Xu Songhe gently lifted the umbrella, tilting her face up to look at the man before her. Since he had mocked her the moment they met, she felt she had to teach him a lesson—even if he was her target.
Watching the snowflakes drift down around them, she thought it over and said, “You mocked me.”
He didn’t deny it. “I did.”
“Then you’re in trouble,” she declared. “I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
Qi Wuyang tilted his head, looking at her with amusement.
It’s only been a few days, he thought. The same person who was trembling and begging for mercy just a moment ago is now glaring at me.
“And what are you going to do?”
Xu Songhe pulled her hand back slightly. “You can’t share my umbrella.”
Let him get soaked in the snow!
“…”
His expression turned strange. He lowered his gaze, silently studying her.
“Oh, look at this,” she said, taking a black pill from her basket.
She placed it in her palm and held it out to him, recounting the incident that had just happened. “Is there anything wrong with this medicine?”
He didn’t even reach out to take it, merely glancing at it. “Nothing.”
Nothing?
Before Xu Songhe could even process her disappointment, Qi Wuyang continued in a slow, deliberate tone, “It’s not medicine at all.”
“It’s not medicine?”
Her heart quickened. If it isn’t medicine, why did Shopkeeper Yu have me distribute it to the other townspeople?
More importantly, she had just seen with her own eyes how the child had improved after taking it.
“Then what is it?” she asked, her frustration mounting as she struggled to find an answer.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, a playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Why not take a bite and find out?”
“I’m being serious,” Xu Songhe said, her voice tight with urgency as she glared at him. “Is it… is it poisonous?”
Qi Wuyang felt a flicker of boredom, but he couldn’t ignore the desperate intensity in her gaze.
He replied languidly, “No.”
She instantly relaxed. Thank goodness. So many lives were at stake—if it were poison, she would have become their accomplice.
“It’s just a simple pill,” Qi Wuyang said, glancing at her.
He found her pained, dramatic expression amusing. “What are you so afraid of? It’s not a bomb.”
“That’s because—”
Xu Songhe stopped mid-sentence, staring at him in stunned silence.
How does he know about bombs?
The young man crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly as he watched her with self-satisfied amusement.
Behind him, a snow-white head bobbed into view. Xu Songhe quickly scooped the creature up and began smoothing its fur. As she did, a faint memory resurfaced…
…Wait, weren’t those my exact words?
Her gaze shifted as she looked at him again. What kind of nine-tailed fox demon is this? He’s just a childish mimic!
Ignoring him now, she wondered if Shopkeeper Yu had woken up yet.
“I still think there’s something wrong with that temple,” she said, changing the subject. “I need to go back and check.”
Just as she turned to leave, a hand patted her shoulder. She spun around, but saw no one.
Then, a burst of cheerful laughter rang out from behind her. “What’s that in your hand?”
Xu Songhe turned and found herself face-to-face with A-Fang.
“The pills Shopkeeper Yu gave me,” she replied briefly. She held out the basket to him. “A-Fang, do you know what kind of medicine this is?”
A-Fang glanced at the pills and frowned. “I’ve never seen them before. You haven’t either, have you? The Shopkeeper’s skills are legendary—it’s only natural you wouldn’t recognize the medicines he makes.”
Even he doesn’t know?
Xu Songhe kept her composure. “Of course I don’t know. But you’ve worked for Shopkeeper Yu for years. You can’t even identify a few pills?”
“Who says I can’t?”
Her jab had worked. A-Fang’s face flushed with indignation, and just as he reached out to take the basket for a closer look, a sob interrupted him.
A man came running toward them, stumbling as he carried an unconscious young girl on his back.
He gasped for breath, “A-Fang! Where is Shopkeeper Yu? My daughter is dying… please, I beg him to help her!”
Though A-Fang had assisted Shopkeeper Yu for years, he knew nothing of medicine himself. Seeing no visible wounds on the girl, his eyes widened.
He quickly snatched a pill from the basket and prepared to hand it over.
“This is the Shopkeeper’s medicine. She’ll recover soon after taking it—”
But before he could finish, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. A-Fang spun around and met the smiling eyes of the young man.
“Be careful,” Qi Wuyang said with a soft laugh, a rare hint of kindness in his gentle tone. “A large insect just landed on your shoulder.”
A-Fang held his breath.
Qi Wuyang continued unhurriedly, “But don’t worry, I’ve already shooed it away for you.”
“You… you…” A-Fang stammered, unsure if the other man was telling the truth.
After struggling for words for a long moment, he finally turned to Xu Songhe. “Control your… your friend.”
Big brother, he only tapped your shoulder. You should be thanking the heavens he didn’t kill you, Xu Songhe thought to herself.
Qi Wuyang’s hand had shot out without warning, and she hadn’t been able to stop him. For a moment, she’d feared A-Fang was about to meet his end.
Fortunately, it seems he’s not planning to start a fight on someone else’s turf.
The man urgently repeated his plea, and only then did A-Fang return to the task at hand and hand over the pill.
“Thank you, thank you…” the man gasped, already turning to leave with the girl on his back.
“Wait,” Xu Songhe said, her gaze fixed on the unconscious girl. “Please, stay here for a moment. If the medicine doesn’t work, we can take you to Shopkeeper Yu right away so we don’t waste any more time.”
“Though Shopkeeper’s medicine is never wrong, you make a good point,” A-Fang muttered, glancing at her.
Xu Songhe didn’t bother arguing. Her only concern now was whether this girl’s condition would be the same as the others’.
“By the way,” she said, her eyes meeting the man’s, “has your daughter… visited Shopkeeper Yu’s temple in the last few days?”
“How did you know?” The man’s eyes widened. He sighed. “Her mother fell ill a few days ago, and Shopkeeper Yu’s help brought her back from the brink. I was tied up caring for her at home, so the girl went to the temple alone with some incense, saying she wanted to thank him for saving her mother’s life.”
That temple again… and that statue…
What do they have to do with the townspeople’s illness? Qi Wuyang and she had spent half a day in the temple yesterday, yet they were perfectly fine.
Before she could figure it out, the girl’s eyelids fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around blankly.
“Father… I want some water.”
Her voice was much stronger than before, no longer faint.
She’s recovering, Xu Songhe noted.
“A-Fang, Shopkeeper Yu will probably wake up soon,” she said, trying to find an excuse to send A-Fang away. “Go deliver the medicine, and I’ll go clean the temple.”
A-Fang nodded, yawned, and strolled off with the medicine basket.
As soon as he was gone, Xu Songhe turned to Qi Wuyang. “Young Master, did you notice anything strange?” she asked eagerly.
Qi Wuyang didn’t answer. Instead, he offered a faint smile and held out his hand, his fingers loosely curled.
Xu Songhe watched him, wondering what he was up to.
The next moment, he opened his palm to reveal a dark, misshapen lump.
“Isn’t that the medicine we just gave the girl?” Xu Songhe gasped in disbelief. “How did it get here? Then… what did we just give them?”
She recalled his abrupt, odd movements earlier. Had he swapped the medicine in A-Fang’s hand right then and there?
“You’re so tense. Are you afraid I swapped the medicine for poison?” Qi Wuyang sneered, his interest visibly waning. “You’re right—I can be ruthless and kill without blinking. But not everyone is worth my time.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Xu Songhe felt a wave of helplessness.
She had crossed that thought, but if this man wanted someone dead, why not just act? Why all these twists and turns?
She studied him, her gaze critical. “We have no leads. If A-Fang had caught you doing that, wouldn’t it have alerted the enemy?”
Qi Wuyang raised an eyebrow, his displeasure written all over his face. “Are you questioning me?”
“No, but you said it yourself—without your true body, your spiritual power is a fraction of what it used to be…”
Xu Songhe trailed off, wondering why she was even arguing with him. She walked a few steps forward, then turned back. “Young Master, are you coming with me?”
“What would I be doing there?”
“I need you,” she said, her eyes curving into a smile. “That statue is so dangerous. I want you to protect me.”
Snow clung to Qi Wuyang’s eyelashes. As he lifted his gaze, they trembled slightly. The wariness in his eyes softened as he looked at her.
It’s so strange, he thought. Why does she always smile? What could she possibly be so happy about?
And when she smiled, a little dimple always appeared on her cheek.
He couldn’t find an answer, nor did he ask. By the time he snapped back to the present, he had already followed her into the temple.
“Little White, you really can’t run off again later. Do you understand?” Xu Songhe whispered, stroking the rabbit in her arms.
Qi Wuyang followed behind, watching her every move.
It really is strange, he mused. Why does she enjoy talking to a creature that can’t even understand human speech?
Xu Songhe was completely oblivious to his gaze. She stared at the statue’s face, her mind racing.
The pill was swapped earlier, yet the girl’s condition still improved. Could it be that Shopkeeper Yu’s healing doesn’t rely on medicine at all?
If that was the case, why did he travel so far to gather herbs and insist she deliver the medicine to the villagers? It couldn’t have been just for show…
“Young Master, can you see anything?”
Xu Songhe turned to face him. Seeing his completely indifferent expression, she sighed inwardly. I can’t count on him after all.
Besides the statue, where else could there be clues?
She recalled A-Fang’s words and thought of the hidden chamber no one ever visited.
Would it… be there?
If Qi Wuyang was right and Shopkeeper Yu had taken the true body, that secret chamber was the only place he could have hidden it.
“Young Master—”
She suddenly spoke, her eyes shining. Joy overflowed from her, like a river that couldn’t be contained. “I think I know where we can find your true body!”
The youth scanned her from head to toe, his pupils constricting slightly. This was the first time anyone had shown him such genuine, unfiltered emotion without a hint of pretense.
He’s the one looking for his body. Why is she so happy?