Meeting an old friend (2)
The Azure Nether Flame, originally a prized possession of the Ghost Calculator, was casually given to Ye Yingying by him. Ye Yingying cherished it greatly, as the Ghost Calculator was a master craftsman, and she saw this as acknowledging him as half a disciple. From then on, she worked even harder, traveling far and wide to collect rare treasures, hoping that one day the Ghost Calculator would impart all his insights to her. But then…
Ye Yingying's heart sank, and she unconsciously clenched her fists.
"This fire has three layers. Two of them can drive people's minds, making their eyes dull and their consciousness stagnant, which matches the strange illness here perfectly," Yun Yanqiu explained.
"Senior suspects that the Azure Nether True Fire is the cause of the strange illness in the county?"
"This possibility cannot be ruled out."
"But didn't the waiter just say that there's already a miracle doctor who can cure this disease? And that quite a few people can even heal themselves?"
“That’s also what I’m worried about,” Yun Yanqiu pondered. “I’ve visited many places, and only this place’s description is most similar to the effect of fire. There’s also something else that’s bothering me—since we entered the city, there’s been a gaze fixed on us. It doesn’t seem to be looking at me, but rather at you.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Yingying was startled: "Senior means that there are people in this city who know me?"
"We know each other, but whether it's for the better or for the worse is hard to say," Yun Yanqiu pondered. "However, that gaze disappeared after we entered the inn, so it's unlikely they'll make a move now. Let's rest tonight and go to the clinic tomorrow to find out more."
After saying that, Yun Yanqiu took out several talismans and set up a protective array in the room before turning and leaving.
After confirming that the footsteps had disappeared, Ye Yingying sat down and began meditating. Her dantian was intact, and she estimated her cultivation level to be in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but the foundation was unstable, likely due to the use of spiritual herbs. However, it didn't matter; after all, in her previous life, Ye Yingying had reached the early Golden Core stage at a young age, and she was confident she could achieve it even faster this time.
But then again, even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage could walk around freely in this small place where spiritual energy is scarce. What could have caused the original owner's soul to leave their body? And from whom were those eyes watching them?
Ye Yingying was somewhat troubled. She had neither cultivation nor magical treasures, not to mention she was blind. Either way, she was an easy target. The more Ye Yingying thought about it, the angrier she became. It was all that scheming devil's fault! Once she found a way, she would definitely go back to Mi Chen Mountain and teach that old bastard a lesson!
Ye Yingying cultivated for a while before falling asleep. The next morning, Yun Yanqiu knocked on the door. She got up and opened the door, saying, "Good morning, Senior Yun."
"Yes." Yun Yanqiu nodded in response, "We're going to the clinic."
The clinic was not far from the inn. Guided by the waiter, the two had breakfast and went out. They arrived at the clinic in no time. Yun Yanqiu looked up and saw a large lantern with the character "Xue" on it hanging in front of the door.
Just then, a woman with her black hair half-tied up came out of the clinic. Seeing that people had come in, she smiled and asked, "Have you two come to see Doctor Xue for treatment?"
“Exactly.” Yun Yanqiu nodded.
"Oh dear, what a coincidence! The divine doctor went to the landlord's house today to give the old lady a follow-up examination. I don't know when he will be back," the woman said, feigning surprise.
"Didn't they say that the old lady's illness was cured?"
"As the elderly get older, they naturally need to have regular check-ups to avoid developing health problems," the female lead said, then suddenly added jokingly, "Besides, the old lady is very fond of Doctor Xue, so she can't refuse to go."
"When will Doctor Xue be back?" Ye Yingying asked.
"This old lady is very fond of the divine doctor. Every time she finishes a consultation, she insists on keeping him at her residence for dinner before letting him go. I'm afraid he won't be able to come back today."
After explaining, the woman then gave them the order to leave: "Please leave now. If you come again tomorrow, the divine doctor may still be available."
The woman was polite and seemingly easy to talk to, but in reality, her attitude was firm and left no room for argument. Ye Yingying tried to reason with her a few more times, but the woman blocked her every time. The two, having been turned away, had no choice but to give up for the time being.
After walking for a while, Ye Yingying said, "Senior Yun, the person at the clinic just now seemed to have a considerable amount of spiritual power on him."
Yun Yanqiu agreed with her statement: "That person is indeed a cultivator, but his cultivation level is average, so he is not worth fearing."
"A traveling doctor's clinic, and he found a cultivator?" Ye Yingying asked in confusion. Such a combination was rare even in her previous memories. Cultivators could usually regulate their own breathing and would carry some pills when they went out. They would not usually find a traveling doctor to accompany them.
"It's alright," Yun Yanqiu said. "Let's go check on the landlord first."
The two asked passersby for directions to the landlord's house and headed in that direction. Upon arriving at the gate, they saw a servant standing guard. Yun Yanqiu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "May I ask, sir, does the landlord of the county reside here?"
The middle-aged servant looked up at the man in white robes and asked loudly, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
“I am a cultivator from a nearby mountain. I have come here on my journey and am short of money. I heard that the old lady is unwell. I happen to have a good medicine for treating dementia and would like to offer it to the old lady in exchange for some travel expenses.”
"You?" The servant glanced at Yun Yanqiu suspiciously. Seeing that he was dressed rather plainly and didn't seem to be carrying any treasures, he impatiently shooed him away, "The old lady doesn't need medicine. You should leave now."
"Sir, my medicine is extremely effective and can cure any ailment instantly. Why don't you inform the steward of the manor for me, and we can discuss the goods further after you've inspected them?"
"Tsk, where did this conman come from? Didn't you hear me telling you to get lost?!" The servant raised his voice and shouted at Yun Yanqiu.
Seeing this, Ye Yingying immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly tried to smooth things over for Yun Yanqiu: "Senior, let it go. They don't need medicine, there's no need for us to force them to buy."
To everyone's surprise, when the servant saw Ye Yingying, he showed a rather surprised expression: "Hmm? Isn't this Miss Ying'er? What, do you two know each other?"
Ye Yingying was startled, never expecting to run into someone familiar with her body here. Afraid of revealing something she shouldn't, she quickly pretended to be familiar and greeted him, "Big brother, long time no see."
"It's only been a short time, why are you already acting like strangers?" The servant was a little annoyed by the way she addressed him, but when he thought about how she usually wore a veil and now rarely showed her pretty face, he couldn't muster any anger. He simply continued the pleasantries, "Hey, why hasn't your divine physician brought you along lately?"
"This..." Ye Yingying's mind raced, and she immediately put on a pitiful look, "Oh dear, big brother, please don't mention it! I was clumsy the other day and accidentally broke his precious medicine jar, and he kicked me out of the clinic in a fit of anger..."
"Oh my! Your miracle doctor is really something..." The servant frowned, clicked his tongue twice, and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the blind girl. "So this guy took you in?"
"Yes, he kindly helped me, and I'm now helping him to repay his kindness," Ye Yingying said sweetly. "Big brother, my benefactor is very stubborn and offended me just now. I apologize. Please be magnanimous and pretend we were never here. I'll take him away now."
The servant chuckled and waved at them, "Hurry up and leave, lest the divine doctor see you."
"Okay, thank you, big brother!" After saying that, Ye Yingying quickly raised her hand, wanting to pull Yun Yanqiu away.
Yun Yanqiu wasn't stupid; he took Ye Yingying and left. They hadn't gone far when Yun Yanqiu said, "He probably knows you. Do you remember anything?"
“…I remember my name is Ying’er, and I used to work under the Divine Physician.” Ye Yingying couldn’t recall anything, so she analyzed based on the information she got from the servants, “Senior, if that’s the case, then that woman at the clinic just now probably knew me as well.”
After a moment's thought, Yun Yanqiu concluded: "It seems we've alerted them."
As soon as he finished speaking, a talisman flew out of Yun Yanqiu's sleeve with a "whoosh" and darted into a small alley with lightning speed, hitting something heavily.
Yun Yanqiu led Ye Yingying away from the crowd and into a small alley. There, they saw a young woman dressed in fine silk clothes frozen in place by a talisman. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted, and her face showed terror. She had clearly been caught off guard by the sudden attack. Upon closer inspection, Yun Yanqiu realized that she was not the woman he had seen at the clinic.
"Senior Yun, is it her?" Ye Yingying asked with slight doubt. Although she was blind, she could not sense any spiritual power from this person.
Is someone else tracking them?
“Not the one from the clinic just now.” Yun Yanqiu’s answer cleared up Ye Yingying’s confusion. He looked at the woman who was frozen in place with cold eyes, and his powerful aura made it hard for her to breathe.
The alleyway grew increasingly lively, filled with the cacophony of voices and various shouts that contrasted sharply with the tranquility inside. This was a bustling market; if they were seen here, people would accuse them of bullying a vulnerable woman. Ye Yingying immediately spoke up to remind Yun Yanqiu, "Senior, there are too many people here; it's not convenient to interrogate her. What do you think...?"
It wouldn't be convenient to change locations. Yun Yanqiu glanced outside the alley, immediately moved several talismans to block out the sounds inside, and then moved behind a cover before tearing off the immobilization talisman from the woman's body.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as the woman regained her mobility, she immediately knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "Sister Ying'er, please spare me! I was really confused for a moment and listened to the divine doctor's words. I know I was wrong. Please, please let me go!"
Ye Yingying then realized that the person following them was a woman. She stepped forward and followed up the conversation by asking, "Do you know what you did wrong?"
The woman trembled as she raised her head, her eyes filled with panic and fear as she looked at Ye Yingying. Even her voice trembled as she spoke: "I...I...I shouldn't have betrayed you to the divine doctor and even transported your body outside the city..."
"You intend to kill me and then dispose of my body?"
"This..." The woman realized she had misspoke and said in a panic, "You weren't breathing then, so I really thought you were dead! If I had known you were still alive, I definitely wouldn't have dared to!"
Ye Yingying ignored her and continued to ask, "Why did you tell the miracle doctor?"
"I was terrified. The doctor was so cruel; if he knew we had betrayed him, he definitely wouldn't let us go..."
Before the woman could finish speaking, her pupils suddenly became unfocused, and her previously terrified expression turned empty and wooden, like a puppet without a master, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Yun Yanqiu immediately sensed something was wrong. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the woman had lost her soul. Yun Yanqiu frowned and said solemnly, "She is a living puppet."
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