Chapter 117: Not the Poisoned One

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Ji Yao watched intently as Monk Juechen took the pulse of the man, her heart gripped by an indescribable tension. So focused was she that when Ling Ru beside her pried open her still-tense fists to apply medicine to her palms, Ji Yao remained motionless. The trio’s departure plan was interrupted; the monk, leading the youth whose face was covered in goosebumps, returned to the previous room. Ji Yao, who had been resentful of Monk Juechen’s glances, followed closely behind without hesitation.

Only Ling Ru, unaware of the true situation, followed Ji Yao with a worried expression, seemingly hesitant to speak. Watching as Monk Juechen subdued the man and used subtle spiritual energy to examine his pulse, thoroughly inspecting his internal meridians, the monk then glanced at Ji Yao and Ling Ru.

Seeing that the two showed no signs of leaving or avoiding the situation, the monk, puzzled by their lingering presence, cleared his throat heavily. “Fellow cultivators, I must now undress this benefactor to conduct a full-body examination!” Juechen emphasized the word “undress.”

Ji Yao responded immediately, picking up on his words, “Go ahead and examine him! We won’t disturb you.”

It was Ling Ru who caught on, embarrassed, quickly pulling Ji Yao aside. “We’ll leave now and not bother you, Brother Juechen!”

Only after Ling Ru dragged Ji Yao out and closed the door did Ji Yao’s thoughts linger on the confused expression Monk Juechen wore after examining the man’s insides. She desperately wanted to know what, if anything, had been discovered.

Judging by Juechen’s expression, it seemed nothing was found, but uncertain if she was misreading it, Ji Yao turned to push the door open and peek inside.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Ling Ru, who had been watching Ji Yao’s every move, grabbed her as she turned back.

“I’m curious about the man’s illness! Aren’t you an alchemist? Come in with me to take a look!” Ji Yao said matter-of-factly.

Ling Ru tapped Ji Yao’s forehead. “Be sensible! There are two men in there!”

Ji Yao was startled, touching her forehead. “A healer should have no regard for gender.”

“Sorry, I’m an alchemist, not a healer!” Ling Ru said firmly, pulling Ji Yao back towards their own room.

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Slamming the door shut, Ling Ru warned, “Neither of us are! So just sit here and wait for Juechen to come out before we do anything.”

At that moment, Ling Ru felt her own little obsession paled in comparison to Ji Yao’s current state. When Ji Yao went mad like this, it was impossible to recognize the once-shrewd girl she had been. Ji Yao felt her mind was muddled, far from her usual calm—mainly because she never expected such strange symptoms to appear in another person.

Losing her usual judgment momentarily, Ji Yao took several deep breaths, forcing herself not to dwell on what was happening next door.

Their conversation, carried without soundproofing in this ordinary inn, was clearly audible through the wall to Juechen next door. In truth, he had made no arrangements to block out the spiritual energy; if Ji Yao wished to know, he could easily detect it with a simple spiritual probe.

Yet he felt no such intrusion, indicating Ji Yao’s words came from a genuine place, devoid of any hidden intent. Even her curious gaze from that day was likely just instinctive, lacking any ulterior motive.

Suddenly realizing his thoughts were being distracted by the two girls’ conversation, a vein twitched on Juechen’s temple. After tidying the man on the bed, he transmitted a message to the others next door.

“The examination is complete. You may come over now.”

Ling Ru, who had been guarding the door to prevent Ji Yao from impulsively rushing in, now stepped aside and opened the door, prepared to go out.

Yet Ji Yao sat calmly in a chair, eyes closed as if resting, seemingly unaware of Juechen’s message.

Ling Ru sighed helplessly. “Don’t you want to know what’s wrong with that man? The examination is finished. Aren’t you going to see?”

Only then did Ji Yao open her eyes, exhale softly, and follow Ling Ru steadily toward Juechen’s room.

After this moment of self-regulation, Ji Yao’s heart had settled. Whether it was poison or not, it was at least a clue.

The two sat on chairs inside Juechen’s room as he finally cast a sealing array.

Glancing at their faces, Juechen shook his head and said, “I found nothing amiss. The only thing I know is that this person seems to have lost a great deal of vitality within three days. I cannot trace where it has gone.”

“Isn’t it poisoning?” Ji Yao interjected.

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“No,” Juechen replied, looking at Ji Yao. “I found no toxins. Why do you think this person is poisoned, Ji Daoist?”

Ji Yao did not hide her suspicion. “I’ve seen similar symptoms before, and they were caused by poisoning.”

Ji Yao and Ling Ru instinctively stepped back, making room near the doorway for the kneeling and standing pair, awaiting the monk’s handling of the matter.

Juechen clasped his hands, chanting a Buddhist prayer as he forcibly helped the man who clung to his legs to stand. After carefully studying the man’s face, he spoke:

“As you sow, so shall you reap. I have long warned you, benefactor, that there is no pill in this world that can grant ascension in broad daylight. Yet you believed it blindly. Today’s consequence is entirely born of your own delusions. There is little this humble monk can do.”

Standing behind them to the side, Ji Yao finally got a clear view of the man before Juechen.

Setting aside the skeletal frame, the abnormal wrinkles on his face starkly contradicted the youthful skin visible on his exposed arm.

Though the arm was thin, the skin suggested he was still young, yet his face was deeply furrowed, like that of an octogenarian, truly eerie.

Looking upon this visage, Ji Yao felt an inexplicable familiarity, as if she had suddenly returned to the moment she first awoke in this world. A chill ran through her, and the hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly, the pain from her nails digging into her palm seemingly unnoticed.

Ling Ru, noticing Ji Yao’s distress first, quickly grasped the fist and realized her skin was icy cold, her entire arm trembling.

She hurriedly pressed Ji Yao’s pulse point, infusing a gentle warmth of spiritual fire into her meridians.

This comforting sensation instantly roused Ji Yao, who looked down at the source of the energy and gradually relaxed, slowly unclenching her hand.

Following the arm holding her wrist, Ji Yao smiled faintly at Ling Ru, signaling she was fine, then fixed her gaze on the two before her.