Chang'an, Jin Kingdom Duke's Residence.
“Wu Qiu, Shi Dong, come in.”
The dozing maids outside the door instantly perked up. One of them entered and lit the candlestick, only to see a figure in a terrifying iron mask shaped like a Buddha. Despite the monstrous sight, the maids showed no fear. However, upon noticing the bloodstains on the figure’s night attire, they were shocked. “Miss, you’re hurt?”
“How could I be? It’s all someone else’s blood.”
“Ran into some guards who weren’t afraid to die again? Or some brainless fools who valued money over their lives?”
“Neither. Just someone I wanted to kill. Pity—I failed in the end.”
“Anyone Miss wants to kill must be a real scoundrel,” Wu Qiu chimed in. “Just like those bandits the Divine Marquis Estate is after. Speaking of which, Miss, did you hear their latest announcement?”
Medicine Master Wen’s expression remained unchanged as she gave a faint nod. “I heard. Disturbed my dreams with that loud racket in the middle of the night—startled me.”
“They said those bandits committed crimes in Jiangnan. I wonder if they wreaked havoc like they did when they burned Anguo Temple. I want to visit Jiangnan too—I heard it’s beautiful, with wind as gentle as a lover’s caress.”
“Hmph, you say that as if you’ve been there yourself.”
“‘As gentle as a lover’s caress’... You’ve been flirting with the guards lately. Are you in heat, you little minx?”
“No! Absolutely not… not at all!”
It took quite a while for Wu Qiu to remove all of Medicine Master Wen’s outer and inner armor, as well as her underclothes. She was drenched in sweat from the effort. The armor, when laid on the floor, thudded with weight, and her inner garments were soaked through. Google seaʀᴄh 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
After her third job change, Medicine Master Wen had once again upgraded her equipment. The entire set was forged from refined steel of the Secret Realm, from elbow guards to faceplate—complete with full protection. Its defense could withstand the lethal force of Second-Stage demons. Even with her Black Wolf mask broken, what others saw was her wrathful vajra iron visage. Thus, it came to be known as the Vajra Armor, a pinnacle of craftsmanship in the Zhou Kingdom.
“Miss, the water’s ready,” came Shi Dong’s voice from the adjacent bath chamber.
Medicine Master Wen stepped into the steamy room and raised her arms. The two maids immediately began undressing her. As they removed her chest wrap, her long-restrained pride bounced free with a vengeance—followed swiftly by beads of sweat.
That area, being the most tightly bound, was hotter and more stifling than her socks. The maids had to wrap her in a thick towel, wiping away the stream that had pooled in the middle, lifting and dabbing the sweat trapped beneath. By the time they were done, the towel was nearly soaked.
A small step stool stood beside the bath. Medicine Master Wen tested the water temperature with her toes, then carefully stepped in to avoid splashing. As she sat down, she let out a long moan, and the tension in her brows and eyes melted away.
Wu Qiu laughed. “Good thing no one heard that. Otherwise, rumors would be flying around the residence about the eldest miss being lovesick.”
“I wish I were. Father only has one daughter—me. I bear the responsibility of continuing the line of the Medicine Masters of Bashui. The sooner I marry and have children—three or four—the more at ease the servants will be,” Medicine Master Wen murmured.
“Three or four!?” Wu Qiu was stunned. “Miss, you want that many?”
“The Medicine Masters of Bashui are few in number. If I only have one child, and he manages to reach Foundation, that’s fine. But if he stalls at the Third Job Change, won’t he become just another lone soul relying on uncles and maternal relatives—just like my father?” Medicine Master Wen said coldly. “To manage such a vast household without the support of close kin—one is bound to be deceived by those beneath.”
Wu Qiu dared not respond. While Medicine Master Wen could mock the Duke of Jin, if she echoed those words, it would be tantamount to sowing discord within the household—a capital offense. As she helped wash her lady’s hair, she changed the subject. “Does Miss have someone in mind?”
“Heh. Not just in Chang’an—there are barely a few in the entire Great Zhou who are worthy of my gaze, let alone my affection.” Medicine Master Wen closed her eyes, recalling the ones from the Thieves’ House, and snorted softly. “But maybe… someone outside…”
Suddenly, Shi Dong collapsed onto the ground with a sob, tears streaming down her face.
Though only maids, Wu Qiu and Shi Dong had grown up alongside Medicine Master Wen—closer than sisters. Naturally, she wouldn’t ignore such a thing. Her brow furrowed sharply. “Who bullied you in the residence? Speak!”
Shi Dong shook her head and wiped her eyes. “No one bullied me. Today, I… I received news from my family in Fengyi Commandery. They said…”
Medicine Master Wen reached out to pat her head. Shi Dong choked out a few more sobs before breaking into full-blown wails. “They said soldiers from Yongzhou came to our village, conscripting men and seizing women. My family—there’s only my elderly mother and nephew left. All our belongings were stolen. Grandpa and my brother were forced into the ‘Impactor’ corps. Even my sister-in-law was dragged into the military camp!”
Wu Qiu quickly embraced her for comfort. Medicine Master Wen’s expression turned stone-cold.
The so-called Impactor Corps were cannon fodder dragged in from the masses. Each man was given a spear and driven forward by a single soldier to stab at demons before retreating. But most demons were faster than ordinary folk—one could imagine the casualties.
As for Yongzhou, it had once been under Zhao Yuanbao, one of the Six Pillars of State. After he plotted to assassinate Mo Ke, the latter set a trap and incinerated him during his court attendance. Yongzhou was then handed to his nephew, Medicine Master Xun, for management.
That bastard dared do something ?!
Medicine Master Wen shot up from the water. Her eyes froze into icicles. Hot water streamed down her curves, tracing out lines that could mesmerize souls.
“Dress me. I’m going to see the Duke of Jin.” She paused. “Armor me.”