Jiu Yue was amused by the old man and couldn't help laughing. "Uncle, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not a bride he snatched."
Uncle Zhao froze, staring at her blankly, until Hu Lu quickly interjected, "Uncle Zhao! This young lady is just here to stay the night."
He frantically signaled with his eyes, but Uncle Zhao couldn’t see it.
"Just staying the night…" Uncle Zhao suddenly understood and became enthusiastic again. "Little girl, how did you end up coming to our Tiger Head Village alone? Luckily, we’re all decent folks here. If you’d stumbled into another village, you might’ve walked straight into a den of wolves without even realizing it!"
The old man spoke earnestly, "Life isn’t easy in these borderlands. A young lady like you should be extra careful when traveling alone."
Hu Lu’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
But Jiu Yue could sense genuine kindness from the old man.
She glanced at Hu Lu, who gave her a stiff smile in return. Jiu Yue waved her hand dismissively. "Since you’re the leader, you must have your own affairs to attend to. Don’t worry about me—go handle your business. Your brother is still waiting for the doctor."
"Yes, yes, Leader, you go ahead. I’ll find Aunt Zhang to settle the young lady in for the night," Uncle Zhao said helpfully.
Hu Lu: "…"
He left reluctantly, turning back every few steps.
He was genuinely afraid that if he so much as blinked, Jiu Yue might chop Uncle Zhao’s head off…
For the hundred-and-first time that night, Hu Lu regretted his decisions as he trudged away with heavy steps.
Meanwhile, Jiu Yue followed Uncle Zhao around the village. The old man, who probably hadn’t seen a new face in ages, was as enthusiastic as a tour guide, eagerly recounting the village’s history.
As Hu Lu had said, they weren’t like those bandits and outlaws—they were all retired soldiers.
With no parents, children, or even homes to return to, Hu Lu had gradually gathered his former comrades and settled in this place.
Though they collected tolls from travelers, after covering their own expenses, the rest of the money went to aiding refugees in the city.
Over time, desperate people began seeking refuge with them.
Hu Lu also had a strong sense of justice—the village only took in the kind-hearted and the vulnerable.
The system couldn’t help chiming in, "No wonder this village doesn’t feel menacing at all. It’s more like a peaceful settlement."
Jiu Yue nodded in agreement.
To create such a haven in a place like this, Hu Lu and his men truly deserved to be called "heroes."
"Here we are! I’ll go fetch Aunt Zhang!" Uncle Zhao cheerfully knocked on a door, and out came a one-eyed woman, broad-shouldered and sturdy—the very picture of reliability.
After hearing Uncle Zhao’s explanation, Aunt Zhang glanced at Jiu Yue in the distance. She pulled an eyepatch from her collar and put it on before approaching.
"So you’re the guest staying the night. Don’t be afraid, young lady—we’re all good people here," Aunt Zhang said with a smile. "This scar’s quite unsightly, so it’s better to cover it up. Wouldn’t want to scare you."
Jiu Yue: "…"
The system muttered, "…But with the eyepatch, she looks even less like a good person."
Suppressing the twitch at her lips, Jiu Yue watched as Uncle Zhao strolled away, fanning himself leisurely.
Aunt Zhang invited her inside. "There are mostly men in this village. If you don’t mind, you and your sister can stay in my place tonight. I’ve got two rooms."
"Of course, thank you, Auntie." Jiu Yue followed her inside with a smile, noting the two beds in separate rooms.
"Glad you don’t mind." Aunt Zhang was visibly nervous.
Truth be told, the village rarely had visitors—let alone two young women at once. And this girl in front of her was especially delicate. In any other village, the two of them would’ve been in grave danger.
"Thank you, Auntie. Here’s something for your trouble." Jiu Yue pressed a few silver pieces into her hand.
Not wanting to draw attention, Jiu Yue kept the amount modest. Besides, Aunt Zhang was already trying to refuse even these few coins—if she gave more, the woman might bolt.
In the end, Aunt Zhang was no match for Jiu Yue’s strength. Staring in astonishment at the slender girl, she exclaimed, "…You’re small, but you’ve got quite the grip!"
Jiu Yue only smiled without answering. She turned and carried the mute girl inside, settling her down. Just then, she heard Aunt Zhang’s surprised voice outside.
"Leader, what brings you here? Is something wrong?"
Hu Lu didn’t enter, pacing anxiously outside the door.
"Is Jiu Yue—the girl staying the night—here with you?"
Before Aunt Zhang could reply, Jiu Yue had already leaped out the window. Closing it behind her, she eyed Hu Lu curiously. "What do you need?"
"Young lady! Please, you have to save Chun Qiu!" Hu Lu blurted. "The doctor said—ah, just come with me!"
Jiu Yue: "?"
Suspicious, she gave him a questioning look. Hu Lu hastily instructed Aunt Zhang to guard the mute girl inside and repeatedly assured Jiu Yue of her safety. Then, in a frantic hurry—he scooped up Jiu Yue’s dog and ran off.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Her lips twitched, but she followed anyway.
The man named Chun Qiu was the same one whose wrist Jiu Yue had twisted earlier. Now awake, he sat in Doctor Tang’s hut, weeping uncontrollably.
"Doctor Tang, say something… My hand isn’t really beyond saving, is it?"
The white-bearded, wiry old man across from him twitched an eyelid, unable to resist standing up and smacking Qian Chunqiu on the forehead.
"Quiet! You’re disrupting my thoughts!" Doctor Tang snapped, glaring at him.
Qian Chunqiu didn’t relent. "It must be bad, or you’d have fixed it already… Waaah…"
The pain—it was unbearable.
If he’d known the price would be this steep, he would’ve obediently let his elder brother cover his mouth and silently watched that she-devil leave!
Wiping his tears, Qian Chunqiu turned and saw his leader’s anxious face—and behind him, the she-devil herself.
Qian Chunqiu: "…"
He closed his eyes again.
Hu Lu spoke urgently, "Doctor Tang, I’ve brought her. Tell us—what does she need to do?"
Jiu Yue was equally baffled. Under the old doctor’s scrutiny, she sat across from Qian Chunqiu with a strange expression.
"I’m the one who hurt him, but I’m no healer. Did you call me here to demonstrate again?" she asked.
Qian Chunqiu’s eyes flew open, but before he could scream, Doctor Tang nodded firmly.
"Exactly. Grip him the same way, with the same force, and do it again."
Qian Chunqiu: "…"
Jiu Yue: "…"
Hiss… Was this old man settling a personal grudge???
