Madam, Your Mysterious Medicine

Yu Qianqian picked a stalk of Stone Grass from the box and held it between her fingers. Sure enough, it contained not a trace of Profound Qi or medicinal aura.

The originally blood-red Profound Grass had also turned white, no different from an ordinary stalk of Stone Grass.

The Sixth Deacon said in a low voice, "When I handed this Stone Grass to Silver Pool Madam, it was undoubtedly a Fourth Grade Bloodstone Profound Grass. I followed her all the way out of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, and I never saw her open the casket and switch the Profound Grass. Right, the youth following Silver Pool Madam opened the casket when they left the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall. After he picked up the Bloodstone Profound Grass, it changed. It was then that he discovered the Bloodstone Profound Grass was fake medicine."

Yu Qianqian's delicate brows furrowed again. She glanced at the youth named Xiao Li and said, "Unless something unexpected happened, that youth must possess a Variant Heart Palace. He used its power to devour the Profound Qi and medicinal aura within the Bloodstone Profound Grass, turning a Fourth Grade Profound Medicine into ordinary Stone Grass."

The Sixth Deacon said, "What do we do now? Even if we all know Silver Pool Madam is behind this, we cannot do anything to her. Once word spreads that the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall sells counterfeit Mysterious Medicine, it will be a devastating blow to our reputation."

Yu Qianqian let out a deep breath and gently shook her head. This was an inescapable deadlock. Someone had dug a pit for them, and now that they had jumped in, climbing back out would be difficult.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Princess Qianqian, may I take a look at this Mysterious Medicine?"

Silver Pool Madam had already exposed Yu Qianqian's identity, so Ning Xiaochuan naturally could no longer call her Deacon Yu.

Yu Qianqian placed the Stone Grass back into the casket and handed it to Ning Xiaochuan. Smiling bitterly, she said, "Have a look! There is no room to salvage this now. The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall will suffer grievous losses this time."

Ning Xiaochuan accepted the casket and pressed his finger against the Stone Grass, using his mind to sense it.

This Stone Grass had indeed had its Profound Qi and medicinal aura drained away, becoming mundane Stone Grass.

However, Ning Xiaochuan keenly discovered that not all of its medicinal aura had been extracted. In truth, a trace still remained within it.

This showed that the youth named Xiao Li was not yet very highly cultivated. Otherwise, he would have sucked the Bloodstone Profound Grass completely dry of medicinal aura.

Since a trace of medicinal aura still remained inside this Stone Grass, things would be easy to handle.

Over the past few days, Ning Xiaochuan had been refining Blood Toad Wood. Although the Demon Sword had absorbed the vast majority of the Blood Toad Wood aura, quite a bit still remained in his blood.

The Blood Toad Wood aura was similar to the medicinal aura of Bloodstone Profound Grass. Ning Xiaochuan could completely pull off a dragon-and-phoenix switch, injecting Blood Toad Wood aura into the Stone Grass and turning it back into a Fourth Grade Bloodstone Profound Grass.

This step seemed simple, yet it was more difficult than silently draining the medicinal aura and Profound Qi from Profound Grass without anyone noticing. Only Ning Xiaochuan, who possessed the Seven Aperture God-Demon Heart Palace, could accomplish it.

Ning Xiaochuan placed his hand into the casket. A faint layer of bloody radiance emerged from his fingers as he began infusing the Mysterious Medicine with Blood Toad Wood aura.

Below, Silver Pool Madam said with a beaming smile, "Qian Qian, your Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall sold counterfeit Mysterious Medicine. How do you intend to compensate me? Hehe! Forget it. I do not care about that little money. I simply will not dare come to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall to buy Mysterious Medicine again in the future. Let us go."

Seeing Silver Pool Madam's arrogant and overbearing manner, the deacons and maidservants of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall trembled with rage. If looks could kill, Silver Pool Madam would already have died many times over.

"Hold it." Ning Xiaochuan held the casket in his hands, walked to the center of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall's entrance, and stood at the very top of the steps.

Silver Pool Madam had been about to step into her carriage, but upon hearing Ning Xiaochuan, she stopped and turned around with a charming smile. "Little brother, do you have something to say?"

Xiao Li stood behind Silver Pool Madam and likewise cast Ning Xiaochuan a disdainful glance.

Yu Qianqian and the Sixth Deacon had no idea what Ning Xiaochuan intended to do. Was he going to expose Silver Pool Madam's scheme? Even if he did, no one would believe him. Instead, it would only saddle the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall with a reputation for being petty.

Ning Xiaochuan took out the Stone Grass, pinched it between his fingers, and said, "This is indeed a Fourth Grade Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine. It is only that... Silver Pool Madam's attainments in the Heart Nourishing Art are too shallow, and her studies too lacking, which is why she misjudged it."

Silver Pool Madam stared deeply at the youth standing atop the steps, her teeth itching with fury. This brat who had appeared from who knew where actually dared say that her studies were lacking and her attainments shallow.

She was an Intermediate Heart Nourisher, after all. Her status was incomparably lofty, far beyond that of an Elementary Heart Nourisher.

A seductive smile remained on Silver Pool Madam's face. Her lashes were slender, her red lips lush and tempting, and her voice soft and elegant. "I truly failed to see that this was a Fourth Grade Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine. Why not explain it to all of us, little brother?"

She had seen people with silver tongues who could insist that a white horse was not a horse.

But she did not believe that anyone in this world could call an ordinary stalk of Stone Grass a Fourth Grade Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine.

"Watch carefully, everyone! This is actually a Stone-Wrapped Profound Medicine, covered in a layer of Stone Skin. Only by scraping away the Stone Skin can one see the true body of the Mysterious Medicine." Ning Xiaochuan used Profound Qi to shatter the Stone Skin on the Stone Grass in his hand. Dazzling blood-red light immediately burst forth from within, revealing a medicinal herb wreathed in Profound Qi.

Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine!

The scene was too shocking. The entire place fell silent, and everyone was dumbstruck.

The few people who knew the truth were especially shocked beyond all measure.

Yu Qianqian lightly covered her lips with her fingers, delight shining in her eyes. She could not help but regard Ning Xiaochuan even more highly. Seizing the moment, she prepared to strike back. "The Stone Skin was deliberately preserved by our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall to prevent the medicinal aura of the Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine from dissipating. Ordinary people naturally cannot see through it, but even an Elementary Heart Nourisher should be able to tell that Mysterious Medicine is wrapped beneath the Stone Skin. Madam is an Intermediate Heart Nourisher of the Imperial Heart Nourishing Hall, yet she still misjudged it and accused our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall of selling counterfeit medicine. That truly is a heaven-sized injustice. At the same time, I cannot help but question just how high the standards of the Heart Nourishers at the Imperial Heart Nourishing Hall truly are. An Intermediate Heart Nourisher cannot even recognize Stone-Wrapped Profound Medicine?"

Silver Pool Madam coldly glanced at the handsome youth beside her, frightening him into dropping to his knees at once.

A faint smile was forced onto Silver Pool Madam's beautiful face. She stared deeply at Ning Xiaochuan and smiled. "The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall actually has such a gifted talent. It truly makes me envious and jealous. Might this little brother tell me his name?"

Yu Qianqian naturally knew what sort of woman Silver Pool Madam was. She was a notorious social butterfly, exceptionally skilled in dealing with men. Especially youths like Ning Xiaochuan—he could easily become a plaything upon her bed.

Fearing that Ning Xiaochuan would be bewitched by Silver Pool Madam, Yu Qianqian hurriedly said, "Xiao Chuan is now the foremost among the Elementary Heart Nourishers of our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, a Peerless Prodigy. He will certainly become a core member of our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall in the future, so Madam need not waste her schemes."

Silver Pool Madam's cheeks were as smooth as goose eggs. She smiled softly. "The treatment offered by our Imperial Heart Nourishing Hall is certainly no worse than that of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall. Xiao Chuan, if you ever wish to seek another path in the future, you may come find me at Qi Tian Marquis's Mansion anytime. The gates of Qi Tian Marquis's Mansion will always be open for you."

Silver Pool Madam's voice was sweet and coquettish, her figure enchanting. She did not resemble a married woman in the slightest, but rather a peerless enchantress as she gracefully stepped onto the luxurious carriage.

Standing atop the steps, Ning Xiaochuan said, "Madam, your Mysterious Medicine!"

Silver Pool Madam looked back with a smile. "It is your Mysterious Medicine!"

Clatter, clatter!

Eighteen snow-white mysterious beasts pulled the palace-sized carriage slowly away, while pedestrians on the street hastily moved aside.

Silver Pool Madam naturally knew that Ning Xiaochuan had used a heaven-defying method to turn ordinary Stone Grass back into Bloodstone Mysterious Medicine. However, since she had made the first underhanded move, she naturally could not expose Ning Xiaochuan.

Silver Pool Madam had originally intended to strike at the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall this time, but she had never expected to be humiliated by Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian instead.

She had lost tremendous face today, so naturally she was thoroughly enraged.

"Damn it, Madam. Shall I go kill that brat from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall?" Xiao Li sat beside Silver Pool Madam, powerful waves of Profound Qi rolling from his body as faint killing intent flickered in his eyes.

Xiao Li possessed a Variant Beast-Shape Heart Palace, allowing him to absorb the Profound Qi and medicinal aura from Mysterious Medicine without anyone noticing.

But he had been born lowly and could only serve as a menial in Qi Tian Marquis's Mansion.

Only after Silver Pool Madam discovered that he possessed a Variant Beast-Shape Heart Palace did she begin cultivating him vigorously. Xiao Li had not disappointed her either. In just three short years, he had risen from the Profound Qi Third Level to the Divine Body Realm.

After Xiao Li reached the Divine Body Realm, Silver Pool Madam brought him to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, intending to use his special Martial Heart Palace to tarnish its reputation.

And thus, today's incident came to pass.

Silver Pool Madam was in the midst of her anger. Her bright eyes looked over her snow-white, slender fingers, then she swung her hand out and slapped Xiao Li to the ground. Half his face immediately swelled red. "Useless trash! I thought your talent could help me suppress the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, yet you instead made me lose such enormous face today. Get out!"

"Madam, Madam, I will go kill the youth who ruined our plans. Please give me one more chance." With his hair disheveled, Xiao Li knelt on the ground and hugged Silver Pool Madam's slender leg like a pet abandoned by its master, begging for her to take him in again.

"I told you... get out!" Silver Pool Madam said icily, not a trace of emotion in her beautiful eyes.

A mass of five-colored Profound Light gathered in Silver Pool Madam's palm, forming a giant five-colored handprint that sent Xiao Li flying away with a single strike.

Like a dead dog, Xiao Li rolled out of Silver Pool Madam's carriage and landed by the roadside, his entire body covered in blood and dust like a destitute beggar.

Silver Pool Madam's carriage sped away and vanished at the end of the street.