Gu Jinli knew he had something to say and explained: "There are few people in the end of the village who know martial arts, and most of them are elderly, weak, women, and children, so I kept Uncle Wang and Uncle Xiao Liu there to protect those families. You know my skills, and I also have poison. If I canāt beat them, Iāll just run. I run so fast, they canāt catch up."
Elder Qin saw that his siblings practiced martial arts every day, so he personally came to teach them. After learning from Elder Qin for more than half a year, her skills have greatly improved.
And once she takes action, she never holds back, killing with a single strike if possible.
Qin San Lang was still very worried: "Donāt do this again in the future. If something happens, you will regret it immensely."
Gu Jinli frowned upon hearing this and asked him, "Do you look down on me, or do you look down on women?"
She dared to come because she had the ability to protect herself. If she wasnāt sure, she wouldnāt have come.
Qin San Lang shook his head, "I have never looked down on you or women. There are many capable women in the world, including my mother. Iām just worried about you... I donāt want you to have blood on your hands."
Gu Jinli paused, realizing he was worried about this, but...
"My hands are already stained with blood. I killed Zhang Huzi. Do you think Iām cruel and ruthless, and therefore despise me?"
Qin San Lang stopped walking, turned back and looked at her on the horse, seriously and firmly said, "No, I wonāt despise you. I just want you to live cleaner, not to touch these things."
After listening, Gu Jinli smiled, "So you care about me that much... Well, I accept your kindness, but things in the world arenāt always as you wish. Sometimes, we must take action to resolve some bad situations to live comfortably."
Qin San Lang looked at her, momentarily stunned. Was she really only eleven years old? Her words were like those of a Great Scholar from the Capital, spoken only by someone who has been tempered by years.
For some reason, Qin San Lang felt very uncomfortable... He always wanted her to live simply and happily, like an ordinary little girl.
Qin San Lang turned his head and continued to lead the horse towards Da Feng Village.
He took the mountain road, walking around for half an hour before returning to the small path behind the Qin familyās house.
Gu Jinli dismounted and pointed to his old house, "Letās not alarm everyone. Go to your house first."
Qin San Lang, not understanding why, still obediently went to his own house first, put the horse in the yard, opened the main hall door, entered the hall, took out the Fire Stick he carried with him, and lit the oil lamp in the room.
After entering the room, Gu Jinli took off a cloth bag from her waist and said, "Take off your clothes."
...Take off clothes?!
Qin San Lang was stunned, thinking he had misunderstood, and asked with furrowed brows, "What did you say?"
Gu Jinli had already taken out the cloth bag and placed it on the table, "I said, take off your clothes."
Qin San Langās face immediately turned red, understanding why she wanted him to undress, but... he awkwardly tried to persuade her, "Xiao Yu, the wound on my back is fine, you donāt need to bandage it. You should go home. Iām leaving now."
Xiao Yu, already twelve in nominal age, would be of the age to be matched for marriage in the Capital. Although he knew she didnāt mean that, he was aware of the distinction between men and women, and some things should be avoided.
Gu Jinli frowned at him, "Youāre really tedious. Donāt worry, only the two of us know about this. As long as we donāt speak of it, no third person will know, and my reputation wonāt be damaged."
She urged again, "Hurry up. After I bandage you, you can quickly leave. Grandpa Qin is still waiting for you."
Xiao Yu saw his determination and knowing that Grandpa Qin couldnāt wait much longer, he had no choice but to take off his outer coat.
However, his hands while undoing his robe were somewhat stiff, his cheeks very hot and red, his expression solemn, and his eyebrows tightly knotted, as if pondering some serious matter.
Gu Jinli, considering his undressing too modest, yanked downwards on the collar of his shirt, revealing dried bloodstains and an injury that sloped from the right shoulder to the left side, the initial cut deep but gradually becoming shallower toward the left.
"Was this from a Gou He Blade? The wound seems to have flesh torn by the backward hook," she remarked, producing a small copper pot the size of a palm and pouring out a green medicinal liquid, using it to cleanse his wound: "It will hurt a lot, bear with it."
Qin San Lang nodded, "Itās not painful, I can endure it."
After cleaning the wound with the medicinal liquid, Gu Jinli took out a small knife to remove and cut off the lacerated flesh that was hooked. Once the flesh inside the wound was dealt with, she applied antiseptic medicine she had formulated herself onto his wound.
This medicine was also quite painful, causing Qin San Langās back muscles to twitch a few times from the pain.
Gu Jinli then took out a clean piece of white cotton cloth, soaked it with the green medicinal liquid, and bandaged his wound, "The medicine will prevent the wound from becoming inflamed and rotting. However, without suitable needles and thread on hand, I canāt sew up the wound for you, so it will heal slower and the scar will be quite ugly. Donāt worry, I will provide you with scar removal ointment."
Qin San Lang: "..."
Sewing the wound?
Was she planning to sew his flesh like clothing? He heard from Third Grandma that her needlework was terrible.
And the scar removal ointment...
"I am a man, a scar doesnāt matter on me. Your scar removal ointment is expensive, you donāt need to use it on me. Keep it to sell for money," he knew she liked saving money.
Gu Jinli responded dismissively, "What does being a man have to do with it? Having too ugly scars isnāt good even for a man. Plus, are you even a man? Youāre still a youth."
Qin San Langās face turned so red it was as if it was dripping blood... He felt that he couldnāt continue talking to her. Continuing the conversation might yield more shocking statements.
Moments later, Gu Jinli finished bandaging his wound and began pulling his shirt down, but before she could finish, Qin San Lang jumped up as if he had been kicked, "I, Iāll dress myself."
Gu Jinli watched Qin San Lang clumsily dress, and after a moment of silence, she paced slowly to him, looked him over, and queried, "Why are you blushing? Ashamed? Iām not even embarrassed."
Qin San Lang: "..."
"Youāre not thinking of something inappropriate, are you?" Gu Jinli stepped closer and asked with a mischievous grin, "Surely your romantic feelings havenāt awakened?"
Qin San Lang hastily stepped back, keeping a distance, stammering, "I, I have not... Itās getting late, I need to rush to Yushu Village. You, you better go home."
"Ha~" Gu Jinli laughed, "Okay, Iāll leave now, lest you look like youāve seen a ghost."
She went to the table to pack up the cloth bag and copper pot, attaching them back to her waist, handing several packs of antiseptic medicine to Qin San Lang: "Take these, change the dressing once a day. Once you finish these, your wound will scab over."
Qin San Lang hesitated, then accepted the medicine bags wrapped in yellow paper.
"Wait for a moment, Iāll go home and fetch you a couple more bags of medicine." Gu Jinli turned and left, and then looking back seriously at Qin San Lang, she asked, "Why do you like blushing?"