"Girl, this man's origins are unknown, and he's covered in so many wounds. Bringing him home might not be wise," said a middle-aged man, lean and tanned. He was the herb-gathering girl's father.
Their village was secluded, with the nearest other village several miles away, and it was rare for outsiders to visit.
Now, suddenly there was this severely injured, mysterious man. The herb-gathering girl's father was worried he might bring trouble to the village.
Upon hearing this, the herb-gathering girl frowned slightly. "Father, a doctor's heart is compassionate. How can I just watch him die without helping?"
Outside the Haotian Mirror.
The Taiyin Empress's eyes were filled with tears. If only she had listened to her father back then and not saved Xiao Fan, all the subsequent tragedies might have been avoided.
The onlookers outside the Imperial City watched the scene in the Haotian Mirror. The herb-gathering girl looked strangely familiar to them.
They quickly glanced at the Taiyin Empress in the sky.
The herb-gathering girl, though younger and more innocent, looked almost identical to the current Taiyin Empress.
Seeing the Taiyin Empress's unusual expression while watching the scenes in the Haotian Mirror confirmed their suspicions.
The Taiyin Empress had once been the disciple of the Underworld Demon Emperor. This must have been the time when their fates intertwined.
Earlier, the Taiyin Empress had accused the Underworld Demon Emperor of coveting her Taiyin Divine Physique and slaughtering her entire village of 175 people.
Xiao Fan must have turned evil during this period and started his path to power using the Taiyin energy.
With this realization, everyone watched even more intently.
Inside the Haotian Mirror, the herb-gathering girl reached out to help Xiao Fan remove his wet clothes to prevent his wounds from getting infected and to treat them more easily.
Seeing this, her father hurriedly intervened.
"You're a young girl. It's inappropriate for you to undress a man. Let me do it!"
"Father, in the eyes of a doctor, everyone is the same, regardless of gender," the herb-gathering girl said solemnly, though her eyes couldn't help but wander over Xiao Fan's handsome face.
At this moment, her mother walked in with hot water. She was a dignified and beautiful middle-aged woman. Despite wearing simple clothes, her elegance and beauty were undeniable.
It was hard to imagine such a beautiful woman married to the rugged herb-gathering girl's father.
Hearing their conversation, the mother walked over with the hot water and snorted at her husband, "Can't you see it?"
"Your daughter likes him!"
"What!" The herb-gathering girl's father widened his eyes, closely observing his daughter's face. Indeed, he noticed her unusual expression.
It was the first time he had seen such nervousness on his daughter's face.
He glared at the unconscious Xiao Fan on the bed with increasing dissatisfaction.
Though Xiao Fan looked fine, he seemed weak and frail, not someone who could handle much work.
After stripping Xiao Fan's clothes, the sight of his scarred and bony body confirmed his uselessness in the father's eyes.
Sternly, he said, "Girl, you can't fall for such a sickly person. You'll suffer for the rest of your life!"
"If you really want to marry, I think Er Gouzi from Iron Uncle's family is a good match. He's honest, strong, and hardworking. If you agree, I'll..."
Seeing her father getting more ridiculous, the herb-gathering girl snapped, "Father! I don't want to get married!"
"Oh!" Her father saw that his daughter was angry, and he awkwardly scratched his head, chuckling, "Not wanting to marry is good. I can't bear to see you leave anyway!"
"Ha ha ha..." Her mother laughed softly, watching the scene.
The herb-gathering girl glared at her mother, then focused on treating Xiao Fan's wounds.
After removing all of Xiao Fan's clothes, she was shocked by the countless wounds on his body.
The situation was far worse than she had imagined.
She couldn't understand what kind of enemy would inflict such torture on such a handsome man before finally attempting to kill him.
She could tell his enemy didn't want him to die quickly but intended to torment him thoroughly before ending his life.
Outside the Haotian Mirror.
The Northern Nether Empress, Leng Ruoxue, was heartbroken seeing how gravely she had injured her Master back then, wishing she could slice herself into pieces.
Her Master must have been in excruciating pain...
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
The herb-gathering girl used all her skills to treat Xiao Fan's wounds.
She had done everything she could, and whether Xiao Fan survived would depend on his fate.
Late at night, just as she was about to rest, the outside suddenly became brightly lit with the noise of people and horses.
"Girl, hide quickly! It's horse bandits!" her father rushed into the room, his face filled with fear.
Horse bandits were feared by everyone. They were ruthless, leaving no one alive wherever they went.
Hearing the word "horse bandits," the herb-gathering girl's heart sank.
If it was really horse bandits, the whole village might be doomed.
Hide? But where could they hide?
Her mother quickly smeared soot on their faces.
The herb-gathering girl understood her mother's intentions.
As they finished, several horse bandits barged in and dragged everyone out, including the unconscious Xiao Fan.
Looking around, dozens of fierce horse bandits surrounded the villagers, holding torches.
The villagers' faces were filled with terror under the firelight.
The herb-gathering girl, however, remained calm, carefully observing the situation.
If these horse bandits wanted to burn and loot, they wouldn't need to go to such trouble.
Gathering everyone here must have a specific purpose.
"Are they all here?" a tall, burly man asked one of the horse bandits.
"Yes, Second Boss, everyone is here," the bandit replied.
After hearing the report, the burly man stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "Who is the doctor in this village?"
The herb-gathering girl thought this was their purpose. This might be the village's chance for survival and was about to step forward.
"Don't go!" her father held her back.
These horse bandits were vicious, and who knew what they wanted.
The herb-gathering girl understood her father's concern, but she knew if she didn't step forward, the entire village would be doomed.