Just then, a girl with a dirt-smudged face and disheveled hair ran into the garden.
She was Physician Dou's disciple, Shi Xiaobi.
"Young Master Fang, the pills are ready!" she said.
"My master is asking you to come over. Follow me!"
Seeing how excited the young girl was, Fang Ling knew that, despite the scare, everything had turned out safely in the end.
"Then I'll take my leave, Miss Bai." He rose and looked at Bai Ying.
Bai Ying nodded gently, a faint smile touching her lips.
Fang Ling followed Shi Xiaobi through the White Estate to the pill-refining chamber.
Inside, even the usually dignified and impeccably groomed Dou Qin looked somewhat unkempt.
But she paid no attention to her appearance, still immersed in her joy.
"Sorry for the wait, Young Master Fang," she said.
"I fulfilled my task. This batch of pills is a success!"
"And with heaven's favor, this batch even developed pill marks!"
"Take a look, Young Master Fang!" With a thought, she opened the pill furnace.
Golden Bodhi Vajra Pills floated inside.
Strange azure markings adorned their smooth, rounded surfaces.
"What do pill marks signify?" Fang Ling knew nothing about pill refining, so he asked.
Dou Qin explained, "When a batch of pills takes shape, it must be infused with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to awaken the pills."
"If fortune smiles upon you, the pills undergo changes during this awakening, and azure markings appear on their surfaces."
"These are what we call pill marks!"
"A pill with a pill mark has roughly ten times its original potency!"
"And that's only with a single pill mark."
"With two pill marks, its potency increases to a hundred times that of an ordinary pill."
"The highest grade has three pill marks. Such a pill is also called a Three Flowers Crown the Summit Pill, and its potency is a thousand times that of an ordinary pill!"
"Look closely at this batch. There are nine finished pills in all."
"Eight of them have one pill mark, while one actually has two!"
"This is the most successful batch of pills I, Dou Qin, have ever refined!"
Fang Ling's expectations had already sunk very low. He had even suspected that Dou Qin had failed, only for her to deliver an enormous surprise.
"Thank you, Physician Dou!" Fang Ling cupped his hands toward her.
"Please take these two Bodhi Vajra Pills, one for each of you, as a small token of my gratitude."
With a wave of his hand, he sent two single-mark Bodhi Vajra Pills floating before the master and disciple.
Shi Xiaobi silently looked toward her master, while Dou Qin hesitated.
She had promised beforehand that she would accept no payment.
But as a pill refiner, she had dreamed of possessing a pill with a pill mark that she could keep and study closely.
After wrestling with herself, she still could not resist the temptation. Deeply embarrassed, she said, "Thank you, Young Master Fang!"
Once her master agreed, Shi Xiaobi sweetly offered her thanks as well and stored her pill in a pill bottle.
Fang Ling immediately took out a wooden box and put the remaining pills inside.
"Young Master Fang, these pills are no small matter," Dou Qin added.
"Try not to let anyone else learn about them, or they may covet what you have."
As for her disciple, she had already instructed her when the pills emerged from the furnace, making sure she understood what was at stake.
"I'll absorb these pills as soon as possible." Fang Ling nodded.
"Also, I suggest splitting each single-mark pill into four pieces before taking it. That way, the medicinal power won't strike too fiercely all at once. Otherwise, I truly fear your body won't be able to withstand it..." Dou Qin continued.
"And be even more careful with the pill that has two marks."
"Just scrape off a tiny bit each time you cultivate. You must never take too much in pursuit of quick results."
"Thank you for the warning," Fang Ling answered, though he thought little of it.
He knew his own body best. No matter how fierce the medicinal power was, he could withstand it.
With the refining finished, Dou Qin gathered her things, preparing to return and enjoy a good rest.
Yet Fang Ling remained beside her, looking as though he wanted to say something but held back. Every so often, he glanced at her face.
This made her a little shy, and she murmured, "Is there something else, Young Master Fang?"
"Your face is a little dirty, Physician Dou... You should probably wipe it before going outside," Fang Ling said.
"Ah?" Dou Qin hurriedly turned away and pulled a mirror from inside her robe.
After burying herself in work here for half a month, her face was naturally far from clean.
Damn it, I actually let him see me looking like this!
She cared deeply about keeping up a dignified appearance. Mortified, she quickly took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her face.
The young girl realized it too, and with a sheepish grin, wiped her own face.
Master and disciple had spent so long working together without leaving each other's side that neither had noticed.
Once Dou Qin had wiped away the grime, she turned back bashfully.
But Fang Ling had already disappeared.
She could not help smiling faintly, thinking that Young Master Fang truly was considerate, leaving her that last shred of dignity.
"Master, take this pill!" Shi Xiaobi offered her the pill she had just received.
Dou Qin stroked her head and said, "Young Master Fang said it himself: one pill for each of us."
"You've stayed by my side, helping me throughout this past half month. Thank you for all your hard work."
"Keep it! This pill is worth a king's ransom to people like us."
"To have the good fortune to study a pill mark at such a young age-your future achievements will surely surpass mine."
Shi Xiaobi grinned and nodded. "All right! Then I'll keep it."
"Young Master Fang really is generous. If it were me, I could never bear to give away pills like these."
Fang Ling returned to his guest room.
He eagerly took out the box of Bodhi Vajra Pills.
Opening it, he grabbed all the pills in one handful and tossed them into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch. The pills were wonderfully crisp, and tasted unexpectedly good.
As the six Bodhi Vajra Pills reached his stomach, a terrifying surge of energy rushed from his abdomen through his entire body.
This energy is boundlessly vast. Who knows how long it will take to absorb it all...
He closed his eyes and devoted himself entirely to guiding the energy to nourish his flesh.
Meanwhile, in the pavilion in the rear garden.
After Fang Ling left, Bai Ying put away her zither.
Then she took out paper, a brush, and a painting stand, and began to paint.
Whatever she was painting, delight filled her eyes.
She had immersed herself in poetry and books since childhood, and was accomplished in the zither, board games, calligraphy, and painting alike.
Although she painted quickly, without meticulously refining the details, the result was remarkably lifelike.
The scene on the paper was none other than Fang Ling reclining in the rocking chair, listening to her play the zither.
"Ying'er, what are you painting?"
A voice suddenly came from behind her, making her jump.
Seemingly afraid that the contents of her painting would be seen, she hastily crumpled it into a ball.
"Nothing... Father, what are you doing?"
"You didn't make a sound when you walked up. You startled me," she said.
Bai Jiang looked at her sternly. "I've actually been here for quite some time."
"You were simply so absorbed that you didn't notice a thing."
"Ying'er, don't tell me you've fallen for Young Master Fang?"
Bai Ying flushed and hurriedly shook her head. "Of course not..."
Bai Jiang had been young once himself. How could he fail to understand his daughter's reaction? A thousand words dissolved into a single sigh.
"You've always listened to me since you were little. Apart from this accidental poisoning, you've never given me cause to worry."
"But I must make this clear: you should keep your distance from Young Master Fang. You must not fall in love with him," Bai Jiang said earnestly.
Bai Ying's delicate brows drew together, and she immediately asked, "Why?"
"Isn't Young Master Fang my benefactor? He saved my life!"
"Young Master Fang did save you, but our White Family also paid him generously," Bai Jiang said.
"So, Ying'er, you needn't feel indebted to him."
"And there's certainly no need to pledge yourself to him, like something out of those ridiculous novels."
"I wasn't thinking that. I just... just like being around Young Master Fang." Bai Ying lowered her head, her hands hanging before her and twisting together.
"Ah! I'll speak plainly. We and Young Master Fang belong to two entirely different worlds," Bai Jiang said.
"Nothing will come of you being with him, much less a happy ending."
"Of course, I'm not saying Young Master Fang is a bad person."
"Quite the opposite. I admire him too."
"But a man like him is destined to roam the world. Who knows how many dangers he'll face?"
"You don't have what it takes to be his woman. In the end, you would only hurt yourself."
"I'm also to blame for being such an incapable father..."
"Here in the Southern Sun Kingdom, I count as someone of standing."
"But beyond the Southern Sun Kingdom, neither I nor our White Family amounts to anything."
"It's my lack of ability that has robbed you even of the right to pursue happiness..." Sorrow creased Bai Jiang's features. Every word came from his heart.
Bai Ying's eyes reddened, and she quickly said, "That isn't true. You've already been so good to me, Father."
"I've always been proud of you!"
"I won't think about this anymore. I won't entertain those foolish thoughts again."
Seeing his daughter so understanding only made Bai Jiang feel worse, but he said nothing more.
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