Zhu Yuexi was poisoned one month ago.
Even though Zhu Yuexi was her sole direct disciple and the Saintess of the Linxian Sect, Mo Ruxue had always treated all disciples of the sect equally. Even Zhu Yueyao had to go down the mountain to complete the missions assigned by the sect.
That mission from one month ago was originally supposed to be in a remote town to deal with a water demon in a lake. However, Zhu Yuexi had inadvertently touched an ancient seal left at the bottom of the lake by a powerful master and was dragged into a secret realm hidden beneath the waters.
By the time Mo Ruxue, who had come looking for her, found her by the lakeshore, she had already fallen into a coma.
Mo Ruxue summoned the Sect Master of the Immortal Medicine Sect to treat her. Though the Sect Master of the Immortal Medicine Sect was known as the Medical Immortal and was said to be able to turn bone back into flesh—with rumors claiming he could cure even the most severe illnesses—the poison Zhu Yuexi had contracted in that secret realm was the [Phantom Vein Locking Curse], an ancient and legendary poison.
True to its name, those afflicted by the [Phantom Vein Locking Curse] did not die immediately. Instead, their meridians would slowly be eroded by the toxicity until the cold poison seeped into their bodies, corroding their bones and piercing their hearts. It was incurable.
Or rather, it was not entirely incurable.
Mo Ruxue remembered the final words spoken by the Sect Master of the Immortal Medicine Sect.
“This poison… I am afraid the only people in the world who could possibly neutralize it are my master and the previous Valley Lord of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons… Unfortunately, my master passed away twenty years ago, and that previous Valley Lord of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was beheaded by the righteous path ten years ago… It is a pity that I did not receive my master’s true inheritance…”
Mo Ruxue prided herself on her righteous heart and her benevolence toward the world, but she was no fool. The Sect Master of the Immortal Medicine Sect lacked the true inheritance and the ability to detoxify the curse. The old Valley Lord was also dead.
That meant there was only one person left in the entire world with the ability to cure the poison.
***
This was currently the most sensitive period for the righteous path and the demonic cults. The righteous path consisted of four major Immortal Sects, while the demonic side had three major cults. The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was the most hated among the demonic groups, known for the most cruel methods and the heaviest burden of slaughter.
Even if the current Valley Lord of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons possessed a cure, a demonic cult was still a demonic cult. Asking for their help… the other party’s conditions would likely mean her betrayal of the Immortal Sects.
If Mo Ruxue were the one poisoned, she would never bow her head to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons even if it meant her death. But the one poisoned was her disciple.
Due to her cultivation, she looked like a mature woman in her late 20s at most, but her actual age was already 36. When she had brought the infant Zhu Yuexi back to the sect, she herself had only been 18.
They were master and disciple, but to Mo Ruxue, Zhu Yuexi had long ago become her daughter. How could she watch her own daughter die from poison? She was the leader of the righteous path, yes; she cared for the world, yes; but she was also Zhu Yuexi’s master.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Mo Ruxue began to secretly investigate news of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
In the past, the demonic cults had always acted with a low profile, and it might have taken a long time to find any clues. However, the friction between the righteous path and the demonic cults had recently been brought out into the open. By following the traces of these conflicts, Mo Ruxue actually managed to find the location of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
She also met the Valley Lord, Xu Sheng.
She had considered directly capturing this demon who had countless lives on his hands, but that would mean a direct confrontation — it would be nearly impossible to force him to help her through threats or bribery. Moreover, rumors claimed that the Valley Lord’s true strength had already surpassed the 9th Realm and reached the legendary 10th Realm, and that he was simply waiting for the war between righteous and demonic forces to begin. She was not necessarily his match.
Xu Sheng’s words still echoed in Mo Ruxue’s mind.
“Immortal Maiden Mo… your righteous path is filled with as many hypocritical people as there are hairs on a cow. Most can be made to serve me with just a little intimidation or bribery. I naturally know why you have come to see me. There is no need to doubt me, and you shouldn’t think I am trying to sow discord. If I didn’t want you to see me, you wouldn’t have found me even if you searched for ten years — let’s get straight to the point. I can save your disciple. The price… is half the lifespan of everyone in your Linxian Sect…”
Xu Sheng was younger and more handsome than she had imagined. Based on his appearance alone, it would not be an exaggeration to call him the most high-spirited young talent of any sect. Yet his words were as sharp and calculated as those of a veteran of the world.
Mo Ruxue closed her eyes, trying to forget Xu Sheng’s mockery of her “sanctimonious” nature. Then, his final sentence surfaced in her mind.
Mo Ruxue had not told anyone about Zhu Yuexi’s poisoning, not even Zhu Yuexi herself.
“The terms of the trade are a choice between sacrificing the sect or sacrificing yourself, Immortal Maiden Mo…”
Xu Sheng’s words were hardly subtle. To someone as conservative as Mo Ruxue, they were extremely suggestive. The so-called ‘sacrificing herself’ certainly didn’t mean trading her life for the lives of many others, but rather…
Mo Ruxue was aware of her own beauty, but her heart had always belonged to the world, never to any man. Many had coveted or admired her, but she only felt those people were shallow. Mo Ruxue simply hadn’t expected that a demonic cult leader would ultimately have nothing but such things on his mind.
She inexplicably recalled the scent she had smelled when Xu Sheng leaned close to her, and the tingling sensation that had washed over her when he whispered into her ear…
“Master, what are you thinking about?”
A weak voice drifted over, and Mo Ruxue suddenly snapped out of her trance. She stirred the herbal medicine in her hand and looked at Zhu Yuexi, who was sitting on the bed.
“I was thinking about your illness…”
“I see. I saw you blushing, Master, so I thought…”
“What are you saying, you girl?” Mo Ruxue couldn’t help but interrupt her.
Mo Ruxue was usually strict with her disciple. Seeing her reaction, Zhu Yuexi instinctively shrank her head back and then looked at Mo Ruxue with a confused expression.
“I thought it was because… the weather today is too hot…”
“…” Mo Ruxue’s hand froze upon hearing this. It took her several seconds to regain her composure before she brought the medicine closer to Zhu Yuexi.
“It might indeed be because of the dog days of summer. Come, take your medicine. How are you feeling?”
Zhu Yuexi pouted and didn’t question Mo Ruxue’s earlier reaction. She simply opened her mouth to drink the medicine her master fed her.
“My body feels the same as before. The residual toxins are still in my meridians, which makes me feel some blockage when I circulate my spiritual energy… but it shouldn’t be to the point where I need you to accompany me every day, Master…”
Mo Ruxue understood that these were just the early symptoms. After taking medicine for so long, the most she could do was slow the speed at which the poison spread through the girl’s body. It probably wouldn’t be much longer…
At that thought, Mo Ruxue’s hand subconsciously tightened.
“It is fine. I have already handed over the affairs of the Linxian Sect to the elders for the time being. As for your illness… I will continue to find a way.”
Zhu Yuexi nodded, but in a place where Mo Ruxue couldn’t see, there was a flash of avoidance in the girl’s downcast eyes.
—