They each have their own paths to walk, and it has nothing to do with her.
It felt like a dream… Those people who barged into her life came and went in a flash, leaving nothing behind as they went their separate ways. She was left alone in this place where the seasons never change, blankly waiting for a future she herself didn't know.
She subconsciously reached out and touched her hair, only to realize that she had given away the purple jade hairpin long ago. She suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold and instinctively hugged the purple-gold hand warmer tightly, coughing incessantly.
"Valley Master!" Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. She heard Greenie running in, shouting and waving her hands.
"What?" Her heart skipped a beat, but it was a surge of joy—could it be that he had returned?
"Valley Master! Valley Master!" Greenie was almost out of breath from running, gasping for air as she leaned on her knees and stammered, "It's...it's terrible...there's a strange blue-haired man at the valley entrance, he says he wants to see you..."
"Oh?" Xue Ziye was disappointed and said indifferently, "I won't see anyone without the Heavenly Return Token."
The order to save lives this year was only issued a few days ago, so it's unlikely that patients will come to the door so soon.
Every year, the Resurrection Token is secretly distributed and then circulates throughout the martial arts world. After a period of fierce competition, it is finally won by the person who needs it most and has the greatest strength, who then comes to Medicine Master Valley to seek her help. Generally speaking, the first patient to arrive here will arrive at least three months later.
"Yes! There are Resurrection Tokens!" Greenie gasped for breath. "There are so many!"
"What!" Xue Ziye stood up abruptly, startled.
"He...he has the Ten-Sided Heaven-Returning Token!" Greenie gestured with her hands, her eyes filled with shock. "Ten-Sided!"
"..." Xue Ziye's eyes narrowed, and she walked quickly a few steps to the window with her hands behind her back. "Where is Shuanghong?"
"Reporting to the Valley Master," Xiao Cheng whispered, "Shuang Hong hasn't returned yet."
Before Shuang Hong, who had gone out to distribute the Heaven-Returning Tokens, had returned, the other party had already arrived at their door with ten Heaven-Returning Tokens!
Xue Ziye gasped silently—in her more than ten years of medical practice, this was the first time she had encountered such a bizarre situation. Just who was this person, capable of appearing and disappearing so mysteriously?
"Take me out for a look," she instructed, gesturing to Xiao Cheng, who was standing nearby, to take the lynx fur coat and put it on.
The wind at the mouth of the valley was very strong, causing the boulders to tumble and roll.
When the sedan chair stopped, she lifted the curtain and saw a figure in white robes fluttering in the wind opposite Stonehenge. The distance was too great to see clearly, but she could see long, blue hair flying in the wind on the snow, a sight that would be unforgettable.
Strangely, despite the heavy snowfall, not a single snowflake touched his side. It was as if he emanated a warm and gentle power that melted away the cold frost and snow.
"Valley Master Xue?" Seeing the sedan chair land opposite the stone formation, the man smiled and bowed. His voice was not loud, but it pierced through the wind and snow and came clearly and pleasantly, "Wonderful Wind Envoy of the Great Bright Palace of Kunlun Mountain, I have been ordered to come to Medicine Master Valley to seek medical treatment from Miss Xue."
The Great Bright Palace?!
Xue Ziye froze for a moment, her hand stiffening on the curtain as she stared at the smiling man in white.
Under the command of the Great Bright Palace's leader, there have always been three Holy Maidens, five Bright Disciples, and the Three Realms of the Asura Field. Among the five Bright Disciples—Wind, Fire, Water, Void, and Power—Miao Shui, Miao Huo, Miao Kong, and Ming Li are figures who strike fear into the hearts of the Central Plains martial arts world. However, Miao Feng is the most mysterious. For many years, no one in the martial arts world has ever seen his true face. It is said that this person is the leader's confidant and has always been by the leader's side.
—However, at this moment, this mysterious person suddenly appeared at the entrance of Medicine Master Valley!
She was at a loss for words and could only watch as the other person presented her with a handful of Heaven-Returning Decrees.
Miao Feng spread the ten Resurrection Tokens out on the ground, brushed his clothes, and bowed.
"I have heard that Valley Master Xue is of a refined and quiet nature, and that this is the only way to enter the valley for medical consultations," he said with a smile and in a very polite manner. "Therefore, I followed Miss Shuanghong all the way and collected all these Resurrection Tokens."
Xue Ziye glanced at the ten Resurrection Tokens and said coldly, "Ten patients need to be seen?"
“There is only one patient.” Miao Feng smiled and bowed, his face seemingly wearing an invisible mask. “But I was afraid that the Valley Master would not agree to treat me, or that someone else might get the patient, which would prevent the Valley Master from treating me. So I simply took a few more – it was just a convenient thing to do anyway.”
Xue Ziye felt a surge of anger and frowned, "Who exactly wants to see a doctor?"
Miao Feng bowed deeply: "It is the King of this sect."
Xue Ziye's eyes lit up instantly, and her hand tightened instinctively: "The King of the Sect?"
"The King of the Sect recently suffered a qi deviation while in seclusion," Miao Feng said, bending over as he spoke to her through the Stonehenge using a secret telepathic technique. His voice came clearly and reached her ears. "After several days of treatment, there has been no improvement. I have heard that the medical skills of the Medicine Master Valley are unparalleled in the world, so I was ordered to travel a great distance to seek medical help."
Xue Ziye was taken aback: "You were ordered to come?"
Having finally found a perfectly legitimate reason to refuse, she suddenly smiled, waved her hand to order Greenie to lower the sedan curtain, and said coldly, "Sorry, Medicine Master Valley has never had the concept of 'going out for medical consultations'."
"Even so, is that not enough?" A question suddenly came from behind, the voice still gentle and pleasant, but with a hint of pressure, followed by a clapping sound.
"Oh dear!" Greenie and several other maids suddenly exclaimed in surprise, raising their hands to cover their eyes.
Xue Ziye was startled and lifted the sedan curtain. In that instant, she was also dazzled by the light—a golden light suddenly shone on the ice and snow!
The twelve Kunlun slaves put down the large chests they were carrying, and the twenty-four chests of gold were neatly arranged and spread out in the white snow at the entrance of the valley.
"I've heard that Master Xue's consultation fees are exorbitant, costing 100,000 to save a single person," Miao Feng said with a smile and a bow. "The King has specially ordered his subordinates to bring some meager gifts here, wishing to seek treatment at ten times the price."
Greenie was speechless with astonishment. These gold bars were worth far more than a million taels of silver.
She knew that the Valley Master always valued money highly, and now that a mountain of gold was piled up in front of her, she couldn't help but be tempted. She turned her head to watch the Valley Master's reaction.
However, the sedan curtain had already been drawn, and Xue Ziye's cold voice came from inside: "I have been ill for a long time and am unable to move around easily. I cannot go on a house call. Envoy Miaofeng, please return."
She paused, as if she still couldn't help herself, and added, "You should also take care of yourself—your hair is turning blue, which suggests that you may have been deeply poisoned by the Ice Silkworm."
Miao Feng had not expected that Xue Ziye, from a distance across the stone array, could diagnose his illness simply by looking at his hair color. He was slightly taken aback, but still smiled and said, "Valley Master is indeed a renowned physician—please pass on your kindness to the King. I would be extremely grateful."
"I'm afraid I can't comply," Xue Ziye's cold voice came from behind the sedan curtain.
The moment the sedan chair was lifted, Miao Feng suddenly raised his voice behind him and said in a clear voice, "Before I came down, I also inquired—for many years, Valley Master Xue has been unable to leave the valley because he suffers from a cold ailment and is afraid of the wind and snow outside the valley. Is that right?"
Xue Ziye did not agree, but simply told Lü'er to leave.
However, the voice behind him suddenly paused: "If that's the case, Miaofeng can expel the cold ailment from the Valley Master's body!"