Healing and the Yue-Nu Sect Leader

Li Anran did not let go of her long sword, not because she was wary of Su Qing or Ao Yiyi...

Although it was merely Ao Yiyi’s word, based on the attitude the two had shown previously, it seemed they truly possessed the ability to deal with her. Since they hadn't acted at the beginning, they naturally wouldn't act later.

The reason she kept hold of the sword was simply out of habit and to be prepared for contingencies.

Those contingencies mainly referred to her pursuers...

Though they might not be able to track her down so quickly, one could never be too careful.

Li Anran didn't have to wait long. In just a short while, Su Qing returned with the tools for stitching the wounds.

Su Qing could have simply cast a spell or, even more directly, fed her a spirit pill... but she didn't intend to do that.

Firstly, there was no need; secondly, she could indeed heal the person before her using her medical skills. Whether it was the internal injuries, the external wounds, or the poison in her system, none of it was difficult for Su Qing.

One must never underestimate the learning capacity of a Heavenly Immortal. She might be a bit slow when it came to profound, high-level spells, but these mortal medical arts were simple things to her. With just a little effort, she could master them almost entirely.

"Take off your clothes. I need to stitch your wounds... I can't do it through the fabric," Su Qing said in a flat tone. "Also, rest assured. Even if the pursuers hunting you arrive here... they won't leave alive. At the very least, while I am treating you, you are absolutely safe."

Li Anran looked up at Su Qing, a strange light flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly suppressed her suspicions and nodded silently.

She wasn't particularly embarrassed. After all, there were only women in this room. Moreover, she only needed to remove her outer garments to reveal the wounds, not undress completely, so there was nothing to worry about.

She gave a slight nod and then removed her outer robe, leaving only a chest wrap.

Li Anran’s figure was indeed excellent. Even tightly bound by the chest wrap, her ample curves were evident. Aside from being well-nourished in that regard, her waist was exceptionally slender—a figure that would be the envy of many. If there was one unexpected detail, it was likely her hands; they were covered in thick callouses, clearly the result of practicing the sword since childhood.

To the matter at hand: Li Anran had quite a few wounds on her body. Some even emitted a faint, strange odor, indicating that her opponents had used poison. Looking at the array of injuries, Su Qing couldn't help but frown. Such fine skin and a great figure, all marred by these wounds.

However, Su Qing didn't dwell on that. She was here to treat the injuries, not admire the physique.

Su Qing rubbed her chin, slightly surprised that the woman was still clutching her sword even now. But she didn't bother to comment, instead saying, "Stitching wounds is very painful... I can provide some anesthesia. Do you need it?"

Su Qing asked because, looking at the woman's demeanor, she would likely try to emulate the legendary heroes of old who endured pain without flinching. But since stitching really did hurt, she asked anyway to avoid the woman shouting obscenities when the pain hit.

Hearing this, Li Anran shook her head slightly and said, "No... that won't be necessary."

Li Anran wasn't some superhuman; she feared pain too. But more than pain, she feared death. With the crisis not yet passed, she couldn't afford even the slightest lapse in alertness.

Su Qing wasn't surprised by the answer. She simply nodded and said, "Since you've made your choice, I will respect it. However, try not to scream... there's a child outside."

Su Qing wasn't afraid of scaring Su Qingyu; that girl had already observed her performing surgeries and wasn't afraid of blood at all. She was just worried that this woman's shouting would distract the girl from her studies. The silly girl was already prone to losing focus; any further distraction would make things even more difficult.

Li Anran nodded silently. She focused her mind, gathered her Qi, and gritted her teeth.

Seeing this, Su Qing handed her a pair of chopsticks. Biting down on chopsticks was certainly better than grinding one's teeth directly.

Once prepared, Su Qing first told Ao Yiyi to prepare a concoction to suppress the toxins. Only then did she slowly begin to sterilize her tools.

After sterilization, Su Qing began stitching the wounds. Her technique was excellent; she had practiced frequently on small animals. Consequently, her speed was quite fast.

How should one put it? She was already an immortal; doing such a small task was effortless, even without using magic.

Soon, Su Qing had finished stitching one of the wounds. When she paused, she glanced at Li Anran.

Li Anran was pale with pain, her forehead drenched in sweat, and her shoulders trembling slightly. It was clear she was hurting intensely. However, Su Qing admired the girl; despite the agony, she hadn't called for a stop. She truly possessed a certain level of fortitude.

"You're not bad... not a single cry despite the pain," Su Qing nodded, offering a few words of praise before dampening her spirits. "But this is just the beginning. There are many more wounds to go. You're quite impressive yourself, dragging yourself around with so many injuries without losing too much blood. It seems your martial arts training is quite solid..."

As Su Qing spoke, Ao Yiyi returned with the concoction to suppress the poison. In truth, Ao Yiyi hadn't really "concocted" anything; she had simply taken an immortal pill and dissolved it in water.

Although Ao Yiyi was indeed studying medicine under Su Qing, she was still far behind her master. Moreover, she hadn't checked exactly what kind of poisons were in Li Anran's body. So, she had simply grabbed a Pill of Myriad Purities and dissolved it in water to bring over.

While this meant the medical books Ao Yiyi had studied weren't being put to use, it wasn't necessarily wrong. At the very least, it would still heal Li Anran.

"Sister Su, the detox medicine is ready," Ao Yiyi said with a beaming smile as she handed the bowl to Su Qing.

Su Qing glanced at the murky liquid in the bowl. She then silently handed it to Li Anran and said, "Drink it. It will help neutralize the poison."

Su Qing naturally saw what Ao Yiyi had done, but she didn't care to say much. It wasn't her doing, so it didn't count as breaking her own rules.

Li Anran looked down at the cloudy liquid. She didn't speak or ask questions; she simply turned her head, lifted her veil, and downed the medicine in one go.

"So bitter..." Li Anran muttered to herself.

Hearing this, Su Qing couldn't help but smile faintly, thinking, 'I see, even a so-called heroine is afraid of bitterness.'

Su Qing shook her head and didn't tease her, only saying, "Now that you've finished the medicine, I'll continue stitching. You have quite a lot of wounds."

Li Anran nodded wordlessly and continued to endure the pain.

Time passed minute by minute. Li Anran felt as if time were moving incredibly slowly, and Su Qing’s stitching felt slow as well. Every second felt like a year. However, as the stitching progressed, Li Anran realized for some reason that she didn't feel as much pain anymore. It was as if she had grown accustomed to it, or perhaps her body had gone numb.

Then, she felt her eyelids grow heavy, as if she hadn't rested properly for days. It felt as though the moment she touched a pillow, she would instantly fall into a deep slumber.

'What's happening...' Li Anran wondered, confused. She tried to snap herself out of it, but the more she tried, the sleepier she became. While she was still thinking about it, she fell completely unconscious.

Looking at the sleeping Li Anran, Su Qing turned to Ao Yiyi and asked, "Yiyi... exactly which detox pill did you dissolve in that water?"

Ao Yiyi blinked and scratched her head. "I thought since she had so many toxins in her, it would be a hassle to neutralize them one by one... so I just gave her a Pill of Myriad Purities."

Su Qing's lip twitched. She had assumed Ao Yiyi had dissolved a common detox pill, but she hadn't expected her to pull out a Pill of Myriad Purities. While this pill wasn't exactly priceless, its medicinal potency was quite violent for a mortal. It was fortunate that the woman before them was a long-time martial artist who had mastered the essence of the Martial Dao. Otherwise, after taking that pill, Li Anran might not have just fallen asleep—she might have slept forever.

"Don't use such heavy medicine next time. A mortal's body can't handle your tinkering," Su Qing shook her head helplessly. "But never mind. It's easier for me to operate while she's asleep, so I don't have to be so cautious. Oh, right. There are a few flies buzzing around outside the shop. Find a chance to deal with them. If you can't bring yourself to do it, tell Hu Lin'er to go. You go teach Qingyu her lessons."

Su Qing didn't like to scold Ao Yiyi; she simply reminded her to be careful with dosages in the future. Ao Yiyi nodded, realizing where she had gone wrong.

"I understand..." Ao Yiyi said before heading out.

However, she went to find Hu Lin'er instead of killing them herself. Ao Yiyi still wasn't used to taking lives. While she couldn't bring herself to kill, it didn't mean others couldn't. She only controlled her own actions; what Hu Lin'er did was Hu Lin'er's business. She would just be responsible for performing the final rites afterward.

Upon receiving Su Qing's command, Hu Lin'er left the medical hall without hesitation to handle the trouble. Ao Yiyi took over Hu Lin'er's duties.

Su Qingyu looked up at Ao Yiyi and asked, "Sister Yiyi... is Master still busy?"

"Yes... she'll probably be in there for a while longer," Ao Yiyi nodded.

Upon hearing this, a smile instantly broke out on Su Qingyu's face. This meant she could relax for a bit longer. Seeing this, Ao Yiyi said, "Don't get happy too soon. I am very strict as well."

Su Qingyu didn't care... Ao Yiyi wasn't nearly as scary as Su Qing!

Su Qing had no idea what Su Qingyu was thinking. She continued slowly stitching Li Anran's wounds. After Li Anran fell asleep, some of the wounds she hadn't gotten to yet began to seep blood again. It was clear that while Li Anran was awake, she had been using her inner strength to minimize the bleeding as much as possible.

But Su Qing wasn't worried; it would all be over soon.

Time passed quickly. By the time Su Qing finished the treatment, Hu Lin'er had already swatted the flies. Walking out of the inner room, Su Qing asked, "Lin'er, did you find anything out?"

Hu Lin'er shook her head and said, "Those flies didn't know much. They only knew that the person Miss saved is named Li Anran, the current Sect Leader of the Yue-Nu Sect."

Hearing this, Su Qing raised an eyebrow. That was an interesting bit of news. "I see. Did you clean up properly?"

"The Samadhi True Fire Miss taught me is very powerful. Not even ashes remained," Hu Lin'er said with a beaming smile.

Su Qing nodded. "Good! Then I'll have to trouble you to keep watch here today. Keep an eye on the patient for me. Don't let her wake up too early..."

Hu Lin'er said, "I understand, Miss... but what about Qingyu?"

"With me around, what could possibly go wrong with Qingyu?" Su Qing pursed her lips. "The girl is quite obedient in front of me, so don't you worry! But you, girl, certainly care a lot about Qingyu. Have you already started treating that little girl like your own child?"

"No... it's just that if you raise a cat or dog for a long time, you develop feelings for it, let alone a child."

"I understand that," Su Qing nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll leave the shop to you. Ao Yiyi and I will take Qingyu back now."

Hu Lin'er said no more, simply promising to do her job well. Su Qingyu, of course, couldn't hear their conversation. She simply parted with Hu Lin'er with a dejected face and followed Su Qing home.

"Remember to practice your calligraphy when we get back," Su Qing said flatly. "Oh, right, and make sure you keep up with your arithmetic too."

Su Qingyu: "..."

She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, begging Su Qing to let her go. She wanted to stay with Hu Lin'er and keep watch at the medical hall overnight. But Su Qing didn't care what the girl thought; she simply continued teaching the girl according to her plan. She might indeed be strict, but it was to ensure the girl would have enough skills to live on her own before Su Qing eventually left. After all, she was destined not to stay with the girl forever.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.

Su Qing arrived at the medical hall as usual. Because Hu Lin'er had been on night watch, the hall was already open.

"Miss... the patient from yesterday woke up, but I used a spell to put her back to sleep for now..." Hu Lin'er said helplessly. "But your patient is a bit aggressive. The moment she woke up, she almost stabbed me with her sword. Luckily, my reactions were fast enough."

Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "She probably mistook you for a villain."