After the heat passed through, it felt as if many blockages inside his body had cleared up, his pores opening and closing, bringing an indescribable comfort.

“Foolish boy, listen to Granny’s words: circulate the six harmonies, move through the eight meridians, connect the yin and yang palaces...”

Henry Foster dumbly raised his head. “What are the six harmonies?”

The old woman in black couldn’t help but laugh, and tapped a few times on his waist and abdomen. “Here!”

Henry Foster hurriedly nodded, and following her instructions, began to try guiding those strands of heat to move through his body.

In this way, after practicing for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the heat gradually faded—not disappearing completely, but mostly suppressed. The remaining wisps were so faint as to be almost undetectable, yet they followed the previous path, and without Henry Foster’s conscious guidance, began to circulate on their own according to some pattern. This feeling was extremely pleasant.

Watching Henry Foster sit cross-legged on the ground, the old woman in black smiled and said to the maid in green, “Who would have thought this wild country boy would have such decent aptitude? If properly trained, he might not lose out to the children born in our household...”

The maid in green smiled. “Granny, you’ve just passed on the Qingxu Guiding Method like that?”

The old woman in black laughed. “It’s just a minor technique, only good for prolonging life and strengthening the body, nothing much!”

The maid in green said with a smile, “Then why not pass on the true Qingxu Method, Granny?”

The old woman in black shook her head, smiling with narrowed eyes. “The true Qingxu Method is not something to be treated so lightly!”

After a while, Henry Foster finished his practice, feeling clear-headed and refreshed. He felt as if he could go days and nights without sleep and not feel tired. His small body seemed to have gained extra strength, as if he could punch a demon wolf to death. He quickly got up from the ground and said, “Granny, after I took the pill, I first felt terrible, then extremely comfortable. What happened?”

The old woman in black laughed. “You greedy little thing, you just stuffed the pill into your mouth. Though it wasn’t a particularly good pill, it’s still not something your little body can handle. When the medicinal power was released, you didn’t know how to guide it—of course you felt awful! If I hadn’t been here watching you, you’d be a pile of rotten flesh by now!”

“Was that the legendary elixir?”

Henry Foster was dumbfounded and overjoyed. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he looked at the little girl. “Why is she fine?”

The old woman in black snorted. “Miss has the family’s true method, far superior to ours. She can eat spirit pills like food and be perfectly fine—how could you compare?”

Henry Foster turned this over in his mind and immediately committed it to memory.

The old woman in black glanced at Henry Foster a few more times, finding him more and more clever. But there were still important matters at hand, so she didn’t have time to ask more. She simply turned to the little girl on the bed and said, “Miss, most of those demon folk have been killed by us. A few escaped, but they won’t dare come back for a few days. I’ve also set up a formation outside the manor. Once our people arrive, we can leave. But while we have this time, I need to help Miss Qing recover from her injuries. Please wait a few days, alright?”

The little girl had no objections and simply nodded quietly.

The old woman in black took out a silver chain from her waist pouch. It was exquisitely crafted, each joint linked together, resembling a silver centipede. The silvery sheen seemed almost alive, flickering and glimmering under the candlelight.

She fastened the silver centipede onto Henry Foster’s arm, making it look like an ornament. She patted Henry Foster’s head with a smile and said, “You’re such a good boy. Granny will give you this little trinket first. For the next few days, stay here and keep my young lady company. You must look after her well. If anything happens, come alert us immediately. When we leave, I’ll reward you with more spirit pills and silver coins, alright?”

“Giving me pills and treasures—Granny, you’re so kind!”

Henry Foster glanced at the silver centipede on his arm and nodded, looking very pleased.

The old woman in black smiled, then gave some more instructions to the little girl and Henry Foster, warning them to stay inside the manor and not to run outside. She handed them a bottle of pills, telling the little girl to take one if she got hungry, and then let them leave the bedroom.

The little girl seemed to know the old woman was going to help the maid in green with her injuries, and obediently agreed to everything.

Henry Foster, though young, was very sensible and agreed readily as well.

Leaving the inner room for the old woman in black to treat the maid in green, Henry Foster and the little girl went to the main hall and sat quietly.

The little girl was very quiet and wooden. After coming out, she just sat in the old pearwood armchair in the hall, resting her chin in her hand and daydreaming. Even after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she didn’t move at all. For someone so young, it seemed as if she could sit there forever.

As for Henry Foster, he also sat quietly at this time, deep in thought, no one knowing what he was thinking.

Meanwhile, in the side room, the maid in green and the old woman in black had not yet begun the healing process. The window was still closed, but they were fully aware of everything Henry Foster and the little girl were doing in the hall. Seeing that both were behaving, they felt somewhat at ease.

After a while, the maid in green said, “You gave the silver centipede to the wild boy—was that alright?”