When her senior sister came to treat Mei Man’s wounds, she was quite surprised. “How did you recover so quickly?”
Mei Man was puzzled. “Isn’t it a good thing to recover quickly?”
“No, no. Naturally, the faster you recover, the better. It’s just…” The senior sister held her arm and sent a thread of spiritual energy into it.
Mei Man felt that thread of energy. It was like a warm current of water flowing from her arm through her body and limbs…
The sensation was marvelous. She felt as though she had become a light, drifting cloud, her entire body suddenly much more weightless. Instinctively, she wanted to keep it there, but the moment her senior sister withdrew her hand, the spiritual energy dissipated as well.
For some inexplicable reason, Mei Man felt a pang of loss. Her hand dropped onto the blanket.
Perhaps everyone had their own troubles. Her senior sister had spiritual energy she desired but could not possess, and she must have other things to agonize over as well.
The senior sister frowned in confusion. “Your recovery is simply too fast. The bones have healed completely, and all the bruises and injuries on your body are gone. Even the minor problems that had accumulated in your body have been thoroughly cured.”
As she spoke, she continued turning Mei Man’s arm over and over, squeezing her calf a few times before pulling down her collar to examine her neck.
Mei Man shifted away uncomfortably.
The senior sister came back to herself and hurriedly waved her hands. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this, so I found it a little strange.”
“Maybe I’m just naturally healthy,” Mei Man said. “I did spend an entire night fighting those ghosts, after all.”
Her senior sister didn’t understand. “What?”
“Nothing.” Mei Man asked, “Since there’s nothing wrong with me, can I leave now?”
Although this Medical Valley belonged to the Tianyan Immortal Manor, the disciples still had to pay for medical treatment and healing. Mei Man couldn’t bear to waste her spirit stones on something like this.
Her senior sister said, “I recommend that you stay for another two days so we can continue to observe your condition.”
“How many spirit stones does one day cost?”
Perhaps because the words “miser” were practically carved across Mei Man’s face, her senior sister froze for a moment before explaining, “Although the elder is still handling the Chai family’s affairs, he said that the Chai family would cover your medical expenses and other costs during this period.”
Why hadn’t she said so sooner?
“Since you put it that way, I suppose I can stay a few more days.” Mei Man immediately lay back down. “I still feel sore all over. There might be some problems that haven’t been discovered yet.”
She didn’t know what was so funny about that, but the corners of her senior sister’s mouth kept twitching upward and never came back down.
And so Mei Man continued recuperating in the medicine hut.
It was very peaceful there. There was only one drawback—she ran into Xie Xu practically every day.
She had no idea what had happened to him, but he looked to be in terrible shape. His face was as pale as a corpse’s. Unlike before, when he had carried an entire stack of firewood in one hand, he now used only his left hand, while his right arm remained stiff as a piece of wood.
What puzzled Mei Man even more was that he had started acting like he used to.
During the day, he pretended not to know her. At night, he would come looking for her, always bringing something new: a tassel he had made for a sword, little toys woven from bamboo strips, medicinal dishes he had simmered himself… He even gave her all the spirit stones he had saved while working in the service quarters.
At first, Mei Man chased him away, cursed him with cruel words, and threw away the things he brought.
Yet he endured it all without saying a word, as though nothing had happened. As though she had never insulted him or abandoned him.
The more Xie Xu acted this way, the more abnormal Mei Man found him—and the more frightened of him she became.
What kind of person could remain completely indifferent to someone else’s insults, even accept them gladly, and then treat that person even better in return?
After being treated like that, he still kept moving toward her.
Wasn’t that simply the behavior of a deranged pervert?
She truly couldn’t understand what he was doing. It was even more frightening than encountering a ghost.
Until one night, when the bones in Mei Man’s leg began to ache again.
Her senior sister had told her that although the bones had healed, they might occasionally feel sore and swollen if subjected to stimulation. It was a normal reaction.
That day, Mei Man had probably walked too much. In the middle of the night, she was jolted awake by a wave of discomfort.
The pain was not sharp, but dull and persistent, trapped deep inside her bones. It tormented her until she tossed and rolled across the bed.
Xie Xu appeared from who knew where. As usual, he said nothing. He slipped a pill into her mouth, then took hold of her leg and began massaging it.
Perhaps the emotions she had accumulated over the past few days had once again built up to their limit, urgently demanding an outlet. While he lowered his head and kneaded her leg, Mei Man sank her teeth viciously into his arm.
Blood appeared at once.
He raised his eyes to look at her, but did not pull his arm away or question her. Instead, just as he had done countless times before, he first stroked her head, then leaned down and kissed her.
When the brief, feather-light kiss ended, he pleaded in a voice so soft it was barely audible, “I was wrong. Don’t be angry. Please don’t be angry with me.”
After that night, Mei Man simply accepted whatever he brought her. In any case, she didn’t mind having more money.
And that medical cultivator senior sister had not been lying. Mei Man received compensation from the Chai family.
They gave her money and sent over a great deal of rare treasures. Not only did they show no suspicion, they did not even appear in person or ask many questions. It was as though the person who had died had not been a member of their family at all, but an irrelevant stranger.
Her senior sister had mentioned the matter as well. With a sigh, she said, “For a cultivation clan like the Chai family, there are countless talented young men. They wouldn’t feel much regret over the death of someone with only average talent. Besides, Chai Qun suffered a cultivation deviation before he died. They’re probably desperate to keep that matter hidden. Of course they wouldn’t show their faces.”
Mei Man had known this would happen. She had seen far too many things like it, which was why she had dared to act so decisively.
This should have been a good thing. No one would pursue the matter or cause trouble for her, and she had received so many treasures.
Yet she felt no joy. Instead, a faint hatred began to take root in her heart.
It was not that she felt sorry for that Chai fellow. Rather, their indifferent attitude made her realize that there were many more people like Chai Qun.
They thought a little pity could smooth over every problem. They thought that as long as they offered an apology and tossed her a few small favors, she would accept them with fear and gratitude. They thought that whatever they gave her was already good enough—that she wanted nothing, that she was pure and desireless, carrying an empty heart devoid of all emotion.
Was she?
Amid that hatred, which clung to her like a parasite in her bones, Mei Man realized that her method had been flawed.
If, out of hatred for a maggot that suddenly crawled into view, she did everything she could to stomp it to death, she might be able to eliminate one or two scum.
But only one or two.
As long as she did not leave, maggots would continue to appear. One after another, after another, after another!
Chai Qun was dead, but there would always be another Chai Qun.
It was just like the people in the outer sect compound. Because of the Sleeping Powder incident, they had accepted Chai Qun, only to reject and despise him afterward. It was entirely possible that, because of some other matter, they would manipulate and trample upon another person’s dignity.
And there was no telling when that same trick might be used on her.
Once she realized this, Mei Man began to grow restless. She was desperate to escape everything, yet she ran about like a headless fly, unable to find any way out.
For an ordinary person without a spiritual root, being able to scrape by in the outer sect compound of an Immortal Manor was practically the highest point they could reach in life.
But what if she was not content with that?
What if accepting the status quo would be a slow, endless punishment for her, while she still wanted to climb somewhere better and obtain better things?
It seemed there was no other path left for her.
She spent her days thinking and puzzling over things. Sometimes she would think for an entire day, pacing aimlessly around the cramped medicine hut, or quietly crouching off to one side, no different from a mushroom on the verge of going moldy.
This restlessness continued until one overcast day, when Qiu Yingling’s immortal servant came to see her as usual.
That Qiu fellow was very busy. He had not visited the medicine hut much over the past few days, and even when he did come, he could not stay for long before leaving again.
She had casually asked him about it once, but all he said was that he was helping the Immortal Venerable find something.
At times, she could smell a strong scent of blood on him. She had not known that searching for something could result in injuries, but he never mentioned it, and she had no inclination to ask.
The immortal servant set out a tableful of dishes, then took a jade-white bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
It was more exquisite—and much prettier—than the one Chai Qun had smashed.
Mei Man glanced at it several times before she could not resist asking, “What is that?”
“A bottle,” the immortal servant replied woodenly.
“…Do I look blind to you? I mean, what are you doing with it?”
“It was sent by the eldest young master.”
“Why?” Mei Man asked suspiciously.
Back when she had worked at the Qiu residence, the steward there had said she was too rigid. Whenever someone gave her something, no matter what it was, she always had to ask why.
But she believed that nothing was ever given for no reason. Otherwise, who knew what price she might have to pay later?
It was just like how she had accepted Qiu Yingling’s bottle earlier because she had run an errand for him, and how Xie Xu had given her things because he liked her. So if Qiu Yingling was giving her this bottle, there ought to be a reason for it as well.
The immortal servant thought for a moment before saying, “The eldest young master said that your injuries were also related to the dragon bone he gave you. This porcelain bottle, along with the meals he’s sent these past few days, is all meant as compensation.”
In truth, even if he had not given her that dragon bone, something like this would have happened sooner or later. After all, that Chai fellow’s temperament had not been twisted by a single bone.
Still, the explanation was reasonable enough, so she accepted the gifts without a qualm.
Mei Man opened the food box and asked him, “Where did he go today?”
“Little Jiao Mountain in the Southern Continent.”
Mei Man took a spoonful of porridge. “That far away? Won’t it take two or three days?”
The immortal servant nodded. “I have to go to the Qiu residence as well. Eat. I’ll come back at noon to clean up.”
The moment he left, her senior sister came to help examine her condition.
This time, the examination was quick. Before long, her senior sister had packed up her things and was preparing to leave.
Mei Man asked, “Are you going to see the Medicine Sovereign today?”
The Medicine Sovereign was another immortal sovereign in this immortal residence. She lived year-round at Medicine Peaks of the inner sect, and Mei Man’s senior sister was practically half her disciple.
Every two days, her senior sister would make a trip to Medicine Peaks.
As she gathered her things, her senior sister replied, “Yes. My master has to ask about some matters concerning Medicine Valley today, so it may take a while.”
“Oh.”
Mei Man had only asked casually. She had not expected her senior sister to open the floodgates and continue, “I also have to make a trip down the mountain—the spirit herbs I ordered have arrived. I need to visit Immortal Master Shen as well. Who knows when I’ll be back? Honestly…”
Mei Man raised her eyes. “Immortal Master Shen is still in seclusion? He’s a cultivator. If he’s truly unwell, wouldn’t taking a few immortal pills solve the problem?”
That day—when he had brought Chai Qun to apologize to her—he had said that Shen Shushi was feeling unwell and had entered seclusion.
How many days had it been now?
“Well… I’m not entirely sure either.” Her senior sister shook her head. “Immortal Master enters seclusion for a few days every so often. Perhaps it’s an old ailment even Medicine Valley can do nothing about. We can only send him some medicines to nourish his spiritual energy.”
“Oh.” Mei Man lowered her head and drank her porridge.
She raised a spoonful to her lips, then suddenly froze. Her normally steady heart gave a heavy thump, then began beating faster and faster, as though it might burst through her chest.
Over the years at the Qiu residence, she had become quite adept at observing people. She could tell that although both the elders and Shen Shushi kept stern expressions on their faces all day, the elders’ righteousness was only for show, while Shen Shushi was genuinely serious.
He was strict, even severe, and as a result, most of the outer-sect disciples were somewhat afraid of him.
But in her eyes, a serious attitude and exacting standards also meant that he truly wanted to teach them something useful, rather than merely going through the motions—although that genuine nature often earned him the disciples’ distance and fear.
And that was indeed the case. She had looked through the names of the cultivators who had entered the inner sect in the past. There were not many of them, but nearly half had been recommended by him.
That was why she had worked so hard in the medicinal herbs classes he taught from the very beginning, hoping to earn a chance to enter the inner sect.
Before, this goal had been rather vague. Only now did she begin to seriously consider whether this approach might actually work.
If she could persuade Shen Shushi to accept her as a disciple, would she… be able to enter the inner sect academy?
Mei Man swallowed, her throat dry. Her heart was still pounding wildly, yet she tried her best to put on a perfectly natural expression and asked her senior sister, “Are you taking medicine to Immortal Master Shen this time as well?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll help you,” Mei Man said.
If she wanted Shen Shushi to accept her as a disciple, she first had to leave a good impression on him, then figure out what to do next.
She thought there could be no better opportunity than this one.
“You?” Her senior sister looked up at her in surprise. “How could you? You still need to recuperate.”
“But my injuries are already healed, and it’s so boring staying here. I promise I won’t wander around. I’ll only deliver the medicine.”
Her senior sister hesitated. “But aren’t you…”
“I know.” Mei Man frowned in frustration. “I know I’m not an inner-sect disciple, but Senior Sister, don’t I even have the chance to go inside and take a look?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… you shouldn’t have to trouble yourself like this.”
“It’s no trouble, Senior Sister. Please say yes. If I stay cooped up in this medicine hut any longer, I’m going to grow mold.”
“But—”
Her senior sister looked at her. Those misty eyes rarely showed such a pleading expression. Her heart sank, and before she had even figured out what she was thinking, she had already spoken.
“Then… all right. But you must be careful and don’t wander off.”
