A small gray-white pavilion stood at the entrance of an alley at the street corner.
The passage on both sides was short and narrow—just wide enough for one person to pass through, and only just.
If someone was even slightly larger, squeezing inside would take considerably more effort.
Su Zhan therefore walked very carefully, not daring to make any exaggerated movements.
She slowly squeezed her way in.
Once she passed the narrow entrance, she could stretch out and move normally again.
Xia Liu looked at the gourd-mouth-like entrance with envy.
An entrance like this would make coming and going troublesome, which could greatly reduce the frequency of people seeking her out.
The pavilion’s door was half open, and waves of medicinal fragrance drifted out from within.
It wasn’t exactly refreshing to the heart and mind, but a gentle sniff was enough to invigorate one’s spirit.
“My room should smell this nice too.”
Xia Liu followed Su Zhan and squeezed through the gourd-mouth entrance as well.
Inhaling the fragrant scent that washed over her, she couldn’t help but sigh, though her words carried a hint of resentment.
“It’s definitely better than the smell of roast chicken.”
Su Zhan nodded in agreement.
Even with no experience going out with girls, she knew that at times like this, she should follow the topic to soothe her.
Although her reply was a bit wooden, it was still much better than saying nothing at all.
She looked at the solitary little pavilion before her. Though called an herb shop, it looked more like a private residence.
On the second-floor windowsill, a few potted flowers and plants swayed in the wind.
“However… this place is so secluded. Junior Sister, how did you learn about it?”
“Second Senior Sister told me about it. She also asked me to bring her a few stalks of Beauty-Brightening Flowers so I can refine Youth-Preserving Pills for her. She said she’d sell them and give me sixty percent of the spirit stones,” Xia Liu replied.
“I see.”
Su Zhan nodded.
That made sense.
Although Beauty-Brightening Flowers weren’t particularly rare, there were many low-quality fakes on the market.
Since they were to be refined into pills for sale, it was best to have a dan cultivator like Xia Liu appraise them.
“If Senior Sister wants some, once we return to the sect I can mention it to Second Senior Sister. She should be willing to share a few with you,” Xia Liu said.
In truth, she wasn’t very interested in this type of pill, which was difficult to refine, prone to furnace explosions, and had no practical use.
However, demand far exceeded supply.
Aside from healing and injury-treating pills, beauty-enhancing pills like these were the most popular.
Moreover, Second Senior Sister had offered her a reward she simply couldn’t refuse.
So even though it was troublesome, Xia Liu had decided from the heart to complete the commission.
“No need. I don’t like these things,” Su Zhan shook her head.
Although she had half-accepted her female identity, she still tried to avoid things like rouge and beauty products as much as possible. She rarely even dressed up on ordinary days.
“That’s true. These things wouldn’t be of much use to Senior Sister anyway.”
Xia Liu stepped past Su Zhan and gently knocked on the pavilion’s door.
Soon, the door opened inward.
Xia Liu was about to speak when she saw that no one was standing behind the door.
Almost instinctively, she looked down and discovered that the one who had opened the door wasn’t a person, but a pure white cat.
“Hello… Eh?”
Xia Liu blinked in confusion.
The cat raised its head, glanced at Xia Liu, let out a soft meow, and displayed a very human-like expression of disdain.
Then it turned around, swaying its hips as it walked away.
“What a clever little fellow,” Su Zhan sighed in admiration.
There was already a faint trace of spiritual energy in the cat’s body, and it appeared to have awakened its intelligence.
It must have been fed spiritual herbs by the residents here for a long time.
Although transforming was still far off, it probably wouldn’t be long before this little cat became a cat girl.
“What kind of expression was that just now!?”
Xia Liu gasped in shock.
The irritation that had finally subsided during their walk threatened to flare up again.
“Ahem. Little Snow doesn’t know proper etiquette. This old one apologizes on her behalf to the two fairies. Please come inside and speak.”
Accompanied by coughing sounds, an elderly voice came from within the house.
Xia Liu and Su Zhan exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat surprised.
Su Zhan stepped inside first.
An even thicker medicinal scent than outside assaulted her face.
The heavy aroma carried a fresh note mixed with a hint of bitterness.
In addition, a blend of furnace fire and dust rose from the floor.
The interior was not as messy as she had imagined.
Instead, it was arranged just like Xia Liu’s room back in the sect, with various herbs and small wooden boxes neatly categorized and placed.
Even with a cat living there, the room was surprisingly clean.
A pill furnace sat on the floor.
On a small table nearby were half-dried ink and several sheets of parchment, on which some herb names were written—like pill recipes.
The door to the inner room opened, and a white-haired old woman pushed a wooden wheelchair out with some difficulty.
Her movements were laborious; after pushing the wheels a couple of times, she would lift her hand and cough lightly.
“We greet Senior. Please forgive us for visiting at night. We hope Senior does not take offense.”
Su Zhan cupped her hands in a bow, but she noticed the old woman was actually frowning at her, looking somewhat surprised and displeased.
She felt puzzled and raised her hands a little higher, revealing only her eyes, and greeted her more respectfully once again.
“You… Have you forgotten that your surname is Su? Why are you being so formal?”
The old woman’s tone was a bit strange.
She seemed unhappy with how distant and polite Su Zhan’s cupped-hands gesture was.
“Ah? This one does indeed bear the surname Su, and my name is Su Zhan. Does Senior know me?”
Su Zhan grew even more puzzled.
After transmigrating, she possessed all the original memories, yet there wasn’t a shred of information about this old woman in them.
In an unfamiliar environment, having someone she was meeting for the first time accurately call out her surname felt somewhat eerie.
Moreover… the old woman’s words were odd. What did her surname being Su have to do with being formal or not?
Could it be that the Su family had produced some incredibly powerful figure?
The old woman stared at her in silence for a long time, staring until Su Zhan felt her skin crawl.
Finally, after Su Zhan lowered her hands and revealed her full appearance, the old woman’s expression cleared up with understanding. She shook her head.
“Su Zhan, huh… This old one mistook you for someone else. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be at my age.”
“Since you’ve come, there’s no need to talk about taking offense. Visiting at this hour must mean you have something important. Fairy, there’s no need to be so formal. If you need any help, just say the word.”
The old woman set aside her strange expression, but her gaze remained fixed on Su Zhan, as if deep in thought.
“Senior, we came for medicinal herbs. May we ask what herbs you have here? Would you be willing to part with some?”
Xia Liu stepped forward, blocking Su Zhan, and flashed a smile.
“…Yes. This old one has difficulty moving, so if the fairies need any herbs, feel free to help yourselves.”
The old woman gave Su Zhan one last deep look before turning to Xia Liu.
She reached out to catch the leaping white cat and held it in her arms.
“In that case, this junior won’t stand on ceremony.”
Xia Liu noticed something off in the old woman’s gaze and felt puzzled inside, but she didn’t show it.
Instead, she suddenly linked arms with Su Zhan and laughed lightly as if performing.
“Senior Sister, Senior Sister, come with me quickly! There are so many herbs over there, and I’ve never seen most of them…”
“Eh?” Su Zhan was pulled away with a bewildered look on her face.
The old woman watched them silently.
Only after the two girls’ figures had completely disappeared from view did she snap out of her daze.
She let out a soft sigh and murmured under her breath.
“This girl… why does she look so much like Yan’er?”
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