Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 108 The Death of Living Beings Lies in a Single Thought
"Seeking justice and revenge?"

Hearing Xiao Lili's sobs below the hall, the owner of the private residence smiled slightly and said:

"I'm afraid your father sent you out here not so that you could take revenge. If you don't take revenge, you can live for a while longer."

When Xiao Lili realized that the owner of the mansion had seen through her, she didn't say anything more. Instead, she banged her forehead against the floor tiles repeatedly, pleading with him.

Upon seeing this, the owner of the pavilion sighed softly.

The old woman snapped her fingers, and a burst of energy flew out, landing on Xiao Lili and stopping her from kowtowing.

She said calmly, "My life is already hanging by a thread. If I get angry like this again, I might die suddenly in my old mansion today."

Xiao Lili was frozen in place, unable to kowtow, so she could only whisper:

“My father sought death for me, and as his daughter, since I could not stop him, I should avenge him. If I cannot, I will die with him.”

The owner of the private residence glanced at the woman below him and remained silent for a moment.

Standing beside her, Du Yu'er's expression grew increasingly reluctant. She wanted to say something, but since the situation was still unclear, Du Yu'er only whispered:

"Lili, this matter is not urgent. You should take care of your health first."

Just then, the owner of the private residence turned to the side, and a small insect flew by and crawled into her ear.

The old woman tilted her head, as if listening intently to someone speaking, and listened for quite a while.

After hearing what was said, the owner of the pavilion looked at Xiao Lili with even more pity.

Her face still held a mocking expression:
"Tsk! The reputation of the Burnt Tail Restaurant is not bad."

Even now, people are still saying that your father was foolish; he should have simply removed the medication from your body and taken it himself, instead of recklessly trying to kill himself.

However, the owner of the inn did not agree to Xiao Lili's request for "revenge," but instead muttered to himself:

"If my guess is correct, the medicine in your body should have been planted using the method of ginseng cultivation. It can absorb a person's cultivation and flesh and blood to nourish a precious ginseng."

Logically speaking, you should have been depleted of blood and marrow long ago, and the precious ginseng in your body should have ripened and fallen.

But you haven't lost all your cultivation yet. It's clear that your father, Xiao Hu, expended countless precious medicines and mental energy to suppress the precious ginseng and keep you alive, allowing you to retain one more tribulation's worth of cultivation and continue to eke out a living.

The innkeeper then said, "Do you really intend to leave such medicine in my inn and not try your luck elsewhere?"

She stared intently at Xiao Lili:
"Perhaps you could also return to the Burning Tail Inn. Although that old man is a bit strange, he wouldn't be so envious of this thing."

And after what happened to your father today, maybe this old man will soften and help you find medical treatment. At the very least, it will keep you feeling better for a while.”

But upon hearing this, Xiao Lili's expression remained unchanged; only more tears streamed down her face as she said sadly:
“My father and I have repeatedly sought help, but only the Dugu Clan has accepted me as a disciple. I would rather die here than return to that filthy place.”

After hesitating for a few moments, Xiao Lili looked dejected:

"If this is too much trouble for you, Grandma, I hope that after my death you can take the ginseng from my body. If someone avenges my father in the future, you can give this medicine to that person in secret."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Xiao Lili's determination to die was now completely revealed.

This made the owner of the pavilion ponder for a long time before finally speaking: "Very well, I will give you a chance, but whether you succeed or not depends on your fate."

Xiao Lili was overjoyed and hurriedly tried to kowtow again, but she still couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Yu'er, summon Fang Shu here."

Not long after, another figure appeared in the hall.

"Greetings, Master." Fang Shu entered the hall and paid his respects.

He then looked at Xiao Lili kneeling on the ground in surprise, and for a moment he did not recognize her.

It wasn't that he was face-blind; it was simply that Xiao Lili was now so thin she looked like a skeleton. There was no flesh on her face or hands, her limbs were slender, her face was sunken, and only her abdomen was greatly bulging, making her look extremely strange.

Without wasting words, the owner of the guesthouse went straight to the point and explained how Xiao Lili had used the drugs in her body to offer a reward for her father's revenge.

The old woman chuckled and said:

"Unexpectedly, Xiao Hu, at the very end, showed some ruthlessness for the sake of his daughter, and even hindered Ling Baiquan's efforts. And his daughter, for the sake of her father, also showed some spirit."

The owner of the private restaurant looked at Fang Shu: "Shu'er, what do you think?"

Upon hearing these words, Fang Shu's eyes merely flickered a few times, his expression remaining completely unchanged; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.

Instead of answering the owner's question, he directly cupped his hands and asked:
"May I ask, Master, do you mean that you hope your disciple will agree to this matter and take action against that white dog during the imperial examination?"

Hearing this, Xiao Lili's face lit up with anticipation. The owner of the pavilion, however, wore a half-smile.

Just as Fang Shu was pondering how to refuse, he heard the old woman speak:
"No and no."

He looked up in surprise.

Xiao Lili, who was standing next to her, was immediately taken aback.

The owner of the inn pointed at Xiao Lili below the hall and said to Fang Shu:
"This ginseng is cultivated inside a woman's body, and its medicinal properties are yin. However, Bao'er and Yu'er are both women, so it is difficult for them to help this girl cut open her abdomen to obtain the medicine."

I summoned you today because of your exceptional comprehension and quick learning ability; you can offer her some guidance. Furthermore, you can transfer some yang energy to help balance the yin and yang within her medicinal ginseng, allowing it to mature rapidly.

In this way, she could retrieve the ginseng within a day and take it herself, perhaps offering a glimmer of hope for her survival.

These words took everyone present by surprise.

Fang Shu, in particular, was just about to righteously refuse the master of the pavilion, after all, he did not want to get involved in such troublesome matters as revenge, which would hinder his own path to immortality.

"Grandma Du..." Xiao Lili's expression was urgent; she wanted to say something.

But the owner of the guesthouse reached out, stopping her from speaking, and looked at her calmly:
"Xiao Lili, the ginseng in your body has already penetrated to your internal organs, marrow, and brain. Even if a Qi Refining Immortal were to try to extract the medicine, you would still face a near-death experience."

But precisely because of Xiao Hu's care over the past six months, it has become inseparable from you, almost like one. If you were to remove it yourself, then take poison to refine and suppress it, you and the medicine might be able to coexist.

The owner of the pavilion paused for a moment: "At that time, your chances of survival, though still faint, were still slim, and you might even have a small stroke of luck."

After hearing this, Xiao Lili's eyes flickered, and she gave a bitter smile, as if she wanted to say something.

But the owner of the private club stared at her with a half-smile and said:
“Girl, God helps those who help themselves. If you really want revenge, instead of relying on others, you should fight your own way out.”

Besides, you are your father's daughter; how can others not be my disciples?

That's all for this.

The owner of the pavilion closed her eyes slightly, no longer uttering a word, and also released her control over Xiao Lili.

If this woman is unwilling, even if she kowtows to death here, she will let the other party go.

For a moment, the hall was extremely quiet.

Xiao Lili's expression kept changing, her breathing became rapid, and slowly, her face finally became resolute, and she no longer showed any signs of crying.

"Thank you for your guidance, Grandma."

The woman bowed to the owner of the pavilion, then turned and bowed deeply to Fang Shu beside her.

Her voice was hoarse:

"Please help me, Fellow Daoist Fang. Regardless of life or death, I will forever remember your great kindness. I wish I could serve you as my servant!"

Fang Shu accepted the woman's kowtow, pondered for a few moments, and then sighed.

Helping this woman seek revenge would bring trouble and potentially jeopardize his own path to immortality, which he was unwilling to do, even if it was his master's order.

However, it's acceptable to call it helping the poor girl get her medicine and take it herself.

He returned the greeting with a cupped hand and a nod.

After this matter was settled.

The owner of the inn then gave the two of them detailed instructions in the hall, while telling Du Yu'er to quickly prepare a quiet room.

The room must contain a bucket large enough for two people to sit cross-legged, two gold knives and two silver scissors, seven feet of white cloth, thirty-six copper needles, a circle of silk thread, and so on—it is quite elaborate.

After giving the instructions, just as Fang Shu and Xiao Lili were about to leave, a voice transmission suddenly appeared in Fang Shu's ear:

"Shu'er, the ginseng in this girl's body already contains spiritual essence. It is considered ordinary for Qi Refining Immortals, but for Essence Refining Immortals, it is a great tonic that can help people nourish their spirit and open their mind."

If her life is destined to end, then you don't need to waste this elixir; just give her a proper burial.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu's eyes flickered.

He glanced up casually at the lone owner in the hall.

The old woman sat upright in a grand chair, her skin wrinkled and her hair white, her eyelids drooping, sipping tea with a blank expression.

　This chapter was written with some deliberation, and it's quite late. My apologies.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)