And moreover…
Su Qiulian wore a thoughtful expression.
Regarding Su Meiyin, that fox demon, she had noticed a multitude of suspicious points.
To begin with, back in her previous life, there had always been faint traces of Su Meiyin’s involvement behind those great demons rebelling and forcing her beloved little Shen to death.
But at that time, her heart was already dead, and besides, Su Meiyin was someone she herself had promoted from among the Fox Clan, trusting her deeply.
So in her previous life, she never suspected her.
But this life…
Su Qiulian recalled, after her rebirth, when she was slaughtering those great demons, the look of shock—yet somehow unsurprised—in Su Meiyin’s eyes, as well as those Demonic Sect Disciples who seemed to be intimately familiar with the meridians in her body, and those words Su Meiyin had once spoken.
“I not only know that you’ve been given another life, I also know that Shen Qingyi was your beloved in your past life, and you died for her then, too.”
“Choose, Demon Emperor! Save your lover, or save tens of thousands of unrelated humans! Hahahahaha!”
Moreover, the way she spoke sounded strangely familiar.
In fact, the very reason Su Qiulian noticed her at first was because of her talent with arrays.
“Su Meiyin, was it you…?”
Su Qiulian murmured.
The answer was already clear in her heart.
“What are you spacing out for? Let’s go!”
Shen Qingyi, beside her, saw that she’d been standing there with her head bowed, unmoving, and reached out to tug her along.
“Hm? What’s the matter, little Shen? Weren’t you going to join the sect as a disciple?”
Su Qiulian looked puzzled.
Hearing this, Shen Qingyi simply spread her hands and said, “You heard it just now too. Neither of us meets the requirements, so we can’t become disciples.
But while you were daydreaming, I asked that person.”
“I told her I know Healing Art and might be able to help take a look at their Sect Master’s injuries, but that person said the Sect Master’s time is precious, and she can’t trust outsiders casually. I have to make my name as a healer well known first!”
“So, I’ve decided to set up a Free Clinic on the main street!”
“Free Clinic?” Su Qiulian asked.
“That’s right! A Free Clinic! Let’s hurry and go!”
Shen Qingyi made tiny fists and pressed them to her chest as she spoke, then grabbed Su Qiulian’s hand and started walking back.
Su Qiulian, led along, was taken aback at first—she’d wanted to suggest simply disguising herself, but seeing Shen Qingyi so brimming with excitement, she shook her head and let her have her way.
Accompanying little Shen in practicing medicine wasn’t a bad choice either!
And so, the two of them gradually walked off into the distance.
***
Atop the mountain peak of Yushenzong, on a plaza, stood the Yushenzong Sect Master, Pei Xianyun, dressed in a pink robe with her hair in a bun.
She pointed at the backs of the two departing figures and spoke to the side:
“There, that should be the one you’re looking for. Next time Sword Sovereign comes demanding someone from my sect, you should at least ask if they’re here yet, shouldn’t you? Drawing your sword and slashing away at people just because you didn’t get an answer, isn’t that a little rude?”
Pei Xianyun’s expression was helpless.
She had no idea what had gotten into the Sword Sovereign today.
A single sword strike had come flying into her sect, waking her from her pleasant dreams, and then she kept demanding to find her ‘Xiaoyi.’
When Pei Xianyun said no such person was in the sect, the Sword Sovereign simply didn’t believe her, drew her sword to strike, and declared, “Xiaoyi definitely came this way, you must be hiding her!”
Like a lunatic.
It had taken no end of coaxing, and she’d still nearly been slashed.
Only after using the sect’s array, the Six Desires Soul-Calming Array, to steady her mood did the Sword Sovereign finally calm down and listen.
Once she inquired and figured out the cause, she realized the ‘Xiaoyi’ in question hadn’t even arrived yet, and this person had already come demanding her.
If she weren’t the Sword Sovereign, Pei Xianyun would have long since kicked her out as a troublemaker—there’s no way she’d be allowed to wait here so peacefully.
Bai Luoshuang, standing nearby, felt her cheeks flush at Pei Xianyun’s words and looked embarrassed.
After apologizing to Pei Xianyun, she gazed in the direction Shen Qingyi and Su Qiulian had left, unable to quell her worry.
“Why is Xiaoyi blind? Could it be the work of that fox demon? But then why do Xiaoyi and her seem so close? That’s not right! Xiaoyi is clearly mine!”
Honestly, if not for the Six Desires Soul-Calming Array still running to stabilize the Sword Sovereign’s emotions, Pei Xianyun felt certain that if she removed the array, the Sword Sovereign would instantly go chasing after with her sword.
Seeing the worried, anxious look on the Sword Sovereign’s face, Pei Xianyun slowly drew from her sleeve a pearl shimmering with watery light, and said, “Since Sword Sovereign wishes to know, why not quietly follow and see for yourself?”
“What’s this…?”
Bai Luoshuang turned to look at the pearl in her hand.
“The World-Hiding Pearl. I found it in a secret realm, it’s an ancient treasure. As long as you’re under Tribulation Ascension stage, no divine sense can detect anything covered by it. So? Want to sneak over for a look? See what that fox demon by your Xiaoyi’s side is up to!”
Bai Luoshuang glanced at the World-Hiding Pearl, then at Pei Xianyun’s nosy expression, and finally nodded hard.
“Alright!”
“Good, but…”
Pei Xianyun nodded, but then fished a small array disk from her other sleeve and said, “I still need to activate a small Six Desires Soul-Calming Array, just in case Sword Sovereign starts slashing people again!”
Bai Luoshuang: “…”
So, the two of them quietly followed along.
***
Far off, Su Qiulian suddenly had a vague feeling and glanced back toward the peak of Yushenzong, but saw nothing, so she turned back with a happy heart and continued holding little Shen’s hand as they walked.
Once they reached the main street, Shen Qingyi first bought a tall flag and had Su Qiulian write “Shen Immortal Doctor’s Free Clinic” in large characters.
Then she set up a table before the stall and sat in the bustling marketplace, waiting for business.
“Hmm? Little Shen, can’t you write?”
Su Qiulian looked up at the words she’d written on the flag.
“What else? I’m blind, how would I write? I could when I was young and could still see, but I haven’t had a use for it since!”
Shen Qingyi said, seated.
“When you were young?”
Su Qiulian asked.
“Mm, I went blind at eight. After that, my parents abandoned me.”
Shen Qingyi replied as if it didn’t matter.
But upon hearing this, Su Qiulian’s heart ached terribly.
“Does little Shen remember how you went blind? Maybe I can still heal you!”
And as for those damned parents of hers—twice across two lifetimes and still so heartless!
To throw away someone as wonderful as little Shen!
Truly incomprehensible.
In Su Qiulian’s opinion, this was the worst thing about humans: their strange notions, tossing children away for no reason.
They didn’t deserve to be called human!
This was different from her own demon race.
Humans could clearly afford to raise a child, yet still abandoned them—she’d never understand.
Anyway, any little fox cubs she and little Shen had in the future, she wouldn’t abandon a single one!
“I don’t remember how I went blind. It just happened, without any warning! And as for whether it can be healed, I don’t really care. I’ve been blind for so many years, I’m already used to it!”
“But my heart aches, little Shen! Can’t your Healing Art heal yourself?”
Su Qiulian, eyes full of concern, stepped forward and grasped Shen Qingyi’s hand.
“Of course not! And why are you feeling heartache now? You were so happy teasing me before!”
“Uh… Like I said, little Shen, that was just evil thoughts getting the better of me. I’ve got it under control now, I won’t take liberties with you anymore!”
“What’s the use of saying that now? Just thinking about it makes me mad—tonight, you’re not allowed to sleep, kneel at my bedside!”
Shen Qingyi puffed up with anger as she recalled that scene.
“Ah?”
“‘Ah’ what? Come on, give a shout, promote a little!”
“Oh!”
And so, this Demon Emperor began energetically hawking her little Shen’s Free Clinic in the human world’s bustling streets, drumming up business for her.