Bai Lengxia glanced at Fu Mingxu, who was sitting to the side in a daze, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes before quickly disappearing.
"Besides delivering the pills to Lord Han, my master instructed me to take Young Master Fu to the Hundred Herbs Spirit Spring." He smiled, making his already handsome features appear even more harmless. "Lord Han, you may not know, but there are many restrictions around that spirit spring. I am merely leading the way. Once we arrive, Young Master Fu can simply go there alone with the jade token."
"Within the Medicine Sect, safety is absolutely not an issue."
Hearing his name called, Fu Mingxu snapped out of his daze, his brows furrowing slightly: "Didn't we say it would start tomorrow?"
Bai Lengxia paused for a moment, glanced at Han Tao upon hearing this, then turned to look at Fu Mingxu with a calm expression: "The matter of the Demon Seed will be handled by Master tomorrow, and the Hundred Herbs Spirit Spring only opens once every half month, and tonight at 7 PM is the opening time."
"The first night after the spring is opened is the most effective. I suppose Master took this into consideration, which is why he sent me here."
Han Tao came specifically for the poison of the Demon Bone Chain, so regardless of Shi Guiyuan's intentions, he had no reason to refuse.
He walked over to Fu Mingxu, squatted down, and touched the ankle of his shirt, his voice gentle: "Go ahead, the sooner the better."
The road ahead is uncertain, and if they remain hesitant and stagnant, they will accomplish nothing.
Fu Mingxu had also thought of this. His eyelashes trembled, and he looked at Bai Lengxia and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble you."
"I'll take you there." Han Tao's gaze fell on the hair ribbon that fell over his shoulder, and his fingers moved, infusing it with even more intense dragon energy.
As the sunset faded and night gradually fell, Fu Mingxu deeply felt that having this demon bone chain on his body was indeed a troublesome matter.
The two followed Bai Lengxia, passing through countless medicinal fields and carefully navigating numerous formations before finally arriving at a cliff face hidden by vines.
Fu Mingxu turned around and felt that the Medicine Sect had far too many formations.
"This is the jade token for entering the spring." Bai Lengxia handed him the jade token and instructed, "The restrictions inside are special, and you can only enter with a jade token. I will send Young Master Fu back in an hour."
The jade pendant felt cool to the touch, and Fu Mingxu didn't sense anything unusual. He nodded to Han Tao and walked towards the cave hidden by the vines.
"I'll be waiting for you outside." Han Tao stood at the cave entrance, his golden eyes gleaming in the darkness, a brilliance that even the finest gems could not match.
Bai Lengxia's fingers were curled up inside her sleeves, and she just smiled when she heard this.
After Fu Mingxu went inside, he was the first to break the silence between the two: "Lord Han and Young Master Fu are truly very much in love."
He glanced at Han Tao's expression as if he were simply curious, and said with a light smile, "I heard that Young Master Fu entered the City Lord's Mansion as a bride to bring good luck when City Lord Han was seriously injured and unconscious. Could it be that he and City Lord knew each other in their early years?"
"Young Master Fu must be exceptionally good to have earned the favor of Lord Han."
Han Tao remained motionless, his expression unchanged: "He and I are indeed very much in love."
Bai Lengxia was prepared to listen attentively, but the other party fell silent after saying those words.
As if knowing his inner thoughts, Han Tao slightly parted his tightly closed lips: "Dragons do not like to discuss their partners with others."
He spoke very naturally, but the possessiveness in his eyes was blatantly obvious.
Bai Lengxia's breathing slowed slightly, and she could only try her best to maintain a smile on her face: "I was presumptuous, and I hope Lord Han will forgive me."
"Hmm." Han Tao said no more, his gaze fixed on the cave entrance where Fu Mingxu had just entered, his body as still as a mountain.
Bai Lengxia also stared at the cave entrance for a while, her thoughts churning. Her gaze kept glancing unintentionally at Han Tao's tall and imposing figure, like a majestic mountain.
The night breeze blew, causing their clothes to flutter, yet they were so far apart that not a single drop of it touched them.
After an unknown amount of time, Bai Lengxia spoke again after careful consideration: "I wonder if Lord Han remembers that we met once before? During the war between the righteous and the demonic realms, a group of cultivators were besieged by people from the demonic realm. When we were on the verge of death, Lord Han descended from the sky and saved us."
Han Tao finally managed to shift her gaze from the cave entrance and glance at him.
Bai Lengxia's heart skipped a beat, and she became nervous.
"I saved too many humans." Han Tao thought for a moment, then shook his head honestly, "I don't remember."
After saying that, his gaze returned to the cave entrance, as if looking at him had not stirred the slightest ripple in his eyes.
In just two sentences, he completely killed the conversation that Bai Lengxia wanted to provoke.
Bai Lengxia had no reason to speak again, and stood there stiffly, letting the night wind blow her.
Time passed quietly, and half an hour later, there was movement at the cave entrance.
With a steadfast and unwavering stance, Han Tao moved, and by the time Bai Lengxia reacted, he had already reached out and lifted the vines at the cave entrance to let the person inside out.
The newcomer was dressed in a green robe, his dark hair was slightly damp, and even his eyelashes were covered in moisture.
Even though it was a bright moonlit night with few stars, Fu Mingxu's brows and eyes seemed to be filled with moonlight and starlight.
Even though Bai Lengxia's thoughts were hard to understand, she had to admit that even in the cultivation world full of handsome men and beautiful women, it would be difficult to find someone whose appearance surpassed that of the person in front of her.
His gaze lingered on Fu Mingxu for far too long, and Han Tao, displeased, walked up to Fu Mingxu, his tall figure completely blocking him out.
"It's ready, and the results are good." Fu Mingxu thought he was going to ask about his condition, so he simply lifted his shirt.
Before he could expose his ankles, Han Tao pressed his hand down, "We'll see when we get back."
Fu Mingxu, unsuspecting, nodded: "Then let's go."
The two acted intimately, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.
Bai Lengxia's heart sank. He knew that Han Tao loved this mortal partner, but he did not expect that he loved him to this extent, not wanting anyone to see even the slightest bit of him.
He only took his leave mechanically after dropping the two off at their accommodation, his departing figure revealing a hint of dishevelment.
Fu Mingxu didn't take his little tricks to heart and reached out to Han Tao: "You're not stupid enough to take that Spring Eternity Pill, are you? Show me that pill."
His black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and before it was completely dry, some moisture even seeped onto his shoulders.
A wisp of dragon's breath shot down, and Fu Mingxu exclaimed "Eh!" He felt a warmth spread through his body, and the dampness in his dark hair disappeared.
"Thank you." He looked up at Han Tao, then frowned at the pill in his hand.
Han Tao moved closer to him, looked down at his palm, and whispered, "Is there a problem?"
The two were so close that Fu Mingxu could even feel his unique aura surrounding him. Without looking up, he put the pill back into the jade bottle and shook his head, saying, "The pill is fine, and its quality is top-grade, so it can be used."
The three pills lay round and smooth in his palm, seemingly proclaiming their innocence.
Han Tao stared at the delicate white fingertips and said, "It doesn't look as good as what you made."
"You have good taste." Fu Mingxu smiled and looked up, his heart trembling slightly when he met those bright golden eyes. "The pills I refined for you are all top-grade."
Speaking of alchemy, he's been too busy lately to get a chance to practice.
"No wonder." Han Tao didn't look at the pill, but said meaningfully, "After eating the pills you made, it's hard to swallow anything else."
Fu Mingxu thought to himself that if this person wanted better pills, he should just say so. There was no difference in taste between high-grade and top-grade pills, so how could there be any problem with them being hard to swallow? He had just muttered a few words in his mind when he heard him say again, "When you were soaking in the spiritual spring, Zhang Anran brought you the Demon Life Flower King and the Demon Source Pill recipe. Would you like to try them?"
"It's here?" Fu Mingxu asked in surprise.
He simply assumed that Zhang Anran had sent the mermaids to deliver the medicine to the Medicine Sect, and that Han Tao must have retrieved it while he was soaking in the spiritual spring.
Han Tao nodded: "At the beginning of her death, her resentment was too strong, which accidentally awakened the Xuanzhong soul that was dormant in Le Chao's body, and she obtained the cultivation method of the Asura Ghost by a twist of fate."
Without Fu Mingxu's intervention, Le Chao would have ultimately died at Xuan Zhong's hands.
"She's not going to the Yellow Springs to cultivate?" Fu Mingxu was still shocked when he heard her decision. "But her human identity has been destroyed, and her name and the mermaid's name are no longer on the Three Lives Stone."
Han Tao looked down at him: "She still chooses to be with the merman; it's her choice and the merman's choice."
Fu Mingxu pondered for a few moments and then asked, "Do Zhang Hengbo and the others know about this?"
Zhang Anran's life was full of twists and turns. It can be described in just a few words, but only those involved truly know the hardships and pain she endured.
Han Tao nodded: "I know. I have already asked Zhang Anran to hand over the Buddhist token to him. I sent a message to Master Liaochen of the Buddhist sect earlier, and Master Liaochen will meet them when they arrive at the Buddhist sect's territory."
"Once they are delivered to the Buddhist territory, Zhang Anran will return to the shores of the East Sea with the merman to cultivate."
With his arrangements so thorough, Fu Mingxu had nothing left to worry about. The most important thing now was to refine the Demon Source Pill to suppress the demonic seed within the Cold Tao Dragon Soul.
As for removing the demonic seed, Fu Mingxu felt it wasn't as simple as Shi Guiyuan and the others made it out to be. If Shen Ange's trip to the Demon Realm failed, they would eventually have to go there themselves.
Speaking of Shen Ange, the pills I promised her haven't been refined yet.
“Alright, then we’ll borrow the alchemy room of the Medicine Sect tomorrow.” He said seriously, but with a hint of worry, “Once we leave the Medicine Sect, we’ll need to find an alchemy furnace that’s easy to carry around.”
The alchemical fire possesses dragon flames, but what he lacks is an alchemical furnace that can be placed in his dantian for nurturing.
Just like the fire for alchemy, a suitable alchemy furnace is something that can only be found by chance and cannot be rushed.
"No need to rush," Han Tao reassured him.
Fu Mingxu thought he was referring to the immediate need to refine the Demon Source Pill, and his brows furrowed: "We still need to hurry up and refine it. I don't want their divine senses to linger inside your Dragon Soul."
"They have no chance." Han Tao's lips curled up, and he brushed the ends of his hair, which were hanging loosely over his shoulder, back. "Don't worry."
"What you need to do now is rest, since once the furnace is started, there's no stopping it."
Fu Mingxu wholeheartedly agreed: "Then I'll go to sleep first."
The spring water not only detoxifies, but also makes people drowsy if they soak in it for a long time.
"good."
Han Tao watched him enter the bedroom but didn't follow. He then took out spirit stones and set up a powerful defensive array inside, and also used dragon energy to create a killing array before quietly leaving.
Outside the residence, Qi Muyuan watched him walk over with his arms crossed, and couldn't help but roll his eyes: "What time is it? I thought you were going to sleep with your partner until dawn."
"Setting up a few formations took a little time," Han Tao said dismissively. "The dark and windy night is perfect for a night raid."
Qi Muyuan scoffed, his gaze sweeping over him: "My master is right next door; protecting him is more than enough."
Han Tao didn't want to argue with him about this matter, so he asked instead, "Immortal Lord Siyang isn't coming with us?"
Qi Muyuan said matter-of-factly, "How can we let him do such sneaky things?"
Han Tao, who was just about to "sneak in": ...
"If we keep talking, it'll be dawn." Immortal Lord Siyang appeared outside and nodded to Han Tao. "Don't worry, I'll stay here to look after Fu Mingxu. You two should be able to manage, right?"
Qi Muyuan stood up straight with a "whoosh": "Master, I can do it by myself!"
He was met with Han Tao's cold laughter and Si Yang Xianjun's speechless back.
The two skillfully disguised themselves and moved in the same direction like ghosts.
While Han Tao avoided the fluctuations of the formation, Qi Muyuan followed behind, cursing the Medicine Sect for using a formation that looked like a tortoise shell, saying he really wanted to chop it in half with a sword.
After he had cursed for who knows how many times, they finally found the place that Immortal Lord Siyang had deduced based on the demonic energy.
The two exchanged a glance and silently slid down.
A note from the author:
Fu Mingxu (smiling): Everyone knows we're in love, except me.
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!