Sixteen Frames

"I haven't even had a bite yet!" At the rate it ate, how many would she have to roast to satisfy it? Qiao Ranran's first thought was that she hadn't prepared nearly enough seasoning. Ignoring its pleading gaze, she tore off a chicken leg and took a bite.

That juicy, fragrant chicken—now this was what it meant to be alive!

The Spirit Jade Rabbit leader was remarkably well-behaved. It watched Qiao Ranran eat with longing, as if it had never considered how easily it could snatch the food from her with its strength.

Then another aroma rose beneath the smell of roasting meat.

Qiao Ranran's eyes lit up. While roasting the meat, she had buried the plant roots beside the fire. Now that she'd eaten, the meat felt a little rich; a few bites of something starchy, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, would be perfect. Better yet, she had all kinds of fresh fruit at hand.

This was the life she was supposed to have!

It was as though a door to a new world had opened for the Spirit Jade Rabbit leader, too. Born and raised here, it had only occasionally seen cultivators from the Profound Heart Sect. It had never seen cooked food, much less known that cooking could make food taste like something from another world.

Qiao Ranran tried a little of everything and gave it all she couldn't finish. Even so, she couldn't fill its bottomless stomach.

Full and content, Qiao Ranran spread her hands. "There's nothing I can do. Look how big you are! How much food would I have to make to fill you up?" She gestured at the difference between them. "I ate this little. How much did you eat?" Almost all the food the little rabbits had gathered had ended up in its stomach.

And it still wasn't enough! Yet this human seemed to have packed up and was getting ready to leave.

The Spirit Jade Rabbit leader: The door to a new world has only just opened, and it's already closing in my face.

Qiao Ranran had given him three days, but Pei Ling found the remaining Spirit Plants well before then. He carefully checked their ages and medicinal properties, only accepting them once he was sure they met her requirements.

Afterward, he paused. Why am I being so obedient?

Then he reconsidered. This was to cure the poison in his body. He had never met a Medicine Cultivator whose requirements were so exacting, but Qiao Ranran had said she could cure him. That alone was reason enough to indulge these minor demands.

Besides, he had no wish to hear her lecture him again because some Spirit Plant fell short of her standards.

But when he reached Qiao Ranran's little wooden cabin, she wasn't home. She'd said she would prepare the medicine there, yet she was nowhere to be found?

A moment later, he spotted her trudging toward him from afar. She was unharmed and radiant, with a rabbit clinging to her leg. She seemed to be doing quite well for herself.

Pei Ling: Hah.

Qiao Ranran looked up and saw Pei Ling standing outside her cabin. The handsome young man's eyes were bright and clear, as though the despair and gloom she'd seen when they first met had been her imagination. Though only a day or two had passed, his smile seemed more natural, too.

Had he let down his guard and opened his heart? Qiao Ranran didn't think so. Rather, the young man had grown more adept at hiding himself.

"You're here, Junior Brother!"

Her easy greeting made Pei Ling raise an eyebrow, though his gaze settled on the tagalong clinging to her leg.

The well-behaved "lop-eared rabbit" shrank back innocently, trying its best to hide. Unfortunately, even smaller, its round body was conspicuous—especially with all that wonderfully soft, long fur.

There was nowhere to hide.

But it was willing to risk everything for a bite to eat. It had abandoned its underlings and latched firmly onto Qiao Ranran's leg. Even though this human who had appeared out of nowhere felt terribly dangerous, it refused to let go!

"Did you go to the back mountain, Senior Sister?" Pei Ling asked with a smile. "Is this tonight's dinner?"

The Spirit Jade Rabbit leader: What?!

It had come to mooch food and drink, not to offer itself up as dinner!

Rabbit really was delicious, but she had shared a meal with this one. Qiao Ranran reached down to rub its ears and smiled. "No, this is my friend. It came along for a visit."

"Oh." Pei Ling let the matter drop. It was only a Spirit Jade Rabbit. Even if it was the leader, he could pin it down with one finger. It wasn't worth his attention. "I found the Spirit Plants. Is there anything else you need me to help with, Senior Sister?"

Qiao Ranran waved a hand. "Not for now. I said three days, and I won't run late. You can rest easy, Junior Brother."

Pei Ling smiled. He wasn't worried. If anything, he hoped Qiao Ranran would do something unexpected. Wouldn't that be more fun?

Chapter 16: Sixteen Frames

The poison in Pei Ling's body would not be easy to cure, and Qiao Ranran knew it. If she waited until she reached the Golden Core stage, the attempt might be much simpler. By then, however, the poison might have spread through his entire body and even invaded his consciousness. That would bring a different sort of difficulty.

She might as well take the risk now. If she failed, she could always use her needles to seal the poison away temporarily. It was an irresponsibly casual plan.

The main thing was that Qiao Ranran understood she was probably the only person in this world who knew this needlework Spell Art. If Pei Ling's poison was to be cured, she would have to do it. Even if her cultivation improved, the difficulty of curing him would multiply. Better to try sooner.

At least Pei Ling would suffer less. A healer's heart was hard to deny. Though Qiao Ranran had sworn she would stop going out of her way to help people, she still couldn't help stepping in when faced with something like this.

Besides, she was getting paid.

Qiao Ranran spent a day preparing the medicinal decoction. When it was ready, Pei Ling visited again.

Seeing him standing alone outside her little cabin, Qiao Ranran felt a sudden pang of sadness. What was going on with the Profound Heart Sect? Was this how they treated all their disciples?

Ranking List

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Xianxia Fiction