Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The Origin Return Pavilion was universally acknowledged as the most well-informed place on the Holy Martial Continent.

The Origin Return Pavilion's influence spread far and wide across the Holy Martial Continent, with branches established in numerous locations. These branches allowed cultivators to post missions and buy or sell various kinds of information.

When cultivators posted tasks at the Origin Return Pavilion, regardless of their nature, as long as they were willing to pay the price, the Pavilion would adjust the task's visibility based on its value. If one sought to buy or sell information, the process was even simpler. The Pavilion would charge differing fees depending on the difficulty of the information and determine how long it remained available based on its price.

In Cangwu Town, there was a branch of the Origin Return Pavilion. Most cultivators here came looking for news or missions related to Cangwu Mountain, often involving spirit herbs or demonic beasts – a unique feature of this branch that drew a steady stream of visitors daily.

On this day, a few individuals entered the branch in Cangwu Town to post a bounty mission.

"Senior Brother, we must find that wench and avenge me as soon as possible!" exclaimed a young maiden dressed in pink, her adorable face marred by an air of arrogance and twisted hatred.

Mu Ziming replied, "Assuming nothing unforeseen occurs, they should return to Cangwu Town soon, just like us. Unless..."

Unless they were still wandering in the mountains. This was a possibility, but they wouldn't stay in Cangwu Mountain indefinitely. There was another chance: aware that they had provoked them, the culprits might fear retribution and have left Cangwu Mountain altogether, bypassing the town and distancing themselves from the area.

This wasn't a problem either. As long as the Origin Return Pavilion issued a bounty, it would persist wherever the pavilion's influence reached across the entire Holy Martial Continent. They wouldn't be able to escape even if they had wings.

Mu Shan pouted unhappily. "Senior Brother, I don't want Xu Fei. I can just add more yuanjing; we must find that wench."

Recalling the agony of being gnawed on by those stone-sprout rats, Mu Shan's face darkened, her hatred still fresh.

Mu Ziying cared deeply for his junior sister and patiently agreed with her.

Mu Shan used all the yuanjing she had to issue the bounty. She meticulously described the person's appearance to the Origin Return Pavilion disciple who was attending to them. "Put it in the most noticeable spot. I need to find this person as soon as possible."

The receptionist smiled politely. "Miss, please rest assured. With the price you've offered, we'll place your bounty at the most prominent location."

After posting the bounty, Mu Ziying's group left the Origin Return Pavilion branch and found an inn in Cangwu Town to rest while awaiting news of the bounty.

A junior brother asked, "Junior Sister, what if that female cultivator has already left Cangwu Mountain?"

Mu Shan sneered. "I've already posted a bounty at the Origin Return Pavilion. They have many branches. I refuse to believe she can evade their watchful eyes."

Hearing this, the junior brother fell silent, glancing cautiously at their senior brother.

In fact, after hearing the details of the conflict between his junior sister and that female cultivator, Junior Brother believed that it was his junior sister who was in the wrong.

Under those circumstances, it was only natural for the female cultivator to react as she did when his junior sister tried to shift the blame. If Junior Sister had succeeded in her scheme, then the female cultivator would have been the foolish one. But Junior Sister, having grown up coddled by their master and mistress, and with many senior brothers cleaning up after her messes, had developed an unyielding personality, often behaving willfully and arrogantly. Reasoning with her was futile; the world revolved around her.

Mu Ziming's expression remained indifferent, as if he hadn't noticed his junior brother's gaze.

* * *

True to its reputation, the Reunification Pavilion was the fastest source of information. Mu Shan's bounty task quickly received a response.

Compared to others, Wang Xiuyuan and Qianshu, who had been closely monitoring recent developments in Cangwu Town, were among the first to learn about the bounty. From the description provided, both of them immediately connected it to Wen Qiao.

Wang Xiuyuan's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know who would want to put a bounty on Ning Yuzhou's wife. Now that he understood the value of Ning Yuzhou, the alchemist, he was determined not to let anything happen to Ning and his group, regardless of who was behind it.

Wang Xiuyuan hurriedly dispatched people to investigate who was seeking the bounty on Wen Qiao. He needed to clarify the situation first.

Soon, Wang Xiuyuan discovered the truth. When he learned that the person who had posted the bounty was none other than Mu Shan, the daughter of Dao Yan Zhenren from the Azure Cloud Sect, Wang Xiuyuan's scalp tingled.

The Azure Cloud Sect was a superpower that the Wang family could not afford to offend.

Indeed, Wang Xiuyuan wasn't unfamiliar with Mu Shan from the Azure Cloud Sect. This time, both the Wang and Shang families had dispatched people to Cangwu Mountain in search of spirit herbs. When they entered the mountain, they happened to encounter Mu Shan's group from the Azure Cloud Sect.

At that time, Wang Xiuyuan took the opportunity to hinder the Shang siblings, causing Mu Shan to develop enmity towards Shang Honglang and his sister. This led to an incident in Cangwu Mountain shortly after their arrival, as they were pressured by Mu Shan's maneuvers.

Wang Xiuyuan and Mu Shan had little interaction, but he had heard of the reputation of this esteemed Miss Mu. It was said that she was quite favored by the Daoist master Dao Yan. At that time, he merely intended to use the influence of the Qingyun Sect to suppress the Shang family a bit, making them suffer a silent loss. Little did he know that Mu Shan's reaction would be so impressive, which also revealed the character of this woman. She was truly a formidable figure that one should not provoke.

Wang Xiuyuan hadn't expected Wen Qiao to run afoul of Mu Shan.

The Azure Cloud Sect is one of the major superpowers on the Holy Martial Continent, a force that neither the Wang nor the Shang families can afford to offend, let alone an unassuming group like Ning Yuzhou's.

Wang Xiuyuan was extremely worried and also began to contemplate whether he should give up on Ning Yuzhou.

Genius alchemists could be found anywhere, but it was unwise to provoke the Azure Cloud Sect for his sake.

***

A lamp illuminated the dim room, casting away the shadows and revealing everything in its light.

Qin Hongdao carried the lamp over and explained, "Ever since my junior brother was poisoned, many have been frightened, and he himself has been suffering. That's why the lamp wasn't lit before."

Ning Yuzhou hummed in response, still examining Sheng Yunshen on the bed.

Sheng Yunshen, feeling anxious, croaked out in a hoarse voice, "Young Master Ning, I wonder if you have the means to cure me of this poison?"

Qin Hongdao, standing by, watched them both with bated breath.

Ning Yuzhou replied, "I apologize, but there's nothing I can do."

Upon hearing this, both Qin Hongdao and Sheng Yunshen were deeply disheartened, despair creeping into their hearts.

Recently, Sheng Yunshen had been tormented by the poison within him. He knew that if it remained untreated, his days were numbered. He could sense his life force draining slowly, and the sensation of waiting for death was utterly bleak and painful. If not for seeing his Senior Sister tirelessly working for him, Sheng Yunshen might have already given up, unwilling to cling onto life any longer, for fear of burdening her.

Qin Hongdao's eyes reddened as he rasped, "Young Master Ning, since you can identify the poison, surely there must be a way..."

Ning Yuzhou continued, "To completely remove the poison from Mister Sheng's body, one would need a Second Rotation Dark Yin Pill. This is an Exquisite Rank pill."

An Exquisite Rank pill?

The siblings, Qin Hongdao and his sister, were overjoyed. They hastily asked, "What is this Second Rotation Dark Yin Pill? Could it be refined by an Exquisite Rank Alchemist?"

Assuming Ning Yuzhou was merely a Yellow Rank Alchemist, they naturally believed he lacked the capability to refine Mystic Grade pills, hence their statement of being powerless.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yuzhou shook his head and continued to clarify, "Refining the Second Transformation Dark Yin Pill isn't overly difficult. The challenge lies in gathering its ingredients. One of the primary herbs can only be found in the Netherworld."

Qin Hongdao was taken aback, then seemed to recall something and asked, "Young Master Ning, you mentioned earlier that my junior brother was poisoned by a substance from the Netherworld. That's why we need to search for the spirit herb in the Netherworld that can counteract it, right?"

"Yes."

Qin Hongdao's expression flickered, but he quickly made a decision. With an earnest look on his face, he said, "Young Master Ning, the Netherworld and the mortal realm are separate, and very few people know of the entrance to the Netherworld. I have no idea when I might find that spirit herb. But the poison in Junior Brother's body cannot afford any delay. Do you have any means to deal with it?"

With so many alchemists gathered, only Ning Yuzhou was able to identify the poison afflicting her junior apprentice brother and even mention the name of the detoxifying spirit pill – a testament to his abilities.

Qin Hongdao was relieved that he hadn't overlooked Ning Yuzhou due to his low cultivation level, and now placed all his hopes on him.

Sure enough, Ning Yuzhou didn't disappoint. He smiled gently, his handsome features radiating warmth. His composed demeanor inspired an inexplicable sense of trust.

"I can temporarily suppress the poison in Mister Sheng's body, giving you time to find that particular spirit herb," Ning Yuzhou offered.

Qin Hongdao was overjoyed and hastily expressed his gratitude.

Sheng Yunshen was also pleasantly surprised. Who would want to die if they could live? Cultivators defied the heavens and encountered numerous dangers. Poison was just one of the hurdles. Originally, he didn't want to involve his senior sister, assuming that he would soon perish and thus urging her not to tire herself out for him anymore. Now that he knew he could survive, he naturally wanted to strive for life with all his might.

Ning Yuzhou first fed Sheng Yunshen an antidote pill. Then, he fetched paper and pen, swiftly jotting down nearly three hundred names of spiritual herbs on the paper, instructing Qin Hongdao to prepare them as quickly as possible.

"Narrowing down the poison in Young Master Sheng's body is not difficult. I'll first draw out some of the poison within him. The rest will have to be dealt with gradually," Ning Yuzhou said.

Qin Hongdao hurriedly nodded, not questioning Ning Yuzhou's words since she didn't understand. She took the paper and went out to collect the required spiritual herbs.

Qin Hongdao was swift, returning in just two hours.

However, her expression wasn't overly joyful as she spoke with a strained tone, "Young Master Ning, I've almost collected all the herbs on this list. Except for two, the Seven-Leaf Tongue Lingzhi and the Crimson Blood Spirit Fruit. None of the spirit herb shops in Cangwu Town carry them..."

The thought of her junior brother continuing to suffer due to their inability to gather all the herbs, potentially leading to his demise from the poison, filled Qin Hongdao with distress, her eyes reddening.

Upon hearing her words, Wen Qiao looked up at her and suddenly spoke, "We have these two spiritual herbs."

Qin Hongdao: "...."

What was surprise? This was it!

The surprise was too overwhelming, and Qin Hongdao, in his excitement, couldn't help but stride forward, lifting the slender Wen Qiao into his arms tightly. He exclaimed emotionally, "Really? Miss Min, you actually do have it? That's fantastic..."

Ning Yuzhou: "..."

Seeing his young wife being embraced by a stranger, even if it was a woman, Ning Yuzhou felt a twinge of displeasure. He stepped forward to retrieve his wife, saying to Qin Hongdao, "The spirit herbs are ready. Let's begin."

Qin Hongdao didn't notice Ning Yuzhou's reaction and hastily agreed, following his instructions to prepare.

Ning Yuzhou gently put down his young wife and stroked her head, softly saying, "Ah Chu, we'll be here for a while. Are you hungry?"

Wen Qiao shook her head. "There's food in the storage bag, so I'm not hungry. You go attend to your business."

Her husband was saving someone, and Wen Qiao naturally wouldn't hinder him.

Hmm, how obedient.

Ning Yuzhou couldn't resist another pat on the head. If there weren't outsiders around, he would have kissed this adorable and well-behaved little girl.

Ning Yuzhou placed a specially crafted bathtub in the room. Suspended in mid-air, the basin was adorned with flickering talismans beneath it. Smoke gradually emerged from the basin, and the water inside began to boil.

Next, he carefully placed the processed herbs into the bathtub in sequence.

The water in the bathtub swiftly transformed, turning from transparent to pink, then red, and finally black before settling into a dark green hue. Its scent also became peculiarly odd.

Wen Qiao couldn't endure it any longer and retreated to the door.

Qin Hongdao, on the other hand, remained unfazed. As long as it could save her junior brother, she wouldn't mind any unpleasant smell.

Bubbles emerged from the water in the bathtub as the runes beneath continued to burn.

Ning Yuzhou watched for a while before addressing Qin Hongdao, "You can place Mister Sheng into the bathtub now."

Qin Hongdao acknowledged and promptly carried Sheng Yunshen from the bed. Just as she was about to immerse him into the water, Ning Yuzhou hastily added, "He should remove his clothes to prevent them from sticking to his skin and hindering the toxin's extraction."

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiao, standing by the entrance, tactfully turned around to face away from the scene.

Sheng Yunshen let out a pained cry and weakly covered himself, "Senior Sister, I'll do it myself!"

"Are you capable?" Qin Hongdao shot back. Seeing that he had no retort, she easily tore off his clothing and threw him into the bathtub with brute force.

After roughly tossing his junior brother into the tub, Qin Hongdao anxiously asked Ning Yuzhou if there was anything he should take note of.

"There's nothing to be cautious about. Let him soak in the tub for ten hours without extinguishing the fire. I'll come back after that," Ning Yuzhou replied.

Upon hearing that Ning Yuzhou was leaving, Qin Hongdao grew anxious once more and pleaded, "Young Master Ning, please don't go. What if something happens while you're away? It's not that I don't trust Young Master Ning, but with you here, I'll feel more at ease. If you two are tired, you can rest here. There's a room next door, and I'll tidy it up for you..."

With that, she rushed out to prepare a room for them.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Ning Yuzhou decided against leaving and stayed with Wen Qiao.

Qin Hongdao had an energetic personality, and although straightforward, she was meticulous in her care. As long as one could tolerate her temperament, it was enjoyable to be around her.

After arranging rooms for the pair, she went to a nearby restaurant to pack delicious spiritual dishes for them, demonstrating her thoughtfulness.

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao didn't decline and sat at the stone table in the courtyard to have their meal.

Their seating position allowed them a clear view of the room, making it convenient for them to keep an eye on Sheng Yunshen's condition.

During the meal, Qin Hongdao joined them and briefly explained the origin of the poison in Sheng Yunshen's body.

"...We were entrusted by our sect to investigate the murder case in Yangxiang Village and were about to apprehend the culprit when, unexpectedly, that murderer used such an odd poison. My junior brother accidentally fell victim to it, and the culprit escaped. Seeing how critical his condition was, I had no choice but to bring him here to Cangwu Town first."

Cangwu Town was the nearest settlement to Yangxiang Village. The sight of Sheng Yunshen's severely poisoned state was terrifying. He had lost all his cultivation, and none of the various spirit pills they carried proved effective. Left with no other option, they came to Cangwu Town to seek out an alchemist for treatment.

Little did they know that the poison within Sheng Yunshen's body was so potent that it didn't give them time to react. Day by day, it eroded his vitality. If they couldn't find an antidote soon, he might not even survive until a more skilled alchemist could be found. Qin Hongdao, at his wits' end, resorted to any desperate measure possible.

As he spoke, Qin Hongdao sighed deeply, expressing his gratitude anew for finding Ning Yuzhou and thanking him repeatedly.

Ning Yuzhou smiled, about to respond when suddenly, his expression changed. Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out a voice transmission talisman.

He placed the voice transmission charm to his ear and, upon finishing the message, his expression turned grim.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but look at him. For her usually calm and composed husband to display such an expression, it was evident that things were not looking good.

Qin Hongdao, being a warm-hearted person, now viewing Ning Yuzhou as his junior brother's savior, asked, "Has Young Master Ning encountered any troubles?"

Ning Yuzhou sighed softly. "Indeed, there's a bit of a predicament. Miss Qin, we might be bringing trouble upon you."

"Why do you say that?" Qin Hongdao was perplexed.

Ning Yuzhou said, "I've received word that Dao Yan Realmsman of the Azure Cloud Sect's daughter has issued a bounty at the Return to Origin Pavilion, seeking Ah Cuo."