Qin Yu’s leg injury healed faster than expected.
The vial of medicinal liquid from Bai Heng proved far more effective than any medicine the village doctor could provide.
Li Lianhua changed her dressings daily, watching as the wound healed bit by bit, the swelling gradually subsided, and color returned to her cheeks.
“The Fox Immortal’s medicine is truly miraculous.”
Li Lianhua told everyone she met, a note of pride in her voice.
Even while bedridden, Qin Yu kept herself occupied.
Qin Yun brought her daily updates from the mountain: which flowers had bloomed, how high the stream had risen, and which outfit the white fox immortal had worn that day.
Qin Yu listened with rapt attention, wishing she could get out of bed immediately and run up the mountain to see for herself.
Yet during these days, one thing weighed heavily on Qin Yun’s mind.
He remembered that night he had gone to find Bai Heng with perfect clarity.
In the pouring rain, he had rushed up the mountain, calling out for Miss Bai.
Then the white fox had emerged from the cave and spoken to him.
He remembered the questions she asked.
He remembered her voice as well.
It was clear and cool, like a flowing mountain spring or the wind rustling through a bamboo grove.
It was a woman’s voice, and it was very pleasant.
At the time, he had been too anxious to think much about it.
Later, after saving Qin Yu and staying up all night to watch over her, he had no energy to dwell on it.
But these past few days, that voice kept echoing in his ears.
He couldn’t help recalling that morning from last year.
Back then, he had just entered the mountain and encountered a white fox.
The white fox had spoken to him.
“Sort of.”
Afterward, whenever the white fox saw him, it would flee quickly, as if it didn’t recognize him at all.
He gradually convinced himself it had been nothing more than a half-awake dream and stopped thinking about it.
But now, looking back, that white fox and Miss Bai were clearly one and the same.
The voice was identical too.
Qin Yun turned the matter over and over in his mind, but his expression revealed nothing.
In the past few days while delivering meat up the mountain, he had wanted to ask several times, but the words always died on his lips.
If Miss Bai wanted to tell him, she would have done so already.
Since she hadn’t, she naturally had her reasons.
So he didn’t ask.
Still, every time he saw her, he would remember the sound of her voice speaking in the rain that night.
Lin Lan returned.
She arrived a few days later than planned, looking somewhat weary.
But the moment she saw Qin Yu lying in bed, she perked up.
“What happened?”
she asked Qin Yun.
Qin Yun gave her a brief account of the events.
After listening, Lin Lan fell silent for a moment and said little more.
She simply came to the Qin household every day to help care for Qin Yu and do whatever she could.
Sometimes when he was with her, Qin Yun would space out.
Lin Lan noticed and teased him with a smile one day.
“Qin Yun, you’ve seemed preoccupied lately?”
Qin Yun snapped out of it and shook his head.
“No.”
Lin Lan didn’t press him and simply smiled.
“If there’s something bothering you, you can talk to me about it.”
Qin Yun nodded but said nothing.
With the help of Bai Heng’s medicinal liquid, Qin Yu recovered rapidly.
In less than ten days, she was able to get up and walk around.
While she still couldn’t run or jump, walking slowly while holding onto the wall was no longer an issue.
Only then did Li Lianhua breathe a sigh of relief.
Qin Yun felt relieved as well.
Now that his sister was better, he could return to hunting in the mountains.
These past days spent caring for Qin Yu had nearly depleted their stored meat.
Qin Shi couldn’t hunt much on his own and needed his help.
So Qin Yun left early and returned late every day to hunt.
Each time he came back, he would deliberately take a detour past the wooded area where Bai Heng often stayed.
If Bai Heng was there, he would leave fresh game meat and chat with her for a while.
If she wasn’t, he would place the meat on the familiar rock for her to collect later.
Before long, it had become something of a habit.
Granny Jiang and Lu Mingshuang had both looked into Qin Yu’s accident.
Their investigation turned up no evidence of any cultivator’s involvement.
There were no spiritual energy fluctuations, no traces of spells, and no suspicious auras.
The cliff where Qin Yu had fallen was an ordinary one; the rain had simply made it slippery, and she had lost her footing.
It truly appeared to be nothing more than an accident.
But Qin Yu herself offered a different account.
That day, as Li Lianhua changed her bandages, she casually asked why Qin Yu had gone up the mountain in the rain.
At first Qin Yu was reluctant to speak, but after some pressing, she confessed honestly.
“I wanted to pick some Rain Mountain Lotuses.”
Li Lianhua was stunned.
“Rain Mountain Lotuses? What are those?”
Qin Yu explained.
“It’s a type of flower that only blooms on rainy days. That’s what Peddler Liu said.”
She paused.
“He has a fox doll that’s really pretty. I wanted it, but I didn’t have enough pocket money. He said I could trade Rain Mountain Lotuses for it.”
Li Lianhua’s expression changed.
“You went up the mountain in the rain just for that?”
Qin Yu lowered her head and said softly.
“I thought… if I picked some, I could exchange them for the doll… and give it to the Fox Immortal…”
Li Lianhua remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
That evening, Li Lianhua took Qin Yun with her to Peddler Liu’s shop.
Peddler Liu was sitting inside.
Seeing them enter, he put on a smile.
“Sister-in-law from the Qin family, Qin Yun, what can I get for you?”
Li Lianhua, face stern, repeated what Qin Yu had told her.
Peddler Liu’s expression flickered briefly before he beamed again.
“Aiya, this is all my fault!”
He took the fox doll down from the shelf and offered it with both hands.
“I was only speaking casually. I never imagined the little girl would take it seriously. Please take this doll as my apology for Miss Qin Yu. Don’t take it to heart.”
Li Lianhua looked at the doll but did not accept it.
Beside her, Qin Yun’s brows were tightly furrowed.
Seeing they wouldn’t take it, Peddler Liu pushed the doll forward again.
“It really was just a casual remark. If I’d known she would go up the mountain in the rain, I wouldn’t have said it even if you killed me. Please accept it as a small token of my sincerity.”
Li Lianhua stayed silent for a moment before finally taking the doll.
“Don’t say such things to my girl again in the future.”
Peddler Liu nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Li Lianhua turned and left, Qin Yun following close behind.
As they exited the shop, a group of villagers had gathered outside to watch the spectacle.
When they emerged, several people close to Peddler Liu began whispering.
“Peddler Liu is a good man. It was just a casual word. Is this really necessary?”
“The Qin family’s girl was the one who didn’t know better. Why blame him?”
“He’s already offered an apology gift. No need to make a fuss.”
Hearing these comments, Li Lianhua’s face darkened further, but she could only hold her tongue.
Qin Yun clenched his fists tightly, then slowly released them.
The pair walked briskly back home and gave the doll to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu took the doll, her eyes curving happily.
“The Fox Immortal is sure to like it!”
Li Lianhua looked at her daughter, wanting to say something, but in the end only sighed.
The villagers had all witnessed this little drama.
Bai Heng squatted on the hillside, watching everything from a distance.
She saw Li Lianhua and Qin Yun emerge from Peddler Liu’s shop.
She saw the gathered villagers and those pointing and whispering.
That Peddler Liu—the Qi Refining stage spy—had put on quite the act.
He truly hadn’t taken direct action.
He had merely dropped a few casual words to lure an innocent little girl into danger.
Even if something had happened to Qin Yu, no blame could fall on him.
But that remark had clearly been intentional.
Bai Heng narrowed her eyes slightly.
A cold light flashed in her clear fox eyes.
Old Widow Wu sat in her courtyard basking in the sun, back hunched, eyes half-closed as if dozing.
But she knew everything.
That Peddler Liu.
She had committed him to memory.
Xu Cheng stood at the courtyard entrance, gently waving his folding fan as he watched the crowd disperse.
Lu Mingshuang walked up beside him, looking in the same direction.
Xu Cheng said nothing, only gave a slight meaningful glance.
The corners of Lu Mingshuang’s mouth lifted faintly in a cold smile.
The smile was brief and vanished in an instant.
Lin Lan stood at her own doorway, also gazing toward the scene.
Her eyes rested on Peddler Liu’s shop for a moment.
In her usually gentle gaze, there was not a trace of warmth.
Then, just as quickly, she withdrew her eyes and turned back into the house.
That night, Bai Heng went to the Mountain God Temple.
Granny Jiang was already waiting for her there.
“Did you see it all?”
Bai Heng nodded.
Granny Jiang sighed.
“That Peddler Liu is a clever one. Knowing he couldn’t act openly, he resorted to such sneaky methods.”
She paused.
“But cleverness can often lead to one’s own undoing.”
Bai Heng looked at her.
Granny Jiang smiled.
“Don’t worry. This matter won’t end here.”
She regarded Bai Heng with a meaningful look.
“But the time isn’t right yet. We’ll wait a little longer.”
Bai Heng nodded.
She asked no further questions, stood up, and took her leave.
As she left the Mountain God Temple, the moonlight was just right.
She gazed down at the scattered lights in the village below and thought silently.
Peddler Liu.
She had remembered him.
That girl had nearly lost her life because of one casual remark from this man.
Whether he was following someone else’s orders or acting on his own.
This matter wasn’t over.
Duplicate chapter
FIXED