The faces of the onlookers slowly turned serious. They exchanged glances, and while Wu Caiwei was not paying attention, they attacked simultaneously.
Hearing the wind, Wu Caiwei lunged forward. Before they could react, she stepped over each of them horizontally, executed a graceful turn, and landed steadily on the ground.
The few men were knocked to the ground before they could even launch their attacks. They quickly got up and, with a sense of respect, clasped their fists in greeting.
The Governor nodded with satisfaction, as if he had found a priceless treasure. He had not expected such a master to be hidden in the city. Although Xingqing had harbored doubts about her, he had not taken any substantial action, merely dispatching people to monitor her.
At the same time, everyone's eyes, as if by unspoken agreement, turned towards General Liu. Seeing the pity and schadenfreude in their eyes, his face immediately turned red. If time could be reversed, he would never have uttered such boastful words. Although she was a woman, her martial arts were truly unfathomable. He had lost to her twice, thinking it was mere luck. But when all the generals attacked together and still couldn't defeat her, he finally understood that there was always someone better.
"What is said cannot be unsaid, General Liu. Are you trying to go back on your word?" The Governor was not intentionally making things difficult for him, but rather, due to General Liu's usual impulsive and reckless behavior, he wanted him to learn a lesson. Moreover, Miss Wu was exceptionally skilled, and by acknowledging her as his master, he could secretly learn a few moves.
Everyone immediately caught on and began to tease him, "Liu Da Niu, are you backing down?"
"Liu Da Niu, you must keep your word."
"Liu Da Niu, hurry up and go."
...
General Liu listened to their chattering and desperately wanted to retort. But he knew that any word from him would only make matters worse. His neck and face turned red with frustration as he shuffled step by step towards Wu Caiwei. As he walked, he pondered for a solution, wishing he could slap himself twice. Why did he have to say he would become someone's disciple if he lost in the competition?
Although he greatly admired her martial prowess, at his age, a grown man becoming a disciple of a young girl would tarnish his reputation and he feared being ridiculed by his subordinates.
Wu Caiwei saw that the crowd was merely teasing and had no ill intentions. As for General Liu, he looked flustered and somewhat shy, not outright angry. She quickly smiled and said, "At my age, it's understandable that General Liu doesn't believe in my martial arts. Many people have said similar things as General Liu, and I never took them seriously. If I did, I would have a lot of disciples following me. General Liu has been leading troops for many years and has rich combat experience. There are many things I can learn from you, and I will ask for your guidance often in the future."
"You said it yourself, not that I want to go back on my word." Hearing her say this, General Liu immediately seized the opportunity. After some thought, he said a little sheepishly, "I can't speak for other things, but when it comes to military strategy, if there's anything you don't understand, I will tell you about all the events and experiences I've encountered over the years, without any reservations."
Wu Caiwei nodded with a smile, finding the general quite endearing.
An unexpected situation arose: the Xiongnu had been unusually quiet for the past few days, which was not their usual style. The Governor instinctively raised his guard, fearing a surprise attack. However, after a few days, they unexpectedly withdrew their troops. He quickly contacted his spies within the Xiongnu to find out what had happened.
Soon, they received news. It turned out that the Xiongnu Crown Prince, who had been hiding within the army, wanted to seize the fruits of victory to enhance his reputation. He personally led the charge, only to encounter Wu Caiwei, who shot him off his horse. Despite rescue efforts for several days, his life could not be saved.
Upon receiving the news, his brothers quickly moved to divide his power, showing no regard for his unburied remains.
Upon learning the truth, they were overjoyed. They praised Madam Wu's superb skills and then loudly announced to the citizens hiding in the city that they were safe and could come out. The city became lively again.
Afterward, Wu Caiwei noticed a problem: the Governor started visiting her home more frequently. His excuses were always to check on the children, but he never failed to bring her gifts. At first, Wu Caiwei thought he was merely rewarding her contributions to the war effort and accepted them without hesitation. To her surprise, his behavior escalated.
When Wu Caiwei refused to accept, he would leave the items with the gatekeeper and ride away. She was forced to take the gifts and visit him in person.
The Governor was overjoyed to hear she had arrived. He tidied his clothes and went to meet her. Upon entering the room and seeing the table full of gifts, the smile on his lips fell.
If Wu Caiwei couldn't tell that he was interested in her, she would have lived all these years in vain. She didn't want to give him any opportunity and got straight to the point, "I've come today to return these items to you, Your Excellency. One should not accept rewards without merit."
"If it weren't for Miss Wu, I don't know if I would still be standing here talking to you. Perhaps the city would have fallen. These gifts are merely to express my gratitude." The Governor quickly explained. Although he admitted his ulterior motives, his words were true.
"I appreciate your intentions, Your Excellency. I am also a part of this city. If the city fell, it would do me no good. I was merely fulfilling my duty. Please don't take it to heart."
The Governor nodded. "Since you don't like these things, I won't send them again. Since you've come to my manor today, I'll give you a tour and you can stay for lunch. My mother has long heard of this female hero in our city and wants to meet you."
"Perhaps another day. Some issues have arisen at my shop, and I happened to be passing by. I need to deal with them quickly. If I have time another day, I will have a good meal with the old madam." Wu Caiwei casually made an excuse, not wanting to interact with him further.
"What happened? Do you need my help?" The Governor saw this as his best opportunity to impress her and quickly asked.
"Just some ordinary trivial matters, no need for Your Excellency to worry." Wu Caiwei quickly took her leave.
The Governor, feeling somewhat defeated, escorted her to the main gate. He watched her get into the carriage and leave, standing in place for a long time, lost in thought. He had been married before, but his wife had died in childbirth, leaving only a daughter. Many women had wanted to be his wife, and he had ignored countless arranged encounters. The one woman he finally fancied didn't even seem to care about him. He felt as if the tables had turned.
His mother, hearing the news, rushed over. When she learned that Wu Caiwei had already left, she was quite disappointed. She had long noticed her son's unusual behavior. Seeing him looking dejected, it was clear he had encountered a setback. She raised an eyebrow in surprise; it was quite novel to see someone make her son look foolish. However, since her son was finally willing to consider marriage, she was determined to help him.