The evening wind blew past, and Li Qingjun, drenched and unable to gather her energy, shivered slightly. Qin Yi acted as if he didn’t notice her discomfort and showed no intention of helping her.
Li Qingjun gritted her teeth against the cold and picked up the rabbit from the ground. "I poisoned it with my own poison, and your so-called antidote won't work. Give me an explanation!"
Qin Yi chuckled. "The medicine sold at the foot of the mountain is only for this mountain. What do I care about poisons brought from outside? Are you blaming me for an African swine fever outbreak?"
Li Qingjun didn’t understand the reference to Africa and snapped, "I knew you’d say something like that. Do you have the ability to cure its poison? If you can’t, then you’re just a fraud with no medical knowledge."
Qin Yi took the rabbit and noticed it was stiff as iron. "It’s not poisoned; it’s under a spell that hardens the muscles. It can be beneficial in battle, but it does have some side effects." He casually tossed the rabbit aside. "The effects will wear off in half an hour. What more do you want me to do? Should I help it stretch its muscles and relieve the side effects? I think not..."
Li Qingjun stared at him, unsure of what to say.
To put it simply, she was being stubborn. She was angry that her brother was supposed to be helping her seek immortality but seemed to have his own plans, making her exciting journey feel like a joke. She wanted to prove him wrong, but it looked like… he was right.
This spell was indeed concocted by the national master, Dong Huazi, and not something an ordinary pharmacist could recognize. Qin Yi recognized it at a glance; he was definitely a hidden alchemist.
As her anger faded, Li Qingjun felt the cold creep back in. She hugged her arms and shivered in her chair. The white liquid still dripped from her hair, spots dotted her face, and her hair was a mess, making her look quite helpless.
Just when Qin Yi thought the girl might cry, she slowly stood up and said, "I’m sorry for misunderstanding you, Mr. Qin."
With that, she turned and marched out with her spear, her slender figure standing tall.
"Such a proud girl," Liusu commented in Qin Yi's mind. "She’s all sore and weak, without any energy, yet she won’t ask you to help. Isn’t she afraid of being eaten by wolves? Hey, are you a eunuch? Why aren’t you doing something?"
Qin Yi was reminded by this and called out, "Miss, wait."
Li Qingjun paused and replied coolly, "Are you offering compensation?"
"My humble home offers lodging, warm beds, hot tea, herbal baths, muscle relaxation, and blood circulation. Just three coins for a night."
Li Qingjun didn’t expect Qin Yi to be so straightforward. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but the cold wind made her sneeze. Realizing the mountain wasn’t safe and that her current state made the journey to find her brother dangerous, she swallowed her words of rejection.
After a moment of silence, she took out a piece of silver and placed it on the stone table in the yard, expressionless as she walked past Qin Yi into the house. "Innkeeper, fetch water."
Qin Yi turned to watch her enter the house, unable to help but laugh. "Such a stubborn girl."
Liusu snickered. "Stubborn man."
As the door closed, Qin Yi lowered his voice, "What’s so stubborn about me?"
"Who else carries a wolf-tooth club into a bath?"
"Isn’t that a sign of a good relationship? Always together..."
"Cut it out," Liusu retorted sarcastically. "You curled up in a ball when she came in. You weren’t afraid of me seeing you naked?"
Qin Yi scoffed, "Do weapon spirits have gender? Fine, even if they do, can a manly wolf-tooth club give rise to a female weapon spirit? Are you kidding? Even if it were a girl, she’d probably be a hulking brute."
Liusu didn’t reply.
...
Li Qingjun soaked in the hot water, lost in thought as she looked around the guest room.
It was a simple wooden cabin, unpainted but carefully crafted. The smooth, round pillars showed the focus and care of the young carpenter. The clean wood was coated with a layer of smooth gel, likely to prevent pests. A small flower pot on the windowsill bloomed softly in the moonlight, its fragrance refreshing.
The bedding was plain white silk, giving off a clean scent of sunshine, neatly arranged.
On the wall hung a painting of mountains and forests shrouded in mist. The style was a bit odd, as if drawn with a sharpened eyebrow pencil, only in black and white, yet it surprisingly conveyed depth and light, looking lifelike. To Li Qingjun, the painting seemed a bit too crafted, lacking spirit, but for a young person, it was quite impressive, especially with such a unique style.
The painting was signed: Qin Yi doodled on the eighth day of the second month of the first year.
She wondered what this timing meant...
In any case, it was elegant and fresh. Li Qingjun felt a certain attitude from it, a sense of a serene and refined life. It was hard to imagine this was a rural boy’s home, and it didn’t seem to relate to the so-called mysterious alchemist at all; it felt more like a scholarly family.
The hot water in the tub was infused with herbs, the warmth seeping into her limbs, driving away the chill from earlier. The effects of the muscle-relaxing herbs were also dispelled, and her blocked energy channels opened up, allowing her energy to flow freely again.
Li Qingjun found Qin Yi to be quite contradictory.
He set traps at the gate, whether for wild beasts or intruders, making him seem like a cautious person with no sense of security. Yet, under the current circumstances, he dared to leave her alone in his home, removing all restrictions.
Was he too soft-hearted?
Did he really think she wouldn’t retaliate?
Or perhaps he had some confidence? Facing this strange "alchemist," Li Qingjun couldn’t be sure if he had some unpredictable means.
Suppressing her thoughts of revenge, she let out a breath and reached for the basin at the edge of the tub.
The basin had been brought in by Qin Yi after he prepared the hot water. It contained towels and some odd items. One of them was a fragrant soap substitute he claimed to have made, replacing the usual soap pods for cleaning, along with a bath bean, which he said was for washing the face...
Li Qingjun tried it out; the hot spring water was smooth and fragrant, making her feel incredibly comfortable and clean. Her hair, previously sticky with that strange liquid, was now shiny and beautiful again.
Then there was this… Li Qingjun curiously picked up a wooden handle, one end filled with stiff bristles, fixed somehow. Qin Yi said it was for brushing teeth, replacing the usual tender willow branches... Along with it was his homemade toothpaste, a substitute for salt powder...
Everything felt strange, but she had to admit it worked really well.
Was this the special trait of "alchemists"? The things they made were all peculiar yet practical.
But why hadn’t Dong Huazi’s group created these things? They only knew how to concoct elixirs for eternal life...
Li Qingjun even thought it was worth capturing this Qin Yi and bringing him to the capital just for these items...
She unexpectedly found common ground with her brother, and Li Qingjun couldn’t help but want to laugh, but then she straightened her face. Qin Yi had offended her greatly; she wouldn’t let him off easily!
Finally, she got up, took out a set of men’s clothing from her pack, changed into it, and tied the belt, transforming into a handsome young man.
Stepping out of the guest room, she found Qin Yi was indeed still awake. He sat in the yard, preparing medicine under the moonlight, muttering to himself, "The purple lotus root could be brought back by Zhang San when he goes to the county; it doesn’t have to be me..."
After a pause, he continued, "A dan furnace? Hmm... they’re everywhere, right..."
At this point, he suddenly stopped, turning to look at where Li Qingjun stood.
A gentle breeze blew, and Li Qingjun’s clothes fluttered, her hair still damp from the bath. Though she wore men’s clothing, her feminine charm was hard to hide. But her striking eyes and tall stance, holding the spear, gave her an air of pride and dignity that set her apart from ordinary girls.
She was actually a very beautiful young lady...
Qin Yi’s eyes flickered, and he asked, "Aren’t you going to rest?"
Li Qingjun kept a stern face. "You need herbs and a good dan furnace, right?"
"So what?"
"Your personal dan furnace might not be satisfactory if someone else carries it for you. And your financial situation..." Li Qingjun glanced around and revealed a mocking smile, "You probably can’t afford much of what you need."
"What does that have to do with you?"
"I, uh... I’m hiring you as my family’s pharmacist. You just need to serve me and refine medicine for me. Everything you need will be covered by my family."
"Crazy." Qin Yi rolled his eyes. "Hiring? Haven’t you been hanging around long enough?"
"You!"
"By the way, if I say what I need is you, will your family cover that?"
Li Qingjun’s expression darkened. "Qin Yi, do you know what you’re saying?"
"I don’t know." Qin Yi replied, "Being supported means you have to warm the bed. You want to support me but don’t want me to warm your bed? A person with professional ethics like me can’t agree to that; let’s forget it."
Li Qingjun barely held back the impulse to stab him with her spear and turned sharply, slamming the door behind her.
In her mind, Liusu chimed in, "Tsk tsk, a man who doesn’t understand romance. The girl is a bit proud; what’s wrong with saying a few nice words to win her over?"
Qin Yi lazily replied, "You know that big yellow dog at the village entrance?"
"What about it?"
"That poor dog licks Old Xu’s shoe soles every day, and Old Xu doesn’t even give it a doghouse. It shows that a licking dog has no home."
"..." Liusu had long gotten used to Qin Yi’s random odd remarks and didn’t take it seriously. Instead, she commented, "Are you not interested in women? I’ve never seen you talk much to any girl. I thought you looked down on the village girls. But this girl has a skin as smooth as jade, and her brows have a heroic air. She’s extraordinary; even I’m moved."
Qin Yi was surprised. "Hey, what do you mean? You encourage me to cultivate immortality and then encourage me to pursue women? Aren’t those two things contradictory?"
Liusu was silent for a moment, as if she wanted to say something but held back. Suddenly, she laughed, "Although that’s the case, it’s not as black and white as you think. In the world of cultivation, there’s dual cultivation, and in the dark arts, there’s taking and supplementing. If one day you step onto the path of immortality, and you still look like this, all curled up in a tub, who knows, I might have to watch you panic and say, 'Hey, fairy, please behave yourself.'"
The end of this chapter.