Genius Beast Tamer

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The night was hazy...

Han Wuxie sat by the window, gazing blankly at the night sky, when suddenly a cup of tea floated down from the sky. She snapped out of her reverie and looked at Hua Qianye with a puzzled expression.

Hua Qianye smiled gently, her blue eyes shimmering softly in the moonlight, creating a dreamlike scene.

"A calming tea. Are you feeling upset?"

Han Wuxie felt a warmth in his heart. He took the teacup, took a small sip, and then put the cup down again, lost in thought.

"The choice to let them leave is right?" Her voice was low and somewhat hoarse.

Hua Qianye flicked her sleeves, and a gentle breeze brushed against her face as she departed.

Han Wuxie seemed to feel somewhat comfortable, a cool sensation accompanied by a sense of clarity.

"Do you think this choice is good for them?" Hua Qianye asked gently.

Han Wuxie sighed softly, "I don't know if this is right or wrong, but if we were in the Han family, I think my grandfather would do that; he would arrange for them to leave home and learn something else."

Hua Qianye gazed at the night sky and said calmly and seriously, "Xingyu is too impetuous and too eager to achieve results. If she encounters someone who is not afraid of poison, she will be helpless instantly. She definitely needs to be trained. As for Tianci, he has been clinging to you since he was a child and is too dependent on you. He should be taught to be independent."

Han Wuxie gazed intently at Hua Qianye for a long time before smiling warmly and saying, "You always understand me so well. I hope the two of them can understand my good intentions too."

"Tianci listens to you and has agreed to set off tomorrow, hasn't he?"

"But Xingyu doesn't seem to have listened at all," Han Wuxie frowned. "He probably won't go tomorrow, will he?"

Hua Qianye gently brushed her nose with a hand formed from the wind and laughed, "Everyone has left. What's the point of him staying here alone? Have you arranged a place for yourself too?"

"You..." Han Wuxie was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "You understand me too well. It makes me feel like I'm naked in front of you, and I feel a little uncomfortable."

"Do you feel uncomfortable being understood? Then why do you understand me so well? I think being understood is a happy thing!" Hua Qianye smiled playfully, narrowed her eyes and raised her eyebrows.

Han Wuxie rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and said awkwardly, "I heard from Elder Bei that there is a sect in the martial arts world that specializes in killing people with music. I inexplicably killed a rat demon with music before, and I still can't understand the reason behind it. I want to go there to learn it."

"I want you..."

"I don't need you to come with me."

Knowing her well, Hua Qianye didn't say anything more about it, but simply nodded and said, "I will take care of the contracted beast for you."

"Take care of them? It's good enough if you don't mistreat them, don't be too strict." Han Wuxie smiled gently.

"Strict? Maybe even if I don't want to be strict with them, they're all eager for me to be strict. Your contracted beasts are all crazy people who cultivate like madmen, risking their lives for cultivation. They're a bit like masochists."

Han Wuxie chuckled, "Masochists? Anyway, I'm leaving them to you. I'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

……

Early the next morning.

Han Xingyu didn't get up until very late. Han Tianci was no longer in the room; there was only a note left on the table.

"Just wake me up, why write all this stuff!" Han Xingyu crumpled the note into a ball, somewhat angrily saying, "I'm not going to any Divine Medicine Valley. It's your business if you want to go to the Weapon Ancestor Sect!"

Han Xingyu walked out of the room with a sour face and wandered around the house. There were only Old Master Bei and Long Wu left in the entire house.

"Where did they all go?" Han Xingyu asked, frowning.

Bei Chengkong narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Han Tianci has already gone to the Weapon Ancestor Sect, Qinglang and Mo Wu have gone to the Yunshan Sect, Heifeng and Manniu have gone to the Hei Family, Hua Qianye has taken the beasts out, it seems to be for some special training, they won't be back for a while, and the family head has also gone to the Yinsha Sect."

"Even Sister Wuxie went to a martial arts sect?" Han Xingyu said somewhat sullenly, "They left without even saying goodbye. What am I supposed to do here when they're all gone!"

"Before the patriarch left, he instructed me to wait for you and take you to the Divine Medicine Valley." Bei Chengkong paused, narrowed his cunning eyes, and smiled, "But whether you go or not is up to you; I won't force you."

Looking into the old man's cunning eyes, which resembled those of an old fox, Han Xingyu felt extremely displeased. She roared, "They're all gone! What am I supposed to do here alone? Going to that lousy Divine Medicine Valley would be better than staying here alone!"

"So you're willing to go?" A triumphant smile flashed in Kita Cheng Kong's eyes.

"It's not that I want to! I'm just going to take a look!" Han Xingyu sneered arrogantly. "If it's not fun, I'll find my own way!"

Long Wu, standing to the side, asked timidly, "Master, I don't know any medicine, do I still have to go to the Divine Medicine Valley?"

Han Xingyu pouted and said, "Didn't Sister Wuxie ask you to win over some of your old friends? Go do your thing! Come find me at Divine Medicine Valley after you've won them over!"

"Ugh!" Long Wu said dejectedly, "Those bastards will definitely make things difficult for me. Looks like I'm in for trouble this time!"

……

Shenyao Valley is located in a remote area surrounded by mountains, and the surrounding mountains are rich in medicinal herbs.

Bei Chengkong had some connection with the master of the Divine Medicine Valley, and with his help, the master reluctantly took in Han Xingyu. In the master's eyes, Han Xingyu was already past the age range for disciples accepted by the valley, so he seemed quite reluctant.

The Divine Medicine Valley typically only accepts disciples under the age of five who have a strong aptitude for medicine. They nurture them from a young age; it's too late to start learning medicine after that age.

"Is it really that hard for me to accept your offer?" Han Xingyu was a straightforward person and jumped up on the spot.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley was a seventy-year-old man. He and Bei Chengkong were catching up and talking about this child. He had only taken the child in out of respect for Bei Chengkong. He never expected the child to be so unruly and to point his finger at him and question him on the spot!

"Brother Cheng Kong, this kind of child..." The Master of Divine Medicine Valley hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head and said, "Originally, I wanted to take him in out of respect for you, but he is so disrespectful to me and has such a fiery temper. If he stays with me, he will definitely be a source of trouble. I cannot take him in."

"Han Xingyu!" Bei Chengkong's old face darkened, his voice filled with anger. "Your sister wanted you to come here to change your temper because you're too impetuous. You've wasted her good intentions!"

Han Xingyu lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Did Sister Wuxie tell you this? She wants me to be more composed?"

"That's right, she really wants you to stay in Divine Medicine Valley," Bei Chengkong said seriously.

Han Xingyu suppressed her anger, looked at the seventy-year-old man, and asked, "You are the master of the Divine Medicine Valley, right? You think I'm too unruly and therefore won't accept me. Then may I ask, what are the conditions for accepting people here?"

The master of Divine Medicine Valley frowned and said, "We have always only accepted children under the age of five. Unless they are exceptionally talented, we will give them special consideration and conduct some tests before deciding whether to accept them. As for personality, there are no special requirements. However, Divine Medicine Valley is a place for healers, and healers should naturally have the demeanor of healers. These qualities can be cultivated in the future. We will naturally tame those who are unruly. Every healer who leaves our valley is a magnificent and dignified divine physician."

"Oh." Han Xingyu responded indifferently, then pouted and said, "Then, please test me. Don't make it so difficult! If I fail the test, I naturally won't stay here. If I pass, it's because I entered this place on my own merit, not through connections, and I don't need you to force me."

Upon hearing this, the master of Divine Medicine Valley was slightly taken aback, then laughed with a hint of sarcasm, and said seriously, "Those tests are not so simple! You are almost nine years old now, and you will need to face nine-year-old children who have studied here for more than four years, and compete with them in medical skills. Only by defeating your peers will you have the opportunity to become a disciple of Divine Medicine Valley and study at the same level as them!"

"What kind of look is that? What kind of smile is that? Are you looking down on me?" Han Xingyu glared at the Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley, then sneered, "If I challenge those children my age and win, I can become a disciple of Divine Medicine Valley. So if I challenge you, the Valley Master, and win, can I become the Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley?"

"Han Xingyu!" Bei Chengkong roared, "If your sister knew about your behavior, she would be furious!"

Han Xingyu sneered, "Elder Bei, if my sister Wuxie knew someone looked down on me, she definitely wouldn't be angry because of my words. She might even help me teach that person who dared to underestimate me a lesson! Let those who look down on us know we're not to be bullied! That's why we're here—to prove we're not weak! Do you even understand what arrogance and self-respect are? Does being looked down upon mean you have to be looked down upon? That's cowardice, the behavior of an incompetent person, absolutely not what I, Han Xingyu, am doing!"

Bei Chengkong was speechless, but a hint of appreciation flashed in the eyes of the Divine Medicine Valley Master beside him.

Bei Chengkong looked at the Master of Divine Medicine Valley with some apology and said with a wry smile, "Brother Moran, please don't get angry because of what he said. This brat is a wild and unruly horse, and I can't do anything about him. If you don't want to take him in, then forget it, I'll take him away."

"Wait a minute." The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley raised the corners of his mouth, looked at Han Xingyu, and asked with a playful tone, "Little fellow, do you really have the guts to challenge me?"

"What don't I have to fear? It's up to you, old man, to see if you dare accept my challenge!" Han Xingyu said arrogantly. "Let's see if you can afford to lose!"

"Since I lost, I will naturally give you the position of Valley Master..."

Bei Chengkong said anxiously, "Brother Moran, please don't act rashly!"

"It's alright." The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley waved his hand, indicating that Bei Chengkong could rest assured. He continued, "If you lose, what do you have to lose to me?"

"What a joke! How could I possibly lose to you!" Han Xingyu thought to himself with a cold snort: My medical skills are second to none in the Immortal and Demon Realms, how could I possibly lose to a mortal old geezer!

"Little fellow, you're so young, yet you speak with such confidence." The Master of Divine Medicine Valley wasn't angry; his eyes became even more playful as he chuckled, "I don't know where your confidence comes from, but everyone makes mistakes. Since it's a bet, there must be winners and losers. A wager must be agreed upon beforehand. Even if you're extremely confident, you still have to place the bet!"

"Just tell me what you want. I won't be stingy with anything I have," Han Xingyu said unhappily.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley narrowed his eyes, a hint of interest flashing in them, and said with a smile, "How about this, if you lose, you will listen to me."

"Listen to you? That would be the same as becoming your servant!" Han Xingyu shook his head and said, "I won't do that!"

The Valley Master of the Divine Medicine Valley asked sneer, "Weren't you sure you'd win? What's wrong? Are you afraid to gamble? Do you think you'll lose?"

Han Xingyu sneered, "How could I possibly lose to you! Fine, let's bet!"

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley nodded, took out paper and pen, and said, "Words alone are not enough; you must write it down."

"Fine, I'll write it! I'm not afraid you'll renege!" Han Xingyu snatched the brush and quickly wrote: "If the Master of Divine Medicine Valley loses to Han Xingyu, he shall rise and relinquish the title of Master of Divine Medicine Valley to Han Xingyu. If Han Xingyu loses to the Master of Divine Medicine Valley, he shall rise and obey any command of the Master of Divine Medicine Valley. Those who disobey will be punished by heaven and earth, and their cultivation will never advance!"

"Sign and seal!" Han Xingyu wrote two copies, signed them, and handed both copies to the Master of the Divine Medicine Valley.

Upon seeing the last line, "May you be condemned by heaven and earth, and your cultivation will never advance!", the Master of the Divine Medicine Valley couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth and say, "Little fellow, you're ruthless enough!"

For cultivators, the phrase "perpetual progress in cultivation" is already quite harsh, but adding the phrase "divine punishment and earth-shattering destruction" implies that they will be unable to overcome tribulations such as heavenly tribulations and will be destroyed by heaven and earth, demonstrating the determination behind this wager.

Han Xingyu said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense and sign it!"

The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley looked at the impetuous young man and couldn't help but smile wryly. He shook his head, signed the papers, and before he could hand them to Han Xingyu, Han Xingyu had already snatched one, stuffed it into his pocket, and coldly snorted, "So you can't go back on your word. One of each!"

The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley was both amused and exasperated. He tucked his share into his sleeve and said with a faint smile, "Shall we have the competition right away, or should we choose another time? Let me prepare for you first."

"No need, just tell me what you want to compete in?" Han Xingyu said domineeringly.

The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled calmly: "In the past, the competitions were nothing more than a test of the accuracy and speed of needle application at acupoints, detoxification, treatment of difficult and complicated diseases, bone setting, and so on. Since you are young, I will let you choose the competition content. It will be a best-of-three series, and you can choose three that you are good at."

"You're being so generous?" Han Xingyu narrowed her cunning eyes and sneered, "Then I won't hold back! The first round will be a contest of the accuracy and speed of applying needles to the acupoints you mentioned!"

"Okay." The Master of Divine Medicine Valley nodded calmly.

The Divine Medicine Valley Master pulled on the rope beside the table, and a bell rang from the roof, the sound matching the frequency of his pulling the rope.

Soon, the voices of several disciples from Divine Medicine Valley came from outside the door, "Valley Master, what are your orders?"

"Choose a pair of twins from among you to come in," the Master of the Divine Medicine Valley said solemnly.

"Yes," the disciple outside the door replied respectfully.

After a short while, two twins of the same height and with identical faces entered the room. Apart from a mole on the left corner of one of their eyes, it was difficult to tell them apart.

The Divine Medicine Valley Master smiled faintly and said, "There are a total of 720 acupoints in the human body. We will select one person at a time, and apply needles to their body. Excluding fatal acupoints, we will see who finishes applying needles first and makes the fewest mistakes."

"This is too easy!" Han Xingyu took out many needle boxes from her cloth bag and pulled away the man with the mole on his face.

Kita no Sora narrowed his eyes slightly. He was the most idle bystander at the moment. The two needle practitioners naturally had no interest in looking at others, and the twins naturally wouldn't look at others either, because during the needle application, they couldn't look around. They could only stand or lie down in accordance with the needle practitioners' commands.

Just half an incense stick's time later, as a bead of sweat dripped from Han Xingyu's forehead, he raised his hand and shouted, "Stop! I'm done! Old man, you lost!"

"Oh? Is that so?" The Master of Divine Medicine Valley calmly placed the last needle and said, "I'm done too."

Bei Chengkong curled his lips into a smirk as he looked at Han Xingyu and said with a wicked grin, "I'm afraid you're the loser."

"I was clearly one step ahead of him!" Han Xingyu frowned unhappily.

"But he has one more injection than I did," Kitajun Sora said with a playful smile.

Han Xingyu then looked at the twin men who had been needled by the Divine Medicine Valley Master. Her eyes immediately blazed with anger, and she pointed angrily at the corner of the twin men's left eye, saying, "This competition is unfair! I have a mole on my eye, and you can't use needles on moles, which is why I didn't get a needle in, and that's why I have one less needle than him!"

"Can't you put a needle on a mole?" The Divine Medicine Valley Master slowly walked up to the man with the mole, picked up an extremely fine silver needle as if picking a flower, and quickly placed it on the mole.

"This..." Han Xingyu bit his lip hard. Although his eyes were extremely defiant, he still said in a low voice, "I'll take this round as a loss, but there are still two rounds left. The outcome is still undecided. Old man, don't be too happy yet!"

"Alright." The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley nodded with great composure and asked, "What will be the next round?"

Han Xingyu frowned, pondered for a long time, and then said, "Treat the illness."

"Healing?" The Divine Medicine Valley Master smiled faintly, "Many people come from the foot of the mountain seeking medical help. Why don't we go down the mountain and have a contest to see who can cure more patients before nightfall?"

"Let's do it this way!" Han Xingyu nodded without hesitation.

……

People often come from all over to seek medical help at the foot of Shenyao Valley. Most of these patients are terminally ill and cannot be cured by seeking medical treatment in ordinary places, so they travel a long way to Shenyao Valley for treatment. Therefore, these patients' illnesses are extremely difficult to cure. For the outstanding disciples of Shenyao Valley, it is already extremely impressive to be able to cure one patient in a month, let alone treat more than two patients before dark.

The Divine Medicine Master was indeed very powerful. He cured three patients in just a few hours. However, when he tried to cure the fourth person, to his surprise, Han Xingyu cured all the remaining forty-odd people!

"How is this possible?" The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley looked at the child in astonishment.

"Tch! So what if I'm amazing? What's the big deal?" Han Xingyu rolled her eyes at him. Of course, she wouldn't tell him that these mortals' illnesses could be cured simply by taking a demon core from the immortal realm, no matter how strange the illness. Even Mo Wu's broken heart could be healed. Besides, these were just minor issues of internal organ aging.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled slightly, looking at Han Xingyu with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, but he did not press further. He said with a faint smile, "Although it is not yet dark, there are no more patients. I concede this round."

Han Xingyu smiled smugly and said, "It's one to one! The final match is an antidote contest! I'll definitely beat you; poison is my specialty! We'll use those twins from before. We'll each choose one and administer a slow-acting poison, then switch and try to detoxify them. Let's see who detoxifies first!"

"Okay." The master of the Divine Medicine Valley remained calm.

Han Xingyu gave the most potent and difficult-to-cure poison to the twin men with moles, and then exchanged it with the twin men who had been poisoned by the Divine Medicine Master Gu Gu.

As night fell, the bright moon shone like a bow.

Han Xingyu's heart tightened. He considered himself a master of poisons and an expert in detoxification. All the poisons in the world were just toys in his hands. But today he had met his match. Two whole hours had passed since the sun set until the moon was high in the sky, and he was still helpless against the poison used by the Divine Medicine Valley Master. He didn't even have a clue what kind of poison the Divine Medicine Valley Master had used.

"What the hell! What kind of poison is it?!" Han Xingyu scratched his scalp vigorously, his slightly flaxen hair becoming fluffy and messy.

While Han Xingyu was going crazy over this, the gentle, smiling voice of the Divine Medicine Valley Master rang out from behind the screen: "Little fellow, I have already cured him of the poison. It was a very potent Seven Star Begonia poison, but fortunately I obtained a Golden Phoenix Crying Blood Flower last year, which was able to completely cure the poison."

Upon hearing this, Han Xingyu froze. By the time the Divine Medicine Valley Master finished speaking, he had collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and wailing, "How could this be? How could I lose to someone in using and detoxifying poison? Why? How could I possibly lose? What kind of place is this? Who is this strange old man? Sister Wuxie, I don't want to stay here anymore! I don't want to listen to him!"

The voice of the Divine Medicine Valley Master, tinged with amusement, came from behind the screen, "Little fellow, you shouldn't be regretting it now, but rather wondering what kind of poison I used, right?"

Han Xingyu looked up blankly. The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley emerged from behind the screen, followed by the twin men who had already been cured of the poison. The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled kindly, "What, aren't you curious?"

Han Xingyu's eyes, though defiant, were also filled with deep helplessness as she asked softly, "What kind of poison is it?"

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley raised a proud smile, raised an eyebrow and said gently, "Actually, it's not a very potent poison. It's just a little arsenic, but the amount was just right. I also used a little poppy to confuse you, so you can't detect arsenic from your pulse. Playing with poison isn't about how potent or rare it is. The highest level of playing with poison is playing with people's hearts."

"Playing with people's hearts?" Han Xingyu pondered for a moment.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled faintly: "Using the simplest poison to create the most terrifying effect, that is the true master of poisons. It is not about using the rarest poison. Even if it is the rarest poison, once it is known, the person who is poisoned loses to the poison, not the person who poisoned them."

Han Xingyu looked up and stared intently at the master of the Divine Medicine Valley, but just looking at him, she pursed her lips and said nothing.

Looking at the child's wise and seemingly enlightened eyes, the Master of Divine Medicine Valley smiled with satisfaction, narrowed his eyes, and said with a slightly cunning and playful smile, "Little fellow, the most exciting and fascinating part of playing with poison is not the poison itself, but using simple poisons to make your opponent dizzy and disoriented, and then, in the moment before they die, answering their questions and seeing their regret and distress. That's what makes you more interested in poison."

Looking at the perverted madness in Mo Ran's eyes, Bei Chengkong couldn't help but shiver and pretended to cough as a reminder.

Pulling himself back to his senses from his frenzied thoughts, the Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley chuckled awkwardly, "I almost forgot, I'm the Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley now." He sighed with some distress, "Why did Master give me this position? I'm really not suited for this monotonous life as a Valley Master." His tone became somewhat reproachful as he looked at Han Xingyu with a mournful expression, "Little guy, I so wanted you to win. If you had won, I could have passed this hot potato to you. It's just a pity that you couldn't even cure such a simple poison."

Looking at the cunning in the old man's eyes, Han Xingyu rolled her eyes and inwardly scorned him: So this old man is just like Han Tianci, a scheming scoundrel. He's obviously wicked to death, but he insists on pretending to be a great saint. It's disgusting! He's clearly trying to beat me on purpose, yet he acts like he's so wronged. At his age, doesn't he feel ashamed?

Bei Chengkong naturally understood the cunning Mo Ran. From the moment Mo Ran decided to compete with Han Xingyu, he vaguely felt that Mo Ran was interested in this child. It seemed that he could rest assured from now on. As long as Mo Ran paid attention, the child would definitely be completely transformed in three years.

Bei Chengkong asked somewhat hypocritically, "Brother Moran, since he lost to you, I'll take him away now so as not to disturb you."

Upon hearing this, Han Xingyu hurriedly stood up from the ground, somewhat impatiently saying, "I admit defeat, I admit defeat! I'll leave right now, I won't stay here, I'll leave immediately!"

The Master of Divine Medicine Valley smiled calmly, and with an extremely elegant gesture, took out a piece of paper from his sleeve. His voice was calm and even as he read aloud: "If the Master of Divine Medicine Valley loses to Han Xingyu, he shall rise and cede the title of Master of Divine Medicine Valley to Han Xingyu. If Han Xingyu loses to the Master of Divine Medicine Valley, he shall rise and obey any command of the Master of Divine Medicine Valley. Those who disobey..." He paused, then deliberately opened his throat and loudly proclaimed: "May you be condemned by heaven and earth, and your cultivation forever stagnant!"

Han Xingyu stopped abruptly, like a defeated rooster, head drooping and feathers shattered.

"Little guy, aren't you leaving?" The master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled triumphantly and raised an eyebrow as he asked.

Han Xingyu now wished he could chop off the hand that wrote the bet. Of all things to write, why did he have to write such a vicious penalty for breaking the bet? His weakness was that his cultivation would never improve. His goal was to cultivate, ascend, and return home. Now, the phrase "May you be punished by heaven and earth, and your cultivation will never improve!" was definitely his Achilles' heel, and he had written it himself to be used against him!

Bei Chengkong smirked and raised an eyebrow at the Master of Divine Medicine Valley. The Master of Divine Medicine Valley returned his sly smile, as if to say: "Brother Chengkong, the little toy you found for me is quite nice. It seems that my dull and boring life as the Valley Master will finally have some fun!"

Bei Chengkong said to Han Xingyu in an extremely hypocritical manner, "Xingyu, since you made the bet yourself, you can only accept the loss. I told you not to gamble, but you wouldn't listen to me. Now, even I can't help you. From now on, you can stay in Shenyao Valley and obediently listen to the Valley Master. I feel ashamed before your sister and have no face to stay here and watch you suffer. I'm going down the mountain now!"

As soon as Bei Chengkong finished speaking, he turned and fled as if escaping. Han Xingyu looked at Bei Lao's back and couldn't help but spit out, "Hypocritical old man!"

"You two go back and read your books." After the Divine Medicine Valley Master cured the man who hadn't been cured of Han Xingyu's poison, he waved for them to go back.

After the two left, the Master of the Divine Medicine Valley walked up to Han Xingyu and said with a playful smile, "Little guy, from now on, you must listen to everything I say."

Han Xingyu waved her hand lazily and said awkwardly, "A bet is a bet, I won't cheat."

The master of Divine Medicine Valley smiled with satisfaction and squinted, saying, "Starting tomorrow, you will be a disciple of Divine Medicine Valley."

"Huh? Aren't I your servant?" Han Xingyu asked, somewhat taken aback.

"Those who listen to me are not servants. Every disciple here listens to me, the Valley Master, so you are a disciple here."

"I didn't beat you, yet you still want to take me?"

"You won a game too, didn't you? If you can beat me, the Valley Master, in one game, surely you can beat a nine-year-old of the same age. I also have some understanding of your basic skills. Starting tomorrow, you will study with the eighteen-year-old class."

"Studying in an 18-year-old class?" Han Xingyu rolled her eyes. Was this a school or a miraculous medicine valley that heals the sick and saves lives?

"Yes, your abilities should be enough to learn alongside those eighteen-year-olds." He narrowed his eyes dangerously, a hint of malice in his voice. "Those guys seem good on the surface, but they're incredibly cunning in their underhanded dealings. In this martial arts world, do you know who the most powerful person is?"

"Martial Venerable?" Han Xingyu asked without hesitation.

"Not so," the Master of the Divine Medicine Valley said with a proud smile. "Me!"

"Pah!" Han Xingyu thought to herself, but she didn't expect to spit it out loud. She quickly covered her mouth, feeling uneasy. This is it, I don't know what this cunning old man is going to do to me!

"Hehe." The master of the Divine Medicine Valley chuckled, narrowing his dangerous eyes as he said, "Martial artists love to fight. It seems like they're sparring to improve their skills, but more often than not, they die because of it. Over half of the deaths in the martial arts world aren't from exhausting their lifespan, but from dying in matches or from serious injuries that shorten their lifespan. We healers are gods in their eyes. Whether they live or die depends on us. Of course, our cultivation level can't be too low, or we'll be held hostage and forced to treat others. So, we need a certain level of cultivation to protect ourselves and to cure diseases with our medicine. Those who are dying or injured are the gods in this world of the martial arts world where no one cares."

Han Xingyu pursed her lips and muttered, "No matter where you are, even in the Immortal Demon Realm, anyone with the strength to protect themselves and the ability to cure diseases can do whatever they want."

"The Immortal Realm?" The Master of Divine Medicine Valley narrowed his eyes and sneered, "I will definitely go back to that place. Becoming a divine healer there would be even more exciting."

"Uh, in the martial arts world, are there people who can ascend to immortality?" Han Xingyu narrowed his eyes, naturally knowing that Hua Qianye was talking about spiritual roots that could be cultivated, and that martial artists could also ascend to immortality, but he still pretended not to know and looked at the master of the Divine Medicine Valley.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled mysteriously, but said nothing more.

Han Xingyu felt a little curious about this Divine Medicine Valley Master. Did he know that spiritual roots could be cultivated?

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley smiled mischievously, raising an eyebrow and saying, "I personally teach the class for eighteen-year-olds. Those kids are all eighteen now, and they often secretly compete because the top student will receive praise from everyone in the martial arts world. So they all study incredibly hard. If you, a nine-year-old, suddenly join them, you'll probably be ostracized, right?"

Han Xingyu trembled slightly at the other person's smile and whispered, "What are the cultivation levels of those guys?"

"Cultivation level?" The Master of Divine Medicine Valley did not answer immediately, but asked, "What is your cultivation level? You must tell the truth, or you know what will happen if you lie."

Knowing full well that lying would break the bet, Han Xingyu pursed her lips and truthfully replied, "Early stage of Martial King."

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley was somewhat surprised, but quickly understood and laughed, "It seems that Brother Cheng Kong has given you a lot of special training, afraid that you would be bullied here, so he forced you to take medicine and promoted you to the Martial King level by pulling up seedlings."

Han Xingyu sneered inwardly: This young master is truly skilled!

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley curled his lips and said, "It's good that I put you in the same class as an eighteen-year-old. If I hadn't inquired about your cultivation level and had just put you in another class, you little rascal would have caused a huge uproar."

"Those people are also Martial Kings?" Han Xingyu sighed inwardly: It seems the days ahead will be tough; I must prepare more poison! You old geezer, do you think I won't cause a ruckus among those eighteen-year-olds? I'll make sure this place is in complete chaos!

The Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley seemed to read Han Xingyu's eyes, and said with a sinister smile, "Little guy, those guys are basically all at least mid-stage Martial King level. Your days are going to be miserable, so you'd better behave yourself, or those big brothers will secretly target you. As the Valley Master, there's nothing I can do. I can manage what's happening openly, but I can't control what's happening secretly! Oh, and there's something else I must remind you of: those children's poison skills are all my true teachings. Don't show off your little poison skills, or they'll play you to death!"

"I!" Han Xingyu was so anxious that she couldn't speak, glaring fiercely at the annoying old man.

"Little guy, you'd better behave yourself here. Now that Brother Cheng Kong has entrusted you to me, I will definitely 'discipline' you properly!" The Divine Medicine Valley Master's smile became even more sinister.

Han Xingyu's eyes dimmed. He stared into the distance, his gaze vacant, vaguely seeing his tragic future. He cursed Bei Chengkong and the master of the Divine Medicine Valley again and again in his heart, but no matter how many times he cursed, it seemed he could not change the situation. It was because he was not as skilled as them. However, deep down, he also had a little bit of expectation for those unknown days to come.

Am I crazy to yearn for those horrible days?

But this cunning old man is indeed a master of poisons. If I learn from him, I should be able to learn more fun things, right?

I learned some things today that I don't usually know. If only he weren't so cunning!

Han Tianci, I always scolded you for being cunning and hypocritical. Today I finally met two people who are even more cunning and hypocritical than you. That old man Bei Chengkong is a hypocritical old man, and this Divine Medicine Valley Master is many times more cunning than you. If I could regret it, I really wanted to go to the Weapon Ancestor Sect with you. At least I would have company. Now I suddenly realize that being with you is actually not bad!

"Little guy, what are you standing there for? This isn't a place for lazybones!"

Han Xingyu came back to her senses. Although she missed the days she spent with Han Tianci, she also had to face the future. She wondered if the Weapon Ancestor Sect, where Han Tianci had gone, had such a strange old man.

"Old man..."

The Valley Master of Divine Medicine hurriedly waved his hand and said, "From now on, call me Valley Master, or..." He hesitated for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, a sly glint in them, and said, "Call me Master."

"Pah!" Han Xingyu said unhappily, "I don't want to!"

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley chuckled slyly, "Hehe, call me Master, and maybe things will be a little easier. Those guys in that class might treat you better because you're my disciple."

Han Xingyu narrowed her eyes, asking suspiciously, "Are you sure those guys will respect you if you call them 'Master'?"

The Divine Medicine Valley Master nodded sincerely, his face full of kindness, but inwardly he slyly thought: Those guys all want to be my apprentice, and I've refused them all. They must be a little unhappy about it, right? If I suddenly let a nine-year-old child join my class and call me master, they'll probably all turn against him. It'll be an even tougher test, won't it?

"Are you really sure?" Han Xingyu asked again, still somewhat doubtful.

"Why would I lie to you?" The Master of Divine Medicine Valley said seriously, "Brother Cheng Kong entrusted you to me. I can't just give him a corpse three years later. I still have to take care of you."

"I see." Han Xingyu pondered, seemingly finding it very difficult to make a decision, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing.

The master of the Divine Medicine Valley said somewhat solicitously, "How is it? Still haven't decided? There's no mistake. Call me master, and things will get better from now on."

Han Xingyu narrowed her eyes and carefully examined the old man once again. Such attentiveness must be suspicious; there's something fishy going on!

"This little guy's eyes are really sharp. Did he see through the suspicion?" The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley looked at Han Xingyu with feigned sincerity.

Han Xingyu pouted and said, "Sister Wuxie sent me here to train me. How can I ask for favors and protection? Forget it, I'll just call you Valley Master!"

"Call me Valley Master, or those guys might bully me terribly in the future." The Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley sighed inwardly: What a shrewd little fox, he didn't fall for it. This isn't fun anymore!

"Old man, you're really strange!" Han Xingyu leaned closer, looking at him with extreme suspicion. "Why do you so desperately want me to call you master? Are you that kind of person?"

The Valley Master of Divine Medicine Valley coughed awkwardly. "I'm doing this for your sake. Since you don't want to call me Master, then forget it. Just call me Valley Master. I'll have someone arrange for you to rest!"

"Oh." Han Xingyu nodded lightly.

The Master of the Divine Medicine Valley chuckled strangely, "The children in that class all live in one big room. Since you'll be studying in that class, you should live there too, right?"

---Aside---

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