Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Before Elder Qu could finish talking, a messenger came from Yu Ye, saying he needed Hua Yan’s assistance to refine a new medicine. Elder Qu huffed and puffed for a while, but eventually let her go.
Hua Yan bounded towards Yu Ye’s room like a freed rabbit to help him fiddle with the herbs.
Unlike the other high-ranking members of the sect, whose rooms were either terrifyingly gloomy or filled with traps and crawling with poisonous snakes and centipedes, Yu Ye’s residence was simply like an herbal pharmacy. The inner room was a bedroom for changing and sleeping, while the outer room was filled with various sizes of medicine and bookshelves. From afar, one could smell a slightly bitter herbal fragrance that constantly lingered around Yu Ye.
Upon entering, Hua Yan saw a row of disciples sitting straight with solemn expressions, their hands tightly clenched at their sides.
She was immediately intrigued. “What medicine are we testing this time?”
Yu Ye, dressed in spotless white clothes that outshone the frost, sat at the table. His gentle eyebrows were slightly furrowed. One hand was fiddling with herbs, occasionally bringing them to his nose to sniff, while the other hand wrote something on a piece of paper. He looked no different from an ordinary doctor.
Hearing Hua Yan’s voice, Yu Ye raised his eyes slightly and smiled elegantly. “A super strength pill.”
“…”
“Yan’er, what’s wrong?”
“…Nothing!”
The name was still as shocking as ever…
This brings us to the reason why Yu Ye could become a high-ranking member of the Zhengyi Sect.
It certainly wasn’t because of his martial arts.
Although Yu Ye’s martial skills weren’t bad, he was far from the top in the sect. The Left Protector, Qi Xiusi, could easily defeat him with one hand.
The main reason he could hold the position of Right Protector was his unparalleled skill in herbal medicine.
The Tiancan Sect, like all other sects, initially relied on building temples, preaching, spreading beliefs, and collecting offerings from followers to maintain its expenses.
Later, they had a leader who was extremely skilled in martial arts but highly evil. The sect’s prestige reached its peak, but its reputation worsened, attracting only unscrupulous and deceitful disciples. After this leader passed away, many wealthy merchants and landlords who had submitted out of fear found excuses not to contribute, and the offerings gradually dwindled.
As a demonic sect, the Tiancan Sect resorted to robbery when they were short on funds, specifically targeting wealthy merchants.
Until the previous leader, everyone had been doing this, though it was not something to be proud of. Maintaining such a large number of disciples was a significant expense, and with the sect’s remote location, transporting goods was inconvenient. Many members practiced poison and gu, which was also costly to maintain.
Alas, a demonic sect is always poor!
Stealing too much led the merchants to wise up and collaborate with major sects for mutual benefit, making it increasingly difficult for the demonic sect to succeed, often suffering heavy losses. Unlike Tingjian Manor, which could sell weapons, or Mountain Sect, which ran an escort agency, or other sects that collected rents, legitimate businesses were beyond their capability. Although every hall master and above was wicked to the core and not short of money, there was always a sense of insecurity.
At this time, Yu Ye opened a pharmacy in a small fortress town near the Tiancan Sect.
Everyone who used Yu Ye’s improved medicines praised them!
The pharmacy business thrived as expected, named Yufeng Hall, and expanded its branches across the continent. It didn’t just sell healing herbs but also various unusual medicines like aphrodisiacs and vitality-boosting drugs. Its popularity rivaled the renowned Cixin Valley Pharmacy. Now, nearly half of Tiancan Sect’s annual income came from Yufeng Hall.
Two years ago, their leader even boldly renamed Tiancan Sect to the Zhengyi Sect.
Because of this, even though Yu Ye’s temperament was incompatible with the sect, no one dared to provoke him. After all, they were dependent on his medicines; every demonic sect disciple had a stash of Yu Ye’s balms and pills.
Jianghu folks could only buy outdated versions of the medicines from Yu Ye’s pharmacy, while the demonic sect’s inner disciples got the latest, improved versions.
At cost price, and in unlimited quantities!
Because everyone who tried to cause trouble met a gruesome end, many speculated that there was something sinister behind Yufeng Hall. But without evidence, and given the high demand for his genuine and effective medicines, they had no choice but to let it go.
The “Invincible Strength Pill,” one of Yufeng Hall’s recent bestsellers, was designed to boost potential, temporarily enhancing the user’s skills. It came in both oral and topical forms.
Hua Yan had once questioned, “Are you sure about this name?”
Yu Ye had firmly nodded. “This name sells well.”
Indeed, Yu Ye was right!
The medicine caused a sensation upon release. Not only did every Jianghu person have a bottle, ready to take it in a fight, but even common folk bought it, rumored to enhance male potency. Of course, Yufeng Hall made no guarantees about the effects.
The “Super Strength Pill” Yu Ye mentioned now was its improved version.
“I’ve taken it myself without any issues, but I need to test it on others a few more times to be sure,” Yu Ye said, relaxing his brows. “Yan’er, could you help me record their reactions?”
“Sure.”
Hua Yan moved a chair, grabbed some paper and a pen, and sat down.
Moments later, some disciples started feeling hot, their faces reddened, eyes glowing, and they couldn’t help but shout loudly.
“Ah~ I feel so powerful now!”
“Roar, the power is about to burst out of me! …Let me charge up to Tingjian Manor and slaughter them all!”
“Holy maiden, I feel it’s time to serve our Zhengyi Sect! Oh, oh, oh!”
Two of them couldn’t contain themselves, raising their hands. With a ripping sound, their disciple uniforms tore apart, and they instantly charged towards Hua Yan.
Hua Yan was busy recording feedback, not even lifting her head as she raised her silk fan and lightly tapped it. The two disciples, blushing and dizzy, embraced each other before their eyes met and they started to fight fiercely!
As Hua Yan watched the brawl, she marveled at how potent Yu Ye’s medicine was. The two shirtless disciples were locked in an intense and exciting struggle.
Just then, one disciple was hit with a powerful palm strike and was sent flying towards Hua Yan at high speed.
“Careful.”
Just as Hua Yan was about to raise her hand, she felt her body lighten. Someone had grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her out of the way. At the same time, a gust of wind from the person’s sleeve softened the disciple’s momentum, allowing him to regain his balance after a few steps.
Yu Ye frowned and waved the disciple off.
“Are you alright?”
Hua Yan nonchalantly replied, “Even if you hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have hurt me.”
“But I would worry,” Yu Ye said, shaking his head. He took the paper and pen from Hua Yan’s hand. “Let me do it.”
At that moment, even some of the male disciples looked on enviously, thinking, “Wow, Protector Yu is so gentle and considerate.”
There was a reason why Yu Ye had been admired by countless female disciples in the sect for years.
After testing the medicine, Yu Ye carefully stored the recorded reactions and walked over to the table to pour two cups of tea. He looked thoughtfully out the window at the evening sky.
“What are you daydreaming about?”
Hua Yan, puzzled, followed his gaze, but it was just an ordinary sunset.
Hearing her question, Yu Ye lowered his head to look at Hua Yan, then suddenly smiled and said, “I was thinking about when we will get married.”
Hua Yan replied, “Whenever you decide.”
Her parents’ marriage had been simple. Her mother had made her newly taken husband change into wedding clothes, she herself changed into a red dress, topped with a crimson veil, and that was it. The sect had all the red candles and happy banners, and various hall masters, elders, and protectors gave gifts ranging from weapons to poisonous insects and spring palace illustrations. On the wedding day, the former sect leader presided over the ceremony, and the whole sect enjoyed a lively feast, marking the marriage.
Hua Yan thought that was quite nice.
“Marriage is a significant event; it can’t be that simple and casual. Your parents entrusted you to me, and I should take good care of you, although…” Yu Ye paused, showing a bitter smile, “The previous holy maiden doesn’t seem to like me much… perhaps because of my background.”
Yu Ye’s background was no secret.
He was an abandoned baby who had been picked up, with no parents. He grew up on shared meals within the sect, thanks to the former sect leader’s wife, who, seeing his intelligence and obedience, took care of him, giving him the opportunity to learn to read and practice medicine, leading him to his current position.
“Don’t mind my mother,” Hua Yan patted him. “She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She has praised you in private.”
Of course, her mother’s exact words were, “That kid Yu Ye is formidable, you’d better be careful,” but she had… well, taken it a bit out of context. Hopefully, her mother wouldn’t be too angry.
Yu Ye smiled and gently covered Hua Yan’s hand with his. “I always worry that you don’t really want to marry me.”
Hua Yan quickly interrupted him, “Stop overthinking!”
“I’m afraid that once I wake up, you’ll be gone,” Yu Ye said, once again looking out the window. The sunset was almost gone, and the dark red sky had turned into a late twilight. He moved his lips and said, “I look forward to the day I can marry you.”
“Then let’s get married soon!” Hua Yan decided swiftly. “When the sect leader and Protector Qi return, we’ll get married!”
Yu Ye smiled at her words, took a sip of tea, and said no more.
***
In the middle of the night, Hua Yan was sound asleep when the noise outside woke her. She opened her eyes to see bright lights outside the window and the sound of fighting. Although internal conflicts in the sect were not uncommon, this was the first time it was so intense.
She quickly got dressed, eager to see what was happening, but found the door locked. Without a second thought, Hua Yan struck the door with her palm, counting to three as the door should have shattered.
To her surprise, the door shook but didn’t budge.
Huh!
Testing her own qi, Hua Yan was astonished to find no response.
“Holy maiden, we are under orders to protect you. Please stay in your room tonight,” came a voice from outside.
Hua Yan’s eyes lit up, her excitement growing!
Having lived a peaceful life for over a decade, this was her first encounter with such a situation. Previously, she had only heard stories from her mother or elders about the former sect leader’s fierce battles atop Blood Peak Mountain, the final showdown on Qingcheng Mountain, and the tragic case of Mysterious Dragon Cave. As a child, Hua Yan, with her hair in two pigtails, had listened in awe to these tales of famous martial events, her height barely reaching an adult’s waist.
Of course, after exhausting their stories, she would persistently ask for more, using her sweet voice, “Uncle, tell me another one,” until the high-ranking members of the sect would run away at the sight of her. But that’s another story.
Hua Yan stretched her limbs, cleared her throat, and cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting loudly, “Help! Save me!”
Her voice was so powerful that the demonic sect disciple guarding the door stumbled and almost fell.