A Good Night’s Sleep.
Before dawn had fully broken, a thin veil of mist shrouded the burial grounds, leaving everything around the shabby hut damp, cold, and eerily quiet.
Liu Xiaoman rose silently. She first circled the hut, carefully inspecting every corner.
The small piles of plant ash she had scattered the night before—near the door and beneath the windows—remained undisturbed. No footprints. No signs of intrusion.
Only then did she let out a quiet breath of relief.
Next, she scooped some soot from the bottom of the pot and smeared it across her already sallow face, making herself look even dirtier. She ruffled her hair into a tangled mess, completing her disguise.
With her half-empty basket on her back and the warm wooden token and heavy two taels of silver hidden close against her body, she finally felt a bit more secure.
The twelve-kilometer journey to Qingshi Town felt purposeful beneath her steady steps.
..
The Huichun Hall apothecary was just as bustling as before. The scent of herbs drifted through the air, mingling with the cries of street vendors—a lively contrast to the desolation she had left behind.
Familiar with the layout, Liu Xiaoman slipped past the crowded front hall and headed straight to the back.
Shopkeeper Qian looked up from his accounts and immediately broke into a warm smile.
“Ah, little girl! A rare guest indeed!” He set aside his abacus. “Found more good herbs, have you?”
“Greetings, Shopkeeper Qian,” Liu Xiaoman replied calmly, offering a respectful bow before sitting upright.
She began sincerely, “Thank you for your generosity last time. You helped my family through a difficult moment.”
He waved it off with a smile.
She continued, her tone shifting slightly. “I’ve come today to discuss a long-term arrangement.”
“What kind of arrangement?” His expression sharpened with interest.
Liu Xiaoman spoke with measured confidence. She spun a half-truth:
“My father once learned from a traveling physician and left behind some incomplete prescriptions. I recently found them… They mention several rare herbs that grow deep in the mountains, with unusual medicinal effects.”
She let the mystery linger.
Shopkeeper Qian leaned forward.
She pressed on, “I can supply these herbs regularly. Some… I may even be able to cultivate.”
Then she carefully unwrapped a small bundle.
Inside lay a deeper-colored, thicker-rooted specimen of the hemostatic vine—far superior to the last one.
The moment its rich, earthy scent filled the air, Qian’s eyes lit up.
He snatched it up, examined it closely, even scratched the surface to smell it more deeply.
“A treasure! This is top-quality!”
His voice trembled with excitement. “Do you have more?”
Hook, line, and sinker.
Suppressing her delight, Liu Xiaoman sighed softly, feigning difficulty.
“These herbs only grow in the deep mountains… dangerous terrain, wild beasts… I am only a girl…”
She left the sentence unfinished.
Qian understood immediately.
He calculated quickly—then made his decision.
“No problem!” he declared, slapping the table. “We’ll sign a supply contract. I’ll pay you two taels in advance.”
“I’ll also provide proper tools—sickles, ropes—everything you need.”
Exactly what she wanted.
A contract gave her legitimacy. Protection.
And money—now totaling four taels.
She bowed deeply. “Thank you for your trust.”
They signed the agreement.
He handed her silver, tools—and one more thing.
“A pouch of beast-repelling powder,” he said. “For safety.”
But the system reacted instantly.
Scan complete.
Warning: toxic to humans if misused.
Liu Xiaoman’s eyes flickered.
This wasn’t just repellent.
It was poison.
Still, she accepted it calmly.
Days later, deep in the forest—
After a grueling trek, she finally found it:
A hidden cave behind a roaring waterfall.
Dry. Spacious. Invisible from the outside.
A perfect fortress.
And within it—something even more valuable.
A glowing, blue-tinged clay.
System identification: Super Clay.
Her heart raced.
A shelter.
Building material.
Security.
Everything she needed… all in one place.
That night, back in the hut, she didn’t rest.
Instead, under dim lamplight, she drew a crude map.
Routes. Landmarks. Hidden paths.
A smuggling plan.
She couldn’t transport everything openly.
So she would move supplies little by little—like ants.
Silent. Invisible.
Over the next days, she executed it flawlessly:
Even when she spotted her cousin lurking in town, she adapted instantly, vanishing into alleyways like a shadow.
Trip after trip, she carried supplies into the cave.
Each journey:
But she never stopped.
Because in her mind, she could already see it—
A home.
Warm.
Safe.
Untouchable.
Finally, after one long night of hauling, she collapsed against the cave wall, staring at the small pile of gathered materials.
Too slow.
Too risky alone.
She needed help.
Her gaze softened.
Her mother.
Her brother.
The only people she could trust.
Liu Xiaoman closed her eyes briefly.
Then made a decision.
She would no longer carry everything alone.
She would bring them in—carefully, step by step.
Teach them.
Train them.
Let them become part of this plan.
Because this home…
was never meant for just her.
It was for all three of them.
And together—
they would build it.