Mei Sha left the dilapidated temple with the infant in her arms, satisfied, and returned to the Ghost Fiend Sect.
There was only one path leading to the Ghost Fiend Sect: the Sky-Piercing Cableway. It was a nearly vertical path, fraught with peril, where a single misstep would send one plunging into the abyss.
But for Mei Sha, it was as easy as walking on level ground.
Following the cableway straight to the mountaintop, a stone tablet inscribed with the three blood-red characters 'Ghost Fiend Sect' stood at the edge of the cableway on the summit.
Bathed in moonlight, the wind was sharp and biting on the mountaintop. The outer disciples guarding the sect entrance straightened their bodies and bowed respectfully upon seeing the woman approaching: "Elder!"
Mei Sha swept her gaze over them, her eyes landing on the outer disciple standing to her right.
His muscles tensed as he lowered his head. Sensing Mei Sha's lingering gaze, he trembled slightly.
"New here?" Her alluring voice descended from above, transforming into a swarm of ants that burrowed into the outer disciple's body upon reaching his ears.
However, the flames that ignited within the outer disciple were not of desire, but of deep fear.
He stammered a reply: "Yes!"
He dared not look up from beginning to end.
"Truly boring!" Mei Sha withdrew the smile from her face, shifted her gaze, and walked straight in. It wasn't until Mei Sha had gone far that the outer disciples guarding the gate dared to raise their heads. Their faces, slick with cold sweat, were etched with the relief of a narrow escape and the lingering fear of impending doom.
The other outer disciple also breathed a sigh of relief.
The Ghost Fiend Sect had ten fiends, but Mei Sha was the most capricious. She favored handsome men and delighted in humiliation. None of the outer disciples who had been captivated by her beauty and followed her to the Mei Sha Palace had survived. Now, there was no one foolish enough to court death by leaving with her.
Mei Sha did not report to the Sect Master but returned directly to her Mei Sha Palace.
She pushed open the door to one of the rooms. The room was filled with cribs, approximately twenty to thirty of them. Babies slept in over a dozen of these cribs. She walked to an empty crib and placed the infant in her arms into it.
...
Discovering that the Ghost Fiend Sect was a sect supported by the Longevity Sect, Ji Jinmo began to investigate the martial world's forces. He truly found several sects with the Longevity Sect's shadow behind them. To deal with martial world forces, one had to use martial world forces. After the Spring Equinox, the Martial Arts Convention would be the best opportunity to move and eradicate the Ghost Fiend Sect.
For now, let them have their fun.
Nanshi Ying did not know much about the martial world forces of Lin Yuan, so she did not pay much attention to them. Yesterday, the people from Medicine King Valley arrived in the capital. Before they could find lodging, they were invited to the Nan Mansion by Nan Chaoyin.
Given the relationship between Medicine King Valley and the Lin Yuan royal family, they would absolutely not violate ancestral teachings by residing in the palace, but Ji Hong still made a show of inviting them. After they politely declined, he did not insist further.
However, Nan Chaoyin enthusiastically invited them to stay at the Nan Mansion.
Nan Yujin stood nervously by Madam Wang's bedside, watching the man in a green robe take his mother's pulse.
Madam Wang's pulse was as fragile as a hanging thread. It seemed she would not survive the winter.
He withdrew his hand and looked at Nan Yujin: "Young Master Nan, let's speak outside."
Walking to the outer room, the man said to Nan Yujin, "Your mother suffers from an old ailment and is severely depleted internally. Her heart meridians are broken, and I fear... I fear she will not survive this winter."
This was not the first time Nan Yujin had heard such words. They were identical to the diagnoses from the imperial physicians. Only Feng Luan had once said she could do her utmost to keep his mother alive for another year.
Could this direct disciple from Medicine King Valley be inferior to that imposter Feng Luan?
Nan Yujin gritted his teeth and said to the man, "To be frank, I have heard these words more than a few times. Sir, you need not worry about my inability to bear it; I am mentally prepared. It's just that a while ago, Feng Luan also treated my mother, and her diagnosis was almost identical to what you said."
"Almost?" The man keenly seized the key information.
Nan Yujin nodded: "Yes, almost, except for the point that my mother will not survive the winter."
"She said she could let my mother smell the plum blossoms next year."
"Young Master Nan, are you saying Feng Luan can allow your mother to live for another year?" The man's brow furrowed. He repeatedly pondered treatment plans that could extend Madam Wang's life by another year, his thoughts arising and being dismissed countless times. He couldn't find any method within his lifelong medical knowledge and prescriptions that could allow Madam Wang to live for another year.
"Heh~"
Before the man could say anything, the young girl who had been following him let out a cold laugh upon hearing Nan Yujin's words: "I understand Young Master Nan's feelings, but Young Master Nan, you actually believe the words of a charlatan and doubt my senior brother? Isn't that rather unwise!"
"Yuanyuan, apologize!"
The man looked up suddenly, angered, and told Yuanyuan to apologize.
Her senior brother rarely got angry, but when he did, it was always terrifying. Yuanyuan dared not resist and could only lower her head and apologize insincerely to Nan Yujin: "I'm sorry, Young Master Nan. I shouldn't have spoken that way. Please forgive me."
Nan Yujin's expression slightly darkened, but he did not quarrel with the people from Medicine King Valley because of Yuanyuan's words. He said, "Miss Qing Yuan, you are mistaken. I am not questioning Mr. Qing Zhu's medical skills. It's just that Feng Luan had previously diagnosed my mother this way and had also treated her, so I merely mentioned it."
"Then why don't you let him continue treating your mother?" The young girl felt that although his words were pleasant to hear, he was ultimately questioning her senior brother. Even though he had been polite enough not to use that detested nickname, she just couldn't stand him and couldn't help but retort.
Nan Yujin showed no anger on his face, and he smiled wryly: "It's not surprising you haven't heard about what happened before since you just arrived in the capital. Simply put, Feng Luan was recently implicated in a homicide case and has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail, so she is unable to continue treating my mother."
"I knew she was a showy, fraudulent liar!" Yuanyuan cursed her with deep hatred.
Seeing her misunderstanding, Nan Yujin explained, "It's not that she caused someone's death, but she was implicated in a homicide case."
This matter was a bit long to explain. Nan Yujin didn't have the mood to tell them about it now. He asked Qing Zhu, "Mr. Qing Zhu, is my mother truly beyond saving?"
Qing Zhu pondered for a moment and asked, "You said Feng Luan had treated your mother. Did she leave behind any prescriptions?"
Nan Yujin was slightly stunned. That prescription had been taken as evidence to the Ministry of Justice. Later, because of his father's promise, he had stopped paying attention to Feng Luan's affairs. And because he had vaguely heard that Feng Luan was an imposter, he dared not let his mother continue taking the medicine prescribed by Feng Luan, so he had not kept the prescription or made a copy.
He explained the situation. After hearing it, Qing Yuan said directly, "Isn't that easy to handle? Let that Feng Luan come again. It's just that I wonder if that imposter would dare to come!"