How come I'm the one being conquered?

The vocabulary was completely unfamiliar, sounding like the member of some organization. With many doubts in his heart, Bai Jun calmed his mind and asked the most practical question: "Where is that Cultivator?"

"He, he was..." Qiu Zhou seemed unable to support his exhausted spirit and had already fallen into a deep sleep, mumbling softly.

Stopping abruptly at the most crucial juncture, Bai Jun immediately recalled the painful experience of slacking off to listen to storytellers in the past, only to be caught and sent back to work halfway through. The pain surfaced in his heart, making him wish he could shake Qiu Zhou awake and get the full story right then and there.

But looking at the young man's pale face and thin frame, Bai Jun finally sighed softly and did not choose to wake him.

The smell of oil mixed with blood that permeated the room was too disgusting, so Bai Jun carried the unconscious Qiu Zhou into the courtyard. However, even so, the smell of blood on him lingered, causing Bai Jun to frown in disgust as he repeatedly wiped his long fingers and the sword sheath with tissue paper.

Tilting his head slightly to look at the sky, the heavens had already darkened. The brilliant sunset piled up on the horizon, and vast swathes of fiery clouds stained the sky, burning passionately like flames.

Bai Jun leaned lazily against the wall, waiting for the Cloud Cavalry. Since he had nothing else to do, he idly began to survey his surroundings.

It was not a large courtyard, with blood-stained bandages and cotton balls carelessly discarded everywhere, creating a shocking sight. In the left corner of the wall were piled things resembling coal stoves, along with kitchen utensils like soup pots and iron pots. The right corner was filled with damp firewood. Various items were scattered on the ground in the center of the yard, including chopsticks, bowls and chopsticks, and several yellowed photographs. There seemed to be a woman's figure in them, but they were severely damaged, making it impossible to see clearly.

Suddenly, Bai Jun's gaze fell upon a thick notebook amidst the pile of bowls and chopsticks. He picked it up and browsed through a few pages. Many parts were blurred by bloodstains, but the general content indicated that it was Qiu Zhou's diary. Perhaps he could find information about the Cultivator he mentioned within it...

Bai Jun glanced at Qiu Zhou, who was lying on the ground, and thought that considering it was for work, it couldn't be considered an invasion of privacy, right? Just as he was about to flip through it to investigate, hurried footsteps and shouts from outside the door interrupted his thoughts. Acting on instinct, he quickly tucked it into his embrace.

"Cloud Cavalry investigating, civilians stand back!"

With a roar, the heavy iron gate, which Bai Jun had already opened, was kicked open again. The arriving Cloud Cavalry swarmed into the courtyard, surrounding Bai Jun and Qiu Zhou on the ground.

The leader of the Cloud Cavalry was a man with a thick beard. He had some acquaintance with Da Hao. After carefully observing Bai Jun, who had obediently raised his hands, he quickly recognized his identity. He then bowed respectfully. After understanding the whole story, he indicated that Bai Jun could leave at any time.

To avoid interfering with the Cloud Cavalry's protection of the primary scene, Bai Jun handed Qiu Zhou over to them and turned to leave the courtyard. As he left, he could faintly hear the Cloud Cavalry inside retching.

After Bai Jun left, two Cloud Cavalry soldiers responsible for guarding came to the front of the gate, which was made of fine iron and sandalwood. Facing the heavy iron gate, the two men sighed as they touched the door. The door was made of wood reinforced with iron plates, and it was heavy and thick. It was clear at a glance that it would be difficult for humans to break through this door without tools.

However, this door, which was comparable to a shield, now had a fist-sized hole, which looked particularly conspicuous.

"Emperor's Bow above, how did this door get opened? Could it have been cut with a weapon?"

"How is that possible? The opening cut by a sharp blade would definitely be neat and smooth. Look at this hole, it was clearly made with a blunt object!"

"A blunt object? What kind of blunt object could precisely carve out a hole? I feel like..."

"Feel like what?"

"I feel like it was smashed open with a fist."

The two imagined the unbelievable scene – an arm piercing through the iron gate, specifically at the hinge.

No, it was more than that. The arm kept making low sounds as it sank into the door, and then the hinge let out a groan, bidding farewell to the wall.

It was like a monster...

The two swallowed in unison and shivered unexpectedly.

Chapter 22: Father's Illness

"Ding——"

[Noble Praise +15]

[45/100]

The system's cold and familiar mechanical voice suddenly sounded. Normally, Bai Jun would have been delighted to gain so much moral value in one go, but at the moment, he couldn't muster much interest. His mind was occupied by the Cultivator Qiu Zhou had mentioned, and he subconsciously ignored the commotion around him.

Walking slowly through the streets and alleys, Bai Jun took out the diary from his embrace and opened a few pages. He found the writing on the yellowed paper difficult to decipher.

It wasn't because the language was from outside the Xianzhou, but rather the font was too ugly and the layout too poor. The dense handwriting looked like ants crawling, and there were often black circles scribbled over and crossed out, making it a visual feast for the Taotie.

Due to the dim light in the low-lying alleys, Bai Jun's eyes felt very tired after reading for a while, so he put away the diary and tucked it back into his embrace, planning to decipher it carefully at home with a desk lamp.

Emerging from the narrow alley, Bai Jun's vision suddenly opened up. The stench that had lingered around him was swept away by the smoky aroma in the air. Although there was still a faint smell of blood, it was much better than before.

Reaching out to touch the skin of his exposed left arm, a slight chill reminded him that he had used his sleeve to bandage Qiu Zhou. Fortunately, the attention of those around him was not on him, which somewhat relieved Bai Jun, and he thought about getting home quickly.

"Bai Jun! Bai Jun!"

Just then, a familiar voice filled with worry sounded. Bai Jun paused for half a beat, followed the sound, and his gaze fell upon a cute figure at the other end of the street.

Bailu, with tear streaks in her eyes, ran over and threw herself into Bai Jun's arms. Her small face, still wet with tears, buried itself in his embrace. Her falling tears soaked his clothes, and her soft, small body trembled slightly, letting out soft whimpers: "I was really, really worried about you..."

Bai Jun could feel the trembling of the small body in his arms. His hand, which had been suspended in the air, hesitated for a moment before finally gently resting on her small head, comforting her repeatedly: "It's okay, it's okay, I won't leave you, Lady Bailu..."

She lifted her tear-streaked face. Although tears were still falling intermittently, she still asked in confusion, in a small voice: "Really, really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Bai Jun gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, then hugged her gently, repeating it tirelessly.

Only when Bai Jun's clothes were completely soaked with her tears did Bailu finally stop crying. She slowly pulled away from Bai Jun's embrace and suddenly said, "Your clothes smell so bad."

"Sorry..."

Bailu's ear tips turned slightly red. She suddenly buried her face in his embrace again, lowering her head to hide her shy face, and said in a muffled voice, "I don't mind."

Meanwhile, Dan He, holding two cups of steaming Immortal's Joy Tea, squatted under a streetlamp. Watching the heartwarming scene between the siblings, she didn't know who to envy.

After a while, Dan He, who had been squatting on the ground drawing circles out of boredom, felt someone approaching. She looked up and saw Bai Jun walking towards her. His face was full of fatigue. He gestured with his eyes towards the small figure he was holding. Perhaps due to her childlike nature, Bailu, who had cried herself tired, had naturally fallen asleep in Bai Jun's arms.

"Why didn't you take Bailu with you? Didn't we agree to go back before sunset?"

"Do you think I didn't want to? Lady Bailu was worried about you and refused to go back first. What could I do as her attendant?" Dan He carefully took Bailu, cradling her as if she were a treasure, and cast a slightly resentful glance at Bai Jun.

"You could have reported directly to the Dragon Master of your clan, right? At the very least, you could have notified the doctors at the Alchemy Commission."

"...What are you talking about? I have no idea." Unable to withstand Bai Jun's teasing gaze, Dan He casually turned her face away and handed the Immortal's Joy Tea to Bai Jun: "Here, Lady Bailu specifically asked me to buy it for you. She really dotes on you endlessly."

"It is my utmost honor," Bai Jun said with a helpless smile, accepting the milk tea.

"Alright, hurry up and go. If you go back late after violating clan rules for so long, don't even mention Lord Bailu, I'm afraid even I will be severely punished by the Alchemy Commission…"

"Hmm, how about I put in a good word for you?"

"No, are you some student's parent…?"

The two chatted idly as they walked away, heading towards the setting sun.

Once they were completely out of sight, two figures slowly and steadily emerged from the shadows of the alley.

"Cultivator, are you just going to let him go?" the shorter follower asked, looking at Bai Jun's retreating back with confusion, turning to the black-robed figure addressed as Cultivator.

The Cultivator remained silent for a moment before shaking his head in response, "Forget it. This is a time of many troubles, and the Leader has also stated that we should not act rashly. Everything must be for the greater good."

There was another sentence he wanted to say, a feeling that he wasn't Bai Jun's match. Of course, this was not spoken aloud. Instead, he changed the subject and gave an order:

"Begin recording. Experiment number: Qiu Kui, Xianzhou native, Long-lived species. This experimental subject has shown precursors of a Mara-struck Body. With family consent, they have accepted this experiment. After the subject ingested the solidified powder of Vidyadhara Marrow Fluid, the Mara-struck Body showed significant improvement. It is also worth noting that the subject's restored sanity during this period was almost indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person. This state lasted for approximately seven days. The drug's efficacy is far greater than Soul-Returning Vitality Powder, but it is followed by strong anomalous reactions. Currently, the experimental subject has been destroyed."

After a brief pause, the Cultivator added, "A silver-haired youth has appeared beside the Dragon Maiden. The level of danger he poses, in my humble opinion… is extremely high. For the sake of the subsequent plan, it is recommended that he be eliminated immediately."

In the evening, after showering, Bai Jun walked into the study holding a towel.

He dealt with his torn clothes and changed into another linen shirt, then sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

Beside the edge of the desk stood a bookshelf, neatly stacked with over ten books and magazines related to weapon forging and design. On the wall to his right were embedded gray pipes and connected wall lamps, not ornate, but quite simple.

He reached out and twisted the switch of the desk lamp. Bright light quickly filled the interior of the wall lamp, then passed through the transparent glass. Darkness suddenly receded, and the wall was bathed in warm yellow light. Bai Jun felt a strange sense of peace and spread the diary he had found on the desk.

This time, he examined the diary carefully, not letting a single detail slip by.

After much deciphering, he could roughly make out that most of the diary was filled with Qiu Zhou's curses and resentment towards society. Among the twisted characters, there were scoldings of his gambler grandfather, hatred for his mother, and even complaints about his admired father. It was hard to imagine these words coming from an underage child.

Continuing to flip through, a large portion of the diary's middle section had been torn out for some reason. It was difficult to find any useful information from the damaged pages. There was nothing he could do but skip this part and move on to the records from the most recent few months.

When he turned to a page with particularly distorted handwriting, Bai Jun immediately sat up straight, focusing all his attention on investigating this section.

"February 21st, my always gloomy father suddenly started talking nonsense. He asked me why I sprinkled dirt into his food bowl, why I burned his clothes, why I abandoned him and left? I didn't understand, I could only repeatedly tell him that I wouldn't leave."

"February 24th, for the next few days, Father stopped eating or drinking, and didn't respond to anyone. He just sat there like a walking corpse, like cobwebs forming in an uncleaned corner, covered in dust and devoid of life. This symptom was very similar to Grandpa's back then… No, it's impossible. Father is a Cloud Cavalry, he's a hero, how could he fall into a Mara-struck Body?"

"February 26th, damn, damn, damn, damn… Golden vines began to grow on Father's body. The new branches broke through his skin, tearing out large chunks of flesh, filling half the room with blood. Father lay on the ground howling. I have to find a doctor by morning."

"February 27th, as soon as I left Jiren Alley, I was stopped by a strange man in a black robe. I don't remember exactly what he said, only that he claimed to be a Cultivator from the Medicine King's Legacy and gave me a packet of powder, saying it could save Father. I didn't want to accept it, but if I went to a doctor from the Alchemy Commission, they would surely take Father away like they did Grandpa back then. He's the only family I have left. I, I absolutely won't let them take Father away!"

"February 28th, I took the packet of powder with a tentative attitude, but I never expected it to actually work! Father's condition improved significantly, and I don't know if it's an illusion, but I think he looks younger. Saying that Xianzhou people get younger is a ridiculous notion; our appearances don't change after we reach adulthood – but a person's demeanor can. Father's steps are lighter, his expression carries a relaxed ease, and his face, which seemed covered in dust, has smoothed out."

"March 2nd, Father's condition has been getting better every day. Not only can he talk, but he also has a great appetite, eating an astonishing amount. He often pats my head and tells me that we two should live well. Yes, live well…"

"March 6th, I was woken up by a tremor from the next room early in the morning. I rushed to Father's room in a panic, only to find him lying on the ground, having vomited a lot of undigested food. I even saw a few teeth in that pile of vomit. In the afternoon, Father's hair suddenly started falling out, and then he ran into his room. I, I should probably go find a doctor from the Alchemy Commission."

"March 7th, Father's hair has all grown back! How is this possible? And he completely forgot what happened yesterday. Why, why…"

"March 8th, in the evening, Father's body started to swell, as if filled with water. His teeth, hair, and nails all began to fall out. It's so disgusting, so disgusting. I need to find a doctor to save Father! But as soon as I stepped out the door, I was stopped again by that guy who called himself a Cultivator. He said Father was adapting to the Mara-struck Body, and that three more doses of the medicine would completely overcome it. I don't believe him, but, but he's right. If I go to a doctor, Father will definitely be taken away."

"March 9th, I've already given Father two doses of the powder, but his condition hasn't improved at all. He's also started vomiting large amounts of blood and yellowish… fat? No, if the last dose tomorrow doesn't work, I'm afraid I'll really have to go find a doctor from the Alchemy Commission…"

The diary's content ended abruptly here, and the date on the desk calendar happened to be March 10th. It was clear that Qiu Zhou had no chance to add any more entries to the diary.

Bai Jun closed the diary and turned off the wall lamp on his right. He watched the light tube slowly dim until it extinguished. He remained seated, his thumb unconsciously stroking his lips, silent in the quiet darkness, like the most focused audience member in a movie theater.

"Medicine King's Legacy, you really are something…"

This time, his voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.

PS: I was so dizzy from a full day of classes, I felt like I forgot something. I just woke up from a nap and realized I forgot to update. Please forgive me, can I make it up with a burst of updates in a few days?

Chapter 23: Have You Heard the Story of the Valiant Swordsman?

Qiu Zhou was arrested by the Ten Lords Bureau, charged with "Causing the Fallen to Live Long" and "Greedily Seeking Immortality."

The next morning, as soon as Bai Jun arrived at the Public Office of the Department of Earthly Rulings, he heard his colleagues chatting about the matter.

He gathered his messy hair, intending to return to his seat pretending not to care. However, the contents of the diary from last night were still vivid in his mind. He finally chose to stop by the doorframe, listening intently, but doing his best to appear indifferent, like a child listening to a story.

After a while, Bai Jun's slightly furrowed brow relaxed. He heard that the Ten Lords Bureau, considering Qiu Zhou's special circumstances, had ultimately only sentenced him to twenty-five years in prison as punishment.

Although he was still young, those who did wrong should be punished.

Twenty-five years was not a particularly harsh punishment for the Long-lived species of Xianzhou, whose lifespans often reached seven to eight hundred years. However, every second was measured the same as for short-lived species, and every hour confined in prison was real. He hoped he would repent soon.

At this moment, the colleagues who were chatting noticed Bai Jun standing by the door and waved enthusiastically, "Good morning, Qing Yan! You're as punctual as ever today."

"Good morning."

Bai Jun nodded and smiled back, gracefully moving past them towards his seat.

His colleagues stared blankly at Bai Jun's retreating back. After he left, especially the women, they began to gossip, "He smiles so beautifully."

"Exactly! Look how gentle his smile is."

In the eyes of his colleagues, Bai Jun was probably such a person, someone who could make them fall in love just by looking at him.

He wasn't just handsome; his demeanor was captivating. Walking down the street, nine out of ten women, regardless of age, would turn to look at him again. It was understandable, and even normal, for the service lady behind the counter to be completely mesmerized after seeing Bai Jun's rare smile.

Even his male colleagues couldn't help but nod. People are visual creatures, and they couldn't deny it. If they were to smile at women, they'd likely be seen as creepy, disgusting goblins.

But Bai Jun was truly something else. Fine, they'd grudgingly admit that Bai Jun was just a little bit more handsome than them.

The women were still cheering excitedly, screaming, "If he invited me out for a drink tonight, I'd definitely go willingly!"

"Mhm, me too, me too! I'd even pay for everything!"

Their conversations were always flighty, and they quickly shifted to discussing which newly opened teahouse had reasonable prices, which dessert shop was tastier, and how to break through Bai Jun's icy exterior. The men glanced at the women, then turned back to their own animated conversations.

Bai Jun had already returned to his seat, paying no mind to the commotion from his colleagues. He used his key to open the cabinet against the wall and put away the saber he carried. Then, he sidestepped and pulled out the third drawer from the bottom of the cabinet, placing a heavy book on the desk. He also took out quite a few case files, intending to create a diversion.

The book was titled "A Compendium of Star-Crossing Voyages Across the Vast Sea." It detailed the author's experiences of star-faring vessels crashing and frequently encountering danger in different worlds. The writing was humorous yet meticulously recorded the local species and ecosystems, making it one of Bai Jun's favorite books.

The bookmark was placed in a particularly exciting part of the plot. Usually, he would be completely engrossed, but today he couldn't focus. A sense of inexplicable irritation kept rising within him, likely caused by yesterday's events.

Bai Jun supported his forehead with his hand and closed the book with displeasure. He had intended to switch his mind by working on some case files, but his head was filled with thoughts of the Medicine King's Legacy. Just as he was about to make himself a cup of tea, a noisy voice reached his ears, carrying a slightly uncomfortable, cloying tone.

"Ah, people outside the window always stubbornly search for their other half, and I've always disdained such pursuits. Yet, every time I see people walking in pairs, a flicker of hope ignites in my desolate heart. Oh well, perhaps it's the early spring. I've likely been alone for too long, and now I wish for a companion. While I write, she'd be by my side, perusing my writings; when I'm not writing, I'd hold her hand, gazing at her gentle eyes. Without a drop of wine, I feel a hint of intoxication..."

Song Yan leaned against the window, looking melancholic, his chin propped on his hand. He gazed at the bustling traffic outside the glass and poetically launched into his musings.

Bai Jun didn't intend to pay him any mind. Unfortunately, Song Yan had chosen the window directly beside him, making it impossible to ignore.

"Stop acting crazy here," Bai Jun rolled his eyes and scolded him irritably.

When it came to thick-skinnedness, no one in the entire Public Office could compare to Song Yan. Even with such obvious disdain shown towards him, he just grinned and acted as if nothing happened. Instead, he casually leaned on Bai Jun's desk and continued to pester him:

"Hey, Qing Yan, why are you so angry this early in the morning? Is something bothering you? You can tell big brother all about it."

"Oh? You can tell I'm bothered?"

Bai Jun remained noncommittal, his distinctly jointed index finger tapping idly on the rim of his white jade teacup.