Chapter 384: Take the Medicine

The main reason why Lu Yunfeng did not attack in groups from the beginning was because he was afraid of Li Tianyue, the real owner of Sycamore Villa.

Li Changgeng, the Imperial Preceptor, was from the

Chang

generation, which was considered the eldest generation among the existing members of the Li family. Thus, for simplification, the

Chang

generation was considered the first generation; the

Tian

generation was the third generation; and the

Ming

generation was the fourth generation.

The third generation was the mainstay of the Li family. Most of them were second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, with some being Omniscient Sages. Most of those who did not hold positions in the Daoist Order were nobility or talented people who had made a name for themselves in their respective industries.

Not all members of the Li family were required to join the Daoist Order. A considerable number of Li family members roamed outside the Daoist Order, including Li Tianyue, who was responsible for some not-so-glorious businesses. After all, those in the Daoist Order had to remain pure, with no room for stains.

Due to this, the Li family members’ status was not entirely linked to their status within the Daoist Order. Li Tianyue was not a Daoist priest, but her status within the Li family was higher than some of her relatives who were third-rank Youyi Daoist masters and comparable to some second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters. She was regarded as a core member of the Li family.

That was why Lu Yunfeng dared not offend Li Tianyue.

In addition, Li Qingnu was not left alone in Sycamore Villa. Li Qingnu only seemed lonely without a subordinate when Lu Yunfeng arrived because she happened to be discussing things with Qi Xuansu and the rest.

Moreover, the guards in Sycamore Villa did not stop Lu Yunfeng due to the relationship between the Li family and the Lu family. But if Lu Yunfeng planned to kidnap Li Qingnu and break the rules, these guards would no longer stand aside to watch.

After all, the Li family would only tolerate the Lu family if the latter did not harm their interests.

That was the reason Lu Yunfeng only dared to barge into Sycamore Villa when he was sure that Li Tianyue was not around. However, he still dared not act rashly.

After Lu Yunfeng left Sycamore Villa, Qi Xuansu asked Li Qingnu for a room.

Li Qingnu naturally agreed because she had more than enough rooms to spare here in Sycamore Villa. She even asked Qi Xuansu if he wanted a courtesan or an escort to accompany him through the night. She would agree to any of his requests since he had helped her out of that tricky situation with Lu Yunfeneg.

Qi Xuansu could have asked Li Qingnu to accompany him since she said she would satisfy his requests. This was just so he could spite her. However, on second thought, Li Qingnu was a petty woman. If she decided to spread the word to Zhang Yuelu’s ears, Qi Xuansu could not fathom what would become of him. Thus, he dared not take the risk. Making fun of Li Qingnu was not worth it if he had to bear the consequences.

As such, Qi Xuansu insisted that he only wanted a secluded room with no girls. He did not want anyone to disturb him.

Li Qingnu probably guessed what Qi Xuansu’s intentions were, so she stopped playing with him and asked her maid to lead Qi Xuansu to her residence.

She allowed Qi Xuansu to stay in her residence not because she was trying to seduce him but because Sycamore Villa was still open for business as usual. Thus, there were only two truly quiet and absolutely safe places—Li Qingnu’s residence and Li Tianyue’s residence.

Li Qingnu could not arrange for Qi Xuansu to stay in Li Tianyue’s room because she was afraid of that woman.

Under the guidance of Li Qingnu’s personal maid, Qi Xuansu came to Li Qingnu’s residence. It was a two-story building with a living room on the first floor and a study and bedroom on the second floor.

Qi Xuansu did not check out Li Qingnu’s bedroom. Instead, he went to the large study. When he pushed the door open, he saw a Western-style carpet spread across the floor and a screen that separated the study into two sections.

The outer area was filled with bookshelves that had many rare books. The must-have stationery on the desk was anything but basic. He scanned the room and saw many antiques from the Qi and Jin Dynasties.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu knew that Li Qingnu was lying when she claimed that she only had a net worth of 10,000 Taiping coins. It was clear that her level of enjoyment daily and the money and resources she had at her disposal were far more than 10,000 Taiping coins. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu only had as much money as he said and not a coin more.

The inner area had a single chaise lounge with a bamboo mat and blanket, which was probably used for naps. There was also a platform next to it with a futon and various incense burners. Seeing the incense residue around it, Qi Xuansu guessed this was probably where Li Qingnu normally meditated.

While Qi Xuansu was browsing Li Qingnu’s study, Li Qingnu’s personal maid was secretly observing him. She did not know when her young lady had a third brother, but their relationship did not look fake. After all, only a few outsiders have been to Li Qingnu’s residence.

The maid thought,

Could this man be the young lady’s lover? Was the young lady afraid that the boss would find out, so she purposely hid her lover's identity, calling him Third Brother?

The more the maid thought about it, the more she felt it was possible. At the same time, she felt sorry for Young Master Su. That man was also talented, but unfortunately, he was too boring. Su Chou only knew to obey everything Li Qingnu said, as if he were a servant. Naturally, the young lady would not fancy such a man.

Just as the maid’s thoughts were running wild, Qi Xuansu waved his hand, indicating that she could leave.

The maid quickly gathered her thoughts, placed the glass cup Qi Xuansu asked for on the small table next to the platform, and left the study.

Qi Xuansu took off his outer robe and top undergarment, revealing his well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. Due to his self-healing abilities, his old scars were no longer visible. However, there were deep black palm prints on each side of his body from the fight earlier.

Lu Yunfeng’s attendants were certainly not mediocre. They seized the opportunity and hit Qi Xuansu hard so that the yin energy penetrated his body. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had the ability to control yin energy ever since he visited the Ghost Kingdom.

Qi Xuansu sat cross-legged on the platform and channeled his blood qi, innate qi, and magical power at the same time. The two palm prints on his sides turned from black to purple, gradually fading with time.

After resolving the injuries in his body, Qi Xuansu took out the precious Blood Pill he had obtained from the manufacturing plant in Cuowenbu and the Jade Liquor he just bought from Huasheng Hall.

Qi Xuansu took the glass cup next to him and poured the Jade Liquor into it. Then he plopped the Blood Pill into the wine.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Blood Pill rapidly melted into the Jade Liquor until all that was left was a bloody slurry in the cup, which was very viscous.

Since he was unsure what this Blood Pill could do, he did not know how much of its medicinal effects his body could absorb. If he took too much, his body would not be able to resolve the medicinal power, which would damage his meridians, acupoints, and Dantians. It could even cause his body to explode, killing him in an instant. If he consumed too little, the effects would not be obvious, and the Blood Pill would be wasted. Thankfully, how to consume elixirs and pills was a course taught in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. That was why he needed the Jade Liquor.

Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly, raised his glass, and gulped it down.

In an instant, Qi Xuansu’s face was flushed red, with a hint of black.

Qi Xuansu gathered his mind and began to concentrate on absorbing the medicinal power of the Blood Pill.

Most of the medicinal power had been processed by the Jade Liquor, so Qi Xuansu channeled more innate qi in his body to further dissolve the remaining medicinal power. His innate qi was like a dragon swimming in the river, surrounding the meridians and acupoints in the body. The medicinal power traveled along with the innate qi through the meridians, Dantians, and acupoints, eventually spreading to all parts of his body.

The path of travel was divided into three areas, which were concentrated at the middle Dantian on the chest, the lower Dantian on the lower abdomen, and the upper Dantian between the eyebrows.

Qi Xuansu gradually fell into a trance.