In high spirits, Song Qing Shi reached the corridor and took Yue Wu Huan's hand, pulling him gaily toward the study.
Yue Wu Huan hesitated for a moment, considering withdrawing his hand, but Song Qing Shi's grip was too tight. In the end, he was dragged into the study, pressed onto the daybed, and bombarded with a pile of documents. Flipping through a few pages, he found that most of them were study notes prepared by Song Qing Shi, ranging from basic to advanced, interspersed with numerous pharmacological experiment records.
"I want to categorize and organize the research methods and approaches for the medicines and hand them over to Qing Luan," Song Qing Shi excitedly said. "It's a lot of work. Will you help me?"
Yue Wu Huan hesitated, "Master, you seem to think highly of her?"
Song Qing Shi chuckled, "Wu Huan, the truth is, you don't really enjoy being a physician or healing people, do you?"
After a moment of silence, Yue Wu Huan admitted, "That's true. I don't."
His medical knowledge and pill-refining skills were all learned for the sake of saving one person; what he actually enjoyed more was studying toxicology, talisman formations, mechanical traps, swordsmanship, and other deadly arts.
Song Qing Shi asked, "What do you think of Qing Luan?"
"She's intelligent, compassionate, and naïvely good-hearted," Yue Wu Huan cautiously asked, "Master, you seem to take a keen interest in her?"
"No, don't get me wrong," Song Qing Shi pulled out some information on Penicillium and chuckled, "I'm interested in her medical theories. They offer perspectives I never considered before. When I used to study pharmacology, my sole aim was to achieve the most effective treatment. I never considered how to reduce costs or mass-produce remedies."
His world was too simple; he rarely paid attention to the lives of others. He seldom actively treated common ailments; he mostly secluded himself in Yao Wang Gu, enclosed by poisonous mist, to conduct research. When he needed money, he would refine and sell elixirs. Only the luckiest, or those who bore cases he needed for research, or the wealthy who offered a trove of rare ingredients, would receive his direct treatment.
Yue Wu Huan had set up several production lines for mass-producing low-level medicines for him. They now made a fortune selling jade face creams, thanks to Ye Lin's coaxing and persuading. Yet, he felt something was still missing.
"During my recent travels, I noticed the close relationship between masters and disciples at Chi Long Sect. I think Yao Wang Gu also needs a legacy," Song Qing Shi charmingly asserted, "Wu Huan, you know how poor I am at articulating my thoughts. Only you are clever enough to understand me. Can you help me teach these things to Qing Luan and her peers? Qing Luan has the makings of a great physician, and I'm curious to see how far she can go with her ideals."
Yue Wu Huan knew he had let down his master by not being a healer himself, but he also knew that the unparalleled medical skills of Yao Wang Gu were the reason they survived in this dark and filthy world without being harassed. He wouldn't mind shutting the world out and just selling elixirs, but if someone important were critically ill or injured, people would force their way in, demanding treatment.
Heaven knows what sort of unsavory characters would be among them.
He didn't want his master to be in contact with such external filth.
Yue Wu Huan took a moment to calm his breath and consider. He found Song Qing Shi's proposal to be sound. In the long run, cultivating competent physicians for Yao Wang Gu was the best choice.
Although Qing Luan was a mortal, she was intelligent, and her innate abilities could be boosted with elixirs up to the Foundation stage. She had a gentle yet resilient character, making her well-suited for a career as a physician. Furthermore, her vulnerabilities made her easily manageable, posing no threat to his master... His tolerance for her was slightly higher, as she was among the less "tainted" individuals.
Seeing Yue Wu Huan pondering for a while, Song Qing Shi cautiously reconfirmed, "So, do you think Qing Luan is a good choice?"
Yue Wu Huan smiled, "She's decent enough, worth a try."
Song Qing Shi sighed in relief, "I hope she turns out to be an excellent physician."
"Mhm," Yue Wu Huan looked at the documents in his hand and spoke softly, "She definitely will be."
Qing Luan was prudent and would obey and study diligently.
...
A messenger bird flew in through the window, carrying a letter from Yan Yuan Xian Jun of the Chi Long Sect. The letter contained thirty sets of math homework done by Nian Nian. She had completed them in less than a week. Some of the papers had curious watermarks, possibly from drinking water while working. There was also a thank-you note in it, written in formal terms and emotionally charged; every stroke seemed to quiver, as if written in a heightened state of emotion.
"Basic algebra and geometry shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Song Qing Shi felt a bit sentimental, "I considered her age, eight years old, and didn't set very difficult questions. And...I think I only gave her ten sets?"
"I added some complexity and quantity," Yue Wu Huan's smile became gentler, like the most considerate senior, "Master, don't worry. I've assessed her capabilities. She's intelligent, learns fast, and has great potential. There's no need to treat her like an ordinary child. The cultivation world is cruel, and every moment of ease now might become a fatal risk in the future."
Song Qing Shi found it to be exceedingly reasonable...
He reviewed Nian Nian's homework and found that she indeed had the talent to be an academic prodigy; it would be a waste not to nurture it.
"Increase the difficulty of the assignments you give her," Song Qing Shi decisively ordered.
Yue Wu Huan smiled, "Alright."
Song Qing Shi opened the letter from Yan Yuan Xian Jun, which was filled with heartfelt expressions of gratitude for nurturing Nian Nian. At the end, Yan Yuan subtly lamented his own inability to break through to the Golden Core stage, reflecting on how the limited resources of his modest sect had hindered Nian Nian's talents.
"It feels like he wants to ask for something but doesn't quite know how," Song Qing Shi pondered, sensing an improvement in his grasp of human interactions. He handed the letter to Yue Wu Huan, seeking clarification, "Is he looking for free elixirs?"
Yue Wu Huan read through it and chuckled, "He's hoping for a better opportunity for Nian Nian and seeks your endorsement."
Song Qing Shi was puzzled, "Yan Yuan Xian Jun is very fond of Nian Nian..."
In an instant, he understood. Precisely because of that fondness, Yan Yuan Xian Jun wished for a brighter future for Nian Nian.
Even if it meant parting with her, he would send her to a better place to soar higher.
Song Qing Shi remained silent for a long time.
Sensing his inner struggle, Yue Wu Huan reassured, "He knows his request is rather audacious, hence his circumspection. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can ignore it."
Song Qing Shi finally spoke, "I can write a letter of recommendation to Lady Ling Miao."
Ling Miao was a well-known figure in the immortal realm. Once a naïve and romantic young woman, she was seduced into marrying into a high-ranking family. After years of household chores and discontinuing her cultivation, she faced a myriad of intricate family disputes. Song Qing Shi, not interested in the details, only knew that a terrible fate befell her beloved daughter. This prompted Ling Miao to sever her emotional attachments and return to the path of cultivation, annihilating her husband's family and becoming the fearsome Lady Ling Miao.
Xian Ling Island, where she resided, was rich in resources and had a profound heritage.
Lady Ling Miao had a soft spot for unfortunate young girls, especially those who were intelligent and clever.
Nian Nian would surely catch her eye.
Despite his dubious reputation, the Medicine King was not a scoundrel. He never trifled with emotions and had created elixirs like the Youth Preserving Pill and Jade Face Cream that benefited women. The all-female cultivators on Xian Ling Island held him in high regard, hoping he would develop more beauty elixirs.
A recommendation letter from him likely wouldn't be disregarded...
With this thought, Song Qing Shi took out a fresh sheet of paper. He started to write the letter meticulously, also attaching Nian Nian's completed homework and her designs for talismanic arrays to showcase her outstanding potential.
Seeing him struggle with the wording, Yue Wu Huan took over to refine it, "Why go to all this trouble?"
Song Qing Shi smiled, "Chaos Theory."
Yue Wu Huan paused, "You mean the butterfly effect?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead," Song Qing Shi said as he set aside the letter he had just finished, waiting for the ink to dry. He looked out at the stormy sky gathering beyond the window and spoke softly, "I just want to try planting seeds, to see if tiny butterflies can stir up a storm..."
...
His experiments with the Black Death Butterfly had failed time and time again.
Song Qing Shi found himself thinking about this issue even as he walked, sometimes pausing mid-meal, his chopsticks hanging in the air, lost in deep thought.
It made Yue Wu Huan both exasperated and amused. He knew Song Qing Shi wouldn't give up on something he was committed to, so he set other matters aside to help him improve this particular toxin.
At night, the two always slept together.
Song Qing Shi seemed addicted to holding him. Yue Wu Huan would wake up in the middle of the night to find himself in peculiar positions, cradled in Song Qing Shi's arms. Yue Wu Huan had thought Song Qing Shi would return to his own bed to correct his posture, but instead, he just clung tighter, seemingly content to wake up in this entanglement every day.
Something was off!
Yue Wu Huan felt a bit anxious and ventured, "Master... I heard you cultivate the Path of Emotionlessness?"
Song Qing Shi paused, then realized, "Was it that guy who told you?"
Seeing that Song Qing Shi appeared relaxed and seemingly unbothered, Yue Wu Huan decided to be more direct, "How has your Daoist heart been lately?"
A realization clicked in Song Qing Shi's mind. His cultivation path had been perilous, especially when forcibly sustaining his Nascent Soul. The pain had affected his sleep, but embracing something—or someone—he found comforting helped. Nevertheless, what kind of man would whine about such trifles? Moreover, he had already figured out how to annihilate his Nascent Soul without involving others.
He said resolutely, "It's perfectly fine."
As long as his Nascent Soul was intact, all was well. Its destruction would be the only cause for concern.
Yue Wu Huan extended his spiritual sense to probe Song Qing Shi's Nascent Soul, finding it securely seated within the Dantian. Though obscured by sealed spectral flames, there were no signs of disintegration. The stability of the Daoist heart indicated no emotional disturbance, no desire—this made him wonder what exactly Song Qing Shi was up to.
Perhaps... it was just a simple need for companionship?
Maybe the Master was actually lonely but somewhat unaware, manifesting his feelings through actions.
His life, isolated from society, made him ignorant of normal social interactions, sometimes making him appear somewhat childlike.
Eccentric people often have their quirks, incomprehensible to the average person.
Lying in bed, Yue Wu Huan found his thoughts drifting farther and becoming more intricate.
Song Qing Shi crawled over and skillfully planted a kiss. "Goodnight kiss."
This had become a daily ritual for him, both morning and night. Sometimes, he even added a late-night snack to the routine, as if savoring Yue Wu Huan like candy.
Yue Wu Huan felt he had become accustomed to these kisses. His emotions had transitioned from initial unease to joyful anticipation, becoming increasingly relaxed and natural. Sleeping every night holding the one he liked—aside from the medication needed to suppress his desires—seemed rather pleasant, didn't it?
Still, something felt a bit off.