I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 34

“Dang, dang, dang!”

Amidst the resounding clash of gongs and drums, the medical clinic celebrated its grand opening.

Li Baiying stood at the entrance with her long blade strapped to her back, her gaze sharp as lightning as she scanned the crowd for any suspicious figures lurking about.

However, she maintained this posture for only half an hour before she could no longer bear it. She fetched a small stool, sat down to bask in the sun, and closed her eyes to meditate.

The reason was simple: there weren’t as many patients as she had anticipated.

On the contrary, only a handful of people trickled in over the course of the morning. They would take a few doses of medicine and leave, merely taking advantage of the clinic’s opening-day promotions.

Suddenly, a fan appeared before her.

“If you’re bored, you can help me shoo away the insects near the medicinal herbs.”

Qin Yixiao casually handed her a cup of warm tea.

“Sure, are they in the backyard?”

Li Baiying stood up and followed her to the herb garden at the back. She noticed clusters of vibrant, colorful flowers blooming around the medicinal fields.

Although the buds had yet to fully open, their leaves were adorned with glistening dewdrops, creating a scene full of vitality.

“You’ve taken good care of the herb garden.”

“Just something I do in my spare time to pass the time,” Qin Yixiao replied as she spread out the herbs. A faint, soothing fragrance, mingled with the scent of flowers, unwittingly eased one’s mood.

Li Baiying diligently helped chase away the fluttering spirit insects and casually asked, “What made you decide to study medicine?”

“When I was little, I was often beaten, and no one cared for me. I was left to fend for myself. Perhaps it was an instinct for survival, I managed to read a few medical books and taught myself the basics.”

Recalling the past, Qin Yixiao spoke in a detached tone, as if recounting someone else’s story. “Later, when I grew a bit older, I was able to leave my family and wander around the market. By chance, I became an apprentice to an elder who ran a medical clinic and learned some skills for treating illnesses.”

“So, the clinic I stumbled into that day when I was being chased…”

“Yes, I was an apprentice there. Later, my master went off to travel the world and passed the clinic down to me. It was quite a coincidence, you showed up on the very first day I took over.”

“Fate, I suppose.”

Li Baiying smiled casually, her gaze unconsciously lingering on the other’s delicate profile. “Could you tell me about your mother?”

She instinctively wanted to learn more about her.

“My mother… You’ve probably heard about her, right? There are all sorts of rumors flying around.”

Qin Yixiao didn’t answer directly but instead posed a question in return.

“Yes, the story I’ve heard most is that she ventured alone into a secret realm to find a way for you to cultivate, and since then, her whereabouts have been unknown.”

“That’s partly true, but not entirely.”

The young woman didn’t deny it and spoke softly, “When I was little, I actually could cultivate, I even awakened earlier than most children. My mother said I had a talent for Mystical Water, and she always had high hopes for me.”

“But for some reason, on the day of the bone-testing ceremony, my talent completely vanished. After that, everything that came before felt like a dream, as if I were the only one still trapped in it, stubbornly believing I possessed some kind of innate ability.”

“Talent can just disappear? Why?”

Li Baiying had never heard of such a thing and couldn’t help but find it strange. “Could it be that someone secretly poisoned you?”

At the mention of “poison,” the young woman’s expression flickered briefly with unease. Soon, however, she regained her composure. “At the time, my mother conducted a thorough examination of my body. She discovered a vortex in my dantian, its rotation was what caused my talent to vanish completely.”

“Even though I couldn’t cultivate, that vortex still existed, constantly devouring my vitality. So, my mother sought out many rare spiritual treasures to barely maintain a balance with that force, allowing me to survive into adulthood.”

“To think it was like this!” Li Baiying murmured, her gaze tinged with a hint of concern as she looked at her. “And now? Do you still need those treasures?”

“Not anymore.”

Qin Yixiao caught the implication in her words, her eyes flickering slightly. “Back to the main topic, it was precisely because my mother continuously used medicinal resources from the family treasury that she drew the dissatisfaction of many elders. Her journey to the secret realm to find spiritual herbs for me was fundamentally a fabricated scheme, and my mother was the only one kept in the dark.”

“The power struggles within the Qin family are intense. The current Third Elder, who now holds authority, was once heavily suppressed by my mother. His treatment of me is nothing more than him venting the grievances he suffered in the past.”

As she spoke of these troubling matters, the young woman’s emotions wavered slightly. It wasn’t entirely anger but rather a detached indifference born of understanding.

“Then, have you found a way to resolve the vortex in your body?” Li Baiying was concerned about another issue. “Does it still affect you now?”

“No, it doesn’t. Some time ago, I discovered a solution in the cold pond. That vortex was actually a wounded demon beast. Because it shared the same origin as my Profound Water talent, it attached itself to my body to recover its strength.”

“Now that it has absorbed enough energy, it no longer needs me to sustain it. Before leaving, it returned part of the cultivation it had devoured over the years and compensated for the rest with treasures, settling the karmic debt.”

As Qin Yixiao spoke, a faint chill flashed between her fingers. “By a twist of fate, I also reached the Golden Core stage, a blessing in disguise.”

She showed no joy at her sudden leap in cultivation, as if this event, much like running her clinic now, was just another ordinary part of her life.

“Aren’t you happy?” Li Baiying was somewhat surprised. “If it were me, reaching the Golden Core stage in one go, I’d probably be so ecstatic I couldn’t sleep for three days and nights.”

“There is no end to cultivation. Beyond the Golden Core stage, there are countless realms. Even after ascending from the mortal world, one must start from scratch in the immortal realm, an endless cycle.”

The young woman lowered her eyes despondently. “Now that my mother has vanished without a trace, I have no attachments left to the Qin family. Whether I stay or leave makes no difference to me.”

“But it makes a difference to me,” Li Baiying blurted out without thinking. “We worked so well together in the secret realm before, and now we’ve both descended from Taichu Mountain, it’s the perfect time to make a name for ourselves. Think about it: you have your treasure-seeking spirit fox, paired with my… hmm.”

She suddenly realized that, in terms of cultivation, she might not even match the other now, so she quickly changed tack. “Paired with my clever strategies, we’re sure to achieve great gains in various secret realms!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft chuckle reached her ears.

The young woman looked at her, a faint smile appearing in her beautiful peach-blossom eyes. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I’m a little looking forward to it.”

In that instant, Li Baiying felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t recall what she said in response afterward, only remembering how the other had taken her hand, the soft touch making her reluctant to squeeze back too hard.

“You came to find me because you want to break the core of the illusion realm, right? Follow me.”

The girl, her earlier melancholy completely gone, took her hand and led her outside. “The core is on Taichu Mountain… inside the Qin family ancestral hall.”