Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

As the night deepened, the streets became increasingly noisy.

The lights were as bright as day, and the crowds were bustling with joy, with robes and costumes from all over the country.

Street performances were in full swing, with drums and cheers resounding. The lantern festival was dazzling, and vendors lined the streets, their cries echoing throughout.

A tourist boat was slowly passing by on the river, and the sound of music could be faintly heard.

Chai Xiaomi was anxious to find someone, and her eyes subconsciously swept across the boat in the distance, but she suddenly stopped.

On the lotus-shaped base at the bow of the boat, a stone statue stood silently.

The gesture resembles that of a Buddha, but it is not a Buddha statue.

The glaze is applied with colors, making it absolutely beautiful. The clothes are as bright and colorful as the fairies in the Dunhuang flying apsara murals.

Especially those slender eyes, which are exceptionally expressive.

The cruise ship slowly moved forward, and the stone statues gradually moved backward in view.

But Chai Xiaomi felt as if those slender eyes were always fixed on her, locked onto her.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up inside me.

She suddenly had a strange feeling—that the silent stone statue seemed to recognize her.

This recognition is not just knowing her name, but knowing that she does not belong here and should not appear in this era.

A woman leading her child passed by, stopped upon seeing the stone statue, clasped her hands in prayer, and whispered a prayer:

"Dongzi, quickly pray to the Goddess of the Three Paths to bless you with a speedy recovery from your asthma. I am willing to exchange a year of good luck for it."

The child coughed softly a few times.

Chai Xiaomi couldn't help but turn her head and ask, "Why must we exchange things for prayers to the gods?"

Hearing the voice, the woman looked over and explained with a smile, "Young lady, you must be from out of town. No wonder you don't know. The Goddess of the Three Paths is an evil deity worshipped in the Three Paths Temple in our Thousand Mist Town."

"An evil god?" Chai Xiaomi was even more confused. "If it's an evil god, why would anyone worship it?"

"Although she is an evil god, she never harms people without reason. She only does one thing—fulfills people's wishes."

"The Three Paths are the River Styx, the boundary between life and death, yin and yang, and reality and illusion. The Goddess of the Three Paths governs transactions that cross these boundaries, exchanging life for death, reality for illusion, and lifespan for blessings in the underworld."

"Beauty, fortune, memory... all are negotiable, as long as you are willing. You can exchange 'one day of courage' for 'three coins of beauty,' or 'three years of lifespan' for 'a moment of good luck.' However," she looked up at the sky, "it is said that only on the night of the new moon, at a specific time, will one have the chance to see the true form of the goddess and make a real exchange."

Chai Xiaomi walked hurriedly down the street, her mind filled with the woman's words.

If it really works...

Could she also beg the Goddess of the Three Paths? Use anything she has, anything at all, to exchange for completing a mission, to exchange for a chance to be resurrected and go home?

It doesn't necessarily have to come back to life.

Three days should be enough for her.

She just really wanted to see her parents, her family and friends one more time.

He died so suddenly that he didn't even have time to say goodbye properly.

Thinking about it carefully, there are still many things left undone: the dramas and novels I've only watched halfway through, the dessert shop in my favorites list that I haven't had a chance to visit yet, and the idol concert that I've been saving up to go to.

Ah! And there are chat logs with my best friend on my phone! So many embarrassing memories, I didn't even have time to delete them before I died!

I fear not being ground to dust, but only wish to leave behind a pure reputation in the world!

As she was recalling the past with frustration, her gaze suddenly fell upon Wu Li and Song Yueyao in a bow and arrow shop not far ahead.

Chai Xiaomi's heart tightened, and she hurriedly lifted her skirt, about to rush over.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out behind them!

She turned around in a panic, only to see a tall horse right in front of her, its hooves raised high, its shadow instantly enveloping her.

"Be careful, young lady!"

In a flash, a pale yellow figure leaped off the horse, scooped her up with his arm, and steadily carried her away from the spot, landing her on the side of the street.

Still shaken, Chai Xiaomi looked up.

Ouyang Rui's eyes darkened, as if he had stumbled into a pool of startled autumn water.

He seemed to... see the fairy in the painting.

Once she had regained her footing, he immediately released her hand, took a half step back, and bowed respectfully.

His tone carried a certain clarity and nonchalance characteristic of a wealthy young man:

"My name is Ouyang Rui. I was in a hurry just now and offended you, young lady. I hope you will forgive me."

He looked up, his clear gaze meeting hers. "May I ask your name, young lady?"

Chai Xiaomi then realized that the other party was a young gentleman with black hair neatly tied up with a jade crown and a white jade hairpin inserted in it. He was dressed in brocade robes and exuded the nobility of a scion of a noble family.

"No need to ask about the name. This is a bustling market. If you want to ride horses again next time, please choose another place." She patted the hem of her skirt that had just been brushed against, her brows furrowing slightly. "Otherwise, I can lie down on the ground and extort all your money in no time."

What's the difference between this and those reckless teenagers speeding on pedestrian streets?

Before the other person could speak, she turned and ran quickly toward the bow and arrow shop on the street corner.

Behind him, the servant boy caught up, panting, "Young Master, are you alright?"

Ouyang Rui did not answer, but simply pointed to the receding pale pink figure and then held up one finger.

"one day."

The servant stared at the finger, somewhat bewildered.

"I need to know everything about her within a day."

His tone was quite domineering.

"Alright! Don't worry, young master, I've got it covered!"

As the wealthiest family in Qianwu Town, the Ouyang family has eyes and ears all over the town. They can find out which house a girl came from, let alone a fly.

The master had asked matchmakers to introduce him to countless young ladies, but the young master didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

It's rare to see him take a girl seriously these days, so how could we dare to neglect this matter?

The servant turned and ran towards the alley entrance with lightning speed, immediately sending someone to inquire.

*

Inside the bow and arrow shop.

The light was dim, and various longbows and short crossbows were neatly hung on the wall.

The shopkeeper was enthusiastically pointing to one of the bows and introducing it to Song Yueyao: "Miss, look, this mulberry wood bow is light and easy to handle, perfect for beginners—"

"Insufficient resilience, a fully drawn bow is prone to trembling." A voice interrupted calmly.

The boss paused, glancing sideways.

By the door, the boy leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the bow on the wall.

Whenever the boss introduced a particular hand, he would lazily add a couple of sentences.

"The string groove is prone to loosening, the bow tip is too stiff, the arrow rest is misaligned..."

Every sentence hits the nail on the head.

The boss had a slight sweat on his forehead and couldn't help but glance at the boy a few more times.

He was secretly shocked. Despite his young age, he had a very sharp eye and his words were absolutely accurate.

He quietly put away his usual compliments and turned to take out a simple elm bow from the corner, handing it to Song Yueyao: "If this is just your first time trying it out, this is a good choice. It's inexpensive and durable."

After saying that, he subconsciously glanced towards the door again.

This time, it was quiet on the other end; the boy's cold, critical voice was no longer heard.

Song Yueyao took the bow, secretly relieved that she had called Wu Li.

His archery skills were superb, and he also had considerable knowledge of the different types of bows.

Ever since Jiang Zhiyu mentioned that bows and arrows could suppress the demonic energy of the Nine-Tailed Fox, she had been thinking about learning to use bows and arrows.

Faced with the barbarian's provocation, she learned from Mother Liu that the New Moon Arrow Competition required two people to participate in a team.

Although five days is a bit short, she was the one who started it, so Wu Li can't be left to deal with their bet alone. Besides, one person can't participate as a team, so having her along gives them a better chance.