After Being Adopted by the Obsessive Male Lead - Chapter 8

A sudden torrential rain fell upon Taoyin Town. Heavy, black clouds rolled in, and sheets of rain connected the heavens to the earth, smashing into the ground. The soil became soft and sodden, quickly forming deep puddles. The vegetation, unable to withstand the continuous heavy blows, snapped and collapsed into the water. The scent of wet earth mixed with the sharp tang of bruised grass, saturating the rainy air.

A crowd of townspeople squeezed together in front of the small cabin. Beneath the eaves, a figure in green held a bamboo umbrella, cutting through the heavy curtains of water to lead those without umbrellas inside.

Chang Le ran back and forth, silently thanking his luck that his legs were fully healed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to help at all today.

It was truly strange. Since yesterday, a constant stream of patients had been coming to Qiu He for treatment. Most of these patients suffered from high fevers that wouldn’t break, their eyes burning blood-red and their minds clouded with delirium.

Chang Le was beginning to suspect that some kind of infectious disease had broken out in the town.

“It is not a plague,” Qiu He declared firmly.

Chang Le felt a brief moment of relief, but seeing her grave expression, his worry returned. “Then what exactly is wrong with these people?”

If it wasn’t a plague, what else could cause so many people to suffer from the same unbreakable fever at once?

Qiu He shook her head. “I haven’t found the cause yet, but it should be treatable.”

The storm showed no sign of stopping, and the patients, much like the rainwater, only increased in number. The small cabin was completely overflowing. Qiu He hadn’t closed her eyes for several days, and medical texts were piled as high as small mountains. Chang Le followed her instructions, gathering herbs and brewing decoctions.

“Healer Qiu, is there still hope for my son?” a woman cried, falling to her knees with a thud. “I beg you, save my son.”

Qiu He hurried to help her up. “There is no need for this. I will do my best.”

Just as the woman stood, a man suddenly rushed forward. “Healer Qiu, you are a fairy, you can surely save my wife, right? You must be able to!”

He reached out to grab her. Seeing the situation turning south, Chang Le was about to step in to block him, but the man was suddenly knocked aside by a flying wooden ladle.

Hit by the object, the man looked over furiously, only to find Jun Wang standing by the door holding a medicine bowl. Though Jun Wang was just a youth, his stature was tall and his aura exceptionally sharp. He stared at the man, his gaze cold and icy. “The ladle fell. Please pick it up.”

The man cringed and came to his senses. “I… I was too anxious.” He hurried to pick up the ladle and handed it back to Jun Wang.

“I know everyone is anxious, but bringing down such a high temperature takes time. Please give me a little more time,” Qiu He said.

“We must trust Qiu He. My husband’s body was also burning with a high fever a few days ago. I came to her for help, and under her dedicated care, he has already recovered. We must give her time,” Madame Zhang suddenly announced from outside the door.

Hearing this, Chang Le remembered that evening a few days ago when this woman had come running in a panic. So, she had barged in because her husband had a fever. “Why was your husband suffering from such a fever, ma’am?”

If they were all suffering from the same symptoms, could there be a connection?

Madame Zhang’s gaze landed on Chang Le’s face, her eyes showing some surprise. This young master was actually able to stand. The memory of what she had stumbled upon that day flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Jun Wang.

Seeing her not responding, Chang Le raised his voice. “Ma’am?”

“That day, my husband was working in the fields when he suddenly told me he was thirsty. He sat on the ridge to drink some water and said he felt hot. I thought he was just tired, so I urged him to go home and rest. I never expected that as soon as he got inside, he developed a high fever. At that time, his eyes were burning so red they looked like two bloody holes, just like this person here.” Madame Zhang pointed to a patient whose eyes were so red it was hard to distinguish the pupils. “Fortunately, I came to find Qiu He in time. She treated him for several days using many precious medicines, and he only fully recovered yesterday.”

Qiu He nodded. “Their symptoms are identical.”

Chang Le felt something was off. Patients had only started arriving at the cabin in groups since yesterday. This meant there was a gap of several days where no one else came seeking treatment for this illness. Instead, it coincidentally exploded right after Madame Zhang’s husband was cured. Why did it feel like a small practice run before a big exam?

“Where are the Streamer Flowers?”

Qiu He’s anxious voice rang out. Chang Le looked over and saw her rummaging through the medicine cabinet. After checking dozens of boxes, she looked up. “The Streamer Flowers are gone. These flowers are unique to the Tianxuan Sect. Jun Wang, Chang Le, you two must go to the Tianxuan Sect immediately to request some.”

The Tianxuan Sect!

The very place where Qiu He’s “White Moonlight” was located.

Chang Le’s eyes lit up, and he was just about to agree.

“I will go alone,” Jun Wang said, his brow sharp and his tone freezing.

“Why? If I go with Brother Jun, we can look out for each other.”

Chang Le didn’t actually want to travel with the Great Demon. He was even worried the man might quietly kill him once they were away from Qiu He. But to find Chu Heng, he had to go to the Tianxuan Sect.

Qiu He was too busy to pull away, so she hurriedly tossed a bottle of pills to Chang Le. “Chang Le, you follow him. Keep these pills safe. If he faints during the full moon, give one to him. Remember, the Streamer Flowers must be obtained within five days.”

Chang Le gripped the bottle tightly. According to the timeline in the book, the day after tomorrow was the middle of the month, the night of the full moon. Since these pills concerned the Great Demon’s life, he didn’t have to worry about Jun Wang killing him along the way.

Jun Wang frowned, gave him a cold look, and walked out the door on his own.

Outside, the torrential rain hadn’t stopped, and a murky mist of rain hung between heaven and earth. Chang Le held a bamboo umbrella and followed behind Jun Wang. Jun Wang’s strides were long and hurried, and it took a great deal of effort for Chang Le to walk alongside him. The single bamboo umbrella could barely protect half of each of their bodies.

“You have no spiritual power, why follow me?”

The words were cold and hard.

“This involves the lives of so many people, and I have Miss Qiu’s instructions. Besides, it concerns the poison in your system, Brother Jun. How could I refuse?” Fearing the Great Demon might leave him behind, Chang Le not only used Qiu He’s words as an excuse but also walked a bit closer.

Jun Wang felt the body beside him pressing in.

When Qiu He mentioned the Tianxuan Sect, the young master’s eyes had snapped wide with excitement. Jun Wang didn’t believe for a second that he was going simply to ask for flowers.

He glanced down at the young master, who was half a head shorter than him. He noticed that at the edge of the bamboo umbrella, water droplets were constantly seeping through the boy’s thin spring clothes, soaking into his pale neck. To accommodate Jun Wang, the umbrella was held very high, too far from the young master to provide much protection. As a result, his face and shoulders were completely drenched.

Chang Le was still worried that Jun Wang might force him to stay behind when a vessel suddenly appeared before them, as large as a house!

Though it had the shape of a ship, its hull was silver-white and surrounded by white mist. The wide sails looked like clouds floating in the sky. In the center sat a two-story pavilion, appearing like a celestial residence hidden in the clouds.

“What is this?” A flying ship?

“A Cloud Boat,” Jun Wang said, stepping onto the deck.

Seeing this, Chang Le followed him. Just as he was about to step on, he worried whether someone without spiritual power could stand on a boat made of clouds. Once he stepped down, he realized the deck was solid, as if he were walking on firm ground.

“Coordinates: Tianxuan Sect. Launch.”

A streak of golden light flew from Jun Wang’s fingertip to the sail. The ship vibrated instantly and rose into the air.

This ship even had its own navigation system. That was cool, but it made him quite dizzy.

Chang Le’s body swayed uncontrollably, and the bamboo umbrella slipped from his grasp. He instinctively reached out for something to grab, but there was nothing around him, so he ended up clutching Jun Wang’s arm in the chaos.

Fortunately, the Great Demon only frowned at him and didn’t push him away.

The boat rose into the clouds and cruised steadily, soon leaving the rain behind. The sunlight brought a touch of warmth. Chang Le eventually found his footing, belatedly noticing a golden ripple surrounding him.

The reason his clothes weren’t soaked through by the rain was that this golden ripple had blocked it.

There were only two people on the ship, so there was no doubt where this ripple came from. But since Qiu He wasn’t around, why would the Great Demon be kind enough to shield him from the rain?

Chang Le looked toward Jun Wang in confusion, only to see the man shake off his hand as if he didn’t want to spend another second with him. He then turned and walked toward the small pavilion on the deck.

The golden ripple surrounding him immediately left with its master.

It seemed he had only been protected because he was holding onto Jun Wang’s arm.

Chang Le didn’t think much more of it and looked around the Cloud Boat. Beneath the ship was a vast sea of clouds, and through the mist, he could faintly glimpse the mountains, rivers, and trees of this world. It was a pity he couldn’t paint this scene.

Jun Wang sat in the pavilion. Since it had no door, he could see the young master on the deck with a simple glance. The boy was standing so close to the edge of the ship, seemingly unafraid of falling. If he fell, Jun Wang would have to bother saving him. To avoid any delays in the journey, he would just have to keep an eye on him.

The Cloud Boat traveled for half a day until a towering green mountain rose abruptly ahead. This was Mount Jiu, where the Tianxuan Sect was located. The Cloud Boat could only descend and stop at the foot of the mountain.

At the base, large groves of crabapple and pear trees bloomed along the river, their white petals covering the water’s surface. Four or five people stood by the river, seemingly clearing the petals from the surface while their eyes scanned the surroundings. They weren’t surprised to see a Cloud Boat descending, but rather looked on with expectation. When only two men disembarked, they looked disappointed, though they couldn’t help but be stunned by the two men’s appearances.

A young woman approached with a smile. “Are you two fellow Daoists here for the Tianxuan Sect competition? Why have you arrived so late? The inns in our Tangli Town are almost full.”

“Competition?”

The woman was surprised. “The Tianxuan Sect is holding the Hundred Path Sword Debate tomorrow. Are you not here for the martial arts competition?”

This woman clearly lived here and must know the Tianxuan Sect inside out. Chang Le decided to ask her for information. “We are here to seek Streamer Flowers.”

“Streamer Flowers? Those are spiritual flowers of the Tianxuan Sect. They don’t easily allow outsiders to pick them. However, if you place in the top ten of the competition, you can request them from the sect.”

Chang Le glanced at Jun Wang.

“How long is the competition?” Jun Wang asked.

“It can be completed in two days.”

Sensing their interest, the woman continued, “Our Tangxin Villa still has one premium room left. I was planning to save it for the disciples of the Yuanyao Palace, but it looks like they won’t be coming. You two can take the lucky find.”

The other people by the river heard her and looked over. Someone chimed in, “Luo Feng, if you don’t wait, the Yuanyao Palace people might arrive any minute. Picking up random stray cats and dogs might cost you your business.”

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