Xiao Yi Xian, My Constitution Surpasses Yours

Xiao Yi Xian stumbled back onto the stool, her entire face frighteningly pale.

In other words, the ultimate fate of her Woeful Poison Body was to drive her to lose herself in pursuit of poison, until it finally erupted and she died as countless poisons ravaged her body, taking innocent lives with her.

With a constitution like that, did her life still have any meaning?

Knowing she would become a scourge, why should she keep growing stronger?!

Chu Zhou saw through her thoughts at a glance and spoke at just the right moment. "I've told you about your constitution. Now, according to our agreement, you have to become my Alchemy Maid. Any objections?"

"What?" Xiao Yi Xian wondered whether she was hearing things.

She had a constitution that brought misfortune, one destined to harm both herself and others, yet Chu Zhou still wanted to take her as his maid?

Wasn't he afraid she would end up killing him one day?

"I said you have to keep your promise." Chu Zhou smiled and took a sip of tea.

"Aren't you afraid?" Xiao Yi Xian asked in confusion.

"No." Chu Zhou's answer was decisive.

"Why not?" Xiao Yi Xian's heart trembled violently as she stared at him.

"I'm not afraid. That's all there is to it." Chu Zhou set down his teacup.

Xiao Yi Xian: "..."

"I have no reason to be afraid." The corners of Chu Zhou's lips lifted, his expression confident. "Since I could identify your constitution, you should know that mine surpasses yours."

"Growing stronger by eating poison certainly sounds impressive, but I'm even more impressive than you. In other words, your strength will never surpass mine."

"As long as you're weaker than me, I'll never have to fear you threatening my life. On the contrary, I can keep you in check and help you."

"I'm also an Alchemist. Don't judge me for only being a First-Rank Alchemist at my age. It's only been a month or so since I first started learning alchemy. Once my skills improve, I might be able to resolve the problem with your constitution."

"In the worst case, your Woeful Poison Body erupts and you die. I would merely lose a maid, and I could still help keep you from killing too many people."

Those words made Xiao Yi Xian lower her head in thought.

After a long while, she raised her head again and said solemnly, "I can agree to become your maid, but I have one condition."

"What condition?" Chu Zhou raised a hand, inviting her to speak freely.

"Rather than a condition, think of it as an agreement—something I'm telling you in advance." Xiao Yi Xian stared intently at Chu Zhou. "If one day I become stronger than you, and I feel your alchemy isn't improving fast enough, I'll leave you."

"If you still want me as your maid despite that, then I agree."

Xiao Yi Xian was laying out the unpleasant part in advance.

Since Chu Zhou was taking her as his maid, he would surely nurture her. Otherwise, there would be no point.

If she received his support, then of course she should repay him with her service. That was only right.

"All right." Chu Zhou readily agreed.

Xiao Yi Xian's condition revealed precisely how kind she was at heart.

If her strength could surpass his, it would mean he could no longer help keep her Woeful Poison Body in check.

Leaving would be her way of protecting him.

Telling him beforehand also showed that she did not want to take advantage of him.

His myriad medicine clarity body was definitely superior to the woeful poison body.

Besides, he knew the plot in advance and could receive rewards from the Firmament Ledger!

"Xiao Yi Xian pays her respects, Master."

Xiao Yi Xian stood and poured herself a cup of tea.

"You don't need to call me Master. Young Master will do. In private, you can even use my name. I'm Chu Zhou." Chu Zhou smiled calmly.

"Chu Zhou?" A flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.

Lately, she had heard plenty of people in Qingshan Town talking about him.

Apparently, a visitor from beyond their world went by that name.

But she had not paid much attention, and she did not want to ask more now.

"Then I'll call you Young Master from now on." Xiao Yi Xian readily accepted, a lovely smile gracing her face.

"From now on, you only need to help me with preparations before I refine medicine and cleanup afterward. This is a Medicinal Herb Catalog a Second-Rank Alchemist gave me. You can look through it in your free time and familiarize yourself with the herbs." Chu Zhou took a thick illustrated volume from his Storage Ring and placed it on the table.

Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes lit up. She genuinely loved practicing medicine and longed to become an Alchemist.

An illustrated herb catalog was exactly the sort of thing she wanted.

No reward?

Xiao Yi Xian had already acknowledged him as her master, yet that familiar voice still had not sounded in his mind. Chu Zhou sighed softly.

If the concept of providence applied to the Dou Qi Continent, then even if Xiao Yi Xian was not a heroine favored by providence, she was at least a woman blessed by it.

He had thought that being the first to gain such a woman's allegiance might earn him a reward from the Firmament Ledger.

Now that the Firmament Ledger had shown no response, either providence did not apply to this world, Xiao Yi Xian had not sincerely accepted him as her master, or winning over a woman blessed by providence required a more intimate approach.

Whatever the reason, I'll find out in time.

For now, I should try another first that might earn a reward from the Firmament Ledger.

Chu Zhou set aside his thoughts and asked with a smile, "Xiao Yi Xian, I heard you often go into the mountains with the Herb-Gathering Team. Have you discovered any unusual places in the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

"Unusual places?" After considering it seriously, Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. "We go there to gather herbs, and I also have to treat anyone who happens to get injured. I haven't discovered any unusual places."

Chu Zhou's soul perception was powerful, and he was essentially certain that Xiao Yi Xian was not lying.

In other words, she probably had not yet discovered the cave containing all those opportunities.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was vast. Searching for it himself would take considerable effort, and he might not even find it.

"Does the Herb-Gathering Team have a regular range of operations or fixed gathering areas?" Chu Zhou asked expectantly.

He remembered that the Herb-Gathering Team seemed to harvest particular herbs in designated areas.

"Yes." Xiao Yi Xian wondered why Chu Zhou wanted to know, but she did not ask. Instead, she took a notebook and a hand-drawn map from her Storage Ring. "The Herb-Gathering Team follows fixed routes into the mountains. That minimizes the risk of magical beast attacks and unexpected accidents."

"Many healing medicines used by cultivators at the Dou Qi stage and by Dou Zhe have no rank. The herbs we gather are ordinary medicinal herbs, not ranked spiritual herbs."

"At certain times each year, particular herbs grow in specific environments."

Hearing this, Chu Zhou began calculating.

Xiao Yan had entered the mountains when he was sixteen and a half, which was a year from now—around this time next year.

"Which herbs are ripe right now, and where do you go to gather them?" Chu Zhou immediately asked.

"Only one kind of herb ripens at this time of year. The gathering area is in the Magical Beast Mountain Range..." Xiao Yi Xian patiently explained everything to him.

Chu Zhou followed Xiao Yi Xian's slender, fair finger as she traced an area on the hand-drawn map, and his eyes immediately lit up.

The gathering area she described was in a forest near a cliff.

There was a cliff, and the timing matched. That meant there was a chance.

After asking for more details, Chu Zhou stopped questioning her and led her out of the room, then asked Aunt Luo to have the person in charge of the post station arrange accommodations for her.

Once Xiao Yi Xian left, Chu Zhou immediately said, "Aunt Luo, come into the mountains with me now."