Li Qingyan didn't understand why his elder sister seemed a little unhappy. Their father was fine, so she should be happy!
"Big sister, are you unhappy?"
Li Man'er smiled helplessly. "I'm not unhappy, I'm just worried about Third Uncle. It's snowing so heavily, he must be having a tough time. But he'll be fine, Qingyan, you don't need to worry."
Li Qingyan was an intelligent child. He felt that wasn't the real reason, but he couldn't articulate any other, so he just nodded. "Big sister, I believe you."
"Alright, let's go eat. After you finish, don't forget to practice your horse stance and lift the stone locks."
Li Qingyan replied, "I know. Old Sun is with me."
"Go then!"
As soon as Li Qingyan left, Li Man'er's expression turned serious, a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
Liu Ya didn't dare to breathe too loudly. She felt as if Li Man'er knew something. However, after Li Man'er got up, she only instructed Liu Ya to take good care of Li Qingyan and said nothing else.
Liu Ya looked at Li Man'er's somewhat lonely back and felt a pang of sympathy. She wanted to follow her but her feet felt rooted to the spot, unable to move.
When Li Man'er returned to the military camp, she heard about the barbarian's sneak attack and the secret, cold arrow.
"No one was seen?"
Zhang Jingfeng relayed all the information he had gathered. "No. If not for the arrows, we might not have discovered them. The fog was quite dense, affecting visibility. They couldn't see clearly."
"How many casualties?"
"Only three sustained minor injuries. It's estimated they didn't expect to be discovered, so in their panic, they lost their aim and fled in haste. It's understandable." After all, barbarians were also human. In the dense fog, they couldn't see either, so it wasn't surprising.
"Who was the first to spot the barbarians?"
Zhang Jingfeng immediately straightened up and replied, "It was a soldier named Qian Xiaofu. I've questioned him. This Qian Xiaofu is young, only seventeen. He doesn't have any special skills usually. He's thin and his martial arts are average, but there's one thing: his sense of smell is exceptionally keen."
"Keen sense of smell?"
"Yes, he's like he has a dog's nose; he can smell anything." Zhang Jingfeng chuckled. "You wouldn't believe it, the boy couldn't eat in the room because the smell of the men's sweaty feet was overwhelming. He said for others it was just smelly, but for him, it was exceptionally smelly."
Li Man'er mused, "So, he was able to detect the barbarians first this time because of his nose?"
"You're right. I inquired, and he said he smelled the scent of strangers?"
"The scent of strangers?"
Qi Yihan was inside his tent, questioning Qian Xiaofu. "You're saying that because your sense of smell is particularly acute, you detected a peculiar scent?"
Qian Xiaofu said somewhat sheepishly, "My nose has always been sensitive since I was young. I can smell things others can't. That day, while on guard duty, the scents around me were familiar – the scent of my comrades, the scent of snow, the scent of cold..."
"The scent of cold?"
Qian Xiaofu smiled shyly. "General, I feel that whether the weather is hot or cold, there's a scent. In summer, the air is dry and dusty. In winter, the air's scent is cold and sharp, it can pierce your lungs with a single breath."
What scent was that? Qi Yihan couldn't understand and asked, "What scent did you smell when the barbarians came?"
"A pungent, gamey odor, like sheep. I've heard barbarians eat beef and mutton, and over time, they must have picked up that scent, which ordinary people can't detect, but it couldn't escape my nose. Besides the gamey smell, there was a faint scent of alcohol. They must have been freezing on their journey and drank to stay warm, thus picking up the smell of alcohol."
Qi Yihan nodded. "You've done very well. I'm awarding you a great merit. From today onwards, you are promoted to Second-Class Colonel. Use your advantage to find out all the barbarians lurking around in the fog and darkness."
Qian Xiaofu happily agreed repeatedly. "Thank you, General."
"You're welcome. This is something you earned through your own skill."
Ding Yan remarked, "You're one lucky fellow. Your name is quite auspicious; you're destined for good fortune."
Qian Xiaofu quickly bowed and left. A few steps away, he encountered Wu Daqiao.
"Xiaofu."
"Brother Wu?" Qian Xiaofu smiled. "Were you waiting for me? Is something wrong?"
Wu Daqiao pulled Qian Xiaofu aside and asked, "You seem so cheerful, did something good happen?"
"Hehe." Qian Xiaofu sheepishly scratched the back of his head before saying, "The General promoted me to Second-Class Colonel."
"That's great news!" Wu Daqiao patted Qian Xiaofu's shoulder. "You're truly a lucky fellow."
"Hehe, the General said the same thing. By the way, Brother Wu, did you need me for something?"
"Oh, it's not me looking for you. General Li wants to see you."
Qian Xiaofu's eyes widened. "Which General Li?"
"You child, who else could it be? It's that General Li who makes gloves for us, prepares medicinal ointments, and makes foot soak remedies."
Qian Xiaofu immediately became respectful. He had naturally heard about General Li's deeds. Although she was a delicate woman, she could lead among men. Not only was her martial arts extraordinary, but she also possessed the courage of a great warrior. She dared to lead over forty people to raid the barbarians' stronghold. Such a feat was almost god-like.
Qian Xiaofu held Li Man'er in immense admiration. Upon hearing she wanted to see him, he immediately asked, "Did the General say what it was about? Should I go now?"
Wu Daqiao hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He kept a shrewd eye on the situation and said, "I haven't met that General Li myself, but her subordinate brought me a message when delivering some items, asking me to inquire for her. It's probably about the barbarians. Although this General is a woman, she is very concerned about matters of state."
"Yes, yes." Qian Xiaofu said, "Should I go see her?" Qian Xiaofu became flustered. "I, I get shaky knees just seeing a General, meeting General Li, I fear..." he trailed off, even more timid.
Wu Daqiao chuckled heartily. "What are you afraid of? She's just going to ask how you discovered the barbarians. General Li won't eat you."
"Okay, I'll go then."
Wu Daqiao added, "Think carefully. There are ears and eyes everywhere in our camp. You might go see her, and someone might report you to the General right after."
"I'm not afraid. Our General isn't someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong."
"Alright, I'll take you there."
Thus, Wu Daqiao led Qian Xiaofu to Li Man'er.
"You're the soldier who discovered the barbarians? What's your name?"
Qian Xiaofu stared blankly at Li Man'er, his eyes wide. He momentarily forgot to reply.
Good heavens, he had never seen anyone so beautiful. Oh, mother, a fairy must look like this!