Chapter Forty-Four: The Inner Turmoil of Ghost Venom

On the southwestern border of Qingzhou, amidst a dense jungle, lay a graceful little mountain range. Its highest peak rose only several hundred feet, and the entire range stretched but a few hundred miles. This petite mountain range resembled a sleeping beauty, reclining quietly within the wilderness. At its heart was a valley of perpetual spring—a place where the seasons never changed, known as Ever-Spring Valley, the gateway and seat of the Medicine Sect.

Ever-Spring Valley basked in eternal spring, its ancient green woods thriving everywhere, the ground carpeted with rare medicinal herbs. At this very moment, a man clad in a black cloak rode a flying sword at tremendous speed toward the valley. This man was Yuan He. After departing from the Ghost Poison Sect, Yuan He had come directly to the Medicine Sect. Hovering above the layered blue mist, Yuan He slowed his flying sword and descended gently. Here stood the legendary mountain-protecting formation, the "Northern Dipper Killing Array," passed down since antiquity. Though it had become little more than a ceremonial relic as the disciples' strength waned, the elders’ efforts had maintained the "Celestial Branch Illusory Killing Array," which remained formidable—far beyond what a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like Yuan He could force his way through.

Retracting his flying sword, Yuan He headed straight for the blue-flowered stone stele at the entrance of Ever-Spring Valley. With a flick of his fingers, he cast a spell, sending a talisman onto the stele. Instantly, a soft azure light burst forth from the talisman, piercing through the layers of blue mist and shooting meteor-fast into the heart of the valley. Where the light passed, a stone stairway appeared—a path that had not existed before. Knowing this was the road to Ever-Spring Valley, Yuan He stepped onto it without hesitation. The moment his foot touched the first step, the stele behind him vanished into the blue mist.

Ever-Spring Valley was encircled by small hills, each flanked by clusters of wooden cottages. Beneath the northernmost peak stood a palace-like building. Its modest size was offset by the dignified aura radiating from the railings of blue spirit stones that lined both sides, imbuing the palace with an air of solemn majesty.

Upon entering the valley, Yuan He walked straight toward the palace—the place where his father and several senior uncles cultivated in seclusion.

“Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother!”

On his way, every blue-robed Daoist he met greeted him respectfully.

Passing two such Daoists, one of them, whose voice was somewhat hoarse, chuckled, “This Senior Brother always manages to mess things up whenever he goes out. Wonder what disaster he’s stirred up this time—just look at that outfit…”

The shorter Daoist beside him quickly hushed him. “Keep your voice down. You know what Senior Brother is like. If he hears you, you’ll be in trouble!”

The hoarse Daoist immediately covered his mouth and whispered, “Hmph, he only throws his weight around because his father’s the Sect Master. Let’s hurry—otherwise he’ll vent his anger on us again!” The two hurried away, as if avoiding the plague, rushing toward the pill room.

“Father, Father…” Yuan He’s urgent voice echoed into the main hall.

Inside, a Daoist dressed in pale violet sat cross-legged upon a blue cushion, cultivating in silence. This was Yuan He’s father, Yuan Qinghua, known by his Daoist name Dan Yu. Beside him sat his two junior brothers—Dan Qing to the left and Dan Sheng to the right.

As the voice drew nearer, Yuan He, his cloak riddled with holes, burst into the hall. “Father, this time that old man finally ran out of excuses. I actually beat his disciple in the competition!”

Dan Yu opened his eyes at Yuan He’s words, but upon seeing his son’s battered appearance, his brow furrowed. He asked sternly, “Yuan He, what happened to your clothes?” Clearly, even for Yuan He, appearing so disheveled in the main hall was unacceptable.

“Father, you wouldn’t believe it—the old man’s disciple is actually quite skilled. He’s reached the realm of ‘Medicine’, while those from our sect haven’t even touched its edge. So they were all drugged by the old man’s disciple. If I hadn’t held back, considering they’re from our sect, I’d have retaliated more fiercely. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.” Yuan He pushed all the blame onto the other cultivators.

Yuan Qinghua knew his son’s character all too well and shook his head at Yuan He’s words. Still, remembering that Ghost Poison had found a successor, he said, “Yuan He, take a few people and invite Ghost Poison back. Remember, invite him respectfully! We still need his help to find the Nine Dragon Stone.”

“Oh!” Yuan He nodded reluctantly, still unable to understand why his father treated Ghost Poison so courteously. The Nine Dragon Stone originally belonged to the Medicine Sect, and Ghost Poison had merely helped safeguard it. Now that Ghost Poison had lost the stone, why show him such respect?

“Wait!” Yuan Qinghua stopped Yuan He as he was about to leave. “Go change your clothes first. It’s improper to appear in such disarray!”

As Yuan He departed, Yuan Qinghua turned to his two fellow Daoists and asked, “How did the investigation into the Hongyuan Escort Agency’s incident go?”

“Sigh… We really shouldn’t have asked the Liao family to handle the transport,” Dan Qing lamented, regretfully. “All we know is the suspect’s codename is Thunder, and he’s a Grade One assassin. Nothing else can be found! In theory, no one should have known the Nine Dragon Stone was inside!”

“There are no secrets that cannot be discovered—perhaps it’s fate,” Dan Sheng sighed, closing his eyes once more.

“Don’t blame yourself, Junior Brother Dan Qing. If my guess is correct, Ghost Poison certainly possesses the Nine Dragon Stone—we just don’t know how many. Let us wait patiently for good news.” With that, Yuan Qinghua closed his eyes as well.

Yuan He, seething, returned to his little courtyard. He hadn’t expected to be scolded for bringing news home, and he blamed everything on Ghost Poison. If not for Ghost Poison, the Nine Dragon Stone would surely be in the Medicine Sect, and he wouldn’t have to watch that infernal competition every ten years; his clothes wouldn’t get ruined, and he wouldn’t have been reprimanded by Yuan Qinghua.

“Hmph!” Yuan He snorted, grabbing a bottle of pills from his room. “This time, I’ll make sure to invite you back properly!” With that, he ran down the mountain.

******

Within the Ghost Poison Sect, Lei Yan followed Ghost Poison out from the underground chambers.

“It’s time to return to the sect once more,” Ghost Poison murmured to himself as he walked toward the rear courtyard.

Ghost Poison had originally belonged to the Medicine Sect, expelled by his master centuries ago. Though the Medicine Sect was no longer what it once was, he still wished to return the Nine Dragon Stone, fulfilling the charge his master had entrusted him with—a long-held wish. He had once planned to instruct Lei Yan to gather the Nine Dragon Stone and return it to the Medicine Sect after his death, but now, there was no need. Eight stones had already been assembled, and the final one had been retrieved by the Medicine Sect itself years ago. Thus, all he needed to do was return the merged Nine Dragon Stone, and his heart would be at ease.