Chapter 50 - The Encounter in the Medicine Hall
The Crimson Heaven Sword glided through the sea of grey clouds, its runes humming with a low, steady vibration that kept the biting mountain wind at bay. Su Ming stood balanced on the blade, his hands tucked inside his wide sleeves as he looked down at the valleys below. The central range of the Heavenly Cloud Sect was a sprawling landscape of floating peaks, ancient stone bridges, and cascading waterfalls that dissolved into mist before reaching the forest floor.
As he flew, Su Ming withdrew the two administrative scrolls from his sleeve. Unrolling the first scroll, he skimmed the text. The Administrative Hall had formally listed his personal duties as the Peak Master of White Lotus Peak. Unlike the general tasks of ordinary elders, he was required to perform routine inspections of the region’s protective arrays.
Furthermore, he was tasked with conducting regular rounds in the mortal world, which included visiting the vassal kingdoms and minor sects under the Heavenly Cloud Sect’s umbrella to perform standard checkups on their conditions.
Su Ming rolled the first scroll closed and opened the second. This one was a resource-contribution mandate. Because White Lotus Peak had been inactive for so long, the sect was reassigning the peak’s old, long-abandoned herb gardens back to them. The decree demanded that the peak begin actively cultivating these basic gardens and registering contributions in auxiliary occupations, such as pill-making, alchemical refining, talisman-making, or forging. A failure to maintain the gardens or provide these auxiliary contributions by the end of the season would result in a significant reduction of the peak’s general resource allocation.
Su Ming stared at the characters, a dry chuckle crossing his mind. He had crossed into this world of cultivation to cultivate the Dao, not to cultivate vegetables. Pulling weeds and watering spiritual herbs was a fun leisure activity, but he had no intention of disrupting his or his disciple’s cultivation progress for manual farming.
’Reclaiming the herb garden requires constant labor,’ Su Ming thought, rolling the scroll shut and placing both back into his storage ring. ’Perhaps I should request a few handyman disciples to handle the weeding and basic maintenance. It will keep the peak compliant without wasting our time.’
With a light shift of his weight, he guided the Crimson Heaven Sword downward, carving a smooth arc through the mist toward the Medicine Hall.
***
The Medicine Hall was, as always, a place of constant movement. Disciples in pale green robes hurried along the stone corridors, carrying wooden trays filled with dried roots, jars of medicinal paste, and steaming decoctions. The air was thick with the bitter, earthy scent of boiling herbs and the sharp tang of spiritual oils.
Su Ming landed on the outer plaza, retracted his sword, and walked inside. The deacons and outer disciples greeted him as they passed. He made his way to the main reception chamber, where Elder Lu was sitting at a dark wooden desk, reviewing a stack of medical scrolls.
"Ah, Peak Master Su," Elder Lu said, looking up and resting his brush on the table. "I see you are out of seclusion."
"Elder Lu," Su Ming saluted politely. "How are the two guests?"
Elder Lu sighed, rubbing his temples as he stood up. "They are stable and out of danger. The young lady woke up two weeks ago, though her elder only regained consciousness three days ago. His body was severely battered when you brought them in, and the strain has taken a heavy toll on his cultivation. His meridians are torn, and his strength has dropped back to the Core Formation Realm. He is still very weak."
Su Ming nodded slowly. "And the young lady?"
"The young lady, Lady Bai, is healing remarkably well. Her cultivation base remains at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and her inner pathways are stable," Elder Lu replied, his expression turning thoughtful. "They are exceptionally polite, but they have been completely silent regarding their origins or what befell them. We have not pressed them, of course."
Elder Lu began walking down a side corridor, gesturing for Su Ming to follow. "But there is something interesting about Lady Bai. During the two weeks since she woke up, she has not stayed idle in her room. She has been helping our deacons in the recovery ward with minor cases and patient checkups. Her understanding of herbs, meridian diagnosis, and physician techniques is very advanced. Frankly, her diagnostic skills surpass many of our own senior physicians."
Lu paused, turning to Su Ming. "Once she recovered enough, she expressed a quiet, polite wish to meet the benefactor who rescued them to pay her respects."
Su Ming walked beside the elder, his mind quietly noting the information. A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm with advanced medical and diagnostic skills was far more useful than a standard disciple.
***
Elder Lu stopped in front of a quiet, sunlit room at the end of the recovery ward. He knocked softly before opening the door, stepping aside to let Su Ming enter.
The room was clean and simple, furnished with two wooden beds and a low table. Sitting on the edge of the far bed was an elderly man, pale and thin, with grey hair falling over his shoulders. Worn blankets were draped over his lap, and his breathing was shallow, reflecting his severely damaged foundation.
Standing beside him was Bai Qingxian. She wore simple white robes provided by the Medicine Hall, her long dark hair tied loosely behind her back. Even in such plain attire, her presence carried an ethereal, cold dignity.
Focusing his mind, Su Ming activated his Essence Sight for a brief second to check her condition. In his grey vision, the unique, highly refined secondary veins he had observed earlier were laid bare, now pulsing with a steady, healthy vital energy as her body recovered.
Seeing Su Ming enter, Bai Qingxian stood up straight and bowed deeply with solemn respect. "Bai Qingxian greets the benefactor."
The elderly man in the bed also inclined his head, his voice raspy but sincere. "Bai Zhen greets the benefactor. We are deeply grateful for your grace."
"There is no need for such formality," Su Ming said, returning a polite, measured bow. "I am Su Ming, Peak Master of White Lotus Outer Peak. I simply rescued you because I had the means to do it."
Bai Qingxian rose from her bow, her cold, clear eyes meeting his. "We were stranded in that space due to a sudden accident. If not for Peak Master Su’s timely intervention, neither of us would have survived. We owe you our lives."
She spoke politely, but her words were carefully measured. She gave their names, but she offered no details about where they had come from, what kind of accident had stranded them there.
Su Ming kept his expression flat, showing no curiosity. ’An accident,’ he thought, a trace of dry amusement passing through his mind.
’Yes, a simple accident that severely damages a high-level cultivator and strands a girl with a unique constitution in a secret realm, meant for a protagonist. Naturally.’
However, his voice remained neutral. ’Everyone has secrets. Knowing them only brings unnecessary trouble. As long as they pose no threat to me, their past is their own.’
His quiet acceptance and lack of interrogation made Bai Qingxian’s eyes flicker with a brief, subtle surprise. She had prepared herself for a long, probing questioning from a local sect elder, but the young man before her seemed entirely indifferent to their secrets.
"Peak Master Su," Bai Qingxian spoke again, her tone soft but firm. "We are deeply grateful for the Medicine Hall’s care over the past weeks, but we cannot occupy these rooms indefinitely. We wish to earn our keep. I would like to know if there is a way I could assist or work in the Medicine Hall. I have some experience with diagnostic medicine and herbal treatments."
Su Ming shook his head calmly. "I received a letter from Elder Lu this morning. He noted that Master Physician Song has cleared your injuries, meaning you cannot stay in the recovery ward forever. However, working here officially requires formal papers from the Administrative Hall. Since you are outsiders with unknown origins, securing those papers will take time and draw some unnecessary attention."
Bai Qingxian’s brow creased slightly. She looked back at Bai Zhen, who remained quiet, his pale face reflecting his silent concern. As outsiders with a damaged cultivator and no official identity, their position in a major sect was highly vulnerable.
"Therefore," Su Ming continued, his voice steady. "Why don’t you stay at my White Lotus Peak for a while. It is your best option. It is quiet and empty. If you wish, you may reside there as guests while we arrange the paperwork."
Bai Zhen looked up, his dark eyes observing Su Ming’s calm demeanor. After a long moment, the elder nodded slowly in approval.
Seeing her uncle’s nod, Bai Qingxian saluted once more. "We would be honored. If there are chores on your peak, I would be glad to help with them while we recover."
"It is settled then," Su Ming said. "I will speak with Elder Lu to coordinate your transfer to the guest pavilions on White Lotus Peak."
In his mind, Su Ming felt a quiet alignment of circumstances. He had already made up his mind that the two did not come from any ordinary background, even if he possessed no hard proof. Tying them to White Lotus Peak was a small gamble, but one that could pay significantly in the long term.
Moreover, his peak needed some capable people, and the Bais needed a quiet sanctuary away from prying eyes.
It was a mutual, silent cooperation between the two of them.
***
Later that evening, inside the secluded study of the Heavenly Dao Hall, a secret transmission light flickered. Master Physician Song stood before Sect Master Jun Tianya, handing him a scroll containing a detailed report.
"Sect Master, the two travelers Peak Master Su Ming brought back are highly unusual," Song reported in a low voice, bowing his head. "The elder’s cultivation was damaged, but he used to be at least in the Avatar formation realm. And the girl... her understanding of medicine and alchemy is too refined for an ordinary rogue cultivator, and she possesses an unusual bloodline. Her clinical skills might even be on par with a master physician."
Jun Tianya read the scroll, his expression calm. "Where are they now?"
"Su Ming has moved them to White Lotus Peak as guests," Master Physician Song said.
Jun Tianya slowly rolled the scroll shut, a trace of concern touching his lips.
"All right. Go."
"Thank you, Sect Master!" Master Song bowed and left.
With a flick of his finger, a man donned in a black outfit appeared and kneeled.
"Increase the security on White Lotus Peak. Keep an eye on those newcomers. We will keep watching them for now."