Zhao Feixian, the only Furen of the Invincible Manor, stood dignified, gazing at the crowd gathered in front of the manor. She sighed softly. It had been almost a year now since the Invincible Manor often saw villagers and townsfolk bringing gifts for her baby, like this day.

    Why? It was none other than her clever husband, the General, who had audaciously spread a massive rumor that their only heir was struck down by a strange illness, resulting in a grotesque face and a pitiable deformed body. Hearing this news, villagers, along with various families in the city, scrambled to bring all sorts of gifts and valuable medicinal herbs, thinking they might cure Young Miss Zhao's dire condition, offering them to their manor daily without fail.

    When Zhao Furen learned of this and found out who was behind it, she went as far as to physically reprimand her husband until his face swelled, ending with a punishment for him to sleep outside the house for seven days.

    "Damn it, such a husband deserves to die," Zhao Furen cursed, then shifted her gaze, looking for her daughter. Not seeing her nearby, she asked the servant, "Zhang Feng, where's the Young Miss?"

    At this moment, Zhang Feng was busy recording the items brought by various families as gifts for the Zhao family. He turned to answer his mistress with a sweet smile,

    "The Young Miss is likely practicing with the Master in the training ground behind the manor."

    Zhao Feixian nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes then drifting to the paper in the housekeeper's hand. Curiosity piqued, she inquired,

    "And what are you writing there?"

    Zhang Feng's eyes crinkled in pride as he responded, "I'm listing down the gifts sent by other families, Furen." He then proudly presented the list for her to see.

    "What's this? The Chi family sent a hundred-year-old ginseng, and the Lin family sent jade dew grass. What for? My child isn't internally bruised at all. Oh… millennium snow lotus for detoxification, moonflower for itch relief. Eh, what's this?" Zhao Furen's attention caught a straw figure on the table, prompting her question.

    "Oh... I made this myself, intending it for Master and Young Miss. I read in a book that if you make a straw figure, write a name on it, and nail it to a tree unseen by anyone at night, it will ensure the person's health and ward off diseases. It's said to be very effective, especially if we insert the person's hair into the straw figure."

    Zhang Feng explained, having found this ritual in a book among the gifts for Zhao Meihua. The honest servant thought to try it out for Master and Young Miss.

    Feixian glanced between Zhang Feng's face and the straw figures, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Being a disciple of a great martial arts master, she had heard her teacher mention dark arts used by distant realms to harm others. She silently scoffed.

    'Healthy and strong, my foot! That's clearly a cursed straw figure!'

    Nonetheless, unable to crush Zhang Feng's pure intentions, Feixian discreetly used a bone-dissolving liquid on the two figures. The potent liquid lived up to its name, disintegrating the straw figures instantly into nothing.

    "What... what happened?" Zhang Feng gasped in shock as the meticulously made straw figures vanished before his eyes.

    "Perhaps it's ineffective. Why don't you try it on yourself first? Then tell me the results," she suggested.

    "Right, I'll test it first then report back."

    The naive Zhang Feng agreed, then hurried off. Feixian sighed softly, relieved she could deter the servant's well-intention attempt. The thought of Zhang Feng nailing a straw figure to a tree at night sent shivers down her spine.

    She then proceeded towards the training ground at the back of the manor, as Zhang Feng had mentioned, to find her beloved daughter. The closer she got, the louder the sound of air being sliced through, signaling her approach to her destination.

        Finally,

    She clearly saw two figures entangled in the middle of the courtyard. One tall, clad in a long black outfit, and the other smaller, in a white dress adorned with flower patterns.

    The Furen was struck by shock upon seeing the shiny white weapon reflecting sunlight in her daughter's hand and exclaimed in panic.

    "Minglong, you villain! Using a real sword like this, are you trying to kill my daughter?!"

    Zhao Minglong, who was then practicing swordplay with his daughter, flinched upon hearing his wife's fierce outcry, losing focus and exposing a vulnerability to his opponent.

    The small, delicate girl, face set in determination, maneuvered her sword swiftly, targeting the opening revealed by her father, aiming to overcome him. Her clear voice, confident of victory, as she chimed in.

    "Father, don't forget our promise if you lose."

    Her words brought Zhao Minglong back to his senses, but the precise strike was imminent, making him think he might falter.

    "Father, if Meihua wins this duel, I want to go outside the manor. And you must also agree to let mother take me to the imperial palace."

    "All right, if you can overcome my sword technique."

    The General agreed proudly, confident in his skills. Zhao Meihua, seeing through her father's thoughts, had no choice. Throughout her eight years of life, she had never stepped out of the manor even once. So, this time, she was determined to win.

    "Father, on one condition, we must use real swords."

    The General was momentarily taken aback, puzzled why his daughter would request real swords, putting him at such a disadvantage, but he consented to her demand.

    In truth, Zhao Meihua knew all too well the disadvantage her father would face in a real duel. She demanded this condition because she was confident that doing so would slightly increase her chance of victory. Given the gap in their skills, using wooden swords would lead to her immediate defeat. But with real swords, her father would inevitably hold back, fearing for her safety.

    Zhao Minglong narrowly dodged an attack, attempting to disarm his daughter with superior speed. In a blink, the sword in her hand was seized by him, a triumphant smile spreading across his face upon securing a perceived victory.

    Suddenly, the small figure in front lunged forward, swiftly changing tactics and closing in on the large hand holding the sword. The General's eyes widened in shock, unable to halt the incoming weapon, fearing it might wound his daughter. In an instant, he intercepted with his left hand, the sound of flesh colliding with metal echoing loudly. The silver sword from his right hand clattered to the ground, amidst his heart-stopping dread.

    "Finally, Father wins. Hua’er, have you conceded yet?"

    The General turned to his daughter with a victor's face, but Zhao Meihua stepped back, smiling slightly, making her lovely face more radiant.

    "Who really won, father?"

    Caught by her statement, he attempted to point accusingly at the cunning little strategist but was startled to find his hand unable to move.

    Struggling to move any part of his body, he found himself completely immobilized. Zhao Meihua smiled broadly, revealing her plan.

    "Father, you might have taken the sword from my hand, but I managed to hit your acupuncture point. So, who's the true victor?"

    Realizing this, the General was immediately filled with regret. His daughter had outsmarted him thoroughly, not just aiming to make him hold back with the real sword but also to seize the opportunity to claim victory over him.

    "No, Hua’er, the outside world is full of ill-intentioned people. If you desire anything, let your father find it for you, that should be enough."

    The General pleaded urgently, but Zhao Meihua looked at him tiredly. She had never been allowed outside the Invincible manor in her eight years, shielded excessively by her overprotective father. Even when her mother visited the imperial palace with him, she could only wait at the manor.

    She was well aware of the rumors spread about her by the other party. And what of it? She was actually pleased, for it meant no one would dare bother her.

    Now, at the age of eight – or considering her past life, significantly older – Zhao Meihua was well versed in the customs and traditions here. In this era, it was common for people to marry in their early teens.

    Especially daughters from prominent families were highly sought after, attracting other families to form alliances through marriage, thus enhancing their husbands' families' power.

    And who wouldn't know of the Invincible General's grandeur, the emperor’s close companion, entrusted with the entire military force?

    Everyone knew the extent of the General's power, second only to the emperor, as the saying goes….

    ‘Beneath one person, above everyone else.’

    Thus, what her father did was beneficial for Zhao Meihua herself, indicating he had no intentions of forcing her into a political marriage. However, staying confined in the manor for eight years had its toll of boredom, despite having the steward Zhang Feng, and her mother's close maid, Jing Yian, for company and mischief.

    Speaking of Zhang Feng, how far had he gotten with the cursing book she painstakingly wrote and sent him? She wondered if he had completed the straw dolls as instructed.

    Her eyes sparkled mischievously at the thought of the earnest servant she had recently tricked. She had compiled a book on cursing techniques from both her past and future knowledge, labeling it as a manual for enhancing happiness according to celestial principles.

    Sneakily, she mixed it with the pile of gifts brought by the people for her. She was keenly waiting to see the outcome of Zhang Feng's dolls made from the book.

    The girl turned her attention back to her father, her lips curving into a sweet smile as she approached and clung to his stiff arm, coaxing in a melodious voice.

    "Please, Father, I want to see the world outside. Or do you plan to keep Hua’er confined here for life, never meeting anyone?"

    Hearing this, Zhao Minglong was at a loss for words, realizing the truth in his little daughter's words. He couldn't keep her locked up in the manor forever.

    "Alright, I'll allow you to go out, but..."

    Zhao Meihua smiled at her father's words, but her face fell slightly when she heard the word 'but.'

    "But what?"

    The General smirked slightly, stating, "I have two conditions. First, you must not reveal your face to anyone. Second, you must tell everyone you are still not cured."

    The sweet-faced girl nodded eagerly, "Of course, father."

    These conditions were in her favor, there was no reason to oppose them. Whether her face was concealed or not made little difference to her. And maintaining the illusion of her illness would act as a shield against the prying interests of other families, keeping them at bay.

    "So, we agree on this," Zhao Minglong concluded, and father and daughter shared a joyful laugh.

    "Feixian walked over to the pair, giving her husband a sweet smile. General Zhao, seeing his wife's smile, felt a deep sense of unease, for every time before she beat him, she always smiled at him like this."

    "Mother," the girl called out brightly, rushing into her mother's embrace, not out of joy at seeing her but from a fear of being reprimanded for using real swords.

    Zhao Feixian wrapped her arms around her daughter, her initial intent to scold melting away at the girl's affectionate gesture and the charming, smiling face before her.

    Her daughter was still young, how could she dare to use a real sword like this? If anyone was to be blamed, it should be her good-for-nothing husband rather than her. The slim figure thought as she cast a wary glance at the tall figure standing beside her.

    Zhao Minglong, catching his wife's eye and noticing the gleaming sword in her hand, remembered and inwardly flinched.

    ‘Damn, this is the end for me. Xian'er hates me teaching Hua'er martial arts, and now she's caught us using real swords.’

    "Minglong, you're opposing me. Training Hua'er in martial arts wasn't enough, you had to use real swords. Do you intend to kill our daughter?"

    The General's face went pale immediately, knowing well the strength of his wife's palm. Thus, he hurriedly offered an explanation in a frantic voice.

    "Xian'er, calm down. It's not what you think. Right, Hua'er?"

    The General turned to his beloved daughter for support to clear the accusation against him. However, she pretended to look away, unwilling to meet her father's gaze.

    ‘Sorry, Father. If Mother knew I challenged you and even asked for real swords, I would be punished by copying characters for another lifetime. As a father, please take the blame for me this time.’

    The adorable face looked up to meet her father's gaze, her black eyes sparkling with a pleading and coaxing light. Zhao Minglong was nearly moved to tears by his daughter's pleading look. Well, for his beloved daughter, he could endure it.

    The General gathered his courage to explain to his wife,

    "It's just that I wanted our daughter to be familiar with... ack!"

    Thump!

    Slam!

    Bam!

    The sounds were loud and clear to the ear when the slender, yet powerful figure of Furen Zhao of the Zhao family spun around, swiftly setting her daughter down a distance away before swinging her palm in an arc and launching it at the hefty body of her beloved husband.

    The General took his wife's palm strike fully, bending over as if he were a shrimp, speechless from the pain, as he could not move due to being acupunctured, locked by his daughter. He had no choice but to endure the full force of his wife's palm strike.

    Zhao Meihua frowned upon hearing the sounds. Hesitant to interfere and possibly get hit by stray blows, knowing well her mother wouldn't spare anyone when angry, she didn't dare to act rashly.

    Thus, the large figure of the Invincible General had to turn himself into a human punching bag for his wife to hit with both her palms and fists, without the ability to counterattack or defend himself.

    "Zhao Minglong, do you think you're so capable? Not even trying to retaliate or dodge? Fine, if you think you're so capable, I'll keep hitting until you fight back," she said and then suddenly kicked her husband in the body with the shadowless foot technique her master had taught her.

    Zhao Minglong was left gasping for air and unable to defend himself, forced to transform into a human punching bag for his wife, unable to avoid it.

    The little figure stood with a sad face, horrified inside as she heard the sounds of punches and kicks landing.

    Jing Yian, her personal maid, came to embrace the little figure, fearing that if the Young Miss tried to intervene, she might accidentally get hit.

    Hearing Furen Zhao's angry shouts, servant Zhang Feng hurriedly stood by his Young Miss's side, panting, and asked, "What's... what happened?"

    Jing Yian answered indifferently, having seen such scenes many times, "The usual. The General angered the Furen."

    Hearing this, Zhang Feng nodded in understanding, well aware that his master was far more skilled than the Furen, thus not too concerned for him.

    ‘Just look, even now, the master stands still, letting Furen hit him without defending himself. This, despite Furen being a disciple of Master Feng, one of the top martial artists in the martial world.’

    Zhang Feng smiled admiringly at his master. Zhao Minglong, seeing his confidant, felt greatly relieved and immediately sought his help with a look.

    The master and servant exchanged understanding glances, and Zhang Feng caught on.

    He put his hand in his shirt sleeve and confidently lifted up a straw he had just gathered, shouting, "Hang in there, master!"

    The Invincible General choked on his own blood at the shout, cursing himself for thinking his loyal servant would understand him.

    'Why did I even bother keeping such a buffalo in my manor!'