The secret was out, and it happened fast.
Nongli swallowed the roasted chicken, just as the hall master began pounding on the door outside, shouting for the chicken.
If one didn’t know the full story, Qingmu might have suspected that Nongli and the hall master were deliberately setting a trap to ensnare him, the overage apprentice.
But now, what could be done?
Qingmu pointed toward the inner room; Nongli understood and slipped inside. He took a deep breath and approached the door, bracing himself to face the hall master’s wrath upon discovering the alchemy furnace.
“My precious! My treasure!”
The hall master shouted furiously at Qingmu in front of the gathered apprentices, “How dare you eat my chicken?”
Qingmu had no choice but to admit defeat—Nongli was definitely not to be handed over.
Fortunately, the hall master didn’t search the room. Instead, he ordered Qingmu to be tied to a tree, his shirt removed to expose his back.
“Stealing from my spirit beast means punishment! From now on, you’ll work harder than the others to repay your debt!”
Compared to the previous civility shown to Qingmu, the hall master was now burning with rage. Holding a whip, he lashed at Qingmu’s back in front of everyone.
The whip cracked, tearing the skin and flesh on Qingmu’s back, causing him to grunt in pain.
Using one as an example to warn others was necessary. Qingmu’s theft of the hall master’s spirit beast was an unforgivable offense. If he didn’t assert his authority, the hall master’s reputation would be in tatters.
“I’m punishing you for stealing!”
“I’m punishing your greedy hands and mouth!”
The whip lashed again and again across Qingmu’s bare back, each stroke leaving fresh bloodstains on the smooth skin, causing onlookers to shudder.
Within the Six Flavors Hall, the hall master was a nightmare for every alchemy apprentice. Many were exploited like Qingmu. No one expected Qingmu to be so brazen as to steal the hall master’s treasured chicken, but seeing the hall master suffer this way brought some secret satisfaction.
Just as Qingmu’s expression started to falter from the pain, the vice hall master arrived, attempting to intervene, but the hall master struck harder when he saw this.
“Enough! If the hall master strikes again, someone might die!”
At that moment, a disciple from the Youjian Sect appeared and stepped forward to stop the enraged hall master.
“Is everything alright?”
Someone untied Qingmu. Dazed from the whipping, Qingmu looked up and recognized the disciple who had recently asked him to treat a junior disciple’s diarrhea.
“Cough, cough, I’m fine.”
Qingmu shook his head and was helped to a seat off to the side.
“Hmph! Making the immortal master look bad!”
The hall master glared coldly at Qingmu. If it weren’t for the Youjian disciple’s presence, he probably would have struck him again.
“There’s no need for the hall master to be so angry. A single spirit beast isn’t worth it. We of the Youjian Sect have plenty of spirit beasts—we’ll gift one to you.”
The disciple supporting Qingmu stepped forward and bowed to the hall master before continuing, “There’s a fox demon causing trouble in the Six Flavors Hall. From my observation, Brother Qingmu is not the type to steal. This matter still requires investigation.”
Offering to send a spirit beast was a subtle way to protect Qingmu, and the mention of the fox demon put pressure on the hall master.
The hall master had no grounds to continue pressing the issue. He waved his hand, “Ah, since the little immortal master says so… very well.”
He glanced at Qingmu, snorted coldly, and left.
“Haah… haah…”
The crowd gradually dispersed. Qingmu sat beneath the tree, gasping for breath, sweat beading on his pained back.
“Brother Qingmu, do you have any medicine here?”
The man was Qin Feng, whom Qingmu had met when treating his junior disciple’s illness.
Qingmu had a good impression of him from their earlier encounter, and seeing him now confirmed Qin Feng’s good character.
“I don’t have any healing medicines here, but I appreciate your kindness, Brother Qin Feng.”
“Shall I help you inside?”
“No need. Refining pills makes me overheated. I’ll cool off a bit.”
Qingmu glanced toward the alchemy room and shook his head.
He needed to stay in the courtyard to watch over Nongli, preventing her from revealing any more fox tails.
“Alright then.”
Qin Feng nodded, eyeing the pile of chicken bones by the furnace, and asked, “Brother Qingmu, did you really eat that chicken?”
“Mm.”
“You were pretty quick about it.”
“Everyone in the Six Flavors Hall is dissatisfied with the hall master. I’m no exception.”
Qingmu’s words hinted that he had planned this in advance.
“If so, next time don’t be so reckless.”
Qin Feng’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. He stood and said, “Thanks again, Brother Qingmu, for treating my junior disciple earlier. If you need anything, come to the courtyard where we stay. If there’s work, I won’t refuse.
Don’t worry about the spirit beast—those things are cheap to me.”
“Thanks a lot, brother!”
Qingmu clasped his fists in gratitude. Qin Feng appeared easy to talk to and soon left.
After Qin Feng departed, Qingmu’s earlier smile faded into cold calculation.
This Qin Feng was strange—was he just too good?
Could he have noticed something?
Looking at the sky, it was nearly dinner time. Qingmu felt hungry and was about to head to the dining hall when a disciple unexpectedly brought him food, commenting, “This tastes really good!”
Qingmu accepted the meal and gave a helpless smile.
After closing the door, Qingmu dragged his injured body back to the alchemy room and called Nongli to the bedroom.
At the table, he placed the food in front of her: a bowl of rice, cabbage soup, and pickled vegetables.
Nongli glanced at it and didn’t even smell it—she immediately backed away to a distance.
Qingmu had done this on purpose because he knew Nongli wouldn’t eat it.
“Well, after eating spirit beast chicken, how could you stomach this plain food?”
A pained grimace crossed Qingmu’s face as he winced sharply.
Nongli blinked, quietly approaching Qingmu’s back to examine the bloodstains.
She reached out and poked at them, making Qingmu gasp sharply from the pain.
“Don’t touch it—it—”
Before Qingmu could finish, a soft, warm, and wet sensation spread over his back.
It was Nongli licking the wounds with her tongue.
“Ahwoo…”
She grabbed Qingmu’s ribs, her gentle tongue covering the bloodied wounds she had just licked.
It felt somewhat comforting.
Qingmu unconsciously recalled how wild beasts lick their companions’ wounds when injured.
This could count as progress.
In truth, Qingmu had been suppressing the urge to beat Nongli up, but he figured he couldn’t overpower her anyway.
Now, with Nongli like this, he was somewhat pacified.
Just as he was feeling reassured, he noticed Nongli’s breathing suddenly grow heavy.
The next moment, sharp pain exploded on his back as Nongli began biting into his flesh.
Qingmu quickly turned and pushed her away.
Half-human, half-fox Nongli immediately pounced onto him, her eyes devoid of reason.
She opened a mouth full of sharp teeth and bit fiercely at his neck.
Foxes truly were beasts! She was trying to eat him!
…
……
“That’s right, Lady Nongli is the kindest person I’ve ever met. She’s a true vegetarian. Although she is of the fox race, she doesn’t eat meat and even gags and cries at the slightest scent of it.”
At the border of the Rose Kingdom, out in the wild, Lin Qiyou was together with several brave candidates sponsored by Nongli on a commission.
They were all hired by Lin Qiyou at great expense. The task was to find something she had lost in the wilderness.
The hero selection wouldn’t start for some time, so they didn’t mind earning some easy extra money.
For Lin Qiyou, this was an investment.
Her money was bait. In a little while, she would rob them all blind.
And their lives…