The next few days for Mai were peaceful, and she stayed only in her residence - her grandfather's mansion, which had a huge area in the center of the city. Inspector Lin had given Mai a week off so her legs could heal properly. He had only stayed overnight with her that day and had to work the rest of the week. She could still feel his touch all over, and every time she thought of him, she got a lovely feeling.

Afraid of getting pregnant, she had tried to use Purify and Avari’s Cloak on herself even though her master had said that skills couldn't be used on oneself. Whether it worked would be revealed in the future. Grandfather had visited her every day with his people and diligently cleaned her wounds, and now it was almost healed. There was only a thin scar left. Mai was surprised at how miraculous his herbs were. She had spent the time figuring out what to make for Wang Hao as a thank-you gift for saving her. He was always out and rarely showed up for training, and if he did, it was only to catch up on the latest news at the military base.

"He's always fighting, so I have to give him something that can protect him, but what?"

Here, women embroidered love letters with scents, gave soldiers some of their hair or a piece of clothing so they would have a keepsake, but Mai didn't care for that. She wasn't that old-fashioned. Even though she lived in this time, her mind was like a modern woman's because she was, after all, from the 21st century and had something unique that no one else had, namely her Finger System that she had to make use of.

"Is it possible for me to make something for him with Avari’s Cloak? But how?"

Mai was reminded of the spiritual glass stone from Ling.

As she was on her way to the city, her eyes fell on the wooden stick that her grandfather had laid out for her.

She sighed. "Do I really have to look like a cripple?"

She already knew the answer.

"Grandfather will punish me if I don't take it with me."

She leaned on the stick and had a maid escort her on a shopping trip in the city.

The maid looked at her and said, "Young Master, there are many lucky charms in the city, but the genuine spirit stones you're looking for only exist in the Holy Temple, which isn't given away to people."

Mai spotted a small temple nearby and said, "Random temples have them too, I assume?"

They entered the Sun Temple, the nearest temple, and entered a large courtyard with a big garden where priestesses in white robes were sweeping and cleaning. There were no men present because it was a temple for only women, although men were welcome as guests.

They approached a small rectangular wooden table where there was a pile of stones in different colors, but all had a glass-like material.

Mai thought they were beautiful, but none caught her attention. Honestly, she would rather find a random stone and was reminded of the stone she had practiced Cupid Call on. She looked around and spotted the garden which they headed toward. There was a large pile of small dark flint stones around a large altar where there was a big ball resembling a pearl the size of a bowling ball.

"What is this used for?" Mai asked, curious.

"It's just a wishing altar where you can ask for anything. There's nothing special about it, but it has a spirit pearl," the maid replied, picking up a stone and throwing it at the spirit pearl.

"I wish for a handsome and sweet man."

*clang*

The sound echoed throughout the courtyard, and Mai looked around, noticing that the priestesses didn't glance their way. In that case, I can take these stones. She bent down and took a small handful of stones in her right hand but remembered that she didn't just want to make something for Wang Hao.

The maid looked skeptical and asked, "Young Master, what do you intend to do with those stones? We use them for wishing here."

"Can I take two stones, no, three stones home with me?" Mai asked, putting the other stones back and keeping three of them.

The maid furrowed her brow and replied, "I don't know."

"You are welcome to take the stones. We don't refill them often because not many people wish here." An old lady, the head priestess, approached them with a friendly smile.

She leaned on a dark brown wooden stick in her left hand and had her right hand on her back. She was hunched over, and Mai became concerned if she had something wrong with her back.

She bowed to her. "Good afternoon, my lady. Are you bothered by your back?"

"I am old and not getting any younger. I've been suffering with it for as long as I can remember, young man." the woman replied, glancing at the stone in Mai's hand who furrowed her brows.

"Even though you're not getting any younger, you can still do something to live longer. Maybe you'll become immortal one day. Who knows?"

As thanks for being allowed to take the stones for free, she offered to check the lady's back, who sat down on a chair at an oval stone table, and Mai got to work. She ran her hand gently over it and felt a bump at the tailbone and pressed it gently. The woman grunted loudly and clenched her teeth.

"Hold on a little longer." Mai said, shooting energy out to her little finger and pressing all over the back. The bump slowly disappeared, and she pressed on the spot again. It was completely gone.

She felt happy, smiled, and said, "If it comes back, come to Imperial Physician Liang Gu’s mansion. I'll take another look at it."

The woman stood up, now completely upright. She stretched her arms out, and her eyes widened. She moved her arms and fingers.

She chuckled and said, "Look at me. I don't need a cane anymore. Young man, are you sure you're not of the priestess generation?"

Inspector Lin had said the same sentence to Mai, who felt a strange sensation in her heart and stomach. Maybe she should consider becoming a priestess as the next identity if it was worth it.

"I am an orphan, but I'll take your words to heart. When I have time, I'll check my background more closely."

Mai hurried home and placed the stones on her table in the living room.

"How do I do this?"

She touched one stone with both middle fingers and shot energy.

"Avari’s Cloak."

White smoke shot out of her fingers, covering the stone, and forming into a small oval shield, spreading and covering all three stones in a ball. They floated in the air and suddenly stopped. The shield rushed into the stones, and Mai touched them. They were warm and felt like eggs.

"I hope they have worked. This one is for Wang Hao. This one is for Grandfather, and this one is for Meiling. Inspector Lin deserves something special, but what?"

He would lose a stone, so that was out of the question.

"Maybe a necklace?"

"Is it possible for it to work on a necklace?"

The next day, Mai went to the military base to look for Wang Hao, but to her disappointment, he was not there.

"When will Senior Brother be back?"

"He should stop by later, but I don't know exactly when. Sorry, Junior Brother Luo Tian." the soldier replied and went back to his work in the armory.

Mai chose to stay and wait for Wang Hao to show up and went for a long run in the forest near the archery range. She wasn't wearing training clothes, but it was easier to move in her plain white robe. Her legs had healed perfectly, and it felt like she was flying.

"I'm not usually this fast. Grandfather's herbs really work wonders."

A soldier who was sitting down and resting looked over at Mai and asked his comrade, "He's quite energetic. Brother Hao mentioned he got injured in the forest, but it doesn't look like it."

"Everyone knows he has medical knowledge. Who knows if he's got a new leg?" joked the comrade, chuckling.

He studied Mai again and said, "I don't know if it's just me, but he looks more attractive than before, not that he wasn't before. He really resembles a woman with that body. Those bulges in front of him could pass for breasts if we didn't know better."

"The feminine men are not in the military; they're somewhere counting money," the other soldier said, tilting his head. "you're right. Those bulges do look like breasts. I wonder how big they are. Do you think they're like melons?"

He looked at his comrade, and they made eye contact with each other. Both of their cheeks turned a reddish hue, and they coughed, looking away.

"Stop daydreaming, Brother. General Li Qiangshou would never allow women in the military."

Later, Wang Hao showed up, and Mai immediately spotted him. She rushed over to him while sweating profusely.

"Senior Brother Hao!" she shouted and hugged him.

She didn't care what the others thought. He smelled of sweat, but it wasn't nauseating, and she herself reeked of sweat.

Wang Hao was surprised, but reflexively, he hugged her back and broke into a smile. He sniffed her hair and sighed.

"Thank you for saving my life, Brother. I would have been dead if you weren't there." Mai said in a hushed tone as she buried her face in his chest.

She hugged him tightly and felt a warm sensation inside. It feels nice. She had always wished for an older brother.

"How's your leg? Is it wise for you to be running around like this, Junior Brother?" Wang Hao asked in a concerned tone, furrowing his brow.

Mai pulled her head back and looked up at him, with sweat running down her forehead, she looked like an excited tomato.

Wang Hao found it hard to resist and cleared his throat.

"Grandfather fixed my leg. I feel reborn. I brought something for you." Mai replied, taking out a small green square wooden box and handing it to Wang Hao, who widened his eyes.

He stared at the box and exclaimed, "Are you proposing to me, Junior Brother Tian?"

His voice was small and hoarse, and he swallowed a large lump of spit.

Mai burst into giggles at his words and gave him a beautiful smile.

"Brother, you're silly. It's a thank-you gift for saving me. I've enchanted it so it protects you from danger. You're the first one I've given it to, so don't lose it. I hope it works."

Wang Hao opened the box carefully and saw a small dark stone the size of a small bird's egg lying on a white silk cloth.

The other soldiers suddenly came over to them and put their arms around Wang Hao's shoulders as they stared with curious eyes at the box, expressing their honest opinions.

"Wow, Brother Hao. That's a nice stone you've got there."

"Has Junior Brother Luo Tian cast a love spell on it?"

One of them looked at Mai with pleading puppy eyes and asked in a beseeching tone, "Junior Brother Tian, can you also make one for me like the one you enchanted? I need a lucky charm for the next time I go out."

Mai was surprised by their interest in her stone because she wasn't prepared for this. If she had known how much the stones meant to them, she would have given the entire military base stones when she arrived here as a teenager.

"Brothers, I've only made one for Senior Brother Hao this time. When I have time, I'll make one for all of you. I promise."

Mai spent the rest of the days training her leg just to be safe. She consciously chose not to spend time worrying about the angry man whom she had now named. Lin hadn't visited her since that night he stayed over. She missed him and had only slept well when he was present. She had forced herself to stay awake at night and only lay down to sleep when the sun rose in the morning. The man hadn't appeared in her dreams, and she couldn't remember them, but she woke up with terrible sore pains in her back, which she believed was a curse he had given her. It wasn't smart to reverse day and night, but honestly, she was damn scared to sleep alone at night.

"I can't keep going like this forever. Wasn't there an expression about facing your worst enemy or something like that?"

Towards the end of the week, Mai found a necklace for Lin, which was a simple thin gold chain that she thought was beautiful but doubted if he wore jewelry.

"Then he'll just have to do it now."

She cast Avari’s Cloak on it and felt the chain warm all over as it absorbed Avari’s Cloak.