Chapter 1 Part II

    As the siblings entered Fufen City, the guards at the gate greeted Xuyao with familiarity and didn't ask for her identification, which was typical in such a small, relaxed town where there was little cause to concern. Moreover, Xuyao was well-acquainted with them, so there was not much need for scrutiny.

    "Miss Lin, selling herbs again today?"

    "Yes, indeed." With that, she pulled out three small packets of ground herbs from her bag and offered them to the guards.

    The herbs in these packets were calming herbs, beneficial for martial arts practitioners. Although not as potent as the highly coveted pill-form medicines made by master apothecaries, they were still effective in two parts.

    Most martial arts practitioners needed calming medicines to enhance their training, but such medicines were quite expensive. The city guards, earning only a few taels as their monthly stipend, could barely afford to feed their families, let alone buy expensive calming medicines like the offspring of great clans. They had to rely on standard martial arts training. In such circumstances, the descendants of noble families or the wealthy can progress much further in their martial arts training than ordinary villagers. This stark difference in access was a true reflection of class disparity—it seemed like the heavens are indeed biased.

    Seeing the packets of calming herbs that the young woman offered, how could the guards not recognize that it is a calming herb? Though merely ground herbs, if bought from a pharmacy in the city, they would still be considered quite expensive. Three guards' eyes lit up, but they were too embarrassed to reach out and take them, especially while on duty. Wasn't accepting such gifts akin to taking a bribe? Although they had received gifts from Miss Lin on several occasions, it still pained them to refuse. As mere level one or two martial artists, advancing to level three or four would significantly increase their ranks and stipends. Who wouldn't desire such a life advancement?

    Xuyao understood the guards well, so she flashed them a brief smile before setting the packet of herbs down beside the city wall.

    "I'll just leave it here then. Don't forget to pick it up after your shift," she turned back, smiling at them again.

    "Miss Lin is too considerate," although his face a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, his eyes sparkling with appreciation. Miss Xuyao truly understood them. They felt a renewed resolve to take good care of her.

    Unbeknownst to the young woman, every time she visited the city, the guards on duty who coincided with her visits would be especially enthusiastic as they anticipated her small gifts. They even calculated her visits, noting that she entered the city every five days. The guards assigned to those days were envied by their comrades for three days straight. Today was unusual because she had come before the usual five days, making them feel particularly fortunate.

    "Brothers, this is my foster brother, Xiaoxin. It’s his first time in the city."

    "Ah, little brother Xiaoxin. Feel at home, and if you need anything, just come to us."

    "Thank you," the little boy replied with a broad, easy smile.

    After providing the small token of appreciation to the guards, Xuyao leisurely led Xiaoxin into the city. What she did could indeed be considered a form of bribery.

    However, having allies when needed was preferable. On many occasions when she had visited the city, thugs had tried to cause trouble, and the guards were especially eager to help her. This was the advantage of providing calming herbal powders; these small gestures were minor compared to her entire herb garden. Such a trade was certainly not a loss.

    Xuyao walked along the main street, passing shops and stalls on her way to a well-known pharmacy in Fufen City. Throughout their walk, Xiaoxin was dazzled by the shops and the bustling crowd, constantly pointing and asking questions.

    What is that, Big Sister?

    Why are those people dressed in white, Big Sister?

    Big Sister, that shop was so crowded.

    Big Sister, those people over there are very strong.

    Xuyao was patient with the boy, answering all his questions. Since it was his first time in the city, everything was new and unfamiliar to him, and she wanted him to gradually learn and get accustomed to urban society.

    The young woman led him to a simple yet straightforwardly named herbal shop, Fufen Medical Hall, the only one in Fufen City where all herbs from villagers were sold. The shopkeeper of Fufen Medical Hall was known for his honesty; he never inflated the prices of the herbs from the villagers. Therefore, he was highly respected in the city. Behind the scenes, there was a fourth-level apothecary, ensuring the quality of the preparation of medicines.

    Familiar with the place, Xuyao walked in.

    "Miss Lin, it’s you. What brings you here today? It's not yet time for your usual visit," the manager, who knew her well, greeted her with a warm smile.

    "Today I took the opportunity to take my brother for a stroll, Master Song. This is my brother, Xiaoxin," she said, ruffling the boy's hair.

    "Ah, what a lovely child," Master Song glanced at the young boy returning his gaze with bright eyes and felt very fond of him.

    "Master Song, today I have some calming herb powders and some wound healing herb powders, same price as always."

    "The same price, of course. The quality of Miss Lin’s herbs is too good to be priced low," the middle-aged man smiled with satisfaction. This was because Miss Lin Xuyao was able to meticulously separate and grind the herbs, selecting only the finest and highest-quality ones to sell. Her herbal powder could be used as ingredients in the manager's concoctions.

    Clang!

    "Keep out of my sight! Go away, you useless child!"

    While Xuyao and Master Song were engaged in their herbal transaction, across the street, a food vendor was beating his son and shouting loudly enough to be heard down the block. The other local vendors, accustomed to the noise, simply shook their heads and went about their business. However, stray merchants and passersby not from the area stopped and looked around in surprise, wondering why the vendor was abusing his son.

    "Miss Lin, don't mind that. It's the same old story. Zhang Xing failed the medical seal exam again. Master Zhang is so furious, he’s practically gone white-haired.”

    Xuyao nodded quietly, then accepted a bag of money that Master Song handed her. She smiled and took Xiaoxin's hand, leading him away.

    Zhang Xing was the rebellious son of Shopkeeper Zhang, who owned a food stall and was quite well-off in Fufen City. However, being wealthy without power meant little. When it came to truly attaining power, there were essentially two paths: one was through martial arts training, and the other was through becoming an apothecary. Unfortunately, his son had no talent in martial arts, so Shopkeeper Zhang hoped he would succeed as an apothecary instead. He invested heavily in hiring tutors to teach his son how to select and prepare medicines, purchasing high-quality herbs for him to practice with. Despite these efforts, his son repeatedly disappointed him, failing to pass the medical seal exam and showing little interest in his studies. It was no wonder the father was infuriated.

    “Xiaoxin, what would you like today? I'll buy it for you.”

    The young woman offered as she led Xiaoxin through a district bustling with vendors selling snacks and toys. The boy looked around, wide-eyed with excitement.

    “I…I don’t want anything.” Even if he desired something, he had to suppress those feelings as he knew his sister worked hard to earn every penny. How could he allow her to spend her hard-earned money on him?

    “Haha, come here, good boy,” seeing how much he understood, she was touched by his consideration. She led him to a clothing store and picked out a few outfits that suited him.

    “Big Sister, you don’t have to buy these for me,” the little boy said.

    “How can I not? All your clothes are worn out.”

    Xuyao insisted, not taking no for an answer. Xiaoxin could only feel grateful and keep this kindness in his heart. From now on, he would have to show even more gratitude and work even harder.

    After buying clothes for Xiaoxin, they went to a bookstore where Xuyao purchased a few more books on herbs and medicine preparation. This was her main purpose for the trip as she had memorized all her existing books and saving for more advanced texts took months.

    She visited an antique shop not far away, where myriad items were on sale, from vases, bowls, jars, stoves, digging tools, to even ornaments. However, she had to choose items that were still usable because many times she had bought things from antique shops only to find they broke after a few uses.

    Most of the antiques were from noble families or wealthy households that no longer needed them, sold here at lower prices. The antique shop bought these items to resell to the villagers. Choosing carefully here could result in acquiring good quality items at affordable prices.

    Xuyao browsed until a particular old leather mask caught her eye. It was like a playful mask for children of high society, adorned with a delicate yet powerful pattern of phoenix wings. However, the paint was peeling off in several places, and some of the leather was frayed. Placed as it was, it was unlikely anyone would even take it for free.

    But for some reason, Xuyao couldn’t look away. She gently touched the leather.

    “Ah!” As if some energy was running through her fingers, arms, and shoulder, flowing into her body strangely. The young woman quickly withdrew her hand, startled.

    “Big Sister, what happened?”

    “Oh… Ah, nothing, Xiaoxin. Do you like anything here?” She dismissed her curiosity. She must be too tired, causing her body to act strangely like this.

    “I don’t want anything.”

    “Well then, let’s just pick an old pot and head home.”

    She turned away from the leather mask before selecting a few old items and leading Xiao Xin back home.

    When they arrived, Xuyao was stunned to find something unusual in her bag.

    “Xiaoxin! Did you take this mask from the antique shop?”

    “Big Sister, I didn’t touch anything at the shop.”

    “Th… then how did this old mask end up here?” She was sure she hadn’t picked it up, nor had she paid for it. Puzzled, she looked at the old mask in her hand.

    Suddenly, the same strange energy pulsed from her palm and spread throughout her body again. Xuyao, startled, quickly threw the mask away.

    "Big Sister, what's wrong?" Xiaoxin asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister’s unusual reaction.

    "Xiao… Xiaoxin, try touching the mask," she said, her voice trembling. It wasn't like there were ghosts or demons in the mask like the ones from the folk tales storytellers liked to recount, was it?

    The boy picked up the old leather mask and turned it over curiously, but nothing seemed amiss.

    "Big Sister, it's so old and you still bought it? It’s not worth it, it’s unusable. Look, the leather is peeling off and the color is faded," the boy commented as he inspected the mask to his satisfaction, wondering how his sister could have possibly chosen such an unusable item.

    Xuyao took the mask back from Xiaoxin’s small hands, her expression painted with confusion, fear, and doubt. There had to be something unusual about this mask—if it wasn’t haunted, then it must be some kind of magical artifact from the martial world. She needed to determine whether it was the former or the latter.

    Carefully, the young woman placed the mask on her beautiful face. As soon as the soft leather touched her smooth skin, Xuyao felt as if the mask slowly melted and became part of her, as if a stream of water was nourishing her body, making her feel refreshed and energized like never before.

    "Big... Big Sister!"

    Xuyao’s eyes, now clear and bright, reflected the image of a shocked Xiaoxin. The little boy, trembling, pointed a shaking hand at his sister, tears streaming down his face as if floodgates had opened. Though his body shook, his eyes shone with a determined gleam. Suddenly, he lunged forward and began hitting Xuyao forcefully.

    "Ouch! Xiaoxin, why are you hitting me?"

    "You demon! Have you swallowed my sister? Spit her out, spit her out!" He hit and shouted, tears flowing freely. His sister wore that old mask, withing which a lurking demon must reside. Otherwise, how else could his sister disappear?

    "Xiaoxin! Stop it! It's me, Lin Xuyao, your sister. What demon are you talking about?" She tried to fend off his furious blows. Although small, his hits were surprisingly strong. She had just realized that her voice had deepened, sounding more like a man's.

    Was this crazy kid trying to kill her? She could only raise her hands defensively.

    "You're lying. How can my sister look like this? Spit her out! Spit her out now!" His small hands struck with increased force.

    "Xiaoxin, stop! Or else I will bring ducklings to fill the garden."

    Thud! The boy stopped hitting her abruptly.

    "Big... Big Sister?" It had to be her; who else would threaten him like that? She knew he was scared of ducklings.

    "See? It's me, who else would it be!" Xuyao was starting to feel really frustrated. This kid didn’t look properly and just started beating her up until she was bruised all over. Was he really the kind of person to hold a grudge like this? She had only joked about the ducks a few times.

    Before she could say anything else, the boy ran out of the room.

    "You... you! Are you going to run away, you little dog, come back here right now!" That little boy made her furious again.

    Soon, Xiaoxin returned, holding a mirror in his hand. He held it up in front of the beautiful woman who now looked like a handsome man.

    As Xuyao looked into the mirror, she saw a handsome man resembling her in two parts, with sharp eyebrows, a well-defined nose, and piercing eyes, though they showed a hint of panic. The young woman touched her face gently, and the figure in the mirror mimicked her movements.

    The same person!

    How could this be?!

    Xuyao stood up abruptly, inspecting her arms and legs in panic. The body she saw was that of a man, oddly dressed in women's tight-fitting clothes, making her look rather ridiculous. She noticed her arms and legs were thicker, and she was significantly taller than her actual body.

    "What..."

    "Big Sister, look! There's a ring on your finger," Xiaoxin, with sharp eyes, quickly pointed out. Once the initial shock had passed, the siblings then tried to figure out the changes that had occurred.

    At this moment, it can be said that the old leather mask from the antique shop, which they didn't actually purchase, appeared in their bag. Moreover, when they tried it on, it was even more amazing. It could transform Xuyao's beautiful female form into a handsome young man. Furthermore, the old mask transformed into a simple light green jade ring on her finger, which, when removed, astonishingly returned Xuyao to her original female form.

    Xuyao now realized that she had indeed come into possession of a valuable artifact, even though she hadn't bought it. She speculated that this item must be the legendary Sun Hiding Mask, renowned in the martial world. It was said that the mask first appeared thousands of years ago, created by a female martial artist who loved fashion and beauty, unlike the typical demeanor of warriors. She sought out the skins of mythical beasts and distilled colors from various rare plants to craft the Sun Hiding Mask. However, after using it to create a stir in the martial world, she was quickly assassinated by those who coveted the mask, and thus the famous Sun Hiding Mask vanished amid the strife of the martial world.

    It was unbelievable that it had ended up in her hands.

    When Xuyao removed the ring, it did not revert to the original leather mask but remained a jade ring. This might be its true form. Xuyao examined the jade ring lying quietly in her palm, deeply contemplating. The first time she touched the Sun Hiding Mask, she felt a chaotic power coursing through her body, clearly indicating it was a magical object. Yet, why could others not perceive its extraordinary existence?

    "Xiaoxin, try putting on this ring," Xuyao didn't hesitate. She picked up her brother’s plumper finger, slipping the ring onto it, but alas, nothing happened.

    "Eh?"

    "Big Sister, why did you change earlier?" Xiaoxin asked once he calmed down.

    "I don't know either. But, you must promise not to tell anyone we have this, understand?"

    "I understand!" Although he didn’t quite grasp why, he trusted his sister completely. If she said not to tell anyone, he wouldn't.

    "Good. If you slip up, I'll make you sleep with the ducklings," Xuyao didn't forget to threaten him.

    "I won’t tell!" Xiaoxin shook his head immediately.

    "Haha, that’s good." This boy feared nothing—except for ducklings. Last year, he tried to play with some ducklings Old Man Xi was raising, but somehow got bitten, leading to a severely swollen mouth for days. Since then, he had been terrified of ducklings.

    "Let’s go then. I'll make us some food."

    "Okay."

    The siblings then happily went to the kitchen to cook. Although Xuyao was still puzzled by the magical artifact they had acquired, it might prove useful later. Keeping it seemed harmless, and it seemed she should start studying this mysterious item.