Zhenzhu, quick to react, dodged in time. However, Xin Xi, still in shock, stood frozen as the horse neared. A sharp whip lashed out swiftly like lightning from the woman on horseback. "I said move, you dirty brat!" "Xin Xi, watch out!" Zhenzhu could only shout, knowing she couldn’t outrun the whip. Xin Xi, regaining his senses, attempted to dodge but was too slow. The sharp whip struck his cheek hard, causing fresh blood to flow down his torn shirt. The horse raised its front hooves before finally stopping. "I told you to move. You didn’t, so you deserved the whip," the woman’s clear yet arrogant voice declared. She smirked, disdainfully looking at Xin Xi with scornful eyes. "Xin Xi, are you okay?" Zhenzhu rushed to the boy. He was about to touch his wound, but Zhenzhu stopped him, knowing his hands were dirty and could infect the cut. She quickly grabbed a white cloth from a nearby fabric stall to wrap and press against the wound to stop the bleeding. The cut was deep, running across his face, barely missing his eye. If the whip had been higher, he might have lost his sight. Anger surged through her. "What are you doing? He was nearly blinded!" She shouted at a woman on the horse. How could someone ride a running horse in this crowded city. She was just a young girl, oval face, upturned eyes, her small lips should be the bright natural color but got covered up with the strong red color instead. Her arrogant gaze looking down on people. She was Hui Lin, the adopted daughter of the Water Dragon’s leader. "He’s just a beggar," the woman’s sharp eyes briefly scanned Zhenzhu, making her feel as insignificant as an ant under the overwhelming pressure from the woman on horseback, causing Zhenzhu to nearly lose her balance. A wave of revulsion made her stomach churn. Hui Lin scoffed disdainfully. A mere child dared to scold her! With another flick of her whip, Meanwhile, an employee from Ruyi Pharmacy, witnessing the scene, rushed back to inform Master Tiao. "Master! Master! It’s terrible! Lady Hui Lin is about to kill Lady He," he panted. "Lady Hui Lin is about to kill Lady He." "Where are they? Take me there!" Master Tiao hurried after his employee, sweating profusely upon arrival. Hui Lin lashed her whip, wrapped around Zhenzhu’s neck, while the one on the floor, struggling to get it of her neck. Her bright face was now red as if she was about to suffocate. No one dared to intervene, afraid they might get into trouble. "Stop!" Master Tiao’s voice boomed. "Eh? Master Tiao?" Hui Lin relaxed her grip, her whip unwinding slowly. “Gasp! Cough, cough, cough," Zhenzhu gasped for air as it rushed back into her lungs suddenly. She almost died before she could grow up. "What are you doing, Lady Hui Lin!" Master Tiao shouted in query. Hui Lin seemed a bit startled. Master Tiao had always been gentle and polite; why was he so furious now? "I was just having some fun, sorry to let you see such an inappropriate scene," she said politely, respecting him. Master Tiao was an important figure connected with the mysterious inscription master, and that Inscription Master held ancient scripts that had been lost. She needed to maintain a good relationship and show respect to him, as he could serve as a bridge to the mysterious inscription master. She could not afford to fail in the task given by her father. Zhenzhu quickly took Xin Xi to the doctor. The old doctor examined and treated the wounds efficiently before prescribing herbal powder for the wound and beeswax for potential scars. "Follow the prescription and apply the powder regularly until it heals. Don’t let the wound get wet until it scabs over. Then use this beeswax to treat any scars. He’s still young with tender skin; it should heal quickly. Apply beeswax daily without fail. With proper care, it should not leave a scar," the old doctor explained in detail. "Thank you, doctor," Zhenzhu thanked the doctor. "Thank you, doctor," Xin Xi also expressed his gratitude. After receiving the medicine, Zhenzhu took Xin Xi outside. His shirt was still stained with blood, making him look even more pitiful. She looked at the bandaged wound on his face and felt immense sympathy. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 "Little Xin Xi, Little Miss Zhu, how are you two?" Master Tiao, having dealt with the situation, rushed over worriedly. He had never imagined that Hui Lin, who had always appeared calm and collected before him, could be so cruel and ruthless. "I’m fine, but he’s badly hurt. The wound on his face... If the whip had been just a bit higher, he could have been blinded." "Ah, this is terrible." "Who is she, Master?" Zhenzhu asked about the aggressive girl. She wanted to tear her into pieces and feed her to the vultures to soothe her anger. But she lacked the strength now. Once she grew stronger, she would make that girl crawl and apologize to Xin Xi "She is Hui Lin, the adopted daughter of the leader of the Water Dragon Sect. She is a cultivator of spirit energy at the dark blue tier, nearly advancing to the indigo tier. Her talent in spirit energy cultivation has made her arrogant. She is dearly loved by the leader of the Water Dragon Sect and is skilled in sorcery, maoshan, and Gu worm." "Gu worm, or simply Gu, is a type of dark sorcery, involving the knowledge of alchemy and the charms creation. Gu is used for wealth attraction or to annihilate enemies completely. It is created by confining a variety of poisonous creatures together in a container, sealing it, and burying it in the ground. The creatures fight and consume each other until only one survives; this survivor is the Gu. The master can use the Gu to extract poison, create love potions, or harm others. There is a belief that those victims of Gu must serve the sorcerer indefinitely. It turned out that the disgusting pressure she felt was from the dark sorcery. In contemporary times, few are experts in dark sorcery because it’s a practice that harms others’ lives, leading to widespread opposition. "I didn’t realize she was proficient in sorcery." "She is a descendant of the Heimofa Tribe, taken in and raised by the leader of the Water Dragon.” She was one of the Heimo Fa Tribe, a tribe that is the most adept at dark magic." "But you don’t have to be afraid. Dark magic is opposed by people all over the martial world. If someone uses it, they become a common enemy of all martial artists. Just stay away from her. If you’re uncomfortable, ask your father to inscribe a charm to protect against dark magic for you." "I heard she come to see you, Master" "Sigh, just like the others. Lately, people have been flocking to me, wanting to use me as a bridge to that mysterious inscription master," Master Tiao sighed. "Master He, even using ancient characters, people are interested in it. You don’t know, but some speculate that your father is a descendant of the great Tao Shaotou." He softly whispered. "She came to see the mysterious inscription master through you, didn’t she?” Wanting to meet me but nearly choking me to death with her whip, and she still hopes to form a friendship with me? Wait a hundred lifetimes then. “Yes, but I have already refused. You can rest assured.” “Sir, then I must take Xin Xi to rest now. He’s lost a lot of blood.” “Go ahead. Go ahead." She took Xin Xi back to their hired carriage and headed to their new plot of land. Soon upon arrival, she leaped agilely from the carriage and ran to find her father. "Father, from now on, Xin Xi will stay with us. I’ll have him sleep in the workers’ quarters behind." "Ah, that’s good. Eh! Why is his face and head wrapped like that? And why are his clothes covered in blood?" He Lei was shocked. "Father, Xin Xi had an accident. He needs to rest now because he’s lost a lot of blood." "Oh, I see. Go on, take him to rest." The carriage parked at one of the completed workers’ quarters, ready for habitation, not far from the walls of the large house under construction. There was a gate through which one could walk to the big house. Zhenzhu helped Xin Xi unload their purchases into the quarters. "From now on, this is your home. You can use the money you have as you wish. You don’t have to fear bandits robbing you anymore." Xin Xi’s eyes went red, tears welled up, overwhelming with emotion, he was so grateful. He wouldn’t have to fear being beaten up anymore. Was this large quarter really for him? Honestly, he would have been content sleeping in a stable or a woodshed; such a large quarter wasn’t necessary. "B... Big Sister Zhu," he said with a trembling voice. "It’s alright now," she gently patted his head, appreciating his survival through the harsh tests of life from such a young age. It was fate that he managed to survive. "Eh, Baihu, come here quickly." Once it saw a stranger, the white thing slowly walked toward with arrogant demeanor. "Baihu, this is Xin Xi. He’ll be staying with us. You should be good to him; he’ll be another brother to you. Xin Xi, this is Baihu, my pet," she introduced them to each other. "B...Big Sister Zhu, are you keeping a tiger?" He was nearly voiceless from shock. Big Sister Zhu was too brave, keeping a tiger as a pet. "Yes, it’s harmless and very cute," she stroked its soft fur gently. "O...Okay," he said. It might be cute, but it was still a carnivorous animal. Seeing Xin Xi’s paleness, Zhenzhu could only laugh. He would get used to it eventually. After settling Xin Xi, she went to find her father, who was planning the planting of trees to provide shade within their property. He Lei planned to buy large trees for immediate shade, to make the area more comfortable and reduce the time for growth. "Father, won’t you come home tonight?" "Not yet, Zhu’er. I’ll stay with the workers here tonight. I want to speed up the construction so we can move in sooner. Tell everyone at home for me, will you?" He hired workers to work overtime every day, wanted to quickly finish the house construction. The big house, with a place for Yu’er to run, and tall walls that would give the He family some privacy, didn’t have to put up with the neighbor knocking on the door. "Of course, father. Then I’ll head back now." "Be safe on your way back, it’s getting dark." After bidding her father farewell, Zhenzhu and Baihu made their way home. She had to conserve energy because tomorrow the mulberry cuttings’ seller would bring the delivery of mulberry cuttings, and she had to be ready. Zhenzhu shared with her parents that during her frequent visits to the city, she had seen a large fabric store with beautiful and diverse fabrics, the same kind of fabric could be used to make various designs of clothes. This inspired her dream of owning a fabric factory and store. Her parents fully supported her dream. Zhenzhu requested a portion of their land for a mulberry plantation and future textile factory, planning to fund it herself. Miss Wang smiled proudly after hearing it, she said that our Zhu’er have grew up. "Baihu, hurry up. Your legs are too short," she called out. When its prowess as the king of hunters was doubted, the little creature burst ahead with speed, Zhenzhu chased after it, and it sprinted even further away. Together, one human and one animal laughed heartily, racing back home. "Big Sister is back!" He Yu ran out to meet her with a sullen face. "Yu’er, why such a face?" "Big Sister, someone stole our vegetables," he complained, pouting. "When did they steal them?" "I don’t know exactly when. I woke up, and a lot was gone." Since Zhenzhu had left early for the city, she hadn’t checked the vegetables in the morning and was unaware of the theft. Zhenzhu examined the vegetable garden and noticed that some of the vegetable and herb patches, not protected by her Concealment Characters, had been slightly uprooted. The dense planting made it hard to notice the missing parts unless closely inspected. Recently, the Nengyan herbs had grown substantially, causing He Yu, who enjoyed sleeping with Baihu and Xiao She, to bring them inside the house to sleep, leaving Xiao She not guarding the garden lately. Zhenzhu furrowed her brows. What should I do? She couldn’t inscribe character yet. She thought and thought. She came up with a plan! Here we go. The mission to catch the thief began. Zhenzhu ran into the house to gather everyone and explained the plan in detail, with everyone nodding in agreement. That night, the He family slept as usual, as if nothing was amiss. The peaceful night was serenaded by the soft music of insects, but just before dawn, a suspicious noise from the garden woke the vigilant family, who then continued to rest calmly. In the morning, Zhenzhu checked the garden thoroughly before smiling brightly and heading to the city to pick up the mulberry branches as planned. The branches were temporarily stored at the stable. The next day was the scheduled day she had hired laborers for land preparation. After her mission, she revisited the city, stopped by the Ruyi Pharmacy for a long while, then visited a tool shop to buy digging and chopping equipment for the laborers to plough up tomorrow. She cheerfully carried some tools back home in her basket. He Lei didn’t return home that day; the large house was nearly complete, ready to be moved into in just a few days. However, before heading back, Zhenzhu made sure to greet her father and whisper something to him. That evening, the He family acted normally. After dinner, everyone practiced their spirit energy cultivation for two hours before retiring to their rooms. The night was long, but the excitement made it hard for them to sleep. Everyone tossed and turned all night, except for He Yu, who had been asleep since xu period[1]. Finally, the hour they had awaited all night arrived, yin period[2], when the same suspicious noise was heard from the vegetable garden, the family remained calm in bed. In the vegetable garden, Chop! Chop, chop, chop! "Ouch! Help! Help me!!" This piercing scream, familiar to all, necessitated the protection of one’s hearing from damage. Even the Queen Mother of the West, Xi Wangmu[3], presumably asleep on Kunlun Mountain, might have been jolted awake. He Yu, who had been blissfully sleep all night, woke up. The He family rushed out to the vegetable garden, but before heading there, Zhenzhu ran out to the street in front of the house for a moment before returning with two officers in full law enforcement attire. “Please come this way, officers,” she invited. “Lead the way, Lady He.” Everyone hurried to the vegetable garden. Once she opened the garden gate, she flinched upon hearing a barrage of curses from Miss Yu, causing Zhenzhu to leap and cover He Yu’s ears immediately. The scene before them showed Miss Yu impaled through the calf by an animal trap that Zhenzhu had purchased, her blood soaking into the vegetable plot like water, the smell of blood pervasive. Miss Yu trembled, yet she still glaring at Miss Wang with vengeance, her eyes almost pop out. “Wretched woman, will you kill me, or shall I have you thrown into prison!” Ah... such ear-piercing agony. “Who’s going to throw my mother into prison, and for what crime?” “What crime? The crime of her injuring me!” Despite the pain, her voice still carried the power to devastate. "Eh... How could she have harmed you? When exactly did my mother harm you? Wasn’t it because you trespassed into our home and got your leg pierced by an animal trap? And on top of that, you stole from others. Could you enlighten me on should my mother imprison the robber?" Zhenzhu cast a scrutinizing gaze at the large basket filled with vegetables and spirit herbs, the evidence resting quietly within, causing Miss Yu to choke. Seeing the two officers standing behind her made her face turn even paler. "What about me? It’s indeed me!" "Officers, there’s no need to examine the evidence again. Arrest her for theft," Zhenzhu said with a sweet smile to the two officers. Last time, Miss Yu was punished by the authorities for false accusations. This time, it’s for theft. The reason Zhenzhu visited Ruyi Pharmacy yesterday was to seek help from Master Tiao, asking him to request the city’s governor to send officers to her house before dawn to catch the thief. Knowing they were coming to catch a thief at Master He’s house made the officers even more willing. Zhenzhu intended to offer the vegetables and spirit herbs as a token of gratitude to them. Whether they caught the thief or not, they would still get spirit plants to consume. If they did catch the thief, they would be doing their duty and also receive spirit plants. "O... Officers, I am not a thief," Miss Yu began to fear, and her leg wound started to hurt more. "Not a thief? Then did you come to water the vegetables for us?" He Ming raised an eyebrow, asking sarcastically. "Y...You. Aaah! Miss Wang set a trap for me! You vile woman." Unable to find an excuse, she again released a foul odor from her mouth. "Guilty yet blaming others, you foul-mouthed woman," He Ming remarked, his patience running thin. "Please arrest her, officers," Miss Wang said. She could no longer tolerate it; letting someone go only for them to come back and bite was unacceptable. "Yes, He Furen," the two officers promptly followed their duty. They couldn’t remove the animal trap immediately and had to wait for a doctor to handle it. Yet, as they dragged Miss Yu onto the carriage, her cries and curses did not cease. "You vile woman, Wang! You will not defeat me. You shall be beneath my feet!" Zhenzhu watched in astonishment, wondering how a human could stoop so low. The wrongs of others are as large as mountains, their own faults as thin as hair. Miss Yu was beyond redemption. [4] Xu period is the time between 19:00 – 20:59 P.M. [5] Yin period is the time between 03:00 – 04:59 A.M. [6] The Queen Mother of The West Xiwangmu is a deity responsible for the behavior of immortals and demons. It is said that she resides in the celestial pond on Mount Kunlun in the West. Her abode is also the site where the peach of immortality is grown, consuming which one would never age or die. The Queen has many names, such as Xiwangmu, The Heavenly Mother, and the Celestial Pond. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en