Chapter 188: Medical Visit to the Valley

“I sent a few medical books to the south a while ago—the ones Grandmaster passed down to me.”

Chang Yang, though forever bottom-ranked in Class One—never scoring more than thirty points on any formation exam—was still a capable healer.

Since Yun Jiao’s curriculum didn’t include a full medical course, she had organized and copied her Grandmaster’s medical teachings and added explanatory notes before sending them to Chang Yang, who specialized in spiritual healing.

“Chang Yang says he’s encountered a very unusual patient,” she explained, “a case that’s… complicated. His medical foundation differs from mine, so he can’t understand some of the diagnostic principles written in the texts, and the interpretations I added don’t fully make sense to him. He doesn’t dare attempt treatment blindly, so he’s asking me to take a look in person.”

“You’re going to the Medical Valley?!” the old man blurted out, startled.

“Mm.” Yun Jiao nodded. “There’s a teleportation array in the Celestial Master Hall. I’ll leave once I finish peeling these radishes.”

The old man’s expression darkened. “Then… girl, are you bringing the Grandmaster with you this time?”

Yun Jiao looked up. “It’s just a medical visit. Why would I bring Grandmaster?”

“Not that—” the old man grew frantic. “You’re seriously leaving Grandmaster here with Ying Lun? Aren’t you afraid he’ll get mad again and kill him?” After all, the two still had an unsettled ‘exploded-cellar feud!’

“He won’t!” Yun Jiao shook her head with confidence. “Grandmaster’s a reasonable person.”

“……” No—only you think that, girl.

Yun Jiao patted his shoulder. “You’re a grown old man now. Time to learn to take care of Grandmaster by yourself.”

“No way!” The old man looked ready to cry, clutching her sleeve desperately. “I don’t care—you have to take one of us with you! Either me, Grandmaster, or Ying Lun! Otherwise something’s bound to explode!”

Yun Jiao: “……”

Are you people children?!

———

Under his relentless pleading, Yun Jiao finally agreed to take Grandmaster along. Between the three options, he was at least useful in a crisis. The other two? One was a nonstop chatterbox, and the other an economic black hole with zero combat value.

Grandmaster himself didn’t seem to mind. Ever since discovering that altering his appearance could suppress his overwhelming “divine charm,” he had started enjoying outings—occasionally even going to the market with the old man to shop for groceries. He knew prices better than Yun Jiao, the one paying for everything. The vegetables for the new pickle jars? He’d bought them himself on his last stroll.

When Yun Jiao arrived at the Celestial Master Hall, disciples from the Medical Valley were already waiting. After a brief word with Hall Master Xu, she stepped into the teleportation array with Grandmaster.

Because most Celestial Hall healers came from the Medical Valley, a direct array had been set up long ago—making the trip quick and easy. With a flash of white light, they were standing on a stretch of green meadow.

Before them stretched an endless expanse of herb fields. On the right, scattered thatched cottages dotted the landscape. Compared to other sects—some majestic, some awe-inspiring—the Medical Valley looked… plain. If not for the fragrant herbs growing in every patch of soil (and even the weeds along the path being medicinal), one might have mistaken it for a poor countryside village in need of charity.

Yun Jiao blinked, surprised. She’d expected something like a grand hospital—but this was rustic.

“Master Yun, this way, please. The Valley Master awaits you ahead,” the guiding disciple said, gesturing toward a slightly larger bamboo house in the distance.

At least the leader lived better than the rest—not a thatched hut, at least. Yun Jiao followed, passing groups of disciples kneeling in the fields, busily weeding. There were quite a lot of them.

As they entered the courtyard before the bamboo house, a man standing guard suddenly brightened at the sight of her and hurried forward with a respectful bow. His face looked vaguely familiar.

“Greetings, Master Yun! It’s been a while—how have you been?”

“Good.” Yun Jiao nodded politely. “And you are…?”

His smile froze. “…Master Yun, it’s me—Chang Ping! You sent me those medical books yourself.”

“……” Wait—hadn’t she sent them to Chang Yang, the class dunce?

“We met a few months ago at the Celestial Hall—during that business with Xu Qiuming.”

“Oh…” Yun Jiao nodded, entirely serious. “Hello, hello!”

Chang Ping: “……” You totally don’t remember me.

○|￣|_

“Er… where’s your master—Valley Master Chang?” she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

Chang Ping sighed, accepting defeat, and opened the door. “Master is treating a patient. Please, come in.”

Yun Jiao led her Grandmaster inside. Through the front hall and into the back courtyard, they found several people gathered. An elderly man, about the same age as the old head of the Celestial Hall, was performing acupuncture on a man lying on a wooden board. Several assistants were holding the patient’s arms and legs down, preventing him from thrashing.

“Master…” Chang Ping called softly.

The elderly healer turned, spotting Yun Jiao at once. His weary face lit up. “Daoist Yun! At last! Please, come quickly. The evil energy in this man’s body is too strong—I can’t form the needle array properly.”

Yun Jiao nodded without a word and approached. The patient didn’t look gravely injured—only a few faint bite marks marred his neck and wrists. The wounds were shallow, barely bleeding.

But from those marks seeped faint wisps of black mist, threads of darkness that crept steadily into his skin like ink bleeding into water. His entire body carried a subtle, unnatural shadow.

Yun Jiao’s expression hardened. She checked his pulse, then examined him thoroughly. As she suspected, the black energy had already invaded his meridians and was creeping toward his sea of consciousness. Had Chang Yang not sealed his vital points with acupuncture, the corruption would have spread through his whole body by now.

“Any other symptoms?” she asked.

“It seems to affect the mind,” Chang Yang explained grimly. “When he was brought in, he had lost all reason—biting everyone he saw. His wife and children were all bitten and infected. And…” His face grew darker. “Those he bit also fell unconscious from the same corruption, though not as severely.”

“You mean—it’s contagious?!” Yun Jiao exclaimed.

“Yes!” Chang Yang nodded. “I’ve never seen an evil aura like this!”

“This isn’t evil energy,” Yun Jiao said immediately.

“What?” Chang Yang froze. “Then what is it?”

Yun Jiao fell silent for a moment, eyes narrowing as she studied the faint black vapor again. She shook her head slowly. “I can’t say for certain yet…”

She had only seen this kind of wound twice before—once on the little fox, once on Ji Chen. Both were demons.

And Ji Chen had once told her the truth about his injury—

He had been attacked by a demon from the Abyssal Realm.

(End of Chapter)