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Chapter 85: Eighty-Five Treasures

Following his lead, she asked, "Is the academy enrolling fewer students because it's been open for so long?"

The headmaster replied, "No, it's because there was a foolish teacher who taught a group of students who disrupted the government, causing scholars to stop studying."

Xu Zhen chuckled but said nothing.

The headmaster finally turned to her, his cloudy, moist eyes shining with a hint of past sharpness.

He asked, "How many years has it been?"

Xu Zhen answered, "Three years, I think."

The headmaster asked, "Why return when the world isn't at peace?"

Xu Zhen replied, "I'm looking for someone, a young girl from Xianbei who was often with me. Do you remember her? Well, you probably don't. She's not really young, taller and fairer than me. We were together, but she recently disappeared. Have you seen her?"

The headmaster scolded, "You said I don't remember her. How could I have seen her?"

Xu Zhen laughed, "True, I didn't expect much. But I've traveled so far these past days, and I'm exhausted." She pointed to the antidote on the ground, "Headmaster, I think she'll return here. If you see her, could you pass this medicine to her?"

The headmaster glared at Xu Zhen, "Where is she? Don't tell me she's dead somewhere."

Xu Zhen replied, "She's not dead, just lost."

The headmaster angrily retorted, "And you expect me to give her the medicine? Take it yourself! If she's really dead, do you expect me to wait here at the academy forever? I'm not like you, get lost."

Xu Zhen protested, "Why would you say that—"

Before she could finish, the headmaster scolded her again.

Feeling aggrieved, Xu Zhen stood up, tears in her eyes, and prepared to continue her search.

After a few steps, the headmaster called out, "Wait!"

Xu Zhen turned to him.

The headmaster coughed, stroking his goatee, "By the way, there was a tremor recently, and the base of the mountain collapsed, creating a cave. I don't know if wild animals have moved in. Could you help fill it in?"

Xu Zhen was puzzled but agreed since the headmaster requested it. She headed in the direction he indicated to fill the cave.

As she walked, she finally realized the headmaster's words were a clue. There must be something hidden in that cave.

Xu Zhen began to walk faster, then started running, determined to reach the cave the headmaster had mentioned. Hidden among dense dry leaves and weeds, she found the cave entrance blocked by large stones. Without hesitation, she ran inside.

The cave was small and dark, but Xu Zhen felt certain that Little Beggar was there—she could sense it!

She carefully made her way forward, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw someone kneeling inside.

The figure knelt alone, hands pressed into the earth, fingers digging into the soil, back arched like a struggling, dying wolf pup.

And that wolf pup was none other than the Little Beggar she had been longing for!

Tears streamed down Xu Zhen’s face once more.

With trembling hands, she took out the antidote from her pocket and quickly ran to Little Beggar, throwing herself onto her back. She felt Little Beggar's body stiffen and her breathing grow heavier.

Without a word, Xu Zhen placed the antidote into Little Beggar’s mouth. As she did, she noticed a pain in her hand and saw that Xun Qianchun was holding a small knife, her expression one of restrained anguish, struggling against an impulse to cut.

"Teacher," Xun Qianchun's hoarse, sorrowful voice echoed in the cave, "Teacher—"

In the end, the knife didn’t strike Xu Zhen.

Xun Qianchun held back, instead turning the blade on herself, stabbing her arm to alleviate her uncontrollable pain.

Xu Zhen, both upset and angry, tried to take the knife away. Little Beggar, in her confused state, held it tightly, forcing Xu Zhen to expend great effort to wrest it from her and toss it far away.

"It'll be alright soon," Xu Zhen comforted, holding Xun Qianchun, "Really, it will. This is the real antidote. We’ll be free from worry soon."

Xun Qianchun didn’t seem to hear her.

Xu Zhen, feeling weak herself, laid on top of Xun Qianchun. Thinking about her dwindling merit points, she gently kissed Xun Qianchun.

The merit points seemed to increase slightly.

Xu Zhen felt a bit relieved.

While waiting for the antidote to take effect, she rested her head on Little Beggar's chest, carefully examining her familiar face.

Even after just a few days apart, Little Beggar had grown much thinner, her face covered in cracked skin like white scales, her lips dry and chapped, surrounded by broken skin and blood. Her hands bore more than a few scars.

Thankfully, this tragic and absurd situation was coming to an end.

Xu Zhen watched Xun Qianchun, waiting for the antidote to work. After some time, Xun Qianchun's complexion seemed to improve a bit.

Yet she kept her eyes closed, unwilling to look at Xu Zhen.

Even so, Xu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

At least she wasn’t being attacked anymore.

This meant the antidote was genuine!!!

Xu Zhen cried tears of joy.

She felt heartache for Little Beggar and for herself. She had missed Little Beggar dearly over the past few days, and now that they were finally reunited, Little Beggar was ignoring her. What a situation! She really wanted to talk to Little Beggar.

Unwilling to sit in silence, Xu Zhen gently touched Xun Qianchun’s eyelashes and asked, "Are you awake?"

Xun Qianchun didn’t reply.

Xu Zhen pinched her cheek and asked, "Feeling better?"

Xun Qianchun, still with her eyes closed, said hoarsely, "Teacher, I... I don’t know when I might relapse..."

Xu Zhen laughed, "So you want to drive me away?"

Xun Qianchun pressed her lips tightly together, her face pale.

After a moment of silence, Xu Zhen leaned close to Xun Qianchun's ear and whispered, "Do you remember, in Jiangling—"

Xun Qianchun didn’t respond.

Xu Zhen continued seriously, "You owe me ten taels of silver, and you haven’t paid me back, so you can’t make me leave."

Ten taels.

She didn’t believe Little Beggar could find ten taels to drive her away now.

Author's Note: Continuing with the story:

Little Beggar: How am I supposed to repay you? *sobs* 5555

Xu the Strong: With your body, hehe hhhh

And so, in the dark cave, the two of them, disheveled, were as happy as immortals.