Chapter 91: Living Up to Expectations

Before Su Qinian brought it up, Li Qingran had no idea that the Sword Pavilion even had a Medicine Garden.

She had always assumed that every disciple just carved out a small plot of land near their cave residences, growing their own herbs separately.

But once they arrived at the Medicine Garden, she was stunned.

Unlike the dilapidated ancestral hall and the run-down Scripture Pavilion, the Medicine Garden looked brand new—well-maintained, vibrant, and flourishing.

Standing at the entrance, Su Qinian hesitated.

Clearing his throat, he called out toward the garden,

"Elder Liu, ahem… are you here?"

Then—

"GET LOST!!!"

A thunderous roar exploded from within.

BOOM!

The garden doors swung open violently, and a gale-force wind erupted outward, causing the very air to distort and tremble.

The fierce wind swept through the garden, bending and nearly snapping countless herbs.

Su Qinian, however, casually summoned a wind-shield barrier, looking completely unfazed—as if he were used to this.

Once the wind settled, he dismissed his barrier with a wave and turned to Li Qingran.

"Qingran, that loudmouth just now is our Medicine Garden Elder—Liu Yuanqing. Don’t be fooled by his temper; he’s actually a pretty decent guy—Qingran?"

When he didn’t get a response, Su Qinian turned to look—

Only to see Li Qingran clinging to the edge of a cliff.

Apparently, she had been blown away by the gale and had just climbed back up, her once sleek, silky hair now a complete bird’s nest.

"Ah… this…"

Su Qinian awkwardly scratched his head, chuckling,

"Oops… I guess my barrier was a bit too small. Didn’t cover you in time."

At the entrance of the garden, an elderly man had already appeared.

Despite his white hair, he had a childlike complexion, a kindly face, and an aura of wisdom.

However, when his sharp, piercing eyes settled on Su Qinian, they burned with undisguised fury—

"*Sect Master Su, I respect your title, but if you come to steal spirit herbs again, I will fight you for three hundred rounds—TO THE DEATH!"

Li Qingran stared at Su Qinian in shock.

Su Qinian ignored her expression and simply laughed.

"Elder Liu, I’m not here to take spirit herbs today! Today, I—"

"Stealing."

Elder Liu narrowed his eyes.

"I’m the Sect Master! Taking some herbs—"

"Stealing." Elder Liu emphasized again.

"Fine, fine, I’m not stealing herbs today."

Giving up, Su Qinian shamelessly admitted, "This disciple here wants to refine a Hundred Herb Detoxification Pill, but there are some ingredients I don’t recognize. We came to ask for your expertise." Ꞧ?Ν??Ε?

"And then steal my herbs, right?"

Elder Liu remained skeptical, shooting Su Qinian a cold glare.

"I’m warning you—this garden is the lifeline of the Sword Pavilion. It is the foundation of our sect’s survival. No matter what excuse you come up with, if you steal—I will fight!"

He unsheathed his sword with a sharp clang, his spiritual energy surging, his robes fluttering from the force.

Before the situation escalated, Li Qingran stepped forward and knelt down on both knees.

"Elder Liu, I urgently need to understand the Hundred Herb Detoxification Pill’s formula to cure my master’s poison. Please, I humbly request your guidance!"

If she let these two bicker any longer, they were definitely going to start fighting.

She had already figured it out—

The Sect Master had stolen herbs from the Medicine Garden way too many times.

And since the Medicine Garden was a separate department from the main sect, Elder Liu held absolute authority here—his status was on par with Su Qinian’s.

Elder Liu examined Li Qingran carefully.

Seeing that she was a well-mannered, charming young woman with an earnest expression, his anger softened slightly.

"You are quite filial… Who is your master?"

"Elder, my master is a Senior Grand Elder of the Sword Pavilion."

Elder Liu: "Ah?"

As someone who had joined the Sword Pavilion later, Elder Liu wasn’t familiar with its ancient history.

All he knew was that Su Qinian held the highest rank—he had never heard of any "Senior Grand Elders" or "sect ancestors."

If such a person had existed, the Sword Pavilion wouldn’t be so poor!

He turned to Su Qinian for confirmation.

Su Qinian nodded.

"That Senior Grand Elder left on a journey long ago. We verified his identity at the ancestral hall. And no, I’m really not here to steal herbs today."

"If you don’t steal today, you’ll just steal tomorrow." Elder Liu snorted, but his hostility faded.

He approached Li Qingran with a much gentler expression and said,

"Alright, recite the pill formula for me."

After she carefully listed all the ingredients, she nervously watched Elder Liu’s reaction.

Thankfully, his expression remained calm—unlike Su Qinian’s, who had been completely baffled earlier.

"See? Every other elder in the Sword Pavilion is reliable except for the Sect Master."

She had just reached this conclusion in her mind.

Elder Liu stroked his beard in thought.

Then, pulling out a thick record book, he began flipping through it—occasionally shaking his head, occasionally nodding and muttering to himself.

After a long while, he finally closed the book and looked up.

"I recognize all the herbs in the Hundred Herb Detoxification Pill. More than half of them are already available in the Medicine Garden. The rest can be purchased from Lingxi Valley."

Li Qingran’s eyes brightened.

"Then that means—!"

"However…"

"……"

Hearing that one word, her heart clenched.

"Two of the required medicinal primers are extremely difficult to obtain—Dragon Tongue Apricot and Blood Ripple Citrus. Those are ancient-era spirit plants. I doubt they still exist in the Cangyun Realm."

"If that’s the case, then we’ll have to search for them in the Zhongzhou Secret Realm."

Su Qinian immediately took over the conversation, reassuring Li Qingran,

"The Zhongzhou Secret Realm will be opening in less than a month. That place is full of ancient ruins—the entire Sword Pavilion will be participating in the exploration. We’re bound to find those two ingredients there. No need to worry."

"Indeed." Elder Liu nodded. "During the ancient era, alchemy sects were abundant. Back then, resources were plentiful, and any faction with a bit of heritage could establish a sect. Among them, Medicine King Valley was the most prestigious. If you can find its ruins within the Zhongzhou Secret Realm, it will surely contain these two herbs."

Li Qingran stepped back, bowed deeply, and declared,

"Sect Master, Elder Liu, though my strength is meager, I wish to enter the Zhongzhou Secret Realm as well!"

She understood—her senior brothers and sisters would be seeking their own opportunities in the secret realm.

She couldn’t expect them to prioritize finding her herbs.

So she had to go herself.

She had to find those two ancient-era medicinal primers.

Su Qinian and Elder Liu exchanged glances.

They had wanted to refuse—

After all, she was the disciple of the Senior Grand Elder.

Her safety was paramount.

But seeing her determination, they hesitated.

Finally, Su Qinian relented.

"Fine! As long as you reach the Foundation Establishment Minor Completion Stage before the secret realm opens, I will allow you to go!"

Li Qingran lifted her head, her snow-bright eyes meeting Su Qinian’s.

She declared firmly, without hesitation:

"Disciple Qingran will not disappoint!"

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