19th

The scorching autumn days, sitting beneath the camphor tree felt pleasantly cool with the mottled starlight dancing in the wind like sprites, and the scent of the camphor tree brought peace to one's heart and mind.

"Grandma, I'm back." After playing with friends all morning, Lan Tian carried a fishing net on his shoulder and a wooden bucket in hand as he hopped and skipped back home, shouting before even entering the yard.

"Uncle, what are you washing?"

In the yard, a pile of wild grass, bushes and vines surrounded Mo Yuanle as he sorted them beneath the tree. Lan Tian looked around and didn't see grandma. Glancing at Mo Yuanle, he ran over and squatted next to him, peering curiously. The plants looked familiar, like the ones found around the mountain fields, but he couldn't name them or know their use. Lan Tian only knew they were probably medicinal herbs; after all, Uncle was a barefoot doctor and wouldn't gather herbs for no reason—he must be using them to treat the villagers.

"Medicinal herbs."

The moment Lan Tian sat down next to him, Mo Yuanle stiffened, looked up at her, and noticed that her gaze was fixed on the herbs, oblivious to his reaction. He soon relaxed his posture and continued his work without pause.

Whenever the two were alone, Mo Yuanle felt anxious, trying to control his facial expressions for fear of frightening her. But it wasn't his imagination—she really wasn't scared of him anymore, and would even come closer on her own, unlike the other children in the village who avoided him from afar. The corners of his lips curled up slightly before he forced them down again, hoping to maintain his perpetually stoic expression. His heart though, was blooming with joy, and he planned to brag to Lili about his niece's closeness later on, while maintaining an impassive face.

Of course, he wouldn't admit to anyone how relieved he was that the girl wasn't afraid of him. Her warmth towards him since she woke up was indeed pleasant to him. He didn't see the blatant adoration in her eyes, and their current relationship was very much like that of father and daughter, which filled Mo Yuanle with a sense of satisfaction. He spoke to her in a gentle and soft voice.

"You've always been frail since you were little, and these past two months you've been slowly recuperating, gradually regaining vitality and spirit, but the foundation is still weak. These leaves and herbs are for strengthening and invigorating the body, and the younger you are when you start herbal baths, the better the effect. This prescription is an ancestral secret of the Old Mo Family, formerly used specifically for imperial concubines to nourish their health. Boiled into a soup for you to bathe in, a few years of this and your body will be as resilient as an ox. It's a pity the ingredients aren't aged enough; otherwise, the effect would be even better."

Lan Tian felt warmed by his words, though she chose to ignore the last part—how could she end up as strong as an ox and still be a woman? But she accepted the elder's intentions without any psychological barriers.

Mo Yuanle glanced towards the kitchen, his voice dropping a few decibels. Lan Tian followed his gaze, puzzled and curious, her mind spinning before it clicked—surely grandma and grandpa, when they were young, must have met heroically amidst the smoke of battle, a love that spanned time and space. She smirked, bending over to move her stool closer, adopting the keen posture of someone ready to delve into gossip.

"Your grandma's cooking. You're awfully bold, how dare you make up stories about grandpa, invoking immortals and spouting nonsense, causing your grandma and aunties to worry? Don't do this again next time."

Lan Tian was embarrassed—so it wasn't about grandma after all. She felt a twinge of regret, having wasted her expressions. She couldn't help but sigh; she had been prepared for Uncle not to believe so easily, and sure enough, she got scolded.

Playing the part of a child had become increasingly effortless for Lan Tian. She propped her elbows on her knees, rested her chin on her hands, and pouted cutely, trying to set things straight. She was determined to deny any falsehoods, insisting on the truthfulness of her tale with her bright, clear eyes.

"Uncle, I'm telling the truth, do you think I'm lying?"

Could it be anything else?

Mo Yuanle's stoic facade clearly expressed that sentiment. Lan Tian puffed out her cheeks, her eyes showing a small hint of sadness—the sadness of not being believed by her own family.

"Of course not, grandpa really said that to me. The Immortal Law is etched in my mind, and even though I can't read, I somehow know its meaning and how to cultivate it. It's as if the Immortal Law is innately part of me. Uncle, please believe me, grandpa said that once I reach the stage of energy introduction, I'll become very beautiful, and then you'll know whether I'm telling the truth or not. Grandpa also said the rain was true, and you'll see tomorrow."

Mo Yuanle was taken aback; the girl was indeed different from before. She had seemed timid, fearful, and sensitive, unlike now where she was lively and filled with confidence, emanating a radiance that drew attention. Her words were coherent and her thoughts quick-witted; even though he recognized some of the terms individually, he didn't understand the combined meaning. What was cultivation? What was energy introduction? What in the world was that?

"Aren't you just making this up to fool your grandma?" Lan Tian rolled her eyes, barely stopping herself from swearing to God. Mo Yuanle was truly confused; after thinking hard, he couldn't recall any ancestral connections to immortals. While legends of immortals circulated in the world, and people believed in Buddha and Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, he never did. If these divine beings really existed, why didn't they save humanity? Why did so many people have to die?

However, his ancestors did include a few imperial physicians, some holding high positions, and their achievements were recorded in the Mo Clan's family tree. The ancestral medical records also mentioned it—at one point, an ancestor of the Mo Clan was even honored as a God of Medicine.

This God of Medicine is not the same as that God of Medicine.