Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine's Daughter

As he spoke, the man showed up at the back of the horse. He dressed as Chang Nuo did by covering well his face with a black cloth and his head with a big hat of fox fur. Only his bright slanted eyes could be seen. Since He Danggui had recognized Qi Xuanyu’s voice, she recognized his eyes immediately as well.

She was curious. Chang Nuo and Qi Xuanyu dressed the same. It could be seen that they were hiding identities and about to do bad things. Were they heading to the inn to kill those imperial guards? They were on Lord Ning’s side. They just fought against the imperial guards when they had to and had never provoked those men representing the emperor on their own initiative. However, this time they went to kill them. It was so incredible.

There were several forces hidden in Yangzhou City. Other than imperial guards, there were people led by Lord Ning, Nie Chun, and Meng Xuan respectively. And these are just four forces she had seen in person. Why were they so tacit and came to Yangzhou City to have a gang war? At first, she thought they were just here to see the fun and participated in the Wulin Assembly after the New Year. It was normal to see men drinking and fighting. However, based on what she had seen these days, what Meng Xuan had told her, the conversations among those imperial guards, and what Shangguan Mingri had said to Chang Nuo that day in the Depositary of Buddhist Texts, this Wulin Assembly wouldn’t just be an ordinary assembly of people in Jianghu. There must be a huge conspiracy hidden in it...

But what did that have to do with her? Why would Nie Chun be together with her mother and not marry her? Why did Chang Nuo who was almost a stranger to her treat her so well? Why did Qi Xuanyu treat her like a close friend when it was their first time meeting each other? He grabbed her hand right away and even put his hand into her sleeve to pinch her forearm with his cold fingers. What absurd method was he using to take her pulse? Was he taking advantage of her? She didn’t expect that Qi Xuanyu was a satyr. As a man cannot be known by his looks, so can the sea not be measured by a bushel!

Qi Xuanyu checked her for a long while. When He Danggui was about to retreat her hand and wanted to beat him, he finally relieved her and turned his head to look at Chang Nuo. He said while smiling, “Miss He isn’t pregnant at all. She’s still a virgin. Feng Yang, you shouldn’t say that anymore. If you damage her reputation, you’ll need to take the responsibility and marry her.”

“Virgin?” Chang Nuo was very curious, “You can tell she’s a virgin by touching her arm randomly like that? How did you do that? Please teach me!” He showed his strong thirst for knowledge.

Qi Xuanyu replied gently with a faint smile, “I can’t tell you this in front of a lady. If you’re really curious about it, you can ask me another day.”

“Why?” Chang Nuo became more curious. He glanced at He Danggui and Qi Xuanyu as if Qi Xuanyu was a teacher and He Danggui was a walking book. He insisted on grasping this practical skill and then, he would examine his pretty younger sisters one by one when he went back Feng’s Family. In a begging tone, he continued, “Please teach me that. Qingyi is not a stranger. She can hear it. Qi, you don’t need to avoid her.”

He Danggui felt upset and frowned. She could hear it? Who told him that? The two men were very boring. She wanted to leave directly, but she was warm now while Chang Nuo lost his raincape and got his shoulders wet. Wasn’t it too impolite if she just left? She couldn’t do it, so she just turned around and faced the other side to avoid the burning inquiring gaze of Chang Nuo. Glancing at the lady who was feeling embarrassed, Qi Xuanyu whispered to Chang Nuo. His voice was already low and it was drowned by Chang Nuo’s clicking of his tongue. Since she couldn’t hear their conversation clearly, He Danggui was curious and confused. Thus, she turned around to look at the two men who were whispering and staring at her together. Chang Nuo’s gaze seemed to be about to burn two holes in her face and then plant two flowers there. Qi Xuanyu’s look was even weirder, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

Although she couldn’t hear clearly what they were talking about, she knew that wouldn’t be anything good. Thus, she asked angrily with her back to them, “Since this doctor has proved my virginity, can I go now, Childe Feng? All that you’ve mentioned before is canceled now, right?”

Chang Nuo whispered to Qi Xuanyu again for a while and then, he came up with a smile on his face. He made a bow with hands folded in front and said, “Let me see your arm. I won’t touch it. You can roll up the sleeve yourself, okay?”

He Danggui felt both angry and amused. Did he really think she was a walking book? Of course, she didn’t want to do that, but Chang Nuo bowed to her three times without hesitation and kept begging her to show him her arm. She had to roll up the sleeve on her left arm. What did he want to see? Everyone had hands and forearms and they looked very similar!

However, even she got shocked as soon as she rolled up her sleeve. On the inner side of her fair forearm and about twelve centimeters below her wrist, a little cinnabar mole of deep red color appeared out of nowhere. It was as big as a mung bean and even more ruddy and lustrous than ordinary moles as if it was alive! She couldn’t help rubbing it, but the cinnabar mole was still there after she had rubbed it hard and its color got more delicate. She looked up to glare at Qi Xuanyu and asked, “Did you do this? Why?” Was this the so-called Virginity Mark? How could Qi Xuanyu put it there just by pinching her forearm for a second?

Qi Xuanyu laughed and replied, “Miss He, don’t be nervous. It’s a gift for you, which is a kind of ‘Ya’ specially used by Xuanmen School to prove women’s virginity. People call it Virginity Mark. But this is different from the ordinary ones. You’ll see its beauty in the future. At that time, you will thank me for this.”

He Danggui felt so embarrassed and annoyed that she didn’t know what to say. What was going on? When did he put such a red mark on her arm? She was even unaware of it! What beauty? It sounded very evil! While they were talking, Chang Nuo kept walking around He Danggui and observing her forearm carefully. No one knew if his mouth under the black cloth was watering. He got excited and asked questions in succession, “Can you distinguish virgins and those who are not just by touching arms lightly? What if you put the mark on a man? It won’t work, right?”

Qi Xuanyu took out a delicate glass bottle that was as big as a broad bean and very jade-like. He opened it, poured out some of the thing inside, and dropped it on his thumb ring of the earthy color. Then, he nodded to hint Chang Nuo to show his arm. Rolling up his sleeve, Chang Nuo showed his strong forearm. It was a bit dark and even as big as two of He Danggui’s forearms. The thing on the thumb ring touched Chang Nuo’s forearm. A few moments later, Chang Nuo shouted, “It’s so hot!” And that unknown drop even “sizzled” and made a strange sound.

He Danggui was shocked by such a weird view because that strange sound was like shouting “Fake! Fake!” She looked down at the mark on her forearm. What on earth was this? Why would it shout like humans? Was it really alive? She scratched it hard several times, but she still couldn’t remove it as if it was on her arm since she was born. Seeing there was no sign of cinnabar on his dark big arm, Chang Nuo was so surprised that he exclaimed, “It turns out that it can only attach to women’s skins and it won’t work on men.”

Qi Xuanyu took back the glass bottle. He nodded and said with a smile, “Right. ‘Ya’ only attaches to women’s skins and it can only stay on the fair arms of virgins. If Miss He isn’t a virgin anymore, she will just get burned as you did. Ordinary Virginity Marks should be put on girls when they’re eleven or twelve years old and the results can only be seen a few months later, which are not always true. However, I can test it as soon as I touch a lady’s skin with ‘Ya’. How awesome it is! Except for the bone-touching method I told you just now, this kind of Virginity Mark is the best way to prove virginity. It works all the time,” He fixed his bright slanted eyes on He Danggui and continued, “Miss He, does it work for you?”

He Danggui thought he just met her for the first time, but he even tested whether she was a virgin or not with such a weird thing. He was so rude and hateful. If it weren’t for his tragic end many years later and she got some mental balance from it, she would have punched him right away. After a hum, she asked, “Since you’ve done your test, what should I do with this red mole? I’m not used to having something strange on my arm. It’s just scary. Could you tell me how to clean it?”

Qi Xuanyu replied calmly, “‘Ya’ can’t be cleaned. When you get married, the red mole will disappear naturally. If you just can’t bear it, you can find someone to marry you as soon as possible. To be honest, other than treating patients as a doctor, I also like making matches. Currently, I have the information about family backgrounds, appearances, and birthdays of several good childes. If you don’t mind, I can show you that for your research. With the mark, no one will doubt your virginity anymore. And you’re so beautiful. I’m willing to make a good match for you. I can even find someone who is willing to marry you as his concubine.”

He Danggui let out a sharp sneer and replied, “Thank you so much. Doctor, you’re so considerate. I don’t dare to accept your ‘gift’ anymore.” She looked at Chang Nuo and bid farewell, “It seems you’re busy. I don’t want to keep you here. Since the doctor has finished his work and our misunderstanding has also been made clear, let’s say goodbye here. Take care.”

Qi Xuanyu who is standing in front of her now always put his tongue in his cheek and his gazes made her feel very uncomfortable. He was utterly different from the ghost named Qi Xuanyu in the Fantasy Dream. If the ghost was “good”, Qi Xuanyu now would be “evil”. She also remembered this evil Taoist priest had “transplanted” the soul of his brother, Qi Chuan, to the body of Luo Baiqian. He also told Qi Chuan to gain the initiative and take up Luo Baiqian’s body bit by bit. Suddenly He Danggui felt that the red mark on her arm was like a bug biting her skin and intending to get into her body.

She felt so regretful. Why did she let Qi Xuanyu touch her hand unguardedly? Last time in Qi Lu Yard, she heard him talking to Zhu Quan. Obviously, he was very hostile to her... Would the mark really disappear as long as she got married? Then, would it fall off or get deeper into her body? It was reasonable for her to have such a suspicion. Her intuition told her “Ya” was something alive.

Chang Nuo looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting late. It was about to be the best time to attack. Thus, he nodded and said, “Qingyi, you can go home, then. Don’t stay outside the city anymore. After I’m done with my work these days, I’ll meet you with the master doctor I’ve mentioned before and ask him to examine you.” He deliberately said so in order that they could distance themselves from Qi Xuanyu because they went out of the city just to attack the twenty-three imperial guards in Ten Mile Slope. He traveled freely in Jianghu and could run away anytime so it wasn’t a big deal to let He Danggui guess the reason why he was here, but Qi Xuanyu worked for His Majesty and he couldn’t expose his identity here. Thinking for a while, he said to He Danggui again in a lower voice, “The matter between Lord Ning and you won’t be mentioned again. He insisted on it, so I can do nothing. I don’t know why he changed his mind suddenly.”

It was a piece of good news to He Danggui, so she smiled under the black cloth. She nodded and replied, “You don’t need to ask the doctor to examine me. I appreciate your kindness. About the gifts you’ve sent to me these two years, I won’t keep them anymore, so please take them away when it’s convenient for you. This is my last request. Please grant it.” 𝑓𝐫𝑒e𝒘𝚎𝘣𝚗𝘰𝘷𝐞𝑙.co𝑚

Chang Nuo just nodded and didn’t know what to say. He thought for a while, but yet he was unable to find any appropriate words of comfort. When He Danggui turned around and was about to leave, Qi Xuanyu stopped her abruptly and asked, “Are you poisoned? How long has it been? What kind of poison is it? Are you feeling bad?”