I'm Ugly, You're Blind - Chapter 3

5

That afternoon, after sending Wei Wuya away, I gathered my clothes and packed to leave for a while.

In the story, he returned home, purged every traitor among his subordinates, and gained full control of Yuezhou.

Who could say he wouldn’t decide to seize me, just as he did in the novel?

And if his enemies learned I had saved him…

Danger. Enormous danger.

After packing, I untied my purse. Sure enough, my money was nearly gone.

Two lonely scraps of silver lay in my palm.

I had lived off my savings without earning anything for ages. I deserved this.

Sitting on the bed, I sighed repeatedly. Then I noticed the little box above the wardrobe and perked up.

Perhaps something good was inside.

Since I was leaving, I might as well open it.

But where was the key?

The original owner’s memories were hazy. I could not recall them clearly, though fragments sometimes surfaced unbidden.

I turned the room upside down, even pried up the floorboards, before finding the key on a roof beam.

Full of hope, I opened the wooden box.

Never mind gold or silver. There wasn’t a single copper coin.

There were two sheets of paper, though. I unfolded them.

Two medicinal formulas.

A memory suddenly surfaced.

The box had been left by the original owner’s master, a renowned healer. He told her to keep it safe and let no one know.

My heart sank. In a novel, that usually meant danger.

Someone would probably come to steal it.

I tucked the formulas inside my inner clothes. Perhaps they could save my life in a crisis.

With everything packed, I left early the next morning, following the mountain road toward town.

I had already decided: first, earn enough to feed myself.

A large bamboo grove lay on the way down. The wind rustled through it. The first time I passed, I thought it was the perfect place for an ambush in a martial-arts film.

Assassins would hide deep among the bamboo. Once the heroes reached the middle, they’d all leap out with swords and charge…

As I imagined it, the wind grew louder.

Several masked men in black suddenly sprang from the grove and stood before me, blades raised.

I could hardly believe it.

“No way. Did I jinx myself?”

Surely they were here to kill Wei Wuya?

I stepped back, slipping a hand toward my sleeve. Inside was a poisonous powder I had prepared. Thrown into the eyes, it wouldn’t kill anyone, only blind them for a few days.

Their leader blocked my retreat and laid his blade against my shoulder.

“You’re the healer’s ugly apprentice? Hand over the formula. Now.”

They’d come to kill me!

But I was wearing a veil. How did that make me ugly?

I smiled.

“Of course.”

Pretending to reach for the secret formulas, I instead flung powder into their eyes. It was potent enough to keep them in pain for a while.

As they crouched and screamed, I grabbed my bundle and ran.

Halfway down the mountain, I encountered someone else: a handsome young gentleman sitting by a stream. Rich brocade, splendid clothes—wealthy at a glance.

I tried to pass without looking, but he called out.

“Wait.”

I stopped. He rose, approached, and looked me over.

“Miss, do you know of a healer’s apprentice living on this mountain?”

I silently shook my head.

What was happening? I hadn’t realized the original owner was so famous.

The young man seemed suddenly to lose his temper. He cursed under his breath.

“Where the hell does this Ugly Healer live?”

I touched the powder remaining in my hand and abruptly wanted to throw some at him too.

I scoffed.

“You keep calling her ugly. What do you want with her?”

“Treatment, obviously,” he replied dispiritedly.

“You call her the Ugly Healer and expect her to treat you?”

He scratched his head, looking confused.

“Isn’t Ugly her surname? Everyone calls her Healer Ugly.”

I stared.

Then I quietly put the poison powder back in my sleeve.

He wasn’t very bright. I’d let him off.

His complexion was rosy and healthy, so he probably wasn’t the patient.

“What illness? I can treat people too.”

First he looked doubtful. Then he frowned, relaxed, and frowned again.

Speechless, I waved and turned away.

“Never mind. Keep looking.”

After two steps, he called me again.

I ignored him.

“I have money!” he shouted behind me. “Lots and lots of money!”

I stopped.

I surrendered.

And so I agreed to accompany this Young Master Song Lanting to his home and treat his mother. If I cured her, he would pay me a hundred taels of silver.

Enough to spend freely for quite some time.