Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to return home. During that time, the Mountain of Mófǎ zhī dì became known for a huge mansion where a powerful god lived. There had been no mansion there before, so everyone assumed one of the Ten Dictators of Life had descended to protect the mountain's people. But we knew the real story behind the mansion.
On my way back to the general's manor, I noticed everyone was looking at me oddly. When I arrived, I asked Lǐ Xùyáng if anything had happened while I was away.
"After you left, people started asking where you went. When we told them you moved to the mountain, they assumed you had been taken in as an apprentice by the mountain god. Hahaha! I can't believe they really buy that nonsense," he said, trying to hold back laughter, making both of us burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I wasn't expecting that. I thought maybe someone started rumors about me that made people gossip," I replied, shaking my head in disbelief.
We laughed as we walked to the garden, where Mother and Father were waiting for us.
"So, now that your training is finished, what does our Nán Nán plan to do?" Father asked, patting my head and making me reveal the cute smile that always brightened his day.
"I want to join the military camp as a soldier, but I might reveal my powers by mistake. So I'll join as a physician instead. I'll make a duplicate of myself to stay behind and treat the injured during battle while I join you on the front lines under another identity. That way no one will suspect a thing," I said confidently.
"You can make a duplicate of yourself?" Lǐ Xùyáng asked, shocked by the news.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned, he saw my duplicate. He was so scared he nearly fell out of his chair. Looking back at me to check if I was still sitting where I was, he was shocked to see I was. He stood up and eased the duplicate into his chair, then looked at me and shook his head in disbelief.
I withdrew the duplicate and told him to sit down.
"I've heard the gates to Dìyù have worsened over the past ten years," I said, looking at Father and Brother with worry.
"That's true. We're planning to depart in a week, but we're short on military physicians. Most people with healing spiritual powers are late bloomers, so there are few physicians available. Some refuse to join the military out of fear of death—after all, physicians return home after battles end," Father replied, his face dark with worry.
"Don't worry, Father. You have your precious daughter here to support you. I can teach a skill to heal many at once without tiring myself. I have something that will ensure victory and bring all the warriors home safely," I said with a grin and one brow cocked.
Everyone shivered because last time I made that expression, someone went home crying. It was his fault—who told him to bully my big brother just because his father is one of the top families in the king's court?
One time, we were at the market having fun when suddenly some rich brat walked up and started pushing me, telling me to stop talking to his future wife or else he would regret it.
What the hell? She's my big brother's female best friend since they were four—more like a twin sister born in a different month. Now, just because the brat had a crush on her, my big brother was supposed to stop being her friend? No way. I was the first to choose her as my sister-in-law. I wasn't going to let some rich brat take her away from me.
"She's your future wife, not your wife yet. Doesn't she even know that? Or are you just dreaming?" I said, folding my arms and giving attitude.
"You..." he raised his hand to hit me, but my big brother caught it and apologized. He dragged me back to the manor, but that didn't stop me from insulting the brat all the way home—only to find Mother waiting with a slipper at the gate.
[Oh oh... I'm dead.]
She smacked me so hard I couldn't sit down properly for two days.
"That brat got me smacked, but I wasn't going to let it go," I said with a grin, raising one brow. My brother knew I was planning something bad for that brat, and there was nothing he could do to stop me.
A week later, we headed to the market after hearing the brat would be there to court Lán Měi. While he was dining at a restaurant and excusing himself to the restroom, I followed him invisibly. I lit a firecracker and threw it into the toilet.
It exploded, covering him with feces in front of his crush. He was done for—he became the laughingstock of the market and went home crying. Meanwhile, I laughed with my big brother in the corner as we watched him walk away.
[That should teach him not to mess with my brother in the future.] I thought, smiling.
Ever since that day, he never showed his face in public and stayed in hiding. Because no one could prove I did it, I avoided getting smacked by Mother.
We all laughed remembering that day.