When Shen Muzhi entered, this was the first thing he heard.
The expression on his face immediately became strained, and the fatigue that had been accumulating for days seemed to intensify at that moment.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Shen Muzhi deliberately made his footsteps heavier.
The people in the yard immediately noticed and turned to look. Liu Buli, however, didn't seem to find anything amiss. He even waved at Shen Muzhi and said, "Physician Shen is indeed the protagonist, with such remarkable composure."
"Sect Leader Liu, please don't tease me," Shen Muzhi waved his hand and walked to the table to sit down. He was truly exhausted, lacking the energy to even joke with Liu Buli.
You Siqi noticed his fatigue and quickly poured him a cup of water, placing it by his hand.
Shen Muzhi looked at the water, and a bit of light returned to his eyes. He sighed again and said, "I'm increasingly feeling that I made a wrong decision back then. Whoever wants to be the Valley Master of Medicine Valley can have it; I shouldn't have taken on this responsibility."
He recalled that since the invasion of the ghost clan, he had first unleashed the largest karmic fire red lotus, holding it for nearly a day, almost depleting all his spiritual energy.
After the battle ended, before he could even tend to his own wounds, he had to help care for the disciples of Medicine Valley and the injured spectators.
After all, this was Medicine Valley's territory, and the incident had happened right before his eyes. Morally and logically, he couldn't refuse, so he could only grit his teeth and work himself to the bone.
Shen Muzhi would not be exaggerating if he said that for the past few days, he had been contemplating one question:
Perhaps the invasion of the ghost clan hadn't caused him too much direct harm. However, dealing with all the aftermath would surely shave two years off his life.
Now that the situation with the injured was mostly handled, he finally had a chance to catch his breath. He missed You Siqi dearly, so even though things weren't entirely finished, he had abandoned the still-busy people of Medicine Valley and rushed back to the sect leader's courtyard to see his lover whom he hadn't seen in two days.
Seeing You Siqi sitting there unharmed, Shen Muzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out and pulled him into an embrace, tightening his arms. He felt that the tension he had held for so long had finally begun to ease slightly.
You Siqi naturally understood his exhaustion and knew that at this moment, what he needed most was comfort. So, even with others present, You Siqi rarely pushed Shen Muzhi away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Shen Muzhi's back and patted him gently, saying, "Muzhi, if you're too tired, why don't you rest for a while?"
Shen Muzhi shook his head.
Liu Buli exchanged a look with Lu Wuming. At this point, it would be inappropriate not to do something.
Although he enjoyed shipping couples, he didn't like being a third wheel. So, with great discretion, he planned to make a timely exit with Lu Wuming and leave the courtyard.
However, before he could make a move, Shen Muzhi, who was leaning on You Siqi's shoulder, regained his senses. He turned towards Liu Buli and called out, "Daoist Liu, please wait a moment. I have something to tell you."
Liu Buli stopped in his tracks and looked back.
A hint of hesitation flickered across his face. He shook his head and said, "I think it's best if we all do our own thing. Even as friends, a foursome isn't particularly interesting. Or are you physicians now so open-minded?"
Shen Muzhi blinked. The words he spoke were too strange. Although he understood each individual word, when put together, in his extremely tired state, he found it difficult to comprehend.
You Siqi, on the other hand, blushed immediately after hearing this. He roared at Liu Buli, "Liu Buli, can't you be a little more serious? Who wants to be in a foursome with you! Even if you don't care, I'd be embarrassed!"
Liu Buli burst into laughter.
Shen Muzhi instantly understood what he meant.
Only Lu Wuming stood there foolishly.
He only knew that his master was saying something he didn't understand again.
However, this little interlude did lighten the atmosphere considerably. Shen Muzhi's condition improved slightly, and he let out a long sigh. He said, "Daoist Liu, do you have any elixirs that can help me relieve my fatigue and feel a bit more comfortable?"
Liu Buli immediately understood.
Although Dan Sect and Medicine Valley were both sects that dealt with elixirs, their difference lay in Medicine Valley primarily focusing on healing and saving lives, while Dan Sect specialized in things that strengthened the body and pushed limits.
In essence, it was like the difference between Western and Chinese medicine. Medicine Valley could pull people back from the brink of death at critical moments, but long-term recuperation and adjustment still relied on Dan Sect.
After rummaging through his Qiankun bag for a while, Liu Buli found a bag of elixirs and tossed it into Shen Muzhi's hand. He said, "This is to help you regulate your qi. Its effect isn't strong, and it won't have any side effects, but it should make you feel a bit better right now."
Shen Muzhi nodded his thanks and popped a pill directly into his mouth.
Liu Buli watched him swallow it without hesitation and couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "Aren't you worried I might have poisoned it?"
Shen Muzhi: ...
You're telling me this after I've already swallowed it?
His face froze for a brief moment, but quickly returned to normal. He waved his hand and said, "If you wanted to kill me, there are countless ways to do so without leaving any evidence. Why resort to such a meaningless method?"
Liu Buli smiled.
Even so, the feeling of being trusted made him quite happy.
Seeing that Shen Muzhi's complexion had improved somewhat, Liu Buli pointed outside and said, "If you have nothing else, I'll take my disciple and leave."
"No need to leave, there's still something," Shen Muzhi sighed.
Liu Buli's eyes widened. "You're not actually planning to make us watch a live performance of you and You Siqi, are you?"
Shen Muzhi said helplessly, "I wish I could, but I don't have the time. After you killed the leader of the ghost clan that day, most of the minions fled. The remaining ones were mostly killed, but a few were captured alive. I've been busy dealing with the injured these past few days, so I haven't had time to deal with those prisoners. Now that I finally have some free time, if you and Brother Lu have nothing else to do, please come with me to take a look."