Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss

Of Chang'an's one hundred and eight wards, Pingkang Ward was the most famous, for it housed the city's most bustling pleasure district, also known as the Northern Quarter.

The three winding lanes inside the ward's northern gate formed the heart of the Northern Quarter, crowded with brothels.

Once night fell, lights wove a glittering tapestry through the ward, and the music of strings and pipes never ceased.

Now, night had descended.

With Lu Changfeng in tow, Jinghong flitted swiftly over rooftops where the lamplight thinned, finally landing silently in the rear courtyard of a brothel called the Red Silk House in the middle lane.

The place looked no different from its surroundings, but a faint scent of blood lingered within its walls, and several powerful Inner Guard experts kept watch in secret.

Clearly, those vicious fiends of the Great Vehicle Sect had hidden themselves in this place where fish and dragons mingled, using its pleasures as cover for their sinister deeds!

Lu Changfeng had no idea what those people were plotting, nor any desire to get involved.

His attention was entirely on Gao Jian now, his mind racing.

The rescue should be genuine. Otherwise, he'd be falsifying orders and abusing his authority for private ends... If Gao Jian wants to act, he'll simply push the boat with the current, striking on the road once everything is over... After killing me, he can even pin it on the Great Vehicle Sect...

Lu Changfeng turned the possibilities over in his mind. Whether there's a plot will depend on whether they send Jinghong and Qing Dai away... Or forcibly take me elsewhere...

He loathed this feeling of having no control over his own fate, but he had no other choice for now.

"Division Commander!"

The moment Jinghong landed, a Plum Blossom Guards approached and saluted.

Jinghong was one of the Inner Guard's three division commanders and oversaw intelligence, while Gao Jian coordinated assassinations. Within the residence, each had separate duties; outside it, they held equal rank.

"Where are the injured? What's the situation with the criminals?"

Jinghong led Lu Changfeng briskly inside.

The Inner Guard immediately replied, "Reporting to the division commander, the injured are all in the inner hall. Miss Zi Zhi and the others are trying to force out the poison with internal energy. Pavilion Commander Gao has already taken the Three Signs of Minor Cold down the secret passage in pursuit. With that burden Su Bonian in tow, Yang Kaitian and his people can't get far!"

Jinghong nodded.

The group entered the inner hall.

The hall was brightly lit. Five women in Inner Guard uniforms sat cross-legged with their eyes closed, their faces unusually flushed. Their lips even held faint, serene smiles, as though they were lost in beautiful dreams, yet their auras were weakening irreversibly.

Another five Inner Guards sat cross-legged behind them, palms pressed against the injured women's backs and sweat beading on their foreheads. They were plainly exerting themselves to the utmost to force out the poison, but with little effect.

A strange odor, cloyingly sweet yet tinged with decay, filled the air.

Lu Changfeng thought, Sweet rot in the air, joy between the brows, a pulse like boiling water... This should be the Great Vehicle Sect's exclusive deadly poison, Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder...

The good news was that it was in the textbook.

The bad news was that he wasn't confident.

This poison reached the fourth tier. It was a secret drug that only those of Eight-Leaf Protector standing in the Great Vehicle Sect were qualified to use. Difficult to concoct, it was even harder to cure!

Inside the hall, the accompanying physician, Zi Zhi, was attempting to suppress it, golden needles in hand and sweat on her brow. Hearing them enter, she looked up and saw Jinghong bringing an unfamiliar man. She guessed he must be the residence's newly appointed Director of Medicine, as well as... the new steward of the Hundred Blossoms Garden.

Though she had heard how Lu Changfeng had saved Xue Chongyin, the poison's ferocity still left her doubtful. The poisons of the Great Vehicle Sect's fiends were no easy thing to cure.

"Please, sir!"

Jinghong immediately ushered Lu Changfeng forward.

Lu Changfeng wasted no time either. He strode forward and bent down to examine the pulse of Sweetleaf, the most gravely injured female Inner Guard. At his touch, he felt several currents of cold, vicious internal energy rampaging through her meridians, steadily eating away at her vitality.

He confirmed it inwardly: Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder!

[Noble Physician's Canon activated.]

[Target: Sweetleaf. Identity: Plum Blossom Guards · Twenty-Four Floral Periods (Subordinate Fourth Rank Commanding Envoy). Overall value: two and a half stars]

[Condition: Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder (acute onset phase)]

[Success reward: Sorrowful Softening Breeze ×1, antidote ×1.]

[Failure penalty: none.]

Sorrowful Softening Breeze?

Lu Changfeng raised his brows. This time, he had to cure her, no matter what!

-He still had a little pufferfish poison left as his trump card, but he couldn't use it again unless he had absolutely no choice. Otherwise, it would be far too suspicious. Once could be dismissed; twice would be impossible to explain.

Attracting the attention of the Court of Judicial Review or the Golden Crow Guards would be troublesome too. Sorrowful Softening Breeze could numb a person's muscles and bones, leaving them unable to move. It would be just the thing to put out the fire at his brows!

Lu Changfeng examined Sweetleaf closely and found several golden needles inserted into her body. The method used was precisely the one from the Medical Compendium.

Lu Changfeng asked, "The Medical Compendium? Yangming Needling?"

Zi Zhi nodded and spoke rapidly. "I've already inserted the needles to suppress it according to the method recorded by the Medicine King, but it's had no effect whatsoever! Instead, it's like pouring oil on a fire. Sweetleaf's internal energy is dissipating even faster! At this rate, once her internal energy runs out, she'll die of exhaustion!"

That was precisely what made Elysium Powder so vicious.

At first, the poisoned person would feel calm of mind and warm of limb, as though bathed in the Buddha's light, experiencing an illusion of ultimate bliss. Hence the name "Elysium Powder."

Then, joy at its peak turned to sorrow. The poison penetrated deep into the organs and began devouring the victim's internal energy, transforming it into even fiercer poison!

Victims were often drained of their internal energy within that illusion of ultimate bliss, dying when their true qi was exhausted! Their faces remained rosy after death, like enlightened monks passing away in meditation, with no external injuries or ordinary signs of poisoning to be found!

Lu Changfeng nodded and examined her again carefully. Zi Zhi had chosen the correct acupoints and inserted the needles properly. The problem wasn't the treatment method.

The next instant, inspiration flashed through his mind. "The treatment is right, but the patient is wrong!"

Zi Zhi instinctively asked, "What do you mean?"

Lu Changfeng hurriedly removed the golden needles from Sweetleaf's body and said, "The patient in the Medical Compendium was an eminent Shaolin monk."

"But what does that..."

Before she finished, understanding began to dawn on Zi Zhi.

Lu Changfeng swiftly removed the golden needles, infused them with Shennong qi, and inserted them into the acupoints again. This time, Sweetleaf gave a muffled groan, and her expression changed. Zi Zhi started in surprise, then grew thoughtful.

Lu Changfeng explained, "Elysium Powder is insubstantial in nature and illusory in effect, with an affinity for vicious yin energy. Shaolin internal arts are rooted in forceful yang, its natural bane! That was why the Medicine King used Yangming Needling to guide the patient's own pure-yang internal energy into burning away and expelling the poison. But this young lady..."

Hearing this, Zi Zhi understood at once. "The Plum Blossom Guards cultivate yin-aligned internal arts! They share something of the poison's nature. Using a guiding method where 'the righteous counters the evil' is like carrying firewood to put out a fire... No wonder! This is bad!"

Her words grew increasingly urgent. "Quick, remove the needles!"

Jinghong had already realized something was wrong. With a sweep of her hand, she drew back every golden needle from the other four women.

Lu Changfeng made an immediate decision. "We'll follow the current instead. First 'release,' then 'guide'!" As he spoke, he inserted golden needles in swift succession into well points such as Lesser Shang, Shangyang, and Central Hub, as well as sea points such as Bend Center and Marsh at the Crook.

These acupoints were where the meridians' qi and blood converged and circulated, like crucial sluice gates along a river. Using the golden needles as guides, Lu Changfeng stimulated them gently. Rather than forcing out the poison, he was "opening the gates to let the water flow," guiding the most turbulent currents of vicious yin internal energy-the portion already partly assimilated by the poison-in Sweetleaf's body to seep slowly out through these channels.

Wisps of gray-black energy carrying a blood-sweet odor slowly seeped from the ends of the needles.

"So that's how it works..."

Zi Zhi's medical skill was considerable as well. She understood at a glance and immediately followed his example to treat the others.

The sequence of needling flowed like drifting clouds and running water. Though it appeared to share the Medicine King's method's origins, its underlying principle was entirely reversed, shifting from the forceful expulsion of "the righteous countering the evil" to the skillful drainage and defense of "guiding according to the current."

Within moments, the unnatural flush on Sweetleaf's face visibly receded, and her breathing grew steady and deep.

The draining of her vitality had been forcibly halted!

"It really works..."

Watching beside him, Zi Zhi was dazzled, her astonishment beyond measure.

She finally understood that Lu Changfeng was not merely reciting from a book. He had truly mastered the principles of medicine and could adapt them to each patient, applying what he had learned with living flexibility. His medical skill and quick thinking far surpassed anything she had imagined!

She also treated the other four women with needles. Only when she saw their flushed faces gradually fade and their breathing settle did she let out a long sigh of relief. Looking at Lu Changfeng with admiration and lingering fear, she said softly:

"Your healing hands are extraordinary, sir. I am wholly convinced. Had you not identified the problem in time, Zi Zhi's good intentions would nearly have wrought a terrible disaster... Even ten thousand deaths could not redeem such a sin."

Zi Zhi was filled with shame. She had studied the medical canon thoroughly, yet failed to recognize the difference between her patients' constitutions and that of the recorded case, nearly costing her companions their lives.

Lu Changfeng said, "Miss Zi Zhi, you needn't blame yourself too harshly. You were eager to save them. Besides, without your needling beforehand, I might not have spotted the crucial point so quickly."

His words made Zi Zhi feel much better, and she couldn't help warming to him.

Jinghong watched everything from the side, and her estimation of Lu Changfeng rose further. Not only did he possess miraculous medical skill and meticulous judgment, but his composure and bearing were rarer still.

But acupuncture alone wasn't enough. The poison remained in their bodies.

Just then, Qing Dai hurried in with a medicine chest. Lu Changfeng swiftly took out paper and a brush. After a brief moment's thought, his brush raced like a dragon or serpent, writing out a prescription. He handed it to Zi Zhi. "Let's prepare another option. If we can't recover the antidote, decoct the medicine according to this prescription. It'll be slower, but it should still provide a complete cure."

Zi Zhi took the prescription and examined it closely. Written on it were: hundred-year-old poria, cinnabar heart, coptis, skullcap...

"First use cinnabar and poria to steady the mind and resist the illusions, then coptis and skullcap to purge the fire of vicious heat, while using rehmannia and dwarf lilyturf to strengthen the foundation and nourish the vital essence..."

Zi Zhi's eyes shone as she read.

The prescription's approach was ingenious, opening an entirely different path. Rather than seeking to neutralize the Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder immediately, it focused on "soothing" and "cleansing," strengthening the body and replenishing qi while expelling the poison. It worked slowly, but steadily!

"This really can cure it!"

At this realization, Zi Zhi was overjoyed and utterly convinced. "No wonder the venerable Medicine King said, 'After treating illness for three years, one learns that no prescription under heaven can simply be applied'... The key is adapting to each patient! Your prescription is truly profound, sir. I have learned much!"

She gave him a solemn bow.

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly, fine beads of sweat appearing at his temples as well. The needling had consumed tremendous mental energy. His cultivation was insufficient; there was no way he could compete for more patients to farm rewards.

Fortunately, he had cleared this hurdle.

[Sweetleaf successfully treated. Rewards issued: Sorrowful Softening Breeze ×1, antidote ×1.]

Lu Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, however, an Inner Guard hurried inside and reported to Jinghong, "Division Commander! Pavilion Commander Gao has sent word. They've caught up with Yang Kaitian's group and are engaged in fierce combat, but the enemy is resisting desperately and has unidentified allies aiding them. The battle is deadlocked. Pavilion Commander Gao requests your support so they can capture the ringleader, secure the rare treasure, and force out the antidote as quickly as possible!"

Jinghong nodded. "Most likely, the Crescent Moon Hall is trying to seize Su Bonian. It's time to draw in the net... Qing Dai, escort the gentleman back to the residence in secret. Protect him well."

Qing Dai bowed. "Yes."

Jinghong's figure flickered, and she vanished.

Only Lu Changfeng, Qing Dai, Zi Zhi, the guards whose injuries had been temporarily stabilized, and the messenger remained in the inner hall.

The atmosphere seemed to relax somewhat with Jinghong's departure, but Lu Changfeng's heart suddenly rose into his throat.

What he feared most had happened after all-Jinghong had been called away on legitimate grounds, leaving only Qing Dai at his side.

This practically created the perfect conditions for a possible assassination!

The messenger did not leave with Jinghong. Instead, he stepped forward of his own accord and saluted the two with clasped hands. "Miss Qing Dai, Mr. Lu, why don't I escort you out through the secret passage at the rear gate? It would be safer for you to return to the residence first."

His words were earnest and his expression natural, as though he had nothing but Lu Changfeng's safety in mind. Yet beneath his lowered eyelids, a glint of icy killing intent flashed and vanished.