My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

The woman was in her thirties, dressed in plain clothes, with a silver hairpin in her hair and light makeup on her face.

She was quite good-looking, but there was an indescribable sorrow in her eyes, as if she had something weighing on her mind.

A Luo paused for a moment, then recognized her.

It's Yunniang.

Yunniang is one of the few "outsiders" in the village.

Her husband was originally a businessman who did business outside the Ten Thousand Mountains. Later, for some reason, he moved into Caishen Village, bought a piece of land, built a house, and settled down.

Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived. Less than a month after their marriage through an introduction, her husband went into the mountains to collect ginseng, encountered a mountain demon, and never returned.

From then on, Yunniang stayed alone in that big house and rarely went out.

A Luo had met her a few times, but each time it was just a brief encounter, and they hadn't exchanged more than a few words.

I never expected her to come to the market today.

A Luo thought for a moment, then stood up and walked towards Yun Niang.

"Yunniang".

Yunniang turned her head, saw A'Luo, paused for a moment, and then forced a smile:

"It's A-Luo."

A Luo nodded, looking at her haggard face, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"Why are you out today? Are you looking to buy something?"

Yunniang shook her head, her voice low:

"There's nothing I really want to buy. I just... just came out for a walk."

Looking at her swollen, red eyes, A Luo understood a few things.

She asked softly:

"Are you... thinking about him again?"

Yunniang's eyes immediately reddened.

She turned her head away, took a deep breath, and after a while, turned back, forcing a smile:

"It's nothing. It's just... it's just that today marks one year since he passed away, and I feel sad."

A Luo didn't know what to say.

She had never experienced the pain of losing a husband, but she knew what it felt like to lose a loved one.

When her parents died, she did the same thing, hiding in her room and crying alone, but after crying, she still had to keep living.

She thought for a moment, then reached out and took Yunniang's hand.

The hand was ice-cold and trembling slightly.

"Yunniang, don't be too sad. If you don't want to be alone, go out for a walk more often. I come to the market every day, so if you feel bored, come and talk to me."

Yunniang was stunned.

Looking at Aro's young face and her clear eyes, she suddenly felt something inside her loosen up.

"You...you don't find me annoying?"

Aro shook her head:

"How could that be? My parents passed away early, and I know how difficult it is to be alone. If you have someone to talk to, you'll feel better."

Yunniang looked at her, her eyes reddening again.

This time she couldn't hold back, and tears streamed down her face.

A-Luo didn't let go; she just held her hand and stood quietly beside her.

After a while, Yunniang wiped away her tears and forced a smile:

"Thank you, Aro. I... I just came out for a walk to clear my head. You saying that makes me feel much better."

Aro smiled too:

"That's good. If you ever decide to come back, just come find me. I sell ginseng here every morning."

Yunniang nodded, then looked at A'Luo's stall:

"Your ginseng looks quite good. I'll buy a few later to make soup."

A Luo quickly waved her hand:

"If you want them, I can give you a few; you don't need to buy them."

Yunniang shook her head and insisted:

"You should still buy what you need. It's not easy for you to live alone, and I can't just take your things for nothing."

A Luo couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to let her have her way.

Yunniang took out some silver from her purse, bought two dried ginseng roots, and then looked at A'Luo:

"After you finish selling the ginseng, if you're free, why don't you come over to my place for a bit? I live alone, it's kind of lonely."

Aro thought for a moment and nodded:

"Okay. I'll go after I sell them all."

Yunniang finally showed a genuine smile.

She turned and got into the carriage. The curtain was drawn, and the sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance.

A'lu stood there, watching the carriage disappear around the street corner, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Everyone in this world has their own suffering.

At least she has her neighbors in the village to take care of her, and that adorable chubby baby.

But what about Yunniang?

How lonely it must be for someone to live alone in such a big house.

She sighed, turned around and went back to her stall, continuing to wait for people to buy ginseng.

The sunlight shone on her, warm and comforting.

......

Miao Gui stuffed the twenty taels of silver into his pocket, his face still contorted with pain.

He touched his chest, then touched it again, as if afraid the money would run away.

Seeing his expression, Lü Yang couldn't help but laugh: "Old Miao, it's just ten taels less, is it really that big of a deal?"

Miao Gui glared at him: "Ten taels? Do you know how long ten taels of silver can keep me alive? Enough to feed me for three months! Three months' worth of food money gone just like that!"

Lu Yang curled his lip: "Who told you to be so careless and damage someone's corpse?"

Miao Gui's face turned red with anger: "How can you blame me?"

The two of them argued back and forth, getting into a huge fight.

Ye Qingfeng walked ahead, standing with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

He never paid any attention to these noisy matters.

Shen Zhaoyue followed behind him, expressionless, only occasionally glancing at Lü Yang with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

After walking a few steps, Miao Gui suddenly quickened his pace, moved closer to Ye Qingfeng, and said with a grin.

"Master, you see, I've finished my work, and there's nothing else to do. You're not familiar with the Ten Thousand Mountains, so how about I continue to guide you?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Yang immediately objected: "Old Miao, you've completed your mission. Go do what you're supposed to do. What are you doing following us?"

Miao Gui rolled his eyes: "I'm following the Immortal Master, not you. Why do you care so much?"

Lü Yang choked.

Miao Gui continued, "Besides, you're unfamiliar with these mountains. How can you manage without a guide? What if you get lost and end up in places you shouldn't be?"

Lu Yang wanted to argue, but after thinking about it, he realized it did make sense. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Ye Qingfeng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Miao Gui was overjoyed, his smile widening even further: "Rest assured, Daoist Master, with me leading the way, I guarantee you'll leave the Ten Thousand Mountains safely!"

The group walked along the bluestone path in the middle of the village.

The streets were bustling with people, carrying loads, pushing carts, and leading donkeys; it was very lively.

On both sides were densely packed shops—selling cloth, grain, medicine, and wine, as well as teahouses, restaurants, and inns, offering everything imaginable.

Lu Yang looked around so much that he could hardly see enough of it all.

"This village is huge!" he exclaimed. "It's even more lively than some towns in our Jingyang Prefecture."

Miao Gui said proudly, "Of course. This is one of the top villages in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Merchants from hundreds of miles around come here to do business."

You know what, even though this place is remote, it has a lot of good stuff. You can find medicinal herbs and mountain products here that you can't buy outside.