177: Conditions of Medicine King Valley

Dinner at Bamboo Rhyme Residence was simple yet exquisite: a few medicinal side dishes and a pot of spiritual rice porridge. It was fragrant upon entry and had a subtle effect of nourishing blood and Qi. However, all four of them were eating distractedly; Xiao Chun barely managed a few sips of porridge, her eyes frequently darting toward the door.

Just as dinner was finishing, the sound of footsteps finally echoed from outside the courtyard again.

This time, it wasn't a medicine boy but a middle-aged Deacon dressed in the deep blue attire of the Law Enforcement Hall. His expression was cold and stern, his gaze sharp, and a token engraved with the word "Law" hung at his waist. His aura was heavy and settled, revealing a cultivation at the Early Stage Martial King level.

"Qin Feng, Xiao Chun?" The Deacon's voice was as cold and hard as the man himself.

"That is us." Qin Feng stood up, and Xiao Chun followed, nervously clutching Qin Feng's sleeve.

The Deacon's gaze swept over the two of them as he said indifferently, "Elder Yi has given an order. Considering the deep bond between master and disciple and that you have come from afar, Chu Tianhe's daughter, Xiao Chun, is permitted to visit the Cold Spring Cave at Self-Reflection Cliff for ten minutes. This is limited to one person; follow me immediately."

Only letting Xiao Chun go? And for only ten minutes?

Xia Ya's brow furrowed, and a flicker of coldness flashed in Ji Ruxue's eyes. These conditions were so harsh they were almost an insult.

Xiao Chun, however, acted as if she had caught a lifeline, nodding repeatedly. "I'll go! I'll go!" She looked at Qin Feng, her eyes full of pleading.

Qin Feng suppressed the displeasure in his heart and said in a deep voice, "May I ask, Deacon, is it only a visit? Does Elder Yi have anything else to say regarding reducing my Master's punishment?"

The Deacon glanced at Qin Feng, his tone remaining flat. "Elder Yi said that if you wish to reduce Chu Tianhe's sentence, you must complete three class a missions or ten class b missions as an Outer Sect Disciple of the Medicine King Valley."

"Once the missions are finished, the sentence will be waived depending on the completion status. This is the only way."

"A class a mission?!" Xia Ya sucked in a breath of cold air. "And three of them? Every class a mission in the Medicine King Valley is of great importance, usually requiring several Martial Kings to cooperate, and some even involve dangers at the Martial Emperor level! Isn't this..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear—this was even harder than the previous ten class b missions, an almost impossible requirement.

The Deacon remained expressionless. "These are the conditions set by Elder Yi herself. Whether to accept or not is for you to decide. If you accept, you may go to the Mission Hall after the visit to learn the mission details. If you do not, the visit will proceed as planned, but do not mention the matter of sentence reduction again."

The atmosphere suddenly dropped to the freezing point. Three class a missions! This was practically forcing them into a dead end.

Xiao Chun's face instantly turned deathly pale. Although she didn't know exactly what a class a mission entailed, she could sense the mountain-like weight and danger from Xia Ya's reaction and the Deacon's icy tone.

She released her grip on Qin Feng's sleeve and lowered her head, her voice thin as a mosquito's and trembling. "I'm... I'm sorry... Brother Qin Feng, Sister Xia Ya, Sister Xue... I... I'm dragging everyone down again... To save my father, making you take such risks... I..."

Large tears dripped onto the ground, splashing into small puddles. Her shoulders twitched slightly from her suppressed sobbing, and her thin figure looked incredibly fragile under the light.

However, before she could finish speaking, a pair of warm and strong hands pressed down on her shoulders.

"What nonsense are you talking!" Xia Ya's voice was resolute, carrying the frankness and boldness characteristic of women from the Northern Territory. "Xiao Chun, Master Chu isn't just your father; he's also our Elder and Qin Feng's Master! Saving him is a matter for all of us!"

She turned to the Deacon, her gaze not backing down an inch. "Isn't it just class a missions? We'll take them! We accept!"

Ji Ruxue also walked to Xiao Chun's side, her cool voice rarely showing a hint of warmth. "Partners are those who weather the storm together. The matter of Chu Tianhe is not your responsibility alone." She looked at Qin Feng and nodded slightly, indicating her stance.

Xiao Chun was stunned. She raised her tear-blurred face, looking at Xia Ya, then at Ji Ruxue, and finally at Qin Feng. She saw that there was not a hint of hesitation or blame in Qin Feng's eyes, only a sea-deep determination and a gentle smile that set her at ease.

"Everyone..." Xiao Chun's tears flowed even harder, but this time, it wasn't from despair or self-blame, but from the emotion of being wrapped in warmth. "Thank you... thank you all..."

Qin Feng gently rubbed her hair, then looked at the Deacon and said calmly, "We accept. Please, Deacon, take my Junior Sister to see our Master."

A visible ripple finally crossed the Deacon's eyes. He took a deep look at these four—a young Martial King, a resolute female general, a cold assassin, and this fragile, tearful girl with extraordinary medical skills. Their individual strength might not be at the very top, but they possessed a peculiar, undeniable cohesion.

"A wise choice." The Deacon's tone seemed to soften by an extremely tiny margin. "Little girl, come with me."

Xiao Chun wiped her tears forcefully and nodded heavily to Qin Feng and her two sisters. She turned to follow the Deacon; though her steps were still somewhat heavy, they were no longer unsteady.

Silence returned to the courtyard, but the atmosphere was now entirely different.

"Three class a missions..." Xia Ya smacked her lips, but Battle Intent was burning in her eyes. "This time we're really going to have to put our lives on the line."

Ji Ruxue analyzed calmly, "While class a missions are dangerous, the rewards are also high. If we can complete them, we won't just gain a foothold and resources in the Medicine King Valley; it will also be excellent tempering for our strength. The key is the selection—we must choose a combination of missions that we can handle and that are relatively short in duration."

Qin Feng nodded and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the surface. "Sister Xue is right. We don't have time to waste. We must be efficient and precise. Tomorrow morning, we go to the Mission Hall. Before that..."

His gaze became sharp. "I need to know what class a missions the Medicine King Valley has recently and which ones are related to our potential goals. With System intelligence plus the news the two Elders of the Ghost Doctor Hall might provide... we need to formulate a plan."

His mind raced. Three class a missions—the pressure was like a mountain, yet it was also like a heavy hammer that could forge this newborn team to be tighter and stronger. The Four Symbols Battle Array, the Myriad Medicine Body (which must be used cautiously), and the System's foresight... these were all their trump cards.

"Most importantly," Qin Feng looked at Xia Ya and Ji Ruxue, "we must improve our strength as quickly as possible. Xia Ya, you are only a step away from becoming a Martial King; this mission crisis might be the opportunity for your Breakthrough. Sister Xue, your Moon Shadow Divine Art has just reached Major Achievement and needs actual combat to stabilize. As for me..."

He felt the Hunyuan True Qi within him, which was smooth and full yet touching an invisible barrier, as well as the warm earth spirit pearl in his robe.

Mid-stage Martial King—I must achieve a Breakthrough as soon as possible!

About half an hour later, the courtyard gate was pushed open again.

Xiao Chun returned, her eyes red and swollen, tear stains crisscrossing her face, and her steps unsteady. Xia Ya immediately went forward to support her.

"Xiao Chun, how is Master?" Qin Feng stood up.

"Father... Father, he..." As soon as Xiao Chun spoke, her voice choked up. "He's lost so much weight, and his hair has turned so white... It's so cold and dark there, with only a tiny bit of light... Father's hands were ice-cold..."

She described it in fragments, tears flowing uncontrollably. Chu Tianhe's forced composure, that damp and cold stone cave, her father's ice-cold hands and haggard face... every scene pierced her heart.

"Father told me to listen to you all and not to take risks... He said he's sorry for letting us down..." Xiao Chun leaned into Xia Ya's arms, her whole body shaking as she cried. "What should I do... I want to save Father quickly... I don't want him to stay in that place anymore..."

Qin Feng walked over, crouched down, and looked directly into Xiao Chun's bloodshot eyes, his voice steady and powerful. "Xiao Chun, look into my eyes. We will save Master. Three class a missions are difficult, but not without hope. The four of us being together is the greatest hope. The medical skills your father taught you, Sister Xia Ya's protection, Sister Xue's assassination arts, my sword... we each have our strengths. As long as we work together with one heart, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome."

His words seemed to have a magical power, causing Xiao Chun's crying to gradually stop. She looked at Qin Feng's determined eyes, then at Xia Ya's encouraging gaze and Ji Ruxue's silent support; the panic and despair in her heart were bit by bit replaced by warmth and courage.

She nodded vigorously and wiped away her tears. Though her voice still had a nasal quality, it no longer trembled. "Mhm! Together! We will definitely save Father!"

At this moment, the hearts of the four young people were tightly bound together. The path to saving their Master was long and obstructed, but they had no way back and nothing to fear.

Under the night sky of the Medicine King Valley, the lights of the Bamboo Rhyme Residence illuminated four young and resolute faces.