Chapter 395: Chapter 161: 8 Wisps of Evil Qi, Diseased Skeleton
A single bead lay quietly inside the wooden box.
The bead was perfectly round, shimmering with a luster like white jade. It was clearly of considerable value.
"Even out in the world, this bead would be considered top-tier," Shen Bai said, picking it up and examining it closely.
Although it wasn’t a Deceitful Object, Shen Bai could tell its value at a glance. It was definitely not cheap.
Back in Shengyun County, Shen Bai had been a pawnshop owner, so he naturally had a knack for appraising items. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thrived there, feasting on fine food day in and day out.
Liu Wufeng gazed at the bead, a hint of emotion in his eyes as if he were lost in memories of the past.
’There’s a story here!’
Shen Bai could tell from a single glance that Lord Liu definitely had a story to tell.
He had the look of a drunk man about to confess his innermost thoughts, performing a little ritual before even starting to speak.
Like lighting a cigarette, for example, or letting out a long sigh.
Liu Wufeng hadn’t lit a cigarette or sighed, but the look on his face was just as telling.
The fires of gossip burned in Shen Bai’s eyes.
Everyone loves a bit of gossip, and Shen Bai was no exception. In fact, he loved hearing little secrets.
"Lord Liu, please, speak freely. I may have my faults, but I’m as tight-lipped as they come. In the Jianghu, they call me the Honest and Reliable Young Gent," Shen Bai assured him.
Tucked in his robes, Amber rolled its eyes.
It had lost count of how many times its master had brought up that "Honest and Reliable Young Gent" moniker. If his enemies had believed even a single word of it, they wouldn’t have died such miserable deaths.
Liu Wufeng shook his head. "It’s not that big of a deal, really. The Valley Master of the Hundred Medicines Valley and I... we once had a fleeting affair. I had just arrived in the area and was seriously injured. She was the one who treated me. She wasn’t the Valley Master back then, and we hit it off right away. It was like dry tinder meeting a flame."
"And then? You couldn’t be together because of the Jianghu, or maybe because of the Observatory?" Shen Bai asked.
’Wow,’ Shen Bai thought. ’I expected some Jianghu feud, but it’s actually Lord Liu’s secret love affair. This is explosive!’
In Fenglin State, Liu Wufeng was always stern with everyone. He projected an air of seriousness at all times.
But Shen Bai had never, ever imagined that Liu Wufeng had this side to him.
’Talk about a stark contrast.’
’Then again,’ Shen Bai thought, ’everyone was young once. And when you’re young, you’re bound to sow some wild oats.’
Liu Wufeng sighed. "Later, as I rose through the ranks of the Observatory, I came home injured almost every day. She couldn’t stand it and wanted me to resign from my post."
"But this is my life’s dream. How could I give it up? We had a fight, and after that, we just grew further and further apart. We’ve been estranged ever since."
Shen Bai stroked his chin. "So what you’re saying, Lord Liu, is that I should use this bead as a gift, and the Valley Master might give me the Deceitful Object?"
Liu Wufeng nodded. "It was our token of affection back then. For its sake, she might be willing to make things easier for you."
Shen Bai mused, "And what do you plan to do now, Lord Liu?"
"I’m not willing to give up my duty to the Observatory, and she’s too headstrong to accept it. This is just how it has to be," Liu Wufeng said, shaking his head.
The Jianghu always has its own hardships.
When one walks the path of the Jianghu, they become entangled in all sorts of matters. Often, your hands are tied, and there’s no one to blame.
This was Liu Wufeng’s choice, and he accepted it without complaint.
Shen Bai cupped his fist. "In that case, I’ll be on my way."
The story was finished. It was a personal matter, and Liu Wufeng surely had his own way of dealing with it.
Shen Bai had his own business to attend to on this trip, and he needed to make haste.
After his visit to the Hundred Medicines Valley, he still needed to get home and grind his Skill Level for the Vajra Dharma Form Fist. Shen Bai didn’t want to waste a single moment.
Liu Wufeng nodded. "Give her my regards."
Shen Bai said no more. He turned and left the two-story building, went to the registry to get a map, and then walked out of the Observatory. Following the markings on the map, he headed for the Hundred Medicines Valley...
...
The Hundred Medicines Valley was a low-lying valley located in the western part of Fenglin State.
It was named for the faction of healers residing there, and its fame had spread far and wide for the very same reason.
The valley teemed with life.
Even though it was now late autumn and the leaves on the trees outside had turned yellow, here it remained like spring all year round.
The Jianghu naturally had its own unique methods for preserving a slice of springtime.
Flowers, lush greenery, and blue skies had become synonymous with the Hundred Medicines Valley.
From time to time, disciples from the Hundred Medicines Valley, medicine baskets on their backs, would enter from outside to begin their busy day.
For the disciples of the Hundred Medicines Valley, gathering herbs, concocting medicines, studying medical texts, and practicing their healing arts to save the world had become a steadfast, unshakable routine.
Today, however, something was different in the Hundred Medicines Valley.
Lin Yun, the senior disciple of the Hundred Medicines Valley, sat on a large bluestone slab with a medical text in hand, reading it intently.
When he reached an obscure and difficult passage, he couldn’t help but frown in deep thought.
White robes were the uniform of the Hundred Medicines Valley, but within the valley itself, the disciples dressed casually in clothes of all colors.
Just then, the sound of footsteps interrupted Lin Yun’s thoughts.
A young disciple from the Hundred Medicines Valley approached and whispered, "Senior Brother, Lord Shen from the Fenglin State Observatory has arrived. He’s waiting outside the valley."
Lin Yun normally hated being disturbed while reading, but upon hearing the disciple’s words, he snapped to attention and tucked the medical text back into his belt.
"Come with me. We’ll invite Lord Shen into the valley."
Back when Shen Bai had first arrived in Fenglin State and gotten into trouble with the Qingyun Cloud Temple, it was Lin Yun who had brought disciples from the Hundred Medicines Valley to back him up.
