Reborn Medicine King

Zhao Lei shrugged and withdrew his weapon, clearly not intending to continue the fight. "A promise? Are you going to handle the cultivator from the Celestial Realm? I can't beat him, and using a Divine Spell to save my life isn't out of the question. If I had known Jiang Fann had such a powerful ally, I'd have to be crazy to make those promises. It's your lack of information that led to this situation. You're lucky I'm not holding you accountable."    

With that, a golden page appeared before Zhao Lei, a remnant of the Divine Spell he possessed. Without hesitation, Zhao Lei removed his soul imprint from the page. The absence of the spell weakened the golden aura around him, but he sensed Gu Xie's intense killing intent, so he acted decisively.    

Jiang Fann didn't waste any time. He took the page, feeling the energy emanating from it, and smiled. It was just as he suspected—a body cultivation chapter.    

As Zhao Lei was about to leave, Jiang Fann's heart skipped a beat, and then he smiled brightly. "I didn't expect you to have the power chapter as well! How about handing that over too?"    

Jiang Fann was surprised to sense the presence of another Divine Spell on Zhao Lei. No wonder his physical strength was so extraordinary, surpassing his own. It turned out Zhao Lei had two chapters, complementing each other to grant him such power.    

Zhao Lei looked exasperated. "Jiang Fann, isn't trading a piece of the scroll for my life enough? You know the value of a Divine Spell; even a fragment is as precious as a rare treasure!"    

Jiang Fann was in high spirits, especially since the very thing he needed was right in front of him, held by this cultivator. He chuckled, "If you hadn't stopped me from getting to that other cultivator earlier, I might have been more agreeable. My father was in that guy's hands, and you think we'd be having this conversation now?"    

Though reluctant, Zhao Lei knew he had no chance to escape with Gu Xie watching him like a hawk. More importantly, Jiang Fann's aura showed no signs of weakening, indicating he could wield his power effortlessly. With the field still intact, Zhao Lei had no way out.    

"If I give you this scroll, will you let me go?"    

Jiang Fann nodded. "Don't worry, I'm reasonable."    

With no other choice, Zhao Lei handed over the second scroll, reluctantly removing the seal before giving it to Jiang Fann.    

After verifying its authenticity, Jiang Fann spoke, "Let's consider our issues settled. I won't trouble you again, but don't mess with my people from the Heaven Pavilion. You can imagine the consequences."    

Zhao Lei retorted, "You guys have experts at the peak of their powers. There's no way I could ever catch up, and I'm not stupid enough to provoke you again. Haven't I lost enough already?"    

After saying his piece, Zhao Lei took off in a specific direction without another word. Gu Xie didn’t try to stop him, as she was following Jiang Fann’s instructions.    

With Zhao Lei gone, another top-level cultivator was under Gu Xie’s control. In the domain, apart from the Venerable Person Hanxing, the other cultivators began to plead, hoping to buy their way out of trouble.    

Jiang Fann was clearly less polite to these people than he was to Zhao Lei, since Zhao Lei had a fragment of the Divine Spell that Jiang Fann needed.    

Seeing that Jiang Fann wasn’t interested in their offers, one of them spoke up, “I’m willing to join the Heaven Pavilion at Myriad Clouds Mountain and pledge my loyalty!”    

This piqued Jiang Fann’s interest. He was planning to leave the Nine Wildernesses soon, and Myriad Clouds Mountain could use some skilled guardians.    

“Go wait by Gu Xie,” Jiang Fann instructed.    

The cultivator was visibly relieved. Surviving was enough for him, and whether he joined the Heaven Pavilion or another group didn’t matter much.    

Although he didn’t know why the beautiful woman was called Gu Xie, he approached her respectfully.    

With his example, other cultivators at the eighth level of the cycle stepped forward, making the same choice and moving out of the Venerable Person Hanxing’s defensive range. Hanxing didn’t stop them, understanding that their decision was reasonable.    

In the end, only the Venerable Person and Xing Yan, who was using a pill furnace to help Zhang Qianren detoxify, remained in Jiang Fann's domain. Xing Yan, a master of herbal medicine, was fully focused on aiding Zhang Qianren.    

The Venerable Person watched Jiang Fann, not pleading like the others. He maintained his defenses, clearly still trying to find a way out.    

Jiang Fann reappeared beside his defenses, his blade slicing through the barrier. He spoke, "What do you have to say now?"    

The Venerable Person replied, "Spare my apprentice, and consider it a favor I owe you. I promise the Celestial Palace won't trouble you again. I'll even compensate you with treasures for our lives."    

Jiang Fann, however, was unmoved by the offer. Calmly, he said, "Everything else can be negotiated, but Zhang Qianren must die. If it was just about confronting me or the Heaven Pavilion, I could face it head-on. But he secretly captured my father and sent people after my friends. For any of these reasons, I can't let him live. His death is the only resolution."    

The Venerable Person wanted to say more, but Xing Yan, frowning, struck the pill furnace in frustration. Seeing this, the Venerable Person seemed to realize something.    

"He..."    

Xing Yan shook his head and then looked at Jiang Fann. "This time, you win."    

Jiang Fann wasn't surprised. The Venerable couldn't undo the severe poison afflicting Zhang Qianren, despite trying everything. Xing Yan moved Zhang Qianren from the furnace, and his breath was faint, life slipping away.    

The Venerable frowned, attempting to preserve Zhang's life with his power, but to no avail. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the air, enveloping Zhang Qianren. The surrounding energy seemed to freeze, and a figure appeared out of nowhere.    

Everyone, including the Venerable and Xing Yan, stood motionless, an eerie stillness. The figure was Old Man Shen Ji. He looked at Zhang Qianren, sighed, and then turned his gaze to Jiang Fann.    

Jiang Fann, unaffected by the stillness, was puzzled by his appearance. "Didn't expect this guy would draw you out!"    

Gu Xie's voice echoed, "Spirit of the Realm! If you interfere with my master's work, I'll destroy you."    

Old Man Shen Ji ignored Gu Xie's threat, focusing on Jiang Fann. "I didn't expect you'd become this powerful in such a short time. Since I first sensed your presence, I couldn't perceive your past or future. It's like you've stepped outside of fate, altering the course of the world. I've watched over the years. Without your influence, this land would still be ravaged by outsiders..."    

Jiang Fann said, "I'm just doing what I should. My family and friends are here. No need to beat around the bush. If you've suddenly appeared, you must want something. Just say it."    

"You exist outside the bounds of fate, and I can't predict your future. You also influence the futures of others. This Zhang Qianren is someone I calculated to be crucial for the future of our world. He's connected to its destiny, so I hope you can spare his life. I assure you he won't cause trouble again."    

Jiang Fann frowned, "How can you guarantee that?"    

"Haven't you noticed that whenever I appear, the practitioners of destiny in our world stop in their tracks? They can only act freely with my permission, but you're an exception. So, at certain times, I change things. Over the years, I've been unable to alter your path, and I know you're destined not to stay here!"    

"Can you ensure Myriad Clouds Mountain remains unaffected?"    

Old Man Shen Ji hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can intervene with influences within our world, but if it's an outsider's influence, I can't interfere. My own power isn't strong enough; a practitioner at the celestial level could easily destroy me."    

Previously, when Venerable Hanxing pleaded, Jiang Fann had no intention of showing mercy. But with Old Man Shen Ji stepping in, Jiang Fann had to consider it more carefully. After all, this guy is the spirit of our realm, and he deserves some respect.    

Jiang Fann asked, "Do you know what this guy has done before?"    

Old Man Shen Ji said, "I wasn't aware of this. I only noticed his life force was severely depleted, which is why I started paying attention to the situation here. I didn't expect him to clash with you. I rarely interfere with his growth. The variable here is you. If I had noticed earlier, I would have intervened, given your abilities and the skilled people around you."    

Hearing this, Jiang Fann frowned and said, "Are you saying this is all my fault?"    

Old Man Shen Ji quickly shook his head, "Not at all. Don't overthink it. You've risen rapidly in the Nine Wastelands, and while it has shaped you, you've also changed its course. Yet, you're not part of its destined path. That's why I've never interfered with you, and I won't in the future. I couldn't even if I wanted to..."    

Jiang Fann replied, "I might leave the Nine Wastelands someday. Zhang Qianren has targeted me several times, and staying here is a constant threat. However, since you're willing to vouch for him, I'm willing to give him a chance. But I want him to swear to you that if he breaks his promise, he will face the consequences."    

Old Man Shen Ji nodded, "I don't see that being a problem."    

Jiang Fann wasted no time. He went over to Zhang Qianren, cut his wrist with a dagger, and used his medicine arts to extract the toxins from his body. While tending to him, he said to Old Man Shen Ji, "If he wakes up and still holds hostility towards me, I'll deal with him myself."    

Old Man Shen Ji said, "As long as I'm here, he won't get that chance. However, I hope you can keep your people in check. Tell her not to use her spiritual strength recklessly. At her level, one wrong move could cause a disaster."    

Gu Xie replied directly, "If no one provoked my master, I wouldn't bother to act."    

In Jiang Fann's palm, a purple mist formed, extracted from Zhang Qianren's body. Although Zhang Qianren still looked pale, the symptoms of poisoning had disappeared. His vitality was weak but no longer deteriorating.    

Zhang Qianren soon awoke from his coma. Seeing Jiang Fann in front of him, he was momentarily stunned. He tried to back away, but after struggling a bit, he realized he didn't have the strength to stand.