“Senior Sister, is Senior Mu Yun alright?” Xiao Jingting asked nervously.
Is this guy doing this on purpose? Picking the North District Medicine Garden to have an episode? If his condition keeps flaring up like this, countless spirit plants here will die! If Qiu Yun finds out, he’ll skin me alive!
Xie Wanran hesitated. “There are very few ways to suppress the fire poison. The Lingyao Sect has a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave that can help, but here…”
Xiao Jingting hurriedly said, “Then you should take him back immediately!” (The Qingyun Immortal Sect doesn’t have an ice cave!)
Xie Wanran bit her lip. “But Senior Uncle can’t move right now…”
Xiao Jingting watched as Mu Yun burned like a human torch. He really is in bad shape—no one can even get close to him!
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He took out a pill bottle and tossed it to Mu Yun. “Senior, try this. See if it helps.”
Xie Wanran frowned. “What is it?”
Xiao Jingting kept his expression neutral. “A poison-suppressing pill I bought on the black market. At this point, we might as well try anything.”
Xie Wanran looked skeptical, but Mu Yun didn’t hesitate—he swallowed the pill immediately.
The moment the pill entered his system, the fire poison’s intensity lessened. The temperature in the Medicine Garden stabilized, and Xiao Jingting finally exhaled in relief.
Xie Wanran, though initially distrustful, was stunned by the results.
“Thank you,” Mu Yun said, clasping his hands in gratitude.
Xiao Jingting waved it off. “No need, no need.”
“Junior Brother Xiao, may I ask what that pill was? Do you have more? Senior Uncle suffers terribly during these episodes—I’ve never seen a pill work so quickly,” Xie Wanran pressed eagerly.
Xiao Jingting forced a laugh. “I only had that one. It was a lucky find.”
“Then what was it?”
“I don’t know.”
The pill Xiao Jingting gave Mu Yun was the Frostbloom Pill—the same one that had cured Qiu Yun’s fire poison. However, Mu Yun’s condition was far more severe. While it had fully treated Qiu Yun, it only provided temporary relief for Mu Yun.
Xie Wanran suddenly knelt before Xiao Jingting. “Fellow Daoist Xiao, this pill is crucial for my Senior Uncle. Please, I beg you—”
Xiao Jingting: “…” (Her kneeling is going to shorten my lifespan! Why is she so stubborn? I already said I don’t have more! …Okay, fine, I am lying.)
“Xiao Jingting! What the hell are you doing? I put you in charge of this garden, and you let this happen? Are you an idiot?!” Qiu Yun’s furious voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Xiao Jingting nearly wept with relief. My savior!
He hurried over. “Manager Qiu, it wasn’t my fault! There was an emergency—I didn’t expect this!”
Qiu Yun glared. “Don’t make excuses for your incompetence.”
Xiao Jingting: “…”
Mu Yun struggled to his feet. “My apologies. This is my fault.”
“Damn right it is! If you know you’re a walking disaster, stop wandering around! Do you have any idea how many rare spirit plants are in the North District Medicine Garden? If your fire poison had fully erupted, nothing would’ve survived!” Qiu Yun snapped.
Xiao Jingting: “…”
Mu Yun took a deep breath. “I’ll compensate for all damages.”
Qiu Yun sneered. “You’d better. Did you think I’d cover your mess? Dream on. You’ll get the bill soon.”
Xiao Jingting: “…”
“Junior Sister Xie, why are you kneeling? They say ‘a man’s knees bear gold’—he shouldn’t kneel lightly. Women may not have such strict rules, but you should still value yourself. Kneeling so easily is unbecoming,” Qiu Yun mocked.
Xiao Jingting nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! Miss Xie, please stand up. I really only had that one pill—just a lucky purchase.”
Xie Wanran’s face cycled through shades of pale and red. Reluctantly, she stood. Xiao Jingting exhaled silently.
“Fellow Daoist Mu, you should rest. Given your condition, returning to the Lingyao Sect as soon as possible would be wise. I won’t see you out,” Qiu Yun said coldly.
Mu Yun nodded. “My apologies for the disturbance.”
Xie Wanran shot Qiu Yun a resentful glare before helping Mu Yun away.
—
Once they were gone, Qiu Yun turned to Xiao Jingting. “What did you give him?”
Xiao Jingting scratched his head. “Just… a fire poison antidote.”
“The Lingyao Sect has tried countless methods for Mu Yun, but none worked so instantly. Was it the Frostbloom Pill?”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Yes. Manager Qiu sees everything—I can’t hide anything from you.”
Qiu Yun narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll repay kindness with cruelty?”
“Senior Mu doesn’t seem like that kind of person…”
Qiu Yun scoffed. “You’ve known him for five minutes. People don’t wear their treachery on their sleeves. Just wait.”
Xiao Jingting: “…”
“Manager Qiu, Senior Mu’s fire poison flare-ups seem excruciating.”
“Of course. It feels like being burned alive from the inside. Agonizing.”
Xiao Jingting: “…” (Why do I feel like you’re enjoying this?)
“Don’t worry, though. He has the Xuan Yang Body—he won’t die. If his poison had fully erupted, it wouldn’t just be the North District Medicine Garden—even the distant ones would’ve been destroyed. What a menace. The Lingyao Sect sending him here now… maybe they want him to die on someone else’s territory.”
“I don’t think Senior Mu is that malicious.”
Qiu Yun raised an eyebrow. “You know him so well?”
Xiao Jingting waved his hands. “Just guessing! Just guessing!”
—
“Senior Uncle, that Manager Qiu is… difficult,” Xie Wanran said carefully.
Mu Yun didn’t respond.
“And that Xiao Jingting! How dare he speak to you like that? So disrespectful!”
Mu Yun sighed. “I caused significant damage. His anger is justified.”
“Senior Uncle, are you feeling better? Did that pill really work?”
“It helped somewhat.”
“Then we should—”
“Xiao Jingting already said he bought it on the black market. He gave it freely—that’s kindness enough. Don’t push further.”
“But your condition—”
“It’s fine.”
Xie Wanran looked at Mu Yun and said nothing more.
—
“Senior Sister, you’re back,” Zhu Jin said.
Xie Wanran nodded. “Have you found anything about that Manager Qiu?”
Zhu Jin shook his head. “His background is a mystery. Almost no records exist. They say he’s ill-tempered—few can get close to him.”
“‘Ill-tempered’ is an understatement!” Xie Wanran gritted her teeth. (He’d mocked her relentlessly and treated Mu Yun with contempt!)
“I think he’s Cheng Yishu.”
Zhu Jin startled. “What? Cheng Yishu was struck by Senior Uncle years ago. After Elder Cheng’s incident, Cheng Yishu resented Senior Uncle but never removed the Xuan Yang Fire Poison. Without the Xuan Yang Body, he wouldn’t have survived this long!”
“Cheng Yishu doesn’t have the Xuan Yang Body, but he’s a master of spirit herbs. He could’ve found something to suppress the poison. And he just happens to have a Jade Peach King grove.”
Zhu Jin’s eyes widened. “That makes sense! If he is Cheng Yishu, no wonder he hates you.”
Xie Wanran clenched her fists. The sect has searched far and wide for a cure for Mu Yun, with little success. Yet Xiao Jingting just happened to have a pill that worked instantly? A mere mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with such a pill? He must have experience with fire poison.
Her face burned with humiliation. Back in the sect, Cheng Yishu had opposed her at every turn. Just when she thought she was rid of him, Mu Yun’s attitude toward her changed.
And that mocking look Qiu Yun gave her when she knelt—she’d never forget it.
“If he really is Cheng Yishu… and he’s reached Golden Core… then his poison must be cured. But fire poison isn’t easily removed,” Zhu Jin mused.
Xie Wanran nodded. “It must be cured.”
That pill suppressed Senior Uncle’s poison immediately. His condition is far worse than Cheng Yishu’s was. If it worked for him, it could’ve fully healed Cheng Yishu.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
