Thirteen Frames

The corners of the young man's mouth lifted, as though he were smiling. "I haven't thanked you yet, Senior Sister, for saving my life."

That pause after "Senior Sister" lent the words an unexpected tenderness, like a little hand brushing Qiao Ranran's ear. A tickle crept toward her heart.

"So, when are you going to pay my fee, Junior Brother?"

Pei Ling's fingers twitched. He looked at the slender, lovely girl before him. In the days since they had last met, she had not only drawn qi into her body but also joined the Profound Heart Sect.

She was full of surprises.

Chapter 13: Thirteen Frames

Qi Zhuoyu was astonished. "Junior Sister, you know how to treat Junior Brother's injuries?"

Qiao Ranran suddenly understood. "Senior Brother Qi, did you bring Junior Brother here to see Master?" The newcomer was injured and poisoned. After her treatment with silver needles, most people would probably struggle to treat him. And in the Profound Heart Sect, her master, Xi Lingge, likely had the best medical skills.

Sure enough, Qi Zhuoyu nodded.

Qiao Ranran glanced awkwardly toward the cave residence where Xi Lingge was in seclusion. "Senior Brother Qi, you know..."

Qi Zhuoyu smiled. "I know, I know. I just brought Junior Brother to learn the way here and see whether Uncle-Master Xi was around. As for Junior Brother's injuries..." A thought occurred to him, and his smile deepened. "You can treat them, can't you?"

Qiao Ranran hesitated for a moment. "I can, but—"

There had to be a "but."

Qi Zhuoyu said, "But?"

Qiao Ranran spread her hands. "I don't have any spirit plants, so I can't refine pills. And I have no money, no Spirit Stones. I can't buy anything." As she spoke, she cast a seemingly casual glance at Junior Brother.

Qi Zhuoyu glanced at Pei Ling—Junior Brother Pei Ling—then looked back at Qiao Ranran. "In other words, if you had spirit plants, you could refine pills and treat him?"

Qiao Ranran nodded.

Qi Zhuoyu found this new junior sister fascinating. He couldn't make sense of Junior Brother's injuries himself, but the person who had brought him back was Uncle-Master Nie Gui: the most unruly member of the Profound Heart Sect, yet also its strongest and most knowledgeable. Uncle-Master Nie had said Junior Brother was injured and told Qi Zhuoyu to bring him straight here. Qi Zhuoyu had known Uncle-Master Xi had only just entered seclusion and would surely be unavailable. He hadn't expected to find Qiao Ranran, a treasure among mortals, instead.

Qi Zhuoyu turned to Pei Ling. "Junior Brother, did you hear that?"

Pei Ling looked expressionless and hard to approach, but he nodded readily, almost obediently.

So Qi Zhuoyu said with a smile, "Junior Brother doesn't talk much, but that's all right. Junior Sister, tell him what you need and let him find it himself. Once he does, you can treat him. If he can't, he'll just have to endure it."

Qiao Ranran: "..." This sect was something else!

And Qi Zhuoyu hadn't questioned for a moment whether Qiao Ranran, at her current level, could treat Junior Brother's injuries. He hadn't even suggested waiting for Xi Lingge to take a look. Did he trust Qiao Ranran that blindly, or did he consider this newly acquired junior brother unimportant?

Looking relieved, Qi Zhuoyu left the new junior brother at the junior sister's door. Then, claiming he had something to take care of, he turned and walked away.

Junior Sister was interesting, and Junior Brother seemed interesting too. They could surely work it out between themselves. Qi Zhuoyu saw no problem.

Pei Ling saw no great problem either. He had come to the Profound Heart Sect with another purpose in mind; running into Qiao Ranran was an unexpected bonus.

As for his injuries and poison, it wasn't that he had never considered dealing with them. But the poison had stayed with him throughout his previous life. It had almost become part of him, so hearing someone casually say it could be cured felt strange.

Someone seemed to have told him in his previous life that there was a person who could cure the poison. Only...

Only what? He couldn't remember. It couldn't have been important, or he wouldn't have forgotten.

"Senior Sister, what would you have me do?"

Seeing the young man address her so earnestly, Qiao Ranran was the one who lost her composure. She waved her hands. "Nothing, nothing. I don't have any orders for you. Hurry along and cultivate, Junior Brother!"

"Oh," Pei Ling said, looking as though he had just realized something. "So you lied to Senior Brother Qi just now, Senior Sister? And to me?"

Qiao Ranran: Something's off about you, young man!

"So you can't actually heal my injuries..."

His expression hadn't changed. Neither had his tone, and his eyes were as fathomless as ever. Yet Qiao Ranran somehow heard hurt and disappointment in his voice.

Qiao Ranran: I must be imagining it.

"I can heal them," Qiao Ranran said, then added more firmly, "I really can."

"But you haven't told me which spirit plants you need, so I don't know what to prepare." That was hardly different from lying.

Qiao Ranran smiled. "I see. Then let me explain my rules to you, Junior Brother."

Pei Ling said nothing. He simply watched her.

"I don't treat anyone a second time if they still owe me a fee."

Pei Ling, who owed her money: "..." He never would have guessed that was the reason. For a moment there, he really had thought Qiao Ranran was joking. Talented as she was, she had only just reached the Qi Refining Stage. But remembering her acupuncture technique, he thought she might genuinely be able to do it in a few years, once her cultivation caught up.

"So until you pay your fee in full, Junior Brother, I won't treat you again."

Pei Ling took out a Storage Bag and held it out to Qiao Ranran.

Qiao Ranran asked, "What's this?"

"My fee."

She had no idea how many Spirit Stones the bag held, but judging by how readily he handed it over, the young man certainly wasn't short of money. Qiao Ranran accepted it happily, unconcerned with the amount. However many Spirit Stones were inside, the Storage Bag alone was worth the fee.

"Thank you for your business. Please come again."

The corners of Pei Ling's mouth lifted, as though he wanted to smile.

Ranking List

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Transmigration into a Book

Sweet Romance

Time-Travel and Rebirth Romance

Big Black Loves Fish

Double Rebirth

Xianxia Fiction