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Chapter 285: Servant Girl
Hui jostled around in the bag for a while, quietly cultivating. Abruptly, the bag tipped, and Hui and the rest of the lotus seeds tumbled out. Hui executed a neat roll and came to his feet, then remembered hed been kidnapped and toppled over, playing dead.
Lotus fairy? Lotus fairy! Ying Lin hurriedly stuffed the lotus pods back in her bag while staring desperately at Hui. No, my fairy! Hold on, Ill save you!
Eh, if you want to save me the lotus seeds can wait, you know? Hui thought, continuing to play dead. In any case, this is a good opportunity to make a clean break from this girl. Let her think Im dead, and vanish like that. Im kind of the same as a small animal or a bug right now. At worst, she might bury me. More likely, shell just toss me out the window.
As he laid there, Ying Lin continued to pack the seeds away. Meticulously, she stripped the seeds out of the pods before putting them back in. At last, she put them all in the bag and tucked the bag onto her waist again, and only then rushed to Huis side. Hold on! Ill save you!
If I really was dying, Id already be dead by now, you know? Hui thought, shaking his head internally.
A wave of water poured over him. Hui spluttered, startled. Ying Lin stared at him worriedly, then snatched him up. She ran outside and grabbed a handful of dirt, placing it in a cracked bowl. Matter-of-factly, she grabbed Hui and stuck him forcefully upright, as if she were planting a flower. He flopped over, so she shoved him in deeper, forcing him to stand upright. She stepped back and looked over her work, nodding with satisfaction.
Hui stared back at her. Even if I was a plant, what would this do? You didnt dig a hole for my roots or use good soil. And you watered me before you put me in the dirt! This when it comes to caring for plants, I give you a ten out of a hundred! I guess you knew to use water and dirt, but aside from the most basic of basics, theres not much to recommend about it!
Ying Lin stared at him earnestly. Fairy Please. I just had one small wish. One small wish.
Didnt you already make a wish? And I fulfilled it, too, even though I had no incentive to! Well it was truly a small wish, after all, so it was harmless. But Ive done it! You got your wish. Go on, get out of here so this small cultivator can escape. Ive treated you well enough.
Ying Lin continued to perch there, staring at him from a few inches away. Her round face and round eyes filled up his vision. All he could see were her huge eyes and her intense gaze.
What? What do you want? Give up on me! Im dead. Im dead! Let me be! Dont you have to deliver the lotus seeds? Go on, shoo! Hui shouted silently.
Fairy Ying Lin whined, tilting her head.
I wont be done in by your puppy eyes! Go!
Ying Lin, where are those lotus seeds? Aunty Wen shouted.
Ying Lin whirled. Coming!
Instantly, Hui leaped out of the pot. He spun, searching. The hut he found himself in had a single window, on the far wall behind Ying Lin. The second he identified the window, he leaped for it, flying through the room. n𝚘𝚟𝚙𝚞𝚋.𝚌o𝚖
Fairy! Youre alive! Ying Lin cried, excited.
Hui froze in midair. He turned slowly, only to find Ying Lins big round eyes staring at him.
Fuck! How fast are you? Dammit, Im a fifth stage cultivator argh, I wasnt moving at top speed to avoid accidentally hurting Ying Lin, but still!
He coughed and laughed. Er, thank you for helping me, but Ive already brought you extra lotus seeds, so couldnt you
Ying Lin quickly bowed to him. Fairy! Please, you have to make me pretty! I need to be chosen as one of Young Miss Fu Liyus handmaidens at the banquet!
Hui looked her up and down. What is she, fifteen? Maybe sixteen? Her face and eyes are a bit too round, and shes plain and a bit too thin, but theres nothing wrong with her face or figure. In fact, for a servant girl, shes quite passable.
Make her beautiful? Er I guess I could. I dont really want to get stuck here but at the same time, I can use my connection to this servant girl to get close to that Fu Liyu, who seems to be a noble lady of some sort. If I plan to disguise myself as any sort of mortal aside from a peasant, having a Young Miss or two as a contact would be a huge help, and who wants to be a peasant, after all?
Hmm but what exactly should I be? He looked at his hands, then flexed them. My skills I can use talismans, manipulate qi I could be an exorcist, but I dont want to be associated with cultivation! A small association is fine, but nothing serious.
Non-magical skills Paper-making? No, that requires me to settle down. Merchant? Im not that rich, nor do I have any knowledge of business! What else what other profession moves around a lot and has skills I can emulate?
Ah! I know!
Nodding to himself, Hui drifted down to the ground and stretched, using life qi to grow himself back to his usual height. Hesitating a moment, he considered his options, then used a snakeskin to disguise himself, after all. Aside from rendering his pure-white skin a more natural color and returning his white hair to black, he made himself slightly less attractive, from the level of a cultivator down to the handsomeness of a mere mortal, and added a pair of glasses. Doctors should be scholarly, after all! Refined and scholarly, thats me. The doctor er, what should I call myself?
Whoa! Fairy, what magic is that? Ying Lin asked, her face a series of circles once more.
Call me Xie Hao, not fairy, Hui replied, ignoring her question. He adjusted his glasses and looked at her. Im an ordinary, mortal doctor, understand? I specialize in adjusting the flow of qi and balancing ones internal energy. I merely er, got trapped in some rogue cultivators spell when you found me. Thank you for saving me.
Ying Lins face immediately fell. Youre a quack.
I am not, Hui replied, at the same time that a faint quack emanated from his dantian.
Ying Lin stared. Did did you
Ying Lin! The seeds! Aunty Wen shouted. A doughty, big-boned woman with good meat on her bones spun around the corner, glaring at Ying Lin. At the sight of Hui, her eyes widened, and she backed away. Ying Lin you
Aunty Wen! No, no, it doesnt count! He was a fairy until just now! Ying Lin cried.
Hui bowed deeply to the middle-aged woman. Madam, please forgive this small doctor. I lost my way and wandered until I grew dehydrated. As the River of Forgetfulness materialized before me, this servant girl offered me some water, which I gratefully accepted, and led me to rest in this hut, which I now realize was untoward of me to accept. I accept responsibility for my crimes.
Aunty Wens brow creased. Howd you have the time to do all that while I ran to the kitchen and back? Were deep in the Fu family compound
Hui cleared his throat. In any case, I see Ive overstayed my welcome. Please excuse me. He moved to escape. I am alone with a maiden in her room. Understandably, the Fu family wont like that.
Aunty Wen snapped her arm out to block his path. Hui looked at her hand, then up at her. She looked down at him, her face stony.
Hui stared back, equally emotionless, while internally he screamed. Aunty Wen, please let me off! Ive done nothing! I got kidnapped into her room, understand, kidnapped! I never wanted to be there!
You said you were a doctor? Aunty Wen asked.
Hui nodded nervously. Is this the kind of are you a doctor that gets asked before she says good, youll need all your skills! and pummels me to pieces?
Ah, shes a mortal, but still still, this small Hui doesnt want to get pummeled, even if it doesnt hurt! Itll take so much effort to fake as if a mortal could injure me
Aunty Wen smiled suddenly. Good, good, how wonderful! Ying Lin, why didnt you tell me youd found a doctor?
Eh? I Ying Lin said, staring wide-eyed at Hui, completely lost.
How wonderful, how wonderful. Aunty Wen glanced around her, then gestured Ying Lin forward. Ying Lin, you still have that sore wrist, dont you?
Yes. It doesnt bother me much, but Ying Lin said, stepping forward. She held out her wrist.
Doctor, could I trouble you? Aunty Wen asked.
Hui looked at Ying Lin, then at Aunty Wen. After a moment, he shrugged to himself. He took Ying Lins hand and stared at it with his third eye. It lets me see qi maybe I can also see inside a person?
His vision shivered. He frowned and tightened his grip. Threads appeared, running through Ying Lins body in all directions. Most glowed a pale gold, but one or two darkened to black.
One of those ran through Ying Lins wrist. Almost in a trance, Hui pressed his hand against Ying Lins wrist and pushed a spark of life qi toward that black thread. The black dissipated, and the string lit up again.
Ying Lin startled. She pulled away, then shook her arm, twisting her hand around freely. Ah? It doesnt ache anymore!
Aunty Wens smile widened.
Hui coughed. Explain it, explain it! I dont want them to suspect Im a cultivator. Her bones were a little misaligned. I pressed them back into place, and
Come with me! The Young Miss is in need of a doctor, Aunty Wen announced. She grabbed ahold of his arm and yanked him along, dragging him after her.
Lost, Hui looked at Ying Lin for guidance.
She opened her round mouth and whispered, Dont forget to come back and make me pretty!
I dont know what I expected. Hui shook his head and let Aunty Wen drag him away.
