At the Ye Family Medical Hall.
Ye Qingxian locked the front door and dusted off her hands. Another short day.
She hadn't been all that focused on the clinic lately.
In fact, it had closed early around noon—much to the dissatisfaction of regular patients. The usual opening was at 8 AM, closing at 4 PM like clockwork. But lately? She'd been closing whenever she felt like it.
Still, Ye Qingxian didn't care. She was a master healer and the most powerful healing-type soul master in the area. She wasn't obligated to serve the world nonstop.
Moral guilt? Please.
Not with her.
"Lingling didn't come home last night. Said she was staying over at Yan Yan's house. But let's be real—wherever Lin Xiao goes, she follows. She's obviously hoping to break the curse of the Nine-Hearted Begonia."
"A typical starry-eyed little girl…"
Ye Qingxian had noticed how excited Ye Lingling had been lately, which, ironically, only made her more worried. Kids were full of hope—too much hope. The greater the expectation, the harder the fall.
Unlike her. She was mature. She was calm.
She—Ye Qingxian—was a woman as steady as an eagle.
Draped in her signature white veil, she returned to the Ye residence and was surprised to hear that Dugu Bo had stopped by—with all three kids in tow.
Though mildly startled, she didn't quicken her pace. Her graceful figure floated like mist on the wind, her steps as light as lotus petals.
Effortless. Elegant.
Ye Qingxian entered the room and offered Dugu Bo a slight bow, never removing her veil.
"Qingxian greets Senior Dugu."
"Lady Ye, you're too kind," Dugu Bo replied politely. "While I've been away, Yan Yan has received your care. I'm grateful."
Despite being a woman, Ye Qingxian was the rightful head of the Ye clan. Though only at Soul Emperor level, her status as a healing master rivaled that of any Title Douluo.
Even the cold and aloof Dugu Bo treated her with respect.
Her gaze drifted briefly to Lin Xiao. Smart as she was, a thousand thoughts flickered behind her eyes—and she quickly grasped the situation.
Could it be that they'd found a way to resolve the Martial Soul defect?
"Senior Dugu wouldn't have come here without reason, I assume?" she asked.
He nodded. "This boy and I have struck a deal. I know of a blessed land filled with herbs, but I can't stay there long, nor can I identify most of the plants."
"But he can move freely through it. I'd like you to teach him some medicinal knowledge or at least offer guidance, so we can make full use of what's inside."
Ye Qingxian glanced at Lin Xiao again.
He gave her a sheepish smile.
What does Tang San know about immortal herbs?
In Lin Xiao's mind, Tang San was just a poison guy who memorized the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record. His method of using immortal herbs? Pop them like candy.
That wasn't the real issue.
In the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, aside from the top-tier immortal herbs, there were thousands of other spirit herbs—rare, century-old, even millennia-old treasures.
Even if not quite as powerful as ten-thousand-year immortal herbs, they were still infused with the energy of heaven and earth—immeasurably valuable. And what did Tang San do?
Eat them. All of them. No alchemical blending. No pairings. It was criminal waste!
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wasn't just a treasure trove—it was a perfect medicinal field.
In the original story, it was said to accelerate plant growth by hundreds of times, but Lin Xiao was convinced that was just scratching the surface. After all, Ah Yin reached ten-thousand-year cultivation in just a few years there.
As for guys like Dugu Bo and Tang San, playing around with poisons? That was tunnel vision. Their understanding of herbs was shallow and one-sided.
Ye Qingxian, however, was a true master of healing. Even if she didn't recognize a herb by name, she could deduce its properties and effects—and combine them properly.
Last time Lin Xiao tempered his body with Evil Fire, her medicinal bath and recipes had drastically enhanced the results.
He knew just how invaluable she could be.
So this time—he had to learn from her.
"This won't be a problem," she said simply. "He's already studied some medicinal theory with me."
She gave Lin Xiao a sideways glance through her veil.
This little brat hadn't come to her directly, and instead had Dugu Bo ask on his behalf? Did he really think she'd help him just because of Dugu Bo?
Please. If she agreed to teach, it was because she wanted to—not because of some old man's plea.
Dugu Bo, forever the loner, said his piece and left without even staying for lunch.
Later that afternoon, Ye Qingxian called Lin Xiao aside to the corridor.
"Tell me everything."
Straight to the point.
Lin Xiao didn't waste time. He told her all about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, adding in the story of a mysterious ancient text for good measure.
Then he gave her a look.
Sis, everything's ready. All that's left is for you—the top-tier support—to carry us to victory!
Ye Qingxian's eyes widened in astonishment.
"A blessed land like that truly exists?"
"A gift from the heavens…"
Then, removing her veil, she gave him a half-smile.
"This ancient text—is it real?"
Lin Xiao froze for a moment, then answered with conviction:
"Of course! Would I ever lie to you, Auntie Ye?"
…Yeah. He definitely just lied.
He mentally repented for two seconds.
But Ye Qingxian didn't mind. Her brows furrowed thoughtfully before she spoke.
"Medicine isn't something you master overnight. When are you leaving? Since you already know the characteristics of some immortal herbs, I can quickly teach you how to identify others. You'll study basic theory first. For now, I'll handle the actual pairing and composition."
Lin Xiao nodded, then said honestly:
"Auntie Ye, I want to keep my Evil Fire. It's been building up again, and I feel a third outbreak coming. I wonder… if it evolves, can I preserve its strength even after consuming the immortal herb?"
"If so, I'd like to prepare for another round of body tempering."
Ye Qingxian looked at him in surprise. Her eyes lingered on his young face before she sighed.
"I've never seen someone so eager to suffer."
"Don't worry. Your body grew stronger after the last tempering—and so did the Evil Fire. Your body's been broken and rebuilt so many times, it's now fused with the flame."
"I meant to tell you this during the last checkup, but I wasn't sure you could handle the truth. After all, who likes being tortured? But now you're asking for it. I suppose that makes things easier."
She gave him a strange look.
Some people, they said, had… peculiar tastes.
The more pain, the more satisfaction.
Could he be one of them?
Ahem. Should she test that theory?
"Aunt Qingxian," Lin Xiao called, unable to stand her gaze.
She waved him off.
"I'll call you when everything's ready. This time, we'll let Yan Yan and Lingling watch—let's see if they're still jealous afterward. Off you go."
After he left, Ye Qingxian returned to her room.
She needed to find the notes from Lin Xiao's last body tempering session.
Oddly, for a woman who prided herself on being as steady as an eagle, her footsteps had grown light and quick—almost like a girl in her youth.
Maybe… maybe there was really hope for curing the curse of the Martial Soul.
Lost in thought, she walked to the mirror.
And found that she'd been smiling the whole time.
No matter how hard she tried…
She couldn't wipe it off her face.