Horror Camgirl - Ch. 77: The Heartless Father
It is said that Minister Hu, hailing from the prominent Hu family of Rong City, is a cultivator who studied under a powerful Taoist priest. At a young age, he reached the peak of the third grade in cultivation, making him a rare talent in the entire Southwest region.
He poured a pot of brewed tea into a cup and pushed it forward, saying, “Madam Yuan, please try this tea.”
I walked over and sat across from him. Holding the cup with both hands, I took a sip and found it fragrant, the amber tea flowing into my body, surprisingly infused with a hint of Spiritual Energy.
That Spiritual Energy was incredibly rare; even my Medicinal Cuisine couldn’t compare, yet it was indeed spiritual tea. In this age of depleted Spiritual Energy, such tea is worth its weight in gold.
“Indeed, it’s good tea,” I exclaimed.
He smiled slightly and said, “Compared to your Eight Treasures Detox Soup, this is nothing.”
I chuckled and replied, “Your unit has helped me a lot; I also hope to be of assistance.”
He spoke gently, “In that case, I’ll be straightforward. Madam Yuan, in the past few days, seven groups of people have entered Shan City. Many parties are pressuring us to disclose your identity.”
I looked into his eyes and asked, “Have you disclosed it?”
“Keeping your secret is an order from above, so of course, we will not disclose it.” He lifted his eyelids and said seriously, “Madam Yuan, I’m also quite curious about where you obtained those precious elixirs.”
As he spoke, he poured me another cup of tea.
While sipping, I said, “They were given to me by my master.”
He gazed deeply at me; I felt his eyes were sharp, as if he could see into my heart, sending a chill down my spine.
“So it was your master who provided them,” he smiled and said, “Could it be that your master is an alchemist?”
“My master is an expert in medicinal arts,” I couldn’t help but ask, “Are there many alchemists in the world today?”
He chuckled, “Didn’t your master tell you? The field of alchemy is dwindling; many recipes have been lost. Even in the esteemed Yaowang Valley, known for its medical prowess, there are only two or three alchemists left. In our department, only the headquarters has alchemists.”
My heart shivered; alchemists are so rare?
“Medicinal pills are hard to come by, so you should know the stir caused in the cultivation world, the ability realm, and the martial arts world when you presented those two kinds of pills in your live stream,” he said.
I frowned slightly, surprised by the exaggeration.
“Countless people want those two recipes,” Hu Qingyu said. “However, just because we don’t mention it doesn’t mean they can’t find out. Those aristocratic families have various means, Ms. Yuan. You need to be careful.”
I put down my teacup and nodded with a smile, “Minister Hu, I remember everything that the Special Department has done for me and will find a way to repay it.”
Hu Qingyu waved his hand, “This is our duty; you don’t need to worry about it.”
“For example, I can repay Minister Hu right now,” I said, pushing my half-finished spiritual tea toward him. “Drink it.”
Hu Qingyu’s expression grew serious; it is extremely rude to give someone else your half-finished tea.
He glanced up at me, and I smiled back, my gaze somewhat meaningful.
He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one go.
Suddenly, his expression changed. The originally faint Spiritual Energy in the tea had become much richer, accompanied by a subtle floral scent, yet I couldn’t quite pinpoint what the fragrance was.
“Minister, you’re a mental-type Ability User?” I asked, “And you were injured years ago.”
Hu Qingyu was taken aback. He awakened his mental ability at seven, showing exceptional talent and was called the future star of the ability world in China. At ten, he was attacked by foreign Ability Users; although they failed, he was injured in the brain. Since then, his ability advanced slowly, eventually leading him to be assigned as a branch minister in Shan City.
Here in Shan City, no one knew he had been injured. He scrutinized me, seeming astonished that I could discern this at a glance.
After I opened my spiritual awareness, I became sensitive to others’ souls. Since we were so close and he had no defenses, I could feel a mass of blood within his soul.
I smiled and said, “My master is a master of medical arts, and I’ve learned a little from him.”
Hu Qingyu pursed his lips. The tea from earlier made his mind feel comfortable and invigorated.
This tea actually had benefits for his mental power?
His gaze toward me grew fiery: “Madam Yuan… can you heal me?”
“Not yet,” I replied. “I lack the complete medicinal materials, and though your injury isn’t severe, it has been many years; healing it won’t be quick.”
He took a deep breath and brewed another pot of tea. Once it reached a boil, he calmed himself and said, “Madam Yuan, please give me a list of the materials. I will find them all, no matter what.”
“Let me check your mental power first.” I stood up and moved behind him, pressing my hands on the top of his head, channeling my mental power into him.
His mental power appeared as a white mist, within which was a mass of writhing blood-red that kept expanding.
I withdrew my mental power and said, “I’m not strong enough to heal you now, but I can stabilize your condition and prevent it from worsening.”
“What?” He furrowed his brow again. “Is my condition still worsening?”
“It’s deteriorating slowly, but in less than ten years, your mental power may completely collapse,” I stated.
Hu Qingyu took a deep breath and fell silent. I said, “Do you think I’m alarmist, Minister Hu?”
He remained silent. I smiled and said, “It’s fine if you don’t believe me. Wait another five or six years, and your mental power will decline, and you’ll understand then.”
Hu Qingyu wouldn’t dare take that gamble. After a moment of silence, he said, “Please treat me, Madam Yuan. From now on, Madam Yuan’s enemies are my enemies. Anyone who goes against Madam Yuan is against me, Hu Qingyu, and against the Hu family.”
I nodded with a smile. Hu Qingyu is a local tyrant in Shan City; with him as my backing, I would be much safer.
I took out a small jade bottle and said, “This is the extract of Bi Luo Grass. It can help control your condition. Take it, and use one drop each week. After a month of this, I’ll come back to give you acupuncture.”
“Thank you, Madam Yuan.” His brows relaxed, and his face softened considerably.
We drank tea for a while longer before I took my leave, hailing a cab to the jade street in the southern part of the city. The jade bottle I had on hand was already used up, and I needed to order a new batch.
I went to the same shop as last time. The owner was a chubby old man who always wore a smile. “Madam Yuan, you’re here! Are you looking to order more jade bottles? How many do you need? I just received a fresh batch of good Hetian jade.”
I picked up the jade material and examined it closely; it was indeed good jade. “Then I’ll take one hundred, the same specifications as before.”
At that moment, I suddenly heard a clear voice say, “Dad, I want that jade necklace from last time. Can you buy it for me?”
“Okay, okay, buy, buy, buy! I’ll get you whatever you want.” A middle-aged man entered with a slender young girl. He was over six feet tall and somewhat handsome, dressed in a designer suit, exuding an air of elegance.
The girl beside him appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen, with fair skin, a slender waist, and long, slightly curled hair. She wore delicate makeup, and when she smiled, she had two dimples on her cheeks.
This girl looked like she had grown up in luxury, pampered all her life.
“Mr. Yuan, Miss Yuan, welcome!” the chubby owner approached them. “That jade necklace, I’ve set it aside for the young lady.”
I glanced at the man and immediately turned away, a chill running through my chest.
This man was none other than my heartless father, Yuan Wen.
Over the years, he had never come to see me and had never given me a penny in child support. In his heart, I had always been nonexistent.
Yet, I would never forget his appearance. There was a wedding photo of my parents in my grandmother’s album; when I was very young, I envied other children who had fathers and mothers, and I would gaze at that photo all night, placing it beside my pillow as if it were my parents accompanying me.
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