Shen Miao never expected that the so-called master would turn out to be the eccentric Daoist priest she had briefly encountered at Putuo Temple in Ming Qi. That day, the strange priest’s words had bothered Shen Miao for a long time, as she felt this person seemed to have discovered her secret of living two lifetimes. Later, when she sent people to search for the priest’s whereabouts, they scoured the entire capital of Ding Jing but couldn’t find any trace of him.

Thinking about it now, it was no wonder they couldn’t find him—this priest had traveled thousands of miles to Longyi in Da Liang.

So things became rather strange. According to what Benyue had said, the young mistress and her brother had met this priest several years ago. If the priest was in Longyi several years ago and appeared to have spent quite some time there, could it be that this priest was actually from Da Liang? Then why would he appear in the capital of Ming Qi? Surely he hadn’t traveled thousands of miles just to cast those two divination sticks for her?

Shen Miao said, “Daoist Master…”

The eccentric priest looked at her, stroked his beard, and swayed his head as he spoke, “This poor Daoist’s religious name is Chiye. Madam has come to save someone, yes? This poor Daoist has been waiting for you for a long time.”

Luo Tan was startled and asked, “Daoist Master Chiye, did you already know we would come looking for you?”

Daoist Master Chiye smiled smugly, shaking the divination tube at his waist, which made a “pitter-patter” sound. He said, “This poor Daoist also cast a divination for himself.”

Shen Miao thought that this priest was peculiar, yet he seemed to possess some genuine abilities. For instance, the words he had spoken at Putuo Temple made a lot of sense. If he was the so-called master, it didn’t seem surprising after all. She said, “My husband has suffered serious injuries. I heard that a Daoist Master can defy heaven and change fate, so I have specially come to seek your help. Please save my husband’s life. If you succeed, you will be generously rewarded.”

Cong Yang and the others stood behind Shen Miao. Although they were surprised to hear that Shen Miao seemed to know this eccentric priest, this was not the time to ask questions. Hearing what Shen Miao said now, they wondered if she had become somewhat delusional. The idea of “defying heaven and changing fate” seemed too mystical. This priest looked like an ordinary person who had grown up eating the five grains. Could it be that Shen Miao had been deceived by a fraud?

Shen Miao, however, knew that a person who could see that she had lived two lifetimes, who could see that she had been an Empress in her previous life—this eccentric priest wasn’t someone who could have guessed these things by simply making things up.

Hearing Shen Miao’s words, the eccentric priest smiled and shook his head. As they got closer, everyone could see that he carried a fishing rod on his back and held a fishing basket in his hand, looking as if he had gone fishing. However, the fishing line had a hook that was straight rather than curved—it would be strange if he could catch any fish with that. Indeed, the fishing basket was empty, which was quite pitiful.

Seeing that he wasn’t responding to Shen Miao, Luo Tan anxiously asked, “Daoist Master, can you save my brother-in-law?”

The priest placed his fishing basket against the door, straightened up, and gave Shen Miao a deep look. “Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed. This poor Daoist cannot even reveal heaven’s secrets to Madam, how dare I defy heaven and change fate, and bring calamity upon myself?”

“But you saved Benyue’s friend, that little boy,” Luo Tan argued. “Doesn’t that count as defying heaven and changing fate too?”

“That’s because the boy was not fated to die. Heaven destined for him to meet me, and also destined for me to save his life,” Daoist Master Chiye explained.

Hui Xiang, Ba Jiao, and the others were startled. They had originally thought that the siblings were just making up delirious stories, but they were surprised to find out that it was true, and the priest in front of them had admitted it was his doing.

Shen Miao slightly furrowed her brow. “Then may I ask, Daoist Master, what is the fate predetermined between you and me?”

The priest chuckled. “Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.”

With one “Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed” after another, and at such a critical moment, even the patient Shen Miao felt anger rising. She angrily said, “As someone who has left the secular world, you’re not doing anything unconscionable. Now a good person is being harmed by villains, while the evildoers are gloating. It’s truly ‘Golden belts for killers and arsonists, no rewards for those who build bridges and repair roads.’ What kind of heavenly principle is this? What kind of justice does it uphold? Daoist Master, your insistence on such principles is eye-opening to me, and I find it extremely laughable.”

Cong Yang widened his eyes—why was Shen Miao scolding people now? These words were certainly sharp, but hearing Shen Miao say them in one breath made people feel quite satisfied.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Daoist Master Chiye, despite being berated, didn’t get angry at all. Instead, he laughed loudly and clapped his hands. “Indeed, having spent time with that fierce dragon, you’ve also become so fierce. Very good!”

Luo Tan muttered under her breath, “Is he sick? Being so happy after being scolded…”

Daoist Master Chiye spoke, “You’re right, the ways of heaven are inherently unfair. But humans manage human affairs, and while heavenly principles govern the way of fate, they don’t govern the way of destiny.” He smiled slightly, and with a wave of his whisk, despite his ragged appearance, he suddenly exuded an air of otherworldly transcendence. He said, “Although heaven hasn’t destined me to change his fate, and his destiny is too noble for me to alter, heaven has destined our meeting here, and also destined this poor Daoist to gift you an opportunity.”

He spoke in riddles, leaving everyone confused, except for Shen Miao, who stared at him with sharp eyes. The priest then asked, “Do you want to save him?”

“Yes,” she replied.

The priest smiled again. “Since you want to save him so badly, follow me.” With that, he turned around, preparing to lead the way.

Shen Miao unhesitatingly followed immediately, and Hui Xiang and the others quickly set off as well.

Daoist Master Chiye suddenly turned back and looked at Hui Xiang and the others. “You cannot follow.”

“Why not?” Cong Yang’s face showed anger. They had been ordered to protect Shen Miao’s safety; how could they let her follow a babbling eccentric priest alone? If something happened, how would they explain to Fu Xiuyi when he woke up?

“Ahead lies a magical formation set up by my master. No one in the world can solve my master’s magical formation, including myself. There is only one life gate, all others are death gates. It’s specifically designed against those with martial arts—the higher the martial skill, the quicker the death. This madam has no martial arts, so she can come with me. As for the rest of you…” He shook his head. “Enter and die.”

“But why should we trust that you won’t harm the madam?” Hui Xiang asked. “If you don’t let us follow, how do we know where you’ll take her?”

Daoist Master Chiye spread his hands, looking like a scoundrel. “If you don’t believe me, then I won’t go. Take this madam and leave quickly.”

This almost made Hui Xiang cough blood with anger.

Shen Miao said, “Wait for me here. I’ll go with the Daoist Master.”

“Madam,” Ba Jiao also strongly disagreed.

“Um…” Luo Tan cautiously spoke up. “May I go? Although I have martial arts, my skills aren’t high, so it shouldn’t affect much, right?”

Daoist Master Chiye seemed to notice Luo Tan for the first time, looking her up and down. “That’s fine. You’re almost like having no martial arts. Alright, you can come with me too.”

Luo Tan: “…” What did he mean by “almost like having no martial arts”? She just had slightly inferior skills compared to those from Prince Yi’s mansion, who had trained since childhood, but that didn’t mean she had none!

Still, compared to Hui Xiang and the others, at least she could accompany Shen Miao. Luo Tan said, “Little cousin, I’ll accompany you. If anything happens, I can help look after you.”

Shen Miao thought for a moment and nodded. Although Luo Tan was impulsive, she hadn’t caused any real trouble. Shen Miao didn’t know what Daoist Master Chiye intended to do. She was habitually cautious of people; while she believed Daoist Master Chiye had some abilities, she wasn’t without suspicion.

Seeing that Shen Miao had made up her mind, Hui Xiang and the others knew persuasion was impossible. Seeing that Luo Tan would accompany her, they felt somewhat reassured. They gave Luo Tan some instructions and handed her the signal flares used by the Ink Feather Army for communication, saying that if anything happened, she should set off the flare, and they would find a way to rush in.

Daoist Master Chiye seemed impatient and said, “Hurry up and go. If it gets dark, this poor Daoist won’t be able to help you either.”

Shen Miao said, “Let’s leave now.”

The path Daoist Master Chiye took with Shen Miao and Luo Tan was very strange. Rather, this nearly forested area originally had no paths, but Daoist Master Chiye would turn at certain very twisted spots and descend at certain moments, as if there was a clear path in places they couldn’t see. The path he took was difficult to traverse; sometimes when it seemed they had reached a dead end, he would find a new way forward. Luo Tan watched in amazement, and Shen Miao was also somewhat astonished.

Luo Tan asked, “Daoist Master, you seem very familiar with this place. Do you come here often?”

“This poor Daoist has lived here since childhood, of course, I’m familiar with it,” Daoist Master Chiye proudly stroked his beard. “Many of these trees were planted by me.”

Luo Tan nodded. “So it seems you’re a native of Da Liang. How is it that… I heard you had met my little cousin before? My little cousin has never been to Longyi before, could it be that you met in Longyi?”

Luo Tan was still curious about the surprised look Shen Miao had given Daoist Master Chiye, which clearly indicated they knew each other from before.

Daoist Master Chiye gave Shen Miao a meaningful look. “This poor Daoist and this madam have a predestined connection of two divination sticks. No matter where, we would inevitably meet.”

Luo Tan scratched her head, not quite understanding, but Shen Miao seemed thoughtful. She felt that this priest might know even more than she imagined. After this matter with Fu Xiuyi was resolved, would it be possible to seriously ask him about her previous life?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Daoist Master Chiye smiled and said, “Madam wishes to save someone and also wishes to ask questions. You can only choose one, not both. Gain must come with loss, and loss must come with gain. Madam must be clear about her choice.”

Shen Miao felt a jolt in her heart—the priest seemed able to see through her thoughts. This meant that if she wanted to ask about her previous life, she couldn’t save Fu Xiuyi, and if she wanted to save Fu Xiuyi, she would have to remain silent about her previous life. What kind of rule was this? Shen Miao felt somewhat frustrated as she heard Daoist Master Chiye ask, “Has Madam made up her mind?”

Luo Tan looked at them curiously, not understanding what kind of wordplay was going on between Daoist Master Chiye and Shen Miao. But Shen Miao had always been like this—few people could understand what she said. With her slow mind, Luo Tan had even less chance of understanding.

Shen Miao said calmly, “Answers can be sought on one’s own, but when it comes to saving a life, I have neither medical skills nor the ability to change fate, so I must trouble the Daoist Master. How can a secret be compared to a life? Please prioritize saving the person.”

The eccentric priest laughed loudly again. “Madam is too dishonest. Instead of talking about secrets and life, why not admit that you consider him more important than yourself, so you’re willing to give up what you seek for his sake.” He smiled mysteriously. “Madam’s viciousness has also diminished considerably because of this.”

Shen Miao frowned slightly. The priest, however, casually picked up a willow branch and, like a child, hummed an unknown tune as he continued forward, swaying.

She had no choice but to follow.

The priest walked for a long time. Afraid of delaying matters, Luo Tan didn’t dare complain, and Shen Miao certainly wouldn’t say anything. Not knowing what time it was, they only felt the daylight gradually fading, the sun becoming weak, when the priest suddenly stopped and said, “We’re here.”

Luo Tan and Shen Miao both stepped forward, only to see a huge valley before them. The valley was fragrant with flowers and herbs. It was already the height of summer in June, and the flowers and plants bloomed densely. With the sunset casting golden rays everywhere, the scene with its colorful flowing light looked like a paradise on earth, creating an illusion of unreality.

“This place is beautiful,” Luo Tan exclaimed.

Daoist Master Chiye looked at Shen Miao. “Has Madam noticed anything?”

Shen Miao sensed a faint medicinal fragrance in the air. Looking at the flowers and plants spreading across the ground, though they were bright, they seemed somewhat different from ordinary flowers and plants. She hesitated and asked, “Are these medicinal herbs?”

Daoist Master Chiye laughed heartily. “Indeed. Although I cannot save your husband or change his destiny, my master has a valley of medicine, and there is one herb that can cure all poisons. This herb can save your husband’s life.”

Shen Miao had not told Daoist Master Chiye about Fu Xiuyi’s condition, yet with one word, he revealed that Fu Xiuyi had been poisoned. Luo Tan looked at the eccentric priest with admiration, but Shen Miao wasn’t surprised; she had expected this eccentric priest to have some genuine abilities, so this didn’t seem strange to her now.

She said, “I beg the Daoist Master to give me that cure-all herb to save my husband’s life.”

Chiye smiled. “This herb was left by my great-great-great-great master, and has been kept in this medicinal valley all this time. It’s the only one of its kind in the world. If an ordinary person eats it, it extends life. If a poisoned person eats it, it naturally cures the ailment… Such a precious herb, how could I give it to you for nothing?”

“You are a compassionate Daoist Master,” Luo Tan said. “If you want gold and silver, my little cousin can certainly afford it. What do you want in exchange?”

Shen Miao also said, “Whatever is within my power, I will do for the Daoist Master.”

“What if I asked Madam to exchange her own life?” Chiye asked slyly.

Shen Miao was startled. Before she could speak, Luo Tan said, “You’re taking advantage of us! How can you set such a condition?”

Chiye waved his hand. “Those who have left the secular world are compassionate. I am a Daoist, naturally, I wouldn’t engage in murder and arson. It was just a joke. I have a question to ask Madam.” He looked at the momentarily stunned Shen Miao. “Would Madam resolve this doubt for this poor Daoist?”

Shen Miao finally came to her senses, feeling extremely surprised. In the instant when Chiye asked if she would be willing to exchange her life, a thought had flashed through her mind—she would be willing.

But how could that be possible? She had Shen Qiu, Shen Xin, and Luo Xueyan behind her, a whole family of relatives, yet now she would be willing to give up her life for Fu Xiuyi? Shen Miao suddenly felt a bit afraid.

Investing too much emotion would only lead to deeper wounds in the future. Everything from her previous life was a vivid example. She could try to love again, but intense love was something she dared not risk, nor could she gamble on it.

“Little cousin?” Luo Tan nudged her arm.

Shen Miao steadied herself and looked at the priest. “Please speak, Daoist Master.”

“Look,” the Daoist Master squatted down, pointing to a small flower among the grass. “This is Red Sleeve Grass, a miraculous herb that can cure coughs. But these days it hasn’t been flowering much. Can Madam see what the reason might be?”

What did this mean? Shen Miao was not a doctor; she couldn’t even identify medicinal herbs, so how could she see these issues? Nevertheless, she squatted down and looked carefully. Seeing tiny black dots wriggling densely on the flower buds, she had a thought and said, “Probably because of insects.”

“This poor Daoist thinks the same.” Chiye looked troubled. “But this Red Sleeve Grass is most delicate and cannot be treated with pesticides, yet it attracts the most insects. To get rid of these insects, one must pinch them out by hand, one by one, and the movements must be gentle, otherwise the petals will be damaged.”

Luo Tan said, “I see. But what does this have to do with us?”

Daoist Master Chiye stood up, waited for Shen Miao to stand as well, then smiled and said, “But this poor Daoist is a man, with rough movements, and not usually careful. If I were to pick them myself, I fear I could never clean them all, and would accidentally damage the petals. These are all very rare medicinal herbs, very precious, so I would like to ask Madam to help me pick the insects off them.”

Luo Tan widened her eyes—so this Daoist had brought Shen Miao here to treat her as a herb gardener!

Shen Miao asked, “After I clean all these insects, will the Daoist Master give me that cure-all herb?”

Chiye nodded.

“Good, I’ll do it.” Shen Miao was ready to immediately start working.

Luo Tan said nothing more, thinking that being a herb gardener for a while to earn a medicinal herb didn’t seem like a bad deal.

But Chiye shook his head and led Shen Miao and Luo Tan a few steps forward. “It’s the Red Sleeve Grass here.”

When they looked, they were both stunned.

It was a huge field of medicinal herbs, almost as large as all the farmland of a great household combined. And the herbs in the entire field weren’t growing neatly—some Red Sleeve Grass, some other herbs, all growing wildly together, extremely dense. Just finding the Red Sleeve Grass would take a lot of effort, let alone picking the insects off so many plants—who knew how many months that would take?

“Are you deliberately toying with us?” Luo Tan immediately jumped up angrily. “How can one person possibly clean all of this?”

Chiye just smiled at Shen Miao. “Does Madam also think that one person cannot clean it all, that one person cannot do it?”

Shen Miao just looked at him deeply and said, “After I finish all this, will the Daoist Master give me the herb?”

“Little cousin!” Luo Tan was anxious. “He’s deliberately teasing you. If he truly wanted to save someone, how could he set such an impossible task? Does he seem like a compassionate person who has left the secular world?”

Chiye said, “Young lady, you’re wrong. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In this world, gain must come with loss, and loss must come with gain. To get what you want, you must pay the corresponding price. This madam wants my herb, so she must remove the insects from my other herbs. This is a very fair thing. Besides, whether it can be completed or not is up to this madam, isn’t it?”

He continued, “Clean the insects off these Red Sleeve Grass buds and stems, then apply fertilizer to all the herbs on this mountain for me, and I will give you the herb.” He waved his whisk again. “You cannot do it carelessly. This poor Daoist will check in the end. If there’s even a bit of negligence, I won’t give you the herb. Also,” he looked at Luo Tan, “this young lady cannot help. Madam, can you do it?”

“I can do it, and I hope the Daoist Master keeps his promise.” After saying this, Shen Miao jumped into the herb patch, bent down, and began earnestly picking out insects.

A Princess Consort, a noble lady who had grown up pampered since childhood, was now working as a herb gardener for a rustic villager. Even real herb gardeners wouldn’t do so much work alone—picking insects and… applying fertilizer. Luo Tan couldn’t imagine Shen Miao’s frail body carrying fertilizer, thinking that if Shen Xin and Shen Qiu in the capital knew, they would surely be furious.

But when had Shen Miao ever gone back on a decision? Luo Tan gritted her teeth, wanting to help, but was sternly stopped by Shen Miao: “Stay where you are. If you don’t want me to hate you, don’t come down.”

Her words were sharp, and Luo Tan’s eyes reddened. She felt a lump in her throat, thinking that if she had known this would happen, that Shen Miao would be led by the nose like this, she would never have told Shen Miao about Benyue. Now Shen Miao was suffering and being tricked because of her—it was truly a sin. She shouted, “But this eccentric priest is fooling you! Is it worth it?”

“I haven’t done anything for him before,” Shen Miao said, not looking up as she carefully tended to the plants. “If there’s even a slight possibility, I’ll do it.” She added, “If you truly care for me, find or make me a lantern. When it gets dark later and I can’t see, I’ll need some light.”

Luo Tan took a deep breath. Then, turning around, she saw Daoist Master Chiye smiling and waving his whisk as he walked in another direction. She quickly followed, saying, “You eccentric priest, listen to me first…”

Shen Miao squatted in the flower patch. It had been a long time since she had done such work, and she was still somewhat unaccustomed to it. She didn’t find anything undignified about picking insects and applying fertilizer as a herb gardener for someone else. In this world, things like dignity weren’t meant for times like this. When it was time to bow and lower your head, you bowed and lowered your head; when strategies couldn’t be used, you quietly used hard work—don’t do futile things. This principle was something that she, in her previous life, had understood only at the end, after spending a lifetime in the Cold Palace.

If she had given up competing with Madam Mei earlier, if she had humbled herself, perhaps Madam Mei wouldn’t have targeted Fu Ming and Princess Wanyu so much. Why should she suffer for the sake of her pride? Revenge? Resentment? These things could be considered later. What mattered most now was the present.

If Chiye could ultimately keep his promise, then her suffering would be worth it. Working like a village woman in this wilderness, applying fertilizer and doing hard labor, was far more dignified than sitting on the Empress’s throne in her previous life, only to be met with everyone’s ridicule.

But with this entire valley of Red Sleeve Grass, she truly didn’t know how long it would take. Being deceived, she had no extra time to waste—Shen Miao couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

By the time Luo Tan brought the lantern, the sky had completely darkened. The valley at night had cool winds, brilliant stars, the moon, and the chirping of cicadas, but Shen Miao had no heart to appreciate them. She moved from plant to plant in the night with a lantern, staggering with heavy loads, with mosquitoes and flies around her, her delicate skin swollen from bites, her hands injured by thorns, and she hadn’t rested for the entire night.

Luo Tan watched and wept, but could not help. She could only curse Chiye in her heart.

Finally, it was the afternoon of the next day.

Shen Miao wiped the sweat from her forehead, put down the empty basket, and let Daoist Master Chiye inspect her work.

Chiye smiled. “No need to look. You’ve done well.” He then took out a small box from his bag and handed it to Shen Miao. When she opened it, she indeed saw an herb lying inside.

“This is that herb,” Daoist Master Chiye smiled. “You healed my mountain of Red Sleeve Grass for me, and I’ll heal your husband’s wounds with this. I keep my promises.”

Luo Tan angrily said, “You’ve profited!”

“Madam’s perseverance has impressed this poor Daoist. I hope that in the future, no matter what you encounter, Madam will remember today’s sincerity. If Madam had had even a bit of opportunism, these insects wouldn’t have been completely driven away, and this herb wouldn’t be in Madam’s hands.”

“Thank you, Daoist Master, for your gift.” Shen Miao was eager to return, and the moment she received the herb, her entire body felt deeply fatigued. She had not slept for a night, and had not been resting well these days, almost like a fully drawn bow. Now, relaxing, she felt her head heavy and her feet light.

“Thank you, Daoist Master, for your gift.” Luo Tan was very dissatisfied with the priest’s bizarre demands. Seeing Shen Miao’s disheveled state made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Shen Miao was the calmest, most collected, and most composed person in their Luo and Shen families, but now she had been toyed with like this without any recourse. Feeling discontented, Luo Tan said, “I also hope that the Daoist Master’s Red Sleeve Grass won’t grow insects again in the future. In the future, there won’t be anyone as kind-hearted as my little cousin, working as a herb gardener for you and doing a mountain of work alone. Even those herb gardeners wouldn’t complete it so wholeheartedly in one night.”

Daoist Master Chiye laughed loudly. “That’s hard to say. The madam and I have a three-time predestined connection. This is only the second time, there’s still one more.”

Luo Tan pouted. “Who wants to see you?” She took Shen Miao’s arm and said, “I’ll support you. Let’s go down the mountain.” Then she said to Daoist Master Chiye, “Daoist Master, please hurry. We’re waiting for the medicine to save a life.”

Daoist Master Chiye followed behind, looking at their backs, his gaze falling on Shen Miao’s slightly stumbling steps. The playful expression on his face faded, and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes.

After a moment, he shook his head and uttered two words.

“Futile.”