Finest Servant

Chapter 602 I Will Remember You

"Ah—ah—" The mute dismounted, gripping the reins. He pointed to his ears, then to his mouth, and flailed his arms energetically, signaling that he couldn't hear what she was saying.

People who can't speak often also have difficulty hearing; Yueya'er naturally understood this. Seated on her horse, she stared intently into the mute's eyes. A hint of disappointment crossed her face as she softly said, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before—are you really mute?"

The mute vigorously shook his head, his expression blank; he couldn't understand a word she was saying. Yujia sighed, "What a pity. How could you be mute?"

Yueya'er spoke in the Turkic language, which Lin Wanrong couldn't understand at all. Anxiety filled his eyes, echoing the bewildered expression of the mute. It spared him even the effort of acting.

After this stretch of rapid travel, they had lost sight of the other Turks in the distance. The Turkish horses gradually slowed their pace.

Recalling the final moments of the sheep snatching competition, Yueya'er furrowed her brow. Suddenly, she dismounted and stood in front of the mute. She pointed at the horse's head, cupped her hand to her cheek, and tilted her head back in a drinking gesture. Then she touched her face and looked at him with widened eyes.

‘What's this all about?’ The mute stared at her, completely bewildered.

Yujia repeated her actions. Lin Wanrong watched her gesticulations and finally realized she was using sign language to communicate. In those days, there was no standardized sign language, but Yujia was so expressive that anyone could understand. She was asking, "Why did you sprinkle water on the horse's face?"

Understanding dawned on Yujia. Precisely because this man was mute, his sense of smell was more acute. He'd detected the scent of the herbs she'd rubbed on the reins and horse's head. By splashing water on the horse's face, he was trying to dissolve the herbal powder to ease the horse's fear of the scent.

"So how did you know that I applied the herbs to the horse's nose and not anywhere else?" Yujia pointed at his chest and then at her own heart. She cocked her head, slapped the horse's nose twice, and gestured in sign language.

The mute nodded and chuckled to himself. Little did he expect that Yueya'er would make a fine sign language instructor. He walked over to the horse, gently patting its back, then pointed to himself. He slapped his chest, miming a beating heart, and uttered a few "ahs." Though his actions seemed comical, Yujia understood his meaning: "Like us, horses are also living beings."

She was about to respond when her gaze landed on his wrist. A momentary glance led her eyes to linger.

‘What's wrong?’ Lin Wanrong was taken aback, still unable to grasp what had happened. Yujia, her brows furrowed, pointed at his wrist and whispered, ‘What is this?’

Lin Wanrong hurriedly glanced at his wrist, where a faint bite-mark scar glowed in the soft light of the setting sun.

‘Damn it,’ he thought, knowing it was too late to pull away. The scar had been left by Yujia during a previous violent confrontation. Now that they were meeting again in a different place, given her strong and stubborn nature, who could say what she might remember?

"Aa—aa—" The mute, in a state of urgency, gestured wildly with both hands, mimicking a ferocious dog lunging for food. Yujia looked puzzled and said, "You mean to say this is a dog bite? It doesn't look like one. It looks more like my bite—"

She stopped herself mid-sentence, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. To compare herself to a dog was certainly not something she, the Great Khan, could afford to say out loud. Luckily, she was speaking to a mute.

Yueya'er nodded and looked at him curiously, "I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Have you seen me?"

The mute stared back with widened eyes, his face a picture of confusion.

"Oh, I forgot. You're both deaf and mute. How could you hear what I'm saying?" Yujia shook her head and smiled, patting the great Turkic horse's head. She communicated through gestures, "Alright, go on. Why did you think I would apply herbs to the horse's nose?"

Relieved to see the conversation take a different turn, the mute nodded and quickly moved to stand beside the Turkic horse. He patted the horse's leg and then gently touched its ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Finally, he pointed to the sky and the grasslands, placing his palm over his chest as if to say he understood.

Yueya'er thought for a moment, nodding, "Are you saying horses are like us? They too need to perceive the grasslands and the sky with their eyes, nose, mouth, and legs! Is that why you first checked the horse's legs and then its facial features?"

She looked at Lin Wanrong, speaking rapidly and clearly, her voice tinkling like a wind chime. Lin Wanrong, knowing only a few pitiful Turkic words, had no idea what she was saying.

"Aa—aa—" The mute frantically waved his hands, signaling that he couldn't understand her.

Looking at the mute’s wide-eyed, clueless expression, Yujia whispered, "It doesn't matter if you can't hear me, but I understand what you’re thinking. Maybe you’re the smartest mute on these grasslands, but applying some kind of aphrodisiac powder to my horse is unacceptable. Do you understand?"

Her face was cold, her eyebrows raised, an air of majesty surrounding her that was commanding even without anger. Unfortunately, her authority found no outlet on the deaf and mute man who looked back at her like an innocent child.

This mute had publicly taken her horse, an act witnessed by everyone. Even her Great Khan status couldn't intimidate him. Yujia clenched her teeth in frustration and reluctantly said, "This time, you acted to protect your tribe. I can understand that. But let this be the only time. If I ever see you use such despicable tactics again, I will break your legs so you can never ride a horse. Do you understand?"

The mute hummed a few times, moving beside the black horse and turning his back to her. He gently stroked the horse’s mane without uttering a word.

Seeing his scared and pitiful demeanor, the Great Khan felt a sudden, inexplicable pang of sorrow. She stared at the mute's somewhat lonely silhouette, lost in thought for a moment, before softly asking, "Could you tell me... what is your name?"

The mute, of course, couldn't understand her words. He gently patted the horse's back, appearing completely at ease.

Yujia waited for a moment, but when he didn't respond, her heart began to race for no apparent reason. Drawing on an unknown reserve of strength, she suddenly took two steps forward, darting in front of him. Her eyes widened as she stared intently, "I want to see your face!"

Her abrupt move startled Lin Wanrong. Her lips were slightly parted, but he had no idea what she planned to do. If he had any regrets at this moment, it was that he hadn't learned the Turkic language.

"He really is mute!" Seeing the bewildered and clueless look on the man's face, Yujia let out a soft sigh. Her hand moved swiftly, reaching for his face covering.

This instant was pivotal. Even if he couldn't hear, he could certainly see! Had she figured him out? He had nowhere to retreat; his back was to his horse. Lin Wanrong was taken aback, his thoughts racing. Just as he gritted his teeth, preparing to seize her, a distant clamor reached their ears. "Great Khan, Great Khan—"

Yujia hesitated. Her jade-like hand hung in the air as she turned her head sharply, spotting thousands of Turkic riders approaching at a gallop from several hundred yards away. Leading the vanguard was the Turkic Wolf Cavalry, responsible for her safety. In the midst of them was the Young Khan Salmu, riding fast to reach her. Nearby, the victorious men of the Yuezhi tribe swept across the plains like a windstorm.

Lin Wanrong quietly retreated a few steps, cold sweat streaming down his face. If Yujia had managed to remove his face covering, months of hard-won efforts would be ruined in an instant. Fairy Sister was right; Yujia's unyielding spirit made her especially dangerous the closer he got to her.

The Turkic cavalry arrived in the blink of an eye. Yujia withdrew her hand, a touch of disappointment in her eyes.

"Sister, are you alright?" Barely having dismounted, Young Khan Salmu rushed excitedly to Yujia, gripping her hand tightly. His eyes were misty, as if holding back tears. The burden on the shoulders of this five- or six-year-old child was unimaginable, especially when the person he leaned on for support had momentarily disappeared.

"I'm fine, Salmu, don't worry about me," Yujia assured him with a smile and a nod.

Salmu yelled out in excitement, circling around his sister before fixating his gaze on the man standing beside Yujia. "Sister, is this the man from the Yuezhi tribe who took you away? Hey, what's your name? How did you manage to take the Great Khan?"

Before Lin Wanrong could even share a word with Hu Bugui, who had quietly moved beside him, the Little Khan fired off a series of questions. Surrounded by onlookers, Old Hu could hardly translate. Panicked, he broke into a cold sweat. But then he heard Yujia softly say, "He's mute, Salmu. Don't ask him; he can't speak." A look of intense disappointment flashed across Salmu's eyes. Was the man who knocked down the Right Prince today really this mute? What a surprise.

"Sister, what about this golden blade?" Little Khan hesitated for a moment, holding Yujia's golden blade in his hands and asking softly.

The moment Salmu spoke, a hush fell over the crowd. The ownership of the golden blade was the final unanswered question of today's sheep snatching competition, and something everyone was keen to know. Even Old Hu and the others held their breaths, waiting to hear Yujia's answer. The Great Khan took the golden blade into her hands, gripping it tightly. Her delicate wrist showed a faintly protruding layer of blue veins.

She fell silent for a moment, and then her footsteps lightly moved, steadily advancing towards Lin Wanrong. Old Gao “heh”-ed and gripped Lin's sleeve tightly.

As her feet touched the grass, the soft rustling sound echoed in everyone's hearts. As she took one step after another toward the mute, the tension in the air grew thick, as if it were about to explode; even the dropping of a needle could be distinctly heard.

One step, two steps, three steps—her face was adorned with a gentle smile, her figure drawing ever closer, and the golden blade in her hand gleaming dazzlingly.

Just when everyone thought she was going to gift the golden blade to the mute, she passed right by him, took the reins of the great Turkic horse behind him, and smoothly mounted it.

"Salmu, let's go!" In the fading twilight, the Great Khan's eyes were ice-cold, her pretty face glowing with dazzling golden light, unapproachable and solemn. She forcefully whipped the horse, and the Young Khan cheered loudly, turning his horse to closely follow his sister. Thousands of elite cavalry slowly started moving.

The Great Khan did not favor those from the Yuezhi tribe! The surrounding Turkic people shook their heads and sighed, their faces full of regret. This Yuezhi warrior, who had fought against the Right Prince and competed for the Great Khan, was undoubtedly an excellent choice in both martial prowess and wisdom. It was truly a pity he couldn't win the Great Khan's favor!

Old Gao snorted, venomously saying, "Don't be disappointed, Brother Lin. When we capture her, she'll still warm your bed! She can't escape that fate!"

Lin Wanrong chuckled twice but before he could speak, he saw the horsemen up ahead gradually halt. A black horse shot out from among them, swiftly galloping to him, and with a neigh and a flick of its hooves, it stopped right in front of him. The rider gently stroked her flowing hair and softly said, "Mute, there is a grand banquet in the city tonight. Would you like to come?"

The surrounding Turkic people were first stunned, and then erupted into earth-shattering cheers.

"Ah, ah—" Old Hu and Old Gao, from behind, forcefully pushed the mute's head down, nodding it like a chicken pecking grain, and the cheers among the Turks intensified.

She smiled faintly, softly saying, "I don't know if I've ever met you before! But you're the worst-mannered and worst-riding warrior I've ever seen! So, I will remember you!"

"Hyah—" The Great Khan laughed as she finished speaking, turning and dashing away. Thousands of Turks guarded her beautiful figure, and she vanished in the blink of an eye.

"What does that mean?" Lin Wanrong, finally finding an opportunity to speak, asked in bewilderment after hearing Old Hu's translation.

"Don't worry, she was praising your merits," Lao Gao falsely reassured.

"I'm not asking that!" Lin Wanrong laughed and delivered a kick to his rear end. "What I'm asking is, why did she ride away on my horse?"

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