Inside the courtyard.

Li Yingling sat on a stone chair in the yard, with a large and thick book on the stone table, engrossed in her reading.

Yesterday at the Chanlin Temple, she only understood the last bit of gossip, while the rest about the Cultivation World was beyond her, requiring explanations from others, mostly from her junior brother.

How does he know so much? Could it be that while she was out shopping and playing, he was studying?

That sneaky junior brother, working hard behind her back.

In any case, Li Yingling found the gossip hard to digest!

Li Yingling never expected that understanding gossip in the Cultivation World would require insider knowledge. No, she needed to catch up, and catch up hard.

Just as Chu Xingchen finally had a good sleep and opened the door, the first thing he saw was Li Yingling studying diligently.

He asked in surprise, "Yingling... are you okay?"

Li Yingling turned the page and replied, "I'm fine!"

Chu Xingchen rubbed his temples in disbelief and said, "Then it must be me who's not okay... How come I see you reading?"

Hearing this, Li Yingling couldn't help but stand up and look at her master, saying, "Why are you making it sound like I'm some idiot who doesn't like to read?"

Chu Xingchen laughed, "Whether you like to read is still up for debate, but you should accept the fact that you're an idiot."

Idiot?

Since Li Yingling could remember, that word had never been associated with her.

As a child, the compliments she heard most often were only two—beautiful and genius.

She retorted, "If I'm an idiot, then there's no one smart in the world."

Chu Xingchen held back his laughter and said, "Alright, great genius, I'm going out for a stroll now. Do you want to come with me?"

Great genius?

It sounded like a compliment, but why did it feel sarcastic coming from her master's mouth?

Li Yingling hesitated, then sat back on the stone chair with a sense of grievance and declined, "I'm not going. I want to read! In the future, whatever happens, you'll all have to ask me!"

Chu Xingchen shrugged, respecting his first disciple's decision.

After all, learning more never hurt.

Where to go today?

To the brothel for free drinks... or to go fishing?

Forget it, let's listen to music at the brothel, better than fishing and catching something I shouldn't.

Pushing open the courtyard door, Chu Xingchen headed towards the brothel.

Soon, Chu Xingchen felt something was off. It was almost noon, and usually, the streets would be bustling with people.

Why did it feel so empty today?

There wasn't any event happening, was there?

With a puzzled mind, Chu Xingchen reached the brothel entrance and got in for free with his familiar face.

Inside, Chu Xingchen was even more puzzled. The usually lively brothel was almost empty, with only a few girls playing music on stage, idly waiting for guests.

Wanyun, wearing a light blue waist dress and holding a pipa, hurriedly approached, speaking with a hint of grievance, "Young master, you finally remembered Wanyun."

Chu Xingchen asked in confusion, "Why are there so few people on the streets and here today?"

"Don't you know what happened at the Chanlin Temple last night?"

"I know, I watched everything clearly from the side hall."

Wanyun's eyes lit up instantly. Who didn't know that those who could watch the temple fair from the side hall of the Chanlin Temple were either rich or very rich? She didn't expect the young master in front of her to be both talented and wealthy.

She explained, "The events at the Chanlin Temple last night have spread. It turns out that the benevolent person secretly funding disaster relief in Yuzhou City and surrounding areas was the abbot of the Chanlin Temple."

She paused, then sighed, "Now everyone with free time has gone to the Chanlin Temple. I can only sing alone here in the brothel, as I'm not free to leave."

Chu Xingchen suddenly understood, but he pretended not to catch Wanyun's hint.

Buddy is just here for leisure, not to be entertained.

Chu Xingchen smiled slightly, "What can you see in a crowd? Let me tell you personally what happened at the Chanlin Temple yesterday."

Wanyun's eyes lit up again, eagerly nodding in agreement.

Indeed, gossip is in everyone's nature.

——————

Not long after Chu Xingchen left, the courtyard door was knocked.

Li Yingling sighed slightly, stood up, and went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, she saw Zhao Wanqing, looking anxious.

She asked urgently, "Excuse me! Is Senior Chu here?"

Li Yingling frowned slightly and replied, "Master? He just went out."

Zhao Wanqing quickly asked, "Where did he go? I have an urgent matter to find him!"

"Sorry, can I ask what it's about first?"

Zhao Wanqing said anxiously, "My brother's condition has suddenly worsened. The senior's alchemy skills are extraordinary, and the medicine is very effective. I'm here to ask the senior to save him."

Extraordinary alchemy skills?!

Find the original at " pa𝑤read.com ".

Are you sure this term can be used for my master?

But seeing Zhao Wanqing's anxious expression, Li Yingling, knowing her master well, said, "Master is either fishing outside the city or listening to music at the brothel. I know where he fishes, so I'll go look. You go to the brothel to find my master."

Zhao Wanqing looked grateful and said, "Thank you, sorry for the trouble."

With that, she quickly headed to the brothel, while Li Yingling went outside the city.

Zhao Wanqing ran all the way and quickly reached the brothel entrance, pushing aside the servant who was about to greet her and barging in.

Her eyes quickly scanned the hall, and she soon saw Chu Xingchen telling a story to Wanyun, and hurried over.

"Senior! It's urgent, can you please come with me?"

"What..."

Zhao Wanqing interrupted anxiously, "One hundred Spirit Stones."

Chu Xingchen immediately stood up and said, "Let's go!"

Wanyun watched the two leave quickly, momentarily stunned.

Just like that, they left? The story was just getting to the crucial part!

...

Inside the Demon Bureau Clinic.

Anian applied several needles to the unconscious Zhao Zhengyang.

The situation was dire. The blood qi had embedded itself in his flesh, and once Zhao Zhengyang regained consciousness and control, the blood qi would quickly start to stir.

There wasn't much blood qi left, but Zhao Zhengyang's life was also hanging by a thread.

Damn it! He hadn't even managed to say any information, just opened his eyes and spat blood before passing out again.

He had been unconscious for a day now, and it didn't look good.

Zhao Wanqing suddenly said she was going to find an alchemy master.

Didn't she know the pills made by those alchemists in Yuzhou City?

They might be fine for treating minor injuries, but now that the person was on the brink of death, how could those pills be effective?

Sigh... this guy is really unlucky...

Before Anian could finish her thought, two hurried footsteps approached.

Anian turned and saw Zhao Wanqing bringing the handsome young man she had met at the city gate last time.

Before Anian could ask what was going on, Zhao Wanqing pushed her aside unceremoniously and urgently said, "Both internal and external injuries! The only hope now is your elixir, senior."

Chu Xingchen nodded in greeting to the still-dazed Anian, then walked to an empty sand pot prepared for decocting medicine.

A sand pot is still a pot!

It didn't hinder Chu Xingchen's alchemy!

He quickly started the fire, took out spirit herbs from his spatial ring, and began refining.

Anian then witnessed an alchemy process she had never seen before.

Alchemy... could be done like this?

During Chu Xingchen's alchemy process, Li Yingling, who had gone to the city outskirts in vain, cleverly arrived at the Demon Bureau.

When Li Yingling arrived, the alchemy was nearing completion, and she stood quietly by the side, not disturbing Chu Xingchen.

A while later, Chu Xingchen wrapped the freshly refined emerald green droplets with spiritual energy and instructed, "Alright, open his mouth."

Zhao Wanqing quickly reached out and pried open Zhao Zhengyang's mouth.

Chu Xingchen poured the extracted potion directly into his mouth.

Since the person taking the elixir was unconscious, Chu Xingchen saved the spirit herb that numbed taste.

Surely, being unconscious, he wouldn't taste it, right?

As everyone watched Zhao Zhengyang closely, hoping for the elixir to take effect, Zhao Zhengyang's face suddenly twisted as if tasting something extremely fishy and bitter.

Seeing this, Li Yingling felt her master's alchemy skills were indeed unparalleled.

Even the unconscious couldn't escape it!

Just as Anian was about to check his pulse, Zhao Zhengyang, lying on the bed, suddenly began to tremble all over.

His only movable left hand suddenly lifted, desperately clawing at his throat.

Chu Xingchen watched this scene and asked in confusion, "Are you... are you sure he's unconscious?"