Chapter 4: Ask Not Whence, Nor Whose House

After dinner, Su Mu’s mother hurried off to the study, and before long, the sound of a woman’s sobbing drifted out from behind the door.

Su Mu returned to his own room, lying on his bed and staring blankly at the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall. Yet, his mind was preoccupied with the events of the day, pondering which incident had come to his parents’ attention.

A gentle knocking sounded at the door, and his mother entered, carrying a medicine box in her hand.

“Mother, you’re here,” Su Mu quickly got up to greet her, taking the medicine box from her hands.

“My foolish child, come, sit down,” his mother said, pulling him to sit by the bedside. Her eyes were slightly red, and seeing this, Su Mu realized what had happened. It seemed his injuries had been discovered, and he’d once again made his mother worry. A pang of guilt struck him.

She opened the medicine box, revealing numerous bottles and jars filled with healing salves and ointments. The Su family kept these well-stocked for Su Mu’s sake, always prepared for emergencies. After all, he had suffered countless injuries, large and small—how could they ever be without medicine?

“What are you trying to prove with this bravado? Do you think you’re made of iron? Or the reincarnation of a temple guardian? Your body is not as sturdy as others’. You don’t even realize how many hidden wounds you have. I don’t know if your last injuries have even healed. Most people avoid trouble when they can, but you…”

Tears welled in her eyes again as she spoke, and Su Mu felt both anxious and helpless.

“Take off your shirt. Let me apply the medicine,” his mother said.

Seeing she was about to cry again, Su Mu hurried to comply, swiftly removing his clothes and lying down to avoid further scolding.

When his mother saw the bruises and welts across his back, she fought back tears, not wanting her son to hear her weep and become more upset. Silently, she took out the medicine and began to gently apply it.

Su Mu felt no pain, but the soothing touch of his mother’s hand brought him great comfort. Perhaps even a stone, if it became human, could feel such warmth from a mother’s love.

“My child, please listen to your mother and don’t do such foolish things again. Other children are precious to their mothers, and you are more precious to me than anyone in this world. Heaven must have been watching over you this time, or you’d have been trampled to death. But what about next time…”

Unable to hold back any longer, tears streamed down her face. She opened her mouth to say more, but Su Mu quickly interrupted her.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I’m all right, aren’t I? I won’t do it again. I’m just a bit tired and want to rest.”

She sighed. “Very well. Rest now. Don’t get into trouble these next few days—heal up properly.” After a few more gentle reminders, she left, closing the door behind her. Su Mu let out a long breath; he truly was exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the sky was just lightening, and the sun had yet to shine on Jiangnan Town. Su Mu slipped out quietly, carrying the medicine box on his back and a hot steamed bun tucked inside his jacket. Without informing his family, he hurried out of town toward the riverside where he had been the day before. His kind heart was still worried about the mysterious woman he had met last night.

“Don’t let her freeze to death. Hurry up,” he muttered to himself, quickening his pace.

The sun soon scattered its warm light across the land, driving away the morning chill.

Su Mu stood in a daze beside a heap of tangled, dry grass. The woman from the previous night was nowhere to be seen, as if nothing at all had happened.

The wind off the river buzzed in his ears. Su Mu looked around. A few scattered trees grew by the riverbank, and aside from these, there was only a mess of rocks and weeds—certainly nowhere for someone to hide.

He thought, “That woman had plenty of wounds on her face and body. If she doesn’t apply any medicine, she might fall ill. Why didn’t she wait for me here? Now I can’t find her.”

He himself had once let a wound fester, hiding his injury. During that time, he’d been weak all over, dizzy and nauseous, suffering for days until it was discovered and treated just in time. Otherwise, he might not have survived. Since then, he knew untreated wounds led to illness, though he never understood why.

While Su Mu scratched his head and grumbled to himself, another gust of wind blew by. He sniffed deeply, then ran in the direction from which the wind had come.

It was strange—Su Mu had been born without the ability to feel pain, but his sense of smell was sharp beyond the ordinary. In that breeze, he caught a faint, fishy stench mingled with an odd, smoky aroma—if one paid close attention, it was the smell of poor-quality incense ash.

He hurried a few dozen steps around a large boulder and saw a figure lying among the rocks, a grayish cloak still draped over her.

Delight lit Su Mu’s face. “So, here you are! I told you to wait for me here yesterday, and you play hide-and-seek with me.”

Of course, he had never actually said such a thing, but such was the grumbling of his heart. If the woman could hear his thoughts, she’d surely scold him.

In truth, Su Mu did not realize how dire the woman's situation was—she could barely move, let alone go far. He still believed she was deliberately hiding from him, unaware that if she had been a little stronger, she would have slipped away long ago and would never have waited for this little rascal.

He gently rolled her onto her back. Her eyes remained shut, lips slightly parted. In daylight, the wounds on her face looked even more frightening, but Su Mu showed not a trace of fear—such things did not trouble him.

He opened the medicine box, selected a few bottles, sniffed at them, and nodded in satisfaction. With practiced hands, he applied ointment to the wounds on her face, then dusted off his hands and smiled at his own handiwork. Years of treating his own injuries had made him something of an expert.

“The face is easy enough. But the rest…”

He hesitated, his face full of embarrassment. The woman’s body bore many wounds as well, but he was reluctant to touch her. He had begun to understand the boundaries between men and women, and his cheeks flushed easily even when he was near An Rui. To apply medicine to a strange woman’s body was simply unthinkable.

The medicine he brought was of the finest quality and had already begun to take effect. The woman, in a daze, felt a coolness on her face and the pain that had tormented her eased greatly. Her mind cleared, and she slowly opened her eyes to see a child frowning as he examined her body.

A flush of shame and anger surged within her. She tried to scold him, but a surge of pain in her chest brought forth only a fit of coughing.

When the coughing fit subsided, she recognized the child from the night before and tensed, glancing around to see no one else nearby. She relaxed a little, then asked coldly, “Did you come alone? Was anyone following you? Where are we?”

Su Mu grinned when he saw her awake. “I came by myself. I didn’t tell my family. No one followed me. And this is… this is the Azure Python River.”

The woman realized he was applying something to her face and frowned. “Hmph, boy, is the stuff you’re putting on my face poisonous?”

“Of course not! I used it myself yesterday,” Su Mu replied quickly, and to prove it, he lifted his shirt to show her the bruises on his back.

She stared intently at his back for several moments before asking, her voice frosty, “What were you looking at just now? At your age, do you already have designs on me?”

Su Mu waved his hands frantically, his face pale with alarm. “No, no! I didn’t mean—I didn’t mean to take liberties! My mother told me that as I grow up, I mustn’t get too close to girls, let alone do anything improper. You’re injured—I don’t dare apply medicine to your body.”

She sneered, “I doubt you have the nerve. If you dared touch me, I’d kill you.” After a pause, she added, “Give me some of that medicine. And bring me something to eat—I’m hungry.”

She spoke with the tone of one accustomed to commanding others. Anyone else, having saved her life only to be ordered about without a word of thanks, would have been furious and stormed off. But Su Mu was used to listening to An Rui and didn’t find her manner off-putting.

At her words, he quickly took out the steamed bun he’d brought and handed it to her.

She eyed the still-warm bun with some displeasure. “Is this fit for people to eat?”

Su Mu was puzzled. “What’s wrong with the bun? Our cook just made these this morning—I ate one on the way.”

The woman said nothing more. Hunger overcame her, and she lowered her head, eating quickly, bite after bite.

When she finished, she fell silent for a moment, then asked, “What’s your name? You’re quite bold for your age. Answer me clearly—where is this place? I’m asking for the name of the location, not just the river.”

She had already realized this foolish boy needed things explained clearly, or else they’d waste half the day talking in circles.

Su Mu replied, “This is Jiangnan Town. My father mentioned before—it’s under the jurisdiction of Anping County, in the Northern Pastures Prefecture. My name is Su Mu.”

“Su Mu? Hmph, you really are a blockhead,” she scoffed. Then, as if muttering to herself, “Anping County… Heh, not far now, not far…” Her expression grew excited, but her eyes became unfocused, as if lost in thought.

After a while, her gaze sharpened, and she declared, “My surname is Jiang—of the Jiang family of Qiliang. Have you ever heard of us?”

With each word she spoke, the light in her eyes grew brighter. She fixed Su Mu with a piercing stare, her right hand raised slightly. Hidden beneath her clothing, three faint points of light glimmered on her chest and abdomen, and an imperceptible current of energy gathered in her hand. If Su Mu’s answer displeased her in the slightest, she would kill him without hesitation.