Chapter 42

After eating and drinking her fill, Su Ling rolled up her sleeves, mixed the leftover rice for the two dogs, scattered some grain for the chickens, then washed her hands and began preparing the medicinal ointment.
Yi Heng had many wounds all over his body. When she first found him, there wasn’t a single spot that was intact. However, his recovery ability was strong, some of the smaller wounds had healed in no time, a speed far beyond that of an ordinary mortal.
And without leaving a single scar.
No wonder everyone sought immortality.
But in the world of ordinary mortals, immortals were distant, almost mythical beings.
Su Ling carried the prepared ointment in a wooden bowl. This time, she knocked on the door before entering.
"Come in," a flat, indifferent voice replied. Sure enough, the person inside hadn’t fallen asleep despite her long absence.
Su Ling pushed the door open. Yi Heng still had his eyes closed, his hands resting at his sides, covered with a thin quilt. His white inner robe remained intact.
Had he not even checked his surroundings while alone?
Su Ling sighed inwardly but maintained a smile on her face, her tone cheerful as she said, "Time to apply the medicine."
Upon hearing this, Yi Heng moved his head slightly, as if to look at her, but didn’t open his eyes. He pressed his lips together and nodded.
Su Ling lifted his quilt. As soon as she opened it a little, she could see that the blood from the most severe wound on his chest had seeped through his clothes, staining a small patch red.
But this was after the medicine had already been applied. For it to still bleed enough to stain his clothes, it was clear the wound was extremely deep.
When Su Ling first saw it, her teeth chattered uncontrollably, the wound was so deep the bone was visible, with stark white ribs stained by blood, a truly horrifying sight.
But now, it clearly wasn't that severe.
She undid his clothes, revealing the area wrapped in gauze. Su Ling skillfully unwrapped the bandages, careful not to pull at the newly healed tender flesh, holding her breath all the while.
After that, she applied medicine, spreading varying thicknesses of medicinal paste depending on the severity of the wounds.
Yi Heng's eyes shifted beneath his eyelids, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly before smoothing out again. He spoke as if nothing were amiss, "Miss Su, do you know medicine?"
Su Ling replied casually, "Yes, both my parents are skilled in medicine."
Yi Heng's fingers twitched slightly at his side, and he asked with curiosity, "Then why did you come to live here?"
He had been lying there for quite some time, hearing only the distant and near calls of birds, with not a trace of human sound. Even though his senses had regressed to nearly mortal levels due to his cultivation decline, he could still tell that this place seemed far removed from human habitation.
Su Ling's smile remained unchanged at the corners of her lips. "Because I like it."
It was such a vague answer.
Yi Heng's thin lips curved slightly. Could it be that she was sent by another powerful cultivator, again targeting his innate spiritual body?
In this lifetime, because of this bizarre constitution, Yi Heng had suffered greatly.
He had been able to remember things since birth, and the first sight he witnessed was the sheer terror in his parents' eyes the moment he opened his, nearly causing them to drop and kill him.
His mother desperately saved him but couldn't keep him. Everyone said he was a demon child and insisted on offering him to the River God as a sacrifice to cleanse his sins.
Placed on a bamboo raft, Yi Heng drifted from upstream to downstream under the relieved gazes of the crowd. In the dead of winter, as the raft slowly sank, he experienced for the first time what it meant to be chilled to the bone.
When someone rescued him, he thought it was his good fortune. That person was the sect leader of the foremost righteous sect, the Mystic Moon Sect. Overnight, he went from an abandoned infant to the envied young master of the Mystic Moon Sect.
Everyone envied his status, but only he knew how harshly that person demanded of him. If he failed to meet expectations, he had to endure countless torments.
As a child, Yi Heng believed this was his master's way of tempering him, preparing him to inherit the sect and carry it to greater heights.
So, when his fellow disciples, driven by jealousy, targeted him openly or covertly, he treated them with tolerance.
He risked his life to retrieve a rare herb his senior sister wanted from a forbidden area, only to be beaten half to death. Instead of gratitude, she used the elixir made from that herb to sabotage him during a sect competition.
He felt that, as the young master, he should guide such behavior.
He tirelessly instructed his senior brother in cultivation, guiding him into the path of the sword. Yet, during a secret realm trial, that senior brother, coveting a legacy, attempted to kill him without hesitation, believing Yi Heng's rapid progress was merely condescending guidance.
Yi Heng didn't mind any of it. But when, at the Golden Core stage, his master took him on a solo training expedition only to lead him to a deserted place with the intent to kill him, his heart turned cold.
It turned out his master had saved him solely for his innate spiritual body.
His master had been stuck at the Nascent Soul stage for thousands of years and had long since fallen into demonic ways. To avoid death and touch the Great Dao, the master wanted to transfer his consciousness into Yi Heng's body.
It's rather laughable, Yi Heng realized that looking back on his life, he had truly never received a favor from anyone that came without strings attached.
Even now, this seemingly ordinary mortal woman might very well have been deliberately arranged by someone else.
Yi Heng curled his lips slightly, a cold expression flashing across his face, but it vanished almost instantly. Without another word, he decided to wait and see what this person's true intentions were.

The afternoon sun was just right. Su Ling was bent over, pulling weeds from the vegetable patch where she had just buried the seeds.
She had worked up a sweat earlier while applying medicine to Yi Heng and had changed into a pale white long dress. The fabrics of higher quality here were quite expensive, and since Su Ling was currently struggling to make ends meet, she hadn't bought any new clothes for herself and was still wearing the original owner's garments.
However, the original owner's clothes were all quite beautiful. The simple white dress accentuated her delicate, dewy face, making it appear even more radiant.
Su Ling had also styled her hair into an elegant bun, giving her the appearance of an ethereal fairy at first glance. But this fairy was currently pulling weeds, occasionally rolling up her sleeves to wipe the sweat from her brow, instantly shattering the illusion of otherworldliness and making her look more like a farmer's wife.
Zhang Shi had walked a long way with her son, Li Sheng, before finally finding this place. As they approached, they caught a glimpse of Su Ling through the gaps in the fence. Zhang Shi shook her head disdainfully and whispered, "Look at your cousin. It hasn't been long, and she's already fallen to this state. We're only doing what's best for her, yet she still doesn't understand."
Li Sheng also frowned, equally disdainful. But just then, Su Ling straightened up, revealing her flushed face, which was as exquisitely beautiful as ever.
No, because her face now carried a vitality that had been missing before, it was even more captivating. His frown eased, and he smiled, saying, "Mother, Cousin is just being immature. If you talk to her more, she'll understand."
"Right." Zhang Shi, as if encouraged, nodded vigorously and quickened her pace. Then, raising her voice, she called out, "Su Ling, your cousin is here to see you!"
The shout startled the person lying on the bed inside the house. His expression froze, and his eyes snapped open, only to realize he couldn't see anything from where he was. He closed them again silently but pricked up his ears, listening intently to the commotion outside.
Su Ling was also startled.
She had been so focused on her task that she hadn't paid attention to her surroundings. The sudden interruption caught her off guard. She turned toward the voice, her expression growing more serious, but she managed to force a polite smile. "Aunt, you're here."
Zhang Shi entered with an enthusiastic smile, waving her hand dismissively. "Not just me, your cousin is here too. Hurry up and greet him!"
Li Sheng emerged from behind her broad figure, dressed in the long robe favored by scholars, a fan in his hand. His slightly plump face wore an equally eager smile. "Cousin, my regards to you."
Su Ling's expression stiffened, and she nodded reluctantly. "Hello, Cousin."
Zhang Shi watched the two of them exchanging words, her eyes clouded by a filter a kilometer thick. She could only see their mutual affection, as if already envisioning the wonderful life her family would have in the future.
She stepped forward, intending to warmly grasp Su Ling’s hand, and said, “Child, why did you run off alone to live in this godforsaken place? It’s truly pitiful. I heard your uncles are no good, none of them care about you.”
Su Ling took a step back, avoiding her large hands, and shook her head uncomfortably. With a straightforward expression, she explained, “Aunt, you’re joking. This is hardly a godforsaken place. Just yesterday, I found a bird’s egg and ate it, it was delicious. Too bad you didn’t come yesterday.”
Zhang Shi’s lips twitched, thinking the girl was a bit foolish. Why couldn’t she grasp the underlying meaning?
She shot Su Ling a reproachful look and said, “That’s not what I meant, dear. Look around, there’s not a soul in sight. If something were to happen, no one would be here to help you. Your cousin is so worried about you. When you moved here without a word, he was frantic and urged me to come find you. Su Ling, we still have a room at our place, specially reserved for you. When will you move in?”
Li Sheng nodded repeatedly. “Yes, cousin, this is no place to live. You shouldn’t have to fend for yourself like this. When have you ever suffered like this before?”
His gaze, filled with pity, swept over Su Ling, lingering on her slender waist, and unconsciously took on a lecherous glint.
Su Ling took another step back in displeasure, avoiding his gaze, and shook her head. “I’m not moving.”
“Why are you so stubborn?” Zhang Shi’s smile vanished, her expression darkening. “Do you think it was easy for your cousin and me to come all this way? We’re only thinking of your well-being.”
Su Ling spread her hands, adopting a "dead pigs aren’t afraid of boiling water" attitude. “I’m not leaving.”
Li Sheng had already discussed the plan with his mother, one playing the good cop, the other the bad cop, so he remained unruffled and continued gently, “Cousin, I know you’ve been hurt and want to live in seclusion, but this really isn’t a good place. Listen to me. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from now on.”
Su Ling lowered her gaze, seemingly swayed by his words. Li Sheng shot his mother a meaningful look, and she immediately understood. Puffing out her chest, she said in a low voice, “You’re already sixteen, old enough to understand things. I can’t let your father down, so I came especially to fetch you. If you’re willing to go, that’s good. If not, I’ll have to make you go!”
Su Ling looked up, a faint smile curling her lips. “Oh? And if I refuse, what will you do?”
What would they do?
Of course, they planned to strip Su Ling of all her money. Without it, she’d have no choice but to leave. Once she was under their roof, she’d be at their mercy, and they could do as they pleased.
Ideally, she’d marry her cousin, with her wealth serving as her dowry, killing two birds with one stone, all perfectly justified.
After all, everyone knew that although Dr. Su had passed away, he’d left behind a considerable fortune. This clever girl had even sold the clinic to keep her uncles from getting their hands on it and had hidden herself away here.
If not for their luck and someone spotting Su Ling coming here, they’d never have found her.
Zhang Shi’s face turned cold, and she rolled up her sleeves.
Su Ling sneered coldly, turned around, grabbed the shovel leaning against the wall, and swung it at them. With a loud "thud," it struck Zhang Shi’s sturdy back, immediately eliciting a sharp cry of pain from her and Li Sheng’s panicked voice, "Cousin! What are you doing? We’re only thinking of your good…"
Su Ling didn’t stop; the shovel whistled through the air as she swung it fiercely, her lips curling in disdain. "I’ll live wherever I please. You have no right to interfere."
Zhang Shi grimaced in pain, but being a sturdy farm woman, she was strong. After taking the hit, she dodged and, with a ferocious expression, lunged forward to snatch the shovel from Su Ling’s hands, cursing angrily, "You damned shrew! How dare you hit me? I’m your eld, Ow!"
Before she could finish, she felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. She was sent flying far away, landing outside the courtyard with a heavy "thump" on the ground.
Li Sheng, who had been dodging left and right, stared dumbfounded at Zhang Shi’s sudden flight. He then looked at Su Ling, who was still chasing him, her cheeks flushed from running, and took two frightened steps back. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his buttocks, and his legs left the ground as he, too, was sent flying.
"Bang!"
"Ow!"
The two crashed into each other. Zhang Shi suffered a second blow, let out another scream, rolled her eyes, and fainted.
Left alone, Li Sheng scrambled to his feet in terror and lifted Zhang Shi slightly.
Su Ling was also bewildered. She watched the two, thinking Li Sheng would carry Zhang Shi away, but instead, he hid behind the unconscious woman, shouting frantically, "Mother! Wake up! There’s a ghost! Save me…"
Su Ling: “...”