The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

How could Su Zinong not be shocked that Qin Xiangxue was getting married?

The two had been together every day for the past six months, and Su Zinong did indeed like Qin Xiangxue quite a bit. However, they hadn't known each other for very long, and he thought that if he could find more opportunities to spend more time with her and deepen their feelings, she might be the one he would spend his life with.

However, those happy, sweet, exciting, and dangerous days had only just passed when she suddenly received her wedding invitation. She was getting married, but the groom was not Su Zinong.

Huang Chenghe clearly knew that Su Zinong had feelings for Qin Xiangxue, and patted him on the back to comfort him. "The grand ceremony isn't until more than three months from now, should we go and talk to her?"

Su Zinong smiled wryly and said, "No need. She must have thought it through carefully. Or rather, she had already agreed to the marriage when she went out with me for training. So when she was with me, she did have some concerns. At the time, I only heard her words implying that she had something on her mind, but I didn't delve into it."

“Disciples of noble families like us may seem glamorous and free, but as I said before at the Goddess Palace, when that day comes, if my parents arrange for me to marry a young lady from another noble family or sect, I can only cooperate and will not have the right to choose or make my own decisions.”

"Entering a wealthy family is like entering a deep sea. Although I am not from a family like yours, I understand this situation. Since she has made her decision, I can only wish her well. Perhaps our fate is not meant to be. That's what an old sage said when we met him in a dilapidated temple that day."

"Oh, is that so? Why didn't you ask where your destined partner would end up back then?" Huang Chenghe asked curiously.

"No, at the time, Xiang Xue and I were getting along very well, so why would I ask about other marriage prospects? I thought that old fortune teller was just talking casually, but now I realize that he had a deeper meaning."

"So what are your plans next?" Huang Chenghe asked.

"As for me, I'll continue my wanderings and adventures. Actually, it would be most enjoyable to go with you, but unfortunately, your brother hasn't fully recovered yet, and you're stuck here. How about I return to Xiaoyao Manor for a while? Firstly, those two pills really saved your brother's life, and we should thank him again. Secondly, I'll go back to ask for a way to restore his cultivation or some kind of elixir."

“That works too,” Huang Chenghe said. “We need to find a solution quickly. Whether he can be free depends on my brother’s health. I hope he can recover to his peak condition soon.”

Six days later, at Xiaoyao Manor.

Su Zinong arrived at Xiaoyao Manor, rang the bell in front of the temple gate, and began to sweep the courtyard and the temple, wiping the tables, boxes and other items clean with a cloth. He even polished the huge statue of Xiaoyao Gong until it shone brightly.

Su Zinong clapped his hands to show his satisfaction with his work.

Then, fresh fruit and fine wine were offered as tribute. Huang Chenghe asked Su Zinong to bring a silver note, which was placed in the donation box. Su Zinong then knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, murmuring words of gratitude to Xiaoyao Manor.

After finishing his business, Su Zinong sat down to rest in Xiaoyao Manor. He wondered: Who is this Xiaoyao Gong, the deity enshrined in Xiaoyao Manor? Is he an immortal? What is his story? How did he obtain that precious medicine? And why is it so effective?

Half an hour later, there was a sound outside; someone was ringing a bell.

A seventy-year-old man, dressed in tattered clothes and wearing straw sandals, entered and knelt before the statue of the carefree gentleman. He muttered, "My family is poor and I have neglected to offer sacrifices, which is disrespectful. Unfortunately, my only old ox has suddenly stopped eating grass, which has greatly distressed me. My whole family depends on it for farming; if the ox dies, I will not be far behind..."

Su Zinong, who was standing nearby, wanted to laugh but forcibly held it back. His cow had stopped eating grass and was coming to Xiaoyao Manor to ask for medicine; at first glance, it was indeed quite funny.

But thinking deeper, this man lived in poverty, possessing only an old ox for plowing and supporting his family. The ox suddenly fell ill and stopped eating, and in two days it would surely starve to death, unable to continue plowing. How could someone living such a hard life possibly smile?

The old man talked on and on for a while, then said he would come back early the next morning, and then slowly left.

Su Zinong thought that the old man probably didn't have money to put into the donation box, so he took out a hundred-tael silver note from his bag and put it into the donation box. He then sat aside and waited to see what would happen.

However, after waiting for half an hour, neither anyone came nor did they see the medicine; there was no sign of anything.

Su Zinong thought to himself: Could it be because I am here that the immortals are unwilling to appear before me?

So they left Xiaoyao Manor and strolled around the back mountain. They found that the mountain had both mountains and water, a quiet and beautiful environment, and was a wonderful place.

They hadn't gone far, only fifty paces from Xiaoyao Manor, when they discovered a rocky cave. Inside, there were signs that someone had lived there; there were even pots, pans, and wine.

Why is someone living here? But where did they go at this time? It looks like the things inside have been used all along, but no one has lived here for the past ten days or so.

Su Zinong thought, since I don't know where to go anyway, I might as well settle down here and cultivate. I shouldn't waste my time wandering around and neglecting my training.

He was actually feeling depressed because he heard that Qin Xiangxue was getting married, so he just wanted to hide away and have some peace and quiet for a while.

After wandering around and returning to Xiaoyao Manor, nothing had changed.

Su Zinong worried that the old man would be greatly disappointed if he returned without medicine. Moreover, the ox might die as a result, losing its livelihood.

He knew a simple prescription, so he ran to town and bought four ounces of Aristolochia debilis and one pound of Lonicera japonica vine. He also wrote a note that read: "Decoct the herbs and give the oxen the soup." He left a silver note with it.

He then put the medicine into Xiaoyao Manor.

I went up to Xiaoyao Mountain and checked the cave, but still no one had returned. I thought to myself: I'll spend the night in this cave and see.

The next morning, a soft tinkling sound came from outside the cave again.

Su Zinong got up and looked up, and found a small copper bell at the entrance of the cave. A thin line was tied to the small copper bell, which was connected to the copper bell in front of Xiaoyao Manor.

Whenever the copper bell in front of Xiaoyao Manor rings, the small bells inside also ring.

Su Zinong was very curious, so he went back to Xiaoyao Manor and found that it was the same old man from yesterday. He was overjoyed to see the bag of medicine, the note, and the silver notes on the ground, and knelt down repeatedly to worship the statue of Xiaoyao Gong.

Su Zinong was very happy. Helping others was indeed something to be happy about; doing good deeds and being a good person was his wish. But if the old immortal said that being a good person also required swift and decisive action, was that what Huang Chenghe meant when he gave him the Thunder Sword? Could Huang Chenghe be the incarnation of that old immortal?

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but chuckle.

Huang Chenghe doesn't look like a deity at all; he even tried walking naked in the street!

On second thought, I realized that I had donated a hundred taels of silver to the old man's merit, and then I had prepared the medicine for him myself, which seemed to have a miraculous effect. Wasn't that like asking myself for a favor? Haha. Oh no, the old man was asking for help from Master Xiaoyao, and I was just helping him with a small matter as a way of thanking him for bestowing the precious medicine upon Huang Chenghai.

But the medicine left this time was obtained by me. Who placed those two precious medicines on the statue's left palm last time, which were so effective?