Ch 55: My Wolf Husband

Hearing this, Lin Shuishi quickly straightened up and pressed down on Fuli’s hat to cover his eyes, then waved his hands at the general.

“No, no, we’re not joining!”

What a joke! Join the army and risk turning into a giant wolf in the middle of the camp during a full moon? That would be asking to be torn apart!

The general, who had been held by Fuli just in time and wasn’t seriously injured, was a bit shaken. Now that he had caught his breath and heard their refusal, he looked even more unsteady on his feet.

A big, bearded officer saw that the crisis was over, so he stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. “I am Shen Ping, a mounted officer in the Dingping military. This here is our Rear General Jiang Zhao. The general is a bit of a bookish scholar. We are deeply grateful for the two of you saving him.”

He was about to bow when Lin Shuishi quickly stopped him. “No need, no need, it was just a coincidence. You should take the general to a clinic and have him checked out!” Lin Shuishi said, glancing at the Rear General, who looked even frailer than himself and was still catching his breath.

The soldiers all agreed repeatedly and began to carry Jiang Zhao away. But the general, still insistent, stretched out his thin arm towards Fuli, saying, “Ah, hero! Serve the country, bring peace to the mountains and rivers!”

The bearded officer shook his head and quickly ordered the soldiers, “Hurry, take the general to see Mr. Sun!” He hinted at an unspoken concern—perhaps they should also check the general’s head, fearing it might be injured.

When Lin Shuishi heard they were going to see Mr. Sun, he took note of it but didn’t show any reaction. Shen Ping then turned back, looking at the mess on the ground and the still-trembling military horse, and reached into his pocket, pulling out some silver to give to Lin Shuishi.

“Please, sir, help me distribute this to the vendors as compensation.”

Lin Shuishi, who had spent some time living at the foot of the mountain, weighed the silver bag and found it quite hefty. He quickly said, “Oh, this is too much!” Then he turned to the vendors, who had already helped the old lady move to a safe distance.

Seeing that the soldiers were involved, the vendors were reluctant to accept the money. With the frontline situation being so tense, they relied on these soldiers to defend their homes and country. The horse getting spooked was an accident, and even the general had been injured, so they dared not accept any compensation. They quickly waved their hands, declining the money.

Lin Shuishi turned back to Shen Ping and shrugged. But Shen Ping was in a bind. The military order from their general was clear: while recruiting soldiers, they were not to disturb the people. Now that they had damaged the vendors’ stalls, it would be wrong not to offer compensation.

Seeing the officer’s hesitation, Lin Shuishi opened the money pouch and took out a few silver ingots. “This should be enough. The rest, you should take back.” Shen Ping thought it was a good idea and thanked Lin Shuishi. He also noted that this young man had a lot of guts, speaking to soldiers and generals without fear—quite interesting.

What Shen Ping didn’t realize was that Lin Shuishi wasn’t particularly brave; he simply didn’t hold strong beliefs about social status. He only had a sense of respect for soldiers who defended their country.

With the situation resolved, Shen Ping stepped forward to retrieve the horse. Regardless of the circumstances, the military horse needed to be taken back—firstly, because the yellow horse was one of the camp’s prized steeds and couldn’t be left behind; secondly, because the cause of the horse’s fright needed to be investigated, whether it was an accident or deliberate.

However, while his intentions were good, reality was not so accommodating. The yellow horse had collapsed on the ground and couldn’t get up! Already terrified, and having been thoroughly intimidated by Fuli, who exuded the fierce aura of a wolf pack, it was only by sheer will that the horse hadn’t lost control of its bladder.

“Giddy up, giddy up! Get up!” Shen Ping, rugged and with the demeanor of a seasoned soldier, tried his best, but the large animal on the ground refused to budge.

Fuli, noticing the unsold deer blocking their stall and the yellow horse sprawled in the way, thought that if this continued, no one would be able to approach and buy the deer. Without selling it, the “iron lumps” his mate fancied wouldn’t be theirs.

So, from a distance, Fuli bared his sharp teeth under the cover of the straw hat and let out a low, threatening growl from deep within his chest.

This sound was one of the ancient six tones of the wolf god clan, used to control beasts. Fuli had only recently started to instinctively grasp some scattered fragments of it after reaching adulthood, and his mastery was far from complete. The frequency of the sound was very low—inaudible to human ears but perceptible to animals.

Shen Ping watched as the previously stubborn yellow horse suddenly froze, its ears perked up. It began to pant and then, with a sudden burst of energy, jumped to its feet. The foam at its mouth disappeared, its legs stopped trembling, and with a few uneasy stomps, it bolted toward the military camp outside the city where the recruitment was taking place.

The bearded officer was stunned but had no time to dwell on it. He quickly ran after the horse, not forgetting to call out to Lin Shuishi, “If you need help with anything, come to the camp outside the city and mention my name, Shen Ping! Consider me a friend.” With that, he untied something from his waist and tossed it to the two of them.

Fuli didn’t even glance at it before snatching it from the air. He looked at it briefly—it was a small iron tag, about the size of a palm, engraved with the words “Yueqi” (Mounted Cavalry).

Lin Shuishi noticed that his man didn’t even show it to him, instead tossing it directly into the bamboo basket.

“…Is it poisonous? Why won’t you let me see it?”

The vendors, seeing that the situation had calmed down, cautiously approached but kept their distance from Fuli, speaking politely with Lin Shuishi. Lin Shuishi didn’t mind; he divided the money and then obediently stood next to Fuli, waiting to sell the deer.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the crowd, and among them was a steward from a wealthy household who wanted to buy the venison for his master. The story went that the old gentleman had taken too many wives; just before the new year, he had brought in a male concubine from the countryside. However, that young man wasn’t well-behaved and had drawn the ire of the head wife. In response, the lady had helped the old gentleman bring in a fresh, obedient little courtesan to divide his attention.

Lin Shuishi wasn’t interested in prying into the affairs of the inner household. After agreeing on a price, he sold the venison directly, but he had Fuli snap off the antlers. The deer from Dongshan were quite peculiar, especially their antlers, which resembled red coral from the sea—fuzzy, thick, and hard yet not stiff, with a base that even bled when snapped off.

He wasn’t sure if the antlers were medicinal, but he figured that even if they couldn’t be used as medicine, they’d make a nice decoration. Since they were in town, he decided to visit Mr. Sun and gift him the antlers.

Mr. Sun was a good person and was well aware of Fuli’s robust physique, so Lin Shuishi wasn’t worried about causing any trouble. Besides, as a scholar from a family of imperial physicians, Mr. Sun was knowledgeable and might have more information about the origin of the “vine corpses” in the Dongshan gorge. If there were no significant concerns, they would return to Dongshan in peace.

Lin Shuishi viewed human wars and dynastic changes as inevitable phases of history—events that neither he nor Fuli, as “country folk” from the mountains, could influence. So, they wouldn’t get involved unnecessarily.

Finding Sun Luqian’s house wasn’t difficult; he was well-known in the county, often providing free medical consultations to the poor, earning widespread respect. After asking a few passersby for directions, they were pointed to the right place.

At the entrance, Lin Shuishi knocked on the door, but Fuli’s ears perked up slightly, his brow furrowing just a bit.

From inside the courtyard, a young boy came running, calling out, “Who is it? The master is busy right now.” He opened the gate as he spoke.

The boy first saw a smiling young man who kindly said he was there to visit an old friend and even handed him a few dates.

Many people came to see Mr. Sun—old friends, grateful patients, and, of course, those seeking medical help. But it wasn’t often that someone brought him dates! The boy, delighted, happily swung his little pigtails and stepped aside to let the visitor in.

But just as he was halfway through eating a date, he noticed the imposing figure standing behind the young man—a towering, muscular presence that exuded an indescribable aura. Startled, the boy instinctively looked up at Fuli’s face. Being short, he caught a glimpse of Fuli’s golden eyes under the straw hat.

The boy froze on the spot.

Lin Shuishi walked a bit further before turning around, only to see his tall companion standing still, locked in a silent staring contest with the little boy who still had a runny nose.

Lin Shuishi was puzzled, wondering what was so fascinating about a little child and worried that Fuli might have frightened the boy. He raised his hand to call out to Fuli, but before he could, Fuli, under his straw hat, narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth slightly. The boy, terrified, let out a scream, “Ah! Help, he’s going to eat me!” and bolted towards Mr. Sun’s house, crying out as he ran.

Lin Shuishi, exasperated, walked up to Fuli and heard him chuckle softly to himself.

“Was that fun?” Lin Shuishi asked, unimpressed.

Fuli slightly lifted his hat, his eyes still twinkling with amusement as he gazed tenderly at Lin Shuishi. When his companion asked him that question, he nodded slightly.

Lin Shuishi clicked his tongue and playfully punched Fuli’s firm chest. “Don’t scare people like that. This is the house of Mr. Sun, who’s treating you. Let’s behave properly.”

As they started walking towards the house, they saw a guard at the entrance holding the little boy, rubbing his head and generating static electricity. The boy’s hair stood on end, much to the amusement of the guard.

“Who’s eating kids? Don’t worry, I’ll chase him away,” the young guard reassured the boy while playing with him.

The boy was starting to calm down, but when he saw the big man approaching again, he immediately burst into tears once more.

The guard’s demeanor changed as soon as he saw Lin Shuishi and Fuli. Instead of the joy of a reunion, he became guarded, placing the boy behind him. After all, there were no such things as coincidences—only hidden plots and traps.

Lin Shuishi, realizing explanations wouldn’t help, heard a strong voice from inside the house, “Xiaolin, what are you up to now? Stop fooling around, Uncle is busy.”

Seizing the moment, Lin Shuishi called out loudly, “Mr. Sun, it’s me, Shui Ge’er. I’m in town today to sell game and thought I’d stop by to see you!”

The guard remained cautious, his hand on his weapon, carefully observing Fuli. He estimated that he wouldn’t last more than three moves against this man, so he hoped this truly was a reunion of old friends and not some hidden danger.

Mr. Sun was momentarily silent, while from inside, the general let out a pained “Ouch!” as if the doctor had accidentally hurt him.

Since resolving the knot in his heart and breaking his vow when he treated Fuli, Sun Luqian had opened up his heart. He had nothing left to fear, being alone in the world. With the country in turmoil, who would still bother to investigate his family’s history? He was determined to save as many people as possible, considering it his duty to his ancestors.

However, with his extensive medical knowledge, many generals had recently tried to recruit him into the military camp, especially because his expertise in stitching and treating severe wounds was highly effective in dealing with trauma on the battlefield.

Today was a fortunate coincidence. A former classmate from many years ago, who had studied with him, came to seek treatment for an injury from a fall. This classmate was quite a peculiar case—a scholar, weak and delicate, not as robust as Sun Luqian himself—yet he had become a general. Despite his great talent, one would expect him to display it in the court rather than lowering himself to the military camp.

Before they could discuss in detail, the child he had taken in started making a commotion outside. Sun Luqian assumed the little one was just acting up again, but then he heard Lin Shuishi’s voice at the door!

His junior apprentice, Cheng’an, had been acting very cautiously since returning to the city. When Sun Luqian had asked him to deliver some herbs to Lin Shuishi to help with his health, Cheng’an had looked troubled, as if there was something he couldn’t speak about.

Finally, the usually composed young man, clearly agitated, couldn’t hold back any longer and vaguely mentioned that Lin Shuishi had returned to the mountains. Sun Luqian knew “that person” had extraordinary strength and quickly inquired about Lin Shuishi’s benefactor. But Cheng’an’s expression had darkened, and after a long pause, he only said that the benefactor had also returned to the mountains.

From that moment, Sun Luqian knew he shouldn’t ask any further.

But now, hearing Lin Shuishi’s voice outside, Sun Luqian was startled. His hand trembled, causing the acupuncture needle to miss its mark. He quickly corrected it, and with a composed expression, called out, “Ah, it’s Lin Shuishi! It’s been quite some time! Wait a moment while I finish this acupuncture, and we can catch up. Xiaolin, hurry and take the guest to the side room!”

At that moment, the general with acupuncture needles in his ankle spoke up, “Ah, senior brother, what a coincidence! The benefactor is outside! No need for the side room—soldiers, invite them in! I must thank him personally!”

The door creaked open, and in the bright sunlight stood two figures—one large, one small. The larger one, who had long since recovered, now stood protectively beside Lin Shuishi. He was vastly different from the sickly figure who had once lain unconscious on the heated bed. Now, he was like a sharp blade, barely sheathed and gleaming in the daylight. Even with his face partially hidden by the straw hat, he exuded a powerful aura, vast and overwhelming, commanding respect.

Everyone in the room was taken aback, especially the general, Jiang Zhao, who immediately recognized that this man was a rare and formidable talent.

However, the little boy in the guard’s arms suddenly broke free and rushed to Sun Luqian, burying his face in his chest and crying pitifully.

“Waaah, Master, save me! Hiccup, that big guy is going to eat me!”