Vol 9 Chapter 14 (2/2)

It must be a blade that has cut through the rotten stick in my hands and this is the sound it’s making as it’s going through my head.

I never thought that I’d die on the way back like this after escaping from a watery death. Looks like my fate is at an end now…

…

Un? Wait. If my head has been cut open, why am I still able to think?

“… Un?” I calmed myself down and opened one eye.

Eh? Why am I still able to see? Does that mean I’m not dead?!

I hurriedly opened both eyes and touched my head. There were no blades nor were there bits of my brain spilled out. The only thing I felt were wood splinters. So does that mean that my a.s.sailant grabbed a wooden stick like I did? That’s really too…

“… Oi.”

Just as I was heaving a sigh of relief, the person in front of me growled. When I looked up, I saw that she was standing in front of me with a very domineering aura. Because the sunlight shone down from behind her, I couldn’t quite make out her face.

“Ah! Please spare my life, oh great hero!” I very embarra.s.singly recoiled and begged when I remembered that she was still here.

“… Umm… Are you Imperial Uncle Liu?”

…

… Eh? Her voice sounds very familiar. Seeing that she was not hostile, I calmed down and searched my memories for who she was. Could, could it be that–

Though I felt that it was absolutely impossible, I still looked up and took a good look at the person in front of me. And when I saw that delicate, oval face with a long black fringe that covered half of her face, her name slipped out of my lips naturally.

“– Huang Zu?!” I cried out, “You! But aren’t you already–” I hurriedly stopped myself before I finished the sentence.

“Dead huh?” As expected, she was planning on interrupting me anyway.

But yes, didn’t the reports say that Huang Zu died in battle? Yet, here and now, Huang Zu is standing before me on her 2 feet. I’m in a rather pathetic state right now but that has not impaired my ability to recognise her.

Of course, there’s the possibility that she has a twin sister I don’t know about.

When I nodded in response, Huang Zu smiled rather happily.

“Hmph, I happened to be lucky enough to be helped by my benefactor and escaped death.” Huang Zu said as she reached out to me, “When I heard a sound coming from here, my body moved by itself. Apologies for this.”

“Ah, un. I understand.” I said as I held her hand and got up.

Huang Zu seems a little more friendlier than before… No, to be more precise, she no longer has her airs on. The Huang Zu from before would not have spoken or acted like this. The Huang Zu now also feels more dispirited than before.

As I thought so, I dusted myself and began to look closely at Huang Zu.

She’d shed her heavy plate armour and was now wearing a light red gown. Her dressing was simple and clean and there was even a hairpin in her hair. Overall, she looked much more feminine than before.

“… Is Imperial Uncle sizing me up?”

“Ah, no.” I said as I looked up. But I locked eyes with her when I did so and hurriedly turned away. Sensing that there was no excuse, I decided to come clean, “I just feel that the feel I get from Administrator Huang Zu is a little–”

“Different huh?”

“There are of course similarities.”

Like how you always interrupt people.

“Haha, perhaps.” She laughed and gave a meaningful expression when she heard what I said, “I’ve been resting and recovering from my wounds for close go a month now. While Jiangxia was deep in crisis, I was residing in a far off village with nothing to do. Naturally, I’m a lot more relaxed and have no reason to frown anymore that I have no troubles.”

When she finished, she moved her fringe and I saw a scar. It was from a single strong cut downwards and was rather deep. Fortunately, it had already healed so there should not be any issues.

“Is that… From Jiangxia?”

Huang Zu nodded as she put her fringe back down.

“Back then, that rascal Gan Ning captured me and slashed down at my head. I’d already made my resold to die.” As she said so, her eyes shrank to a line, as though it were replaying before her, “It was right as she slashed down that things happened just like in the heroic tales of old. My benefactor burst in and parted the crowds with a single slash, grabbed and fled from the battlefield. That was how I was saved.”

She summarised the whole event very concisely. When I looked at her, I could tell that though she seemed like there was not much to say about what happened, she is probably very grateful to be saved.

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