37. Your Blood Saved My Life (Part 2)

◎I failed to protect her◎

Yan Yunzhao remained calm, pondering the meaning behind Master Jichen's words.

She is currently the Spirit-Gathering Grass. Since the Immortal Master needs the Spirit-Gathering Grass for medicine, could it be...?

Master Jichen roughly understood what she was thinking, but he did not explain. He only said, "Young Master Lou's poison is difficult to cure. Originally, the poison and his body were fighting against each other. Although his qi and blood were deficient, it was not enough to kill him. However, the strong liquor triggered the poison, and he could not bear it."

Yan Yunzhao's mind went blank for a moment. She managed to catch her breath and after a long while, she stammered, "Immortal Master... do you really have a way?"

The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy; you could hear a pin drop. Senior Brother Liu Jiang comforted her, saying, "Miss Yan didn't mean it; there's no need to blame yourself. Young Master Lou is poisoned by a rare toxin that ordinary doctors can't detect. They need to observe his qi to see the root cause. If the poison hadn't acted up prematurely, it might have been too late to save him if it had invaded his lungs and internal organs later."

Yan Yunzhao nodded slowly. Master Jichen stroked his beard and said, "I'm afraid we'll need to take Miss Yan's heart blood to save Young Master Lou."

Master Ji Chen spoke tactfully, and the group tacitly refrained from further explanation. However, she knew what taking the blood from the heart meridian meant. Humans have five meridians, referring to the meridians of the five internal organs: the liver meridian (wiry), the heart meridian (hooked), the spleen meridian (intermittent), the lung meridian (hairy), and the kidney meridian (stone). These also refer to the five meridians governed by the five internal organs. Severing even one meridian is almost crippling; how much more so would taking the blood from all five?

"This matter is not something I can force Miss Yan to do; it is entirely up to you."

Yan Yunzhao slowly shook his head.

The words Lou Chengjing said a few days ago are still on my mind.

"He has been searching for you for four hundred years, don't let him wait in vain."

She was relieved that drawing blood could save Lou Su.

"Since the Immortal Master is confident, then I will also dare to give it a try."

Master Jichen simply nodded, then ordered his two disciples to leave. Only the two of them remained in the room.

"I will use magic to seal your acupoints. Miss Yan only needs to hold on for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yunzhao took a deep breath, struggling to control the trembling in her fingertips. As Immortal Master Jichen raised his hand, several fine ice arrows pierced her wrist skin in an instant. A burning pain shot through her, causing Yan Yunzhao to wince in pain. Blood dripped down her fair wrist, a shocking sight.

Indeed, just as the immortal master had said, the pain throughout my body disappeared in an instant, and the minor wounds healed quickly, leaving my skin smooth as before. Apart from the mottled bloodstains on my sleeves, there was no trace of injury at all.

After Master Jichen took her blood, Yan Yunzhao felt completely drained and extremely weak. Just as she was about to collapse, her two senior brothers, Liu Yuan and Liu Shizhong, rushed over from outside and supported her.

Ordinary top-grade immortal herbs with a thousand-year potential are often subject to a further restriction, preventing them from taking human form, otherwise their medicinal efficacy would be greatly reduced. Therefore, examples of spiritual herbs cultivating into human form are extremely rare, and the reasons for this are almost unknown in the immortal realm.

Master Jichen was merely speculating; if Yan Yunzhao were truly a spirit herb in human form, she might have retained its characteristics. What he saw today further confirmed his guess: to be able to stand after having the blood of the five veins extracted, the spirit herb was indeed resilient.

The old man tossed her a pill, saying, "This is to replenish your energy. I am Elder Yao of the Tianlin Sect. Would you be willing to serve under me?"

Upon hearing this, all three were taken aback.

Liu Jiang and Senior Brother Yuan stared wide-eyed: Who didn't know that Daoist Jichen was notoriously picky about accepting disciples? Back in the competition, the top ten disciples all became Daoist Jichen's disciples, and Liu Jiang, who ranked first, was often criticized for being dull-witted...

But on second thought, it makes sense: the celestial realm is full of talented people, but has anyone ever seen a grass demon?

Yan Yunzhao took the pill, feeling weak and could only lean on his two senior brothers to stand. He resolutely refused, saying, "...Thank you for your kindness, Immortal Master Jichen, but I only want to stay in the mortal world and live a carefree life."

She just escaped from a powerful sect, and you think you can take her back? No way.

Although Master Jichen was disappointed, he still wanted to offer some advice: "There are quite a few people in the immortal realm who covet the Spirit-Gathering Grass. It is not a long-term solution for you to have the aura of the Spirit-Gathering Grass for protection, and you may attract the covetousness of others. The cultivation of plant spirits is very different from that of other demons. My Tianlin Sect is the number one medicine sect in the world. Cultivating disciples with wood spirit roots will be of great benefit to you. I hope you will consider this carefully."

Yan Yunzhao happened to be unable to find the secret to cultivating as a grass demon. Although these words were somewhat tempting, she still wanted to do what she liked more. How could she go back to the immortal realm to become a giant panda? So she decisively shook her head.

Master Jichen sighed deeply, said no more, picked up the porcelain bowl containing the blood and went to the back to make medicine. Senior Brother Liu and Senior Brother Yuan followed him.

After taking the pills and regaining some strength, Yan Yunzhao looked at his clothes stained with a few drops of blood and breathed a sigh of relief: Fortunately, it wasn't as terrible as he had imagined.

His heart, which had been pounding wildly just moments before, had calmed down. However, judging from Immortal Master Jichen's composed demeanor, Lou Su's poison should not be difficult to cure.

Liu Jiang and his master entered the inner room and looked back. Seeing that Yan Yunzhao had not followed, he quietly asked the question that had troubled him for many days: "Master, who exactly is Young Master Lou? Master is the best at detoxifying poisons, yet he has spent many days searching through ancient books for this poison. Who could have such skill in poisoning someone, and be able to stump Master?"

Upon hearing this, Brother Yuan also perked up his ears.

Ji Chen remained silent, only gesturing for Liu Jiang to look towards the medicine cauldron.

With a wave of his hand, Ji Chen sent two clumps of blood swirling and dancing above the medicine cauldron, seemingly coming to life as they darted about. Inside, tiny specks of light flickered eerily, though one clump was jet black, a sign of poisoning, while the other was a vibrant crimson.

It was Lou Su and Yan Yunzhao's blood.

Liu Jiang was puzzled, but then he saw that the moment Lou Gongzi's black blood poured into the medicine cauldron, a thick cloud of black smoke burst out from the top of the steaming cauldron, gradually revealing a strange snake-shaped pattern.

"This pattern... could it be Qi Ling?!"

Liu Jiang's pupils contracted sharply, and he couldn't help but feel a chill.

When the word "Qi Ling" is mentioned, any disciple of a cultivation sect will think of a folk song: "Qi Ling comes leisurely, and ten thousand bones float gently."

Qi Ling was originally a descendant of the snake clan in the demon realm, but she went astray and slaughtered living beings with extremely cruel methods. Since Qi Ling was suppressed on Qingshan Peak by the celestial realm 20,000 years ago, the three realms have all breathed a sigh of relief.

"But why would its poison appear on Young Master Lou?"

For juniors like Liu Jiang and Senior Brother Yuan, the events of 20,000 years ago are unheard of. Although the past is terrifying, it is still far removed from them. Now that the Qiling Poison is right in front of them, they can't help but feel a little dazed.

"Everyone says that the Heavenly Emperor personally sealed Qi Ling 20,000 years ago, but few people know that a mountain could not suppress Qi Ling for too long. Behind this is the fact that the previous Dragon King of the Demon Realm personally drew the Yin-Yang Array Eye and guarded the Array Eye with his own body, imprisoning Qi Ling for 20,000 years."

Liu Jiang and his senior brother Yuan were somewhat taken aback, as they had never heard of this part of history before.

"The previous Dragon King... was Qing Xiang, the grandfather of the Dragon God Wu Xiang. He should have been a great hero in this battle, so why was he punished by the Heavenly Emperor with a restriction that violated the Heavenly Rules, and imprisoned in the Azure Sea forever?"

Ji Chen recalled the past with a somewhat solemn expression. He closed his eyelids slightly and slowly recounted, "The Heavenly Lord has his own considerations. On the surface, it is imprisonment, but in reality, it is for protection. Qi Ling's magical power is high, and if she seeks revenge maliciously, it will be impossible to guard against."

"It is because I am ignorant," Liu Jiang sighed, his heart heavy.

"So, Young Master Lou is..."

"Just an ordinary little demon."

Upon hearing Master's words, Liu Jiang and Senior Brother Yuan both frowned: Why did you say those things just now?

Noticing that their master seemed to be acting strangely, Liu Jiang and Senior Brother Yuan tacitly entered into a telepathic communication.

[Lou Gongzi's Medicine Dispensing Chat Group]

"The most beautiful woman in the Tianlin Sect, when is dinner? Don't ask me stupid questions" - this is part of a group chat.

The most beautiful woman in the Tianlin Sect: Master, you should be able to tell me now. Who exactly is Young Master Lou?

When is dinner served? (Puts ear to the screen)

Don't ask me stupid questions: The Dragon God of the Demon Realm, Wuxiang.

"Don't ask me stupid questions, I'm leaving the group chat."

The most beautiful woman in the Tianlin Sect: ? ? ? ?

When is dinner served?

With that in mind, Liu Jiang understood why Lou Su had the monster's blood poison on him.

During that fierce battle, many of the celestial and demonic ancestors who led the suppression were poisoned by this poison. Cultivators are not as resilient as demons, and this blood poison will continue to affect their descendants. Many of those celestial elders gradually died and died without descendants. Only some demonic descendants survived with the blood poison, and Lou Su was one of them.

Not far away, Yan Yunzhao, who had been listening intently for a while, stood up from behind the tree.

He really was a demon?

...

Lou Su had been unconscious for more than ten days. When he finally woke up, he found himself not at Cui Liang's shop. Only a disciple from a cultivation sect was serving him. He propped himself up on the bed, looked around, and felt a slight throbbing in his temples.

Upon seeing Lou Su awaken, Liu Jiang hurriedly placed the medicine bowl he was holding on the table and prostrated himself in a deep bow: "Liu Jiang, the eldest disciple of Immortal Master Ji Chen of the Tianlin Sect, pays his respects to Lord Wuxiang."

Lou Su glanced at him indifferently: "There's no need to address me like that. Where am I... and where is she?"

Liu Jiang paused for a moment, then stood up and bowed, saying, "This is Biyuefang. She... should be Miss Yan, right? She has already returned to Cuiliang Mountain."

During the days he served Lord Wuxiang, he always called out Miss Yan's name in his dreams. Liu Jiang could only sigh that even gods could not escape love, hate, and passion.

Lou Su activated his internal energy and found that the blood poison had been neutralized. He picked up the bowl of medicine on the table and examined it. His mouth felt astringent, unlike the taste of ordinary herbs. He couldn't help but ask, "What is this medicine made of? How could it neutralize the poison in my body?"

Liu Jiang was somewhat embarrassed, but he forced himself to say, "It was Miss Yan who brought the top-grade spiritual herbs, and... and she also used blood as a medicinal ingredient..."

What?

Lou Su suddenly looked up, his grip on the medicine bowl tightened, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

His lips were bloodless, with a lingering sweet, metallic taste. The words "using blood as medicine" were like a gleaming knife, piercing his heart with pain.

"How is she?"

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his limbs, Lou Su gripped the edge of the bed and tried to get out, eager to see her as soon as possible.

"Lord Wuxiang! Master instructed you to rest and recuperate; you must not exert yourself at this time..."

Liu Jiang hurriedly helped Lou Su up and persuaded him until he was settled.

"Don't worry, Miss Yan is perfectly fine. She took Master's specially made Qi-replenishing pills and is now completely unharmed."

Taking blood from the five meridians... how painful that must be. Lou Su felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

It's all his fault. Despite all his precautions, he never expected things to turn out this way, and he still failed to protect her properly.

Seeing that he looked unwell, Liu Jiang took advantage of his weakness to seal his acupoints, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.

...

In the past few days, Yan Yunzhao, Jing Ming, and a few others have been planting and digging for vegetables. In just six or seven days, they have harvested a full cellar. They have also hired people to take the produce to Cui Family Village to sell, and have already earned more than a hundred strings of cash.

However, laying mulch is hard work. The small talismans are directly placed on the seeds. Although they help to keep the seeds warm, the crops grow too fast, and there is never enough time to set up a vegetable greenhouse the next day.

The four of them worked day after day, farming, laying out talismans, building vegetable greenhouses, watering, and applying spiritual energy... They earned more than running a restaurant, because fresh vegetables were scarce in winter.

With the money she earned, Yan Yunzhao continued to renovate Cuiliang's shop and the Dragon King Temple. The villagers who dared not come to Cuiliang's shop after hearing the rumors could not resist the temptation of fresh vegetables and secretly asked them a few times. The four of them pretended to be: "Huh? I don't know. We are just a run-down restaurant owner" to fool them.

Yan Yunzhao kept his composure, but someone else couldn't.

Fang, who was guarding the deserted temple with its dismal business, has been surprised to find a steady stream of people coming to renovate and decorate it these past few days. They've turned the Dragon King Temple into something comparable to the Heavenly Emperor's Palace, making it quite a prominent landmark in this desolate village.

Not only did he renovate the house, but Yan Yunzhao also generously gave his employees a raise and increased benefits for their families. He even sent boxes of local eggs to Fang's grandmother's house. Fang was stunned to receive a salary that was higher than that of Guiyuelou. Feeling guilty, she took the initiative to confess to Yan Yunzhao.

Half a month ago, inside Guiyue Tower.

Master Bai slammed the account book on the table, startling all the maids and servants into silence.

"You only made this much money in a whole month? If we don't find out who embezzled the money, the cost of ingredients for next month's banquet will be deducted from your accounts."

Master Bai, though not angry, exuded an air of authority. He slammed the teapot shut with a "smack," and the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Master Bai, how could we dare to embezzle your money? It's all Yan Yunzhao from Cuiliang Mountain's fault for stealing our business."

A servant boy said, trembling.

"How much money can that little shop make?"

"Master, you don't know this, but Boss Yan can do everything and always sells novelties that we've never seen before. Our old customers who used to come here for tea no longer want to come."

Bai Dongjia remained silent, secretly plotting for a while.

"I remember she also wanted to attend the 'Floating Wine Cups on a Winding Stream' banquet?"

"Where is Fang Yi? Tell Fang Yi not to go, just say she's not feeling well."

The servant hesitated for a moment, then had no choice but to comply.

Mr. Bai leaned back in his chair, a disdainful smile on his face.

She knew best that Fang Yi was stubborn; how could she give up something she had worked so hard for? So she made her attend the banquet and also asked a trusted nanny to gossip about Yan Yunzhao in front of her. She was sure Fang Yi would take advantage of all of this.

...

After hearing this, Yan Yunzhao sneered. This tactic of using someone else to do the dirty work was quite clever.

As expected, the rumors circulating in the city were orchestrated by Guiyue Tower. Master Bai, narrow-minded and having long disliked Yan Yunzhao, found a pretext to send Fang away, deliberately creating animosity between the two.

"Miss Yan, I am truly sorry for this. I was blinded by greed. Please, please don't send me away. I'm afraid there's nowhere willing to take me now," Fang Yi said earnestly, wiping away her tears.

With the banquet about to begin, the cook couldn't be replaced, and Yan Yunzhao was busy learning culinary skills from Lady Du. Coincidentally, they needed an experienced assistant cook. Since Miss Fang was also a victim in this situation, Yan Yunzhao comforted her and kept her by his side.

After two weeks of dedicated study, preparations for the winding stream banquet are in full swing. Rumor has it that the princess has a sweet tooth and enjoys sweet drinks, so all the chefs are working together to develop recipes in that direction. Everything is ready, except for the final touch.

However, on the eve of the banquet, Yan Yunzhao learned a rumor that was completely different from what everyone else had said.

[Author's Note]

Small Theater

Liu Jiang: ...Master said he would take the blood of the five veins, so why did he only cut Miss Yan's wrist in the end?

Ji Chen (laughing heartily, stroking his beard): It's just to scare the young people. If I didn't say it this way, how could I get those two to resolve their differences?