On the night he returned to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan went to look at that sand crystal lamp as promised.
Xun'er placed the lamp by the window, and the golden light fell upon the tabletop, sparkling and glittering as it truly resembled a stretch of sand dunes illuminated by moonlight.
Xiao Yan spoke of some sights and experiences from his journey, and the young maiden listened quietly.
Until the night grew deeper, he finally got up to return to his courtyard.
Over the next two days, Xiao Yan familiarized himself with the changes within the clan on one hand, while sorting the medicinal herbs he brought back into the inventory on the other. Xiao Yi Xian came to help, and recognizing herbs as well as sorting them were both done very meticulously, except that on a few occasions when she picked up medicinal herbs, her fingertips would suddenly pause.
On the evening of the third day, she finally found Xiao Yan.
"I have some matters I'd like to ask you about."
Seeing that her expression was solemn, Xiao Yan led her to the quiet room beside the apothecary and closed the door.
"Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"
Hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yi Xian drew the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture from her bosom.
"There is a physique recorded on this called the Woeful Poison Body."
"At first I just wanted to figure it out, and later when I tried practicing according to the methods in the front, I discovered... that those descriptions all seemed to match myself."
She rolled up her sleeve slightly.
On her fair wrist, a wisp of extremely faint gray Qi appeared and disappeared intermittently, and as she circulated her Qi, it slowly gathered toward her fingertips.
However, the gray Qi quickly dissipated again.
Xiao Yi Xian's complexion turned slightly pale, and she immediately withdrew her hand.
"Over these past few days, I haven't tried again. Yet the power within my body still seems to be greater than before."
Xiao Yan looked at that wisp of poison Qi, and his heart stirred slightly.
It was finally beginning to manifest.
He remembered the later troubles of the Woeful Poison Body, but this talk could not be fabricated out of thin air to tell Xiao Yi Xian, so he could only first ask her where she felt uncomfortable, and then consult Bodhi in his mind.
Seeing him fall silent, Xiao Yi Xian's voice lowered a bit.
"The book says that as cultivation continues, the poison power will grow stronger and stronger. If one day it cannot be suppressed..."
She did not finish speaking, but her gaze involuntarily looked out the window.
Some maidservants passed through the courtyard, smiling as they spoke with the apothecary's assistants.
Living in the Xiao Clan these past few days, eating, reading, and compounding medicine were all cared for by others. She had only just grown accustomed to such days, and she began to worry whether she would bring calamity upon other people.
Xiao Yan followed her gaze and immediately said:
"Don't scare yourself first, I'll have Teacher take a look."
Xiao Yi Xian raised her head.
That exalted being who could teach Xiao Yan and could also create Heaven-Rank Techniques for two older brothers?
Just as she was about to speak, a gentle voice suddenly appeared in the room.
"Extend your hand."
Startled, Xiao Yi Xian turned her head only to discover that an old man was already sitting quietly by the window at some unknown time.
He wore green robes, his hair and beard were completely white, and his brows and eyes carried a faint smile as though he had been sitting here for a long time already.
"This is my Teacher."
Xiao Yan introduced softly.
Hastily rising, Xiao Yi Xian paid her respects. Bodhi raised a hand to signal her to sit, and then with joined fingers gave a gentle flick.
That wisp of gray Qi scattered throughout her meridians actually re-gathered, forming a clump in the palm of her hand.
Stunned, Xiao Yi Xian watched.
Things that she had tried to do for several days without success had already been accomplished by this senior without even touching her wrist.
"It can contain poison and also transform poison; it is indeed a rare physique."
Observing for a moment, Bodhi spoke slowly.
"It's just that you only learned how to draw it in, but have not learned how to keep it under control."
Hurriedly, Xiao Yi Xian asked, "Senior, can this physique... be cured?"
"It can."
Grandmaster answered very casually.
"Just make it obey you, that's all."
Xiao Yi Xian opened her mouth slightly, for a moment failing to respond.
Those hair-raising phrases in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, when spoken by this senior, sounded as if it were merely a rope that wasn't tied properly.
Yet Xiao Yan was already smiling.
Sure enough, Master was reliable after all.
Raising a hand, Bodhi lightly tapped the center of Xiao Yi Xian's brows.
A clear set of techniques subsequently emerged in her mind, and right at the very front were five archaic characters.
Myriad Poisons Return to the Source Art.
"First, circulate it according to the opening chapter to find a safe path for these scattered poison Qi within your body."
Not daring to slack off, Xiao Yi Xian closed her eyes as told and slowly regulated her breathing.
At first, the poison Qi inside her body still wandered about everywhere. But Grandmaster's power descended gently, smoothing out several stagnant areas for her and leading the poison Qi along a new route once more.
By the second pass, she was already able to remember most of it on her own.
By the third pass, that wisp of gray Qi at her fingertip finally stopped steadily, no longer dispersing on its own.
Opening her eyes, Xiao Yi Xian tried to withdraw it.
The gray Qi quietly merged into her palm, returning to her body along the technique.
There was no piercing pain, nor the previous kind of uncontrolled agitation.
Staring at her hand, her eyes gradually brightened.
"It really can be reabsorbed!"
Bodhi nodded.
"Your physique naturally converts poisons into power. Cultivate according to this method from now on, refine the poison power clear, and then absorb it bit by bit for your own use; then you won't have to let it accumulate in your body and run amok."
"As for the matter where anyone who touches you will get hurt, once you practice retraction until you are skilled at it, naturally you will be able to avoid it as well."
Listening earnestly, Xiao Yi Xian was afraid of missing a single word.
Xiao Yan fetched an empty jade plate from the table and handed it before her.
"Try again."
The young maiden flicked her finger, and a wisp of faint poison Qi fell into the plate.
Xiao Yan placed a withered leaf upon it, and the edge of the leaf curled rapidly. With a tight squeeze in her heart, Xiao Yi Xian was just about to speak when she recalled the method from a moment ago and immediately re-bound the poison Qi.
The gray intent lingering on the plate receded bit by bit.
Repeating it several times, she finally confirmed that this power could indeed obey her own commands.
The stone that had weighed upon her heart for days only completely dropped at this moment.
"Many thanks, Senior!"
Rising to her feet, Xiao Yi Xian paid a solemn respect.
Receiving this bow, Bodhi smiled as he looked toward the medicine chest by her table.
"You know how to cure illnesses and also understand poison properties; if you can make proper use of it, you might actually save more people."
Nodding heavily, the young maiden agreed.
When she raised her head again, the old man by the window was already gone, leaving only a wisp of faint tea fragrance still lingering in the room.
Xiao Yi Xian looked toward Xiao Yan.
"Does your Teacher always come and go like this on ordinary days?"
Thinking about it, Xiao Yan replied.
"More or less. Sometimes I just feel like nobody is around, and when I turn my head I discover he is sitting right beside me watching."
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help laughing.
The future that had made her fearful just moments ago suddenly seemed to have drifted much further away at this moment.
Putting away the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and looking at the medicinal herbs on the desk once more, she suddenly spoke:
"Xiao Yan, I'd like to stay here for a few more days."
"Stay then."
"I can also help with matters of the apothecary. Once I master this technique, I'll sort out those medicinal formulas one by one."
Xiao Yan nodded.
"There is still an empty room behind the apothecary; I'll have people tidy it up for you to use for compounding medicine. Separate the poisons from ordinary herbs so others don't take the wrong ones."
Promptly agreeing, Xiao Yi Xian then mentioned several kinds of jade bottles and medicine boxes needed for storing medicines, and the more she spoke, the more spirited she became. Finding pen and paper, Xiao Yan jotted them down item by item.
"Good. But the accounts must be kept clear; for working for the apothecary, you'll take the remuneration you ought to get."
Xiao Yi Xian's brows and eyes curved into smiles.
"Then write it down; when I pick medicinal herbs in the future, I won't stand on ceremony."
Pushing open the door, the two walked out of the quiet room.
The lamps in the courtyard were already lit. As the evening breeze blew, Xiao Yi Xian lowered her sleeve and felt for the first time that the hand hiding poison Qi could also steadily hold a cup of hot tea.
Before you continue