Chapter 21

Xie Zhaixing strode out of the bedchamber with a grim expression, only managing to suppress his nausea when he reached an open area. Although he possessed a Full Yin constitution, aside from the biannual flare-ups of his Syndrome of Yin Cold, he had never experienced any other illnesses. This was the first time he’d felt such pronounced discomfort.

Zhao Wuchen cherished his son dearly, so Zhao Shaoqing’s daily meals would never have any oversights… If that bowl of porridge wasn’t the problem, then he must be the one with issues. After a moment of contemplation, Xie Zhaixing coldly raised his hand. A wisp of black mist instantly cut through the air as two Demon Generals materialized.

“Young Master.”

“Young Master.”

“Secure the Sword Mastery Sect. Not even a fly is to leave,” Xie Zhaixing commanded coolly. “I need to enter seclusion for a day.” He had to determine the cause of his abnormality.

The Demon Generals bowed in acknowledgment: “As you command!”

Meanwhile, in Zhao Shaoqing’s bedchamber.

Though unaware of what had happened to Xie Zhaixing, the atmosphere instantly improved after his departure.

Xiao Xihe cheerfully returned the bead to Zhao Shaoqing while Liu An’an stepped forward to take his pulse. Meanwhile, Xiao Xihe glanced at the small pot containing the mushy meat porridge. The dark-colored gruel barely revealed discernible ingredients like abalone, shrimp paste, and pork.

All premium ingredients, but stewed together like this—not only unappetizing in appearance and taste, but likely devoid of any nutritional value.

“Young Sect Master, please have your meal after the diagnosis. The porridge will turn fishy when it cools,” said the disciple who had delivered the breakfast.

A faint smile touched Zhao Shaoqing’s lips: “Very well.”

His tone remained gentle, but the lack of enthusiasm for the food was evident. Xiao Xihe raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Young Sect Master, do you enjoy breakfasts like this?”

“I don’t,” Zhao Shaoqing replied with a light chuckle, showing no hint of complaint despite his words. “But as a mortal, even with daily doses of spiritual medicine, I still need grains for sustenance. Since I eat so little at each meal, my father went through great pains to prepare this bowl for my nourishment.”

“That’s putting the cart before the horse. With your current digestive state, such greasy porridge would be hard to absorb—let alone with all these spices and overcooked like this,” Xiao Xihe disagreed, shaking her head. “It’s nutritionally useless and unpalatable. The only thing it accomplishes is ruining your appetite further.”

Her blunt criticism left the attending disciple flustered: “Then… what should we do?”

Xiao Xihe nearly volunteered to take over, but before the words left her mouth, Liu An’an coughed pointedly.

Instantly, Xiao Xihe remembered a certain murderous deity was still in the Sword Mastery Sect. If she valued her life, she’d better stay away from the kitchen.

A brief silence fell over the chamber before Liu An’an smoothly interjected, “It’s best to prepare easily digestible meals.”

“Just make a simple yangchun noodle soup—a dash of sesame oil and salt, some finely chopped scallions, nothing else,” Xiao Xihe advised.

The disciple nodded in understanding and hurried off with the tray. Xiao Xihe promptly opened the windows to air out the room, and soon the lingering smell of meat porridge dissipated.

Though Zhao Shaoqing hadn’t uttered a single complaint about the porridge, he quietly exhaled in relief once the air freshened. Xiao Xihe didn’t miss the fleeting look of gratitude in his eyes and smiled in response. “If you dislike the food, you should say so. A patient’s comfort matters most.”

“My father means well. As his son, I shouldn’t disregard his efforts,” Zhao Shaoqing replied gently.

…So gentle, completely different from certain people. Xiao Xihe was so moved she nearly burst into tears and couldn’t resist taking out a homemade Snow Plum from her Cosmos Sack: “Try this, it helps whet the appetite.”

Zhao Shaoqing thanked her and accepted it, popping it into his mouth without asking what it was.

Sweet powder melted on his tongue, followed by the slight tartness of the plum. A hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Shaoqing’s eyes: “Delicious.”

“But you shouldn’t eat too many, so just one for today,” Xiao Xihe said with a smile.

Zhao Shaoqing couldn’t help but smile back: “Thank you, Fellow Cultivator A Si.”

Liu An’an blinked, looking between them before suddenly understanding.

Xiao Xihe had planned to stay longer, but before she could say much more, that Demon Clan member A Yu showed up again. The moment he entered, he shielded Zhao Shaoqing while glaring fiercely at Liu An’an, completely ignoring Xiao Xihe as usual.

Xiao Xihe: “…” Seems her current appearance really posed no threat.

Not wanting to deal with strange people, Xiao Xihe tactfully pulled Liu An’an away. As they left, they faintly heard A Yu complaining: “How could you eat something she gave you?”

“Fellow Cultivator A Si meant well…”

Xiao Xihe and Liu An’an exchanged silent glances, returning to their room in quiet. Only after closing the doors and windows did Liu An’an speak: “The young master is so gentle!”

Xiao Xihe nodded in agreement.

“But someone like him wouldn’t make a good husband—too kind to everyone without boundaries, letting people take advantage,” Liu An’an clicked her tongue. “If he didn’t suffer from the Full Yin constitution and you married him, you’d have to stay sharp dealing with all those admirers.”

Xiao Xihe paused: “Who said anything about marrying him?”

“You, didn’t you want to Dual cultivate with him to detoxify?” Liu An’an didn’t understand why she asked.

Xiao Xihe blinked, suddenly at a loss for words.

Liu An’an studied her for a moment before understanding again: “Ah, planning to love ’em and leave ’em again, huh?”

“…What do you mean ‘again’? I never abandoned the Demon Lord,” Xiao Xihe said, though not without guilt. “Our deal was clear from the start—I cook for him, he helps detoxify me.”

“Then why was he so angry?” Liu An’an countered.

Xiao Xihe sighed: “Because he thinks I broke my promise. I said I’d cook for him for life if he cured me, but I left after just over two years. You have no idea how intense a foodie’s grudge can be—my dad once nearly got stabbed by a regular customer when his restaurant relocated… Though technically, I didn’t break the promise. The deal was he’d fully cure me first, which hasn’t happened yet.”

“That’s just sophistry,” Liu An’an said as impartially as possible. “You didn’t give him the chance to fully cure you either.”

Xiao Xihe shuddered remembering his bloodthirsty nature in the original story: “Better not. We’re not compatible.”

Liu An’an clicked her tongue, fishing out a few plums from Xiao Xihe’s Cosmos Sack to snack on: “What about the young master? Also incompatible?”

Xiao Xihe smiled: “He’s actually quite nice.”

“But you don’t like him.” Liu An’an stated firmly.

Xiao Xihe chuckled. “I just want him to help me detox. There’s no need to jump to conclusions about liking him or not.” Although the young master was indeed quite charming.  

However, after the tragic experiences of her past life, she had come to deeply understand the importance of health. If she ever truly wanted to find a partner in the future, the most important prerequisite would be their health. She had no interest in a relationship where she’d constantly worry about them dropping dead. So someone like Zhao Shaoqing, who lived day by day, was completely out of the question.  

Liu An’an shrugged. “It’s a good thing you don’t like him, or you’d be heartbroken soon enough.” When she had checked Zhao Shaoqing’s pulse today, it was clearly worse than yesterday.  

Xiao Xihe frowned. “Don’t be so certain. What if Xie Zhaixing really has a way to save him?”  

“His pulse is almost gone. Not even the heavens could save him now,” Liu An’an shook her head. “Xie Zhaixing probably only said that to trick Zhao Wuchen into helping him find you. Otherwise, if he were really that capable, why would he need us to stay here and keep the young master alive?”  

Xiao Xihe thought about it and had to admit it did sound like something Xie Zhaixing would do.  

The two chatted for a while before turning their attention back to Zhao Shaoqing’s condition. But before they could come up with an effective solution, hurried footsteps echoed outside, followed by thunderous knocking on the door.  

“Fellow Cultivators, it’s bad—the young master is vomiting blood!”  

The two froze for a moment before snapping back to reality. One grabbed the Cosmos Sack while the other scooped up the herbs drying on the table, and they rushed out the door.  

“What happened? He was fine just now!” Liu An’an asked as they hurried along.  

The disciple looked frantic. “I don’t know! He was fine one moment, then suddenly started vomiting blood.”  

Xiao Xihe’s brow furrowed. “Did he hit something?”  

“No, he was lying in bed the whole time.”  

Liu An’an asked another question, and the two took turns interrogating the disciple as they walked. By the time they entered Zhao Shaoqing’s chambers, they had pieced together the full picture.  

There had been no warning signs—he had just suddenly started vomiting blood.  

When they arrived, Zhao Wuchen and A Yu were already there. Zhao Shaoqing’s face was deathly pale, his lips the only spot of color, like an overly fragile vase on the verge of shattering.  

The moment A Yu saw them, she flew into a rage. “This is your fault! You’ve been feeding him all sorts of things, and now look what’s happened!”  

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Liu An’an said coldly, shooting her a glance before stepping forward to check Zhao Shaoqing’s pulse. But A Yu suddenly bared her sharp teeth, warning her not to come closer.  

Zhao Wuchen frowned in displeasure. “How dare you! Step aside at once!”  

“But—”  

“Move!” Zhao Wuchen had never liked this Demon Clan member Zhao Shaoqing had picked up, and now that she dared to block Liu An’an, his displeasure deepened.  

Though the Demon Clan had no sense of propriety, A Yu didn’t dare defy Zhao Wuchen—Zhao Shaoqing’s own father. Biting her lip in frustration, she hesitated until Zhao Shaoqing spoke weakly, “A Yu, listen to them.”  

“Shaoqing…” A Yu looked at him worriedly.  

Zhao Shaoqing gave her a frail smile. “Go outside for now.”  

A Yu clenched her jaw but ultimately left unwillingly.  

Once she was gone, Liu An’an immediately stepped forward to check Zhao Shaoqing’s pulse. It was so faint it was almost nonexistent. She exchanged a grave look with Xiao Xihe, unsure how to break the news.  

“Well?” Zhao Wuchen pressed anxiously.

Liu An’an pondered for a moment before speaking, “The situation isn’t looking good.”

“How is that possible?” Zhao Wuchen refused to believe it and quickly turned to Zhao Shaoqing. “The item the Demon Lord gave you—have you been keeping it on you?”

“I have,” Zhao Shaoqing replied weakly, extending his hand with difficulty. A small Ice Soul hung from his wrist on a red thread, making his skin appear even paler and more fragile.

Seeing that he was indeed wearing it, Zhao Wuchen clenched his fists and turned to leave—likely to find Xie Zhaixing. Xiao Xihe watched his retreating figure and let out a soft sigh. “Young Sect Leader, do you still have the blood you coughed up?”

“Over there,” Zhao Shaoqing gestured weakly.

Xiao Xihe followed his gaze and saw a crumpled handkerchief on the ground, stained with specks of dark, tainted blood. She stepped forward to examine it, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes.

“What is it?” Zhao Shaoqing asked.

Xiao Xihe turned back. “It looks like stagnant blood.”

Hearing this, Liu An’an quickly checked as well. “It is stagnant blood.”

“Let’s examine the Young Sect Leader’s digestive system,” Xiao Xihe suggested.

Liu An’an nodded, summoning a wisp of Spiritual Power at her fingertips and guiding it from Zhao Shaoqing’s lips down into his abdomen.

After a moment, Liu An’an relaxed. “His digestive tract is damaged.”

Now that they had identified the ailment, treatment would be easier. Xiao Xihe also felt relieved but then cast a skeptical glance at Zhao Shaoqing. “Are you certain you only ate Snow Plum and spring noodles?”

Zhao Shaoqing hesitated before answering, “I couldn’t resist eating something spicy.”

Liu An’an’s lips twitched. “Your body is already this weak, and you still dared to eat spicy food? Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Zhao Shaoqing gave a bitter smile. “My apologies.”

Liu An’an was about to scold him further, but Xiao Xihe intervened. “The priority now is to treat him.”

Liu An’an reluctantly agreed and began rummaging through her Cosmos Sack for medicine to heal his digestive system. Seeing that he had avoided a lecture, Zhao Shaoqing gave Xiao Xihe a grateful smile.

Xiao Xihe responded with a faint curve of her lips but said nothing more.

Once Zhao Shaoqing was taken care of, the two women left. On their way back to their quarters, they encountered Zhao Wuchen again.

Zhao Wuchen’s expression was grim, but it softened slightly upon seeing them. “How is Shaoqing?”

“We’ve identified the cause. He injured his digestive tract by eating recklessly. We’ve given him medicine, and he should recover after another dose of herbal decoction tonight,” Liu An’an explained. “The Young Sect Leader’s constitution is fragile, Sect Leader Zhao. As his elder, you must keep a closer eye on him.”

Relieved to hear it wasn’t serious, Zhao Wuchen cupped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you, both of you.”

The two quickly returned the gesture.

After parting ways with Zhao Wuchen, Liu An’an couldn’t resist gossiping. “He went to find Xie Zhaixing, didn’t he? Why did he come back alone?”

“Just look at his expression—it’s obvious Xie Zhaixing ignored him,” Xiao Xihe shook her head. It seemed her second senior sister was right: Xie Zhaixing couldn’t actually save Zhao Shaoqing and had only made empty promises to manipulate Zhao Wuchen into helping him.

Truly befitting of the Demon Lord—he excelled at sowing resentment.

The two returned to their quarters and began brewing the medicine, continuing well into the night without finishing.

Liu An’an sat by the makeshift stove in the courtyard, stretching lazily. “Treating mortals is such a hassle. We can’t use potent medicine or give too many pills—just these time-consuming, labor-intensive decoctions.”

“Because decoctions are better absorbed,” Xiao Xihe said, stretching her limbs before checking the medicine in the pot. “It just needs another hour of simmering.”

“Another hour…” Liu An’an groaned.

Xiao Xihe smiled. “If you’re bored, you can go rest in your room. I’ll deliver it to the young master once it’s ready.”

“But aren’t you afraid of running into Xie Zhaixing if you go alone?” Liu An’an asked.

Xiao Xihe blinked. “I heard from the Sword Mastery Sect disciples that the Demon Lord has been secluded in his room all day, probably meditating. He won’t come out anytime soon.”

“But walking alone at night—” Liu An’an stopped mid-sentence when their eyes met, suddenly understanding. “Ah, tonight really is an opportunity.”

Xiao Xihe looked puzzled.

Liu An’an stood and patted her shoulder, thinking for a moment before speaking. “The young master is weak. Don’t overdo it.”

“What are you thinking? If anything were to happen, it would have to wait until he recovers. In his current state, nothing can be done,” Xiao Xihe said, amused.

Liu An’an didn’t seem to trust her integrity on this matter, giving her a knowing look before heading back to her room. Xiao Xihe sighed helplessly and continued tending to the medicine in the courtyard.

As night deepened, though it was still late July and summer hadn’t fully passed, the mountain air carried a chill. Xiao Xihe sat quietly by the stove until the decoction turned dark, then extinguished the flame and poured it into a bowl before setting off.

This time, she truly intended only to deliver the medicine—fulfilling her duty as a Medical Cultivator first. The rest could wait until he recovered. Though his life was nearing its end, with her and her second senior sister’s care, his condition wouldn’t worsen in his final days. She’d find another opportunity then.

Lost in thought, Xiao Xihe quickened her pace.

The path was deserted at this late hour. The cold seeped into her bones, and just as she was about to summon Spiritual Power to warm herself, she spotted a figure in white standing ahead, its back turned to her.

…Who is that? Xiao Xihe frowned slightly before approaching politely. “Fellow Cultivator, could you please step aside? I need to deliver medicine to the young master.”

The figure remained motionless.

Confused, Xiao Xihe raised her voice. “Fellow Cultivator?”

Still, it didn’t move.

…How rude, she thought. Normally, she preferred avoiding trouble, but unfamiliar with the Sword Mastery Sect’s layout, she wasn’t sure if there was another path to Zhao Shaoqing’s quarters. She had no choice but to persist.

Taking a deep breath, her tone turned firmer. “Fellow Cultivator, you can’t—”

Her words died as her gaze dropped to the figure’s white robes—where feet should have been, there was nothing. It floated eerily above the ground.

“…Never mind. It’s fine,” Xiao Xihe forced out, turning stiffly like a rusted automaton and retreating step by step.

A wind had risen through the trees, its icy breath brushing her back. Her heart pounded violently, her face frozen in fear.

Just before leaving the path, she couldn’t resist glancing back—only to find the figure now looming directly behind her.

“A ghost!” Xiao Xihe couldn’t hold it in any longer. She dropped the medicine bowl and bolted out like a headless fly, her entire body flailing like one of those inflatable tube men dancing outside shopping malls.

She was worse off than those tube men—at least they didn’t lose their minds.

As she ran, her arms flailed wildly, and her fingers accidentally brushed against the ghost’s wrist, sending a bone-chilling cold through her. Xiao Xihe froze for a moment, her features nearly leaping off her face from fright.

“Ahhhhhh—”

Clutching her face in terror, she didn’t even notice the ghost staggering back two steps after her touch, focused solely on fleeing for her life. Rounding a corner, she spotted a familiar figure and, tears welling in her eyes, threw herself toward him without hesitation: “Demon Lord, save me!”

Xie Zhaixing frowned and looked up just as the utterly unremarkable junior sister from Medicine God Valley came barreling toward him. Before he could react, she had already dashed past his shoulder and hidden behind him.

“Th-there’s a ghost…” she stammered.

Xie Zhaixing lifted his gaze to scan the path ahead—empty.

Xiao Xihe cowered behind him for a long while, hearing no movement. Trembling, she cautiously peeked out and realized the ghost had vanished.

…Huh? She gulped, then suddenly met Xie Zhaixing’s icy stare.

Her heart began pounding all over again.