Lu Qingqing had more or less figured out his identity.

The county magistrate’s son.

People said the magistrate’s son had his face burned in a fire and was disfigured.

He always wore a half-face mask and rarely went out.

His health was poor, and doctors were often summoned to the residence.

But when Lu Qingqing took his pulse, she knew—this wasn’t poor health. This was the look of someone on the verge of death!

He had been poisoned for a long time.

His pulse was chaotic and feeble.

Right now, he was unconscious because of a flare-up.

She had no idea what kind of poison it was, and frankly, she didn’t want to get involved.

This guy could keel over at any moment!

“Sis, should we drag him home first?” Xiao Xixi asked.

“Don’t randomly drag strangers home unless it’s Zhang Heng!”

“Who’s Zhang Heng?”

“Don’t ask. Let’s go! He’s got companions—they’ll be looking for him soon!”

Lu Qingqing grabbed Xiao Xixi’s hand and turned to leave.

But Xiao Xixi’s eyes widened. “He’s grabbing me…”

Lu Qingqing turned around reluctantly.

The man was still out cold.

No way he was grabbing anything.

Turns out—his pants leg had been hooked by a wooden pitchfork.

Unbelievable.

Xiao Xixi awkwardly untangled herself, glanced at the man on the ground.

“His mouth is bleeding!”

Blood, tinged with black, was trickling from his lips.

His ear, too.

He was bleeding from seven orifices.

If they left now, he wouldn’t last an incense stick’s time.

Lu Qingqing sighed. “Fine. I’m just too kindhearted for my own good.”

She would stabilize him for now—deal with the poisoning flare-up, then leave him.

Lu Qingqing swiftly tore open his shirt.

Good bone structure!

A perfect specimen—if only this era had medical donations!

Though his skin was blackened and clung tightly to bone, and he was riddled with scars, his bone structure was proportioned, refined—exceptional.

But wait.

He was supposedly the magistrate’s son… then why did his body look like it had been tortured?

These scars weren’t burn marks—they were cuts, gouges.

And he was poisoned by something strange.

Could he actually not be the magistrate’s son?

As Lu Qingqing’s mind raced, her hands never paused.

Xiao Xixi watched with wide eyes as silver needles flew into the man’s body one by one—like a performance.

So amazing!

Lu Qingqing was so amazing!

Soon, the man’s upper body was covered with needles.

Half of the 108-needle technique was already done.

This was Lu Qingqing’s own creation after studying hundreds of ancient acupuncture manuals—the “Even the Reaper Can’t Drag You Off” technique.

Even if someone was dying in the next second—this set could pull them back for at least six hours.

Next came the lower half.

“Xixi, what I’m about to do is my secret technique—you can’t watch. Turn around.”

Xiao Xixi obediently turned away.

But just as Lu Qingqing pulled off the man’s silver-edged belt, a hand clamped around her wrist.

What?

She’d sealed his consciousness earlier—he shouldn’t be able to move!

Lu Qingqing looked up.

His eyes were still shut, more blood bubbling from his mouth.

This time from chest congestion being forced out by the acupuncture.

The blood was nearly black sludge.

Lu Qingqing stuck a needle into his wrist, forcing him to release his grip.

Then in one motion—yanked off his pants.

“Let go—”

“Let go nothing! Let go and you die!”

What was there to see anyway—just a ham sausage and some quail eggs.

Lu Qingqing’s eyes widened.

Miserable. Truly miserable.

His lower body was also covered in scars.

Fresh ones, still scabbing—not a patch of good skin.

There was no way this man was the magistrate’s son.

But he had something to do with the magistrate.

Guanyuan, Tianshu… One needle after another, Lu Qingqing inserted over a dozen more.

Throughout, the man’s body occasionally tensed, as though he were fighting to regain consciousness.

His willpower was strong—Lu Qingqing wasn’t sure how long she had before he snapped out of it.

So after half an incense stick’s time, she pulled the needles.

His body was far too weak.

His belly was sunken.

Who knew how long he’d gone without food.

She didn’t dare continue the next round of acupuncture. Instead, she opened a water pouch and roughly washed the blood off his lips.

Then shoved a piece of orange candy into his mouth.

And like magic—his tense body suddenly relaxed.

Huh, so he likes sweets.

Lu Qingqing flipped him over and began needling his back.

…

Acupuncture complete.

Just as she was pulling up his pants—hadn’t even re-tied the belt—she heard the flapping of startled birds overhead.

His companions were nearby! They had to go!

The man’s eyelids had begun twitching—the treatment was working.

He was about to wake.

“I treated him, so I’m collecting a consultation fee. This jade—mine now!”

Embedded in his silver belt was an oval white jade. Nothing precious, but fair enough as payment.

Lu Qingqing pried it loose, hurriedly tied his belt, then grabbed Xiao Xixi and ran.

They bolted down the mountain like wild dogs were chasing them.

Xiao Xixi, panting, asked, “Why are we running if we saved him?”

“Xixi, remember this—saving someone doesn’t guarantee a reward. That guy, dressed richly but covered in wounds… his identity is a mystery. Saving him might bring fortune—or it might bring death.

Better safe than sorry. The world’s full of people who repay kindness with betrayal.”

Xiao Xixi nodded thoughtfully.

He got it.

Like their neighbor, Uncle Ma—the one with the pockmarked face—who let his goats eat Grandma’s spinach and even chopped down their peach tree.

Just because they were an old widow and a little kid—easy to bully.

But Grandma said when their father was alive, he helped Uncle Ma a lot—even built his house for free.

..

Back at the Lu house.

Lu Yun leapt off the donkey cart, energized, carrying an empty basket.

“Lu Yun-ge!”

“Xiao San?”

Li San shuffled forward, sheepish.

“My brother told me to tell you—we don’t need your sister to check on our father anymore. We found the cure.”

“Oh? What medicine? What illness did your dad and brother have?”

“We don’t really know. My mother asked an old medicine woman from the next village. She said it’s some kind of soft-bone issue—missing something in the bones.”

Lu Yun, now obsessed with herbs, pressed for details: “What kind of medicine? Your stingy mom willing to pay for it?”

Li San looked embarrassed. “Didn’t cost much. Just some red clay from that slippery hill we played on as kids. Mix it with eucommia bark, drink it for a month.”

“Drinking dirt?! Are you insane?!”

“It works! Really! My dad says he’s feeling a bit stronger already.”

Lu Yun frowned—it didn’t sound trustworthy.

But Lu Qingqing had told him: everything in nature can be medicine.

As long as you understand dosage, even poison can heal.

He decided to ask her when she got back.

“Lu Yun-ge, there’s one more thing…” Li San mumbled like he was guilty of something.

“Spit it out already!”

“Well, um… I went to work at the Wan family’s cloth shop.”

The Wan family’s store—the one that fired Lu Yun.

The largest textile shop in town.

Getting a job there was tough—each hire picked from over a hundred applicants.

If it were before, Lu Yun would’ve felt bitter.

But now?

Wan family’s store? What a joke!

“Congrats. Do a good job. But listen—watch out for Steward Li. That guy loves sneaking around to catch people and dock their pay…”

Lu Yun rattled off a list of warnings.

Li San was almost in tears.

“I thought you’d be mad, Lu Yun-ge. You’re really good to me.”

“Why would I be mad? Don’t be ridiculous.”

I just earned in one basket of herbs what you’ll make in months.