Chapter 151: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 151: 

 

Eikushi-ji never expected that such a delicate young woman would suddenly shoot an arrow at him. Startled, he instinctively swerved to the side, but the arrow still pierced through his telescope, shattering the glass and sending shards flying everywhere.

The broken glass also struck his face, leaving several bloody scratches.

His subordinate, anxious, said, "General, we should leave quickly. We're too close to the camp; they'll be after us soon."

Eikushi-ji watched from a distance as the woman gave instructions to her guards, pointing in his direction. He knew he had to retreat, yet he felt a sense of reluctance and an overwhelming curiosity—who was this extraordinarily beautiful woman with such remarkable archery skills?

Meanwhile, Liu Mian Tang, after shooting the arrow, immediately sent someone up the hill to search, but found no trace of anyone. Instead, they discovered a pile of bloody glass shards hidden behind some bushes.

The guards brought the fragments to the princess consort, and after piecing them together, it became clear they were from a telescope.

Cui Xingzhou, looking at the assembled pieces of glass, realized someone had been spying on the camp.

Such a foreign object as a telescope wasn't something just anyone could possess; it was likely a scout sent by the Japanese.

However, upon seeing the broken glass, Cui Xingzhou seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, his expression slightly darkening. He then asked Liu Mian Tang how she had sensed someone was watching the camp the moment she saw the flash of light—didn't she fear shooting the wrong person?

Liu Mian Tang was taken aback by the question. After pondering for a moment, she replied, "Actually, I’m not sure why. Normally, I haven't seen such reflections much, but when I saw the light from a distance, my instinct just kicked in, and I raised my hand to shoot without any hesitation…"

Cui Xingzhou remained silent. He certainly wouldn't tell Liu Mian Tang that during their previous confrontations with the Yangshan bandits, he had almost glimpsed her true appearance. Unfortunately, just as he had raised the telescope to focus on the figure in a straw hat, he was struck by an arrow that shattered the glass…

It seemed that even though she had lost her memories, her instincts remained intact; she would still unconsciously replicate the actions she had performed in the past.

As Liu Mian Tang spoke, Cui Xingzhou held one of her hands, lost in thought. He gripped her hand tightly, unaware of the pressure he was applying.

When the grip became too painful, Liu Mian Tang gently tapped the back of his hand, prompting Prince Huaiyang to come back to reality. He casually said, "By the way, the Marquis has also arrived in Beihai and will be here tomorrow. It’s a good opportunity for him to check if your chronic headache has improved."

Hearing that Marquis Zhao was coming, Liu Mian Tang found it quite surprising. "What? Did he offend the Emperor and get sent to Beihai as punishment?"

Cui Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. "He's just a man without purpose; he wouldn't have the chance to provoke the Emperor. It's just that after getting married, he found life at home boring, so he snuck away to this desolate place to unwind behind his mother's back."

It turned out that the matriarch of the Marquis' family couldn't stand seeing her son remain without a proper wife for so long. So, among the various noble daughters, she meticulously assessed their backgrounds and appearances, eventually arranging a marriage for him.

This young lady came from a good family and was exceptionally beautiful, not to mention well-educated and well-mannered. Unlike the previous woman, who was overly devoted to Buddhism and hardly came out of the temple, the Marchioness was extremely pleased.

However, Zhao Quan had someone special in his heart. Despite being ordered to meet this young lady several times, he refused, claiming that there was no romantic connection between them. He felt that the young lady's expressions were somewhat dull and lacked vibrancy, making it hard for them to connect. This infuriated the matriarch to the point of falling seriously ill, and she declared that if her son did not marry, they would meet again in the underworld.

Zhao Quan had no choice but to agree to the marriage arrangement. He then concocted an excuse to travel and enjoy the sights before returning to fulfill his marriage duties.

So, he used the excuse of visiting his friend, Prince Huaiyang, to leave the Marquis' residence. He leisurely traveled through the mountains and enjoyed the scenery on his way to Beihai, taking his time and enjoying the freedom.

Upon hearing that the Marquis Zhao was coming, Liu Mian Tang was quite happy. The heat in Beihai was intense, and the local people had not had access to good doctors for a long time.

Liu Mian Tang, though not an excellent physician, had set up a small clinic in Cangwu County where she could treat some minor ailments. However, for more stubborn illnesses, she dared not prescribe treatment. The military doctors were so overwhelmed caring for the soldiers that they couldn’t assist the princess in tending to the border residents.

Once Zhao Quan arrived, he would be a valuable resource. Therefore, even before the Marquis' arrival, Liu Mian Tang thoughtfully arranged accommodations for him near the clinic, hoping to make the best use of his skills before sending him back to Zhenzhou.

One day, Liu Mian Tang, as usual, came to the clinic to see patients. It wasn't because she had nothing better to do; rather, there was a significant cultural gap between the outsiders and the locals. If you asked them directly about the true situation in the area, you would get nothing in response.

However, if Liu Mian Tang approached them as a healer and chatted with them in a friendly manner while treating their ailments, she could learn a great deal. To facilitate this, she spent a considerable amount of money hiring several locals who spoke different dialects, allowing her to communicate with people from various villages.

The nearby villagers knew that the high-ranking official who had come was a prince, and that he had a stunningly beautiful princess consort. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also skilled in medicine.

As a result, the locals had a much better impression of the army this time; they felt that the soldiers, from top to bottom, exuded a sense of friendliness and had never disturbed the common people. Therefore, many came to see her for treatment.

As soon as Liu Mian Tang sat down, a long line began to form.

After she had treated a few patients, a young man arrived. He had prominent, thick eyebrows and thin single eyelids, giving him a somewhat refined appearance, but his dark skin suggested he had spent many years at sea.

Even though Liu Mian Tang wore a hood and a thin veil, the young man continued to stare directly at her, appearing as if he were a lovesick fool.

However, this wasn't the first time a young man had gazed at Liu Mian Tang like this, so she paid it no mind. Her husband, on the other hand, who was quite jealous, was not at all pleased with it. He had even threatened to tear down her clinic, but after Liu Mian Tang insisted on wearing a thicker veil and they had a prolonged standoff, he finally relented.

Liu Mian Tang took the young man's pulse and found nothing serious, so she asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

The young man replied in a somewhat brusque tone, "I can't sleep..."

Hearing the way he spoke, Liu Mian Tang tilted her head slightly and confidently said, "You’re not Han, are you?"

He nodded and replied, "I’m from Korea, here for business."

Since Beihai had trade routes to the South Seas, there were indeed many Korean merchants in the area. Compared to the Japanese, they were generally more law-abiding.

Liu MianTang didn't ask further and began to write him a prescription. However, the young man suddenly grasped her delicate hand, saying, "Aren't you going to ask why I can't sleep?"

While many young men were infatuated with her, this was the first time one had the audacity to grab her hand so openly.

Before the guards could rush over, Liu MianTang swiftly employed a joint manipulation technique, twisting her wrist free, and then picked up a silver acupuncture needle, aiming for his pressure point. The needle struck the sensitive spot, and most people would immediately cry out in pain.

However, the young man only let out a muffled groan and didn’t relent. Instead, he looked at Liu MianTang with even more fervor. "You’re quite bold; I like that..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a strong hand reached from behind and grabbed him by the collar, effortlessly throwing him to the ground.

Seeing this, the young man's companions quickly drew their knives.

Liu Mian Tang watched closely. Although the knives were typical of the Central Plains, the way they were drawn clearly reflected Eastern Japanese techniques.

An idea struck her, and she shouted a phrase she had just learned from some Korean kids, “Come here, and I’ll give you something to eat!”

Such a nonsensical statement was bound to earn her some puzzled looks if they understood, but none of the young men reacted; their expressions remained stoic.

At that moment, the young man suddenly sprang to his feet and silently lunged at Cui Xingzhou, who was dressed in casual clothing.

His movements were strange and his attacks lethal. Unfortunately for him, his opponent wasn’t just some idle young master. Cui Xingzhou didn’t call for his guards; instead, he engaged the young man in hand-to-hand combat.

At first, due to his unfamiliarity with the opponent's fighting style, Cui Xingzhou took a few hits. However, it wasn’t long before he spotted the young man’s flaws. Seizing the opportunity, he executed a claw technique to disable his opponent, effectively dislocating the young man’s shoulder with a swift and decisive motion.

Cui Xingzhou kept his expression tense as he pinned the young man to the ground, instructing his men to tie up the group. Suddenly, one of the assailants pulled several small pellets from his pocket and tossed them onto the ground. Immediately, thick smoke billowed up, filling the air with a pungent odor.

Cui Xingzhou quickly stepped in front of Liu Mian Tang, shielding her from the chaos.

As the smoke cleared, the previously beaten men had seemingly vanished like a magic trick.

Liu Miantang coughed and remarked, “They don’t seem like Korean people…”

Cui Xingzhou ordered his men to search the area while furrowing his brows. “This is Eastern Japanese ninja technique…”

Liu Mian Tang was taken aback. “These Japanese have the audacity to come here and still try to seek medical help?”

Cui Xingzhou recalled how that young man had dressed neatly and stared at Liu Mian Tang with a fixation. He couldn't help but snort, “Seek medical help? Judging by the way he looked at you, that nameless kid must be suffering from lovesickness!”

However, this commotion wasn’t entirely without benefit; Cui Xingzhou could justifiably prohibit Liu Mian Tang from returning to the medical tent, waiting for Zhao Quan to take over her duties.

In the upcoming days, Cui Xingzhou needed to set sail for inspections, and he worried he wouldn’t be able to look after Liu Mian Tang, so he insisted that she stay in the residence at Cangwu County, which put his mind at ease.

The Japanese had established a base on a small island in the sea, and it took two days to sail there. The local navy in Beihai was disorganized and lacked combat effectiveness, rendering them powerless against the Japanese who were swiftly raiding the waters.

Cui Xingzhou knew that while they could only drive back the Japanese on land, they couldn’t completely eradicate them; they had to go to their base on the island to wipe out this group of pirates once and for all.

Once the military camp was established, Cui Xingzhou immediately began reorganizing the navy, training the troops, and repairing the warships, preparing naval weaponry to ensure the ships would be ready as soon as possible to eliminate the Japanese stronghold.

Meanwhile, on the island where the Japanese were stationed, as Eikushi-ji stepped off the ship, someone urgently exclaimed, “General, how can you put yourself in danger by personally going to Cangwu County?”

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