Free Web NovelChapter 55: Chapter 55: Poison Master
The Poison Master had examined Jichen’s meridians, so it wasn’t surprising he could identify him as a Buddhist Practitioner.
But emphasizing it now seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Lu Sangjiu frowned, speaking with a hint of displeasure. "They always say we Demon Cultivators are black-hearted, but from what I’ve seen, you so-called Cultivators aren’t any better. What is wrong with you people?"
’From Jichen’s master to that Ting Chan, and now this one... Does everyone who sees a man and a woman together have to assume it’s about romance?’
What she didn’t know was that it wasn’t just these three. After she had left the Gold and Silver Gate, the gossip had been flying thick and fast there as well.
Hearing Lu Sangjiu’s words, the Poison Master wasn’t angry. Instead, he seemed to find it amusing and let out a laugh. "HA HA! Well then, it seems I was mistaken. But I don’t understand—if this has nothing to do with romance, why are you so desperate to save him?"
Lu Sangjiu said flatly, "It’s simple. He helped me."
"Oh?" The Poison Master’s expression grew even more amused. "A Buddhist Practitioner helping a Demon Cultivator, and a Demon Cultivator saving a Buddhist Practitioner... Heh, interesting."
The smile vanished from his face. He looked at Lu Sangjiu seriously and said, "I can save him, but... I want your Demon Blade Dominator. Are you willing to part with it?"
Lu Sangjiu froze, not expecting him to demand her weapon right from the start.
There were only a few Demon Artifacts in the entire Western Demon Realm, and her Domination Map Blade was among the very best. Needless to say, it was incredibly precious.
Moreover, the blade had been with her for many years. If she lost the Domination Map Blade, she feared she would never find another weapon that suited her so perfectly.
Seeing Lu Sangjiu’s silence, a smirk played on the Poison Master’s lips. "Having second thoughts, Senior Gu Huang?"
Lu Sangjiu considered for a moment before saying, "If you want a Demon Artifact, I can go seize another one for you."
But the Poison Master shook his head. "No. I only want the Domination Map."
Looking at his expression, Lu Sangjiu suddenly understood. It wasn’t the Domination Map itself that he truly wanted.
’He wants my most precious possession. He wants to see the choice I’ll make.’
’This man... He really is an eccentric with a twisted sense of humor.’
After a moment of silence, she took out the Domination Map. Her palm gently stroked it twice, as if bidding it farewell.
Then, without any further hesitation, she offered the Domination Map Blade with both hands. "Please, save him."
The surprise in the Poison Master’s eyes was unconcealed. "Are you sure?"
Lu Sangjiu’s expression was resolute and unburdened. "I’m sure."
Jichen had helped her, and he was only injured because they had misunderstood him. If Lu Sangjiu didn’t save him today, she feared her own cultivation heart would become unstable in the future. The Domination Map was undoubtedly important to her, but compared to him... she wanted to save him more!
The Poison Master gave a soft laugh and unceremoniously took the Domination Map. "Such decisiveness, Senior. In that case, please."
After Lu Sangjiu placed Jichen on the bed, the Poison Master was about to begin the treatment when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to her.
"Senior, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but one must always be cautious..."
"To prevent a scenario where I heal the man only for you to kill me and take back the blade, I’ll need you to make an oath before I begin."
Lu Sangjiu didn’t hesitate, immediately making a Heart Demon Oath. "I swear that as long as the Poison Master saves Jichen, I will not kill him to retrieve the blade, nor will I ever attempt to steal or forcibly take it, provided the Poison Master does not move against me first."
"Is that acceptable?"
Only then did the Poison Master nod with a broad smile. "It is."
"However, healing him will take some time. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to stay on the Mountain of Ten Thousand Poisons for a few days, Senior."
Lu Sangjiu grunted in acknowledgment, turned, sat down at a nearby table, and gestured with her fingers for him to proceed, indicating she would wait right there.
The Poison Master smiled faintly and said no more. He immediately began to circulate his Spiritual Power, supplementing it with medicinal energies, and started to repair Jichen’s heart meridian, bit by bit.
Repairing a heart meridian was delicate work. It wasn’t until the seventh day that the Poison Master finally rose to his feet, exhausted.
Lu Sangjiu immediately rose as well. "Is it done?"
The Poison Master had expended too much energy, and his face was somewhat pale.
He waved his hand. "This was only the first step. His life is no longer in danger, but a full recovery will require further treatment."
He thought for a moment, then added, "On the back of the mountain, there’s a Spiritual Spring Medicine Soup I’ve personally concocted. You’ll need to take him there to soak for three days to stabilize his condition. Then I’ll proceed to the next step."
Lu Sangjiu’s brow furrowed. "Why me?"
The Poison Master said, "Look at the state I’m in. Aren’t you afraid that if I take him, I might lose focus for a second and accidentally drown him?"
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’He really does look exhausted.’
"Fine." Lu Sangjiu reluctantly helped Jichen to his feet.
’It was a bit beneath the dignified Palace Master of the Moon Palace to be playing bath attendant, but since there was no one else for the job, she’d just have to swallow her pride.’
She was supporting Jichen and just about to head out when the Poison Master’s voice, tinged with mischief, came from behind her.
"Oh, by the way, remember to take all his clothes off before he gets in the bath. Otherwise, it will hinder his absorption of the medicinal energy."
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
She couldn’t stop herself from turning back, her face dark. "You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Making me strip a monk’s clothes? What kind of twisted sense of humor do you have?"
The Poison Master put on an innocent expression. "Fine, don’t believe me. But if he isn’t fully healed, you can’t blame me for it."
"You..." Lu Sangjiu gritted her teeth. ’If this guy wasn’t still useful, I’d slap him dead right now!’
In the end... Lu Sangjiu still stripped Jichen bare before dropping him into the medicinal pool.
Moreover, he was still unconscious, so Lu Sangjiu didn’t dare to leave. She didn’t even dare let her mind wander.
She was terrified that if she wasn’t careful, he might slip under the water and drown. That would be a catastrophic loss, suffering a double blow after already giving up so much.
And so, when Jichen opened his eyes on the third day, the first thing he saw was Lu Sangjiu, sitting directly across from him and staring intently with her bright, piercing eyes.
Jichen: "..."
He glanced down at himself, then silently sank a little deeper, letting the water cover his shoulders.
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
She had just snapped out of her two-day-long, mind-numbingly boring vigil and hadn’t even had a chance to feel happy about his recovery before seeing this.
She shot to her feet and spun around, turning her back to him.
"Er... don’t get the wrong idea. I was just afraid you might drown, so I was keeping an eye on you."
After a long moment, Jichen finally managed a soft "Mm," then asked in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Where is this?"
"The Mountain of Ten Thousand Poisons."
Lu Sangjiu explained, "Fa Shan accidentally injured you that day. I couldn’t heal you myself, so I brought you to the Mountain of Ten Thousand Poisons to have the Poison Master treat you."
"He said your life is no longer in danger, and you should recover after just a few more days of treatment. You don’t need to worry."
"...Oh." Jichen managed a single syllable before he couldn’t help but cough a few times.
Worried, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t resist turning back around. "Is something wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
Jichen tilted his head up to look at her. "The water is a little cold. May I get out?"
"It’s been about three days... I suppose that should be fine."
With that, she picked up the clothes from the ground and placed them beside him. "You can get dressed yourself. Call me when you’re done." freёweɓnovel.com
"...Wait." Jichen looked at her with his pure, flawless eyes. "I just tried. I have no strength, and I can’t circulate my Spiritual Energy."
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’So, does this mean... he wants me to help him out of the water and get him dressed?!’
