A small medical clinic in the capital city was brightly lit. A group of young apprentices busied themselves arranging various precious medicinal herbs in neat formations, the air filled with their diverse aromas.
As Ye Ziling stepped inside, Shuanzi, whose hands were busy pounding herbs, suddenly paused. His face lit up with surprise, "Second Young Master, Saintess Sister is back!"
Upon hearing this, the other apprentices stopped their work and turned towards the entrance, their smiles pure and bright.
Ye Jingxian, who had been preparing medicine, quickly stood up and went to meet her.
Seeing his sister return, Ye Jingxian was too emotional to speak. He simply kept checking her from head to toe, his eyes filled with a smile, "Ling'er, are you hurt?"
Ye Ziling looked at Ye Jingxian's haggard face and paused, sensing something was amiss. Her smile faltered slightly, "This place is dangerous. Weren't Shuanzi and these young apprentices supposed to be in the valley? How did they end up here?"
Logically, these apprentices were not yet skilled enough in medicine and needed to study in the valley for three to five years. How could they have left the valley early?
Ye Jingxian released her hand, his gaze seeming to avoid hers as he lowered his eyes.
"The capital was short-handed, so I had to..." Before Ye Jingxian could finish, he saw Ye Ziling purse her lips and grab his hand, pressing further, "Where is Brother Jinghuai? Did something happen in the valley?"
Usually, if her second brother acted like this, it meant something bad had happened.
"No..." Ye Jingxian denied immediately, but he dared not meet her eyes.
At this moment, Shuanzi spoke up.
"Second Young Master, you shouldn't keep it from her." He then looked at Ye Ziling beside him and continued his confession, "Saintess Sister, the Valley Master came to the capital to save someone previously, but unfortunately contracted a plague. He is currently recuperating in the valley, and his life is uncertain."
Ye Ziling's feet felt rooted to the spot, and she stood there stiffly.
"...What?" She had only been away from home for half a month, and such a major event had occurred in the valley.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ye Ziling questioned, her voice laced with deep concern.
"Second Young Master was afraid you would worry, so he didn't say anything..." Shuanzi explained with his head bowed, biting his lip guiltily.
Ye Ziling took out a medicine pouch and handed it to Ye Jingxian, instructing, "Second Brother, this is the antidote. Take it back to the valley and have Brother Jinghuai and the infected clansmen take it first. I will handle things here."
Ye Ziling then drew a prescription from her waist and passed it over, emphasizing repeatedly, "This is the formula for the antidote. Go back and prepare the medicine in the valley; I'll be fine here."
"No." Ye Jingxian looked at her resolute gaze and firmly shook his head, grabbing her hand abruptly. His eyes were deep as he said, "There are demonic beasts here day and night. I can't rest assured with you alone here."
Currently, whether day or night, no one in the capital dared to stroll outside. With just a moment's carelessness, they could be devoured by those demonic beasts. How could he, as an older brother, let his sister wait here to die?
"I can protect myself. Don't worry," Ye Ziling stated resolutely, looking at him earnestly.
"Mu Heng."
Upon hearing Ye Ziling's call, Mu Heng stepped forward and bowed, responding, "Your subordinate is here."
"I still have some antidote. Take it back to the palace and then send some disciples to the capital," Ye Ziling handed the antidote to him.
"Yes." Mu Heng turned and left quickly after responding.
Ye Jingxian looked confused, "Disciples?"
"The Shaolin Sect and the Cui Ling Xuan academies are all busy fleeing for their lives. Where would there be any disciples?"
Ye Jingxian looked at her with a hint of doubt in his heart.
"Never mind that. I'll deal with these demonic beasts in the capital," Ye Ziling said, her eyes flashing with a fierce glint as she looked in the direction Mu Heng had disappeared.
The sky broke open, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds.
A long dragon appeared in the sky, and a massive vortex materialized in mid-air.
In the alleys, a graceful figure slowly descended from the vortex, her white dress fluttering like a white lotus.
In an instant, sword lights crisscrossed, and slaughter erupted. Scarlet blood stained the ground, forcing the black mist to retreat repeatedly.
Her gaze was clear, each move sharp and decisive, every strike deadly. Along the way, she slew countless demons and monsters.
Ye Ziling smiled, her expression wickedly unrestrained, a hint of pride and disdain in her brows, her phoenix-like eyes icy to the bone.
A ethereal, husky voice echoed around, each word carrying a chilling, eerie tone: "Tu Yao, don't forget how many innocent souls have died by your sword!"
"Your hands are stained with more blood than ours. Why not join us, and together we can ascend to the Celestial Realm and rule the mortal world!"
Ye Ziling scoffed, her smile chilling, "Yes. My hands are stained not only with human blood, but also with the blood of your demon realm kin."
"Killing people is too boring. It's much more rewarding to kill you fiendish demons."
She had no regrets.
She was reborn in a chaotic world, rekindled from the darkness.
Let alone demons, how many people had died by her sword who were truly innocent?
If she could, she wished to eradicate all the disgusting things in the world, burying hypocrisy and betrayal in hell. She wanted to bring light back to this world!
Ye Ziling's smile flickered, bloodstains dripping from her long sword. Her aura was both righteous and unholy as she pressed forward step by step.
Having carried the burden of being a sinner of the Celestial Realm for so long, was she still afraid of being labeled a demoness?
What a joke.
Ye Ziling leaped into the air, her silver sword weaving a spray of sword flowers. In an instant, all the demons and monsters within a hundred-meter radius were annihilated.
An ear-splitting cry echoed, and the demonic mist above the capital dissipated. Golden radiance immediately filled the entire city.
She looked up, a faint curve gracing her lips, and followed the street back to the clinic.
As dawn broke, the shops lining the street were filled with people, their faces alight with smiles.
"That's great, we are saved..."
"Now we don't have to worry about monsters."
...
Ye Ziling was examining patients at the clinic entrance. She handed a prescription to a young apprentice, instructing sternly, "Shuanzi, go inside and get the medicine. Follow this prescription and pay attention to the dosages written."
"Yes."
After Shuanzi went inside, Ye Ziling continued her consultations outside.
A cup of tea later, Shuanzi ran out with a medicine box, offering a timid smile, "Saintess Sister, I've found everything." He respectfully placed the herbs down and returned to Ye Ziling's side, awaiting further instructions.
In the afternoon, long queues still lined the outside of the clinic. Ye Ziling wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
She finally understood the difficulty of her brother's work.
It was true what the old saying went: it was easy to be a villain, but difficult to be a good person.
"Sister, I'll take over," a voice sounded nearby. Ye Ziling looked up slightly.
She saw Ye Jinghuai, dressed in a blue long gown, walking through the crowd. Supported by Ye Jingxian, he sat down beside her.
Perhaps due to his recent recovery, his handsome face bore a faint pallor, his lips only showing a light rose hue. His blue gown made him appear more haggard, yet he still sat stiffly in the seat next to her, a gentle smile on his face, "Villagers... please form another line."
"Brother Jinghuai, it's enough with you and me here," Ye Ziling watched him quietly, her voice filled with concern.
Her Brother Jinghuai had likely been overworked these past few days, otherwise, he wouldn't have contracted the plague so easily.
Now that she had arrived, he could take this opportunity to rest for a few days.