Wanting to Speak, Yet Holding Back

Dealt with the loose ends.

Lan Chang'an came to the reef and helped the unconscious Mu Xiuyun up.

He circulated the Evergreen Art and dispelled the poison within her body.

He did not completely neutralize it, however. As long as her life was out of danger and her vital signs remained stable, that was enough.

Ordinary Wood-Type Techniques contained the vital essence of grass and trees, granting some healing effects and a certain ability to dispel toxins.

But they were nowhere near as outrageously effective as the Evergreen Art.

Lan Chang'an fed Mu Xiuyun another Qi Recovery Pill.

As the deadly poison weakened and her spiritual power recovered, Mu Xiuyun opened her eyes and sensed the presence of the man supporting her from behind.

"I... didn't die?"

Mu Xiuyun's breathing was weak. Too preoccupied to care about propriety between men and women, her delicate face, speckled with faint brown spots, showed half surprise and half confusion.

After steadying her emotions,

she asked, "Ge Yi didn't pursue us?"

"Ge Yi caught up to us on a Flying Boat. We couldn't escape, so I could only use the Bedrock Shield to defend myself and exhaust all my Talismans. Just as my spiritual power ran dry and I was at my limit, Ge Yi suddenly withdrew..."

Lan Chang'an had prepared his story long ago and spoke without the slightest fluster.

To make it look convincing, his robes were torn, and several wounds bore traces of blood.

As Mu Xiuyun listened, a thoughtful look occasionally surfaced in her eyes. "Ge Yi was poisoned and not at his peak. Even so, it was truly no easy feat for Lan Chang'an to hold him off for a while."

Why had Ge Alchemist withdrawn? There was no need to think too deeply about it.

After all, this was near the Mu Family's territory. Even Zheng Yuanhua at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer would not dare linger for long.

Mu Xiuyun harbored no suspicions toward Lan Chang'an's explanation.

She could never have imagined that Lan Chang'an, who had only recently entered the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, could kill someone at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer against the odds.

"Eldest Miss, my Wood-Type spiritual power can only guide and alleviate the poison in your body a little. Once we return, you must seek treatment as soon as possible."

Seeing that Mu Xiuyun could sit cross-legged and regulate her breathing, Lan Chang'an released his arm.

"Lan Chang'an, I truly have to thank you this time..."

Mu Xiuyun recalled something. Her starry eyes lowered, and a faint blush rose to her lovely face.

Earlier, with her spiritual power depleted and the poison acting up, Lan Chang'an had carried her all the way as they fled.

The naturally fresh, clean masculine scent on him still lingered in her senses.

"It's only what I should do."

Lan Chang'an did not claim credit. As long as she did not offer herself in marriage, anything was negotiable.

After waiting a moment, the sound of something cutting through the air came from afar.

Both of them tensed.

A burly man in disheveled black robes, standing atop a blue Flying Boat, was searching anxiously through the mountains.

"Uncle Renlong."

Mu Xiuyun felt a huge weight lift from her heart and waved in delight.

When Mu Renlong saw the two of them, he finally let out a long breath.

The bloodstains at the corner of his mouth had not dried. His spread grin, paired with those sharp and sinister eyes, carried a savage air.

"Greetings, Second Elder." Lan Chang'an cupped his hands.

He had heard of Mu Renlong's fearsome reputation. He was the Mu Family elder with the greatest combat strength.

"Xiuyun, are you all right?"

Mu Renlong came to Mu Xiuyun's side, concern written across his face.

"I'm not in serious danger. The poison in my body has been temporarily suppressed." Mu Xiuyun forced a smile, though the poison spots on her face had yet to fade.

"This is Marrow-Corroding Powder! Ordinary Detoxification Pills are useless against it. Luckily, you had the Hundred Herbs Sachet."

After examining her, Mu Renlong took out a glistening white pill and had Mu Xiuyun swallow it.

Mu Xiuyun said gratefully, "Uncle Renlong, it's fortunate you arrived in time. Otherwise, if we'd faced Zheng Yuanhua, we would have been dead ten times over with no chance of survival."

Lan Chang'an was somewhat puzzled by this.

When he had activated the Signal Talisman, they had been over two hundred li away from Jade Moon Mountain Villa. Mu Renlong should not have arrived so quickly.

"Hmph! I've long been unable to stand that Ge fellow. If not for his friendship with the Old Ancestor..."

Mu Renlong's expression darkened, and killing intent flickered beneath it.

"Today, I originally had business with Xiuyun. When I learned about the Medicine Garden, I immediately sensed something fishy. That old bastard truly was an insider!"

It turned out Mu Renlong had been searching for insiders within the Lineage in recent years.

Ge Yi Alchemist was one of the several people he had suspected.

"An insider?"

Lan Chang'an recalled how, years ago, he and Li Ergou had been ambushed by the Ugly Woman of the Zheng Family and others while returning to the Mu Family.

The Zheng Family had known their departure and return times with astonishing precision.

However, Ge Yi had already been killed by Lan Chang'an. If he truly had been that insider, then the grudge had been avenged.

As for the Ugly Woman of the Zheng Family and the others, he would find an opportunity to deal with them someday.

"By the way, how did you escape the pursuit? What happened in the Medicine Garden?"

"Uncle Renlong, it was Lan Chang'an..."

By then, some color had returned to Mu Xiuyun's pale face, and the brown spots had faded.

"Oh?"

As Mu Renlong listened, surprise appeared on his face.

Whenever he asked a question, the look in his eyes as he regarded Lan Chang'an gradually turned appreciative.

"Lan Chang'an, you rendered great service today! The Lineage will remember it."

Mu Renlong walked over and patted Lan Chang'an on the shoulder.

The instant his palm made contact, Lan Chang'an sensed a concealed fluctuation of spiritual power.

"An ordinary Wood-Type Technique..."

Mu Renlong was deeply calculating. Having probed Lan Chang'an's spiritual power just now, he found nothing unusual.

Reviewing this Medicine Garden crisis, Lan Chang'an had rendered considerable service and showed no major points of suspicion.

But there were two minor doubts:

First, Lan Chang'an had withstood the Marrow-Corroding Powder and recovered so quickly. Ordinary poison resistance training could not achieve that.

On this matter, Lan Chang'an might have concealed something.

Perhaps he possessed some unusual item that could detoxify and expel poison. Such things were not uncommon in the Cultivation World.

For example, Mu Xiuyun's sachet normally served as an ornament, yet could ward off poison at a critical moment.

Second, Lan Chang'an had demonstrated remarkable talent for spells and combat in this battle. In the end, he had held off Ge Alchemist alone for at least twenty breaths, even if the latter had been poisoned and was not at full strength.

Of course, such an outstanding performance did not exceed the bounds of reason.

In the Cultivation World, some cultivators possessed mediocre aptitude, yet had exceptional combat instincts and profound comprehension of spells. Some could even fight across a minor realm.

At the very least, Lan Chang'an's performance could not compare to some of the prodigies in the history of Liang Kingdom's Cultivation World.

Furthermore, Lan Chang'an had once been a Martial Arts Grandmaster. He had experience in the martial world, was seasoned in real combat, and his poisoning schemes and calculations all suited his background.

It never even crossed Mu Renlong's mind that Lan Chang'an could kill Ge Yi at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer across realms.

Even Mu Renlong himself would need to expend some effort to kill Ge Alchemist.

"Lan Chang'an, it's somewhat regrettable that a talent like you isn't fighting on the front lines."

Mu Renlong's eyes gleamed as he spoke.

Lan Chang'an's face twitched slightly. "This junior cannot bear such a heavy responsibility. It would be safer for me to draw Talismans for the Lineage."

Having rendered such service today and saved the Mu Family's precious daughter, if he were "rewarded" by being sent to fight on the front lines, then this Lineage was not worth staying in.

Fortunately, Mu Renlong was merely testing him and made no demands.

He knew that an outside talent like Lan Chang'an had refused to marry and have children, keeping a low profile while cultivating diligently all these years.

It was certainly unrealistic to expect him to risk his life for the Lineage.

A quarter-hour later.

Mu Renlong brought the two of them back to the Medicine Garden.

The losses among the Medicine Garden's herbs were still acceptable, aside from those Ge Yi had embezzled.

"Uncle Cheng..."

What chilled Mu Renlong's heart and filled him with grief was that the several low-level Qi Refining cultivators in the Medicine Garden, along with all the Spiritual Planters and servants, had died after the poison took effect.

Among them was that Spiritual Planter at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. By seniority, that old Spiritual Planter had been Mu Renlong's uncle.

Lan Chang'an swept his gaze around and discovered that the Earth Rock Rat had vanished without a trace.

Without spiritual power to sustain it, the Binding Vine Technique had a limited duration.

After arranging the corpses of the dead,

Mu Renlong gazed at the desolate, empty Medicine Garden. Only after a long while did he speak.

"Lan Chang'an, you will continue guarding the Medicine Garden. The Lineage will replenish its manpower as soon as possible. Once the dispute at the front-line Mine Area is resolved, the Lineage will reward your merits."

Continue guarding it?

Lan Chang'an knew the Mu Family was desperately short of manpower now.

After this crisis, and after he had saved Mu Xiuyun, the Mu Family higher-ups trusted him even more.

As long as he was not sent to the front lines, Lan Chang'an had no objections to guarding the Medicine Garden in the rear.

"Second Elder, that Zheng Family elder..."

Lan Chang'an asked.

"Rest assured."

Mu Renlong gave a knowing laugh, understanding Lan Chang'an's concern.

"Zheng Yuanhua was wounded by me and won't dare return. Furthermore, I will soon activate several hidden pieces and retaliate against the Zheng Family..."

Mu Renlong spoke with stern, forceful killing intent.

"That's good."

Lan Chang'an appeared to relax slightly.

In truth, he was not all that afraid of the Zheng Family elder.

Against a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, he had the ability to protect himself, though it would be troublesome.

Lan Chang'an still had several Golden Blade Talismans, which he had made a few years ago.

These Talismans were enough to deal with ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

But against powerful Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators like Mu Renlong and Zheng Yuanhua, they might not give him any advantage.

Ge Yi had been slain in a single strike partly because Lan Chang'an had caught him off guard. At the time, Ge Yi had been controlling two magical artifacts with all his strength, leaving his defenses somewhat lax.

That evening.

Mu Xiuyun, newly recovered from her injuries and poison, followed Mu Renlong back to the clan.

"Lan Chang'an, be careful."

Before parting, Mu Xiuyun, dressed in an elegant plain long gown and bearing a gentle, delicate beauty, looked back at Lan Chang'an with starry eyes.

Her vermilion lips moved slightly, and a trace of confusion and searching showed on her face.

During the time she had been unconscious,

she had felt herself sink into endless darkness, utterly powerless to turn the tide.

At the critical moment, a strand of Azure Warmth had pulled her out of the abyss.

The details were unclear. She had not mentioned it to Mu Renlong, nor was it convenient to ask Lan Chang'an directly.

"Eldest Miss, take care as well."

Looking at Mu Xiuyun, who seemed to want to speak yet held back, Lan Chang'an smiled and waved farewell.

"At last, I can inspect the Spoils of War!"

After confirming that Mu Renlong and Mu Xiuyun had gone far away, Lan Chang'an returned alone to the Medicine Garden's Wooden Hut and set down several layers of Restrictions.

He took Ge Yi's Storage Bag from his robes and spent some time breaking the Restriction upon it.

When the Storage Bag opened, his eyes immediately lit up.

"As expected of an Alchemist—fat enough to drip oil!"