“Miss Wu, feeling better?”
As Wu Yan walked through the corridor outside the rooms, women in white medical attire occasionally greeted her warmly.
This feeling of being at home was somewhat novel for Wu Yan.
Walking along the wide, long hallway constructed from light green bamboo and smooth white stone, one side was lined with tidy patient wards, while the other featured a small waterfall that, despite its cascading water, was surprisingly quiet.
The soundproofing array was remarkably effective, not only enhancing the scenery but also ensuring the patients’ rest quality.
The air was thick with the rich scent of medicinal herbs, mingling with the mist from the waterfall and gathering before Wu Yan.
“Excuse me, has anything strange happened in Medicine King Valley recently?”
Wu Yan randomly asked a cultivator who was using a wooden crutch for rehabilitation exercises in the hallway.
If she asked a Medicine King Valley disciple such a question directly, it would be too obvious and arouse suspicion. But asking a patient posed no such problem.
“Strange things?” The woman stopped and frowned at Wu Yan’s question, the crutch tucked under her armpit to support her weight. “Hmm… I don’t think so?”
“Is it strange that I’ve been going to the bathroom more often lately?”
“There is something! Recently, when I sleep at night, I keep hearing eerie cries echoing in the hallway, but I’m too scared to check.”
“Strange? The whole valley is strange lately! Not only have they stopped accepting new patients, but they’ve also strictly forbidden patients from leaving. If you ask me, Medicine King Valley might be plotting rebellion! Honored sirs, if you allow such behavior to continue, permit me to retire to my hometown!”
Wu Yan spent the entire morning gathering information in the patient area, and from the overwhelming pile of details, she extracted two main peculiarities.
First, a monster that made strange noises when wandering the patient area at night. Second, Medicine King Valley’s recent restriction on movement.
Wu Yan had doubts about the second point.
For a thousand years, Medicine King Valley had been the staunchest supporter of righteous cultivators in the Righteous-Demonic War. The current Valley Lord, Li Qingci, had held her position for nearly a hundred years. If she had rebellious intentions, she could have acted during the demonic cultivator invasion fifty years ago. There was no need to wait until now.
Thus, the only reason for such a strict order was that a spy hiding within the valley was about to make a move.
Thinking of this, Wu Yan couldn’t help but reflect.
To some extent, wasn’t she also a source of trouble?
Back at Piaomiao Sect, when she went to the Western Wilderness, she and Qingyao and the others were ambushed by demonic cultivators. In the Cangwu Secret Realm, demonic cultivators had also infiltrated. During the Five Sects Tournament, demonic spies had sneaked in as well.
And now, here in Medicine King Valley, she was once again dealing with demonic cultivator spies.
“Haha, really! If I, this lord, may say, you really have a demon-attracting physique! You’ve encountered nothing but demonic cultivators all along the way!”
’Anyway, I’ll focus my investigation on these two angles.’
And so, Divine Detective Wu Yan began her work.
Leaving the patient area, Wu Yan finally saw the legendary true face of Medicine King Valley.
Built against the mountains, the valley was hidden among the peaks. From a distance, it was shrouded in translucent, emerald-green clouds. Alchemy rooms emitting pill smoke overlapped with the occasional immortal crane flying through the sky, presenting a scene of peace and tranquility.
Medicine King Valley’s medical knowledge was top-notch. They were one of the few sects in the Cultivation World that separated patients from other areas.
“Oh, there’s quite a lot of good stuff here.”
The open space between the patient area and the disciple area was filled with neatly arranged medicinal fields. The dense spiritual energy radiating from the rare herbs made the spiritual power within Wu Yan flow more smoothly. Even someone as picky as she was couldn’t help but praise such rare herbs.
“But how do you plan to continue the investigation? Asking people one by one?”
Wu Yan shook her head. ’I’ll go out first to see the current state of the valley and start with the surrounding environment.’
Just as Wu Yan stepped out of the disciple area to head outside, a four-legged animal leaped out from a corner and dashed straight into her arms. She instinctively wrapped her arms around it.
Looking down, Wu Yan examined the strange creature that had suddenly crashed into her.
Its size was similar to an ordinary pet dog. A pair of pink, pointed ears covered in white fur nearly reached Wu Yan’s chin. Under the sunlight, its snow-white body shimmered with a soft, smooth glow. Its enormous, cloud-soft curly tail unconsciously wound around Wu Yan’s wrist, and the thick, fluffy fur around its neck tickled her chest.
Once in her arms, it eagerly tried to ingratiate itself with Wu Yan.
A pair of amber-golden eyes, about the size of lychees, sparkled with light, and its delicate little tongue repeatedly licked Wu Yan’s collarbone.
“Whose little beast is this?”
Seeing the small animal immediately act so outrageously toward her body, Wu Yan’s tone lost all patience.
Hearing her displeasure, she grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and lifted it away from her. ’I don’t know. It’s just a small animal.’
Held by the scruff, the snow-white beast waved its limbs in the air, its little mouth slightly open, revealing four sharp fangs. It made a “yo yo” sound as it struggled to reach Wu Yan.
Lin Wan’er walked out from around the corner. She had changed into a light green long skirt, the attire of a core disciple, and looked at Wu Yan with amusement, along with the little beast in her hands.
“Oh my, I can’t believe it likes you so much.”
“Junior Sister Lin, you came just in time,” Wu Yan said, handing the little creature to Lin Wan’er. “This little one should be your pet, right?”
The moment it landed in Lin Wan’er’s hands, the beast gathered strength, kicked off, and leaped directly onto Wu Yan’s head, coiling there.
Lin Wan’er shook her head, intrigued. “I’m not its owner. I’m not qualified for that, Senior Sister Wu.”
“Even if you’re the next Valley Lord of Medicine King Valley?”
“Even if I were the current Valley Lord.”
Wu Yan was surprised by Lin Wan’er’s answer. This little creature had such a high status? Even the current Valley Lord, Li Qingci, wasn’t qualified to be its owner?
“What exactly is this little thing?”
“I don’t know. I only know it has existed since my master’s master’s time. It’s almost become a symbol of Medicine King Valley now.”
As she spoke, Lin Wan’er couldn’t help but size up the white beast now comfortably stretching on Wu Yan’s head.
“I don’t actually know its name. My master just calls it Yo Yo, so we call it that too.”
Yo Yo. Wu Yan listened to the little beast that had nestled on her head, making a “yo yo” sound deep in its throat, and felt the name was quite fitting.
“And,” Lin Wan’er tried to take Yo Yo back, but the creature nimbly dodged her, “I’ve never seen Yo Yo so attached to anyone. It doesn’t even pay attention to my master.”