CHAPTER 195
The Little Thief
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In a remote border town of the Northern Realm, Ye Qinghan didn't take long to catch that petty thief.
It was a dead-end alley. The girl was cornered against the wall by Ye Qinghan, with the only exit behind him.
The girl appeared well-dressed on the surface, but her undergarments were in poor condition—though hidden beneath layers, ordinary people wouldn’t notice.
Her long hair was disheveled, suggesting she hadn't bathed in ages. Though her small face remained relatively clean, her neck and collarbone were grimy.
This was evident from the blackened collar of her shirt—her outward appearance was merely a facade.
"Hand over my master's wallet first."
Ye Qinghan crossed her arms, glaring at the girl like some underworld boss.
The girl had no choice but to hand over the wallet.
Truthfully, the girl hadn't expected that innocent-looking girl on horseback to suddenly reveal such a look. Ye Yanwang had taken over.
"Do you know how you'll be treated for doing this?"
The girl was visibly frightened, having already sensed Ye Qinghan's unusual nature.
Soon after, Su Cheng arrived at the scene. He glanced at the wallet in Ye Qinghan's hand before shifting his gaze to the petty thief who'd stolen it.
He shouldn't have looked—the sight left him speechless…
【No way… it's her?】
Another girl Su Cheng didn't want to get involved with…
But like Su Cheng, this girl was an antagonist—an enemy of Cheng Liang. In Su Cheng's memories, she would later grow powerful enough to rival Cheng Liang, requiring several heroines to unite just to subdue her.
【Judging by the timeline, her mother must be gravely ill right now. She's stealing to pay for her mother's treatment…】
Both girls simultaneously turned their gaze toward Su Cheng…
Master! How do you know everyone? Recognizing even a petty thief on the street is a bit much, isn't it!
The young girl felt a pang of unease. This man recognized her?
Su Cheng felt a wave of nausea wash over him. This kind of plot twist was truly sickening…
These girls weren't inherently bad; they'd simply been driven to desperation, forced down a path of last resort.
Poor girl. A gravely ill mother. This plot felt almost scripted.
Unable to save her mother and facing relentless persecution, she felt no attachment to this world and resolved to destroy it.
And in the end, she was persuaded to let go of her hatred~
"Let go of hatred"—the most nauseating phrase Su Cheng had ever heard!
He wasn't some saint; he couldn't do it, nor would he demand it of his disciples.
The most disgusting part? That villain actually let go!
Dude? Seriously?
The girl stood frozen, reading minds. She didn't even have time to wonder how she could hear the man's inner thoughts.
She was far more curious about how this man knew about her and her mother!
"Qinghan, did you bring the money?"
Ye Qinghan paused for a moment before nodding. "Not much—a few hundred taels, I suppose."
"Leave some for her. We're heading back."
Ye Qinghan didn't mind. She earned money for her master to spend, so she had no real concept of its value.
She returned her master's light, empty purse, then flicked her jade pendant open and handed some silver to the girl.
The girl hadn't expected this man…
But she dared not speak. Though the man's face was kind, the woman beside him was terrifying…
She called that man "Master." So, was she his disciple?
Only after the pair had departed did she slowly snap back to her senses, staring blankly at the cloth bag in her hands, heavy with silver coins.
She quietly followed behind them. She didn't know why, but it was as if her legs had a mind of their own.
Like a divine couple, they rode side by side on a tall horse, laughing and chatting. Ye Qinghan giggled and nestled into Su Cheng's embrace, his eyes brimming with affection.
She followed them all the way to the inn where they stopped for the night before finally leaving.
With the money in hand, she hurried to buy medicine. The threshold of the herbal shop was high, but the benevolent spirit of the healer hung high on the rafters.
Her mother had gone without medicine for three days, forcing her to resort to this desperate measure. Truth be told, the first time was awkward, but the second time felt more natural. Those fine clothes hid not only her dirty body but also her scars.
Doing this sort of thing, she knew she'd be caught eventually. She wasn't some master thief.
A week's worth of medicine alone cost twenty taels of silver. Frankly, she was stealing to keep her mother alive.
But twenty taels of silver was no small sum. Not even the monthly salary of a county magistrate in a remote frontier town amounted to that much.
Stealing was her only option.
Even if she didn't buy medicine, the money would eventually run out anyway. She might as well spend it all on medicine now. As for the rest… she'd figure something out.
Returning home—if it could even be called a home—she found nothing but a dilapidated thatched hut, worse off than the shack outside Lingxian Hall.
She changed out of her clothes, folding them neatly for her next "work" outing.
The lining was from her late father's work shirt. The armpits were worn through, and what little cotton padding remained had long since leaked out completely.
As she lit the fire to boil the medicine, her mother's coughing echoed from the inner room, stinging her heart with sorrow.
She lit the firewood, placed the ice cubes into the pot, and waited for them to melt before beginning the decoction.
Before long, the medicine was ready.
"Miaomiao."
The girl said nothing, only feeding the medicine to her mother in bed.
Her mother always asked about this and that, but the girl had no good news to share.
Seeing the bloodstains on her mother's wrists, the girl found it even harder to speak—though she had never been one for many words.
After feeding her mother the medicine, the girl dressed again and went out. This time, however, she wasn't going to "work," but to look for work.
She knew this town fairly well. She walked back to the inn where the master and apprentice were staying and stood blankly at the door for a moment.
As if preparing for an interview, she took a moment to compose herself.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and entered the inn, only to find the innkeeper recognized her.
"What do you want? What do you want? Go away! Go somewhere else!"
To be honest, this was already giving her some face. He knew she was having a hard time, but he couldn't exactly let her sneak into the inn to steal, could he?
"Sir, I'm here to find someone. Can you let me in?"
"Get lost! There's no one here you know!"
Whether by luck or coincidence, Su Cheng was having dinner with the others.
He heard the commotion and glanced toward the doorway.
She spotted Su Cheng too, but hesitated over how to address him.
Before Su Cheng could speak, Li Shiyao glanced at her master and swiftly stepped to the doorway.
"Are you here to see my master?"
The girl nodded frantically while sizing up Li Shiyu before her. Master was surrounded by beautiful women!
The terrifying Ye Yanwang from before was a national beauty, and this Li Shiyu was also breathtakingly gorgeous!
But she was here for a job, with no other intentions.
Li Shiyao also took her in. This girl didn't seem to have much cultivation. Could she be here to become a disciple?
Did that mean she'd become a senior sister again?
She promptly motioned for the waiter to leave, indicating this was her master's guest.
Still, Li Shiyu didn't pry further, merely escorting her to the outskirts of Su City.
The girl stood before Su Cheng, hands clasped modestly at her sides, looking slightly shy. It was as if this were her very first job—she seemed less confident than Li Shiyao…
"You sought me out?"
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