Chapter 919: Found the Herbs

Editor: Henyee Translations

Old Lady came out from the house, “Miss, where did you find these things?”

“At the county office,” Chu Qingzhi responded after a moment. “You should move there. It has water and lotus roots, and there are blankets and clothes. Just lock the front and back doors, and you’ll be fine.”

Old Lady hesitated, uncertain, “Can we really move to the county office?”

Chu Qingzhi, while sorting through the herbs, explained, “The entire town is deserted; you have nothing to fear. I’ll take down the signboard, and you can take the deeds to the house. Then it will belong to you, understand?”

The Old Lady had barely ever visited the town in her life, let alone thought of living there.

Chu Qingzhi added, “Once you’re in town, you can search through the cellars and storerooms of each house. It’s better than waiting to die here.”

The Old Lady was tempted but still fearful to take such a step.

The brave young girl asked, “Fairy sister, could you take us there after you find the herbs?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Yes.”

The girl knelt to thank Chu Qingzhi, who helped her back up, “It’s no trouble at all.”

Squatting next to Chu Qingzhi, the girl observed, “Sister, I see you’ve picked all these herbs. Are they for treating people?”

Chu Qingzhi looked at her, “Do you know about herbs?”

The girl nodded, “Yes, my grandfather and father were doctors. They were taken by soldiers to treat people and never returned.”

“Life will get better,” Chu Qingzhi assured her. “Would you like to help me pick?”

“Yes, I would.” The girl went to fetch another bundle of herbs, sitting beside Chu Qingzhi, they both began sorting.

After drinking some water and eating a few segments of lotus root, Old Lady regained some strength and joined in to help sort the herbs.

With three of them working together, the work went much faster.

In this tranquil setting, a group of villagers armed with sickles and hoes approached aggressively, “Witch, did you kill them?”

Chu Qingzhi looked up calmly, “What? You want to join them?”

Flustered, the village chief had never encountered someone so defiant in his presence.

Chu Qingzhi’s tone remained cool, “Don’t bother me. I’m picking herbs, or I can’t guarantee I won’t start slaughtering again!”

The villagers instinctively stepped back.

The village chief, unsure, blustered, “Don’t be afraid of her. There are many of us, and just one of her. She can’t defeat us all!”

The butcher’s son harshly interjected, “You’ve killed so many of our people, shouldn’t you explain why?”

Chu Qingzhi casually asked, “Explain what?”

“Why did you kill them?” the butcher’s son demanded, voice rising.

With a mocking smile, Chu Qingzhi said, “Dead is dead. What’s there to explain? Why so many questions?”

Her logic was irrefutable.

Admiringly, the young girl watched Chu Qingzhi handle the situation, wishing she could be as formidable.

The village chief, furious, rallied the villagers, “She’s so arrogant even after killing! Let’s capture her. She looks tender; she must be delicious. Don’t let her escape.”

Chu Qingzhi’s eyes glinted with a cold fire, but before she could speak, the young girl stepped in front, “Are you dogs? Eating everyone you see. If you’re so hungry, why don’t you bite yourself?”

Instantly, the village chief turned his anger towards the young girl, “And you, we’ll stew you in a pot too!”

Chu Qingzhi’s voice was icy, “I advise you to leave before I lose my temper, or I won’t mind wiping this village off the map.”

Her calm tone sent shivers through the crowd.

Seeing the villagers hesitate, the village chief persisted, “Don’t listen to her, she’s just a paper tiger. Let’s kill her!”

Exasperated, Chu Qingzhi, seeing their hostile intent, decided she wouldn’t mind adding a few more souls to her count. She scooped up a handful of stones and scattered them…

The villagers at the door collapsed, disbelief wide in their eyes. Upon closer inspection, each forehead bore a bloody hole.

The young girl clapped, “Fairy sister, you’re amazing!”

The Old Lady casually glanced over. These people deserved their fate. For their selfish desires, they had consumed the village’s children and women. Now, their retribution had come.

Chu Qingzhi formed a hand seal, and a gust swept the corpses far away, disappearing without a trace, “It’s quiet now.”

The young girl looked up at Chu Qingzhi with admiration, her eyes shining brightly as if they were lit from within, “Fairy sister, you’re truly powerful.”

Chu Qingzhi responded, “One must not be weak, or others will easily bully you.”

The young girl took this lesson to heart, “I understand now.”

Old Lady then spoke up, “Now that it’s just me and some other elderly left in the village, could you take us with you when you go?”

“Of course,” Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Gather them together, have some water, and rest up. Once I’ve finished selecting the herbs, I’ll take you over.”

Gratefully, the Old Lady agreed, “Alright, I’ll gather everyone right away.”

After three hours, Chu Qingzhi had sorted through a substantial amount of herbs, but she had yet to find Curcuma zedoaria, which was starting to concern her.

The young girl noticed her unease, “Fairy sister, what’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t I think to ask the locals earlier,” mused Chu Qingzhi, turning to the girl. “Do you know where we can find Curcuma zedoaria?”

Surprised, the girl exclaimed, “You’re looking for Curcuma zedoaria?”

“Yes,” nodded Chu Qingzhi. “If you know where it is, please tell me. I’ll make sure to reward you generously.”

“Wait a moment,” the young girl said and ran inside the house. She came back carrying a large bag, “Fairy sister, this is for you.”

Chu Qingzhi hurriedly opened the bag to discover it was full of Curcuma zedoaria, “Did you dig these up?”

The girl nodded, “Right when the smallpox outbreak began, my grandfather and father collected a lot of herbs. There’s more inside the house if you need them.”

Relieved, Chu Qingzhi felt as if she had found what she had been searching for without even looking. “Take me to see them.”

“Alright,” the girl led Chu Qingzhi to the cellar, where several bags were piled in a corner.

Chu Qingzhi lifted the bags, inspecting each one. They were filled with valuable herbs that could be useful. “I’ll trade you food for these herbs,” she offered.

“No need,” the girl insisted, her voice firm. “You saved me and my grandmother. These are to repay you.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled at the girl, “You’ve been a great help.”

Chu Qingzhi then went outside, flew to a nearby mountain, and summoned a parrot, giving it some worms to eat. While the bird feasted, she pulled out paper and pen from her bag and wrote a letter. Once the parrot finished eating, she tied the note to its leg, “Deliver this to a man named Xue Gui in Yunnan city.”

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