Chapter 14: Elder Sister Qinqru Is the Potent Medicine

The sky gradually darkened, and the candlelight was lit.

Just finished dinner, Jiang Yunzhou was practicing in the room the techniques he had mastered with his fleshly body.

What Mr. Dong Fu said was right; these two rare secret manuals are indeed exceptional.

Even though he couldn't exert full strength indoors, he could already imagine the power of the moves when fully unleashed.

The Breaking Heaven Spear Technique—though he had no spear in hand, his years of needle experience allowed him to fully concentrate his energy at his fingertips, even to unleash it with needle techniques.

By adapting it and testing with paper dummies, he could completely refine it into his own unique finger technique.

He might, after Lu Xiaofeng and Kato, pioneer a new fingertip art.

While Jiang Yunzhou was familiarizing himself with the technique, the west-side door was opened again.

The footsteps were much lighter and steadier, not hurried like Xiao Bai Zhi's.

Jiang Yunzhou had just put away the paper dummy when he heard the door softly open, followed by Elder Sister Qinqru's gentle voice:

"Yunzhou, take your medicine."

The Tiger-Wolf Medicine paired with this voice bore no resemblance to Pan Jinlian forcing Wu Dalong to drink poison; it was more like Pan Jinlian giving Ximen Qing a tonic in the late night.

Opening the door, he saw Shen Qingru standing outside, wearing a green ruyi cloud-pattern shirt.

Unlike the emerald green long skirt she wore by day, this cloud-pattern shirt was quite tight, binding a pair of cute rabbits in a way that made them seem about to burst forth.

Shen Qingru wore this outfit not for any particular reason, but simply for convenience while brewing medicine.

One could see that sweat had almost soaked through the front of Shen Qingru's cloud-pattern shirt, and the beads of sweat on her forehead had dampened the hair at her temples.

Shen Qingru held a white porcelain medicine jar full of liquid, with two small bowls placed on top.

"Why trouble Elder Sister Qinqru to personally brew the medicine? Give me the prescription, and I'll handle it myself."

Shen Qingru entered, set the medicine jar on the table, wiped her sweat, and said:

"What? I can't still reward you, this great hero? I wouldn't trust others to handle it. This Yin‑Dispelling Yang‑Boosting Medicine must be taken hot; once cooled, its potency drops sharply."

Jiang Yunzhou dared not disappoint her good intentions.

He poured out the medicine, blew on it to cool it slightly, then drank several bowls in succession, emptying the jar.

The medicine had no bitterness; it was sweet with a hint of fishiness.

Going down like liquor, a fiery heat surged from his throat to his abdomen, instantly wrapping his body in warmth—but instead of fading, the warmth intensified, gradually turning into a scorching heat.

Jiang Yunzhou had taken medicinal soups since childhood under his master's aid, but he had never felt such an extreme effect—perhaps his master understood his condition better.

Although the Yin‑Dispelling Yang‑Boosting Medicine isn't a specialized aphrodisiac, it is still a Tiger‑Wolf Medicine, and thus carries considerable potency.

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou's face flush and his breathing grow heavy, Shen Qingru advised:

"If you feel scorching heat throughout your body, try to disperse this scorching energy to every part; the longer the sensation lasts, the more evident the boost to pure Yang energy will be."

Jiang Yunzhou sat at the table, circulating his qi, attempting to disperse the restless energy throughout his body.

But perhaps he had taken too much, and besides, his innate pure Yang energy was immensely strong; even dispersed, the scorching heat remained unbearable.

Shen Qingru was also brewing this medicine for the first time, because the imperial palace had no one practicing the Child's Skill.

Thinking to let Yunzhou first adapt to the medicine's effects, she used only a modest amount this time.

Yet she hadn't expected that even so, Yunzhou's reaction would be this great—his expression grave, even slightly painful.

Shen Qingru reached out and touched Jiang Yunzhou's forehead, finding it rather hot.

She had already reduced the dosage considerably—how could the reaction be so strong?

"Yunzhou, stay still; I'll help you draw out some of it."

Jiang Yunzhou's eyes widened in surprise at her words, and he asked doubtfully:

"Draw... draw out? How to draw it out?"

Shen Qingru stepped behind Jiang Yunzhou, exerted force with both hands, placed her jade hands on his back, and said:

"Draw out some of the restless pure Yang energy within you, and you'll feel better."

"Oh, this kind of draw‑out—I thought it meant drawing out the medicinal liquid."

The internal energy cultivated by ordinary people never exceeds the Five Phases of Yin and Yang; Shen Qingru's energy belongs to Wood, which is half Yin, half Yang, and combined with her gentle energy, it can neutralize and dispel the surging energy, which should stabilize Jiang Yunzhou's condition.

But no one expected that, as soon as the energies connected, the scalding pure Yang energy that couldn't escape surged directly into Shen Qingru's body.

Shen Qingru felt as if she had grabbed a red‑hot steel pillar with both hands.

"Hn!"

Startled, Shen Qingru hastily withdrew her hands, but it was too late; the surging pure Yang energy knocked her backward.

Her meridians disrupted, her legs went limp, and she toppled backward.

Jiang Yunzhou naturally noticed the energy leaking out; hearing the faint groan behind him, he hurriedly turned to support the nearly falling Shen Qingru.

Before Shen Qingru hit the ground, he embraced her and placed his arm beneath her as a cushion.

Nevertheless, due to inertia, they both ended up lightly falling to the ground.

Her soft, warm body pressed against his arm, and Jiang Yunzhou inadvertently leaned onto her as well; the wonderful sensation was faithfully transmitted back.

Jiang Yunzhou was not inexperienced in his previous life, but this lifetime's body is truly pure and chaste.

Moreover, the medicine's effect had just taken hold; Jiang Yunzhou was already hard‑pressed by the heat, now finding it even harder to restrain himself.

In this situation, seeing Shen Qingru collapsed before him was like finding a spring in the desert, or a Peach Blossom Spring in the wilderness.

The fallen Shen Qingru regained consciousness, about to ask why Jiang Yunzhou's internal energy was so strong, when she saw him supporting his body, trying not to lie on her, panting heavily, his eyes blood‑red as he stared at her.

That gaze was like a starving beast eyeing its prey.

Shen Qingru knew the prescription, so she naturally understood the cause of Jiang Yunzhou's reaction.

The yang‑boosting component in the medicine can make one's essence‑blood energy restless; she had thought that, with her present, she could guide Jiang Yunzhou to suppress his inner pure Yang energy.

But she hadn't anticipated that his energy would be so formidable; under its influence, the rising essence‑blood naturally produced an effect akin to bewitchment, which is quite normal.

Jiang Yunzhou strained himself not to fall forward and enjoy the warmth, yet even at this distance, sniffing her faint fragrance left him somewhat dazed and bewildered.

Shen Qingru also didn't dare act rashly, fearing to stir Jiang Yunzhou into qi deviation, so she could only blush and let him hold her.

After a while, seeing Jiang Yunzhou's condition somewhat stable, the equally nervous Shen Qingru swallowed and called out softly:

"Yunzhou? Yunzhou?"

Hearing Senior Sister Qingru's call, Jiang Yunzhou's consciousness finally returned a bit, and he shook his head firmly.

Opening his eyes again, he found he had actually pressed Senior Sister Qingru to the ground, and hastily gritted his teeth, rose, and stepped back:

"Sorry, Senior Sister Qingru, my mind isn't quite clear; you should go out first."

How could Shen Qingru feel at ease leaving Jiang Yunzhou alone?

Besides, the reason I was blown away just now was mainly that I hadn't expected Jiang Yunzhou's pure yang energy to be so formidable; this time I'm prepared.

So Shen Qingru also sat up straight, gathered power in her palms, and lightly patted Jiang Yunzhou's chest.

The surging pure yang energy again flooded into his body, but this time Shen Qingru was ready.

Letting the scorching energy flow through his meridians into his body, even though it felt extremely uncomfortable, Shen Qingru persisted; fortunately, the wood-attributed energy's nature is to strengthen and repair, barely able to fend off the successive onslaughts of Jiang Yunzhou's internal energy.

Jiang Yunzhou also seized the opportunity to regulate his breath, finally suppressing the restless energy within him.

Feeling Jiang Yunzhou's internal energy return to calm, Shen Qingru finally released her grip, her body somewhat weak, leaning against his chest.

Feeling the warm orchid-scented breath against his chest, Jiang Yunzhou hastily embraced the exhausted Shen Qingru.

The latter, thinking Jiang Yunzhou's essence and blood were surging again, frightened, reached out to dodge:

"No no no......"

"Senior Sister Qingru, it's fine, it's fine, I've regained my senses."

Upon hearing that, Shen Qingru finally relaxed and said:

"I didn't expect your energy to be so formidable; next time I must halve the dosage again, or else......"

"Or else one day you won't be able to hold back, and I estimate you won't even get a chance to cry for help."

Jiang Yunzhou lifted Shen Qingru, not daring to keenly feel the softness transmitted through his arms, seated her in a chair, and then joked:

"If I may say, Senior Sister Qingru, you're the potent medicine; if it weren't for you beside me, I wouldn't have had my qi and blood surge to this extent."