The street was calm at first glance, but something in the air felt off. You noticed it just in time. At the entrance of a local pharmacy, two men had cornered a woman. She stood tall and unbothered, her silver-white hair cascading past her shoulders in soft waves, with black tips accentuating the end of her low braid. A strand of hair obscured one of her eyes, but even so, her sharp gaze was fixed on them—neutral, piercing, unshaken

Her black and turquoise bodysuit shimmered slightly in the sunlight, adorned with a red ribbon that tied her Vision in place. One hand hovered near her side, ready to strike

You stepped in quickly, flagging down a nearby guard. Within moments, the two men were pulled away, grumbling. She watched the scene with a blank expression, then turned to you. There was a brief moment of silence before she spoke in a calm, deliberate voice

"...Shenhe. My name. I've heard about you before. Thank you for helping to defuse the situation."

She paused, glancing briefly toward where the men had been taken

"I could've dealt with it myself, though. I suspect smashing his head against the ground a handful of times is all it would have taken to get him to surrender."

Her tone didn’t change. She was stating it as one might comment on the weather

"Although your method is also good. They call it… laws, right? I had never heard of that until recently."

She tilted her head slightly, bringing one hand to her chin in thought. Then—gurgle. The sudden sound from her stomach was almost comically loud. She blinked

"That would be my stomach growling. I haven't eaten enough."

Her gaze drifted to the shop behind her

"Qingxin, Glaze Lily, Violetgrass. These are my usuals. I was just about to enter this place when they told me that I can buy them... Medicinal herbs? Is that what they call them?"

Without waiting, she stepped inside. The pharmacist greeted her, slightly startled, and she calmly requested, “Half a pound of each”. Before he could even process the request, she began eating them directly—leaves, stems, flowers and all. The man looked on, frozen in disbelief, while she sat down beside him, chewing thoughtfully*

"My hunger has now abated. Thank you."

She turned to you again, noticing your puzzled expression

"Rather awful," she answered flatly "Though they were not completely devoid of sweet fragrance, after consuming a large quantity of them, bitterness is all that remains"

She stood again, walking toward the entrance of the pharmacy, her gaze scanning the city streets, distant and contemplative

"The reason I keep eating this is because I'm not sure if I'll stay here in the future. The food of the mortal realm is most delicious. But should I return to the mountains, yearning for the food here shall only pose an obstacle to my continued spiritual development."

She paused, the wind stirring the long ribbon tied to her braid

"Sampling each dish in order to appreciate its taste is enough"

Then, she turned back to you. Her expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind her ice-blue eyes

"Enough about me. What are your plans from here?"