The heavy rain lasted for two consecutive days, and it wasn’t until the early morning of the third day that the downpour finally ceased.
Xiao Fu stretched her hand outside, not feeling any drizzle but catching a drop of morning dew instead.
With a smile on her face, she turned and ran inside. “Madam, the rain has stopped!”
“Good!”
Shang Yueli finished packing her bundle and asked, “Brother Gu, how much longer do we have to walk?”
“We’re still far from Fangling. At your pace, it’ll take at least two more months.”
“Ah, two months?”
Lin Zhiman felt as if the sky were collapsing. Her eyes darted around, and she came up with another clever idea.
“Officer, couldn’t we hire a few carriages? That way, we wouldn’t have to worry about being unable to travel on rainy days. You could let us off to walk on our own when we’re close to Fangling—no one would notice.”
Gu Mang instinctively glanced at Mu Yunsheng, who was busy packing and said nothing.
He glared at Lin Zhiman.
“You and your crafty ideas! We’ll talk about it when the time comes!”
“Fine, fine. ‘When the time comes’ means we’ll discuss it when we reach Fangling, right? I understand.”
Resigned, Lin Zhiman shouldered her bundle and was the first to step out of the cave.
“Let’s go. Is everyone ready?”
“Mm.” Mu Yunsheng hoisted his bundle and followed her out.
Su Er: “Little sister, aren’t you coming?”
“Coming, coming.”
Su Moli reluctantly got to her feet, grumbling, “I really don’t understand what you people are thinking, rushing off to exile.”
“Stop arguing! Walk faster!”
Wang Hu frowned and cracked his whip in the air.
Having shared the cave with Gu Mang’s group for the past two days and watching them eat and drink lavishly, Wang Hu was deeply irritated.
Yet, bound by orders from above, he couldn’t do anything to the Su family.
He had no idea what made them so special that they still had protection even while being exiled to Lingnan.
“Tch, walk faster! If you delay, you’ll bear the consequences!”
“You think waving a whip makes you impressive?”
Su Moli rolled her eyes. “A fox borrowing the tiger’s fierceness!”
Su Yi: “Su Moli, shut up.”
“Hmph, shut up then. As if anyone cares to talk to him.”
Outside, Lin Zhiman listened to their bickering and shuddered. “That little wretch is really bold, daring to yell even at the officers. I’d better stay away from her from now on, to avoid getting burned like last time.”
“Yes, you should keep your distance.”
Shang Yueli nodded in agreement. “I think she’s a bit off in the head too.”
After walking for a long time, the road transformed from complete desolation to occasionally glimpsed figures in the distance.
Looking up, they could see the entrance to a village not far away.
Barring any surprises, they would likely rest there for the night.
“Cough, cough, cough—”
“Gag—”
A man crouched by the roadside, vomiting violently, his face pale and sickly.
“Eww, it stinks! So disgusting, gag—”
Su Moli was nauseated by the smell and nearly vomited herself.
Gu Mang: “Fellow villager, what’s wrong with you?”
“Stay away from me! This illness is contagious!”
He covered his mouth, preventing Gu Mang from approaching.
“You don’t have the plague, do you?”
Lin Zhiman backed away repeatedly. This disease could be deadly!
Shang Yueli observed that his symptoms seemed severe and wondered if the Spirit Spring could cure this illness.
Another person approached from ahead, likely accompanying the sick man.
He had a cloth wrapped around his face and helped the man on the ground to his feet.
“You’re from out of town, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we’re passing through and looking for a place to rest.”
Gu Mang had originally intended to enter the village, but now it seemed they would have to take a longer detour.
“There’s a dilapidated temple over there where you can stay for the night, but whatever you do, don’t enter the village!”
“Thank you.”
The sky grew dark, and with the epidemic disease spreading, everyone unconsciously quickened their pace, eager to leave this place as soon as possible.
That night, heavy rain began to fall.
After spending this time together, Lin Zhiman was no longer as afraid of the government officers.
Lying on the ground listening to the rain outside, she suggested once again:
“Officer, are you really not considering buying a few carriages?”
“Shut up.”
“Oh.” Lin Zhiman closed her eyes and turned over to sleep.
Shang Yueli couldn’t sleep and quietly got up to leave.
“Tap, tap, tap—”
She suddenly heard sounds coming from under the table.
Shang Yueli slowly approached and lifted the tablecloth.
A young boy was curled up beneath the table, trembling and barely conscious.
“Water, water…”
Shang Yueli took a clean cup and poured him some Spirit Spring Water.
After drinking a cup of Spirit Spring Water, the boy’s condition improved significantly.
[Ding! Virtue points +1]
Shang Yueli, who had been somewhat worried, immediately felt relieved upon hearing the System’s voice.
Not long after, the boy woke up.
“How are you feeling? Is there anywhere that still hurts?”
“Fairy… fairy sister!”
“What?”
“Am I already dead? Otherwise, how could I see a fairy?”
Shang Yueli was amused by him.
“Why would you be dead when you’re perfectly fine?”
“No, the villagers said I was sick and wouldn’t live much longer. They were afraid I’d infect others, so they drove me out.”
Shang Yueli patted him. “You’re not dead, and you won’t die in the future either. Your illness has been cured.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. If you don’t believe me, try getting up and walking a few steps.”
The little boy stood up and bounced a couple of times, then suddenly laughed aloud.
“My body doesn’t hurt anymore! I’m really better!”
“Are there many sick people in your village?”
At this question, the boy’s previously high spirits instantly dampened.
“Yes, my parents, the neighbors Baicai and Tiezhu… they’re all sick.”
“Wah… it’s all my fault for being useless! If I were more capable, they wouldn’t have to die!”
Shang Yueli patted his head and, like magic, produced ten water containers from behind her.
“What’s this?”
“This is medicine. Take this back and have everyone drink a little. Your illnesses will be cured.”
Shang Yueli smiled gently, making the little boy blush.
He knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Shang Yueli.
“Fairy sister, my name is Er Gou. I will definitely come back to find you!”
That night, Shang Yueli barely slept because the annoying System’s voice kept echoing in her mind:
[Ding!
Virtue points +1
Virtue points +1
+1
……]
“Annoying System, can you please shut up?”
[Congratulations on upgrading to Gold Host!
Gold Level privileges: Unlimited Spirit Spring!
System Store unlocked!
Space area increased by 100 square meters!
Note: 100 virtue points required for next level. Keep up the good work, Host!]
“System Store? What’s that?”
Following the annoying System’s guidance, Shang Yueli successfully opened the System Store.
The array of goods inside was dazzling.
From daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt to miraculous elixirs and medicines—everything was available.
The only drawback was that everything inside was ridiculously expensive!
“A packet of fine salt for ten taels of gold?”
Shang Yueli’s lips twitched.
“You shameless System, you could’ve just robbed me directly, yet you still gave me a packet of salt.”
“You’re really… so kind-hearted…”
For some reason, the Merit System felt a chill running down its virtual spine.
Before dawn the next day, Gu Mang roused everyone to continue their journey while the rain had stopped.
By the time Ergou arrived at the temple with good news, everyone had already left.
“Ergou, there’s nobody here at all.”
“Was it just a dream you had?”
Ergou shook his head, but his attention was caught by a well.
Tiezhu wondered: “Hey, didn’t this well dry up long ago? How come there’s water again?”
Ergou crouched down, scooped up some clear water with both hands and took a sip.
“It’s sweet!”
“What?”
“The water is sweet.”
It tasted exactly like the water the celestial sister had given him yesterday.
Tiezhu also took a sip.
“!!!”
“Isn’t this the same water you gave me to drink last night?”
“Great! Now everyone can be saved!”
“Ergou, you stay here and guard this place. I’ll go back and get the village chief to fetch water!”
Watching Tiezhu’s retreating figure, Ergou murmured: “The celestial beings have truly answered our prayers…”
As Shang Yueli walked along the road, the sound of merit points increasing kept echoing in her mind.
The sound only stopped when it reached 59.
Shang Yueli stretched lazily, loosening her relaxed muscles and bones.
“Ah, finally quiet.”
“Sometimes having too much merit is also a kind of trouble~”