Du Niang Zi remained silent. She knew the demon race was fearsome, and she also detested them. However, within the Five Poisons Sect, there were many ordinary disciples who knew nothing of the demon race and were being dragged into this calamity. Here, she was merely a junior, only allowed to observe because of her master. She had no right to question anything.
"Is it truly good to slaughter the innocent?" Jun Fei Er said, entering from outside with a displeased expression.
"Junior Sister, is it truly good to not keep an eye on your precious disciple?" Xuan Hu immediately inquired.
Jun Fei Er bowed to the Sect Master. "Brother Sect Master, are we truly going to hunt down the disciples of the Five Poisons Sect to the last one?"
The Sect Master remained silent. He did not wish to exterminate them entirely. After all, the original intention of Hundred Herbs Hall was to heal and save lives, not to root out and destroy.
"For the subsequent matters, Hundred Herbs Hall will withdraw," the Sect Master said slowly after a moment of silence. "Oh, right, did Martial Uncle mention releasing them?"
"No, there is a barrier outside Martial Uncle's cave dwelling. I cannot enter, and he will not allow me. I don't know if my dear disciple is eating well or sleeping well, or if she's being bullied?"
It had only been a few hours since she was taken away. The sun hadn't even set. What sleep was there to talk about? Indulging a disciple didn't mean doting on them like this.
"Brother Sect Master, please hurry and ask Martial Uncle to release my Xiao Qin. She is frail and cannot endure such torment."
"We just made a bet. We bet on how many days your Xiao Qin can stay in Martial Uncle's cave dwelling."
"Brother, you are too heartless! How can you treat my Xiao Qin like this!" Jun Fei Er scolded righteously, then asked, "How much is the bet?"
"Brother Sect Master bet three days, Fifth Brother bet ten days, and I bet one day." Xuan Hu looked at Du Niang Zi with pity. "Fifth Brother's beloved disciple bet five thousand spirit stones. Within three days, Martial Uncle will beg you to take Xiao Qin back."
Jun Fei Er looked at Du Niang Zi. "Not within three days? Martial Uncle will beg me to take her back?"
Du Niang Zi nodded affirmatively. From her understanding of Xiao Man, she was not someone to be slaughtered at will, regardless of how powerful the other party was. Otherwise, she would not have sustained such severe injuries. However, Zang Xu was an exception. If Zang Xu hadn't been so formidable, she might have already killed him.
"The bet is five thousand spirit stones?"
"Yes, Martial Uncle Jun."
"Then I'll add another five thousand spirit stones, just like you, betting that Martial Uncle will beg me to take her back!"
Lu Qing brought Xiao Man to his cave dwelling. As soon as they entered, he threw Xiao Man into the pool within the cave dwelling.
Caught off guard, Xiao Man swallowed several mouthfuls of water before surfacing.
Lu Qing stood on the bank, looking down at Xiao Man. "You are too dirty. Soak in there for an hour and wash yourself completely clean before you are allowed to come up."
"Yes, Grand Martial Uncle," Xiao Man replied obediently, nodding.
Lu Qing let out a cold snort and went straight into the house. As soon as Lu Qing left, Xiao Man immediately sat cross-legged, leaving only her head above the water. The water in this pool was not ordinary. After drinking a few mouthfuls unexpectedly, she recognized dozens of precious medicinal ingredients. This was a medicinal pool. She could only soak for an hour, and the absorption rate through the body alone was not enough. She needed to use special methods, otherwise, who knew when she would get another chance to soak in this medicinal pool.
Inside the house, Lu Qing ground medicinal herbs while cocking his ears to listen for any sounds outside. Disciples he brought back to his cave dwelling usually began to cry out in pain within an hour, begging to climb out. Whenever they tried to climb out, he would unhesitatingly kick them back down.
But the disciple he brought back today made no sound at all. A flicker of emotion appeared in Lu Qing's eyes. Finally, not so useless. If this brat could endure for a full hour, he should be able to withstand the effects of his newly developed pills.
Lu Qing had expected that even if Xiao Man could endure for an hour, she would undoubtedly be in immense pain. After all, the medicinal pool was the result of his years of accumulation, using thousands of medicinal ingredients. Even disciples with dull aptitudes would experience marrow cleansing and bone transformation after soaking for an hour.
It was a pity that, to this day, no one had managed to endure for a full hour.
The prolonged silence from outside made Lu Qing uneasy. Had that brat been too useless and already fainted?
With suspicion, Lu Qing got up and went outside. Upon going out, he saw that the medicinal pool was empty. His heart leaped with alarm. He quickly stepped forward, about to dive into the water to retrieve the person, when he felt the water surface ripple. Circles of ripples spread out. Lu Qing's expression changed, and he quickly retreated.
Xiao Man shot up from the bottom of the pool instantly, splashing water everywhere. Xiao Man stood on the water's surface, the pool water swirling around her. Lu Qing watched this scene with shock. This person was actually absorbing the medicinal power of the pool voluntarily. Wasn't she afraid of exploding?
"Brat, don't be reckless. The medicinal power in this pool is not something you can withstand. If you absorb all of it, you will explode and die."
However, Xiao Man seemed not to hear Lu Qing's words. Her eyes were closed, her entire being in a state of extreme relaxation. The surging medicinal power continuously flowed into Xiao Man's body.
Lu Qing's expression was one of surprise. He wanted to stop her but found he couldn't get close. The surging medicinal power in the pool repelled him. Only after Xiao Man had absorbed all the medicinal power in the pool did the surroundings calm down.
The pool water, originally dark red, turned into a pool of clear water. For a moment, Lu Qing felt a pang of heartache. This was, after all, the culmination of his many years of effort, and today it had all been absorbed by someone.
Xiao Man felt the surging medicinal power circulating within her body, rapidly repairing her damaged meridians. After suffering such a severe injury, there were bound to be sequelae. However, the medicinal power from the pool provided her with sufficient energy to heal her body.
Xiao Man slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils were radiant, as if starlight flickered within them. She slowly looked towards the bank. "Thank you for your kindness, Grand Martial Uncle."
Lu Qing stared at the pool of clear water, speechless for a long time. Fortunately, he was a man of few expressions. Even though his heart was bleeding with pain, his face showed no abnormality.
"Since you are clean, it's time to test my medicine."
Lu Qing immediately brought out all the pills he had recently refined, many of which were incredibly potent poisons. "Among these pills, some are poisonous..."
"This is a poison pill, this one, this one, this one... these are all poison pills." As she spoke, Xiao Man popped the poison pills into her mouth one after another, like candy beans, chewing them with a satisfying crunch. "The taste is too poor. Poison should also make people feel spiritual energy. Otherwise, who would eat it? It needs improvement."
Lu Qing's lips twitched. He placed a bottle of pills he had treasured for a long time in front of Xiao Man. He had intended to let her off, but since this person insisted on courting death, it was the perfect opportunity to test his treasured Soul Severing Pill.