Shen Chuyun smiled so brightly that her eyes curved into crescents, revealing two tiny, pearly white baby teeth. “Waa, waa, waa!”
Yes, yes, yes! I love medicine the most! I’m a very skilled military doctor, after all. But it seems my eldest senior brother is even more capable than I am. Eldest Senior Brother, hurry up and teach me medicine! You’re the best!
As a little baby, she had been pretending to act like an ordinary infant all along, trying not to reveal that she possessed an adult soul.
Seeing her smile, Eldest Senior Brother grew even happier.
“Alright, alright! As long as you like it, your eldest senior brother will teach you everything he knows and give it his all!”
He gently stroked Shen Chuyun’s little head, his smile growing increasingly affectionate.
“There’s always someone better out there. People with abilities like Master’s and those of your senior brothers and sisters are a dime a dozen in the outside world. There are even countless people who are far stronger than us. If you don’t have any real skills, you’ll get bullied out there.”
“So, Little Seven, you must study hard and become the strongest among the strong. Only then will you be able to keep others from bullying you.”
He then turned to Qin Laoliu and spoke sternly.
“Laoliu, as her senior brother, protecting your junior sister is your responsibility. You must work twice as hard at your training. Only then will you be able to protect Little Seven properly. Understand?”
Qin Laoliu straightened his back. “I understand, Eldest Senior Brother! I’ll definitely protect Little Seven!”
Eldest Senior Brother nodded in satisfaction, then carried Shen Chuyun to the medicine room.
“Come on, Little Seven. Your eldest senior brother will teach you how to identify medicinal herbs.”
Eldest Senior Brother stayed for a month and a half before leaving. Half a month after his departure, Third Senior Brother returned to the valley with a chest full of gold, silver, jewels, fine silks, and brocades, along with four craftsmen.
Third Senior Brother had the craftsmen renovate all the houses and courtyards in Qingfeng Valley. Once the work was finished, he killed all four of them.
And he did it right in front of Qin Laoliu and Shen Chuyun.
Shen Chuyun: “…”
Is it really appropriate to kill people in front of babies and toddlers?
Well, Sixth Senior Brother didn’t seem afraid at all. He was as calm as if he were watching a theatrical performance.
Everyone in this valley is a ruthless character!
After killing the men, Third Senior Brother calmly wiped the blood from his sword and said to Shen Chuyun and Qin Laoliu, “Those four were heinous criminals who deserved to die. However, before killing them, I wanted to squeeze every last bit of value out of them. Their final contribution was to put their skills to use here in Qingfeng Valley and transform this place into something entirely new.”
“Laoliu, Little Seven, listen carefully. If you encounter evil people outside in the future, subdue them first if you can. Squeeze every last bit of value out of them before killing them. If you can’t control them, kill them immediately. We must know how to make the best use of people, and we must think carefully before doing anything. Never show mercy to your enemies. Always put your own interests first…”
Third Senior Brother stayed in the valley for two months before leaving.
Another month passed before Second Senior Sister returned. Seeing how increasingly clever and bright-eyed Shen Chuyun had become, she decided to teach her the art of seduction. She also made Qin Laoliu join in the lessons.
“My charm techniques aren’t just effective on men. They work exceptionally well on women, too, and they’ll make you both even more handsome and beautiful. Oh, right! Besides charm techniques, I’ll also teach you disguise techniques. You two must study hard. If you don’t take your lessons seriously, your senior sister will get angry and punish you!”
On the tenth day after Second Senior Sister returned to the valley, Fourth Senior Brother came back carrying a wild boar over his shoulder and bringing along a large collection of weapons.
Second Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Brother left the valley at the same time. Half a month after their departure, Fifth Senior Sister rode a tiger back to the valley just before the New Year.
Looking every bit the valiant and spirited warrior, she called out to Shen Chuyun and Qin Laoliu.
“Little Seven, Laoliu, come on! Your senior sister will take you into the mountains to rule the roost!”
Shen Chuyun: “…”
The identities of her senior brothers and sisters seemed extremely mysterious. They rarely returned to the valley, and whenever they did, they stayed for no more than two months before leaving again. They never returned together, either, always staggering their visits.
At first, they came back once every six months. Later, their visits became annual, then once every year and a half, and eventually once every two years…
Every time they returned, they conscientiously taught Shen Chuyun and Sixth Senior Brother everything they could. At the same time, they repeatedly warned the two children about how cruel the outside world was, how countless evil people lurked beyond the valley, and how difficult life would be for anyone without sufficient strength.
Although Shen Chuyun possessed an adult soul, she had only just arrived in this world and had no idea what kind of place it was. Hearing her senior brothers and sisters speak this way left her utterly astonished.
Master and my senior brothers and sisters are clearly incredibly powerful. And yet, they’re supposedly only low-level figures in this world? Just how terrifying must this world be? Don’t tell me I’ve been reincarnated into a fantasy martial arts world!
If that really was the case, she would have to work hard to become stronger and learn every skill that Master and her senior brothers and sisters were willing to teach her.
When she was three years old, Sixth Senior Brother also left the valley. He returned only once every six months, and each time, he stayed for less than half a month before departing again.
After Shen Chuyun turned six, Sixth Senior Brother stopped returning altogether.
That left only her and Master living in the valley.
Time flew by, and nine more years passed in the blink of an eye.
Rustle, rustle!
A wild boar raced through the forest.
“Stop right there!”
A nine-year-old girl came sprinting after it, wielding a woodcutting knife. Her hair was tied into a neat bun, and she wore a gray, coarse-cloth traditional outfit consisting of a short top and trousers. Her appearance was practical and no-nonsense. Her little face had turned rosy from running so hard.
The girl was slender and agile, running as swiftly as a cat. She chased the wild boar until it charged wildly through the forest, grunting furiously.
“Doudou, stop it!”
At the girl’s shout, a white figure suddenly darted out from the trees like a bolt of lightning, quickly reaching a position in front of the wild boar.
When the boar saw the white wolf suddenly appear before it, it was so frightened that it slammed on the brakes and turned sharply to flee to the right.
But a massive boulder soon blocked its way. Just as the boar tried to change direction again, the girl let out a fierce shout. Pushing off the ground with all her strength, she leaped high into the air and swung her woodcutting knife down at the animal.
“Prepare to die!”
A moment later, the knife struck the wild boar’s neck, while the wolf tore a huge gash in its belly with its teeth. Blood pooled across the ground as the animal collapsed and breathed its last.
Shen Chuyun planted one foot on its head.
“You dared to trample the chickens I’ve worked so hard to raise? I’ll be stewing you for dinner tonight!”
She tucked the woodcutting knife into her waistband, wrapped both arms around the boar, and lifted it effortlessly.
The animal looked as though it weighed well over a hundred pounds, yet she hoisted it onto her shoulder and strode out of the forest with ease.
White Wolf Doudou wagged its tail happily as it trotted behind her. It behaved so much like a dog that, had it not been for its unmistakable wolf eyes and its considerably larger body, anyone might have mistaken it for an actual dog.
Drawn by the smell of blood, wild beasts began approaching from the forest.
Shen Chuyun swept her sharp gaze over them and sprinkled some medicinal powder onto herself. The moment the animals caught its scent, fear flashed in their eyes.
Oh, no! It’s that vicious two-legged creature again! Run!
The wild beasts scattered in every direction.
Shen Chuyun hummed a cheerful little tune as she continued on her way.
“Today is a wonderful day! I get to eat wild boar meat! Tomorrow will be wonderful, too. I’ll find myself some bear meat instead, la la la~~~”
The black bear that hadn’t yet wandered far away: “…”
After leaving the mountains, Shen Chuyun followed a narrow path. Once she had gone around a small hill, an exquisite and luxurious mountain manor came into view.
It was the only human settlement nestled among the surrounding mountains.
Three characters were inscribed on the plaque above the manor’s entrance:
Qingfeng Valley.