Chapter 491 – Food and Shelter Included
The next morning, they quickly resumed their journey in search of medicinal herbs. After some time searching, Ye Tian finally discovered a stalk of Purple Leaf Grass growing in a patch of vegetation.
"Hmm, who would've thought… I actually found this herb here."
Ye Tian was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected to find such a rare herb in this place.
Back in his original world, this herb was considered extremely rare. He carefully stored the Purple Leaf Grass and said, "You know, your luck today is off the charts. With this herb, your strength can be greatly improved."
"You looked really excited just now. Is this Purple Leaf Grass really that valuable?"
"Of course it is."
Ye Tian thought to himself that it was far more than just "valuable"—in the past, he wouldn't have used it even if he had some. But times had changed. Things were different now. If he didn't use it, there would be no way to rapidly increase her strength in the short term.
"Mhm, I'll use this stalk of Purple Leaf Grass to refine a pill. Once you take it, your strength will improve drastically!"
"Really?"
"Of course it's real. Why would I lie to you about something like this? Just relax—once your strength improves, no one will be able to bully you again!"
She was genuinely happy to hear this, and nodded earnestly. In this world, people who treated her well were few and far between, so Han Zhengyun was truly moved.
Only after this did they return home. Upon returning, Ye Tian went into seclusion to refine the pill. A few days later, he finally produced the kind of pill he had in mind.
This pill was unlike anything he had refined before. Its effects were mild and long-lasting. After taking it, its medicinal properties would continue working over an entire month, gradually strengthening her body day by day.
"Here, take it."
Han Zhengyun took the pill without hesitation and swallowed it right away. She was extremely eager to become stronger. But almost immediately after taking it, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"Ah! It hurts!"
"A little pain is no big deal. Just give it a moment, and you'll start to feel better. Quick, sit down and start refining it!"
"Okay!"
Hearing his words, Han Zhengyun quickly sat down as instructed. At first, the pain was quite intense, but it gradually turned into a tingling sensation, and eventually even started to feel comfortable.
"Ah… that feels really good!"
"This pill nourishes all your internal organs. After a while, your strength will increase significantly. Over the next month, you'll get stronger every single day. Now you understand why I went to such lengths to find that herb and refine this pill for you, right?"
"Thank you so much. I don't even know how to repay you. I really have nothing to give… Unless—have you gotten married? If not, I'd be willing to marry you and become your wife!"
Upon hearing that, Ye Tian was utterly speechless. He quickly said, "Hey, don't say that. You want to marry me, but the truth is… I already have someone I love."
He said this because he didn't want things between him and Han Zhengyun to go too far. He hoped to gently dissuade her.
"Really?"
"Of course it's true."
"Then how am I supposed to repay you? I can't marry you, and my family's poor… I really don't know how else I could thank you."
"I don't need any repayment from you."
"How could that be? You've done so much for me—how can I not do anything in return?"
Ye Tian realized that Han Zhengyun wasn't stupid—she genuinely wanted something to happen between them. But Ye Tian had no such desire. He knew this world didn't truly belong to him, and he didn't belong here either. Sooner or later, he would leave.
He didn't want any emotional attachments in this world. That's why the moment she proposed marriage, he made up his mind.
"Han Zhengyun, that's just how I am. I never do things expecting anything in return. If you really want to repay me, then just take good care of me for the next few days. Cook a few tasty meals for me, and that'll be more than enough."
"That's all you want?"
"Yep, that's it!"
"Alright, I'll go make you something delicious right now!"
Over the following days, Ye Tian continued living there, all the while trying to find a way to leave. Ever since being transported here by the Buddha Tathāgata and Guanyin Bodhisattva, he'd been racking his brain for a solution.
But even now, he still hadn't come up with anything.
He was truly anxious—he'd already been here for quite some time. But how exactly was he supposed to get back?
At first, he tried to think of a method. But eventually, he realized that daydreaming wasn't going to solve anything.
Maybe it was best to leave it up to fate. If he couldn't find a way back, he might just have to settle down here for the long haul.
"Brother Ye Tian, come try some of the signature dishes I made!"
Seeing Ye Tian deep in thought, Han Zhengyun walked over and brought out the food she had prepared.
"You really went to the trouble!"
"It's nothing at all. You've taught me so much these past few days—you've done more for me than I could ever repay. So this is the least I can do!"
"I might be staying here a while longer."
"You still haven't figured out how to get back?"
"No… I really haven't. If I had, I would've left already. But reality doesn't always cooperate with our wishes. Even though I'm desperate to return, I've tried so many ideas and none of them work."
"If you really can't find a way back, then just keep living here with me. Don't worry—I'll take care of your food, your drink, and your lodging too!"
She really did want Ye Tian to stay with her.
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