The little maiden felt shaken for a moment and her eyes flashed with confusion.

If I don’t address Gu Ruoyun as ‘big sister’, how else should I address her?

“Que’er, that book on medicine I had given you is also an indication that I want to take you in as my disciple. From now on, you will call me Master.” Gu Ruoyun had considered for a moment before she spoke.

“Furthermore, I’m going to change your name. Your name shall be Gu Wanbai from now on.”

“I will listen to you, Master.”

The little maiden smiled as brightly as the sun.

Her father had passed on at an early age and her mother was only a simple villager. Her mother had seen a sparrow outside the house after she had given birth and named her Que’er! Unexpectedly, she now has a proper name.

Gu Wanbai…

The little maiden’s smile grew even more resplendent as she silently murmured those words.

“The name that Master has given me is really pleasant to the ear.”

Gu Ruoyun held Xiao Xun’er and Gu Wanbai’s hands and said, “Xiao Bai, let’s go and see your mother now.”

“Alright, Master. Come with me.”

…

All was quiet and peaceful in the small, remote village.

Someone was coughing continuously in a broken-down and crude thatch house.

The woman who was lying on the bed’s heart filled with anxiety when she saw that Gu Wanbai had not returned. She propped herself up and tried to stand but when her body straightened up, she was not as strong as she wished and she slipped off the bed with a thud.

“Cui Rong!”

A village woman who had been weaving a rope outside the house anxiously rushed in. She saw the woman who was sprawled on the floor and jumped with fright before she quickly rushed forward to help her up.

“Cui Rong, your body is not yet well. You mustn’t move around too much.”

“Cough, cough.”

Cui Rong coughed drily as she clutched the village woman’s arm in a tight grip and said, “Que’er had gone to the mountain to collect herbs. It’s been so long and she still hasn’t returned. I’m worried that she might be in danger. I want to go look for her. Cough, cough.”

Cui Rong coughed again as she spoke.

“You should stop talking so much now. I’m here to pass you some secret information, the Li family members have arrived again! I say, Cui Rong, those Li family members are not like us. They are cultivators and have taken a liking to Que’er’s talents. They want to take her in. As long as you give Que’er over to the Li family, the Li family will find a doctor to treat your illness. Why are you so stubborn?”

Cui Rong shook her head and spoke with a fragile look on her face, “Aunt Xiang, my Que’er is already someone else’s disciple. As they say, a good woman does not have two husbands. It’s the same when it comes to being a disciple. How could she break her promise and become the someone else’s disciple? If my illness had not dragged Que’er down, I would have sent her to look for her Master in the First City by now!”

“Cui Rong, you still don’t get the point. Three years ago, that lady you had met had not said that she would take Que’er in as a disciple. Therefore, doing so doesn’t count as a breach of good faith! Besides, that lady might have just happened to pass by completely by coincidence. Whether she would appear again or not is not guaranteed. It’s more important for you to solve the issue at hand first.”

Cui Rong smiled in a fragile manner, “My Que’er has already accepted someone’s book on medicine. That’s indirectly equivalent to becoming someone else’s disciple. She can deny Que’er from becoming her disciple but Que’er cannot be the one who breaks the agreement first. Aunt Xiang, you can stop advising me. I won’t agree to the Li family.”

“Sigh.”

Aunt Xiang sighed when she saw that her words would not go through. She then replied exasperatedly, “I’ve already said what needs to be said and I can’t say anything more. The Li family members are now on their way here and I really can’t help you. Oh, that’s right. You must never say that I’ve told you this.”