Chapter 4 : Heaven and Hell

Her life without her master around can be described with 2 words – HEAVEN and HELL.

She no longer have to be chased around by her scary master when she broke his stuff or ruined his precious herbs, or yelled at her when she didn't practice her martial arts diligently. Life is truly a holiday now. 

That's until she realize that there's no one to cook for her anymore. She can cook well, she used to watch lots of youtube tutorials before, and since her master is a foodie who enjoys good food, he teach her lots of recipes too. Its just that there's just too much things for her to do, watering herbs, preparing medicines, practicing martial arts, cooking, house chores..ahhhh.. she missed her master's version of housewife!

One morning, she left the peak to sell medicines and restock her groceries. Selling medicines is the easiest things to do since she have been doing it for years. After selling her medicines, she went to buy some food stocks enough to last until her next trip to the city.

She wander around the city for a while, thinking what else to buy. Walking towards the city gate, she spot a large group of people standing in the crowds. Being a busybody as she always had, she join the crowds as she squeezed in to see what's happening in the city.

As she stuffed pork bun inside her mouth, the saw a scene she never imagine in her life. 

'Human trafficking! They're selling people! Is this even legal??'

The bun doesn't taste good anymore. She swallow the last bite of bun but it goes down hard. At the end of the group, she saw a young guy with a chain around his neck.  The guy looks so pale and frails, like he's going to collapse soon. The man drags him by the chain. She clench her fist watching the lifeless body being dragged like a trash. 

'This is truly an uncivilized period.'

She watch the group of slaves being sold in the market as the man start auctioning them off. She can't take her eyes off him. The other's slaves conditions are quite good, just this one guy who looks lifeless. His eyes were full of void of life. The auctioneer start selling the slaves like vegetables, putting prices on each of them. Others start buying the slaves without battling an eyes, like it was the most normal things to do on earth.

The auctioneer pulled the guy to the front, and his frail body lay there on the ground emotionless. He try to sell him off but no one wants to buy the dying person.

"He's useless."

"He's dying soon."

"What a waste of money. He's better dead on the street."

She couldn't stand the scene infront of her eyes anymore. These bunch of peoples are worser than monsters!

"How much do you sell him?" She finally decided to save him.

"I'll give him to you for three silver", the man holding the chain kick the guy on the ground to check if he's still alive, "Look, he's healthy and alive".

"This man is dying. Don't cheat my money buying a dying person," she said as she walk around the lifeless guy with aching heart, "2 silver, I'll buy him for 2 silver. I need to spend money to cure him anyway."

The auctioneer breaks out a smile and quickly says, "alright, 2 silver then."

She pass the money to the man as he give her a letter for the slave contract, "Pleasure doing business with you".

He take off the chains on the guy and tell him to leave with her.

She look at the guy on the ground with sympathy. She squat down next to the guy and poke him.

'Still alive. I can't believe I just bought a human being! This feels so wrong.' 

"Hey, can you stand up? Can you still walk?" 

The guy just stare at her with his lifeless eyes.

"Okay, stand up now."

She help him to stand up and look at the guy in front of her. He looks older than her. He's quite good looking too. His body are quite muscular, like someone who is used to martial arts.

"You're quite good looking, and you have good muscular body like those who trains in martial arts. What happens to you that you end up being sold as a slave?"

The guy didn't say anything and just stare at her.

"Are you mute? Ah..forget it.."

Looking at the guy in front of her, there's no way she could bring him back to the peak today. He couldn't even stand properly and his body are badly injured.

"Come with me."

She drag his hand as she walk to a nearby inn.

"Room for 2 people for 2 nights please."

"Alright miss, please follow this way."

The inn keeper lead them to their room. After showing their rooms and giving their keys, he left them alone.

"Sit down. Take off your clothes. Let me check your injury first."

The guy stare at her, reluctant to take off his clothes. 

"My master is the best physician in this continent, don't worry. He train me to be an excellent physician like him too. You can ask around if you don't believe me." 

Since she went down to the city a lot to treat people with her master, a lot of people in the city recognize her talents in medicines.

With a reluctant look, he finally take off his top clothes. He have quite a good body, muscular and strong. She take his pulse and checking his upper body. There are quite some deep wounds on his body, and he looks like he lost a lot of bloods. She can't help but wonder what happens to him that he's reduced to such state.

"We need to clean your wounds before they get worse. I'll prepare some medicines for you."

She went down to the inn keeper and ask for a clean hot water and towel to be send upstair to his room. She also tell them to prepare some porridge for the guy. Then she went to the medical pavilion to buy some medicines. Thinking about his bloody clothes, she cant help but stop at the nearby clothing store to buy a pair of new clothing for him. 'Bloody clothes are the mother of all disease.' She hates to see bloods. She went back to see the guy sitting on the bed.

"Alright, let me clean your wounds first."

The guy nod at her. 

"Ah… So at least you can hear me.. My name is Qiuyue. Ning Qiuyue. My master is the best physician in the continent..ehh..I already tell you that but let me remind you again..I might be only 10 years old but I'm very capable and my master trust me the most!"

"…." So talkative.

"Alright, that should be fine. Change into this new clothes, get rid of this bloody clothes. This is bad luck. Eat this medicine, eat this porridge and then go to sleep. I will drop by later to take a look at you. My room is just next door so if you need anything just knock on my door", she walk to the door and turn around, "oh ya, if you decided that you don't want to be a slave anymore and run away, I'm fine with it too. Just run away, go, go chase your freedom!"

"…" This girl is weirdo. 

He feels like he's being nagged by a nosy mother.

***

2 days later, the guy's conditions are much better than it was when she first save him. Looking at his conditions, she decided that its time to leave.

"Hey, I think your body is good as new now. I'm going home now. I can't stay too long from home", she stare at him before continuing, "well, you are free now, you can follow the wind and go wherever you want. Oh, here's your slave contract, do what you pleased with it."

"…" He stare at her for a long time.

"Here's some money, it should be good for you for couple of months. Life is hard out there, but I know that you're strong, don't give up, okay?"

She hands him 10 silver as she took her groceries and walk away. Suddenly, the guy grabbed her groceries from her hand. Shocked, she look at her, "hey, give me back my foods!"

"Li Wei"

"Huh?"

"Its Li Wei. Not hey... my name"

"Oh my god..you can talk!" 

" I can't take your money. You already saved me, and spend some money on me too. This is hurting my pride as a man. I can't take money from a women. A child on top of that."

"Hmm… Okay then. But you're not planning to take away my foods too, are you?" She try to grab away the groceries in his hand.

"I'll carry this for you. Where's your home?"

She stare at the guy in front of her. She have no intention to bring the guy home in the first place. Not to mentions she's a 10 years old girl who live alone. 'Can this guy be trusted?'

"Its fine, actually you know what, just keep the groceries."

She start walking away, fastening her pace, then she start running away.

'Ahhhhhh save me master!'

The guy, looking confused, but start chasing after her nonetheless. After a few round of running around the streets, she finally give up. No matter how fast she run, the guy always managed to chase after her.

"What do you want from me?" 

"Well, since you saved me, I'll follow you from now on"

"I can't hire you. I don't have money to pay people."

"It's fine. You don't have to pay me."

"…" Well, maybe he can water my herbs.

After contemplating for a while, she decided to give it a try. She always have a good intuition when it comes to judging people, and judging from the guy's aura, she can sense that he is indeed a good person.

'I'll  just have to have more beasts guarding my home, in case he decided to do something bad later.'

"Its decided then. Let's go."

She hire a horse carrier to the foot of the mountain, where a small village is located. Then she start walking deeper inside the Sacred Forest with Li Wei walking behind her with the bags of groceries.

"Walk closely to me, don't get lost."

"This is the Sacred Forest." What is this little girl doing here?

"Yes, it is indeed."

"Are you not afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Wild beasts….you know..they eat.." Before he can finish his words, a wolf as tall as him suddenly appear in front of them. Li Wei was startled, dropped the groceries bag and pull her away from the wolf.

"Ahhh my groceries!" She hit him hard and jump to the ground. The wolf walk towards her feet and the guy started to panic. 

'Damn I don't have my sword! The wolf gonna eat her alive.'

Suddenly, the wolf lower her head, and it start rolling on the ground like a dog asking for a belly rub. She walk towards to wolf and start rubbing her head.

"There, there, good girl, good girl.. Did you miss me? I know I take longer time to go home this time. Sorry I keep you waiting."

Then she start picking up the groceries lying on the floor and call him over.

"Li Wei, this is my wolf. Don't worry, she won't eat you. Well, at least not without my order."

"…" Still speechless, he walk slowly.

"Don't worry, I raised her for 5 years. She never eat any humans. Well, not that I know of.. "

She climb over the wolf and call him over to ride behind her.

"Come, sit on the wolf, it will take us faster to reach home."

"Errr…no..thanks?" He stare at the wolf. He can feel the hair behind his neck standing.

"Well, if you said so.. Walk closely behind me then. Don't wander around. Don't get lost."

With Li Wei behind tailing them, they finally managed to reach the peak.

When they reach the peak of the mountain, Li Wei was stunned for a while. The view are just magnificent. 

'So this is the peak of the Sacred Forest. I can't believe people actually live here.' Then he stare at the girl next to her, loads of questions popping in his head, but he decided to stay quiet instead. He follow her inside the house as she put down the groceries and took a seat. 

"Well, Li Wei, please make yourself at home."

"Ahhh?.."

She stare at him for a while, then with her finger, point to a room next to her.

"You can use this room for yourself. My room is here next to you. Feel free to walk around the house, but don't wander too far away into the forest, or the beasts will skin you alive."

"Oh..okay..hmm .. Ning Qiuyue,if I sleep here, where your family member gonna sleep?" Looking at the small house, there's only 2 bedroom, and there's no nearby houses too.

She think for a while before opening her mouth, "Errr… Master won't be home for a while. Just sleep there. We'll solve the problem when he comes back." Right, talking about master, will he want to go back to the peak? Can she kidnap a child to go back to the peak? Probably no, her master will kill her if she do that.

She prepare their dinner while he start exploring the outside of the house. Not wanting to waste the opportunity of another useful hands who can water the herbs, she instruct him to water the herbs that evening. 

'What a great investment. Now I can get as lazy as master.'