FRGNM -Chapter 264 Healing the Beauty

Miya shivered all over, biting her lip. Frowning, she said, “It’s because of Koda. He heard from Muhan that a Dou Qi master entered here, so he wanted to lead all of us away. Muhan is ruthless—if you had strayed and fallen into his hands, you’d probably already have become meat in someone’s pot.”

“Oh? So they actually eat people?” Ling Ruoxi asked instinctively.

The words made both Miya and Koda’s faces change.

Inside the tent, only the sound of Silver Wolf sucking on a bone could be heard.

Clearing his throat, Koda broke the awkward silence, speaking calmly, “Have you ever seen a Dou Qi master? What kind of person are they?”

A Dou Qi master…

Qingyi’s lips curved up as he waved his hand. “We’re not Dou Qi masters. They’re incredible—able to soar through the skies and delve into the earth, flatten mountains with a swing of their hand. Extremely powerful, capable of—”

“Miya! Miya! It’s bad—Shuang’er has a fever. It’s high and won’t come down. Hurry and take a look!” Before Qingyi could finish, a panicked woman rushed in holding a five- or six-year-old child.

The child was unconscious, mumbling incoherently.

Miya’s expression changed. She stood quickly, placing her hand on Shuang’er’s forehead. “What… what do we do? The shaman won’t go out, and I only know how to prepare herbs. For this high fever…”

“Let me see. I’m a doctor.” Qingyi nodded slightly and rose, checking Shuang’er’s pulse. Shaking his head, he said, “The child was chilled overnight due to the cold wind and not being covered. Then, with a blocked nose the next day, you let her eat some greasy food. There were slight vomiting symptoms before the high fever. Now, the fever won’t subside. Medicine is needed.”

He picked up a brush from the desk, quickly wrote down the medicinal herbs, and handed it to Miya. “Prepare the herbs according to this list, decoct them, and have her drink it.”

Miya was stunned. She remembered these herbs well—they were easy to get, very simple, just a few ingredients. The shaman had always prescribed expensive medicines in large quantities.

Qingyi raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Could it be that none of these herbs were available? Let me think… what herbs are easiest to find here, and most effective for treatment…”

“No, no, no. They’re all here, all here. Follow me.” Miya nodded, quickly leading the other woman to collect the herbs.

Koda frowned, eyes on Qingyi. “Are you really a doctor?”

“Yes, I am. If I weren’t, Miya would have noticed while collecting the herbs. As for what you said about a Dou Qi master coming here—I don’t find that believable.” Qingyi shrugged. “Look around. This is just the grasslands—dry grass and shrubs. What would attract a Dou Qi master? Besides, even national conflicts wouldn’t involve a Dou Qi master in such a place. Right?”

“I considered that, but…” Koda furrowed his brow, his hand trembling slightly as he held his cup of wine. Suddenly, he looked up. “Could it be… they’re here for the goddess’s sigh?”

“The goddess’s sigh? What’s that?” Silver Wolf asked, chewing a bone and looking at Koda.

Realizing he’d spoken too much, Koda quickly stood. “Nothing. Eat first. Tomorrow I’ll take you out of here. Once out of the grasslands, you can return.”

“Thank you. As a token of our gratitude, please accept this.” Qingyi smiled faintly, taking a milky-white pearl from his chest.

Koda shook his head. “No need. You’ve only given us a meal. Keep something so precious for yourselves.”

“Wait—what’s a meal for you is saving our lives for us. It’s a small token of appreciation. If you don’t want it, you can give it to Miss Miya.” Qingyi quickly handed the pearl over.

Koda frowned, then took the pearl. “Alright. Finish eating and rest. I’ll send you out tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes.” Qingyi nodded, smiling.

Once Koda left the tent, Ling Ruoxi tapped the table, resting her chin in her hand. The goddess’s sigh… could it be the purple bamboo? But where is it? We need to find a chance to get Koda to talk, or ask someone else.

“Miss Miya, how’s Shuang’er? Any improvement?” Qingyi, wrapped in a coat against the night chill, approached the woman tending the fire.

Miya rubbed her hands, smiling faintly. “Thanks to the doctor, Shuang’er is better. But I wonder why just these herbs worked. When the shaman was here, many types of herbs were prescribed, claiming larger doses would cure faster.”

Pfft! Qingyi almost choked on his saliva. Patting his chest, he stared in disbelief. “Who taught that doctor medicine? Bring them out—I must scold them.”

“Why?” Miya laughed helplessly. Qingyi’s expression softened; he was handsome even in the night.

Shaking his head, Qingyi rubbed his temples. “The purpose of medicine is simple: to treat disease. Its function is to neutralize the virus in the body immediately. There’s an old saying: every medicine has three parts poison. Don’t think taking medicine long-term is good—it can harm you. The potency depends on the patient’s condition. Medicine doesn’t have to be expensive; effective medicine treats illness, ineffective is just… excrement. The herbs I gave Shuang’er are ordinary, but combined, a single dose is effective. For full recovery, she’ll need to drink it all day.”

Miya laughed, the sound warm in the cold night. Her small face was red from the chill as she exhaled white breath. “It’s late, doctor. You should rest now.”

“I’ll sleep. And you? Why are you still up?” Qingyi raised an eyebrow, warming his hands by the fire.

Blushing, Miya replied softly, “We have rules here. Someone must stay up at night to guard against attacks from other tribes or wild beasts.”

“I see. I’m not sleepy either, so I’ll keep you company.” Qingyi’s dark eyes deepened. “But earlier at dinner, Koda mentioned a Dou Qi master and the goddess’s sigh. Do you know what that is?”

Miya’s expression changed instantly. Her black eyes narrowed, hands clenched, biting her lip. “What did he tell you?”

“Nothing more—just mentioned it. If you don’t want to say, I won’t press.” Qingyi smiled, adding firewood to the flame.

Miya lifted her gaze toward the dark sky, her small hands tightly clasped. “Do you want to hear the goddess’s story?”

“That… honestly, I’d like to. But it’s your story, your faith. Back in Duanyun, I heard girls here couldn’t wear skirts and worshipped a goddess.” Qingyi’s lips curved, a spark in his eyes. Outside the tent, three figures watched silently.

Miya drew a sharp breath. “The goddess… was human. Long ago, our land was lush, with green grass, large trees, and many friendly magical beasts. They didn’t attack humans, helped guard livestock, cut grass, and stack wood. Back then, our tribe hadn’t split. Everyone lived together. There was a beautiful girl named Xue, born on a snowy day, hence her name. But…”

Were those really magical beasts? Qingyi almost choked on his own saliva but continued listening.

“But fate was cruel. Xue grew up extraordinarily beautiful. Many men pursued her, but she liked none of them. One day, a tall, handsome Dou Qi master arrived. He said something to Xue, who liked yet feared him. After he left, our land changed drastically!”

Miya’s breathing grew uneven. “Our grasslands became barren. Xue didn’t marry, tribes split, each leaving with their people. Xue took her father’s chieftain position, and only our tribe followed her. But disasters struck again and again. People blamed the Dou Qi master, called her a demon woman for bringing such a man here, and waged war.”

“The livestock grew thinner daily. Xue saw the tribe divided, the war… she hardened her heart. She vowed to restore a peaceful grassland. In her white dress, she walked to Lake Sala. As the waters covered her, a sigh echoed across the plains. When everyone reached Lake Sala, only Xue’s statue remained—turned to a massive stone standing above the lake. Since then, the natural disasters ceased. But everyone… never returned. One tribe after another, until now. Koda leads our people, and hearing a Dou Qi master came, he fears disaster like before.”

Tears glistened in Miya’s eyes. On this grassland, most lived barely past forty. A curse, or fate—no one escaped.

The goddess’s sigh…

A spark shone in Qingyi’s eyes. He reached out to touch Miya’s long hair, comforting her. “Don’t be sad. It’s in the past. Natural disasters aren’t controllable—even by a Dou Qi master. Lake Sala… that’s where the goddess last stayed?”