Chapter 436: The Vanished Mortuary

After the physicians of Dan Saint Hall took over the acupuncture treatment, Hua Changxi found herself free.

"Steward Yun."

Hua Changxi approached Yun You, who was inspecting the various consultation tents.

Yun You was somewhat surprised: "Peak Lord Hua, is something the matter?"

Hua Changxi pointed at Yang Zhaoye, who was sitting cross-legged beneath the Fire Lotus: "Call that steward over as well. I'll brief you both on the overall condition of这批 wounded."

Yun You didn't quite understand why Hua Changxi had noticed Yang Zhaoye, but she complied and had someone summon him.

"Peak Lord Hua." Yang Zhaoye was also somewhat surprised by Hua Changxi's sudden request to see him.

Hua Changxi 'looked at' the Nascent Soul in his dantian, bound by ghostly qi, and furrowed her brow instinctively: "The Nanming Lihuo in the Fire Lotus won't be of much use for your injury—unless you can subdue the Nanming Lihuo and channel it into your dantian."

At these words, Yun You's expression changed, and Yang Zhaoye's heart also skipped a beat.

Yang Zhaoye looked at Hua Changxi, his eyes filled with wariness and caution: "Peak Lord Hua... knows about my injury?"

He was indeed severely injured, but he had told no one. After the people from Dan Saint Hall arrived, he hadn't sought any diagnosis from the physicians either.

Hua Changxi glanced sidelong at him, then at Yun You, who was clearly astonished, and said calmly: "Setting aside the fact that any physician knows the basics of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking—don't you know that there are such things as abnormal eyes in this world?"

Saying this, Hua Changxi scanned Yang Zhaoye up and down again: "Did you think you were hiding it well?"

Yang Zhaoye opened his mouth but was momentarily speechless.

Yun You knew Yang Zhaoye had been injured, but he usually acted as if nothing was wrong, so she had assumed his wound had already healed.

She didn't seize the moment to ask Yang Zhaoye why he had concealed his injury; instead, she directly addressed Hua Changxi: "Peak Lord Hua, is Steward Yang's injury serious? Please take the trouble to cure him—you must."

Hua Changxi was not deflected by Yun You's diversion and continued to look at Yang Zhaoye: "Why did you hide your injury?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid that someone else will take your steward position?"

Hearing such a blunt interrogation, Yang Zhaoye's face darkened, and his gaze toward Hua Changxi was no longer mild.

Yun You, however, changed expression drastically and stepped forward to defend Yang Zhaoye: "Peak Lord Hua, you misunderstand. Steward Yang is not that kind of person." Then she quickly changed the subject: "Is Steward Yang's injury very serious?"

Hua Changxi did not respond to Yun You. Instead, she continued looking at Yang Zhaoye: "Steward Yang hasn't answered my question yet."

Yang Zhaoye was somewhat resistant to Hua Changxi's assertiveness, his brows knotting: "This doesn't seem to have anything to do with Peak Lord Hua."

Hua Changxi curved the corner of her mouth: "It doesn't matter much. I'm just curious and wanted to ask."

Yun You spoke again: "Peak Lord Hua, Steward Yang is the steward of the Lingguang Hall Discipline Hall, a position of great responsibility. His failure to disclose his injury is for the sake of Lingguang Hall. As an outsider, please do not..."

"I just didn't want to lose my steward position."

Yang Zhaoye suddenly cut off Yun You's words. Under Yun You's astonished gaze, he continued: "I'm not that noble. I hid my injury not for the sake of Lingguang Hall, but for my own sake."

Yun You opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

Hua Changxi looked at Yang Zhaoye, her expression unchanged: "Aren't you afraid that if you can't control your injury, it will affect the operations of Lingguang Hall?"

Yang Zhaoye met Hua Changxi's eyes directly: "No. The Discipline Hall has ten deputy stewards, any one of whom can replace me."

Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow: "Ten deputy stewards? Did you train them?"

Yang Zhaoye said nothing.

Hua Changxi looked at Yun You: "Do the other departments have that many deputy stewards too?"

At this point, Yun You also realized that Hua Changxi was overly curious about Lingguang Hall's affairs. She had been certain that Hua Changxi wouldn't be the hall master, but now she was wavering again.

"No."

Yun You didn't want to reveal too many specifics about Lingguang Hall, so she gave only a vague answer.

Hua Changxi looked at the two of them, dropped the subject, and returned to discussing the injuries.

"You should mentally prepare yourselves. For this batch of wounded, clearing the ghostly qi is only the first step."

"What comes next—treating the foundational damage caused by the ghostly qi's erosion—is the real priority."

"For the wounded whose ghostly qi has only eroded the physical body, treatment is relatively easy."

"As for those casualties whose spiritual roots have been infiltrated and damaged by ghostly qi, they can also be treated, but the spiritual medicines required for the treatment are quite precious and will cost Lingguang Hall a considerable price."

Saying this, Hua Changxi again looked at Yang Zhaoye: "But for the casualties whose ghostly qi has penetrated into their dantian... the only treatment I can think of now is to subdue the Southern Bright Li Fire, then channel the Li Fire into the dantian to burn away the ghostly qi."

Upon hearing this, Yun You grew anxious: "Is this the only way?" How could an ordinary cultivator possibly subdue the Southern Bright Li Fire?

Hua Changxi nodded, looking at Yun You: "One person's ideas are limited. Go ask Pavilion Master Meng and the others; perhaps they have other methods."

After that, Yun You and Yang Zhaoye left with worried expressions.

Hua Changxi watched their retreating figures, her thoughts shifting away from the injuries of the Vermilion Bird Army, and began to ponder the purpose of the Ghost Fire Well's existence.

The reason Prince Shou could cultivate ghost clan techniques was most likely due to the Ghost Fire Well.

But the Ghost Fire Well is one of the twelve blessed caves and heavenly dwellings of Nanxiang City. Its existence should have some positive effect on the Vermilion Bird Army, not harm or threaten them.

So what exactly is the purpose of the Ghost Fire Well's existence?

Hua Changxi glanced at the physicians of the Elixir Saint Hall who were busy at work, called Jia Lu over to give a few instructions, and then quietly left Lingguang Hall.

"No, I must report your situation to the Hall Master."

After Yang Zhaoye told Yun You the full details of his injuries, Yun You immediately took out a communication talisman and prepared to report to Hua Changxi.

Watching Yun You send the message, Yang Zhaoye did not stop him: "It should be reported. In my current state, I am no longer fit to oversee the Discipline Hall."

Yun You paused for a moment, then comforted him: "We have to follow the Hall Master's arrangements. Don't overthink it. What you need to do now is find a way to treat your injuries."

Yang Zhaoye did not argue, but instead asked: "Do you think that Hua... Peak Lord is meddling in Lingguang Hall's affairs without restraint purely out of curiosity? Is she... really not our Hall Master?"

Yun You shook his head, rubbing his forehead: "I can't say for sure. Sometimes she feels like it, sometimes not." After a moment of silence, he continued editing the message.

On the other side, just as Hua Changxi quietly arrived at the mass grave, she received Yun You's message—regarding Yang Zhaoye's injury.

"Have him arrange the affairs of the Discipline Hall, then rest and recover properly." She did not remove Yang Zhaoye from his managerial position.

After replying, Hua Changxi began to patrol the mass grave.

In the depths of the mass grave, the "Fire Axe" she had condensed remained undiminished in power, indicating that no outsiders had approached during this time.

Hua Changxi looked at the concealment array left by the royal family, stopping to ponder for a long while.

The injuries of the Vermilion Bird Army had yet to be resolved, and the situation in the Elixir Saint Hall was uncertain due to the "Secret Realm Master's ascension." Now was not the time to explore the Ghost Fire Well.

After confirming that no one had set foot in the mass grave, Hua Changxi turned to leave.

However, just before stepping out of the boundary of the mass grave, she suddenly thought of the funeral parlor she had visited before and the black-eyed boy Jing Sheng. So she changed direction on a whim and made a trip to the funeral parlor.

Unfortunately, when she arrived, the once already dilapidated funeral parlor had completely collapsed, leaving only broken walls and hidden traces of the foundation to show that a funeral parlor had indeed once stood there.

Inside the funeral parlor, weeds grew rampant and cobwebs covered everything, with no sign of any living person having dwelt there.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi furrowed her brows. Where had the black-eyed boy Jing Sheng gone? Was he dead?