Chapter 15 Human-Faced Dog: The Girl
Yes, General Xie was the most seriously injured.
The cave was completely collapsed, and the secret passage led nowhere, so there was no need to pursue the escaped people.
Moreover, Xie Xingzheng was seriously injured, so the group took the children back to the inn to rest for the time being.
Tang Yu wanted to treat his injuries first, but was refused and told to treat the children first.
After a careful examination, it was found that the child had only fallen asleep due to inhaling sleeping gas. He had some old bruises on his body, but was not injured by the cave collapse. It seemed he would not wake up until the next day, which saved a lot of trouble.
The children were safe and sound thanks to the meticulous Xie family soldiers, who were rough around the edges but actually quite skilled; they themselves carried injuries of varying degrees of severity.
Tang Yu took on the duty of a doctor, first applying medicine and bandaging the soldiers outside, and only then could she turn to Xie Xingzheng, who was resting inside.
At this time, only Xie Xingzheng and his deputy were inside the room.
He was badly injured; his left shoulder was swollen and bruised, with a bloody gash from being hit by a stone. The blood seeping out had soaked through a large patch of his night clothes, and his lieutenant helped him tear off the fabric stuck to the wound.
"During the retreat, no one was seriously injured, right?" Xie Xingzheng's expression was cold and stern, seemingly unconcerned about the tugging of his wounds and completely oblivious to the pain.
Xu Lian shook his head, "The brothers are fine, just some scratches. Young General, you are the most seriously injured, so don't worry about us."
Xie Xingzheng, however, showed a rare hint of doubt and turned to ask, "You mean... only scratches?"
Xu Lian was puzzled as to why the young general was asking, and simply replied, "Yes."
Xie Xingzheng raised his hand to stop him, took the gauze, and said, "I can do it myself. Go outside and take a look."
Xu Lian knew that he never liked to trouble others, so he sighed, didn't insist, left the things behind, and went out.
Unexpectedly, they ran into Tang Yu, who was raising her hand to knock on the door.
"Dr. Su..." Xu Lian was stunned, and immediately turned to look at Xie Xingzheng, unsure whether he should stop him.
Tang Yu looked inside and saw Xie Xingzheng bandaging his own head with practiced skill.
Even though his cheeks were still tinged with ash and his hair was a little disheveled, his back remained straight, and his smooth muscle lines made his shoulders appear broad and his waist narrow, giving him an excellent physique.
Tang Yu didn't give him a chance to refuse, and said jokingly, "General Xie, the doctor is here, so there's no need for you to do it yourself."
Without any hesitation, she pushed Xu Lian aside and arranged the medicinal herbs. Xie Xingzheng, however, didn't stop working either, as if he wanted to finish bandaging before she could.
"How can you not follow the doctor's orders?" Tang Yu frowned in dissatisfaction.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xingzheng remained silent for a moment before finally lowering his hand and sitting upright on the edge of the bed.
Upon seeing this, Xu Lian quickly closed the door and left, fearing that if he was a moment too late, the young general would have driven the doctor away.
Tang Yu walked to his side, looked him up and down, and said, "Take off your clothes, let me see if you have any other injuries."
Xie Xingzheng paused for a moment, and Tang Yu vaguely sensed a hint of struggle in his usually cold and indifferent expression. But in the end, he obediently removed the outer robe from the side of his injury.
Out of consideration for his rescue, Tang Yu also took out a secret medicine made by the Tang Clan. Although they were skilled in poisons, medicine and poison share the same origin, and this medicine was extremely rare in the martial arts world.
She stepped forward and, without any hesitation, reached out and tore off the other side of her outer robe.
Xie Xingzheng was startled by her actions and quickly whispered, "I can do it myself."
After he undressed, his upper body was exposed to Tang Yu's eyes. Even if he were dressed as a girl, let alone a woman disguised as a man, as a doctor, she wouldn't find it inappropriate.
But Xie Xingzheng's injuries stunned her.
Aside from his injured left shoulder tonight, his shoulders, back, and chest were crisscrossed with fine, old wounds. Although they had long since healed, they still left horrifying marks, as if sealing away past pain beneath his skin.
If the wound hadn't penetrated deep into the flesh, bone, and skin, it obviously wouldn't have left this indelible scar.
Tang Yu's gaze couldn't help but linger.
His handsome face, with its sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, still retained a youthful air, clearly not much older than her.
"His bone is fractured. Such a serious injury, yet General Xie didn't utter a sound. He's a true man." Tang Yu withdrew her gaze, sighing as she casually unwrapped the half-wound bandage.
It must be said that he was clearly used to doing this, wrapping the package neatly and efficiently.
"Is the battlefield really this dangerous?"
She asked casually, but it was to distract him as she sprinkled the powder on the wound... and also to consider whether she should take the opportunity to retaliate and apply more pressure when bandaging it.
Xie Xingzheng remained motionless, his expression calm as if he felt no pain, and said in a light tone: "Military affairs change in an instant. Generals and commanders are always on the front lines, and injuries are common."
Tang Yu lowered her eyes and sensed his sense of responsibility. Then, remembering how he risked his life to save the child, she gave up her evil intentions.
As she carefully bandaged his wound, Xie Xingzheng suddenly spoke up: "I heard from the deputy general that the soldiers outside only had some scratches?"
"Yes, General Xie is the most seriously injured," Tang Yu joked.
“Isn’t that strange?” His gaze sharpened. “When we first entered the cave, there were traps everywhere, and even with utmost caution, it was difficult to avoid them. But during the chaotic retreat, not a single person accidentally triggered a trap and got injured.”
Tang Yu paused, then smiled and casually replied, "They probably cleared out all the hidden weapons and mechanisms when they explored inside."
Xie Xingzheng turned his head to the side, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes that she couldn't see. "That's really... lucky."
Tang Yu remained calm and continued to finish up, finally taking the outer robe to drape over him and putting the medicine into the box.
"General, please take care of your wound these next few days. Do not get it wet, and do not eat any meat."
Xie Xingzheng looked at her hands as she packed her things; they were fair and slender. He suddenly asked, "Where is Doctor Su from?"
Her hands didn't stop moving, but a sense of unease crept into her heart. She raised her eyes and smiled, "Sichuan."
“It’s a good place.” He nodded, no longer asking questions, but his eyes softened and his brows relaxed. He said sincerely, “Thank you.”
In that instant, Tang Yu met those obsidian-clear eyes again, and a guilty conscience surged up once more. Not daring to linger, she hurriedly retreated.
The fact that she didn't encounter any traps during the retreat through the cave suggests that she deliberately disarmed them by falling behind the group.
She just didn't expect that he would be able to notice this clue even in the darkness and chaos.
This person is indeed frighteningly perceptive.
She was secretly annoyed, wondering why she had been so soft-hearted and missed such a great opportunity for revenge!
*
The next day, Xie's army spent a great deal of effort to dig out two relatively intact bodies from the collapsed cave.
The ghostly mask was removed, revealing a face with a high nose, prominent cheekbones, and deep features—the very appearance of a person from southern Xinjiang.
This silently confirmed Tang Yu's initial deduction: these children were under a spell, which is why they unconsciously left their homes, were abducted, and eventually became "human-faced dogs" wandering in the mountains and forests.
The three then told Xie Xingzheng about their encounters along the way, from Ghost Cry Village to Xia Nan Blood Well, then to the beggar in Quzhou, and the "human-faced dog" they captured this time.
From the scattered clues, he keenly grasped a certain hidden connection. It was as if an invisible thread was stitching everything together with the southern border.
His gaze darkened slightly as he slowly spoke: "Back in Xia Nan, the so-called Blood Well was also caused by Gu worms?"
“Not only that.” Xiao Fangliang said gravely, “On the way to deliver the goods, those who poisoned the horses and blocked our way into Xia Nan were not only people from the Southern Frontier, but also had Gu poison planted on them.”
He paused, then looked at Tang Yu with a faint smile, "It's all thanks to Brother Yu, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to save those two survivors."
Xie Xingzheng followed his gaze to Tang Yu, fell into a brief moment of contemplation, and then spoke: "Fifteen years ago, Great Xia fought with Southern Xinjiang and annexed several kingdoms in Southern Xinjiang. For example, Nanzhao, which is now Xia Nan Prefecture, is considered to be stable and prosperous under the protection of our dynasty."
He paused, his tone slightly cold, "But most of the small countries in the Southern Frontier are inherently harsh and cold lands, relying on the Southern Moon for survival back then. After the Southern Moon was destroyed, they were unwilling to submit, and with their vitality severely damaged, the people suffered greatly. On the surface, they maintained good relations with our dynasty, just to prolong their lives. But decades have passed, and the Southern Frontier has gradually lost its vitality. Now, with all sorts of movements... perhaps they have long harbored ulterior motives and covetousness towards our dynasty."
Xiao Fangliang's expression also became more solemn. "Back then, Nan Yue was famous for its witchcraft. After the defeat, it was rumored that many skilled witchcraft practitioners fled to Da Xia to hide. Although His Majesty has sent troops to suppress them many times over the years, it has always been difficult to completely eliminate them."
He paused, his brows furrowing slightly. "So... you suspect that this might be a grand scheme secretly being plotted by the Southern Frontier to overthrow the nation and avenge its humiliation?"
"It's too early to say for sure," Xie Xingzheng slowly shook his head, his expression grave. "In a few days, the Southern Frontier delegation will enter the capital, bringing so-called 'sacred relics' as tribute. I'm afraid this trip is not as simple as it seems on the surface, and their intentions in entering the capital... may not be so pure."
A heavy silence fell over the room. But since there was no evidence, all they could do was remain cautious and wait and see.
Although the case of the human-faced dog exposed the trickery and rumors, there were no survivors for interrogation.
The Xie family army could only send the children back to their hometowns for the time being. Xie Xingzheng still needed to investigate whether there was any collusion between the government and the authorities behind this. Where did the criminals from southern Xinjiang escape to? Where were the remaining children taken?
The case seems clear, but it is actually shrouded in an even greater fog.
Not far away, Wang Shanyue was still chatting with Xie Xingzheng about the perilous journey they had taken.
Xiao Fangliang silently walked to Tang Yu's side, opened her palm, and showed her the spider silk she had used to capture the "human-faced dog".
"This spider silk must be expensive, right? Is that little spider still alive?"
“Spiders are better at sensing danger than humans, so it’s fine.” Tang Yu took the spider silk and put it away, a smile playing on her lips. “Brother Xiao, why didn’t you keep it this time?”
Xiao Fangliang raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Originally, I was somewhat curious and suspicious of Miss Tang. That's why I thought of bringing her back so that General Xie could see if she was the girl he told us to be careful of."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu's heart tightened, but she was also somewhat surprised: "How did you know I'm a girl?"
From the moment she discovered he had hidden the shuttle in his sleeve, she knew her identity as a member of the Tang Clan was probably impossible to conceal. She just hadn't expected that someone with no martial arts skills could see through her disguise and reveal her to be a woman.
Could her disguise have gotten so bad?
“Your disguise is actually very good. Your appearance, voice, and even your movements and expressions are no different from those of an ordinary quack doctor.” Xiao Fangliang said slowly, “But there is one thing that I noticed at first and had my doubts.”
"Where?" Tang Yu couldn't help but ask.
“Ear piercing marks.” Xiao Fangliang raised his fan and pointed to her ear, explaining slowly, “Although men in the Great Xia Dynasty also pierce their ears, it’s for warding off evil spirits, and they wear them from childhood and don’t take them off easily. Women are different; they mostly wear earrings. And…”
His gaze sharpened. "Su Yutang's face is undeniably handsome. Yet one day I suddenly realized I couldn't remember what you looked like. That's when I knew you must have deliberately disguised your appearance."
Tang Yu looked at him with admiration.
Xiao Fangliang chuckled and continued, "Furthermore, A-Yue said that the hidden shuttle in the sleeve is a Tang Clan item. This explains why you were able to detect the poison in the wine in Ghost Cry Village and why the shopkeeper had used a sleeping potion. It's not hard to guess that the name 'Su Yutang' reversed is your real name."
"I suppose so." Tang Yu replied readily, a smile playing on her lips. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Tang Yu, and Su is my father's surname."
Xiao Fangliang nodded slightly and lowered his voice: "Don't worry, I won't tell them."
"Why?" Tang Yu asked, puzzled.
"Although I don't know Miss Tang's purpose, someone who is willing to sacrifice herself to save innocent children... can't be too bad."
He smiled, a smile that seemed harmless but carried a hint of strangeness. "Besides, some things become quite boring once they're exposed."
After speaking, his gaze fell on Xie Xingzheng not far away, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes.
Tang Yu: "..."
Why did she feel a chill down her spine?
[Author's Note]
Xiao Fangliang = CP fan leader
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