When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

As for the matter of the elixir, Chu Xianlan certainly had not forgotten it.

But when he watched the dog demon merchant happily tallying up his accounts, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Well, on the bright side, we won't have to worry about strange and unusual pills in the future, and we'll have more confidence if we encounter any unexpected situations, so it's not a loss.

As for that so-called Bone-Corroding Soul-Destroying Powder... Chu Xianlan didn't even want to look at this damned thing. She grabbed it and refined it instantly, then threw it into the furnace to burn it to ashes.

By the time the source of all evil was dealt with, it was already completely dark outside.

Night enveloped the entire mountain peak, and the area around Lanyue Terrace was brightly lit, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Chu Xianlan casually straightened her robes and walked along the path towards Lanyue Terrace. She saw two medical practitioners dressed in Baicaotang attire walking towards her. The one on the left was Qu Ling, and the one on the right looked unfamiliar.

"Don't be fooled by his respectable appearance; he's a monster in human form! Don't be fooled, or you'll regret it!"

"I'll go with you to find your senior brothers and demand an explanation. You can't even go to tonight's banquet because of this scoundrel; it's really not worth it for you!"

Qu Ling glared indignantly at the girl beside her.

The girl walking beside him had a gentle temperament, with braided hair, delicate features, and a somewhat introverted personality. She didn't talk much, only occasionally nodding slightly when Qu Ling complained.

Chu Xianlan saw the two standing by the roadside and exchanged a few more words before the girl left alone. Qu Ling stared at her retreating figure, her face contorted in a grimace.

"Who angered you to this extent?"

A friendly and pleasant voice suddenly came from behind him. Qu Ling turned around and saw Chu Xianlan standing with one hand on her hip, looking at him with a smile in her eyes.

"Senior brother?" Qu Ling was initially surprised, then sighed, "It's not me, it's Qiao Yu."

During their conversation, Chu Xianlan learned that Qiao Yu was the same young female healer from earlier.

She had been in charge of taking care of Ji Cheng'an's injuries.

As a result, Ji Cheng'an was injured again in the arena. Everyone knew he had a bad temper and avoided him like the plague, so the task of taking care of him once again fell to Qiao Yu, the easy target.

"After all, it's a tough and painful job, so I was standing up for her. Qiao Yu is soft-hearted and easily bullied, but she just told me not to worry and even spoke up for that guy, saying something like... Fourth Prince is actually quite nice."

Chu Xianlan's lips twitched. Could this girl be thinking of doing something drastic?

After that, the two were unwilling to discuss other people's private affairs and casually changed the subject.

In such situations, cultivators usually travel in groups of three or five. Since the two had met by chance, they decided to go to the Moon-Gazing Platform together.

The night banquet is a tradition of the Taiyi Sect in welcoming wanderers. The demons are knowledgeable and can not only bring strange tales, but also exchange cultivation experiences with the disciples, which is a mutually beneficial thing for the sect.

The atmosphere at the dinner was so lively and dazzling.

Yi Chen sat in the main seat at the top, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue. Before long, he spotted the figure at the entrance.

Chu Xianlan was walking side by side with Qu Ling, the two were very close and talking about something. His disciple had a faint smile on his face and was chatting and laughing with the medical cultivator beside him.

The tea leaves swayed in the cup. Yi Chen looked at the tea leaves that had sunk to the bottom of the cup and recalled what Wei Jin had said yesterday.

He was not a pedantic person and would not object to his disciples making friends with fellow practitioners. He also knew that the path of cultivation was long and that it was only natural for people to have emotions and desires, and that having attachments was not a bad thing.

However, Yi Chen had never been involved in matters of love and romance in his life, and he did not understand why such things could be so alluring.

But he knew very well that, given his nature, he would never fall into vague and unrealistic emotions, nor could he ever develop romantic feelings for anyone.

His disciple is currently at a crucial stage of his cultivation, and should be focusing wholeheartedly on honing his skills. Even if he were to seek a cultivation partner, he should look for someone who can support him... That medical cultivator is still young, and his cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. No matter how you look at it...

It is best to keep oneself pure and upright.

Yi Chen averted his gaze, feeling a tightness in his chest.

As a master, one must be responsible for one's disciple's life. Chu Xianlan has no relatives in the world, and finding a Daoist partner is such an important matter that one should be extremely careful. Why... did you keep it from him and not mention it to him, your master, at all?

Do you feel you don't understand these things and that it's useless to talk about them? Or do you simply not care about this matter at all, only seeking a momentary connection?

Or perhaps there are no romantic feelings between them, and they are just overthinking things.

While his thoughts were in turmoil, Yi Chen looked up again and saw Qu Ling drink the wine in one gulp. As if emboldened by the wine, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Chu Xianlan's wrist.

The scene looked like a momentary impulse, a desire to express one's true feelings.

"?"

Chu Xianlan was clearly stunned, a look of surprise flashing across her face. Just as she was about to ask a question, Qu Ling grabbed her and pulled her into the shadows of the corner of the courtyard, walking further and further away.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures were completely obscured by the artificial hill and disappeared from sight.

Yi Chen's eyes darkened.

"Achoo!" Pei Fang'an suddenly sneezed loudly, rubbed his nose, and muttered, "Why is it suddenly so cold?"

-

"Why did you drag me here?" Chu Xianlan pulled her wrist back, looking at Qu Ling with a completely bewildered expression.

The place is secluded, and the noise from the Moon-Viewing Platform is not heard. Occasionally, a few insects chirp, making it seem tranquil.

Qu Ling swallowed, glanced at Chu Xianlan, and then quickly lowered her head again.

He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Chu Xianlan was even more puzzled by his appearance.

Remembering that this little healer was a natural dark-skinned person who always came up with some shockingly bad ideas, he couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Could it be that someone has some kind of leverage over him and wants his help?

"...Junior Brother Qu, you didn't really poison someone, did you?"

Qu Ling quickly shook her head, "No, no!"

Ugh!

The more nonchalant Chu Xianlan appeared, the more worried Qu Ling became about his mental state.

He tossed and turned for half the night after returning home, and decided to find an opportunity to confront Chu Xianlan. He needed to let his senior brother know that he was not alone and that there were people willing to help him.

However… the method he found is probably…

Qu Ling struggled internally, took a deep breath, and asked, "Senior brother, have you ever heard of the Entangling Life Gu?"

...The Life-Binding Gu!?

Chu Xianlan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Identify keywords!

Isn't this... this crucial tool that Ji Cheng'an later used to harm his master in the dream?!

He still remembered that Ji Cheng'an used this vicious Gu worm to bind his master! The Entangling Gu is divided into a mother Gu and a child Gu. The mother Gu will cut off a section of its body to transform into a child Gu, which will enter another person's body without anyone noticing. If the two do not engage in dual cultivation, the host of the child Gu will gradually weaken due to the depletion of spiritual power, and eventually become a puppet that can be manipulated by others.

Why would Qu Ling suddenly bring this up?!

"Where did you hear about this?" Chu Xianlan's heart jumped into her throat, and she subconsciously grabbed the little healer's shoulder.

His distraught yet eagerly questioning appearance took on a completely different meaning in Qu Ling's eyes.

"I... saw it in an ancient medical book from Baicaotang. The book said that this Gu can bind two people together, making them share life and death. Even the coldest and most heartless person can be slowly warmed by the Entangling Gu!"

Chu Xianlan's mind was buzzing.

How could he not know these things! He even witnessed the power of that Gu worm firsthand! Every time he thinks about it, his scalp tingles!

Qu Ling stole a glance at him and saw that Chu Xianlan's eyes were fixed and his face was ashen. He was obviously caught off guard. Qu Ling sighed inwardly, "Just as I thought. My senior brother must have known about the Life-Binding Gu all along..."

Right.

The feeling of wanting something but not being able to have it must be truly unbearable.

Qu Ling was well aware that using Gu worms to bind other people's hearts was against the natural order and extremely risky.

But... when he thought about how much Senior Brother Chu had done for Immortal Lord Jixue, yet he never received a response and could never achieve fulfillment, and how it would eventually become an obsession, he felt that... even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he should let Senior Brother know.

What if feelings develop over time?

He believed his intentions were good, but unfortunately Chu Xianlan was terrified and wished the young healer would not set off.

Meanwhile, under the pear tree outside the courtyard, a figure in plain clothes had been standing there for an unknown amount of time.

Yi Chen's brows furrowed, and the air around him seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ice.

He initially thought that concealing his presence and following along was a mistake.

Looking back now, it seems like this trip was the right one.

...The Life-Binding Gu?

I initially thought this young healer was too naive, but I never expected him to be plotting such a wicked scheme. If he were to mislead Chu Xianlan, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Of course, he couldn't just stand by and watch his disciple go astray.

Yi Chen looked unwell and was about to step out from behind the pear tree when he heard voices coming from not far away.

Chu Xianlan's tone was stiff: "Qu Ling, why did you suddenly bring this up?"

"Because..." Qu Ling straightened up, her tone tinged with sorrow, and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Senior brother, do you... admire Immortal Lord Jixue?"

Yi Chen suddenly loosened his clenched fingers and stopped in his tracks.