Chapter 44

In the distance, there seemed to be villages and mountains to the south, but as one got closer, it became apparent that these were thick, dark clouds of mist, swirling and filled with overwhelming resentment.

Tanyin gazed quietly at this mass of resentment. She could clearly feel that this was the center of the small world depicted in Han Nu’s embroidered map. Her embroidery had been covered by dark magic and resentment, obscuring its original appearance. If she could find her original true intention when Han Nu embroidered the picture, there might still be a slim hope of breaking through.

Looking back, the world remained a twisted blend of pitch-black and crimson. The snowfield and peace from before seemed like a hallucination born out of desperation.

The soul of the god was vast—was Taihe still holding onto something within this small world, waiting for her? Waiting for this moment to save her?

Tanyin, without hesitation, threw herself into the vast black mist.

The resentment there was sharper than blades, slicing at her body, resisting her intrusion.

The darkness around her was profound, with not a single sound.

Han Nu’s true intention was tightly sealed, like a clam, refusing anyone’s gaze.

“Get out, get out!” The resentments wrapped around her, pushing her out.

Tanyin’s body emitted a clear light, releasing divine power as she gritted her teeth and attempted to force her way through.

The bladelike resentments wilted like dried leaves upon encountering her divine power, suddenly curling and withering away.

Suddenly, a low sigh sounded from an unknown place.

The darkness brightened abruptly, and the entangling vines of resistance vanished in an instant.

Tanyin, unable to pull back her strength in time, nearly fell to the ground.

“Sister!”

A clear, young girl’s voice rang out suddenly.

A small figure ran past her.

Tanyin suddenly felt as if she had fallen into a thick, warm pool, slowly sinking. The sunlight was bright, and the trees swayed gently; she was in a remote village at the foot of a mountain.

Dozens of farmhouses were scattered sparsely.

The little girl who had called “Sister” was about eight or nine years old, with thin limbs and clothes patched with various colors.

Though the clothes were worn, they were very clean.

The little girl ran, calling out happily, and rushed into a half-old wooden house like a gust of wind.

The furniture inside was all very old and worn.

The dining table was missing a leg, supported by a roughly chopped bamboo stick.

It was clear that this family was not wealthy—in fact, they were quite poor.

Yet the floor and tables were spotless, indicating that the owner was a person who loved cleanliness.

The girl pulled open a curtain in a side room and dashed in.

The room was small, with a bed piled with various threads and beads.

A thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl sat by the window, focused on her embroidery.

Though she was young, her needlework was very quick.

She was embroidering a picture of a carp playing beneath lotus leaves, with stitches so fine and exquisite.

As the little girl rushed in, the older girl did not even look up and said, “Don’t run around; this picture is almost done. I’ll turn it in today and use the money to buy you some meat dumplings.”

Tanyin paused, recognizing the familiar voice.

Was this Han Nu?

Could this be… when she was still a mortal?

Han Nu rarely mentioned her mortal life.

Did she have a younger sister?

Her family… seemed to have been very poor, almost destitute.

Tanyin had never lived such a life.

The Ji family had always been prosperous through their craft.

Tanyin casually looked around, her gaze finally resting on the gentle profile of the girl by the window—it was Han Nu.

Her nose, eyes, and mouth were identical, though much more youthful, and her expression much more innocent.

“Sis, give me some money!” The little girl ran up to Han Nu and gently tugged at her sleeve with a smile.

Han Nu quickly paused her needlework and chided, “I told you not to touch! Asking for money again? Didn’t I just give you some yesterday? It’s all gone?”

“Old Zhang came again, and this time he brought lots of new and interesting things from outside. I really liked them.”

The little girl pleaded, shaking her sister’s sleeve and looking up at her with big, begging eyes.

Han Nu sighed, “It’s definitely those kids in the village making you greedy again. Ah Chu, our parents passed away early, and we’re not as well-off as other families. I can only ensure you have enough to eat and wear. Don’t compare yourself with the other kids. Old Zhang comes every ten days with different goods each time. You can’t want everything he brings, or how long will it go on?”

Ah Chu pouted, “But they all have things! You’re the only one who won’t buy them for me!”

Han Nu glared at her with a stern face, but the little girl made a funny face back at her, unfazed.

Han Nu couldn’t help but laugh, sighed, and took out a small purse from her sleeve, tipping out a few coins.

“That’s all for this month. Spend it wisely; there won’t be any more next time.”

Ah Chu giggled, pocketing the coins, and ran off like a gust of wind again.

At the door, she called back, “Sis, you’re always embroidering flowers and plants—why don’t you sell the ones that move? They’re so novel; they must be worth more than the regular ones!”

Han Nu frowned, “How many times have I told you not to talk about that! And don’t tell anyone else either, or we’ll be driven out of this village!”

Ah Chu waved her hand, saying “I know, I know” several times.

Before finishing her words, she was already far away.

Han Nu shook her head, picked up the embroidery of the carp and lotus, and continued her work.

She was very quick, just like Tanyin when she worked.

The way each stitch was placed and how the colors were matched seemed instinctive, without needing any thought.

In the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, the embroidery was finished.

Han Nu stretched contentedly and was about to put things away when suddenly, the carp in the embroidery seemed to come to life, its tail swaying.

Then, with a “plop,” it really did come to life, leaping out of the picture and flopping clumsily on the floor.

Tanyin was stunned.

Was this Han Nu’s ability?

It was different from the traditional craftsmanship of the Ji family.

Hers seemed to be a natural talent.

Han Nu frantically picked up the lively fish, unsure of what to do.

She opened the embroidery and found that only the lotus leaves and flowers were left—the spot where the carp had been was now blank.

She cursed softly, opened the window, and threw the fish out with some force, wiped her hands, and picked up the needle and thread to start again.

This time she worked even faster, finishing most of it by dusk.

She deliberately embroidered the carp slightly askew, and sure enough, it did not turn into a real fish again.

Han Nu, tired but satisfied, folded the embroidery carefully, placed it in a basket, and went outside.

It was not yet fully dark, but Han Nu walked quickly along the ridges of the fields, heading out of the village.

Suddenly, she noticed a noisy group of children ahead, mixed with a sharp cry. Han Nu’s sharp eyes immediately spotted the crying little girl—Ah Chu—who was being surrounded and taunted by a group of village boys.

They were making faces and singing, “Poor little Ah Chu, stealing things and crying too!”

Han Nu cleared her throat, and the boys scattered when they saw her, laughing, “Ah, your sister’s here! Your sister’s a witch! You’re a little witch!”

Han Nu glared at them coldly, and the children, frightened, ran home.

She helped the crying Ah Chu up, brushing off the dirt and grass on her clothes, and gently said, “There, don’t cry. Come with sister, I’ll get you something nice to eat.”

Ah Chu cried, pounding her fists on Han Nu, “I don’t want it! Leave me alone!”

Han Nu finally managed to hold her, soothing her, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Alright, what happened? Couldn’t buy what you wanted? Did those kids bully you again?”

Ah Chu started crying loudly, “I didn’t have enough money! I couldn’t buy it! I just wanted to take a look, that’s all! But Old Zhang accused me of stealing his stuff! They all laughed at me!”

Han Nu sighed and wiped the dirt off her little face.

“Don’t pay attention to them. Next time Old Zhang comes, I’ll go talk to him.”

After finally calming down the sobbing Ah Chu, it was already dark.

Han Nu hurriedly took her to the small town outside the village.

The lady at the embroidery shop was anxiously pacing back and forth.

When she finally saw Han Nu arrive, she rushed over, exclaiming, “You silly girl! Why are you so late today? Is the order for the Zhou family finished?”

Han Nu handed over the embroidery from her basket.

The lady carefully examined it and praised, “Your embroidery skills are getting better and better, Little Han Nu. I’d say some of the royal embroidery ladies in the capital can’t even match your work!”

After paying her in silver, the lady seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Han Nu noticed that Ah Chu was staring hungrily at a nearby wonton stall, so she handed her a few coins.

“Go eat, and wait for me over there.”

Ah Chu finally smiled, hugging Han Nu and rubbing her face against her for a while before happily running off to eat wontons.

The lady pulled Han Nu into a small back room and spoke in a mysterious tone, “Han Nu, there’s another job, and it’s urgent. They want it done within three days. I thought no one in the shop could do it that fast and that well, so I came to you.”

Han Nu was puzzled by the secrecy—what kind of job needed to be discussed in a private room?

The lady went to the door to check that no one was around before carefully taking out a scroll from a drawer and unrolling it.

When Han Nu saw the image on the scroll, she couldn’t help but gasp.

It was a depiction of fierce ghosts, with their blue faces and sharp fangs, looking extremely terrifying.

“This is an embroidery that a wealthy family in the capital wants. You know, this kind of thing isn’t exactly auspicious, so they came to a small town shop to find someone to do it. They specifically requested that the work be done by the best embroiderer, using dark threads to make every detail vivid and lifelike. Then, they want you to cover the ghost image completely with other patterns like flowers and plants so that no one can tell what’s underneath… You know, big families always have some things they’d rather keep hidden. Don’t worry about all that; just tell me if you’re willing to do it and if you can.”

Han Nu frowned deeply, as if hesitating.

The lady handed her a bulging purse, full of small silver pieces.

“This is the deposit. When the embroidery is finished, the full payment will be three gold ingots.”

Han Nu’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. She placed the scroll into her basket and silently nodded.