The Healer Demands Payment!
chapter-37-1

Ch.37 Part 1 – The Fox and The White Tiger (I)

Su Junmo watched Meng Qi’s busy movements curiously. In these few days, Xun Yan had ordered his disciples to find all the medicinal ingredients she needed. Meng Qi took out her small cauldron, drew an array on the ground, and threw two spirit stones in it.

“Ah, right.” She took out the spiritual stone that Su Junmo had previously given. “This, I’m returning it to you.”

Because of the five elements blue crane’s sudden appearance, Meng Qi missed the chance to return his spirit stones. She now had a way to earn the spirit stones she needed, and Su Junmo also helped them much, so she didn’t want to take payment from him.

“Just a bit of money, you take it.” Su Junmo’s eyes were glued on the array Meng Qi drew on the ground. If he didn’t see it wrong, Meng Qi just casually threw fourth-grade spirit stones in it. This little girl was a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, yet not only Chu Tianfeng and Qin Xiumo willingly followed her, but her own actions were also pretty bold.

Very intriguing.

This Qingfeng Valley didn’t seem to be that grand. So, where did Meng Qi get so many spirit stones? Did she get them as the payment for her medical treatment? Or…

Su Junmo squinted his eyes slightly, and he became more certain that Meng Qi was that Xiao Qi, the seller of the Beiming Pill.

“Your senior sister, ah, she also seems to be pretty good.” Inside the tent, there were only Su Junmo, Meng Qi, and three injured Fentian Palace disciples. Of course, Chu Tianfeng and Qin Xiumo were also there, but his chatterbox nature has long been exposed to them, so Su Junmo had nothing to hide.

“Well, she indeed suspected you just now, Meng Qiqi, so I suppose I shouldn’t speak for her. But still, she didn’t speak unreasonably either. Her arguments have a tiny bit of logic.” Su Junmo made a circle with his thumb and index finger, showing a very short gap between. “So, don’t be too angry with her. I just asked around. She felt that her master was being wronged, so she came forward to clarify. She didn’t deliberately go against you, but simply being too filial.”

Meng Qi turned to glance lightly at Su Junmo. Similarly, Chu Tianfeng and Qin Xiumo also stared at him. The two young men’s gaze contained a little gloating and even seemed eager to watch a good show.

“Mm.” Meng Qi answered casually. She put the spirit stones aside before turning her attention back to her small medicinal cauldron. Meng Qi took out her silver medical knife and began to process the ingredients.

Su Junmo was itchy with curiosity. Now that he was in a close enough distance, he could clearly see the array engraved on the knife’s handle. Although seemingly simple, this array definitely wasn’t originated from Three Thousand Worlds. No matter how he looked, it should come from the hand of a celestial demon.

Of course, the most talented array user that Su Junmo knew was his Lord, a high being even among the celestial demons.

Su Junmo’s gaze turned to the fire control array that Meng Qi used for her refinement process.　Although he wasn’t an expert, he has followed the Lord for a long time, so his knowledge was still far better than most people.

“Li..li..li…Lihuo great fire array?!” Upon recognizing that it was a reduced and simplified version of Lihuo array, Su Junmo’s eyes widened in shock. “How can such extravagant things all gathered here!” First, the protective array that almost harmed him before. Next, the array engraved in Meng Qi’s low-grade medical knife. And now, he even saw her refining medicine using the simplified version of Lihuo great fire.

“So Lihuo great fire array can really be simplified! Let me take a look! Ah, there are many changes indeed. Here, here, and here have been strengthened. Hmm, by stacking three smaller arrays together, you can control the intensity and duration of the fire. I see, so this Lihuo array has been specifically modified for refining medicine! What kind of person actually did this crazy thing—” Su Junmo suddenly shut his mouth. The ‘person’ he just mentioned was most probably his Lord, the deity-like genius who was always aloof and never been close with women.

So the Lord worked hard to create this array, simply to please a little Qi Condensation girl?! This level of dedication is indeed….extraordinary!

Should he admire the Lord, who is unparalleled even when courting a young girl?!

“What kind of person?” Meng Qi glanced at Su Junmo.

“Haha, obviously a genius in array, ah! He is also very patient, and very handsome. In short, a very amazing man!”

Meng Qi was a little baffled, but still nodded. She has seen many handsome men. Su Junmo, Chu Tianfeng, and Qin Xiumo also stood out from the majority. But together, they still couldn’t beat her master.

“Haha, hahaha…” Su Junmo laughed awkwardly.

Meng Qi wasn’t affected by his strange behavior. Her hands still moved steadily, putting the processed medicinal ingredients one by one into the small cauldron.

Inside the tent, the bloody smell became more and more intense. And the expression of the three disciples soaking in the barrel of blood also became increasingly painful.

After a while, the medicinal ingredients inside the small cauldron finally turned into a dark brown concoction. Meng Qi silently waited. After six hours, she divided the concoction into three equal parts and poured each one into the barrel filled with five elements blue crane blood.

“Ugh——” The disciple soaking inside the leftmost barrel also seemed to be the youngest. After the medicine was added, his expression suddenly turned pale. He gritted his teeth and faintly groaned in pain.

“It will hurt.” Meng Qi said, “But don’t use spiritual aura to resist.”

“Yes.” The young man gritted his teeth and nodded.

In an instant, all three disciples were sweating profusely. Large beads of sweat slid down on their foreheads and quickly fell into the barrel of blood.

The bloody smell was so prominent now.

“Ah…” One of the disciples suddenly moved a bit, “This!” His face was full of shock: “It’s coming out from my wrist!”

“Me too!”

“Me too!”

The three disciples exclaimed one by one. The feeling was if a slender reptile was slowly crawling out of their wrists. It was very uncomfortable and creepy, and their whole body was covered in goosebumps. But they still remembered Meng Qi’s previous instruction and stayed unmoved inside the blood. Soon, ripples began to appear on the surface of the initially calm barrel of blood.

“Fellow Daoist Meng, young palace master!” One of them shouted, “Please look!”

A tender, green vine bud slowly protruded from the blood. Its small leaves swayed slightly from side to side, as if dancing happily into the wind. If one was ignorant, they would never guess that such a cute-looking little thing was actually very dangerous.

“Don’t move.” Meng Qi reminded the three disciples. She took out a porcelain bottle from her storage bracelet and slowly walked towards them. Inside the porcelain bottle was some kind of white powder, which she carefully sprinkled over the vine’s young leaves.

The vine movement became even more vigorous, like a person who danced happily. Soon, it grew longer and longer, and finally came out of the blood.

Meng Qi held the silver medical knife with her left hand, carefully observing the vine’s movement. Once the last leaf appeared on the surface, a quick slash firmly fell upon it. The bud of immortal devouring vine, which still swaying joyfully just now, whithered instantly. Its tender leaves fell off into the blood.

A disgusting stench instantly overwhelmed the place. Even Chu Tianfeng and Qin Xiumo couldn’t help turning their heads. Only Su Junmo watched this scene in surprise.