Soon, the same men she'd scared off earlier returned—this time politely carrying a stretcher, their rusty blades conspicuously absent.
"Young miss, please examine our sect leader."
They obediently presented the bamboo token she'd issued. How they obtained it didn't interest her—she'd already scanned the village from the mountain earlier and found nothing unusual.
"Probably bought it."
To her, these tokens were just currency. As long as they were genuine, she'd honor them.
"No missing limbs, so internal injuries then."
Glancing at the man on the stretcher, Su Min sensed his cultivation level immediately—early-stage Body Refining. This wasn't an illness. It was a wound, and a peculiar one at that.
"Remove his robe."
"Yes!"
Still shaken from earlier, the men hastily stripped their leader bare. Su Min stepped forward, pressing a finger to his back. A surge of spiritual energy followed, flooding his meridians with undeniable force.
"Ugh—!"
The middle-aged man had no time to register the touch before that overwhelming power invaded his body. Su Min was late-stage Body Refining. Her spiritual energy dwarfed his. The realization of her strength left him both awed and terrified.
"Name?"
"Zhao Yiping."
"Cause of injury?"
"An... accident."
"Tell the truth."
"Uh—"
"How am I supposed to prescribe medicine if you lie? Your condition is critical."
Withdrawing her hand, Su Min sat across from him. His internal state puzzled her.
Five strains, seven injuries—a mortal would've died instantly. Yet his wounds showed signs of recent damage, as if inflicted anew.
"Sect Leader, this—"
"Enough. I'll speak."
His followers hesitated, but Zhao Yiping silenced them with a look. This woman's strength far surpassed his. More importantly, she clearly lived in seclusion—speaking the truth likely wouldn't endanger them, whereas silence meant a slow, agonizing death.
"It began two years ago. The court, hunting some 'witch,' set Minshan ablaze. But reckless burning invites heaven's wrath."
"..."
Su Min suppressed an eye-roll. She knew this story intimately—she'd lived it. But she kept silent, curious about events after her escape.
"The fire itself caused no immediate harm. But the next autumn, a plague of rats emerged—swarming from the mountains, devouring crops faster than we could kill them. Several counties faced total harvest failure."
"..."
Still no reaction. If the dog emperor had died, she might've cheered. But this? Just collateral damage.
"I cultivated at Kuntaishan for over a decade, finally reaching this stage two years ago. Hearing of the people's suffering, I descended to help. But the local officials and merchants—instead of aiding relief—hoarded grain, inflating prices until millions starved."
"Profit-driven cruelty isn't rare. Did the court send inspectors?"
Su Min remained unmoved. Such exploitation existed even in her past life's modern world.
"The court? His Majesty had just acquired a new concubine. They reveled night and day, chasing immortality. He ordered the realm's wealth seized to forge a 'Longevity Cauldron.' Relief? He raised taxes for the next decade."
"Hmph."
Su Min sneered.
A seductive consort corrupting the emperor—the first chapter's main storyline.
"Outraged, I raided granaries myself. At first, it worked—no soldier could stop me. But days later, a fiend appeared. We battled, and though I slew them, this wound remains."
"A fiend?"
"Yes. Their cultivation felt... forcibly elevated. Their techniques vile. I killed them, but not before this strike."
"Toxins. A rare, insidious corrosive type. In that case—"
Turning, Su Min retrieved a pill from a gourd inside.
"Take this. Then circulate your energy to absorb it."
[Detoxification Pills (Tier 1): Neutralizes most common poisons.]
"Thank you—!"
Zhao Yiping swallowed the pill without hesitation. The moment it touched his tongue, his body ached for it—a visceral craving that confirmed its efficacy. Closing his eyes, he began cycling his energy.
Half an hour later
"Pah!"
Zhao Yiping's eyes flew open as he spat a mouthful of blood. Where it struck the ground, the earth sizzled like meat on a grill.
"Good. Expelled some toxins."
Su Min nodded approvingly at his improved complexion and steadier breath. Before he could speak, she pressed a hand to his back again, reassessing.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
"The bulk is suppressed, but it's seeped into your marrow."
Her lips curled slightly.
"Senior, is there... a cure?"
Zhao Yiping's hopeful expression crumpled.
"No cure exists for lethal poisons. But my Detoxification Pills can eradicate it—unfortunately, this was only Tier 1."
Maintaining a neutral face, Su Min's mind raced.
Jade Gate Sect's sect leader...
That sect wasn't small. Though formal cultivation was new to this world, spiritual energy had existed for millennia. Some, through sheer talent, had learned to harness it—gaining power beyond mortal limits.
Jade Gate Sect housed many such individuals.
And she had plans for them.