The medicinal ingredient to save the Poison Old Man was not Tai Sui meat, but the flesh of the Empress Nan Fengluan.
The medicinal effects of Nirvana had long been integrated into her entire being, so the medicine was her, and she was the medicine.
Thirty-one years ago, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, in order to save his disciple, violated the ironclad rule of Medicine King Valley and personally opened the ice coffin.
After opening the coffin and cutting the flesh, the body, which had been peacefully sleeping, began to rot from the wounds.
"Senior Brother, what exactly have you done?"
Zhu Yue, watching the Empress's increasingly rotten body, questioned him in a furious tone.
"Save a life!"
The answer he received was calm, devoid of any emotion. The eyes that fell upon the ice coffin were as cold and piercing as the winter wind.
"How could you, how could you..."
Zhu Yue's chest heaved, and his eyes gradually filled with blood. In just a few more decades, the Empress would be reborn through Nirvana, yet he, he had betrayed the Empress for an insignificant ant. How could he, how dared he!
"Zhu Yue, even if she were to live, what would it matter? Da Yuan was long ago destroyed, and there is no longer a place for her in this world. Rather than let her endure the pain of such loss, the loneliness of a soul adrift with no place to rest, it is better to let her rest in peace."
"You talk nonsense!"
"Zhu Yun, from today onwards, this place is under my control. I will cure the Empress in my own way. As for you, if you don't want your precious disciple to meet with misfortune, then get out of here."
"It cannot be cured. Why not make use of it?"
"Get out!"
"Do you wish for Medicine King Valley to descend into civil strife?"
Zhu Yue had never been as angry as he was today. Ever since childhood, he had stayed by the Empress's side. His master had said the ice coffin was his life; whoever touched it would die. The hand holding the dagger trembled slightly, his gaze towards Zhu Yun filled with both anger and restraint. Guarding the Empress was his mission, but his senior brother was his family. He could not bring himself to attack him. He had already taken a step back, yet why did his senior brother continue to push him like this?
Seeing Zhu Yue trembling with rage, Zhu Yun finally abandoned the thought in his heart.
...
"...Regarding the medicinal person, I deeply regret my actions. I was always aware of what Zhu Yue was doing, but for various reasons, I chose to let it be. I can also guess some of the reasons why you haven't returned to the valley over the years, but please forgive me, forgive Master's cowardice and selfishness. I often thought, it would be better if you didn't return. If I died, I would no longer be able to protect you... After Sui Qing was cast down the cliff by me, Zhu Yue disappeared, and with him also vanished the Empress's body. To this day, I still do not know the whereabouts of the Empress, nor can I ascertain if anyone within this valley still harbors the same thoughts and intentions as Zhu Yue..."
The letter lay spread out on the table, and silence descended upon the room.
"Do you think the Empress is still alive?"
After a long silence, the Poison Old Man spoke again.
Nan Shiying blinked for a second, recalling that the old man had never known who she truly was. To him, this trip to Medicine King Valley was merely to find his birth mother and inquire about the Empress's (or more accurately, Nirvana's) whereabouts. According to this letter, the only matter left to discuss now was whether the Empress was alive or dead.
Was she dead?
Her body from her past life had likely already turned to blood. Even if the lineage of the Medicine Venerable was still maintaining the integrity of her body, the soul within that vessel should have long departed.
But speaking of death.
The physical body was merely a vessel for the soul. The decay of the body was only physiological death, while the persistence of the soul determined whether a person was still alive.
"Are you asking about the physical body or the soul?"
Nan Shiying suddenly asked.
The topic had suddenly leaped from physiological death to philosophy, leaving the Poison Old Man speechless. He opened his mouth, wondering why she was elevating such a simple question to this level.
Soul?
Did she perhaps believe in ghosts and spirits?
"Without a physical body, how can there be a soul?"
If even the vessel that carried it was gone, how could the soul still be called a soul? It should be renamed a ghost.
This time, it was Nan Shiying's turn to fall silent.
There was no need to delve deeply into the matters of ghosts and spirits. Even after her own experience of borrowing a body, Nan Shiying did not believe in such things. The topic of whether the Empress of Da Yuan was still alive came to an abrupt end, and both of them shifted their gaze back to the letter.
According to the letter, the past events recounted by the Medicine Venerable to them were not fabricated. The old Valley Master had indeed desired the Nirvana within the Empress's body. The only falsehood he told was regarding the refinement of medicinal people. Feng Quan was not saved by the Medicine Venerable; Feng Quan was among the first batch of medicinal people refined by the Medicine Venerable.
But why did the Medicine Venerable keep him by his side?
A medicinal person?
Was there anything special about him?
Speaking of medicinal people, Nan Shiying couldn't help but think of Gouzi.
She raised her head and looked at the Poison Old Man, her gaze sweeping over his face. Sensing Nan Shiying's scrutiny, the Poison Old Man looked at her, "What is it?"
Nan Shiying shook her head and softly said, "Nothing!"
The seventh day passed in the blink of an eye. Nan Shiying and the Poison Old Man did not ascend the mountain.
Fourth Elder, along with the disciples of the Qing generation, returned to Medicine King Valley.
Ji Feng took a food box containing dried mushrooms and delivered it to the back mountain, with one portion for each elder.
"Fourth Elder, these are mushrooms that Qingning picked from the back mountain and dried for two days. You can dry them on a bamboo sieve for a few more days, otherwise, they won't keep."
Ji Feng cheerfully placed the mushrooms on the table. When Fourth Elder heard that Qingning had gone to the back mountain, a smile deepened on her face. She handed over a packet of pastries, "For Qingning."
"Ah, you still remember that girl even when you're down the mountain." Ji Feng said, though he took the pastries. Fourth Elder smiled, "You only say you're fierce, but you dote on her more than anyone else... Alright, hurry back, or the pastries will get cold."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Having provided medical services for seven days, Fourth Elder must be exhausted. Ji Feng did not disturb her further and returned to the third peak with the pastries.
"Bang~"
He tossed the pastries onto the table.
Qingning, startled, almost dropped the medical book she was holding.
"Master, what are you doing?"
She glared at Ji Feng, reprimanding him, "Don't you know that scaring people can kill them!"
Ji Feng let out a scoff and flipped the medical book in her hand a hundred and eighty degrees, then tapped her forehead with his finger, "You're holding the book upside down!"
"Reading, pretending to be studious, and you still dare to talk back to me?"
Ji Feng's anger grew, and he pressed down on her head with his finger, twisting it as he did so. The pain made Qingning grimace, and she cried out for mercy, "Master, Master, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong!"
"Hmph!"
Ji Feng snorted coldly and, in his magnanimity, let her off for the moment. He pointed at the pastries on the table and said to Qingning, "Fourth Elder brought you pastries from town."
"From town?"
Qingning had been rubbing her head, but upon hearing about pastries, her headache vanished, her chest no longer felt stuffy, and her eyes lit up.
Ji Feng clicked his tongue in disdain.
What ambition!