In early September, the summer heat seemed to begin to wane.
The two of them walked leisurely, stopping now and then, and finally arrived in Yandu.
Unlike the imagined windswept desert city, Yandu, though located in the northwest, was surprisingly well-greened. The only noticeable difference from Tianqi was probably the humidity.
Apart from the moat outside the city walls, Yandu had no natural bodies of water like lakes or ponds within the city.
Jiu Yue licked her chapped lips, wiping away a bitter tear, and turned to look at Mute Girl.
As they neared Yandu, Mute Girl had felt a mix of nostalgia and apprehension about returning home. Now that she was truly stepping onto this land again… it felt both familiar and strange.
"Princess…" Mute Girl could now produce some sounds.
But Jiu Yue patted her reassuringly. "No rush. Let’s find a place to settle first. I’ll give you an acupuncture session!"
Mute Girl: "…"
Her sentimental musings vanished instantly, replaced by the terrifying image of those thick needles. She nodded stiffly.
Mute Girl was naturally more familiar with Yandu than Jiu Yue. Following her memory, she led Jiu Yue through a few bustling streets before they settled in an inconspicuous inn, booking two rooms.
After the acupuncture session, the two rested until evening before venturing out again.
Though they had arrived in Yandu, Jiu Yue didn’t immediately knock on the Fu Family’s door to claim kinship.
Along the way, she had learned that Grand Tutor Fu had fallen ill, and Old Madam Fu had taken her husband to recuperate at their countryside estate. The elderly couple was not in the mansion.
Now, the Fu household was managed by the eldest grandson, Fu Yan'an.
And this so-called cousin of hers wouldn’t easily take her to meet the elders… especially since there had been many imposters claiming to be Muling in the past. The Fu Family would undoubtedly be cautious about recognizing a long-lost relative.
Besides, unlike Muling, Jiu Yue had been kidnapped shortly after birth, barely tasting her mother’s milk. Logically speaking, it would be normal for her to know nothing about her origins.
Showing up unannounced with all the evidence ready… sometimes, being too prepared only invited suspicion.
So Jiu Yue decided that the Fu Family should be the ones to initiate the reunion.
The best opportunity to meet the elderly couple now was through the renowned physician invitation issued by Fu Yan'an.
It was dinnertime, and Mute Girl took Jiu Yue to a highly recommended restaurant.
"Specialties," Mute Girl said succinctly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Though her blood was of Yan, it wasn’t until she was nineteen that she finally tasted the flavors of her homeland… Mute Girl couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow as she watched Jiu Yue.
But Jiu Yue was already engrossed in the menu. Licking her lips, she ordered a few signature dishes before looking up with a grin. "Tomorrow, we’ll try something else!"
Mute Girl nodded and went outside to buy some local pastries for her.
The vendor was right outside, so Jiu Yue stayed behind. She leaned back in her chair, watching Mute Girl through the window, when she unexpectedly overheard the conversation at the table behind her.
"…Ugh, earning money is so hard these days. Coming to treat someone, and we still have to pass an exam! This Young Master Fu is truly peculiar."
"Same here… I was eliminated in the first round. Young Master Fu is just too thorough—he’s filtering out frauds like me."
"Now, that’s not entirely fair. As the saying goes, ‘Each has his own expertise’—I’m a pharmacist, and instead of asking me about herbs and their properties, he made me demonstrate acupuncture! Does that make any sense?"
Acupuncture?
Jiu Yue’s eyes gleamed with interest. She turned around and saw a table of young men.
One of them continued grumbling, "In my opinion, Young Master Fu probably doubts our skills because we’re young. That’s why he set up these tests… Those seasoned physicians who’ve traveled far and wide? They were escorted to the estate the very next day!"
The others hesitated, each for their own reasons, and didn’t respond.
But a crisp female voice suddenly chimed in.
"There’s such a thing? Then why didn’t he just specify an age requirement in the notice? Making us travel all this way for nothing!" Jiu Yue indignantly joined the conversation.
The speaker looked at her in surprise, noting that she was even younger than him, and instantly felt he had found a kindred spirit.
"Exactly! We came from afar, only to be stopped by some test without even seeing the patient. What a joke!" he fumed.
Jiu Yue dragged her chair over and sat down, pounding the table in frustration, her face crestfallen.
"Tell me about it… My old master sold everything to send me here, and now this." She sighed, then glanced at the four men, feigning self-doubt.
"You all look like skilled physicians. If even you couldn’t pass… I probably won’t even get past the Fu Family’s gates." She propped her chin on her hand, looking utterly dejected.
The men studied her carefully.
Medicine was a vast field with many specializations—some excelled in herbs, others in poisons, some had a knack for acupoints, while others relied on brute strength to set broken bones.
The faint scent of medicinal herbs lingered around the table, suggesting these men worked closely with drugs.
But they detected no such aura from Jiu Yue. One of them asked, "Hey, no need to be so pessimistic… Which school do you follow, miss?"
Jiu Yue replied, "I’m quite good with silver needles."
"Acupuncture!" The grumbling young man cupped his hands enthusiastically. "Then you should definitely give it a try! Young Master Fu might be looking for someone skilled in acupuncture… Since you’re already here, why not take a shot?"
Jiu Yue hesitated, feigning insecurity. "But I heard about the exam… I don’t have much confidence."
"What’s there to worry about?" The young man thumped his chest. "We’ve all been through it!"
"Right," another added warmly, pouring her tea. "We might not be able to help much, but if you’d like, we can tell you all about the test."
Jiu Yue gratefully held the teacup. "In that case, thank you all!"
And so…
When Mute Girl returned with several oil-paper packages, she found Jiu Yue had moved to another table.
The men around her were chattering away, and Jiu Yue listened intently, occasionally clapping or nodding, her enthusiasm infectious.
Mute Girl: "…"
She couldn’t help but smile before signaling the waiter to delay serving their food.
The young men talked until their throats were dry, and Jiu Yue listened with rapt attention. By the end, both sides were thoroughly satisfied with the exchange. Jiu Yue cupped her hands. "Thank you for your advice, brothers. I don’t have much to offer as a token of gratitude, so let me treat you to dinner!"
"No way!" The men protested. "Your master already sacrificed so much for you. We just had a chat—no need to trouble yourself… It’s getting late, and we’re leaving tomorrow. Let’s part ways here."
One of them even dashed off to settle the bill, as if afraid Jiu Yue would insist on playing the generous host.
Jiu Yue: "..."
Jiu Yue didn’t press further. After the others left, she dragged her chair back and sat down. The Mute Girl smiled and asked, "Did you manage to get the exam details?"
Jiu Yue nodded.
The Mute Girl’s smile widened. "That’s great."
Jiu Yue shook her head.
The Mute Girl paused.
Jiu Yue spread her hands. "I didn’t understand a word they said."
The Mute Girl fell silent: "..."
But Jiu Yue blinked and added, "However, I did gather quite a bit of information about this cousin of mine."
