When my sister told me that the Supreme Wondrous Medical Tome—the only copy of the world's greatest medical text—was currently in the Shen family estate in Prosperity City, and that whoever obtained it would surpass all other healers in the Serpent Realm, I was instantly intrigued.
The moment I heard the news, I decided to give it a shot. Not just to make the Li family famous overnight, but mostly out of curiosity—I've always had a special passion for medicine, and there are so many things in it worth exploring.
My sister said she was the only one who knew this secret, and that it had cost her dearly to learn it.
Of course, I had no idea what price she'd actually paid, but judging by her attitude, she clearly valued that book a lot.
Thinking it over, it made sense. Our parents died young, my sister's always been timid, and I've looked after her all this time. These days, more and more medical families are popping up, and challengers are constantly showing up at our door. She's finally starting to gain some confidence and believe in herself.
But I know the world is vast, and there's still so much we don't know. Everything our parents worked so hard for—we have to keep building it up, not just sit around guarding it with no progress at all.
After hearing my sister out, I told her straight up: I'm going to get that book.
She smiled, totally confident I'd succeed.
Naturally, I believed I could do it too.
And so, I set off for Prosperity City.
It didn’t take long for me to find out that the Shen family in Prosperity City was pretty influential locally—they owned an apothecary, a bank, and were clearly loaded.
But for all their wealth, they had a so-called foolish Miss Shen who no one could cure. Supposedly, she was hideous, her tail was maimed, and yet she still made no effort to hide her interests.
Namely, she loved handsome men—a lot. Rumor had it she’d spent half the family fortune chasing pretty faces.
When I heard this, I couldn’t help but laugh. But honestly, it was great news for me, since I’m extremely confident in my own looks.
Her obsession was tailor-made for me—getting into the Shen family should be a breeze.
Getting into the Shen family was step one. Once I was in, I’d have a way to get my hands on that book.
What I didn’t expect was that the rumors said this fool was about to get married—and to a handsome man, no less.
A handsome man?
Ha! When I heard that, I found it hilarious. Is there anyone in this world better looking than me?
Now I was genuinely curious and wanted to see for myself.
At that moment, I started wondering: could her future husband be the very man she spent half her family's fortune tracking down?
From what I remember, the first time I saw that woman—oh my god, she was, she was ugly beyond belief.
I couldn't help but marvel: are there really women this hideous in the Serpent Realm?
But in the next second, I was a bit stunned. That silly girl was grinning ear to ear, holding onto a man's arm, laughing so happily, so blissfully.
That man...
As expected!
The corners of my mouth curled up into a smile—this guy is definitely not ordinary!
Just from his aura and the way he walked, you could tell he had some status!
But I never expected his identity to be this special!
Soon enough, I found out who he was—the master of the Ice Palace. Hah, what an impressive title. Why would a palace lord willingly marry this woman?
Could it be, he's also after that medical book she has?
No way, that thing is mine! No one deserves it more than me!
So, I started scheming.
Everyone knows this fool loves wandering the streets, mostly just to gawk at handsome men. And that Ice Palace master supposedly stays in his inn, rarely showing his face.
Works for me—less chance of him messing things up.
One rainy day, with just an umbrella, we had our fateful encounter. She was soaked like a wet chicken, and my umbrella just happened to appear over her head.
I'll never forget how her big, jet-black eyes stared at me, totally dumbstruck, filled with awe.
For a split second, I thought her eyes were actually really, really pretty—there was something oddly captivating about them.
But her face...
Ahem, forget it, I'd better look elsewhere. I had a good breakfast and I'd rather not lose it.
"Young master, you're so beautiful."
That was the first thing she said to me. I laughed, genuinely amused. Beautiful? Well, I do have a face that makes women feel insecure.
"Do you like it?" I tilted the umbrella to look even more dashing.
"I like it! You're so good-looking! Will you marry me?"
I froze for a moment, not expecting her to be so blunt. Oh well, she's just a fool—no point overthinking it. So I smiled and said, "Sure!"
"Really? That means I'll have two husbands now!" she squealed, "And both are the best-looking!"
Two? She must mean that Night Qincheng guy.
"What's your name? I'm getting married in ten days. Come on, I'll take you to the shop for a gorgeous wedding robe!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me forward like a happy kid.
I glanced down at her hand—huh? Why was it so soft?
The feeling surprised me, but then I thought, well, a pampered fool probably has everything done for her. Of course her hands are smooth. Nothing weird about that!
She took me to the most famous fabric shop in Prosperity City and told the owner to measure me for a wedding robe—the best cloth, just like her first husband.
I didn't say a word, just let her enjoy herself. I figured, once I got inside those gates, my good looks would definitely help me snag that book.
Why not sneak into the Shen family at night, you ask? Oh, let me tell you—I've tried that at least five times, and every single time I came up empty-handed. I was dying to know where that book was hidden!
(This chapter isn't over yet~.~ Click next page for more fun!)
But since my sister vouched for the info, it must be legit.
Oh well, instead of sneaking around, it's better to go in openly. Plus, this fool is kinda interesting.
Yeah, I'm interested in poisons. I've killed and saved countless people, but I've never experimented on a fool before.
I wonder, was she born stupid or did she get that way later on? If I could, I'd love to study her a bit.
If I could cure her, my medical skills would level up for sure. If I fail—well, losing one fool isn't a big deal!
The days passed by, one after another.
The wedding day finally arrived, but what I didn't expect was that this woman had found two more men?
And one of them was actually the top imperial scholar! Suddenly, it felt like this fool was just full of mysteries.
Otherwise, why would all these guys be so eager to follow her? Clearly, she's hiding more than one secret!
That day, Night Qincheng saw me and looked surprised for a moment, but quickly covered it up. I know that look—scheming!
Heh, just as I thought—looks like life in this mansion won't be boring!
Foolish girl, I can't wait to see how you handle all four of us!
The wedding was a total circus—so many people just wanted to see what kind of husbands the famous fool had landed.
But I didn't care, so whatever. Night fell amidst all the noise.
A maid announced that the bride wanted us to bathe first—she'd come to the bridal chamber later.
I couldn't help but laugh at that. What, does this fool even know how to consummate a marriage?
Or maybe she wants all four of us at once?
Ha, hilarious. I really want to see what she's thinking.
But what I didn't expect was, when the fool came in, she stared at us wide-eyed like she'd never seen us before, looking totally spaced out.
What, still not done admiring handsome men?
Then suddenly, she looked absolutely terrified, like she'd seen something horrifying.
Sure enough, she dumbly asked if she'd just seen something weird.
I frowned, confused—what was she even talking about?
Turns out, she'd spotted our serpent tails and freaked out, screaming for us to run away.
Night Qincheng and I exchanged a glance, then deliberately showed our tails. Instantly, the silly girl was so scared she fainted.
That scene left me speechless. Stupid, really stupid! But suddenly, I realized she was actually kind of fun!
**********End of explanation section**********
PS: This arc is just about how the Seven Husbands first met Xin'er. The rest of the story, you already know, so I won't retell it.