Purple Blood Organ-Nourishing Pill

The beautiful woman was named Pei Hongling. She had joined the sect more than ten years ago. Though her Spirit Root was only above average, she was highly skilled at currying favor. With an uncle who served as an enforcer in the Inner Sect Enforcement Hall, she had always thrown her weight around.

Scheming among fellow disciples was common in the Qixia Immortal Sect, and she was especially well versed in it.

Several yards behind Pei Hongling, two male cultivators stood with their arms folded, watching the show. One was named Lu Qingshan, the other Feng Fei.

Both had the air of smiling tigers, clearly there to join Pei Hongling in putting pressure on her.

Faced with her fellow disciples' relentless advance, Qin Wan didn't retreat an inch. Instead, she looked straight at the aggressive Pei Hongling and suddenly gave a soft laugh.

With that laugh, the magical power Qin Wan had been suppressing surged through her body. She stepped forward, lowered her voice, and spoke slowly in a cool tone only the few of them could hear:

"Senior Sister Pei, do you think I'm a fool?"

Pei Hongling froze, then instinctively asked, "What do you mean?"

"Senior Sister, with all of you watching me, how stupid would I have to be to leave you evidence you could use to accuse me?"

Pei Hongling sneered and pressed her. "My people told me you sold a batch of Wind-Riding Talismans at the Commerce Pavilion! That's proof you've been illegally selling the secret storehouse's supplies. Hand over the key at once and await our master's judgment. And you'll hand over everything you bought at the Marketplace, too."

"Senior Sister is so very concerned for me." Qin Wan paused, then continued unhurriedly, "But I've already given those things to someone else."

Pei Hongling narrowed her eyes and snapped, "So you do have an accomplice. Who is it?"

Qin Wan smiled faintly. "He's an officer of the Eagle-Wolf Guard. He also asked me about something."

"What?"

"That officer asked if any members of the Unborn Cult had infiltrated the mountains recently, and told me to keep an eye out for them."

Pei Hongling's expression shifted, suspicion and uncertainty flashing across her face. "You... what did you say?"

"I said I didn't know."

"And then?"

"That officer gave me a list and asked me to keep a close watch." Qin Wan lifted her chin slightly and swept her gaze across the three people in front of her.

"Who was on the list?" Pei Hongling demanded.

Qin Wan gave a soft scoff. "That's a matter of court secrecy. How could I possibly reveal it? But if anything happens to me, it'll surely be someone on that list silencing me. My master and the court will see that justice is done."

Pei Hongling's face turned pale, then flushed. She gritted her teeth. "Hmph. Just because you claim someone from the Eagle-Wolf Guard came to see you, does that mean it's true?"

"Senior Sister seems awfully concerned about this. Could it be..." Qin Wan deliberately let her voice trail off, watching her with a hint of scrutiny.

"Stop slandering me! You're coming to the Law Enforcement Hall with me!" Pei Hongling flew into a rage and reached to seize her.

But just then, Qin Wan smiled and pulled a key etched with intricate spiritual patterns from her sleeve.

Lu Qingshan and Feng Fei's eyes lit up at once, and the magical power around all three of them stirred despite their efforts to contain it.

Pei Hongling, in particular, could barely resist snatching the key right there and then forcing a charge against Qin Wan.

The instant greed arose in their hearts, a flash of lightning flickered in Qin Wan's hand. Under its dazzling glare, the spiritual patterns on the key were utterly destroyed, leaving behind nothing but a lump of spiritually inert scrap metal.

"You... How dare you..." Pei Hongling stared wide-eyed, her face full of disbelief.

Qin Wan said coldly, "Senior Sister, now that the key is gone, only our master can open the secret storehouse. Whether or not I sold anything from it, our master will clear my name once she emerges from seclusion. But if I die on the mountain without explanation before then, heh..."

Pei Hongling shot Qin Wan a resentful glance, weighing the pros and cons.

Now that the secret storehouse couldn't be opened, even if they forced Qin Wan to her death, all they would get was trouble. That was the secret storehouse of a great cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection! Even the smallest leak would be an irresistible temptation to a Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivator like Qin Wan.

Why would she destroy the key?

Besides, with the key gone, Qin Wan couldn't return the supplies she'd taken before their master emerged from seclusion.

So had Qin Wan truly not pocketed a single thing?

Without the Eagle-Wolf Guard's involvement, they could have dragged Qin Wan to the Law Enforcement Hall and found any number of ways to make her confess. But now... even if Qin Wan confessed, they'd gain nothing and only invite unnecessary trouble.

Lu Qingshan, who had been watching the show from behind them, suddenly cleared his throat and put on a friendly smile. "Junior Sister Qin, Junior Sister Pei was only joking with you. Don't take it to heart. We're the closest of friends, practically siblings. Even if you've made a little mistake, we'll still protect you."

"That's right. We should all get along. Let's not give our master more to worry about," Feng Fei added, nodding repeatedly.

Seeing that both senior brothers had backed down, Pei Hongling knew she couldn't stand against Qin Wan alone. She could only snort and sweep away with a flick of her sleeve.

Lu Qingshan left with a smile.

Feng Fei, however, stayed behind. Grinning, he said, "Junior Sister Qin, if you have any other good stuff, you can get in touch with me."

"You're joking, Senior Brother." Qin Wan's face remained expressionless.

"There's plenty of time. I, Old Feng, have always been fair in my dealings. Don't lump me in with Junior Sister Pei." Feng Fei smiled, then turned and left.

Only after the three of them had gone completely out of sight did Qin Wan slowly exhale, her tense body relaxing a little.

She knew her bluff had scared them off. More importantly, with the key gone, pressuring her would bring them nothing but trouble.

But without the secret storehouse key, she would need to find another way to keep the businesses of Lone Moon Peak running day to day.

She just didn't know how big Brother Xia's business was.

If Brother Xia's business was large enough, she could use the opportunity to build up her own operation. And her master had plenty of properties; it wouldn't be hard to discreetly move goods smuggled from below Foundation Establishment.

In truth, she had deliberately let the news that she'd sold Wind-Riding Talismans spread—or even leaked it herself—in order to draw the snake from its hole, destroy the key in public, and put an end to the threat of being held in her fellow disciples' grasp.

Half a month later.

By the time Zhao Ting entered Changchun Medical Hall, he had changed into the deep-purple uniform of a Centurion. The Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist gleamed with a chilling light. He was in high spirits and exuded authority.

After dismissing his attendants, Zhao Ting sat facing Xia Dong in the inner room.

He took an appointment document from his robes, bearing the large seal of the Eagle-Wolf Guard's Thousand-Household Office, and placed it solemnly on the table.

The document clearly stated: Xia Dong, physician of the Eagle-Wolf Guard in Pingyang County, was promoted to Flag-Bearer in their unit and granted Subordinate Seventh Rank.

Within the Eagle-Wolf Guard, a Flag-Bearer was already a backbone of the lower ranks. The promotion meant not only that his monthly stipend would multiply several times over, but also that he would hold real authority.

"Thank you for your patronage, Lord Centurion." Xia Dong stood and cupped his hands.

Zhao Ting laughed heartily, then took a small, carved rosewood box from his robes and gently pushed it toward Xia Dong. "An official title is just a name. This is the real treasure. For this, your old brother had to drink himself sick several times."

Xia Dong's heart stirred. He slowly opened the box.

At once, a rich, almost tangible fragrance wafted out.

The scent mingled the mellow sweetness of aged ginseng with the bitter freshness of lingzhi, along with a tangy sweetness brimming with vitality, like fresh blood. Just one breath was enough to make Xia Dong feel the qi and blood he had been keeping in check stir faintly within him.

A pill, no bigger than a fingernail, lay in the box.

It was a deep, noble purple-black, its surface smooth as jade. Even in the dim room, it gave off a faint glow.

More astonishingly, purple liquid seemed to flow within the pill, and fine spiritual patterns crisscrossed like veins.

With every breath Xia Dong took, light pulsed gently across its surface, like a beating heart.

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

"Exactly." A trace of regret flashed in Zhao Ting's eyes as he sighed softly. "It's a powerful tonic for martial artists. Even in the Capital City, demand far exceeds supply.

"Martial artists temper their skin, flesh, sinews, and bones through the first three realms. But once they reach the Internal Strengthening Realm, refining their fragile internal organs is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

"If an ordinary technique is practiced too hastily, it's easy to damage the organs at their source and leave behind lifelong injuries."

He pointed at the pill and continued, "It's made from the blood of deep-sea Purple Blood Beasts, refined with thirty-six precious spiritual herbs. Its medicinal properties are exceedingly gentle, able to seep into the organs along with the qi and blood. For martial artists, it's worth a fortune."

Xia Dong knew exactly how valuable this pill was.

In mortal martial arts, the internal organs were the hardest to reach. His Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art was at a critical stage of rebuilding his foundation, and he urgently needed cultivation resources rich in vital essence to deepen his reserves and aid his foundation's transformation.

"Elder Brother, I'll remember your generous gift."

Zhao Ting rose. "You must take this pill soon, lest keeping it on hand bring trouble. Spend the next few days in seclusion refining its medicinal power, and don't worry about anything else. Once you take up the Flag-Bearer post, there'll be more tough battles ahead. Those remnants of the Unborn Cult have been restless lately."

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Brother."

After seeing Zhao Ting off, Xia Dong returned to the Well-Bottom Secret Chamber and took out the Purple Blood Organ-Nourishing Pill.

"My Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art can advance another step."

Xia Dong sat cross-legged and placed the warm, blood-red pill in his mouth.