Chapter 94: Chapter 94 News from the Zhao Family
 

“Disciple, my good disciple…”

Qi Yue was making rounds in the courtyard when she heard her adoptive master’s voice.

She hurried to welcome him into the room and closed the door behind them.

Seeing Huang Zai’an’s face reeking of alcohol, she said unhappily, “I thought you, old man, were going to drink with that Hu guy all night and wouldn’t show up.”

Huang Zai’an quickly went to the door to take a look around.

“You girl, why are you speaking so recklessly? Should you be calling out Mr. Hu like that?”

Qi Yue snorted.

“If not?”

Huang Zai’an glared at her and admonished, “I’ve told you, child, Hu Chengxuan is not as easy to fool as his son. You’d better be careful.”

“Alright, I got it. I’m not stupid,” Qi Yue picked up the tea from the table and poured a cup, placing it in front of Huang Zai’an, “Now hurry up and tell me, how are they? Did anyone cause trouble for them?”

“This ‘they’ you’re talking about, who could that be? I have no idea,” Huang Zai’an said casually as he picked up the teacup and gently sipped at it, his face showing a smug expression.

Qi Yue’s lips twitched, “Zhao Xiyan, the Zhao Family! Happy now?”

Only then did Huang Zai’an take a satisfied sip of tea, making a pleased slurping sound.

“I know you’re anxious, and as your master, didn’t I come right away?”

“Hmph.” Qi Yue disdainfully handed him several Hangover Liver Protection Pills.

“You’re of such an age and still don’t take good care of yourself.”

Sniffing the pills in his hand, Huang Zai’an swallowed them down with a joyous look on his face before he finally began to recount the events.

“The day after you left, I went to your place. I did good, right?”

On hearing “your place,” Qi Yue felt a strange sensation in her heart.

“Stop telling stories, just get to the point, to the outcome.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Zai’an tugged at his white beard and said straightforwardly, “The outcome is that the Zhao Family is safe, and Zhao Xiyan is safe.”

“That’s it?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted, the result? That’s the result!” Huang Zai’an said blowing his beard and glaring at her.

Qi Yue suddenly felt that the liver pills were wasted on the old man.

But she quickly realized that she was also to blame. Knowing that they were safe was enough, what use was there in knowing more?

After all, the people of the Zhao Family, their lives, had nothing to do with her anymore.

She sat silently by the side, not making a sound for a long while.

Suddenly, she heard Huang Zai’an start to ramble on about the events following her departure.

“You girl really have a way with predictions. On the night of the day you left, a group of people dressed in blue came. They turned the Zhao Family upside down, searching for something, God knows what.”

“Fortunately, with those odd cows and tigers, they didn’t gain any advantage.”

“After they left, the natives came again, but were repelled by Zhao Xiyan.”

“After you healed his leg, he was practically indistinguishable from a normal person. He slaughtered the natives with no mercy left, and it’s said he killed hundreds.”

“The boy has a ruthless hand. In this old man’s view, you shouldn’t call him War God; he’s clearly a God of Death.”

“Your mother-in-law…”

For some reason, listening to Huang Zai’an talk about these matters made waves of sorrow wash over Qi Yue’s heart.

But she was a restrained and clear-headed person, and would never cry in front of anyone.

Knowing that the people of the Zhao Family were all right, Qi Yue felt at ease.

Anyway, the White Rhino was in her possession; as long as she returned to Northern Ridge, she could cure him.

But given the current situation, it was obviously impossible for her to leave Huang Zai’an behind and return to Northern Ridge alone, so she had to treat Hu Keqing’s leg first.

“Master, now that we don’t have the White Rhino’s horn, how do you plan to treat Hu Keqing’s leg?”

A sly look flickered across Huang Zai’an’s face at those words.

“That horn, did you really not get it?”

Qi Yue raised her eyebrows, “Of course not, you can ask Zhang Fang if you don’t believe me.”

Huang Zai’an huffed in frustration.

“Why should I ask him? He’s not my disciple.”

“There you have it,” Qi Yue said indifferently, “there’s none to be had.”

Huang Zai’an shook his head speechlessly.

“You girl, always so cunning, hiding and hoarding everything. Fine, I won’t ask anymore. If there’s none, then there’s none. But I’d like to see how you plan to treat your man’s leg?”

“He’s not my man.”

Huang Zai’an snorted, “Just be stubborn.”

“Yeah, I’m just a dead duck being stubborn.” Qi Yue squinted her eyes, appearing nonchalant, but in reality, her heart was tied up in knots.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this,” Huang Zai’an, waving his hands with a serious look, said, “disciple, you didn’t use up all of that dragon last time, did you? This time, Hu Keqing’s leg might need it for the treatment to work.”

Qi Yue’s lips curled into a slight smile at his words, “Master, didn’t you say that Panlong Seven was a gift for becoming your disciple? Why are you asking for it back now?”

After pausing for a moment, she said seriously, “Besides, I’ve used it all up for Zhao Xiyan’s medicinal bath. Now not even the dregs are left.”

Huang Zai’an almost passed out with exasperation. Why did he have to take on a disciple like this?

“You, you unfilial disciple, that was something over a thousand years old, and you really had the heart to do that! Did it really take that much for just one leg?”

“Of course, it wasn’t just for one leg.” Qi Yue smiled faintly, “I used that Panlong Seven to temper his sinews and bones, enhancing his physique. Even with just one leg, he’d move as if on flat ground.”

“You, you…” Huang Zai’an pointed at her, rendered speechless for a long time before suddenly bursting into wails.

“What am I to do now, my life is over!”

Through Huang Zai’an’s explanation, Qi Yue began to understand the whole affair.

A little over a year ago, Hu Chengxuan suddenly sought him out and requested his help to treat his son, Hu Keqing’s leg.

At that time, Huang Zai’an had no interest in dealing with someone like Hu Chengxuan and declined, claiming he had no medicine and couldn’t treat him.

But ten days later, Hu Chengxuan found him again and said he had found Panlong Seven in a valley.

Learning about such a large Panlong Seven, Huang Zai’an instantly grew covetous. He personally visited the valley only to discover it was a Panlong Seven that had grown for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, requiring only one more year to gain a miraculous healing ability.

He then plotted and finally, with some persuasive coaxing, convinced Hu Chengxuan to wait another year before harvesting the Panlong Seven.

However, on the day scheduled for harvesting the herb, Hu Chengxuan did not show up, but Qi Yue did, and she dug it up.

That Panlong Seven alone would have been enough to cure Hu Keqing’s leg with some to spare, but in Qi Yue’s hands, she thoroughly utilized it, sparing nothing, using it all on Zhao Xiyan.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue had an epiphany.

“No wonder that medicine was so mild and effective, Zhao Xiyan absorbed it all without notice; it really was truly refined!”

“What refined, it was the medicine’s effects combined with the energy of heaven and earth! You unfilial disciple…”

Huang Zai’an began scolding again as he gasped for breath.

Seeing that he was genuinely struggling, Qi Yue quickly checked his pulse by grabbing his wrist. After a moment, she took out a bottle of Spiritual Spring Water from her embrace and, with a pained expression, tossed it into Huang Zai’an’s hands.

“Here, drink this.”

After drinking a mouthful, Huang Zai’an instantly felt his breath smooth out and his lungs stopped wheezing.

“Good disciple, where on earth is this from? This is clearly water, yet it has a nourishing effect unlike any ordinary water.”