Qibei Commandery, Anyang Prefecture, the backyard of the Prefect's manor.
"Husband, is there still no news of Xing'er? Where could she have gone alone? What if she encounters danger?"
Ever since the couple's emissaries reported that their daughter was no longer in their assigned location and her whereabouts were unknown, Madam Hu had been very panicked and worried.
She feared something might happen to her daughter.
Lately, she would pester her husband as soon as he returned, asking him repeatedly, which was starting to annoy her husband, Hu Heyong:
"Enough. The world is so vast, if she runs off anywhere, how would I know where she's gone? This kind of thing can't be publicly announced with wanted posters and rewards for help, we can only search discreetly.
Results won't come that quickly.
This girl is truly outrageous. I was worried she might have been traumatized by the destruction of Divine Physician Valley, but it seems there was no trauma. Instead, she's become wild and run off somewhere!
A proper young lady from a good family.
What is she doing wandering around outside every day like this?
We shouldn't have listened to her in the first place and given her so many medical books to read. And I shouldn't have listened to you, fearing she was frail, and not sent tutors to teach her manners. That's how she became this disobedient and lawless, running off who knows where!"
"What's the point of saying this now?
Do you want to say we shouldn't have sent her to Divine Physician Valley for treatment in the first place, and just let her die? Xing'er had to be treated at Divine Physician Valley because she suffered in the womb and injured her foundation. She didn't receive treatment after birth, isn't that all our fault!
If she wasn't born with insufficient vitality and a damaged foundation, why would she have suffered so much outside for so many years, taken so much medicine, and treated medicine like food? Do you have a heart?
She's just young and a bit不懂事 (doesn't understand things properly).
When she returns, I'll discipline her properly."
Although Madam Hu was not entirely satisfied with her daughter's behavior, she couldn't bring herself to blame her daughter and spoke up for her.
"Don't always try to make excuses for her.
How is she young? When you were her age, you were already married to me. When your eldest sister was her age, she was at least engaged. She's been in Divine Physician Valley for treatment for so many years without returning, and there are already rumors and gossip.
Divine Physician Valley was destroyed, and she is still alive.
The gossip has only gotten worse.
Do you know what people are saying? They're saying that her survival after Divine Physician Valley was destroyed is no different from being abducted by bandits and then rescued after the bandits were dealt with!
I won't say the more unpleasant things to upset you.
Instead of returning home quickly, staying put for two years, and then getting married, she's been wandering around, even disguised as a man, treating people everywhere.
I heard she even stripped people entirely naked.
Performing surgery, regardless of gender!
If people knew that doctor was her, who would be willing to marry her?
I said we should bring her back directly back then.
You insisted otherwise, saying it was better to let her recover and be free outside, as she wouldn't be free later when she returned.
Now, she's completely free.
Who knows where her freedom has taken her!"
Although this is a wuxia world, martial arts and the imperial court are distinct. While there are interactions, they generally operate independently with their own rules. The rules for a noble young lady and a martial arts heroine are ultimately different, and intermarriage is rare.
He is an official.
His daughter is naturally a noble young lady.
She needs to find a marriage of equal standing.
If potential in-laws were to find out about this, those who haven't married might break off the engagement, and who knows how those already married would view his daughter? Her entire life would be ruined!
Hu Heyong's anger and regret were not without concern for his daughter's future.
"Those who spread gossip behind people's backs deserve to die.
Alas, husband, haven't I already forbidden anyone in the manor from mentioning this? Anyone who does will be sold off. Are people still spreading rumors in private?"
Hearing her husband mention reputation, Madam Hu's mood also became dejected. She felt indignant and resentful towards those who gossiped and damaged her daughter's reputation. She was also surprised that despite her explicit prohibition, people were still talking.
At this moment, Hu Heyong shook his head helplessly:
"How can such things be completely stopped? Your daughter's treatment at Divine Physician Valley wasn't known only to us. When others heard about the incident at Divine Physician Valley, it was natural for them to ask about Xing'er, whether she was safe.
I couldn't say Xing'er was dead.
Of course, I had to say she was alive and had narrowly escaped!
You can control our household, but how can you control outsiders? Restraining public opinion is harder than stemming a flood. If she had returned earlier, it would have been easier for me. Now that she hasn't returned, alas, children are indeed a burden!"
"I see. Why didn't you tell me sooner?
If you had told me earlier, I could have thought of a solution. Since that's the case, let's tell everyone outside that Xing'er returned long ago but was frightened and not fully healed. She's been recuperating at a nearby Taoist temple.
We can also say she's praying for the doctors of Divine Physician Valley.
After all, she spent ten years there, and those doctors were kind to Xing'er. Saying she's helping at the Taoist temple by chanting scriptures to pray for those doctors can at least earn Xing'er a reputation for gratitude."
This was the first time Madam Hu had heard about the rumors concerning her daughter. However, her mind worked quickly. She playfully chided her husband with a hint of annoyance and then thoughtfully proposed a new plan.
"This... can it be done like this?"
"Why not?
Who would investigate or visit? For now, we'll proceed with this. I'll make arrangements, and you quickly find a way to bring Xing'er back. Few in this so-called martial world obey the law. I'm worried Xing'er might get into trouble outside. I also heard that several disciples of Divine Physician Valley who were outside have been pursued.
If those attackers find out Xing'er escaped Divine Physician Valley, and assume she knows something, then Xing'er will be in even greater danger. We must hurry!"
"Alright, I'll urge them to speed up."
"Should we seek help from the martial world?"
"No, I'm worried they'll make things worse!"
"That's probably wise..."
After a discussion, Hu Heyong and his wife, who had failed to bring their daughter back, quickly finalized their plan and each sent out people to make arrangements.
Meanwhile, Ding Yun had not found any patients who came to her door for several days, nor had she encountered any assassination attempts. Furthermore, she heard that a plague had broken out in Huiyang City, more than three hundred miles away, and the city was under lockdown.
Therefore, she immediately decided not to stay there any longer.
She would go to Huiyang City to treat the sick and save people.
Once she cured the plague, she would not only gain many skill points but also spread her reputation. It would be much better than staying put and being treated as a fraud.