Chapter 18

Song Qingshi pressed his palms together, his face radiating devotion as he declared to Yue Wuhuan, "My precious darlings have arrived!"

Yue Wuhuan blinked in confusion, then realized Song Qingshi was gazing at the six white mice scurrying in the cage he held. Carefully, he placed the cage on the laboratory table. "Master, these were sent by the leader of Night Rain Pavilion. Are they rare spirit beasts?"

"These are the little mice I asked him to find in the mortal realm. It wasn't easy to get even these few," Song Qingshi leaned over the table, delightedly watching the adorable creatures, unable to get enough. "Wuhuan, did you know? White mice share 98% of their genes with humans and are the most commonly used experimental animals in medicine."

Yue Wuhuan’s beautiful phoenix eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scruffy little rodents in the cage.

*These things share 98% similarity with him?*

"Right now, we only have these wild ones. We'll need to breed them extensively, then cultivate various types: clean mice, SPF mice, germ-free mice… Maybe even high-cancer, low-cancer, or diabetic mice," Song Qingshi spoke of his beloved white mice with a radiant glow, oblivious to whether others understood. "It might take decades to breed them properly. Fortunately, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, I have a long lifespan and can take my time. The breeding house is ready, right? Starting today, I'll live in the lab. These mice are delicate, and I'm not sure if they can adapt to the immortal realm's environment. I need to ensure nothing happens to them, that they reproduce well. They are my lifeblood..."

Once, a senior sister abroad had been conducting an experiment with mice she had raised for four years, nearly reaching results when unrest broke out. Terrified, she called every day in distress. Everyone urged her to abandon the experiment and return, but she broke down sobbing, saying her lifeblood was there—she’d rather die than leave. From then on, white mice earned the nickname "lifeblood" in their lab.

Yue Wuhuan understood now. Recalling past rumors, he tentatively asked, "Master, no matter how similar mice are to humans, raising them is troublesome. Why not use mortals for drug testing? Isn't that the common practice among immortal alchemists?"

"Of course, we'll use humans," Song Qingshi said distractedly, still preoccupied with the mice. "But first, we test on white mice and other animals to confirm a drug's safety before human trials. My teacher liked testing on himself first to ensure safety, then recruiting volunteers. I've done it a few times too—it helps verify efficacy."

He deeply admired his teacher—a man of virtue, self-discipline, and integrity, dedicated solely to humanity’s welfare.

Hippocrates once said that medicine is the most beautiful and noble of all arts.

In medical research, developing just one new drug could save countless patients from suffering, even change the course of human history.

How wonderful was that?

Song Qingshi looked at the white mice as if seeing a bright future.

Yue Wuhuan hesitated for a long time before cautiously asking, "Master, your teacher tested so many drugs… Is he… still well?"

Song Qingshi answered honestly, "He's in another world now."

Yue Wuhuan paled, urgently saying, "Master, from now on, please let me test the drugs for you."

"Alright, I'll test them first, and if there's no issue, you can try," Song Qingshi praised contentedly. "Wuhuan, you're truly suited for medicine—smart, kind-hearted, and full of compassion. You'll achieve great things in the future."

*The Master was perfect in every way… except for being a bit blind when it came to him.*

From the apothecary assistants, he had learned that although Medicine King Immortal had always been obsessed with research, behaving oddly, ever since Yue Wuhuan arrived at Medicine King Valley, the Immortal seemed to have grown more emotional—no longer prone to inexplicable anger or cruel human experiments. The trust and favor shown to him were unparalleled.

This change made Yue Wuhuan unable to suppress his hopes. Today, those hopes grew even stronger.

If the Master didn’t disdain even these filthy mice… then perhaps he too could…

"Master, let me raise the white mice for you," Yue Wuhuan gently tugged Song Qingshi’s sleeve, pleading softly. "My constitution is perfect for drug testing. Let me test drugs for you my whole life, just like these white mice… alright? I'm not afraid of death, so please don't hurt yourself."

Song Qingshi flinched at the word "death," the fear of failure looming again. He reviewed their conversation, quickly pinpointing the misunderstanding, and firmly swore that both the white mice and Yue Wuhuan were his lifeblood, equally precious in his heart. His teacher’s passing was due to other reasons—definitely not drug testing—and under his careful control, no one would die.

Yue Wuhuan listened, utterly satisfied.

Considering he might sometimes need assistance, Song Qingshi handed Yue Wuhuan a thick manual on white mouse breeding, emphasizing meticulous care. Yue Wuhuan solemnly accepted both the manual and the cage, vowing to take good care of the Master’s lifeblood.

An apothecary assistant delivered the bill for the mice and a letter from Night Rain Pavilion.

Though white mice weren’t spiritual creatures, no one had ever requested them before. Their small size made them hard to find, requiring immense effort—they were eventually discovered on a remote island overseas.

Considering all factors, each mouse was priced at one hundred top-grade spirit stones.

"Not expensive," Song Qingshi paid without hesitation.

Yue Wuhuan hesitated before asking, "Master… did you not review the account books I sent you a few days ago?"

Song Qingshi had no interest in accounting, so he’d tossed the books aside and forgotten them. Reminded now, he sheepishly picked them up and skimmed through, only to freeze in horror at Medicine King Valley’s financial deficit. Stunned, he pointed at the numbers, hoping his indispensable assistant would explain.

Yue Wuhuan sighed. "Master commissioned many special tools from Heavenly Crafts Workshop—they were costly. And… you purchased large quantities of rare herbs for research. Most importantly, there’s an unexplained expenditure of two hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones..."

Song Qingshi swallowed hard. In his past life, he’d been a wealthy heir, spending freely without financial awareness. His parents doted on him, never batting an eye at spending millions on self-funded drug research. His lab had been fully equipped, so he’d never considered the costs of medical research.

Now, after transmigrating, Yue Wuhuan had organized his assets, opening new revenue streams with promising prospects—so Song Qingshi had indulged in shopping sprees, never expecting to become a wastrel.

That two hundred thousand spent on Spirit Marrow? He absolutely couldn’t let Yue Wuhuan know.

First, he feared burdening him psychologically. Second, he wanted it to be a surprise.

Seeing Song Qingshi reluctant to explain, Yue Wuhuan didn’t press further, comforting him instead. "Master, don’t worry too much. Some returns just take time to materialize. I’ll think of more solutions."

Though unrebuked, Song Qingshi felt deeply guilty. He suddenly realized he’d neglected administrative duties for too long. To avoid Golden Phoenix Manor, he’d even feigned seclusion, refusing patients while holed up in the lab and library, blissfully ignorant. Meanwhile, Yue Wuhuan, despite his own cultivation and incomplete recovery, tirelessly handled all the tasks Song Qingshi avoided—earning money, managing his daily needs—so thoroughly that Song Qingshi had forgotten these were his own responsibilities, only adding to Yue Wuhuan’s burdens.

Clutching Yue Wuhuan’s sleeve, Song Qingshi apologized shamefully. "This is my fault. I won’t spend recklessly anymore—no more chilled silk sleepwear, no more desserts, I’ll practice proper fasting. No new research tools for now. Later, I’ll take on a few wealthy patients. I’ll work hard to support you, so you don’t have to suffer..."

An exceptional beauty like Yue Wuhuan, a brilliant scholar—since following him, he’d endured poor living conditions, worked tirelessly despite his illness, even working hard to earn money to support this wastrel, worrying over their livelihood.

*What kind of monster was he?!*

*What kind of doctor treated a patient like this?!*

The more Song Qingshi spoke, the more flustered he became, his eyes reddening.

"It’s not that dire," Yue Wuhuan hurriedly reassured, seeing the Master about to cry. "These tasks aren’t hardships to me. Master’s research benefits the world—I’ll support it with all my strength."

Song Qingshi held his hand, unsure how to respond. "But… but..."

A faint smile surfaced in Yue Wuhuan’s eyes as he gently clasped Song Qingshi’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Master, I like staying busy—it keeps my mind off the past. So let me do this. I enjoy working for you..."

His beautiful fingertips traced slow circles on Song Qingshi’s palm, warm and teasing, making his heart flutter.

Song Qingshi was utterly moved by his beloved’s kindness.

Playing with his palm, Yue Wuhuan added, "This is just a temporary cash crunch. I plan to raise funds for medicinal fields, acquire herbs, and train alchemists. Medicine King Valley’s low-grade pills will sell well, but I lack connections and shouldn’t appear in public. We’ll need someone suitable to handle business dealings."

Song Qingshi understood his concerns and dared not let him go out alone, fearing unscrupulous people.

The immortal realm was rife with murder and plunder—only the strong could conduct large-scale business.

Medicine King Valley’s sole intimidating presence was Song Qingshi himself. But sending this socially phobic hermit to negotiate with shrewd merchants? He’d rather die...

After much deliberation, Song Qingshi had an idea. Sifting through correspondence, he pulled one out and hurried over. "An Long is visiting soon. He’s the leader of Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, which holds great influence in the Western Woodlands. Plus, his family owns spiritual ore mines—he’s extremely wealthy and well-connected. Let’s try recruiting him as an angel investor?"

Though Song Qingshi lacked worldly savvy, his father and sister had been powerful executives—daily exposure had imparted some business sense.

Yue Wuhuan glanced at the letter box, noting An Long’s correspondence made up the majority. Though purportedly academic exchanges, three or four letters arrived monthly. Medicine King Valley’s accounts also showed frequent gift exchanges with Ten Thousand Poisons Sect—their gifts always significantly more valuable. Frowning slightly, Yue Wuhuan grew concerned, sensing this needed clarification.

...

Song Qingshi held nothing back, spending much time explaining his relationship with An Long to Yue Wuhuan.

Lately, his memories were merging more with the original host’s, often giving him the illusion they were the same soul. The original had simply been colder, without ethical training, with more extreme approaches—but their habits and learning styles were identical. Since the original cared only for research and cultivation, indifferent to all else, many details about An Long were unclear, though the main points matched.

"We met over five hundred years ago. I hadn’t formed my Nascent Soul yet, and he was just a Foundation Stage cultivator," Song Qingshi thoughtfully explained to Yue Wuhuan. "I remember he was a bit older than you are now—seventeen, eighteen, a rebellious young man."

Yue Wuhuan interrupted to correct, "My Lord, it's just that the Pleasure Seal halted my development before I fully grew, keeping my appearance as a youth. It doesn't mean I was that young. In fact, I was already an adult when I reached Foundation Establishment."

"Right, after the seal is removed, you'll grow normally," Song Qingshi recalled his own lesson and advised cautiously, "Don't advance to Golden Core too soon. After reaching Foundation Establishment, a cultivator's growth slows down, and by the Golden Core stage, their appearance solidifies. If you form your Golden Core too soon, you'll end up like me—unless you specialize in body-refining techniques or reshape your body at the Divine Separation stage..."

This baby face was the unfortunate consequence of his original self's prodigious talent.

He also had no intention of refining his body just for the sake of appearance, so he just had to live with it.

"I know." Yue Wuhuan looked at him with satisfaction, licking his lips. "I like you just like this."

Song Qingshi took it as consolation and continued with the serious topic: "I met An Long while gathering herbs in a secret realm. We discussed pharmacology, and I found his insights remarkable, especially his extensive knowledge of poisons and Gu. I invited him to the Medicine King Valley as a guest for academic exchange. But that brat was too much of a troublemaker—he loved teasing me and provoking me. Years later... after I reached Nascent Soul, for some reason, we had a huge fight. He got inexplicably angry, hurled insults, and threw a tantrum that lasted forever before finally leaving the valley."

Yue Wuhuan tapped the table lightly with his fingers, deep in thought.

"Two hundred years later, he also reached Nascent Soul and suddenly realized his mistake. He wrote to apologize, and since then, we've maintained correspondence. Our relationship has been quite good." Song Qingshi concluded with relief, "Looking back now, it was probably just his rebellious teenage phase passing."

Yue Wuhuan asked cautiously, "My Lord, does he prefer men or..."

"Don't worry!" Knowing his concerns in this regard, Song Qingshi declared firmly, "An Long may be wild and unruly by nature, but his preferences are straight as they come! Back when we were together, I always saw him flirting with girls—either hitting on some fairy maiden or chasing after some courtesan! There are even rumors of his many romantic entanglements, but never once have I heard of him showing interest in men!"

Yue Wuhuan still seemed doubtful.

Song Qingshi patted his chest in assurance. "Relax! If he so much as touches you, I’ll break his legs!"

Author's Note: Little Phoenix's rival in getting attention in this lifetime is Xiao Bai the lab mouse—and sometimes he even loses...

Because if something happens to Xiao Bai, Qing Shi will immediately jump out of bed (no matter what fun we're having) and rush to the lab.