Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 436 - 375: The Seductive Medicine Has No Effect on Him
"First, tell me about yourself. What are you doing here in Qingqiu? It’s been so long, and not a single letter in reply. I woke up, and you didn’t even come to see me!"
"I received a letter from Minos, so I was relieved to know you were doing well. I thought I’d visit after a while, so you wouldn’t be surrounded by so many people and have no time for me."
A hint of teasing shone in Fei Yuan’s beautiful, bewitching phoenix eyes, but a deep affection lingered beneath the surface.
He held an umbrella with one hand, wrapping his other arm around her waist to pull her into his embrace. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.
"I’ve missed you, too."
Sang Luo’s heart fluttered. After sharing a tender moment with him, she asked, "What’s happened in Qingqiu?"
"It wasn’t anything major. A plague of unknown origin was spreading within Qingqiu, so I came to help prepare the antidotes. It just took a bit longer than expected." Fei Yuan pinched her cheek. "The plague is mostly under control now. I was just thinking about heading back to see you, but I didn’t expect you to come running here first."
"I... I want to find the High Priest to apologize. For what happened back then... I was the one who schemed against him first."
Fei Yuan sighed as well, unsure of what to say. "I never thought you would... with him, back then."
Seeing how heartbroken she was back then, his own heart had ached. He couldn’t bear to refuse her, so he’d taken her on a trip to the North. He thought that after she hit a dead end, she might finally give up for good. He never expected such a bizarre twist of fate. Ugh! Regrets!
’If I’d known, I never should have said those things!’
Sang Luo stammered, "If I go see the High Priest... do you think he’ll kill me?"
"’That won’t happen. Worst case, I’ll just grab you and we’ll run for it~’" Fei Yuan burst out laughing. After receiving a resentful glare from Sang Luo, he composed himself, stroking his chin as he spoke seriously. "I’ve been around that old fox these past few days, and he seems emotionally stable. He’s never once mentioned you, and doesn’t seem to care much about what happened. Maybe he’s already forgotten all about you."
"..." ’I took his innate inheritance. That means it was his first time. How could he possibly not care!’
"Forget it. I should go see him anyway." She would feel too guilty otherwise.
Seeing Fei Yuan, the guards at the city gate no longer blocked their way and let the two of them enter.
The courtyard was secluded and tranquil. They passed through a long corridor, wound around a rockery and a pond, and entered a pavilion before finally reaching the master’s private rear courtyard. The rich aroma of herbs immediately washed over them. A few scattered houses stood there, stately and elegant, yet their furnishings were simple and unadorned, free of any superfluous or intricate decorations. It was the complete opposite of Fei Yuan’s magnificent and extravagant Phoenix Palace.
"You and your master have very different tastes."
"He’s lived for so many years. What fine things hasn’t he seen? He’s simply returned to a state of simplicity."
The rear garden was full of medicinal herbs. An elegant figure in plain white robes stood before it, tending to the plants. A plum blossom branch held up his snow-white hair. A single glance was enough to make everything in the surroundings pale in comparison, as beautiful as a painting.
Sang Luo stood on the covered walkway, holding her breath as she watched the scene unfold. She lowered her head, feeling terribly awkward and anxious. Fei Yuan glanced at her before taking her hand and leading her forward.
"Master."
The master of the house had already sensed their arrival.
Yan finished watering the herbs in the garden and turned to face the approaching pair. His placid gaze fell upon Sang Luo, but it didn’t linger before shifting to Fei Yuan. "Serve our honored guest some tea."
He showed no surprise at Sang Luo’s arrival, nor did he ask why she had come. He treated her no differently than he would a stranger who had tagged along, his affable manner tinged with a hint of detachment.
Sang Luo didn’t know what to say, so she simply sat beside Fei Yuan, listening as he and Yan made idle small talk.
They mostly discussed the sudden plague in Qingqiu. It was still unclear whether it was man-made or a natural disaster, and with no leads yet, people were being sent to investigate.
After they had talked for a while, Fei Yuan deliberately steered the conversation toward Sang Luo. He took out the apology gift she had prepared. These precious treasures, nearly impossible to buy in the outside world, were nothing in the eyes of the Divine Venerable, but they were a token of her sincerity, nonetheless.
Among the gifts were some medicinal herb seeds that were thought to be lost to the outside world. Yan seemed somewhat interested in these and, rather than refusing, he accepted them.
"Little Luoruo, I have to return to the Eastern Region. Are you planning on coming back with me, or...?" Fei Yuan glanced at Yan, who was sipping his tea quietly across from them, before turning his meaningful gaze to Sang Luo, who still seemed awkward and unable to relax.
He had been in Qingqiu for quite some time, and many important matters had piled up in the Central region that required his attention.
"I... I’m very interested in herbal medicine. I’d like to stay and study for a while... I hope I wouldn’t be disturbing the High Priest?" Sang Luo looked at the man across from her with sincerity.
Fei Yuan raised an eyebrow and shot Sang Luo a look. ’As if I don’t know her lazy, crafty nature. Where did this sudden ambition to study medicine come from? An excuse like that would only fool an outsider.’
The High Priest gave a gentle nod. "You may. It is no bother."
And so, Sang Luo stayed.
In truth, she wanted to see what the High Priest’s attitude toward her really was—whether he truly didn’t care, or was deliberately ignoring her.
Over the next few days, she often followed Yan around with little to do, and came to understand the High Priest’s temperament better. He seemed gentle and affable, but in reality, there was an inhuman coldness to him. When one has lived for too, too long, it becomes difficult for anything to catch their eye.
His days were spent tending to his medicinal herbs and reading medical texts. There was nothing else.
Yan, for his part, seemed to treat Sang Luo as nothing more than a guest lodging in his courtyard. He never interfered with what she did. Sometimes, if Sang Luo wanted to look through a medical text, he would even take the initiative to find it for her.
He would also set out a bowl and chopsticks for her at mealtimes.
Beyond that, the two of them rarely spoke.
The High Priest was a man of few words, and Sang Luo would barely exchange more than a few sentences with him all day.
There was no deliberate coldness, only a placid and easygoing indifference.
’He... really doesn’t seem to care about me at all.’
One day, after a meal, Sang Luo found an opportunity to say the words she had been holding in.
"About what happened that day... I’m sorry!"
She immediately lowered her head after speaking, not daring to look at his expression.
For a long moment, there was no reply. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Sang Luo looked up at him again, her heart pounding with apprehension.
Only after Yan had cleared the bowl and chopsticks from the table did he glance at her. "You think that kind of medicine has any effect on me?"
Sang Luo froze. ’What does he mean?’
"Fei Yuan’s medical skills were learned from me," Yan said, pouring her a cup of herbal tea.
Sang Luo stammered, "No wonder... His medical skills couldn’t have just come from the saying ’a long illness makes a good doctor.’ Without a master’s careful guidance, it would be impossible to achieve such a state of perfection."
"Mm. That child was afflicted with a Poisonous Gu back then. He sought help everywhere to no avail, and only then came to me to become my disciple."
"..." ’Sang Luo understood Yan’s meaning now. If Fei Yuan’s medical skills were second to none, then his master’s skills were surely peerless.’
’Seductive Medicine is still just a type of medicine. Yan would have plenty of ways to neutralize it; for him, it would be effortless. Unless... he himself didn’t want to.’
Her thoughts were a chaotic mess as her fingers tightened around the rim of her cup.
Sang Luo truly couldn’t understand. "High Priest, that day..."
Yan said, "This matter has nothing to do with you. You need not dwell on it any longer. I will not seek you out. If you wish to leave, you are free to depart from this courtyard at any time."
