Chapter 41: Grandmaster of the Healing Arts

Outside the Crimson Pine Mountain, along the ancient road.

Autumn winds rustled, and three distinct groups traveled together upon the path.

“Sister! Look at Crimson Pine Mountain—winter is nearly here, yet it remains so lush and verdant!”

A young girl, dressed in a pale yellow palace robe with her hair arranged in a cloud-like coiffure, pointed ahead as she rode her horse, indicating the distant mountain.

Beside her walked several young women in similar attire, riding abreast, while an elderly woman with silver hair sat quietly in a sedan chair, eyes closed in repose.

The older woman, the one addressed as “sister,” smiled and explained, “Ling’er, you may not know this, but Crimson Pine Mountain is a spiritual land. Thus, even in autumn and winter, its flora does not wither.”

“What is a spiritual land?” the girl asked curiously.

Her sister pondered a moment before answering, “A place where spiritual herbs grow is called a spiritual land. For example, the Moon Harmony Flower in Crimson Pine Temple is a rare spiritual treasure, famed for its power to revive the dead and heal flesh and bone.”

As they conversed, a white-robed young man with a bow and arrows left his own group and joined their discussion. “Ling’er, Sister Li speaks truly! Crimson Pine Temple became renowned only because it occupies such a spiritual land, giving rise to a grandmaster who once shook the world.”

He changed his tone, “But what good is that now? They've fallen from grace. There's not a single grandmaster left, and among the Four Great Medical Sects, they’ve been at the bottom for years.”

“Hmph!”

The palace-robed girl snorted lightly, unwilling to engage.

From another group, a young man with a robe embroidered with a hundred herbs laughed and taunted, “So this is the famed martial-healer Wang Qianyuan? You couldn’t even catch a white fox just now, yet you wish to win the favor of the Flower Sect maidens?”

The white-robed man flushed with embarrassment and retorted sharply, “What do you know, Herb Hall brat? I was merely careless! Besides, that white fox was clearly a strange beast. Even a grandmaster might struggle to capture it if it fled in earnest.”

The young man from Herb Hall scoffed, “Excuses are for the weak!”

“You court death!”

“Enough, enough! Young sirs, do not let discord spoil the harmony,” interjected the Flower Sect sister, sensing the tension and hastening to calm the situation.

At that moment, the elderly woman in the sedan spoke, “That white fox was indeed a strange beast. Pity it escaped. Its blood and bones would have made marvelous medicine, even benefiting grandmasters.”

The white-robed man quickly assured her, “Grandmother, rest easy! Should I encounter the fox again, I’ll take it with a single arrow and present it to the sisters.”

“Thank you, Brother Wang!” Sister Li smiled and nodded gratefully.

She and her junior had noticed the fox’s intelligence and hoped to capture it—whether to raise it or use it for alchemy, either would be excellent.

Since someone offered assistance, they were more than pleased.

“It seems that fox fled into Crimson Pine Mountain. We can ask the Daoist Jade Tranquility to send people to help us search the mountain for it,” the elderly woman added, then closed her eyes once more.

Her words carried a commanding air, as though Jade Tranquility was beneath her notice.

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The others found nothing amiss and nodded in agreement.

The grandmaster of Crimson Pine Temple was rumored to be wandering abroad, missing for years, his fate unknown.

Now, not even a single martial grandmaster remained in Crimson Pine Temple, so they had no grounds to bargain with the other three sects.

As they spoke, they arrived at the foot of Crimson Pine Mountain.

Pine shadows intermingled, screening a rugged stone road among the trees.

The mountain path was steep, forcing them to dismount and ascend on foot.

Even the elderly woman frowned as she stepped from her sedan.

Suddenly, she sniffed the air, as if detecting something in the mountain breeze.

“Wait!” she abruptly called out.

“Grandmother, what is it?” Sister Li paused to ask.

The other two groups halted as well, all eyes on the elderly woman.

She closed her eyes, her nose twitching constantly.

Following the direction of the wind, she quickly pinpointed a location.

“Old Ghost Yao, Old Ghost Xing! Come, smell this mountain wind with me,” she said, opening her eyes.

At her words, two elders stepped out from the other groups, puzzled but attentive.

Soon enough, they too sensed something unusual, inhaling the mountain breeze with sharp, deliberate sniffs.

Their gazes met, and a hint of excitement shone in their eyes.

All three were medical grandmasters, attuned to scents. This aroma was unmistakable—the scent of spiritual herbs!

The fragrance was complex, a blend of many rare perfumes.

This meant not just one herb, but several—perhaps dozens—grew nearby.

“Let’s go! We must find them!”

Greed flickered in their eyes as they exchanged glances.

The party veered off the mountain path, following the wind’s lead.

With three medical grandmasters guiding, it was not long before they found the source of the fragrance.

Soon, even the ordinary disciples from the three sects caught the crisp, invigorating scent, which seemed to open every pore and rejuvenate their spirits.

“It must be here!”

The elderly woman pointed to a gorge, addressing her companions.

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“Come! Let’s see inside!”

The other two grandmasters nodded with intent gazes.

As soon as they entered the gorge, all were stunned—grandmasters and disciples alike—by what they beheld.

A spiritual spring gushed nearby, its waters sparkling in sunlight, casting rainbow mists across the air.

The spring formed a stream, flowing gently to either side.

Along the banks, countless rare flowers and exotic grasses grew in wild profusion.

Each orchid and herb pulsed with vibrant life; just breathing in their fragrance made one’s spirit soar.

Here, the ground was carpeted with premium spiritual herbs—treasures worth fortunes outside these mountains.

They grew as abundantly as wild grass in a field.

“We’ve struck gold!”

The thought flashed through all three grandmasters’ minds.

For the moment, they forgot that this was the territory of Crimson Pine Temple.

With a command from the grandmasters, disciples surged forward, greedily snatching at the rare herbs.

Even the Flower Sect maidens, usually so dignified, dashed for the nearest plants, lest they fall behind.

“Ah! There’s a snake!”

A sudden scream rang out.

Everyone turned toward the Flower Sect disciples, only to see that the herbs in their hands had transformed into shimmering, multicolored venomous snakes, flicking their tongues at them.

Instantly, every herb in everyone’s hands turned to serpents and insects, prompting terrified cries and hurriedly flung hands.

“Who is playing tricks here?”

The elderly woman was first to recover, barking a harsh demand.

The other two grandmasters frowned, eyes scanning their surroundings.

A melodious female voice rang out, “Taking without asking is theft! Did your parents never teach you this?”

Following the voice, they saw a white fox beside a young Daoist under a white plum tree, grinning at the crowd.

“That’s the strange beast!”

The white-robed archer’s eyes lit up at the sight and, without hesitation, drew his bow, heedless of the Daoist beside the fox.

“Whoosh!”

The arrow whistled, aimed straight at the fox’s eyes.

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