He turned around and smiled at Su Yao.
"Since they're all being so polite, let's use their money to train a small contingent of soldiers that no one can find fault with."
Su Yao watched Gu Moran's retreating figure.
My heart started beating faster for no apparent reason.
She lowered her head and quickly listed all three expenses in the ledger.
The brushstrokes are extremely sharp.
North of the city.
Black Wind Pass.
The wind on the cliff was extremely fierce.
Zhao Wuxu stood in front of the Black Wind Stronghold Stronghold's gate, his face even more ashen than a dead man's.
His long robe was torn in several places and covered with mud and grass clippings.
A trace of dried blood still clung to the corner of his mouth.
Those were internal injuries inflicted by Tuoba Mang's palm strike a few days ago.
He hid in the cave for several days, practicing his internal energy to regulate his breathing, and finally managed to suppress his injuries.
Having timed it perfectly, he dragged his "broken" body and struggled to climb up Black Wind Stronghold.
He even rehearsed the entire self-inflicted injury scheme in his mind.
He collapsed at the entrance of the village.
He spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Your eyes should convey despair and stubbornness.
That soft-hearted, foolish woman, Yun Shuyue, will definitely save him.
Then, he naturally recuperated in the village, using his medical skills and gentle demeanor to completely win over Yun Shuyue's heart.
But he's standing now.
He stood there, stunned.
Black Wind Stronghold before my eyes.
No one in sight, no sound?
Even the tattered wooden plaque on the village gate that read "Acting on behalf of Heaven" is gone.
He strode into the village.
They kicked open the doors of several dilapidated thatched huts.
Empty.
There is no one.
There is no food.
There were no bedding.
The most outrageous thing is that the large iron pot with a chipped corner has disappeared from the corner of the earthen stove in the corner of the yard!
Zhao Wuxu felt a surge of blood rushing wildly to his chest.
For this perfect start, he endured humiliation and hardship, even taking several blows from that barbarian without retaliating.
And the result?
Where are they?
An entire mountain stronghold.
Was it carried away by a dog?!
"Who did this...?"
Zhao Wuxu gritted his teeth.
Their fingernails dug desperately into the rotten wood of the door frame.
A splinter pierced his fingertip, but he felt nothing.
His pride and shrewdness crumbled completely at this moment.
The chips are gone.
His takeoff ramp was uprooted.
Close your eyes.
He forcibly suppressed that bloodthirsty rage.
Take a deep breath.
Take another deep breath.
"No rush. I am a descendant of the Zhao Clan. What is this setback?"
Zhao Wuxu opened his eyes, his gaze turning cold and sinister once more.
Since Yun Shuyue's path is blocked...
Then let's change to another one.
A more direct, but also more humiliating, path.
It is said that Yun Shuyue's mother died early, and the current mistress of the household is Lady Wang.
Three days later.
Inside Yi Prefecture City.
A long street outside the gate of the Jiannan Circuit Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office.
A large sedan chair carried by four men moved slowly forward, surrounded by guards.
Sitting in the sedan chair was Lady Wang, the second wife of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Yun Zhengze.
"Stop the sedan chair."
A groan of extreme pain came from inside the sedan chair.
The old woman quickly stopped the sedan chair bearers and lifted the curtain.
Lady Wang covered her right forehead, her face deathly pale, her hair soaked with cold sweat.
Migraine.
This was a chronic ailment she had suffered for over a decade, causing excruciating pain when it flared up. She had consulted numerous doctors throughout Yi Prefecture City, but to no avail; she only had faith in folk remedies and witch doctors.
"Madam, please bear with us a little longer, we'll be returning home soon..."
"Quack doctor... go and arrest that Li Banxian from West Street!"
Lady Wang was trembling with pain.
At that very moment.
A young scholar dressed in a worn-out long gown and carrying a bamboo basket walked unhurriedly to the sedan chair.
The guards were about to draw their swords and drive them away.
"Please wait, everyone."
The scholar's voice was gentle and warm, exuding a calming power.
He stood five steps away and bowed respectfully to the sedan chair.
"This humble subject was passing by when I heard the lady in the sedan chair in pain. I am unworthy, but I once received a method from a mysterious person to circulate blood through the uterus, which is specifically used to cure such stubborn ailments."
The sedan curtain was lifted a crack.
Lady Wang's vision was blurred with pain, and she could only see a handsome young man with a gentle demeanor.
"Let him... give it a try."
Zhao Wuxu stepped forward.
He understands women so well.
He was born out of wedlock.
He struggled to survive from a young age, caught between his stepmother and the women in the inner quarters of the household.
He knew what kind of pressure a woman needed most when she was having an attack, and he knew which acupoints to press to instantly cut off the pain nerves.
That was a life-saving technique he had spent ten years figuring out, used to please the women in his backyard.
Zhao Wuxu did not directly touch Lady Wang.
Instead, they were separated by a thin silk handkerchief.
His slender fingers pressed with extreme precision between the "Fengchi" acupoint behind Lady Wang's ear and the "Taiyang" acupoint on her forehead.
Use your thumb and middle finger to apply force.
Transform internal force into a gentle strength, gradually penetrating.
One press, one knead, one lift.
It only took ten breaths.
Lady Wang's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
The excruciating pain, which felt like it was about to split open, receded like a receding tide.
She opened her eyes in shock, looking at the meek and well-mannered young man before her.
"Your technique..." Lady Wang let out a long sigh of relief, feeling she hadn't felt so relaxed in her entire life. "Truly amazing."
Zhao Wuxu withdrew his hand, took two steps back, and bowed his head respectfully.
"My humble life is of little value; it is my blessing to be able to share your burdens, my lady."
They adopted an extremely humble posture.
Humble.
Gentle and refined.
Yet it doesn't come across as obsequious.
Lady Wang looked at him.
This young man is handsome and has this amazing skill.
Having no children of his own, he always felt he lacked a close confidant in the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's residence.
"May I have your name?"
"I am Zhao Wuxu, a commoner, and have suffered hardship since childhood."
A flicker of wild joy flashed in Lady Wang's eyes.
"Very well, how lonely you are. If you don't mind, come back to the manor with me today."
Zhao Wuxu moved into the guest quarters of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's residence.
Lady Wang suffered from migraines, and he massaged the area twice a day, morning and evening, with excellent results.
After each massage, he would talk to Lady Wang, sharing his experiences, pharmacology, and health tips.
His voice was gentle, his attitude respectful, and he rarely glanced at the maids or asked about matters of the household.
Day four.
Lady Wang was drinking tea in the flower hall, she looked at Zhao Wuxu, who was respectfully pouring water for her across from her, and suddenly spoke.
"Child."
"Exist."
Would you be willing to recognize me as your godmother?
Zhao Wuxu's hand stopped.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes glistening with a thin layer of tears.
"Madam... really?"
Lady Wang smiled.
"I have no children of my own, but I find you pleasing to the eye. If you're willing, you can call me 'Mother' from now on."
Zhao Wuxu put down the teapot.
Then he knelt down.
"Having wandered half my life without finding a good man, if you, madam, do not despise me, I wish to become your godmother. Godmother above, your son kowtows to you."