At the foot of Mt. Tianheng lay a remote mountain village.
Ningguang pushed open the door of a small wooden house and stepped inside.
The space was cramped — just a simple kitchen and a single bedroom.
It looked worn and poorly maintained. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling beams.
A strong medicinal smell filled the air, mixed faintly with dampness and mold.
Even Treasure Hoarders would likely shake their heads and pass this place by.
But to Ningguang, this was her haven.
No matter how much grievance she suffered outside, as long as her parents were here, she felt safe.
"Dad, Mom! I'm back!"
"I met a super nice big brother today and earned lots of Mora!"
She called out cheerfully as usual.
Normally, her mother or father would respond warmly.
But today—
There was no sound.
A bad feeling gripped her heart.
She rushed into the bedroom.
When she pushed open the door, she saw her father lying in a pool of blood, hair disheveled, unmoving.
Her mother was nowhere to be seen.
"Dad!"
Her face turned deathly pale.
Trembling, she reached under his nose.
He was still breathing.
Without hesitation, Ningguang hoisted her father onto her back and ran toward the village physician's house.
The old doctor hurried them inside and began treatment immediately.
After stabilizing his breathing and applying medicine, the doctor sighed heavily.
As a neighbor, he knew the family's situation all too well.
"Grandpa… how is my father?"
Tears shimmered in Ningguang's red eyes.
No matter how mature she was, she was still a child.
Her mother missing. Her father near death.
Anyone would break under this.
"He'll live… but…"
The old doctor hesitated.
"Grandpa, you live close to us. Do you know what happened?"
She understood from his expression that he knew something.
The old man sighed.
The cause was the village chief.
After the new chief was appointed, he and his family moved in.
Because of his connections in Guili Plains, he acted like a tyrant here.
His family followed suit.
Months ago, Ningguang's father had refused to pay excessive fees and was beaten until half-paralyzed.
That wasn't enough.
This afternoon, the chief's younger brother barged into their home again.
He beat her father brutally.
Then dragged away her already ill mother.
Before leaving, he shouted loudly to the watching villagers:
This is what happens when you defy the chief!
If five hundred thousand Mora wasn't delivered by tomorrow afternoon, they would torture and humiliate her mother to death.
Ningguang's body trembled uncontrollably.
Five hundred thousand Mora.
Even after meeting that kind big brother, she had only earned ten thousand.
How could she possibly gather fifty thousand more—let alone five hundred thousand?
She bit her lip, forcing back tears.
The old doctor sighed helplessly.
In a small mountain village like this, five hundred thousand Mora was an astronomical sum.
"I understand, Grandpa. Please take care of my father. I'll go gather the money."
She tried to hand him the Mora pouch.
"Keep it," the doctor said gently. "I'll care for your father."
Ningguang bowed deeply and left.
All night, she went door to door, borrowing money.
The villagers sympathized, but they were poor themselves.
By dawn, she had scraped together only twenty thousand Mora — including Jiang Yan's ten thousand.
She sat on the steps outside her house, eyes hollow with despair.
As the sky brightened, she suddenly thought of the white-haired big brother.
Would he help her?
But why would he?
And yet—
He was her only hope.
She stood and began walking toward Liyue Harbor as the sun rose.
—
Meanwhile.
Jiang Yan stretched lazily after stepping outside.
Another energetic day.
He smiled at the rising sun and walked toward Yuehai Pavilion.
As he passed the harbor—
He stopped.
That small white-haired figure…
Ningguang?
She was crouched near the dock, head lowered.
Her bare feet were scratched and dirty, clearly from walking far.
She must have arrived very early.
What happened?
Jiang Yan walked over.
"Ningguang? Why are you here?"
His gentle voice reached her ears.
She lifted her head weakly.
Jiang Yan froze.
Yesterday's lively porcelain doll of a girl—
Now disheveled, pale, eyes swollen red.
Something was very wrong.
His heart sank.
"What happened?"
His tone turned serious.
"B-big brother…"
Her voice trembled.
Then—
Before he could react—
Ningguang suddenly dropped to her knees in front of him.
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