Li Qi checked his belongings and found he had nine hundred and ninety-two coins.
Damn, the new boss only gave him cultivation techniques and that willow branch, no money!
He could manage on his own—sleeping outdoors, by a bridge, or even on the street if necessary.
But with a woman beside him... especially one dressed in rich attire, wearing silk scarves and looking very well-off...
No way, sir, this doesn't seem safe. Who would dare sleep on the street dressed like that?
Most importantly, there was no escort. The only company he had was himself, and he looked like a poor, ragged boatman.
Dressed like this, it felt like he was telling everyone, "Co rob ! Co steal from ! I'm wealthy and have no ans to resist!"
So as Li Qi walked a few steps down the street, trying to divert Shen Shuibei's attention, he said, "Miss Shen, my na is Li Qi, which you already know."
"Right, Li Qi, I'm Shen Shuibei," she replied, her attention now diverted, seemingly forgetting her previous grievances.
This made Li Qi sigh inwardly.
This demon truly lacked common sense; no wonder humans ruled the world. If all demons were like this, it would be a miracle for them not to be dominated by humans.
Or perhaps... this was called purity?
It would be wonderful if everyone were so pure.
Li Qi led Shen Shuibei to a riverside.
He squatted by the riverbank, while Shen Shuibei stood behind him, puzzled about what they were doing.
At this mont, Li Qi spoke, "Miss Shen, we'll be traveling together... ah, no, embarking on a journey together, we need to get to know each other better. Apart from your na, I don't know much about you."
"But understanding should be mutual. Let introduce myself first."
Li Qi began to introduce himself.
His life was rather simple, apart from being an Outer Path individual—a fact he couldn't easily discuss, as he couldn't tell anyone he was a ti traveler.
Although Outer Path individuals weren't much different, judging by Young Master Zhu's appearance, there seed to be quite a few of them...
Wonder if he'd ever et soone from his own world?
Apart from that, he simply ntioned being a boatman and shared so stories about pulling boats, such as his encounters with Da Zhuang and various spirits and monsters along the river.
Usually, when encountering those spirits, higher-ups would handle them, not risking the lives of boatn.
After all, those who could navigate boats were far superior to boatn.
There were also legends heard around the docks, like water insects, water monkeys, witches performing magic, etc.
As he recounted his stories, Shen Shuibei beca completely engrossed. She had never heard such tales before and treated Li Qi as if he were a storyteller.
"So, because of the Wu, in our Daliu Kingdom, children with serious illnesses are often taken to shamans instead of doctors," Li Qi explained, sharing oddities he had seen in Baiyue territory.
Now, he ntioned the street shamans who, in his view, replaced barefoot doctors, using herbs or mystical techniques to treat ailnts.
However, at this point, Shen Shuibei suddenly interjected.
"I know this. A scholar nad Ru Dao wrote about Baiyue customs, saying, 'In Baiyue, people favor shamans. When soone is sick, they consult a shaman using their birth data. Upon arrival, the shaman breaks an egg and examines its yolk and white to determine the severity of the illness. For mild cases, they offer wine and food sacrifices; for severe cases, they paint deity images and perform dances with cow horns and gongs, holding flowers and singing songs. These dances are known as soul redemption dances and spirit-breaking dances. The songs are called chicken songs and warm flower songs. Warm flowers refer to wrapping male infants in colorful flowers during illness, where relatives bless the flowers and sing, known as warming flowers. Shamans cut their arms and sar blood on talismans, known as manifesting yang.' This describes how shamans treat illnesses in Baiyue rather than doctors."
"That scholar also criticized Baiyue for being backward, having ten shamans for every doctor, leading to a difficult life for the people. While shamans can cure diseases, they cannot prevent them. Doctors not only cure diseases but also investigate the root causes, providing comprehensive treatnt. Curing one person can prevent many others from getting sick, whereas shamans can only treat one at a ti, barely making a difference."
Li Qi turned to look at her, surprised.
This woman... no, female demon, despite giving him the impression of being foolish, could quote texts fluently. Earlier, she cited sources about willow branches effortlessly, as if she had read many ancient books.
However, despite extensive reading and knowledge, why did she still seem so lacking in common sense?
"Indeed, that scholar made a good point," Li Qi agreed. Shamans could cure diseases but didn't understand how they did it.
Li Qi himself had been cured by a shaman after being infected by water parasites, becoming bloated. After paying for the shaman's services and watching the dance, the parasites died and were expelled.
But though cured, Li Qi didn't know how to prevent future infections or help others avoid the sa fate. Even the shaman didn't know, treating one case at a ti.
Hearing Li Qi agree with her, Shen Shuibei emitted a smug hum.
She really was... carefree.
After chatting for about twenty minutes, she seed to have completely forgotten her earlier displeasure.
This was exactly what Li Qi wanted, though he hadn't expected such imdiate results.
Was it his conversational skills or that his target was too easy to deceive?
He seized the opportunity to continue, "I've told you a lot about myself, Miss Shen, but you haven't said anything about yourself. How did you end up in Daliu Kingdom?"
With the conversation flowing smoothly, Shen Shuibei didn't find anything suspicious, "? I don't have as many stories as you. I'm just Luo Fu Niangniang's rabbit, always by her side. She reads, I read; she cultivates, I cultivate; she eats, I eat. It's been about a hundred years, right? Then, as you know, Luo Fu Niangniang was chased, and halfway through, she feared I might be killed by the aftermath, so she left in Daliu."
"But, unluckily, I was affected by one of the pursuers' spells. It transford into my defensive qi, feeding off my cultivation and revealing my location."
"Qi that does not follow ridians is defensive qi, but defensive qi and nutritive qi coexist harmoniously inside and outside the body, making it impossible to eliminate. I had to abandon all my cultivation and damage my own powers to escape the spell."
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