Chapter Seventy-Three: Apprenticeship and Learning the Craft

The next morning, the six parted into two groups. After bidding farewell to Yinyao, Limoon and Yinrou began their journey home. Just as they were about to leave, Yinyao called Limoon aside and whispered a few secret words to him before letting him go.

Watching Limoon and Yinrou disappear into the distance, Yinyao and the other three mounted their horses and rode swiftly toward Poison Master Peak in Medicine King Valley. After all, nearly a third of the three months had already passed—there was no time left for further delay.

On the road, Yinrou could not contain her curiosity. “Limoon, what did the master say to you? Why so mysterious?”

Limoon turned to her, “Yinrou, the master forbade me to tell anyone. She entrusted me with a task, one that must succeed and must not fail.”

Seeing his resolve, Yinrou didn’t press the matter. “Fine! I won’t be curious anymore. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

...

They rode tirelessly for five days. At last, Yinyao, Chusu Yi, Monleaf, and Aishuo arrived within the bounds of Poison Master Peak in Medicine King Valley.

Between two mountains, a narrow path wound its way, just wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. Monleaf led the way, with Yinyao and Chusu Yi following behind. As they moved into the gorge, the light dimmed. The scant sunlight filtered down from the heights, casting slender beams from above. Yinyao looked up at the sky and was reminded of a famous scenic spot—such a sight was often called “A Thread of Sky.”

As they delved deeper into the canyon, the trees on either side grew dense and tangled, so thick that sunlight could only slip through the cracks between leaves, speckling the ground with scattered light. The four of them remained alert, fully aware that Poison Master Peak in Medicine King Valley was far from safe.

On the right, both Aishuo and Yinyao simultaneously sensed something odd in the air and quietly held their breath. Aishuo quickly discerned the problem—Soft Bone Powder, and an enhanced form at that.

She glanced back at Yinyao, relieved to see she was unaffected, then looked to Monleaf and Chusu Yi. Oddly, neither showed the slightest discomfort. Instead...

Instead, the fatigue seemed to vanish from their faces, a stark contrast to herself and Yinyao. What was going on?

Monleaf felt no danger; on the contrary, he felt invigorated, more comfortable than ever. This only sharpened his curiosity about Poison Master Peak. He drew deep breaths of the fresh air, as did Chusu Yi, who inhaled greedily.

Yinyao, ever observant, noticed the difference among the four. She frowned and, meeting Aishuo’s gaze, discovered the same confusion mirrored there. Yinyao turned her attention to the two mountains, searching for clues.

On their side—the right—the vegetation was lush, but something seemed missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, so she examined the left side. What she saw startled her.

The left mountain boasted a greater variety and number of trees, though both slopes were thick with growth, making the difference hard to spot at a glance. Birds chirped incessantly on the left, and familiar insects sang. Yinyao realized the true distinction: the left side teemed with life.

A shocking hypothesis flashed through her mind, startling even herself.

The left belonged to Medicine King Valley; the right, to Poison Master Peak.

“Monleaf, Aishuo, and Chusu Yi.” Even in this tranquil place, Yinyao instinctively lowered her voice as she called to her companions.

They all turned, faces puzzled.

Aishuo, reading Yinyao’s expression, guessed she’d noticed something as well. “Yinyao, have you sensed the oddness in the air?”

Monleaf spoke up at once. “I feel there’s a refreshing scent here. Breathing it in, my exhaustion melts away.”

Chusu Yi nodded in agreement—his experience matched Monleaf’s. Aishuo, however, frowned deeply; her experience was quite the opposite, just as she had observed.

All eyes turned to Yinyao, who alone had not spoken. She looked up at the two peaks before answering slowly, “Aishuo and I are experiencing the same thing. Take a careful look at the differences in plant and animal life on either side.”

As she finished, the others followed her advice, studying the two sides intently. The longer they observed, the deeper their frowns became, their brows nearly forming the character for “river” in their furrowed foreheads.

“Yinyao, the two mountains are indeed different. The left is obviously more vibrant, but if you look closely, the same species of trees on the right grow taller and straighter than those on the left,” Chusu Yi observed, noting something Yinyao herself had missed.

“Precisely!” Monleaf agreed, and Aishuo echoed his sentiment.

“Based on what we’ve seen, I have a bold guess,” Yinyao declared, capturing everyone’s attention as she once again commanded the spotlight. “The right is Poison Master Peak, the left is Medicine King Valley!”

She delivered her theory with confidence. The left side, rich in plant variety, crawling with animals, and filled with an invigorating aroma, must belong to the medicine slaves—Medicine King Valley. The right, sparse in tree species yet impressively vigorous, must have trees that survived the baptism of poison, growing only more resilient and upright. There were no signs of animals—likely killed by the poisonous air. Thus, it had to be Poison Master Peak.

“Well said! Left is Medicine King Valley, right is Poison Master Peak!” Two voices sounded simultaneously from the mountaintops, so imbued with internal force that one could not tell which was male and which female.

The four exchanged glances, dismounted, stood to the right of their horses, and bowed in unison. “Juniors pay respect to Poison Master and Medicine Slave!”

“The young lady who deduced the difference between Poison Master Peak and Medicine King Valley, step forward,” came the next voice, this time clearly female, identifying her as Medicine Slave.

Yinyao straightened and took a small step forward. “Junior Yinyao.”

“You are quite perceptive, to deduce from these differences which side is Poison Master Peak and which is Medicine King Valley. Yinyao, let me think,” Medicine Slave replied, her voice gentle, evoking memories of the tales told about her.

“So, you are the Snake Maiden, Yinyao,” a boisterous voice rang out from above her right—a rougher tone, unmistakably Poison Master.

Yinyao was taken aback. She hadn’t expected that the reclusive Poison Master would know her identity, especially as she had only appeared in the martial world after they had gone into seclusion. Suppressing her surprise, she looked up at the two peaks and spoke calmly, “This time, I, Yinyao, have come with the current Martial Alliance Leader Chusu Yi, Ghost Doctor Monleaf, and Poison Enchantress Aishuo to pay respects to you both.”

With these words, she clarified the identities of herself and her companions. The others stood and introduced themselves in turn.

“Junior Chusu Yi.”

“Junior Monleaf, Aishuo.”

Yinyao no longer concealed her strength. She quietly extended her senses to probe the surroundings, confident the two elders would not notice, for they did not possess mystical powers. At the same time, Chusu Yi did the same, expanding his awareness.

Upon hearing the titles of Ghost Doctor and Poison Enchantress, the two elders on the peaks audibly paused in their breathing. Clearly, they knew the legends of these two. It was no surprise—the elders had always paid close attention to the affairs of the martial world.

A long silence followed.

“State your purpose for coming,” Medicine Slave said at last, her voice suddenly sounding older, perhaps recalling her own past with Poison Master, prompted by the appearance of Monleaf and Aishuo as a married pair in the martial world—a boldness she herself had lacked.

Monleaf and Aishuo exchanged a glance and stepped forward together, bowing with cupped fists. “We come to seek apprenticeship!”

Yinyao and Chusu Yi wisely remained silent. Now, the key figures here were not themselves—they were only here to protect Monleaf and Aishuo, and to catch a glimpse of the legendary Medicine Slave and Poison Master.

Yet Medicine Slave did not ignore Yinyao and Chusu Yi. “And what of you two?”

A single look sufficed for understanding. They replied in unison, “We are here only to witness your grace, seniors, and humbly ask you to take Ghost Doctor and Poison Enchantress as disciples.”

Medicine Slave’s gentle laughter drifted down. Poison Master, meanwhile, had not spoken since his initial words, making his stance all the more intriguing.

“Who would want to be a disciple of this old rascal?” came a playful voice, drawing nearer.

Yinyao and Chusu Yi could tell the sound was approaching—Poison Master was on the move.

“I, Poison Enchantress Aishuo, wish to be your disciple, Poison Master. Please accept me,” Aishuo seized the moment. Though usually lively, she was every bit as earnest as Monleaf when the situation called for it.

“Very well! So it’s the Poison Enchantress—this disciple, I’ll accept! You’ll be my first and last apprentice!” The mischievous voice drew ever closer.

A hand reached out from behind Yinyao, but she deftly dodged. The hand flicked something—a tiny black speck flew through the air. Aishuo, alert to the movement, responded instantly, snapping a plum-blossom blade between her index and middle fingers, and with a swift throw, intercepted the threat.

The danger was averted.

A hand shot out, pulling Aishuo close and whisking her swiftly toward Poison Master Peak. “Medicine Slave, I’ll take this girl as my disciple. You should take the boy as yours.”

Yinyao and Chusu Yi, sensing no malice, did not intervene, knowing they could easily have rescued Aishuo from Poison Master had he meant harm.

Medicine Slave called out at the right moment, “Ghost Doctor, Monleaf, yes? Come up yourself—I’m not like that old rascal, I won’t come fetch you!”

“Yes, thank you, Master!” Monleaf bowed respectfully toward the left peak.

“Still calling me ‘senior’?” Medicine Slave teased.

“Yes, Master!” Monleaf promptly corrected himself.

Poison Master, hearing Monleaf call Medicine Slave “Master,” was envious and said to Aishuo, “Girl, call me ‘Master,’ let me hear it~”

Though she had only spent a short time with Poison Master, Aishuo had already grasped his character—he was an “old scamp” through and through.

“What kind of master are you? The first thing you do is attack your own disciple!” Aishuo replied indignantly.

“Heh heh, good disciple, don’t take it to heart. Master will teach you the art of poisons—just call me ‘Master’ and let me hear it~” Poison Master, as playful as an unruly child, chuckled slyly.

“No way~” Aishuo shot him a glare and deliberately turned her face away.

“Good disciple~”

“Hmph!”

...

Watching the scene unfold, Yinyao and Chusu Yi felt reassured. They bowed respectfully to the two peaks. “Seniors, we take our leave.”

“No need to see you off!”