Chapter 4, a brief note caught her attention

Shirakawa reached out and pressed down on her shoulder, and Qin Cai felt her mind gradually clear, her emotions also calming down.

Qin Cai forcefully slapped her hand and said, "Are you afraid that I won't agree to go to Baihe and won't receive the money next month?"

Qin Cai, being still a child at heart, ran off to the fields in a huff, filling a large bag to the brim with the harvested rice ears. The wet rice was already heavy, and one bag likely weighed no less than 300 jin. She made six trips back home. Without even taking a sip of water, she then divided the rice straw into small bundles and dragged them all to the ridge of the field to dry.

Qin Cai had been lying down for six days. Qin's mother came to take care of her and noticed that there were no other injuries on her body, only purple-red spots on her shoulder. Bai He returned each day from the southeast with a branch of a peach tree, allowing Qin's mother to soak it in her face and bath water.

Qin Cai could only shake her head: "Back when Huang Xiaolian was not insane, it was clearly those men who bullied her, yet they would scold her as a vixen every day, and sometimes they would even pull out a handful of her hair when they hit her. Later, when Huang Xiaolian went mad, not a single person admitted their fault; they all hypocritically said she was too troubled! I thought there would still be someone who felt guilty towards her, but now, I realize they never thought they were in the wrong!"

Every morning, Baihe makes her go out for a run, and during the day, she must get plenty of sunlight. Once she has recovered sufficiently, the household will no longer use tap water, insisting instead on fetching it from the nearby Chengyang Mountain. Nima, Qin Cai looks forward every day to him teaching her how to chant spells to deal with troublesome people.

Qin Cai shook his head, thinking to himself that even if he told him, where would he go to catch it

The Qiu family was extremely frightened, pulling at his sleeve and repeatedly asking: "Mr. Bai, there really won't be any more trouble, right?"

The house is quite old and covered in dust. He did not use the stairs but went straight to the dining table, and with a leap, he managed to wrap his arms around the beam. The villagers had never seen such skill and immediately began to cheer. However, Bai He’s expression was extremely grim.

At that time, Bai He was writing couplets. Upon seeing her running back in a huff, he couldn't help but smile a little and asked, "What happened?"

Mother Qin was afraid that she would suffer from heatstroke, so she gave her Huoxiang Zhengqi water. She drank it all in one go, then bent down to wash her feet in the water from the field, put on her shoes, and went directly to the Baihe paper and candle shop without even returning home

He picked something up from the beam and put it into his sleeve, and when he came down, he changed his expression: "A little spirit has already left, no need to worry."

Bai He had been striking for half a day, considering that she was still young and did not know that this was a great taboo in the mystical realm, so he stopped. He pulled out a small piece of willow wood wrapped in yellow paper from his sleeve and threw it on the ground, with several strands of a woman's hair on top and a pair of small red shoes cut from paper underneath: "These spells are the most effective in reducing fortune and lifespan. Fortunately, they invited me today. If they were to encounter a malicious person who breaks the law, you need not mention cultivation; it is likely that they would spend the rest of their lives in bed!"

Mother Qin was heartbroken and shed tears, repeatedly asking about the details of the incident in a vague manner. It was not until the seventh day that Qin Cai was able to speak: "I saw someone bullying Huang Xiaolian, so I went to help and got beaten by him."

Qin Cai has been meditating daily recently, and her visual and auditory senses have become much sharper. Occasionally, she catches snippets of conversation that infuriate her— "It must be something that happened at https://www.hetushu.com, Shuhua went over to take care of it for about ten days..." "What a sin, such a small child." "Didn’t see them go out, where did the surgery take place?" "Hey, didn’t you see Liu Zheng always sneaking over to Baihe..." "What a sin, such a small child." "Didn’t see them go out, where did the surgery take place?" "Hey, didn’t you see Liu Zheng always sneaking over to Baihe..."

Bai He furrowed his brows, while Aunt Qiu trembled all over: "At first, I thought I had seen it wrong, but who would have known that it made a sound when it walked. As soon as I turned on the light, it disappeared. Mr. Bai, I implore you to definitely come to my house and take a look..."

However, this time Bai He was much more cautious. First, he gave her two square ancient bronze coins, both threaded with red string, one worn around her neck and the other on her right wrist. Then, he spent an entire day in front of the ancestral master, using yellow talismans to cut her a... something resembling a sickle.

Qin Cai is also quite stubborn, refusing to admit her mistakes even through gritted teeth. Bai He gave her a good scolding, extremely angry: "I taught you to practice the righteous path, yet you went to learn those despicable spells to curse others! How old are you? You haven't even learned to crawl, and you already want to fly!"

However, after she returned, the aunts in the courtyard often chatted privately, and as soon as they saw her, they would immediately change the subject

Tears welled up in Qin Mama's eyes: "Little sister, I also can't bear to part. But your third brother still doesn't have a house, and little Gui is still so young, we..."

Qin Cai had a very wild temperament and was about to rush out at that moment. Behind her, Qin Mama, Zhou Shuhua, grabbed her and said: "Don't be foolish, going out will only make you the subject of ridicule. You know how sharp-tongued they can be, right? Just let them be."

After Qin Cai was able to move, it seemed that the injuries healed more quickly

Those within the realm of the mysterious do not fear those who understand nothing, nor do they fear those who understand everything; what they fear most are those who understand only half of it.

Even when Aunt Qiu caught up to give him money, he refused to take it

Qin Cai held the three-inch paper-cut sickle, tears streaming down her face—Mushroom Ancestor, have I been cursed or has he been cursed...

The days in Zhuyang Town still begin with the sunrise and end with the sunset. However, just a few days later, when Qin Cai returned home to help with the rice harvesting, he noticed something was amiss. Rural areas often consist of large courtyards, with several households sharing one courtyard. Although there may be noise and commotion at times, they are ultimately close-knit.

However, when she reached the end of the book, a brief note caught her attention

Bai He was momentarily taken aback, then sighed after a while, discarding the bamboo strips in his hand. He squatted in front of Qin Cai and said earnestly: "Do not concern yourself with what others say. Enduring the scorn and criticism of the world is, for us, also a form of cultivation."

Aunt Qiu was almost in tears: "Mr. Bai, the day before yesterday... my little grandson said there was a woman with long hair sitting on the escalator. At that time, everyone thought the child was just talking nonsense... Who would have thought that this morning, we found two feet on the escalator..."

To be honest, Qin Cai remains somewhat skeptical about these matters. After all, nine years of compulsory education were not in vain. She even wonders if one day science will explain these phenomena

Qin Cai was also momentarily vexed and acted stubbornly, not anticipating such severe consequences. However, when she lifted her head, she saw a different emotion in Bai He’s eyes. She was strong-willed and had endured countless beatings since childhood, but it was the first time she had seen such a gaze—one that embodied the hope of an elder and the expectations placed upon a successor.

It is fortunate that she is still young; once the anger has passed, it can be considered forgotten. Before long, she put on her clothes and went out to wash them

Qin Cai took the medicine, and Bai He reached out to touch her head: "From now on, you must never act recklessly again. The greatest taboo for those in the Xuanmen is to use their skills to harm others. If someone were to report this to the Tianxingzhe, the consequence would be the loss of a limb, the destruction of one's cultivation, and expulsion from the sect"

In a fit of anger, he had struck too hard, leaving a bruise on Qin Cai's mouth. At this moment, feeling a pang of regret, he could not help but hand over the medicine, saying: "Apply it yourself"

Qin Cai then raised her head to look at him: "They said you bought me for 1,200 yuan to take advantage of me." The room was not large, and although the voice was soft, it was particularly clear, "They said I have been lying here for so long because I had an abortion. It would be one thing if others said that, but for the Qiu family, I endured several beatings and at least saved three of their family members. Why would they say such things about me?"

Bai He returned to the shop, where Qin Cai was still reading. Without saying a word, he closed the shop door, grabbed Qin Cai, and brought him before the ancestral master, then casually picked up a thick bamboo strip and gave him a severe beating.

When he gets angry, he exerts considerable force. In summer, the clothing is thin, and soon several blood marks appeared on Qin Cai's body.

Qin's mother was immediately filled with rage: "Who is so lacking in morality? Tell the town mayor!"

Qin Cai gazed for a long time, but Bai He seemed very weary: "From now on, this will be your weapon. You must carry it with you at all times and never part with it"

She is diligent in her studies and possesses good aptitude. After Bai He completed teaching her the thirty-six minor water techniques, he gave her a comprehensive book on detailed methods for her to comprehend on her own.

Bai He and the librarian took the medicine from the drawer and applied it to her swollen hand: "It is precisely because of this foolish existence that the responsibility of the practitioners becomes even greater. Qin Cai, the way to take revenge is not to kill the enemy, but to resolve this grievance. If every practitioner of extraordinary skills acts so recklessly, the tragedies in this world will only increase. The meaning of our existence lies solely in one word: 'crossing.' And 'crossing' is to reduce these injustices as much as possible." If every practitioner of extraordinary skills acts so recklessly, the tragedies in this world will only increase. The meaning of our existence lies solely in one word: 'crossing.' And 'crossing' is to reduce these injustices as much as possible.

Bai He walked out with his hands behind his back, responding lightly with a simple, "Mm."

Bai He slept for a whole day and night without eating. The next day, upon waking, he gave Qin Cai a black leather wristband, which was about four inches wide, just enough for Qin Cai to insert the paper sickle into it

Qin Cai is currently in the most perilous period—without any magical tools, she cannot even complete her incantations, and the talismans in her mind are merely yellow paper. Yet, she possesses an exceptionally strong ability of foresight.

Bai He seemed to have something to attend to, and as soon as he lifted his foot, he stepped out the door: "It's nothing now"

I am sorry. Qin Cai lowered her head, "Master."

Bai He truly cherishes this direct disciple of his, a rare gem of talent that many wise predecessors have sought throughout their lives but could never find. How could he not love her? He simply did not expect that Qin Cai would progress so rapidly, nearly causing her to falter at his hands.

Bai He arrived at Aunt Qiu's house, took a stroll around, and suddenly he looked up at the beams of the roof

Three days later, Bai He was having a meal. Suddenly, Aunt Qiu from next door to Qin Cai came over, hesitantly expressing her desire to invite Bai He to her home. Bai He, still holding a bowl in his hand, said: "Speak if you have something to say"

It's nothing! Qin Cai rushed into her room, collapsed onto the bed, and tears streamed down her face, feeling both angry and wronged