A Bone-Piercing Arrowhead

Fox-demon blood.

Yan Jue paused.

If a bowl of her blood could buy an important piece of information, Yan Jue would certainly be willing.

Qi Xianqing’s wound wouldn’t stop bleeding. Yan Jue suspected poison, but if it really were poison, there should have been other symptoms too.

Yan Jue didn’t know medicine. If she went to the Pheasant Spirit’s pill shop now to buy an antidote and rushed back to the cave for Qi Xianqing, and Qi Xianqing wasn’t actually poisoned after all, the trip would waste far too much time.

She needed someone skilled in medicine.

At the highest level of Myriad Demons Pavilion, candlelight flickered.

With a wave of the Lady Turtle Spirit’s right hand, a small gilded bowl flew over and landed in front of Yan Jue.

Yan Jue immediately rolled up her sleeve and used the sleeve arrow glittering with cold light to cut across her fair wrist.

Blood welled up at once.

Yan Jue instinctively closed her eyes.

Although she had already transmigrated into this world for quite some time, every time she saw such a bloody and bizarre scene, she still found it hard to endure.

Fox-demon blood dripped slowly into the bowl; very soon, it was full.

The Lady Turtle Spirit had already prepared hemostatic medicine for her. Yan Jue sprinkled gold-healing powder on the wound, then wrapped it tightly with bandages.

Cultivators weren’t afraid of losing a little blood to begin with; for a fox demon, this level of injury would heal after a bit of rest.

Even so, Yan Jue still felt dizzy for a moment.

The Lady Turtle Spirit rested her chin on her hand and lazily answered Yan Jue’s question. “The nearest medical immortal is at the end of the stream.”

“……”

That sort of riddle-like answer made Yan Jue furious.

Could this turtle spirit not just speak plainly!

The woman smiled and adjusted her Western-style glasses on the bridge of her nose. “With your cleverness, I’m sure you’ll know where I mean.”

Yan Jue left the loft in a great huff and began to think over the Lady Turtle Spirit’s words.

A stream—of course she knew which one. There was only one stream on Fuxian Mountain, the same one they had fallen into when she and Qi Xianqing plummeted from the cliff.

The water was clear to the bottom and rich with spiritual energy; it was what had saved Yan Jue and Qi Xianqing’s lives.

During the day, Yan Jue had carried Qi Xianqing a long way, but she had always followed that stream.

...

Yan Jue left Myriad Demons Pavilion and came to the stream, then hurried along the water’s edge.

She couldn’t help feeling a little puzzled. Could the medical immortal really be here? Was the world really capable of such a coincidence?

The dark night sky gradually brightened. Far away, a pale fish-belly white appeared on the horizon, and the stars slowly faded.

Before she knew it, dawn had arrived.

Yan Jue had originally thought she was still far from the end of the stream, but after only the time it took to burn one stick of incense, she reached it.

A small waterfall hung from the towering cliff face, with lush trees on both sides.

The stream began here.

At first, Yan Jue didn’t see anyone, and her heart sank.

She quickly stepped closer, pressed a hand against the rock, and with a little force from her arm, vaulted up. Then she blinked.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of water trickling.

Not far away, a young woman in a green Daoist robe stood in the stream, carrying a willow-branch bamboo basket on her back; she was actually catching fish.

A red fish leapt out of the clear water, and the young woman caught it in one hand.

The fish was slippery and struggled desperately in her grasp, then slipped free in an instant and splashed back into the water.

The young woman frowned slightly, about to catch a second one, when she suddenly heard someone call from nearby, “That’s not the easiest way to catch fish.”

Song Miyun straightened up and saw a girl sitting on the rocks not far away. The girl had rosy lips and pearly teeth; her narrow phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, her gaze fixed on her without wavering for a moment.

She was wearing a tattered Daoist robe, a little disheveled, but still strikingly beautiful. Seeing such a beauty deep in the mountains and forests was enough to make anyone’s eyes light up.

Yan Jue jumped down from the rock and directly summoned the immortal sword Drifting Ice. Its body swelled enormously in the air; Yan Jue pressed down slightly with her right hand, and it stretched horizontally across the stream, forming a narrow barrier.

The barrier slowed the swift current.

Song Miyun paused, then saw the ice-blue immortal sword radiating overwhelming cold. A red fish unexpectedly slammed into Drifting Ice and was instantly frozen into a block of ice.

Yan Jue: “What are you standing there for? Hurry up!”

Song Miyun understood and picked up the fish that had already frozen solid, then put it into the basket.

Using Yan Jue’s method, she quickly caught five or six red fish, and finally lifted her head to look at Yan Jue seriously.

Yan Jue cupped her hands toward her and asked, “Why is the Daoist friend catching fish?”

At the same time, the first ray of morning light fell on the woman’s face, and Yan Jue finally saw her clearly.

The young woman had fair skin and elegant features; the patterns embroidered on her green Daoist robe were quite refined, and she didn’t look like someone who made her living by catching fish.

Song Miyun: “This is called Spirit-Calling Stream. There are spirit fish in it. Five days after the Autumn Equinox, if you wait here at Spirit-Calling Stream, you can see the spirit fish floating on the surface. Catch them and cook them to eat, and from then on you’ll be able to breathe underwater.”

Yan Jue blinked. “This little stream is called Spirit-Calling Stream?”

The stream even had the character for spirit in its name; no wonder it was so full of spiritual energy.

Yan Jue asked, “May I ask if you are the medical immortal?”

When the girl heard the words “medical immortal,” she looked up at Yan Jue again. “I’m a disciple of Lotus Island, Song Miyun. Nothing like a medical immortal.”

Lotus Island was a large sect in this world, located in the Western Sea. Although it wasn’t one of the Six Great Immortal Sects, it specialized in medicine and was famous throughout the world.

It could be said that any disciple of Lotus Island, if placed in the mortal world, would be considered a divine physician.

Though not a medical immortal, she was close enough.

Yan Jue said earnestly, “My friend is in critical condition. I would like to ask the medical immortal to save her life.”

Song Miyun looked at her for a long moment, then nodded and stepped out of the stream.

In the morning light, she was barefoot, the fair instep of her foot pressing against the sand; she looked less like a medical immortal and more like a girl next door.

Lotus Island specialized in medicine. Its disciples often took joy in saving the world with their skills, and after reaching the fifth realm, most of them would travel the world opening clinics to make a living.

As the direct eldest disciple of Lotus Island’s island lord, Song Miyun had not rushed to open a clinic. Instead, she traveled the world, hoping to search for the miraculous medicinal materials recorded in ancient texts so that she could save more lives.

A physician’s heart was merciful; faced with Yan Jue’s request, she naturally agreed.

Song Miyun extended a fair hand. Yan Jue froze for a moment, only then realizing she was being asked to hold out her hand so Song Miyun could take her pulse. Yan Jue slowly extended one hand.

Song Miyun placed her index, middle, and ring fingers on Yan Jue’s wrist pulse.

How strange.

She had said she wanted this medical immortal to help save her friend, but before she could even describe Qi Xianqing’s symptoms, her own pulse had been taken first.

That left Yan Jue a little baffled.

Song Miyun: “Your pulse is very strange.”

She lifted her eyes slightly. “Beast meridians, human body. You’re not human.”

A brief silence fell.

Yan Jue admitted honestly, “I’m not.”

Medical immortals specialized in medicine; even in the fifth realm, their supernatural abilities were much weaker than those of ordinary cultivators. If she suddenly made a move, Yan Jue wasn’t afraid of her.

Song Miyun frowned slightly, as if patiently interpreting her pulse.

Only then did Yan Jue realize.

This was the terrifying part of a medical immortal whose medical cultivation had reached an extremely profound level.

There was great learning hidden in pulse diagnosis. A highly skilled medical immortal could not only tell a patient’s condition; by observing the pulse qi and combining it with a person’s yin-yang and five elements, they could deduce everything connected to them.

Song Miyun: “Tell me your friend’s symptoms in detail.”

So Yan Jue described Qi Xianqing’s injury in detail: an arrow had struck the back of her knee; the arrow had already been forcibly pulled out, but the bleeding still wouldn’t stop, and the situation was quite terrifying.

The more Yan Jue spoke, the heavier her heart felt.

Qi Xianqing’s symptoms—could it be some extremely difficult poison? That would be terrible.

Song Miyun withdrew her hand and thought for a long while. “It doesn’t seem to be poison.”

Yan Jue froze; the heaviness in her heart instantly gave way to a glimmer of light. “She’s not poisoned?”

That was exactly why she had insisted on finding a medical immortal.

After all, a professional healer would definitely know better than a layman like her.

Song Miyun took out a gourd from her storage spirit ring. “This is Purple Secret Wine. When you get back, use this bowl of wine to rinse her wound. In about the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, pus will start to come out. Once the pus inside the knee has drained completely and the arrowhead falls out, the wound will be fine.”

What? Arrowhead? Yan Jue’s heart lurched; the arrowhead was still inside Qi Xianqing’s flesh?

Yan Jue took the gourd, her hands trembling slightly. “Thank you.”

Song Miyun: “But since the bones and sinews have been injured, I’m afraid her knee will never fully recover. She’ll either spend her days in a wheelchair or need to rely on crutches.”

Yan Jue froze; her whole body stiffened at once.

How could that be?

Someone like Qi Xianqing was born to hold an immortal sword and eliminate demons for the Dao.

Forcing her to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair would be an unimaginable blow.

Yan Jue frowned and asked in a low voice, “Does the medical immortal have a way to treat it?”

She still addressed her as a medical immortal, and there was a hint of flattery in the title.

Song Miyun suddenly changed the subject. “As for whether her body can recover as before, that depends on whether you’re willing to make a small sacrifice.”

Yan Jue paused. “What kind of sacrifice?”

Song Miyun: “Beast meridians, human body. You’re a nine-tailed fox.”

Yan Jue hadn’t expected she would be unable to hide even that, and immediately admitted generously, “I am.”

Song Miyun: “Do you know your blood is one of the most precious materials in medicine?”

“If my blood is used in medicine, what effect could it have?”

Yan Jue suddenly thought of what the Lady Turtle Spirit had said in Myriad Demons Pavilion.

The blood of a nine-tailed fox demon, if used as medicine, could raise the dead and give flesh to bones.

Something flashed through Yan Jue’s mind, and she blurted out, “Bloodletting.”

Song Miyun nodded. “Exactly. She has injured her meridians and bones, while your blood has a natural ability to repair meridians and bones.”

“Just do as I say. In ten days, she’ll recover fully.”

-

Yan Jue thanked Song Miyun and paid her a few superior spirit stones as compensation.

Song Miyun had originally not charged for consultations, but Yan Jue insisted, so she had no choice but to accept them.

The sky had fully brightened. Song Miyun went back into the water and carried over several large stones, stacking them one by one to build a dam.

Yan Jue turned to leave, but suddenly heard Song Miyun say, “I’ll be catching fish here for ten days.”

Yan Jue was clever beyond measure, so she immediately understood what she meant.

If Qi Xianqing still hadn’t recovered after ten days, they could come here to find her.

Yan Jue couldn’t help feeling a sting in her nose.

There really were many good people in this world.

...

When Yan Jue returned to the cave, Qi Xianqing was still asleep.

A crude formation had been set up outside the cave, just enough to provide the most basic concealment of aura.

A few little monkeys stood outside the cave. When they saw Yan Jue, they immediately bounced over.

Sheming Xu.

Yan Jue waved her right hand, and the little monkeys turned into monkey fur and vanished into the air.

The Transforming Pearl sat inside the cave, emitting a soft glow in the darkness like a small night light.

Qi Xianqing lay on the stone bed, covered with the Miexi canopy. Her face was deathly pale; her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, and her breathing was a little ragged.

Yan Jue had never seen Qi Xianqing this weak before.

Hearing footsteps, Qi Xianqing, as cautious as ever, instinctively opened her eyes and caught sight of Yan Jue entering from outside against the light.

Yan Jue’s Daoist robe had long since been shredded by the thorns in the forest at some point. Her fair arms, exposed to the air, were covered with tiny wounds, and for some reason there was a circle of white gauze wrapped around one arm.

She looked thoroughly miserable.

Yan Jue came to Qi Xianqing’s side, knelt down, and said softly, “Senior Sister, let me take a look at your knee.”

Under the dim light, the girl’s face was calm and her tone resolute.

For some reason, she gave people a strong sense of security.

Qi Xianqing lifted her heavy eyelids, looked at her once, then closed her eyes again.

Yan Jue pulled Qi Xianqing’s knee open, and blood immediately splashed everywhere. At this rate of bleeding, if they waited another two days, Qi Xianqing would probably really lose her life.

Following Song Miyun’s instructions, Yan Jue used Purple Secret Wine to wash the wound.

The arrow had already been pulled out, yet blood still surged from the injury. It was impossible to tell much just by looking, so Yan Jue slowly poured the purple, crystalline wine into Qi Xianqing’s wound.

Qi Xianqing sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. Though she didn’t know what Yan Jue was trying to do, she still lay on the stone bed without moving.

After the Purple Secret Wine had been poured in, Yan Jue waited a moment, and soon saw pus flowing out of the wound.

Qi Xianqing’s brows were tightly locked.

Yan Jue knew she was in pain, and said gently, “If it hurts, you can cry.”

Suddenly, a cool sensation rose on her wrist; something soft, like a snake, climbed up and gently caught hold of her.

Yan Jue’s whole body stiffened.

Qi Xianqing turned onto her side and buried her face in her arm. With her other hand, she gripped Yan Jue’s hand, pinching down hard, as if whatever pain she suffered should be transferred onto Yan Jue’s hand.

Sharp pain shot through Yan Jue’s wrist. She wanted to laugh and felt relieved at the same time; she thought she might be a little crazy. If this could make Qi Xianqing feel better, she even hoped Qi Xianqing would pinch harder.

Blood and water continued to flow out from behind Qi Xianqing’s knee. Yan Jue frowned; faintly, she could see something emerging from the wound.

It was a pitch-black arrowhead, buried deep in Qi Xianqing’s flesh. The arrowhead had clearly been modified; eight barbed protrusions like spider legs seemed to have embedded themselves in the bone. If it were pulled out recklessly, it might sink even deeper.

A bone-piercing nail.

Yan Jue suddenly thought of such a magical weapon.

This arrow had not only pierced Qi Xianqing’s flesh and blood; even her bones had been harmed.

Sweat broke out in Yan Jue’s palm as she continued washing Qi Xianqing’s wound with Purple Secret Wine.

With a soft clatter, the arrowhead fell to the ground, making an exceptionally clear sound.

Yan Jue wiped the sweat from her brow. “Senior Sister, it’s fine now.”

Qi Xianqing once again fell into a drowsy sleep.

She had never suffered such an injury before; lying there now, she looked no different from a powerless mortal.

Qi Xianqing was dazed; she suddenly felt her previous suspicion of Yan Jue was absurd.

In her current state, Yan Jue clearly had a thousand ways to make her die.

But Yan Jue didn’t.!