Starting with a beautiful woman's private doctor

Gan Xinya was soaked to the bone, her hair was plastered to her face, her lips were white from the cold, and her teeth were chattering.

"Where did the miracle drug go?! Master Jiang clearly said it was right here! I've traveled to so many medicinal herb-producing regions and spent so much money, but there's nothing here! Absolutely nothing!"

Her voice echoed in the empty cave, carrying a sense of collapse after being pushed to the limit.

Wenbo sighed, turned to look at Lu Pingchuan and Old Fisherman, "You both came here for the divine medicine, and now that it has vanished into thin air, don't you want to know the answer?"

Lu Pingchuan shook his head, and the old fisherman remained silent.

Compared to Qian Xinya, they had more doubts and more resentment in their hearts.

After all, the price they paid was not just time and money.

The fat sorcerer's body still lay in the pile of rubble by the pool. The old fisherman's right arm had been bitten off by the black viper. Although the bleeding at the cut had stopped, the arm would never come back.

They paid for it with their lives and bodies.

Finally, everyone's gaze slowly and silently converged on the young palace master.

From the moment this boy appeared, he seemed to know everything.

He knew the location of the Cold Pool, knew about the existence of the Black Serpent, and even prepared magical artifacts and secret techniques to enhance his strength in advance.

If anyone present knew the whereabouts of the miracle drug, it could only be him.

The young palace master remained silent; his body, weakened by the backlash of the secret technique, was so frail that even his breath carried the smell of blood.

His gaze remained fixed on Chu Nan's wrist.

The little black snake was curled up quietly, its scales shimmering with an inky light in the sunlight, and its tail tip occasionally brushed against the back of Chu Nan's hand.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is..."

There was no self-deprecation or bitterness in his voice, only a sense of helplessness after being struck by the truth and having no choice but to accept his fate.

"I couldn't understand it before. This black snake's strength far exceeded my expectations. I originally thought it was just that it had lived long enough, so its cultivation was deeper than that of ordinary demonic beasts, but now it seems that I was wrong."

The young palace master looked at the little black snake and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that divine herb was eaten the moment it matured."

"Its cultivation level wasn't accumulated over time; it became stronger than any black viper recorded in the ancient texts because it consumed a divine medicine."

"That's why it could withstand the full force of my nine Fish-Startling Stones while in its serpentine state, that's why it could shed its skin prematurely when it was on the verge of death, that's why it could transform again after recognizing its master..."

"From beginning to end, it's all because of that miraculous herb inside its body."

The cave suddenly fell silent. Everyone froze in place, staring in disbelief at the small black snake, which was less than five inches long.

The young palace master stared intently at the small black snake on Chu Nan's wrist. "After it consumed the divine medicine, most of its power was used for evolution, but some residual medicinal power was not absorbed in time and was suppressed in its body."

"When it recognized you as its master, your true energy activated the remaining medicinal power. With your strength and that remaining medicinal power, it pried open the door that was already closed a crack."

The young palace master leaned against the stone wall and suddenly shook his head slightly. "I've been planning for so long, chasing it all the way from the Sea God Palace to Qishan, calculating its molting cycle. I never expected that in the end, it would benefit a beast."

After hearing the young palace master's words, Qian Xinya's last glimmer of hope was shattered.

She had been clinging to a sliver of hope that perhaps the young master was wrong, perhaps the divine medicine was still hidden in a crevice at the bottom of the pool, or perhaps she had missed something when she went into the water for the third time.

But now, the only person who knows the entire Tan Cave has spoken the truth—the miracle drug is gone.

It wasn't hidden away, it wasn't stolen, it was eaten by that snake!

She traveled to so many medicinal herb villages, spent so much money, Wenbo almost died at the hands of the old fisherman, and she herself was almost killed by the young palace master, but in the end it was all for nothing.

Qian Xinya suddenly turned her head and stared at the small black snake on Chu Nan's wrist.

The snake was quietly coiled up, its tail tip gently brushing against Chu Nan's hand, completely unaware that it had become a thorn in her side.

"Kill it!"

Qian Xinya's voice was hoarse and shrill, carrying a desperate resolve that led her to resort to any means necessary. "Cut it open; the divine medicine might still be inside!"

Wenbo stopped her, "Miss, after swallowing the divine medicine, it went through three transformations: molting, transforming into a snake, and then molting again to recognize its master. Each transformation consumed the medicinal power of the divine medicine. Now, even if we cut open its belly, we won't be able to get anything out."

"Moreover, apart from Mr. Chu, no one present could kill it, especially since it is now... Mr. Chu's contracted beast."

Qian Xinya stood still, water droplets dripping from her hair onto the stone slab.

Her lips were still trembling, but the belief that had sustained her all the way from Kyoto to most of the martial arts world vanished in an instant.

She didn't say anything more, but turned around and walked towards the cave entrance.

"Wait a moment."

Chu Nan suddenly spoke.

Qian Xinya stopped walking, but did not turn around.

"Now that the cooperation is complete, shouldn't the transaction proceed to its final step?"

It would have been better if Chu Nan hadn't said that.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Xinya turned around abruptly, her eyes, already red and swollen from crying, blazing with renewed anger.

Her voice, sharp as a knife, bounced through the empty cavern. "A deal? What deal! Our agreement was to get the divine medicine, and then I'd give you the century-old medicine and the dragon's whisker root! Now where's the divine medicine? Where is it? Tell me where it is!"

Before Xu Yi could speak this time, Chu Nan's voice turned cold, "Our cooperation is for me to help you fight against the master and servant of the Sea God Palace."

"Now that my mission is complete, I can do without the other century-old herbs, but the dragon beard root is something we agreed upon before I came here."

"I won't give it to you."

Qian Xinya gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "Without the divine medicine, there is no Dragon Whisker Root. This is the premise of the transaction! You want the Dragon Whisker Root without the divine medicine? Dream on!"

Chu Nan stopped arguing with Qian Xinya and turned his gaze to Wen Bo. "Wen Bo, are you sure you want to do as your young lady says?"

Wenbo shivered.

He had followed Qian Xinya for so many years and had seen countless important figures bow down before her, as well as countless people shrink back in the face of the Qian family's power.

But I have never felt this kind of oppressive feeling in anyone's eyes.

Wenbo quickly turned to Qian Xinya and said urgently, "Miss, Mr. Chu has fulfilled his promise. He repelled the group of servants and the black snakes, saving all of our lives."

"That dragon's beard root was the agreed-upon payment; it has nothing to do with the divine medicine. Give it to him, and don't cause any more trouble!"

"I said I won't give it to you, and that means I won't!"

Qian Xinya flung Wenbo's hand away. "Are you a servant of the Qian family or his? Now that the miraculous medicine is gone and Father's life can't be saved, what do I care about the agreement? He wants the Dragon Beard Root? Let him come and get it himself!"

The young palace master leaned against the stone wall, watching this scene, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He didn't speak, but the meaning in his eyes was clear.

That is—Qian Xinya's current behavior is absolutely suicidal!