Chapter 23

"Three-grade elixir, Ice Spirit Pill?"

The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback and then said, "Young lady, our shop has at most two-grade elixirs. The three-grade elixir can only be found at the Array Master Guild."

Upon hearing this, Lu Mengyao's face showed a look of disappointment, and she turned to leave.

However, just as she had taken a few steps, her body swayed, and she suddenly fell to the side.

"Teacher Lu!"

Luo Xiu dashed forward in one swift move, catching Lu Mengyao. Her soft body fell into his arms, and especially the valley that came into view when he lowered his head made him feel a bit distracted.

However, Luo Xiu noticed that Teacher Lu's cheeks and neck were flushed, and her skin was very hot.

The shopkeeper was also startled, and many people nearby cast curious glances.

At this moment, Lu Mengyao's eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, recognizing Luo Xiu.

However, when she realized she was in Luo Xiu's arms, she hurriedly struggled to stand up.

But she felt weak all over, and the heat spreading from her chest made her consciousness increasingly blurry.

"Luo Xiu, take me away," Lu Mengyao struggled to maintain her consciousness, placing her hope in the only student she trusted.

Luo Xiu nodded, picked up Lu Mengyao in his arms, and asked, "Teacher Lu, where to?"

In such an embarrassing position, Lu Mengyao felt both ashamed and angry, thinking that Luo Xiu, her student, was taking advantage of her.

But her consciousness was becoming increasingly blurry, and she had no choice but to trust him.

"To my residence."

"Okay!"

Under the curious gazes of the onlookers, Luo Xiu carried Lu Mengyao and quickly left, heading to her residence in Qingyun City.

"Is that girl's whole body red? Could she have been drugged?"

"Who is that guy? He must have some good fortune."

On the way, some lecherous men pointed and whispered, making Lu Mengyao even more ashamed and angry.

Hearing such comments, Luo Xiu was speechless. If he hadn't been holding Teacher Lu, he would have definitely taught those people a lesson.

Lu Mengyao's residence was an elegant small courtyard in Qingyun City.

In a simple and clean room, Luo Xiu placed Lu Mengyao on the bed and saw the redness on her body gradually fading.

On the way, Luo Xiu had also checked her life meridians and found a scorching aura surging from her heart meridian, which was causing her condition.

Luo Xiu remembered that three months ago, he had noticed something wrong with Teacher Lu's heart meridian. The heart meridian is a crucial part of the body, and any issues there can be life-threatening.

As the scorching heat gradually subsided, Lu Mengyao's dazed consciousness gradually returned.

She saw Luo Xiu standing by the bed, frowned slightly, and sat up.

Finding her clothes intact, she breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that her student would take advantage of her while she was unconscious.

"Thank you, Luo Xiu," she said weakly.

"Teacher Lu, don't be too formal. It's what I should do," Luo Xiu said. Seeing her weak and vulnerable, he couldn't help but ask, "What happened to you just now?"

Lu Mengyao glanced at Luo Xiu and sighed lightly. She knew her condition well and feared she wouldn't last the year.

She was born with a Fire Yang Meridian, which caused her intense burning pain every seven days. She had relied on Ice Attribute elixirs to suppress it throughout her life.

However, recently, her Ice Spirit Pills had run out, and her Fire Yang Meridian had flared up.

Lu Mengyao knew that the Ice Spirit Pills were becoming less effective, and even with them, she would only have two more years to live before her condition would claim her life.

But she could feel Luo Xiu's concern and said, "I have a special constitution, so I experience this condition every few days."

"Teacher Lu, can I take a look? Maybe I can help," Luo Xiu suddenly said.

"You?" Lu Mengyao was taken aback, and for some reason, the image of Luo Xiu carrying her in his arms flashed in her mind, making her face turn cold.

"My illness cannot be cured by you. I don't need your help," Lu Mengyao said coldly.

She thought Luo Xiu might have ulterior motives.

Noticing the change in Lu Mengyao's attitude, Luo Xiu understood her thoughts and said with a bitter smile, "Teacher Lu must have misunderstood me. If I wanted to take advantage, I could have done so on the way."

"Are you saying you had such thoughts?" Lu Mengyao said coldly.

Hearing this, Luo Xiu felt awkward. Lu Mengyao was indeed attractive, and he had felt a bit distracted.

Seeing Luo Xiu's silence, Lu Mengyao became even more convinced of his intentions and said coldly, "You can leave now!"

Luo Xiu was at a loss. He had genuinely wanted to help her, but she didn't appreciate it and even accused him of being a lecher.

He didn't want to leave a bad impression, so he said, "Teacher Lu, your condition is in your heart meridian, right?"

Lu Mengyao's cold expression changed to one of surprise, "How did you know?"

Although she had been dazed, she was sure Luo Xiu hadn't used his inner energy to check her body. How did he know it was her heart meridian?

"I know a bit of medicine. When you were having an episode, I noticed a scorching aura emanating from your heart meridian, spreading throughout your body," Luo Xiu said confidently.

He had seen her life meridians, though not in detail, but he was sure the problem was in her heart meridian.

Of course, a more detailed examination would be more accurate, but staring at her chest would be impolite and likely lead to more misunderstandings.

"Since you can see something, do you really have a way to cure me?" Lu Mengyao asked, frowning.

The Fire Yang Meridian was a condition even a Spirit Cultivation Realm Martial Master would find difficult to treat. She didn't believe Luo Xiu could cure her, but she still had a glimmer of hope, though it was unrealistic.

Luo Xiu nodded, "I can confirm that your condition is in your heart meridian, but I need to examine it more closely to determine if I can help you."

Luo Xiu didn't have complete confidence, so he didn't make any promises.

"Alright, you can check, but you can't touch me inappropriately," Lu Mengyao said.

Luo Xiu was speechless but understood her mindset. A woman as alluring as her would make any normal man lose control.

He stepped closer, sat on the edge of the bed, and could smell her faint fragrance, making his heart beat faster.

Placing two fingers on Lu Mengyao's wrist, Luo Xiu pretended to take her pulse while a thread of inner energy entered her body, tracing her life meridians to her heart meridian.

Lu Mengyao, having had many alchemists take her pulse, immediately noticed Luo Xiu's unprofessional technique, making her doubt his medical skills.

Many martial artists, whether due to improper cultivation or combat, often get injured, so many martial experts know some medicine, especially alchemists who are also skilled in medicine.

The Fire Yang Meridian was a condition even a Spirit Cultivation Realm Martial Master would find difficult to treat, and Luo Xiu was just a Body Cultivation Martial Disciple. Lu Mengyao thought she might have sought help in desperation, with no real hope.

Luo Xiu didn't realize his pulse-taking technique was clumsy. His inner energy quickly traced her meridians to her heart meridian.

The heart meridian is a vital part of a martial artist, very fragile, and any issues can be fatal.

Luo Xiu focused on Lu Mengyao's left chest, and the life meridians revealed the detailed condition of her heart meridian.

Lu Mengyao's heart meridian was different from other meridians, appearing a fiery red, with a flame-like aura lurking, ready to burst with immense power.

Near the heart meridian, Luo Xiu sensed a cold aura, likely from the Ice Attribute elixirs she had taken to suppress the heart meridian's flame.

Feeling Luo Xiu's gaze on her chest, Lu Mengyao felt uncomfortable and was about to scold him when Luo Xiu suddenly closed his eyes, deep in thought.

After a moment, Luo Xiu opened his eyes and said, "Teacher Lu, there is a scorching flame aura in your heart meridian. I can't guarantee a cure, but I can try."

"You..." Lu Mengyao didn't believe a Body Cultivation Martial Disciple could cure her. Just as she was about to say something, she felt a pure inner energy from Luo Xiu's fingers enter her body.

"This is..." She could feel the inner energy filled with vitality, making her feel comfortable as it passed through her meridians.

Soon, the inner energy reached her heart meridian, and to Lu Mengyao's surprise, her usually painful heart meridian now felt incredibly comfortable, making her close her eyes to enjoy the unprecedented relief.

At Lu Mengyao's heart meridian, Luo Xiu used his inner energy to infuse her life meridians with vitality.

"Buzz!"

A strong vibration suddenly spread, carrying a scorching aura. The flame in her heart meridian, as if drawn by something, began to move slowly.

As the flame moved, Lu Mengyao's body trembled slightly.

At this moment, Luo Xiu sensed a stir in the Life and Death Pearl in his soul, and the Life and Death Qi in his body began to circulate autonomously.

"What's happening?" Luo Xiu's face changed. The Life and Death Qi in his body seemed to generate a suction, drawing the scorching flame aura from Lu Mengyao's heart meridian through his fingers and wrist.

"So hot..."

As more flame aura was absorbed, Luo Xiu felt unbearably hot, sweating profusely.

Time passed, and over an hour later, Luo Xiu's clothes were drenched in sweat, his skin red as if roasted.

Lu Mengyao was also in a similar state, the scorching aura jolting her from her comfortable state. Her white dress was soaked through, clinging to her skin, outlining her perfect curves.

Her eyes filled with surprise and shock, she looked at the red-faced young man in front of her, unsure how he managed to absorb the power of her Fire Yang Meridian.

If all the flame power in her Fire Yang Meridian could be absorbed, Lu Mengyao knew she would be free from its torment.

However, the Fire Yang Meridian grows stronger with the martial artist's strength. How could a Body Cultivation Martial Disciple like Luo Xiu withstand the fire power that even a Sea Qi Realm cultivator like her couldn't suppress?

Luo Xiu was in a difficult position, his inner energy circulating autonomously, beyond his control, and the increasing Fire Yang power being absorbed was almost beyond his body's limits.

Just as Luo Xiu felt he couldn't bear it, his consciousness blurred, and he fell into darkness.