Starting with a beautiful woman's private doctor

These words were like a knife, precisely stabbing Gan Xinya in her soft spot.

She could disregard Chu Nan and Xu Yi's feelings, but she couldn't disregard the spiritual herb, much less her own life.

That day at the entrance of the medicine shop, Old Fisherman's Water Whip and Young Master's Fish-Startling Stone almost killed Wenbo. The wounds left by the erosion of the dark water could not be healed in three to five days.

And those eerie master and servant duo are lurking somewhere, watching us intently. What if we were to run into them on the mountain...?

Despite her tough talk, she knew very well that without Chu Nan, she wouldn't even be able to get down the mountain alive.

Qian Xinya opened her mouth, but couldn't find the right words to retort. A rare moment of stiffness appeared on her proud face.

Wenbo quickly stood up to smooth things over. He walked between the two men, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Xu Yi, and said with a forced smile, "Mr. Xu, please calm down. That's not what Miss meant."

"Just like you said, when we're out in the world, we're all in the same boat, and it's inevitable that we'll have a few arguments. There's no need to ruin the harmony."

Qian Xinya not only failed to see Wenbo's efforts, but her resentment and arrogance also made her eager to get back at him.

She suddenly turned around and called out to a group of villagers who were arranging medicinal herbs outside the teahouse, "Has anyone else from your village come here recently? Like us, specifically looking for Tandong?"

One of the older villagers stopped what he was doing, still holding a handful of half-dried astragalus root in his hand. He thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "There have been some merchants coming to buy herbs recently, but I don't recall anyone specifically looking for Tandong."

Another woman said, "Our place is very remote. Even people who collect herbs don't like to come here, let alone look for any pools or caves."

Upon hearing this, Qian Xinya felt as if she had grasped at a lifeline.

She turned around and gave Wenbo a cold laugh, her tone carrying seven parts smugness and three parts resentment, "It seems you've been worrying too much. What strange master and servant? You've been worrying about nothing from the beginning."

"They might have already found what they wanted in Hainei County and left."

Qian Xinya sat back down in her chair, crossed her legs, and said in a tone that seemed to have sealed her fate, "Since no one else is competing, then we don't need any help. You can go back now. This transaction is over!"

Wenbo was so anxious that his face crumpled up. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss, you can't say that."

"Those two kept saying they were looking for something at the entrance of the medicine shop. This Qishan Mountain is so big, just because we haven't met them doesn't mean they're not looking. Maybe they took another path, or maybe they're already ahead of us."

"Besides, Master Jiang also said that Hai Nei County is nestled between mountains and the sea, and there is more than one cave with perpetually cold, damp water. If we can find it, they can find it too—"

"alright!"

Qian Xinya waved her hand impatiently, "I said, if I don't need it, I don't need it. You're getting bolder and bolder, daring to question what I say?"

Watching this farce unfold, Xu Yi could no longer contain his anger. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Wen Bo, and asked, "What did you say last night? You patted your chest and guaranteed you'd take responsibility, and now your young lady wants to send us away with just a few words?"

"Are you going to make a decision or not? If you can't, don't come looking for us again!"

Wenbo stood in the middle, looking at his young lady, then at the furious Xu Yi and the silent Chu Nan. Just as he was about to answer, Old Liu strode over from the village entrance with two local villagers.

He walked along, a broad smile on his face, and said, "Miss Qian, everyone's been found. We can set off now."

"These two guys have been running around in these mountains for most of their lives; they could find their way with their eyes closed."

"One is called Lao Chen, and the other is called Lao Fang. They both grew up in these mountains. They know the location of every pool and cave better than they do a map."

Wenbo had no choice but to swallow back the words he was about to say.

Qian Xinya had already stood up and was walking towards the village entrance. After taking a few steps, she stopped and looked back at Chu Nan and Xu Yi, who were still standing there.

She didn't speak, only let out a disdainful snort from her nose, then turned her head and continued walking forward.

The meaning is clear—come or don't come, it's up to you.

Chu Nan put down his teacup, stood up, patted Xu Yi on the shoulder, and said, "Let's go."

"But--"

Xu Yi watched Qian Xinya's retreating figure, still indignant.

"It's not up to her to decide."

Chu Nan watched Qian Xinya's retreating figure, his tone calm and resolute, "Moreover, I have a feeling that today's trip won't be peaceful."

There are no roads deep in Qishan Mountain, only loose rocks and shrubs.

Two local villagers led the way, using machetes to cut through the vines blocking their path, their canvas shoes making a dull thud on the wet mountain stream stones.

The further you go in, the denser the surrounding vegetation becomes, with tree canopies blocking out almost all the sunlight.

The sound of water in the mountain stream came and went, and the air was filled with a cold, damp smell of decaying leaves and wet mud, which felt heavy in the lungs.

We saw five or six pools and caves along the way.

Some are so shallow that you can see the bottom at a glance.

Some of the water wasn't cold enough; when you reached in, it was just ordinary mountain spring water.

None of them are the kind of places described by Master Jiang as "cold and gloomy all year round, where not a blade of grass grows".

Every time they arrived at a cave, Director Lao Liu would stop and have Qian Xinya come over to take a look. Every time Qian Xinya finished looking, she would say that something was wrong, and her tone became more and more impatient.

By the time she reached the fifth person, she was too tired to talk anymore. She simply crossed her arms and stared coldly at Lao Liu.

That look sent chills down Old Liu's spine. He quickly turned around and continued leading the way, secretly praying that the next cave would be the right one, otherwise this young lady might eat him alive.

Upon reaching the sixth cave, the entrance was small, and the inside was pitch black, with a cold wind blowing out.

Qian Xinya frowned after just one glance, showing no interest in getting any closer.

After confirming that this wasn't the cave she was looking for, the anger that had been building up all the way finally exploded. Staring at Old Liu, she said, "Do you even know where it is? I paid you so much money, and you bring me to these puddles? Do you think we Qian family's money is easy to swindle?"

Old Liu was sweating profusely from her glare. He rubbed his hands together and explained with a forced smile, "Miss Qian, please calm down. Most of the pools and caves in this mountain are here. If there's any place we haven't been to yet, it's just the Black Dragon Pool over there."

He pointed to the depths of the valley, and everyone's eyes followed the direction he was pointing.

A thin layer of mist hung over the mountain valley, which did not dissipate even under the midday sun, but instead shrouded the valley like a veil.

"It's a bit of a walk from here. The fog is quite thick there, it doesn't dissipate all year round, and it's also the coldest there."

"People in our village usually avoid that place when collecting herbs, because the old folks say it's not clean."

"That's the only place left. If you can't find the place you're looking for, then there's nothing I, Old Liu, can do. I won't take a single penny of your money; I'll refund you in full."

"Is the chill in the air heavy and persistent year-round?"

A glint flashed in Wenbo's eyes. "Miss, this does match Master Jiang's description quite well."

Qian Xinya snorted coldly, "That had to be the case."