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A unique scent of herbal medicine wafted through the air.

Qin Niu found it marvelously surprising.

Now that the matter was essentially settled, he prepared to leave.

If a Tempering Elixir could save this old man, it would certainly be worth it. He rarely ever performed such kind acts.

The sight of the little girl’s hands reduced to that state at the Cultivation Market had moved him with her filial piety.

Moreover, since the child was so young, what would become of her if she lost her only relative?

Qin Niu also grew up depending solely on Old Man Liu, so hearing about the little girl’s situation resonated with him. Feeling a measure of commiseration, he decided to buy an extra Tempering Elixir.

To him now, a Tempering Elixir was of little consequence.

Yet, for this wobbly little household, it was a lifesaving elixir.

Xiao Qing, I’m leaving. Don’t go up the mountain to gather herbs alone anymore, it’s very dangerous, understand?”

Mhm!

She looked at Qin Niu with reluctant eyes.

This big brother was different from the others in society.

He helped their family without expecting anything in return, and she had never met such a kind-hearted person before.

What she had seen most were people deceiving each other, scheming for their own gain.

And why don’t you use a hoe when gathering herbs?

Qin Niu looked at her hands with concern.

Grandpa taught me that the best way to gather herbs is to dig them out by hand to ensure the roots remain intact as much as possible. Higher-quality herbs become worthless if the roots are damaged. I wanted to sell them for a good price, so I used my hands.”

Her voice grew fainter as she spoke.

The herbs she had painstakingly dug up, she never expected they wouldn’t sell at all.

It was a significant blow to her.

You can also use a hoe to appropriately expand the digging area, and after digging out the herbs, clean the dirt off the roots by hand,” Qin Niu suggested.

Okay, I’ll be careful next time.

The little girl nodded earnestly.

Qin Niu’s concern for her came from a genuine place, and this made her feel especially warm.

Take good care of yourself and your grandpa. I’ll come to see you when I get into the city again!”

After speaking, Qin Niu turned and left.

Big brother, thank you! You’re a good person!

She chased after him, standing at the doorway and shouting towards Qin Niu’s retreating figure.

Qin Niu simply raised his hand in a wave and strode away.

He needed to leave the city before the gates closed.

Since it was his first time in this unfamiliar alley, it took him some effort to find his way out. Walking through here felt like navigating a maze.

H

Big brother, big brother… something happened to Grandpa! Wuu wuu…

The little girl caught up, crying out to him.

“All…

H

Qin Niu glanced up at the sky, but in the end, decided to go back with her.

The little girl must have seen him as a second person she could rely on; otherwise, she wouldn’t have followed him so far to find him.

Stop crying, stop crying. I’ll come back with you and take a look.

Qin Niu took her small hand and hurried back to her home.

Once inside, he saw her grandfather lying on the bed, with traces of blood still at the corner of his mouth. Fresh bloodstains were also visible on the dirty quilt.

He must have coughed up blood during cultivation.

Old man, what has happened here?” Qin Niu asked the elder.

Failed…

The old man’s breath was faint and his complexion had turned a grayish-blue; looking at his condition, his life force seemed dim.

His gambler-like approach to cultivation inherently carried high risks.

Failure was not at all an uncommon occurrence.

Every time he thought that success was assured after taking an elixir, yet he met with failure again and again.

Young man, I’m not going to make it. The only thing I’m worried about is Xiao Qing! This child has been without parents since she was a baby, I picked her up from a battlefield… cough cough!”

As he spoke, the old man coughed violently.

Blood once again overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

But a rare flush of color spread across his face, indicating a brief rally before death.

Grandpa!

Xiao Qing cried her heart out.

It was likely the first time she had been told of her own origins.

Wars were incessant, banditry rampant, and natural disasters like floods, droughts, and insect plagues frequently occurred. Many children were abandoned or orphaned, left to fend for themselves.

Those who were lucky might get taken in by someone.

Unlucky foundlings were often devoured by wild beasts, birds, insects, or stray dogs.

Older children could be snatched by unscrupulous human traffickers and sold to wealthy households. Don’t imagine that they would live a good life from then on; once in a rich family, they were essentially enslaved forever.

Girls might be violated by their masters once they grew up and had to endure all manner of menial tasks. Sometimes, if they were pretty, they could even be given as gifts to currying favor with the powerful.

Boys had it even worse, with never-ending farm labor like cattle or horses.

Servants had what was known as ‘slave status,’ also referred to as ‘lowborn,’ and they lacked even the most basic human rights.

They were no different from the cats or dogs owned by their masters.

Qin Niu too had been adopted by Old Man Liu, and to this day, he still didn’t know who his parents were.

Children like him are too many.

Child, this was discovered inside your clothes. It’s possible that your ancestors were from a family of elixir-makers, and your parents have likely perished in the chaos of war.” The old man, trembling in his right hand, took out two things from under his pillow.

Because he didn’t grasp them well, they fell directly onto the bed.

One was a piece of robe torn off his body, on which two lines of blood that had turned brown were written.

Yao Xiaoqing, hoping for a kind-hearted person to provide foster care, please treat her well.”

Besides that, there was also an ancient-looking jade plaque.

It could be determined it wasn’t a waist plaque but looked more like a family heirloom of some sort.

H

And this ‘Medicine King Classic’ was also found on you!”

The old man laboriously took out a yellowed cultivation technique scroll.

Xiao Qing and I both cultivate from this technique… cough cough…

Perhaps mentioning this technique had triggered old pains. Stuck in the Fourdfold mortal realm for most of his life, never making a single inch of progress was the old man’s lifelong regret.

This technique progresses slowly; cultivating it seems to have some benefits for recognizing mountain herbs! If Xiao Qing finds a better technique, she may discard this one.”

The old man had picked up Xiao Qing from the battlefield along with a cultivation technique and must have been thrilled at the time.

Who knew that after practicing, it would become a quagmire.

If he had made an early decision to buy a better technique with the money spent on elixirs, perhaps he could have achieved greater success.

But in this life, there is no elixir of regret one could buy.

Young brother, I’ve never asked anyone for anything in my life, but this time I beg you to take care of Xiao Qing. It’s fine if she serves you as a slave or maid, just please treat her kindly,” the old man pled with a begging look in his eyes at Qin Niu.

Before his death, this was the one thing he couldn’t let go.

Xiao Qing was still young, lacking the ability to survive on her own in society.

Once Old Man Liu died, if the child was targeted by evildoers, her fate would certainly be tragic.

Qin Niu’s willingness to give a Tempering Elixir selflessly to save Old Man Liu was enough to show he was a kind-hearted person. Plus, being a respected Insect Master with a secured income,

living with such a person, even as a maid, Xiao Qing would not have too bad a life.

Grandpa…

Xiao Qing wept even harder, still young, but she understood her grandfather might not make it. The child’s heart was filled with fear, afraid of losing her only family member and worried about being alone and helpless after the death of the old man.

Child, kneel before Insect Master and kowtow, beg him to take you in!”

The old man insisted on a breath, compelling the child to move Qin Niu by kneeling and kowtowing.

The little girl knelt down and kowtowed to Qin Niu.

“Xiao Qing, get up, I will adopt you. As long as I have a bowl of porridge to drink, you’ll have a mouthful to eat,” Qin Niu said, facing a difficult choice.

He, a bachelor, the burden of adopting such a little girl was significant.

Reason told him not to take on such a “burden.

But faced with the old man’s dying request and the little girl kneeling and kowtowing, he was a flesh-and-blood human, not one to have an utterly unfeeling heart.

The old man, hearing Qin Niu’s agreement, let his neck weakly tilt to one side and slowly closed his eyes.

On his face was a rare hint of a smile.

Being able to find a good place for his granddaughter before dying, he died without regrets.

Life is indeed very short.

The old man hurried through life, ultimately leaving nothing behind.

Grandpa!

The little girl threw herself onto the old man, wailing and crying out heartbreakingly.

However, Qin Niu couldn’t afford to give her too much time to grieve.

Xiao Qing, I must leave the city before dark to get back. So, I don’t have much time to take care of your grandfather’s aftermath, and we must keep things simple. I will go to ask around first, and I’ll be right back,” he told her.

The little girl couldn’t speak, only crying mutely as she nodded her head.

Fortunately, with Qin Niu’s status as an Insect Master, he quickly found out what to do.

There are multiple ways to handle the deceased.

Bodies without claim can be reported to the officials, who then take care of them.

In cases with descendants or relatives, one may hold a mourning ceremony, allowing the deceased’s friends, acquaintances, and progeny to express their grief.

Another option, like Xiao Qing’s situation, is to keep things simple.

One could hire specifically trained merchants for the job.

Qin Niu spent a whole four silver money for a simple coffin, and the burial team carried the body out of the city to choose a hillside for interment. Paying someone to handle these matters was straightforward and efficient.

Processing the body’s exit from the city required paperwork, all handled by the burial team’s leader.

They were well-acquainted with the officials handling these matters, clearly understanding all the necessary procedures, making the burial process very efficient.

Moreover, the grave had actually been dug in advance.

If the deceased’s family or relatives wanted a special feng shui spot, it would cost extra.

Paying for a feng shui master, buying burial ground, fees for the burial team’s effort, refreshments, the total could become an astonishing sum. Then there’s the tombstone which also costs money; a grand marble stone could exceed forty silver money.

Naturally, Qin Niu wasn’t going to make things complicated, opting for simplicity.

Four silver money spent, the old man was buried smoothly. No gongs, no music bands—nothing of the sort was part of the deal.

Big brother, could you put up a stone headstone for my grandpa? I’m afraid this wooden marker will rot away and he’ll be lost,” the little girl pleaded, kneeling in front of the fresh mound, having cried herself into a figure of tears.

Crying it out seemed to have made things somewhat better for her.

With her grief expressed, she appeared much calmer.

Thinking of the wood marker rotting showed she had regained her capacity for normal thought.

Boss, here are five pieces of silver money, please erect a blue stone monument for this grave,” Qin Niu agreed to Xiao Qing’s request.

While the funeral director was still around, he hurriedly agreed to upgrade to a stone headstone. The free package only included a wood-engraved tombstone.