C17 The Pavilion Master of the Fragrance Tower

The doors swung open gently, and a delightful fragrance wafted through the air. To my surprise, a woman with the lower body of a snake emerged, clad in only two simple garments for modesty.

"Well, hello there, handsome. You have a pleasant scent about you. What do you say? Interested in becoming my boy toy?" Her voice oozed charm, and she reached out to touch Liu Yangshuo.

Liu Yangshuo, still a bachelor, had never encountered such a situation. His face flushed crimson, and his heart rate soared.

As her hand nearly grazed Liu Yangshuo, the voice that had echoed in his mind earlier resurfaced.

"Ms. Medusa, this man is a VIP at Fragrance Tower. Others may be fair game, but not him. If you lay a finger on him, you know the lengths to which Fragrance Tower will go."

The voice remained serene yet authoritative, leaving no room for Medusa's dissent.

Apparently startled, Medusa quickly withdrew her hand. "Fine, I won't touch him. No need to be so harsh," she retorted, pouting as she sashayed out of Fragrance Tower.

Watching Medusa's retreating figure, Liu Yangshuo mused to himself that sometimes, living off someone else's dime had its perks.

"Miracle Doctor Liu, do you find Fragrance Tower unsatisfactory? Why do you linger at the threshold?" The woman's voice snapped Liu Yangshuo out of his reverie, prompting him to step inside.

Fragrance Tower resembled an ordinary teahouse, yet the incense that burned within seemed to soothe the soul.

As if anticipating Liu Yangshuo's arrival, the place was devoid of patrons. Only two maidens played the zither, their music filling the air. At the head of the room, a captivating figure reclined behind a pink gauze curtain.

"Are you the master of Fragrance Tower?" Liu Yangshuo inquired with caution.

"Indeed, I am Hsu Chengqiu, the proprietor of Fragrance Tower. Miracle Doctor Liu, you are as remarkable as they say—youthful and accomplished." A delicate hand emerged from behind the curtain, gracefully drawing it aside.

Liu Yangshuo finally got a clear view of the Pavilion Master of Fragrance Tower. She wasn't as stunning as Medusa, but she possessed a unique beauty that was incredibly soothing to behold. Her modest attire only served to highlight her impressive figure.

"How does Pavilion Master Hsu know of me, and for what reason have I been brought here?" Liu Yangshuo inquired, hands clasped in a formal gesture. Despite not feeling threatened by Hsu Chengqiu, he knew the importance of caution—the seemingly safest situations could be the most perilous.

"The tale is quite lengthy. Does Miracle Doctor Liu recall the Ten Thousand Beast Sect?" Hsu Chengqiu asked with a slight smile, pouring two cups of clear tea on the table before them.

"Of course, I remember. But what does that have to do with the Ten Thousand Beast Sect?" Liu Yangshuo took a seat opposite Hsu Chengqiu, his curiosity piqued.

"Our Fragrance Tower has strong ties with the Ten Thousand Beast Sect. I've invited Miracle Doctor Liu here because there are two favors I wish to ask of you," Hsu Chengqiu explained, her jade-like finger delicately pushing the second cup of tea towards Liu Yangshuo.

"You're too kind, Pavilion Master Hsu. Please, just tell me what you need," Liu Yangshuo responded, lifting the cup of tea and emptying it in one swallow. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as he felt his spiritual force slightly increase after finishing the tea.

"Well, the first matter is that I'd like Miracle Doctor Liu to represent Fragrance Tower in the upcoming Hagan Competition, ten days from now. I wouldn't normally trouble you, but the original participant we had in mind encountered an unexpected mishap, leaving me with no other option but to seek your assistance," Hsu Chengqiu explained with a light sigh and a touch of embarrassment.

"I'm happy to help, Pavilion Master Hsu. Rest assured. But what happened to the initially chosen contestant?" Liu Yangshuo offered his help without hesitation, feeling indebted to the Ten Thousand Beast Sect for equating him with their own esteemed ranks.

"Alas, it was I who was meant to compete. But recently, I fell victim to a cowardly scheme, and now my right hand is all but useless," Hsu Chengqiu revealed with a heavy heart.

Hsu Chengqiu slowly slid down the fabric from her right shoulder, revealing three deep gashes. The skin around the wounds had turned a dark, bruised purple.

"These wounds are no minor matter. We should find out who this young lady has crossed recently. Whoever is behind this is certainly no average foe," remarked the Primordial Thunder Dragon from within his sleeve, sending a message to Liu Yangshuo with a hint of shock.

"Cough, cough. Pavilion Master Hsu, have you recently made any enemies?" inquired Liu Yangshuo with a light cough.

"Who else but one of the competitors in this year's tournament? I never imagined they'd stoop so low as to use such vile tactics to topple Fragrance Tower from the top spot," Hsu Chengqiu replied, her brows knitted in frustration, her voice tinged with anger.

"I see. Rest assured, Pavilion Master Hsu, I made a promise to you, and I intend to give it my all in the competition," Liu Yangshuo declared, his sense of justice flaring at the thought of such underhanded methods.

"In that case, I must thank you, Miracle Doctor Liu. And I won't let your efforts go unrewarded. The entire prize for winning the competition will be yours; Fragrance Tower will claim none of it," Hsu Chengqiu responded, matching Liu Yangshuo's generosity.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, the priority is to heal your arm before it becomes life-threatening," Liu Yangshuo said, recalling the healing technique the Primordial Thunder Dragon had shared with him.

"Even as a physician, I'm at a loss with this injury. If you have a solution, Miracle Doctor Liu, that would be wonderful. Otherwise, I'm prepared to face the loss of an arm," Hsu Chengqiu said with a stoic resolve.

"It's a minor issue. The injury may be rare, but it is not difficult to treat. Please brace yourself, Pavilion Master Hsu; there may be a bit of pain," Liu Yangshuo reassured her as he produced seven silver needles, transformed from long spears, and deftly sent them flying toward her injured shoulder.

"Acupuncture? I've already tried that, but to no avail," Hsu Chengqiu noted with a hint of skepticism.

Hsu Chengqiu gazed at the seven silver needles perched on her shoulder and let out a wry chuckle.

"Concentrate and quiet down!"

With a gentle exhale, Liu Yangshuo's spiritual force connected seamlessly with the needles.

Unbeknownst to Hsu Chengqiu, the Primordial Thunder Dragon had commandeered the flow of spiritual force within Liu Yangshuo's body. A sliver of the dragon's mighty power traveled along his spiritual force, into the silver needles, and subsequently into Hsu Chengqiu's wound.

As a tingling sensation washed over her, Hsu Chengqiu was astonished to see black blood oozing from the injury. Clearly, the potent poison that had lurked within had been obliterated by some mysterious technique of Liu Yangshuo's.