The next day, Si Tianjian secretly issued documents requiring all levels of prefectural offices to closely monitor households that doted most excessively on their children.

Orders were quickly distributed down to the county and village levels, specified for each individual household.

An invisible net was slowly being cast.

At noon, snow was still falling.

Huang Rang was wheeled into the flower hall, next to a brazier. Outside the courtyard, snow fell heavily. Di Yiqiu stood under the eaves with his hands behind his back. Huang Rang could only see his back—tall and straight, giving the feeling of snow like poetry beyond the courtyard, and the person under the eaves like a painting.

In the courtyard, Baowu was leading a group of people sweeping snow. Bare-chested, he worked with great enthusiasm. Someone under him complained, “Jianfu, why does the Jianzheng punish us with snow sweeping as soon as we return? Did you say something foolish in front of him again?”

“Nonsense!” Baowu’s eyebrows flew up. “This is clearly the Jianzheng being considerate of our hard work, which is why he rewarded us with this snow-sweeping task. Right, Jianzheng?”

He turned to ask Di Yiqiu, who didn’t even acknowledge him.

Suddenly, someone hurried in from outside. Seeing him, people below all called out, “Shaojian Zong!”

Huang Rang’s line of sight faced the central courtyard directly. She watched this person approach and knew he must be Zong Zifu, the Shaojian of Xuanwu Si. After all, of the four Shaojian, only he hadn’t shown his face yet. Sure enough, he strode under the eaves and bowed to Di Yiqiu, “Zifu pays respects to the Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, “How did it go?”

Zong Zifu said, “Miao Yunzhi has been traveling abroad for many days and only returned to Baigu Cliff today. But that old man has an extremely eccentric temperament. This subordinate didn’t even get to see him. I was only… only scolded through the door by him.”

Ah, it seemed he had been sent by Di Yiqiu to Baigu Cliff to wait for Miao Yunzhi.

Miao Yunzhi—this person, Huang Rang had met before. He lived at Baigu Cliff and was currently recognized by the immortal sects as the paramount authority of the medical arts. Both Shi Wenyu and Xie Lingbi had once tried to win him over, but he was impervious to both soft and hard approaches, so the two could only give up.

What did Di Yiqiu want with him?

Zong Zifu was clearly quite angry. He came from scholarly origins and had considerable reputation among the scholars under heaven. After joining Si Tianjian, he held the position of Shaojian of Xuanwu Si and was known as “Teacher to Half the World.”

His face was fair and clean, with a neatly trimmed goatee, looking very refined and scholarly. Now that he was this angry, it was clear he had truly been wronged.

Di Yiqiu said, “No matter. I’ll go meet him personally.”

Zong Zifu seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After a long moment, he said, “I’m afraid even if the Jianzheng goes, he may not give face either. Today he not only scolded this subordinate, but even His Majesty…”

He didn’t continue. To say more would be extremely disrespectful.

However, Di Yiqiu clearly understood his unspoken words and said, “Such is his nature. No need to mind it.”

Having said this, he turned and came before Huang Rang. Huang Rang sat by the brazier, dressed in white garments with a fluffy white fox fur collar draped over her shoulders. Around the outer edge of the fur collar hung a circle of pearl tassels.

Today her hair was styled in a tilted bun, adorned with a jeweled flower hairpin made of silver filigree and gemstones. Around the jeweled flower were also scattered star-like tiny gems. To match it, her right ring finger wore a silk flower with yellow stamens and white petals. From the silk flower, a fine pearl chain connected tightly to an exquisitely woven silver cord bracelet at her wrist.

Combined with her meticulously painted nails, she was simply perfect. Of course, this entire outfit was what the Jianzheng had freeloaded yesterday.

Huang Rang was warmed throughout, her small face flushed pink, indescribably lovely. Di Yiqiu brought over a lap blanket, draped it over her legs, and said, “Today we’re going to see someone.”

Were they going to see Miao Yunzhi? Huang Rang didn’t really care. At worst, they’d just be turned away. Given her current circumstances, she could remain composed even if spat upon, unchanging in expression even if Mount Tai collapsed before her. She was simply fearless.

Baigu Cliff originally had no name.

Later, when Miao Yunzhi established his sect here, people praised his ability to resurrect the dead and restore flesh to bones, which is how this name came about. However, after many years of transmission, those who didn’t know the reason inevitably found it rather ominous.

Miao Yunzhi loved to travel. Now that word had spread of his return, the base of Baigu Cliff was already filled with patients who had come seeking treatment.

Of course, Miao Yunzhi didn’t treat people easily. So everyone could only sit and wait at the cliff’s base. Even if they could get one of his disciples to see them, it would be considered lucky.

When Di Yiqiu arrived with Huang Rang, even Huang Rang was startled—the base of the cliff was completely packed with people.

Several medicine boys guarded the path up the cliff, cold-faced and keeping everyone at a distance. Huang Rang sat in her wheelchair, her ears filled with the sounds of dying cries of pain, as if all the suffering of the mortal world had gathered in this one place.

Di Yiqiu approached the medicine boys and said, “Di Yiqiu requests an audience with Senior Miao.”

The medicine boys didn’t care who he was and immediately said impatiently, “Master isn’t seeing patients today. Leave quickly—staying here is useless!”

Di Yiqiu’s expression turned stern, and his voice rose accordingly: “I’ve come today not for treatment, but to collect an old debt from Senior Miao. What, as a sage of the healing arts, does the senior intend to default on his debt and avoid meeting me?”

The medicine boys looked at him like they were looking at a madman: “My master owes you an old debt? Listen, my master has a bad temper. If you’re talking nonsense, just wait to die!”

Di Yiqiu swept his sleeve, and a calling card flew out, landing precisely in a medicine boy’s hand. He said sternly, “Stop wasting words and report this immediately!”

Holding the card, the medicine boy indeed huffed angrily up the cliff.

Huang Rang couldn’t bear to watch—Miao Yunzhi was not someone to provoke.

Sure enough, after a moment, a voice like thunder roared angrily from atop Baigu Cliff: “Who’s out there spouting nonsense?!”

An uproar arose below the cliff as everyone surged forward. But the medicine boys, long accustomed to this, calmly pulled out medicinal powder and drew a boundary line on the ground. Everyone immediately dared not cross it.

An old man descended from the cliff like a deity manifesting in the world. He stared at Di Yiqiu, his white beard bristling: “You little brat, don’t think you can babble nonsense just because you have Shi Wenyu backing you. If you’re talking nonsense today, you’ll end up like her!” He pointed at Huang Rang. “Leave behind two legs and go home in a wheelchair! That’ll teach Shi Wenyu to properly educate you on how to speak!”

…It seemed he had long known Di Yiqiu’s identity, yet still pointed at Di Yiqiu’s nose and cursed him, showing absolutely no mercy.

Di Yiqiu’s expression remained unchanged. He said, “Since this junior has made such a claim, there’s naturally a reason. Does the senior wish to hear it here?”

Miao Yunzhi glanced around and saw numerous idle people below the cliff. Even talking would likely be quite inconvenient. He waved his hand and said, “Come up and speak.”

Di Yiqiu pushed Huang Rang and followed him up the path. Before long, they entered Baigu Cliff. The first sight was a medicinal field, the refreshing fragrance of herbs dispersing in all directions, invigorating the spirit.

Miao Yunzhi wore a scholar’s robe with wide sleeves, looking quite elegant. When he wasn’t speaking, he actually had quite the bearing of a transcendent master.

“Whether you can keep those legs of yours, we can test that now!” He put his hands behind his back and snorted coldly.

Huang Rang’s heart tightened, knowing this old man was extremely serious now. She began to worry about Di Yiqiu’s legs. If he lost his legs, with two wheelchairs… she didn’t know who would push whom.

Behind her, Di Yiqiu said, “Over a hundred years ago, the senior traveled to the capital. The current emperor had long admired the senior’s great reputation and specially sought an audience.” Di Yiqiu’s voice was clear as flowing water.

“The current emperor… Shi Wenyu? Hmph, seems like there was such a thing.” Miao Yunzhi said, then with a face full of disdain, he mocked, “That old thing Shi Wenyu—he has neither the talent for cultivation nor the patience to endure the hardships of seeking the Way. For a mortal to seek immortality, isn’t that a fool’s dream?!”

Di Yiqiu’s voice carried a few degrees more coldness: “The senior immediately scoffed, saying that mortals all have their fated lifespan, while mystical beasts can live for millennia. Hearing that there existed a viper serpent in the world with boundless longevity, if His Majesty desired immortality, why not take the blood of the viper serpent to reconstruct his flesh and extend his years?”

The mocking expression on Miao Yunzhi’s face gradually faded. He frowned and said, “That was merely a joke. Couldn’t that old thing hear I was mocking him? Moreover, though the viper serpent is long-lived, how could a mortal withstand the poison in its blood?”

Huang Rang hadn’t known about this matter and listened carefully. Di Yiqiu’s hand pressed on her shoulder, his five fingers gradually tightening. He said softly, “After the senior’s words, the current emperor ordered people to search thousands of miles and finally found a viper serpent.”

“He, he… could it be…” Miao Yunzhi’s expression changed in horror.

“The current emperor had one hundred and eighty-some imperial princes and princesses. He ordered people to draw out their blood and replace it with viper serpent blood.” Di Yiqiu’s voice was calm, but Huang Rang could imagine how tragic the situation must have been.

For mortals to have their blood replaced with snake blood, and from such a poisonous mystical beast at that—what kind of suffering must these people have endured?

Miao Yunzhi’s voice also changed: “Injecting living people with viper serpent blood?”

Di Yiqiu continued, “Within just ten years, of those one hundred and eighty-some people, less than half remained. Another ten years, and only ten survived. Of those ten, nine feared light and heat. When the blood poison flared, each one half-transformed into a snake, went mad and lost their wits, becoming neither human nor ghost. Only one person barely maintained a human skin. But… it won’t last much longer either.”

Having said this, he extended his right hand and slowly rolled up his sleeve. Huang Rang saw that his entire right arm was covered with blue-green, densely packed snake scales!

“And this person is standing before you, senior.” Di Yiqiu’s voice remained calm, as if these blood-written words had nothing to do with him. He asked Miao Yunzhi, “The senior claims righteousness for yourself, calling yourself the Medical Master and Medicine Lord, having saved countless people in your lifetime. If not for your words back then, how would the current emperor have taken it seriously?”

Huang Rang was left speechless in thought. This was a dynasty’s hundred years of blood and tears. The people’s misfortune, the imperial family’s calamity.

Before them, Miao Yunzhi’s anger was completely suppressed.

He hadn’t witnessed these events with his own eyes, but he knew how terrifying they were. The current Di Yiqiu was already the noble Jianzheng of Si Tianjian, representing the court’s status and position among the immortal sects. His words were elegant, his steps composed. But what about him in the fifth year of Chengyuan—how desperate and helpless must he have been?

“One careless word.” Miao Yunzhi walked over and lifted his right arm to examine it carefully. After a long moment, he sighed again, “One careless word indeed.”

Di Yiqiu withdrew his right arm and lowered his sleeve, saying, “From then on, the current emperor has used our blood to nourish himself, believing he has found the art of longevity and becoming even more attached to power. Each year he expends vast sums of money refining immortality pills. My one hundred and eighty-some siblings, a dynasty’s hundred-some years of unrest—the senior dismisses it all with one sentence.”

Miao Yunzhi sighed deeply and said, “Have you come today to have this old man cure your blood poison?” He lifted Di Yiqiu’s arm again, examined it carefully for a while, and said, “You should come inside.”

Unexpectedly, Di Yiqiu lightly lifted his robe hem, knelt with both knees touching the ground, clasped his hands in salute and bowed: “This junior has indeed come to ask the senior for one thing.” He touched his forehead to the ground, solemnly kowtowing to Miao Yunzhi: “My friend Huang Rang has been struck with the Soul-Coiling Bone-Fixing Needle. I beg the senior to save her!”

Ah… he had actually truly come to seek medical treatment for her.

Huang Rang watched him kneeling in the wild grass and broken stones, suddenly feeling that this person’s grace was heavy and impossible to repay.

This… why? She wracked her brains but truly couldn’t recall what connection existed between the two of them. Over a hundred years ago, when he proposed marriage, she had rejected him without leaving any room. From then on, the two had no further contact.

Now he painstakingly sought medical treatment, yet not to remove the snake poison from his own body, but rather to help a woman who was a stranger to him.

If one said it was for old feelings, that would be far too absurd.

Truly baffling.

Miao Yunzhi was clearly also stunned. His gaze fell on Huang Rang, and Huang Rang also looked at him. Of course Huang Rang wanted to be cured—she wanted it desperately. But didn’t Di Yiqiu want to be freed from the suffering of the blood poison?

What about herself was worth him doing this?

“Come inside first.” Miao Yunzhi turned and led the way. Only then did Di Yiqiu rise. He brushed the dust from his clothes, pushed Huang Rang’s wheelchair again, and even patted her shoulder reassuringly.

He was behind her. Huang Rang couldn’t see his face.

She only knew that in the fifth year of Chengyuan, she had rejected Di Yiqiu’s marriage proposal and married Xie Hongchen in early winter, becoming the wife of the sect master of the foremost immortal sect. And in that same year, Di Yiqiu had viper serpent blood injected into him and watched helplessly as his siblings died one by one before his eyes.

The youth of that time had already blurred into a shadow. Huang Rang couldn’t even remember what his face looked like back then.

Yet a hundred years later, when he mentioned past events before an old acquaintance, it was with such understatement.