Yun Ying was stunned. ’Senior Brother actually said something like that, right in front of me!’

She couldn’t bear it any longer. All the anxiety and melancholy of the past several days surged up at once, turning into a bitter tide that rushed to her eyes, threatening to spill forth as tears.

Unable to control herself, she bolted from the main hall and fled to her room, where she buried her face in her pillow and let the tears flow freely.

When Qin Feng and Master Yun saw Yun Ying suddenly rush out, they found it a little strange. But she had always been a free-spirited girl, so they didn’t think anything was seriously wrong. Besides, Qin Feng was in the middle of telling his master about Juhua, and Master Yun was listening intently. Neither of them gave her abrupt departure a second thought.

Because Yun Ying had left, she failed to hear the rest of the conversation. What she had heard, she completely misinterpreted, and this misunderstanding would lead her to an extraordinary decision.

But leaving Yun Ying to cry in her room, Master Yun turned back to Qin Feng and asked what was so unusual about Juhua.

Qin Feng slowly turned the jade box in his hands—the one containing the antidote he had prepared for Juhua. He carefully tried to organize his thoughts, but he didn’t know where to begin.

After a long moment, he finally said, "It’s... she’s completely different from the person she was before."

If Juhua had heard that, she probably would have shuddered in fear.

But Master Yun was unfazed. "Is that all? Many people undergo a complete change in personality after a traumatic experience. It’s not that uncommon. This girl, Juhua, has that skin condition on her face; it wouldn’t be surprising if her temperament was a little odd."

Qin Feng shook his head.

He recalled the way Juhua would look at him so quietly. Though her eyes were still pure, she possessed a composure that a twelve-year-old child simply shouldn’t have.

From the beginning, only two people had noticed that there was something unusual about Juhua: Qin Feng and Scholar Zhou.

The other villagers had little contact with Juhua, so even if she had grown bolder, they paid it no mind. Her parents and brother simply believed that the near-drowning incident had made her more resilient and open-minded, which only made them happy. Zhang Huai, on the other hand, did sense the change in her, but he was so lovesick that his only pain was that she no longer treated him as she once had; he never considered any other possibility.

In short, none of the villagers had the insight to realize that an adult’s soul was hidden within Juhua’s body. Only Qin Feng and Scholar Zhou felt that something was amiss.

Scholar Zhou had never met the old Juhua, so he was simply struck by how strangely calm and composed this girl of about twelve was.

Qin Feng, however, had known the original Juhua. He had even examined the skin condition on her face and knew that the quiet, innocent little girl had been timid and frail. After she was rescued from the water, they had barely spoken or even seen each other more than a few times, yet he had a strange feeling. This feeling grew stronger with each encounter: this Juhua was a completely different person.

This feeling had reached its peak while he was treating the condition on her face.

He carefully explained to Master Yun all the differences between the Juhua from before and the one now—her expressions, her mannerisms, her way of doing things.

Master Yun’s expression grew solemn. "Are you saying she changed after she was rescued from the water?"

Qin Feng nodded. "I believe so. Three days after she was rescued, a little boy from the village also fell into the water. I had already checked him and he wasn’t breathing, but she rushed over and used a method of breathing air into his lungs to revive him."

He paused before adding, "And then there’s the matter of the pig’s offal. It’s something most people can’t clean properly, but she cleaned it perfectly and cooked it into a fragrant, delicious dish. She’d never cooked anything like that before."

Having lived a long life, Master Yun had his own perspective on such matters. He mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "I’m afraid this Juhua may no longer be the original Juhua. Only she knows what truly happened. From what you’ve told me, she doesn’t seem to be malicious. I suppose she can’t be considered an evil spirit, then."

Qin Feng was alarmed by this and quickly waved his hands in protest. "Of course not! How could Juhua be an evil spirit? She’s definitely not, and she hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, nothing bad has happened in Qingnan Village at all."

Master Yun asked in surprise, "If you’re not worried about her harming anyone, then what is it that you can’t let go of?"

Qin Feng said, "I have a feeling there’s much more that she knows. That’s the first thing. The second is her physical health. Her body was severely weakened after she nearly drowned, which will cause major problems for her later if she wants to marry and have children. I’ve prepared some medicine for her, but for it to be most effective, she must begin treatment before her first menstrual period."