With the Flying Yaksha by his side, he had no fear even against a Core Formation cultivator.
Qin Sang swallowed several more healing pills and was finally able to move freely.
Afraid of frightening Yagu, Qin Sang ordered the Flying Yaksha to wait outside, got out of bed, lifted the cloth curtain, and stepped out.
To earn more money to supplement the household and provide food and drink for both of them, Yagu had toiled late into the night. Awakened by Qin Sang, her eyes were still hazy with sleep.
She let out a soft cry of surprise, her face flushing red, and hurried out to wash her face before preparing something for Qin Sang to eat.
Once Yagu finished washing her face, Qin Sang stopped her, sat down across from her, and asked, "Yagu, do you know what an immortal cultivator is?"
Seeing the blank look on Yagu's face, Qin Sang recalled the hide-clad man and added, "You must know of the Shamanic God envoys, right?"
Yagu nodded.
Qin Sang paused, then said in a solemn voice, "I am a Shamanic God envoy."
Yagu's mouth fell open. She stared blankly at Qin Sang for a moment, then stood up again to cook.
Looking helpless, Qin Sang picked up a black stone from beside the hearth and crushed it into powder right in front of Yagu. "Now do you believe me? Before I was injured, I was truly formidable."
Yagu was indeed startled and stared dumbfoundedly at Qin Sang once more.
Qin Sang shook his head with a chuckle, took a bowl, filled it with water, and then took out two spirit pills. Pinching off a tiny piece from each, he dissolved them into the water and handed the bowl to Yagu.
"Yagu, you saved my life, and I have no way to fully repay you, so I'll start by curing your affliction. These pills can heal your muteness and remove the birthmark on your face. Drink this, and you will become a normal person, with a bright future ahead of you."
It was fortunate that Yagu had pulled him from the river, granting him a peaceful place to heal; had he continued to drift, there was no telling what dangers he might have encountered.
Qin Sang's sudden revelation was such a shock that Yagu struggled to process it. She unconsciously took the bowl Qin Sang offered and froze there, motionless.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you..." Qin Sang gently reassured her, thinking she was frightened.
At that moment, Yagu suddenly set down the bowl. With an anxious expression, she glanced around, grabbed a stone, and hurriedly wrote on the ground: "One-armed brother, are you leaving?"
The strokes were pressed deep and hurried.
Qin Sang started, then nodded.
Seeing the sudden sorrow in Yagu's eyes, Qin Sang realized she had misunderstood and quickly said, "Don't worry, I'm only leaving temporarily to heal over there. Your witch doctor grandfather mentioned a cave on that mountain that is very safe. I can't stay here any longer—your Grand Elder already knows of my existence, and he will certainly bring people to interrogate me today."
Qin Sang pointed to a mountain peak across the river.
That mountain was taller and more treacherous, flanked by sheer cliffs on all sides. Though impassable for mortals, the Flying Yaksha could scale it as easily as walking on flat ground.
The real reason Qin Sang intended to go there was that the mountain peak had the richest spiritual energy in the vicinity, which would aid his recovery.
Furthermore, he did not want to have too much contact with the mortals of Qianhu Stockade.
"In a few days, once my injuries heal, I will return. Take this."
With that, Qin Sang took out a Qingfu child coin and pressed it into Yagu's hand. "Keep this coin. If you ever encounter danger, smash it with a stone. I will sense it and come immediately to save you."
After the matters with the Qingyang Demonic Sect were settled, Yunyouzi had returned the Qingfu mother coin to Qin Sang, and the remaining Qingfu insect blood could still be used a few more times.
With his spiritual sense depleted, Qin Sang could not easily examine Yagu's spiritual root aptitude and thus could not impart cultivation techniques to her for now. Once his injuries improved, he would return.
He certainly would not linger here for long, but before leaving, he needed to resolve this karmic tie.
If Yagu possessed the aptitude for cultivation, he would lead her into the immortal path, leaving her with techniques, magic tools, medicinal pills, and the like to help her defy fate and alter her destiny—only then would her kindness be repaid.
Even if she had no talent, he could still nourish her body and teach her martial arts, making her an expert among mortals so she would no longer be bullied.
He gave Yagu the Qingfu coin because she currently had no means of protecting herself; it was to prevent any unexpected mishap that might leave him with lasting regret.
Yagu tightly gripped the Qingfu coin. The anxiety and sorrow on her face faded slightly, and she obediently raised the bowl and drank the water.
*Gurgle...*
Not long after taking the medicine, Yagu's stomach suddenly gave an audible rumble.
Yagu froze, suddenly covered her face, and dashed out the door.
Qin Sang waited for quite a while before seeing Yagu walk back in hesitantly, her entire face crimson. Casting a glance across her face, he handed her a bronze mirror and said with a smile, "Take a look."
When Yagu saw herself in the mirror, she was entranced.
To be fair, Yagu's features were not breathtakingly beautiful—she could not compare to peerless beauties of the mortal realm like Chenyan or Granny Jing—yet she possessed an attractive delicacy and meek charm. With her slender, gentle figure and a hint of timidity in her eyes, she gave the impression of a sweet girl next door.
Even so, this was something Yagu had previously only dared to dream of from afar.
She had dreamed countless times of the birthmark disappearing, of becoming a normal person, no longer loathed by others, surrounded by cheerful songs and laughter. But upon waking, she would face reality, never daring to hope that such a day would actually come true.
Clutching the bronze mirror, she stared at her reflection without daring to blink, terrified that if she blinked, the dream would shatter once more.
Slowly, two trails of tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
After a moment, seeing that Yagu's emotions had settled somewhat, Qin Sang asked, "Do you have anything you want to say now?"
"Ah..."
Yagu instinctively began to sign in response, but suddenly realized her throat felt different than before. Hesitating for a moment under Qin Sang's encouraging gaze, she spoke timidly: "One-armed brother..."
That call made Qin Sang start in surprise.
He had never imagined that lifting the seal would reveal a voice so intoxicatingly melodious.
Phrases like "singing like an oriole" or "warbling like a nightingale" fell short of describing it.
If Chenyan and Granny Jing were peerless beauties of the mortal realm, then Yagu's voice was truly a heavenly sound—unadorned, pure, and wrought only by nature itself.
Could it be that that damned Witch God had grown jealous of such a voice and sealed it away?
* * *
Dawn was breaking.
A black, ghostly figure scaled the cliff face with extraordinary agility. A person was seated upon its shoulder, yet this did not impede its movements in the least.
Before long, it reached the mountaintop. With a swing of its fist, the ghostly figure easily blasted a cave into the bluestone, then stood guard at the cave entrance.
Qin Sang entered the cave and stayed there throughout the day.
By late night, aside from his severed arm and spiritual sense, all of Qin Sang's other internal injuries had fully recovered.
He did not remain here to continue his closed-door seclusion. Riding the Flying Yaksha, he departed to seek a spirit vein for his seclusion, refine the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit, form his core, and break the talisman!
Along the way, he would also retrieve the Blood-Winged Ghosthead Bees.
The Blood-Winged Ghosthead Bees had been loose for so long; in swarms, it would take them only a few days to devour every living thing on a mountain. Fortunately, the Western Frontier was sparsely populated and dominated by wild, desolate ranges.
Whether to kill them or recapture them, Qin Sang could not leave the Blood-Winged Ghosthead Bees roaming freely.
Until he figured out what kind of place the Western Frontier truly was, he had to tread with utmost caution in everything he did, leaving no hidden risks of exposure.
Chapter 616