Release the Heroine, Let Me Handle This

Chapter 20: A Beauty in the Moonlight 🌙

For Ye Wenxin, this week was a much-needed break, offering her a taste of freedom.

"Not afraid."

"You really don't play by the rules. How about staying at my place for a few days?" Long Qing'er persisted. The more time Ye Wenxin spent with her, the more she realized Long Qing'er was nothing like the spoiled brat rumors suggested. Instead, Long Qing'er was kind, often sharing snacks with Ye Wenxin and even sneaking her some foundational techniques from the Shengshi Dynasty to study.

"No, thanks. I have a bad sleeping posture; I might disturb you at night," Ye Wenxin politely declined, to which Long Qing'er nonchalantly replied, "It's fine. I'm a heavy sleeper."

Ye Wenxin chuckled at Long Qing'er's comment and, sensing her sincerity, said, "Maybe in a few days. I still have some unfinished assignments, but once they're done, I'll stay with you for a night."

Long Qing'er, though disappointed, nodded. "Alright, but be careful these next few days."

Ye Wenxin nodded earnestly, watching Long Qing'er leave.

Now alone in the alchemy pavilion, Ye Wenxin felt the emptiness of the space—a stark contrast to when it was bustling with people. Yet, solitude meant freedom. After tidying up, she accounted for the day's alchemical results and locked up, opting not to return to her courtyard. Instead, she bought some groceries from the canteen and headed towards the back mountain.

"Crow brother..."

"Crow brother..."

She called out in the empty back mountain, hoping to catch the attention of the crow she had encountered before. However, the forest was vast, and her voice too faint, so she abandoned the idea of bribing the crow and found a secluded spot instead.

She laid her clothes down by a stream imbued with spiritual energy and cautiously stepped in. Her small frame began expanding rapidly.

As she returned to her true form, she couldn't help but let out a sound. Her beauty was enchanting, but only the evening breeze bore witness to the captivating scene.

"I'm faster now," she noted, testing her body for the first time since her bones were shattered.

She hadn't forgotten what she had learned, but it felt as though her cultivation had been extracted from her body. Sitting in meditation, Ye Wenxin sought the reason for her lost cultivation but found nothing.

"Could that mute have learned some star-absorbing technique and siphoned my powers?" Ye Wenxin mused, but no matter how she pondered, she couldn't decipher where her cultivation had gone.

After an hour of fruitless effort, she decided to head back to her courtyard.

With the back mountain sparsely populated due to roaming beasts, Ye Wenxin strolled in her true form, enjoying the fresh air undisturbed by creatures.

The breeze was gentle, and the air was crisp.

"Ga ga ga ga..." Just as Ye Wenxin relaxed, she heard the crow's urgent call and saw a shadow swiftly approaching.

She dodged quickly but still got scratched on the arm, blood trickling from the wound, and the crow vanished again.