Late at night.
Xuanji Pavilion.
Li Ruoyun stayed up all night, obsessively rehearsing prescriptions. As the deputy pavilion master, her position was only temporary, and many members of her clan were eyeing it covetously.
"Miss." A maid hurried in.
"Xiaoqing, is she any better?" Li Ruoyun asked anxiously.
Days ago, Master Lu Fan had ordered Su Xiaoqing detained to find the person impersonating Great Master Pharmacist Ning. Li Ruoyun had been unable to intervene. During that time, Su Xiaoqing had naturally suffered greatly while confined in the Xuanji Pavilion. Fortunately, yesterday, with the Chen Family stepping in, Lu Fan finally agreed to let Su Xiaoqing return home.
The maid bowed. "Miss Su’s injuries are not life-threatening, but the head of the Su Family intends to send her to the Yang Family at noon today to marry Yang the Fifth."
Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyun froze. "Quick, come with me to the Su Family."
Without hesitation, she threw on a coat and rushed out.
Su Family residence.
Dawn was just breaking, and the bridal sedan was already prepared. The news of the Su Family’s third daughter remarrying had spread throughout the city, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
In a cramped side room, Li Ruoyun was personally feeding Su Xiaoqing a century-old ginseng soup, spoonful by spoonful. Su Xiaoqing wore a bright red wedding robe, but her pale face held no joy—only a deep, weary pallor. On her forehead and left brow was a crescent-shaped scar, a shocking sight that looked completely out of place against her festive attire.
She had only swallowed half a bowl before vomiting it back up.
"Sister Ruoyun, I’m worried about Lin Fan. Don’t let him come back," she pleaded, ignoring her frail state.
Li Ruoyun felt a pang of heartache as she watched this. Su Xiaoqing’s injuries had all been inflicted at the Xuanji Pavilion. "He will be fine," Li Ruoyun forced a smile.
Though they were close sisters, she knew family matters were off-limits; the affairs of the Su Family were something she, an outsider, could never interfere with. All she could do was fulfill the task Su Xiaoqing had entrusted to her.
At the city gates, Lin Fan had been eating a simple meal at a street stall to stave off hunger. After entering the city, his heightened affinity had sharpened his senses, and he accidentally overheard the news that the Su Family was marrying Su Xiaoqing off to the Yang Family at noon. At the same time, he learned that the Xuanji Pavilion had publicly declared Great Master Pharmacist Ning a fraud.
He was frantic. "What on earth has happened these past twenty days?"
Lin Fan immediately rushed toward the Su residence.
"Lin Fan." As he neared the house, two people emerged from the crowd and blocked his path. Lin Fan looked up to see members of the Li Family from the Xuanji Pavilion.
"We’ve been waiting for you for a long time." Li Ruoyun, protected by several experts, hurried over from the crowd near the Su residence.
Lin Fan’s eyes hardened as he glanced at the bridal sedan parked at the Su family gate.
Li Ruoyun stopped before him, her expression one of distaste. "Xiaoqing marrying into the Yang Family is irreversible. It is the command of her parents and a matchmaker’s contract. Come with me; I will find you a quiet place to recover."
"Get out of my way," Lin Fan’s expression set like stone.
"You are of imperial descent; how can you have no composure? Why are you so unable to keep your cool when faced with trouble?" Li Ruoyun was deeply disappointed.
"You expect me to just stand by and watch it all happen?" Lin Fan’s body trembled slightly.
Li Ruoyun sighed, her opinion of him sinking further. However, at least it was clear he cared about Su Xiaoqing. Her tone softened. "It was Xiaoqing who warned me to stop you from returning. Don't you understand? She is afraid the Yang Family will hurt you."
"What exactly happened?" Lin Fan asked.
"It is complicated. I will keep it brief, and I hope you don't let down Xiaoqing’s good intentions." Not wanting to resort to force until the very last moment, Li Ruoyun recounted everything that had transpired over the past dozen days.
Lin Fan’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, like an enraged beast.
"Leave now. Don't make me tie you up," Li Ruoyun issued an ultimatum. Even though she herself wanted to stop the marriage, as an outsider, what right did she have to interfere in the Su Family's affairs?
*Whoosh!*
Before she or her companions could react, Lin Fan surged forward, covering ten feet in a single stride as he charged into the throngs of the Su Family.
"5th Layer of Qi Refining?" Li Ruoyun was stunned. She had never imagined he would have such cultivation. Wasn't he a cripple? "Damn it, another disaster is about to happen."
Even at the 5th Layer of Qi Refining, he could change nothing; his cultivation level was far too low to stop the Yang Family. Li Ruoyun scrambled to catch up. It was her own slip of the tongue that had caused Su Xiaoqing to suffer earlier; now, Lin Fan had slipped past her eyes and into the Su house.
"It's Lin Fan!" Some of the Su servants were shocked to see him charge in, followed closely by the esteemed Miss Li. The house guards did not dare stop him.
When he reached the familiar side room and saw the sickly Su Xiaoqing lying on the bed, his fury peaked.
"Brother Fan..." Su Xiaoqing looked up, disbelieving.
Lin Fan walked over and pulled her into his arms. Li Ruoyun, having caught up, could only shake her head. Even if they met, they would eventually be forced apart.
"This scar!" As he saw the mark on her forehead, images of the torture she endured at the Xuanji Pavilion flashed through his mind. Li Ruoyun had admitted it: Lu Fan’s men had detained her. When they tried to force her to reveal the location of Great Master Pharmacist Ning, a teacup was smashed, and a shard had flown up, cutting her forehead.
And that wasn't all. To ensure she held nothing back, Lu Fan had actually forced her to swallow "Soul-Confusing Powder." Once ingested, one became a puppet, but the terrifying side effect was that it could shatter the soul. Su Xiaoqing had been held for days, suffering unbearable torture of both body and soul.
"Father promised me that I wouldn't have to cultivate Spiritual Roots for the family anymore, and the Life-and-Death Stage match with the Yang Family has been voided," Su Xiaoqing leaned into Lin Fan’s chest like a wounded lamb, her bloodshot eyes suddenly gaining a glimmer of light. "In my heart, you will always be my husband."
Lin Fan’s body shook. Su Xiaoqing offered a satisfied smile. "It is a pity I can only protect you for a moment, not for a lifetime. Quickly, go with Sister Ruoyun."
"You silly girl," Lin Fan held her tighter, grinding his teeth. *Lu Fan! Master Pharmacist Lu! You are so vicious!*
Fortunately, he had not returned too late. The Dragon Transformation Pill had the power to heal the soul.
"Silly girl, this pill was refined by Senior Ning. Take it, and you will be well." Lin Fan took the Dragon Transformation Pill from the bottle.
In an instant, a brilliant light seemed to bloom in the room, dazzling and intense. Li Ruoyun was struck with sudden realization. "Could this be the legendary Dragon Transformation Pill?"
Su Xiaoqing had never seen such an expression on Li Ruoyun before. Looking at Lin Fan’s sincere face, she did not hesitate and swallowed the pill.
*Boom!*
A terrifying auspicious light erupted from within her. Expecting this, Lin Fan immediately moved to suppress the pill's manifestation. The Dragon Transformation Pill was a rare treasure; if people knew Su Xiaoqing had consumed it, they would surely drag her away to be refined into a human medicine.
However, some of the light still burst through the roof.
"A dragon! There is a dragon rising over the Su Family!"
At that moment, everyone inside and outside the Su residence witnessed a brilliant dragon of light circling above the house.
"It really is the Dragon Transformation Pill!"
"Not long ago, there were rumors of a dragon manifestation in the Luoxia Mountains!"
"It was Great Master Pharmacist Ning refining the Dragon Transformation Pill all along! He isn't a fraud!"
Li Ruoyun felt as though she were witnessing a miracle.