The Martial Doctor

"Could this True Breath Elixir be the Carefree Elixir?"

"I don’t know. Only someone absolutely trusted by Zhuang Rong would receive the True Breath Elixir from her. It’s very difficult for outsiders to enter their circle. They never discuss this elixir within the embroidery house and at most refer to it as the ’Red Pill.’" Baili Yuyao said.

"Red Pill?"

"Does the Carefree Elixir have a red color?"

"I haven’t seen it myself. It’s said that the Carefree Elixir is considered a commodity with price but no market on the black market. Although it’s occasionally available now, it’s extremely rare, and its sale is prohibited everywhere. If Wendao Sect discovers it, it will be severely cracked down upon." Baili Yuyao said.

If the Carefree Hall is formed of remnants of the Elixir Alliance, then it shares the same origin as the Huichun Alliance. However, the two are not allies but enemies.

Didn’t Dongguo Sun say that back then, the extermination of Huichun Valley was due to the Elixir Alliance remnants deliberately releasing information, leading martial arts practitioners to take action?

Dongguo Sun acquired the Celestial Fire Furnace and was pursued by a scorpion. Could this be related to the Carefree Hall?

He didn’t want to get involved in these matters, so he didn’t delve deeply. It seems Dongguo Sun also had concerns and didn’t share these secrets with him.

However, with Dongguo Sun hiding here, if discovered, he would inevitably face confrontation, and his and his senior sister’s identities might be exposed.

This is a trouble brought by the original owner. Since he survived as the original owner, he must also bear all the karma that comes with it, which is unavoidable.

Therefore, he is likely to encounter this Carefree Hall.

Better to be prepared in advance.

It wouldn’t do to wait for the enemy to bring the fight to the door before retaliating. Baili Bingyun suspects that Zhuang Rong secretly colludes with the Carefree Hall; they are enemies, and he also harbors an indistinct animosity towards the Carefree Hall, making friendship unlikely.

"My mother also suspects that there are people from Heaven-Dominating Tower and Skull Association collaborating with Skull Association."

"Oh, so it seems the ambitions of the Carefree Hall are not small." Lin Miao was not particularly surprised. The Carefree Hall, having lain dormant for so long, must be aiming for something grand. An embroidery house shouldn’t satisfy its appetite, likely targeting Li Hen City or even the entire Longchuan Canyon.

If the Carefree Hall could don a new guise and seize Li Hen City, controlling Longchuan Canyon, it might even leap to become a superlative force.

In this way, it could contend with Wendao Sect. Even if Wendao Sect knew its background, it wouldn’t be able to capture it.

"What is the organizational structure of the Carefree Hall?"

"My mother says that before the fall of the Carefree Hall, it had four halls of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, each with its responsibilities. Below the four halls, there were twenty-four Carefree Envoys, many of them masters. In the great battle back then, if it weren’t for the assistance of the Da Li royal family, it would have been impossible to eradicate the Carefree Hall."

"Even the Demon Sect participated in the eradication of the Carefree Hall back then. The Carefree Hall had infiltrated and controlled part of the Demon Sect members with the Carefree Elixir, nearly destroying the sacred Moon Pool of the Demon Sect."

Lin Miao was slightly astonished. Such things existed? How come Si Miaoxue never mentioned it? It should be an embarrassing incident for the Moon Worship Sect; who would willingly bring it up?

"I understand. After you return, be sure to tell your mother not to act rashly. It’s best to obtain a True Breath Elixir for my study to find out exactly what it contains." Lin Miao instructed.

"I understand."

"Also, you need to practice diligently the Heart Method I taught you, and follow the medicinal bath formula I prepared for you to quickly improve your cultivation. Only then can you help your mother, strengthen your position, and allow her to deal with situations more confidently." Lin Miao said, "Fei’Er will go to Li Hen City under the identity of ’Lin Bei.’ She is already of Upper Grade Meridian Passage Realm. Firstly, she can protect you, and secondly, she can be a hidden resource for you."

"Are you saying Fei’Er will come back with me?" Baili Yuyao asked in surprise.

"That was the original plan, but there are matters here to attend to, so you’ll have to go back first. She will follow shortly."

"What about Miaoxue?"

"She will remain here as well and return with Fei’Er later." Lin Miao said. If not for the incident at Xue Family Manor, Si Miaoxue and Baili Yuyao as well as Ji Fei’Er could have returned together, but now only Baili Yuyao could go back first.

However, he would arrange for Qiu Ze to accompany her.

Lin Miao also prepared many New Year’s gifts for Baili Bingyun. As a son-in-law, he should show his respect.

The Blade Catching Alliance also had a stronghold in Li Hen City. The actions of the scorpion should draw attention from the Blade Catching Alliance.

Among those recruited by the scorpion, many were court-wanted felons. However, in Li Hen City, Blade Catching Alliance members didn’t dare to act against these people.

After all, the primary function of the Blade Catching Alliance’s stronghold in Li Hen City was collecting intelligence and exchanging mission rewards, much like the contact department of an assassins’ organization.

Even the wanted criminals wouldn’t dare provoke the Blade Catching Alliance’s stronghold. Once someone was pursued by the Blade Catchers and vented their anger on the Blade Catching Alliance’s stronghold in Li Hen City, the result was predictable—they were captured and executed through lingchi, taking seven days and nights before they succumbed.

The Blade Catching Alliance’s stronghold served as an institution for publishing and exchanging bounties, and even acted as a semi-official organization, akin to a governmental yamen.

In general, what martial world figure or power would be foolish enough to attack a governmental yamen? That would be tantamount to rebellion.

Can you expect to live well if you rebel?

But whether this would draw the attention of the Blade Catching Alliance is hard to say, given the scorpion has no direct ties to Marquis Lingyang.

However, Lin Miao believed that the sudden actions of the scorpion might be related somehow to what happened at Xue Family Manor.

This was a doctor’s instinct.

Lin Miao immediately sent word to Yue Mei’Er, instructing her to have people keep an eye on the official road from Li Hen City to Dongshan and report immediately upon spotting the scorpion.

At the same time, Lin Miao dispatched Lin Huo and Bing Hou, the two young ones, for they found such an operation quite exciting—a chance to frolic outdoors was something they eagerly sought.

As for the still milk-drinking little black panther, it was better left at home with the senior sister.

This little creature had become quite clingy, practically glued to its senior sister’s armday. Even when the senior sister followed him to Yongning Hall to practice medicine, it had to lie nearby, never leaving her side.

Still, it was quite well-behaved, neither noisy nor troublesome. It either napped on a cushion or sat with its round eyes, curiously watching the comings and goings within the clinic.

Everyone thought of it not as a leopard but just a black cat.

...

Li Jing, the Imperial City.

The Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, Changxin Palace.

The Crown Prince had been back for seven or eight days. After attending the New Year banquet, no more concerns were raised about the Crown Prince’s health. Of course, the Crown Prince’s secret departure from the palace wasn’t a secret either.

Where he went and what he did remained a mystery, but it was known he was ambushed by assassins on his way back to the capital.

Fortunately, he emerged unscathed; otherwise, the court might have faced unprecedented chaos.

"Your Highness, a message from Dongshan arrived with the eagle post. Due to the blizzard, the messenger hawk lost its way, so it took longer than the expected two days." Although Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze might no longer govern, he maintained the title of Crown Prince, granting him the right to remain informed, though not to intervene.

"Was it delivered to Father?"

"Yes, it has been sent over."

"In this weather, to use the eagle post to urgently relay messages suggests something significant. Let’s go; we should visit Father."

In the Yangxin Hall, within the warm cabinet.

Emperor Zhao Rui wore a terrifyingly dark expression as he held a piece of paper, an eagle post message recently sent in from Dongshan Prefecture, and swiftly delivered by the Communication Department (a Da Li communication agency with a messenger hawk bureau).

No one dared to make a sound, the silence was almost eerie.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience!"

"Summon him!"