The bugle that had sounded within the stronghold was the battle horn signaling an enemy attack.
I had long anticipated that the Ten Thousand Poison Hall would resort to this tactic, so I quickly put on the cheongsam.
The moment I emerged from the water, the cheongsam dried on its own.
Glancing down the mountain, sure enough, the messenger was the Little Turnip Head who had been beaten earlier in the day.
He had taken quite a beating, even his standing posture was a bit off.
Yet, stubborn as he was, the little fellow still insisted on calling me an ugly woman.
Children speak without a filter; they're the most genuine, untainted beings in this world.
Just like the child who revealed the truth in "The Emperor's New Clothes," I naturally held no grudge against his thoughts.
I descended directly along the vines, "Walk two steps for me to see."
"Walk... two steps why? Are you making fun of me?" Little Turnip Head glared with eyes wide, filled with righteous indignation like a little beast, "Why did you... come down? I was just reminding you to be safe, what if you come down and encounter danger?"
I could see the light from torches moving chaotically inside the stronghold; it looked like a conflict had already started.
Quickly bandaging a strip of healing cloth around Little Turnip Head's wrist, "Never mind, you're just a toddler, it's best not to wander around. What if you run into bad guys? Stick with me."
"What did you tie on me?" Little Turnip Head looked down curiously at the cloth strip on his wrist, puzzled.
Holding his little hand, I said, "It's a healing cloth, your bruises from the beating will feel better after a while."
The little guy's hand noticeably tensed in my palm, but he didn't try to pull away, "Oh."
After walking a few steps with him, I realized he was limping terribly.
I simply picked him up, "Does it hurt a lot? I'll carry you."
"..." Little Turnip Head didn't utter a word, his body stiff and motionless, seemingly deep in thought.
I'll just assume he's shy~
It wasn't until we approached the area bright with torches and people that the slightly grubby Little Turnip Head finally mumbled, "I haven't taken a bath in a month."
"Pfft~" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This child, barely three or four years old, already knew shame.
His hot little face buried into my shoulder.
Yan Bashui had gathered a dozen of the stronghold's strongest to confront the men from the Ten Thousand Poison Hall. Official source is novelꞁire.net
Upon seeing me, he immediately tensed up, "Hey, Wanwan, why did you come? Did this little guy fail to deliver the message properly and tricked you into coming?"
The others also became annoyed, "I think this kid from the affluent family hasn't been beaten enough during the day."
"His bottom's already split from a beating, yet he's still so defiant."
"It's not about being defiant. Our Miss Wan is the future Stronghold Master. How can she afford to make mistakes on matters of such importance?"
Most people in the stronghold already knew me and spoke highly of me as the future heir of the stronghold; actually, everyone took great care of me.
"It was my choice to come, Little Turnip Head has nothing to do with it." I protected him like a mother hen, patting the back of Little Turnip Head's head, "Everyone, relax, there won't be a fight tonight."
"No fight? Su Wan, don't speak with such certainty, you might end up biting your tongue—the experts from all our four halls have arrived," said the man holding a torch, with two Vine Armor Zombie heads hanging around his neck.
Clearly, they had killed the guard at the entrance and barged in.
He laughed coldly, the hood of his robe concealing everything but his purple lips, "You have some skill, having evaded the trap of the Snake Devouring Stele and entered Tianying Village alive. But tonight, you're as good as dead!"