Wu Ming was deathly afraid of being caught by Hou Danxue again. She traveled a long, long way using her Qinggong (lightness skill), ensuring she was far away from the Hou family.
Then, she began to consider the problem of survival.
Was she really going to hide in the deep mountains and old forests to become a wild person?
Well… to put it more elegantly, a hermit.
This was undoubtedly her safest choice.
However, as Wu Ming watched the bustling crowds on the street, she hesitated.
She had been locked up by Hou Danxue for so long; she hadn’t seen this many people in ages.
She craved the feeling of being surrounded by a crowd…
This feeling allowed her to clearly perceive that she was still alive, that she hadn’t been parasitized by Gu insects, and that she was living so vibrantly.
But… what if Hou Danxue’s people were nearby? Hou Danxue would discover her quickly, and she could not afford to be taken back.
Crowds… also meant danger.
Unless… she could disguise herself.
Wu Ming suddenly thought of the disguise techniques from Luomu Valley. Should she go there to seek them out?
Luomu Valley was a dangerous place; she would surely be able to fight to her heart’s content! Moreover, once she learned the art of disguise, she wouldn’t have to worry about being caught by Hou Danxue while hiding in a crowd!
Just as Wu Ming was preparing to ask for information about Luomu Valley, a hand pressed down on her shoulder. Wu Ming’s body stiffened with shock.
She had been imprisoned for too long, and her reactions were not what they used to be. Someone had actually managed to approach her so easily without her noticing!
With her current state, did she really have the ability to explore Luomu Valley?
The palm pressing on her shoulder was rough and warm. Wu Ming felt a strange sense of goodwill toward the owner of this hand, so instead of attacking, she turned around gently to face the person.
As expected, the owner of the hand was a kind-looking woman.
“Young lady, I see you have an extraordinary appearance. Would you be willing to—”
Before she could finish, Wu Ming’s scalp tingled, and she waved her hands frantically in refusal.
Extraordinary appearance… so what kind of job was she going to introduce?
First, Wu Ming didn’t think her looks fit the mainstream aesthetic of this era; second, she had no intention of making a living based on her face.
“Oh, you silly girl! Let me finish! You look like someone who is exceptionally good at chopping wood. Come work for me! I’m an honest woman! I promise I won’t let you get the short end of the stick!”
Chopping wood? Chopping wood?!
Wu Ming was completely stunned by the word.
She was the “Number One in the World”! Even if she had fallen on hard times, she couldn’t possibly become a woodchopper, could she?
“I am the head of the kitchens at the City Lord’s Manor! If you follow me, the daily wage I can give you reaches this amount!”
As soon as Wu Ming heard “City Lord’s Manor,” she didn’t care what number the woman’s fingers were gesturing. She immediately grabbed the woman’s hand and said, “I’m willing!”
Besides the deep mountains, the safest place here was likely the City Lord’s Manor!
Hou Danxue’s existence was essentially a usurpation of the City Lord’s power; the City Lord must loathe Hou Danxue. Therefore, the City Lord’s Manor was a place where Hou Danxue’s influence was minimal.
“Good, good, good, what a good child. I’ll take you back right now.”
Teng Ruzhi brought Wu Ming back to the City Lord’s Manor. Outside the kitchen, there was a wall of firewood. Wu Ming’s palms moved faster and faster, splitting the logs one by one, making Teng Ruzhi’s eyes light up.
Oh my, she really had picked up a talent!
“By the way, good child, what is your name? I need to get you settled in.”
Name?
“I… have no parents… and no name.”
Teng Ruzhi sized Wu Ming up carefully upon hearing this. Wu Ming looked well-nourished and didn’t seem like someone who had been wandering the streets. But… if her life weren’t desperate, who would be willing to take up the job of chopping wood?
She was likely just a poor girl with a bit of brute strength.
“Sigh… good child, since we are so fated, why don’t you take me as your foster mother!”
Huh?
Wu Ming was dumbfounded. She waved her hands in refusal, but Teng Ruzhi only assumed she was being shy.
“I knew from the moment I saw you that you were a bashful child. No need to be shy! In the City Lord’s Manor, I, your foster mother, will protect you!”
I didn’t even agree! How did she just force this recognition!
“Foster mother—no! Auntie, I… I won’t stay for long. I… I’m just staying here to save up some travel money.”
“Is that so… sigh… then it seems our fate isn’t deep enough, and we can only be mother and daughter for this short time. Don’t worry, your mother will treat you well.”
“Ah?”
“Mother knows that a capable child like you won’t stay in the City Lord’s Manor until death like me. Mother supports you!”
Wu Ming listened blankly as Teng Ruzhi rambled on. By the time she watched Teng Ruzhi’s departing figure, she was still in a daze.
How could someone talk so much! How could someone be so familiar with a stranger!
They were total strangers; how did they become mother and daughter?
Wu Ming really wanted to run away—right now!
But the image of Teng Ruzhi’s face darkening if she couldn’t find her flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t bear it.
The auntie was just being kind… she was going to leave eventually anyway… so… she might as well stay for a while.
Stay…
But it feels so forced!!
Wu Ming’s inner self was screaming wildly. Her restless spirit only quieted down when she saw a small, purple figure.
A… strange child.
Most importantly… she satisfied Wu Ming’s longing for the Jianghu (martial arts world)!
A person of the Jianghu should dress in such a wild and unrestrained way! Such a unique style!
Perhaps out of a subtle sense of retaliation—having suffered from the excessive enthusiasm of a middle-aged woman, she wanted someone else to suffer from her enthusiasm.
This was called “passing on the love”!
Filled with enthusiasm, Wu Ming pressed her hand on the other’s shoulder. Since the other person was too short, she kindly squatted down.
The child turned her face. The child did not speak. In the child’s eyes, a fierce purple light flickered.
This… this was the right vibe!
Especially that facial tattoo that could give someone a real fright when they turned around!
Coincidentally, a street vendor outside was shouting: “Tanghulu! Delicious Tanghulu!”
“Kid, do you want to eat Tanghulu?”
Wait, would talking like this seem strange? Like a child kidnapper…
But the way Teng Ruzhi approached her was also very strange, like a woman kidnapper…
This kind of excessive enthusiasm was inherently strange.
“I… child… Tanghulu?”
The child’s voice was unexpectedly mature—clear and sweet, not at all matching her young appearance.
“Ah, I’m not a bad person. I just think you look cute.”
Wu Ming was terrified of being misunderstood. Being forced into a daughter role today was already embarrassing enough.
“Cute…”
Wu Ming watched the child use her short fingers to touch the tattoos on her own face.
With such a characteristic tattoo, did she not like it?
“Uh… pretty? The tattoo on your face is truly eye-opening!”
It had such a strong Jianghu flavor; it gave Wu Ming the feeling of finding family in a vast sea of people…
“You are the first person to say they look good.”
The corners of her mouth curved into an eerie arc. Her purple-tinted pupils stared straight at Wu Ming.
Such a special person… makes me want to collect her…
Unfortunately, Wu Ming’s perception had regressed significantly. She didn’t feel the heavy sense of threat radiating from the other person at all.
Thinking she had become friends with the child, she simply tucked the girl under her arm and jumped outside the gate with her.
Finding herself being treated like a child, Hou Linghua’s face went dark.
To be carried like this—this would be a permanent stain on her reputation!
“I want one of the best Tanghulu!”
Teng Ruzhi had given Wu Ming a purse before she left, so Wu Ming was being quite generous with her money.
“Coming right up!”
Hou Linghua had a mouthful of Tanghulu shoved into her face. She instinctively bit down, and then tasted a sweetness that shot straight to her soul.
Pure sweetness!
Even though she hadn’t eaten Tanghulu in a long time, she remembered they were supposed to be sour inside! Why was this one pure sugar? It was sweet to a bizarre degree!
The child’s brow furrowed deeply. Wu Ming assumed she had been put off by the sourness.
Oh, right. Not all children like Tanghulu.
It was just that Tanghulu had always been a quintessential food for children, and she had instinctively bought it for her.
When she was little, she had also been incredibly envious of peers who held Tanghulu in their hands.
Those people… were much luckier than her.
“Sorry, do you not like this? Hmm… is it a bit too sour?”
“It’s not sour at all! This is the most expensive kind I sell! These fruits are sweet berries I picked from the mountain; there’s not a hint of sourness! It’s absolutely worth the price! Customer, you can’t slander my reputation!”
How awkward…
Wu Ming quickly picked up the child and left again.
She didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until they jumped to a corner where no one could see them.
“Since it’s sweet, why were you frowning?” Don’t all kids like sweets?
“Because a normal Tanghulu is sour inside. This is not normal!”
“Being abnormal isn’t necessarily wrong. It’s a new variety that the vendor put a lot of thought into. In his heart, its status is much higher than ordinary hawthorn Tanghulu.”
Arguing with me just because I said it was sour… how terrifying…
“So being an abnormal existence isn’t wrong… Thank you for the Tanghulu.”
“Haha, I’ve encountered some happy news today, so I wanted to share the joy with you.”
Gaining a foster mother out of nowhere could be considered happy news… even if her heart was still resisting it…
“What a coincidence. I’m in a good mood too.”
“Oh?”
“When the person I hate is in a bad mood, my mood becomes very good.”
“Haha—”
Children are so simple!
“Actually, I planned to play a trick on her, but unfortunately… she ran away, and I can’t tease her anymore. Luckily, I got to see her looking pathetic for the sake of ‘love.’ It wasn’t a total loss!”
“Love? Uh… you… are you already talking about love at such a young age?”
Young? The child-like physique was merely convenient for movement.
She wasn’t a child!
But wasn’t such a thing a secret to her? Why would she tell this big idiot in front of her?
Hou Linghua only gave a mysterious smile.
However, she noticed that Wu Ming’s attitude had cooled. Wu Ming’s smile was stiff, making her feel vaguely uncomfortable.
Things that made her uncomfortable should be destroyed!
But… Hou Linghua had a premonition that destroying her would make her feel even more uncomfortable.
What a strange feeling!
How could her emotions be swayed by someone who was essentially a stranger?
Hou Linghua bit into the Tanghulu fiercely and finished it in no time.
The taste was strange. She didn’t actually like this sickeningly sweet flavor; in fact, she hated it.
But the feeling this taste brought her overlapped with the feeling this person gave her. She swallowed the sweet fruit into her stomach as if she were swallowing the person in front of her.
She… stimulated her appetite.
Unfortunately, eating her would make her feel bad, so she wouldn’t eat her for now.
Furthermore, she would play the role of a good, obedient child that she would like.
“Big Sister, I’m a good child. I’m very obedient and will definitely not turn bad!”
I am very obedient… so… won’t you love me a little…