With Prince Jing as a major patron, Su Jinse’s “enterprise” officially got on track.
Every day, Xuan Feng would send people up the mountain to collect the ripe fruits and vegetables, leaving full payment in silver.
Su Jinse used the money to purchase more tools and daily necessities, greatly improving life at the temple.
She even bought a few chicks and raised them in the backyard.
Huamei, seeing their steadily improving household, worked with even more energy, humming as she kept the temple impeccably organized.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Prince Jing residence had been enjoying better days as well.
Fresh, juicy vegetables and the uniquely flavored melons not only improved their meals but also eased their exhaustion from training. Some long-standing old injuries even seemed to heal gradually.
“Xuan Feng, seriously, where did the Prince get this produce from?” a soldier on the training ground, who had just done seven or eight rounds without breaking a sweat, elbowed his companion and nodded toward Xuan Feng.
His comrade wiped his brow and chuckled, “Who cares where it came from? I can now eat three big bowls at a meal, full of energy! My old injuries used to flare up on rainy days, but they haven’t acted up once these past few days.”
“Exactly! I feel like I could punch a cow to death!”
Xuan Feng’s cold gaze swept the noisy group, and they immediately fell silent.
“If you have time to speculate, better run a few more drills. Eat, yes—but ask no questions that aren’t yours to ask,” he said quietly, with an authority that brooked no argument.
The soldiers shrank back and dispersed immediately, calling the training commands louder than ever.
Xuan Feng’s face betrayed nothing, but inside he was repeatedly shocked.
That Miss Su was no mere treasure—she was essentially a living goddess capable of defying fate. The Prince’s judgment had been flawless.
And Su Jinse’s reputation had already spread like wildfire throughout Qingshi Town.
At first, she was merely the “enchanted woman,” able to trip the town bullies from a distance. But with the Prince’s soldiers surrounding Longji Mountain like an iron bucket, public opinion shifted completely.
At the teahouse near the town entrance, the storyteller struck the gavel.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the strangest thing in Qingshi Town recently is the ruined temple on Longji Mountain, now inhabited by a female divine healer!”
Immediately, someone from the crowd spoke up: “Divine healer? That’s an understatement! My cousin, who works at the Prince’s residence, swears the woman on that mountain is a living goddess! The fruits and vegetables she grows are like elixirs! The Prince and his soldiers eat them and gain extraordinary strength; they don’t even snore at night!”
“Really? My great-uncle has suffered from chronic rheumatism for years, and nothing helps—if only we could get one of those miraculous vegetables…”
“You wish! I heard someone tried to climb the mountain to see her, but the Prince’s soldiers turned them away at the foot of the hill with guns!”
“Tsk tsk, so domineering?”
“You bet! The soldiers said the Prince ordered no one is allowed on the mountain; disturbing the goddess in her cultivation is a crime punishable by death!”
As the rumors grew wilder, Su Jinse’s identity evolved from “enchanted woman” to the mysterious and unfathomable “Immortal Lady.” Qingfeng Temple naturally became a coveted, untouchable sanctuary in the eyes of the townspeople.
Su Jinse, however, remained oblivious to the stir outside.
At this moment, she sat cross-legged in the meditation room, fully focused on a spiritual plant before her.
The dragon-scale grass, nurtured relentlessly with her spiritual power, had grown three scaly leaves, their edges tinged with faint golden halos. At the tip, a small purple flower pulsed rhythmically with her breathing, eerie yet beautiful.
She could clearly sense that once this plant fully matured, its overwhelming life energy would surge through her, clearing the blockages in her mortal body.
Then, she would finally walk in the world with confidence.
Su Jinse slowly withdrew her spiritual power, exhaling with a slightly pale face.
Cultivating the plant consumed enormous energy given her current condition.
“Miss, you haven’t eaten all day again!” Huamei entered with a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, worry creasing her brow. “Look at your face—it’s pale.”
“It’s fine,” Su Jinse took the bowl, warmth spreading through her fingers. She looked at Huamei with a soft gaze. “Tonight… it might finally be finished.”
That day, when Xuan Feng went up the mountain to collect vegetables, he brought unexpected news.
“Miss Su, the Yong’an Hou residence in the capital has sent people.”