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墨書 Inktalez
The woman, upon hearing this, found it quite reasonable and turned to the boy, sternly commanding, "No crying!"
The boy paused for a moment, tears hanging on his eyelashes, neither falling nor drying, while a trickle of snot ran from his nose, making him look rather comical.
The girl turned her head away, disdainfully huffing, like a proud phoenix strutting into the inner room right in front of the boy.
How dare that little brat huff at him and speak to him like that? Even his mother had stopped paying attention to him.
A surge of unprecedented fear welled up in the boy's heart. He clutched tightly to the woman's skirt and asked with wide eyes, "Mother, what’s going on with that immortal?"
He had heard that there was an immortal at the end of the alley who was planning to take that little brat away, and he felt a rush of anxiety.
This was an immortal! Even a few scraps of spirit stones from them would be enough to nourish them mortals for quite some time.
The boy licked his lips, feeling wronged and unwilling. "Mother, why does that little brat get to go with the immortal? I want to go too."
The woman hesitated; the immortal seemed like a good person, but she didn’t know what he intended to do with people he took.
In this world, there were many immortals who didn’t regard ordinary people as human beings.
She picked up the boy and tried to comfort him with a few words, but he was relentless, crying and insisting on going.
"Why can she go and I can't? Mother, don’t you always say I’m better than that little brat? If the immortal takes her away, it must be because he hasn’t seen me. Once he sees me, he won’t choose her."
He cried and made a fuss, causing the woman to feel annoyed. She slapped him lightly on the face.
Looking at his flushed cheeks, she said irritably, "What do you think this is? Being someone else's servant or slave? If you get beaten to death one day, no one will even know!"
After being slapped, the boy felt wronged but dared not cry anymore; he just looked at her with red eyes full of pity.
Seeing him like this, the woman held him close and gently coaxed him again. "Don’t cry. That little brat might die one day; why envy her?"
She glared at the girl who emerged from the room carrying a small bundle. The boy’s eyes burned with hatred as he stared intently at her.
"Mother said that following that immortal won’t end well for you; you might die one day."
The girl stood tall with her back straightened and looked down at him defiantly. "That’s still better than living your whole life here as an ordinary person!"
Furious, the boy reached out to grab her but was firmly held back by the woman.
The girl untied the rope securing the big yellow dog at the gate. She squatted down to hug it gently and whispered, "Big Yellow, come with me. Wherever I go from now on, you’ll be there too."
The big yellow dog seemed to understand her words; it affectionately nuzzled her cheek before slowly lifting its paw and walking outside.
Seeing them leave together—one girl and one dog—the boy could only scream in frustration from behind.
"You will regret this, you definitely will!"
The girl merely bit her lower lip and said to the big yellow dog, "Come on, let's hurry." She wanted to leave all those annoying people behind.
Qi Xiao led the girl and the dog to a secluded little courtyard in the western part of the city, where he rented a room. The courtyard was small, but it was enough for the two of them.
"By the way, I haven't asked your name yet," he said.
The girl lowered her head, looking somewhat lost. Sometimes her mother called her "Big Girl," other times "Little Brat," and occasionally "Money-Losing Goods." But none of these were her real name.
With her head down, she looked a bit gloomy, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. "I don't have a name."
"Then you should give yourself one."
A glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, and she seemed a bit excited. "Can I?"
Qi Xiao smiled at her and nodded. "You’ve left that place; you can choose a name for yourself now."
She anxiously gazed at the bright yellow flowers blooming on the branches above, so vibrant and charming that just a glance could lift one’s spirits. She had heard others call those flowers "Spring Arrival."
Gathering her courage, she said, "I want to be called Spring Arrival."
"Bringing spring, blooming in spring—what a lovely name."
Hearing Qi Xiao's affirmation, two blushes rose on her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously. Now she had a name of her own!
She hesitated for a moment before asking shyly, "Immortal, may I know your name?"
So many good things had happened in one day—being rescued from a dark cave, given a place to stay, and now having chosen a name for herself—that she could hardly believe it.
Spring Arrival silently memorized Qi Xiao's face, considering him her benefactor. One day, she would repay this kindness.
Seeing the brightness in her eyes made Qi Xiao's feelings somewhat complicated.
"I didn't buy you solely out of kindness; I have other intentions as well."
"I understand," she replied earnestly. "But since the Immortal has already bought Spring Arrival, then I should follow your orders."
"Even if this is difficult?"
"Even if this is difficult!"
"Would you still be willing to go through fire and water for me?"
Yingchun shrank back slightly, swallowing hard. She didn't possess the great powers of an immortal to summon the wind and rain, but she could give it a try.
"I can try."
"Aren't you afraid that I might lead you to your death?"
Yingchun shook her head. Though she was young, she wasn't foolish; she could sense that the immortal meant her no harm.
"The immortal is a good person; they wouldn't send me to my death."
"That's not necessarily true. The task I need to undertake is somewhat dangerous; you might even encounter unforeseen circumstances."
"Will you abandon me, Immortal?"
"I won't. I will do my best to protect you."
"Then I'm not afraid."
Qi Xiao looked at her with a mix of appreciation and complexity, letting out a soft sigh. He remembered buying some treats while chatting at the pastry stall, so he took them out and handed them to Yingchun.
Seeing the three paper-wrapped packages filled to the brim, Yingchun swallowed hard in anticipation.
"Are these all for me?"
At home, there were only a few treats saved for her mother and younger brother. She had never tasted such pastries before, yet now there were three packages overflowing with an array of shapes and colors—some square, some round, some shaped like plum blossoms, and others like lotus flowers. Some were even sprinkled with fine sugar frosting, glistening like snow.
These exquisite treats made Yingchun afraid to hold them too tightly, let alone eat them.
"But these come with conditions; if you eat these treats, you must memorize this entire book."
Yingchun scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"But Immortal, I can't read."
"That's alright; I'll teach you."
What Qi Xiao handed her was a commonly used herbal medicine guidebook. Each plant was illustrated alongside its medicinal properties, growth conditions, and uses clearly labeled beside it.
He had learned from a street vendor that there was a pharmacy run by an elder from the Baiyun Palace in town that was looking for an apprentice. Moreover, this elder would occasionally visit the shop for inspections, so Qi Xiao decided to let this young girl give it a try.
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