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Over the past three days, Wei Ruo went to Tianqin Garden in the morning to attend Master Wang Caiwei’s lectures, and in the afternoon, she took Xiumei along to search for a suitable water source around the capital city.
Today was the fourth day, and Wei Ruo had run to Xianqi Mountain, located north of the city.
Wei Ruo’s estate was also to the north of the capital, so she hoped to find a location as close to her estate as possible. That’s why she had been searching in this area lately.
“Miss, this place isn’t too far from our estate, but the mountain road is a bit rough,” Xiumei said as she walked and talked with Wei Ruo.
“Mm, let’s go take a look over there. That area looks relatively flat.”
“Alright, Miss.”
The mistress and servant followed the stream until they reached a relatively flat area. It was the only such spot they had found along the way.
The terrain here looked close to what Wei Ruo had in mind, but the mountain path to reach this spot was indeed difficult. If she really planned to build a small distillery here, transporting goods later would become a significant issue.
Wei Ruo came to the edge of the stream. Wild grass grew thick on both sides, except for the spot where she and Xiumei stood. The grass here had been cleared away, likely trampled by people who regularly came up the mountain to chop firewood or hunt, making it easier to fetch water.
Wei Ruo planned to first taste the mountain spring water. If the water tasted suitable for brewing wine, then other conditions could be compromised.
Because what she wanted to make was a high-quality distillery aimed at selling to the wealthy and powerful.
Wei Ruo squatted by the stream and scooped up a handful of water. At this time of day, the stream water was particularly cold — the sensation of it touching her skin was icy and piercing.
But Wei Ruo didn’t mind. Just as she was about to bring the water to her lips, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something red in the stream.
A faint red color spread through the water, but by the time it reached where they stood, it had been completely diluted by the stream and left no trace.
With her sharp instincts honed by years of medical practice, Wei Ruo immediately sensed something was wrong. She abruptly stood up, pushed aside the tall grass and brambles in front of her, and followed the stream upstream.
After climbing up about two meters, Wei Ruo saw a man lying in the grass, covered in blood.
His entire body, including his face, had been slashed multiple times — the wounds were bloody and mangled. Even his thick winter clothing was soaked through with blood.
"Miss..." Although Xiumei had seen quite a bit of the world following Wei Ruo, she was still startled by the situation.
"Meimei, come help. He's still breathing." Wei Ruo stepped forward to check and found that the man was still breathing.
"Miss, let me do it. I’m stronger."
Reacting quickly, Xiumei immediately stepped forward to help and carried the injured man on her back.
Relying on her exceptional strength and stamina, Xiumei carried the man down the mountain.
Their carriage was parked by the roadside. After placing the man onto the carriage, Xiumei took the reins while Wei Ruo examined the man's injuries inside.
The man had been stabbed several times. Fortunately, he was wearing thick winter clothing, so the cuts weren't too deep and none were to vital areas—otherwise, he would have already died.
The injuries on his face weren't knife wounds, but bruises and scratches—likely from falling and being scraped by thorns and sharp stones on the mountain. Still, they were enough to render his face unrecognizable.
Wei Ruo suddenly noticed that although the man's clothes were rough, short garments made of coarse cloth, his hands didn’t look like the hands of someone used to hard labor.
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