Brother Among Brothers

I was in trouble?

Fine.

But why did you read my letter?

Other than the Modifier he had written himself, Xiao Bai did not have much privacy anyway. If his message had been read, then so be it.

Still, he felt that Senior Sister Mu Yun might have deliberately used her spoiled-princess persona to snatch the message, hoping to pry into his secrets through its contents.

Curiosity was the beginning of one's downfall!

As for this supposed trouble, Xiao Bai asked curiously:

"What trouble?"

After carefully inspecting the pigeon, Mu Yun did not release the carrier pigeon. Instead, she placed it inside her storage ring.

Only then did she hand the letter to Xiao Bai.

"Read it yourself."

Xiao Bai glanced at her.

Clearly, her excessive caution went beyond what a pastoral princess-sickness persona should have entailed.

Taking the letter written on rough paper, Xiao Bai swept his eyes over it.

It was a plea for help from the Errand Disciple Quarters.

Xiao Bai's heart lurched. Something had happened to Li Feiyu!

Li Feiyu was Xiao Bai's best brother in the Errand Disciple Quarters. When Xiao Bai had first entered the sect, Li Feiyu had looked after him quite a bit.

His talent was considered outstanding among the errand disciples. He cultivated diligently every day and soon broke through to the Ninth Level Fetal Breath.

Unfortunately, his talent was ultimately mediocre. He had remained at the Ninth Level Fetal Breath for years, unable to enter Qi Refining.

Failing to enter the Inner Sect was a regret, but in the Northwest Errand Disciple Quarters, he was still something of a star—good at fighting and well connected.

When Xiao Bai had first arrived at the Errand Disciple Quarters, he loved throwing money around to make friends far and wide, and Li Feiyu had been among them.

But Li Feiyu was different from the others.

When Xiao Bai ran into real trouble, everyone else vanished without a trace. Only Li Feiyu helped him settle it.

Even later, after Xiao Bai had squandered all his money, Li Feiyu still helped him resolve many disputes.

And now, Li Feiyu himself had encountered trouble!

How could Xiao Bai stand by with folded arms?

The plea said that Li Feiyu had failed his tribulation, suffered a Cultivation Deviation, and was gravely ill in bed. He hoped Xiao Bai could ask Elder Yuhu for a life-saving medicine.

After reading the plea, Xiao Bai also found it strange.

Li Feiyu had an excellent physique. He attempted to break through to Qi Refining almost every month. Though he failed every time, he had never suffered a Cultivation Deviation in all these years. So why had he suffered one just after Xiao Bai arrived at Hundred Herbs Peak?

Why did Senior Sister Mu Yun say he was in trouble?

Without revealing anything, Xiao Bai asked:

"It's only a letter asking for medicine. How did Senior Sister see that I was in trouble?"

"Of course, intuition!"

The girl in smoky robes spoke with ringing conviction.

Seeing the curiosity on Xiao Bai's handsome face, she thought for a moment before explaining:

"I just feel there's something off about both the carrier pigeon and the handwriting in this letter... Besides, you became Master's Dao companion as an errand disciple. In the Snow Flame Sect, there may not be a thousand men who want to harm you, but there are at least eight hundred. I advise you not to go."

Xiao Bai shook his head.

"He's my friend. He wouldn't harm me. Even if he did, he couldn't get away afterward, so why would he?"

The girl rose into the air and gently stroked Xiao Bai's delicate dog head, speaking with the air of an old hand.

"Young man, the Cultivation World is far more complicated than you imagine."

"I have my own ways."

Xiao Bai had already made up his mind to leave.

First, with his current overall physique, his Spiritual Resistance and Poison Resistance were basically maxed out. Even if his body were smashed to pieces, he would not die.

Second, he definitely would not go alone.

Third, Li Feiyu might truly be in danger!

The girl in smoky robes crossed her arms over her chest and curled her lips.

"The ignorant are fearless. You don't even know who your enemies are!"

Xiao Bai's gaze was resolute.

"But I know who my true friends are."

The girl's lovely face froze as her watery eyes stared at Xiao Bai's gentle yet steadfast gaze.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Xiao Bai smiled and deliberately patted her shoulder.

"With you accompanying me, what is there to fear?"

You dared flirt with me!

Mu Yun slapped away Xiao Bai's perverted hands, but her face had turned crimson.

"You, you should have Elder Yu... Master accompany you!"

Xiao Bai was no fool.

The elder was the stay-at-home research type, while this Demoness was clearly the sort skilled at going out to carry out missions. Who had greater Combat Power was obvious at a glance.

Xiao Bai did not feel ashamed to have a woman protect him.

—That was because the Modifier he had written himself was awesome!

"The elder has to stay at Hundred Herbs Peak to keep me alive. You, meanwhile, are responsible for bringing back my ashes."

Xiao Bai said it lightly.

That single sentence filled Mu Yun's eyes with little stars.

She looked exactly like a fangirl, completely forgetting her true nature as a Demoness.

After standing stunned for a while, the girl finally said:

"Ashes won't do! Even with Heart-Returning Powder personally refined by Master, you would at least need to bring back a section of your spine to save you. It contains your memories and spiritual veins."

Xiao Bai was slightly startled. So it really could be done...

But when Mu Yun said the word "spine," she was staring right at Xiao Bai, frightening him into hurriedly changing the subject.

"Let's go discuss it with the elder first."

Pill Room.

Green robes, white cloak; black cauldron, red radiance.

A red and a blue pill lay on the rush mat.

"I heard everything you said."

With eyes like still water, Yuhu held a cup of blood-red Peach Petal Tea and spoke slowly.

"This blue pill is the antidote for Cultivation Deviation in the Fetal Breath Realm."

"And this red pill is for preserving your life. At the very least, it can leave you half a corpse."

Leave half a corpse...

Xiao Bai's face darkened in fright. Was this trip to the Errand Disciple Quarters really that dangerous?

Mu Yun stared at the red pill, suppressing the shock in her eyes as she asked casually:

"This is the legendary Spine Gu Pill?"

Spine Gu Pill...

Xiao Bai felt that he might never escape the words "spine" for the rest of his life.

Did the gu in Spine Gu mean raising venomous insects?

This Demoness was not merely demonic—she was poisonous to the core!

Suppressing his fear, Xiao Bai asked in a deep voice:

"What does this Spine Gu Pill do?"

"It turns into an insect inside your body. If your Body Dies, Dao Vanishes, it will carry your blood, bones, spiritual veins, and most of your memories, conceal itself nearby, and burrow into the ground. I will soon retrieve it and revive you as best I can."

Yuhu took a sip of tea and said it lightly.

Xiao Bai's scalp went numb.

But he roughly understood. This Spine Gu Pill was an automatic life-saving bug, the ultimate dream version of Heart-Returning Powder!

As for whether this thing might peek into his memories, Xiao Bai was not worried.

If this Demoness had the ability to glimpse the existence of his Modifier, she would have discovered it during Dual Rest long ago. There would be no need for such redundant effort.

With that thought, Xiao Bai bent down to pick up the pill.

Beside him, Mu Yun was quick-eyed and quick-handed, snatching away the red Spine Gu Pill.

"Master, you're far too biased. I've followed you for a full ten years, yet I've never seen you take out such a treasure."

Yuhu said:

"This Spine Gu Pill is a test medicine. Only a physique with Balanced Five Elements can barely endure it. If you eat it, you will definitely die."

"..."

Mu Yun hurriedly stuffed the pill into Xiao Bai's hand.

"Junior Brother should eat it first."

Xiao Bai froze.

"Fine, don't call me Martial Granduncle, but how did I become Junior Brother?"

The girl in smoky robes lifted her little face, looking down her nose at him.

"By cultivation level, you're the little brother among little brothers."

Great. The seniority at Hundred Herbs Peak was as tangled as a pot of porridge, just like Northwest Jin.

"Alright, let's set off."

Xiao Bai shook his head, put away the blue pill, and swallowed the Spine Gu Pill without another word.

The moment the Spine Gu Pill entered his stomach, it drilled straight through the stomach wall, reached his spine, and clung to the bone as an insect.

Unfortunately, it was soon forcibly disassembled by the Modifier into medicinal power and spiritual power...

Its fate was no different from Heart-Returning Powder.

Fortunately, this was a reversible process. When danger arose, it would feed spiritual power back and reform into an insect.

This sight made Mu Yun stare blankly at his lower body.

She felt that Xiao Bai took poison pills as easily and naturally as eating beans.

Was this guy really human?

"Oh, right. Before we go to the Errand Disciple Quarters, the two of us need to act separately. I'll be in the open, and you'll be in the shadows."

Before setting out, Xiao Bai suddenly proposed.

Mu Yun tilted her head and said with great displeasure:

"What, do I embarrass you?"

"I want to flush out the real villain!"

That was what Xiao Bai said.

Yuhu:

"..."

Mu Yun:

"..."