Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Tier Three Pill Master

While Li Ping and Song Yushu were chatting, the Lingxin Physician’s examination results came in.

All traces of poison had been purged from Xiao Yunzhi’s body. The only reason she remained unconscious was due to the immense spiritual exhaustion from the battle.

With a few more days of proper rest, she would wake up completely unharmed.

Upon hearing the news, Song Yushu was overcome with gratitude toward Li Ping, thanking him profusely.

He told Li Ping that if he ever ran into any trouble in Jixia Immortal City in the future, he could come and find him. For anything within his power, he would be duty-bound to help!

Even the elegant Lingxin Physician was filled with immense admiration for Li Ping, and she respectfully asked for his guidance on how he had purged the poison from Xiao Yunzhi’s body.

But Li Ping knew nothing about medical principles or toxins.

He could only press a hand to his forehead, explaining that he had spent seven days treating Xiao Yunzhi with all his might and was now mentally exhausted. He needed to rest, and thus couldn’t answer the Lingxin Physician’s questions.

He promised to discuss the matter with the Lingxin Physician once he had recovered.

The Lingxin Physician readily agreed and said she would be sure to pay him a personal visit.

After dealing with the Lingxin Physician, Li Ping asked Song Yushu to escort him back to his inn in the upper city to rest.

Song Yushu offered to arrange a temporary residence for him on the mountain peak, but Li Ping flatly refused.

At his insistence, Song Yushu had no choice but to personally escort him back to his inn. And despite Li Ping’s protests, Song Yushu insisted on paying for the entire duration of his stay.

The two agreed to meet again in a few days to discuss how Li Ping could contribute to the war effort.

Only then did Song Yushu smile and depart.

...

Jixia Immortal City had a curfew, so Li Ping’s plan to ’leave tonight’ was impossible—unless he was prepared for a fight to the death with the entire Immortal City.

The earliest he could leave the city would be tomorrow.

In his room at the inn, Li Ping sat cross-legged, silently reflecting on the process of treating Xiao Yunzhi over the past seven days.

He had to admit, the Jixia lineage had left a rather good impression on him.

As a False Core cultivator, Song Yushu hadn’t used his status to bully others. On the contrary, he had placed his full trust in Li Ping, even giving him the Tier Three Spiritual Fire in advance.

Earlier today, Xiao Yunzhi’s unconscious movements had led to him performing what appeared to be an improper act. But that Junior Sister Qiao had seen it all, distinguished right from wrong, and hadn’t made an unreasonable scene over it.

The Lingxin Physician was a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and a renowned Tier Two Upper Grade Physician. When he had succeeded in purging a poison she was helpless against, she didn’t feel like she had lost face and fly into a humiliated rage. Instead, she had sincerely asked him for guidance on his methods.

Li Ping sighed with emotion. ’As expected of a holy land for Confucian Cultivators. Their conduct is so much better than that wretched Sword Cultivator clan. Dai Sangyu acts so deplorably... Seeing the small reveals the great. I’m afraid her master, Fenglan Master, isn’t much better.’

For a moment, Li Ping even considered simply staying in Jixia Immortal City to cultivate from now on.

After all, the social environment here was clearly a cut above.

But then, he considered that a great war with the Demon Dao could break out at any moment, which was extremely dangerous.

Fenglan Immortal City, however, was located in a remote part of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, far from the battlefields of the Righteous and Demonic paths. It was much safer than Jixia, so he abandoned the idea.

Shaking his head, Li Ping took three thousand-year-old Spirit Medicines from his Storage Bag, along with a ball of purple lightning-fire sealed in a Jade Tripod, and the Jade Scroll that recorded the inheritance of a Tier Three Pill Master.

He hadn’t started on the mountain peak for two reasons. First, it wasn’t private enough on someone else’s territory. Second, the Tier Three Spiritual Fire didn’t belong to him until Xiao Yunzhi was cured.

Therefore, he hadn’t been in a rush to assimilate the Pill Master’s techniques.

But now, there was no issue.

Thinking of this, he held out his palms. Countless transparent qi tendrils spread rapidly from their center, enveloping the three Spirit Medicines, the purple lightning-fire, and the Jade Scroll with the Tier Three Pill Master inheritance.

The four Spiritual Objects and the Jade Scroll slowly faded and disappeared.

Li Ping once again sank into an Illusion Realm... It was the two-hundred-plus-year journey of a genius Alchemist named Xu Pingsheng learning the art of Alchemy!

...

「The next morning」

Aboard a black Flying Ship, Li Ping had a contemplative look in his eyes.

At this moment, on the Tree of Inheritance in his mind, the branch representing the Alchemist’s art had grown much thicker and longer, even surpassing the branch representing the Talisman Master’s art.

Engraved upon the gently swaying branch was a line of text: [Alchemist: Tier Three Lower Grade].

That’s right. After a night of intense study, aided by his peerless talent, he had finally become a Tier Three Lower Grade Alchemist!

Because of his breakthrough in the alchemical arts, the branch representing the Pill Master had grown, and the Tree of Inheritance itself had also grown noticeably taller.

However, it wasn’t his progress as a Pill Master that gave Li Ping pause, but the Illusion Realm of Xu Pingsheng he had been immersed in the night before!

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but he had a feeling that Xu Pingsheng’s disposition was somewhat similar to that of his master, Yan Guikai, as if the two were father and son or brothers.

’After I get back to Fenglan Immortal City, I’ll look into this Xu Pingsheng.’

Li Ping shook his head, pushing the question from his mind, his gaze turning to two menacing streaks of light rushing toward him in the distance.

’Robber cultivators! With the chaos of war, there are more people fishing in troubled waters.’ With a sigh, he calmly urged the Flying Ship beneath his feet onward.

Instantly, the Flying Ship’s speed surged, accelerating until it was even faster than the Flying Escape speed of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

One of the two robber cultivators was at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment and the other was at Early-stage Foundation Establishment. Their Flying Escape speed was no match for the Flying Ship. After shouting angrily for a while, they could only give up!

Li Ping found this quite amusing. ’Your horse isn’t as fast as my horse.’

...

The initiation ceremony held by the Immortal City for Zhang Tie had concluded.

After attending the ceremony, Qi Hanmo was invited up the mountain to treat Lin Yue.

The moment she saw Qi Hanmo arrive, a look of joy appeared on Lin Yue’s face. Qi Hanmo offered a polite smile in return, but remained standing about ten feet away, not getting too close.

Next, he took out his Long Flute Spiritual Artifact and began to heal Lin Yue with his skills as a Musician.

After the treatment was complete, he watched Lin Yue fall into a peaceful sleep before turning to leave.

Seeing the attendant who cared for Lin Yue bring over a tray of Spirit Stones, he frowned, ultimately taking only ten of them. "This is the consultation fee. The rest is unnecessary."

He placed the ten Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag and was about to leave when a familiar voice reached his ears. It was Mr. Yan, inviting him for a game of Go.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qi Hanmo smiled and turned toward the small courtyard where Mr. Yan lived.

Upon entering the courtyard, he found that Mr. Yan had already set up the game board and was stroking his beard, waiting for him.

"Mr. Yan!" Qi Hanmo greeted with a cupped-fist salute before sitting down opposite him.

Mr. Yan took the black stones, and he took the white. They played one move after another, and before they knew it, half an hour had passed.

Suddenly, Mr. Yan, holding a game piece, paused instead of placing it. He smiled and asked, "Young friend Qi, this old man can see that the young lady Lin Yue is quite fond of you. Why, then, is your attitude toward her so indifferent, with no intention of growing closer? Is it because you look down on her for having lost her innocence?"

Hearing Mr. Yan mention Lin Yue, Qi Hanmo quickly shook his head. "Mr. Yan, Miss Lin lost her innocence because she was plotted against by a villain, not from any lack of self-respect on her part. I don’t look down on her in the slightest!

"As for her fondness for me, it’s because I am a Musician treating her illness, and she has developed a dependency on me. Furthermore, the relationship between a Musician and a patient is like that of an adult and a child; there’s a natural power imbalance. If I were to accept her affection, it would be akin to taking advantage of her vulnerability. How could that be the act of a gentleman?"

Mr. Yan smiled and nodded, indicating that he understood. He then placed the stone on the board.

As Qi Hanmo was pondering the board, Mr. Yan spoke again. "I saw the attendant bring you nearly a hundred Spirit Stones as a token of gratitude. Why didn’t you accept them?"

At these words, Qi Hanmo hesitated for a moment before explaining in a low voice, "I already accepted my proper consultation fee."

"Oh?" Mr. Yan said with a smile. "I’ve heard a story about a sage’s disciple in ancient times. He rescued a drowning man but refused any reward. When he told his master, he was surprisingly reprimanded. His master warned him, ’Once word spreads that you save people without accepting a reward, you will be praised. But then, when someone else is drowning, others might hesitate to jump in and save them.’"

"’Saving someone from drowning is dangerous. It costs them time and energy. It is only right that they should ask for some compensation. But with your precedent, if they ask for a reward, they will be morally condemned. So instead, they might just pretend they saw nothing and walk away. In doing so, your actions would paradoxically lead to more innocent people drowning.’"

Qi Hanmo became lost in thought.

Mr. Yan continued with a smile, "By the same token, Lin Yue’s elders and master are either worried you won’t try your best, or are genuinely grateful for your treatment, which is why they offered such a generous reward. If you accept it, they will surely rest easier about her condition. Do you truly wish to make a patient’s guardians worry day and night for the sake of your own reputation?"

Qi Hanmo’s face flushed at the question. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "Miss Lin’s master once slighted my elder brother. That is why I am unwilling to accept her reward."

Mr. Yan nodded, a look of appreciation in his eyes. He was clearly satisfied with Qi Hanmo’s honest answer.

But he quickly followed up with another question, "Since your brother was insulted, why do you still treat Lin Yue with all your might?"

Qi Hanmo looked up. "I am a Musician. How can I allow personal grievances to interfere with the duty of healing the sick? Besides, it was Miss Lin’s master who slighted my brother, not Miss Lin herself!"

"And what if your brother forbade you from treating Lin Yue?" Mr. Yan asked with a smile.

Qi Hanmo shook his head. "My brother is not that kind of person. In fact, when he learned of this, he specifically instructed me to treat Miss Lin with my utmost effort!"

Mr. Yan pressed on, "But if it were to happen, what would you do?"

For a moment, Qi Hanmo was lost in thought, silent for a long time. Mr. Yan simply watched him with a smile, also saying nothing.

After a long period of contemplation, the struggle in Qi Hanmo’s eyes gave way to determination. "If my brother objected, I would still treat Miss Lin with all my heart!"

Having received a satisfactory answer, Mr. Yan smiled and placed the stone he was holding back into the bowl.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.