Chapter 96
After saying that, Lin Tian’s heart was pounding with guilt.
[Damn it, there’s no way she’ll figure it out, right? Tsk… whatever, the whole thing about spiritual essence, that wandering hermit already told Xuan Yuan Qingya. I just gave her a small reminder about honey to neutralize it, so it should be fine…]
The only reason Lin Tian spoke up was because, at this moment, there were no outsiders in the ward. And since Xuan Yuan Qingya was doing it to save someone’s life, he couldn’t bring himself to knowingly withhold the right method.
He wasn’t about to spout lofty nonsense like saving a life is greater than building a seven-tier pagoda, but if it had involved his own safety, then even if it could save someone, Lin Tian would never have recklessly stuck his neck out.
But right now, the ward held only him and Xuan Yuan Qingya.
And this woman had just kissed him…
He couldn’t deny that, because of that kiss, some subtle shift had taken root in his perception of Xuan Yuan Qingya.
Hearing Lin Tian’s suggestion, Xuan Yuan Qingya secretly laughed in delight.
At the same time, a sweet warmth blossomed from the depths of her heart.
Lin Tian hadn’t chosen to dodge the matter this time—instead, he had directly spoken out the method of using honey for neutralization…
Didn’t this mean that, deep down, Lin Tian already harbored some feelings toward her?
Thinking this way, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s eyes involuntarily filled with the shy hope and joy of a maiden.
Lin Tian happened to glance her way—only to nearly jump out of his skin.
[The hell?! What’s wrong with this woman again? Aren’t we in the middle of treating your fourth uncle?! What’s with that look on your face? Xuan Yuan Qingya, snap out of it, you’re supposed to be healing someone right now!!!]
Lin Tian wailed inwardly, but outwardly his expression didn’t shift in the slightest.
He deliberately shifted his gaze toward the Spirit Monkey Offering Peach jade carving, as though he hadn’t noticed the strange look on Xuan Yuan Qingya’s face at all.
Hearing Lin Tian’s inner voice, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s cheeks flushed red, and she quickly snapped back to her senses.
Xuan Yuan Qingya, stop acting like a lovestruck fool…
She scolded herself inwardly a few times.
If anyone else knew what she had just been thinking—let alone Xuan Yuan Xing—they would’ve dropped their jaws in shock.
When had the ever-proud, lofty-to-the-heavens Xuan Yuan Qingya ever acted like a starry-eyed girl?
And what’s more…
It was happening while she was treating her fourth uncle of all times!
She gave a soft cough, her fair face tinged with rosy color, her eyes carrying a shy glimmer. When she spoke again, her voice was gentle, sweet, and almost childlike.
“Lin Tian… could you… help me smash open that jade carving, and take out the spirit essence inside?”
Lin Tian’s lips twitched hard at the sound of her voice, and he had no choice but to silently recite a Heart-Clearing Mantra.
He realized more and more that Xuan Yuan Qingya wasn’t acting right at all…
In front of others, she was still that cold, untouchable empress.
But the moment she was alone with him, why did she suddenly turn into a little girl?
This soft, delicate expression, that gentle voice, the slight lowering of her head, her eyes and face tinged with shy embarrassment—what the hell was that?
Was this really the Xuan Yuan Qingya everyone knew?
Lin Tian could only shake his head helplessly. After a while, even the Heart-Clearing Mantra didn’t seem to work all that well anymore…
Sure, the mantra could sweep away the messy thoughts in his mind—but what good was it when this vixen Xuan Yuan Qingya was right beside him, constantly radiating charm?
Hell, even if Liu Xiahui himself were here, he wouldn’t be able to hold out!
With a heavy sigh, Lin Tian forcefully shifted his focus back to the jade carving of Spirit Monkey Offering Peach.
The carving stood about half a meter tall, exquisitely detailed. Back at the auction, given his situation at the time, he naturally hadn’t had the chance—or the mood—to take a closer look.
But now, with it right in front of him, Lin Tian could finally appreciate it properly.
The jade was a lustrous green throughout, and faintly within, one could see something like liquid flowing.
If Lin Tian wasn’t mistaken, that must be the spirit essence sealed inside.
In the jade world, this kind of phenomenon—where it appeared as though liquid was moving within—was often described as both water and quality of the highest grade.
If anyone else had seen this carving, they’d probably mistake the phenomenon for nothing more than a superb “water and quality” effect in the jade.
But what they wouldn’t know… was that there was real spirit essence flowing inside.
Lin Tian asked cautiously, “Xuan Yuan Qingya, then… how do we get the spirit essence out? Just smash it open?”
Xuan Yuan Qingya nearly rolled her eyes. How the hell would I know? The only reason I even know there’s spirit essence in there is because you told me!
But she had only just finished weaving that lie about the “wandering hermit.” If she suddenly admitted she didn’t know, it would make her story fall apart.
Still, since this concerned her fourth uncle’s life, she didn’t dare speak carelessly.
After a slight pause, she said with measured calm, “Well… that hermit didn’t say exactly how to extract it. Why don’t you just… improvise, Lin Tian?”
In her heart, Xuan Yuan Qingya thought smugly: If I let you improvise, then you’ll naturally fall back on the correct method you know to extract the spirit essence, won’t you?
Her calculation was flawless.
But reality… was far less ideal.
Because the truth was—Lin Tian had no damn idea how to extract the stuff either!
The original story only mentioned that Jiang Yifeng had managed to take it out. It never described exactly how he did it…
Smash it? Drill a hole? Would it evaporate if exposed? Did they need a special container?
There was no way that damned author of the “original” would ever bother to explain things in that much detail!
Lin Tian brooded for a moment, then finally sighed helplessly.
“I really don’t know how to take it out either… Why don’t you do it? After all, this thing is worth nearly a hundred billion. If I chip or crack it, I could never afford to pay you back!”
“Who said anything about you paying?”
Xuan Yuan Qingya shot him a sidelong glance.
That single look—brimming with natural allure—hit Lin Tian like a lightning strike.
【Demoness, demoness, demoness!!! I swear I can’t take this anymore…】
Lin Tian howled in his heart, but in the end, he could only pick up the little hammer that had long been prepared at the side.
“Xuan Yuan Qingya, I’m warning you now—if something goes wrong with this thing, don’t blame me!”
Xuan Yuan Qingya nodded obediently, her voice gentle and soft. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I won’t blame you.”
Lin Tian steadied his grip on the hammer, inhaled deeply, and muttered under his breath—Then this strike… had better be a handsome one!
Since there were no outsiders around, Lin Tian went full-on chuunibyou, raising the tiny hammer with solemn dignity before striking down hard!
“Clang—!”
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but in that instant the hammer landed, he actually felt a strange rebound force from the jade carving itself—as if the carving didn’t want him to smash it apart…
Yet under that strike, the jade carving slowly split open.
Before both Lin Tian and Xuan Yuan Qingya’s astonished gazes, it separated neatly into four pieces.
The first was the main body—the spirit monkey holding the peach. Even on its own, it looked complete, without the slightest flaw.
The second was an ancient peach tree.
The third, a rocky outcrop beside the monkey and tree.
And the last piece—somehow, impossibly—had fractured into the shape of a miniature heavenly pond!
At its center, shimmering and swaying, was a pool of emerald-green liquid, giving off a fresh, crystalline fragrance.
Just one breath of it left Lin Tian’s mind clear and his spirit refreshed.
“This… is the spirit marrow?”
Lin Tian swallowed hard.
Before this pool of spirit marrow, his very body seemed to be rejoicing, every cell trembling with excitement. Deep down, he even had the wild urge to just lift the tiny heavenly pond like a bowl and gulp it all down in one go…
That was the body’s natural instinct when faced with such a divine treasure of heaven and earth!
No matter how much he’d read or heard of it before, nothing compared to seeing it with his own eyes. Lin Tian had known long ago of this spirit marrow’s existence, but the sight of it now still left him shaken to the core!
No wonder it was preserved since the ancient era. No wonder it was the very treasure that would awaken the transcendent power within Jiang Yifeng’s Sacred Physician Body!
The two of them stood there, stunned, staring silently at the way the jade carving had split apart and at the spirit marrow’s dazzling, dreamlike beauty.
After a long moment, Xuan Yuan Qingya suddenly leaned closer—so close her lips nearly brushed his ear—and whispered softly:
“Lin Tian… why don’t you mix in a little honey, and have a taste first?”
That sultry, honeyed voice—so teasing and full of temptation—instantly dried Lin Tian’s throat as though fire had caught inside him!
He turned his head with effort, only to find Xuan Yuan Qingya gazing at him, eyes glazed with a dreamy light, her breath warm against his skin. For a moment, he nearly lost all control…
“Xuan Yuan Qingya—do you know you’re playing with fire?”
Lin Tian gritted his teeth, voice harsh.
If she kept this up, even a saint would fail to endure it—let alone him!