68 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

Chapter 68 of Half Summer Novel "Host, did you discover anything?" The system seemed a bit perplexed. Yun Mi Xue was equally puzzled, "The former sect master specifically circled the words 'Heavenly Union Body.' What was his intention?" Gu Chen inquired, "Do you recall what the purpose of the Tianxin Lotus is?" Yun Mi Xue replied, "To mend the heavenly flaw." As if a thought had occurred to her, Yun Mi Xue continued, "Does the sect master mean the previous one intended to use the Tianxin Lotus?" Gu Chen nodded. "However, Su Girl needs the Tianxin Lotus to repair her body. If the sect master plans to use it, then she won't be able to use it to fix her defects. Wouldn't that be...?" "Li Zi You died because of this very reason." Yun Mi Xue didn't quite understand. Gu Chen observed her solemn expression and glanced at Yan Zhu Guang next to her, who now seemed to understand. He sighed inwardly. No matter how much she's been through, her younger sister is always reluctant to assume the worst in people. Placing this exceptionally astute young lady by his sister's side seems necessary, preventing her from being unknowingly harmed. Gu Chen addressed Yan Zhu Guang, "You explain." "I..." Yan Zhu Guang glanced at Gu Chen and didn't refuse. She turned around and held Yun Mi Xue's hand. "Senior Sister, this is just my theory. Please listen." Yun Mi Xue nodded, "Go ahead, Zhu Guang." With a smile, Yan Zhu Guang began, "When the sect master mentioned the Heavenly Defying Body, I suspected Su Sister might be the daughter of the former sect master and a cultivator from the Blood Drip Demon Domain." "Possessing the Heavenly Defying Body, Su Sister must repair it to cultivate normally. After she was born, the former sect master and Su Sister's mother constantly sought a remedy until discovering the role of the Tianxin Lotus and subsequently locating the secret realm in Tianyu City." "In that realm, each person can only stay for a year. Due to its vastness and inability to use spiritual sense, one person couldn't possibly explore it entirely," Yan Zhu Guang paused, "Supposedly, Su Sister's mother was the first to enter the realm. After her initial exploration, she realized she couldn't re-enter and passed the exploration map to the former sect master to continue, eventually creating that map." "Upon completing the exploration, the former sect master discovered an area with Tianxin Lotus that would take another decade to mature. To prevent others from picking it, he set up a Yuan Wind Array." "Upon leaving the realm, Su Sister's mother feared others might enter, pick the lotus, or maliciously destroy it. She constructed the stone gate as a warning." "During the long wait for the Tianxin Lotus to mature," Yan Zhu Guang waved the booklet in her hand, "the former sect master's mindset changed. Knowing the lotus's location, why not use it for his cultivation instead of rescuing a daughter born to a demon cultivator whom he hadn't raised?" "The Tianxin Lotus can only address one defect at a time. The former sect master was neither a heavenly spirit root nor possessed a special constitution, nor had he never cultivated before. To meet the cultivation criteria in this technique, he would inevitably use all three lotus seeds." One alters the spiritual root, another changes the constitution, and the last restores his cultivation post-abolition for practicing that technique, to avoid arousing suspicion. "Through the Yuan Wind Array, he knew that over the years, the lotus hadn't been taken. So, he headed back to the realm to retrieve the lotus himself—perhaps unaware that one person could only enter once." Without inheriting the realm, if Senior Sister hadn’t tried looking for her, Yan Zhu Guang wouldn't have known that once someone exits, they can't re-enter. "Upon reaching the realm's entrance, the former sect master found that it was sealed by an odd demonic stone gate. Fearing Su Sister's mother's suspicion, he secretly drew the symbols from the gate, seeking advice on how to open it." "And the person he approached might have been Su Cultivator at the Golden Core stage, but Su Cultivator refused to divulge the unlocking method, resulting in a conflict outside Tianyu City." "Relentless in his desire to enter, the former sect master tried again to break into the realm. Later, Su Sister’s mother, discovering his intent, killed him outside it and hid the traces to prevent the Immortal Sect from finding out." "During their fight, a large pit was formed outside the realm. Su Sister’s mother concealed it, setting up surveillance to deter others. The former sect master’s map likely ended up in the hands of her mother, maybe even passed through Su Cultivator to Su Sister." "Of course, there’s another possibility," Yan Zhu Guang poured out all her conjectures in one breath, "perhaps the former sect master forced Su Cultivator to reveal the method, leading to his death, while the person who gave the map to Su Sister was someone impersonating him." This would explain why, despite numerous incidents surrounding Su Qian Er, the supposedly devoted Su Cultivator never appeared. After stating all this, Yan Zhu Guang noticed Yun Mi Xue's contemplative look. She was deeply pondering Yan Zhu Guang’s words. Eventually, Yun Mi Xue had to admit that if considered from Yan Zhu Guang’s perspective, all the clues indeed aligned. Seeing her realization, Yan Zhu Guang asked, "Senior Sister, do you think my explanation makes sense?" Yun Mi Xue sighed lightly, "If Su Sister truly possesses the Heavenly Defying Body, your hypothesis seems very plausible. But... is she really the daughter of the former sect master and a demon cultivator?" Given that the former sect master was from the distinguished Immortal Sect, the notion of him being entangled with a demon cultivator seemed hard for Yun Mi Xue to believe. Yan Zhu Guang squeezed her hand gently, "It's only a theory; I might be wrong. Don’t be disheartened, Senior Sister. There might still be a turn of events." Yun Mi Xue gave her a faint smile, "I’m fine. I’m not that fragile." Gu Chen cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. He held an old jade pendant, lacking any notable spiritual energy, just a common piece. Its worn tassel indicated its age. "This was found at Li Zi You's estate. He probably never thought he’d die outside, thus didn't secure these clues." Yan Zhu Guang examined the pendant. Though its craftsmanship was coarse, it was evident that its owner once cherished it, its edges smoothed by frequent touch. Formerly cherished, but now the jade showed signs of crude repair—a recent scar. Inscribed with bizarre symbols, the pendant's center bore a single character. "You?" Yan Zhu Guang read it aloud, pondering if Su Qian Er's mother was, in fact, the master of the male character, the Blood Drip Demon Domain's Su You Mo Jun. Thus, the feud between the Demon Domain and the Immortal Sect stemmed from the past—a tale of love and enmity between the "previous demon lord" and predecessor sect master? Gu Chen continued, "The current head of the Blood Drip Demon Domain is a female cultivator known as Su You Mo Jun. She’s the daughter of the former Domain Lord, once a wanderer. During tumultuous years in the Demon Domain, her siblings perished one by one. With no heir apparent, the former Domain Lord retrieved her, forcibly bestowing power to reach the nascent soul stage, allowing her to lead." "About twenty years ago, Su You Mo Jun disappeared inexplicably for several years, shaking the Demon Domain. Their rival, the Heaven Slayer Demon Sect, seized the opportunity to invade, causing significant losses. At the same time, Madam Qian, Li Zi You’s consort, passed away naturally. Li Zi You, grieving his wife, took leave and wandered for years, whereabouts unknown." With each point uttered by Gu Chen, Yan Zhu Guang's frown deepened, "With so many clues in hand, why did you send Senior Sister to investigate, making her roam for three years, unable to cultivate properly, or stay by my side?" "Zhu Guang, don't be impolite," Yun Mi Xue quietly admonished, "In front of the sect master, you're becoming increasingly discourteous." Yan Zhu Guang pouted, "I’m just upset for Senior Sister. The sect master sits comfortably while she and the elders labor outside, knowing the clues without informing. Is that how a sect master should act?" Gu Chen shook his head, "Pretending to defend Lian Ji and the elders is just an excuse. Your real annoyance is over separating Lian Ji from you." Yan Zhu Guang raised her chin defiantly, as if to say, "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. What are you going to do about it?" "If Lian Ji wasn't assigned to investigate, how could one deduce Su You Mo Jun's ties to the Blood Drip Demon Domain from a mere shattered jade pendant and a few clues about the Tianxin Lotus? How else to ascertain Su Qian Er’s identity? Lian Ji indeed deserves merit." Yun Mi Xue shook her head, "Lian Ji feels modest and dares not claim credit." She turned to Yan Zhu Guang, "It is Zhu Guang who deserves thanks. If she hadn't diligently helped me and meticulously uncovered these clues, the elders and I would still be in the dark." Yan Zhu Guang replied matter-of-factly, "Without Senior Sister, I wouldn't have been involved in this, let alone found these clues. You certainly deserve credit, Senior Sister." "You both deserve credit, there's no need to shift the praise," Gu Chen interjected. "However, this matter pertains to the demonic path and should not be made public. Now that you both know, the investigation must continue in silence. In a few days, I'll find a reason to recall Lian Ji. As for those elders, let them continue their investigation, and you must not reveal anything." Yan Zhu Guang's expression turned peculiar, realizing Gu Chen intended to have the elders investigate blindly, misleading others while covering up ties between Li Zi You and Su You Mo Jun. Those poor elders. Host, it seems you're not sympathetic, more like you're taking delight in their misfortune, the system commented quietly. "Understood, Sect Master." Yun Mi Xue prioritized the sect master's orders and the safety of the Immortal Sect, silently apologizing to the elders. "But what about Su Sister?" "She's ultimately Li Zi You's daughter and is now part of our sect. Leave aside her mother's identity for now. There's still something fishy about Qiao Family's involvement in bringing her here. Moreover, we don't know how the Blood Drip Demon Domain might react. Su Qian Er should not be taken lightly, nor should she be feared without cause." "Understood." "And one more thing," Gu Chen cautioned them, "Su Qian Er's mother must know about the Tianxin Lotus. She may covet it, and your acquisition won't slip past her unnoticed. Be cautious while traveling outside." "Thank you, Sect Master. I'll be careful," Yan Zhu Guang said, already prepared after obtaining the Tianxin Lotus. Gu Chen nodded, handing her a jade talisman, "This contains my strongest sword intent. If you encounter danger, shatter it to defend yourselves. Lian Ji likely has many life-saving items; direct confrontations aren't a worry, so I won't add to it unnecessarily." Yun Mi Xue nodded. Yan Zhu Guang, catching Gu Chen's implicit cue through a look, understood it meant to secretly watch over Yun Mi Xue. She accepted the talisman without hesitation, planning to protect her Senior Sister diligently. "If the sect elders inquire about today, simply redirect them to me," Gu Chen instructed. "We understand," they both replied. Yun Mi Xue and Yan Zhu Guang left Gu Chen's residence together.