◎Evil ets Retribution, Clues to the Antidote, and Backlash◎
The crowd waited with bated breath.
The commander of the Mystic Mirror Bureau had arrived in person—could there be another major case involving Shangguan He?
Pei Zhi stepped forward and asked only three brief questions.
"Was the Ge Family case in Wuzhou your doing?"
"Yes."
"And the Cheng Family in Yongzhou three years ago—was that also you?"
"Correct."
"Did the Inner Force Symbiosis Technique originate from Luzhou Academy?"
"No!" Shangguan He spat bitterly. "I developed it myself! Those stubborn old fools expelled from the academy—utterly foolish!"
Pei Zhi retreated to the corner, having finished his interrogation.
Shangguan Yao exhaled in relief and turned to Lu Jianwei. "I told you the academy would never be involved in such things."
Soone recognized her identity and, eager to curry favor with Luzhou Academy, called out, "Everyone knows Dean Shangguan is upright and honorable. I heard the academy expelled a traitor over a decade ago—surely it was this so-called 'Guihe Hermit'?"
"Exactly, it must be him."
"Engaging in such wicked research—the academy would never tolerate it."
"So he hid in Wenxian Town, conspiring with that heartless Dou Ting to harm martial artists. Truly despicable!"
"Commander Pei Zhi just confird it—he massacred the Cheng Family and the Ge Family, all to steal their inner force. It sends chills down my spine."
"Who knows how many he’s killed over the years?"
"Why did no one notice?"
"Wait—most patients and their families who entered Guihe Residence left unhard. How could he have hard anyone?"
Liang Shangjun scoffed. "Dou Ting was right about one thing—you lot are truly witless."
"You—"
"Tell , before today, had none of you ever seen this couple or this lady?" Liang Shangjun scanned the crowd of martial artists. "Are your brains completely useless?"
"I rember now!" soone suddenly shouted. "Three days ago, I saw these two leave. And two days ago, I saw... Senior Lu co out."
"That does sound familiar."
"Now that you ntion it, I recall Senior Lu even stopped by a rouge shop that day."
Wenxian Town was small, and martial artists seeking treatnt often kept a close eye on physicians from the Divine Physician Valley.
Dou Ting was one of the most watched.
People would linger nearby, waiting to swarm him the mont he left Guihe Residence, begging him to treat their loved ones.
Patients invited into the residence were seen as lucky, and those who entered or exited left a lasting impression.
"But if they already left, why are they here now?"
"I get it—disguise techniques!"
The realization struck like lightning.
The couple, who had co seeking treatnt for their son, finally understood.
Soone had impersonated them to leave the residence, leaving them trapped like fish on a chopping block, at the rcy of the master of this place.
Shangguan He and Dou Ting were truly two of a kind—birds of a feather.
"My child—" The mother suddenly panicked. "He’s been taking Dou Ting’s dicine for days. Could it harm him?"
A physician from the Divine Physician Valley imdiately stepped forward to examine the boy. "His condition is stable. There’s no major harm, though his recovery has been delayed."
"Just delayed?" soone protested angrily. "A child this young could suffer long-term effects from prolonged illness! Where’s the ‘compassion of a healer’? I say his conscience was eaten by dogs!"
The physician flushed, torn between defending himself and staying silent.
But Bai Guo piped up in her clear voice, "There are many kind physicians in the valley. Just because one is rotten, does that an all lack conscience? There are bad swordsn and bad blade masters—does that make every swordsman and blade master in the world evil?"
The logic was simple, but coming from a girl barely over ten, it shad the crowd.
The man who had lashed out hung his head. "I spoke rashly. My apologies to all the physicians."
His sincerity made it hard for the physicians to hold a grudge, and they rely clasped their hands, letting the matter drop.
"Senior Lu, this man has hard countless innocent martial artists over the years. Death by a thousand cuts wouldn’t be enough. No matter what, we must give justice to the dead—they deserve to be rembered."
"Right! We must force him to reveal the nas of his victims and announce it to the martial world, so their loved ones can learn the truth."
"But after so many years, wouldn’t he have forgotten?"
Lu Jianwei nodded. "A fair point. Even if Shangguan He doesn’t rember, the servants in this residence monitored every visitor. They must recall at least a few."
"Senior Lu is wise. Then let’s interrogate every last one of them!" soone declared. "Count in. Who else will help?"
With so many servants, questioning them all would take ti. Many hands make light work, and the sooner it was done, the better.
Dozens of martial artists volunteered.
Lu Jianwei raised a hand, and the clamor ceased instantly.
She turned to the black-clad Mystic Mirror enforcer. "Shangguan He has confessed. His cris outweigh even Dou Ting’s. Surely he deserves punishnt?"
Pei Zhi replied, "Proceed."
A surge of eighth-level inner force tore through Shangguan He’s ridians, and with a flick of her wrist, Lu Jianwei severed his vocal cords. His mouth gaped soundlessly, eyes bulging in agony.
She withdrew her hand, indifferent.
"As for the remaining accomplices, let the Mystic Mirror Bureau handle their interrogation. Any objections?"
Before Pei Zhi could respond, the martial artists erupted.
"This is a matter for the martial world—what does the Mystic Mirror Bureau have to do with it?"
"Shangguan He and Dou Ting targeted martial artists, not common folk. We can settle this ourselves!"
"Exactly! Senior Lu, you’re a revered figure in our world. How can you side with the authorities?"
Liang Shangjun tsked, shaking his head. "Listen to yourselves. Did any of you intervene in the Ge Family massacre? Did any of you see through the disguises at Guihe Residence? When trouble brewed, you were nowhere to be found. Now that it’s over, you want a say? Shaless!"
"And who are you?"
"Your ancestor."
"You—"
Lu Jianwei set her teacup down with a quiet click, and an invisible pressure silenced the room.
The aura of an eighth-level Martial King left no room for defiance.
Yuan Qiong’s expression was complicated. No wonder she hadn’t been able to gauge Lu Jianwei’s strength when they first t—who’d expect soone so young to possess such power?
Shangguan Yao, lacking inner force, felt little of the pressure.
But Little Tao’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
Was this why Senior Lu spent all her ti ditating? Did that make her stronger? Should she try it too?
"The Mystic Mirror Bureau is here to investigate the Ge Family massacre. As for , I was deceived into entering this residence—I am a victim." Lu Jianwei’s calm gaze swept over the crowd. "Who handles the interrogation is not for you to decide."
The crowd: "..."
With that statent, who dared oppose her?
"It’s settled, then," Lu Jianwei said. "However, regarding how these two should be punished, and how their ill-gotten wealth should be distributed, you may voice your opinions."
Yuan Qiong clasped her fists and said, "Senior Lu, Dou Ting is from the Divine Physician Valley. I’d like to request that you hand him over to the valley for punishnt—they won’t disappoint you. As for Senior Lin’s dical texts, we don’t know where they’re kept. You’ll need to question him directly."
Lu Jianwei nodded and turned her gaze to Dou Ting, who lay writhing in agony on the ground. His acupoints had been sealed, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes bloodshot, unable to even scream as blood continuously seeped from his mouth.
She glanced at Liang Shangjun.
The latter promptly released Dou Ting’s acupoints and demanded, "Where are Lin Congyue’s dical texts hidden?"
The effects of the "Open Heart" poison were still in force, and Dou Ting, driven mad by pain, slurred through bloodied lips, "Under… under the bed in my chamber…"
Lu Jianwei rose to her feet.
"Physician Yuan, I trust you won’t mind if I retrieve them myself?"
She didn’t trust others with this task.
Yuan Qiong replied, "Senior Lu, please go ahead."
The aftermath at Guihe Residence was left entirely to Pei Zhi. Liang Shangjun, for reasons unknown, also stayed behind to assist.
As the crowd dispersed, rumors began spreading from Wenxian Town to neighboring settlents. It wouldn’t be long before the entire martial world knew of this case.
mbers of the Divine Physician Valley dragged Dou Ting back to the valley.
Lu Jianwei walked ahead, and no one dared to walk beside her. Only Yuan Qiong trailed slightly behind, followed by Shangguan Yao, Little Tao, and Bai Guo.
For a mont, silence prevailed, breaths held so lightly they were barely audible.
Shangguan Yao wasn’t one to hold back, especially when it concerned a friend. She preferred to speak her mind openly.
"Twelve, what’s your real na?"
"Lu Jianwei, proprietor of the Eight Directions Inn."
To the renowned Luzhou Academy, the Eight Directions Inn was utterly unremarkable, hardly worth ntioning.
Even though the incident in Jiangzhou had brought the inn so fa, such recognition hadn’t yet reached the halls of Luzhou Academy.
"You’re an innkeeper?" Little Tao exclaid in disbelief. "With skills like yours, why waste them running an inn? Using a prized sword to chop firewood—what a sha!"
Shangguan Yao nodded in agreent. "Truly beneath you."
Lu Jianwei smiled. "I enjoy running an inn. Interesting things often happen there. Earlier, for convenience while traveling the martial world, I had to conceal my identity with an alias. My apologies."
"It’s alright. No matter what na you use, you’re still you." Shangguan Yao, comforted by the explanation, felt the bitterness in her heart dissolve. Her eyes curved into crescents as she said, "Then I’ll call you Sister Lu from now on."
Lu Jianwei: "…Fine."
The last person who called her "sister" was now the master of a martial arts school.
"Sister Lu, where is your inn located?"
"In Fengzhou and Jiangzhou. Currently, I’m staying in Jiangzhou."
"My father says Jiangzhou is a wonderful place." Shangguan Yao’s face lit up with anticipation. "When are you returning? I’ll go with you."
"Once matters here are settled."
Yuan Qiong felt compelled to interject, "A’Yao, Jiangzhou is a long journey. Your health can’t endure too much strain."
"I’m much better now. It’ll be fine." Shangguan Yao pouted. "Aunt Yuan, please let go."
Yuan Qiong sighed. "Very well. Rest in the valley these next few days, and I’ll stabilize your ridians for you."
"Thank you, Aunt Yuan!"
Dou Ting’s cris sent shockwaves through the valley, leaving everyone reeling.
A sixth-rank physician committing such atrocities—his peers of the sa rank lacked the authority to punish him.
The Divine Physician Valley had no choice but to dispatch a seventh-rank dical Sage.
The dical Sage appeared elderly, his beard and hair streaked with white. After exchanging greetings with Lu Jianwei, he turned his gaze to Dou Ting, who lay limp on the ground, his eyes filled with disappointnt.
Watching a physician of such promising prospects throw away his future pained him deeply.
Yet, when he thought of the innocent victims, he could only feel disgust and loathing.
"Dou Ting, for poisoning martial artists, framing his peers, and stealing dical texts, the valley has decreed: his cultivation shall be abolished, he shall be expelled from the valley, and all past honors shall be erased from the Hall of rit. From this day forth, the Divine Physician Valley no longer recognizes Dou Ting."
Dou Ting lay on his back like a dead fish, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. Once a celebrated sixth-rank physician, he was now a reviled criminal, hunted by the entire martial world.
Death was his only remaining path.
"Lin Congyue’s dical texts shall be returned to Proprietor Lu. The remaining texts will be handled by the Divine Physician Valley. His assets will also be inventoried by the valley, and the proceeds shall compensate the victims’ families."
The dical Sage turned to Lu Jianwei. "Proprietor Lu, does this arrangent suit you?"
Lu Jianwei inclined her head. "This will suffice."
She had already infused Dou Ting’s body with eighth-rank internal energy, crippling his dantian and ridians. Without treatnt, he would suffer until death.
She spared him no further glance.
Her priority now was retrieving Lin Congyue’s dical texts and journals.
A hidden compartnt beneath the bed in Dou Ting’s chamber indeed held Lin Congyue’s works—alongside dical texts from other physicians.
"It seems Senior Lin wasn’t his only victim." Yuan Qiong, who had accompanied her, stared at the aged books in the compartnt, her heart heavy with mixed emotions.
The texts Dou Ting coveted must have belonged to physicians of extraordinary skill, all lost to his greed.
These healers, who should have shone brightly, now rested in eternal resentnt.
Lu Jianwei said, "If any of their kin still live, the texts should be returned to them."
"Absolutely." Yuan Qiong’s face flushed with sha.
"I’d like to visit Dou Ting’s study," Lu Jianwei said solemnly. "Rest assured, I won’t take anything that belongs to the Divine Physician Valley."
Yuan Qiong replied, "Senior Lu, you’re too modest. Dou Ting coveted your dical skills, set a trap for you, and lured you into the valley. Fortunately, you were sharp-witted, disguising yourself to investigate and expose his true nature. Had your internal energy not been profound, his sche might have succeeded. Even if you claid all his dical texts as compensation, it would be justified."
"Physician Yuan is truly reasonable." Lu Jianwei praised before striding toward the study.
Having been here before, she knew the way.
Dou Ting’s collection was vast. Lu Jianwei spent an entire day there, unapologetically having Xiao Ke scan every volu into her storage.
He had coveted her skills and sched against her—taking his entire library was hardly excessive.
"I didn’t kill anyone! You can’t do this to !"
A shrill scream pierced the air from outside, accompanied by the sound of dragging and scattered jeers.
Lu Jianwei stepped out of the study and into the courtyard.
Two guards from the Divine Physician Valley forced Du Hanqiu to his knees. Spotting her, they saluted with clasped fists.
"Senior Lu, this is Lin Congyue’s forr husband. Ten years ago, he participated in framing her. How would you like him dealt with?"
"I didn’t kill anyone! Proprietor Lu, I was forced! Dou Ting poisoned with ‘Beauty’s Envy’—if I didn’t obey, I would’ve died! I truly had no choice!"
Lu Jianwei arched a brow. "Lin Congyue was a brilliant physician, exceptionally gifted in antidotes. Why didn’t you ask her to cure you?"
"The poison kills without tily antidotes. Even if she could cure it, it would take ti. Dou Ting had the antidote ready—I couldn’t afford to wait!"
The crowd: "…"
"Lin Congyue saved countless lives and had many supporters. Had you exposed Dou Ting’s cris, surely soone would have stood up for you. Dou Ting would’ve been forced to hand over the antidote—or the Divine Physician Valley would’ve intervened. With so many skilled physicians, you wouldn’t have died."
Du Hanqiu shook his head. "What does it matter if I speak? Even if the poison could be cured, what then? They’d still find a way to kill !"
"So, you frad your wife instead," Lu Jianwei said coldly. "Dou Ting poisoned you, and to save your own skin, you threw your wife into the fire. A scoundrel like you, devoid of conscience, deserves nothing but death."
"I…"
"Dou Ting poisoned other faithless n, and she had you carry it out, didn’t she? After poisoning them, you leaked the news to Lin Congyue, luring her in to save them, only to fra her and ruin her reputation completely. As her husband, her closest confidant, your testimony rendered all her explanations aningless."
"……"
"You’re even more despicable than they are."
Without rcy, Lu Jianwei shattered Du Hanqiu’s dantian and ridians, then forced a poison pill down his throat.
As the pill slid down, Du Hanqiu felt the pain in his throat surpass even the agony of his ruined ridians. He clawed at his neck, but no sound escaped.
"You silenced her when she needed to speak—now you’ll never speak again." Lu Jianwei motioned to two physicians. "Make sure he never crosses my path again."
A cripple, mute, and stripped of the Divine Physician Valley’s backing, Du Hanqiu would spend the rest of his days in destitution, perhaps dying unnoticed in so desolate wilderness, his corpse left for scavengers.
Let that be his atonent.
Thinking of Lin Congyue, Lu Jianwei felt a pang of sorrow.
In the study, she had leafed through Lin Congyue’s dical texts and journals, admiration swelling in her heart.
The journals read like diaries, chronicling her daily life.
Contrary to Hu Jiuniang’s claims, Lin Congyue had never resigned herself to dosticity.
She chose pregnancy simply because she wanted a child.
With the martial world in constant turmoil, she stayed ho during her pregnancy to avoid risks while continuing her dical research.
Her focus was on curing "internal force parasitism."
Until she achieved results, Lin Congyue kept her work secret—not even Du Hanqiu knew, fearing leaks would invite trouble. Even Hu Jiuniang assud she had abandoned dicine.
One day, a friend of Du Hanqiu’s visited, proposing joint research on "internal force symbiosis." Sensing his sinister nature, she refused outright and later confronted Du Hanqiu, accusing him of spying on her work and leaking it.
The rift between them grew.
So ti later, Du Hanqiu was poisoned. The culprit threatened her, demanding her research in exchange for his life. Again, she refused, intending to develop an antidote herself—until she saw the resentnt in her husband’s eyes.
Realizing sothing was amiss, she planned to cure him and then leave.
But before she could, a mob stord in, accusing her of poisoning her husband and other martial artists.
Caught off guard, the violent surge of their internal forces caused her to miscarry. Fighting for her life, she missed her chance to defend herself.
Du Hanqiu made sure she never got that chance. He barged into her herbarium, produced a vial of "Beauty’s Envy," and used it as proof of her guilt.
Amid the cries for her death, isolated and helpless, she fled.
At the ti, Hu Jiuniang was away gathering herbs. By her return, Lin Congyue had vanished.
Believing the rumors, Hu Jiuniang’s heart twisted. She took the remaining "Beauty’s Envy" and so dical texts from Lin Congyue’s herbarium.
Lin Congyue’s journals ntioned a new poison—one she hadn’t created.
Dou Ting, to ruin her, kept poisoning so-called faithless n, luring her into the trap.
Once ensnared, Lin Congyue found one victim already poisoned with "Three-Month Demise," now also dosed with "Beauty’s Envy"—incurable.
She docunted the new poison, naming it "Journey to the Underworld," but omitted "Three-Month Demise" to prevent misuse.
To devise a cure, she combined the two into a poison pill and began testing antidotes.
The formula the Mystic Mirror Bureau recovered from her body was her life’s work—but it ca too late. She solved the poison, only to face death.
The poison pill and partial formula in Hu Jiuniang’s possession must have co from Lin Congyue’s final refuge.
As close friends, they knew each other’s habits well.
No matter how Lin Congyue hid, Hu Jiuniang could track her.
And it was through Hu Jiuniang’s exposure that Du Hanqiu and Dou Ting found her last journal.
Assuming the poison and formula were Lin Congyue’s creations, Hu Jiuniang claid them after her death.
In her account, Hu Jiuniang spoke of her disappointnt in Lin Congyue.
Yet Lin Congyue had never changed—only those around her had.
When she took her own life, she was utterly alone, abandoned even by her dearest friend.
The journal didn’t record the full formula, but it noted the places she visited and herbs she tested before her death.
However, the entries ended abruptly after her last herb-gathering trip. The final ingredient was missing.
The formula’s end was smudged, irrecoverable.
But the journal held clues. She died near the Soul-Severing Ridge in the southwest—the last antidote ingredient must be there.
A journey southwest was inevitable.
Lu Jianwei left the Divine Physician Valley and returned to Guihe Residence.
The estate was silent, devoid of servants.
"Manager Lu, you’re back?" Liang Shangjun darted over, grinning. "Thirsty? Let pour you so tea."
Lu Jianwei: "Unsolicited kindness—either a sche or a scam."
"Nothing of the sort! My respect for you is unwavering. Now that your true identity is known, and your real face far surpasses this mask, why not remove it?"
"But this is my face," Lu Jianwei said solemnly. "Back in Jiangzhou, I was the one wearing a mask."
Liang Shangjun: "…"
Was teasing him that fun?
"Where’s Pei Zhi?"
"He left after interrogating the culprits. The accomplices were taken to the Mystic Mirror Bureau."
"And the assets?"
"All accounted for." Liang Shangjun smirked. "Once the victim list is finalized, your share won’t be forgotten."
Lu Jianwei nodded. "This estate as compensation won’t be an issue, will it?"
"None at all. You’re the primary contributor to the case and a victim yourself. It’s only fair." Liang Shangjun lavished praise before adding, "Though, two other victims remain here."
"That couple?"
"Right. The Divine Physician Valley’s healers offered to treat their child as compensation, but they’ve lost trust in them. Hearing of your dical prowess, they’re begging for your help."
Lu Jianwei didn’t refuse. "Bring them in."
Monts later, the couple entered, child in arms, and imdiately knelt to kowtow.
Lu Jianwei raised a hand, her eighth-level internal force halting their descent.
"No need for that."
The woman straightened, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.
"Senior Lu, you helped us once on the road, and now you've aided us again. If not for you, we would have already been deceived and killed by that villain Dou Ting. We will never forget your life-saving kindness!"
"I was also a victim. It was rely a small effort—hardly worth calling a life-saving favor." Lu Jianwei turned to Liang Shangjun and instructed, "Fetch paper and ink."
Liang Shangjun dutifully brought the requested items.
Lu Jianwei wrote out a prescription and handed it to the man, saying, "Take this and purchase the dicine. After brewing it for the child and administering it three tis, the poison will be fully purged."
"Thank you, Senior Lu!" The man accepted it with trembling hands, his heart overflowing with gratitude.
The resentnt he once harbored vanished in that mont.
Chivalry still existed in the martial world. Even an eighth-level expert like Senior Lu would not abandon the weak to their fate.
"Senior Lu, this is the consultation fee." The woman pulled a money pouch from her sleeve. "This is all the savings we have. If it’s not enough, could we repay the rest after earning more?"
Inside the pouch were three thousand-tael silver notes, a few small silver coins, and a dozen or so copper coins.
Lu Jianwei took only one silver note and said, "It wasn’t a difficult case. This is more than enough. Use the rest to care for your child. After suffering such harm, they’ll need ti to recover."
"Thank you, Senior Lu! Thank you!" The couple repeatedly expressed their gratitude, their eyes brimming with tears.
Lu Jianwei excused herself under the pretense of other matters and returned to her room.
It was the sa guest chamber she had stayed in before—quiet, undisturbed, and perfect for focused study.
The system had scanned nurous books, and from them, Lu Jianwei selected Dou Ting’s personal dical texts and notes. She removed the sections on poisoncraft and compiled the rest into a manual.
Dou Ting’s habit of stealing others’ dical knowledge didn’t negate his own skill.
His expertise was undeniable, and so of his insights were worth studying.
Lu Jianwei intended to publish them, allowing physicians everywhere to benefit. If Dou Ting had enjoyed stealing others’ knowledge, then let his own be used to heal the world.
Among the remaining texts, she also found so that sparked her interest. Imrsed in this ocean of knowledge, she lost herself in study.
anwhile, the martial world was swept into a storm of upheaval by one shocking revelation after another.
Those who had been deceived in the past were now in an uproar.
Just as Lin Congyue had once been despised, Dou Ting and his accomplices were now reviled with equal intensity.
And with the accumulated backlash of years, the fury only grew fiercer.
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