“Drink up, this stuff is highly nourishing.”
Inside Tingquan Cottage on Medicine Peak, Wu Yan was lying on a bed surrounded by various bottles and jars, experiencing what might be the greatest crisis of her life.
“Go on, drink! This is a special healing tonic that this lady spent four hours brewing just for you. It’s guaranteed to cure whatever ails you.”
Lin Wan’er rested her chin in her hands, her round apricot-like eyes shimmering with an eerie light as she stared fixedly at Wu Yan.
“This damn woman definitely wants to kill you, and me along with you!”
Wu Yan bared her teeth as she stared at the bowl on the table. The medicinal soup was fluorescent in color and had a texture so viscous it could be pulled into threads, her tone sounding sinister.
This time, Wu Yan agreed with Wu Yan’s opinion.
Because she could smell a strange, pungent, and bitter scent rushing straight into her nostrils.
“…Do I really have to drink it?”
Wu Yan’s usually calm tone trembled slightly at this moment, and even her fingers tucked under the quilt curled up slightly.
“Of course!” Lin Wan’er pushed the medicine toward Wu Yan. “This is my latest masterpiece. I added the wing powder of a Purple Lightning Flying Bat, the venom of half a Deep Sea Black Jade Toad, and the entire gallbladder of a Crimson Refining Snake. I guarantee it will revitalize your bones and skin.”
“Besides, when has this lady ever harmed you?”
This was true. Whether it was when Lin Wan’er had taken her back to her manor to heal after the previous sect competition, or now during her current treatment, she had never actually harmed her. At most, she just fed her some terrifying-looking medicines.
Wu Yan held her breath, picked up the bowl, and drained it in one gulp.
The moment it entered her mouth, a horrifying bitterness took over her entire oral cavity, followed by an extremely spicy impact that charged through her mouth without restraint.
It was just like in her previous life when she first ate something called “Pop Rocks”—the moment it entered her mouth, she was startled by that sensation of things crashing around inside.
The empty bowl slipped from Wu Yan’s hand.
Wu Yan’s face turned deathly pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat. She leaned against the back of the chair as if she were utterly exhausted.
“Good! What spirit!”
Lin Wan’er clapped her hands in satisfaction and took out a small notebook to record the results: “Patient reacted violently, facial muscles stiffened, indicating the medicinal power is penetrating rapidly. It seems I can add even stronger ingredients next time.”
While Lin Wan’er was making her notes.
“Senior Sister.”
A soft call came from the doorway, and then Yu Qingyao walked in, leaning against the doorframe for support.
Today, she wore a clean, pale green disciple uniform. Her face was rosy, her back was ramrod straight, and her spirits seemed much better than they had been a few days ago.
Under Lin Wan’er’s treatment, her injuries had healed very quickly, and she had regained the ability to move in just a few days.
Because of this, she insisted on visiting Wu Yan every day.
“These are candied fruits I just bought from the marketplace. Martial Aunt Su said that when she usually gives bitter medicine to patients, she gives them these to eat.”
Yu Qingyao sat down naturally by Wu Yan’s bedside, opening the oil-paper package in her arms next to Wu Yan’s hand.
There were quite a few candied fruits in the package, and each one was translucent and plump, emitting a sweet fragrance. They had clearly been carefully selected.
Seeing the undisguised concern in Yu Qingyao’s eyes, Wu Yan’s heart softened. She picked up a candied fruit and put it into her mouth.
“Hmph, it’s sour! Bitter! Salty! That ungrateful wolf definitely added something to it!”
“It’s very sweet, very delicious.”
Hearing Wu Yan’s words, the corners of Yu Qingyao’s mouth curled up unconsciously: “It’s good as long as Senior Sister likes them.”
To the side, Lin Wan’er complained while tidying up the medicine bowl: “Alright, alright, stop putting on this show of sisterly affection in my place. Today’s treatment isn’t over yet. Hurry up and get out; I need to prepare the materials for Wu Yan’s medicinal bath.”
***
Half an hour later.
Wu Yan was in the room alone taking her medicinal bath, while Lin Wan’er had gone to the Alchemy Room to develop the new medicine for her to take later.
Yu Qingyao moved a stone stool and sat under the corridor outside the room, appearing to be lost in thought.
It was a beautiful afternoon on Medicine Peak; the sun was just right and the breeze was gentle. Everything seemed so peaceful and lovely.
Right then, a sudden clamor broke the silence.
The clacking sound of abacus beads moving up and down, accompanied by light and bright footsteps, echoed from the end of the corridor.
“Yo, why is someone sitting out here? You’re blocking the way, blocking the way!”
Yu Qingyao suddenly snapped back to reality and looked up to see the iconic Taoist robe of the Tianyan Sect, as well as the striking emblem of the visitor.
“Fellow Taoist Bai.” Yu Qingyao stood up, blocking Bai Zhiqiu’s path into the room without yielding an inch. “Senior Sister is currently taking a medicinal bath; unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside.”
Stopped by Yu Qingyao, Bai Zhiqiu raised an eyebrow and pretended to look Yu Qingyao up and down seriously, clicking her tongue: “Tsk, I say, Fellow Taoist Yu, we are all female cultivators. What’s there to fear from a medicinal bath? Besides, Fellow Taoist Wu and I have a life-and-death friendship; how can I be considered unauthorized personnel?”
As she spoke, Bai Zhiqiu’s body blurred, and like a slippery eel, she tried to slide past Yu Qingyao’s side.
“No!”
Yu Qingyao blocked the door firmly, her tone resolute as she prevented Bai Zhiqiu from going in to disturb Wu Yan.
“Oh ho?” Bai Zhiqiu was amused. She folded her arms across her chest and watched the scene with great interest.
“I haven’t seen you for a few days, but you’ve changed quite a bit. You were clearly hiding things and acting suspicious back in the Secret Realm.”
“What’s the matter? Are you keeping such a close eye on Fellow Daoist Wu because you failed to take care of her and feel guilty? Or… are you afraid I’ll steal her away?”
Bai Zhiqiu’s question pierced Yu Qingyao with pinpoint accuracy.
“This is a matter between my Senior Sister and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Tsk, who cares.” Bai Zhiqiu curled her lip.
Just as the atmosphere between the two became increasingly tense, the door behind Yu Qingyao was slowly pulled open.
Accompanied by a burst of misty water vapor, the bickering came to an abrupt halt.
Wu Yan was wearing a loose, light black inner garment with a moon-white robe draped over her shoulders, standing barefoot at the doorway.
Her originally fair face was flushed from the steam. she held a towel to wipe her hair, looking at the two people at the door with a helpless gaze.
“Senior Sister, why did you come out?”
“Both of you, come inside.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingyao immediately ducked into the room, not forgetting to remind Wu Yan: “Senior Sister, be careful of the slippery floor.”
“Aiyaya, as expected, only Fellow Daoist Wu can handle her~”
Bai Zhiqiu seized the opportunity and leaned in close to Wu Yan with a smile, showing no sign of the awkwardness from the argument just now.
She circled around Wu Yan with familiar ease and even used her spiritual power to check Wu Yan’s physical condition.
“Hmm, your complexion is good. Your spiritual power fluctuations are also stable. It seems that Little Divine Doctor from Medicine King Valley really does have some skill.”
Bai Zhiqiu breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest in relief: “Phew, then my portion of the Soul Shaping Grass wasn’t spent in vain.”
At the mention of the Soul Shaping Grass, Wu Yan paused while wiping her long hair: “Speaking of the Soul Shaping Grass, Miss Bai, thank you for being willing to use your portion of the Soul Shaping Grass to save Qingyao and me.”
Seeing Wu Yan looking so serious, Bai Zhiqiu actually felt embarrassed.
She waved her hand, pulled a handful of walnuts from her robe, crushed them with a crack, picked out the nutmeat, and handed it to Wu Yan: “Oh, I was just joking. That stuff was something you put in the effort to get in the first place, and later we only made it out alive because you defeated that Demonic Ape. Using it to save you is just returning it to its rightful owner.”
Speaking of Wu Yan defeating the Demonic Ape, Bai Zhiqiu suddenly leaned her face in close, her eyes filled with intense curiosity: “But speaking of which, there’s one thing I’m really curious about!”
“People outside all say that the Eldest Senior Sister of the Piaomiao Sect is a wicked woman who bullies others and is narrow-minded. But looking at you, you don’t seem like the rumors at all~”
Wu Yan, who had been bored and was merely playing with her own hair, felt her face turn bright red the moment she heard Bai Zhiqiu say people were calling her a bully and narrow-minded: “Damn it, which scumbags are spreading those rumors? If I catch them, I’ll personally skin them alive and leave them to fend for themselves in a stampede of beasts in heat!”