A mass grave was, by nature, a place where those with nowhere else to be buried were casually disposed of and laid to rest.
It was not some deliberately constructed site.
Naturally, there were no proper roads leading there either.
The peddler had said it was halfway up the mountain and not far in this direction. Jiang Jiaran figured she should be arriving soon.
She had spent the entire evening surrounded by lanterns and light. Suddenly walking through such a pitch black mountain path and forest felt rather unfamiliar.
Moonlight was the only illumination overhead. Underfoot, the weeds and fallen branches were difficult to see clearly. After stumbling twice, Jiang Jiaran picked up a tree branch and used it to prod and tap the ground ahead.
If anyone else happened to hear the sounds she was making, they would probably think they had encountered a ghost.
After walking a little farther, Jiang Jiaran stopped.
A faint smell of decay drifted toward her on the wind.
The system’s feedback had also become noticeably faster.
Adjusting her direction, she continued onward.
Only when she spotted a faint phosphorescent glow among the trees did she finally let out a breath.
This was the place.
Truthfully, she had already wanted to turn back while climbing the mountain path.
She felt as though something must have gone wrong with her brain.
Who in their right mind would voluntarily run into a pile of corpses in the middle of the night?
Besides, after transmigrating here, she had spent most of her time lounging around the courtyard. She had already walked a great deal today, and now she was climbing mountain trails as well. She was genuinely tired.
Her original guess had been that she would absorb more chaotic energy more quickly near the mass grave.
Now that she had arrived, the constantly rising numbers confirmed that her guess had been correct.
Even the soreness in her waist and legs immediately seemed less noticeable.
Effort brought rewards.
That principle remained true everywhere.
Using the moonlight, she spotted a large, tall boulder. After dusting it off, she leaned against it and sat down.
The system was hard at work.
Meanwhile, she gazed at the moon and let her thoughts drift.
Finding a place rich in energy had not been easy.
She felt both pleased and somewhat melancholy.
For a brief moment, this deserted place filled with damp, rotting odors pulled her back into memories of the past.
She did not know how long she remained lost in thought before finally focusing on the system again.
Good.
Jiang Qin’s life was secured.
After waiting a bit longer, she saw that there was now hope for obtaining medicine capable of temporarily easing Old Madam Jiang’s illness, with a little surplus left over as well.
Tonight had been highly productive.
Still, Jiang Jiaran felt as though she had forgotten something.
After thinking for a moment, she suddenly snapped the branch in her hand with a crack.
Oh no!
She had forgotten Lier.
The instant the branch broke, a sudden noise sounded behind her.
In the silent mountain forest, it was exceptionally clear.
Jiang Jiaran immediately turned toward the sound.
She vaguely saw something moving in the darkness.
The hairs all over her body instantly stood on end.
What was that?!
Her mind froze for a moment.
Could this world actually have ghosts?
There were no ghosts.
The shadow was a person.
A person who had nearly lost his footing after being startled by Jiang Jiaran.
Anyone who encountered a motionless human figure sitting atop a boulder in the middle of the night at a mass grave would be terrified out of their wits.
The two of them had both been frightened half to death by the other.
After realizing the person opposite was a living human who breathed and moved, they both pressed a hand to their chest and tried to calm their racing hearts.
“Who are you? Running around here in the middle of the night and scaring people.”
Jiang Jiaran asked, though after saying it she realized she was hardly qualified to complain.
The other person had probably intended to ask the same question but had been beaten to it.
After a brief silence, he walked toward her.
As the bright moonlight revealed his face, Jiang Jiaran discovered that it was someone familiar.
“It’s you, Daozhang.”
The Daoist priest paused in surprise.
Because she was dressed in men’s clothing, he examined her several times before finally recognizing her.
The woman from the street that day.
What a coincidence.
The two looked at one another for a moment.
Then both felt an urge to laugh.
The atmosphere immediately relaxed somewhat.
The priest said helplessly, “Madam, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I got lost and couldn’t walk any farther, so I sat down to rest. Did you get lost too, Daozhang?”
“No.”
After listening to his explanation, Jiang Jiaran learned that his name was Fang Qi and that he was a Daoist priest from a temple on this mountain.
Those who ended up here after death were all unfortunate souls with no relatives or friends to care for them.
When Fang Qi first saw them, he could not bear it.
So every so often, he would come here and bury the bodies that had been carelessly discarded, allowing them to rest in peace.
He had just finished burying bodies on the other side. As he was returning, a gust of wind extinguished his torch. Immediately afterward, he heard the noises Jiang Jiaran was making and was startled.
Jiang Jiaran had not expected such a reason.
Looking at Fang Qi again, she felt as though he were glowing.
This Daozhang truly was a good person.
“But it’s already so late…”
“The temple has been quite busy these past few days. I couldn’t spare the time during the day, so I had to come at night.”
Fang Qi bent down, picked up the torch, and relit it with a fire striker.
The surroundings immediately brightened.
He knew Changdao Mountain like the back of his hand.
He often moved through this area and was thoroughly familiar with it.
Whether it was day or night made little difference.
Who could have expected to be frightened by her?
After all, it was not every day that someone sat motionless atop a rock, lost in thought.
“Come. I’ll escort you down the mountain.”
Fang Qi led the way.
As they walked, he asked, “How did you end up lost here all by yourself?”
It was difficult to admit she had intentionally come here to enjoy the breeze.
So she improvised.
“I was watching the Lantern Festival. There were too many people, and my younger brother got separated from me. I kept asking around, and someone said they saw him leave the city, so I followed that direction looking for him. Then I lost my bearings after entering the forest…”
Fang Qi nodded.
For someone unfamiliar with the area, getting lost at night was easy.
“Your younger brother won’t be here. Whoever told you that probably made a mistake.”
Children were afraid of the dark.
There was no way one would wander here alone.
“I suppose so.”
Jiang Jiaran scratched her cheek, feeling somewhat embarrassed by her own lies.
The mass grave was not far from the foot of the mountain.
With Fang Qi leading the way through several turns, they soon returned to a proper mountain path.
Lights from the dwellings below could already be seen.
Mindful of her pace, Fang Qi walked slowly in front.
After thinking about something, he suddenly said, “Madam, you’re quite brave.”
Most people who discovered they had wandered into such a place would have run away immediately.
Very few would calmly sit there as she had.
Jiang Jiaran smiled.
“Or maybe my legs were too weak to let me run.”
With proper stone steps beneath their feet, the journey became much easier.
Before long, they reached the foot of the mountain.
There stood a simple thatched cottage.
The light she had seen earlier came from the lamp inside.
At the entrance of the cottage, Jiang Jiaran spotted another familiar figure.
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
She had not expected all these coincidences to happen at once.
Yan Feii also looked over.
He was clearly surprised to find Jiang Jiaran here as well.
At that moment, someone emerged from inside.
Seeing Fang Qi, he greeted him with a smile.
“Daozhang Fang!”
Then he turned to Yan Feii.
“This is Daozhang Fang Qi. The cottage we’re staying in was lent to us by him.”
Fang Qi shook his head.
“The cottage belongs to the temple.”
It had simply remained vacant after falling out of use.
As more examination candidates came to the capital, he had thought it could be put to good use.
The scholar smiled.
“That still makes it an act of kindness on Daozhang Fang’s part.”
Fang Qi seemed somewhat uncomfortable being thanked so enthusiastically.
With complete sincerity, he replied, “You’re not staying here for free. Remember to leave me copies of your books.”
“Naturally. Once I pass the examinations and enter official service, Daozhang Fang can have any books he wishes.”
“Then let me congratulate you in advance.”
Yan Feii and another scholar who had only recently moved in also thanked Fang Qi.
He was puzzled by Jiang Jiaran’s appearance here, but after hearing she had gotten lost, he merely felt that something seemed slightly strange and thought no more about it.
Since the city gates would close before long, Fang Qi did not linger at the cottage.
After the two of them walked some distance away, Jiang Jiaran glanced back at the now distant cottage.
“Back at the Great Lantern Tower, I heard them mention the cottage. I thought there were quite a few kind hearted people around. I never expected it was also your doing, Daozhang.”
Fang Qi did not think it counted as kindness.
He simply lent a helping hand when he saw people in need.
“In truth, I envy them a little. They can become scholars. One day they’ll enter official service and accomplish great things for the people.”
Jiang Jiaran quickened her pace until she was walking beside him.
Looking at him, she said, “You could too.”
Fang Qi smiled and shook his head.
“I’m just a minor Daoist priest. Though I can still read books in my spare time.”
As they chatted, they returned to the city.
Just as Fang Qi was about to ask about her missing younger brother, Jiang Jiaran suddenly thought she heard Lier’s voice.
Looking up, she saw that it really was Lier, who had become separated from her, running toward them.
“Wah, Sister in Law!”
Little Lier grabbed her sleeve the moment he arrived.
His face was full of worry and grievance.
Yet now that he had finally found her, he looked delighted again.
“Sister in Law, where did you go? I’ve been looking for you forever.”
Yu’er hurried over from behind.
Having finally found the Young Madam, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
Holding onto Jiang Jiaran, Lier continued talking without pause.
“There were so many people. I’m so small. Once someone stood in front of me, I couldn’t see you anymore.”
“There were even more people around the Great Lantern Tower…”
“Ah, I was worried to death.”
Jiang Jiaran rubbed her forehead helplessly.
Somehow it felt as though Lier was the responsible adult while she was the one who had gotten lost.
Even Fang Qi could not help laughing.
Holding Lier’s hand, Jiang Jiaran turned to Fang Qi.
“Thank you, Daozhang Fang. I’ll definitely come thank you properly another day.”
Fang Qi waved dismissively.
“It was only a small matter.”
Then he added,
“But if you have time, you can come visit the temple. It’s on Changdao Mountain.”
The temple was not especially large, but it had been renovated only last month and looked quite presentable.
Then he remembered something else.
“Oh, right. On the third day of next month, we’ll be holding a Jiao ceremony. Madam may find it rather tedious and complicated, but there will also be a market and temple fair at the foot of the mountain. It will be quite lively.”
Jiang Jiaran smiled and nodded.
After Fang Qi left, it was already late.
The Lantern Festival was also coming to an end.
So Jiang Jiaran and Lier boarded a carriage and returned to the Ying Residence.
Although they had become separated midway through the evening, Lier was still excited after a night of fun.
“Who was that?”
“A Daozhang I happened to run into.”
“Oh. Sister in Law, how did you end up so far away? I even asked people to help me look for you.”
Jiang Jiaran was lifting the carriage curtain and looking outside.
Hearing this, her gaze swept around the carriage.
Of course, she saw nothing unusual.
She did not ask who Lier meant.
Anyone capable of helping him find his way to the city gates was certainly not an ordinary passerby.
Just as she had suspected, someone had been secretly following him when he came out.
“Did you go to see the Great Lantern Tower, Lier?”
Lier nodded and described when he had gone there.
Only then did Jiang Jiaran realize she had already left by that time and had missed it.
The carriage rocked gently.
Soon they were not far from the Ying Residence.
Inside, the two continued chatting endlessly.
“The Great Lantern Tower was beautiful, right? I didn’t lie to you.”
“It really was beautiful. Hm? You still have your lantern. I lost mine.”
“Sister in Law, then you can have mine.”
“I’m not taking a child’s lantern. I’ll buy another one myself. Yu’er.”
“Young Madam, this servant will go buy one right away. Coachman, stop the carriage.”
As soon as they returned to the residence, Lier ran back to his little room.
After playing all evening, he was covered in sweat.
He called out for Uncle Shi Feng, who came over and helped prepare his hot water.
“Uncle Shi Feng, where’s Brother?”
“The Gate Master is asleep.”
“Oh.”
Lier immediately lowered his voice.
After thinking for a moment, he ran over and picked up a lantern from the table, handing it to Shi Feng.
“Uncle Shi Feng, this is for him. Please hang it in his room.”
On the way back, Sister in Law had bought another lantern for him.
He was very generous.
So he decided to give this one to his older brother.
Shi Feng accepted it and urged him to hurry and wash up before bed.
The little fellow nodded repeatedly.
However, quite some time later, Shi Feng noticed that Lier’s room was still lit, yet there was no movement inside.
Why was he taking so long?
Shi Feng was just about to check when another figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard.
Looking over, he said, “Gate Master, you’re back.”
Ying Zhaolou nodded.
Passing by Shi Feng, he pushed open Lier’s door.
At a glance, he spotted the little fellow.
Having only managed to put on his clothes after bathing, he had fallen asleep slumped over the table.
So weak.
Even playing could leave him exhausted and sleepy.
Ying Zhaolou walked over.
His movements, however, were surprisingly gentle.
He fastened Lier’s clothes properly before lifting him into his arms.
The little fellow instinctively wrapped his arms around him.
Mumbling in his sleep, he repeatedly called for Sister in Law.
A look of disdain appeared in Ying Zhaolou’s eyes.
He was worried the child might get drool on him.
Shi Feng chuckled softly.
“Lier rarely has this much fun.”
Ying Zhaolou carried the sleeping child to bed.
After coming back out, his gaze instinctively drifted toward the neighboring courtyard.
For some reason, he suddenly found himself caring about it.
This was the second time Jiang Jiaran had been awakened by First Madam.
Stepping out of her room, she glanced at the sky that had only just begun to brighten and rubbed her forehead.
Yesterday she had wandered the Lantern Festival and climbed a mountain.
Her body felt utterly exhausted.
After returning, she had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
It seemed she really needed to exercise more often.
Jiang Qin’s illness had struck fiercely.
First Madam looked visibly haggard.
The moment she saw Jiang Jiaran, she grabbed hold of her.
Gone was the arrogance she normally displayed in the Jiang Residence.
Coming here so early was not something she wanted to do.
The physicians had already warned her that Jiang Qin’s condition could become critical at any moment.
Jiang Jiaran took two bottles of medicine from her sleeve.
One was for external application and the other for internal use.
However, instead of handing them over immediately, she asked,
“Where’s the item I wanted?”
“We searched the entire residence for the jewelry you asked for, but we truly couldn’t find it. How about I have someone make an identical replacement for you?”
Jiang Jiaran studied her.
Her adoptive mother’s anxious expression did not seem fake.
And there was no reason to lie over a small piece of jewelry.
“Then forget it.”
She had originally assumed First Madam had confiscated it.
Apparently it had simply been lost.
Like a jade pendant worn since childhood that later disappeared somewhere and could never be found.
A pity.
But once it was gone, it was gone.
First Madam thought Jiang Jiaran’s words meant she was refusing to hand over the medicine.
Terrified that the bottles might be withdrawn, she grabbed Jiang Jiaran’s wrist.
“Wait! Besides that, what else do you want? I already know where your medicine came from. It really can save my son’s life. Just tell me what you want. As long as I can obtain it, I’ll give it to you.”
Curiosity immediately arose in Jiang Jiaran’s heart.
“You know where my medicine came from?”
Surely First Madam had not actually believed her nonsense about celestial pills from the heavens?
First Madam stared at her with a solemn expression.
The seriousness of it all almost made Jiang Jiaran straighten up as well.
First Madam nodded heavily.
“It came from that famous physician who knew your grandfather, didn’t it? The one skilled in pharmacology and highly accomplished in the healing arts.”
Whether the medicine had come directly from that physician or whether Jiang Jiaran had inherited his teachings and made it herself did not matter.
The fact remained that Jiang Qin’s fever had subsided almost immediately after taking the medicine.
Now that she understood both its origin and effectiveness, there was no way she could allow these two bottles to be taken back.
Jiang Jiaran blinked.
While searching her memory, she wondered:
Old Master Jiang knew a famous physician?
Which one?
Did he come from the same immortal palace as her?