Cooperation and Conditions

The next day, at the entrance to the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

Under the shade of a tree, a simple gray tent had been set up. A long line had already formed in front of it, mostly made up of mercenaries bearing fresh or old wounds. Some covered blood-soaked bandages, while others grimaced as they pressed their purpled bruises.

Behind a wooden table sat a woman dressed in a pale white gown. The plain fabric set off her snow-white skin. She could not be called stunningly beautiful, but she possessed an air of grace—gentle brows and eyes, a faint smile at the corners of her lips, and soft movements as she cleaned the wounds of the mercenary before her.

"Miss Xiao Yi Xian, my arm..." A heavily bearded mercenary had barely begun speaking when she gently interrupted him.

"The wound's gotten rust in it. I need to clean it first." Her voice was clear and cool. She dipped her fingertips into some medicinal powder and skillfully pressed it onto the wound. The mercenary sucked in a sharp breath, yet stubbornly held back his cry, his face flushing as he muttered, "She's much better than that quack Black Tooth..."

Not far away, a black-robed figure slowly approached from the direction of Qingshan Town.

He stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze passing over the shifting heads before settling on the woman.

"Looks like she still doesn't trust me..."

His murmur scattered into the wind. He raised a hand and pressed down the hood of his cloak, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his lips. The smile did not reach his eyes; instead, it carried a hint of helplessness and understanding.

Then, without the slightest pause, he headed straight toward Xiao Yi Xian.

Although his footsteps were light, his extraordinary bearing made him especially conspicuous among the people waiting in line.

"Who are you?"

"How dare you cut in line!"

Several thickset mercenaries immediately surrounded him, the veins on their burly arms bulging. One hot-tempered man had already clenched his fist, but in the next instant, he froze in place—

A layer of dark-black Dou Qi Gauze Armor had silently covered the black-robed figure, gleaming with a cold sheen in the morning light.

The crowd that had just been seething with righteous indignation fell silent at once.

Lu Yu passed through the line and quickly reached Xiao Yi Xian. The mercenaries beside him hurriedly stepped aside to clear a path.

He stopped before the wooden table. His eyes flickered as he looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was still lowering her head to prepare medicine, and said softly, "The way you're doing this doesn't exactly look like you came with sincerity."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled calmly, her hands never stopping.

She poured the final medicinal powder into a porcelain bowl before lifting her eyes. Her clear gaze met Lu Yu's directly, and a gentle yet distant smile hung at the corners of her lips. "I'm the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's public face. If you want me to conceal my identity and come alone to the entrance of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion would never agree."

Lu Yu was taken aback, then shook his head.

Only then did he realize his oversight. The seemingly delicate woman before him was no longer an ordinary person who could move about freely in Qingshan Town.

"I suppose I didn't think that through."

His fingers lightly rubbed together beneath his black robes. Then, with a solemn expression, he said, "In that case, let's find a quiet place to discuss this."

Xiao Yi Xian handed the medicine packet to the waiting mercenary and patted the powder from her hands before rising calmly. "I have a secluded residence in Qingshan Town. We can go there."

Not long afterward,

In a residence in Qingshan Town.

Lu Yu followed Xiao Yi Xian into an elegant room. The furnishings were simple but exceptionally neat, and the faint fragrance of medicinal herbs lingered in the air.

"Please, sit."

Xiao Yi Xian tidied the medicine bottles on the table with practiced movements, took out two celadon teacups, filled them with clear water, and gestured for Lu Yu to sit.

Lu Yu sat down at the table and looked straight at Xiao Yi Xian as she brewed the tea. He got straight to the point. "You've read the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, haven't you? You must also understand the fate of the Calamity Poison Body."

He rubbed the teacup without any intention of drinking from it and continued, "I have a way to help you escape that fate. But before that, you need to agree to one condition."

Xiao Yi Xian's hand paused slightly as she brewed the tea. A flicker of emotion passed through her eyes when she looked up, but they quickly returned to calm. "If you can truly help me control this innate poison body, let alone one condition—even a thousand or ten thousand, I'll agree to them all."

"Let me hear it." She set down the teapot, her expression focused.

Lu Yu said solemnly, "I have a special cultivation technique that can help you control the Calamity Poison Body. But after cultivating it, you'll be under my control." He paused. "The benefit is that if we cultivate together through this technique, we can achieve twice the results with half the effort."

"If you cultivate this technique, you must agree to my condition. Whenever I need it, you'll cultivate together with me."

Clack!

The teapot slipped from Xiao Yi Xian's hands and shattered on the floor. Scalding tea splashed onto the hem of her dress, and her fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

"Shameless!" She glared at Lu Yu through clenched teeth. "You men really aren't any good!"

Lu Yu hurriedly explained, "You misunderstood. This technique has both Yin and Yang Scrolls. I cultivate the Yang Scroll, while you cultivate the Yin Scroll. That's simply a characteristic of the technique itself."

Although Lu Yu's explanation was sincere, it artfully avoided the most crucial point—the Yin Scroll of the Great Pagoda Art would never be able to escape the Yang Scroll's control. Of course, if their relationship deepened in the future, he might consider teaching her the complete technique. But for now, some necessary precautions were still needed.

Xiao Yi Xian's chest rose and fell violently as she forced down her anger and asked, "Is there... really no other way?"

"At least, I don't have one right now." Lu Yu's expression remained composed. "Trust me, and I can give you the technique now. Don't trust me, and we can part on good terms."

He added flatly, "There's more than one person in the world with a special constitution. I'm simply giving you a choice. Whether you cultivate it or not makes no difference to me."

"You!" Xiao Yi Xian trembled with rage, her red lips nearly bitten bloody. This bastard is utterly shameless!

After a long silence, she finally said dejectedly, "First... let me see the contents of the technique."

The corners of Lu Yu's lips lifted slightly. He then took out a Jade Slip and said, "The true meaning of the technique has already been copied into this Inheritance Jade Slip. Take your time reading it."

A moment later,

Inside the boudoir, where candlelight swayed gently, the slender fingers of the woman in white lightly turned the Jade Slip. As her understanding deepened, waves of emotion rippled through her clear eyes.

"This..."

Although her knowledge was limited, the profound truths contained in the Yin Scroll of the Great Pagoda Art still shook her mind. Every character seemed to contain the principles of heaven and earth, and every passage of incantation was wondrous beyond compare.

Based on her shallow understanding, this was at least... an Earth-tier cultivation technique?

"Finished reading?"

Lu Yu wore a smile as he spoke gently.

Xiao Yi Xian raised her head, her complicated gaze lingering on the young man's face for a long while. Only now did she truly begin to believe what he had said—the value of this technique was probably enough to make even Dou Emperors scramble for it.

"Why?"

Her voice trembled slightly, and her plain white sleeve tightened unconsciously in her grip. She was merely a woman cursed with the Calamity Poison Body. What had she done to deserve such a generous gift?

"Why what?" Lu Yu spread his hands, looking utterly baffled. "Didn't I make it clear? Of course it's for cultivating together!"

"You!"

Xiao Yi Xian abruptly raised her head, her fair cheeks instantly blooming red. She glared in embarrassment and anger at the shameless young man before her, but when she met his open, forthright gaze, her momentum unconsciously weakened.

"I... I understand." She turned her face away in a panic, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "I agree, then. Now... please leave first. I'm going to begin cultivating this technique."

As she spoke, she reached out to push Lu Yu away, but the instant she touched his sleeve, she withdrew her hand as if burned. In the candlelight, her face was as red as a boiling teapot.