save him—how incredibly kind-hearted she was!
Under the moved gazes of the elderly couple, Shen Yuanwei lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped into the courtyard, one slow step at a time.
“Grr—”
Shen Yuanwei’s approach only agitated the berserk Xiao Lingzhao further. He stared fixedly at her, a low growl of threat rumbling in his throat.
With the resolve of one facing death, Shen Yuanwei moved gracefully until she stood before Xiao Lingzhao.
Xiao Lingzhao glared at her, let out a fierce roar, and with all his strength, struggled to launch an attack at Shen Yuanwei!
“Miss, be careful!”Outside the courtyard, everyone held their breath in terror, speaking in unison to warn Shen Yuanwei.
Shen Yuanwei raised her hand.
Her slender fingers came to rest on Xiao Lingzhao’s forehead.
The moment her warm fingertips touched Xiao Lingzhao’s brow, the frantically struggling Xiao Lingzhao suddenly ceased his attacks.
It was as if the raging world had abruptly been put on pause.