Chapter 4 Background and Army

"My understanding of this world is limited—what does a noble young lady even know?"

Su Min found it strange as she looked down at the group of people below. Among them was someone she recognized—the Governor.

In modern terms, that would be a high-ranking official, equivalent to a provincial or at least a major city leader. Yet here he was, speaking so politely to an old madam of a brothel—a figure that, by all logic, shouldn't command this kind of respect, no matter her background. Something about it felt deeply wrong. Su Min sifted through the little knowledge she had of this world, her expression quickly turning grim.

What was the life of a young noble lady like in ancient times? Reading, calligraphy, lessons on how to be a good wife and mother. Beyond that, she knew almost nothing useful about this world.

"Even though I've reached the early Body Tempering stage, I haven't stepped into Qi Refinement yet. I can't take on an army alone—a few soldiers, maybe, but not a full battalion. My best option..."

Her gaze shifted to the vast, untamed mountains behind her. If she couldn't beat them, she could at least hide from them. After all, the education she had received as a noble daughter had been rigidly traditional—focused on the arts and etiquette, with little understanding of the outside world. Now, with her family destroyed, she was treated like a plague upon anyone she approached. No relatives, no allies—and this entire situation reeked of conspiracy.

"I'd love to chop off that emperor's damn head," she muttered under her breath, "but that's a fantasy for now."

Letting out a resigned sigh, Su Min turned and slipped into the depths of the mountains. For the average person, this would be a death sentence: barren land, poisonous mushrooms, venomous snakes, and lurking beasts. Only seasoned hunters raised among these hills could hope to survive.

But for Su Min? This was her safest refuge. Even if tens of thousands of soldiers poured into these mountains, it would barely make a ripple. Before long, she stopped beside a small stream deep within the range. She had put enough distance between herself and the pursuers. She could traverse cliffs and treetops, but those soldiers couldn't.

Perfect time to check her supplies. She opened the storage ring and found the Bigu dan—enough to sustain her for about two months. As for after that...

She unrolled the Alchemy & Artifact Manual, scanning its contents. It recorded the methods for refining first-grade spiritual treasures and pills, along with an illustrated guide to medicinal herbs.

"There are hundreds of bigu dan recipes—all with the same effect. And this mountain is rich in spirit herbs. If I can refine them, I could stay here indefinitely."

Flipping through the scroll and the herb guide, Su Min quickly found the ingredients she needed. Spirit herbs were plants that absorbed spiritual energy—imperceptible to ordinary people, but easy for someone who had even barely stepped into cultivation.

If she could start refining pills, she could remain hidden in these mountains for a long time—and the more remote the location, the purer the spiritual energy would be, and it would be more convenient to practice here.

At the early stage of body refining, her body was already far stronger than a normal human's. Once she reached the later stages, she was confident she could carve a bloody path even through an army of thousands. With her plan set, Su Min wasted no time, venturing even deeper into the mountains.

She intended to lay low for now—and let fate decide the rest. If she'd known it would be this tough at the start, she would have picked a top-tier cultivation method instead. Still, she noticed something remarkable about her body: Divine Ability, Innate Talent—gifts that were truly her own. Despite how basic her current cultivation method was, but the fact that she was able to start body building overnight showed that she definitely had great potential.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

When Su Min went deep into the mountains, the general who had left the periphery also rushed over with a large army. Looking at the mighty troops entering the mountains, he was extremely dissatisfied. All this for a girl barely fifteen or sixteen years old? She hadn't committed any heinous crimes.

The brothel had lost its "investment"—fine, it happens—but now the Governor and soldiers were getting dragged into this farce. He also saw the wounds on Niu Ma. The wound, which was as smooth as jade, made him a little suspicious. It was an old friend of the girl's father who rescued her. The old procuress was just looking for trouble. She had already gone to who knows where. There was no point in wasting time.

"REPORT!"

A shout rang out from the distance as two constables came rushing back.

"We found this in a ruined temple up the mountain—looks like a scrap of clothing."

Before the Governor could even react, the madam snatched the cloth fragment and snarled:

"It's hers, no doubt about it. That little brat planned this all along—she even stashed a change of clothes in the mountains. She's still in there. No one dares shelter her now."

"Just a little girl! Why all this fuss? Your lord can't pick another?"

It wasn't just the general—the Governor, too, was growing tired of the whole mess.

The mountains were vast; if the girl died out there, all of this effort would have been for nothing. From his point of view, she wasn't worth mobilizing an entire army. But the madam snapped coldly:

"That's no ordinary girl. The master said her innate spiritual potential is once in a hundred years. With her, he could fully restore his strength—and satisfy His Majesty's demands."

"..."

Faced with her unrelenting pressure, the Governor kept silent. He owed his position here to the need to assist in the master's recovery. Who would have thought that things would spiral out of control like this?

"This Minshan range... even during times of war, it remains untouched. Sending a few thousand soldiers in is useless. We'll need more troops. I've already sent word to nearby regions. If anyone finds her, they are to capture her immediately."

He glanced over at the nearby bushes where bloodstains remained—the bodies had long been cleared away. He hadn't forgotten the smooth, unnatural wounds.

"Will these soldiers even be able to stop her?" he muttered.

"I told you before—she has exceptional natural talent. She's a good material. If my master didn't need to continue replenishing her blood and essence, she would have taken her in as a disciple. Under life-threatening pressure, awakening some hidden power is normal. But without proper training, she could only unleash one instinctive attack. Otherwise, do you think those thugs would've survived?"

As she spoke, the madam also looked at the hooligans standing there obediently. These bastards, if they were not so scared that they dared not to take action, they could have rushed over and captured the person. It's all because of these cowardly losers that things are in such trouble now.

"Hmph." The Governor frowned, staring grimly at the endless stretch of mountains.

"If we can't find her... then when autumn comes, we'll set the mountains ablaze. Burn them. Burn her out."

"...."

The Governor had no response to that grim suggestion. He simply stood in silence.