The instant the pill was swallowed, her meridians would begin to twist and deform. The veins beneath her skin would bulge visibly, writhing in small, restless movements.
That was the conclusion Mei Man had reached from observing the puppets.
The test subjects were little more than wooden figures, devoid of sensation. So although she had seen the changes, she had never known what they felt like.
But when she took the pill herself, she found out.
At first, there was itching.
It felt as though ants had crawled into every meridian in her body. The itch spread everywhere, not merely across the surface, but deep into her bones, impossible to soothe no matter what she did.
The moment her meridians began to twist, the itch transformed into pain.
It was like a cramp, only far more violent and overwhelming. Every single meridian in her body convulsed and spasmed.
Mei Man curled up on the bed, too wracked with pain to move. She could not open her eyes, nor did she have the strength to breathe. Several times, she nearly failed to draw her next breath.
She did her best to remain conscious so that she could endure the most perilous stage—
the reshaping of her meridians.
The spiritual power contained within the Meridian-Reforming Pill would gradually refine her muscles and bones, clear her meridians, and purge the impurities from her body.
This step was especially crucial.
If she could not withstand even this amount of spiritual power, her body would explode.
To help herself survive it, Mei Man had modified the Meridian-Reforming Pill and spent the past half month taking the Nine-Turn Meridian-Tempering Pills in advance.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, feeling a scorching current of energy rampage through her body. Everywhere it passed was seared with unbearable pain.
Then, in the next moment, came a chill that froze her bones stiff, so cold that even her thoughts nearly stopped.
The alternating torment of heat and cold, combined with the pain of her twisting meridians, lasted for two full hours.
She passed out several times during that period, only to awaken soon afterward to the pain.
On several occasions, she felt as though the spiritual power was about to burst through her meridians and wrench every tendon and bone in her body apart.
But she endured it all.
She spent the entire night in a dazed stupor, stubbornly holding on. By the following morning, Mei Man lay curled up in the corner of the bed, her whole body clammy and cold.
Orange-red sunlight pressed in through the window. She weakly lifted her eyelids a sliver and stared at the blurred disk of the sun.
The light was not yet harsh. It burned gently against her eyelids.
As the pain gradually subsided, the corners of her eyes grew hot. Tears slipped out unconsciously, blurring her vision until the sun melted into a bizarre, dazzling mass of color.
Mei Man remained curled up for nearly another hour before she could finally move.
She had made it through.
Her heart beat faster and faster, almost as though it might burst out of her chest. Bracing herself against the bed, she pushed herself upright. Beneath her palm lay a layer of murky black material.
All of it had been expelled from her body. The bedding was covered in it, and so was she.
Mei Man had not expected the effect to be so good. She simply burned the bedding away, then washed herself clean.
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she could clearly feel that her body was much lighter and sturdier than before. It was as if all the burdens clogging her from within had been stripped away.
Although she still could not sense any spiritual power, the strength of her entire body had far surpassed what it had been.
Mei Man clenched her hand, released it, then jumped twice in place.
The results were even better than she had imagined.
All she needed to do now was take the Nine-Turn Meridian-Tempering Pills for a while longer, and she would be able to forge meridians strong enough to withstand anything.
Unable to contain her delight, she hurriedly dug out the sword she had not practiced with in ages. Taking advantage of her newfound strength, she ran outside and practiced a set of sword forms.
Mei Man was thoroughly absorbed in the exercise when she suddenly saw the air distort in midair.
In the next instant, Shen Shushi appeared out of nowhere.
Her heart lurched. She immediately hid the sword behind her and hurriedly explained, “Immortal Master, I was just about to go read. I wasn’t slacking off.”
Though she had reacted quickly, Shen Shushi had still caught a glimpse of her practicing the sword.
Only for an instant.
Yet the swordlight had been fierce and sharp, like a shooting star chasing the moon.
A trace of surprise arose in Shen Shushi’s heart. He called out to Mei Man, who had turned to leave. “I’ve never seen you practice swordsmanship before.”
When he had been at the outer sect compound, he had taught only spiritual medicine. After accepting her as his disciple, he had likewise taught her only alchemy and medicine-making. Since she was a mortal, he had never demanded anything more of her.
Seeing the solemn look on his face, Mei Man assumed he was about to reprimand her. She hurriedly said, “Not often. I-I only got a little dizzy from reading, so I came down to clear my head. Please rest assured, Immortal Master. I’ll study diligently and won’t waste time on anything else. I won’t practice anymore.”
She was already rushing away when Shen Shushi called after her again. “Wait.”
Mei Man stopped and clenched her hands.
Shen Shushi said, “I took you as my disciple, not to force you to restrain yourself. I was the one who overlooked this. Go ahead and practice. Without a strong body, how could you have the strength to refine pills?”
Mei Man had not expected him to say that. She looked up at him in a daze.
“I’m not skilled in swordsmanship, but I can still tell good from bad,” Shen Shushi said. “Did you study this sword technique on your own, or did you have a teacher?”
Mei Man replied, “Back at the Qiu residence, I used to spar with Qiu He—Senior Brother Qiu.”
Shen Shushi did not hold back his praise. “Heyang has some talent in talisman-making, and he is also skilled with a bow and arrow, but his swordsmanship is inferior to yours.”
Mei Man felt a secret thrill at having bested someone for once. But in the next moment, she lowered her pale face and murmured, almost to herself, “It’s useless anyway.”
Shen Shushi could not help feeling sorry for her. His expression remained solemn, but his words were gentle. “There are countless opportunities for cultivation. Who knows? You may encounter one someday.”
Mei Man’s expression fell.
If she spent all her time waiting for an opportunity, waiting for some unknown day in the future, then she would never agree to it. She wanted today. She wanted this very moment, this very place. Step by step, even if she had to seize or snatch it, she would find the so-called opportunity herself.
Still, since Shen Shushi did not object to her practicing swordsmanship, that was naturally for the best.
Her attitude toward him improved somewhat. Assuming he had come to inspect her studies, she said, “Immortal Master, please wait a moment. All my notes are upstairs.”
“No need. That isn’t why I came.” Shen Shushi hesitated for a moment, a struggle flickering across his expression. “Since you intend to live here for a long time, there is something I need to make clear to you.”
“What is it?”
Shen Shushi casually formed a spell, setting up a barrier around them that blocked all sound. Only then did he say, “You saw it yourself before. I can take on a demon form.”
Mei Man thought of the enormous white wolf, larger than a tiger, and nodded.
Shen Shushi said, “I am half-demon.”
The moment she heard this, Mei Man was not particularly surprised. Instead, she immediately remembered how Qiu Heyang had cursed Fan Zilang behind his back, calling him a half-demon of lowly birth.
“…”
She really wanted to know what Qiu Heyang would do if he learned that his master was the “lowly half-demon” he had spoken of.
Shen Shushi had no idea what she was thinking. Seeing that her expression remained as gloomy as ever, he relaxed slightly and continued, “Many half-demons are born unable to balance spiritual power and demonic energy. I am the same. On the fifteenth day of every month, I become extremely weak and find it difficult to use spiritual power. I then transform into a beast form without consciousness. To this day, there is still no cure.”
The fifteenth?
Mei Man suddenly remembered something. “Today is the fourteenth day of the third month.”
Tomorrow was the fifteenth.
Shen Shushi gave a slight nod. “At the very least, I will need to enter seclusion for five days. You should stay somewhere else for a while, so that you won’t… so that you won’t end up like you did that day again.”
“No!”
Mei Man rejected him instinctively.
Her refusal came so quickly and loudly that Shen Shushi froze.
After a moment, he asked, “Why?”
Mei Man thought to herself that if she left, where would she find a place to refine pills and secretly temper her meridians?
Besides, there were still two people outside who wanted to harm her. At least here, she would be safe.
But she couldn’t tell him any of that, so she thought for a moment before saying, “Immortal Master said that there would be several days when you’d be too weak to use your powers. If I stay here, I can at least look after you. If I leave and you run into trouble, there won’t be anyone around to lend you a hand.”
Shen Shushi had never imagined that she was considering his circumstances.
Although he had taken several disciples, she was the first to worry about his safety.
A warmth he had never felt before brushed through his heart, and his expression unconsciously softened as he said, “There’s no need to worry. I have puppets to look after me.”
“But they’re still fake,” Mei Man said in a muffled voice. “Just look at what happened last time—the puppet was destroyed by you… Anyway, at least I’m a living person.”
“No need.” Shen Shushi refused again. “It’s too dangerous for you to stay here.”
“Are you afraid I’ll be attacked again, like last time?” Mei Man asked. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay in the library pavilion and won’t go anywhere. Besides, you said yourself that you still haven’t found a way to resolve this. If someone could observe the condition of your demon form, perhaps it might help.”
She had always been a taciturn person and rarely spoke at such length.
Shen Shushi was both surprised and, knowing that she was doing it all for his sake, even more gratified.
He said, “I appreciate your kindness, but this is my problem. I absolutely cannot involve anyone else.”
Why was he still refusing?
Mei Man felt frustrated and only wanted to force him to agree. But then she thought it over. He was truly a straightforward man. The more she emphasized that she was considering his welfare, the harder it would be to persuade him.
With that in mind, she lowered her eyes, looking distinctly dejected. “But…”
“But what?”
Mei Man lowered her head even further, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz. “But where else can I go besides here?”
Shen Shushi’s expression froze for a moment.
“I can’t find anywhere else to go.” She stole a glance at him, then hurriedly looked away, her voice growing even softer and more subdued. “The people outside aren’t as kind as you, Immortal Master. I’m a little… afraid.”
Shen Shushi suddenly remembered what she had suffered in the outer sect courtyard.
The words rose to his lips, but he swallowed them back down.
He wanted to tell her that there were plenty of kindhearted people in the immortal estate as well. But for someone who had been bitten by a snake, even the sight of a rope could cause panic. How could he simply push her out and force her to accept the so-called kindness of strangers?
Shen Shushi suddenly felt somewhat guilty.
Although he had taken her as his disciple, he had been far too negligent. He had failed to consider many things, and as a result, even after staying here for so long, she still did not feel safe.
“This was my oversight. Asking you to leave now, even if only for a few days, would indeed be inconsiderate. You…” He paused. “When the time comes, I’ll set up a barrier outside the library pavilion. Even my demon form won’t be able to break in easily. You can stay safely inside and pay no attention to whatever happens outside.”
Mei Man nearly laughed out loud.
Keeping her head bowed, she nodded and promised solemnly, “I won’t go anywhere.”
Before the fifteenth day arrived, Shen Shushi set up a barrier outside the library pavilion and began his seclusion.
Just as he had said, he quickly grew much weaker. For the first two days, he remained bedridden, feverish the entire time.
To prove that she hadn’t been lying, Mei Man often went to check on him. With the puppets caring for him, she didn’t have to do much—only occasionally pour him some water or wipe away his sweat.
Yet these small, instinctive acts made Shen Shushi’s gaze toward her change completely. He would often force his eyes open and lightly pat the back of her hand, saying in a hoarse voice, “You needn’t go to so much trouble.”
Mei Man thought to herself that he really was easy to please. She had merely done a few small things without thinking, and he already considered it a great effort. If she showed him a little more concern, wouldn’t he think she had poured out her entire heart?
Though she thought this, she continued to play the part of a good disciple and answered seriously, “It’s what I should do.”
Shen Shushi’s gaze grew even gentler, and the guilt in his eyes deepened.
On the third day, Mei Man went to see him as usual. But he was dazed and confused, already barely conscious.
At first, she didn’t think much of it—until she noticed that his teeth were beginning to sharpen.
Mei Man immediately realized what was happening.
He was about to transform into his demon form.
Her scalp prickled, and she wanted to run.
But after taking only one step, she remembered the white wolf’s speed. She wasn’t that close to the library pavilion, and if it caught her scent, how could she possibly make it back?
Without the slightest hesitation, she spun around and hurried back. She swiftly pulled out the spirit-beast collar she had bought two days earlier and fastened it around Shen Shushi’s neck.
Almost at the same instant, his body began to change at astonishing speed.
