However, they both decided to push the matter of being kindred spirits to the side, to focus on the matter at hand.
"When I joined the Shao family is when I discovered the Golden Duck Platter restaurant, which had already established itself as one of the prime locations within Silent Willow County.
It had garnered the love of all the residents of the county from all walks of life and the reputations they had made for themselves was high, even higher than the royal family of the Jadebrook kingdom.
Even though their prices are a bit high, they offer quality meals that would attract those who enjoy good-tasting food or those who would want to use it as a source of cultivation resources.
The ingredients used are all high quality, and the chefs who make them are the best at what they do.
In all my years of frequenting different establishments, few can match the meals served at their restaurant, so when I discovered how good they were, I was over the moon about it.
When I wasn't cultivating or practicing my spear skills, I would spend all my time at the restaurant sampling different dishes.
Without me knowing, I've spent twenty-eight years there in complete bliss. However, about thirteen years ago, I began to notice slight changes to my body."
Li Shu, whose mood was light and brimming with excitement and life, mellowed down, as he stared at her palms.
"My fingertips started growing numb at different times, mostly at night. I'd feel short stinging pains that came and went away.
When it started, I thought nothing of it and assumed it was brought about by me being overenthusiastic in spear training regimen.
But then, the symptoms slowly progressed over the years and it wasn't just numb fingertips anymore.
My muscles started stiffening, then my body temperatures kept rising at certain times especially when there was a strong wind, I'd feel like the wind was fanning flames on my skin. After the sudden surge in body temperature, then came sudden bouts of dizziness, and then finally my qi started getting affected.
Every time I'd try to complete a circulation, it would turn sluggish, or suddenly turn berserk which resulted in a few minor injuries to my meridians.
Then later it wasn't only my qi that got affected, I could feel my whole body was different. It was heavier, and when I scanned my body with my spiritual sense, I noticed foreign substances in there, which no matter how many times I tried to expel them, clinged to every part of me, whether it was my qi, meridians, blood, blood vessels and internal organs.
The only place it had not invaded yet was my dantian and mental sea."
Li Shu showed visible fright as she said this with a trembling voice.
"At the time I thought I was poisoned, so I went and consulted some of the alchemists of the Shao clan.
They did all sorts of tests on me, along with giving me a few potions to try out, but none of what they gave or suggested seemed to work, and they too were stumped on what affected me.
Seeing that they seemed to struggle with identifying what was wrong with me, I decided to pay a visit to a friend of my late benefactor..."
A look of sadness flashed in her eyes. Yang Qing knew the benefactor she was talking about was the Shao clan elder who had once helped her when she was injured and then passed of old age a few years after taking her in the Shao family.
"The alchemist's name is Pan Xin and my benefactor Senior Shao Qing thought very highly of him, to the point he attributed, that all he knew was because of Alchemist Pan Xin.
Senior Shao Qing though had a poor talent in cultivation, when it came to alchemy and relevant knowledge, there was no one in the whole Shao clan who could best him. And seeing how he managed to nurse me to health despite my injuries, I assumed anyone he sang this much praise for was bound to be a gifted alchemist.
Despite the costs I knew would come with consulting an experienced alchemist, I decided to seek him out. Which wasn't hard because he was the vice palace master of the Blue River Cauldron Pavilion, a rank 4 alchemy organization located in the next county over called the Snow Plume County.
Thanks to my being acquainted with benefactor Shao Qing, he agreed to see me at half the cost. After conducting several tests, he came to the conclusion that I had suffered pill poisoning due to overconsumption of potions and pills.
I remembered how stupefied I was when he told me that. It made no sense. Believing I was poisoned made so much sense than me having pill poisoning..."
Li Shu's facial expressions showed even now, she still had qualms with the diagnosis she was given.
"Ever since I was small, I haven't been using pills except for the occasional injury. Even when it came to fasting pills, I haven't consumed more than 100 in my whole life.
It doesn't make any sense how I'd end up with pill poisoning. I don't consume pills, and I don't craft pills and potions either, where I'd get it via contact poisoning.
But even then, as a core formation expert more so one who works in refining her body due to my cultivation art, I'd like to think I have a firm control and understanding of my own body's senses.
This was why I was surprised when senior Pan Xin told me that it looked like I had built up the poison over ten years.
How could that have happened without me noticing anything over all those years?
Despite my disbelief, all I could do was accept it," Li Shu said with an exasperated sigh escaping from her lips.
"Senior Pan Xin was kind enough to explain the symptoms to me, which though hard to accept, I finally came to terms with.
But then came the question, where did I get pill poisoning from? Like I said I barely consume any during my cultivation. Even when it came to the resources provided by the Shao family, i only accepted spirit stones, and a few herbs here and there as my monthly quota as their guest elder.
Even though they are not here, and want no involvement in the case, the elder in charge of logistics can attest to that much at least.." said Li Shu.
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