Chapter Seventy-Two: Peril

At that moment, Chen Jiu felt as if his heart had been squeezed painfully, making him forget to breathe altogether. Such dense spiritual energy… If he could absorb it all, he might even have a chance to ascend to the Second Stage of Immortality—such a leap was not beyond his reach!

In the world of cultivation, achieving the Minor Elixir Embryo could extend a cultivator’s lifespan by nearly two hundred years, and grant effortless control over magical tools and talismans. Beyond that, the Great Elixir Embryo represented the pinnacle of the First Stage of Immortality, where practitioners commonly attained a lifespan of around five hundred years.

The Second Stage of Immortality, known as the Jade Elixir Realm, was founded upon refining qi into spirit. By condensing the jade liquid, which was originally transformed from primordial energy within the elixir chamber, into an inner elixir, and then further tempering it with divine consciousness, one could achieve the cultivation of the Second Stage. Those who entered this realm would not only see their lifespan and magical power skyrocket, but could also traverse the heavens and earth at will, coming and going through the blue vastness as they pleased.

Thus, for the cultivators of this world, every step forward in their path demanded a tremendous price. Certain cultivating families, in order to nurture their outstanding heirs, would send them to academies or bureaus of peace, as these places were rich in resources for cultivation.

For itinerant Taoists like Chen Jiu, who had nothing and no powerful backing, the pursuit of immortality could only be undertaken by painstakingly cultivating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on their own. Yet by such means, one might die of old age before achieving anything of note.

His previous breakthrough had proven just that. If not for the demonic qi amassed by the blood fiend over who knew how many years, Chen Jiu would never have broken through to the First Stage of Immortality, let alone dreamed of ascending to the Second Stage.

Therefore, upon receiving such a rich bounty of spiritual energy, Chen Jiu was, understandably, wild with joy.

Just then, the beautiful woman who had been lying on her side suddenly opened her eyes wide and shouted, “Water! I want water!”

With a bang, the door was flung open by Su Jiu. His brows knit in alarm as he strode in, having heard the commotion from within.

But what he saw was the beautiful woman sitting up on the bed, holding an exquisitely crafted porcelain bowl in both hands, gulping down water in great mouthfuls.

Chen Jiu stood frozen in shock. Su Jiu, too, was dumbstruck.

“Mother!” He recovered himself at once, his eyes brimming with emotion.

“Brother Chen! This—what is going on?” Su Jiu exclaimed, seeing his mother drinking greedily from the medicinal water Chen Jiu had prepared.

Chen Jiu’s heart gave a jolt, but he quickly composed himself. “It seems the fragrance of my medicine roused your mother from her slumber…”

He could hardly say that his pearl had entered her body, absorbed the malignant essence and the spiritual energy passed on by her husband, and thereby awakened her. If he dared reveal such a thing, he might never leave this room alive.

Su Jiu, reassured, let out a long breath.

The beautiful woman had by now finished every drop of the “Spring Eternal Water” from her bowl, not leaving even a trace. Though her expression was still somewhat dazed, her complexion was radiant and her features seemed even more refined.

“Mother, do you feel any better?” Su Jiu asked her softly.

Her eyes flickered, and after a brief pause, she returned to herself.

“Jiu’er!” A look of delight blossomed across her face; she immediately set down the bowl and embraced her son tightly.

Chen Jiu discreetly stepped back a few paces.

The commotion in the room seemed to have drawn the attention of the steward, who now appeared silently at Chen Jiu’s side. Chen Jiu was startled—what kind of technique was this, instantaneous movement?

The steward took in the touching scene of mother and son reunited, then turned his gaze, filled with amazement, upon Chen Jiu.

“Was it you who brought the lady back?” he inquired, sending his words directly to Chen Jiu’s mind.

Chen Jiu’s heart raced, but he managed to reply steadily, “It seems so.”

The steward’s brows furrowed at his words.

Just then, the beautiful woman turned to Chen Jiu with joy. “Tormented by illness as I was, I believed I would sleep forever, but today my body was suddenly at ease, and as a wonderful fragrance wafted in, I awoke…” She looked at the empty bowl in her hand. “This medicine—you prepared it, didn’t you?”

Chen Jiu bowed respectfully. “I am Chen Nian’an, and indeed, this recipe is my own.”

Su Jiu’s face was alight with happiness. He turned to Chen Jiu. “My mother’s recovery is all thanks to your medicine, Brother Chen. Rest assured, my family will reward you handsomely!”

Chen Jiu hastened to return the courtesy. Inwardly, he was already overjoyed—the rich spiritual energy his Spring Eternal Pearl had absorbed was reward enough for him. Of course, if they wished to bestow him some magical tools or talismans as well, he would not refuse.

“How do you feel now, madam?” the steward asked with concern.

The beautiful woman’s eyes became more focused. After a moment of self-assessment, she smiled. “I feel as if I am completely cured.”

Su Jiu and the steward exchanged incredulous glances.

Could it be that Chen Jiu’s “Spring Eternal Water” had truly cured her illness?

“Madam, allow me to take your pulse,” the steward said, stepping forward and gently placing his fingers on her slender wrist.

Chen Jiu tensed, his gaze glued to the steward’s every movement. It was only now that he realized a potential problem: if the steward discovered that the spiritual energy once used to suppress the evil within her body was gone, what would happen?

A chill ran through him.

After a few moments, the steward’s grave expression suddenly changed.

“Gone! The malignant essence and demonic poison are all gone!” he exclaimed in disbelief. He turned to Chen Jiu. “Young man, you are truly a miracle healer. I must—”

But he broke off mid-sentence, his face darkening suddenly.

“Madam, the spiritual energy within your body…” His demeanor turned icy cold.

He could sense that while the evil and poison were gone, so too was the great mass of spiritual energy that had previously kept them at bay.

“Steward Su, is something wrong?” Su Jiu asked anxiously, noticing the steward’s hostile gaze toward Chen Jiu.

Chen Jiu’s hand clenched tightly, his heart in his throat.

Just as the steward was about to speak, a voice sounded directly in his mind. His expression changed at once, and after a few heartbeats, the darkness vanished from his face, replaced by a broad smile.

“Haha, our young friend here has indeed banished all illness and demonic poison. This medicine is truly as precious as the Elixir of Immortality itself!” The steward’s tone became suddenly warm and full of praise for Chen Jiu.

The abrupt turn of events left everyone in the room, save the steward, utterly bewildered.

“Steward Su, what has happened?” the beautiful woman asked, glancing at the pale-faced Chen Jiu.

The steward shook his head and bowed deeply. “Congratulations, madam, on your recovery. I shall instruct the staff to prepare nourishing dishes for you at once. With that, I take my leave.”

He withdrew from the room, but as he passed Chen Jiu, he cast him a long, searching look.

Chen Jiu felt a chill run down his spine, his back damp with cold sweat.

What had just happened? The steward must have realized he had taken the spiritual energy, yet his anger had vanished in an instant. Why?

Chen Jiu was at a loss. The only relief was that, for now, the steward seemed disinclined to make the matter public or cause him trouble.

“At any rate, with madam newly recovered, I shall take my leave,” Chen Jiu said, eager to slip away.

But Su Jiu laughed and insisted, “At the very least, you must join us for a meal before you go. You wouldn’t refuse me this small courtesy, would you?”

Chen Jiu inwardly groaned, but could not refuse. To leave in haste would only draw suspicion. He forced a weak smile and agreed.

Su Jiu then helped his mother, who hadn’t set foot on the ground in ages, out of bed.

At that moment, Chen Jiu, ever observant, noticed a tiny object fall from the woman’s neck onto a jade pillow. He deftly retrieved it without drawing attention.

Su Jiu, preoccupied with his mother, noticed nothing.

The three of them slowly made their way out the door. Chen Jiu, walking last, slowly opened his palm.

In his hand lay a shriveled insect, no bigger than a grain of rice.

A flicker of recognition crossed Chen Jiu’s face. After a moment’s thought, it struck him like lightning.

This was one of the strange insects controlled by that pest master…