Chapter 47

When Su Ruo was happily celebrating the recovery of her own fortune.

Inside a hospital in the Imperial Capital, a well-maintained beautiful woman in her thirties was gazing at the pale-faced girl on the hospital bed, weeping with tears like pear blossoms in rain.

Beside the beautiful woman stood a very handsome man, constantly comforting her, but when he looked at the girl on the bed, his eyes also showed deep worry.

After the girl woke up, she forced a smile and said to the two, 'Brother, Mom, I'm fine, don't worry.'

But in fact the girl's condition was poor; she could feel her own fortune slowly draining away, yet she was powerless, which made her very uneasy.

The girl was extremely anxious, wanting to quickly find her 'master' to explain her situation.

No matter how she pleaded, acted cute, her mother and brother simply refused to let her leave the hospital.

The girl had no choice but to wait until everyone fell asleep, then sneak out of the hospital alone.

She wound her way into a very secluded courtyard, pushed the door open and entered a room; upon seeing the black-robed old man behind the desk, she immediately knelt down.

'What is it?' the black-robed old man's voice sounded like rotting, decayed wood.

Li Zhaodi now blindly worships Su Ruo; whatever Su Ruo says, she has no objection.

The girl's current blessings are entirely due to her heaven-defying fortune; she dare not imagine what she would become if one day she lost that fortune's support.

At this moment, if she weren't afraid of disturbing An'an's sleep, she would immediately get up and practice the techniques diligently.

Li Shiro saw Su Ruo and instantly froze, her eyes locked on Su Ruo's face without blinking, wondering if it was her imagination; clearly they had not seen each other for just one night, yet she felt Su Ruo seemed to have become more beautiful.

Chen Wei, however, simply gave her a cold shoulder.

After recovering five percent of her fortune, Su Ruo chose to draw again; this time she won a bicycle.

Li Shiro, comparing Su Ruo's changes, then looking at her own skin darkened from farm work over this period, felt a surge of intense jealousy.

Therefore, Su Ruo specially prepared herbal medicine for Li Zhaodi to regulate her body; Li Zhaodi was moved to tears and worked even harder to help Su Ruo.

After the girl left, the black-robed old man took out three copper coins, tossed them onto the desk, and cast them.

Li Shiro felt furious inside but had nowhere to vent; she glared hatefully at Chen Wei's back, then turned and went back to her room.

The black-robed old man's expression shifted slightly, but quickly returned to normal; he threw out a talisman and said, 'Put this on, do not go out during this time, and without my word, do not come see me.'

Fortunately, she knew Su Ruo's pride would not last long; thinking that Su Ruo would soon face retaliation from Wu Xiaofeng, Li Shiro couldn't help but raise a cold smile.

Li Zhaodi suffers some malnutrition, and from years of farm labor her body is considerably depleted; although she is still young and it does not show, these problems will surface when she grows old.

She strives to memorize all these techniques and movements in her mind, ideally forming muscle memory, so that if she ever encounters danger, she can react as quickly as possible.

She fears that if this continues, one day the other party will take all of her fortune.

Li Zhaodi realized for the first time that her life was not limited to marrying and bearing children; she could learn many things and have a brighter future, and with hope her spirit changed completely.

The man nodded and replied, 'Yes.' His figure quickly vanished into the night.

Upon seeing Chen Wei, Li Shiro immediately composed herself, smiled, and stepped forward to greet her: 'Weiwei, you're up.'

Before, Li Zhaodi felt her life was dim and hopeless, with no future in sight; but since meeting Su Ruo, each day has been full of energy.

That night Su Ruo studied very late; after finishing the techniques, she further regulated her breath according to the text's method of inhaling and exhaling.

Su Ruo had thought that after all this effort she would surely be tired in the morning, but to her surprise she felt no fatigue; instead she was full of spirit, vigorous and energetic, as if she had inexhaustible strength, which further strengthened her resolve to learn martial arts.

He summoned his senior disciple and ordered, 'Go to Da Qing Shan! Find the person involved in the incident and find a way to eliminate her!'

An'an, being young and unable to speak, nevertheless feels very comfortable whenever she goes up the mountain; she greatly likes the flowers, grasses, trees, and small animals there, and even running all day in the mountains does not tire her.

Su Ruo greatly admires Li Zhaodi's cooking; she can always turn simple ingredients into something very delicious.

Su Ruo looked at the 28‑inch bicycle before her, which perfectly fit the era's style, and felt delighted; having a bicycle would make trips to the county easier, but she needed to find an opportunity to get it licensed.

He had plotted for so many years; clearly the outcome should have been death, yet now, as success seemed imminent, a glimmer of turning point appeared.

Although the fortune taken from her does not yet greatly affect the girl, this is already the second time such a loss has occurred in this period.

When Su Ruo brought An'an to the clinic, Li Zhaodi had already prepared breakfast; the table held white porridge, eggs, scallion‑oil pancakes, and tangy, refreshing side dishes, making anyone who saw them feel hungry.

The three of them had no objections, so the matter was happily settled.

Her smile happened to fall into Chen Wei's eyes.

Su Ruo did not know that a plot specifically targeting her was slowly unfolding.

If Su Ruo's former appearance could only be described as pretty, the current Su Ruo actually gives people a striking impression.

The third time, Su Ruo drew a set of martial arts techniques; following its methods to train the body and nurture vitality not only strengthens the physique but also improves constitution.

As for Su Ruo's own cooking talent, she has virtually none.

After finishing breakfast, Su Ruo announced that from tomorrow onward they would go up the mountain each day to run and train their bodies.

The girl suppressed her inner fear and hurriedly said, 'Master, my fortune was taken again today.'

In her previous life, Su Ruo was beaten to death by Wang Tufu, that abusive man, so she deeply understands how important self‑defense ability is for women.

Upon hearing that Su Ruo would take her up the mountain every day from now on, An'an became overjoyed.

Su Ruo dressed An'an and prepared to take her to the clinic, but as soon as they stepped out they bumped into Li Shiro, who was also coming out of the room.

After seeing the divination, the black‑robed old man's face suddenly changed in shock; he slammed the desk and said, 'This is impossible!'

From then on Su Ruo became busier; she rose at five each morning, took Li Zhaodi and An'an to the mountain to run and practice martial arts, and after finishing would also gather some herbs on the way down.

Back at the clinic, she not only had to treat the villagers but also teach Li Zhaodi medical arts.

Su Ruo's skin became whiter, her complexion improved, and even her appearance seemed more lovely.

Su Ruo worried that such intensity might be too much for Li Zhaodi and An'an, so she specially took their pulses; An'an's body was very good, with no issues.

Who exactly! Who is sabotaging my plans and secretly helping them!

The black‑robed old man's eyes were full of a sinister, vicious gleam.

The girl, feeling as if she had obtained a precious treasure, took the talisman and left; in her heart the black‑robed old man was an omnipotent being, someone for whom nothing in this world is impossible.

Although she could not practice it yet for the time being, Su Ruo immediately began studying it; she carefully examined each movement in the book and repeatedly simulated them in her mind.

The Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise have successively encountered problems; people who should have died are now not only alive but their fortune keeps improving, even showing a faint tendency of fortune reflux.

Because An'an's luck is off the charts, Su Ruo and her companions always manage to pick up some mountain pheasants, rabbits, and other wild game whenever they go up the mountain.

Su Ruo and they almost had meat to eat every day; under such nourishment, Li Zhaodi visibly put on some weight, her complexion improved, and because of practicing martial arts, her entire spirit and energy were different.

Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction, but a sudden change that appeared in the Li Family completely shattered all of that.