Chapter 1 The Inexplicable Event

Zibi Mountain, well-known within the boundaries of Yincheng for its medicinal herbs, has rolling summits that stretch across a large portion of Yunzhi County. The mountain teems with countless medicinal plants, so much so that even in winter, after a rain, some herbs will still sprout here and there, leading almost all the people of Yunzhi County to live by a mixture of farming and gathering herbs.

At the foot of the Zibi Mountain to the north, there lies a village—Houling Village. The people here are simple and honest, and neighbors get along harmoniously, living in mutual kindness and goodwill.

Of course, even the best places are not without a few bad apples.

The heavy rain had just stopped, leaving the air thick with the scent of wet earth. The gloom that had descended upon Houling Village a few days ago was now lifted. Women and children, carrying baskets on their backs and wearing joyful expressions, headed up the mountain in pairs and groups. Many fresh herbs would sprout after rain, and no one wanted to be left behind.

At the rear end of Houling Village, a solitary mud-brick courtyard distanced itself from the rest of the neighbors' homes, looking particularly conspicuous at first glance.

The mud house had a fenced courtyard with two patches of vegetables inside. At this moment, a young girl, wearing an ill-fitting coarse cloth jacket and skirt, carrying a basket on her back, walked out through the fence gate and followed a few children up the mountain.

This young girl was Qin Xiaoruo, Fu Family Eldest Child's fiancée, who had not yet moved in with the Fu Family. A few days ago, when the news arrived that enemy forces had captured Qingping City, Qin Xiaoruo, still ill and unconscious, was abandoned at the doorstep of the Fu Family by her stepmother. Consequently, she was brought into the Fu Family's home, while her stepmother, with Xiaoruo's injured father and siblings, fled elsewhere.

On the way up the mountain, after greeting a few women and children, Qin Xiaoruo intentionally fell behind the group, walking towards a steep area that most people would avoid, because she had not fully adjusted to her current state and feared giving herself away.

She had occupied this body just a few days before the storm hit, and encountering such an incredible phenomenon as "soul transmigration," any person would struggle to remain calm and composed, especially with a "fiancé" at home who seemed to see through everything. These past few days had been tremendously nerve-wracking for her, and she finally managed to sneak out for a breath of fresh air today while the Fu family was out...

"Hiss~~"

A faint cry of pain nearby interrupted Qin Xiaoruo's thoughts. She looked around and followed the sound to find a middle-aged man about forty behind a tree.

Seeing the man's pained expression, Qin Xiaoruo hurried over and crouched down to ask, "Sir, what's wrong with you?"

The man looked up, saw a dark-skinned young girl looking at him with concern, and couldn't help but give a bitter smile, pointing to his right ankle, "I just slipped accidentally and twisted my foot."

"Let me have a look for you." Without waiting for his reaction, Qin Xiaoruo took off his right shoe and pressed around the ankle, quickly grasping the situation, "It's swollen like this, it must have been twisted for a while now. Luckily, it's just a sprain and the bone isn't injured. I'll press it for you, and later apply some herbal medicine, you should be able to move around in a few days."

In her previous life, she had been a rookie surgeon, and even though she hadn't treated many patients, her grandfather was a locally renowned massage and acupuncture master. She grew up under his guidance, so such minor injuries were no challenge for her.

Observing Qin Xiaoruo taking off his shoe and massaging without any regard for gender propriety, with skilled movements that quickly alleviated the pain in his ankle, the injured man was extremely surprised. It looked as though she had done this countless times before. Just as he was about to ask something, a young man, breathless from running, came through the bushes towards them.