"…" Xue Zi Ye’s eyes narrowed, and she began pacing rapidly by the window, deep in thought. "Where is Shuang Hong?"
"Valley Master," Xiao Cheng, one of the maids, responded in a low voice, "Shuang Hong hasn’t returned yet."
Shuang Hong, who had gone to distribute the orders, hadn’t even made it back yet, and yet someone had already arrived holding ten orders! Xue Zi Ye took a sharp, silent breath—this was the first time in her decade of practicing medicine that she had encountered such an unusual situation.
"Take me to see him." She ordered, signaling Xiao Cheng to bring her lynx-fur cloak.
* * *
The wind at the valley’s entrance was fierce, strong enough to make the boulders roll.
As her soft sedan chair stopped, she lifted the curtain and saw a figure dressed in white standing across from the stone formation. The figure was too far away to make out any details, but the man’s long blue hair was unmistakable, whipping in the wind like a flag against the snow.
Strangely, despite the heavy snow and wind, none of it touched him. It was as if a warm, gentle force radiated from him, melting the frost and snow before they could land on him.
"Valley Master Xue?" The man smiled and bowed his head as he saw the sedan chair stop across from the stone formation. His voice was soft but carried clearly through the wind and snow, gentle and pleasant. "I am Miao Feng, an emissary of the Grand Palace of Light in Kunlun, under the command of the cult leader. I have been sent to Apothecary Valley to seek treatment from Miss Xue."
The Grand Palace of Light?!
Xue Zi Ye froze, her hand stiffening on the curtain as she looked at the smiling man in white before her.
The cult leader of the Grand Palace of Light was known to command the Three Sacred Maidens, the Five Mingzi, and the Asura Field. The Three Sacred Maidens—Sun, Moon, and Star—resided atop the highest peak of Kunlun. Among the Five Mingzi—Wind, Fire, Water, Void, and Strength—Miao Shui, Miao Huo, Miao Kong, and Ming Li were all well-known names that struck fear into the hearts of the martial world. But Miao Feng, the most mysterious of them all, had never been seen. Rumor had it that he was the cult leader's closest confidant, never leaving his side.
Yet here he was, this enigmatic figure, standing at the entrance of Apothecary Valley!
She was momentarily unsure how to respond, until the man laid out a handful of Returning Heaven Orders in front of him.
Miao Feng carefully spread the ten orders on the ground and dusted off his robes before bowing.
"I heard that Valley Master Xue values peace and quiet, and only with these tokens may one enter for treatment." He smiled politely. "Therefore, I followed Miss Shuang Hong on her journey and collected all of these along the way."
Xue Zi Ye glanced coldly at the ten Returning Heaven Orders laid before her. "Do you have ten patients in need of treatment?"
"There is only one patient." Miao Feng smiled, his posture humble but his face unreadable, as if wearing an invisible mask. "However, I feared that the Valley Master might refuse treatment or that someone else might interfere, so I collected a few extra orders—just in case. After all, it was convenient to do so."
Xue Zi Ye felt a spark of anger rising within her and furrowed her brow. "Who exactly requires treatment?"
Miao Feng bowed deeply. "It is the cult leader."
Xue Zi Ye's eyes flashed with sharpness, and she instinctively tightened her grip. "The cult leader?"
"Yes, the cult leader encountered a mishap while in seclusion, falling into a state of zoufuo ruma (losing control of one’s inner energy)," Miao Feng explained, still bowing, his voice carried clearly to her ears through the technique of secret voice transmission. "Despite days of careful treatment, his condition has not improved. Hearing that Apothecary Valley is renowned for its unmatched medical skills, he sent me on this long journey to seek your help."
Xue Zi Ye hesitated. "Sent you here?"
Finally finding an excuse to refuse, she smiled and waved her hand, signaling Lü-er to lower the curtain. Her voice was cold. "I’m sorry, but Apothecary Valley does not make house calls."
"Even so, you refuse?" The voice behind her remained gentle but now carried an edge of pressure. There was a sharp clap.
"Ah!" Lü-er and the other maids by her side suddenly let out startled cries and shielded their eyes.
Xue Zi Ye, startled, lifted the curtain—and was momentarily blinded by a dazzling golden light.
Twelve Kunlun attendants had set down the large chests they carried. A total of twenty-four chests of gold were laid out neatly in the snow at the valley entrance.
"I have heard that the Valley Master’s fees are high—ten thousand to save a life," Miao Feng said with a smile and a bow. "The cult leader has instructed me to bring a modest gift of ten times that amount to request treatment."
Lü-er could only gape at the sight, her tongue tied. The piles of gold ingots—worth well over a million taels of silver—sparkled before her.
She knew her mistress placed high value on wealth, and with such a fortune now laid at their feet, she couldn’t help but feel her heart stir. She turned to see how the Valley Master would respond.
However, the curtain had already been drawn shut. Xue Zi Ye’s cold voice came from within the sedan. "I have been ill for some time and am unable to travel. I’m afraid making a house call is out of the question. Miao Feng, you should return."
After a pause, as if she couldn’t help herself, she added, "You might also want to take care of your own health—your hair has a blue tint, a sign that the Ice Silkworm poison has settled deep within you."
Miao Feng, surprised that Xue Zi Ye had diagnosed his condition from such a distance by merely observing his hair color, was momentarily taken aback. But he kept his smile, his face calm. "The Valley Master is truly a master of medicine. I would be most grateful if you could extend this kindness toward the cult leader."
"This, I cannot do," Xue Zi Ye responded coldly as the sedan curtain fell once more.
As the sedan was lifted, Miao Feng raised his voice, his tone still polite but now loud and clear. "Before I came, I made some inquiries—over the years, it’s said that the Valley Master has been unable to leave the valley due to a cold illness that makes her sensitive to the outside elements. Is that true?"
Xue Zi Ye did not respond and simply instructed Lü-er to depart.
But then, Miao Feng’s voice paused before he added, "If that is the case, I can cure your cold illness."
"Hah," Xue Zi Ye couldn’t help but let out a derisive laugh. "It seems Miao Feng’s medical skills surpass mine."
"Valley Master Xue is indeed a master, but have you ever heard of the 'Spring Breeze Technique'?" Miao Feng smiled, slowly raising his hands. With a gentle motion, it was as if an invisible barrier expanded around him. No matter how fierce the wind and snow, as soon as it neared him, it melted quietly away under a warm, soothing energy.
Standing there in the snow, his robe fluttering in the wind, Miao Feng still wore a warm smile. His voice was gentle, and the aura around him radiated warmth from within. Xue Zi Ye, watching him closely, was momentarily stunned—his presence, radiating spring warmth, seemed completely out of place in the icy, snow-covered landscape.
"Since childhood, I have been poisoned by the Ice Silkworm, and to resist its cold, I spent twenty years mastering the secret technique from the Sacred Flame Manual," Miao Feng explained, gently clasping his hands together. A warm flow seemed to surge from his palms, soft yet powerful, clashing with the icy winds at the valley entrance. In an instant, the snow within three zhang (about 10 meters) around him disappeared entirely!
Lü-er stood stunned, her mouth agape before she erupted in excitement—this technique seemed to align perfectly with Miss Xue's illness!
Miao Feng smiled as he lowered his hands, and the snow began falling once more. Bowing deeply, he said, "The Valley Master’s medical skills are unparalleled, but internal energy can sometimes achieve what medicine and acupuncture cannot. Would you allow me to help expel your cold ailment?"
"Miss… Miss!" Lü-er twisted her hands, staring at the white-robed, blue-haired visitor with rising excitement. "He… he really could cure you! Why don’t you—"
"Lü-er, enough," Xue Zi Ye sharply interrupted.
Lü-er stomped her foot in frustration. "Miss! You’ve been sick for so many years…"
"Life and death are determined by fate." Xue Zi Ye laughed coldly at the wind and snow, her elegant eyebrows raised. "A physician cannot treat themselves—this has always been known. Miao Feng, do you think I, Xue Zi Ye, would be the kind of person to be swayed by fear of death? Lift the sedan!"
The maids, with no other choice, lifted the sedan and prepared to leave.
Miao Feng stood in the snow, his smile gradually freezing—this woman was indeed difficult to deal with, unmoved by either persuasion or threats, and even willing to disregard her own life. He had considered countless methods and made ample preparations on his journey here, yet every attempt so far had met with failure.
"Valley Master Xue! If you insist on refusing—" His once gentle and pleasant voice suddenly took on a harsh edge, laced with an unmistakable hint of killing intent.
Xue Zi Ye sneered inwardly: So the mask finally slips? The ways of the demonic cult are as ruthless as expected.
"Miao Feng, you should know that if a physician is not willing, the patient will never recover." Her tone was icy, her eyes mocking. "I’m not afraid to die; you can’t threaten me. You don’t know anything about medicine, so how could you tell whether my prescription is right or wrong? With just a few changes in the formula, your cult leader would die even faster."
"I understand the gravity of the situation," Miao Feng’s voice remained calm, his smile unbroken. "That is why I have no intention of using force or causing offense. However, if Valley Master Xue insists on refusing—"
Suddenly, he turned sharply toward the west and knelt down, a bright, water-like dagger slipping from his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he pressed the blade to his abdomen.
"Since I cannot return to Kunlun and report success, I have no choice but to end my life here!"
As soon as his words fell, the twelve Kunlun slaves behind him simultaneously drew their long swords and, without hesitation, sliced their throats. Blood sprayed into the air, and twelve heads tumbled to the snow-covered ground, blooming into twelve crimson flowers.
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