Chapter 6: The Wooden Man

Liu Ruoshui's eyes darted around the room. There was no one else present, and her gaze involuntarily fell upon a copper mirror resting on a small table by the window.

Every woman, without exception, cared about her appearance, and Ruoshui was naturally no exception. In her past life, though her beauty was not quite enough to topple cities and nations, she had been bright and moving. She never would have imagined that upon transmigrating, she would become an ugly woman as plain as salt.

No matter how broad-minded she was, she couldn't help but feel a trace of disappointment.

Her memory of her current appearance was a blur; it seemed that after her face had been ruined, she had never looked in a mirror again.

She should look at herself in the mirror and see just how hideous she had become.

She walked to the table and slowly moved her face in front of the copper mirror.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she was still startled by the face in the mirror, and a layer of goosebumps rose all over her body.

It was truly... terrifying!

With a "thud," she flipped the copper mirror face down on the table, never wanting to look at herself in the mirror a second time.

However, from that single glance just now, she had quickly made a judgment. Her face would certainly not have become this terrifying without reason; it was clearly... poisoned!

She sat down, placed her left hand flat on the table, and rested her right index and middle fingers on her pulse. She closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and felt carefully.

Suddenly, her eyebrows twitched, and she opened her eyes, her gaze flashing.

There was indeed a problem!

Before she could analyze it further, the door behind her suddenly creaked open, and someone walked in.

Ruoshui turned around quickly to look.

She saw a tall man dressed in black, standing at the doorway holding a steaming bowl.

The man in black glanced over, and seeing that no one was on the bed, his sharp gaze swept the room. Finding Ruoshui sitting by the window, he did not seem surprised. He walked over, placed the bowl in front of her, and said curtly, "Medicine."

Ruoshui stared intently at the man before her. He was rigid and ordinary, his face looking as if it had been carved from wood, devoid of expression. Only his eyes were as dark as ink and brilliantly spirited; at a glance, they were as deep as the sea.

She searched through Ruoshui's memories and found that she did not know this person.

"May I ask who you are? Did you save me?" Ruoshui stood up and asked politely.

The man in black remained expressionless, neither speaking nor moving.

"Where is this?" Ruoshui thought for a moment and asked a second question.

"An inn," the man finally spoke, his voice cold and hard, devoid of any warmth.

He was simply like a piece of cold wood!

Ruoshui grumbled inwardly, withdrew her gaze, and looked at the bowl of medicine. She picked it up and drank it in one gulp.

With just a light sniff, she knew the medicine contained several ingredients such as Crane's Claw Grass, Sanqi, and Imperata Rhizome, which were quite effective for stopping bleeding and healing wounds. It was quite appropriate, though the effect would be even better if one were to add Pseudostellaria Tuber and Pagoda Flower.

The man in black's eyes flickered, a sense of strangeness passing through his heart.

They were strangers, yet she trusted him so much? She drank the medicine he brought without even asking a single question?

Ruoshui placed the empty medicine bowl on the table. Seeing a pot of tea on the round table in the room, she walked over, poured a cup, and rinsed her mouth, only then feeling the bitter taste of the medicine fade slightly.

"You are fine now. I shall take my leave." The man had been standing quietly, but suddenly spoke, dropping the sentence before turning to leave.

"Hey, wait a moment." Ruoshui did not expect him to leave so abruptly and instinctively called out to him.

"What else is there?" The man stopped, but did not turn around, his voice tinged with a hint of faint impatience.

What he loathed most in life were women, and he had even less desire to look at this massive burden that the "Old Eighth" had dumped on him. If she hadn't been unconscious until now, he would have long since abandoned her and walked away.

This man in black did not like her.

Having encountered countless people in her past life, Ruoshui quickly made a judgment. It made sense; with her current appearance, even she wouldn't want to look at herself for long, let alone win a man's favor.

However, from the man's gaze, she saw only indifference. When he looked at her, he did not look at her like a monster, filled with fear, terror, disgust, or contempt.

Although his face was wooden, he exuded an extraordinary aura that marked him as no ordinary person.

Her heart stirred, and she suddenly felt a surge of curiosity toward this mysterious man in black.

"Sir, may I ask your honorable name? I am Liu Ruoshui, the daughter of the current Left Prime Minister. Thank you for your kindness in saving me. Once I inform my father, I shall surely reward you handsomely." Ruoshui's bright eyes shifted as she gently cast out her first bait.

As expected, a flash of disdain instantly crossed the man's eyes, though his face remained wooden and expressionless.

"No need." The man's voice grew even more impatient as he said coldly, "I am not the one who saved you, so there is no need to thank me. Farewell!" Having said that, he strode away without a moment's delay.

Liu Ruoshui raised an eyebrow; she knew it would be like this!

"Sir, please let Ruoshui see you out... Ouch!" She stood up, making a gesture to see him out, but unexpectedly tripped over the stool beneath her feet and tumbled forward.

The man in black turned around with lightning speed, his movements as fast as a flash of light. He grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling to the ground.

"Thank you, Sir, for saving Ruoshui once again," Ruoshui said with a soft laugh, steadying herself by holding onto the man's wrist.