C6 I Can Cure This Poison!!

"I can draw out the corpse poison for Senior Sister!" Qiao Gao declared, his voice steady with a subtle confidence. It wasn't loud, yet it resonated like a boulder thrown into a tranquil lake, causing ripples to surge through everyone's hearts.

Panic marred Hwang Ningxue's otherwise flawless beauty, stripping away her usual composure and icy demeanor. Under normal circumstances, she could have left with ease, not needing to suppress the corpse poison. But now, tasked with both containing the poison and leading a group of students through their examination, the stakes were high. Should the Corpse King find her, the consequences were unthinkable...

Upon hearing his claim, Hwang Ningxue's eyes locked onto Qiao Gao as she instinctively asked, "Can you truly rid me of the corpse poison?" But as soon as the words escaped her lips, she felt a surge of madness. She was pinning her hopes on a student who hadn't even made it to the outer court yet. And even though Qiao Gao had identified her affliction, wasn't it possible that it was just a stroke of luck?

"Roar!" The Corpse King's bellow reverberated once more, the earth and mountains quaking with its fearsome sonic force, whipping up sand and stones. A pall of death hung in the mine shaft as the temperature plummeted, and everyone felt as though they had plunged into an ice pit.

Simultaneously, a dark shadow closed in rapidly, bringing with it a nauseating, putrid stench.

"What on earth is that?" a female student shrieked.

"Quiet! No talking!" Bai Jutian snapped, his face contorting with disgust at the sight of the shadow.

"It's Corpse Worms. The Corpse King must be close." Corpse Worms were the minions of decayed corpses, driven by their masters. The more decayed corpses there were, the more Corpse Worms they commanded. This swarm of Corpse Worms wasn't the work of ordinary decayed corpses; it was almost certainly the enraged Corpse King, driving its minions to hunt down the thief who dared to steal its precious Blood Soul Flower.

"What's so difficult about that?"

Qiao Gao spoke with a nonchalant air, his eyes flashing with intensity, a subtle aura of a peerless expert emanating from his brow. It was enough to send Hwang Ningxue's heart into a flutter, leaving her utterly captivated.

Bai Jutian caught the admiring glances Hwang Ningxue cast toward Qiao Gao, and a surge of anger welled up within him. He stepped in front of her, blocking her view, and managed to compose himself. With a forced gentleness, he said, "Ningxue, I'll draw the Corpse King away. You lead the students to safety."

"Senior Bai is a master of the nine meridians, with formidable elemental energy and immunity to all poisons. I'm confident he can distract the Corpse King."

"Exactly, Senior. Don't listen to Qiao Gao's nonsense. With his mediocre talent, how could he possibly cure corpse poison?"

"Senior, please, get us out of here," Bai Jutian's entourage clamored in support.

"That Corpse King can nurture a Blood Soul Flower, indicating it has developed self-awareness and is far more powerful than the average Vein Connecting Stage expert. Do you really think you stand a chance with your meager abilities?" Qiao Gao said, his voice dripping with contempt.

"You!" Bai Jutian's eyes blazed with fury, his sword resonating with his anger.

Unfazed by Bai Jutian's lethal glare, Qiao Gao casually plucked a Night Glow Sunflower from the mine, crushed it, sprinkled it with sulfur stones, and set it alight. The mine was soon filled with a foul odor.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, the ferocious corpse worms began to shriek and scatter as if encountering their worst nightmare.

"Good heavens! What did you do? How did you make the corpse worms flee?" a student asked, both shocked and curious.

Qiao Gao shrugged and explained, "The Night Glow Sunflower contains Yin fire. When combined with the right amount of sulfur stones and ignited, it creates a flame that corpses detest and that is the bane of corpse worms."

"You're not aware?"

The crowd shook their heads in unison. With the vast array of herbs and spiritual medicines in the world, even just the basic types numbered over ten thousand. It was no surprise that even students gifted in pill refining at the inner court might not have come across the Night Glow Sunflower, much less be aware that it was the archenemy of corpse worms.

Shock painted Hwang Ningxue's face before she bit her lip and said, "I trust you. Please, help me with the detoxification."

Hwang Ningxue had taken pill refining classes before and was only aware of the Night Glow Sunflower's potent toxicity, not to be handled carelessly. She was completely oblivious to the fact that, combined with sulfur stones, it could drive away corpse worms.

Qiao Gao's eyes sparkled with excitement, sensing an opportunity for business.

"I'll need just fifteen minutes to rid your body of the Corpse King Poison," Qiao Gao declared with unwavering confidence. After all, he had assimilated the memories of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch. With the right materials at hand, crafting Medicine Pills of Grade Three or lower was a breeze, and eliminating the Corpse King Poison was practically child's play.

"However, payment comes first, then the detox," Qiao Gao stated coolly. "Your Blood Soul Flower will serve as my consultation fee."

"What? You're charging me?"

"At a life-or-death juncture, you're still trying to profit?"

"To aid your Senior Sister in healing is a privilege, yet you dare to demand a fee?"

The crowd was incredulous, their outrage palpable as they scorned Qiao Gao's actions.

With a sidelong glance and a scoff, Qiao Gao retorted, "Do you not pay the doctor? Do you take Medicine Pills without settling the bill?"

"The idea of medical care without payment is absurd."

Silenced, the crowd had no comeback...

"Enough!" thundered Bai Jutian, drawing his gleaming sword with a fury that rivaled that of a mythical beast, his gaze fixed on Qiao Gao. "Detoxify Ningxue now. I will compensate you once we return to the academy."

Bai Jutian's tone brooked no argument, implying that any refusal from Qiao Gao might lead to immediate retribution. He had been patient for far too long.

Qiao Gao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice icy, "Oh, it looks like someone's trying to dine and dash. I dare you to lay a finger on me."

"I need the Blood Soul Flower, so I can only part with half. Perhaps we can trade the other half for this bottle of Emperor Body Ointment?"

Hwang Ningxue was decisive. Coming from a secretive noble family, she wasn't one to brazenly skip out on a bill.

Seeing an opportunity, Qiao Gao promptly agreed with a nod.

"Senior, please, follow me."

Having secured his payment, Qiao Gao hastened into the mine.

Bai Jutian was intent on tailing them. He doubted the so-called trash, Qiao Gao, could truly heal the Corpse King Poison, and he certainly didn't want Hwang Ningxue alone with him. Such rumors could tarnish her reputation at the academy.

This was the last thing Bai Jutian wanted.

"What are you doing coming in here?"

Qiao Gao blocked Bai Jutian with an outstretched arm and commanded, "Get out and stand guard."

Fuming, Bai Jutian's face twisted with rage, barely resisting the urge to flatten Qiao Gao with a slap.

Hwang Ningxue's brows knit together, clearly displeased with Bai Jutian's insistence on intruding. Their relationship wasn't at a stage where he could be present during her treatment. With an icy demeanor, she echoed Qiao Gao's command for him to wait outside.

Bai Jutian's face flushed with embarrassment, his anger simmering beneath the surface, yet he held his tongue.

Once they were inside, Bai Tianyu crept up, whispering, "Bro, they're alone in there. Aren't you worried Hwang Ningxue might be compromised if you don't go in?"

With a sharp "Pah!" Bai Jutian slapped Bai Tianyu in frustration.

Scowling at his cousin, Bai Jutian berated him, "I asked you to steal the Scorpion Tail Tiger's egg and pin it on the Qiao family heir."

"Now, not only is Qiao Gao alive, but he's also been causing me endless trouble. You're the real waste!"