Not Simple

In the inn's backyard bedroom, the innkeeper Xue Quanping lay on the bed, while Ximen Fengxiao sat cross-legged on a stool opposite him.

Seeing his friend's condition improving and his bleeding stopped, Ximen Fengxiao felt relieved. "I'm glad you're alright. Otherwise, I would have been tormented with worry."

Xue Quanping shook his head slightly, weakly saying, "You're being too modest. Meeting you is something I've never regretted."

Afterward, the two fell silent.

A little while later, Ximen Fengxiao's ears twitched, and his expression turned odd. "That girl saved everyone in the inn."

Voices and commotion were coming from the inn's main hall.

Xue Quanping's expression faltered, and he sighed with a bitter smile. "Looks like I'll be serving someone for ten years."

Ximen Fengxiao also felt regretful at the moment. If he had known that the girl was going to save the inn's guests, he wouldn't have mentioned his friend's family members. Now, his friend would have to serve the girl for a decade.

Understanding his friend's thoughts, Xue Quanping chuckled, "Don't blame yourself. Honestly, I'm grateful to fate this time. If that young lady hadn't appeared suddenly, you and I might already be in the afterlife."

"Now, this misfortune is a blessing in disguise."

"That girl was willing to help ordinary strangers. She can't be a wicked person. It's not bad to work for someone like her."

Ximen Fengxiao didn't say anything, but the image of that girl dealing with Ghost Half-Immortal without blinking an eye remained etched in his mind. He couldn't bring himself to believe that she was easy to get along with.

And her profound skills, the ones he couldn't discern at all, left him extremely puzzled. A girl in her early teens who could easily kill a Ninth Rank expert was inconceivable.

Who exactly was that girl?

Meanwhile, in the inn's main hall, most of the people had taken the detoxifying pills and were gradually regaining consciousness.

The servants from the Shi family were the first to recover their mobility after ingesting the antidote.

Having realized what they had gone through, Shi Nian muttered fearfully, "The border truly is fraught with danger." They had narrowly escaped death.

As he observed Li San Lang, Li Qi Lang, Li Er Ya, and Li Wu Ya administering the antidote to the inn's guests one by one, a flicker of intrigue appeared in Shi Nian's eyes.

Although he knew nothing about poisons, he understood that they were not easily dealt with.

They were poisoned unexpectedly, and the two young masters and the two young misses happened to have the antidote. It was too much of a coincidence.

As the steward of the Shi family, he had experienced the family's rise and fall. After spending time in the capital, where influential and powerful individuals thrived, he had learned not to believe in coincidences.

Where did the antidote come from?

Why was it so effective? Was it purely coincidental, or was the quality of the antidote exceptional?

Why did they notice the poison when it spread? All of this was puzzling, but one thing was certain: the Chángsēn family was not as simple as he had initially thought.

As Shi Nian pondered these questions, Li San Lang and his siblings descended from the upper floor and headed directly to the backyard.

Seeing Shi Nian following them, they exchanged glances but didn't say anything.

Mystery and inscrutability attracted attention and scrutiny the most.

They returned to the Shi residence with nearly nothing.

The Shi family, a count's family, had numerous members and was no stranger to conflict. In the capital, where officials and nobles gathered, to lead a good life and make a difference, they needed capable people at their disposal.

How could they acquire talent?

There was no time left for cultivation. They lacked time and conditions. Thus, they had to rely on their own strong charisma to actively attract talented individuals to join them.

Shi Nian, the steward of the Shi family, and Xu Mama, trusted aide to the matriarch, were two individuals who deserved attention.

Why hadn't they established a relationship earlier?

There was no need. Before showing their worth, individuals with connections in the Shì family, like them, wouldn't easily lean toward one side. At most, they would be more respectful on the surface. To gain actual benefits was nearly impossible.

Being neither distant nor overly close was the best approach.

Soon, they arrived in the backyard and saw the lifeless body of the black-cloaked man on the ground.

"Ghost Half-Immortal!"

Seeing the man's distinctive face, Shi Nian exclaimed in shock.

Li Wu Ya appeared puzzled. "Do you know him?"

Shi Nian suppressed his intense shock and nodded, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Ghost Half-Immortal committed several heinous acts in the Jiangnan region, poisoning several villages."

"The former emperor learned of his deeds and was infuriated. A wanted order was issued by Dà Dàyá to capture him. I've seen Ghost Half-Immortal's portrait on the wanted order."

"Ghost Half-Immortal's years of poison-making, even using himself as a test subject, accumulated a large amount of toxins. The poison spread to his face, giving him this unforgettable appearance."

Li Wu Ya nodded, saying, "Indeed, this person deserved to die!"

"Absolutely!" Li Qi Lang quickly agreed.

Shi Nian also nodded and then realized something. He observed Li San Lang and his siblings, and his eyes flickered with intrigue.

They were too composed. Instead of showing any fear upon encountering such a wicked person, they remained curious, sizing him up.

Their reaction was far from normal!

Li Wu Ya wasn't interested in Ghost Half-Immortal. She was preparing to tend to the innkeeper and the red-clothed man when she noticed Shi Nian's gaze. She suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, this person is so terrifying! I'm leaving."

With that, she went straight to the backyard hall.

Li San Lang and his siblings were momentarily stunned.

Li Er Ya was the first to react. With an indifferent expression, she added, "Indeed, quite frightening. I won't look anymore; otherwise, I won't be able to sleep." With that, she left as well.

Li San Lang glanced at Shi Nian, said nothing, and departed.

Only Li Qi Lang remained.

Li Qi Lang earnestly observed Ghost Half-Immortal, then looked up at Shi Nian and sincerely said, "This person is all dark and ominous-looking. He's like a source of poison. Quite terrifying to look at, ah?"

Shi Nian was momentarily taken aback, forced a smile, and nodded.

Li Qi Lang sighed, shook his head, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

For a while, only Shi Nian stood motionless in the courtyard.

Shi Nian watched the four siblings leave, then gazed at the lifeless Ghost Half-Immortal. His eyes were deep and contemplative.

Who killed Ghost Half-Immortal?

The young masters and misses were the first to detoxify themselves.

Could it be them?

Was it possible?

Inside the room, Li Wu Ya directly pricked the sleeping acupoints of Xue Quanping and Ximen Fengxiao with silver needles. After the two fell into a deep slumber, she began treating their injuries.

Their injuries were quite severe. Li Wu Ya informed her family members about the situation, and Li Changsen immediately decided to stay at the inn for a few more days.

Upon learning this, Shi Nian and Xu Mama both wore helpless and bitter expressions.

"All this coming and going, when can we finally return to the capital?" Xu Mama sighed with frustration.

They had left the Shi Manor for several months now and were eager to return quickly. Firstly, the climate here didn't suit them, and secondly, they missed their family at home.

However, Li Changsen's family was acting quite unexpectedly. They would delay here for a while, then there for a while, dragging the time along.

Shi Nian glanced at the inn's backyard and fell into silence. "Let's follow the master's wishes," he said.

Xu Mama heard his address and paused for a moment before lowering her gaze. "Naturally, we servants should follow the master's orders."

Xue Quanping and Ximen Fengxiao slept deeply for three days before gradually awakening.

One of them was bound with thick white cloth strips across his upper body, while the other was covered in silver needles.

"Oh, awake now?" Li Wu Ya walked in with a smile, approached them, and took their pulses. "Your recovery is coming along well."

At that moment, Xue Quanping's wife entered the room. Her face lit up at the sight of her awake husband. Before she could say anything, Li Wu Ya handed her a small white porcelain bottle.

"Give him one pill every morning. Within half a month, make sure he doesn't move recklessly."

Xue Quanping's wife quickly took the bottle. "Thank you, young divine physician."

Upon hearing the term "young divine physician," Li Wu Ya's lips curved slightly. She then moved to Ximen Fengxiao and removed the silver needles one by one. She handed him a bottle of medicine as well, instructing him to take one pill daily.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Your health is much better now, but it's still advisable to rest for some more time."

After Xue Quanping's wife left, Ximen Fengxiao exchanged a glance with his companion. Once they were alone, Ximen Fengxiao spoke up, "What do you want us to do?"

Li Wu Ya replied, "For now, nothing. But when I need you, I'll contact you through the golden eagle."

Ximen Fengxiao and Xue Quanping were both puzzled.

Weren't they supposed to become enforcers, attendants?

After a moment of silence, Ximen Fengxiao gazed at Li Wu Ya. "Aren't you afraid we might go back on our word?"

Li Wu Ya smiled and said, "Press your lower dantian."

Ximen Fengxiao's face twitched slightly as he pressed his lower dantian. He didn't use much force, but a sharp pain still surged through the area, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead.

"Both of you were poisoned by Ghost Half-Immortal. I've sealed the poison in your lower dantian. If you don't take the antidote each month, the toxins will spread through your body again from your lower dantian. You will die."

Li Wu Ya casually explained and then brought out another bottle of medicine. "There are twenty-four antidote pills in this bottle, enough for both of you for a year."

"If you serve me well and completely eliminate the poison, it might be possible to remove it permanently."

"Of course, both of you have decent skills. You can try to force out the poison yourselves or seek help from other physicians. If you succeed, but then change your minds, I won't go searching for you all over the world."

Looking at the lightly smiling Li Wu Ya, Ximen Fengxiao lowered his gaze. "You're overthinking it. Both Xue and I are people of our word. We'll naturally uphold our promises."

"You saved our lives and we're working for you. It's mutually beneficial, and no one is taking advantage of anyone."

Li Wu Ya nodded with a smile. "It's best if you think that way. Rest assured, I'm a young lady from a good family. I won't make you do things like fighting and killing."

A young lady?

Ximen Fengxiao and Xue Quanping exchanged skeptical glances.

Bullying them under the pretext of being a young lady?

A young lady who could effortlessly defeat Ghost Half-Immortal?

"Alright, let's leave it at that. We're setting off early tomorrow. Take good care of your injuries."

The next morning, Li Changsen and his party embarked on their journey back to the capital.

The journey remained slow, especially after leaving the Western Region Protectorate and entering other provinces.

Li Changsen's family was born and raised on the border, with Tianling Pass being a barren and bitterly cold desert. After entering other provinces and experiencing different local customs and scenery, curiosity inevitably arose, prompting them to observe and listen more.

Additionally, Li Wu Ya was concerned that she wouldn't have a chance to learn horseback riding once they reached the capital. Thus, she convinced Li Er Ya and Li Qi Lang to learn horseback riding during the journey, further extending their travel time.

Lastly, the wild nature of the Scarlet Flame Ferret needed to be tamed. To domesticate it, Li Wu Ya often let it go and then captured it again, repeatedly ingraining the memory that no matter how it tried to escape, it couldn't. Only after it stopped trying to escape without being tied up did she conclude the training.

After these various activities, when they finally entered the borders of the capital, it was already mid-September.

As they observed the increasing number of pedestrians and carriages on the road, Li San Lang and his siblings expressed their anticipation and yearning. On the other hand, Li Changsen and Jin Yue'e appeared somewhat nervous.

"We're finally back. We should arrive in the capital by tomorrow."

Shi Nian and Xu Mama both breathed sighs of relief.

This journey to pick them up was truly not an easy one.