NOVEL WEB Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Old Routine, Yet Most Effective
Chapter 44: The Old Routine, Yet Most Effective
Heaven Dou City.
As the empire's capital, Heaven Dou City was naturally bustling. Every street was paved with blue stone, each as broad as the main avenue in Soto City, and the entire city's scale could only be called magnificent. It was over ten times larger than the Wuhun Hall, and just its palace rivaled Wuhun City in size.
On one of Heaven Dou City's streets, a winding queue stretched on and on. At the front was an incomparably beautiful woman in a long blue dress, her azure hair flowing, seated behind a table with a small medicine chest, treating people free of charge.
This was none other than Ah Yin. While traveling around the continent for a year with the Clear Sky Twin Stars, she'd gained the title "Blue Silver Fairy." However, big cities like Heaven Dou City, rife with powerhouses, were places she dared not visit before. Nobody here recognized her. But with the Acacia Vermillion now concealing her aura, even if top-tier experts used spiritual power, they wouldn't detect that she was a soul beast – not unless they possessed superior mental abilities rivaling Qian Xunji. In another two decades, someone like Chen Xin might only be rank 96 with relatively weak mental faculties, especially given his meager number of soul bones. So Ah Yin felt safe enough to come and treat people, seeking any news about Tang Hao and Tang Xiao's rumored soul-hunting sprees.
To beauty-obsessed people, a beautiful face enjoyed all sorts of privileges. The moment Ah Yin set up her stall, a line formed at once – not only for free healing but also for the chance to gaze upon such a lovely figure.
From within a small teahouse nearby, Qian Xunji sat quietly drinking tea. As Pope, patience was hardly an issue for him.
Ah Yin pressed her palm, glowing azure with life energy, against the kidneys of a stooped old man. His hunched back straightened, and his hair darkened a shade, as if a few years of age had melted away.
"Elder, your condition stems from chronic overwork that led to deep-rooted ailments. If you want to recover fully, you must rest. Your body's resilience can't handle such intense labor."
"Soul Master, I have no choice. My son is almost twenty and still unmarried. I must keep saving for a bride price." The old man spoke with heartfelt reverence. Ah Yin was not only a soul master but one of striking beauty, providing free treatment – gestures that naturally evoked gratitude. Hence, she'd been dubbed the "Blue Silver Fairy."
"I'll prescribe you a medicine – take it three times a day: morning, noon, and night."
Ah Yin opened her medicine case, unperturbed by the old man's explanation. In the small villages she'd visited, it wasn't unusual for people to marry and have children at age twelve or thirteen.
"How much does that cost, Soul Master? If it's too expensive…"
"Don't worry. The medicine is free."
"My thanks, Soul Master. You have a heart of gold."
The old man's weathered, callused hands accepted the herbs, and he bowed three times to Ah Yin before leaving.
As time passed, word of her free healing and remarkable beauty spread across Heaven Dou City, drawing ever larger crowds.
"Out of the way! Clear the path!"
Suddenly, a discordant voice rang out as several tall, brawny men shoved aside the people waiting in line. In their midst strode a silver-robed, handsome young nobleman with graceful bearing. He spotted Ah Yin, eyes instantly lighting up, scanning her peerless face and graceful figure with open greed. To him, she was one of the most striking beauties he'd ever seen. Even the number-one courtesan of the most expensive brothel in Heaven Dou City paled in comparison, barring possibly the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's princess.
From the teahouse, Qian Xunji perked up. Bored nearly to sleep, he now felt his spirit lifted. This was precisely the "show-off face-slap" scenario he'd been waiting for. Heaven Dou City was full of nobles, so the chance of such a cliché was high indeed. He'd found it most efficacious for capturing the favor of a naive woman like Ah Yin, who'd never visited a big city and spent her year under the protection of the Clear Sky Twin Stars.
"Fair maiden, I'm not feeling well either. Could you treat me?"
The young man stepped up with a polished smile. The patient at the front of the line automatically yielded his seat, retreating timidly to the rear.
Ah Yin frowned. "You cut the line."
"I wouldn't say that. They let me in of their own accord." Sitting down, the man glanced at the commoners behind him, still smiling yet with a hint of menace in his eyes. "Isn't that right? You gave up your spots for me."
Those fearful citizens nodded like pecking chicks.
"You threatened them!"
Feigning surprise, the youth said, "I did no such thing. Yet you accuse me of threats. Please tell me: did I utter a single intimidating word?"
Ah Yin felt as if her blow had landed on cotton. She'd never met such a scoundrel, so she resolved to treat him quickly and send him on his way.
After feeling his pulse and checking his tongue, she concluded, "You're not ill, just suffering mild kidney deficiency. Some tonic and a bit more moderation will fix it."
She had no intention of using her own stash of precious restorative herbs on such an unpleasant fellow. After telling him his diagnosis, she tried to dismiss him.
"My lady, to be honest, I'm poisoned."
"Poisoned? How so?"
"I've been poisoned by love."
"Love poison?"
"I'm entranced by your beauty! Look – feel my heartbeat!"
He suddenly snatched Ah Yin's pale hand, pressing it to his chest. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my destined one, the only woman for me in this life!"
"Release me!" Ah Yin growled. This was only the second time in her life she'd been enraged – the first was when Qian Xunji attacked Tang Hao and Tang Xiao.
"Young lady, I'm the son of Earl Nicholas, a student of Moon Pavilion. Come with me, and you'll enjoy a life of luxury."
Moon Pavilion was the empire's premier academy of etiquette, accepting only a hundred students each year. Graduates were effectively "gilded," guaranteeing them a bright future. Thus, countless nobles fought tooth and nail for those hundred slots, calling it a rarefied circle of the empire's highest elites.
As Ah Yin prepared to break free, another feminine figure suddenly appeared, sending the young man staggering back with a single palm strike.
"She's not willing. Are you planning to force her? Your behavior is sullying Moon Pavilion's name!"
The newcomer was a woman slightly older than Ah Yin, her pale pink hair cascading behind her. Her face was every bit as gorgeous, matching Ah Yin in allure.
Indeed, she was Bibi Dong, the so-called "princess" of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in the mind of that young noble.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen