Chapter 817: I am Just a Medical Mechanic

“This thing...” Pang Huanyin picked up the handkerchief-like spirit artifact, examined it briefly, and nodded, saying, “This item is quite suitable.”

Although the refining technique was slightly different from those on the Peerless Continent and quite intricate, it was ultimately just a flying spirit artifact and useless in combat. While its quality wasn't exceptionally high, it should be very popular among women.

“I wouldn’t have guessed!” Pang Huanyin glanced at Lu Ye teasingly, evidently having misunderstood something.

Lu Ye couldn't be bothered to explain to her.

“I’ll take this item; consider it borrowed from you.” Pang Huanyin put away the handkerchief, her expression solemn, and said, “Don’t worry, I will protect you.”

Pang Huanyin’s expression immediately turned strange. No one had ever spoken to her like that, from childhood to now. In Mount Sumeru, and indeed across the entire Peerless Continent, she was the strongest cultivator. She was always the one protecting others, and no one had ever been qualified to say they would protect her.

“What I mean is, whatever you need to do, do it quickly. You might not get another chance later!”

Lu Ye nodded.

The item had already been given to Ying Wuji beforehand, so Lu Ye didn't need to do anything. He trusted Ying Wuji to handle it.

Pang Huanyin soon departed.

By evening, a Mount Sumeru cultivator arrived to invite them, saying that Liu Zhenguan had prepared a banquet to welcome the three guests.

Pang Huanyin readily agreed, leading Lu Ye and Elder Xiao, and followed the cultivator towards another spirit peak.

A short while later, inside the grand hall of that spirit peak, Liu Zhenguan rose to greet them, followed by a host of Mount Sumeru powerhouses.

They exchanged greetings, and the host and guests were amiable.

However, with Lu Ye's powerful perception, he naturally sensed the many hidden auras, both overt and covert, in the grand hall. He knew Pang Huanyin was right; Mount Sumeru couldn't ignore the previous events and would certainly cause trouble. Describing the current hall as a 'dragon's pond and tiger's den' would not be an exaggeration.

Everyone entered the hall and took their seats.

Regardless of Liu Zhenguan's true character, he appeared incredibly generous on the surface, easily giving people a sense of familiarity.

Under his loud calls and greetings, everyone raised their cups, and the atmosphere was lively.

After three rounds of wine, Pang Huanyin smiled and said, “We arrived in a hurry and didn’t know Mountain Lord Liu was about to celebrate a joyous occasion. We didn't prepare anything, so this is just a small token of our regard. We hope Mountain Lord Liu won't mind.”

As she spoke, she gestured with a tilt of her head.

Elder Xiao, sitting below her, stood up and stepped forward, holding an exquisite box.

Liu Zhenguan laughed heartily, “Palace Master Pang, you’re too kind! Isn't it a coincidence? I was just about to get married, and Palace Master Pang arrived. This truly is a double blessing! Hahaha!”

He laughed freely, and the Mount Sumeru cultivators naturally joined in, creating a seemingly harmonious atmosphere.

“And what might be in this box?” Liu Zhenguan asked casually.

Pang Huanyin replied, “Mountain Lord Liu, as the master of a mountain, you surely lack nothing. So, the contents of this box are not for you, but for your future wife. As for what it is... it's just something for women to use. Let your esteemed wife take a look, and she'll know. I believe she'll like it.”

Liu Zhenguan was slightly surprised and raised a hand, saying, “In that case, send it to the inner chambers.”

“Yes!” Immediately, a female cultivator resembling a maid stepped forward, took the box from Elder Xiao's hands, held it with both hands, exited the main hall, and flew away.

Dozens of miles away from this spirit peak, on another spirit peak, stood a secluded palace. Late at night, in a side room deep within the palace, two female figures were present.

One was tall and beautiful, while the other was plump and had a quiet demeanor.

Inside, the candlelight flickered faintly. The tranquil woman sat by the table, idly prodding the lampwick, looking utterly bored.

The other, tall woman sat opposite her, staring at her speechlessly: “Liu Zhenguan is coming to marry you in three days. Aren't you worried?”

They had not known each other long and were not particularly close, but they both hailed from Kyushu and had been sent here by the Kyushu Heavenly Secret. With others nowhere to be seen, they had been together and should act in concert. Therefore, no matter her stance, she did not wish to see her companion truly marry someone from the Peerless Continent.

“What’s the use of being anxious?” The tranquil, gentle-as-water woman smiled softly. “Are you going to lead me in a charge out of here?”

The woman opposite shook her head, “Don’t count on that. While I’m confident I can escape alone, it would be absolutely impossible if I brought you along.”

“So, there's no use in hurrying. Let's wait and see.”

“If I had known this, I wouldn’t have come to Mount Sumeru,” the tall woman sighed.

Upon arriving in the Peerless Continent, the two met. Since the other was a medical cultivator, even though her cultivation was lower, she protected her well, knowing there might be a time when she would need her help. Together, they gathered much information about this world and finally set their sights on the three great human secret realms. They believed others might have the same idea, so to gather with others, they would need to use the power of a secret realm.

As it happened, just as they were worried about not finding a secret realm entrance, they encountered several cultivators in the wilderness who were about to perish at the hands of the Corpse Tribe. The tall woman saved their lives, and the gentle woman neutralized the primordial corpse poison within them. Those cultivators were immediately stunned, regarding the gentle woman as a celestial being. The primordial corpse poison had been incurable for thousands of years, and they had never imagined anyone could resolve it. This made them realize the immense value of the gentle woman, and they immediately extended an invitation for them to enter Mount Sumeru. The two women had already intended to do so, so they naturally went along with it.

However, coming was easy, but leaving now proved difficult. Especially Liu Zhenguan, who intended to use this marriage as a binding tie, keeping the gentle woman permanently on Mount Sumeru to serve it. Ideally, he wanted her to spread the method of resolving primordial corpse poison, so that Mount Sumeru would no longer fear it in the future! Otherwise, why would Liu Zhenguan act this way? If it were simply about liking beautiful women, Mount Sumeru certainly didn't lack them.

“I always feel like you’re up to something. Tell me, what are your plans?” The tall woman scrutinized the figure opposite her.

A woman's intuition was always sharp. After spending these days together, she had a persistent feeling that this medical cultivator, who seemed harmless and only knew how to heal, was far from as simple as she appeared.

“I’m just a medical cultivator, what schemes could I possibly have?” The woman smiled gently.

A moth suddenly flew towards the candlelight, instantly turning to ash.

The gentle woman raised an eyebrow and looked across at her: “How about you marry him in my place?”

The tall woman snorted, “Dream on! Don’t say I didn’t warn you; if you have any plans, discuss them with me early so I’m not caught off guard and unable to cooperate.”

“I don’t have any plans…”

“Someone’s coming!”

The two women immediately fell silent.

A moment later, a knocking sound echoed.

The gentle woman stood up and opened the door. Outside stood a female cultivator, holding an exquisite box with both hands.

“What is this?” She lowered her gaze.

“Today, several distinguished guests arrived at the mountain. This is a gift from them for madam.”

“Distinguished guests?” The gentle woman was surprised. Given the current situation on the Peerless Continent, where most secret realms had closed their doors, where could distinguished guests come from? And for Mount Sumeru, anyone deemed a distinguished guest would likely be an important figure from one of the other two secret realms.

“Who came?” the gentle woman asked.

The female cultivator hesitated slightly, unsure whether to speak.

“If you don’t say, take the item back!” The tall woman snorted, her face stern.

The female cultivator sighed and replied truthfully, “It’s Palace Master Pang Huanyin of Ziwei Dao Palace.”

Indeed, it was one of the other two secret realms, and none other than the master of Ziwei Dao Palace!

The gentle woman accepted the gift, asked no more questions, and the female cultivator withdrew.

After the female cultivator left, the tall woman suddenly spoke, “How about I try to find that Palace Master Pang and ask her to rescue you?”

“This is Mount Sumeru. Even people from Ziwei Dao Palace must abide by its rules here. It’s impossible for them to offend Mount Sumeru for my sake.”

“Others might not be worth Ziwei Dao Palace’s intervention, but you are different. If Ziwei Dao Palace knew you had the ability to resolve primordial corpse poison, they might very well be tempted!”

The gentle woman shook her head. “Even if they are tempted, the Palace Master of Ziwei Dao Palace is unlikely to take such risks.”

The tall woman considered this and realized it was true. A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. As long as the people from Ziwei Dao Palace had a modicum of sense, they wouldn't grant their wishes. They didn't know each other previously and had no special relationship.

“Aren’t you going to look at what it is?” The tall woman gazed at the exquisite box on the table.

“Look if you want; it’s probably nothing special anyway.”

No sooner had she spoken than the tall woman opened the box and took something out.

“Oh?” She couldn’t help but show a surprised expression, looking at the gift in her hand. “This thing…”

Noticing the unusual tone in her voice, the gentle woman also looked up. She had expected some extraordinary treasure to cause such astonishment in the other woman, but upon seeing it, it was just a handkerchief-shaped spirit artifact.

She froze for a moment because this item... looked very familiar!

“Let me see!” She reached out for it.

The tall woman handed the handkerchief over.

The gentle woman took it, examining it closely, her beautiful eyes showing confusion. “This is... a Flying Cloud Scarf?”

There were many styles of flying spirit artifacts used by cultivators in Kyushu, but the most common were those shaped like spirit boats, due to their convenience. If female cultivators preferred aesthetics, there were other styles to choose from, such as the flower-basket-shaped Sky-Soaring Basket or the handkerchief-style Flying Cloud Scarf.

When she chose her own flying spirit artifact, she had to decide between the Sky-Soaring Basket and the Flying Cloud Scarf, ultimately opting for the former.

But she was no stranger to the Flying Cloud Scarf.

Thus, she recognized it at a glance as a Flying Cloud Scarf, and moreover, something from the Kyushu Heavenly Secret Treasury!