Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss

Chapter 26 - 50

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Chapter 26:- Poison (4)

For one whole day and night, Jun Qing was lying on the bed hanging over the verge of death, all the doctors that came and took his pulse all had the same worried expression, all had the single verdict - Jun Qing was one step away from death's door.

Jun Xian seemed to have aged ten years overnight as he sat by his son as he waved his hands and asked them all to return to the palace. He sat there sadly as he buried his face in his hands.

...

"Is that true?" The Emperor who was seated in the study was listening to the doctor who was reporting Jun Qing's situation to him, his face void of any expression as he listened solemnly.

"This humble one does not dare lie. Jun Qing's poison has indeed acted up and the poison has attacked the heart." The doctor reported truthfully.

"That's a pity, order for the Snow Mountain Ginseng and the Red Lingzhi to be sent over to Lin Palace." The Emperor was feeling very generous, both the Snow Mountain Ginseng and the Red Lingzhi are rare herbs that was used to prolong life and it was apparent to everyone that Jun Qing has not much longer to live.

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Withdraw" The Emperor waved his hand.

When the doctor left, the Emperor leaned back in his chair as he went through all the various scrolls on the desk, a small smile could be seen.

...

In the Lin Palace was overshadowed with gloom as Jun Qing lay on his bed motionless, his breathing was very weak.

Jun Xian sat by his side with red eyes.

"Why did this suddenly happen? You were alright all these years, why did the poison suddenly flare up?" Jun Xian could not understand, all these years his condition had been stable, what could have triggered it?

The man standing by the side had on a solemn expression as he clenched his fist tightly.

"Has any suspicious personnel entered the Palace lately?" Jun Xian asked with a deep frown.

The man shook his head as he looked over at Jun Qing lying on the bed, his heart was struggling internally. Before Jun Qing fainted, he had specifically told him not to tell anyone that Jun Wu Xie was there before. No matter what had happened, he believed from the bottom of his heart that Jun Wu Xie would not hurt him. He simply took it as his life was going to end a little sooner that's all. He did not want to implicate his niece into anyone's grand scheme to throw the Lin Palace into further turmoil.

But now all the doctors have diagnosed that he did not have much time left. Did he have to hide this forever? The man was conflicted, if it was anyone else, he would have directly interrogated them but the perpetrator was Jun Wu Xie!

If Jun Qing really died, Lin Palace had no more future.

"This... what happened here?" a puzzled voice suddenly sounded.

The man and Jun Xian both turned to look at the same time as they saw Jun Wu Xie carrying a black cat in her arms, with a quizzical expression at the doorway.

"Wu Xie...." Jun Xian's husky voice was full of sorrow.

The man clenched his trembling fist and choked back the words he wanted to say.

"Your uncle has been poisoned." Jun Xian slowly broke it to her as he closed his eyes in despair.

Poisoned? Jun Wu Xie was slightly surprised when she heard this. She immediately went to the bed ignoring the surprised Jun Xian and man as she took Jun Qing's pulse.

His pulse was very weak, barely discernable. Jun Qing's face was pale and covered with sweat mixed with a dark substance. All these fit the description of being poisoned.

If it was others, they would have concluded it as severe poisoning however, who was Jun Wu Xie? She had immediately found something different.

Although Jun Qing's pulse was weak, it was also very stable.

Jun Wu Xie immediately pulled off the quilt and removed the pillow.

"Wu Xie, what are you doing?!"

"Uncle is fine." Jun Wu Xie's mind was focused on the treatment and did not know how her sudden actions and words had impacted the rest who were standing there with their mouth agape.

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Chapter 27:- Healing Hands (1)

Jun Qing's situation was not as bad as everyone had made it out to be. It looked as though the poison had penetrated the bone marrow, as the lotus seed actually cleanses the bones and as it purges all the toxins out, these will be purged out from the pores of the body together with the sweat. Before the process is complete, this accumulation of discarded toxins will confuse people and think that the terrifying amount of poison had actually reached his heart and hence the death verdict.

In actual fact, it was not so dangerous!

Jun Wu Xie placed Jun Qing on a flat position as she wanted to smoothen the detoxification process. She swiftly took out a needle bag as she pulled out a long slender needle and accurately pierced a main meridian point. She continued on with a few other points to unblock them with the intention to increase his blood circulation and to hasten the process and put an early end to his ordeal.

As she was self immersed in an ethereal state as she skillfully used her needles to treat him, she was oblivious to her surroundings. When she had initially pulled out the needle, the man could not take it anymore and had stepped forward to stop her when the equally shocked Jun Xian raised his hand and blocked him.

They stood beside the bed and watched her quietly as she skillfully and accurately unblocked his meridians. They had all seen Jun Wu Xie grow up and had never expected her medical skills to be so good.

"Prepare ten stoves in the room and shut the door and windows." she calmly ordered.

"What are you up to? He's your Uncle! Can't you see, he's dying!" The man bellowed. He could not take it any more! Jun Qing was already so sickly and his sweat had soaked through the sheets and she still wanted him to be cooped up in the room with ten stoves?!

Jun Wu Xie glanced over and spoke in a cold voice, "I don't speak to idiots."

She did not care about how horrid his expression was, she simply carried her black cat in her arms and left.

There was nothing wrong with Jun Qing's detoxification process but his body was very weak as his lower body was immobile for too long. His internal organs were all in disarray, hence even if the bones are cleansed, she still needed to help him rebuild his whole body constitution to what it was before, or even better! Now, her main goal was to purge out all the remaining toxins in the shortest time possible.

She immediately rushed to get the prescription for stabilizing and boosting his internal system.

In Jun Qing's room, the air was very stifled as the man's face was as black as coal while Jun Xian wore a heavy expression.

As Jun Xian watched Jun Qing laying on the bed with that deathly pale complexion, Jun Xian was struggling for a bit when he finally ordered, "Prepare ten stoves! Shut the doors and all the windows tight!"

"Lin Wang, you would even let the Little Miss mess with his life?" The man gave Jun Xian an incredulous look.

Jun Xian sighed. "You've heard what all the other doctors have said. They said there was no way to cure him. They have all given up on him. The fact that there is a glimmer of hope, no matter how ridiculous it is, I am going to try it. I have only one son left and I'm not going to let him leave me so easily. Even if the chance is one in a million, I'm going to cling onto it."

He was pushed into a corner and had no way out. He was willing to risk it all, after all, what did he have to lose?

When he saw his granddaughter's skill with the needle, a glimmer of hope ignited within. He'd rather place his hope within his family!

"You are going to place all your hopes in her? How long has she dabbled in medicine for? This is too much! It's a life you are playing with! Isn't Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's disciple currently residing in the Royal Palace? Even if his Majesty doesn't agree, I'm going to tie her up and drag her here!" He argued bitterly.

Jun Xian shook his head. "Jun Qing's been poisoned too heavily, even the Sovereign cannot neutralize it, what more his disciple? Even if you tie her up and drag her here, what's the point? It's no use..."

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Chapter 28:- Healing Hands (2)

The man slumped against the bed as he bit clenched his teeth.

Soon, the stoves were placed in the room as the servants hurriedly closed all windows and the door. The sudden increase in temperature forced both Jun Xian and the man to circulate their spiritual energy and soon they were each covered in a thin cloak to protect themselves from the extreme heat.

Jun Qing's sweat mixed with black substance came trickling out and he was completely drenched. It was as though he had just been fished out from a pool of water. Those sweat beads that dripped onto the floor evaporated quickly and soon the room was filled with steam.

A creaking sound was heard as Jun Wu Xie entered the room with a bowl of her own concoction as the little black cat stayed by her side.

Without paying heed to anyone, she marched straight up to Jun Qing.

Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her wrist. The man had rushed forward in an attempt to stop her.

"He's your Uncle!" He stared at her menacingly. Although he did not tell Jun Xian that the cause of this was all because she had fed him the lotus seed, he still held her responsible in his heart. Although he did not want to believe that she was out to hurt Jun Qing, the facts were right there.

"Let go." She said icily as she frowned. She immediately broke free from his grasp as she flung her hand away. She was very annoyed to be interrupted and questioned repeatedly while treating a patient.

The man stood quietly at the corner with a gloomy expression as he watched her slowly feed Jun Qing the bowl of black liquid.

After drinking the bowl of medicine, there was no response from Jun Qing as he lay quietly on the bed.

As time slowly ticked by, the intense temperature of the room was a great torture to Jun Wu Xie. As she had yet to start her cultivation much less protect herself with a cloak of her own spiritual energy from such extreme temperature. She continued to sweat profusely as her thin dress was soaked through but no matter what, she just sat there quietly as she meticulously paid attention to every single change in his pulse.

The black cat leaped onto the bed as it stared at Jun Qing and looked up at Jun Wu Xie.

"Meow."

[Physical condition seems stable.]

Jun Wu Xie nodded slightly.

An hour later, crystal clear beads of sweat started forming, a huge contrast to the previous murky sweat that was expelled.

Jun Wu Xie immediately called for the servants to remove all the stoves and air the room.

"Prepare hot water and help freshen Second Master up." Jun Wu Xie ordered.

Everyone outside the room looked at her with a puzzled expression. What was their Young Miss up to again? The situation for their Second Master was already very bad with almost every doctor in the kingdom giving him the death verdict. Now she comes in and play doctor?

The servants hesitated as they looked towards Jun Xian and when he nodded, they scuttled in and went to clean up.

"You there, go to my pharmacy and take the medical pot I left on the table over and add it into warm water and let Second Master soak in it for three hours." She called out to the man standing nearest to her.

During this whole process, Jun Xian stood quietly by the side never once interfering with her arrangements as he watched her with his tired eyes, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Regardless if everything she did was useless, at least she had changed for the better.

After she finished all the necessary arrangements, she discovered that her dress had many stains, these were all from the black substance expelled out from Jun Qing's body and it had an odious stench.

She quickly retreated back to her own room to take a bath. She really hated all these smells!

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Chapter 29:- Healing Hands (3)

Jun Qing was soaking in the medicinal bath water that Jun Wu Xie had specially prepared for him. Although he was unconscious, it was apparent that his condition had improved as his breathing was no longer as weak and his face although pale, it was not deathly white as before. The man could see this but he still huffed his chest up haughtily as he still bore some grievances towards Jun Wu Xie.

Jun Xian was by his son's side all this while and when he saw the improvement, he gave a sigh of relief.

"After all, Wu Xie is his daugher, she may have been somewhat naive in the past, now she is all grown up. You must not have any prejudice against her, she may... she may need the protection from you guys to grow up safely in the future." He patiently explained. He could tell that the man did not like Jun Wu Xie very much. He wanted to try to diffuse the animosity as much as he could.

The man remained silent and left the room as soon as he saw that Jun Qing's complexion had finally turned for the better.

After her bath and changing into a fresh new set of clothes, Jun Wu Xie sat in the pharmacy as she held a tea cup in one hand while the other was writing down all the various names of herbs with fervour.

Jun Qing's condition has stabilised but to return his condition to its peak, a lot of effort is needed, as such she was busy scribbling away all the medications needed.

To complement the medicine, she also wrote down the list of dishes to pair them with, to complement each other so as to nourish him and speed up the process.

A knocking the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in."

The door creaked opened and there stood the same tall man who had been interrupting her all these while. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"If you've got something to say, spit it out now, or else just scram." For people other than family, she does not pay any heed to the words used. She says whatever comes to mind without a care.

As she just finished speaking, the man standing in front of her suddenly went down on one knee with a loud thud.

"Major General of the Rui Lin Army Long Qi has greatly offended Young Miss, please punish me as you deem fit!" He said grimly as his tall frame was kneeling with on one knee and his head slightly bowed.

Rui Lin Army's Major General... she glanced over at Long Qi. She had always felt that he was always staying quietly by her Uncle's side and fussing over him on quite a few occasions, although she had always thought he did not seem like a servant or a bodyguard, it never crossed her mind that he would be Rui Lin Army's Major General!

But...

"Okay?" Jun Wu Xie frowned.

Long Qi continued kneeling on the ground without uttering a single word. He did not deny he had always some prejudice against her. He even deeply suspected that she poisoned Jun Qing! When he saw how meticulous she was as she treated Jun Qing and the effects of her treatment could be seen, he knew he was in the wrong.

Rui Lin Army's protocols have always been severely strict hence he had habitually seeked his own punishment. It was an ironclad rule that every single member had been drilled into since day one. If one did something wrong, it's punishment!

"Since it's nothing then you can leave." She had no interest whatsoever in his position or request. This man had repeatedly interrupted her so many times but this was all due to him worrying over Jun Qing, so when he was rude, she really did not care nor take it to heart.

He maintained his position for a while longer, stood up and left the room. Only this time, he was very respectful towards her and had even bowed slightly before he closed the door.

"Wow, what extraordinary thing did you do when I was not around? This looks interesting..." an enigmatic voice with a hint of mischief trailed off from the doorway.

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Chapter 30:- Healing Hands (4)

Jun Wu Xie was a little startled as she looked over with a slight frown.

He casually made his way to the nearest chair as he sat down and lazily plopped his head on his hand as he gave her a charming smile. His long black satin hair draped down the side and framed his gorgeous face.

That picture itself was a sin.

Jun Wu Xie had not seen him for the past few days and had almost forgotten about his existence. Didn't think that he would appear so suddenly.

With his appearance, she could vaguely smell the familiar scent of blood, despite it being covered by the strong fragrance of herbs, with her sensitive nose, she could still sniff out that faint trace.

Jun Wu Yao looked at her happily but his expression almost crumbled when he saw her frown at him as she covered her nose with her hand. His handsome smile was frozen.

"Next time, if you have not completely removed the smell, you are not allowed in the pharmacy." She warned him with a deep frown. She did not care where he's from, as long as he didn't provoke her and Lin Palace, he could do whatever he want.

Jun Wu Yao slowly stood up as he looked at her with a distressed expression.

The smell was barely discernible moreover this place had such strong pungent herb smell, how keen was this nose of hers to be able to sniff that out from this myriad of smells?

"You dislike that smell this much?" He chuckled.

"Yes!" She saw him walking towards her slowly. She subconsciously took a step back as he came closer. This smell made her feel really sick if she wasn't treating any patient!

"Really... sorry" as he looked at Jun Wu Xie who was out outwardly avoiding him, an evil smile flashed by as he suddenly disappeared. Before she could even react, she was embraced by a pair of strong arms.

Her delicate little face was forcibly pressed into his broad chest as the smell of blood assaulted her nose as it was many times stronger. Jun Wu Xie stood there petrified.

"Let go!"

"Be good, next time I will not let you smell it." Jun Wu Yao not only did not let go, he actually hugged her even tighter.

So petite, so soft, it was like a small little animal hiding in a safe place but the little one he's holding onto seems to have sharp fangs and was baring it.

She was in a frenzy as he hugged her tightly and rubbed her head as if she was some kind of pet! The clothes which she had just changed into had to be changed again as it now had the stench of blood. When he finally let her go, she rushed out of the pharmacy and scrubbed herself many times before she willingly came out.

After being abandoned by its master, the little black cat could only glare at Jun Wu Yao. Jun Wu Yao could not help but laugh out as he saw the fleeing shadow of Jun Wu Xie. The black cat could feel some strong energy fluctuations and realised how dangerous this man really was! He immediately followed his master's' footsteps and fled the pharmacy.

Master! Don't leave me alone with this crazy man!

...

Jun Qing finally stirred as he groggily saw a familiar silhouette sitting by his bed. As his vision slowly restored, he realised that it was his worried Father who seemed to have aged since he last saw him.

"Father?" Jun Qing struggled to sit up but his body felt as if the bones have all been broken up and it was so intense he could not move.

"Don't move! Lie down!" Jun Xian quickly reached out.

"What happened to me?" Although his whole body felt as though it was breaking apart and he could not move, he still felt a hint of comfort and ease.

"You really almost scared your Father to death!"

"....." Jun Qing helplessly looked at the sullen figure by his bed.

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Chapter 31:- Mysterious Expert (1)

"Stop sleeping already and get something to eat!" Jun Xian heartily nudged his son. Now that he's much better and can finally eat to replenish his strength and nourish the body, what more are they waiting for?

When the servants entered the room with the piping hot porridge, the aroma was so enticing that both father and son momentarily looked at the steaming bowls absentmindedly.

The porridge had a faint smell of herbs but the smell was not too overpowering. Having not eaten for such a long time, Jun Qing could feel his stomach contracting once the bowl was placed in front of him.

Once he took in a deep breath, the aroma assaulted all his senses and his previous loss of appetite was history. He struggled to sit up in his bed to enjoy his first meal for these past few days.

After he had eaten his fill, with a bit of difficulty as he sat up in his bed and had only realized that he was in a very precarious situation while he was unconscious.

"Every doctor who saw you concluded that you were on at death's door... if not for her...."

Jun Xian sighed as he thought about the pain of losing his eldest son... If this kind of thing happened again he really did not know if he could survive.

"But...Jun Wu Xie just started on her medical studies not too long ago, how could she have known that I could be saved?" Jun Qing was full of questions, it seems that this time, it was really a huge change in Jun Wu Xie. The wayward rude little girl from before seem to have disappeared without a trace. Even in the face of Mo Xuan Fei's bullying, she still did not express any discontent, unlike the her before who would have whipped up a storm. She's so sensible and level headed now.

"Recently that child has changed a lot, she's become very sensible. I think her injury before might not be as simple as we have thought. If not for the major turn of events, she would not have changed so much in such a short time." Jun Xian did not say it out but he had been thinking about it for a while and made a few guesses.

All these started only after she came back riddled with all those injuries. What did she go through?

Jun Qing hesitated for a moment before he finally told the truth that Jun Wu Xie had given him the lotus seed right before this incident.

"Lotus seed?!" Jun Qing frowned slightly. Initially he had thought that someone had secretly tempered but now Jun Wu Xie is suddenly involved.

"Perhaps she gave it to me without any deeper meaning or my body simply could not hold up against the poison. No matter what, I believe that Wu Xie will not harm me. But I have to say, although I'm tired now, I'm feeling much better than what I've felt over in a decade! The poison has deeply seeped into my bones, all these years, and though it didn't manage to take my life away but it has been wearing my mind and spirit down." Jun Qing was worried he would implicate Jun Wu Xie further as he hastily tried to explain.

He really wasn't exaggerating, his body still felt very weak now however his mind was very alert. Also the poison before seem to have rendered him unable to muster up any spirit energy but now he could feel a slight throb as he tried to sense his spirit energy.

"Really? Do not think that you can pull a fast one over me. Naturally I believe in our Wu Xie. But if you still feel any discomfort anywhere, do not hide it." No matter what, both of them are his closest kin and he did not want any harm to befall them.

Jun Qing smiled and nodded as he moved his arms in exaggerated motion in an attempt to show his father that he was really fine.

However in that moment, there was a surge of a strange feeling. His whole body stiffened as he was deep in thought.

"What happened?" Jun Xian quickly asked as he saw the strange expression Jun Qing had on.

Jun Qing gulped as he gave a bewildered look of disbelieve.

"My legs...."

"What happened to your legs?!" Jun Xian asked anxiously.

"They feel a little... sore?" Jun Qing's voice trailed off...

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Chapter 32:- Mysterious Expert (2)

Ever since Jun Qing had been poisoned, his legs were not able to feel any sensations, except for occasional chills from the bitter cold winter. However, he could clearly feel something now, something he had missed all these years. Even though it was pain, nevertheless, it was still a feeling!

"Father, where is Wu Xie?" He had a sudden flashback.

["Uncle, do you trust me?"]

When Jun Wu Xie had asked him that question, he didn't think too much into it but now after all that has happened... After she had asked him that very question, she fed him 'that lotus seed' after which his body underwent major changes.

All these were too coincidental!

Jun Xian had sent someone to invite Jun Wu Xie over.

When she entered the room, there was a faint aroma of herbs as she carried her little black cat in one arm and walked over to the bedside.

"Uncle woke up." As if she was expecting it, there was not a trace of surprise in her voice.

"Wu Xie, this time Uncle really need to thank you properly." Jun Qing smiled warmly at his niece. He saw the cat that was looking happy and contented in her arms. Jun Wu Xie had always liked animals but because of her impatience, whenever she approached animals, they couldn't keep still and would run off. He even tried grabbing various cats and dogs and let her touch but they always end up running away so it was a very rare sight.

"No need, this is my fault." She softly said as she stroked the cat's fur and looked down.

This shocked both father and son.

"Wu Xie, what do you mean?" Jun Xian asked gently, fearing his tone was too harsh and scaring off his granddaughter.

Jun Wu Xie looked at both of them with bright eyes and slowly said, "In fact, there's no reason to hide from both of you. That time, when I fell from the cliff, almost all my bones were broken, if not for Master saving me, I'd have long be dead."

"Master?"

Jun Wu Xie nodded, "He was the one who saved me and sent me back to Lin Palace. However, he did not want other people to know about him, which is why he handed me over to Wu... brother. That entire time while I was recuperating, Master saw that I was interested in learning medicine and he took me in as his disciple. Although I don't know about his origins, he's my savior and I know he has amazing skills. The reason why I picked up studying medicine is not because I had an interest in it but because Master said that since my body constitution was weak and I had no contractual spirit, this was a way for me to protect myself." She glanced over to look at them as they looked at her seriously. She continued on, "Actually, that was not an ordinary lotus seed, it was given by Master and it has the ability to cleanse the bone marrows."

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Chapter 33:- Mysterious Expert (3)

"Although Uncle has been crippled, he's still able to feel occasional chills and his tendons are not damaged, so I thought I could try to treat it. I also ate the lotus seed, though some discomfort, my body did not have such a reaction like Uncle's. His poison flaring up scared me but luckily master taught me the way to treat it."

Jun Wu Xie spoke calmly, though her voice a little immature, she sounded very credible.

This speech was thought up after some deliberation to gloss over the origin of the medicine.

She had originally wanted to build up their body constitution discreetly, who knew that lotus seed would have triggered off such a big incident! Now she had to find a plausible excuse as a cover up for her medical skills. Hence, the little black cat and her had been discussing it and they eventually came up with a 'Master'. Pushing everything to her mysterious master would pave her way free from all future problems.

After listening to her explanation, Jun Xian and Jun Qing were both in shock. They did not think that Jun Wu Xie would ever acknowledge anyone as her Master.

When she had returned back that day, their memories were tampered with and all they knew was that her 'brother' had brought her back, however the specifics were not known.

Her explanation may have sounded a bit too incredible, what kind of luck did she have to meet such an expert? However, it did fit all the current questions they had in their minds, like her change in personality as well as her interest in medicine.

"Well, Wu Xie, all these time did you meet your Master here in our Lin Palace?" He had on a weird facial expression when he asked her.

Jun Wu Xie nodded.

Jun Xian and Jun Qing exchanged glances. If one looked closely, you could even see their eyebrows twitching.

Lin Palace may not look heavily guarded however there is a great number of Rui Lin Army secretly guarding it in the shadows. Not to mention strangers, even any animals, they would be the first to know if any trespassed into Lin Palace.

However this time, they had not heard anything at all. This meant that her Master was an expert who could enter and leave this fortress at his own will while escaping the tight net of surveillance of the Rui Lin Army. He did not leave behind a single clue.

Towards this Master of hers they were piqued with curiosity but they knew he meant them no harm or else he wouldn't have saved her and taught her medicine as well.

"For you to have such a Master is a fortunate thing. Since he doesn't want to meet anyone, just help us express our gratitude for all his help." From his vast experience, Jun Xian deduced that this Master of hers did not want to get involved in worldly affairs and hence did not insist any further.

To have this Master was good for both Wu Xie and Lin Palace. Jun Xian was elated.

"Alright." She calmly replied as the black cat in her arms shot her a look of misgiving and let out a small meow.

[Master, you've been led astray. You've actually learnt how to lie so blatantly!]

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Chapter 34:- Mysterious Expert (4)

[What Master? Oh please he does not even exist!]

Jun Wu Xie remained calm and collected topping it up with a frosty expression.

"What! You said you ate the lotus seed as well? How are you? Was it very painful?" Jun Xian had witnessed his Son who was a Battle General curl into a shrimp because of the intense pain. What more a mere fourteen year old girl who did not have an ounce of spirit energy? He was very frantic as he asked with a worried expression.

Jun Wu Qing shook her head, "I'm fine, there was a bit of discomfort but nothing like Uncle. His body reacted badly to it as he was poisoned before and the poison has seeped deep into his bone crevices over this long period. The lotus seed cleanses the bone marrows giving him a set of bones akin to being reborn. He experienced such pain as it squeezed out all the poison from every nook and cranny. As the poison is embedded deep in his bones, the purging process is very thorough to expel all the impurities and poison out. All these have been expelled out through his pores with his sweat, so there is no need to worry for any future complications."

If she wasn't able to even save Jun Qing, she really didn't deserve to live anymore.

When Jun Xian heard that all of Jun Qing's impurities and poison has been expelled out with his sweat, his eyes almost popped out.

"When I woke up, I did feel a difference. My body feels much lighter and when I sat up just now, my legs could feel some sensations." Jun Qing stated excitedly.

It had been the same for all these years, it was as though he didn't have any legs. Now, even with the slightest feeling, he was delighted.

"Master said that after everything has been cleared, with additional medicine and medicinal bath conditioning, in half a year's time your legs would be like before." Borrowing her 'Master' to reveal how skillful she was.

The whole room was silent.

Both men stared agape at Jun Wu Xie, with eyes wide open.

After struggling for over a decade they finally see a glimmer of hope!

"Wu Xie, what do you mean by... like before...? Could it be that your Uncle can really walk again?" Jun Xian could not stop his excitement , he was just short of jumping in joy in fear of scaring her.

She nodded, "He'll be able to walk like a normal person, it's just that he's been on a wheelchair for over a decade, his muscles are not very developed. Hence if he wants to return to his previous condition, he'll need up to a year to train and develop his lower body."

"What?... I am able to return to that state in a year's time?" Jun Qing felt as though he was floating along in a dream. He was simply dumbfounded and ecstatic to the point he felt dizzy and his expression was that of shock mixed with happiness.

He had thought that this life, he would be wheelchair ridden for good. Any hope that he could ever walk again was a dream. A dream he would trade anything for to be real.

And Jun Wu Xie said that he could walk and restore to his previous condition too!

Is he really not dreaming?

Jun Wu Xie looked at the two men who were on the verge of tears as their whole face were red with excitement. She looked at them with a hint of puzzled expression. Was there a need to be this excited?

She could not understand, his legs were never a problem. Extracting all the poison that had seeped deep in his bones was the problematic issue, however now that it's been dealt with, why would they get so excited?

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Chapter 35:- Change (1)

In Jun Wu Xie's view, her Uncle was unable to walk was not because the poison was too toxic, it was because... the doctors in this world sucked big time!

It never once crossed her mind that the problem did not lie in the doctors of this world but rather that she was too abnormal! Her skills were at an unprecedented level, it was as though a University Graduate was doing an elementary school kid's homework. That was the vast difference.

"Yes" She replied to their excitement.

They remained silent but one could see the flame ignited within their eyes as they tried to digest all the information.

Lin Palace was on a decline as there was no successor, however if Jun Qing was able to recover within the next couple of years to his peak, Lin Palace would once again be able to bask in glory.

This opportunity was too important to them right now.

"Wu Xie, there's a lot of important things at stake here, the matter on your Uncle's recovery must be kept with strictest confidentiality. About your Master..." Jun Xian immediately thought of this critical matter.

"Master said he was not interested in worldly affairs." What can a non-existent person disclose?

"That's good to hear. We must really thank him for all his help! Please convey to him that if there is anything that Lin Palace can help him with, if it's within our means, we will do everything we can to fulfill it!" Jun Xian started chattering excitedly.

"I will convey it to him." she faintly responded.

"Wu Xie, thank you." Jun Qing looked at Jun Wu Xie with his warm eyes and a gentle smile. He was very thankful that he had such great family support all these years and now his beloved niece said that she could cure him with her Master's help, he simply could not wait!

His 'thank you' made her feel something stirring within. She was slightly surprised. In the past she had saved many people and she had received countless 'thank-yous' from all those she had saved , but those 'thank-yous' never carried any weight in her heart.

However this time, Jun Qing's 'thank you' indeed made her feel a nice warmth from within as she felt a glimmer of joy as she let out a rare gentle smile.

So it turns out rendering treatment to a family member feels completely different.

As she was intoxicated with this feeling, she carried on, "Master gave me a few lotus seeds and I wanted to give one to Grandfather as well but due to Uncle's special case, I'll need to concentrate on Uncle's treatment for the time being. I will need a bit more time to prepare the conditioning of Grandfather's body." She could not be too careless as Jun Xian's was rather advanced in his age and she had to be extra vigilant. She would want to prepare everything fully before she started and get rid of any variables.

Jun Xian never thought he had a share in this fortuitous opportunity. Listening to Jun Wu Xie he had guessed she had already started in her preparations for him.

His chest felt warm and fuzzy as he awkwardly turned away as he silently wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall.

His Granddaughter is all grown up now. She is finally sensible.

In the future who would dare call his Granddaughter a waste?! He'll not let anyone touch a single hair on her! No one will get away with bullying her!

"I'll leave it all up to you. I will let Uncle Fu know and ask him to brief the kitchen staff. Do what you need to do, no need to ask me for my advise." He chortled heartily and heaved a sigh of relief.

In the past, although he had doted on her and loved her unconditionally, he knew that she loved to play pranks on others and she had a haughty temper so he had placed many restrictions on her to prevent any trouble. But now he feel that his heart is finally at ease as he looked at his precious Granddaughter.

Sensible, calm, amazing medicinal skills, cares deeply about her family and even backed by a powerful Master. Where else in the world can you find such a great Granddaughter?

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Chapter 36:- Change (2)

He wanted to scream out to the whole world how amazing his Granddaughter was! He wanted to flaunt her in front of the other old geezers, gloat at their shocked expressions and see if they still dared to call her a waste!

Lin Palace's current predicament could be overturned with Jun Wu Xie's help. She was the key to it's revival and to keep her protected as well as Lin Palace, they had to keep everything under wraps until Jun Qing fully recovered.

Jun Xian had suffered greatly under someone's grand scheme and it caused him to lose one of his beloved sons, another was gravely injured and could not even live normally all these years. To keep Lin Palace safe, he had to reduce The Rui Lin Army over the years. If they had found out that Jun Qing could recover and the person doing the treatment was Jun Wu Xie, he was not sure he could keep them both safe with his power alone.

Now, keeping Jun Wu Xie safe was top priority.

Under Jun Xian's orders, Jun Wu Xie had complete freedom to do the things she wanted without anyone raising any questions. All the servants no longer procrastinated when she asked them to do something.

In order to prevent any repercussions after eating the lotus seed, Jun Wu Xie decided to use herbs to aid in the conditioning of Jun Xian's body.

Jun Wu Xie meticulously prepared various herbal concoctions and diets to complement and condition Jun Xian's and Jun Qing's body. She also added in a drop of the white lotus's tear each time.

During this whole process, everyday Uncle Fu personally delivered all the food and medicine from the hands of Jun Wu Xie to Jun Xian, while Long Qi delivered Jun Qing's portion.

Jun Wu Xie treated this very seriously and she could only trust the both of them! No other point of contacts were allowed in case someone slipped in and tempered with anything. This way she could personally supervise their progress without any worries.

Both father and son were recovering at an astonishing rate under her care, the only victim was Little Lotus.

As his tears were the 'special ingredient' was needed, every few days he had to contribute his part. Every time he appeared, the black cat would always be hot on his tracks as it pounced on him and chased him around as it scuffled with him. The room will be eventually filled with muffled sniffles and sobs.

He really deserved some sympathy!

Battered Little Lotus once again contributed his tears as he huddled at the corner of the room with his little body still trembling as it looked at the black cat that was calmly licking its paws by the bedside.

Jun Wu Xie had just finished collecting the tears when a light knock on the door sounded. In a practised manner, she swiftly flicked her hand as the Little White Lotus instantly disappeared as it turned into a barely visible ring on her right hand's ring finger.

"Come in."

The door swung open and Long Qi stood there and bowed slightly while maintaining this posture with his head hung low as he held out two scrolls.

"Second Master has instructed me to hand these over to you, Young Miss." Long Qi was a man of few words, although he did not talk much, the tone he was speaking in was totally different from the past. Although it still was cold, it had a hint of respect.

Jun Qing's body had been improving at an alarming rate and he knew that all the credit lay in this young maiden in front of him.

"Put it over there." she pointed to the table nearby as she raised her head slowly.

Long Qi bowed once again as he entered the room without making any eye contact, he looked towards the ground as he made his way in. After placing it on the table, he was about to leave when she suddenly said, "Wait."

He immediately froze on the spot.

"Take the medicine that's on the table with you as well." she asserted.

Long Qi raised his head and looked at the table saw a small white porcelain bottle. As he picked it up, he asked, "How should I apply this for Second Master?"

"It's for you." as she glanced over at him.

His whole body stiffened.

"With your injury, how do you expect to do a good job in protecting my Uncle? In the future, do not do such silly things."

As a doctor and her acute sense of smell, how could the faint smell of blood escape her notice?

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Chapter 37:- Change (3)

Long Qi stood stood frozen for a moment before he straightened up and put his right fist stiffly over his left chest, bowed slightly and silently left the room.

Jun Wu Xie glanced at the closed door and resumed what she was doing.

"Cold on the outside, warm on the inside. So that saying was referring to people like you." A teasing voice came from the window.

Jun Wu Xie furrowed her brows as she looked towards the source of the sound. Jun Wu Yao was sitting at the window sill with his hands leisurely crossed over his chest. His mouth had a faint smile as he looked at her with a bemused expression.

This time she could not smell any trace of blood on him.

"Doing something wrong and getting punished for it is not a big deal. Didn't think that you will be so kind to have prepared medicine for him." His half amused eyes gradually disappeared as he stared at her.

That day after Long Qi had apologized to her and asked her for punishment, she had brushed it off. This stiff and upright man had imposed his own punishment by getting flogged by the pole 150 times until his whole back was in a complete mess, however he did not even let out a scream and he appeared as per normal beside Jun Qing the very next day.

Incidentally, Jun Wu Yao had known about this however it did not have anything to do with him moreover he had no interest and had almost completely forgotten about this if not for her actions today.

"I hate that smell." She replied grimly.

Jun Wu Yao let out a chuckle as he lightly leaped into her room.

"Wu Xie is so unfair. When I was injured, how come you didn't give me any medicine?" With a slight pout he walked over to her side and leaned in with one hand against the wall behind her as he backed her into a corner.

His black hair draping down the side of his exquisite face, as it tickled her cheek.

Jun Wu Xie frowned as she swept the hair away.

"Because of your name." She glanced at him and took a step to the side and she walked away calmly.

Jun Wu Yao, no medicine, incurable. (TL: this is a literal translation from his name, 无药、无药可救）

"Hahahaha!" After hearing her explanation, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms and gave her an overbearing hug.

Her small body was so soft and it carried a faint scent of herbs, it really made one feel at ease.

She did not struggle, did not resist, just quietly stayed in his embrace except for that bright pair of eyes glaring at him full of disapproval.

"Today I cleaned up properly. Here, smell me, is any of that distasteful smell still lingering?" He whispered closely to her ears as his deep magnetic voice mixed with a tinge of mischief resounded as he teased her.

"No." Jun Wu Xie felt that something was wrong but she could not pinpoint what with this closeness of his.

"Rest assured, as long as it's anything you do not like, I will not let it exist." As he gave her his commitment with a smile, he wrapped his arms around her tighter. He realised that no matter what he did to her, she did not have much of a reaction. She did not seem to know the meaning behind his actions.

Similar to a blank sheet of paper, with a blank expression.

It really makes one want to leave a little mark on that paper!

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Chapter 38:- The Royal Court (1)

Lin Palace was steadily gaining pace to its recovery as their hope for the past decade had finally been unearthed in the hands of Lin Wang's granddaughter. On the other hand...

Mo Xuan Fei always had a good reputation in the Imperial City. With his handsome face, he had captivated many young girls heart. He was swooned over by many and when news of him and Jun Wu Xie were betrothed got out, many hearts were broken. Many had secretly cursed in their hearts as they sneered, how plain Jun Wu Xie was and how unmatched they were! She was so undeserving of their handsome prince!

Now when it was announced that their engagement had been dissolved, it was a dream come true for many.

After the session at the Royal Court, Jun Xian was about to leave the Royal Palace as per usual when several old men who were wearing the official long robes walked over to him with beaming smiles.

"Lin Wang, do you have any updates on the culprits that attacked Second Prince?" The roundest one out of them spoke out.

Jun Xian looked at the man who gave a greasy smile. This roundball was the King's Brother - Wu Wang.

Wu Wang was in his sixties and did not contribute much as he was not skilled in anything. He had been riding on his brother's influence and living the high life all these while. He always viewed himself as almighty and was unaware of his own incompetence. Due to his royal birth, all the ministers have always fawned over him and complimented him no matter what he did.

However Jun Xian was an exception. He had always been straightforward and always pointed out his shortcomings. Thus he and Wu Wang had been bickering for years and had never seen anything at eye level.

Back in the days when Lin Palace was at its prime, when both of Jun Xian's sons were healthy, Wu Wang never dared to show his discontent and had always maintained an amiable front. However after Lin Palace started its decline, he gave up all his regard for Lin Palace and had been behaving as he liked without holding anything back.

The reason why Mo Xuan Fei and Jun Wu Xie's broken engagement spread like wildfire was thanks to him as well.

All the ministers started crowding around them to watch the good show.

"This matter does not require Wu Wang to worry, although they are as slippery as eels, I will chase them to the ends of the earth and catch them to ensure the safety of Second Prince." He replied without any emotion.

"That must really be hard on you, Lin Wang is no longer young and still have to work so hard, how can we let you handle all that by yourself? You should simply pass it on to the next generation for them to handle..." Wu Wang laughed as he hit his own forehead with his palm. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot about your two sons. One has died for the country and the other..."

Wu Wang did not finish what he was saying but looked mockingly at Jun Xian.

It was apparent that the news of Lin Palace's predicament had spread all around.

Lin Wang's little son's poison had acted up, all the royal doctors and almost every other doctor in the State that had seen him, all came out with the same verdict - Jun Qing's life was hanging by a fine thread. He didn't have much time left.

"I'm sorry, I'm not good with words, hahhaha... I'm really sorry." Wu Wang sniggered as he lashed his words out without any holding anything back.

Jun Xian's furrowed his brows. From all the killing on the battlefield and after countless wars, he had accumulated a lot of bloodlust. Usually he will keep it contained but now, he unleashed a little of it as he glanced at all the surrounding ministers. They couldn't help suck in a deep breath. The surrounding temperature seem to have dropped and the air was very heavy. His piercing gaze rested on Wu Wang.

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Chapter 39:- The Royal Court (2)

Wu Wang felt all the hair on his back stand as the invisible pressure piled on him under Lin Wang's glare. This was the first time in his life he had felt so threatened. He's been around for over sixty years and during this period, Lin Wang's awe inspiring name have resounded far across the borders of Qi Kingdom and he certainly felt the reason why first hand.

He involuntarily let out a gulp in an attempt to calm his own nerves.

"Matters regarding my Lin Palace are of no concern to you. Do not trouble yourself to worry about it." Seeing the surrounding ministers all laughing nervously, he finally retracted all the bloodlust and the pressure released.

"Well, I was worried about the matters of our kingdom." After Jun Xian retracted all his bloodlust, Wu Wang concluded one thing - Jun Xian has become a toothless tiger. Now that he is old, he had lost his former courage and did not dare to act too brazenly.

"Oh, I've heard that the Little Miss hasn't stepped out of Lin Palace for quite some time? She's still young, even if she and our Xuan Fei are not meant to be, she doesn't need to be so sad. She should come out and get some fresh air, it's not good for a young girl like her to be cooped up at home all day!" Thinking that Jun Xian was no longer the fierce tiger of the past, Wu Wang carried on mocking Jun Wu Xie after talking about Jun Qing.

Jun Xian glared at Wu Wang.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "It's the Crown Prince's birthday next month and His Majesty has left the birthday celebrations for me to handle. Since your Wu Xie has not been out for so long, let her join this celebration to lift her spirits. His Majesty also said that he felt bad with regards to what happened with the engagement and has specially extended the invitation to your Wu Xie."

"Fine." Jun Xian did not want to waste anymore of his precious time with these geezers as he flicked his sleeves and walked away.

Wu Wang laughed gleefully as he watched Jun Xian's retreating back and 'defeated' demeanor.

"Still putting on such an arrogant front? Does he still think that he is the Lin Wang of the past?" Wu Wang scorned as he put on his trademark greasy smile as the other ministers laughed along.

"Lin Wang is unable to accept hard reality and his head is still living in the clouds. That Jun Qing is not able to live much longer and with him gone, Lin Palace is only left with that waste. Let's see how long the Rui Lin Army can last." Another minister sneered with a smile.

"Hmph, he still thinks himself as a Great General commanding an entire army but all he has accomplished is losing his two sons." Wu Wang and the other ministers continued on their banter.

None of them had noticed that once Jun Xian had turned his back on them, there was a glint in his eyes and as he walked away, his 'retreating back' lost its former vicissitudes and he strode on with vigor, no different from when he was commanding the entire army, reverting back to the very same hero which made the Qi Kingdom today.

As he entered Jun Wu Xie's courtyard, he could smell the familiar scent of herbs.

Jun Wu Xie was holding two pots of herbal concoctions as she slowly stepped out of her pharmacy when she saw Jun Xian.

"Grandfather." She called out gently as he acknowledged her with a warm smile and nod.

"You are still fiddling around with these? Don't you feel bored staying at home all the time? Next month the Crown Prince will be having his birthday celebration, I'll bring you along." He gave her a loving smile.

"Alright." She didn't give it much thought in her reply.

Jun Xian smiled and patted her on the shoulder, without saying another word, he went back to his room.

Jun Wu Xie stood rooted to the spot as she watched his disappearing back. Only after his back view was no longer visible, she then continued on her way to Jun Qing's room.

"Meow" the little black cat was playfully rubbing itself against Jun Wu Xie's calf while walking.

[Grandfather's expression was a little off.]

"Mmm." Jun Wu Xie had noticed that as well.

"Meow"

[Is it related to the Crown Prince's birthday?]

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Chapter 40:- Ghost City (1)

"It's a high chance. The former Wu Xie brought along trouble wherever she went, Grandfather wouldn't take the initiative to invite me over to such an important function. Since he just came back from the Royal Court, most probably the idea came from the man on the throne." Jun Wu Xie softly answered the black cat as she continued walking.

"Meow?"

[Why does he want you to go to the Crown Prince's birthday celebration for?]

"In other people's eyes, my uncle is already a dead man. Lin Palace is left with me as the younger generation. So to them, Lin Palace is left with a kid once Jun Qing dies and as Grandfather is already advanced in his age, there is nothing for them to worry about anymore. No matter what, they have to put on a show. They weren't able to dig out any information from my Grandfather's mouth on Jun Qing's situation, but if it was a fourteen year old kid like me to prattle on... Moreover what do you think if a girl who was dumped by a guy and she attends his older brother's birthday celebration and sees him cajoling with another woman affectionately in the presence of others. Isn't this a motive by itself?" Jun Wu Xie was usually a lady of few words, even with her family she had seldom engaged in long conversations.

However with the little black cat, words just flow out naturally.

"Meow!" The little black cat hair stood on it ends.

[Shameless! This is too outrageous! No wonder he and the second prince are related! On the surface they act all good but in actual fact they want to take this opportunity to embarrass you and make you lose face! How can there be such shameless people in the world?!]

"It's alright, this is not a big deal, I'll let them wallow in their happiness for a little while longer. I'll show them..." She said indifferently as a cold glint flashed across her eyes.

Bother her? She does not mind.

However those people even dared to put her grandfather and uncle in their calculations? Then they can't blame her for being ruthless.

"Foolish ones who do not deserve to live in this world will perish." She stared icily at the pot of medicine she was holding.

"Meow!"

[Master, show them your might! Kill that group of idiots!]

Jun Wu Xie no longer spoke as she calmly walked on with her mind full of thoughts.

Jun Qing was recovering very well, however to get back to his peak, he needs more time. During this period, she will not be idle, she has her contractual spirit as well and she will train too, one step at a time to be stronger and pull out all those weeds. Clear them all out.

To be more powerful, she must start her cultivation. Having a contractual spirit was her key secret.

Ever since Jun Xian had given her more authority and lifted most of her restrictions, she could be seen frequently in the Resource Hall where she could be seen flipping through various cultivation techniques.

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Chapter 41:- Ghost City (2)

Unfortunately, none of the books in the Resource Hall were suitable for her.

In the world of cultivation, the techniques and practices were all based on the type of contractual spirit one has.

Those with weapons and those beast type forms each have a totally different technique.

However, Jun Wu Xie's contractual spirit did not even fall into these two conventional categories! So no matter how much she read, how much she scoured through each book, she could not find a single cultivation technique suitable for her.

If she wasn't able to find any technique, she wouldn't be able to cultivate her spirit energy.

Where was she to find a plant cultivation technique? This problem became a headache for her.

She bore no more hope of finding it within Lin Palace. An idea flashed through her mind.

In the memories of this body, there was a secret place hidden deep within this Imperial City.

It was an underground market whose entrance was tucked in a secluded corner of the city. Many rare items which could not be found in the city could be found here, it also had many unconventional things for sale.

The only difference was that the items on sale cannot be bought with money. They could only be exchanged with something equivalent in value.

It was pure simple barter trade.

The former Jun Wu Xie had once been there when she was on a 'date' with Mo Xuan Fei. She did not even know of it's existence even though she grew up within the city walls until he had brought her there. She did not like that place as it was dark and gloomy.

However, that place was the only place she could think of now and she needed to make a trip there in hope of finding a suitable cultivation technique.

Her face was well known in the Imperial City and she needed to go there incognito. She took out various herbs, grinded some into powder, extracted some of the juices and combined them into a paste as she applied it to her face and carefully moulded and changed her face shape.

Looking in the mirror was now a young scholarly looking man. She had slightly tweaked and changed her facial features to a more masculine look and changed into a white robe.

Before going to the underground market, she needed to prepare the 'currency' there where ordinary silver was deemed worthless. These days she had been in the pharmacy making various elixirs and potions to nourish and aid Jun Xian and Jun Qing's recovery. She picked a few bottles, stuffed it into her robe and snuck out of the back door in the still of the night.

The Imperial City was extremely quiet at night and although it was her first time stepping out of Lin Palace, she followed her body's memories to the entrance of the underground market.

She stopped in front of inconspicuous restaurant. It was a humble looking place, no different from any other buildings lining the streets, sitting at the counter was a waiter who was lazily resting his head on the counter top, when he saw her, he did not say hello and continued lazing.

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Chapter 42:- Ghost City (3)

The entrance to this underground market was in the backyard of this inconspicuous place.

At the backyard, an entrance with a flight of stairs could be seen leading deep down into the ground. A few men who had just climbed up the stairs looked at Jun Wu Xie, stunned for a moment.

"This kid is actually going to Ghost City alone, how rare." They whispered amongst themselves as they left.

Ghost City was the name of the underground market.

Jun Wu Xie stepped into the dark entrance as she slowly descended the steps. When she finally reached the bottom, she was greeted by a lively sight.

Even though it was a quiet night in the Imperial City, over here it was just like another world.

The streets were bustling alive with various people selling their wares. There were no shops here, only makeshift wooden stands littered the street. These wooden stands were around half the height of a person and items are placed there for sale.

Two men were stationed at the entrance of Ghost City. They each wore a mask and only a pair of sharp and quiet eyes could be seen through the slit of the mask.

Jun Wu Xie walked over to them and they did not even blink.

"Meow?" The little black cat followed her closely as it looked at the sight before them.

[Mistress, how are we going to find a suitable cultivation technique for you?]

"If it is suitable for me, when we are near it Little Lotus would be able to sense it." Jun Wu Xie whispered. Each cultivation technique had a small spiritual imprint and if it was suitable for the contractual spirit to cultivate it, there would be a spiritual resonance between them. This would help her in identifying it amongst this myriad of items placed in this vast marketplace.

"Meow."

[Are you sure that little crying idiot will be able to sense anything?]

The little black cat held the Little Lotus in contempt, whenever they met, it only knew how to cry.

"We'll have a look around first." Jun Wu Xie still held onto a small strand of hope.

Despite going through the huge book collection in Lin Palace, Little Lotus did not have a single reaction to any of the cultivation techniques. This was her last resort.

Ghost City was big but Jun Wu Xie was purely focused on books and had no interest in any other things as she sieved through the crowds as she carefully inspected the items on display at each stall she passed.

The only thing was...

When a group of people crowd together, the surrounding is mixed with a variety of odors, sweat, perfume and as the number of people in this marketplace was not small, this led to an increase in temperature which made it hot, humid, stuffy and smelly.

To others, they were simply too excited about the items on sale here and paid no heed to such minor discomfort.

To Jun Wu Xie, however, this combination was driving her crazy. She wrinkled her brows as she tried her best not to get into contact with anyone as she weaved her petite body through the crowd.

This place - she will definitely not come again!

The little black cat who was nimbly following by her side could clearly feel her frazzled nerves.

For its Mistress who had an acute sense of smell, this place was simply hell.

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Chapter 43:- Dilapidated Books (1)

"Meow~" the little black cat was trying hard to calm her nerves.

Unfortunately, from her rigid expression and grimly locked lips, it had no effect whatsoever.

Ghost City was simply too big. Under these harsh conditions, she had a hard time concentrating and looking for cultivation books as the items sold there were not specialized shops but individual sellers who sold anything and everything!

After great difficulty, she finally reached a less busy place as she calmed down a bit. The stalls here were remotely scattered about, as she was about to move on, she felt a trace of warmth emitted out from the ring. She stopped in her tracks. She could feel her ring warming up.

Is it here? The cultivation technique? This was the first time Little Lotus had responded to anything as she scanned her surroundings intently.

Where she was currently frozen in place, there was a total of ten stalls nearby. Her eyes darted around as her gaze finally landed on a stall which had a few old books on sale.

Displayed on the stand were a bunch of dilapidated books, some of which even the cover was barely intact, some titles could not even be read.

Manning the stall was a pale faced unkempt teenager who was shabbily dressed. He was sitting on a wooden stool, chewing on a blade of bamboo leaf and smiling happily as he was deeply engrossed in a book he was holding.

Even when Jun Wu Xie stood in front of his booth he did not respond.

Both parties did not bother with each other as they both each did their own thing.

Jun Wu Xie was now focused on the row of books displayed in front of her as she felt the intensity of Little Lotus's reaction much stronger as she came closer to the books. She was sure that the book she needed must be within these books.

All the dilapidated books may have lost the former glory of their cover but their contents were still intact.

However...

After flipping through the contents a few times, a frown appeared between her brows - These books were not books on cultivation.

These books were clearly meant for a gardener!

The contents taught people how to grow plants and flowers and had absolutely no relation to cultivation.

On her scholarly masculine face, her lips were twitching as she tried to compose her inner self. Little Lotus intense reaction was definitely related to these gardening books. She knew that if it wasn't for the fact that they were outside, Little Lotus would have turned into his human form and snatched them all up!

Little Lotus was on the edge as he couldn't transform and take the books himself, he kept on urging her.

"Dear lovely Master, please bring these all home! Dear Almighty Master, please bring these books home! Dear lovely Master, please bring..."

Jun Wu Xie clenched her fists.

She had accepted that her contractual spirit was a rare plant type lotus and had resigned herself to her fate, however now that she wants to embark on her cultivation, this little guy wants her to pick up some gardening books?

Jun Wu Xie wanted to leave but Little Lotus kept pleading and urging her to bring the books back.

"Meow?" The little black cat looked at Jun Wu Xie with a puzzled expression.

"Hmm?" The unkempt youth finally pulled himself away from his book and noticed that there was someone browsing as he raised his head and lazily looked at the scholarly youth in front of his stall, as if appraising an item, he looked at Jun Wu Xie from head to toe.

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Chapter 44:- Dilapidated Books (2)

"Welcome!" Once the unkempt youth saw that there was someone browsing through his stuff, he immediately put his book away and gave a very bright smile. Although his pale face had dirt smeared all over, he gave his best business smile.

"Please have a look, if you see anything that interests you, just let me know!" He said enthusiastically.

Jun Wu Xie forced out a smile as her lips tightened into a straight line. She still felt conflicted on these books as she fiddled her fingers against the warm ring.

"What do you want in return for these books?" Jun Wu Xie asked coldly. She came to this marketplace full of hope and expectations; never had she thought that she would end up trading for some dilapidated gardening books instead.

"All of these? You want all of these books?" The unkempt youth flashed a bright smile as an excited glint flashed across his eyes, as if looking at a fat sheep.

"Yes." She nodded curtly, all she wanted was to quickly get this over with and continue looking for her cultivation technique book!

The unkempt youth grinned as he stuck out one dirty hand emphasizing all five fingers.

"Five Eastern Pearls!"

"......" Jun Wu Xie stared at him blankly, looked at the books and swiftly turned around to walk away.

One Eastern Pearl's value was equivalent to a ton of gold! That would be millions of gold coins worth! This youth's opening price was ridiculously exorbitant!

"Hey! Hey! Don't go! Don't leave!" The youth immediately got flustered as he saw her turn away.

Jun Wu Xie did not even bother with him and continued to walk away as the ring started to glow and suddenly there was a bright burst of light.

"Do not go! Do not go! Do not go!" From her side came an anxious yet tender voice. Jun Wu Xie was startled as she glanced at her right sleeve.

THIS LITTLE LOTUS DARED TO DEFY HER?

For the sake of these dilapidated books he actually defied her and transformed so openly?

Not to mention how eye-catching his appearance was, when he appeared the bright burst of light in such a dark environment was enough to cause an uproar. A strong lotus scent was floating in the air along with his sudden appearance. This had attracted a lot of attention of many people close by and they all had stopped in their tracks and started looking around.

If only she knew how, she would have sent him straight back to that Spirit World he mentioned before!

"Shut up and stay still." Jun Wu Xie growled. No one knew that she had a contractual spirit and if it was exposed here, things will get messy.

During their banter, the unkempt youth had managed to catch up to her and within his hands were those few books she had indicated her interest in.

"Please do not go! If you think it's too much, I can give you a discount. How about four pearls?" He ran in front of her to obstruct her path as he tried to hard sell the books in hand.

Jun Wu Xie knew that Little Lotus would not let her go back without kicking up a fuss if she did not purchase these books. She sighed in resignation as she looked over to the youth and said, "I do not have any Eastern Pearls, only elixirs."

"Huh? Elixirs?" The unkempt youth did not bother masking his disappointment as he scratched his head and his smile slowly faded as he muttered, "What can I do with elixirs from such a place....."

"Well, let's forget about it if you do not have any Eastern Pearls." He turned and walked back listlessly.

Just as he did that, Little Lotus started acting up by struggling and kicking about in her sleeves.

Jun Wu Xie's face turned completely black.

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Chapter 45:- Dilapidated Books (3)

She deliberated for a moment but finally choked out, "Wait."

The unkempt youth slowly turned his head as he gave a disinterested look as he apprehensively said, "Really very sorry, I'm not interested in elixirs..."

"I know." Jun Wu Xie nodded. The contrast in his reaction was evident.

"I just need you to tell me where can I find a stall in this vicinity that accepts elixirs and I can trade it for something you want?" She asked him in a straightforward manner.

He looked at her as he deliberated for a while as he touched his nose and replied, "There is actually a man trading Eastern Pearls for elixirs, it's just that... the type of elixirs he wants is a bit... Truthfully, I don't think a kid like you has the type of elixirs he wants."

This kid in front of him looked kind of fragile and he didn't want to dash his hopes and have him humiliated in front of so many others. Although such a young kid in Ghost City was rarely seen, at such a young age what kind of elixirs could he possibly have to trade for Eastern Pearls?

"Bring me there" Jun Wu Xie curtly said.

The youth looked at her wide-eyed as he looked back at his empty stall.

"If the trade is successful, other than your four Eastern Pearls, I can give you a bottle of elixir." Jun Wu Xie had seen his reluctance and wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible.

"I really do not want your elixir...If I had wanted elixir I do not need to come all the way here..." He grumbled and muttered to himself. He looked over at this kid in front of him and could not place this nagging feeling within.

Somehow he had felt that there was something different about this kid standing in front of him. The calmness he exuded was very different from all the other people he had came across in Ghost City. Usually young masters from prominent households would be swaggering around with a bunch of people fawning over them. This kid however, despite his young age, seem to emit a confidence that was rarely seen.

"Oh well, I might as well accompany you to that old man's place. Since it's been so many days I've been here and you are the only person to have made an offer." He said decisively as all the apprehension he had disappeared.

Compared to the unkempt youth's stall, this stall selling Eastern Pearls was packed with people as the crowd was gawking at the various treasures lined up.

Nine large luminous pearls were placed around a velvet box. With these luminous pearls surrounding it, the Eastern Pearls seems to be glowing with breathtaking iridescent sheen. Other than Eastern Pearls, this stall also sold many other Spiritual Gems of various grades.

After the contractual spirit has established the bond with their master and formed the ring, such gems and pearls were excellent cultivation resources that could nourish the spiritual energy and amplify the bond.

Such Spiritual Gems were worth much more as compared to normal precious gems. Each Spiritual Gem could make one's cultivation improve by leaps and bounds! However the price was exorbitant, hence these resources are usually limited for the rich and powerful.

Lin Palace had the luxury to secure a few of these in their vault as the Founding Emperor had bestowed them a generous amount to reward them for their military merits.

Jun Xian had especially set aside a few top grade Spiritual Gems for Jun Wu Xie to use once she had become of age but there was no chance to use them.

For now, Jun Wu Xie had little interest in these Spiritual Gems. It was too early to use them as she had not even found a suitable cultivation technique. It was like a baby trying to run before it even learned how to crawl.

The stall owner was a man in his fifties, smoking a pipe as he openly gauged all the patrons surrounding his stall. Even with such a demeanor, the crowd at his stall did not seem to mind, in fact, more people began crowding around.

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Chapter 46:- It's a Small World (1)

"The difference...ahhh... The difference" the unkempt youth wailed in anguish as the difference in patrons was apparent.

"You want those Eastern Pearls?" Jun Wu Xie pointed to the Eastern Pearls on display.

The youth nodded.

As she weaved her way through the crowd to get to the front, she was surprised to find two familiar figures standing within the crowd.

A handsome young man dressed in a grand brocade with a beautiful young maiden dressed in elegant white robe by his side stood before the stall. This attractive couple was was eye catching as people kept sneaking glances to admire them.

"This place has some good stuff." The young man said gently as his almond eyes were glued to his lady companion.

The lady simply nodded with an air of arrogance.

The little black cat which was by Jun Wu Xie's side went ballistic. It's fur stood on ends as it hissed.

[That adulterous couple!]

The couple was precisely Mo Xuan Fei and Bai Yun Xian.

Jun Wu Xie casually glanced over without much response.

"These two Spiritual Gems as well as these nine Eastern Pearls are quite something!" Mo Xuan Fei chirped. Ever since that incident, Bai Yun Xian had been very gloomy and never smiled. He had tried all means and ways to make her smile but nothing had worked when he suddenly thought of Ghost City. With all its novelties and rare items, he was sure he could find something to cheer her up with!

After strolling about Ghost City for quite sometime, Bai Yun Xian was not moved. She was Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's disciple! What rare things had she not seen?

They had combed almost the whole market place when she finally found something that caught her interest.

Each spiritual gem was barely the size of of her pinky finger nail however it was considered big and it was filled to the brim with spiritual energy as both of their contractual spirits had reacted to it.

The nine Eastern Pearls made even a prince of a state sigh as Mo Xuan Fei looked at them with admiration. Such exquisite quality Eastern Pearls in the Imperial Treasure Vault were very rare.

"These nine Eastern Pearls are a perfect fit for the crown that I've specially prepared for you. Do you like them?" He nudged her tenderly as he looked into her eyes, seeing if she understood the hidden meaning behind his words.

Bai Yun Xian nodded coyly as she finally let out a smile.

While this couple continued their flirty exchange, the crowd was busy whispering amongst themselves and spun some tales of their own. Everyone around them had long known who this infamous couple was.

Previously when Mo Xuan Fei and Jun Wu Xie were officially engaged, Mo Xuan Fei had been the subject of sympathy. Everyone had pitied him and empathized with him. However now that he was together with Bai Yun Xian, he became the object of jealousy and hate as people around stared at him enviously.

Jun Wu Xie was notoriously known throughout as a tyrant. Although she was as beautiful as a flower, her personality and actions had overshadowed her looks. Not many could stand that fiery temper of hers!

Bai Yun Xian was completely different, not only was she beautiful, she exuded an aura of a celestial being with her gentle demeanour and soft spoken manner. To top it off, she was Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's disciple! No matter what, she was the goddess of many men and when news was out that Mo Xuan Fei and her were together, it aroused the animosity all around.

People respected Bai Yun Xian all the more when they saw her in real life and berated Jun Wu Xie as they chattered among themselves.

Word for word, all these had been heard by Jun Wu Xie but she remained calm and collected. Not a single reaction or expression could be seen.

Instead, the little black cat standing by her lost all its patience and saw red. All it wanted to do now was to charge at all these imbeciles standing before it and wipe them all out! It hissed menacingly.

[What do these imbeciles know?! How can they even compare that woman with my Mistress?]

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Chapter 47:- It's a Small World (2)

"Tsk, what's so great about Qing Yun Clan, it's not even worth mentioning." A voice full of disdain came from Jun Wu Xie's side as she turned and saw the unkempt youth muttering under his breath while chewing on a blade of bamboo leaf with his hands behind his head. He gave the surrounding crowd who were admiring Bai Yun Xian a look of contempt.

He had said it very softly but Jun Wu Xie had caught what he said.

When the youth met Jun Wu Xie's gaze, he gave her a grin and he laughed out. "Didn't I say I wasn't interested in elixirs? Naturally I won't be interested in Qing Yun Clan as well."

The youth tried to explain however Jun Wu Xie paid no heed to him as she strode past him.

He helplessly laughed to himself and said no more.

"What do you want to trade for in exchange for these two Spiritual Gems and the nine Eastern Pearls?" Once Mo Xuan Fei saw the smile on his beloved, he had decided to splurge on her.

That time when Mo Xuan Fei brought Jun Wu Xie to Ghost City, not to even a single gold coin was spent. They had only walked a couple of streets and they headed back.

Now with Bai Yun Xian by his side, he was much more generous.

The old man looked up at Mo Xuan Fei, exhaled some smoke from the pipe and casually said: "I only accept elixirs."

Mo Xuan Fei was slightly startled.

As a Second Prince to a nation, he had seen all sorts of treasures and had access to a large portion of them as well. However, in terms of medical advancements and elixirs, Qi Kingdom was not as developed as its counterparts and this was one area he was lacking in. All the valuable potions and elixirs were locked up in a separate vault which he had no access to.

"I'll trade it with you for jade." Mo Xuan Fei countered. He did not want to lose face in front of Bai Yun Xian, as he casually took out a piece of fine jade almost as big as his palm. This jade was indeed a rare treasure. Mo Xuan Fei was determined to impress Bai Yun Xian.

Unfortunately, the old man did not bother to even give it a glance and continued smoking his pipe.

It was clear that he wasn't interested. If this had happened in Imperial City, who would dare to offend Mo Xuan Fei and not give him any face? He was a dignified prince and he actually wanted to buy something from you and that meant that he had placed you in his sight and that itself should be the greatest honour. If you did not comply, the guards will dismantle the stall and the person thrown in the dungeon.

But this was Ghost City.

Although it was opened beneath the Imperial City, it wasn't owned by the Qi Kingdom. It was opened and managed by a mysterious origin that had brawny guards wearing masks and maintaining the order within the marketplace. It was truly a unique place which was hidden away from the main stream but these guards were not to be trifled with. No matter what you sell, no one bothers. However, if someone wants to stir trouble by not matching the trade, the guards will immediately throw that person out.

There were also those who tried to play dirty tricks were 'invited' out and banned from returning to Ghost City. There was a zero tolerance policy on troublemakers.

There was once when the Prime Minister's son had been thrown out into the streets and had disgraced the entire family. However, the Prime Minister did not dare create any trouble in Ghost City and suffered silently by pretending that no such incident ever happened.

Since then, the people knew that the identity behind Ghost City must be from a powerful background and no one dared to mess around again.

As for Mo Xuan Fei, he did not know who exactly was behind Ghost City but he knew that it was someone he could not afford to offend. If he did, he may end up with the same outcome as the Prime Minister's son!

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Chapter 48:- It's a Small World (3)

Mo Xuan Fei had on an ugly expression as he tried to suppress his emotions. Bai Yun Xian slightly wrinkled her brows as she stepped forward and handed that old man a small porcelain bottle.

"These should be enough?" She tilted her chin upwards and asked smugly.

The old man took the bottle as he lifted his brows and glanced over at her.

All the onlookers craned their necks to see what Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's disciple handed over. It certainly must be good stuff!

The old man opened the bottle and took a whiff.

Once he opened the bottle, a sweet refreshing scent permeated the surroundings and left the crowd fascinated.

"This is...?" He asked in a raspy voice.

Bai Yun Xian sneered and replied, "This is Qing Yun Clan's infamous Qing Yun Pill."

Once these words came out from her mouth, gasps could be heard everywhere.

Qing Yun Pill!

This was the rumoured elixir which was personally concocted by Qing Yun Clan's Sovereign. It was infamous to be known as THE life saving pill - even a person who had half a foot in the grave could extend their lifespan by having a pill a day.

This recipe was a closely guarded secret and the Sovereign was the one and only person who knew how to concoct this pill. For this, many kings and rulers had tried all means and ways to get their hands on it. This time, Bai Yun Xian had made this trip to Qi Kingdom to specially deliver this prized elixir to the Emperor.

The one she had just handed over was specially given to her by her Master for her own use.

The name of this pill resounded throughout various nations and was an illusive name that many wanted but could not get their hands on.

"Wow, she really lives up to the name of being Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's disciple. She could even pull out THE Qing Yun Pill out so easily! This old man is really lucky and have scored big time." Many people were secretly envious as they stared agape at that little porcelain bottle as they discussed in hushed tones.

Changing these items for a Qing Yun Pill was a huge loss for Bai Yun Xian.

"What do you know? These pills were personally concocted by Qing Yun Clan's Sovereign! Even if she finished it, all she need to do is to simply ask for more from her Master. Don't mix her up with the ordinary folks like yourself! These pills to her may not be worth that much." One of the onlookers said as he looked enviously at the golden couple in front of him.

To be able to hook up with Bai Yun Xian, the Second Prince influence had gone up by a few notches.

Bai Yun Xian was definitely in a different league from Jun Wu Xie.

Although these were spoken in hushed tones, it could still be heard and Bai Yun Xian nodded in approval inwardly as she smiled towards Mo Xuan Fei.

However, after sniffing the elixir, the old man simply stuffed the cover back and chucked the bottle back to her.

Bai Yun Xian's smiling face stiffened.

"This is something I do not need. Not changing... Not changing." He said wistfully as he sat back in a laid back position and slowly inhaled a deep breath and blew out the smoke from his pipe.

For that moment, everyone's eyes almost popped out.

Had this old man gone senile already?!

That was THE Qing Yun Pill!

Bai Yun Xian's smile immediately crumbled and her displeasure was shown on her face. This was the first time someone had rejected her Master's personally concocted elixir!

"Dear Sir; this is The Qing Yun Pill. Q-I-N-G Y-U-N pill ah!! Are you sure you don't want it?" She broke it down for him in exasperation.

"No, no, no! If you don't have any other types of elixirs then don't disturb my other patrons." He snorted impatiently.

This was a huge blow to the couple as they stood there awkwardly - their expressions black to the extreme.

They even began to suspect this old man was not out to do business, he even had the audacity to slight and reject the Qing Yun Pill?

"If you don't want to trade then we won't trade! You really think your items are worth that much?!" Mo Xuan Fei coldly rebutted.

The old man glanced at him, sneered and no longer bothered with him.

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Chapter 49:- Slapping one's face - Again and again... and again (1)

"I do not know if this elixir would interest dear Elder?" Just as Mo Xuan Fei was wallowing in frustration, a small voice came from the crowd as a small figure squeezed out.

A fair young boy around the age of fourteen finally emerged out from the crowd, holding onto a small white porcelain bottle in one hand. He strutted to the stall and handed it over to the old man.

"Hey kid, do you think this is a party? Just squeezing in and following other peoples footsteps by simply handing in any elixir you have with you? For goodness sake, the old man just rejected the Qing Yun Pill ah! THE Qing Yun Pill! Do you even know what that entails? Careful he doesn't throw it right back in your face!" A rowdy bystander heartily added oil to the fire.

Jun Wu Xie simply ignored the others as she looked at the old man.

The old man looked at the fair boy standing in front and got up as he reached for the bottle. "Little boy, what do you want to change it for?"

"Eastern Pearls." Jun Wu Xie replied.

"Oh." The old man casually opened the bottle. Once he opened the bottle, a sweet refreshing scent of herbs mixed with a hint of lotus permeated the surrounding. Those that were near enough had the luxury to inhale this immediately felt physically and mentally more comfortable.

Those gathered close to the stall could not help but let out an involuntary sigh as they felt their mind at ease and their spirits uplifted.

The old man's once clouded eyes seemed to have regained their brightness, all the apprehensiveness dissipated away as he raised his head and looked at Jun Wu Xie with a bewildered expression.

"Little boy, what is this elixir? What is the name of it?" The old man asked in an urgent tone.

"It doesn't have a name. It's just a regular blood conditioning elixir." Jun Wu Xie had not bothered to come up with names for these as they were created simply for Jun Xian and Jun Qing's body conditioning, part of their recuperation regime. She did not need to waste time on something so trivial.

"How much do you want to trade it for? How about this? You give me this bottle and you can take these nine Eastern Pearls and choose any other three Spiritual Gems?" The old man's nostrils flared up as he asked in an overly excited tone and looked at Jun Wu Xie with sparkly eyes. He folded his hands across as he careful tucked the bottle within his embrace, making it clear he had no intention of handing back the medicine.

As soon as the old man made the offer, the crowd was rendered speechless. In a moment, there was an outburst of discussions as they stared at the incredulous scene in front of them.

This eccentric old man blatantly rejected the Qing Yun Pill and yet he coveted a nameless elixir from an unknown source?

What did this imply? That kid's elixir was even better than Qing Yun Clan Sovereign's infamous Qing Yun Pill?

"No, I just want the Eastern Pearls." Jun Wu Xie was not interested in anything else.

"How about you have another look at the other items?" The old man coaxed as he looked at her anxiously, tightening his grip on the bottle.

"No need." Jun Wu Xie frowned in annoyance. This old man was really long-winded!

"Then tell me what do you need? If I have it, I'll change it with you?" He bent down and started digging for something and he retrieved a pouch and opened it.

As he revealed the contents, everyone's eyes were sparkling and intermittent gulping sounds could be heard all around. In it were various precious Spiritual Gems full of brilliance and Spiritual energy. The quality of these made those previously displayed pale in comparison.

For a moment, everyone stared at the pile of precious Spiritual Gems in a daze.

"I just want the Eastern Pearls." Jun Wu Xie's voice had a hint of impatience in it.

The old man was about to say something when a figure took a step and stood between them.

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Chapter 50:- Slapping one's face - Again and again... and again (2)

"Young Master, I was wondering if you have another bottle of the same elixir with you? I am willing to use anything to trade it with you. All I want is to let my beloved woman be happy by getting a suitable present for her, please help me fulfill this wish." Mo Xuan Fei arrogantly stepped between the two as he voiced his intentions.

He did not know what backing this kid had, but this trip today was to cheer Bai Yun Xian up, if not this would all have been for naught. He didn't have any more ideas to cheer her up.

That old man did not know his stuff and did not want the Qing Yun Pill. He, however, treated a nameless elixir with an unknown origin as a precious treasure. He wanted to show that with his identity and resources he could get his hands on whatever he wanted! That fool of an old man should awaken from his stupor.

Jun Wu Xie narrowed her eyes as she looked at Mo Xuan Fei.

Hmph. All these years, these people from the Imperial Palace kept looking for trouble with her Lin Palace. They've been bullying her dear grandfather and uncle for so long. They are really asking for retribution.

These pills she made herself? She'd rather feed the dogs than to give it to him.

"Not trading." She said coldly.

You want elixir? Maybe in your next life. Now? I can consider feeding you poison. With compliments - at no extra charge at all!

When the old man first rejected him, he felt as if his face was being slapped. Once again, within a short span, this little kid in front 'slapped' his face yet again! Mo Xuan Fei had never felt so humiliated in his entire life! He was raging inside, his face was utterly black and ugly to the extreme. 

Mo Xuan Fei's timely interruption made Jun Wu Xie change her mind.

She immediately took a step to the side and asked the old man: "I can give you another two bottles as well! Just give me all the Spiritual Gems with the similar attributes as the first two you offered me." Jun Wu Xie casually pointed to the new pile of gems the old man had taken out from the pouch.

All eyes were shocked wide open, how many bottles of elixir did he have? Looking at this reckless kid casually pointing to the Spiritual Gems as though he was choosing fish in the market. He chose all the similar attributes to the first pair the golden couple had their eyes on.

This sudden turn of event shocked everyone silly. At first he had rejected the old man's offer, however even though Mo Xuan Fei had put up a ridiculously generous offer for the unknown elixir, the kid actually rejected Mo Xuan Fei as well. The craziest thing was that after Mo Xuan Fei made his offer, the kid changed his mind instantly.

Everyone's attention was now on the golden couple, they were all focused on the couples' reaction.

Mo Xuan Fei nodded in approval as he felt much better.

This kid was really clever! He had understood the hidden meaning behind Mo Xuan Fei's proposal. By refusing him, the kid could change all the Spiritual Gems and present it to Bai Yun Xian and himself for other treasures. The kid had settled the whole matter beautifully.

The old man did not care for the reason, as long as he got his hands on the wondrous elixir, and it was not only one! The kid had two more! What a fruitful encounter!

"Ok, I'll get it for you." Without a trace of hesitation, the old man begin picking out the various gems as he was smiling and humming a tune.

Jun Wu Xie took out another two bottles and passed it to the old man.

Jun Wu Xie tucked the nine Eastern Pearls away safely and took some Spiritual Gems in her hand. She looked at the sparkly beads in her hand and looked over at Mo Xuan Fei and Bai Yun Xian.

The couple had on a relieved expression while their eyes betrayed them as their eyes were burning with desire for those Spiritual Gems in her hands.

Everyone was waiting anxiously in anticipation. Waiting for that kid to pass these treasures to the Second Prince as the kid picked up two gems with two fingers.

Crunch.

Everyone focused on the two Spiritual Gems held between the fingers and mouth dropped open when they saw the boy crushing the Spiritual Gems, as the broken gems turned into specks of sparkling stars falling to the ground.

Jun Wu Xie blankly looked at the couple in front and little by little, her hands began crushing all the priceless Spiritual Gems in her palm, turning them into stardust. She then casually dusted all the sparkly dust off her two hands after doing the deed.

Spiritual Gems may be more priceless than precious gems however their toughness was their main flaw. They were very brittle, being the main reason why they were so rare as well. If one was not careful, it would easily turn into dust.

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