“Guest Elder Yuan knows him?”
Elder Hai, who was standing nearby, looked surprised at the sound of her voice. He had been at Medicine Cloud Peak for many years and knew quite a few people.
But this man Sect Master had brought over was someone he was seeing for the first time.
He had heard that the man was a Beast Taming Master who had only recently taken up his post at the Beast Taming Garden.
His beast-taming techniques were consummate, and his affinity with spirit beasts was astonishingly perfect. He was a rare talent.
More than half of the spirit beasts at the Beast Taming Garden submitted only to his command.
Such strength was truly frightening!
“I’ve met him before. He’s Xiao Li, the Beast Taming Master of the Beast Taming Garden.”
Yuan Shu answered. She had never expected that the person Sect Master Qu Qing had personally brought over for treatment would be Xiao Li!
The last time they had met, demonic baleful qi had been spilling from his body, nearly exposing him to Elder Lu Huai of the Beast Taming Garden.
In her desperation, she had pretended that they were dual-cultivating and managed to deceive him.
At the time, Xiao Li’s condition had already seemed to have improved considerably. How had he ended up looking as though he were on the verge of death when they met again?
Yuan Shu said nothing more. She stepped forward, grasped Xiao Li’s wrist, and sent her spiritual power into it.
After examining him, she slightly furrowed her brows.
“Guest Elder Yuan, this man was brought here yesterday. Several of the elders from Medicine Cloud Peak have already examined him. The spiritual power in his body is extremely mixed, almost as if…” Elder Hai hesitated.
“As if demonic baleful qi is present?” Yuan Shu finished bluntly when she saw him faltering.
Elder Hai slapped his palm. “As expected of Guest Elder Yuan! You identified the key issue with just a brief examination.”
“Indeed. For some reason, this strand of demonic baleful qi has gathered around his heart. We’ve tried many methods, but we’ve been unable to remove it.”
It seemed that the sect master knew about this as well, but only that much.
If word got out that demonic baleful qi had appeared within the sect, it would likely cause widespread panic.
For now, only the elders who had examined Xiao Li and the sect master were aware of it.
“Guest Elder Yuan, are you saying that this Beast Tamer Xiao…”
“He’s human.”
Elder Hai had not even finished speaking when Yuan Shu interrupted him. Her tone was grave. “The reason demonic baleful qi has appeared in his body is likely because someone harmed him.”
“Elder Hai, we must remember this. We shouldn’t grow suspicious of our own people merely because a sect disciple has developed something unusual.”
Elder Hai’s old face flushed slightly. “Ahem, Guest Elder Yuan is right. The sect master said the same thing. Beast Tamer Xiao is very important, so we must do everything we can to save him!”
“Guest Elder Yuan, the only pill capable of removing demonic baleful qi is the Ancient Profound Formula you restored some time ago—the Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill.”
“However, this pill is exceptionally difficult to refine. We simply don’t have the ability to make it. You refined so many ancient formulas before. Could you perhaps try refining the Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill as well?”
Yuan Shu thought for a moment, then nodded. “I can give it a try.”
Elder Hai’s eyes lit up. “Shall we begin preparing right away? The sect master is pressing us to hurry. He hopes we can save him as soon as possible.”
“Very well!” Yuan Shu nodded.
Xiao Li’s condition truly could not be delayed.
Yuan Shu had previously suspected that he might be connected to the Demonic Fiend Clan.
However, the demonic baleful qi in his body did not seem to be something he had been born with. Rather, it appeared to have been introduced into him after birth.
What she had just said was not entirely false.
Xiao Li was human. There had to be a reason for the demonic baleful qi in his body.
The room fell silent once more.
Yuan Shu gazed at the handsome man sleeping peacefully on the bed and suddenly recalled the first time they had met.
The man in gray hemp clothing, whose features had been disfigured, had stared fiercely at the people around the gambling table. Even though he had been trapped in the mire, he had never lost the courage to confront injustice head-on.
Yuan Shu had noticed him then.
She simply had not expected him to truly climb out of that mire and stand before her openly and with dignity.
“This makes three times I’ve saved you, doesn’t it?” Yuan Shu murmured as she reached out and gently caressed his brows and eyes.
After the black marks on his face had faded, the handsome structure of Xiao Li’s features was revealed in full.
Yuan Shu’s hand slid slowly down his sleeping profile until it reached his chest.
A Beast Tamer’s affinity with spirit beasts could, during dual cultivation, be passed back to their partner in the form of spiritual power.
Yuan Shu had never experienced a sensation like that before.
If she had the chance…
Yuan Shu arched a brow. Her small hand followed the edge of his slightly open collar and slipped inside.
His body, covered in a lean layer of muscle, was warm and resilient when relaxed.
Unconscious, Xiao Li had no idea that a small hand was taking liberties with him.
It was only when those fingertips brushed against certain places that his body trembled involuntarily twice.
Before long, the footsteps of the elders from Medicine Cloud Peak sounded outside. Yuan Shu glanced to the side, withdrew her mischievous hand, and straightened Xiao Li’s collar for him.
“Can Guest Elder Yuan really refine the Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill?”
The moment Yuan Shu stepped out into the courtyard, several elders surrounded her and began asking questions all at once.
“The technique used in the Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill is the long-lost Evil-Breaking Secret Art. Guest Elder Yuan, do you truly know it?”
“That’s right, Guest Elder Yuan. Can the Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill really save someone? Will Xiao Li truly wake up?”
Elder Hai, who was a step behind, hurried forward and squeezed his way through the crowd. “I’ve already asked everything you’re asking. Guest Elder Yuan said she can give it a try, so she can give it a try!”
“If you have any questions, wait until the patient has been saved. Isn’t the sect master waiting for us to deliver him? We should get moving,” Yuan Shu added at once, joining Elder Hai in stopping the others from continuing.
She did not want to waste any more time either. When she had taken advantage of Xiao Li just now, she had also examined the demonic baleful qi around his heart.
It had already begun threatening his life. They could not delay any longer.
Only then did everyone fall silent. They followed Yuan Shu and Elder Hai to the alchemy chamber.
Elder Hai had already cleared out the alchemy chamber. Afraid that she would be disturbed, he had arranged for Yuan Shu to be the only one refining pills today.
Once the protective barrier was activated, Yuan Shu glanced over the medicinal ingredients prepared according to the ancient formula. With a wave of her hand, she took out the alchemy cauldron that belonged to Yao Qianci.
After Yao Qianci had been taken away by the Grand Elder, the cauldron had temporarily fallen into her hands.
The cauldron was made of exceptionally uniform material and was of extremely high quality. It was perfect for containing her Red Lotus Purifying Flame.
Yuan Shu was honestly rather reluctant to part with it.
The pill-refining process went smoothly. The crowd’s initial skepticism gradually turned into astonishment.
Watching Yuan Shu refine pills was indeed a pleasure.
Her movements flowed as naturally as drifting clouds and running water, as though she had refined the pill countless times before. Not once did she pause.
Yuan Shu even performed the Evil-Breaking Secret Art that the elders had mentioned, demonstrating it in full view of everyone.
This satisfied much of their curiosity.
By the time the pill was completed, the entire alchemy chamber was filled with praise for Yuan Shu.
“We’ve long heard that Guest Elder Yuan is exceptionally skilled at restoring ancient formulas. Her talent for alchemy is truly unparalleled!”
“Peak Master Yao certainly had a discerning eye back then. Impressive, truly impressive!”
“Exactly, exactly…”
Amid the crowd’s flattery, Yuan Shu had already placed the refined Profound Origin Evil-Breaking Pill into a jade box.
She took the portion of her reward that belonged to her, along with the payment for treating Xiao Li, then handed the rest to Elder Hai so that he could submit it to the sect.
After all, the medicinal ingredients and everything else had been provided by the sect.
Yuan Shu returned to the rear hall with the newly refined pill. By coincidence, Sect Master Qu Qing had also just arrived with several people.
