"It's so itchy."
"...Bear with it!" It was already tense enough, and Liu Ying was making things worse.
After cleaning the wound, Xue Qing poked the tender new flesh with her fingertip: "Does it hurt?"
Liu Ying shook her head: "I'm not very sensitive to pain. It's probably because I was crawling and falling all day in the desert when I was little, which damaged my senses, but..."
"But what?"
"I can feel it really clearly when you touch me, it's both itchy and numb," Liu Ying said with a smile.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Xue Qing poked the newly grown tender flesh of the wound.
"pain."
"Pfft, it's good that you still feel pain." Xue Qing laughed, her tense mood easing considerably. She opened the paper packet containing the medicine, which was filled with finely ground white powder. Xue Qing took a small pinch and sprinkled it on Liu Ying's wound, then carefully applied it along the wound. The powder slowly dissolved into the wound, leaving only the sensation of her fingertips caressing the skin. Beneath the soft and warm skin were the well-defined abdominal muscles of a martial artist, and her heart inexplicably raced faster, even her breathing became hot.
"Uncle-Master, your face is so red," Liu Ying said.
Xue Qing grabbed a handkerchief from the side and covered Liu Ying's eyes: "Stop talking so much, did you catch Zhi Qiu's bad habit?"
"Speaking of Miss Zhi Qiu, Uncle-Master, I don't think Miss Zhi Qiu is from the Central Plains."
Xue Qing stopped what she was doing and asked guiltily, "What do you mean by that?"
"Her clothing, mannerisms, and speech all seemed to be deliberately imitating women from the desolate Central Plains."
"You're overthinking it. Maybe she just has a different aesthetic sense than most people," Xue Qing said, trying to cover for Zhi Qiu.
“Young Master Bai is also very suspicious. With his superb medical skills, he could not possibly be an unknown figure. There is no one in the Central Plains who can rival him, except for one in the Desert Wilderness… But if he is a divine physician, why would he save the person Yan Ming wants to kill?”
Xue Qing understood that Bai Xichen and the Underworld had a mutually beneficial relationship. He wanted the Underworld's money and power, but never cared about its actions. Although she didn't know how he came to Qilin Mountain, she figured it wasn't because he missed Yan Ming. His willingness to save Liu Ying was already a pleasant surprise for her. Xue Qing genuinely thought he was a pretty good person, and in return, she should help him within her means.
"Liu Ying, do you think people from the Central Plains can't befriend people from the desert?" Xue Qing asked, puzzled.
"Then what are you to me? I've also spent six years in the desert," Liu Ying retorted.
“They are wild, you are domesticated. If all the people in the desert were as cute as you, the world would be at peace long ago,” Xue Qing said, pinching Liu Ying’s cheek.
If they were to fight in the desert again someday, I wonder which side Bai Xichen would side with... He would probably run away as fast as he could, Xue Qing thought sadly, realizing the unchangeable nature of the master and servant.
A group of people returned from the main peak, and Fang'er reported that Dong Chou had returned. Wasn't Dong Chou building a house on the main peak with Xiao Guiying? Why did he suddenly return? Xue Qing continued to ask, and Fang'er said, "Abbot Chan Kong of Shaolin Temple has arrived, and Young Master Dong Chou wants to personally arrange accommodations for the abbot."
“Uncle-Master, now that the abbot has come, you should go and greet him,” said Liuying, who was lying on the bed.
That's the downside of being born into a high-ranking family; you always have to eat, drink, and chat with them. Xue Qing sighed, "Okay, I'll go check on you. If you're not feeling well, just rest." But then Xue Qing felt there was something ambiguous about it, as if it were Liu Ying being pregnant.
Following Fang'er along the path, they quickly caught up with Dong Chou, who was leading a monk to a side room.
"Second Senior Brother!" Xue Qing called out to them from behind.
"Junior sister, you've come at the right time. This is Abbot Chankong of Shaolin Temple. It was not easy to persuade him to come out of the mountains." Dongchou happily introduced Xue Qing.
Xue Qing's eyes had turned into tiny green beans, and she and Abbot Chan Kong were exchanging disdainful glances.
"That old liar, Abbot..." Xue Qing greeted him.
“Amitabha, this is the will of Heaven. If you had given me one tael of silver yesterday, I could have hired sedan chair carriers to carry me up the mountain. But alas, my old arms and legs are so weak. You are truly heartless.” Abbot Chankong accused Xue Qing of her crimes.
Xue Qing knew that as a sensible and good girl, she should say something nice to ease the awkward atmosphere, but she couldn't say a single kind word to this disrespectful old man.
"Abbot, have you met my junior sister?" Dongchou asked curiously after hearing the strange conversation between the two.
"To be honest, Brother Dongchou, before I left the mountain this time, I observed the stars last night and saw that a wicked and stubborn demon star was descending upon the world, causing my junior sister to refuse to offer even a single tael of silver to Buddha. She will surely go to hell after she dies. However, considering my friendship with you, Brother Dongchou, I have decided to help you this once," Abbot Chankong said, pointing at Xue Qing. "I will reform her before she goes to hell!"
"Really? Good luck!" Xue Qing said expressionlessly. Interesting, her professors had tried to persuade her for two years but still couldn't get her to pass the exam.
"Abbot, don't stoop to the level of a child. Fang'er, go and stew a bowl of bird's nest for the abbot," Dongchou said with a smile.
Upon hearing about bird's nest, Abbot Chankong was overjoyed: "Brother Dongchou, you're the best! I will chant sutras for you every day to protect you from all evil."
Xue Qing was frustrated. Had she really been abandoned by Buddha just like that, simply because she opposed superstition and didn't give the charlatan a single tael of silver?! Was she being rejected by the Shaolin Temple because of a mere tael of silver?!
"Abbot, please stay here for the day. Daoist Siyou and Abbess Dingni should arrive tomorrow. We hope the three seniors will witness the Qilin Alliance." Dongchou led Abbot Chankong into the side room.
"What? The nun is coming? Brother Dongchou, quickly lend me some silver! I've traveled a long way and I'm covered in dust. My clothes are tattered and I can't possibly be seen in public!" Abbot Chankong excitedly tugged at Dongchou.
"Clothes... such a small matter, my junior sister can accompany you to buy a few more." Dongchou said helplessly.
"I'm not going." Xue Qing stated clearly that the old monk was too awful.
“Amitabha, Benefactor Xue, outward beauty will fade sooner or later, and then your ugly heart will be exposed. Give this old monk a chance to reform you, and also give yourself a chance to repent so that you can ascend to the Pure Land sooner.” Abbot Chankong compassionately instructed Xue Qing.
“Abbot, with such a beautiful soul, you will surely ascend to paradise before me,” Xue Qing said sincerely.
Tong Chou was getting a headache from their back-and-forth arguing, so he called Xue Qing aside and said, "Do you remember what you promised me back in Goulou Mountain? You said that as long as I didn't put wine in the mushroom soup, you would definitely repay me in the future."
Xue Qing had a bad feeling. She had indeed said those words. At that time, the only thing they could eat was mushroom soup. Dong Chou always tried to pour wine into the big pot of soup when they weren't paying attention. Xue Qing and Liu Ying couldn't stand in front of the big pot and watch him all day, so they had no choice but to resort to this tactic.
“Go, junior sister, take good care of the abbot. It’s not easy to invite him here,” Dongchou said, patting Xue Qing on the shoulder.
In the end, Xue Qing still had to accompany the old monk to the street and lead him into the tailor shop. Several transmigrated women had done this job before!
"Demon Star, do you think this old monk looks good in this fabric?" Abbot Chankong held up the most expensive fabric in front of him and asked Xue Qing, no longer even addressing her as "benefactor."
"Please do as you please, sir." Xue Qing didn't even want to look at him. At your age, even if you were wearing gold, no one would want to see you.
“Amitabha, benefactor, please make these three kinds of cloth into a robe like the one I’m wearing,” Abbot Chankong said to the tailor, his hands clasped together.