Chapter 20: She Is Lying

Ji Muzhi took another look at Cheng Xi, then said, "Chief, this young lady has been weak since birth and has never been properly cared for. Her chronic illnesses have accumulated over time, leading to a frail constitution that cannot withstand tonics."

Li Zhi'an looked at Ji Muzhi suspiciously, "Is what you say true?"

Given the way Cheng Xi had brandished a blade to kill, she didn't look like someone with long-standing chronic illnesses at all.

"Of course it's true." Ji Muzhi gritted his teeth; even the Chief could not question his professional standards as an Alchemist. Could he possibly be lying?

"But not long ago, she injured several bandits, and today at Tianwei Tea House, she used Draw Talismans in Mid-Air to block the Four-Eyed Demon Fox's path. Although it was only for an instant, you're telling me someone with such ability is physically weak?" Li Zhi'an's dark eyes stared at Ji Muzhi.

"My lord, is what you say true?" Ji Muzhi looked astonished. "How is that possible? Her pulse does not suggest she could perform such a feat; it is truly strange. Has this young lady awakened a talent?"

Li Zhi'an stared at him with an expression that suggested he was looking at an idiot.

Ji Muzhi:...

He forgot, the Chief just said this young lady used Draw Talismans in Mid-Air...

"Draw Talismans in Mid-Air?" Ji Muzhi's eyes were full of disbelief. In the Tongtian Division, only Ji Guanqi could perform Draw Talismans in Mid-Air.

This young lady is a talent.

Ji Muzhi's expression immediately turned solemn, "Chief, this young lady has great potential; she must be well cared for."

Li Zhi'an:?

What kind of nonsense are you spouting!

How to care for her is the Cheng Family's business; what does it have to do with him?

"Care for her well, how exactly?" Li Zhi'an asked; he was merely curious.

"She cannot withstand tonics and her foundation is weak. The only way to handle such frailty right now is to care for her well. She cannot be overworked and must be kept in good spirits. Otherwise, given her current state, it will be extremely troublesome if she tries to cultivate in the future. One must lay a good foundation before building a house."

Li Zhi'an's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeves and left.

Is this raising a person or raising an ancestor!

Ji Muzhi chased after him, shouting as he ran, "Chief, if this young lady is cared for well, she might live another twenty or thirty years. If she isn't, it's hard to say how long she'll last."

Li Zhi'an's footsteps stopped, his dark eyes locking onto Ji Muzhi.

Under the Chief's gaze, the hair on Ji Muzhi's body stood on end. He only cherished talent, which was why he had added that extra remark. "Chief, please pretend I said nothing. I will go back and rewrite the prescription."

"Stop! Is she so weak simply because she was born frail and hasn't been properly cared for?"

"Chief, that is all I can see. If there are other reasons, we must wait for the young lady to speak for herself, or you could invite the Inspector to take a look." Ji Muzhi did not dare to joke this time and spoke very seriously.

Li Zhi'an did not speak, and Ji Muzhi did not dare to say anything more, quietly retreating.

He wrote out a new prescription, deliberated carefully, and then went to prepare and decoct the medicine himself.

Such a great talent, yet... Heaven is jealous of gifted people.

Cheng Xi slept in a daze, constantly dreaming. In her dreams, her past and present lives were mixed together. The dreamscape was bizarre and grotesque; faces of people, demons, and ghosts slammed toward her. She gripped her Sword, wanting to slash out, only to find her Sword was gone...

That's right, her Sword had shattered.

If not for the shattered Sword and her injuries, how could she have failed to stabilize her soul during the transmigration?

Not knowing how long she had slept, Cheng Xi finally opened her eyes slowly.

The room was very quiet. She steadied her mind and remembered why she had fainted. If her enemies from her previous life saw this—that she had been knocked unconscious by a single claw from a mere Four-Eyed Demon Fox—they would surely laugh themselves to death.

A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs; a dragon stranded in the shallows is teased by shrimp.

She propped herself up with her arms, immediately feeling soreness all over her body, and gasped.

"You're awake. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?"

Cheng Xi stiffened and turned to look at the person sitting by the window.

She saw him with his arms crossed, his gaze calm, his brows slightly furrowed, looking impatient.

"Chief Li, why are you here?" Cheng Xi asked. Only then did she realize she was not at Cheng Fu. "Where is this?"

"Tongtian Division," Li Zhi'an said as he stood up.

Tongtian Division?

"Chief Li saved me?" Cheng Xi remembered Li Zhi'an arriving in time to capture the Four-Eyed Demon Fox, but she did not know he had also saved her and brought her back to the Tongtian Division.

"It was just on the way." Li Zhi'an watched as Cheng Xi's complexion improved after taking the Nourishing Spirit Pill, no longer as pale as before, and then he walked toward the door. "Come eat once you're awake."

One must follow the rules when on someone else's territory. Cheng Xi got up to wash and saw a set of new clothes hanging on the rack outside. She thought to herself that Li Zhi'an, a grown man, was quite attentive.

It was a goose-yellow shirt and skirt made of fine silk, soft and comfortable to wear. She faced the Mirror and simply coiled her hair into a bun; she didn't know how to do anything too complex.

Once ready, she left the room, followed the path through the hall, and reached the front parlor, where the table was filled with steaming hot food.

Cheng Xi immediately felt hungry. As soon as she entered, Jiang Boyu asked, "Eldest Miss Cheng, how are you feeling today? Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable? Yesterday's matter was all thanks to you, otherwise, the Four-Eyed Demon Fox might have escaped again."

"It was just a coincidence," Cheng Xi said, taking her seat. "Why did the Four-Eyed Demon Fox run off again? Was the Incense Bait I gave you not effective?"

Jiang Boyu said somewhat embarrassedly, "No, Eldest Miss Cheng's Incense Bait was very effective; it was exactly what lured it out. But the creature was just too alert. A Division Guard was a bit impatient and moved too much, making just a slight noise, and it ran away."

"Eat first." Li Zhi'an's eyes lingered on Cheng Xi's clothes for a moment, then he ladled a bowl of porridge for her. "Ji Muzhi said you should drink more porridge to nourish your stomach and eat less cold or raw food." As he spoke, he used serving chopsticks to place a fried dumpling into the small dish in front of her.

"Who is Ji Muzhi?" Cheng Xi asked curiously.

"A physician of the Tongtian Division," Li Zhi'an said.

Jiang Boyu:...

If Ji Muzhi knew this, he would surely jump up; a perfectly good Alchemist had become a physician.

Cheng Xi nodded and lowered her head to drink the porridge. The porridge was boiled until soft, glutinous, and sweet. She took a bite of the fried dumpling; it was savory and delicious, with the bottom golden-brown and crispy.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, Cheng Xi felt her entire body become comfortable.

Last time she came to the Tongtian Division, she ended up in the dungeon; she hadn't expected to be at the dining table this time.

"Draw Talismans in Mid-Air, was that also taught by your Master?"

Li Zhi'an spoke suddenly. Cheng Xi paused, swallowed the porridge in her mouth, and then looked up to meet his somewhat sharp gaze. She tilted her head slightly and revealed a faint smile, "Yes."

Jiang Boyu did not notice the subtle atmosphere between the two and said from the side, "Eldest Miss Cheng, you know that even in the Tongtian Division, only one person can perform Draw Talismans in Mid-Air. It's truly unexpected that you, Eldest Miss, have such ability at such a young age."

Cheng Xi's brow twitched, but she said with an indifferent expression, "Is that difficult? My Master said it was just a petty trick. He even complained that I learned too slowly and scolded me for being incredibly dull."

Jiang Boyu nearly jumped up; the Eldest Miss was extraordinary, and the Eldest Miss's Master was even more extraordinary.

A skill like Draw Talismans in Mid-Air was nothing but a petty trick to them!

Li Zhi'an's eyes landed on the corners of Cheng Xi's lips, which were slightly curved, carrying a hint of small craftiness.

Yet that idiot Jiang Boyu didn't even hear that she was lying!