There was no need to ask; the woman lying in the bed could only be Liu Chun's long-lost sister. However, her current state left Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu deeply puzzled.
Liu Chun placed the hot water aside and, before either could ask, he spoke with a heavy heart:
"This is my unfortunate younger sister. She was once an outer disciple of the Tianxuan Sect and later promoted to the inner sect. But she was persecuted by an elder from the Tianxuan Sect, had her spiritual roots destroyed, and lost all her cultivation..."
Hearing this, both Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were stunned.
Especially Jiang Youfu.
He turned to look at Liu Chun, shocked. But knowing Liu Chun wouldn't joke about something so grave, Jiang Youfu found his worldview being challenged once again.
An elder of a sect persecuting their own disciples? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Why would anyone harm their own sect's disciples? And how could it happen without anyone noticing? Liu Chun had been searching for his sister for so long, yet hadn't heard a single clue. Although Liu Chun didn't have the same internal connections as Elder Zhang, how could such a large sect not know when one of their disciples went missing? Even with Liu Chun's persistent efforts, there had been no information...
Jiang Youfu was left in a state of deep shock and confusion.
Compared to Jiang Youfu, Lin Xiao remained calm. Without needing Liu Chun to explain further, Lin Xiao could already imagine the torment Liu Chun's sister had suffered within the Tianxuan Sect, persecuted by the elder with no one to turn to.
As Liu Chun continued, he turned to take out various medicinal herbs from his storage pouch, placing them in the hot water in a precise order.
The elder who had persecuted Liu Chun's sister was not a prominent elder but a minor one from a smaller peak within the Tianxuan Sect. However, this elder was related to one of the grand elders of the sect. Because of this connection, he had abused his power, frequently oppressing lower-level disciples, though most dared not speak out against him.
If it weren't for Elder Zhang's righteousness, Liu Chun's sister might never have been saved. Elder Zhang, though also a minor elder, had his own connections to a different grand elder, making him more confident in standing up to the wrongdoer. After investigating the matter, Elder Zhang had gathered substantial evidence of the corrupt elder's misconduct and presented it to the higher-ups in the Tianxuan Sect. If it weren't for his meticulous preparation, Liu Chun's sister might have simply disappeared within the sect, marked as a disciple who died during a mission or training.
As for the corrupt elder, the situation was handled discreetly, likely due to the grand elder's influence. The corrupt elder was sentenced to decades of solitary confinement, though this was far from a permanent solution. It seemed inevitable that he would be quietly released after some time.
However, thanks to Elder Zhang's persistence, the issue was brought to the sect's leadership, and the corrupt elder was sent to the disciplinary hall to be judged and punished, with no leniency allowed under the sect master's supervision. This put an end to the matter within the Tianxuan Sect, silencing any further gossip among the disciples.
Despite this, Elder Zhang hadn't revealed many details to Liu Chun. During their meeting earlier that day, Elder Zhang had only briefly explained the situation and confirmed that justice had been served. He urged Liu Chun to take his sister back and care for her, as her condition was dire.
When Elder Zhang had found her, Liu Chun's sister had already been consumed by despair, her condition extremely poor.
Seeing the state of his once-vibrant sister, now a broken shell of her former self, Liu Chun had no time for further questions. He thanked Elder Zhang and hurried back to the inn with her.
Upon examining her body, Liu Chun realized the extent of the damage. His sister was severely weakened, her body little more than an empty vessel. Attempting to heal her with his spiritual energy, Liu Chun found it constantly repelled, her internal body in complete disrepair—her meridians shattered, her dantian riddled with holes.
In desperation, he tried to give her a Peiyuan Pill crafted by Sun Yigao, but even though his sister appeared to be in a deep, unresponsive slumber, her lips remained tightly sealed, refusing to open no matter how gently he tried.
Fearing he might harm her, Liu Chun didn't dare force it. Since internal treatments were impossible, he decided to prepare a medicinal bath using various herbs he had bought after consulting a spiritual physician.
At first, the physician had shaken his head and told Liu Chun to prepare for the worst, stating that his sister didn't have much time left. But under the threat of Liu Chun's barely restrained anger, he reluctantly prescribed a medicinal bath formula.
Liu Chun's sister, named Liu Qin, was now clinging to life with the help of a talisman Liu Chun had placed on her forehead, designed to stabilize her condition and prevent further deterioration.
As Liu Chun finished preparing the medicinal bath, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu quietly stepped outside, with Lin Xiao setting up a barrier to give them privacy.
After ensuring his sister was settled into the bath, Liu Chun also stepped out. The bath would take half an hour to complete.
Seeing him emerge, Lin Xiao asked:
"Is your sister's condition stable?"
Liu Chun sat down heavily in a nearby chair, his face weary as he shook his head.
"I've stabilized her with the talisman, but it's only a temporary solution. The bath recipe the physician gave me is barely a stopgap measure, not a real cure..."
His voice was filled with despair as he explained his sister's physical state. Her body was devastated—her spiritual roots destroyed, her meridians shattered, and her dantian, once the core of her cultivation, in tatters.
As he spoke, the regret in Liu Chun's voice was palpable. He deeply regretted not searching for her more aggressively the moment she had gone missing. He had foolishly trusted the Wu family, wasting precious time that could have been spent rescuing her from her suffering.
Seeing the pain and guilt on Liu Chun's face, Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but then stopped. No words of comfort would help right now. Anything he said would feel hollow, and out of politeness, Liu Chun would be forced to pretend that those words gave him solace.
After a moment of thought, Lin Xiao said:
"If you don't have any other plans, how about I ask the Yuan family tomorrow if they know of any ways to help? If they don't, we can return to the sect immediately and gather everyone together to find a solution. Surely, we'll come up with something."