Purple Blood Organ-Nourishing Pill

The beautiful woman was named Pei Hongling. She had entered the sect over a decade ago; while her spiritual roots were only above average, she was exceptionally skilled at climbing the social ladder. Relying on her uncle, who served as a deacon in the Inner Sect Enforcement Hall, she had always acted with arrogance.

Within the Qixia Immortal Sect, schemes between fellow disciples were common, and she was well-versed in such tactics.

Standing a few yards behind Pei Hongling with his arms crossed was a male cultivator watching the show, joined by another named Lu Qingshan and Feng Fei.

Both men wore the expressions of smiling tigers, clearly there to help Pei Hongling apply pressure.

Facing the relentless encroachment of her fellow disciples, Qin Wan did not retreat a single step. Instead, she stared directly at the aggressive Pei Hongling and suddenly let out a soft laugh.

Following this laugh, the spiritual power Qin Wan had been suppressing within her body surged. She took a step forward, lowered her voice, and spoke in a cold, clear tone that only those few could hear:

"Senior Sister Pei, do you take me for a fool?"

Pei Hongling was stunned, asking instinctively, "What do you mean?"

"Senior Sister, with you people watching me, how stupid would I have to be to let you find evidence and come to hold me accountable?"

Pei Hongling sneered, pressing forward step by step: "My people clearly told me you sold a batch of Wind-Riding Talismans at the Commerce Pavilion! That is proof you embezzled supplies from the secret vault. Hand over the vault key immediately and wait for Master's judgment. And everything you bought at the Marketplace must be handed over as well."

"Senior Sister is truly concerned for this younger sister." Qin Wan paused, continuing unhurriedly, "However, I have already given those things to someone else."

Pei Hongling narrowed her eyes and snapped, "So there is an accomplice! Who is it?"

Qin Wan smiled faintly: "That person is an official from the Eagle-Wolf Guard, and he even asked me about something."

"What thing?"

"That official asked me if any demons from the Unborn Cult had infiltrated the mountain recently and told me to keep an eye out for him."

Pei Hongling's expression shifted, filled with suspicion: "You... what did you say?"

"I said I didn't know."

"And then?"

"That official gave me a list and told me to watch it carefully." Qin Wan tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the three people in front of her.

"Who is on the list?" Pei Hongling asked urgently.

Qin Wan scoffed: "That is a state secret; how could I possibly leak it? But if anything happens to me, it must be because someone on that list silenced me. By then, Master and the imperial court will naturally seek justice for me."

Pei Hongling's face turned pale, then flushed. She gritted her teeth and said, "Hmph, you claim an Eagle-Wolf Guard official sought you out—is that even true?"

"Senior Sister is so concerned about this matter, could it be..." Qin Wan deliberately drew out the end of her sentence, her eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Stop spouting nonsense! Come with me to the Inner Sect Enforcement Hall now!" Pei Hongling was furious and reached out to seize her.

At that moment, Qin Wan smiled and pulled a key engraved with complex spiritual patterns from her sleeve.

The eyes of Pei Hongling, Lu Qingshan, and Feng Fei lit up instantly, and they could no longer suppress the fluctuations of their spiritual power.

Pei Hongling, in particular, could barely resist the urge to snatch the key on the spot and forcibly frame Qin Wan.

Just as their greed peaked, a flash of lightning erupted from Qin Wan's hand. The spiritual patterns on the key were obliterated in the blinding light, turning it into a piece of scrap metal devoid of any spiritual energy.

"You... how dare you..." Pei Hongling's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

Qin Wan said coldly: "Senior Sister, the key is gone now. Only Master can open the secret vault. Whether I embezzled supplies or not, Master will clear my name once she emerges from seclusion. But if I were to die mysteriously on the mountain before then, heh heh..."

Pei Hongling glared at Qin Wan, weighing the pros and cons in her heart.

With the vault now impossible to open, forcing Qin Wan to her death would only bring endless trouble. That was the secret vault of a cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection; even the smallest leak would be an irresistible temptation for a cultivator at the middle stage of Qi Refining like Qin Wan.

How could she bear to destroy the key?

Furthermore, without the key, Qin Wan could not return the supplies she had taken out before Master emerged from seclusion.

So, had Qin Wan truly not embezzled anything?

If not for the Eagle-Wolf Guard, they could have dragged Qin Wan to the Inner Sect Enforcement Hall and found plenty of ways to make her confess. But now... even if she confessed, they would gain nothing and only invite unnecessary trouble.

Lu Qingshan, who had been watching from the back, suddenly coughed and put on a smiling face: "Junior Sister Qin, Senior Sister Pei was just joking with you; don't take it to heart. We are all close friends and kin; even if you made a small mistake, we would still protect you."

"Right, right, let's all be harmonious and not worry Master," Feng Fei added, nodding repeatedly.

Seeing both senior brothers backing down, Pei Hongling knew she was fighting a losing battle. She could only snort coldly and flick her sleeves as she left.

Lu Qingshan left with a smile.

Feng Fei, however, lingered, smiling as he said, "Junior Sister Qin, if you have any other good goods, you can contact me."

"Senior Brother is joking." Qin Wan remained expressionless.

"There is plenty of time. I, Old Feng, have always been fair in my dealings; don't think I'm the same as Senior Sister Pei." Feng Fei smiled, then turned and left.

Watching the three of them disappear into the distance, Qin Wan finally let out a long, heavy breath, her tense body relaxing slightly.

She knew that this bluff had finally scared them off. More importantly, without the key, any further pressure from them would be counterproductive.

However, without the vault key, she would have to find another way to maintain the daily operations of the industries on Lone Moon Peak.

She just wondered if the business with Brother Xia was significant enough.

If Brother Xia's business was large enough, she could use the opportunity to build her own foundation. Besides, Master had many assets, and it wouldn't be difficult to quietly offload smuggled goods below the Foundation Establishment level.

In truth, the news of her embezzling Wind-Riding Talismans was something she had deliberately leaked to lure the snakes out of their holes, all to destroy the key in public and sever the root of her fellow disciples' leverage over her.

Half a month later.

When Zhao Ting stepped into the Changchun Medical Hall, he was already dressed in a deep purple centurion's official uniform. The Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist shimmered with a chilling, lethal glint, and he carried himself with high spirits and imposing authority.

Zhao Ting dismissed his attendants and sat down across from Xia Dong in the inner hall.

He drew a commission document stamped with the official seal of the Eagle-Wolf Guard Thousand-Household Office from his robes and placed it solemnly on the table.

The document clearly stated: Xia Dong, Medical Officer of the Pingyang County Eagle-Wolf Guard, is promoted to "Flag-Bearer" of this banner, holding the Subordinate Seventh Rank.

Within the Eagle-Wolf Guard, a Flag-Bearer was already a core member of the grassroots leadership. This not only meant his monthly stipend would increase several times over, but it also signified that Xia Dong now held real power.

"Many thanks for your patronage, Centurion." Xia Dong stood up and cupped his hands in salute.

Zhao Ting laughed heartily, then pulled a small, intricately carved sandalwood box from his robes and gently pushed it toward Xia Dong. "Official titles are merely empty names; this is the real treasure. To get my hands on it, this old brother of yours had to drink until I vomited several times over."

Xia Dong's heart stirred as he slowly opened the wooden box.

In an instant, a fragrance so rich it felt almost tangible rushed toward him.

The scent was a blend of the mellow sweetness of aged ginseng and the sharp bitterness of lingzhi, with an additional raw, metallic sweetness full of vitality, like fresh blood. Just by taking a single breath, Xia Dong felt the qi and blood circulating within his body begin to stir restlessly.

Resting quietly inside the box was a pill the size of a fingernail.

The pill was a deep, noble purple-black, its surface as lustrous as jade, emitting a faint, soft glow in the dim room.

Even more strangely, purple liquid seemed to flow within the pill, where fine, dense spirit patterns could be seen interlaced like blood vessels.

As Xia Dong breathed, the luster on the surface of the pill pulsed rhythmically, as if it were a beating heart.

"Is this the Purple Blood Organ-Nourishing Pill?" Xia Dong stared at the treasure.

"Indeed." A flash of heartache crossed Zhao Ting's eyes as he sighed in a low voice, "This is a potent tonic for martial cultivation, in short supply even in the Capital City.

When a martial artist cultivates, the first three realms focus on tempering the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. But once one reaches the 'Internal Strengthening Realm', trying to temper the fragile internal organs is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

If one rushes with ordinary techniques, it is extremely easy to damage the origin of the organs and leave behind lifelong hidden injuries."

He pointed to the pill and continued, "This pill is refined from the blood of the deep-sea Purple Blood Beast, supplemented by thirty-six types of precious medicinal herbs. Its medicinal properties are extremely mild and can seep into the organs along with the flow of qi and blood. For a martial artist, it is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold."

Xia Dong understood the value of this pill perfectly.

In mundane martial arts, the internal organs are the most difficult to reach, and his Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art was currently at a critical stage of reshaping his foundation. He desperately needed such cultivation resources, rich in vast life essence, to enhance his potential and assist in the transformation of his foundation.

"I will keep this generous gift from my brother in my heart."

Zhao Ting stood up and said, "You must consume this pill quickly to avoid attracting trouble by keeping it on hand. Spend these next few days in seclusion to refine the medicinal power; don't worry about anything else. Once you are in the position of Flag-Bearer, there will be more hard battles to fight. Those remnants of the Unborn Cult haven't been peaceful lately."

"Thank you for the reminder, brother."

After seeing Zhao Ting off, Xia Dong returned to the secret chamber at the bottom of the well and took out the Purple Blood Organ-Nourishing Pill.

"The Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art can advance further."

Xia Dong sat cross-legged and placed the warm, blood-like purple pill into his mouth.