Wasn't he exactly the person I was looking for?

On the second floor of the Lin family clinic, inside a spacious consulting room,

Madam Liu, decked out in gold and jade, rose with her maid's support, holding a medicine box as she offered her thanks:

"I'm so sorry for the trouble, Sister Lin. Come visit my residence when you have time, and we can carry on our chat."

"Certainly. Take care, Madam Liu."

"No need to see me out. You're too kind, Sister Lin..."

Lin Wanyi rose to see her off, her eyes curved in a smile and her bearing refined, like a magnificent peony quietly coming into bloom.

But once Madam Liu left the consulting room, a touch of helplessness appeared between Lin Wanyi's brows.

As a renowned female physician in Capital City, Lin Wanyi inevitably had to deal with the wives of wealthy households.

The women of those great houses were truly hard to describe. Knowing her exceptional skill with elixirs, they dreamed up every trick to wheedle potent, dangerous drugs out of her. Because she was approachable, the wives who grew familiar with her even told her all about their bedroom antics.

Lin Wanyi was still a virgin, yet after all she had heard and seen, she knew all eighteen positions by heart. How could she possibly be happy about that?

But she could not turn patients away, either. She felt that if this continued, she really would become a Witch Cult Demoness.

Beside the tea table, the maid Qinwen was tidying the tea things. Once Madam Liu went downstairs, she complained as well:

"Honestly, those madams! It's one thing to seek medicine when they're ill, but they come asking this and that even when nothing's wrong. Especially Constable Yang's wife. Her husband's so powerfully built, yet she still comes pestering you, miss. Isn't she afraid she'll end up unable to get out of bed?"

"Madam Yang thinks her husband is wooden and knows nothing about bedroom pleasures. She came to me for advice."

"And if Madam Yang doesn't know, you do? You aren't even married, miss! You're a famous physician from Capital City, yet those madams treat you as some 'bedroom expert.' Honestly..."

"Enough. What if someone hears you talking nonsense?"

Lin Wanyi sat down behind her desk and picked up a book to read.

"How did the students supported by the Medical Clinic do in this year's autumn examinations?"

Qinwen served as her personal little steward. This question made her even unhappier, and she approached to tidy the tea things.

"How else? Aside from Zisu, who ranked near the top, the best any of them managed was a B. I just don't understand. You supported a whole bunch of students in Capital City, and now you're doing the same in Danyang. All that money wasted every year, and not one high official or noble to show for it. Even a landlord's household has no grain to spare..."

Lin Wanyi did indeed support many young people from poor families, but charity was not her sole original intention. She owed the Witch Cult an enormous debt of gratitude and had to find a way to obtain a precious treasure to repay it. Unable to get it in Capital City, she had come to Danyang to look for an opening.

But connections with the Witch Cult were a grave taboo. She dared not tell even her personal maid. Lin Wanyi merely adjusted her little glasses.

"Doing good and helping students accumulates hidden virtue. If they don't succeed in their studies, there's nothing we can do. Winter is almost here, and many students will be going to the Academy to study. Keep looking and see whether there are any promising candidates..."

"More? You're already supporting seven or eight..."

"Just go when I tell you to!"

Knock, knock, knock...

As mistress and maid spoke, an apprentice from the Medical Clinic suddenly ran upstairs and poked his head through the doorway, looking rather astonished.

"Proprietress, there's a young gentleman downstairs asking for you. He says his name is Xie Jinhuan."

"Xie Jinhuan?"

Lin Wanyi paused in turning a page. Remembering the young man who had acted so righteously last night, she quickly rose.

"Show him up at once..."

--

A short while later.

With Coal Ball perched on his shoulder and looking all around, Xie Jinhuan followed the apprentice upstairs. He immediately saw the tall, slender Lin Wanyi approaching with a smile.

"Young Master Xie, I was seeing a patient just now and was delayed a little. My apologies for neglecting you."

Working as a physician at the Medical Clinic, Lin Wanyi had dressed with considerable refinement. A pale blue-green, waist-high skirt and ru jacket were paired with a gauzy outer robe. As she walked, her figure swayed gracefully, and the front of her robes quivered with each step.

Xie Jinhuan gave her a brief look. It was genuinely difficult to imagine that such a gentle, virtuous beauty could be a Witch Cult Demoness who raised puppet ghosts. He approached and cupped his hands in greeting.

"You're too kind, Miss Lin."

"Coo~"

"Please sit, young master. What a beautiful bird."

True to her name, Lin Wanyi had exquisite manners and gave an impression of warmth as gentle as water. She invited Xie Jinhuan to sit beside the tea table, drawing back her sleeve to pour him tea.

"You helped me out of a difficult situation yesterday, and I still haven't had a chance to thank you. I'm truly ashamed."

"It was no trouble at all..."

Xie Jinhuan's purpose was quite clear: he wanted miraculous medicines and elixirs. After a few casual exchanges, he turned his attention to Lin Wanyi's glasses.

"Miss Lin, you seem to have some foundation in cultivation. If you've tempered your body since childhood, your eyes shouldn't have any problems. Are you wearing those because something went wrong with your cultivation technique?"

Lin Wanyi was playing with Coal Ball, who was bobbing his head. Her smile stiffened slightly at those words.

Ever since joining the Witch Cult, she had indeed had some physical problems. Cold yin energy accumulated inside her, causing chest pain every New Moon night and affecting her eyesight as well.

But a Witch Cult technique without side effects would have been the abnormal thing. How could she discuss this in front of an outsider? After a moment's thought, Lin Wanyi shook her head with a smile.

"You misunderstand, young master. I've read medical books since childhood. It's probably from straining my eyes."

Seeing that Lin Wanyi would not admit it, Xie Jinhuan assumed the air of a physician examining a patient.

"Judging by your complexion, Miss Lin, your yin energy seems excessive, with cold yin energy stagnating inside your body. A cultivation mishap can lead to madness at best and death at worst. It's no small matter. If you truly have some hidden ailment..."

"?"

Lin Wanyi froze and raised a hand to touch her exquisite cheek, thinking:

He can tell even that?

Has he opened a Heavenly Eye or something?

Seeing how certain Xie Jinhuan was, Lin Wanyi feared he might truly uncover her secrets and cut him off.

"I'm a physician myself, and my medical skills have earned me something of a reputation here in Danyang City. I can look after my own health. You're worrying too much, young master."

Seeing her stubborn refusal to admit it, Xie Jinhuan was left speechless.

He could hardly say, "Miss Lin, you wouldn't want anyone finding out you're a Witch Cult Demoness, would you?"

He already had enough on his plate. If Lin Wanyi feared he would let her secret slip and put a curse on him, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?

Xie Jinhuan quietly worked on his phrasing, wondering how to pierce this paper window between them. Just then, Coal Ball, crouching on his lap, suddenly tilted his head toward the Zhenglun Sword at his waist.

"Coo?!"

Then, as though he had seen a ghost, he hurriedly flew out the window.

At that, Xie Jinhuan knew A Piao was about to stir up trouble, and events unfolded exactly as expected.

Lin Wanyi had been watching in puzzlement when, for some unknown reason, a sudden wave of dizziness struck her, even leaving her thoughts somewhat hazy.

Then the cold yin energy suppressed inside her abruptly fell into disorder and surged against her heart meridians. She gave a muffled groan. The color rapidly drained from her cheeks, dark blue lines spread along the meridians in her fair hands, and her whole body swayed, overturning a teacup.

Clatter~

Xie Jinhuan glanced at the red-robed A Piao behind Lin Wanyi. Knowing she was helping, he reached out to steady the tea table, his expression grave.

"Miss Lin, what's wrong? Is something wrong with your health?"

"I... I..."

Lin Wanyi kept feeling a chill at her back. Her concentration had slipped for only an instant, yet the cold yin energy pent up inside her had seized the opening and attacked her internal organs.

Her body was trembling now, and she could barely remain seated. She could only lean against the chair and try to suppress the cold yin energy coursing through her organs.

But she could not even detect the red-robed A Piao behind her, so how could she steady her clouded mind?

Seeing that Lin Wanyi could not suppress it, Xie Jinhuan asked with concern:

"Should I call a physician?"

"Don't... don't call anyone..."

Lin Wanyi dared not reveal her Witch Cult background even to her maid, so how could she let the physicians at the Medical Clinic take her pulse? She caught Xie Jinhuan's sleeve with all her strength and desperately suppressed the chill penetrating her body.

But not only did this fail, waves of dizziness began washing through her mind. The cold yin energy inside her grew increasingly violent, until her heart was pounding like a drum, her breathing came fast, and beads of sweat rose on her forehead.

Seeing even her gaze begin to lose focus, Xie Jinhuan felt things had gone a little too far. He quietly looked toward the red-robed ghost behind her, signaling that this was enough.

Ye Hongshang stood behind her causing trouble and replied:

"Gather qi into silver needles and pierce the Tianding and Jiuwei points."

Hearing the instructions, Xie Jinhuan quickly searched the consultation desk.

Struggling to suppress the energy, Lin Wanyi saw what Xie Jinhuan was doing and asked:

"What... what are you doing?"

"I have a way to help you. Where are the needles? I'll perform acupuncture."

"Acupuncture?"

As a physician, Lin Wanyi naturally understood what acupuncture involved.

With cold yin energy attacking her heart meridians, he would presumably need to stimulate the acupuncture points on her chest...

Wouldn't that mean taking off my clothes?

Lin Wanyi glanced at her neckline, and the following scene inevitably arose in her mind:

Xie Jinhuan would rush over, ignore her humiliated, indignant struggles, and forcibly undo her upper garments...

She would try to struggle but lack the strength to evade him, able only to endure the humiliation and indignation with clear tears in her eyes...

How could she allow that?!

A flush of embarrassed alarm appeared on Lin Wanyi's deathly pale cheeks. Seeing Xie Jinhuan find the needles by the window, she struggled to rise.

"No... you can't. I don't need you to..."

Before she could finish, she saw the white-robed young gentleman beside the table curl the fingers of his right hand and flick them lightly from over ten feet away.

Whoosh, whoosh~

Two silver needles immediately shot through the air, trailing faint, cold glints across the room.

Lin Wanyi was startled. After all, her chest was covered in vital acupuncture points. Striking them from so far away with silver needles carrying true qi could leave her seriously injured with even the slightest error.

Lin Wanyi wanted to dodge, but the cold attacking her heart hampered her movements. Before she could act, the needles pierced her neck and upper abdomen.

"Ugh~"

True qi entered her acupuncture points with the needles. Lin Wanyi immediately gave a muffled groan, and her trembling instantly eased. She felt the cold yin energy become trapped between her chest and abdomen.

"You?!"

Lin Wanyi discovered that the silver needles had struck the acupuncture points without the slightest deviation. Both their depth and the force imbued in them were appallingly precise. The humiliation and indignation in her eyes turned to astonishment.

Martial artists were indeed skilled at striking acupuncture points, but their purpose was usually to kill or cripple; sufficient force was all they needed. Physicians inserting needles had far more to consider.

Lin Wanyi was no weakling. She could tell just how difficult it was to strike acupuncture points from a distance while the patient's breathing was unsteady and her body was moving, yet control the force of the qi without the slightest error.

One needle, in particular, had pierced the Shanzhong point.

Shanzhong lay at the center of the chest. That was simple enough with men, but women came with soft protection of their own.

She was especially well-endowed by nature, her full breasts wrapped within her robes. Given their considerable size and her current position leaning against the chair, a finger-length silver needle was shorter than the depth of her cleavage. Normally, her clothing would have to be undone and those ample mounds eased apart to insert a needle.

Yet Xie Jinhuan had barely even looked. With one flick, he had sent a needle through her outer robes and undergarment just as her inhalation made the fabric swell, passing through the gap between her breasts. It had pierced the Shanzhong point precisely, without injuring the surrounding flesh in the slightest, and with exactly the right force.

If he could accurately anticipate her movements and breathing while inserting needles, he could naturally do the same when killing.

He was only twenty. How had he developed such seasoned technique?

Lin Wanyi's gaze was filled with astonishment and uncertainty. After a moment's daze, a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind:

Th-this was exactly the person I was looking for, wasn't it?!