"Aren't you stating the obvious?" Xiao Man glanced at Elder Yao, wondering why she would be here if not to save someone.
"You insolent brat, is that how you speak to your elders?" Elder Yao's finger coiled, intending to tap Xiao Man's head. However, his sharp eyes spotted Shui Lu bringing out dishes. He immediately changed his gesture to patting Xiao Man's head instead, "At least show some respect to your elders."
"Isn't it precisely to save him that I'm here?" Xiao Man patted the elder's shoulder. "However, once I've treated him, could I trouble Senior for an extra letter of recommendation?"
"What recommendation letter?"
"I want to join the Alchemist Association," Xiao Man said slowly. "But to enter the Alchemist Association in Lingyao City, one needs a recommendation from a highly respected alchemist."
"As long as you can cure Lu'er, forget one letter, I'll give you ten." For an alchemist, joining the Alchemist Association was a matter of great honor. Xiao Man's desire to join was not unusual, and the elder didn't care how she found out he was a member.
"In that case, I thank Senior in advance."
Xiao Man wiped her hands and turned back into the room. Shui Lu, not knowing what they were discussing, but seeing them chatting happily, asked curiously, "Grandpa, what were you and Lanlan talking about that made you both so happy?"
The elder cast a strange look at Shui Lu. "Lanlan, that name sounds rather unpleasant, like a girl's name. It's better to call you Lan boy."
Shui Lu glanced at the elder. "I think Lanlan sounds quite nice. Don't you agree, Lanlan?"
"It's just a name. Call me whatever you like," Xiao Man said lazily. "After all, you'll meet people who call you Xiao Shui'er, Xiao Lu'lu, or Lu'lu, Shui'shui in the future."
Shui Lu's expression became somewhat peculiar. He looked at Xiao Man inexplicably. "No matter what you call me, I'll be very happy."
"What if she calls you Kitty or Puppy?" the elder retorted.
"Still happy."
"Severely poisoned!" the elder muttered to Xin Chou in a low voice.
Shui Lu smiled and placed some food on Xiao Man's plate. "I made your favorite braised goose today. Eat more."
The elder looked at Shui Lu's solicitous attention towards Xiao Man and sighed deeply.
"Alas, a son's love for his father is not as strong as a father's love for his son."
"Master, what do you mean?" Xin Chou asked, confused.
The elder nodded towards Xiao Man. "Look at your young master. I raised him for so many years, working myself to the bone for his illness, yet he never cooked a meal for me. This little brat has only been here a few days, and he's already tricked him into cooking. If your young master were a girl, this little brat might have tricked him into bed!"
Xin Chou thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "If young master Lan were a girl, that would indeed be quite good."
The elder blinked, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Man from head to toe, observing her intently. After a long time, he said faintly, "Her figure does resemble a beauty."
"Just from the back, she truly looks like a beauty. It's a shame, though. If you look at her face, she's merely delicate, not beautiful at all," Xin Chou said while sweeping the floor. "I always feel something is a bit off."
The elder stared at Xiao Man for a long time. Off? He didn't feel anything was off. There were no signs of disguise on her face either, so it should be her true face.
"Senior."
"Little brat, what is it now?"
"I'd like to ask Senior for a favor." Xiao Man beckoned for the elder to come inside. As the elder entered the room, he saw a makeshift stove set up. On it was a large pot, and inside the pot was a large wooden bucket filled with bubbling medicinal liquid, which was an eerie shade of purple.
"What is this?"
"Medicinal soup."
"You've added quite a bit of toxic medicinal ingredients, haven't you?"
Xiao Man grinned. "Senior, all medicine has a degree of toxicity. All the medicines in the world are toxic; it depends on the dosage."
Elder Yao's expression shifted slightly. After a moment, he nodded in agreement. Medicine used to treat illness could become deadly poison if the dosage was wrong.
"What would happen to an ordinary person if they bathed in this bucket of medicinal soup?"
Xiao Man's eyes gleamed like stars in the night, twinkling. "If Senior is curious, you can try it yourself."
Elder Yao's smile froze, and he took two steps back. "I'll pass. I'm too old; I can't afford to be messed with by you. How about letting Xin Chou try?"
As Xin Chou stepped forward, he immediately retracted his foot upon hearing this, clinging to the wall and inching his way out.
"Xin Chou."
"Young Master Lan, I'm very fragile, I can't handle being messed with," Xin Chou waved his hands frantically. "I'll listen to you from now on, please don't kill me."
Xiao Man's face darkened. "Who's going to kill you? I'm asking you to go call your young master."
"It's good that you're not going to kill me." Xin Chou immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go get the young master right away."
By the time Shui Lu arrived, Xiao Man had already prepared the medicinal soup. She reduced the fire in the stove and tested the water temperature, which was just right.
"Take off your clothes and get in."
Shui Lu nodded and pushed Xiao Man behind a screen. "Wait until I'm in, then you can come out."
Xiao Man was somewhat bewildered by Shui Lu's strange actions but didn't object. The elder, however, looked confused. "You're both men. You're taking off your clothes, why do you need to avoid her?"
Shui Lu gave the elder a meaningful look. "A little discretion is always good."
The elder watched Shui Lu undress and enter the bathtub, still not understanding why he needed to be discreet with Xiao Man.
"You're both men, and she's an alchemist responsible for your treatment. What is there to be discreet about?" the elder grumbled. "Little brat, come out. What do we do next?"
"Next, the Striped Fire Ant." Xiao Man took out the Profound Ice Box and placed the Striped Fire Ants into the medicinal liquid. The originally purple liquid turned a reddish-purple.
Shui Lu's face instantly turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, as if enduring great pain. His body was also trembling.
Xiao Man glanced at Shui Lu, then took out nine small porcelain bottles, arranging them in a line. She also took out a needle case, retrieved the golden needles within, dipped them in the liquids from the small porcelain bottles, and then inserted them into Shui Lu's body.
The elder watched Xiao Man's precise and accurate acupuncture, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. This golden needle technique must have been practiced many times, otherwise, she wouldn't be so skilled.
"Little brat, what is in these?"
"Nine supremely poisonous substances," Xiao Man said faintly.
"Supremely poisonous substances?" Curiosity flashed in the elder's eyes, and he leaned closer to look. However, from the color alone, he couldn't identify any of the poisons. Moreover, each poisonous substance lacked a distinctive taste. Logically, poisons usually had their own unique smell and color. Only a very few poisons were colorless and odorless, making them difficult to identify.