In a small courtyard on the outskirts of the city, the frail Qin You paced back and forth in her room, her face etched with worry. It had been almost two hours since she parted ways with Qin Anwu, and he still hadn't returned. She wondered if something had happened.
Suddenly, she heard a sound from the main gate of the courtyard. She rushed to the window, pushed it open slightly, and peered through the small gap. Seeing the figure at the gate, she froze for a moment before joyfully exclaiming, "Young Master is back!"
She pulled open the door and then dashed out of the room. Seeing Qin Anwu still holding a horse, she reached out for the large saddlebag on the horse's back. Seeing her running so fast with a dangling arm and still trying to take his bag, Qin Anwu reached out and gently pushed her head. "I'll carry it. You go tie the horse."
Her arm wasn't long enough, so she had to give up. She took the reins, hung them on the post, and then closed the gate. Running back to the room, she looked into Qin Anwu's eyes and asked, "Young Master, did you kill them all?"
He smiled and said, "Not entirely."
Qin You said "Oh" and continued to ask, "Young Master, will we be living here from now on?"
Qin Anwu turned to look at her and asked, "If I go into the mountains, will you come?"
She revealed a firm gaze. "As long as Young Master doesn't despise this servant for being disabled, I will follow Young Master until death."
Qin Anwu sighed inwardly but said aloud, "From now on, don't call me Young Master. Just call me Brother."
She shook her head vigorously. "No. Young Master is Young Master."
He asked, "If you don't do that, then I'll have to make you leave, okay?"
Qin You said with determination, "No, Young Master. This servant is willing to follow Young Master forever, even through hardship." When he heard "Young Master," Qin Anwu inwardly sighed deeply. "Oh, it seems I'll have to wash away the brainwashing from her previous life for a long time."
"Young Master, are we going to the mountains now?" she asked.
"No, let's eat first," he replied. "Are you hungry?"
She nodded shyly. "I am. What did you eat outside?"
"I didn't eat," he said. "I went to the city to buy a lot of things. Come and eat." He held a large pack of paper-wrapped oil cakes and a roasted chicken. There was also a jar of wine and a large pot of mushroom soup.
He took out the oil cakes, tore one in half, and handed it to her. He also poured half a bowl of soup for her. "Eat," he said.
She immediately gasped in surprise. "So many oil cakes? And chicken?" She pulled out a stack of banknotes and asked, "And so much money and medicine?"
"You can eat it all," Qin Anwu said calmly. "These are all banknotes, and there's gold. It doesn't matter how much."
"I'm too hungry..." Qin You said with a giggle. With that, she became silent. She tightly clutched the oil cake, and then she was speechless. "Drink the soup! What do you want to eat so quietly? Is it good?" he said.
"Sit at the table with me," Qin Anwu knocked on the door. "We'll eat together."
She shook her head quickly. "No, Young Master. This servant can't sit at the same table with Young Master."
He glared at her, his eyes wide. "Are you going to listen to me or not?"
She looked at him, then lowered her head, still shaking it. He sighed. He picked up the chair by the wall and moved it to the table, then picked up the bowl of soup and the oil cake and placed them in front of her. "Eat," he said.
She slowly picked up the bowl of soup and took a bite of the oil cake. She chewed carefully, then swallowed it. After eating, she said, "It's delicious."
Qin Anwu knew that she was hungry, but he still asked, "Did you really want to train? If you're so hungry, why don't you have the strength to fight?"
"Among these people, there is one who is very powerful. There are also many injuries. Those are all from her. You might not be able to imagine what happened." He thought to himself. "The one who lost his hand and leg is also an Eighth Realm expert."
"No, Young Master. This servant wants to train." Qin You quickly nodded. "This servant is truly willing to train."
Qin Anwu looked at her figure. She was too thin, and her physique was not good. Although she had some internal energy, it wasn't enough. However, he also thought, "If a piece of jade is thrown into the sand and ignored, it will be wasted. But if it's placed in a good environment, it can become something great." He had seen this before. He was the Immortal Emperor; he had seen many people like her. She was a natural talent, but her family was poor, and she had no resources or good training ground. This was very common in the mortal world.
"Is the cultivation you want to practice based on your thoughts, or is it someone else's opinion?" He asked.
Qin You lowered her head, then raised it again, taking a deep breath. "It's my own thought!" she said loudly.
"That's good," Qin Anwu said. "Just follow my instructions." He broke off half of the roasted chicken, and then, as if by habit, he broke off another piece and handed it to her. "Eat your chicken too. This is not the time to be polite."
She looked at him, her eyes wide, then tears welled up and flowed down her face. She nodded and said, "Yes, Young Master."
He sighed again. "You still call me Young Master?"
She immediately covered her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs, but it was useless. She just bit her lip and cried with a wide, red mouth, tears flowing. After a long time, she finally managed to choke out, "Thank you, Young Master. This servant understands. I will not commit this offense again."
"Hmm, that's good," he said. "If you try to take revenge on your own, it will only bring you harm."
Qin You was still eating and drinking. She took a few more gulps of soup and a few more bites of the oil cake. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright. She looked at Qin Anwu and said, "It's really delicious."
"If you want to train, you must first have a good body," he said, looking at her slender frame. "This time, when I go to the city to get the medicine and other materials, I will also find some things for you."
"Young Master, is it possible for this servant to stay here and train? Does Young Master have any medicine for cultivation? And will Young Master also be training?"
"No," he said, "I don't need medicine. And I will train in the mountains. You can train here. Don't worry, even if you are disabled, as long as I am here, you will be able to cultivate."
"Young Master," she said, "This servant only wants to train."
"Alright," he said, "then go train!" He took a deep breath, and his mind was still a mess. He kept thinking about what he had done to her. "Those things were too much..." he said softly.