After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Chapter 120 Han Shuang

"And then what happened?"

"Later, the manor lord told her that he found her in the valley and treated her injuries. He said he wasn't a bad person, and the female cultivator slowly relaxed and thanked the manor lord for saving her life."

"How did she get injured?"

"They said they went into the mountains to collect herbs and were attacked by a monster."

Li Laosi put down his porridge bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "That was a second-tier demon beast! She was just a rogue cultivator in the Qi Refining stage. It's a miracle she escaped alive. The manor lord said that the wounds on her body were so deep that the bone was visible. Anyone else would have died in the mountains long ago."

A tenant farmer nearby sighed, "A second-tier demonic beast? Even cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining have to be careful when they encounter one."

"you do not say."

Li Laosi picked up his pipe again. "The female cultivator said her name was Han Shuang, and she was a rogue cultivator, without any sect or faction. She made a living by going into the mountains to collect herbs and hunt animals."

"This time she accidentally entered the territory of the demon beasts and only managed to escape with all her might. She said she knew about the Qingxuan Sect and had always admired the cultivators of the sect. She wanted to stay at the manor to recuperate for a few days before leaving, and she also said that she would take care of all the expenses during that time."

"Did the manor lord agree?"

"I agreed, saying that everyone has difficulties when they're away from home, and that she should just focus on recovering."

Lu Qingchen frowned slightly after hearing this.

It seems reasonable that he was attacked by a monster, injured, and fled to the vicinity of Qingmu Village. It is not uncommon for rogue cultivators to be attacked by monsters when they go into the mountains to collect herbs.

But for a rogue cultivator in the Qi Refining stage to escape from the clutches of a second-tier demon beast is quite an achievement.

While luck is indeed a part of ability, this luck is simply too good.

He finished the last mouthful of porridge in his bowl, stood up, and walked out.

Today, those few seedlings of Vermilion Fruit in the protective field need to be fertilized, and the first batch of leaves of the Golden Leaf Orchid should also be harvested.

As for the female cultivator named Han Shuang, since the manor lord is taking care of her, she has nothing to do with him.

Over the next few days, Lu Qingchen occasionally heard snippets of news about the female cultivator.

Li Laosi's wife said that the girl was polite and knew how to greet people when they met.

Some tenant farmers privately discussed how beautiful the female cultivator was, and Li Laosi hit him on the head with his pipe, telling him to stop having wicked ideas.

While chatting with someone, Wang Fu mentioned that Han Shuang was able to get out of bed on the third day. She walked a few steps in the yard with a wooden cane, and her complexion was good.

It's much better than when it was first brought back.

On the fifth day, Han Shuang began to help with some light work on the farm.

She helped Zhao Demao organize the medicinal herbs, saying that she had been collecting herbs in the mountains for many years and recognized many herbs. Seeing that she was indeed knowledgeable, Zhao Demao let her help.

She occasionally helped Zhou Ming pull weeds and helped Liu Wenhua record the growth of the medicinal herbs; these were all light tasks within her ability.

The spiritual plant growers on the manor gradually got used to her presence—a female cultivator who spoke softly and worked diligently and without slacking off. It wasn't a bad thing for her to stay on the manor and help out.

By the seventh day, Han Shuang's injuries had basically healed.

She didn't mention leaving, but instead took the initiative to find Zhao Demao.

"Master," she said sincerely, standing in the main hall, "my life was saved by Qingmu Manor, and I have no way to repay this life-saving grace."

.

"Although my cultivation level is low, I have been collecting herbs in the mountains since I was a child and have some knowledge of the properties of herbs. If the manor does not mind, I am willing to stay and help with whatever I can, as a way of repaying your kindness."

Zhao Demao looked at her but did not answer immediately.

Han Shuang added, "I don't need wages, just food and lodging. I'm used to wandering alone, so it's a blessing for me to be able to stay in a stable place like Qingmu Village for a while."

Zhao Demao looked at the other spirit plant growers, and Zhou Ming was the first to speak up: "Let's stay. The village is short-handed, and more people will make a difference."

.

Wang Youde chimed in, "Yes, yes."

Liu Wenhua nodded without saying anything.

Sun Zhiyuan said calmly, "It's fine as long as the manor lord makes the decision."

Zhao Demao finally nodded: "Alright, then stay. But you'll still get paid. Qingmu Village won't take advantage of anyone."

Han Shuang bowed respectfully and thanked her.

After she left the main room, Zhao Demao called Wang Fu over and whispered a few words to him: "That Han Shuang, although she seems fine, is an outsider after all. Keep a close eye on her movements and report any unusual activity immediately."

Wang Fu nodded in agreement.

Zhao Demao picked up his teacup and took a sip, his own calculations in mind—a rogue cultivator in the Qi Refining stage couldn't cause much trouble in Qingmu Manor.

The reason he kept her around was not only because he genuinely needed manpower, but also because he wanted to keep an eye on her and see where she came from.

If anything unusual happens, he can easily subdue it.

About three days after Han Shuang left, she came to Zhuangwei for the first time.

Lu Qingchen was squatting on the edge of the field loosening the soil for the spirit rice when he heard soft footsteps and looked up.

Han Shuang stood by his spiritual field, wearing coarse cloth clothes lent to her by the tenant farmers of the manor. Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin. She had delicate features and fair skin, quite different from the rogue cultivators he had seen who had struggled in the mountains.

She also carried a faint herbal scent, not from deliberate use, but rather from years of dealing with herbs.

"Manager Lu," she bowed slightly, her attitude respectful, "I am Han Shuang. The master of the manor asked me to inquire if there is anything I can help you with."

Lu Qingchen's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before returning to the work in his hands: "No need, I can handle the work at the end of the manor myself."

Han Shuang didn't press the matter further. She nodded slightly, said, "Then Han Shuang will come again another day," and turned to leave.

She walked at a moderate pace, and as she passed Sun Han's house, she nodded to him as he sat at the door arranging spirit herb seeds.

Sun Han returned the greeting somewhat awkwardly.

Lu Qingchen watched her figure disappear at the end of the bluestone path, and paused for a moment in his hand movements.

This Han Shuang is very tactful in her speech and behavior, and she knows the rules much better than the tenant farmers on the estate.

It's rare to see a rogue cultivator with such composure.

Han Shuang came again the next day.

This time, she was carrying a pot of freshly brewed herbal tea, served in a rough earthenware pot from the village canteen. She said it was made from herbs she picked in the mountains and was meant to cool her down in the summer.

Lu Qingchen thanked him, took the herbal tea, and took a sip. It was refreshing and had a sweet aftertaste; the combination of the herbs was quite skillful.

As a cultivator of spiritual plants who had been farming for some time, he could indeed discern the skill behind this herbal tea: honeysuckle clears heat, licorice harmonizes, and an additional herb he couldn't immediately identify made the flow of spiritual energy in the entire pot of herbal tea smoother.

"good."

He put down the teacup and said the truth.

Han Shuang smiled, but didn't take the opportunity to say anything more, only saying, "I'm glad Manager Lu likes it."

She still showed no sign of leaving, standing on the edge of the field looking at the spiritual field he was loosening the soil in, her gaze sweeping over the thriving spiritual rice, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Manager Lu, these spirit rice fields are growing really well. I've seen other spirit rice fields in the manor a few times, but I've never seen them grow so neatly. It's obvious that a lot of effort has been put into them."

"Farming is something that requires a lot of thought and effort."

Lu Qingchen gave a nonchalant reply, but didn't continue the conversation.

Han Shuang didn't mind, stood there for a while longer, and then took her leave.

As I was leaving, I saw Sun Han pulling weeds along the edge of the protective spirit field, so I squatted down and helped him out.

Sun Hanlian said, "Miss Han, no need, no need." Han Shuang smiled and said, "I'm just killing time anyway." She moved very quickly and in a few moments, she pulled out a small patch of weeds and cleaned it up.

Sun Han blushed and thanked her, but Han Shuang waved her hand and turned to leave.

Lu Qingchen saw this scene and his vigilance lessened a bit.

This Han Shuang doesn't seem like someone with bad intentions—at least she doesn't appear to.

They are diligent, tactful, and don't try to get close to others. They don't pester others after being rejected.

Such a person, even if he is a rogue cultivator, is a promising talent among rogue cultivators.

Two days later, Han Shuang arrived in the evening, just as Lu Qingchen finished work.

She stood on the edge of the field and waited for a while until Lu Qingchen had finished tidying up the farm tools before asking, "Manager Lu, may I ask you some questions about spiritual plants? I recognize some herbs in the mountains, but I know nothing about cultivating spiritual plants. I want to take advantage of my time at the manor to learn more."

Lu Qingchen glanced at her: "What are you, a rogue cultivator, doing learning about spiritual plants?"

Han Shuang said earnestly, "Having more skills means having more options. If I have the opportunity to enter a sect in the future, I'll have a foothold."

""

These words were spoken sincerely, and Lu Qingchen did not refuse.

He gave her a brief explanation of the basic care of Jade Spirit Rice—how to assess soil fertility, how to control watering, and how to prevent common pests and diseases. He didn't say much, but every word was to the point, drawing on his experience from growing two crops in Qingmu Village.

Han Shuang listened attentively, nodding from time to time, and occasionally asking a follow-up question, which was always to the point.

For example, she asked, "What are the differences in soil fertility requirements between spiritual rice and ordinary spiritual herbs?" This is not a question that an outsider could ask, which shows that she does know some herbs, but she doesn't know the ins and outs of cultivating spiritual plants.

After he finished speaking, Han Shuang thanked him and stood on the edge of the field watching him pack up his farm tools.

As dusk settled over the mountaintops, it bathed the entire spiritual field in a dark gold hue. In the distance, the sounds of dogs barking drifted from the village, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of several mud-brick houses.

"Manager Lu, don't you feel lonely all by yourself at the end of the manor?" she suddenly asked.

Lu Qingchen didn't even look up: "Farmers are used to it."

Han Shuang didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

He walked at a moderate pace, nodding as usual when passing Sun Han's house, and Sun Han returned the greeting hastily as usual.

And so, Han Shuang would come to Zhuangwei every one or two days.

Sometimes they help pull weeds, sometimes they bring some food they've made, and sometimes they just say hello when they pass by.

She never tried to curry favor with Lu Qingchen. Every time she was rejected by him, she would just smile and leave, never pestering him.

Although Lu Qingchen never assigned her any serious work, she gradually got used to having this person occasionally appear by her field.

Once, Han Shuang brought over some pastries she had made herself, saying they were steamed with wild dates and spirit rice flour from the mountains.

Lu Qingchen tasted one piece and found it quite delicious, so he took another.