Just as daylight broke, Bai Yuan and his family prepared to depart. More than ten Bai family servants and dozens of tenant farmers would accompany him back to the Bai Family Fortress. The journey from Gaojia Village to Bai Fortress took a full two hours, so everyone needed a hearty meal before setting off. Thirty-Two lent them pots, pans, and bowls, arranged for giant rice, cabbage, and chicken strips, and cooked several large pots of fragrant chicken and cabbage porridge. Everyone ate two large bowls each. Many of Bai Fortress’s tenant farmers had never eaten such good food before. Some ate until tears fell, thinking: I fled dozens of miles from pursuing bandits, yet the food I eat while fleeing is better than what I had at home? What kind of matter is this? If we also want to live , what path should we take going forward? Bai Yuan sighed beside them: “I lack the capability to lead you to such a good life. But no matter, now that we enjoy the Deity’s care, our Bai Family Fortress will surely prosper.” Before departure, Madam Bai and Young Master Bai climbed into the carriage. Soon, however, they poked their heads out, exclaiming in alarm: “Master! This carriage is covered entirely with white dust! We cannot remain inside…” Bai Yuan snorted: “Endure it!” Madam Bai and Young Master Bai contemplated jumping out to walk several times. Yet, as pampered members of a wealthy household, they could barely endure walking dozens of miles. Bearing it as best they could within the carriage, once they finally arrived at Bai Family Fortress and emerged, both had been utterly transformed into white ghosts. True enough, Bai Family Fortress had been thoroughly plundered by the bandits. All the Bai family’s possessions — furniture, cloth, grain, money — were entirely carried off. Not a single item remained, just the hollowed-out shell of a mansion. This, however, was no real challenge for Bai Yuan. He dismissed the other servants, taking only his son to the rear courtyard. There, he pried up a large bluestone slab on the ground, revealing a long passageway beneath. They walked to its end, arriving at an underground chamber filled with gold, silver, and jewels. Gathering a bag of gold and silver, he exited the secret chamber and carefully replaced the bluestone slab. The Bai family was reborn. Standing before Bai Family Fortress, Bai Yuan made a sweeping gesture with his hand and commanded his servants and tenants: “Each receives one liang of silver and two jin of flour. Go out and call back the scattered Villagers. We shall rebuild Bai Family Fortress. All shall remember: do not engage in illegal activities! Otherwise, not even the divine will aid you!”. In unison, all responded: “We obey!” Bai Yuan mused internally: I have conveyed the very words the Deity taught me this time, observing the rites perfectly. Surely this means the ‘Rites’ aspect deducted from my Six Arts of Gentlemen can now be restored? In Gaojia Village, the sky was clear and bright. Third Lady was embracing a pile of jars and bottles in manic delight. These jars held medicines. The Deity, Li Daoxuan, had delivered them to her with the tip of His finger. Carefully, reverently, she had placed each kind in one of her finest family jars, labeling every container. “Burns,” “Wounds,” “Ringworm,” “Cold and Flu,” “Stomach and Intestines”… It was chaotic equipment – both Chinese and Western medicines jumbled together. Li Daoxuan wasn’t an expert in medical matters; he simply gathered small samples from his household first-aid kit. Ointments were easy; he scraped off a blob to give her. Medicines in pill form, like cold pills or anti-inflammatories, were trickier. He could only break off a tiny fragment for her to grind into powder herself. This process consumed two days, resulting in around a dozen jars. Li Daoxuan repeatedly emphasized the crucial importance of dosage. Topical medicines were somewhat forgiving; applying too much caused relatively minor issues. But internal medicines? Overdosing could be fatal. Explaining doses in grams was impossible – ancient people had no concept of “grams.” Converting to traditional units like jin, liang, or qian proved extremely difficult. All he could do was consult the medicine box instructions while instructing Third Lady: “For a Cold and Flu medicine ? Err on the side of less, never more. Per dose? Give the patient no more than a fingernail-sized amount.” “Administer three times daily, AFTER meals.” “Never consume on an empty stomach! Failing this means agonizing stomach pain…” Third Lady bowed respectfully, noting everything. She added: “Deity, rest assured. This little girl dare not be wasteful. Overdosing is unthinkable.” “For this anti-inflammatory medicine? Extreme caution is required. Also just a fingernail amount per dose, twice daily. Less is absolutely safer than more…” Third Lady noted this respectfully as well. Over a dozen notes, each detailing how to use its corresponding medicine, were attached to the jars. Holding these jars felt, to Third Lady, like clutching the whole world. For the next two days, she was ecstatic. She guarded the medicine jars fiercely, instinctively shielding them behind her back from anyone approaching. Even when Thirty-Two tried to touch one, she unleashed a flurry of “Tigress Fist” strikes that painted his face with bruises. “Do you know what these ARE?” Third Lady raged at Thirty-Two. “Heaven-sent elixirs! Elixirs! Delivered personally by the Deity to my charge! My VERY LIFE binds me to their safekeeping! And you dare lay a casual hand upon them?! Off with that reckless limb!” Thirty-Two wasn’t about to amputate his hand. He could only relentlessly apologize to his wife, nearly prostrating himself until she finally calmed down. Reconciled, Thirty-Two stayed far from the precious pots, lowering his voice, “Wife, with these jars of divine elixir under our care, what path will you tread next?” “Isn’t it obvious? We return to the county seat!” Third Lady declared. “The Deity commands us to save the people! How many can we truly save trapped within this tiny Gaojia Village? Here? Everyone already receives the Deity’s grace.” “My place is BACK in the county seat! Only THERE can we spread the Deity’s benevolence to the masses!” Thirty-Two’s brows furrowed deeply. “The county seat… The instability there endures.” “Returning now carries significant risk. If the chaos spills into the town again? Danger is imminent.” “Remember, the Deity favors Gaojia Village. His divine interventions manifest HERE.” His words struck icy fear into Third Lady. Death terrified her. Yet, seconds later, conviction replaced fear. She activated a fanatical belief buff, weakening her dread. “Hmph!” Third Lady retorted. “I walk according to the Heavenly Path to save humanity! Though no Saint Lady stands here, a divine envoy does!” “Evil spirits, demonic fiends, all malcontent forces… THEY should scatter before ME! What, then, is there to fear?” How does one reply to that? He, who prided himself on agility of thought, found his mind utterly blank. All he could do was sigh deeply, “Very well then.” “Within a few days, after handing village affairs over… I shall select a few strong young lads from the village.” “We shall protect you all the way back to the county seat – Escorting you to safety.” “Once I see you secure? I return here to Gaojia Village to manage the Deity’s earthly tasks.”