CHAPTER 43

New Start

LUO FAN

For the whole two months that Ruan Yanjun and I traveled together, we barely said a word to each other. His promise of sharing a room each night had been abandoned. At every inn, he had booked two separate rooms. We even ate apart.

We had turned to strangers and I had to admit the animosity between us was becoming unbearable as the days passed. If there was one upside, he had at least stopped teasing me.

When we returned to his residence, he didn’t even step out of the carriage. He left me at the front gate and continued straight to the imperial palace. I watched as the carriage disappeared into the distance. The sun was setting, yet he wouldn’t even rest before heading to the palace.

The guards at the gate looked just as puzzled as I felt. One bowed and said, “Priest Luo, please wait here. I’ll get you a carriage.”

“No need,” I replied. After days on the road, I was ready to stretch my legs. “I’d like to walk.”

One guard offered to escort me, and I made my way up to the third gate and into the main courtyard.

I found Huang Wen waiting for me, along with other disciples and servants. When they saw me, they all looked behind me, waiting for their master to show up.

“Lord Ruan has decided to go straight to the imperial palace,” I explained, catching their surprised expressions..

They all remained speechless, their jaws dropping.

Huang Wen was the first to recover. “Priest Luo, welcome back.”

I cupped my hands and returned their courtesy. “I won’t stay long. I’ve come to get Jinjing and leave immediately.”

“Miss Jinjing is resting. Why not stay the night?” he offered.

It was already dark, and Jinjing was likely exhausted after a full day’s work. It would be very inconsiderate of me to still drag her out and travel with me in the dark.

I reluctantly agreed and Huang Wen walked me back to my old chamber. As soon as the other disciples and servants were gone, he had dropped all formalities.

“What in the world is master thinking traveling at night?” he asked. “Does he have no regard for old Lin or the horses??”

“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me anything.”

“Did you two… have a fight?” he teased.

“There’s just a difference in our beliefs,” I replied. “He couldn’t get me on board with his grand scheme, so he dismissed me.”

“After everything that he’s done for you, he lets you off that easily?”

“That’s true.”

“Hmm.” He seemed to ponder for a moment, and then he shook his head. “That does not sound like my master. My master is a very calculating. He does not do something that does not benefit him. Even if he fails, he finds a way to make a profit out of a failure.”

The words he’d said made me pensive. He was right. Ruan Yanjun was indeed exactly like that.

But why did he let me go? Is it simply because he wanted to teach me a lesson?

Later that evening, after the servants cleared my dinner, I went to bed, resisting the urge to visit Jinjing, as she was likely fast asleep.

In the morning, I woke up early to find someone who could summon Jinjing over, but the moment I stepped out of the door, Jinjing was already standing there, waiting for me in the courtyard, but with her back to me.

For the first time, I saw more than just a shadow of her. I could see her long curly hair, her pale skin and her green dress.

As if she felt my presence, she turned her head around. “Fan!” she exclaimed and came running to me like a child.

“Fan!” she cried, rushing toward me, and I caught her in a tight embrace. It had been five months since I left her here.

“I missed you,” I whispered and pressed a kiss on her hair.

“I’ve been counting the days since you left.”

“And how many days was that?”

“A hundred and sixty two.”

“Oh, that’s far too long.”

“Yes.”

I pulled away so I could take a look at her face. “Let me see you,” I said as I lifted her chin.

She had a pair of big eyes, her cheeks were round and puffy and her mouth was very small, as small as one of her eyes.

I wished I could see more. I wanted to see the glow in her eyes the most, but my limited vision would not allow me.

I smiled and cupped the side of her face. “Look at you with that tiny mouth, how do you manage to be so loud?” I teased.

Her eyes widened. “Y-you… you can see?”

“Not perfectly yet, but enough to make out shapes and colors. I see your eyes, but not your eyeslashes.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, my eyelashes are short it’s not worth looking at, and I’m really glad you’re recovering now.”

“The Molun herb helped, but there’s still a long way to go.”

She nodded. “You’ll get there.”

"I'm not losing hope."

She smiled. "I'll bring you your breakfast."

I pulled her hand before she could turn away. “Jinjing, Lord Ruan and I had some… disagreement along the way. We can’t stay here anymore. We have to leave the residence immediately.”

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“Seriously?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no.” She grinned. “I’m happy to leave. I really am. I’ll go pack my things right away.”

She suddenly turned away as if she was too eager to leave.

I was left speechless. All along, I had thought that it would be difficult for her to part from her high-paying job and come with me. I had spent days trying to figure out how to explain things to her. But it looked like she had been wanting to leave this residence for a while already and was just waiting for me to take her away.

*****

Aware of the danger still looming from those who sought to harm me, I chose not to return to Jinjing’s old home. Instead, I resolved to find a safer place for us to start anew. Fortunately, Huang Wen knew of a man looking to lease his late parents' house.

When we arrived, the house greeted us with a layer of thick dust and an air of neglect, but it was spacious, with a sprawling courtyard that stretched from the front to the back. It held the promise of countless possibilities, a perfect place to build our future.

Jinjing and I spent the rest of the day cleaning. Side by side, we swept, scrubbed, and aired out the rooms. Though the work was exhausting, we shared laughter and excitement, fueled by the thought of transforming this space into a home and the dreams of building our life together.

She admitted that her time in Ruan Yanjun’s residence had been far from pleasant, especially after my departure. The tasks he assigned her had been overwhelming, and the relentless pressure from her tutors to grasp concepts she struggled with had often left her on the verge of tears. Yet, she had endured it all—for my sake.

“I’m sorry for putting you through that,” I said softly, guilt weighing my words.

She gave me a gentle smile. “You’ve already freed me from that prison, so it’s all behind us now.”

Her prison had been the suffocating walls of that residence, just as mine had been Ruan Yanjun’s overbearing control. But she was right—it was finally over.

I, too, preferred this newfound freedom. Jinjing had returned to her vibrant self—spirited, outspoken, and unapologetically her. Seeing her so full of life again made me feel lighter, and her happiness was now my greatest source of joy.

This newfound freedom, however, came at a cost. Huang Wen had informed me earlier that the disciples of the Eternal Damnation Sect would no longer offer their protection. With my cultivation at such a low level, my capabilities were limited. I could only hope that the Molun plant would shield me long enough for the White Vulture to disintegrate from my body, allowing me to continue advancing my cultivation.

Yet, this was only part of the problem. Jinjing and I had both given up our jobs. Returning to her former work at the brothel was out of the question—not only did I oppose it, but her position had already been filled.

But an idea was beginning to take shape in my mind.

“An apothecary?” Jinjing echoed, blinking at me as she stirred the pot with a ladle.

I nodded, adding more wood to the fire. I had just shared my plan to produce medicines and make a living from it. “Even though I was banished from Frost Mountain, I’m still a certified alchemist. I have every right to craft remedies for common illnesses.”

Her brows furrowed slightly. “But there are already so many shops in the city selling medicines. How can we compete?”

“Most of the medicines on the market are either counterfeit or of low quality,” I explained. “We can offer something better.”

She studied me, her expression skeptical.

Smiling, I reached out and playfully pinched her nose. “Have you forgotten? Your husband was once the Divine Mage—the greatest alchemist in the entire continent.”

She smiled warmly. “I haven’t forgotten, but… didn’t you tell me you’d lost your cultivation and no longer had the energy to refine?”

“I’m slowly regaining it,” I replied.

Her jaw dropped in surprise. “Really? How?”

“I suppose I owe it to Lord Ruan’s relentless training. His methods revived my core, and I even advanced a level.”

“Truly?” Her grin widened, making her excitement contagious. “Does this mean you’ll soon become a grandmaster again?”

I shook my head. “It’s not that simple. Advancing in cultivation takes years of effort and patience, even for a single level.”

Her enthusiasm dimmed. “Then how will you protect yourself from your enemies?”

“I’m not too concerned about myself,” I admitted. “I worry about you. Being with me puts your life at risk, and you even gave up your high-paying job for me.”

She reached out, gently tapping my cheek. “I didn’t want to stay there another day anyway. The rules, the restrictions—it felt suffocating. I don’t regret choosing to be here with you.”

“Even with the danger?”

“My husband will protect me,” she said confidently.

I smiled, leaning in to press a kiss on her forehead. “The soup is about to boil over.”

She gasped and rushed to the pot, stirring the bubbling soup. “Why didn’t you warn me sooner?”

“You were too busy flirting with your husband.”

She shot me a playful glare. “You put in too much firewood! Take some out.”

“Oh, it’s my fault then.” I pulled out three firewood until the flame calmed to a gentler simmer.

“Speaking of the apothecary,” she said, still stirring the soup, “I’ve saved my salary from the past five months. Could we use it as our starting capital?”

I sighed, the weight of another issue surfacing.

I knew I had not really done any work for Ruan Yanjun, instead, he had spent fortunes for me for nothing. I would not add more to his losses by asking for the compensation that was promised to me. So I had left the residence empty-handed.

“Keep your savings,” I replied. “I’ll handle the finances.”

“But you didn’t get your salary, did you?”

I shook my head. As her future husband, it was my responsibility to provide. “Don’t worry about it—I have my ways.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Are these ‘ways’ legitimate?”

“Of course.” I laughed. “Trust me, I won’t do anything reckless.”

“Alright,” she said, relaxing. “I trust you.”

“Still,” I continued, “you’re right—there are already too many apothecaries here. Even if we claim our medicines are of higher quality, people won’t trust us right away. And if I reveal that I’m the former Divine Mage, it might bring more trouble than it’s worth.”

She nodded in agreement. “So, what’s your plan?”

“I was thinking we could travel to nearby villages to sell medicines. The city doesn’t need another apothecary, but rural areas often lack access to good remedies. Without stall rent, we could sell at lower prices, making medicine more affordable for the poor. The only drawback is that we’ll be traveling frequently—not just to sell but to gather herbs as well. Would you be alright with that?”

Her face lit up. “Absolutely! I’d love to travel and see more of the world beyond this city.”

“Then it’s settled?”

“Completely.” She handed me the ladle. “Taste this and let me know if it’s good. Then put out the fire—I’ll go set the table.”

“Whatever my wife commands,” I teased, taking a ladleful of soup to taste.

A few minutes later, the table was set, and for the first time in what felt like ages, we sat down together for dinner in a place we could finally call home.

“What about our wedding?” Jinjing asked as she placed a piece of bland steamed fish into my bowl.

It wasn’t much. We hadn’t had time to visit the market for proper supplies, so we made do with a fish we’d bought earlier from a passing vendor. After months of dining on lavish meals courtesy of Lord Ruan, the simplicity of this meal—just fish, soup, and rice—brought a mix of emotions. We’d miss the abundance, but the freedom we now had far outweighed the luxury.

We were back to working hard just to eat, but I was determined to make things better. I’d do whatever it took to give her a good life.

“It’s important we get married soon,” I replied. “Traveling together while unmarried could invite judgment. As soon as we save enough for a simple ceremony, we’ll make it happen.”

She smiled and nodded. “I agree.”

“You seem overjoyed to be out of that residence,” I observed.

“You have no idea how happy I was when you told me to pack up and leave,” she said. “If it weren’t for you, I would’ve left months ago.”

“It’s over now,” I assured her. “Lord Ruan has let us go, and we’re on our own.”

“Do you think the people who want you dead will come after us again?”

I sighed. “If they find out I’m back in Yueshu City, they might. Moving out won’t stop them from discovering where we are.”

“Does that mean we’ll have to move again?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “That’s another priority. We need to find a safer city to settle in.”

“I agree,” she said readily.

“Since when have you disagreed with me?”

“You’re my future husband. Of course, I have to agree with you.”

I chuckled. “You’ll make a perfect wife for me, then.”

Her cheeks colored slightly, but then she grinned mischievously. “After the wedding, are we going to…?” She trailed off, but I knew what she meant.

“Of course,” I replied without hesitation. “That’s part of consummating a marriage.”

She raised an eyebrow, her smile turning playful. “For someone raised in a temple, do you even know how to do it?”

Her question caught me off guard, leaving me speechless. “That… might require some instructions from you.”

She burst out laughing. “Fine. I’ll teach you everything you need to know about being a proper husband.”

My face turned crimson, and her laughter only grew louder.

In that moment, I found myself regretting not sneaking a peek at the forbidden books my former sect brother had once hidden under my bed during an inspection. Perhaps they could have offered some… insights.