33 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

Banxia Novel Chapter 33 Tianyucheng is quite a distance from Fenghua immortal sect. Even with Yan Zhu Guang's current cultivation at the initial stage of the Foundation Establishment, travelling day and night would still take four to five days. Currently, Yan Zhu Guang's spiritual energy couldn't sustain such relentless trekking, and heading directly toward Tianyucheng might be too conspicuous. Therefore, although she and the system both wanted to reach Tianyucheng quickly, they had to slow their pace, taking a more circuitous route. She used a system weapon exchange voucher to get a flying sword, then took out all the non-exchangeable items from the system backpack to trade for spirit stones at a trading house. After increasing the nearly full spiritual stone count by another digit in her backpack, Yan Zhu Guang nodded in satisfaction and went to the place where tasks were released in the cultivation world to take on a mission heading in the direction of Tianyucheng. Without delay, she set off. It took about half a month before Yan Zhu Guang finally approached Tianyucheng. Tianyucheng is a large city, with the highest strength of the stationed cultivator being at the Nascent Soul stage. The previous sect master's strength was in the late stage of Nascent Soul, yet no one knew what had befallen him, leading to his demise nearby. An event capable of overpowering a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was undoubtedly unusual, and with the people of Tianyucheng not necessarily cooperating with investigations, it's no wonder Yun Mi Xue was delayed there for so long. Tianyucheng is a large city, surrounded by several smaller towns that depend on it. Yan Zhu Guang now found herself in one such town. This small town, named Dan Ye City, was known for its focus on medicinal pills. The city was dotted with numerous small and large pill shops, imbuing the entire place with a pervasive herbal fragrance. Yan Zhu Guang exited one of these pill shops, having just completed the task of escorting the young miss of a pill shop owner's fiancée and receiving ten low-grade spirit stones in return. Although not much, considering Yan Zhu Guang's current state, even small gains were valuable. Just as she was about to find another task to take her to Tianyucheng, someone called out to her. The voice was soft and gentle, and if it weren't for Yan Zhu Guang's excellent hearing, she might not have heard it. "Miss Yan," the voice's owner breathed as she jogged out of the pill hall, thrusting an ancient map into her hands. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss Yan. I have nothing to repay you with, except for a map that might be of some use. Please, you must accept it." Yan Zhu Guang tried to refuse, "No need for this. Your fiancé has already compensated me for my services. I should not accept this from you." This young girl, Su Qian Er, who blushed easily after two words and appeared out of breath after running briefly, was not part of any task Yan Zhu Guang took. Yan Zhu Guang had saved her by chance. At the time, Su Qian Er and a few elderly servants were being chased by a beast in the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, fleeing in all directions. Yan Zhu Guang flew over on her sect's reward flying sword and, since she needed only a little more power to unlock and germinate the Blood Spirit Vine seed, she tossed the seed, allowing it to devour the beast. The momentarily stupefied Su Qian Er and the others eventually kept running, startled out of their wits, until Yan Zhu Guang kindly pointed out that the beast had already been taken care of. Once they confirmed its absence, their gratitude towards Yan Zhu Guang allowed her to pass unnoticed for the most part. Later, Su Qian Er's elderly servants requested to hire Yan Zhu Guang to escort her to Dan Ye City. Since Dan Ye City was on the way to Tianyucheng and she would earn some extra rewards without much extra effort, Yan Zhu Guang agreed. Although not overtly kind-hearted, Yan Zhu Guang had principles; having accepted payment for her escorting services, she wouldn't take any additional gratitude. Yet, as Su Qian Er forcibly pressed a map into her hand, Yan Zhu Guang decided to at least see what it was before returning it. Su Qian Er shook her head, "The payment was for escorting, which you have rightfully earned. But saving my life came before that, and deserves acknowledgment." "Please, take it, Miss Yan. Otherwise, I'll be troubled by an uneasy heart," she said, clutching her chest with a cough. "Besides, this map is quite mysterious. I couldn't decipher it, and whether it's valuable or just waste paper remains unknown. Perhaps it's more useful in your hands." Watching Su Qian Er speak through her cough with visible difficulty, Yan Zhu Guang frowned, "Alright." She then quickly handed her a small porcelain bottle, "This is Yulu Pill. While it might be of little importance to your fiancé, it's all I have to return your kindness." The Yulu Pill was given by Yun Mi Xue, but due to her Wood Spirit constitution, Yan Zhu Guang found them unnecessary and rarely used them. After giving Su Qian Er one, she still had plenty left for trading if needed. Having handed the Yulu Pill to Su Qian Er, Yan Zhu Guang didn't linger and quickly left. Su Qian Er, with her frail health, couldn't keep up with Yan Zhu Guang's pace and watched as she departed, clutching the pill tightly. A fair distance away, the system remarked cautiously, "Host, what kind of map is this?" It had seen its host's knack for finding hidden treasures before. Even though the map was a gift from the physically weak young girl, the system believed that whatever ended up in its host's possession was no ordinary object. "I do not know either," Yan Zhu Guang replied. "Oh?" The system was surprised. "Then why did you give her the Yulu Pill?" "I killed that creature not out of a desire to save her, and strictly speaking, I shouldn't accept any thanks for it. But since she insisted, I had no choice but to offer something in return to balance the gesture. Otherwise, it would seem as though I owe her." The system acknowledged with an uncertain "Oh." Yan Zhu Guang had no further intention of explaining. She simply tossed the map into her backpack. The map occupied just one slot, with the label reading "A mysterious map." The system's curiosity towards it was palpable, itching to investigate further but reluctant to disturb the host. Yan Zhu Guang turned and headed to the mission board, eager to reach Tianyucheng as soon as possible. Having already been delayed for half a month, she feared missing the chance to cross paths with Da Shi Jie, who might soon return to Fenghua immortal sect. With mission boards present in every city, it took Yan Zhu Guang little inquiry to find its location. However, she was rather unlucky—due to Dan Ye City's proximity to Tianyucheng, missions heading there were scarce, and the last one was taken just as she arrived, leaving her with none to accept. After some thought, Yan Zhu Guang decided that since she was already in Dan Ye City, there was no need to fabricate a reason to go to Tianyucheng. She could simply travel as a wandering cultivator, avoiding suspicion. Although she'd miss out on extra earnings, Yan Zhu Guang didn't feel regret. Without a mission, she wasted no time and headed toward the city outskirts. Dan Ye City was only half a day's journey to Tianyucheng. At full speed on her flying sword, Yan Zhu Guang could cut that time in half. However, she exercised caution by flying at a normal pace to be ready for any unexpected incidents. Her prudence paid off quickly, as she soon found her path blocked. "Host, be careful, there's an ambush ahead," the system's timely warning came just as Yan Zhu Guang sensed the impending danger. Moving forward would lead her right into their trap, and with her extensive experience, she'd never willingly walk into danger, even if not inclined to flee immediately. Taking some low-grade spirit stones, she flicked them into the nearby grass, subtle movements that triggered an obscure aura, before ceasing. Gripping the sect's reward sword firmly, she adopted a wary look, cautiously advancing and revealing a hint of her previously concealed presence. The hidden individuals suspected something amiss and, knowing their ambush was detected, decided against continuing to hide. They promptly emerged from their cover and pursued Yan Zhu Guang. It wasn't long before figures appeared, three cultivators, all at the Foundation Establishment stage, two of whom were at the initial stage and one at the later stage. With this revelation, Yan Zhu Guang's cautious facade deepened, positioning her sword defensively while retreating a few steps, cunningly positioning herself at the spot where she had set up an array earlier. The approaching robbers, seeing her apparent vulnerability, felt reassured, their nerves of the blow softened as they tightened their encirclement. "You lot, why the ambush? I've never wronged any of you," Yan Zhu Guang asked, biting her lip to feign weakness. The leading Foundation Establishment cultivator rudely sneered, "Robbery needs no reason. You seemed like easy prey. Go for it; a pretty face like hers surely holds treasures aplenty." Cultivators, particularly rogue ones unlike sect disciples accustomed to struggling for cultivation resources, were often ruthless. They held no qualms about exploiting a beautiful target's perceived vulnerability. At his command, the two at Yan Zhu Guang's sides moved, deftly manipulating strange black threads of unknown origin through spiritual power, intending to ensnare her. Yan Zhu Guang hurriedly brandished her flying sword to block an oncoming attack. She managed to ward off one thread, but the second one approached swiftly, forcing her to evade awkwardly, resulting in a cut on her arm. A flash of green light flickered, healing her wound almost instantly, though this gave her little respite. Under the relentless assault of the two black threads, her body continued to accrue injuries, making her situation increasingly dire. She wasn't a sword cultivator; her sword was merely a simple weapon, and her combat experience was lacking, making it difficult for her to mount a counterattack using spells. Moreover, she seemed like she primarily practiced wood-based healing spells. Seeing her frail skillset, the Foundation Establishment cultivator relaxed entirely. "Why are you all hesitating? Teach this young lady how to survive in the cultivation world already!" he barked. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators, realizing Yan Zhu Guang's limited strength, shared lecherous laughs. "What's the rush, boss? Let's have some fun with her first." The leader, though a bit wary, didn’t want to spoil his comrades' fun. He opened his mouth to say something, but the woman before him suddenly grinned slyly. Her body moved swiftly, slipping through their encirclement like a fish. Before he could react, the grass and flowers around his comrades inexplicably grew wildly, creating an impenetrable prison-like formation that trapped them. The two at the Initial Foundation Establishment stage were too slow to react, but the more advanced cultivator barely escaped from the encirclement. He glared at the serene, purple-clad woman who was leisurely combing her hair. She no longer showed the cautious demeanor from before. "I can't believe I fell for your trick!" Yan Zhu Guang smirked. "Haven’t you ever heard not to underestimate a pretty woman?" "Don't get too—" Before he could finish, he noticed with horror a gentle green bud sprouting on his wrist, which wiggled playfully. It was the last sight he ever saw. Yan Zhu Guang walked over to the remaining heap of clothes, casually gesturing for the sprout to return to her. She summoned the deceased's storage pouch, slipping it into her backpack without examining it. Then, retrieving a fire talisman, she tossed it onto the clothes, watching them burn to ash swiftly. Her movements were fluid and practiced, clearly a routine she'd executed many times. Having completed the task, she turned towards the floral array with the intention to dismantle it, but was abruptly halted by a familiar, gentle voice. "Zhu Guang, what are you doing here?" Her fingers froze. As she turned, her composed expression turned to one of feigned shock, and upon recognizing the voice's owner, she revealed a touch of surprise and joy. "Da Shi Jie!" Outwardly, she appeared relieved, but inwardly, Yan Zhu Guang was anxious. How much had Da Shi Jie seen? Why hadn't the damned system warned her? The system whimpered in distress.