The cave where Ran Mu'er was recuperating was hidden deep within the mountains, connected to Medicine Granny's small room through a talisman array.
Originally, the cave was simply a convenient place for Medicine Granny to cultivate spiritual herbs and gather medicinal plants in the mountains.
The array had been set up by a talisman master who, like her, had been falsely accused of being a remnant of the Demon Clan.
Back then, Medicine Granny had sensed something was wrong and fled immediately. However, during her escape, she suffered severe injuries, damaging her dantian and causing her cultivation to regress to the Qi Refinement Stage. Alone and weakened, she couldn’t have made it so far into the mountains.
Now, many years later, the cave and its array still stood, but the talisman master who had helped her was long gone, returned to dust.
Standing in front of the medicine cabinet, Medicine Granny extended her hand, covered with age spots, and gently caressed the wooden surface.
Her weathered, cloudy eyes were filled with memories.
A slightly plump middle-aged man once squatted in front of the cabinet, setting up the array with his spiritual energy. As he worked, he said to her, "Granny, do you remember when I told you about my closest friend, the one I’d share life and death with?"
Back then, Medicine Granny was organizing her medical books and didn’t even turn her head. "Hmm, the one who’s now an elder of the Tian Yan Sect?"
"That’s right," the man replied, grinning like a young boy. "Even as a child, I knew he’d go far. He’s honest and hardworking, much more diligent in his cultivation than I ever was." He paused, then added in a hushed tone, "Granny, I’ve reconnected with him."
"Reconnected?" Medicine Granny finally looked at him, her expression disapproving. "Do you know what you’re doing? We’re both labeled as remnants of the Demon Clan. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Granny," the man said earnestly, still crouching, "I trust him. I haven’t been reckless—we’ve been interacting under my current identity for two years now, and it’s just like old times. We’re still close, sharing everything. Last month, we had a drink together, and when he got a little tipsy, he brought up the old me, saying he could never believe I’d be involved with the Demon Clan. He trusts me, and I didn’t want to keep lying to him. Besides, with the things we’ve been investigating, we could use his help…"
In the end, Medicine Granny couldn’t dissuade him.
When the man left her place, he took two jars of spiritual wine with him. Though no longer young, he carried himself with the carefree air of someone who felt that having such a friend in life was worth everything.
But just a few days later, Medicine Granny received news of his death.
The remnants of the Demon Clan had been executed, and the elder of the Tian Yan Sect had upheld justice by eliminating his own kin.
The man was gone, leaving nothing behind.
Only the medicine cabinet and the array remained, standing silently in this remote, shadowy corner like a small tombstone.
...
"Granny, you’re here," Ran Mu'er said softly from the stone bed in the cave. Her delicate figure had been lost in thought, but she turned her innocent yet alluring eyes toward Medicine Granny as she entered.
"Yes," Medicine Granny replied, handing her a bowl of medicine. "I didn’t bother refining it into a pill. Just drink it as it is."
Ran Mu'er took the bowl, sighed in mock complaint, pinched her nose, and drank it down.
Medicine Granny sat by the bed, using her spiritual energy to check Ran Mu'er’s condition. "I’ve already contacted Jian Huan. She and Shen Jizhi are on their way and should be here soon."
Ran Mu'er handed the empty bowl back to Medicine Granny, wiped her mouth, and smiled. "Granny, you’ve always been the most distrustful of outsiders. You taught me and my brother from a young age never to reveal our true family background, even to our closest sectmates or teachers. So why do you trust those two so much? They’re even younger than me. Are they really that reliable?"
Years ago, her brother, Yin Yusheng, had spent months infiltrating Yujiang City to investigate Qi Wan’s case.
When Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi broke through the array, he knocked them out and took the Earth Fruit Spirit tree, only to realize the spirit wasn’t in the tree.
Later, when he planned to retrieve the Earth Fruit Spirit from Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi before heading to Lianfang Mirror, Medicine Granny specifically advised him not to.
After returning from Lianfang Mirror, Yin Yusheng never mentioned the Earth Fruit Spirit again. In fact, on the day they exchanged the real and fake Bodhi Pagodas, he told Ran Mu'er that if anything happened to him, she could turn to Shen Jizhi and Jian Huan in times of desperation.
Not only Medicine Granny but even her brother trusted those two.
Medicine Granny sighed deeply and asked, "Mu'er, it seems you haven’t spent much time with them, have you?"
Ran Mu'er shook her head.
She had only met Jian Huan once when she went to Yujiang City to assist Yin Yusheng. After that, they occasionally exchanged messages through the Xuantian Mirror, but that was it.
"Granny can say as much as she wants, but your own judgment matters more. You’ll see for yourself soon." Thinking of the clever youngsters on their way, Medicine Granny’s smile deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She stood up, holding the bowl. "I’ll go wait for them outside. Rest for now."
At noon, the autumn sun hung lazily on the treetops.
Jian Huan hurried along, taking large strides through the deserted streets.
She whispered to the person behind her, "Once we’ve figured out what’s going on, don’t forget about the Harmony Fragrance incident!"
Shen Jizhi, walking half a step behind her, simply hummed in acknowledgment, his expression indifferent.
Jian Huan glanced back at him, puzzled. "Aren’t you angry at all? Weren’t you the one who suffered?"
"It’s fine," Shen Jizhi replied, his gaze resting on her, as warm as the autumn sunlight filtering through the trees. "When you came to find me that day, my anger faded."
Jian Huan blinked, stopped walking, and reached up to pat his shoulder with a bold air. "Just wait. I’ll get justice for you!"
Shen Jizhi nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Alright."
However, before Jian Huan could say anything, Ran Mu'er proactively handed her a Mustard Seed Pouch, her eyes filled with a pitiable apology and a hint of mischief as she winked at Jian Huan. "I apologize for the other day. Here’s ten thousand spirit stones as compensation."
Before Jian Huan could react, her hand had already taken the pouch.
"..." Her eyes darted around, landing on Medicine Granny, who had led them in. She muttered, "Granny, did you tell Ran Mu'er that money would make us forgive her?"
Medicine Granny chuckled, her lips pursed. "Did I need to?"
"Alright, you three talk," Medicine Granny said, hunched over as she walked out. "I have patients to attend to later, so I’ll keep watch outside for you."
The three watched Medicine Granny leave.
Jian Huan’s eyes were on Ran Mu'er, but her hand holding the Mustard Seed Pouch reached out to Shen Jizhi, brushing against his cool fingers as she placed the pouch in his palm.
In the next moment, her hand and the pouch were both enveloped by Shen Jizhi’s grasp.
A ripple of spiritual energy, and the pouch disappeared.
Hidden within the wide sleeves, their palms pressed together, Shen Jizhi’s long fingers intertwined with Jian Huan’s soft ones, his thumb gently caressing hers.
With a light tug, he led her to the table, where they sat down.
Judging by Ran Mu'er’s expression, she had something important to ask, so they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
Jian Huan stole a glance at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.
She cleared her throat, sitting up straight as she addressed Ran Mu'er, who was half-reclining on the stone bed. "You know what we want to ask. Go ahead."
Ran Mu'er, having noticed their subtle interaction, covered her mouth and laughed softly.
Her face was still pale, but after a moment of thought, she made up her mind and spoke seriously. "Back then, Master Chu offered you thirty thousand spirit stones to risk your lives and enter Yujiang City to find Chu Chu. Today, if I were to offer you and Shen Jizhi all the savings my brother and I have accumulated over the years—one hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones—to accompany me to the Jiang family, find my brother, and retrieve the Bodhi Pagoda, would you be willing?"
Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi exchanged glances, speaking almost in unison. "...The Jiang family?"
"Yes, the Jiang family," Ran Mu'er replied softly, her eyes, usually misty like rain-soaked landscapes, now sharp as knives.
She pursed her lips, lifted the quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and organized her thoughts before beginning her story. "My brother first made contact with the Demon Clan in Yujiang City. Back then, the Jiang family employed many pharmacists to treat parents who came seeking..." Her tone grew slightly sarcastic, "...seeking children with spiritual roots. My brother infiltrated their ranks."
"After that, my brother followed the Demon Clan’s orders. Hu Zhi..." She paused, "...was one of the people my brother was instructed to kill."
Jian Huan let out a cold snort.
Years ago, she had been ambushed and severely injured, and Hu Zhi had escaped. Before she and Shen Jizhi could track him down, he was found dead in the mountains—discovered by Yin Yusheng.
Yin Yusheng was still pretending back then, but indeed, he was the one behind it!
"The Demon Clan is very cautious. The person who instructed my brother never showed his face, and we still don’t know who he is. It wasn’t until the Jiuzhou Conference that my brother received a secret letter, ordering him to steal the Bodhi Pagoda. If he succeeded, he would earn merit for the Demon Clan, gain the chance to visit the Demon Abyss to meet the Demon Lord, cultivate demonic arts, and raise demon heart insects, officially becoming a member of the Demon Clan!" Ran Mu'er clenched her skirt, her expression slightly agitated. "We’ve been investigating the Demon Clan for years, and my brother has been lying low for so long, all for this moment! We wanted to go to the Demon Abyss, to investigate, to find out who was responsible for the tragedy that befell our family!"
"Everything was going smoothly at first." Ran Mu'er took a deep breath and continued, "The Jiuzhou Treasure Hall is filled with Demon-Reflecting Mirrors, so members of the Demon Clan can’t enter, but my brother and I could. I used Fu Li, sprinkling the powder my brother gave me on his father. After the deed was done, I went to the Baili family, took the fake Bodhi Pagoda, and then met up with my brother. But—"
"But less than half an hour later, someone caught up with me and snatched the Bodhi Pagoda!" Ran Mu'er hugged herself tightly, a look of fear on her face. "If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve provoked so many male cultivators over the years and had no choice but to carry numerous escape tools with me, I wouldn’t have made it out alive."
Jian Huan’s eyes gleamed with intensity: "Who was it that took the Bodhi Pagoda from you?"
"He didn’t show his face." Ran Mu'er raised her gaze, meeting Jian Huan’s eyes, and curled her lips into a faint sneer. She spoke slowly, word by word, "But I know who he is. He is—"
"Jing Chi."
Back in Jiuzhou City, Ran Mu'er had been with Yin Yusheng, Wen Jiujiang, and Jiang Qiaoqiao. At that time, Jing Chi hadn’t yet withdrawn from the Jiuzhou Conference and was still there.
Jing Chi was handsome and well-built, and Ran Mu'er, who had never been shy about matters between men and women, had pestered him for a few days. He had always been annoyed by her.
Later, seeing that Jing Chi only had eyes for Jiang Qiaoqiao, and with the matter of the Bodhi Pagoda keeping her busy, Ran Mu'er had no further contact with him.
But since she had once been interested in Jing Chi, even if he disguised himself or turned to ashes, she would still recognize him.
Every man feels different, and no one knows this better than Ran Mu'er, who has encountered countless men.
Shen Jizhi gently squeezed Jian Huan’s hand, his brows slightly furrowed as he pondered the matter.
Just then, Jian Huan suddenly stood up, her face filled with astonishment.
He looked up at her, slightly puzzled: "What is it?"
For a moment, Jian Huan couldn’t believe it: "Jing Chi? It’s actually him?"
"Why not him?" Shen Jizhi raised an eyebrow. "Are you close to him?"
Otherwise, it sounded as though she trusted him deeply.
Jian Huan looked down at him, her mouth opening slightly.
Jing Chi was the male lead of the story!
A young, accomplished, righteous, and deeply affectionate male lead.
