After overcoming numerous hardships, Su Qingcai and Bai Hua finally reached the top of the mountain. Panting, they arrived at a relatively flat area at the summit, where they saw a small bamboo house standing alone in the distance.
Bai Hua rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that what he was seeing was not an illusion, he excitedly exclaimed, "Legend has it that there are towering mountains in Medicine King Valley, where the greatest medical masters of the world live in seclusion—this is the residence of the Immortal Crane Elder!"
So, if that's the case... the one who kidnapped Su Xiaoning was the Crane Elder?
Su Qingcai, unable to contain her excitement, and the two of them, without further hesitation, rushed towards the bamboo house.
...
A wet, slightly stinging sensation came over her face, and Su Xiaoning groggily woke up. She instinctively reached up to touch her face and felt a sticky liquid, like saliva.
Su Xiaoning was startled and immediately woke up. She sat up abruptly, and heard a clear "woof woof" sound in her ears.
Looking down, she saw Pearl with her feet up on the bed, sticking out her tongue in an excited manner, though her toothless mouth looked particularly comical.
It seemed that the drool on her face was the work of this little thing. Su Xiaoning was both annoyed and amused. Helplessly, she reached out and touched Pearl's head, and Pearl took the opportunity to lick her palm twice.
"Once you wake up, just lie there and rest. You're too weak right now, you need to take good care of yourself."
An old man's soft voice came from behind. Su Xiaoning looked in the direction of the voice and saw the old man sitting on a bamboo chair with a palm-leaf fan in his hand, his eyes cautiously watching the medicine stove in front of him. It seemed that the medicine was being brewed for Su Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning pursed her lips, then glanced at Pearl's toothless mouth, a wave of guilt washing over her: "I'm so sorry for troubling you... I didn't manage to pick any mushrooms, and now Pearl has lost her teeth. It's all my fault."
The old man raised his eyelids and glanced at her lazily, then said leisurely, "What's there to apologize for? There aren't many people in this world who possess both courage and kindness. You, young lady, didn't forget to protect Pearl even in a critical moment. It's no big deal that it lost its tooth for you."
He paused, then added, "By the way, mushrooms don't grow in that bamboo grove."
"No mushrooms... What do you mean?" Su Xiaoning's eyes widened slightly, and she was immediately dumbfounded.
"You don't need to blame me. I just want to know if I misjudged you." The old man glanced at Su Xiaoning's arm, his eyes seemingly full of meaning.
“I saw it long ago, you girl, you are the one chosen by the koi, right? Although you don’t have the koi mark on you now, your luck hasn’t run out, you are still the chosen one. The inner lake in the bamboo forest is a spiritual lake, and those who are destined by heaven will be tested there. Although I rushed there to help you in the end, you still passed the test.”
Spirit Lake? A test?
Su Xiaoning looked incredulous, unable to process this unbelievable information for a moment. However, the old man's words that her luck had not run out truly rekindled hope in her heart.
She covered the spot where the koi fish mark had once been and cautiously asked, "You said I'm still the chosen one, which means there's a chance the koi fish mark can come back? Am I saved?"
The old man shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I can indeed save you, but whether your mark can be restored is not something I can control."
"I see..." Su Xiaoning felt a slight disappointment, but she still mustered her spirits and thanked the old man. "Even if I become an ordinary person in the future, it doesn't matter. Since you saved me, you are my benefactor from now on. I..."
"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me, or you'll start complaining about me again," the old man suddenly said, interrupting Su Xiaoning.
He picked up the medicine stove, filtered out the residue, poured a bowl of medicine, sat by the bed and watched Su Xiaoning drink it before slowly saying, "I never do anything that doesn't benefit me. If you want something, you have to pay the corresponding price. Can you afford it?"
"This... please tell me directly."
"It's very simple, become my apprentice, but you can't leave Medicine King Valley forever until you die of old age."
"What?!"
Su Xiaoning exclaimed in surprise, almost doubting that she had misheard.
The old man remained calm and said indifferently, "Being the disciple of the Immortal Crane Elder is a blessing that many people would rather die for. If it weren't for your good aptitude, I wouldn't need to take on any more disciples at my age. You've seen the environment of Medicine King Valley; there's nothing wrong with it. These conditions won't harm you. Have you thought it through?"
“I…” Su Xiaoning was speechless, not knowing how to answer.
In that instant, Su Qingcai's face appeared in her mind, and she seemed to hear Su Qingcai's rambling words during the time she was unconscious, expressing his love for her, which made her little emotions in her heart disappear.
She doesn't want to leave Su Qingcai, at least not now.
But if the old crane is unwilling to save her, she might die in front of Su Qingcai if she steps out of Medicine King Valley. Would such an outcome really be good for them?
Su Xiaoning hesitated, then lowered her head, not daring to look the old man in the eye.
The old man knew she was in a difficult position, so he didn't press her too much. He simply said, "It's alright, I can give you time to think it over. Tell me your answer when you've made up your mind. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so think it through yourself."
After saying this, the old man got up to leave, but the door of the bamboo house was suddenly pushed open, and a man rushed in.
As soon as Su Qingcai entered the room, he saw the figure he had been calling all the way. He rushed to Su Xiaoning's bedside like a whirlwind, ignoring the people around him, and hugged her tightly.
"Thank goodness, you're alright..."
His voice trembled as he held Su Xiaoning as if she were a lost treasure that he had found again.
Su Xiaoning's nose tingled, and she said in a low voice, "I'm fine, don't worry too much. It was the old crane who saved me."
"The Crane Elder?" Su Qingcai turned his head and saw the old man who had kidnapped Su Xiaoning standing calmly by the door, quietly watching the two embracing.
The old man picked up the pearl and said meaningfully, "I think I know why you hesitated."
Su Xiaoning's heart tightened, and her eyes dimmed considerably as she recalled the conditions the old man had mentioned.
"It's alright. Like I said, think it over carefully yourself." With those last words, the old man hugged the pearl and slowly left the bamboo house.
Su Qingcai snapped out of her daze, her brows furrowing deeply: "What did he mean? What are you hesitating about?"
"It's nothing..." Su Xiaoning lowered her head in a fluster, not daring to answer his question directly, "The old crane is willing to save me, you should be happy..."
"Of course I'm happy to have found you." Su Qingcai's gaze was gentle as he lowered his head and planted a kiss on Su Xiaoning's forehead.
"You have no idea how worried I was after you were kidnapped. We almost got trapped in the fog and couldn't get out. I was able to get here because of the courage and strength you gave me. Let's never be apart again, okay?"
He looked at Su Xiaoning quietly, his eyes filled with boundless tenderness. Su Xiaoning's nose tingled, and layers of sadness washed over her.
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