The Immortal Empress, Unrivaled Through Eternity

"Have you ever regretted it?"

The old woman, seemingly out of nowhere, silently appeared beside Li Yunqing, watching Jiang Yu leave in a daze.

Li Yunqing paused slightly, her tone remaining completely calm: "Never."

Those were her innermost thoughts; once she heard them, she heard them.

In the future, she is destined to cancel the marriage, so that Jiang Yu will hear it and have no hope, and thus there will be no great despair in the future.

Hearing Li Yunqing's calm yet firm words, the old woman asked again, "Do you have any grievances?"

Li Yunqing turned her head and looked at the somewhat sorrowful old woman, suddenly understanding the meaning of her words.

This is an inquiry into one's own family: do you harbor any resentment towards them for treating you this way?

"No!" Li Yunqing replied calmly, "I am very fortunate to have been born into such a family."

"I grew up carefree thanks to my father's love and my brother's protection."

"I am a thousand times luckier than those women from ordinary families."

"Everything is just the way things are now, so why blame them?"

"Yes, such is the way of the world!" the old woman suddenly sighed, her voice still filled with sadness, yet also tinged with melancholy.

She said softly, "This old woman has lived for fifty or sixty years, yet she is not as insightful as a young girl."

Back then, dissatisfied with her family's control and arrangements, she ran away from her arranged marriage to the martial arts world, wanting to experience the joys and sorrows of life and roam freely.

Unexpectedly, the family was wiped out because of that marriage, with no one surviving.

From then on, she became the Ghost Granny, a lonely ghost living in the world with no home and no relatives to rely on.

And so, she trapped herself in this world.

"If one day you break off the engagement, what will happen to you or your family, even if the Jiang family doesn't do anything to you?"

"But your family will decline as a result, and be destroyed by other families. What will you do?"

The old woman murmured softly, her mind seemingly filled with questions.

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing seemed to ponder. Women in this era were treated like commodities and money, and the lack of freedom was too cruel.

Without power, a woman can never control her own destiny, nor can she even have what she likes.

But she did not hesitate for a moment, her tone more resolute than ever before: "Repay kindness with kindness, and kill all enemies!"

How can one be considered a human being if one neither repays kindness nor avenges wrongs?

"Repay kindness with kindness, or kill all enemies?"

The old woman murmured softly, her cloudy eyes flickering slightly, as if she had come back to life in an instant.

She looked at the girl in front of her with complicated emotions; she seemed fragile, but her mind was extremely firm.

She is gentle on the outside but firm on the inside, with clear distinctions between love and hate. She speaks, thinks, and acts without regret or shame, and is extremely insightful.

At that moment, the old woman felt a strange sense of envy.

If she had possessed such clear-headedness back then, perhaps her family wouldn't have been destroyed, and perhaps she wouldn't have become a wandering ghost in this world.

After thinking for a moment, the old woman revealed a relieved smile: "Would you like to learn medicine from me?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing paused, a slight joy appearing on her face. She rose and bowed solemnly, saying, "Disciple Li Yunqing greets Master."

Inheritance is highly valued in this era.

Learning from others' traditions is like becoming a master and apprentice, with a bond as strong as that between father and son.

How could she not understand?

Even if Master Liu didn't care about her, once she learned the martial arts of Mingyu Martial Arts School, she became Master Liu's disciple.

This is something that cannot be changed.

"Good, good, good!" The old woman's smile widened, and she took out a book with only ten or so pages from her bosom and placed it in front of Li Yunqing.

"Ghost needle?"

Li Yunqing stared blankly at the name on the book.

The Ghost Needle is renowned in the martial arts world, said to be able to determine life or death with a single needle. It is not only a martial art, but also a medical and poison technique.

"This is the old woman's life-long legacy, the Ghost Needle that, in the martial arts world, is said to determine life and death with a single needle."

The old woman's voice softened: "Take it. From today onwards, you will learn medicine making from me."

"Thank you, Master!" Li Yunqing bowed again respectfully, took the book, and quickly flipped through it.

At this moment, the old woman seemed to have finally put down a heavy burden.

She was extremely satisfied with Li Yunqing.

He is patient, calm, learns extremely quickly, and has exceptional talent in martial arts.

Seeing that Li Yunqing had finished examining the Ghost Needles, the old woman said, "Come, come with me to concoct medicine!"

After saying this, she turned and walked towards the house, looking at the medicinal herbs that filled the room: "All things in the world are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining."

"The same applies to the poison of medicine!"

"The Ghost Needle uses medicine to transform needles; each needle is both medicine and poison, mutually reinforcing and restraining each other. It can heal or kill; a single needle can determine life or death."

As she spoke, the old woman began to make medicine and concoct poisons.

Li Yunqing followed behind him, studying attentively.

A series of words flashed before her eyes.

"Medical and Poison Refining Experience +10."

"Medical and Poison Refining Experience +10."

With the guidance and instruction of the legendary healer Granny Gui, and the added advantage of her photographic memory, Li Yunqing made rapid progress.

In just one afternoon, his mastery of medicine, poisons, and alchemy reached the pinnacle.

Although it did not develop any further characteristics, it still filled her with joy.

In this world, martial arts are powerful, but medicine and poison are no less so; both are means of self-defense and are equally superior.

The old woman seemed to have something on her mind, and for two days in a row she taught with all her might without the slightest slackening.

It seemed as if she wanted to instill all the knowledge she had learned in her life into Li Yunqing's mind.

Two days later, at the hospital's small courtyard.

Li Yunqing stood in front of the medicine furnace, her slender fingers picking up the herbs and gracefully tossing them into the furnace.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

Inside the medicine furnace, the rich medicinal liquid was boiling vigorously, filling the courtyard with its aroma.

After an incense stick's time, the medicine furnace was opened, and nine Ghost Needles, which were neither iron nor wood, yet shimmered with golden and silver light, appeared before our eyes.

It exudes a rich medicinal fragrance, seemingly formed from the essence of all medicinal herbs.

Li Yunqing picked up the needle pouch and quickly put away the Ghost Needles one by one, the whole process was extremely smooth.

"Indeed, these nine Ghost Needles are made from dozens of medicinal ingredients. Although they cannot bring the dead back to life or heal the wounded, they are no less effective than elixirs."

"Next, we'll begin crafting the poison needles."

"Remember, medicine and poison are inherently one, mutually dependent and interdependent; they can cure disease, but they can also kill!"

The old woman spoke, watching with satisfaction as Li Yunqing refined medicine, her technique quickly becoming skilled from her initial clumsiness.

"What a bright young girl!"

"Gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, with clear likes and dislikes, who knows what kind of achievements the future holds!"

In just two days, Li Yunqing had already learned all of her skills.

Even she was deeply impressed by such a bright and intelligent girl.

"If Old Man Liu knew he had missed out on such a genius, I wonder what his expression would be?"

The old woman's smile grew even wider; she really wanted to see Old Man Liu's expression when he found out.

An hour later, after watching Li Yunqing open the medicine furnace and put away the nine poison needles, Granny Ghost stepped forward.

"I have passed on all my skills to you."

"From this day forward, you shall be the legendary healer of this generation."

"You take care of this pharmacy for me, and everything in it is yours."

"I will explain it to Old Man Liu."

"You are my disciple, and Old Man Liu dares not neglect you."

The old woman seemed to have finally let go of all her worries, and her whole demeanor seemed to have changed.

"master?"

Li Yunqing spoke softly, her voice tinged with doubt: "You..."

Before she could finish speaking, the old woman interrupted her, saying, "Just as you said, some grudges must be settled."

"Repay kindness with kindness, and kill all enemies!"

"Now that the Ghost Needle technique has been passed down, I have no regrets. It's time for me to do something of my own."

The old woman seemed to have no more ties. She patted Li Yunqing's head with her aged hand and laughed, "If I return, everything will be as usual."

"If I do not return, you need not grieve. Everyone must die eventually, sooner or later."

With that, she picked up the package she had prepared and walked out of the courtyard while speaking.

"If I can die without regrets, I will have the face to face my parents and relatives in the underworld."

"Otherwise, I will never have peace of mind in this life."

Hearing her master's words, Li Yunqing paused slightly, looked at the no longer hunched back, and bowed deeply.

She did not stop her, nor could she stop her; she simply whispered.

"Master, it would be wonderful if you returned!"

"If you do not return, as your disciple, I have received your kindness and should do something to repay you."