After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

Having scouted the location beforehand, the mad old man chose the most secluded path and headed straight for the inner room where the baby was.

At that time, Xue Yan and his wife were entertaining guests, and only two maids were sent to look after their daughter in the inner room. It was not that they did not value their daughter, but that they did not believe that anyone would be so bold as to come to the general's mansion to steal the child.

This oversight caused Xue Yan to live in deep self-reproach for the next ten years.

The mad old man held the soft, sleeping baby in his arms and left a note that read: "This girl has a unique destiny. Before the age of sixteen, she will bring misfortune to her close relatives and should not be raised in the household. After the age of sixteen, she will bring prosperity to her husband, children, and family. Take her away today, and she will be returned safely in sixteen years."

So they forcibly took him away.

Just as he had arrived, the mad old man disappeared very quickly, vanishing from everyone's sight like a phantom in the blink of an eye. Even Xue Yan, a highly skilled martial artist, couldn't catch him.

After the Xue family's daughter was kidnapped by the mad old man, all the Xue family's guards searched everywhere for her whereabouts.

The Emperor was furious and, in front of him and the Empress, snatched the child from the General's mansion, leaving him utterly humiliated!

So they dispatched the Imperial Guards to capture the mad old man everywhere, but after months of thorough searching, the mad old man seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

The Xue family searched the entire Chu and Qin kingdoms but could not find her. Princess Lingjun, Xue's mother, fell ill and spent her days in tears.

"It turns out I wasn't saved by my master, but stolen from him."

After hearing what her master said, Xue Ruanruan couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Stealing someone's child in front of the emperor and all the officials—it really seems like something an old man would do.

No wonder the old man has refused to leave the valley all these years. He only takes the herbs to the nearby mountain villagers to exchange for food when he is really out of food. He doesn't dare to go to any further places.

I remember when I was a child, I didn't know any better. I had to identify medicinal materials, memorize the names and effects of medicines, and if I made a single mistake, I would be punished by being hit on the palm with a ruler.

It turns out that the master was trying to redeem himself by doing good deeds and making amends for his sins, leaving himself a way out. If he were caught, he could use the emperor to command the princes and use the fact that he had been well-educated as a life-saving talisman.

It must be said that Master is indeed a cunning old fox, with deep foresight.

"Ahem... What do you mean by stealing? That's hugging."

Ling Xuzi corrected Xue Ruanruan's choice of words with a guilty tone.

"Is there a difference? They were all stolen by you. But I have to admire your courage, Master. You dared to steal a child from the mansion of the General Who Protects the Nation. You really think you're too tough."

Xue Ruanruan spoke as if she were talking about someone else, making it sound so casual.

She didn't blame her master for stealing her from the general's mansion. On the contrary, she felt very fortunate to have a kind master who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, who taught her a lot of medical and poison skills.

Thinking of the heavily guarded Zhenguo General's Mansion, with many highly skilled soldiers on guard, I couldn't help but feel worried for the old man.

What if I get accidentally hurt by the uncles and elders in the General's Mansion? This old man is really unreliable.

"There's no difference. If you had even a fraction of my courage, you would have left the valley long ago."

Lingxuzi held his head high, quite proud of what he had done back then.

He's not bragging, but to be able to snatch someone's child from the mansion of the Grand General of the State and not be found after all these years, you can't do it without some real power.

He was a master unlike any other before or since.

"Hmph, over the years I have been learning medicine, poison and venom from you, and dealing with poisonous insects such as snakes, centipedes, toads and blister beetles every day. How many people can match my courage?"

If it were anything else, it would be fine, but if it were said that she lacked courage, Xue Ruanruan would disagree and argue her point.

"It's all thanks to my excellent teaching. It's just that since you started studying medicine, the little animals in the valley have suffered a lot, as you often use them as test subjects for medicine."

"No, didn't Master say that once I mastered all the medical and poison techniques of our sect, he would give me a great gift?"

In my past life, before returning to the capital, my master gave me a jade pendant that was smooth and translucent, a family heirloom from Medicine King Valley.

Legend has it that the jade pendant contains three thousand small worlds, including magical fields and springs.

Even more miraculously, the medicinal herbs grown in the spiritual fields have excellent effects, and the spiritual spring water has the effect of reviving the dead and healing flesh and bones.

This is extremely attractive to those who study medicine.

But not just anyone can open it.

In her past life, she accidentally spilled her own heart's blood, which led to the opening of the spatial jade pendant.

It was even more magical inside than she had imagined. Not only could she grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs, but there was also a natural sea area teeming with countless fish.

The spiritual rice we grow can completely feed the 100,000 Xue family soldiers for my father and the entire population of Fufeng Kingdom for my maternal grandfather.

However, due to her pure and kind nature, she accidentally let slip something while enjoying the snow with her so-called best friend Shen Yuanxiang, which made Shen Yuanxiang hold a grudge against her.

With the help of the Crown Prince, the two conspired to steal her spatial jade pendant.

Since they had already swindled her out of her treasures, why did they have to kill her closest relatives?

Thinking of all that Murong Luo and Shen Yuanxiang had done to her in her previous life, Xue Ruanruan couldn't help but feel an overwhelming hatred in her heart.

They framed her, fine, but why did they also harm her family and those who love her?

This is her bottom line.

Before she died, she said that she wanted Murong Luo and Shen Yuanxiang to never have peace in their next life.

In this life, she will seek revenge, for herself and for her loved ones.

"You didn't study the many things I taught you properly, but you remember everything I said casually. You greedy and unfilial disciple."

Ling Xuzi clearly remembered what he had said before, and his face turned red with suppressed urges.

Can he say he's changed his mind?

That was the only valuable item he owned. How could he have been so foul-mouthed back then, so easily giving away the jade pendant just to motivate his lazy, wayward disciple to study medicine?

My heart is bleeding with pain. Can he take back what he said before?

“Master, since I was a child you have taught me to be a person of my word, that what is said is like water spilled, and cannot be taken back…”

Xue Ruanruan glanced at her master's conflicted expression and knew he wanted to go back on his word. She opened her mouth and rattled off all the words that Ling Xuzi had taught her.

Ling Xuzi's face turned pale and then red. He never expected that he would be the one to be pecked by the goose after all his days of hunting. Today, his wicked disciple had made it so that he had no choice but to give up the jade pendant, even if he didn't want to.

“You unfilial disciple, your five elements clash with mine. I said that if you could master all the knowledge of medicine and poison, I would give you the jade pendant that I had been working with for many years, and I would test you.”

"Saying such things would damage the harmony between us, master and disciple. I have already memorized all the medical principles, medical classics, toxicology and poison techniques that you taught me, and now we can begin the test."

Xue Ruanruan's two big, dark eyes darted around, wondering what mischievous idea she was hatching now.

"What a tragedy! I didn't steal a child; the child stole my house!"

Lingxuzi pretended to feel sorry for his chest and patted it.