Chapter 24: The D

The reason the hero-saving-beauty trope has endured for so long, aside from its appeal to youthful fantasies, is that it serves as an effortless catalyst for the development of romance between the main characters. When Ming Shuang recovered from his bout of nausea, Ling Xixi, who had seemed half dead, unexpectedly opened her eyes, tears glistening as she stared at him.

What on earth...? Ming Shuang's mind spun like a yo-yo, but outwardly he feigned ignorance, pretending not to notice Ling Xixi's sudden resurrection. With a blank expression, he stood up mechanically and, stiff and awkward, walked back to his uncle's side.

The Daoist Chang Yan was quite fond of this compassionate apprentice. He hadn't finished processing the suspicion that the girl might still be alive when he saw his apprentice return, arms and legs moving in sync, prompting him to ask, "Why is Ling Xiao walking so strangely? Is that girl dead or not?"

The little uncle, seeing Ming Shuang behaving like a wooden puppet, pointed at Ling Xixi lying on the ground, staring at Chang Yan, and replied, "It's nothing serious. Ling Xiao strained himself during cultivation last night; his limbs are still a bit uncoordinated. As for the girl, she's indeed still alive—I didn't use a fatal strike."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Chang Yan glanced at Ling Xixi, who was staring at him with wide eyes. The elder's attitude shifted abruptly, and he bent down, scooping her up in his arms and announcing that he would personally escort Xiao Yun to his Guiyun Peak for healing.

Ling Xixi, too weak to speak, cursed Daoist Chang Yan inwardly, rolling her eyes as she raged: I remember every word you muttered wishing me dead just now, you hypocrite, shameless peacock, pretentious playboy, cold-hearted, disrespectful old man... Ling Xixi exhausted every insult she knew, mentally showering Daoist Chang Yan with abuse, finally feeling a bit satisfied.

The sect leader insisted on accompanying them to Xinglin Peak, worried that Daoist Chang Yan, disgruntled over the embarrassment, might let his hand slip and drop the girl from a height to erase all evidence. Ming Shuang and his uncle stayed behind to oversee affairs. After the sect leader and elder departed, the little uncle, being the highest ranking, instructed the four gourd brothers to reorganize their disciples, arrange their assignments, and, once everyone was satisfied, to serve tea and bestow Daoist titles.

Under the little uncle's concise guidance, the subsequent ceremony was stripped of unnecessary formalities, leaving only the essential steps. The entire process was swift and efficient, ending in no time.

The gourd brothers led their new apprentices to their assigned courtyards. Ming Shuang and his uncle were about to leave when the gourd brother troupe stopped them, saying there was an important matter to discuss.

The spokesperson, Senior Brother Huang, explained that when they first set out to travel, they hadn't found proper jobs, spending their days with banners, wandering the streets, offering fortune-telling and feng shui services, and experiencing the mundane world's customs.

Ming Shuang instinctively imagined them as a mystical society troupe, the F4 of charlatans.

After Huang finished recounting their early days, Senior Brother Hong continued, "Even in the feng shui business, true skill brings reputation. We stayed in Queyue City for just a month before gaining some fame. Third Brother suggested either settling there or moving on to the next place. I preferred traveling the world and making a name for myself; Second Brother wanted to leverage our reputation to stay in Queyue City. Third Brother, of course, followed me, and Fourth Brother, eager for more experience, chose to leave as well. Thus, we went our separate ways, agreeing to meet annually at Queyue City during the Qingming Festival."

As soon as he finished, Hong was pinched playfully by Huang, and, unable to cry out in pain in front of their uncle, Hong forced his half-uttered cry into a deep breath, glaring and flashing a fake smile at Huang.

Ming Shuang quietly watched the comically affectionate brotherhood, feeling as if he’d unwittingly swallowed a mouthful of ambiguous dog food, prompting him to cling tightly to his uncle’s sleeve in alarm.

---

"Recently, upon receiving our teacher's summons, we decided to meet earlier, planning to return to the sect together from Queyue City," Senior Brother Orange, dignified and old-fashioned, chimed in. "Just as we gathered, the city's largest manufacturing family sent word, asking us to catch ghosts. I’d lived in Queyue for years and never heard of any evil spirits."

Queyue City... Why does that sound so familiar? Is it where Chu Yi asked me to buy a compass? Ming Shuang pondered, hesitantly asking, "Are you talking about Queyue City where Heng Shu resides?"

Senior Brother Hong cast him an admiring glance, still clutching his waist, and said, "Precisely! The Wang family of Queyue, where Heng Shu resides, asked us to catch ghosts. The messenger claimed their young master was cursed by an evil cultivator, then said a collateral branch had summoned malicious spirits with forbidden arts. Their stories were all quite bizarre."

"And how was it finally resolved?" The little uncle, uninterested in lengthy preludes, cut straight to the point.

Hearing his uncle speak, the four exchanged glances, eventually focusing on the silent Senior Brother Green. Feeling pressured, Green reluctantly spoke: "In the end, nothing was resolved. Young master Heng Shu turned into a child overnight, but aside from shrinking in size, his memory and knowledge were unaffected. We investigated extensively and found he was neither cursed nor plagued by spirits—he simply became inexplicably small."

The little uncle frowned at this, while Ming Shuang recalled hearing about Heng Shu from Chu Yi at Xinglin Peak. Suddenly inspired, he asked, "Did he eat any special pills?"

Ming Shuang's suggestion opened a new avenue for discussion. There were indeed pills capable of altering appearance and physique. After some debate, Senior Brother Huang finally shook his head.

Huang explained, "I have a wood spiritual root, and our master always hoped I'd become a medical cultivator at Qingyu Sect. I studied for a long time at Shennong Valley with Elder Lin He, memorizing every known pill and prescription. None can permanently alter one's appearance—most last only a month. Besides, any medical cultivator could easily identify someone who had taken such pills, and the Wang family had already consulted Shennong Valley elders before we visited."

The new lead was cut off, but the little uncle didn’t dismiss it outright, asking, "Could it be a lost pill recipe?"

Huang hesitated, finding some merit in the idea. "If it truly is a lost formula, I’ll inquire at Shennong Valley during next month’s Spirit Hunt. We’ll need you, uncle, to make a trip to Queyue City."

So basically, they wanted the little uncle to clean up the mess the four gourd brothers couldn’t handle. Ming Shuang mentally scoffed at their ulterior motives—obviously their skills weren’t enough to solve the problem, so now they needed to call in higher-level help, making their uncle the scapegoat.

"Very well, Ling Xiao just told me the Spirit Hunt will be in Queyue City. With only a few days left this month, we’ll pack and depart early to investigate," his uncle agreed, relieving the gourd brother troupe, with Orange and Green volunteering to accompany them.

Thus, Ming Shuang found himself assigned without a chance to refuse. Compared to buying a compass in Queyue City, he’d rather enjoy a peaceful journey, but trouble always seemed to find him.

His uncle seemed to sense Ming Shuang’s reluctance and left the main hall with him, heading not for Kongming Peak as Ming Shuang expected, but to nearby Xinglin Peak.

"What are we doing here?" Ming Shuang asked curiously.

His uncle led him confidently through the courtyard to an unfamiliar house. "You lost a bottle of Jade Skin Bone Balm, didn’t you? Last night, I saw a big mark on your stomach, like a worm—quite unsightly." With that, he opened the door to the storeroom, revealing shelves lined with jars and bottles.

---

"This is Lin He’s pill storeroom. He always stores the first batch of any new concoction here. We should find the Jade Skin Bone Balm," his uncle explained, then proceeded to search, mocking Ming Shuang for getting injured by the Demon Lord because he’d tried to play hero for Ling Xixi, not knowing when to retreat.

Ming Shuang laughed dryly, secretly disdaining Ling Xiao’s actions—always meddling for the heroine’s sake, and now he’d transmigrated straight into a wounded body as severe as a caesarean.

His uncle eventually found the Jade Skin Bone Balm, grabbing some mosquito repellent, antidotes, and medicine for bruises, stuffing all the bottles into a treasure pouch and handing it to Ming Shuang.

"All this is for me?" Ming Shuang asked, pleasantly surprised at the light, spacious pouch—truly a magical item fit for immortals.

Satisfied with the haul, his uncle told Ming Shuang to return to Kongming Peak and pack, as he still had business with Lin He.

Ming Shuang agreed, summoned Ah Jiu, and had the boy transform into a crane to carry him back. On the way, he recounted the day’s string of remarkable events, including how his uncle had looted someone’s storeroom and planned to have tea with the owner—a truly impressive feat.

The victim was still clueless, as the uncle nonchalantly entered the pharmacy and said, "Thank you, Brother Lin He, for your decoction. After advancing to Nascent Soul, I felt my internal energy unsettled, but now I’m fully recovered."

Lin He, surprised at Kongming Zi’s sudden friendliness, could only nod blankly, saying it was nothing.

Kongming Zi continued, "By the way, I have another question for you, Brother Lin He."

"Go ahead, but drop the 'brother'—it’s too cloying," Lin He replied, obviously annoyed.

"Is there any pill that can permanently alter a person’s physique or appearance?" Yun Ting asked, his tone ambiguous. "Or perhaps a pill that can reverse aging and extend one’s life?"

Lin He, in the midst of grinding herbs, set down his pestle and adopted a very serious tone. "Where did you hear of such forbidden medicine?"

Yun Ting faintly heard the rustle of plants against the ground. Unable to turn around, he didn’t see the poisonous, vibrant flower blooming behind him.