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Emperor Jia You had long suspected something, which was why he dispatched Gui Zhong to secretly investigate the Great Mercy Temple.

"Shiiun, Heng Ping, come in. I have a task for you both."

After the avalanche, the sky above Dragon Yin Mountain grew even more gloomy.

Halfway up the mountain stood an old Taoist temple called Qingyan. Baoshan, only twelve years of age, was the senior disciple and the sole pupil of Qing Miao, the abbot of Qingyan Temple.

But...

After today, their temple might soon welcome a new initiate.

The young Taoist apprentice stirred the medicinal herbs with his palm fan, stealing glances at the main hall. Catching sight of Qing Miao, Baoshan waved his fan gently and whispered, "Master!"

Qing Miao, holding a fan with three cracks, strolled slowly toward Baoshan, saying, "What do you want to know?"

Baoshan fanned the fire under the cauldron and chuckled naively. "Is the girl Master saved today my junior sister?"

Baoshan had been adopted by Qing Miao since he was seven, so he knew his unpredictable master's character best. Cold-hearted and indifferent, it was typical of him to turn a blind eye to those in need.

Never before had anyone been rescued and brought back to the Taoist temple as was done today.

Baoshan could only attribute this to one reason: the young lady inside shared his exceptional talent and unusual constitution, which was why their Master had taken her in.

Daoist Qing Miao's snowy white brows drooped by his cheeks. He harrumphed, "Are you so desperate to become an elder brother that you've gone mad? Fine, another day Master will find you two elder brothers!"

Baoshan scrunched up his face. "I am the first and founding disciple of Green Rock Temple, as Master himself said! How can it be changed on a whim?"

Daoist Qing Miao laughed heavenward, but after a moment, his expression turned cold. "Focus on boiling your medicine. Remember to feed it to the girl when it's ready." With that, he strode away.

Baoshan watched his master's departing figure, knowing he must have gone off to seek more wine. Scrunching his nose, he muttered, "Why is it so difficult to become an elder brother?"

With a sigh, he continued boiling the medicine. When it was finally ready, he carried it to the main hall.

Calling it a grand hall was a bit of an exaggeration; it was roughly the size of a common living room. The statues of the Three Pure Ones filled the space entirely.

The "Junior Sister" Baoshan had been thinking about lay on a long table beneath the deities' images, which was usually used for incense burners.

Baoshan examined the wound on her forehead carefully. Seeing that Daoist Qing Miao's specially prepared ointment had been applied, he sighed in relief. "Master is as tight-fisted as an iron cock, rarely letting others use his medicines. Junior Sister is quite fortunate."

As she spoke, she fed Rong Shu the herbal soup, continuing her chatter without noticing the slight flutter of the young lady's eyelashes.

Rong Shu's headache was excruciating, and she yearned to fall back asleep. However, the incessant noise in her ears was like a swarm of bees buzzing endlessly, forcing her to strain her eyes open and look towards the source.

In that instant, she instantly recalled the events before her unconsciousness: the panicked horse, the overturned incense burner, the carriage toppled by the snow tide, and Yingyue and Ying Que's terrified cries of "Miss."

"I'm... where am I?" she croaked.

Baoshan was lost in his mutterings when he suddenly heard her speak. Startled, he jumped to his feet, toppling the wooden stool beneath him with a loud clatter.

"This, this is Green Rock Temple," he stammered, flustered. "I'll, I'll fetch our master!"

Before Rong Shu could express her gratitude, the young Taoist boy hastily dashed away. In no time, he returned with an elderly, sage-like Taoist priest.

Despite her pounding headache, Rong Shu summoned the strength to sit up slowly. When her gaze landed on the Taoist's face, she froze in recognition.

She had seen this old Taoist before.

In the underpass of Wu Family's Brick Bridge in Yangzhou, they had once crossed paths.

It was this very old Daoist who had commented on her unusual appearance back then.

Seeing her reaction, Daoist Qing Miao knew that she recognized him. He waved his palm fan and said, "Little girl, you've recognized this old Daoist, haven't you?"

"Last August, I met Daoist at Wu Family's Brick Bridge," Rong Shu replied. "Shen Shu is deeply grateful for your life-saving grace."

With that, she was about to bow in gratitude but was stopped by Daoist Qing Miao's fan.

"Stay seated, no need to pay me such formal respects. This old Daoist had selfish motives for saving you," he said after sizing her up. "You've injured your head, though not severely. It's best to rest for a few days. Whatever matters can wait until you're fully recovered."

Rong Shu's temples throbbed at that moment. It felt as if an iron rod was relentlessly pounding and twisting inside her skull. If not for her desire to inquire about Ying Que, Chang Ji, and the others, she wouldn't have been able to hold on.

"May I ask Daoist, how long have I been unconscious? When you rescued me, did you see anyone else?"

Daoist Qing Miao answered, "You were out for two days. Your carriage was swept off the mountain road by the snow. By the time I arrived, there were already people attempting to save you. However, after rescuing you from the carriage, they placed a corpse inside and pushed your carriage over the cliff."

The old Daoist gave her a curious glance. "The female corpse's face was unrecognizable due to the injuries. But the clothes she wore were identical to yours."

Rong Shu slowly blinked, pondering for a moment before she fully grasped Daoist Qing Miao's words.

Someone intended to use this opportunity to make her appear dead, completely vanishing from this world.

Rong Shu lowered her eyelashes.

The avalanche two days ago wasn't severe; the carriage overturned and slid down the mountain path for a brief moment before coming to a halt. The only real danger was the narrow path, where a misstep would send one plummeting off the cliff.

Those who rescued them likely aimed to create such an illusion.

If that were true, Ying Que and the others should be safe.

"But when those people were trying to take me away, you saved me, Daoist?" Rong Shu lifted her gaze, speaking calmly. "Will my staying here to recover cause trouble for you or the temple?"

Daoist Qing Miao paused in his fanning.

He had indeed recognized the young lady, which was why he had casually snatched her from the hands of the black-clad men and brought her back to the temple. Yet, he wasn't purely acting out of kindness, so hearing her concern about causing trouble for him and the temple made him look at her more closely.