Fellow Sufferers at the Ends of the Earth

After hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yuting felt as though her world had lost its support. Xiao Yan had given her almost the greatest hope, and also the greatest pain. This matter was a scar upon her heart; unless she had no other choice, she was unwilling to tear open that scar.

Xiao Yan sighed. He no longer intended to hide it from Xiao Yuting and slowly said, "The most fatal injury on Xiao Wanqing's body is not poison, but a seal—a very special seal. However, if the poison is removed first, the seal will rupture, and Xiao Wanqing will certainly die. If the seal is removed first, the poison will invade her five viscera and six bowels, and Xiao Wanqing will certainly die. The best method is to divide one's attention in two and carry out both at once, with a sixth-grade alchemist whose soul power has reached the Immortal Realm performing the treatment. Even so, the chance of success is only fifty percent."

"Therefore, Heavenly Fire was merely an excuse your sister used to comfort you. Heavenly Fire can increase the chance of success. After all, having you search for Heavenly Fire or Exotic Flame in Spirit Prefecture at least gave you a direction, but telling you to find a sixth-grade alchemist would have brought you nothing but despair. A sliver of hope is better than despair." Xiao Yan ultimately felt that he should tell Xiao Yuting the truth. Perhaps Xiao Wanqing had her own plans, but keeping Xiao Yuting in the dark was too unfair to her. Besides, Xiao Yuting was not that fragile.

"How could this be? Sister actually deceived me for an entire year?" Xiao Yuting stared at Xiao Yan, unable to believe his words.

"Everything Xiao Wanqing did was for your own good. She simply neglected your cultivation. She never expected you to be foolish enough to actually cultivate poison arts. Did you think she agreed to let you leave just so you could search for Exotic Flame? She merely did not want you cultivating poison arts. After all, no elder sister would wish for her younger sister to cultivate poison arts." Xiao Yan continued explaining.

"So the best way for you to repay your sister now is to cultivate diligently. Perhaps one day, after you become a Battle Immortal, some sixth-grade alchemist will fall in love with you at first sight and conveniently help remove your sister's seal." Xiao Yan teased as he looked at Xiao Yuting.

Xiao Yuting's face flushed crimson at his words. Yes, she had been stupid beyond belief. If she cultivated properly, she could avenge her sister, and she could also search for Heavenly Fire and Heavenly Water. Wasn't it merely a matter of time? Although the lives of those below the Battle Immortal realm would eventually come to an end, as long as she worked hard, she would have a chance of succeeding.

Xiao Yuting wiped away her tears and said to Xiao Yan, "Thank you for telling me the truth. But aren't you afraid that, in order to save my sister, I'll tell a sixth-grade alchemist that you possess Heavenly Fire? Not every sixth-grade alchemist would kill for treasure, but there are quite a few whose hearts are blinded by greed. For my sister's sake, I can do anything." Xiao Yuting seemed to have regained her lively and adorable appearance. If it had once been a disguise, now there was a measure of sincerity in it.

Xiao Yan shuddered. He should never have told her. He should have just let her cry by herself.

"Go on, find an alchemist if you have the ability. Do you think sixth-grade alchemists grow like cabbages? Xiao Wanqing would rather have you seek Heavenly Fire than search for a sixth-grade alchemist. That alone shows how rare sixth-grade alchemists are." Xiao Yan was no fool, and he answered accordingly.

Xiao Yuting said nothing further. She simply sat there, lost in thought.

Xiao Yan sighed and said, "After listening to so many stories, let me tell you one as well. Your life has not been all that tragic. There are people who have lived in even greater pain than you."

Xiao Yuting raised her head to look at Xiao Yan, curious about what sort of story he would tell.

"She possessed a stunning face, and her dream was to become an alchemist. Yet because of her attributes, that dream could not be realized. In the end, she settled for second best and became a physician. Dressed in white, she was regarded by the people there as a beautiful angel—kind, adorable, and so lovely that one could not help but pity her."

Fellow Sufferers at the Ends of the Earth

Xiao Yan's memories drifted back to the small town called Green Mountain Town. He still remembered how breathtakingly beautiful she had been in her white clothes.

"Yet beneath that beauty and kindness lay endless loneliness and fear. She also possessed another profession that struck terror into all who heard of it: a poison master. Poison masters were exceedingly terrifying. There was a saying: when a poison master raged, a million corpses lay strewn across the land. And among poison masters, she was the most terrifying existence of all. What she possessed was the Calamitous Poison Body," Xiao Yan said.

When Xiao Yan mentioned the Calamitous Poison Body again, Xiao Yuting's beautiful eyes shifted slightly. Xiao Yan had brought up the Calamitous Poison Body before, and she had always wanted to find a chance to learn more about it, but she had forgotten in the end. Now that Xiao Yan had brought it up himself, one of her concerns was finally laid to rest.

"The Calamitous Poison Body relies on consuming poison to increase its strength, growing incredibly quickly. But everyone who touches one with the Calamitous Poison Body dies. Thus, she was practically a demonic existence. I only came to know her through a chance encounter." Xiao Yan did not wish to speak of how he had met Little Doctor Fairy. In his heart, that was a secret belonging to the two of them; even Xun'er and Cai Lin only knew bits and pieces.

He still clearly remembered saying to Little Doctor Fairy in that little mountain valley, "What fine craftsmanship. Whoever marries you will truly have a feast for the mouth."

Yet between them, they had always remained friends with that kind of ** relationship.

"Later, she went to an empire where poison masters were revered. There, she personally sent the two elderly people who had raised her onto the road of no return. She still clearly remembered the peaceful expressions they wore before death. Though she had killed them, they had always regarded her as their own granddaughter. After that, the people of the village saw her as an omen of misfortune and seized her for questioning. But that night, the Calamitous Poison Body erupted once more. Everyone in the village died, and aside from her, all became piles of white bones."

"Her inborn constitution doomed her to be alone and without support. She knelt before the old couple's graves for three days and three nights, and her three thousand strands of black hair ultimately turned white. She put away her kindness and transformed into the Heaven Poison Lady whom all feared. In the end, she became the strongest person in that empire, and also a devil whom everyone loathed, one whose name could stop children from crying."

"Yet nearly ten years later, her Calamitous Poison Body was resolved. In the end, she became that beloved Little Doctor Fairy once again, returning to the angelic girl she had been—kind and beautiful. So you should be grateful that you have a sister. She endured hardship without anyone by her side, and what she bore was far beyond our imagination. Don't think you are the unluckiest person alive. There are many people in this world more unfortunate than you," Xiao Yan consoled her at last.

Xiao Yuting rolled her eyes at Xiao Yan. This fellow had actually skipped over the most exciting part.

"That Little Doctor Fairy should be your wife, shouldn't she? Otherwise, how could you know her so well?" Xiao Yuting said.

"You don't have to be husband and wife to understand someone. All right, sit here and watch the sunset by yourself. The old day has ended, and a new day is about to begin." Xiao Yan looked toward the horizon, where a beautiful sun hung amid the lovely evening glow. Even Xiao Yan himself became absorbed in the sight. No matter how painful today had been, it had passed. Tomorrow would welcome a brand-new day.

Fellow sufferers at the ends of the earth—when we meet, why must we have known each other before? Did Xiao Yan not also have his own bitter history?