Qing Lin Acknowledges Her Master

In the blink of an eye, the night had passed.

For the entire night, Su Zhao had been refining pills, one batch after another.

Spirit Recovery Pills, Essence Cultivation Pills, Qi Nourishing Pills... all manner of restorative and nourishing medicinal pills came out of the furnace in turn. The fragrance of pills permeated the entire room, and even the night breeze outside the window carried a faint, sweet medicinal scent.

It was not until dawn on the second day that the door slowly opened.

Su Zhao stepped outside and stretched wearily. A slight soreness ran through his shoulders and neck. Even with his current soul power, refining pills for an entire night had left him looking somewhat fatigued.

Still, seeing the rows of smooth, lustrous pills in his storage ring, a satisfied smile curled across his lips.

Qing Lin was waiting outside the door.

Her small figure stood in the morning light, holding a rough porcelain bowl filled with clear warm water.

When she saw Su Zhao emerge, she hurried forward and carefully offered him the bowl. Her voice was crisp as she said, "Big Brother, I saw the light in your room was on all night. You must be exhausted. Have some water."

Su Zhao froze for a moment, then smiled and accepted the bowl, draining it in one gulp. The warm water flowed down his throat, dispelling some of the dry heat brought on by a night of pill refinement.

He reached out and rubbed Qing Lin's hair. "Qing Lin is so considerate."

"Hehe."

Qing Lin grinned, revealing a row of little white teeth.

She was still a child, after all. A little praise was enough to make her immensely happy, and her blue-green eyes brimmed with pure delight.

After chatting with Qing Lin for a few more moments, Xiao Yi Xian also walked over.

She had changed into a neat set of light-colored clothes today, clearly having risen early as well.

Su Zhao handed the empty bowl to Qing Lin, then turned and headed toward the side room on the left, where Qing Lin's mother, Qing Shuang, lay.

He pushed open the door, and the room was softly yet brightly lit.

After a night of recuperation, Qing Shuang's complexion had improved somewhat from yesterday, though only slightly.

Su Zhao walked to the bedside and took out the fourth-grade Spirit Recovery Pill he had refined the previous night from his storage ring.

The pill was smooth and lustrous throughout, glimmering with a faint azure light. He bent down and placed it in Qing Shuang's mouth. The pill melted as soon as it entered, turning into a gentle torrent of energy that flowed down her throat and into every part of her body.

In an instant, Qing Shuang, who had been incomparably weak, felt her body grow faintly warm. The warmth was like the spring sun—gentle and enduring—as it spread from deep within her dantian, flowing through her parched meridians, withered flesh, and failing organs.

Her body, which had held not a trace of strength before, seemed to regain some power. Her fingers twitched lightly, and in the next moment, one hand slowly rose.

Even Qing Shuang was stunned. Looking at her raised, withered hand, disbelief surged into her eyes.

Su Zhao smiled faintly and straightened up.

"Big Brother! Mother's hand can move!"

Qing Lin excitedly threw herself to the bedside and tightly grasped her mother's hand. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her smile was especially radiant.

At this moment, Qing Shuang had undergone a complete transformation compared to before taking the pill.

Her pale, bloodless face had gained a slight flush, and some clarity had returned to her once-dull eyes. Her breathing had become deep and steady.

Though she was still painfully thin, anyone could see that her condition was far, far better than it had been yesterday.

Qing Shuang slowly opened her eyes. She looked blankly at her raised hand, then at Su Zhao standing beside the bed. Her voice was still slightly hoarse. "I... what is this?"

She knew her own body better than anyone.

For years, she had worked day and night to support the family. Her body had long been like a candle flickering in the wind, and she had even prepared herself to leave at any moment.

Yet now, she could feel a renewed vitality rising within her. Though she was still weak, it was an entirely different kind of weakness—the temporary weakness of a body in recovery, not the near-death exhaustion of one at the end of its rope.

Was this the wonder of an alchemist? A single pill could actually have such heaven-defying effects!

She even struggled to sit up, but Su Zhao raised a hand to stop her. "Don't move yet. Although the Spirit Recovery Pill has replenished the depleted vitality in your body, you have been weak for too long. One Spirit Recovery Pill is still far from enough to make you fully recover. For now, it is best to lie quietly and rest. It will take at least a month for you to recover completely."

Upon hearing this, Qing Shuang lay back down and stopped moving.

"Lord Alchemist, I do not know how I can thank you... This servant is named Qing Shuang. Your kindness cannot be repaid. Once I recover, for the rest of my life, I am willing to serve you as a slave or servant to repay this life-saving grace."

Su Zhao had wanted to refuse, but when he saw the determination in Qing Shuang's eyes, then looked at Qing Lin standing by the bed, clutching the corner of her mother's clothes with earnest eyes, the words of refusal at his lips were swallowed back down.

He knew that for people like Qing Shuang, charity would only make them uneasy. Only by allowing them to offer something in return would they truly find peace of mind.

After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded. "All right. But there is no need to call yourself a slave or servant. Just stay in the courtyard and help manage the daily affairs. I will not treat you and your daughter poorly."

Qing Shuang nodded slightly, then turned to Qing Lin. Her tone was gentle but solemn. "Qing Lin, kneel."

Qing Lin blinked in surprise, but did not hesitate. She obediently knelt before Su Zhao.

"From this day onward, acknowledge my lord as your master."

"Serve my lord well and listen to his words. You and I will never be able to repay his kindness in a lifetime."

Qing Lin nodded heavily. Raising her still-childish little face, she looked earnestly at Su Zhao. "Qing Lin will definitely take good care of Young Master from now on. Qing Lin will follow Young Master for the rest of her life!"

Looking at the little girl kneeling before him with her upturned face and eyes full of sincerity, Su Zhao's heart softened slightly. He reached out to pull her up, then flicked the stray hair from her forehead. "All right, all right. Get up. No more Young Master this or Young Master that. Just call me Big Brother as before."

But Qing Lin stubbornly shook her head. "No! Young Master is Young Master! Mother said we must repay Young Master properly. Qing Lin will be Young Master's maid from now on!"

Su Zhao smiled helplessly and could not be bothered to correct her further.

After all those twists and turns, Qing Lin had ultimately become his maid. But calling her a maid was one thing—Su Zhao did not truly regard her as one. Rather than a maid, it was more like gaining another little sister.

For the next month, Su Zhao and Xiao Yi Xian remained in Desert City, not rushing to depart in search of the Heavenly Flames.

Over that month, Qing Shuang's condition steadily improved.

Under the combined effects of the Spirit Recovery Pills and numerous restorative pills, her body, depleted to the extreme, began to slowly recover. Her sallow complexion turned rosy, and her dry hair regained its luster. Though she still could not do heavy work, she could already get out of bed, walk around, and sit in the courtyard to bask in the sun.

The smile on Qing Lin's face grew more frequent as well.

That month could be called the happiest time she had experienced since birth. There were no more beatings or scorn everywhere she went, no more days spent in constant fear. Young Master and Elder Sister both treated her especially well.

She loved such days dearly. She did not have any great wishes now—she only hoped she could remain beside Young Master and Elder Sister forever. A lifetime would be enough.