Indeed, this physician the Gu Family Head had summoned was, without question, one of the very finest doctors on Liuxian Island. If he said it was troublesome, it was guaranteed to be nothing simple at all.

At this point, Jun Beiyue spoke up as well. “What exactly is this medicine?”

“Water Jade Salvia,” the physician answered immediately.

“Water Jade, and Salvia? Liuxian Island is covered in both of those!” Baili Weisheng said, puzzled.

But the physician only smiled. “Young master, it’s Water-Jade Salvia — not two separate herbs, but a single one.”

Water Jade, otherwise known as pinellia, was a common medicinal herb, and salvia was likewise common — but Water-Jade Salvia was something else entirely.

“This particular herb exists only on Liuxian Island — and only in the deep ravine behind Qinse Valley, at that. Even there, it doesn’t grow every year,” the physician explained earnestly.

At this, Baili Weisheng finally grew serious. “And if there is none to be found? Is there truly nowhere else it can be found?”

“Only in the deep ravine behind Qinse Sea Valley. If none can be found there, we’ll simply have to wait until next year — though even then, there’s no guarantee it will grow. Finding this herb depends entirely on luck.”

The physician shook his head helplessly as he spoke. “But this child can’t wait that long. Her constitution is already fragile as it is — let alone a full year, even half a year of waiting could bring consequences too dire to predict.”

The moment he said this, Baili Weisheng, as her master, finally lost all composure entirely. He clutched Baili Xiaosheng tight and immediately turned to leave. “I’ll dig three feet into the ground if I have to — I’ll find it!”

“Wait!” The physician hurriedly stopped him. “Young master, please, don’t rush — this child still has wounds on her face! Those injuries…”

Before the physician could even finish speaking, Baili Weisheng cut him off urgently, hastily setting Baili Xiaosheng back down, pressing, “Apply the medicine right away! I won’t allow a single scar to remain!”

At this, the physician looked utterly at a loss, unsure of how to respond, unable to find the words.

“Why are you just standing there?!” Baili Weisheng roared.

“Young master, this wound… this wound…” the physician stammered, not daring to say more.

Baili Weisheng abruptly seized the physician by the collar, his voice low and dangerous. “Stop mumbling and stalling — just tell me, will you or won’t you?”

The physician, terrified, his face draining of all color, blurted out, “This wound… it won’t heal!”

The moment those words left his mouth, not only Baili Weisheng, but even Ziqing’s heart gave a sudden, violent lurch!

What did he mean, it wouldn’t heal?!

Ziqing knew — this wasn’t a boy she was looking at. This was a girl!

Xiong Xiaobao watched timidly, his little mouth pouting, looking as though he might burst into tears at any moment. Brother Xiao Sheng had such a fine, delicate face — could it be that it was ruined now, disfigured forever?

Suddenly, in the silence, Baili Weisheng exploded with fury, shoving the physician violently aside. “You quack! Useless — you can’t cure anything! Worthless!”

He looked fierce as a wild beast, scooping Baili Xiaosheng up and immediately shooting out through the door, leaving the entire room stunned into silence.

At this, everyone finally saw what a proper reaction from a master should look like — and yet, from Baili Weisheng, this reaction seemed almost too much…

“Something’s a little different about him…” Jun Beiyue said, frowning.

Ziqing didn’t say another word, immediately chasing after him. Qinse Valley was rich with all manner of medicinal herbs — perhaps there was still hope somewhere to be found there!

But when she finally caught up to Qinse Valley, she found that Baili Weisheng had forced his way in, leaving chaos in his wake, with no sign of him anywhere.

Jun Beiyue and Ziqing had no time to exchange pleasantries with the two Qinse Elders, simply explaining the situation briefly before rushing straight toward the deep ravine behind the mountain!

Qinse Valley itself was a valley, with its lowest point forming the Qinse Sea Valley, which connected to the open sea.

And the deep ravine behind Qinse Valley was a narrow chasm, like a single sliver of sky, bottomlessly deep, second only to the Qinse Sea Valley itself.

But unlike the seawater of the Qinse Sea Valley, the water here was entirely mountain spring water.

This was a secret, hidden garden behind Qinse Sea Valley — a uniquely blessed patch of fertile earth, where all manner of herbs grew year-round. It was the only place on Liuxian Island that produced both medicinal and poisonous plants, which was why it had come to be known as the Medicine Ravine.

Baili Weisheng, normally calmer than anyone else, capable of laughing off even his own troubles with airy detachment — and yet the moment true urgency struck, he became like a man possessed.

Ziqing and Jun Beiyue were already moving at tremendous speed, but the gap between them and Baili Weisheng remained frustratingly impossible to close!

By now, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue had reached the rear courtyard, standing atop the rocky outcropping above the Medicine Ravine, looking down over the entire sliver-thin chasm below.

Cold, damp, dense with all manner of herbs, their roots tangled together in lush, thriving profusion. It was currently high noon, with sunlight shining directly down, so the ravine wasn’t dark at all.

Xiong Xiaobao lay flat at the entrance, letting out three bear-like roars, “Aoooo—”

Unfortunately, the only response he received was his own echo. Baili Weisheng had apparently forgotten all about them entirely!

“That man!” Ziqing said, somewhat annoyed — this version of Baili Weisheng, behaving so out of character, was leaving her utterly bewildered.

“Aoo-woo-woo… Aoo-woo-woo…” Xiong Bao shouted with all his might, but still no echo came in response.

Though the ravine was deep, Xiong Bao’s roar should have been more than loud enough to carry through the entire chasm — Baili Weisheng surely could hear it!

Finally, just as Xiong Bao was about to roar again, Jun Beiyue stopped him, calling out instead, “Baili Weisheng, do you even know what Water-Jade Salvia looks like?”

The moment he said this, Baili Weisheng, who had been frantically searching through the ravine, suddenly froze. His expression stiffened slightly, his hand gripping the rock face slowly, silently loosening, and he let out a few awkward coughs before slowly floating back up into the open air.

He… didn’t know.

The moment he emerged from the ravine, he found Ziqing and Jun Beiyue both rolling their eyes at him, while Xiong Xiaobao, full of sympathy, handed him a sketch he’d gotten from the physician, saying timidly, “Uncle Scholar, maybe… you should take a look at this first.”

“Cough, cough… cough… alright.” Baili Weisheng didn’t dare look at Ziqing or Jun Beiyue, taking the drawing from Xiong Bao. But at that moment, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue shot past him in a blur, vanishing down into the ravine.

Baili Weisheng clearly heard Jun Beiyue mutter two words as he flew past him: “Idiot…”

Baili Weisheng was left utterly stunned, only now realizing just how truly… idiotic he’d been acting. What on earth had gotten into him?

“Uncle Scholar, I’ll look after Xiao Sheng — why don’t you go down and search?” Xiong Xiaobao suggested kindly.

Only then did Baili Weisheng come back to his senses, setting Baili Xiaosheng down and hurrying to catch up. But the moment he entered the ravine, he saw Ziqing and Jun Beiyue already searching separately along the two rock walls on either side.

“I’ll search from the bottom up,” Baili Weisheng said, not daring to look at either of them, and dove straight downward. But just at that moment, Ziqing, not far away, suddenly let out a sharp, startled cry, “Ah—!”

She looked as though something had given her a genuine fright, jerking violently backward. Jun Beiyue was at her side in almost the same instant, pulling her close, while Baili Weisheng arrived at the same moment as well, positioning himself protectively in front of them — both men wearing expressions of grim, watchful alertness.

“What happened?” Jun Beiyue asked in a low voice. There was nothing at all on the rock face ahead of them — what had startled Ziqing like this?

“There’s someone there!” Ziqing said, still shaken from the fright. She had clearly seen a figure pressed flat against the rock wall, hidden among the herbs, staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes!

That gaze had been even more severe than Jun Beiyue’s current expression — a kind of look that seemed to be scrutinizing her from a position of absolute superiority!

Both Qinse Elders had said there was no one here — but she was absolutely certain she hadn’t seen wrong.