A Demon's Path Chapter 63

The pair brought forward was Xue Lian and Lan Xiuhua. They were Elder Xuan's youngest son and Elder Lan's daughter respectively.

"I defeated them, but what's that got to do with the poisoning?" Ling Xiao asked curiously.

"If it wasn't to fix my hand, my mother would've never agreed to that damned old bastard's proposal!" Lan Xiuhua spitted out hatefully.

Xue Lian also had a spiteful expression. "It's all thanks to you!"

Ling Xiao wasn't moved by the resentment from the duo. He could faintly guess the reason for their hatred toward him. "Your parents… defected?"

"That's right. Elder Lan, Elder Xue, and Elder Luo were in charge of the Sunken Wind Valley's food and logistics. They oversaw everything from buying and washing the vegetables to preparing the meals and putting them on the table."

If you force them to do such trifling matters, they'll defect sooner or later anyway! Fancy seeing you have the face to still say this! Ling Xiao silently cursed him.

Even though Ling Xiao didn't dare curse Shen Nanfeng aloud, he wouldn't just let this go without sounding some sort of protest. "This ought to have a direct relationship with Valley Master, right? Had you instructed someone to nurse their hands back to health, how could someone make use of their parents?"

Shen Nanfeng seemed to know Ling Xiao would say this. He explained in a very natural manner, "That is so. It was an error on my part. And to make up for it, I didn't kill them and will even nurture them with care. The deaths of their parents are on them alone, it has nothing to do with their children."

Many people quietly praised Shen Nanfeng for his benevolence. How could they have ever been so blind? Although people often said Shen Nanfeng seriously had a problem for covering up his shortcomings, that also meant he treated his own people with a lot of care, right? What was so wrong with that?

Ling Xiao was the only person who didn't feel this way. That was because Shen Nanfeng and he himself were of the same species. The only difference was at face value. Where Shen Nanfeng put on a front behind which he hid his real intentions, Ling Xiao simply couldn't be bothered to do so.

"You two should head back and recover. Be at ease. I, Shen Nanfeng, swear on my name as Valley Master that no one will bully you ever again for as long as I live," Shen Nanfeng swore in front of everyone. Xue Lian and Lan Xiuhua gratefully kowtowed toward him for this favour. After which they got up and left.

Most of the corpses had been carried away. There were only a few left, one of which Ling Xiao recognised. It was the Sect Master of the Sand Mound Sect, Chen Tao. He was the one who used the Soul Stone Plates. His death was mortifying. A huge cavity now replaced where his heart used to be. Even his arms and legs were chopped off!

Ling Xiao coldly smiled looking at the corpse. This is the only outcome for an asskisser!

There was a large number of wounded people in the arena. Elder Hua had escaped a long time ago to God knows where after poisoning the members of the Sunken Wind Valley. Afraid there were still defectors amongst their ranks, Shen Nanfeng didn't dare use Hua Que's subordinates at all.

Thankfully, most injuries were easier to treat than the poison. That didn't take away the worry for the Elders. They could only temporarily suppress the toxins in their bodies. If the antidote wasn't administered to them within three days, they would die; their soulforces would run dry and they would die.

A pill cultivator was what the Sunken Wind Valley needed most at this time.

Ling Xiao looked at the casualties strewn about before letting out a mischievous chuckle in Shen Nanfeng's direction. "Valley Master, how do you feel about making me an Elder in the Sunken Wind Valley?"

Those who heard Ling Xiao's question were all startled, except for Cheng Qiantai. He immediately understood what Ling Xiao was planning to do and couldn't help but admire his disciple's intelligence.

Ling Xiao wouldn't be offending Shen Nanfeng with this method, but it would also give him a perfectly legitimate reason to stay in the Northern Jade Sect. It was the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.

Xiao'er is really a good child. Such a person is hard to come by. Cheng Qiantai discarded the last shred of doubt he had toward Ling Xiao and nodded, praising his disciple's actions.

Shen Nanfeng expected Ling Xiao to make a request like this. He couldn't help but smile as he asked, "I wonder if Martial Nephew Ling Xiao is up to the task?"

Ling Xiao pointed at the wounded and said, "Leave all their injuries to me. As for the ones over there." Ling Xiao pointed in the direction of the Elders from the Sunken Wind Valley sitting in meditation. "I don't have the medicinal ingredients needed to dispel the poison in their systems. Even if I did, I'd need the help of five green ranked Elemental Celestial Soul Masters," Ling Xiao slowly concluded.

Even though Ling Xiao didn't say he could immediately dispel Hua Que's poison, the meaning behind his words were clear as day. As long as he had the manpower and ingredients, it wasn't impossible for him to dispel the poison!

How audacious! Countless doubtful gazes made their way to Ling Xiao's body. Even if they believed he was a talented Chain Soul Master, they didn't think for a second he could dispel Hua Que's poison at such a young age. Ling Xiao was only a red ranked youngster, whereas Hua Que was an experienced green ranked pill cultivator!

Shen Nanfeng actually had a small smile on his face. "Alright. What medicinal ingredients do you need? Don't hesitate to list everything you need. After this matter is sorted out, the empty spot Hua Que left will be yours."

Ling Xiao examined the wounded first before splitting them into two categories. The first group comprised those with superficial injuries, the second those with internal injuries.

"The medicinal ingredients this batch needs are: Winged Euonymus Twigs, Tender Catchweed Bedstraw Herbs, Radix Cudraniaes, Geckos, and Pangolins. These medicinal ingredients will clear out and activate their meridians which will serve to remedy their internal injuries. You can either decoct them or concoct them into medicinal pills. You don't need my help for this."

After Ling Xiao named the medicinal ingredients and methods of curing the internally injured, he pointed at the other group. "Their injuries can be treated with normal herbal hemostatic plasters or hemostatic powder."

Ling Xiao's familiarity with medicinal ingredients gradually dispelled the suspicions everyone held toward him. Their respect for him increasingly grew. Could this boy really be a genius medicine man too?

"As for the Elders," Ling Xiao had a stern look on his face. "I have most of the ingredients needed for the cure, but some of the main ingredients are rather troublesome."

"Dual Cedar Powder, Ice Boron Powder, Golden Powder, Grand Flights, Hibiscus Leaves, and Small Centipeda Herbs. I have all these." Ling Xiao looked at Shen Nanfeng. "I wonder whether the Sunken Wind Valley has the gall of a Thousand-Year Green Snake."

Shen Nanfeng was startled for a moment before he hastily asked the person in charge of buying medicinal ingredients, "Elder Chen, do we have the Thousand-Year Green Snake's gall in our Medicine Warehouse?"

"This… well, we don't…" Elder Chen was also poisoned. Even speaking cost him a lot of effort.

Elder Yue who was responsible for gathering information quickly interjected, "I hear… this kind of snake… lives on the Bearded Dragon Mountain… It's about 2,500 kilometers east of… Sunken Wind City…"

For such a short distance, a day would suffice to travel there and back. The largest portion of time would be spent locating the snake and retrieving its gall. It would most likely take at least a day and a half. Ling Xiao needed time to concoct the medicine too. Who knew how long that would take! Considering the Elders only had three days left at most, the situation looked grim.

Shen Mingfang suddenly spoke up, "I'll go. I'll return in less than half a day."

Shen Nanfeng grudgingly sighed. "Thank you for all your troubles, Aunt."

Shen Mingfang pointed at Ling Xiao and said, "Hey, boy. You're Ling Xiao, right? Follow me."

Ling Xiao was stunned. "What for?"

Shen Mingfang glared at him. "If you're not going to come along, how am I going to know which one is the Thousand-Year Green Snake?"

Ling Xiao couldn't stop himself from howling in grief. Great Aunt, it's not just you. I don't know either! I only said I wanted to eat chicken eggs, that doesn't mean I know which chicken laid the eggs!

In any case, Shen Mingfang would most likely kill all the snakes on the mountain and bring them back if he didn't follow her. Ling Xiao had no choice but to put on a brave face and comply to her wishes.

As the name implied, the Thousand-Year Green Snake was a large and thick snake with green skin. 'The Compendium of Heavenly Medicine' was lacking in one aspect. Some of the medicinal ingredients were from demonic and celestial beasts, yet the compendium only had a picture of their organs; it didn't contain a full description of the entire beast. At most there was a basic introduction. For example, it would describe the natural habitat of said beast, like a volcanic crater, below a crater at the bottom of the ocean, and so on.

"Master, I'll return as soon as possible. Make sure you rest up well here," Ling Xiao said to Cheng Qiantai.

"I will. Be careful."

Ling Xiao noticed Cheng Shi looked very pale and took out a pill. "Master, Mistress received immense shock. Take good care of her. This pill is to keep her shock in check."

A fierce glint promptly shone in Cheng Shi's eyes when she heard Ling Xiao bring up her name.

Cheng Qiantai didn't know the reason behind his wife's reaction, but he took the pill from Ling Xiao and said, "Go, Xiao'er."

It was as though the demons and gods were at work because Cheng Yu actually spoke up, "You stinky brat, quickly go and come back just as fast!"

Ling Xiao cheekily chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. Senior Sister, Senior Brother, please help me take care of Big Zhu and Little Zhu."

Cheng Yu felt embarrassed at the words that came from her mouth only a moment ago. With Ling Xiao changing the topic, she was freed from such embarrassment. "I will. Go along now."

"Sure," Ling Xiao responded before turning his head around. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw what was before him.

Shen Mingfang was suspended in mid-air on top of a square red rug.

"This toy can fly? How mystical!" This was the first time Ling Xiao saw a treasure that could fly.

Shen Mingfang was slightly anxious. After all, the life of the Elders of the Sunken Wind Valley were on the line! "Hurry up, get on!" she urged.

If you strip naked and get on the bed, I'll definitely jump on without hesitation. Humph! Ling Xiao thought maliciously.

Chapter end