Did Li Ban have the Cyan Silk Algae Seed on him?
Of course he did.
Ever since the Silver Kingfisher's first sortie brought it back to him, Li Ban had kept the Cyan Silk Algae Seed on his person.
He simply hadn't had the chance to cultivate it back then. After learning the true value of the Cyan Silk Algae Seed, he became even more reluctant to expose it carelessly.
Who knew if he might run into a second Lu Qinghe?
He figured he would only be able to find a secluded spot to nurture the Cyan Silk Algae once he settled down in Yanzhou, allowing it to become his exclusive experience-boosting item.
Still, cultivating the Cyan Silk Algae would take years. It couldn't be rushed.
This was not something Li Ban would ever sell. He wouldn't even casually admit he had the seed.
Li Ban loosened his grip, slowly releasing Lady Kui, and sat down on the stool the Cat Girl handed him.
"I don't know what scent you're talking about," he said. "Maybe you're mistaken, or maybe something else on me misled you. But I do not have this seed you speak of."
Watching Lady Kui clutch her throat as she slowly sat up, Li Ban asked, "Lady Kui, if the other guests learned that the people of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion liked to pry into their patrons' belongings, I wonder what they would think?"
Lady Kui lowered her head, standing obediently by the table. "It was reckless of me. I am simply desperate to save my son. If I had a Cyan Silk Algae Seed, I could cure the stagnant energy knotting his organs. This treatment wouldn't even consume the Cyan Silk Algae. On the contrary, it would help induce sprouting and accelerate its maturation. All I need are the spores it sheds when it germinates."
Li Ban smiled. He could hear that she hadn't given up.
She was trying to tell him that even if he admitted to having the seed, he wouldn't lose it—he would actually get help ripening the Cyan Silk Algae.
He was somewhat tempted, but he still refused to expose the seed's existence so easily.
Her words could easily be a trick to bait a confession out of him. Wealth was safest when kept hidden.
"If you came specifically looking for some seed, Lady Kui, then please leave. We have nothing to trade with you, and we can simply hire another physician."
As he spoke, Li Ban cast a glance at the Cat Girl.
She had been watching his eyes this entire time.
Catching his signal, the Cat Girl smiled faintly, idly twirling a teacup in her hands.
She was merely a 3rd Tier physician, so naturally, she didn't care.
This Lady Kui seemed to have touched upon Li Ban's interests, so the Cat Girl decided to play along and act ignorant.
Lady Kui sighed softly, though she didn't turn to leave. "I understand. I won't force the issue. I haven't told anyone else about this, so you two need not worry. Moreover, I truly did come to examine Miss Miaomiao. Even if you don't have what I'm looking for, I would never ignore a patient's safety."
She sounded completely sincere; she really had no intention of washing her hands of them.
This significantly improved Li Ban's impression of her.
After speaking, Lady Kui pulled up a stool and sat down beside the Cat Girl.
She took out her medical tools and made a welcoming gesture.
"Miss Miaomiao, please place your wrist on the pulse pillow so I may examine you."
The Cat Girl set her cup down on the table. She looked first at the tools Lady Kui had brought out, then stared at the woman's face for a few moments before finally offering her wrist. "Examine me if you want," she muttered, "but don't make things difficult for our young master. I won't fall for that."
The Cat Girl knew the state of her own injuries. Coughing up blood all day did look terrifying, but her innate regenerative abilities were nothing to scoff at.
Her internal injuries had actually been caused by Yan Jiu.
On the day Li Yuan attacked the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, the Cat Girl had been fighting Yan Jiu. Because she was surrounded, her space to dodge had shrunk, allowing Yan Jiu to seize an opening and land a solid punch squarely on her chest.
Yan Jiu's fist wasn't an ordinary attack. It carried the destructive, violent energy of the metal attribute.
This violent aura had lodged inside her body. She couldn't dissolve it or expel it, and it constantly wore away at her internal organs.
That was why she would spit up blood whenever she made a large movement, or simply after enough time had passed.
But right after she coughed up the blood, her body's recovery abilities would heal the internal damage.
Wound and heal, wound and heal.
She just had to wait for that violent energy to completely exhaust itself before she could fully recover.
Because of this, she didn't hold out much hope for a 3rd Tier physician's diagnosis.
Still, since this was Li Ban showing concern for her, the Cat Girl didn't refuse.
Lady Kui was quite happy to see the Cat Girl cooperating.
She knew that people traveling away from home needed to be wary of strangers. Plus, she had immediately pointed out that they were hiding a supreme treasure; it was only natural for them to deny it.
But as long as she treated Miaomiao with care, Young Master Wen would see her sincerity. Once they got to know each other better, there might still be room to negotiate for the Cyan Silk Algae Seed.
"Don't worry, Miss Miaomiao. I would never let outside matters affect my medical practice," Lady Kui said softly. "I still have that much professional integrity. Otherwise, I would never have earned the status of an intermediate physician from Apothecary Valley." With that, she brought three fingers together and pressed them against the inside of the Cat Girl's wrist.
A moment later, a look of surprise crossed her face. She looked up at the Cat Girl first, then over at Li Ban.
Seeing the odd expression on Lady Kui's face, Li Ban couldn't help but ask, "How is it?"
Lady Kui pursed her lips before answering. "Miss Miaomiao's pulse is a bit strange."
The Cat Girl looked down and curled her lip, feeling that her previous suspicions were about to play out.
"From what I can tell, Miss Miaomiao's injuries are severe. Almost all of her internal organs are damaged. However, she must have assimilated a very powerful element that enhanced her body's recovery. Every time she sustains damage, she heals in a very short time. That's the only reason she has held on this long. If an ordinary person suffered even a third of her injuries, it would be fatal."
The Cat Girl's eyes widened, completely shattering the seductive effect of her eyeliner.
She had already healed all of her injuries while Lady Kui was taking her pulse—how did this woman figure it out?
Feeling Li Ban staring at her, she slowly, very slowly, shrank her neck down.
She kind of wanted to curl into a ball—what now?
Seeing the Cat Girl's reaction, Li Ban knew Lady Kui was dead on.
He turned to the physician with a serious expression. "Lady Kui, how should Miaomiao's injuries be treated?"
Lady Kui proceeded to unleash a torrent of medical jargon. Li Ban listened in a daze for a long while before finally managing to piece together the gist of it.
The source of the Cat Girl's injuries was hiding in her abdomen, and it hadn't been fully eradicated. Because of this, new wounds kept forming, causing her to cough up blood.
While her new wounds seemed to heal rapidly, old blood was actually congealing within her organs. Over time, this stale blood would accumulate, constantly increasing the burden on her body and becoming a hidden danger.
Lady Kui even cautioned Li Ban, "Internal injuries are highly unpredictable. Do not assume everything is fine just because there are no outward signs. The damage accumulates inside, and once it erupts, it will be incredibly troublesome. It is best not to delay Miss Miaomiao's treatment any longer."
As she spoke, there was a faint tone of reproach in her voice, as if scolding Li Ban for his negligence.
She had completely forgotten the friction between them just moments before.
Li Ban stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, and looked back at the Cat Girl.
He saw that at some point, she had pulled both feet up onto the stool and curled into a tight ball, hugging her knees.
She was feeling guilty.
Lady Kui had hit the nail on the head.
It was a good thing they had come to see a physician.
Professionals really did know best.
Li Ban sat back down at the table, his tone earnest. "Lady Kui, is there a way to cure this completely? A way that won't leave any lingering issues?"
Lady Kui sat up straight. "With Miss Miaomiao's constitution, these injuries might not be fatal, but they will slowly drag her body down. If you want a full recovery, the slow method is to stay at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for three months. I will come over every other day to perform acupuncture and draw out the root of the affliction. During this time, she must avoid high-intensity combat, sleep for five or six shichen a day, and eat three full, hearty meals on time—nothing too bland. After three months, the root cause will be gone. As long as she avoids any new injuries for another year and rests properly, she will make a full recovery."
"Is there a way to heal her quickly?" Li Ban had never considered keeping the Cat Girl out of fights.
There was no way they could stay at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for three months.
These things were decided by their enemies; they couldn't just avoid trouble because they wanted to.
Even if he wanted to keep the Cat Girl perfectly safe right now, he simply didn't have the strength yet.
"If you want her to heal quickly, you'll need the power of an element." Lady Kui looked at Li Ban, suddenly growing somewhat agitated. "I have a Good-grade element in my possession called 'Flesh on White Bones,' which can help regenerate another person's body. The hidden affliction inside Miss Miaomiao can be rapidly dissolved using 'Flesh on White Bones' until it is completely worn away."
She paused here, her eyes brimming with expectation.
Li Ban knew what she wanted: to trade "Flesh on White Bones" for his Cyan Silk Algae Seed.
Li Ban hesitated for a moment.
He wanted to ask Lady Kui to bring out the "Flesh on White Bones" element so he could look at it, but he figured that since she was currently in a weaker position, she would be just like him—unwilling to casually show off such a valuable bargaining chip.
"If you have an element as powerful as 'Flesh on White Bones,' why don't you just assimilate it yourself and use it to treat your child?" The Cat Girl suddenly put her feet back on the floor, puffed out her chest, and questioned Lady Kui.
Lady Kui smiled bitterly. "My assimilated element slots are already full. I want to swap them, but I'm worried that attempting a secondary assimilation will result in failure and ruin 'Flesh on White Bones.' Most importantly—my child shares a connection with you, Miss. His name is Miaomiao, and he is actually a treant. The power of 'Flesh on White Bones' does not work on treants."
Miaomiao and Miaomiao... their names were unexpectedly similar.
Except that the name "Miaomiao" was fake. Li Ban had just picked it at random based on a cat's meow.
The Cat Girl put on an innocent face. "But we don't have this seed you're talking about. Could we trade something else, like silver, for 'Flesh on White Bones'?"
Lady Kui bit her lip. She had no lack of silver.
"Then... then I can only give Miss Miaomiao a single acupuncture treatment for now, to see how much it improves her condition."
If she couldn't get the Cyan Silk Algae Seed from Li Ban, she still had a chance to trade "Flesh on White Bones" for other medical materials.
After all, the rarer an element was, the more priceless it became.
It could only be exchanged through bartering.
Yet she didn't just turn and leave because of the Cat Girl's refusal.
As long as their relationship didn't completely break down, there might still be a turning point.
"Alright. I'll have to trouble you then, Lady Kui. Please treat her carefully. I am willing to pay double your fee." Catching the Cat Girl's meaningful glance, Li Ban raised a hand and brought out a coin purse.
Lady Kui didn't even check the silver inside the purse.
She didn't care about that.
She asked the Cat Girl to undress and lie face down on the bed so she could perform the acupuncture.
Once the Cat Girl was settled, Lady Kui pinched the back of her left hand with her right and drew out an ice needle, five cun long and as thin as a hair. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she plunged the needles into several acupoints on the Cat Girl's back.
Wearing only a dudou on her upper half, the Cat Girl lay comfortably on the bed, not at all worried that Lady Kui might try anything funny.
If Lady Kui wanted to save her own child, she had to make sure she didn't get herself killed first. No one cared more about that child than she did, otherwise she wouldn't have kept this from the others and come to find Li Ban alone.
As the needles entered her body, the Cat Girl felt an icy coolness wash over her skin, yet her chest burned as if pressed with a branding iron.
The hair-thin needles seemed capable of pulling up monstrous, crashing waves within her.
A fine sheen of sweat soon broke out on her forehead.
Enduring the pain out of habit, she grew a bit bored and turned her head to look for Li Ban.
Only to find that he hadn't approached the bed at all. Instead, he was sitting on the other side of the folding screen to avoid suspicion.
'What suspicion is he trying to avoid? Isn't he just blowing our cover?' she grumbled inwardly. Having no other choice, she turned her head back inward and began picking at the embroidery on her pillow to pass the time.
However, before the acupuncture was finished, someone came looking for Lady Kui.
A knock suddenly rang out from the courtyard gate.
"Is Lady Kui here? Lady Hua has an urgent matter and requests that you come over immediately."
Hearing this, Li Ban stood up and walked over to the folding screen. "Lady Kui, how much longer will this treatment take?"
Lady Kui's hands didn't stop moving, nor did she look up. "Three more needles. The time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
Li Ban nodded. "Please continue, Lady Kui. I'll go take a look outside."
Li Ban pushed the door open and stepped into the main hall. He saw Shi Ming sitting there eating breakfast, while Deng Jun had already gone to open the door.
However, Deng Jun didn't let the people outside enter so easily.
"What urgent matter do you have? Lady Kui is treating our sister right now. You can't just barge in and disturb them." Deng Jun put his hands on his hips, perfectly playing the part of an unruly little maid.
Outside the door stood a familiar manservant and a maid he didn't recognize.
The maid looked anxious, as if she truly had important business.
Li Ban stepped out of the room. "Lady Kui will be finished very soon. Could you wait just a moment?"
The maid didn't know what kind of move Deng Jun had used, but she had tried to barge in and had been easily blocked. Left with no choice, she suppressed her anger.
"Young Master, I can wait, but Lady Hua cannot. She is the Vice Pavilion Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion—the master of this place! She is the one who urgently needs Lady Kui."
"Hey!" Deng Jun glared at her. "We're treating an illness here! Even if she's the pavilion master, she still has to wait. Are you saying treating a patient is divided between guests and masters? There's no such logic. Besides, it's not like we're stopping Lady Kui from going. You just have to wait a little while."
Li Ban stepped forward and stopped Deng Jun. "Medical treatment is prioritized by severity. If Vice Pavilion Master Hua has a critical or emergency patient, I'll go call Lady Kui out right now. If not, then please wait the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. It won't be long."
The maid couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"The City Lord of Hundred Flowers City has graced us with his presence, and he is currently waiting in the Thousand Trees Hall. If Lady Kui arrives late and the City Lord takes offense, you won't be able to bear the consequences, Young Master."
"Oh? Is the City Lord ill?" Li Ban asked seriously.
"Of course not! The City Lord is a 5th Tier Spirit Cultivator. How could he fall ill so easily? Don't spout nonsense!" the maid hastily denied.
Hearing this, the smile vanished from Li Ban's face. He put on a stern expression and said, "Then please wait a while."
With that, he signaled Deng Jun to simply shut the courtyard gate, too lazy to listen to the maid boast about some city lord.
Deng Jun happily slammed the door shut. He turned around and muttered, "Everyone knows the relationship between the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and the City Lord is incredibly tense right now. Yet this maid still has that eager, fawning look on her face. Who knows what she's plotting."
Standing just outside the gap in the door, the maid heard every word clearly. Her chest heaved with anger, and she finally yelled through the gate, "Hmph! You obstructed me from fetching Lady Kui. When the City Lord asks about this later, don't blame me if I tell him every last detail!"