She originally picked up a piece of dead wood, but the part that she inserted into the fog changed color, turning a verdant green. Looking closely at the withered top, she could even see tender white spots. Most miraculously, small bumps were actually swelling on the branch—those were new buds yet to bloom.
Liu Rumeng was greatly startled. She picked up an even thicker piece of wood and pressed it in. This time, it took a little longer.
When she pulled it out again, the other end of the wood had already sprouted new buds. Contrasted against this desolate and cruel geographical environment, it was simply astonishing.
Could this… could this fog rejuvenate someone?
Liu Rumeng suddenly remembered the last time, on the night she unblocked her meridians, she had also emerged from this lake water.
Could it be that this lake water was different from ordinary water?
Thinking of Sanyuehong, Liu Rumeng returned to the room, picked up Sanyuehong, and carried it out. Sanyuehong blinked its eyes in a daze, looking somewhat fuzzy-headed.
Liu Rumeng told it to change back into the form of a spirit beast. After Sanyuehong transformed, she pulled its injured little paw and gently pressed it into the black fog.
Although Sanyuehong was terrified, it did not dare to defy its master's will. It obediently closed its eyes, trembling with tension. Before long, Liu Rumeng pulled its paw back.
At this point, new flesh was already growing over the original wound.
Sanyuehong also found it novel, holding up its paw and looking at it over and over again.
Liu Rumeng hurriedly dabbed the fog onto its injured ear as well. When she lifted it again, the wound on its ear had also healed, and the missing part had actually begun to sprout tiny granules of flesh.
"Sure enough." Her expectation had been correct; the lake water truly had a healing effect. She just didn't know if it would work on her.
Liu Rumeng told Sanyuehong to go back inside the house.
When the Snow Demons had all dispersed, Liu Rumeng slowly untied her belt.
As her clothing fell to the ground, the cold wind immediately turned into knives scraping against her skin.
Liu Rumeng gritted her teeth and stepped her foot into the bone-chilling lake water. In an instant, the cold turned into sharp blades cutting through her nerves, making her almost want to give up.
Yet she still gritted her teeth and persevered, slowly stepping her other foot in as well.
Cold—an unprecedented cold.
She felt as if her legs no longer belonged to her. The chill surged up from the soles of her feet, and she could not help beginning to tremble.
The black fog tightly enveloped her legs, feeling as though countless clammy hands were hugging her, making one involuntarily feel disgusted.
Liu Rumeng gritted her teeth, slowly squatting down to submerge her entire body in the lake water.
The chill was overwhelming. Her teeth chattered as though she had tumbled into an endless ice cavern.
This was the ultimate test of a person's willpower. She could escape at any moment, but she would also be destined to be a loser.
Liu Rumeng closed her eyes, trying hard to focus her thoughts on her dantian, and began striving to circulate her spiritual power.
After a long while, she finally gave up. She was simply too cold to gather her spiritual power at all; she was still being far too impatient.
She had no idea how long she soaked, but before she froze unconscious, Liu Rumeng propped up her body and stood up.
The black fog faded away from her body bit by bit, and she saw that her once scarred and battered body had completely changed in appearance.
Her delicate, fair skin was as smooth and tender as a baby's, emitting a lustrous and warm white glow under the reflection of the snow. Those scars had long since vanished. She lifted her foot, and even the frostbite on the soles of her feet was beginning to heal, leaving behind only patches of fresh new flesh.
However, these were not what she cared about.
With trembling hands, she put on her clothes, sat down right where she was, and began to circulate her spiritual power.
At the very beginning, she was still unable to gather her spiritual power, but as she grew increasingly focused, she felt a wave of heat begin to rise from her dantian, flowing with unprecedented smoothness.
The breath gathered and swirled in her dantian, rushing slowly toward her limbs and bones. Soon, the breath passed through one of the meridian points she had previously unblocked, and then through two meridian points on her legs. The breath continued to race forward... Her complexion grew increasingly pained as the breath was blocked by the meridian points and began crashing blindly and wildly inside her body. Every single impact made her feel as though her liver and gallbladder were shattering.
Liu Rumeng suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, then collapsed sideways onto the snow.
The wind and snow filled the sky, and snowflakes drifted onto Liu Rumeng's body, quickly melting away without a trace.
A faint purple light suddenly drifted out from the top of her head. That purple light hovered over her body once, and then scattered away.
At that moment, Baoma was playing with a ghost rabbit beneath a cliff when a purple light pierced through the clouds and struck it directly.
Baoma was knocked a long way away by the purple light. After a long while, it climbed up unsteadily, shook its head, and was about to attack when it heard a low male voice: "Audacious!"
The Mystic Tiger's body stiffened, and it instantly prostrated itself on the ground, becoming tame.
The purple light circled twice above its head: "Go save your master." Immediately, the voice vanished without a trace.
Before long, guided by a beam of light, Baoma flew to Liu Rumeng's side, hoisted her onto its back, and flew off toward the distance.
...
The white lotus retracted its petals and slowly concealed itself between the man's brows.
The man opened his eyes, a flash of purple light vanishing in the depths of his pupils, which were as deep as cold pools.
A hint of helplessness crossed his arrogant face: "Little one, haste makes waste. Your ambition is simply too great."
Although he had no clear idea of what she wanted to do, her current body could not afford to rush things. Besides, he had urgent matters to attend to right now, and he probably had no way to ensure her complete safety.
He intensely disliked this feeling of things being beyond his control.
"The little thing is probably still stamping its feet in anger." The man twirled his finger, his hand dotted with purple light like fine, shattered gems.
Actually, what he had implanted in Liu Rumeng was not some "Immobilization Spell," but rather a Spirit Companion link.
As long as Liu Rumeng encountered danger, he, as the primary spirit master, would sense it and take action, and her every move would also be known to him.
However, this type of spirit cultivation was extremely hazardous for the spirit master, because forming a mutual Spirit Companion link was a very risky endeavor. If one party to the Spirit Companion link met with danger and the spirit master could not rescue them in time, the backlash of power would also injure the spirit master.
Those capable of becoming Spirit Companions generally had deeply loving partners, equals in strength, or even blood-related fathers and sons. Yet someone like him, placing a Spirit Companion link on a person from the Zen Sect whose meridians were sealed and who possessed no spiritual power whatsoever, was a rarity throughout the entire Tianwei Continent.
Just then, he sensed that she had been trapped by a massive amount of energy. That power was so unfamiliar that even he had no idea what it was, so he had dispatched the Mystic Tiger to rush to her rescue.
The Mystic Tiger would carry her to a medical clinic, and once he finished his business, he would go see her as well.
He hoped she would behave herself during this time and stop stirring up trouble.
...
On the other side, the Mystic Tiger followed the purple light all the way until it flew to a very remote village. The village was surrounded on all sides by tall, green mountains, cutting it off from the outside world.
Only a dozen or so households lived in the village, and a river wound its way from afar, encircling the village within it.
The purple light vanished after sinking into a dwelling, and the Mystic Tiger stopped right above the house, raised its head, and let out a deafening roar.
"Roar, roar, roar, what are you roaring for?! Are people still supposed to sleep?" Accompanied by a torrent of curses, an old man with white hair and a beard rushed out of the door wielding a broom. He looked around in all directions before finally spotting the Mystic Tiger overhead, instantly jumping with rage.
"You, you, you, you! Get down here!" The old man pointed at Baoma and yelled.
How dare it disturb his sweet sleep! Didn't it know that old people had terrible sleep? He had finally fallen asleep only to be woken up by it. Let's see if he didn't beat it to death!
The Mystic Tiger held its head high, casting a sidelong glance at the endlessly bickering old man below. It tossed its head back and let out another tiger roar, nearly blowing the old man's roof off.
The old man clutched the front gate, his face turning pale with fury. At that moment, however, he saw a purple light drift before his eyes.
"I am the one who sent it here."
Upon hearing this, the old man's expression remained poor: "What kind of trouble are you sending me this time?"
"Whether it's trouble or not, you'll know once you look."
The old man walked out, and the Mystic Tiger slowly descended, lowering its head as well.
The old man walked up to it, glanced at Liu Rumeng on its back, and snorted: "And you said this isn't trouble? With her Zen Sect sealed and her six meridians incomplete, she's practically a dying person already. What's the use of sending her to me? Do you really take me for a living immortal?"
Yet a low chuckle sounded: "Cure her, and the Sanyuehong in my manor is yours to drink to your heart's content."
The old man's eyes instantly lit up: "Really?"
"Naturally."
The old man stroked his chin, a cunning glint in his eyes: "You've guarded Sanyuehong like a treasure. I've asked for it for so long without getting even a jug, yet this woman is so important to you?"
"Since when has the Medical Saint become as long-winded as Second Brother?"
"You had better think carefully. Becoming a Spirit Companion with her is extremely dangerous. If anyone wants to harm you, they can completely target her instead. Given her current condition, she probably has zero ability to fight back."
"I have naturally considered the consequences."
The old man clapped his hands: "Fine, I'll save her. Just make sure you have that Sanyuehong ready for me; I'll come pick it up whenever I want!"
The hearty laughter finally vanished into the shattered purple light.
The old man lifted Liu Rumeng down from the Mystic Tiger's back, and before leaving, he didn't forget to kick Baoma. Out of respect for the man's orders, Baoma didn't dare to fight back, its tail wagging furiously in anger.
No one would ever know that the Medical Saint, who had shaken the continent back then, was living in seclusion in such a desolate and remote little mountain village. Back in the day, the Medical Saint's great name was on par with the Poetry Immortal, the Drunkard, and the Medicine King, making them the Four Legends of the Tianwei Continent. The Poetry Immortal wrote exquisite poetry, elegant and romantic like no other, yet his strikes were ruthlessly lethal; people called him "killer by the stroke of a pen."
The Drunkard's whereabouts were erratic; wherever there was good wine, there he was. He made friends with wine and used wine as his weapon. The world's most toxic "Spring Brewed Blossom" had once nearly taken the life of the Hong Country's monarch. Fortunately, the Medical Saint stepped in to save him, and from that day on, the Medical Saint and the Drunkard forged a bitter feud—whenever they met they fought, relentless unto death!
As for that Medicine King, he was rather mysterious; very few people had ever laid eyes on his true face. It was only rumored that he spent his entire life immersed in medicinal herbs, brewing his own poisons and then crafting their antidotes, single-mindedly wishing to create the deadliest poison in the world while simultaneously unable to resist trying to make an antidote capable of curing all poisons, living out such a contradictory life.
Back then, these four figures who shook the continent were simply the ancient version of F4.
It was only a pity that later, as turbulent times swept through, all four gradually faded from the public eye.
The old man placed Liu Rumeng on the bed and lifted her hand to take her pulse.
Just as he had anticipated, her Zen Sect had been sealed for a long time, her six meridians were incomplete, and her physical condition was an absolute mess—it couldn't possibly be worse. Although he could detect that she had been trying to recuperate on her own, her methods were still incorrect.
"Huh?" The old man suddenly looked astonished.
"Huh?" The old man suddenly looked astonished.
Then he lowered his head and took Liu Rumeng's pulse once more, this time with extreme care.
Although it was still chaotic and devoid of order, there seemed to be a certain method within the chaos, and moreover, he could faintly sense a surge of power hidden in the deepest recesses of her body. Just as he was about to examine it more closely, Liu Rumeng suddenly woke up.
Her clear eyes opened, showing only a brief flash of disorientation before instantly shifting to vigilance.
"Who are you?"
The old man was momentarily stunned, unable to help marveling at her reflexes.
"I'm the doctor in this village. You passed out, and that smelly beast of yours carried you here on its back."
Awoo!
Outside, Baoma expressed its dissatisfaction.
Liu Rumeng pressed her temples, slowly sat up, and began recalling what had happened before.
She had gone down into the lake water, then started circulating her cultivation, and then... she couldn't remember clearly.
So she had passed out.
Liu Rumeng looked around the room, seeing that it was merely an ordinary commoner's dwelling—a table, a chair, a bed, and hanging on the window were... soybeans or corn?
Such a person was a doctor? Surely he wasn't a veterinarian.
Liu Rumeng broke out in a silent sweat, trying to get out of bed with a calm expression.
"Don't move. Your body is weak, and you can't get out of bed yet."
"I'm fine." She knew her own body. Although she was still very weak... well, actually, this was already the norm, wasn't it? It would be stranger if she weren't weak.
"You stubborn girl!" Seeing her abnormally obstinate behavior, the old man flared up, "I tell you to lie down, so you lie down! Do you think I'd actually cure you to death?!"
That was hard to say... In her era, there were no shortage of quack doctors...
Liu Rumeng thought for a moment: "I don't have money."
"I'm not charging you."
Liu Rumeng was taken aback. No money?
Was this doctor running a charity? Could it be that he hung a cross sign outside his house?
Seeing the look of confusion on her face, the old man coughed and finally came up with an excuse: "Look at me, a widower living alone and at such an advanced age. Just consider keeping me company and chatting with me."
The old man's appearance reminded Liu Rumeng of her grandfather. She was dazed for a moment, and then heard the old man say: "That fellow outside has stolen quite a bit of my grain. At the very least, you have to compensate me for these provisions."
Wronged, Baoma paced back and forth in place, wanting to rush over and bite him to death!
On second thought, Liu Rumeng figured that she rarely left the Realm of Ice and Snow, and this trip out could just be treated as tempering herself and clearing her mind; it didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Alright, but I can only stay for three days."
The old man hurriedly nodded, though what he was thinking in his heart was that his Sanyuehong was finally going to be in his hands.
Liu Rumeng personally wrote a letter and had the Mystic Tiger deliver it home, instructing it to protect the safety of her family, before she finally felt at ease staying behind.
Returning to the room, Liu Rumeng discovered the old man grinding something at the table, so she walked over to take a look.
"You grind it." Seeing her approach, the old man directly dumped the chore onto her.
Liu Rumeng took the pestle and began grinding the medicinal herbs without a shred of complaint.
The old man nodded inwardly: "I took your pulse and found that your Zen Sect was sealed away by someone a long time ago. Do you remember who sealed it?"
Liu Rumeng shook her head: "Those things don't matter. What matters is that I am still alive."
As long as she was alive, she could create countless possibilities.
As for that person, sooner or later she would investigate them!
A flash of admiration appeared in the old man's eyes. It was no wonder that fellow valued her so highly; she truly was different from other women. Just the confidence and nonchalance in her eyes were something ordinary people could never compare to.
Having finished grinding the medicine, Liu Rumeng poured out the medicinal powder and handed it back to the old man.
The old man turned around, took out several other medicinal herbs and mixed them together. With a gentle sweep of his right hand in a hidden spot, the medicinal powder transformed into small medicinal pills.
Liu Rumeng watched closely, yet feigned ignorance.
The old man handed the medicine to her: "This medicine can strengthen the body, clear stasis, and dissolve blockages. It will be of great benefit to you."
Liu Rumeng gave a faint smile, calmly taking the medicinal pellet without immediately swallowing it. Instead, she brought it to her nose and sniffed: "Bitter in taste, slightly pungent, with an astringent sensation at the tip of the nose. There should be Lingling grass inside this. What I ground just now should be Bone-Melting Flower. Both of these medicinal ingredients are bitter, toxic, and cold-frigid substances. If consumed improperly, even a single one can be fatal. Old man, you really are generous, handing me both at once. Are you afraid I won't die thoroughly enough?"
Back then, she had diligently studied that ancient book day and night. Even if she didn't recognize every single plant, she knew eighty or ninety percent of them. Moreover, she possessed exceptional memory and the ability to retain everything she saw at a glance. Although she had never seen their true appearances, she could still distinguish a thing or two based on the illustrations and characteristic traits in the book.
"Hahahaha..." Hearing Liu Rumeng's skepticism, not only did the old man not get angry, but he burst into loud laughter.
"You're quite right. There is indeed Lingling grass and Bone-Melting Flower in here." The old man propped his chin up, "These two flowers aren't common; very few people recognize them, and they look remarkably similar, always getting confused by others. How were you able to tell them apart?"
"They indeed share many similar traits, and their scents are also alike, but Bone-Melting Flower has a unique astringent taste. The book records: 'Bone-Melting Flower, upon smelling it, leaves an astringent sensation in the nose that lingers for a long time; when lightly scorched, the astringency turns slightly acidic, and its medicinal efficacy is even stronger than that of Lingling flower.'"
That slight acidity after the astringency was the biggest difference between it and Lingling flower, yet very few people could detect that extremely subtle hint of acid, which was why Lingling grass and Bone-Melting Flower always got mixed up.
"It's just rather unfortunate that my sense of smell is just a tiny bit better than ordinary people's," Liu Rumeng added indifferently.
A sharp gleam flashed through the old man's eyes, and he couldn't help stepping forward, a hint of fervor entering his voice: "What else can you smell?"
Liu Rumeng brought the medicinal pill back to her nose and sniffed again: "...It seems there is also some fresh essence... faint as grass leaves at first scent... No, that's..."
"Huti!"
"Huti!"
The two of them spoke in unison.
The old man could finally no longer conceal his delight: "You actually managed to smell Huti as well! You must know that its scent is extremely faint; even I have to be extremely cautious and careful!"
Liu Rumeng thought to herself, what was so difficult about that? In her past life, she had spent a major portion of her time in the wilderness and needed to recognize many wild plants to ensure she didn't accidentally ingest poisonous ones. She had memorized such a thick plant catalog in a single day with total recall, earning her the title of a living specimen manual.
"Come, come, come, follow me." The old man walked out impatiently. After a moment of thought, Liu Rumeng lifted her feet and followed behind him.
The old man led her around to a patch of open ground behind the house. Just as Liu Rumeng was wondering what he was going to do, the old man waved his hand, and an iron door suddenly appeared on the previously empty ground.
Liu Rumeng couldn't help being quite astonished as the old man already opened the iron door and walked down.
Liu Rumeng hurriedly followed after him.
Following the steep stone steps all the way down, the surrounding temperature grew increasingly cold until the old man finally stopped.
Liu Rumeng turned sideways, and upon seeing the scene before her, she couldn't help feeling a slight shock.
It was a room resembling a storage cellar, extremely vast in area, filled from end to end with racks and cabinets holding medicinal herbs. At a rough glance, there were at least several thousand kinds of herbs inside.
The medicinal herbs mingled together to form a peculiar fragrance of medicine, yet Liu Rumeng swiftly distinguished several very precious herbs among them.
For instance, the Ghost Nematode and Shade Flower that she had always wanted to let Sanyuehong have... Truly, 'traditionally, iron shoes are worn out in vain searching for a place, only to find it effortlessly without a second thought.'
In the middle of the room, there was also a round stone table, though she had no idea what it was used for.
The old man walked into the room, excited like a child: "These are all the treasures I've collected over the years, each one incomparably precious. A few of them were even snatched from that old fellow, the Medicine King—they're extremely rare in this world. You are the first person to ever set foot in here. I made a vow back then that unless someone met with my complete approval, I, the Medical Saint... would never take a disciple in this lifetime! Quick, hurry and kowtow to become my disciple!"
Liu Rumeng was speechless. Was there really someone who forced people to become disciples like this...?
Didn't she even want to ask her opinion?
She turned her head: "No."
"Why?!" Never in his wildest dreams had the Medical Saint imagined that someone would actually reject his request to take them on as a disciple. Was this person insane?
Back in the day, how many people had wanted to kowtow to become his disciple, among whom were imperial royalty and supreme martial experts, all of whom had been rejected by him one by one. Yet now, this woman actually dared to refuse his request!
"I don't think you have anything to teach me." Liu Rumeng turned around, "I'm leaving."
"Wait! I told you to wait! Stop right there!"