The Young Girl poked half her head out to look at Chu Yuan, then quickly pulled it back: "You go wash up."
"What, didn't you say you needed to clean up? Why aren't you moving?"
The Young Girl looked at the motionless Chu Yuan with some confusion.
Chu Yuan awkwardly touched his nose: "Are you just going to stay here?"
"What's the big deal for a grown man being fussy? I'll go sit nearby."
The Young Girl stepped out from behind the rock and sat cross-legged with her eyes closed under a nearby tree, though her face was somewhat pale.
Chu Yuan hesitantly stepped into the lake and washed the grime off his body, only to find the bloodstains on his blue robe were difficult to remove.
After getting out of the lake, Chu Yuan quickly put on his undergarments and spread out the washed blue robe to dry on the stone.
"You aren't a Mountain City Resident, are you? How did you end up in such a remote place?"
Because of the remoteness, dangerous roads, and scarcity of supplies.
Although the area of the Mountain City was not small, the number of people living here was less than that of any random small city outside.
Yet, Chu Yuan had no impression of the Young Girl in front of him.
Moreover, this Young Girl was wearing a water-red satin belted skirt, and a circular Jade Pendant hung from her waist; the Jade was crystal clear and pale blue.
Such a Treasure could never be a product of this Mountain City, so Chu Yuan concluded that the girl before him was a foreigner.
The Young Girl did not open her eyes and said faintly, "I just encountered some unexpected trouble. I also didn't expect such a large city to be up on this high mountain."
Chu Yuan seemed to recall something and exclaimed, "Miss, could you possibly be someone from the Sacred Hall?"
Upon hearing this, the Young Girl slowly opened her eyes and looked at Chu Yuan vigilantly: "How did you know?"
Chu Yuan did not answer the Young Girl's question: "Then when did you arrive here, Miss?"
"At the Hour of Dog (Xu Shi), why?"
Although the Young Girl was puzzled, she still answered Chu Yuan's question.
Hearing this, Chu Yuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Although he desperately wanted to know who killed his Father, he didn't know how he would face them even if he met them now.
Seeing this, the Young Girl stood up and walked toward Chu Yuan, placing two fingers on his chest: "No flow of Qi? You are not one of them."
"Wh-what?"
"It's nothing. Then how did you figure out I was from the Sacred Hall?" The Young Girl withdrew her fingers and leaned her shoulder against the rock.
"...I saw that Miss's demeanor was extraordinary, you must be a disciple of some major Cultivation sect."
"Furthermore, since childhood, I have held admiration and reverence for the Sacred Hall, so I asked tentatively, and I didn't expect you to truly be from the Sacred Hall."
Chu Yuan moved to the other side of the rock, racking his brain trying to figure out how to fool this Young Girl.
"Countless people try to join the Sacred Hall every year. The new recruit Selection is coming soon; you can go see the world, but stop thinking about entering the Sacred Hall."
"Why..." Chu Yuan was about to speak.
The Young Girl suddenly collapsed to the ground. Chu Yuan quickly helped her up, only then noticing her back was soaked with a large amount of blood.
Chu Yuan spread his robe on the ground and carried the Young Girl onto it.
The Young Girl lay prone on his robe so that her back would not rub against anything, preventing further serious injury.
"Miss, everything I do next is to save you; I have no other intentions. Please forgive any offense."
Chu Yuan turned his head away and slowly unfastened the Young Girl's collar, gently pulling her clothes down.
Snow-white skin was revealed before Chu Yuan's eyes, and what also caught his eye was an unhealed sword wound, from which blood continuously seeped.
"I remember seeing Ice Pity Grass and Heart-Condensing Root on the way here."
Although Chu Yuan had no experience with the Path of Cultivation, Chu Wanqing and Xia Liuli had taught him the way of Medicinal herbs since childhood, which gave Chu Yuan a very thorough understanding of the names and medicinal effects of various plants.
Whether due to talent or luck, when Chu Canyuan first encountered the way of Medicinal herbs, he displayed an uncommon insight and understanding of it.
Having found the Medicinal herbs, Chu Yuan hurriedly returned to the Young Girl's side. First, he chewed the Ice Pity Grass and smeared it on the wound, then tore up the Heart-Condensing Root and placed it on top to completely cover the injury.
After finishing everything, Chu Yuan sat down heavily on the ground. Having not rested for nearly two days already, after applying the medicine to the Young Girl, he wearily closed his eyes.
At the Hour of Tiger (Yin Shi), Chu Yuan woke up with a start. Everything happening now had a huge impact on him, being only ten years old. He turned to look at the Young Girl; she was still sound asleep and had not woken up.
Chu Yuan looked at the Young Girl's face and couldn't help but sigh; she was the best-looking female he had seen besides his Mother.
The Young Girl's dark hair was like clouds, her jade-like skin like porcelain, her willow brows curved, and her pair of water-cut eyes resembled misty peonies. A delicate little nose sat upon her peerlessly beautiful face, possessing a thousand charms.
He withdrew his gaze, and a feeling of hunger washed over him. Chu Yuan picked up the cloth bag containing the Steamed Buns, pulled one out, and began devouring it ravenously.
Seeing the Young Girl hadn't woken up, Chu Yuan wiped away the Medicinal herbs on her back; the injury had clearly improved.
After finding a fresh batch of Medicinal herbs to treat the Young Girl's injury, Chu Yuan carefully dressed her, then resumed eating his Steamed Bun.
After a long while, the Young Girl frowned slightly and let out a soft hum. Seeing this, Chu Yuan quickly stood up and squatted in front of her.
"How do you feel? Are you better?"
The Young Girl sat up with Chu Yuan's support. Looking at her disturbed collar and the chill spreading from her back, the Young Girl seemed to understand something and blushed deeply.
The Young Girl nodded slightly. Chu Yuan took a Steamed Bun from the cloth bag and offered it to her, his eyes full of heartache.
"My current realm has already achieved Bigu (abstinence from grains); I don't need to eat."
Hearing this, Chu Yuan abruptly took the Steamed Bun back, and the look of heartache in his eyes gradually faded.
"You are proficient in the way of Medicinal herbs?"
Chu Yuan explained while putting on his blue robe: "I can't say I'm proficient, just that I have a slight understanding."
The Young Girl looked down and asked, "We just met for the first time. Was it necessary for you to do so much for me? You could have just pretended not to see me and left on your own."
"This is a human life. If I had just left, I wouldn't have been able to let it go in my heart. I understand what it feels like when someone is standing right in front of you, yet you stand by and do nothing... it's not a good feeling."
"Besides, you come from the Sacred Hall. Trading one night of guarding you for a favor from a Sacred Hall disciple is a great deal."
"As for why you said I absolutely cannot enter the Sacred Hall, why is that?"
Chu Yuan knew that only by entering the Sacred Hall could he have a chance to approach the truth.
The Young Girl struggled to stand up and looked at Chu Yuan with a serious expression.
"You have studied the way of Medicinal herbs, so you must also know about the Path of Cultivation, Artifact Refining, Pill Refining, Body Tempering, and so on."
"But when I used my two fingers to check you, I discovered there was no flow of Spiritual Power inside your body, which means you currently have no cultivation."
"Although there are two ways to be assessed for entering the Sacred Hall, the most valued aspects are cultivation and talent. But if you haven't even reached the First Realm, the Sacred Hall won't give you a second glance."
Chu Yuan felt somewhat lost upon hearing this. To understand the truth, he needed to enter the Sacred Hall, but to enter the Sacred Hall, he needed talent and cultivation.
"However, since you saved my life, I will not owe you a favor."
"Although I cannot directly bring you into the Sacred Hall, I can help you start on the Path of Cultivation. Once you have cultivation, you can strive to attempt the Sacred Hall Selection."
Chu Yuan looked at the smiling Young Girl beside him, so moved that he didn't know what to say.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Chu... Chu Canyuan."
"Qi Wanxi."