Chapter 536: Chapter 51: The Hidden Mastermind
Xiao Xian picked up the acupuncture needle and examined the one as thin as a strand of hair. She had used a sewing needle to stitch buttons before, but the acupuncture needle in her hand was different; it was finer and longer.
Among the three people present, Pharmacist Huang was the one who trusted Xiao Xian the most. In his eyes, Xiao Xian was also an expert in traditional Chinese medicine.
But understanding medicine and acupuncture were two different things.
"Master Huang, where did you insert the needle just now?" Xiao Xian asked for assistance.
Yu Gang, upon hearing this, dared not let Xiao Xian perform acupuncture when she didn’t even know the specific acupoints. Having overheard the conversation between Mei Nian and Xiao Xian, he roughly guessed that Xiao Xian was a cultivator. Since a cultivator’s appearance does not necessarily correlate with their cultivation, Yu Gang still had some confidence in Xiao Xian.
But hearing her suddenly speak this way, he was immediately confused. She was an amateur?
"Yutang, Spirit Ruins, and Zigong acupoints, located right here," Pharmacist Huang was also a bit nervous, but Madam remained silent the whole time as if she was intentionally assessing Xiao Xian.
"I’ve got it," Xiao Xian gently twisted the acupuncture needle in her hand, just as she would twist a ballpoint pen when taking an exam. A faint silver, liquid-like spiritual energy seeped into the needle, turning the originally golden needle into a transparent silvery-white.
Xiao Xian then moved the needle toward Yu Shanyang, who had already been laid down.
"Ah Nian, do you really want to let her mess around? She is Zhu Shijun’s granddaughter. If she harbors any ill intentions, my dad will," Yu Gang was shocked, while Mei Nian stared intensely at the acupuncture needle in Xiao Xian’s hand. Her lips slightly parted, and her eyes filled with doubt. Incorporating spiritual energy into a non-plant material at will, since when had Zhu Xiaoxian learned this?
"Don’t talk now, hold onto your uncle’s hand. If she wanted to harm your uncle, she wouldn’t need to do anything," Mei Nian and Yu Gang each held onto one of Yu Shanyang’s wrists. The old man’s hands were stiff and ice-cold, devoid of life.
The needle’s tip pierced into the Yutang acupoint, and Xiao Xian paused her hand movements.
"Twist the needle’s tip; don’t exert too much force. Use the flexibility of your wrist and fingertips to slowly insert the needle," Pharmacist Huang instructed on the side, unable to help but demonstrate.
The silver, liquid-like spiritual energy permeated into Yu Shanyang’s body, followed by the second needle at the Spirit Ruins acupoint. This time, the needling was much more stable and accurate than the first.
With the third needle, Mei Nian and Yu Gang, holding Yu Shanyang’s wrist, felt a tightening in their grasp as the old man’s wrist began to throb warmly and vigorously once again.
A surge of black energy slowly flowed out from Yu Shanyang’s body, his complexion turning from yellowish to white, gradually revealing a touch of rosiness.
Xiao Xian sighed in relief, and just as she set down the acupuncture needle, Mei Nian pulled her out of the pharmacy.
Pharmacist Huang proceeded to insert a few more needles into Yu Shanyang, and the old man’s consciousness gradually cleared up. Yu Gang helped Yu Shanyang sit up and fed him a few sips of water.
"Who taught you to use spiritual energy in that manner?" Mei Nian did not offer Xiao Xian any compliments. On the contrary, her expression was not pleased, showing a hint of anger.
"No one taught me. It just came to me the other day when I saw Uncle Yu weaving the rattan mat," Xiao Xian brought out the Purple Vine Mat. Ordinary people only valued its appearance, but Xiao Xian wanted to know how a cultivator would perceive this rattan mat.
Mei Nian glanced at it and quickly looked away, "It’s a mediocre piece, the distribution of spiritual power is uneven, and it won’t last more than a month before it becomes ineffective."
"Practice makes perfect. I’ll get it right after a few more tries," Xiao Xian didn’t expect any praise from Mei Nian, "I’ll give this mat to you as a gift."
"I do not need it," Mei Nian felt a slight stirring in her heart, but her words remained blunt, and she refused.
"Your body is full of cold energy. The spiritual energy from this rattan mat will be beneficial to you," the last time, Xiao Xian had seen Mei Nian use Ice Blade. The cold energy emanating from the Ice Blade differed from the spiritual energy of Mei Nian, and it likely was not generated by her.
Mei Nian said nothing further and took the rattan mat, feeling its soft yet firm texture in her hands, "You can tell what’s wrong with me?"
Xiao Xian looked in the direction of the pharmacy, "I didn’t know before. But since that time when I tamed the Vincetoxicum fern, I’ve become more sensitive to the distribution of spiritual power around me. By closely observing my surroundings, I can generally discern the strength of others’ spiritual power. Yours fluctuates between strong and weak, and the cold energy in your body seems to overpower your spiritual energy, which must be related to that Ice Blade."