Horror Camgirl - Ch. 85: A Gift for Young Master Yin
The garden was getting crowded as more and more people came, buying rare spiritual medicines. I checked my bank balance—only a few million left. Money sure disappears quickly.
Suddenly, I noticed a small, pink flower growing in a nearby bush. It looked so ordinary, blending in with the common wildflowers.
Could it be... a Lingxi Flower?
My heart skipped a beat. The Lingxi Flower is a crucial ingredient in refining the Rejuvenation Pill, a powerful medicine that swiftly restores spiritual energy—a lifesaver in battle.
Unlike the Peyuan Pill, which merely restores vitality and some physical strength, the Rejuvenation Pill is an essential tool for cultivators.
I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quietly slipped into the bushes and carefully dug up the Lingxi Flower.
This one was already ten years old. It seemed the people here at Medicine King Valley didn’t recognize its value; otherwise, they’d have picked it long ago.
Elder Huang Luzi sighed again, muttering, "The formula for the Rejuvenation Pill must be lost. Otherwise, no one would let a high-quality Lingxi Flower go to waste like this."
Hearing his sigh, the previously aloof elder seemed more sympathetic, almost sorrowful.
Just then, I sensed something unusual. A heavy fragrance filled the air.
Uh-oh!
I held my breath immediately, but it was too late. My head started spinning, and I felt my body go limp as I collapsed to the ground.
Cursing silently, I thought, Who ambushed me? Are they after my Lingxi Flower?
Half-conscious, I felt someone lift me, pulling off my hat and mask. They took a sharp breath upon seeing my face.
"So this is what she looks like… No wonder the young master is so captivated."
Young master? What young master?
Still in a daze, I was carried into a room and tucked into a bed. After a while, I heard someone say, "Young Master, I have a special gift for you. I hope you’ll accept it."
"A gift?"
The voice sent chills down my spine—it was Yin Shengyao!
He’s definitely my nemesis. Nothing good ever happens when he’s around.
Standing by the intricately carved bed, Mr. Li raised the golden silk canopy as Yin Shengyao stepped forward. Seeing me, his face filled with shock.
"Old Li, what is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly.
Mr. Li smiled and said, "I could tell that the young master is quite taken with this girl, so I brought her here for you."
"Who told you to do this?" Yin Shengyao’s face darkened, and Mr. Li quickly lowered his head, explaining, "Young Master has always shown little interest in women. The master and madam are quite worried..."
Yin Shengyao sneered coldly, "So they ordered you to stuff a woman into my bed? If I take a liking to her and decide to marry her, would they even allow it?"
Mr. Li looked startled and stammered, "With your status, how could you marry a woman like her? If you insist, it might even put her in danger."
Yin Shengyao’s gaze turned sharp as a blade, pinning Mr. Li, who began to feel uneasy. It seemed he’d tried too hard to curry favor and ended up causing trouble instead.
"Send her back," Yin Shengyao ordered. "I’m not the kind of man who drugs women."
"Y-yes, of course," Mr. Li quickly nodded.
Yin Shengyao stepped closer, looking down at him. "Old Li, you’ve been with me for about ten years now?"
"It’s been eleven years," Mr. Li replied.
"Then tell me, are you loyal to me or to my parents?"
Mr. Li hesitated, his face tightening, before replying with difficulty, "I’ve watched you grow up, Young Master. I’m loyal to you, of course."
"Good." Yin Shengyao gripped his shoulder, saying, "Remember that. As long as you’re loyal to me, I won’t treat you poorly."
Mr. Li finally let out a breath of relief. "Understood, sir."
Suddenly, Yin Shengyao’s expression changed. He turned to look toward the door.
Outside, a tall young man stood with a commanding presence, like a mountain looming in the doorway.
"Who’s there?" Mr. Li exclaimed, alarmed. He had placed numerous guards outside to protect the young master. Where had they all gone?
Yin Shengyao raised a hand, signaling for silence. "Don’t be rude. This is the eldest young master of the Tang family."
Mr. Li sucked in a breath. "The Tang family… that Tang family?"
Yin Shengyao’s mouth curled into a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with battle-ready anticipation.
"Young Master Tang, it’s an honor to have you grace our Medicine King Valley's spiritual medicine gathering," Yin Shengyao said, waving a hand to open the door. The two men faced each other, their eyes locking like the clash of steel.
Tang Mingli inclined his head slightly. "I only came to retrieve my friend. I hope you’ll return her to me, Yin Shao."
Mr. Li broke into a cold sweat, mentally berating himself. If he’d known who Tang Mingli was, he wouldn’t have dared touch anyone associated with him.
Yin Shengyao smirked. "It seems, Tang Shao, you haven’t done a good job of looking after your friend."
Tang Mingli’s face remained calm, but his eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. "Quite right. I’ll make sure to keep her close in the future so that other ‘wild men’ don’t try to take her."
Yin Shengyao’s eyes narrowed, and tension crackled between the two young masters. Mr. Li felt a chill down his spine—if these two clashed here, his future was bleak.
He sighed internally. All this over a woman? Maybe it’s true what they say—beauty brings trouble. Looking back, the young master’s disinterest in women had been a blessing.
"Can you return the person to me now?" Tang Mingli asked.
Yin Shengyao glanced sideways at Old Li and nodded. Old Li immediately hurried over, took out a small snuff bottle, and held it under my nose. I coughed a couple of times and regained consciousness.
A fire of resentment burned in my chest. Was it because I was weak and powerless that they felt free to drug me, haul me around, and offer me up like a gift? Last time, I was just a tool to disgust Yin Shengyao. This time, I'm treated as a mere offering. It seems that as long as something involves Yin Shengyao, I’m bound for bad luck.
"Madam Yuan, please," Old Li gestured, inviting me to leave.
"Wait!" I raised my voice. "You drugged me and dragged me here for no reason—are we just going to let that slide?"
Old Li looked uncomfortable. If it weren’t for Tang Shao’s presence, silencing a powerless girl would’ve been easy. But with Tang Shao here to back me up, things were complicated.
Tang Mingli added, "We came to attend the conference as guests of Medicine King Valley. Is this how Medicine King Valley treats its guests? Drugging and kidnapping a young woman? If word spreads, I’m afraid Medicine King Valley’s reputation will be ruined. And if people find out it was Yin Shengyao behind it…”
Old Li quickly interjected, "It was all my idea! This has nothing to do with the Young Master. I’m willing to take full responsibility."
Yin Shengyao raised a hand to stop him, saying, "Old Li is one of my trusted subordinates. If he made a mistake, I can’t dodge responsibility either."
He came over to me. "Madam Yuan, what would it take for you to let this go?"
"An apology," I said, staring straight into his eyes. "Young Master Yin, you drugged me without cause. Apologizing isn’t asking too much, is it?"
Old Li spoke up, "Madam Yuan, I was the one who carried out the act. The blame is mine. I apologize and hope you can forgive me."
He bowed deeply, but I stood unmoving, still glaring at Yin Shengyao.
Old Li grew agitated. "Madam Yuan, don’t push your luck."
Yin Shengyao, after meeting my gaze for a while, suddenly gave a faint smile. "Old Li, fetch that box for me."
Old Li was shocked. "Young Master!"
"Go on!"
Old Li reluctantly retrieved a jade box and opened it, revealing a single red fruit inside.
My eyes lit up. This was a Red Soul Fruit, an essential ingredient for refining Foundation Pills.
"This is a specialty of Medicine King Valley," Yin Shengyao explained. "It improves one’s constitution and is incredibly beneficial for cultivators below Rank Three, Level Three Ability Users, and Martial Artists below Dark Strength. It can help them break through bottlenecks. I’m offering this Red Soul Fruit as an apology, hoping Madam Yuan will accept it."
I hesitated. I didn’t want to be so easily swayed… but I wanted it badly.
Is this what they mean by poverty dulls resolve? It felt as if he’d grasped my weakness.
After wrestling with my thoughts for a while, I finally reached out and took the jade box. "Since you’re so sincere, I’ll accept it, reluctantly," I said. I nodded to Tang Mingli, and together we left.
Yin Shengyao watched us go, his expression complicated.
"Young Master, the Red Soul Fruit only matures once every ten years. It’s incredibly rare, and you only received one. Now that you’ve given it to her, how will you break through to Transformation Strength?" Old Li lamented. Had he known it would cost the Young Master a Red Soul Fruit, he would never have acted so recklessly.
Yin Shengyao’s gaze turned somber, and he muttered, "This is something I owe her."
Old Li looked puzzled. "Young Master, what did you say?"
Yin Shengyao patted his shoulder. "Old Li, go on."
Filled with remorse, Old Li left the room. Yin Shengyao stood in silence for a long time, sunlight filtering through the floral patterns on the window, casting shadows that made him look even more desolate.
"If only that hadn’t happened," he murmured, "would things be different now?"
I held the Red Soul Fruit and went back to the spot where I’d been tied up earlier. After rummaging through the thick grass, I finally found the Lingxi Flower.
Thankfully, it hadn’t been trampled. This was a bountiful harvest; my earlier frustration quickly melted away.
Since I was low on money, I had no intention of attending the auction, so I quietly turned to Huang Luzi. "Mr. Huang, is there anywhere else you’d like to visit? If you’re done here, I’d like to head home."
Huang Luzi frowned. "You came all the way to the Spiritual Medicine Conference. How can you leave without challenging the Seven Kill Array?"
"The Seven Kill Array? What’s that?"
"Every year at the Spiritual Medicine Conference, Medicine King Valley sets up the Seven Kill Array. Anyone who successfully passes through it can obtain an exceptionally rare spiritual medicine," Huang Luzi explained with a wistful look. "Back in the day, when I passed the Seven Kill Array, I obtained an Earth Spirit Immortal Stone."
An Earth Spirit Immortal Stone? That’s a crucial ingredient for refining a Tier Five Earth Spirit Pill. Meanwhile, I’m only capable of refining Tier One pills. Even the Foundation Pill I struggle with is just a Tier Two.
Mr. Huang Luzi really is profound beyond my understanding.
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