Chapter 1: Arrest and Brought to Justice

The afternoon courtyard was tranquil and serene.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse fence, casting dappled shadows on the drying herbs, while a faint, bitter fragrance of grass and wood lingered in the air.
Su Qinghan sat in her wheelchair, her delicate hands methodically sorting and categorizing the dried herbs.
“Doctor Su! Doctor Su!”
The courtyard gate was pushed open, and an elderly woman with gray hair, carrying a bamboo basket, hurried in with a beaming smile.
“Look, my old aching legs are so much better!”
As she spoke, she deliberately stomped her feet with vigor, her movements surprisingly nimble.
“Now I can even work in the fields with strength!”
She placed the basket on the stone table, revealing neatly arranged eggs and a few cabbages still glistening with dew.
“You treat us for free and don’t take money. We farmers don’t have much, but these eggs are from my own hens, and the vegetables are fresh from the field!”
Su Qinghan paused her work and looked up.
Her face was strikingly beautiful, her skin almost translucent, with long hair cascading like a waterfall to her waist.
Her frail, delicate frame gave her an air of fragility, as if she might shatter at a touch.
“Auntie, I appreciate your kindness, but please take these back.”
Her voice was cool yet gentle.
“You live alone, and it’s not easy for you.”
But the old woman set the basket down, turned, and scurried off, shouting, “If you don’t take it, you’re looking down on this old lady!”
Su Qinghan shook her head helplessly.
Bound to her wheelchair, her legs devoid of sensation, she couldn’t possibly give chase.
The courtyard returned to silence, save for the faint rustle of her handling the herbs.
Her thoughts, however, drifted uncontrollably to another time and place.
In her past life, she was the youngest purple-robed Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, a prodigy hailed as a once-in-a-millennium talent in the Daoist sect.
Her elders placed immense expectations on her, and from childhood, she was immersed in endless scriptures, talismans, and incantations.
She had grown accustomed to a life of asceticism, pursuing the supreme detachment of the Dao.
Who could have imagined that on a stormy day, while she was refining a magical artifact, a strange violet lightning bolt tore through the void, pulling her soul into its grasp?
When she awoke, she had become this frail girl in a foreign world.
Her once boundless cultivation was reduced to a mere fraction.
Worse, her soul was now bound to that of a dying fox spirit.
And this body—its leg meridians completely severed, leaving her legs lifeless—could only rely on a wheelchair.
“Thinking about your glorious past again?”
A playful, slightly haughty loli voice echoed in her mind.
“Su Qinghan, with your godlike medical skills, why stay in this backwater village?”
“Why not open a clinic in a bustling county town? You’d rake in money—live the high life, sister!”
It was Jiu Li, the fox spirit bound to her soul.
Su Qinghan’s lips curved into a faint smile, adding a touch of vitality to her sickly complexion.
“When I heal people here, it’s not just medicine I’m using.”
“It’s Zhu You sorcery.”
She explained unhurriedly.
“In this world, martial arts reign supreme. Warriors refine their bodies, gather qi, and condense astral energy, some even reaching the Mysterious Realm with bodies of unmatched strength.”
“But their methods for dealing with malevolent spirits are far too limited.”
“They rely solely on the power of their blood and qi to resist, but against intangible curses or resentful grudges, they suffer heavy losses.”
In her sea of consciousness, Jiu Li materialized as a palm-sized fox, tilting its head in confusion.
“What does that have to do with you playing miracle doctor here?”
“It has everything to do with it.”
Su Qinghan’s fingers gently brushed over a calming herb.
“Zhu You sorcery is, at its core, a form of Daoist magic. It soothes the spirit and expels malevolent forces.”
“Once word spreads that I can heal and save lives with ‘Daoist mysticism,’ guess who’ll be the first to take notice?”
Jiu Li’s fox ears twitched.
“The Demon Suppression Division?”
“Exactly.”
Su Qinghan’s smile deepened.
“The government established the Demon Suppression Division to eradicate demons with martial force, yet they harshly suppress all talk of ‘non-martial’ supernatural methods. Why?”
“Because too many fake sorcerers and charlatans have tarnished the reputation of mysticism, delaying demon suppression efforts.”
“But when they discover that there’s a genuine ‘Daoist art’ capable of effectively combating spirits, what will they do?”
“Faced with malevolent entities that leave even martial experts helpless, and with the Demon Suppression Division suffering heavy losses, will they still treat me as a fraud to be arrested, or…”
She paused, her tone resolute.
“…or will they see me as a lifeline and invite me to help with utmost courtesy?”
“At that point, I’ll not only gain official protection but also legitimate access to this world’s supernatural core—its best resources and status. That’s called biding my time for the right price.”
Jiu Li was stunned, processing her words.
“You… you’re fishing?”
“You could say that.”
Su Qinghan replied calmly.
Jiu Li fell silent for a moment before muttering under her breath.
“Tch, daydreaming. What if they don’t buy it and just chop you down as a heretic?”
Su Qinghan didn’t argue.
She stopped her work, tilting her head to listen.
From the alley beyond the courtyard, the sound of hurried yet faint footsteps approached.
More than one person.
Among them was a steady, powerful presence, brimming with vigorous blood and qi—a clear sign of a skilled martial artist.
The corner of Su Qinghan’s lips curled into a barely noticeable arc.
She spoke softly to Jiu Li in her mind.
“Look.”
“The fish has taken the bait.”
Creak—
The wooden gate of the courtyard was flung open.
A tall, striking young woman in crimson combat attire strode in with purpose.
A long saber hung at her waist, her aura sharp and commanding, exuding an air of authority.
Behind her trailed a villager, his expression timid.
Su Qinghan recognized him.
It was Li Erniu, who had sought her help days ago, plagued by nightmares and mental exhaustion. She had used a calming talisman to grant him a good night’s sleep.
Now, Li Erniu hid behind the crimson-clad woman, pointing at Su Qinghan.
“Sir! It’s her!”
“This woman! She heals people without medicine, using strange, mystical methods! She must be some kind of sorceress!”
The crimson-clad woman’s gaze locked onto Su Qinghan, sharp as a blade.
She scrutinized the frail woman in the wheelchair, her brows furrowing.
This delicate figure hardly seemed capable of causing trouble.
But the Demon Suppression Division judged based on evidence, not appearances.
Her master’s death had come from trusting deceitful mystics, only to fall prey to malevolent spirits.
Since then, she had harbored a deep hatred for all things occult.
The young woman stepped forward, pulling a black iron token engraved with the words “Demon Suppression” from her robe. Her voice was crisp and resolute.
“Demon Suppression Division, Seventh-Rank Demon Exorcist, Lu Hongzhuang.”
“You’re suspected of using sorcery to deceive the villagers. Come with us.”
“By order, we apprehend heretical sorcerers for trial!”