As a direct result of an unwilling attempt at trying on clothes, Lin Yu ended up with a large pile of old garments worn by her seniors, far exceeding her daily needs for change of clothes.
Previously, she alternated between wearing her senior sister Nangong’s old clothes and her own peasant outfit. Since Nangong was much taller, the clothes never fit well. After Nangong’s guidance and her own alterations, the clothes were just barely wearable.
Using a trauma shears and sewing needles for such tasks seemed rather extravagant, didn’t it?
As for undergarments, she simply went without, as it wasn’t uncomfortable to do so… Ah, but they haven’t invented airplanes yet, so it should be called a washboard instead.
Lin Yu stuffed the shirts, pants, and undergarments into the laundry basket, placing them in an easily accessible spot near the door, planning to pick them up on her way back. Nangong hadn’t come out yet, so she had to continue chatting with the seniors to avoid being impolite.
Moreover, the tea smelled quite fragrant. She would see if she could take half a pound back to the tent to brew herself.
‘Hey, Little Rain, has Nangong ever told you the story of ‘Nangong the Immortal’?’
They were chatting when suddenly the topic turned to Lin Yu, introducing a term she had never heard before.
Lin Yu wasn’t interested in whether someone was an immortal or not; she just hoped they would settle on a single name, whether it was Little Lin, Little Rain, or Little Lin Rain. As long as they used one name, she was fine with whatever story they told.
‘No, what story is that?’
‘Cough, cough, it’s an ancient legend…’
Before the speaker could play mysterious, someone interrupted, ‘Ancient? It’s just something that happened a few decades ago, how is it a legend already?’
The seniors each took a turn telling Lin Yu the story of ‘Nangong the Immortal.’
Back then, before the Great Collapse, the lands of Diacla were filled with countless sects nestled in the mountains. Immortals had little need for mundanes and interacted with them rarely. Many sects and immortals spent years secluded in the mountains, focusing on cultivation and development.
However, mundanes had their own troubles, caught in the cycle of dynastic changes. At the time, the end of the previous dynasty was approaching, and the rebels of the previous dynasty clashed with the government forces of the one before, just outside a sect’s mountain, in a fierce battle. The cries of war and countless casualties filled the air. Immortal arts were already used in warfare, much like magic today, with explosive talismans and automatic mechanisms. As the dead increased, so did the number of injured.
The rebels set up a medical camp near the sect, and the cries of pain, the screams, and the stench of blood almost overwhelmed the entire valley.
According to the sect’s rules, she shouldn’t have interacted with mundanes, but guilt consumed her, driving her to go alone to the rebel camp to treat the wounded.
‘This is a mundane dispute, and it has nothing to do with us. You cannot interfere with either side.’
‘They’re dying because of the talismans and mechanisms! It’s because someone broke the rules and sold them that things ended up this way!’
The immortal argued with the sect leader and then left alone to the rebel camp to treat the wounded.
Immortal arts were far more effective than bandages and herbs. Even the severe burns from talismans healed under her touch. The rebels, though lacking more talismans and mechanisms, were bolstered by the immortal’s presence and fought with renewed vigor.
Moreover, the immortal didn’t just treat the rebels; she also healed captured government soldiers and even civilians injured by enemies. Anyone who appeared in her tent, wounded, would be treated with a gentle smile and healing energy, mending both physical and spiritual wounds.
Years later, Diacla underwent another change of dynasty, and the rebels became the new government. Even those loyal to the previous dynasty had heard of ‘Nangong the Immortal.’
The healed mundanes scattered across the land, building temples in her honor in every corner. They didn’t know her true name, only calling her ‘Nangong the Immortal,’ paying homage to the unknown hero.
Even after the Great Collapse and another change of dynasty, ‘Nangong the Immortal’ remained a legend.
‘Nangong actually didn’t originally have the surname Nangong. She lets us call her that because…’
‘Is she the immortal?’
‘How could that be? Someone in her family was once saved by the immortal, so they joined the medical corps to carry on her legacy, dedicating themselves to saving more lives.’
‘So, that’s how it is…’
After hearing their story, Nangong emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. ‘We should head back. Grab your clothes and say goodbye to the sisters.’
Like a parent taking a child to visit neighbors, Nangong called out to Lin Yu to bid farewell to the seniors.
‘Come back and play again sometime!’
For some reason, the medical seniors seemed unusually enthusiastic, treating her like a long-lost neighbor’s child and inviting her to visit again.
However, Lin Yu didn’t want to return. The officers’ quarters were too comfortable, and the seniors’ enthusiasm was a bit unsettling, making it hard for her to fully relax and enjoy the leisure.
And what about that sadistic lieutenant? If she encountered him, he might just… Lin Yu wasn’t sure if there were any regulations in the military to protect her from such an experience.
An officer who openly kept four medical seniors as concubines probably wouldn’t mind adding a fifth. Maybe she should ask the supply officer for a bar of soap to clean herself in the tent.
On the way back, Lin Yu couldn’t stop thinking about this, but Nangong seemed to have misunderstood her thoughts.
‘Don’t frown. We’ll meet again in the future, as long as the lieutenant isn’t around and there are no injured, I can bring you back to play.’ She reached out to ruffle Lin Yu’s hair, enjoying the softness from the recent wash. ‘If there are only a few injured, I can take the lead, and you can go on your own.’
‘I didn’t mean that…’
‘What?’
‘I’m afraid I’ll run into the lieutenant when I go there.’
‘…Haha, what are you talking about? I was just joking. You don’t have to worry about that.’
Nangong reached out and gently poked Lin Yu’s face.
‘What?’
‘Little Lin Rain, your looks aren’t good enough to make that man fall for you, all skinny and small, not cute at all.’
Despite the criticism, the words from Nangong strangely made her feel at ease.
‘But who knows about the future? A month ago, you were even skinnier, looking like a teenage boy. After just a month of proper meals, you look like this. If you had been raised properly from a young age, the lieutenant might have snatched you away already?’
Lin Yu was startled by this thought.
‘On the path to finding love, don’t let yourself be fooled by a man who has five women. Remember to guard your heart and wait for your true love. Don’t give yourself to a bad person…’
Nangong’s words were filled with subtle disdain for the lieutenant, which was understandable. If not for him taking those medical seniors, Nangong wouldn’t have been so busy before they met.
It was best to keep quiet or change the subject.
‘By the way, Nangong, I wanted to ask, how is the war going?’
‘Why ask that suddenly?’
Not asking that would lead to her trying to set her up with someone—Lin Yu kept this thought to herself, replacing it with something she could accept: ‘I want to see what I can do for this war.’