A few baskets of unsold Spiritual Peaches were piled in the corner, emitting a faint fruity fragrance;
On an old wooden table, there were a few plates of homemade dishes, and a bowl of steaming hot Spirit Grain Porridge was emitting wisps of steam.
"Sigh, how can we live through this year?"
An elderly man with a dark face and graying temples looked at the Spiritual Peaches in the corner and let out a heavy sigh.
He was Lin Qiongyu’s father, an ordinary loose cultivator and fruit farmer.
"Indeed," said the woman next to him, who was mending clothes, her face filled with worry. "I heard the Wei Family will lower the price for peaches again tomorrow. If this continues, we’ll barely have Spirit Stones for Jin’er’s medicine, let alone enough for our family to live on."
"Dad, Mom, don’t worry."
Lin Qiongyu carried a freshly served bowl of porridge, feigning a lighthearted demeanor,
"There will always be a way out. I’ll ask around tomorrow and see if there’s any work available. Regardless... I won’t let our family go hungry."
She gently placed the bowl of porridge in front of a small, frail figure at the side of the table.
It was a young girl, quietly sitting in a specially made wooden wheelchair.
She had a delicate face like a porcelain doll, yet it was sickly pale.
Her inky black, slightly curly long hair draped over her shoulders, making her petite frame appear even more fragile and vulnerable.
This was Lin Qiongyu’s sister, Lin Jin.
She sat quietly, neither crying nor smiling, nor speaking.
Her originally adorable almond eyes were like a still pond, without a trace of emotion.
Lin Qiongyu picked up a spoon with heartache, scooped a spoonful of warm porridge, gently blew on it, and brought it to her sister’s lips, her voice soft: "Jin’er, come on, open your mouth. Drinking the porridge will help you recover faster."
Lin Jin seemed not to hear her, just stared blankly ahead.
Lin Qiongyu wasn’t irritated, just patiently repeating, over and over, until her sister’s pale little mouth finally opened a small crack mechanically.
Just then, a series of rough knocks at the door broke the silence inside the room.
The elderly couple’s faces changed, looking flustered.
Lin Qiongyu’s body tensed for a brief moment but quickly regained composure. She put down the bowl and softly said to her parents, "Dad, Mom, you eat first. I’ll go have a look."
She stood up and walked towards the door.
Behind her, Lin Jin, who had been as quiet as a puppet, her empty gaze shifted slightly, landing on her sister’s departing figure.
...
Lin Qiongyu opened the door, and sure enough, the three familiar figures stood outside.
"Hey, our Miss Lin, how long do you plan on hiding?" said the tall leading female cultivator, arms crossed, with a mocking smile.
"Sister Zhang," Lin Qiongyu spoke with dignity, "We agreed on ten days, and today is only the seventh day, you all..."
"What? Can’t we come earlier to check on you? Afraid you’ll run off with your sickly sister?" another female cultivator sneered.
"The Spirit Stones I borrowed were for buying life-extending Pills for Jin’er, I remember every penny. I will return it all in ten days," Lin Qiongyu clenched her fist, keeping her tone calm.
Out of necessity, she had to borrow Spirit Stones from the Zhang sisters.
The Zhang sisters, with their cultivation in the middle period of Qi Cultivation, had associated themselves with a steward of the Wei Family, gaining quite a reputation in the West Market, albeit infamy.
For they often coerced and enticed loose cultivators into taking high-interest loans.
Though Lin Qiongyu was aware of the sisters’ notoriety, her sister’s grave illness left her desperate...
"Return? With what?"
The tall female cultivator stepped forward, using her brightly painted nails to poke Lin Qiongyu’s chest flirtatiously,
"By selling laughter at the Cloud Clothing Pavilion? Or have you finally thought it through, ready to trade your body for Spirit Stones? You should’ve said so earlier! There are cultivators lining from the West Market to the East Market eager to taste you!"
The female cultivator beside her covered her mouth, snickering: "Sister, don’t say that. Our Fairy Lin here is all about pride now! Word is, she’s going to rely on herself, ready to go down the path of arduous cultivation."
All three of them showed glee at her misfortune.
Lin Qiongyu had gained fame in the West Market with her beauty, making them quite envious.
But alas, she was part of Cloud Clothing Pavilion, untouchable...
Yet now, for some reason, Lin Qiongyu seemed to have taken the wrong medicine and quit Cloud Clothing Pavilion.
"Rely on herself?" The first female cultivator laughed as though she had heard the funniest joke in the world, "With her half-assed cultivation? Don’t joke! Some women are just lucky to be born with a vixen face, banking on seducing a man for a rise to the top. Ha... I bet she’s practicing some shady dual cultivation technique!"
"But a slut is what she is!"
Those last two words, like poisoned needles, pierced deeply into Lin Qiongyu’s heart.
The truth is often the most hurtful...
The girl gritted her teeth, nails digging deep into her palms, and said word by word, "I am not a slut..."
She knew she wasn’t a good person.
She had used her looks to deceive male cultivators for resources, like Xue Chengjun...
But she had never sold her body, nor practiced any forbidden dual-cultivation technique!
"Not?"
The tall female cultivator sneered, seeing Lin Qiongyu in a sorry state, deriving immense satisfaction from it.
This was exactly the outcome she desired.
She wanted to crush this once dazzling woman, tearing apart her false facade.
"Girls, let’s go."
Having achieved their goal of humiliation, the Zhang sisters were uninterested in wasting more time there.
They swayed their hips, laughing harshly as they left, leaving behind one last sentence:
"Remember, Miss Lin, three days. Fail to repay the Spirit Stones, and don’t blame us for selling your sickly sister to the black market to settle the debt!"
Lin Qiongyu bit her lip fiercely, letting the taste of blood fill her mouth.
She slowly closed the door, leaning against its cold surface, and slid weakly to the ground.
"Qiongyu, what’s wrong..." Her mother came from the inner room upon hearing the sound. Seeing her daughter’s lost demeanor, her heart ached.
Lin Qiongyu forced out a smile, shook her head, and said hoarsely, "Mom, I’m fine. Just... a bit tired."
She didn’t want her parents to worry about her.
She stood up, returned to the table, and continued feeding the now slightly cooled porridge to her puppet-like sister, mouthful by mouthful.
Only in doing so could she find a sliver of meaning in her existence...
Seeing her daughter putting up such a strong front, her long silent father suddenly slammed the table, saying sternly, "To hell with it! Enough is enough!"
He looked at his startled wife and daughter, speaking each word with determination: "Tomorrow, I’ll go to Lisong Valley for recruitment! Offending the Wei Family is still better than... this!"
These words, like a thunderstorm out of a clear sky, left both Lin Qiongyu and her mother stunned.
Going to Lisong Valley?
Wasn’t that asking to be devoured by wolves?
Everyone knew the Wei Family dominated the Peach Mountain District, and Steward Wei never let grudges slide.
Lately, Steward Wei had openly left Lisong Valley, taking eight disciples to Wei Family’s Peach Garden.
Though no word had emerged from Steward Wei, entering Lisong Valley now would certainly make one a thorn in the Wei Family’s side!
"Lisong Valley..."
Lin Qiongyu murmured to herself as her icy nails traced her soft cheek.
Slut...
Since they all claimed she was a slut, why not truly become one...
"Dad, Mom, please don’t interfere for now... Qiongyu has another plan!"