“City Lord, do you like this flower?” Old Man Shen said, smiling at Feng Jiu’er.

“No trouble at all — if you like it, my daughter can take you to pick some right now.”

“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.” Feng Jiu’er nodded and stood up.

No one had expected their Jiu’er to be ready to leave the moment she said so.

Old Man Shen, seeing her rise, was startled for a moment too.

But Feng Jiu’er wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, she walked over to Shen Rong’er and crouched down beside her.

Just as the woman came back out, she saw Feng Jiu’er crouching in front of her daughter and quickened her pace.

“City Lord, what are you doing?”

Feng Jiu’er, still crouched, lifted Shen Rong’er’s injured foot.

“Don’t worry! Our Jiu’er is also a healer.” Xiao Yingtao, standing, gave them a reassuring look.

The Shen family of three glanced at Xiao Yingtao and relaxed a little.

“Rong’er, what have you done to deserve the City Lord’s own treatment?” Old Man Shen said, full of gratitude and emotion.

Feng Jiu’er skillfully undid the cloth wrapped around Shen Rong’er’s foot, took hold of her ankle, and applied gentle pressure.

“Rong’er, does it hurt here?”

“Mm.” Shen Rong’er frowned, her face growing paler.

“Bear with it — it’ll stop hurting soon.” Feng Jiu’er glanced up, then suddenly exerted force.

There was a soft crack — not loud, but the room was so quiet that everyone could faintly hear it.

“Ah—” Shen Rong’er gripped her cane tightly and let out a low cry.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t pause. She kneaded the foot a couple more times, then took out her needle case and opened it.

Three slender silver needles, one after another, were inserted into the acupoints on either side of Shen Rong’er’s ankle.

Feng Jiu’er then took out a small bottle and let a drop of medicine fall onto each needle.

Old Man Shen and his wife stood behind their daughter, one on each side, fists clenched tight.

An injury to their daughter’s body was pain in their own hearts — being a parent was never easy.

But watching Feng Jiu’er’s practiced hands, and with their trust in the City Lord, neither of them said a word.

After applying the medicine, Feng Jiu’er lifted the injured foot again and gently massaged the acupoints.

Shen Rong’er’s face, once pale, began to bead with fine sweat.

Strangely, though, under Feng Jiu’er’s treatment, color quickly returned to her cheeks.

“Rong’er.” Her mother, who had been holding back for a long while, finally spoke. “How do you feel now?”

Only then did Shen Rong’er draw her gaze from Feng Jiu’er and look at her mother.

“Mother, I think it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Old Man Shen looked baffled but didn’t dare say a word.

The City Lord was still treating his daughter — he wouldn’t dare interrupt, let alone question her.

Every one of Feng Jiu’er’s movements was crisp and sure, as practiced as an old, seasoned physician.

After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Feng Jiu’er finally withdrew the silver needles from Shen Rong’er’s foot.

She stood, set the needle case on the table, and turned her head to look at Shen Rong’er.

“Rong’er, try standing up and walking now.”

Shen Rong’er pressed her lips together, gripped her cane a little tighter, and slowly rose.

She kept her weight off her left foot, relying almost entirely on her right leg and the cane to support herself.

“It’s fine, just try moving a little.” Feng Jiu’er sterilized her needles and put them back in the case.

“All right.” Shen Rong’er glanced at her, then looked down at her left foot.

She took a small step forward, and joy immediately spread across her face.

One step, then another, forward — and at last she simply picked up her cane entirely and kept walking without it.

“Rong’er, well? Is it really better?” Her mother followed close behind, afraid something might still go wrong.

Shen Rong’er turned to face her, stretched her left leg, and took another step forward.

“Mother, I’m better.” She turned to look at her father. “Father, my foot is fine — my foot doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Old Man Shen looked at the smile on his daughter’s face, and, moved to tears, turned to Feng Jiu’er.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees.

“City Lord, no wonder everyone calls you an immortal — not only stunningly beautiful, but brilliantly gifted. Meeting you today, it’s clear the stories don’t do you justice!”

“Please accept this bow from me! Thank you, City Lord!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Old Man Shen knocked his head to the ground.

“Get up.” Xiao Yingtao waved a hand. “My mistress doesn’t stand on so much ceremony.”

Old Man Shen rose. By then Shen Rong’er had already circled the room once and returned to the table.

She picked up the pouch her mother had brought, opened it, rummaged for a moment, and pulled out a bamboo tube.

She pulled out the stopper, and a sachet slid free.

“Jiu’er, this is the scent — smell it.”

Feng Jiu’er took the sachet and passed it over to Duan Liuyang.

It wasn’t the flower itself that interested her — it was Tianya Peak, and sulfur.

Anything connected to Tianya Peak caught her interest.

If, by some chance, this other mountain also held sulfur — would she be striking it rich again?

Feng Jiu’er’s love of money wasn’t a matter of a day or two. With so many brothers under her care now, she needed to be that much wealthier.

And sulfur wasn’t just about riches — it was also a powerful tool in their fight against Feng Qiongcang.

Duan Liuyang took the sachet and nodded. “This is it, Jiu’er. This is the scent.”

“Right, it used to be such a fragrant flower, but once it left the mountain the scent faded, and it didn’t grow nearly as beautifully. It’s honestly baffling.” Shen Rong’er added softly.

That was exactly Feng Jiu’er’s puzzle too — if the situation was the same on both sides, there had to be something special about the mountain itself.

Could it be sulfur? Was sulfur affecting how the flower grew?

Whatever the case, there had to be a reason.

As long as there was even the slightest chance, Feng Jiu’er wasn’t willing to let it go.

“Rong’er, do you have time now? Could you take us to see it?” Feng Jiu’er already felt as if she were halfway up the mountain in her mind.

“I do.” Shen Rong’er agreed without a second thought.

“City Lord, shall we go now? I’ll bring the carriage in.” Old Man Shen asked.

“All right.” Feng Jiu’er looked at him. “Much appreciated!”

The carriage arrived quickly, and on the way back, Shen Rong’er rode along with them.

She no longer needed her cane, and there was more of a smile on her face too.

She and Duan Liuyang hit it off immediately.

With Xiao Yingtao, who was always working with flowers and plants, and her apprentice Yue Qinchun also there, the carriage grew lively in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Old Man Shen and the driver had brought the seven women to the edge of the mountain.

The carriage stopped, and Feng Jiu’er rose, being the first to lift the curtain and leap down.

She glanced around at the green trees and blossoms surrounding them and curved her lips slightly.

Today, her hunger for money had gotten a little out of hand.

Still, since they’d come this far, might as well let it clear her lungs a bit too.

“Let’s go.” She turned back to look at the others.

The orange-red sunlight spilled across her exquisitely fine features, making her look even more radiant.

“When we get back, I’ll treat everyone to hotpot.”

With that, she turned with a smile and walked into the grove.