Chapter 527: There Is Another One

Masked Man asked, "His master?"

The man in black replied, "Yes! Teng Qingxing is considered top‑tier among onmyōji, but the only one truly worthy of being called a master is his master."

"But… if it's just a city, I'm afraid we can't summon the founding patriarch of onmyōji."

Masked Man said without hesitation, "Go at once to invite him, tell him of Teng Qingxing's tragic state, and say that if he agrees to come, whether the matter succeeds or not, I will grant him ten cities!"

The man in black was startled, "Sir, what courage! Yes! I will go immediately."

Masked Man watched the black‑clad man's retreating back and asked, "What secret does that child truly hide?"

"Whether it can be used by me? No matter the cost, I must find out."

Early the next morning, at Xibei Daying.

Tuan Tuan cradled a plate of snacks, tiptoed into the old man's tent and said, "Grandfather, I brought you some tasty treats!"

"Put them down," the old man laughed at her cute figure, "I allow you to come and go as you wish; why are you still like this?"

Tuan Tuan set the snacks down, "I was afraid you were still asleep!"

She stepped before the old man, "Grandfather, when will my mother's illness be cured?"

"Soon, with me here, what have you to worry about?"

Tuan Tuan paced inside the tent, looking here and there.

The old man watched Xiao Tuanzi wandering around his domain and found it very amusing.

"By the way, little kid…"

"Tuan Tuan!" Tuan Tuan interrupted him, "Grandfather, can you call me by my name? I am called Tuan Tuan!"

"The round, plump Tuan Tuan!"

The old man laughed, "Alright, Tuan Tuan!"

"Hey!" Tuan Tuan replied crisply.

"Come over here to grandpa." The old man gestured, and Tuan Tuan bounded up to him.

The old man looked at her, "You said you saw the Jiǔqīng Spirit Leaf in Sacred Medicine Valley?"

"Yes!"

"How did you get into Sacred Medicine Valley? The Jiǔqīng Spirit Leaf is no ordinary spirit herb; even in Sacred Medicine Valley, not everyone can see it."

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips, "Because Uncle Wang was poisoned! Divine Doctor Grandfather said…"

The old man was stunned, "Divine Doctor Grandfather? Which Divine Doctor?"

Tuan Tuan nodded, "It's Divine Doctor Mo, the rejuvenating hand! He said Uncle Wang's poison can only be cured by the Jiǔqīng Spirit Leaf, so I dragged him along."

The old man's surprise deepened, "Mo Zhanggeng? Do you know Mo Zhanggeng?"

Tuan Tuan looked odd, "Of course! He keeps wanting me to take him as master!"

The old man surveyed Xiao Tuanzi from head to toe, "Mo Zhanggeng is a world‑renowned famed physician; he wants to take you as a disciple, yet you still haven't agreed?"

Tuan Tuan said matter‑of‑factly, "Right! I don't want to be a doctor!"

"Now he's in my women's barracks, teaching many young ladies medical skills!"

The old man was bewildered, "Women's barracks? What kind of thing is that? You mean that old Mo gathered a bunch of female disciples?"

Tuan Tuan gave him a sidelong glance, "Women's barracks is not a gimmick! It's a place where hungry young ladies learn a trade, and I'm the Jiziu of the women's barracks!"

"What does it matter that he teaches girls? He can produce countless female doctors, saving countless people— isn't that good? It's far better than teaching me!"

The old man stared at Tuan Tuan, his heart shaking violently.

This child! At such a young age, she already has such a broad mind!

Tuan Tuan lifted her tiny hand and waved it before his eyes, "Grandfather, what are you thinking?"

The old man snapped back to his senses, "Then when you went to Sacred Medicine Valley, how did you see the Jiǔqīng Spirit Leaf? I heard it's a treasure of the valley, never given out lightly."

Tuan Tuan gave a sly smile and excitedly told him how she entered the secret realm of Sacred Medicine Valley to plant spirit herbs, and how she harvested all the herbs there.

The old man's eyes widened instantly, "You, you and old Mo together cut all the spirit herbs away?"

"Yes! There were so many spirit herbs just growing there for nothing, unable to help anyone."

"I left some of each, didn't pull them all out."

The old man looked at Tuan Tuan, his expression odd.

Tuan Tuan stared at him and asked, "Grandfather, what's wrong with you now?"

The old man suddenly burst into loud laughter, "Hahaha…"

He laughed more merrily, "That kid Xue Jin, isn't he just going to be heart‑broken? Hahaha!"

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head, "Grandfather, you know Xue Jin?"

The old man swallowed his laughter, "I know him, know him well; not only him, I also know Xue Zhiyou."

"Oh! Xue Zhiyou, he and his father finally managed to find Auntie, and the whole family returned to Sacred Medicine Valley together."

The old man's brows twitched, "Auntie?"

Tuan Tuan nodded, "Yes, Auntie is from the Black Medicine Sect, but she's not a bad person!"

The old man looked puzzled, "Black Medicine Sect again? How did Xue Jin get involved with them?"

Tuan Tuan thought for a moment, then turned and ran.

The old man shouted, "Where are you going?"

Tuan Tuan had already fled the tent, "I'm going to call Third Brother! I can't explain!"

The old man was both amused and exasperated, "This child!"

Soon, Tuan Tuan returned dragging Xiao Ningxun, "Third Brother, Grandfather wants to hear about the Black Medicine Sect; could you tell him?"

Xiao Ningxun bowed respectfully and gave a brief account of the Black Medicine Sect, "Grandfather, I, your junior, know little about the Black Medicine Sect."

"What we know now is only that the Black Medicine Sect colludes with the Nether Abyss Summit."

Netherworld Peak uses Gu Worms to control others, while the Black Medicine Sect solely seeks to control people's life and death.

The old man muttered, "Controlling life and death... I see now!"

Xiao Ningxun's heart stirred, he clasped his fists and said, "Old sir, do you know about the Black Medicine Sect?"

The old man sighed, "I once advised against it back then; to rashly seek to control people's life and death is to defy heaven, and must not be done."

"It's a pity, this person is as obstinate as Cheng Jing, not listening to a single word."

Tuan Tuan asked, "Grandpa, who are you talking about?"

The old man looked at the siblings and said, "I am Xue Tong, father of Xue Jin."

Tuan Tuan let out an 'ah', counted on his fingers, and said, "You're Xue Jin's father? Then you must be Xue Zhiyu's grandfather."

Xue Tong laughed, "Exactly!"

Xiao Ningxun rose, bowed deeply to the ground, and said, "I didn't expect the senior to actually be the Old Valley Master of the Sacred Medicine Valley; my apologies for the disrespect."

Xue Tong snorted, "I find those empty titles most tiresome."

"Rather than waiting in the Sacred Medicine Valley for people to come seeking treatment, it's better to wander the world, see more difficult and miscellaneous ailments; otherwise, how can one improve?"

"Back when we studied medicine together, besides Cheng Jing, there was another."

"Looking back now, after I left, they not only didn't go their separate ways, but have remained entangled to this day."