Blood River

Nightfall.

The moon was bright, the stars sparse.

A middle-aged man carrying a medicine chest walked through a somewhat desolate forest. He had three wisps of a refined beard and a delicate, scholarly face, exuding an air of immortal grace. This was none other than the Medicine King, Xin Baicao. As he walked, he suddenly halted.

A thick fog spread through the trees, obscuring both the path ahead and the one behind him.

Xin Baicao frowned slightly, his hand trembling faintly as a stick of incense fell to the ground.

At once, the fog stopped three zhang away from him, advancing no further.

"After all these years, you’re still as sharp as ever, Senior Brother. I’ve laid this trap for so long, waiting here to poison you, yet you still noticed," a hoarse voice echoed from within the fog.

Xin Baicao lifted his head. "Ye Ya, you’ve finally shown yourself."

"Hahaha, Senior Brother, it’s been years. Have you missed your junior brother? Why have you chased me for so long?" Ye Ya sneered.

"You stole the Art of the Medicine Man from me back then. After I reclaimed it, you swore never to study it again—yet you broke your word. Junior Uncle told me you not only continued your research but even began refining living humans. This is the greatest taboo of Medicine King Valley. As the current Medicine King, it is my duty to purge this disgrace!" Xin Baicao declared solemnly.

"Refining living humans into Medicine Puppets—you mean like this?" Ye Ya’s voice remained laced with cold amusement.

From within the fog, three indistinct figures gradually emerged. Their movements were stiff yet unnaturally swift as they charged toward Xin Baicao.

"You wish to fight me?" Xin Baicao bent slightly at the waist.

"It’s you who won’t let me go, Senior Brother," Ye Ya replied.

The three Medicine Puppets burst through the fog, their hulking forms wielding massive iron chains. Upon spotting Xin Baicao, they hurled the chains at him. With a light step, Xin Baicao retreated three paces, then swiftly retrieved a vial from his robes and swallowed a pill.

The moment the pill entered his system, his aura surged explosively. Another chain lashed toward him, but he caught it mid-air and yanked hard—sending the Medicine Puppet at the other end stumbling back three steps.

Perched on a tree branch within the fog, Ye Ya narrowed his eyes as he observed the scene from afar. A black-clad figure landed beside him.

"So the Medicine King Xin Baicao’s martial skills are this formidable? I’ve never heard any rumors of it in the martial world," the black-clad man remarked in a low voice.

Ye Ya shook his head. "Senior Brother’s martial arts aren’t particularly outstanding. But he’s refined many Supreme Pills—said to elevate one’s strength to the pinnacle with just one dose. Though it’s not quite that exaggerated, they do grant a temporary surge in power."

"Is that so? Then this vial of pills..." The black-clad man chuckled darkly. "Seems quite valuable."

Ye Ya nodded. "Indeed. But this is a secret formula Senior Brother developed himself. No one else in Medicine King Valley knows it. To prevent others from coveting his pills, he only ever refines one vial—no more, no less."

"Ye Ya!" A furious roar erupted behind them.Ye Ya suddenly turned his head to see Xin Baicao's figure appear before him, throwing a punch his way. Ye Ya tapped his toes and swiftly retreated, the entire tree branch shattering under Xin Baicao's strike. Both Ye Ya and the black-clad figure landed simultaneously. Ye Ya raised his head and said, "It seems your martial arts have improved over the years, Senior Brother."

Xin Baicao's pupils had now turned fiery red, his muscles bulging. "Ye Ya, you're colluding with outsiders?"

Ye Ya chuckled. "I was expelled from Medicine King Valley long ago. I am already an outsider myself."

The black-clad figure frowned slightly. "Is this all your Medicine Puppets can do?"

"Patience." Ye Ya whistled sharply.

Three Medicine Puppets immediately advanced, swinging their chains toward Xin Baicao. With a swift motion, Xin Baicao flicked three Silver Needles from his hand, piercing straight through one puppet's heart. The puppet staggered forward a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

"Ye Ya, don't forget. The Art of the Medicine Man was first entrusted to me. My understanding of them is no less than yours," Xin Baicao sneered.

Ye Ya's expression finally shifted slightly. "I thought you never read that book."

"This bottle of Supreme Pills was developed based on that very book. Though the Art of the Medicine Man is a dark technique, its manifestation depends on who wields it," Xin Baicao retorted.

The black-clad figure sighed softly. "It seems in this duel between Medicine King Valley's disciples, the senior brother has won again."

Ye Ya still wore a faint, mocking smile. "I've always been inferior to my senior brother. That’s something I’ve never denied."

"Let me handle this." The black-clad figure leaped forward, closing in on Xin Baicao and striking out with a palm. Xin Baicao blocked the blow but was sent flying backward. He landed and skidded uncontrollably, retreating over a dozen steps.

"Five Venoms Palm!" Xin Baicao stared at the dark line slowly appearing on his palm, then tilted his head slightly to evade the chains of two Medicine Puppets behind him.

"Medicine King truly is well-informed," the black-clad figure remarked, swiftly pursuing him and striking again.

Xin Baicao swallowed another pill and met the palm strike head-on. "Though the Five Venoms Palm is fearsome, I am the Medicine King. Don’t underestimate me. Among all the poisons in this world, even Wen Hujiu wouldn’t dare claim he could poison me!"

"Then try this technique." The black-clad figure struck again, his body suddenly becoming unnaturally supple. His movements twisted unpredictably, each palm strike clinging to Xin Baicao’s body, sealing off all avenues of escape.

"Entangling Hand!" Xin Baicao exclaimed in shock. "You’re from the Tang Sect!"

"Realizing it now might be a bit late." The black-clad figure struck Xin Baicao’s shoulder, forcing him back three steps, then drew a small treasure box from his robes and aimed it at Xin Baicao.

"Don’t kill him," Ye Ya said coldly.

The black-clad figure paused. "Why?"

"He’s still useful," Ye Ya replied.

Xin Baicao tried to reach for his pill bottle again, but it was too late. The chains of two Medicine Puppets slammed heavily into his back, knocking him to the ground. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, unable to rise again. Ye Ya walked over and bent down beside him. "Senior Brother, oh Senior Brother, who would have thought you’d one day fall into my hands?"The black-clad man said in a deep voice, "If you're not going to kill him, what do you intend to do?"

"Take him back to the Tang Sect first," Ye Ya replied.

"The Tang Sect? Have you lost your mind?" The black-clad man frowned.

"Don't worry. Xin Baicao's value far exceeds what you imagine. The Art of the Medicine Man I've obtained is incomplete. As Xin Baicao said, only he possesses the truly complete version." Ye Ya looked up at the moon in the sky.

"This is getting more and more interesting."