Chapter 21: Nine Diagrams and Six Seated Postures

The night was already very deep, and it was completely silent outside.

The room was dim, but Shen Qingci didn't light a lamp. She just sat quietly in the darkness, many scenes flashing through her mind.

She didn't know what was wrong with her; Lin Yan's figure was becoming increasingly impossible to shake off, as if it had taken root in her heart.

Clearly, she...

Right then, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

Shen Qingci got up and pulled the door open. Mr. Shen stood outside, his face looking somewhat solemn in the shadows. He didn't speak as he slowly walked into the room. Shen Qingci followed behind him and lit the oil lamp on the table.

"Tell me everything that happened on your journey this time, in full detail," Mr. Shen said in a deep voice after first glancing outside the door.

Shen Qingci blanked for a moment. She didn't understand why her father was suddenly asking about this, but she didn't ask any unnecessary questions and earnestly began to recount her experiences.

Shen Qingci spoke very carefully, yet also quite cleverly. She left out certain things entirely, while detailing others. For instance, she thoroughly described how Lin Yan repelled Zhao Tianbiao and killed Duan Laoqi and the others. As for some matters between her and Lin Yan, she didn't mention a single word.

Mr. Shen listened quietly without interrupting until she was finished.

Shen Qingci finally couldn't help but ask, "Father, why are you asking about all this?"

"It's nothing. Shen Liu has already found out where Mr. Lin is staying. It's just that it isn't appropriate for him to go invite him, so we will go together tomorrow."

Shen Qingci was even more puzzled. "You are going with me, Father?"

Mr. Shen nodded. "It's a good opportunity to thank him in person."

"I understand."

"Rest well."

After saying that, Mr. Shen didn't linger and headed straight out. Shen Qingci watched his back disappear at the end of the corridor, feeling slightly strange in her heart, though she couldn't pinpoint the reason.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shen walked into his study. No lamps were lit inside, but as soon as he entered, he could sense someone in the darkness.

"Have you figured it out?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Xiao Wu fought Lin Yan on the street and was defeated in a single move."

"A single move?"

"That's right, just one move."

Mr. Shen remained silent for a long time. In the darkness, however, his eyes suddenly lit up, like a cluster of ghost fire abruptly igniting on a wasteland.

"I never expected my daughter to bring back such a grand gift. When the time comes... let her passing be swift and painless."

The shadow didn't reply, silently vanishing into the darkness instead.

He was once again left alone in the study. He sat quietly in his chair, as if contemplating many things, yet as if he was thinking of nothing at all.

The next morning, the morning mist had not yet fully dispersed.

Lin Yan stuffed a meat pie into his mouth, clapped the crumbs off his hands, and settled his room tab at the counter.

The Shopkeeper smiled attentively and repeatedly waved his hands in an attempt to decline, but unable to withstand Lin Yan's forceful insistence, he ultimately had no choice but to accept the payment.

"Take care, sir! Next time you visit Qing Province, you must stay with us again."

Lin Yan didn't respond. Although the environment here was mediocre, the food tasted decent. If he came back next time, there would be no harm in staying here again.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he led Old Niu out through the back courtyard's side door. The items in the carriage shed had been packed up the day before.

The ox's hooves stamped a trail of wet prints in the morning dew. There weren't many people on the streets yet. A few old farmers selling vegetables were squatting by the roadside, yawning and chatting about domestic trivia.

Lin Yan led Old Niu forward, declining a farmer's sales pitch along the way. Just then, he noticed two people walking toward him from the opposite side of the street.

To his surprise, it was Doctor Zhou and Mei.

The two women walked straight toward Lin Yan. Mei still wore her unapproachable expression, walking half a step behind Doctor Zhou with her hand resting on her sword hilt.

Doctor Zhou stopped in front of the ox cart and bowed slightly. "I finally made it in time. Are you leaving, sir?"

In the morning light, Lin Yan appraised the woman but quickly retracted his gaze. He asked softly, "Is something the matter?"

Doctor Zhou didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I need to make a trip to Poisonous Snake Ridge outside the city to pick a primary medicinal herb. This herb is the key to curing the current plague.

"However, that place is crawling with venomous insects, so ordinary people don't dare to go there. Furthermore, Gu People are known to haunt the area.

"Even though I have Mei to protect me, the mountain paths are treacherous. If an expert like Mr. Lin accompanies us, we'll have a much better chance of success."

"How is the villagers' condition?" Lin Yan asked.

A trace of heaviness flashed through Doctor Zhou's eyes, but it was accompanied by an even greater sense of admiration. Out of so many people, Lin Yan was the first to ask about this.

"Thanks to your money, sir, we bought enough medicine, and most of them are out of danger for now. It's just that this primary herb relies on a drastic remedy to fight poison with poison. If we can't gather enough within these next few days, their pathogenic qi will relapse once the weather turns cold."

Mei chimed in, "Doctor Zhou is kind-hearted and refuses to order others around. I was the one who suggested coming here this time, so I hope you won't take offense."

Before Lin Yan could speak, she untied a cloth bag from her waist and took out an oil-paper parcel from the bundle on her back.

Then, Mei untied the thin string at the mouth of the cloth bag. Inside were some copper coins and a few pieces of broken silver. The broken silver was of poor quality, stained with a lot of dirt.

Inside the oil-paper parcel were a few pieces of dried fish, cured meat, and some dried wild vegetables, all neatly tied up with thin hemp twine.

"Please don't take offense, sir. All of Renxin Hall's silver coins were spent on medicine. This is all I have left now, and I offer it as compensation."

Her tone was open and candid, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Right at this moment, a voice suddenly echoed in Lin Yan's mind.

[Triggerable quest detected—]

[Quest Objective: Safely escort the target (Zhou Wanqing, Two-Star) to Poisonous Snake Ridge and bring her back safely.]

[Quest Reward: Body Skill "Nine Diagrams and Six Seated Postures".]

Lin Yan's heart stirred at the prospect of a Body Skill. He was lacking one right now, and although he had never heard this name before, it didn't seem bad. Moreover, the target was another Two-Star figure.

His thoughts raced, but his face remained impassive. He reached out and placed the cloth bag and the oil-paper parcel onto the cart.

"Alright, let's go."

A smile bloomed on Zhou Wanqing's face. It wasn't a radiant smile, but it was like a spring breeze brushing across the water in March—capable of warming one's heart.

Mei's usually expressionless face also underwent a rare, slight relaxation.

Lin Yan sat on the ox cart and gently flicked the reins, prompting Old Niu to leisurely set off.

Zhou Wanqing and Mei followed along on either side of the ox cart. They traveled like this until they exited Qingzhou City.

Perhaps feeling a bit bored from the silence, Zhou Wanqing suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Lin, that chest of gold and silver you sent earlier saved the lives of the entire village."

Lin Yan didn't turn his head, simply saying indifferently, "That money was ill-gotten wealth to begin with. You don't need to thank me."

Zhou Wanqing fell silent for a moment before asking again, "Do you believe in fate, sir?"

Lin Yan thought about it and replied, "No."

"Why not?"

"Fate is an excuse for the weak." Lin Yan's tone was as placid as an ancient well.

Zhou Wanqing didn't argue. She just walked quietly for a long time before softly saying, "You truly possess such great spirit, sir. It fills one with admiration."

Lin Yan didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply chose to remain silent.