Seeing him staring at her like that, Shen Qingwan remained completely calm.

After all, she was a self-proclaimed someone who appreciates good looks.

She always enjoyed staring at Murong Wushuang too, purely out of admiration—nothing romantic about it.

“Shen Gongzi’s skills are quite impressive. If you stayed in the military camp, you’d have a bright future ahead,” Murong Wushuang said.

He obviously knew she was a woman, yet he still said this, as if teasing her.

Shen Qingwan enjoyed fighting, but she didn’t like the atmosphere of the military camp.

She was used to being free-spirited, unbound by rules.

Her martial arts were unconventional, self-taught. Staying in the camp might lead to military achievements, but she disliked being restricted.

Besides, she was a woman.

In the Great Xia, women were not allowed to join the army.

Military regulations even explicitly stated that women were not permitted to enter and exit the camp freely.

“Compared to leading troops into battle, I prefer doing business. I’m quite materialistic, you see—I love money the most. One day, I’ll be rich enough to keep two beautiful men like you by my side, living a carefree life. Now, that’s true happiness,” Shen Qingwan said, her gaze lingering on Murong Wushuang, her tone playful and teasing.

Murong Wushuang couldn’t help but chuckle.

What boldness. In this world, she was probably the only one who dared to say such a thing—treating him, Murong Wushuang, like a pet to be kept and spoiled.

And she even wanted two?

“Then Shen Gongzi must work hard to make money,” he replied casually before turning around to leave.

Shen Qingwan followed after him, her mind spinning. Did this mean… raising him wasn’t entirely impossible?

What had started as a joke was now turning into a serious thought in her mind.

Maybe, if she really worked hard, she could make it happen.

Just as they returned, Beichen Yuan rode into the camp on horseback, clearly having just finished the battle.

His armor was stained with blood, and he carried an aura of death as he strode into the command tent.

Shen Qingwan had already gone to rest, so she remained unaware of the events that followed.

Beichen Yuan only realized later that the night raid had been a diversion—the real objective was to burn the grain stores.

What he hadn’t expected was that the intruders had been captured by Shen Qingwan, and all thirty of them were taken alive.

This was no small feat.

Murong Wushuang had already arranged for them to be interrogated.

Surely, they would extract some useful information.

Because of the attack, many soldiers hadn’t slept well, so the morning drills were postponed for half a day.

Shen Qingwan also slept in.

When she got up, she prepared to visit her mother’s tent, as Divine Doctor Chu was scheduled to perform acupuncture that day.

She wanted to be there.

But when she arrived at the tent next door, she found no one there.

Thinking her mother had simply gone to the latrine, she stepped out to look for her.

Her mother never wandered far, except for necessary trips.

She hadn’t gone far when she heard a commotion—angry voices, followed by a terrified cry.

“Wan-wan! Wuwu… Wan-wan! Don’t hit my Wan-wan!”

“Where the hell did this crazy woman come from? This is a military camp, how is there a woman here? And a lunatic at that! And you—how dare you lay a hand on me? Do you have a death wish?”

With that, Xu Shijie kicked Rong Yunshuang hard in the back, but she still shielded her mistress with her body, refusing to back down.

Seeing her mother being bullied and Yunshuang being stepped on, Shen Qingwan rushed forward without hesitation, landing a fierce kick to Xu Shijie’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Xu Shijie looked up, startled.

He didn’t recognize this person, but they had dared to hit him? He climbed back to his feet, face twisted with rage.

“You dare strike me? Do you know who I am?”

In front of his subordinates, being knocked down by an unknown person was utterly humiliating. Furious, he charged at Shen Qingwan.

She didn’t waste time talking—she struck first.

At first, Xu Shijie fought without drawing his sword.

But as he quickly realized he was no match for her, he abandoned all pretense and unsheathed his weapon, slashing at her in desperation.

Yet, Shen Qingwan’s strikes were relentless.

Every punch landed with brutal force, every kick was a heavy blow. It was as if she were pummeling a sandbag.

Had Murong Wushuang not arrived when he did, she might have beaten Xu Shijie to death.

Someone must have noticed the situation and reported it to Beichen Yuan. Murong Wushuang had originally just come to check on things, but to his surprise, the one doing the beating was Shen Qingwan.

His first instinct was that Xu Shijie must have been the one to provoke her.

Otherwise, why would she attack?

Maybe it was personal bias, but he didn’t immediately step in to stop her.

However, Beichen Yuan, who had arrived behind him, couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

“Stop!” he ordered.

Beichen Yuan frowned at Shen Qingwan.

At first, he had only noticed the familiar figure, but when he saw her face clearly, his pupils contracted in shock.

It was her.

The woman who had not only slapped him but also stripped his clothes and later stole his tea.

He had sent Xuantian to investigate her identity but had found nothing.

And yet, here she was—Shen Qingwan.

When Shen Qingwan saw Murong Wushuang, she finally stopped.

But as her gaze fell on the man standing behind him, her brows furrowed.

This man…

What a small world.

One look at his attire and imposing presence, and she instantly guessed his identity.

Could it be that the man she had slapped that day was actually the infamous War King, Beichen Yuan?

Beichen Yuan caught the flash of shock on her face, while Murong Wushuang stepped forward to shield her.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

Shen Qingwan helped her mother and Yunshuang to their feet before turning to Rong Yunshuang.

“Yunshuang, tell me what happened.”

She trusted her mother and Yunshuang wouldn’t provoke trouble.

Rong Yunshuang wiped the blood from her lips before answering, “Master, on our way back from the latrine, Madam accidentally bumped into this vice general at a corner. But instead of letting it go, he shoved her to the ground without warning. She was so frightened she trembled all over. I stepped forward to reason with him, but he insulted her instead. I couldn’t stand it, so I fought back. But I was no match for him…”

She lowered her head in shame.

Shen Qingwan turned to Murong Wushuang and said firmly, “When I arrived, he had already stepped on my subordinate and was insulting my mother. So I fought him. I expect the War King to give me a proper explanation for today’s events.”

Her words were direct and forceful, as if she wouldn’t let this matter drop until justice was served.

She had already beaten Xu Shijie black and blue—his face was swollen like a pig’s head.

And yet, she was still demanding an explanation?

Beichen Yuan almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

This woman…

As shameless as ever.

And she even had the nerve to act righteous about it.

“Ughhh… Wuhhh… My lord… I’m innocent… Ughhh…”

Xu Shijie mumbled through swollen lips, his missing teeth making him barely intelligible.

Beichen Yuan looked at him with undisguised disappointment.

To be beaten to this extent by a woman…

And still have the audacity to claim innocence?

What a disgrace.