In the depths of bewilderment, Babyface only felt as though his entire worldview had been overturned.

Poison Lady would not be able to return for a while. While Shu Tiantian ground medicine for Babyface as she waited, she suddenly remembered something and turned to ask him, “Do you know about dragons?”

At Tianji Sect, Shu Tiantian could be considered widely read, yet she had never seen any legends or records concerning dragons. So much so that, had she not seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought that there were no dragons in this cultivation world.

Babyface came back to his senses from his daze. “Of course I know. Dragons symbolize misfortune and calamity. They are the most baleful beasts in the world. Whoever approaches them meets no good end.”

Shu Tiantian’s movements paused. Feigning curiosity, she asked, “Why? I once saw in ancient texts that dragons were said to be auspicious beings.”

Babyface smiled and pointed at the sky outside. “Do you know that Void Abyss suffers deeply from miasma? Three thousand years ago, dragons were indeed auspicious.”

In the ancient era, the gods fell, and only the dragon clan preserved a remnant of the Dragon God’s will, becoming the last deity between heaven and earth. Three thousand years ago, the reincarnation of the Dragon God was conceived. The dragon was the god who governed water. Thus, in the mortal world countless offerings were made, and in the cultivation world believers were innumerable. Temples stood everywhere, praying for favorable winds and rains, for the Great Dao to prosper eternally.

Yet no one knew what had happened. The Dragon God, who should have represented auspiciousness, gradually became the incarnation of calamity.

As for the various details, thousands of years had already passed. Babyface was only a little over a hundred years old; he did not know matters from so long ago. What he knew was merely hearsay from within Void Abyss. He only knew that it was said a Dragon God had appeared, but it was an evil god, who brought down countless black rains. Thus the mortal world suffered endless disasters, and the cultivation world’s spiritual fortune declined.

Babyface had just been about to mention matters concerning that evil dragon—after all, that evil dragon being the Old Ancestor of Void Abyss was not truly a secret—but he suddenly remembered something, fell silent, and did not dare to continue.

Because Ji Wushu had once been half-divine. As long as someone uttered the words “Dragon God,” he could hear it. Therefore, although the people of Void Abyss did not know that Ji Wushu was not human, few dared to discuss it.

So Babyface changed the subject and only told Shu Tiantian one thing: the tormenting miasma of Void Abyss came entirely from the dragon, and it had created countless restless spirit here, turning this place into the most vicious land in the world.

He pointed at the black fog outside. “This miasma was born from the dragon’s inauspiciousness. The dragon’s ill omen has also brought countless disasters.”

Thus the Dragon God temples in the mortal world were smashed to pieces, faith severed, the dragon clan cast aside and regarded as utmost evil, their touch deemed defilement.

Shu Tiantian did not echo him. She fell into silence.

She knew more clearly than anyone that the miasma was not brought by the black dragon, and that talk of ill omen was sheer nonsense.

The vitality within the black dragon’s body was being devoured by that black fog like maggots clinging to bone, as though enduring a prolonged war of attrition. If it had been brought by the dragon himself, why would he torment himself?

Moreover, energy is conserved. If the black fog devoured vitality, where did that vitality go? According to those rumors, that vitality should have all been used to nourish the giant dragon. Yet the truth was precisely the opposite. The existence regarded as the chief culprit was clearly the greatest victim.

As for dragons being extremely baleful… Shu Tiantian possessed a Heavenly Yin body. She had been born at an yin hour, yin month, and yin moment. A girl like her had a very slim chance of surviving; only something of utmost yang and blazing intensity could protect her life. If dragons were truly baleful beings, she would have died the moment she approached, invaded by the extreme cold of yin energy, let alone be able to sit here helping Babyface treat his illness.

Thus Shu Tiantian let out a sigh, her tone tinged with nostalgia. “In my hometown, dragons are auspicious.”

And greatly auspicious at that. People called themselves descendants of the dragon, the children of Yan and Huang. Dragon and phoenix could be said to be the greatest auspicious signs. No matter how one looked at it, it was hard for Shu Tiantian not to feel goodwill toward the black dragon.

But when she thought of that beautiful yet ferocious being lying across the Scarlet Flame Flowers, abandoned for being inauspicious, existing like a corpse for hundreds and thousands of years, with no one caring whether he lived or died—

She suddenly did not want to continue this topic with Babyface. She even felt an urgent impulse to go back and see that dragon. Fortunately, after exchanging a few more irrelevant words with Babyface, Poison Lady returned.

After all, this was Black Valley, the largest gathering place of medical cultivators in Void Abyss. The things Shu Tiantian needed were all common items. Thus Poison Lady quickly bought everything and even prepared a storage pouch for her, with a capacity roughly the size of a small thatched hut, now stuffed full. Even the black clothes, black cloak, and mask Shu Tiantian wanted had been chosen in the finest styles.

Of course, Shu Tiantian would not take them for free. She glanced through the items, confirmed that nothing was amiss, calculated the consultation fee in her heart, and then rose to take her leave.

Babyface fawningly escorted Shu Tiantian out, yet could not help glancing at her again and again, hesitating to speak.

Although monopolizing such a golden thigh was very satisfying, for Shu Tiantian herself, why should she have to go so far as to hand out little advertisements to attract patients?

Even if Tianji Sect had abandoned such a golden nugget, she could completely seek refuge with the major powers of the three cities. After all, not everyone was like Tianji Sect, able to resist such a tremendous temptation. With the golden nugget’s ability, she would certainly be treated with respect. There was absolutely no need for her to return to that terrifying Scarlet Flame Flower field.

Who would have thought that as soon as he spoke, Shu Tiantian only smiled, bade the earnest Babyface farewell, and turned to leave.

Shu Tiantian had grown up in the sect and had never left its gates. Her understanding of the situation of medical cultivators outside was limited to what she had read in the original novel and what she heard from conversations among her fellow disciples. In her past life, her senior brothers and sisters came to her seeking treatment; in this life, Shu Tiantian charged nothing and never turned anyone away. Her only point of comparison was the novel’s cheat-enabled female protagonist. Gradually, even she herself was no longer entirely certain of her own standing.

Of course, Shu Tiantian was still very confident in herself. She knew that seeking refuge with a great power would be far safer—if she were not born with a Heavenly Yin body, not a piece of Tang Sanzang’s flesh that everyone wanted to take a bite of; if she did not have to face the intermittent invasions of yin-cold, perhaps she really would have been tempted.

But compared to what she might face if her identity were exposed, Shu Tiantian would rather work a little harder on her own.

Thinking of her hesitation that morning, Shu Tiantian sighed inwardly. As long as she remained in Void Abyss and had not yet been taken away, she could not leave the giant dragon. Though it seemed like a restraint, in truth Shu Tiantian was grateful for the dragon’s existence.

This dragon might be called inauspicious by others; yesterday’s baleful attack might have been man-made; perhaps it was even someone else’s dragon. But to cling to life by relying on the dragon’s blazing yang flames while standing by and watching it die—her conscience would ache.

If nothing else, Shu Tiantian’s skill at clinging to life was second only to her medical expertise. Since she had already managed to secretly linger by the dragon’s side for half a month, secretly feeding it a little, secretly treating it a little—given the Old Ancestor of Void Abyss’s attitude of turning a blind eye to the dragon, it should not be a problem, right?

In any case, if she encountered danger again next time, she would just react faster and hide inside the Medicine God Bell!

Once Shu Tiantian sorted out this issue, her mood improved, and even her steps grew light. Cheerfully carrying her little medicine box on her back, she ran toward the Scarlet Flame Flower field.

This time she had brought back many things; the pills alone could relieve quite a bit of pain.

However, when Shu Tiantian ran toward her dream dragon and entered the flower field, she discovered—the dragon was gone.

In its place were wildly growing Scarlet Flame Flowers. Just a few days ago, they had only reached Shu Tiantian’s ankles, yet now they had grown rapidly to her calves.

Shu Tiantian lowered her head and looked at the taller flowers. Her heart sank.

The beautiful, eerie Scarlet Flame Flowers carried an ominous meaning. At the very least, they indicated that the black dragon had shed a great, great deal of blood—more than the total of the past several days.

Shu Tiantian could conclude that while she had been away, the dragon’s condition had likely worsened significantly. Thinking of the way that broken horn had rubbed against her, Shu Tiantian began to grow anxious as well.

She paused where she stood and looked around. In the distance, at the foot of the mountains, she saw traces of Scarlet Flame Flowers stretching onward, leading deep into the mountains.

She tightened the strap of her medicine box and glanced at the towering, winding mountain peaks, and at the palace hidden deep within the clouds—that was the territory of the Old Ancestor of Void Abyss.

But she took a deep breath, lifted her foot, and without hesitation walked in the direction where the Scarlet Flame Flowers extended.

Even Shu Tiantian herself could hardly believe that someone who always clung to life so cautiously would voluntarily step into the territory of such a dangerous figure. But the dragon’s life was at stake, and she had no time to hesitate.

Fortunately, the presence of the Scarlet Flame Flowers correctly guided her path, preventing her from getting lost. But the mountain peak was so tall, the path winding, and the sky gradually darkened, making Shu Tiantian grow increasingly uneasy.

After walking for two quarters of an hour, Shu Tiantian only felt colder and colder. Still dressed in thin clothing, she could not help rubbing her arms. Seeing that the traces of Scarlet Flame Flowers were about to reach their end, she forced herself to stay alert.

Yet she soon discovered that the cold was not from the drop in temperature due to the rising altitude, but from a place not far away that emitted chilling air—there was an enormous cold pool. Scarlet Flame Flowers bloomed all around its edge, and the water of the pool emitted bone-piercing cold.

The further she walked, the colder it became, until even her internal organs felt the extreme chill. Only then did Shu Tiantian’s mind, slowly muddled by the creeping cold, gradually return to clarity.

Her Heavenly Yin body was acting up.

Perhaps because night was approaching, and it had been some time since she had used blazing yang power to suppress the cold within her body; perhaps because the extreme chill of the cold pool had stirred the cold inside her—whatever the reason, Shu Tiantian had no choice but to first take out a black cloak from her storage pouch and drape it over herself.

She found a tree and leaned against it. Afraid of the cold, her whole body curled into a small ball, like a pitiful little rabbit about to freeze to death, shrinking further into the cloak.

Within the cold pool, the black dragon’s transformed human form emerged from the black mist.

He leaned at the far side of the cold pool, and who knew how long he had been watching.

His lips, usually demonic in allure, were now pale from blood loss. Instead, it lent his originally godlike handsome face a touch of sickly beauty. Amid the black mist, he appeared eerily beautiful, almost ghostly.

The Dragon Bone Sword, having long noticed that its master had grown increasingly temperamental today, had already sensibly found a pit and buried itself obediently. Naturally, it was not here.

The young man stared at the shivering little spy for a long time, then slowly rose. The black mist formed a great cloak, and with pale, beautiful bare feet, he walked over and came to stand before the little spy.

In the darkness, his expression could not be seen clearly. He stood there in silence.

Yet his very presence, to Shu Tiantian, was like a stove that radiated warmth without end. The curled-up girl had already grown so cold that she had lost consciousness. Instinctively, she moved a little closer toward the source of heat. But just as her flushed little face lifted, hazy and muddled, wanting to nuzzle closer, a warm yet distant finger pressed against the center of her brow.

It was only the simplest of movements, yet the half-conscious Shu Tiantian could no longer move at all.

She could not touch him, could not hold him, could not rub against him.

The young man sighed. “Did you come to find me because it flared up? Do good children use something up and then throw it away?”

As he spoke, beneath the hem of his robe, blood dripped drop by drop, and beside the little girl clusters of Scarlet Flame Flowers bloomed.

Yet he seemed not to feel pain at all. He narrowed those golden eyes and spoke to her in a gentle tone as she hovered on the edge of unconsciousness. But the pupils that had nearly turned into vertical slits revealed the savage nature of a predator—where was any of that feigned sympathy?