Chapter 6: Bathing, Clothes Vanish into Thin Air

"Little sister? My age from my past life plus this one combined—I could practically be your aunt!"

Tang Xin secretly pursed her lips, but since she still needed his help, she lifted her small face and smiled at him: "Hero, you wouldn't just watch someone die without saving them, would you?"

Upon seeing his appearance, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Did ancient times mass-produce beautiful men? That cold-faced handsome guy was a stoic, icy macho type, while this one was a gentle, refined scholarly youth. In a few more years, with the addition of a man's mature aura, wouldn't he become a heartthrob to millions?

"Move aside! Don't meddle in other people's business!" Mu Chenfeng's phoenix eyes half-narrowed as he glanced at him.

Hearing this, the young man cupped his hands and smiled: "I am Di Shangmo. I happened to be passing through and saw Brother treating an unarmed little girl with such relentless persecution. I simply couldn't stand by and watch. Brother's bearing is extraordinary—you're clearly no ordinary figure. Why make things difficult for a little girl?"

"The Young Master of the World's Number One Villa, Di Shangmo?"

"Precisely."

Mu Chenfeng's expression didn't soften because of the other's identity; instead, his voice grew even colder: "This King didn't know that Di Shangmo was actually someone who meddles in others' affairs!"

At these words, Di Shangmo was startled. He immediately scrutinized him carefully, and upon seeing the Snow Dragon Sword—the World's Number One Sword—in his hand, realized he was actually that stunningly brilliant Third Prince, Mu Chenfeng! He immediately cupped his hands: "I didn't realize it was the Third Prince. Shangmo has been rude."

Seeing this, Tang Xin felt a sense of foreboding. That cold youth was actually a Prince? Was she in deep trouble? She didn't know if this Di Shangmo would hand her over. After thinking it over, she tugged on his sleeve.

Di Shangmo lowered his head to see her blinking a pair of clear eyes at him. Seeing her tattered clothes revealing several old whip scars, and a deep gash on her face from sword qi, his heart softened at the thought of one so young enduring such things. He immediately said to Mu Chenfeng: "Your Highness, would you be willing to spare this little girl's life?"

"Spare her life?" Mu Chenfeng glanced at Tang Xin and said coldly: "She has already committed an unforgivable capital crime! This King must kill her!"

Hearing this, Di Shangmo frowned slightly and looked at the little girl behind him.

Tang Xin thought: It was just losing his broken prescription, and that's unforgivable? Her eyes rolled, and she quickly said: "I just lost your prescription. If I recite it back to you, wouldn't that settle it? Why must you have my life? I didn't mean to lose it. Besides, you've been chasing and trying to kill me all this way, and now you've injured my face. In the future, I'll never be able to marry because of my ruined appearance—the consequences are already severe enough, yet you still want to kill me. That's too cruel!"

"You memorized it all?"

"Of course! I happened to memorize it when I opened it to look. You want me to recite it now? I can do it right away." It was just a broken prescription. She really didn't know what he was so worked up about. That prescription could at most keep someone hanging on a bit longer—it wasn't any kind of radical cure.

Listening to their conversation, Di Shangmo understood what had happened. He smiled and said: "Your Highness, since that's the case, why not let her write down the prescription?" Seeing him remain silent, he took it as tacit agreement and continued: "There's a household ahead with lights still on. Why don't we go borrow brush, ink, paper, and inkstone?"

Thus, Mu Chenfeng sheathed his sword and turned to walk ahead, the two following behind. After about half an incense stick's time, Tang Xin handed him the written prescription: "Here, it's all here. Take a look."

Mu Chenfeng took the prescription and examined it. He had seen the original prescription before but hadn't memorized it entirely. Now seeing that what was written matched the original more or less, he believed it about fifty percent. He glanced at her and asked: "How can you be sure you didn't make any mistakes in the herbs?"

Hearing this, she got annoyed and immediately retorted: "I have a photographic memory. Don't believe me? Feel free to test me." Looking down on people—she, the dignified Divine Physician, couldn't remember a mere handful of herbs?

In the end, Mu Chenfeng still tested her, because this prescription allowed no margin of error. His Imperial Mother's body could no longer withstand any mishaps; a mistake would cost her life. But when he verified her words, he couldn't help but look at her with new respect.

At such a young age, she truly possessed a photographic memory. Her future achievements would surely be extraordinary.

Beside them, a glimmer of deep light flashed in Di Shangmo's eyes as he stared at Tang Xin like he'd discovered a treasure. He asked with a smile: "Little sister, may I test your martial potential?"

"Martial potential?"

For Tang Xin, who was still unfamiliar with this continent, these three words were completely foreign.

Di Shangmo nodded gently, revealing a warm smile: "Yes, martial potential is the latent ability within a martial practitioner's body. The higher the level of martial potential, the higher one's future cultivation ceiling. On the Longteng Continent, although the royal family holds sovereignty, in many cases the strong decide everything. The higher your own cultivation, the more status you have, and the more respect and admiration you receive."

Hearing his words, Mu Chenfeng glanced at him but didn't speak. Because what he said was indeed fact—if the royal family's strength weren't sufficient, how could the Longteng Continent be under the Mu family's sovereignty? The World's Number One Villa also possessed formidable strength; otherwise, it wouldn't have established a foothold on this continent.

Seeing both their gazes fixed on her, Tang Xin smiled inwardly. These two were no simple characters. Even if she really wanted to test her martial potential, she wouldn't let them do it. She blinked her clear large eyes and said crisply: "I don't practice martial arts, so testing that would be useless. No test, no test."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Di Shangmo's eyes, while an inscrutable light flickered in Mu Chenfeng's phoenix eyes. He gave her a meaningful glance, then strode outward, disappearing into the tranquil night in a few leaps...

Watching Mu Chenfeng leave, Di Shangmo merely smiled. His gentle gaze fell on Tang Xin as he asked: "Little sister, I still don't know your name."

"Hehe, I don't know my name either. I hit my head and woke up remembering nothing." Although her first impression of him wasn't bad, she didn't want to get too involved. She decided to play dumb.

"How did you get those injuries?"

"I was captured by some bad guys and locked in a cage. These injuries are from their beatings." Her clothes couldn't hide the whip marks, so she just told the truth.

Di Shangmo pondered briefly, then said: "The wounds on your body and face will be very difficult to heal completely. Ordinary medicine will likely still leave scars. My villa has superior medicine. Why don't you come back to the villa with me?"

"No." She shook her head, carefully putting away her remaining bits of silver.

"Why?" The World's Number One Villa—countless people would kill to get in, yet she dismissed it?

"I like being alone." After securing her silver, she waved cheerfully at him: "I'm leaving. Goodbye."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Taking her home for no reason? Did he think she was a five-year-old child?

Watching her quickly walk into the night as well, Di Shangmo froze for a moment, looking at that ragged little figure with a strange expression. He mused silently: She doesn't look like an ordinary child, so why this appearance? With a photographic memory, her talent must be considerable.

Outside Pingyang City.

Smelling her own stench, she frowned in disgust. Seeing a small stream down the slope ahead, she headed toward it. But as she approached the stream, she heard rustling sounds. She half-crouched, blinking as she looked toward the stream. One glance nearly made her nose bleed.

In the night, tree shadows swayed gently in the wind. The flowing stream shimmered with glittering light under the moonlight. A youth stood by the stream with his back to her, undressing. Outer robe, inner robe, undergarments—piece by piece they came off, placed on the grass by the bank. The youth's naked body was thus completely exposed before her eyes.