Chapter 61 Beside the mountain road, an ordinary-looking person…

Beside the mountain path, an ordinary-looking person picked up a straw hat that had been slashed by a sword blade, walked to the edge of the cliff, and leaned down to look down the mountain.

Steep, desolate rock walls came into view.

Apart from the occasional few weeds struggling to survive sprouting from the cracks in the rocks, there wasn't even a single sapling growing there.

He stood up, flipped his wrist, and put his straw hat over his head, obscuring his ordinary face.

"Let's go."

"Don't we need to go down and check it out?" another voice rang out from beside the cliff.

"No need. Even if he is a cultivator, he would be unable to use his spiritual power and would fall into a state of paralysis if he only inhaled a tiny bit of the sleeping powder given by the adult."

Not to mention that he was practically immersed in smoke, and it would take him three to five days to recover.

He was just a young boy, devoid of spiritual power. Even if he miraculously survived the fall off the cliff, he would still be prey to wild beasts.

...

"Xiao Bao".

Xie Baoqiong tried to open her eyes, and the fabric of Xie Zhuo's clothes appeared before her.

"Xie Xiaobao."

He pushed himself up with his hands.

Because the effects of the sleeping gas had not completely worn off, and he had not fully regained control of his body, he stumbled forward when his palm touched the soft ground beneath him.

Just as it was about to crash back onto the original fabric, the back of the collar was grabbed by a hand.

Someone touched his brow and infused him with spiritual energy.

Xie Baoqiong's muddled mind suddenly cleared, and the figures in front of her became clear:

"Senior Xin?"

The finger that was touching his brow flicked his forehead, reminding him:

"Don't think you can be so fearless just because you're not afraid of poison. You're paying the price now."

Xie Baoqiong's memories from before he fell into confusion gradually returned, and he hurriedly turned his head to look around:

Where is my father?

Xin Xuan pressed his head down with his hand:

What about this?

Xie Zhuo, lying on the ground with his eyes closed, came into Xie Baoqiong's view.

He broke free from Xin Xuan's grasp and bent down to check on Xie Zhuo's condition:

"father."

Xie Zhuo on the ground did not react.

"Thank you, Lord Xie. Thank you, Zhuo."

"Stop shouting, I've used magic to knock him unconscious."

Xin Xuan interrupted the titles that kept popping out of Xie Baoqiong's mouth.

Xie Baoqiong squatted down beside Xie Zhuo, looking at the small pool of blood flowing down beside him:

"But he's bleeding."

“He’s injured, but he won’t die,” Xin Xuan said, directing Xie Baoqiong to use a handkerchief to bandage the wound on Xie Zhuo’s arm.

Without being taught, Xie Baoqiong used his spiritual energy to stop the bleeding while bandaging Xie Zhuo. After finishing, he turned his attention back to Xin Xuan.

"Senior Xin, I remember falling off a cliff..." Xie Zhuo seemed to have jumped down with him to save him.

"He was drugged and kicked down." Xin Xuan ruthlessly exposed him, then glanced at Xie Zhuo lying on the ground and instructed him:

"Be careful when you're out in the world. I'm here today, but things might not be the same in the future."

Xie Baoqiong stared at the corner of the handkerchief on Xie Zhuo's arm, her expression listless, her words lacking any strength:

"But this is in Sishui Mountain."

“It’s the same everywhere. Before, when you ate some poisonous fruit in the mountains, it would only numb your mouth. But now these people are after your life.”

Xin Xuan glanced at the dejected person on the ground and continued:

"I'm leaving now. You take him back on your own."

Xin Xuan's figure shifted slightly, transforming into a bird with feathers glowing with rosy light, and soared into the air, giving a final word of advice:

"Don't lead people to climb back up the mountainside."

The birds in the sky disappeared, and Xie Baoqiong responded with an "Oh." She then tried to carry Xie Zhu on her back.

After some attempts, he put Xie Zhu down and let Xie Zhu lean against the mountain wall.

Xie Zhuo's weight was not a problem for him, but Xie Zhuo's size was a big issue.

His height barely reached Xie Zhuo's chest, and Xie Zhuo was unconscious at the moment.

He could only carry Xie Zhuo for a couple of steps before dragging Xie Zhuo to the ground.

Xie Baoqiong stared at the unconscious Xie Zhuo, hesitating whether to carry Xie Zhuo back or change her form to carry him back on her back.

I should have asked Senior Xin when Xie Zhuo would wake up.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of pebbles rolling behind me.

An unfamiliar presence was approaching them.

Xie Baoqiong turned around warily and stood in front of Xie Zhuo.

Now that Xie Zhuo is unconscious, he can unleash his full power without reservation.

Two figures approached, one after the other.

Walking in front was a woman with her hair in a bun, followed by a younger man carrying a basket on his back.

Xie Baoqiong's gaze lingered on the woman for a moment, then remained fixed on the man behind her for a long time.

The main reason was that the man was indeed quite tall, more than half a head taller than Xie Zhuo.

Not to mention the humans he had seen after coming down the mountain, he had rarely seen anyone of such a height even among the demons.

The two approaching figures also noticed the father and son standing by the cliff.

The woman in the lead approached the dusty Xie Baoqiong, her gaze sweeping over Xie Zhuo, who was clearly unconscious behind her, before finally settling on the wary Xie Baoqiong. She asked:

"Where did you two come from?"

Xie Baoqiong raised her hand and pointed upwards: "It fell from above."

Wen Conglan's expression changed, her gaze once again sweeping over Xie Zhuo, whose fate was unknown, before a hint of pity appeared in her eyes as she looked at Xie Baoqiong's dust-covered face:

"Good child, is that your father?"

Xie Baoqiong nodded: "He's my father."

"Your father..."

Xie Baoqiong replied truthfully, "My father has fainted."

Only then did Wen Conglan notice the small pool of blood on the ground. As a doctor, she couldn't bear to look at the bewildered, teenager in front of her.

“I am a doctor from a nearby village. If you trust me, you can come back to the village with me, and I can treat your father.”

Xie Baoqiong still looked somewhat wary and did not immediately agree to Wen Conglan's request.

Another voice suddenly interrupted their conversation:

"Mother, they didn't die after falling from such a high cliff, it's hard to say whether they are even human."

The young man carrying a basket stepped forward and stood beside Wen Lan, his dark gray eyes staring at Xie Baoqiong with little emotion.

"Mao'er, don't talk nonsense." Wen Conglan stopped Wen Mao and turned to Xie Baoqiong, saying:

“Wild animals roam these mountains at night. We’ll come down after we finish gathering the herbs. If you don’t believe me, young man, you should take your father down the mountain soon.”

Upon hearing Wen Conglan's words, Xie Baoqiong no longer hesitated: "I can't carry my father on my back."

"Let me check if your father's bones are broken first. If they are, it will be troublesome..."

After checking Xie Zhuo, Wen Conglan rewrapped the handkerchief that Xie Baoqiong had tied in a knot, and turned to Wen Mao, saying, "Mao'er, carry him down the mountain."

She then turned to look at Xie Baoqiong, who had been standing still the whole time:

"Young master, are you injured anywhere?"

"I'm fine. When I fell, my dad held me in his arms the whole time."

Wen Mao put down his basket and, with the help of the two men, carried Xie Zhuo on his back.

Xie Baoqiong picked up the basket on her back and followed Wen Mao's steps forward.

Wen Mao took very long strides, often requiring Wen Mao to take two steps to keep up with him.

Wen Conglan followed beside him and introduced:

“My surname is Wen. The one carrying your father on his back is my son, Wen Mao. You can call me Aunt Wen.”

"We haven't even asked the young man his name yet?"

Xie Baoqiong had just opened her mouth when Xin Xuan's instructions suddenly flashed through her mind, and she changed the words that were about to come out:

"My name is Lin Mushi."

Wen Conglan was momentarily stunned, but did not ask any further questions. The three of them returned to the village where Wen's mother and son lived in silence.

Instead of leading Xie Baoqiong into the village, Wen Conglan led her around the outside of the village to a courtyard at the far end before explaining to her:

"I didn't bring you in from the village entrance because I was afraid of gossip in the village."

Xie Baoqiong reacted quickly, "Then when Dad and I leave, do we have to sneak around too?"

Wen Conglan smiled and patted his head:

"That won't be necessary. I'll just say that your father is Mao'er's father's cousin from his side of the family, and that he's come to visit Mao'er."

Xie Baoqiong placed the basket in the courtyard and followed Wen Mao into the side room. Only after seeing Xie Zhuo settled on the bed did he sit down on the wooden bed as well.

Before his buttocks even touched the bed, his body was lifted up by a hand and placed on the ground.

"You're dirty, you can't get in bed."

Xie Baoqiong looked down at her clothes, then looked up at Xie Zhuo on the bed:

“My dad was dirty too.”

"He is a patient, you are not."

Wen Mao gave a simple reply, then lifted Xie Baoqiong out of the room like a chick, pointing to the water vat in the yard:

"There's water there."

When Wen Conglan finished putting out the herbs and came out of the house, she saw Xie Baoqiong "standing as punishment" in front of the water vat.

"Young Master Lin? If you want some water, there's boiled water in the kitchen."

Xie Baoqiong's eyes lit up the moment she turned her head and saw Wen Conglan. In the Sishui Mountain, he could use the Cleansing Dust Technique, or at worst, Su Xiaochun would grab his body and roll him around in the river. In the Marquis's mansion, he had a large number of people taking care of him.

Although Wen Mao had pointed out the water vat to him, it seemed to be different from the bath tub he had seen in the Marquis's mansion.

"Aunt Wen, Brother Cat told me to clean myself up."

It took Wen Conglan a moment to realize who Xie Baoqiong was referring to as "Cat Brother." She smiled and called out into the house:

"Mao'er".

"Mother, is something the matter?" Wen Mao came out of the house carrying a wooden basin.

"Boil some hot water for Young Master Lin to wash up."

Xie Baoqiong returned to the side room where Xie Zhuo was, and Wen Conglan brought him a set of Wen Mao's old clothes:

"Although this is a garment that Mao'er wore before, it has been kept there after being washed. Young Master Lin can change into it later."

Xie Baoqiong took the clothes and thanked her.

After checking that Xie Zhuo on the wooden bed did not have a high fever, Wen Conglan left the room.

For a moment, only Xie Baoqiong and Xie Zhuo, who was lying on the bed, remained in the room.

Xie Baoqiong stood by the bed and watched Xie Zhuo for a while.

Wen Mao carried a basin of hot water into the house. Seeing Xie Baoqiong's gaze shift to the wooden basin in her hands, he said:

"This basin of hot water is for your dad. If you want to wash, there's more hot water in the kitchen, or I can take you to the river to wash later."

He preferred going to the riverbank to the kitchen, which Xie Baoqiong was not very familiar with.

But glancing at Xie Zhuo on the bed, he felt a pang of worry and looked up at Wen Mao:

"Brother Cat, can I bring my dad along when we go to the river?"

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Author's note: Xie Baoqiong: What does Xie Baoqiong being hunted down have to do with me, Lin Mushi?

Author: Xiaobao, but have you forgotten something?

Xie Baoqiong: Hmm? Oo

Author: Is it possible that Lin is a surname of the emperor?