Jun Jiuqi naturally would not reveal the true reason. Leaving aside the Body Tempering potion, she had specially made her father purchase the ingredients for his detoxifying medicine outside, and only brought a small portion of items that were hard to find from the Hundred Herb Pavilion.
Even then, they were mixed with a large quantity of other herbs precisely to prevent anyone from seeing through her disguise.
After all, this was the Jun Family, and the person who had poisoned her father had yet to be found. She naturally had to be twelve times cautious.
Having obtained the required medicinal ingredients, Jun Jiuqi returned from the Hundred Herb Pavilion and headed to the main courtyard of Ancient Pine Hall to tell the old master that she wanted to take a look at his private treasury.
The old master looked at the girl in front of him who clearly had no idea what "politeness" meant, feeling somewhat speechless.
She certainly had thick skin.
"Is my private treasury a place just anyone can visit whenever they please?"
"Is it not?"
Jun Jiuqi looked somewhat disappointed, pondering inwardly that given it was her own private treasury today, if it were her, she wouldn't let people in easily either.
Her eyes rolled around, and a plan formed in her mind. "Grandfather, how about I have Dad come over for dinner tonight?"
"Hmph, what are you calling him here for? To piss me off?"
The old master immediately began blowing his beard and staring in anger.
It seemed this trick had failed.
Jun Jiuqi quickly came up with another idea. "Then what if I brew a body-strengthening potion and share a bottle with you?"
Jun Ting was rendered speechless. "What kind of body-strengthening potion could a little girl like you make? Don't make me get a stomach ache from drinking it!"
The old master wore an expression of utter disdain, while Jun Jiuqi rolled her eyes in her heart.
Her creations weren't something just anyone could have, alright?
"Alright, whatever you want, just have Xu Hai get it for you."
The old master didn't drag things out any further, directly instructing Xu Hai to take Jun Jiuqi to his private treasury, and then stood up and left.
Jun Jiuqi was stunned, somewhat surprised that Jun Ting had agreed so easily.
Xu Hai said with a smile on the side, "Don't look at how stern, unsmiling, and rigid the master appears on the surface; he's actually cold on the outside and warm on the inside. Third Miss can come to Ancient Pine Hall often in the future. The master might not say it out loud, but in his heart, he is very happy when Third Miss and Fourth Young Master visit..."
Jun Jiuqi glanced in the direction Jun Ting had left, and for once, she did not retort.
Xu Hai led Jun Jiuqi to Jun Ting's private treasury, waiting outside while letting Jun Jiuqi go in and pick whatever she liked.
Jun Jiuqi swept her gaze across the vast storehouse, filled with countless rare treasures, antiques, paintings, and ancient secret texts. Of course, there were also plenty of precious medicinal herbs, pills, weapons, and magic artifacts.
Jun Jiuqi merely glanced at them and looked away.
When it came to rare treasures, her Void Cauldron treasure chamber held countless numbers of them. Those were accumulated during her time as Empress; either tribute brought by her subjects, many of which she hadn't even bothered to look at and simply tossed inside.
The offerings presented by courtiers from the four directions were naturally the cream of the crop; ordinary treasures wouldn't even make it to her desk.
Unfortunately, many treasures in her chamber were currently unusable. First, her power rank was too low to manipulate these high-grade magic tools.
Second, most of the energy within the Void Cauldron had been absorbed by Chiyun, leaving only a microscopic amount for the treasure chamber, meaning less than one-fifth of the chamber's space was currently open.
Therefore, unless it was something extremely important, Jun Jiuqi wouldn't open the treasure chamber at all.
The image-recording conch she had used previously was something she had picked up in the South Sea long ago and casually tossed into the treasure chamber.
That image-recording conch had nearly gathered dust in her past life without ever being used, and she hadn't expected to pull it out this time.
The image-recording conch could do more than just record; it actually consisted of parent and child conches capable of thousand-mile sound transmission, so it could be considered a decent magic artifact.
Of course, the members of the Jun Family knew nothing of this, assuming it was just an ordinary image-recording magic tool.
Even so, it was enough to attract attention.
Since Jun Qingfeng had directly claimed he stumbled upon it while escorting a caravan, the others had no suspicions.
Jun Jiuqi quickly came to the medicinal herb section and found the last three ingredients she needed.
Sure enough, only a major clan could possess such precious herbs. Otherwise, even going to Liucheng's largest apothecary, it would be difficult to find ingredients of this grade.
After gathering them, she inadvertently glanced aside and noticed a Quexian Spirit stored in a box.
Jun Jiuqi remembered that she had once developed a medical formula specifically for treating lung diseases, and it happened to require this exact herb, the Quexian Spirit.
Since she had taken so many herbs from the old man, she ought to show some gesture in return.
With that, she collected the Quexian Spirit as well, along with a few other ingredients used to treat lung conditions and coughing. About the time it takes to burn an incense stick, she left the private treasury.
Upon returning to her quarters, Jun Jiuqi buried herself in concocting medicine.
The ingredients to detoxify her father had all been gathered, and she needed to brew the antidote as soon as possible.
The longer the poison remained in her father's body, the more severe the damage. Jun Qingfeng had suppressed this poison for fifteen years; had his cultivation not been profound, he probably would have kicked the bucket long ago.
For the next day and night, Jun Jiuqi did not step out of her room.
She didn't even show her face when Xu Hai came to call them for dinner.
Learning that the Third Miss was truly concocting medicine, Xu Hai found it quite novel.
He reported the matter to Jun Ting. Upon hearing it, Jun Ting only paused and said, "Let her be."
Chapter 36: Detoxification
The following evening, Jun Jiuqi emerged.
She first ate a hearty meal to appease her over-hunger internal organs, then sent Chiyun to summon her father.
"Dad, hurry up and drink this."
"What is this?"
Jun Qingfeng looked at the pitch-black medicinal soup in front of him, which emitted a rich, bitter stench, faint with an indescribable fishy odor. His facial features instantly scrunched up.
"This is the antidote to cure Dad's poison. Drink it up quickly, and later I'll use acupuncture to force the toxins out of your body. That way, Dad, your poison will be cured!"
"Really? This poison of mine... can truly be cured?" Jun Qingfeng looked at the bowl of black medicinal soup with a mixture of doubt and suspicion.
Jun Jiuqi nodded vigorously. "Dad, trust me."
Jun Qingfeng looked at his daughter before him, then raised the bowl of medicine and drank it down in one gulp!
Immediately, a look of agonizing pain appeared on his face!
The taste of that medicinal soup was simply too overpowering!
"Daughter, the taste of this medicine of yours is a bit too..."
Jun Qingfeng found it hard to put into words, a strange lingering taste in his mouth making it difficult for him to speak.
Jun Jiuqi knew the medicine didn't taste great, but there was no helping it; good medicine tasted bitter.
Jun Jiuqi had Jun Qingfeng take off his outer robe to reveal his upper body, while she pulled out a roll of silver needles.
"Where did you get those?" Jun Qingfeng asked in surprise as he looked at the silver needles.
Jun Jiuqi sterilized the needles. "Got them from Grandfather's private treasury."
Upon hearing that they belonged to that stubborn old man, Jun Qingfeng's thick brows instantly furrowed.
Yet, looking at the earnest expression of his daughter beside him, he moved his lips, and after a long moment asked, "Daughter, how have you been... living here these past few days?"
"Not bad."
"Really? Judging by your tone, you seem to be getting along quite well with that old man?"
"It's alright."
Jun Jiuqi was busy and focused on her task, failing to notice her father's expression for a moment.
Hearing this, Jun Qingfeng's expression grew increasingly unsightly, to the point where he stopped talking altogether.
When Jun Jiuqi finally looked up and noticed, she recalled their recent conversation and understood.
Jun Jiuqi was momentarily speechless. "Dad, what are you thinking?"
She couldn't help but want to laugh.
Jun Qingfeng, a grown man, currently wore a deeply aggrieved expression. "Daughter, I am your father. You mustn't abandon me and get too close to others, you hear?"
Especially not that stubborn old man!
Jun Jiuqi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was her old man actually jealous?
Unbelievable—he was even jealous of his own father.
"Alright, sit up straight now. I'm going to start."
Jun Qingfeng obediently sat up as his daughter instructed. Jun Jiuqi moved behind him, took a deep breath, and focused her attention.
Then, she struck like lightning!
Over a dozen silver needles instantly pierced into the acupoints on Jun Qingfeng's back. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, and her hand speed was shockingly fast!
The moment the silver needles entered his body, Jun Qingfeng quickly felt a wave of warmth circulating within him.
The bowl of medicine he had drunk also took effect. Initially mild, a sudden surge of explosive energy burst forth within his body shortly after. This energy rampaged through him, feeling thoroughly uncomfortable.
"Dad, these are the toxins. I will help you force them out of your body together."
Jun Jiuqi's voice rang out, and Jun Qingfeng coordinated with her, beginning to circulate his qi to drive out the poison.
This was a lengthy process.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Jun Qingfeng's upper body was almost entirely covered in silver needles, and steam began rising from the top of his head. Physical pain began to mount, growing increasingly intense—this was a necessary ordeal for expelling years of accumulated poison.
After all, this poison had built up for fifteen years, and much of it had merged with his body and bloodline. To strip it away would inevitably damage his body. All Jun Jiuqi could do was clear out the toxins while minimizing harm to his physical health.
Time ticked away second by second.
Soon, darkness fell.
Jun Jiuqi and Jun Qingfeng had been inside the room for over two hours.
When Xu Hai came by in the evening and noticed something amiss, Jun Ting heard the news and beckoned a Blood Shadow Guard over. The guard whispered a few words into the old master's ear, causing Jun Ting's expression to change drastically. "Absurd!"
He immediately stood up and hurried toward the detached courtyard!
Chiyun saw the old master rushing over and blocked their path. "Jiujiu said no one is allowed to enter right now."
"Step aside! Do you know what you're doing? The Ninth Girl is messing around, and that rebellious son is just letting her?"
The old master was truly enraged this time.
So the little girl visiting the Hundred Herb Pavilion and demanding access to the private treasury was plotting this all along!
How old was she? What kind of medical skills could someone of her age possibly possess?
Cat-scratch kung fu! If anything went wrong, that kid would lose his life!
You couldn't spoil a daughter to this extent!
"No! Jiujiu said nobody is allowed in, no matter who comes!"
Chiyun's small body blocked the doorway like a stubborn little ox, refusing to budge.
Jun Ting's face turned livid with anger. "Shadow Guard, pull him away!"
The Blood Shadow Guard made a move directly. Chiyun's body tensed up, ready to strike at any moment!
Just as a fight seemed imminent, the door suddenly creaked open.
Jun Jiuqi walked out from inside. "What's all the shouting about?"
"Jiujiu, you're out?" Chiyun immediately sought praise. "Don't worry, I guarded the door properly and didn't let a single person barge in!"
"Girl! What were you doing in there? Were you really detoxifying him?" Jun Ting stepped forward urgently.
Jun Jiuqi's eyes flickered. "Mhm, just finished."
Before she could finish speaking, Jun Ting stamped his feet in anger. "You are being far too reckless!"
With those words, he rushed straight inside, and Jun Jiuqi didn't stop him.
Chiyun walked over, pouting. "Jiujiu, they don't believe you. Hmph! What blind old men!"
Jun Jiuqi patted the angry little fellow's head.
Inside the room, Jun Ting saw Jun Qingfeng lying on the bed. At that moment, he seemed to have fallen into a deep coma, and no matter how long he called out, there was no waking him.
Xu Hai tested his breathing. "Master, the Third Master is fine. It looks like he's just fallen asleep."
"Go get a doctor."
Xu Hai immediately summoned a physician, while Jun Ting sat down by the bedside. Soon, the doctor hurried over.
"Take a look at him. That girl Jiuer doesn't know what she did, but now this brat is unconscious and won't wake up no matter how I call him."
The doctor immediately stepped forward to examine him, his expression growing somewhat puzzled as the inspection proceeded.
"How is it?"
"Reporting to the Grand Master, the Third Master has merely fallen asleep."
"Just fallen asleep? Nothing else wrong?"
"None at all."
The doctor checked repeatedly, confirming there was no danger.
Jun Ting frowned and waved his hand at Xu Hai, who brought over the bowl of medicine Jun Qingfeng had finished drinking.
"See if there's any problem with this."
The doctor inspected it, and after sniffing it thoroughly, he suddenly let out an "oh?" "This is a detoxifying medicinal decoction?"
Jun Ting narrowed his eyes. "How do you know it's for detoxification?"
He had never told anyone about his rebellious son's poisoning. Aside from Xu Hai and the Blood Shadow Guard by his side, no one else knew! Let alone a doctor!
The doctor stroked his beard. "Most of the medicinal ingredients in here are used to clear toxins. If this old man is not mistaken, it should be a powerful neurotoxin. The person who formulated it exercised extremely precise control over the dosages, showing a rather deep level of skill! However..."
Jun Ting grew tense once more. "However what?!"
Chapter 37: Prepared in Advance
"There are several medicinal ingredients among them that even I cannot identify, but the peculiar thing is that they perfectly neutralize the conflicts between the medicinal properties..."
As the doctor muttered on, his expression suddenly lit up.
"Brilliant! Truly brilliant! This maximizes the patient's physical strength without damaging their foundation, while bringing out the maximum efficacy of the medicine!"
"Are you serious?" Jun Ting looked astonished.
Suppressing his excitement, the doctor replied, "Indeed. This medical formula is a supreme treasure for detoxification. This old man just checked the Third Master's pulse and found traces of acupuncture having been used on him. Pairing this medicine with the art of acupuncture yields a complementary effect!"
"Then his poison..."
Jun Ting looked at his son sleeping soundly on the bed.
The doctor smiled. "Seven or eight parts of the poison have already been cleared. Afterward, he only needs to rest properly for a month to make a full recovery."
Jun Ting was genuinely shocked this time.
Could it be that the little girl really managed to cure the rebellious son's poison by blind luck?
"Grand Master, I wonder who formulated this medicine?" the doctor asked cautiously. "This old man wishes to seek counsel from this person regarding the formula..."
"Oh, it's an ancient formula I happened to find by chance."
Jun Ting did not expose Jun Jiuqi. He had the doctor examine Jun Qingfeng thoroughly once more and instructed him that this matter must never be spread, including the fact that Jun Qingfeng had been poisoned.
Xu Hai escorted the physician out. Jun Ting looked at Jun Qingfeng on the bed, walked aside, and sat down.
"Where's that girl? Bring her here."
Soon, Jun Jiuqi returned.
She had gone to brew a second pot of medicinal soup for her father and showed no surprise upon seeing Jun Ting sitting inside waiting for her.
Jun Jiuqi guessed in her heart that Jun Ting had questions to ask her.
"Tell me, where did you get that medical formula? And the acupuncture technique—did you truly learn it from some old gentleman?" Jun Ting asked straight to the point.
"Didn't Grandfather see it all?" Jun Jiuqi replied with an indifferent demeanor.
Jun Ting clearly didn't believe her and sensed she was hiding something.
His little granddaughter, at such a young age, not only possessed considerable cultivation, but her medical skills were also extraordinary.
If the poison Jun Qingfeng was suffering from could be cured so easily, he wouldn't have had to wait until today, fifteen years later.
"Do you truly have nothing else to tell your grandfather?"
Jun Ting's gaze, laden with hidden majesty, stared at her unblinkingly.
Inside the room, the atmosphere grew slightly tense.
Anyone else would have been trembling under such pressure.
Yet, because the target was Jun Jiuqi, her expression didn't change in the slightest. "And what about Grandfather? When did you find out that Dad was poisoned? Could it be that you knew from the very beginning?"
She turned the tables on him.
Jun Ting's eyes flashed. "This is not something a child like you should be asking."
"Dad is suffering from a strange and severe poison, and his cultivation has been regressing for all these years. If it isn't cured soon, within half a year his cultivation will completely dissipate. In the end, it will even harm his core and leave him thoroughly crippled. Yet right at this time, Grandfather welcomed us back and even arranged for us to stay in the detached courtyard closest to Ancient Pine Hall."
Jun Jiuqi curled her lip.
"I heard Fourth Uncle mention that the Jun Family's Huben Blood Shadow Guards are everywhere. If so, Grandfather should be crystal clear about everything that happens in the Jun Family..."
"Alright, since you don't wish to speak of it, then let it be!"
Jun Ting interrupted Jun Jiuqi's subtext. Outwardly he showed nothing, but his heart was surging with waves.
He sighed, pulled out a bottle, and placed it on the table.
"Have him take this."
With that, Jun Ting stood up, casting one last glance at Jun Jiuqi before leaving. "Wisdom too early breeds misfortune. Let this matter rest, and make sure no one else finds out."
Having dropped these meaningful words, he turned and left.
Jun Jiuqi watched Jun Ting's retreating figure in contemplative thought.
Sure enough, Jun Ting knew.
If he hadn't known, how could there be such a coincidence that they were welcomed back as a family at this exact juncture?
Previously, Jun Jiuqi had assumed the old master welcomed them back to the Jun Family for the sake of the Three Clans Tournament.
But looking at it now, the Three Clans Tournament was merely a facade; the old master simply couldn't let go of Jun Qingfeng.
Jun Jiuqi picked up the bottle, opened it, and poured out a medicinal pill.
Xuanming Pill?
This was a Yellow-grade Ninth Rank pill used to protect the body and heart channels.
She hadn't expected Jun Ting to be able to procure such a fine item. This pill would be immensely beneficial to her father, whose body needed recovery right after having the poison extracted.
Originally, Jun Jiuqi had been pondering over concocting some potions to repair damaged meridians and protect the body and mind.
She never expected a pillow to be delivered the moment she felt sleepy.
The old master had prepared this in advance!
Thus, Jun Jiuqi fed the pill to her father, confirming in her heart that Jun Ting must have known about her father's poisoning long ago. But why had he kept it hidden and unaddressed all these years?
The waters of this Jun Family were growing deeper by the day.
Two days later.
Jun Qingfeng woke up.
Upon waking, his body was still somewhat weak.
Every day, Jun Jiuqi would administer acupuncture to Jun Qingfeng, supplemented by medicinal soups, to thoroughly purge the lingering toxins from his body.
At the same time, she also brewed the body-tempering potion.
On this day, she finished brewing it and brought it to her mother and Chiyun.
Seeing it, Chiyun's face instantly twisted into a bitter frown. "Jiujiu, do we have to drink medicine again?"
"Drink."
With that single word, Chiyun dared not nag any longer. With a scrunched-up bun-like face, he gulped down the medicinal soup.
A rich, fishy, and bitter stench rushed straight to his nose.
"Blech!" Chiyun couldn't help gagging.
The next second, his mouth was pinched shut by Jun Jiuqi, who had anticipated this, wearing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Dare to spit it out and see what happens."
"Gulp!"
Frightened, Chiyun forced the medicine back down, his complexion instantly turning the color of greens.
Seriously, this medicine tasted too awful!
Jiujiu usually brewed all sorts of pills and potions, but no matter how effective the medicine was, the taste was downright lethal!
Chiyun was genuinely curious: using the exact same ingredients, medicine brewed by others tasted completely normal, yet when brewed by Jun Jiuqi, the taste was simply heaven-shaking and earth-shattering!
"Mom, this is yours." Jun Jiuqi walked over to Lv Xiuer.
"This... Jiujiu, dear, does Mom really need to drink this?" Lv Xiuer looked at the pitch-black, bitter-smelling medicinal soup, her smile somewhat stiff.
Jun Jiuqi held the bowl out persistently, leaving Lv Xiuer with no choice but to drink it.
"..."
Well, this taste was indeed... unique.
That night, Lv Xiuer made several trips to the outhouse, and by the time she lay back in bed, her legs were turning to jelly.
Watching his wife in such a state, Jun Qingfeng felt both heartbroken and amused. "You too, drinking whatever your daughter hands you without even figuring out what it is."