THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Chapter Ninety-Seven — Playing the Fool

Dawn arrived quietly.

The moon had already vanished behind the mountains, while the first pale strands of sunlight slowly spread across the sky.

Inside the Moon Yin Formation—

The plague woman sat cross-legged silently.

The frost covering her body gradually melted away as she exhaled a long stream of cold air.

Fatigue lingered heavily in her eyes.

Then suddenly—

“Sister!”

A loud shout shattered the morning silence.

Her brows instantly furrowed.

She turned—

And nearly froze in place.

Zhuo Fan came stumbling toward her like an overeager fool, both arms overflowing with brightly colored fruit gathered from somewhere outside the slums.

The moment he approached—

The plague woman immediately waved one sleeve.

RUMBLE.

Broken tiles and scattered debris flew across the ground instantly, burying the Moon Yin Formation beneath layers of rubble again.

Only after hiding everything completely did she glare at Zhuo Fan coldly.

“Didn’t I warn you not to wander around?”

“What are you doing here?”

Zhuo Fan blinked innocently.

“You only said not to walk around at night.”

Then he pointed toward the sky.

“But it’s daytime now.”

The plague woman paused.

For one brief second—

She genuinely had no response.

A faint flush crossed her face beneath the veil before she quickly recovered her cold expression again.

“Stay in your room.”

“Even during the day, don’t wander around carelessly.”

“Otherwise…”

“…get out.”

The moment she finished speaking—

Zhuo Fan’s face instantly collapsed.

Like a child who had just suffered some enormous injustice.

His shoulders drooped.

His expression dimmed.

Then silently—

He turned around to leave.

The plague woman watched his lonely figure quietly.

And somehow—

Something inside her softened slightly.

But before walking away fully—

Zhuo Fan suddenly stopped again.

“Oh right.”

He hurried back awkwardly and placed the fruit down beside her.

“I noticed your complexion looked bad.”

“So I picked these for you this morning.”

“Thank you for letting me stay here.”

Then—

Without waiting for her response—

He sighed dramatically and walked away again.

This time, his back looked even more desolate.

The plague woman lowered her eyes toward the fruit.

After a long silence—

She slowly picked one up and brought it beneath her veil.

Not far away—

Zhuo Fan’s lips curled upward slightly.

Through soul perception, he observed every movement clearly.

Good.

The moment she accepted the fruit—

The first crack in her defenses appeared.

Women were troublesome creatures.

But once emotional distance weakened—

Everything afterward became much easier.

Especially compassionate women.

Zhuo Fan laughed coldly inwardly.

“Women really are the easiest creatures to deceive…”

By noon—

The blazing sun hung directly overhead.

The plague woman sat atop a massive stone beneath the scorching heat, slowly drawing in streams of blazing yang energy through careful breathing techniques.

The Moon Yin Formation damaged her meridians heavily every night.

Thus—

Every morning afterward, she absorbed solar energy to stabilize the damage.

Suddenly—

Shouting echoed throughout the slums.

The plague woman frowned immediately.

Her cultivation was being disturbed again.

Annoyance flashed through her eyes.

She rose instantly and headed toward the source of the noise.

But when she arrived—

The area was already packed with people.

Three layers deep.

Everyone shouted excitedly.

“Beat him to death!”

“Kill that little bastard!”

The plague woman pushed through the crowd slightly.

Then stopped.

At the center—

Zhuo Fan rolled across the dirt while fighting three Bone Tempering cultivators like some common street thug.

No techniques.

No dignity.

No cultivation expert aura whatsoever.

The plague woman sighed helplessly.

Just as she prepared leaving—

Zhuo Fan suddenly roared loudly:

“You’re not allowed insulting her!”

“She’s a good person!”

The plague woman froze.

One of the large men kicked Zhuo Fan directly across the ground.

“Bullshit!”

“That plague woman killed who knows how many people already!”

“You still defend her?!”

Another slapped Zhuo Fan hard across the face repeatedly.

Yet Zhuo Fan still glared upward stubbornly.

Blood stained the corner of his lips.

But his eyes remained unyielding.

“Hmph…”

“She lived here first.”

“You people invaded her home.”

“Then after your own people died mysteriously…”

“…you blamed everything on one woman.”

“You call yourselves men?”

The crowd instantly exploded.

“Kill him!”

“This brat must be working with that plague woman!”

“Exactly!”

“He’s trying helping her poison us!”

The surrounding crowd immediately joined the shouting.

Watching silently—

The plague woman’s body trembled slightly.

Anger flickered within her eyes.

“Enough!”

Her voice exploded across the entire slum.

Instantly—

The crowd fell silent.

The moment everyone saw her—

Fear spread immediately.

“It’s the plague woman!”

“Stay back!”

The crowd retreated frantically.

Even the three Bone Tempering cultivators released Zhuo Fan immediately and fled backward.

The plague woman walked directly toward Zhuo Fan.

Then silently helped him back to his feet.

Without another word—

She brought him back toward the abandoned district.

Behind them—

The crowd watched nervously until both figures disappeared completely.

Only then did everyone finally exhale heavily in relief.

Then suddenly—

“Split the money!”

Instantly—

The crowd gathered together again.

At the center lay a small mountain of spirit stones glittering brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

“He really paid fifty thousand spirit stones just for this act?”

“What kind of lunatic spends that much trying to chase the plague woman?”

“Hahaha, maybe the kid likes dangerous women.”

One man suddenly laughed.

“Honestly, if you’re gonna pursue someone, why not pursue disciples from Blossom Rain Tower instead? Who the hell risks their life for a plague monster?”

BANG!

Before he finished speaking—

A massive fist smashed directly into his face.

The man flew backward screaming.

Everyone turned.

The strongest Bone Tempering cultivator among them stood there trembling violently.

Cold sweat covered his face.

“Didn’t I already warn all of you?”

“Take the money…”

“…then forget everything!”

“If word leaks out…”

“…all of us die!”

Everyone fell silent instantly.

Because among them—

Only he had witnessed Zhuo Fan’s true attack earlier.

Only he saw what happened when Zhuo Fan casually erased a man into ash.

And only now—

Did he finally understand what true fear looked like.

Meanwhile—

Back inside the abandoned district—

The plague woman brought Zhuo Fan back into his ruined room.

Looking at his bruised face—

She silently took out a small medicine bottle.

“Eat it.”

Zhuo Fan turned his head stubbornly.

Naturally—

His injuries were fake.

A fifth-grade demonic body couldn’t possibly be injured by Bone Tempering cultivators.

He inflicted every bruise himself.

All for one purpose—

Sympathy.

The plague woman frowned slightly.

“What?”

“You think it’s poisoned?”

Zhuo Fan snorted softly.

“I’m not even afraid of you.”

“Why would I fear poison?”

Then he looked toward her directly.

“You told me to leave.”

“So why save me?”

The plague woman fell silent briefly.

Then quietly asked:

“Then why defend me?”

“You could’ve died.”

Zhuo Fan stared into her eyes silently for a long moment.

So long that she instinctively lowered her gaze slightly.

Then—

He smiled softly.

“My mother once told me…”

“…eyes reveal the heart.”

“Someone with eyes as beautiful as yours…”

“…couldn’t possibly be a bad person.”

“You let me stay here.”

“So naturally…”

“…I wanted protecting your reputation.”

The plague woman froze completely.

Her ears slowly reddened beneath the veil.

“Y-You…”

“…your mouth really is shameless.”

Yet—

The cold distance in her eyes had already faded significantly.

Zhuo Fan sighed inwardly.

Perfect.

Women truly were easiest to approach through emotion instead of logic.

Especially lonely women.

Especially compassionate women.

And especially women who had been feared and isolated for too long.

He scratched his head awkwardly.

“Sister…”

“We’ve known each other awhile already…”

“…but I still don’t know your name.”

The plague woman rolled her eyes faintly.

“We’ve only met three times.”

After a long pause—

She finally whispered softly:

“Call me Chu Qingcheng.”

Zhuo Fan grinned brightly.

“Alright, Qingcheng-jie.”

The title sounded natural.

Warm.

And strangely intimate.

For the first time—

A faint genuine smile appeared beneath the plague woman’s veil.

Then she extended the medicine bottle toward him again.

“Now take the medicine.”

Zhuo Fan immediately opened his mouth exaggeratedly.

“Feed me.”

Chu Qingcheng froze.

Then sighed helplessly.

“You really are troublesome.”

Still—

She pinched the pill gently between her pale fingers and slowly moved it toward his lips.

At that exact moment—

Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed sharply.

WHOOSH.

His hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

A stream of demonic energy surged instantly into her meridians.

And the moment his spiritual sense touched the poison within her body—

Zhuo Fan’s pupils contracted violently.

Because hidden inside Chu Qingcheng’s body—

Was something he recognized immediately.

Something that should never have appeared in a place like this.

The Venomous Dragon Seed.

[End of Chapter Ninety-Seven]

 

Chapter Ninety-Eight — Alchemy That Defied Common Sense

CRACK.

The moment Zhuo Fan’s demonic energy entered her meridians—

An overwhelming wave of icy yin energy exploded outward instantly.

His hand was thrown back violently.

A thin layer of frost spread across his fingers.

But Zhuo Fan barely noticed.

Because in that brief instant—

He had already seen everything inside Chu Qingcheng’s body.

Seven poisons.

Seven terrifying poisons twisted together into one horrifying balance.

Every single one was lethal enough to kill ordinary cultivators instantly.

Together—

They formed something far worse.

Even Heaven Profound experts would suffer agonizing death if exposed to that mixture for long.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Whoever created this poison—

Was either a genius…

…or a complete madman.

But that wasn’t what truly shocked him.

Inside Chu Qingcheng’s body—

Another energy was resisting the poison constantly.

A pure jade-colored medicinal force.

The moment Zhuo Fan recognized it—

His pupils contracted violently.

Bodhi Jade Essence.

A genuine heaven-defying treasure capable of restoring life itself.

The exact thing he desperately needed.

A single drop of Bodhi Jade Essence could nourish dead meridians, restore vitality, and even revive spiritual beasts on the verge of death.

Enough—

To save the dying Thunder Skylark egg.

Instantly—

Zhuo Fan’s heartbeat accelerated.

Chu Qingcheng’s life meant nothing to him.

But Bodhi Jade Essence?

That was priceless.

Now—

The only question remaining was how to get it from her.

Naturally—

Someone protecting their own life-saving treasure would never reveal its location easily.

“What are you doing?”

Chu Qingcheng suddenly pulled her hand away and glared at him suspiciously.

Zhuo Fan instantly buried every thought beneath an innocent expression.

Then he gently rubbed her wrist carefully.

“Your hand felt cold.”

“So I wanted warming it for you.”

“Stop pretending.”

Chu Qingcheng narrowed her eyes.

“You were probing my body with spiritual energy just now.”

Zhuo Fan sighed dramatically.

“I only noticed your complexion looked terrible.”

“My family specializes in alchemy…”

“…so I wanted checking whether I could help.”

Then his expression darkened slightly.

“I didn’t expect Qingcheng-jie to suspect me.”

The lonely disappointment in his voice sounded almost painfully genuine.

Chu Qingcheng immediately hesitated.

The suspicion in her eyes weakened visibly.

“My condition…”

“…isn’t something a third-rate family can handle.”

“But still…”

“…thank you.”

“Who says we can’t handle it?”

Suddenly—

Zhuo Fan straightened proudly like a stubborn child.

“Our Song Clan spent generations refining pills.”

“My father’s a third-grade alchemist.”

“And I inherited all his skills.”

“If you don’t believe me…”

“…come with me.”

“I’ll prove it.”

Before Chu Qingcheng could react—

Zhuo Fan had already grabbed her wrist again and pulled her away.

She instinctively wanted resisting.

But after hesitating briefly—

She allowed herself to follow.

Perhaps because she didn’t want crushing the confidence of this “foolish” young man.

Or perhaps—

Because deep down—

She wanted believing him.

The moment they crossed back through the slums—

Everyone stared at them in shock.

Especially the large Bone Tempering cultivator who previously acted alongside Zhuo Fan.

The moment he saw Zhuo Fan—

His face immediately turned pale.

Only he understood how terrifying this smiling “third-rate young master” truly was.

Soon—

The two arrived outside Dong Tianba’s inn.

The Song Clan carriage still remained there untouched.

All the medicinal herbs collected for the Hundred Pill Gathering were still stored inside.

“Brother Song!”

Dong Tianba’s loud voice echoed immediately.

He rushed over happily together with Dong Xiaowan.

But the moment Dong Xiaowan noticed Zhuo Fan holding Chu Qingcheng’s hand—

Her expression stiffened subtly.

Dong Tianba blinked several times.

Then lowered his voice and dragged Zhuo Fan aside.

“You incredible bastard…”

“You actually picked up a woman already?”

Zhuo Fan laughed lightly.

“Thanks to Brother Dong’s guidance yesterday.”

Dong Tianba immediately revealed a knowing grin.

Then he secretly glanced toward Chu Qingcheng.

“So…”

“…is she beautiful?”

“She covers herself too tightly.”

“Hard seeing clearly.”

“But judging from the eyes…”

“…she should be extraordinary.”

Zhuo Fan shrugged casually.

“No idea.”

“I’ve never seen her face.”

Dong Tianba froze completely.

Then exploded:

“You’ve never seen her face…”

“…and you still seduced her?!”

Zhuo Fan only smiled mysteriously.

“What does appearance matter?”

“I’m not interested in her body anyway.”

Dong Tianba stood there blankly after Zhuo Fan walked away.

His brows furrowed tightly.

“If it’s not for her body…”

“…then what the hell does he want?”

Meanwhile—

Zhuo Fan had already rushed toward the carriage excitedly.

Medicinal herbs flew everywhere as he searched rapidly through them.

The energetic behavior looked exactly like some overexcited young fool.

Completely different from the terrifying monster from yesterday.

Watching silently—

Even Dong Tianba felt slightly dazed.

Was this really the same person?

But Zhuo Fan ignored their confusion completely.

Finally—

He found what he wanted.

Then he grinned brightly toward Chu Qingcheng.

“Qingcheng-jie…”

“…watch carefully.”

BOOM!

Crimson flames erupted instantly from his palm.

Then—

Without hesitation—

He tossed over a dozen medicinal ingredients directly into the fire simultaneously.

Dong Tianba’s pupils contracted instantly.

What terrifying control.

Even third-grade alchemists usually struggled handling more than nine ingredients simultaneously.

Yet Zhuo Fan manipulated over a dozen effortlessly.

Every herb floated separately within the flames, perfectly controlled without the slightest collision.

Dong Tianba inhaled sharply.

“This…”

“…this already surpasses third-grade alchemy.”

Even Dong Xiaowan stared in shock.

For the first time—

Genuine admiration appeared within Chu Qingcheng’s eyes as well.

At Zhuo Fan’s age—

This level of control was extraordinary.

But Zhuo Fan wasn’t satisfied.

Admiration alone wasn’t enough.

He needed shock.

Only overwhelming her completely would earn the trust necessary to obtain information about the Bodhi Jade Essence.

Thus—

His eyes suddenly sharpened.

CLAP!

His palm closed violently.

Instantly—

Every medicinal ingredient and crimson flame compressed together into one point.

Then—

The flames vanished completely.

Dong Tianba screamed immediately.

“What are you doing?!”

“You’ll ruin everything!”

Even Chu Qingcheng sighed slightly.

Too impulsive.

No matter how talented—

Destroying the flame balance midway guaranteed failure.

But Zhuo Fan merely smiled calmly.

“As the alchemist…”

“…wouldn’t I know whether the pill failed or not?”

Then—

Slowly—

He opened his palm.

A crimson glow burst outward instantly.

At the center rested a flawless scarlet pill.

Smooth.

Perfect.

Radiating overwhelming medicinal fragrance.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Dong Tianba’s mouth hung open completely.

Because this technique—

Defied every law of conventional alchemy.

Even more horrifying—

The pill quality itself surpassed ordinary top-grade pills entirely.

This wasn’t merely top-grade.

It was beyond top-grade.

A super-grade pill.

Even Chu Qingcheng’s eyes widened visibly.

For the first time—

True shock appeared within her gaze.

Zhuo Fan smiled inwardly.

Naturally they were shocked.

This was the ancient demonic alchemy technique—

One Palm Heaven and Earth.

A forbidden art recorded within the Nine Serenities Secret Record.

Even in the Sacred Domain—

Countless alchemists would go insane for such a technique.

Then—

Zhuo Fan casually extended the crimson pill toward Chu Qingcheng.

“Qingcheng-jie.”

“You always feel cold.”

“So I made this Warm Yang Pill for you.”

Chu Qingcheng accepted it slowly.

But after sensing the medicinal aura—

She shook her head gently.

“Though impressive…”

“…a mere second-grade Warm Yang Pill can’t help my condition.”

“Not necessarily.”

Zhuo Fan smiled mysteriously.

“You won’t know until trying it.”

Chu Qingcheng hesitated briefly.

Then finally placed the pill into her mouth.

The instant the medicinal force dissolved—

Her entire body trembled violently.

BOOM!

A terrifying wave of warmth exploded through her meridians instantly.

The overwhelming yang energy spread across her entire body like burning sunlight.

For the first time in years—

The icy pain tormenting her body weakened visibly.

Even the poisonous cold energy inside her meridians retreated slightly.

Chu Qingcheng’s eyes widened completely.

Impossible.

A second-grade pill should never possess this level of purity or potency.

Yet before she could recover from the shock—

Zhuo Fan leaned closer slightly.

Then smiled softly.

“So…”

“…do you trust my alchemy now?”

[End of Chapter Ninety-Eight]