Li Man'er felt a great sense of curiosity about the person named Manmu something. Could he be from her homeland? Had he also transmigrated? Otherwise, how could she explain his sudden recovery? Not only had his health improved, but he had also become a warrior among the barbarians. This was truly peculiar. Had being snatched by a wolf once truly earned him their god's protection? And made him a warrior?
Li Man'er, having experienced extraordinary events herself, had a greatly altered perspective on things. She was undoubtedly a transmigator, so what was so impossible?
Except for Manmu...
"What is his full name?"
"Manmuhe River."
"Oh, Manmuhe River. Besides him, are there any other formidable figures among the barbarians?"
Zeng Huan mentioned several others. Some were young heroes, achieving fame at a tender age; others were seasoned veterans rekindling their youth; still others were destined for an extraordinary life from birth. Their stories sounded quite inspiring, but none were as legendary as Manmuhe River's experience.
"How old is this Manmuhe River now, and what is his status in the tribe?"
Zeng Huan shook his head. "I don't know. It's been many years. But when I heard about his exploits, he was only about fourteen or fifteen years old. He must be at least twenty now."
A decade had passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Man'er nodded. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"
Zeng Huan racked his brain, trying his best to be more valuable. Unfortunately, everything he said afterward held no significance.
Li Man'er's gaze gradually turned cold.
Zeng Huan felt a pang of panic. It was only then that he realized something and asked with a hint of despair, "So you never intended to let me go from the beginning, did you?"
Li Man'er simply said, "It's right to learn to fight against fate, but one must always pay for the mistakes one makes. Don't worry, I will fulfill the promise I made to you."
Just as Zeng Huan was about to say something more, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck, followed by the pungent smell of blood. He tried to speak, but couldn't utter a sound, his vision growing increasingly hazy.
Before sinking into darkness, Zeng Huan heard the last words of his life, "Rest assured, I will keep my promise and find a good burial place for you."
With a thud, Zeng Huan's body fell to the ground, ending his life, which had been filled with entanglement, conflict, and immense sin.
A'si heard the commotion and quickly pushed the door open. Seeing Zeng Huan's body on the ground, she showed no surprise. Instead, she said, "Miss, you should return. I will handle this."
"Mm, burn it clean and put it in an urn."
"Yes."
Li Man'er walked back, her steps sinking into the soft snow.
On the way, she encountered Qi Yihan. Li Man'er adjusted her cloak and nodded slightly. "General."
"Miss Li, you are here so late at night. Is something the matter?"
"Nothing much, just feeling a bit bored, so I came out for a walk, to admire the wind and snow," Li Man'er said. "General, when do you think the barbarians will attack the city?"
Qi Yihan thought for a moment before replying, "What does the lady think?"
Li Man'er inwardly rolled her eyes and said, "I just heard a rather interesting story. Perhaps I could share it with Lord Marquis."
Qi Yihan took two steps forward. "A story? What story?"
Li Man'er simply said, "It's cold and frozen here, and the snow hasn't stopped. Why don't we find a warmer place, have some wine, and listen to the story."
"Certainly!" Qi Yihan replied, "There are two small rooms on the city wall. If you don't mind, Miss, we can go together."
Li Man'er feigned thought. "General, I'm afraid this would be improper, wouldn't it?"
"Miss Li is also a person of passion, a woman as brave as any man. I didn't expect you to have such traditional views?"
"General, you misunderstand. It's not that I fear the separation between men and women. It's just that you are a commander under General Xiao, and my surname is Li. I fear that people with ill intentions might use this to their advantage."
While they were talking in the snow, A'si had already finished dealing with Zeng Huan's body and rushed over. She was slightly taken aback when she saw Qi Yihan but quickly stood behind Li Man'er.
The mistress and servant, in perfect accord, said nothing.
"Miss worries too much. We all serve the Great Jin and help His Majesty. What difference does it make if it's Xiao or Li? We are all serving the Emperor and the state."
Ding Yan, who had been observing them secretly, immediately said, "Yes, yes. My apologies for intruding. The wind and snow here are severe; you might catch a cold. General, you two should go up to the city wall for tea and warm yourselves before continuing your conversation! As for what Lady Li mentioned, the Xiao and Li families are both subjects and are all serving His Majesty. It's not as serious as that."
Qi Yihan knew Ding Yan's intentions and also knew that with Li Man'er's intelligence, she would not be tricked by him.
"If that's the case, then perhaps I am being too narrow-minded," Li Man'er said with a smile. "In that case, let's go!"
"Please!" Ding Yan volunteered to lead the way.
The group of seven or eight people ascended the city wall and returned to the room within.
It was in this very room, on the night they attacked the encampment, that she had led over forty people towards the barbarian camp. Returning to this room again brought a sense of nostalgia.
However, she soon noticed a faint scent of blood on A'si. Her sense of smell was sharper than that of ordinary people, so she took out a sachet and gave it to A'si, asking her to wear it.
A'si didn't quite understand but accepted it. The subtle interaction between mistress and servant was not a significant matter in the eyes of those who were paying attention.
"Miss, the tea is ready."
Li Man'er took it and thanked them, but then asked, "Is there any wine?"
Ding Yan didn't react immediately. Seeing Li Man'er staring at him, he replied, "Yes."
Li Man'er handed the teacup to A'si. "Change it to wine!"
Seeing that Qi Yihan did not object, Ding Yan said, "Please wait a moment, Miss. I'll be right back." He went to arrange it personally but soon returned, holding a jar and two bowls.
"The conditions here are harsh, Miss. Please don't mind."
"No problem."
Li Man'er took a sip from the wine bowl and said, "We were talking about a story earlier. I think this story is quite interesting. It's better to share joy than to keep it to oneself. I'll tell it to you all."
Qi Yihan raised his cup in a gesture of assent.
Li Man'er began, "It is said that in the barbarian tribes, there was a gifted young boy who was frail from birth, often sickly."
Barbarians, frail? Sickly?
Ding Yan felt that Li Man'er had a misunderstanding of the barbarians. Did she not know that barbarians had strong constitutions from birth, and everyone there was robust? Even the women's strength was no less than that of men. How could someone be sickly?
"Because his health was poor, he read many books from a young age and learned a lot about the culture of our Great Jin. However, his body was too weak. Later, for some unknown reason, he was taken by wolves."
Taken by wolves? Could he have survived that?
"Everyone thought he would surely be bitten to death by the wolves. But who could have imagined that not only did he survive, but he also lived among the wolf pack? Even more astonishingly, his illness... was cured."