Knock.
Knock.
Two light knocks sounded against the wooden door.
Li Jian’s heart tightened.
He quickly composed his expression, stood up from the bed, and walked over.
After taking a short breath, he reached out and pulled the door open.
The moment the door swung open, the evening light from outside spilled into the simple stone house and with it came a figure that made his pupils shrink slightly.
Standing right outside his door was a young woman of stunning beauty.
She had long, lustrous black hair tied up into an elegant high bun, adorned with delicate purple orchid accessories that swayed slightly with her movements.
A few loose strands framed her fair face, adding a soft charm to her otherwise cold and noble appearance.
Her eyes were a clear, captivating shade of purple, currently looking at him with a calm yet slightly impatient expression.
She wore a refined white-and-purple robe that perfectly outlined her graceful figure.
The collar was open just enough to reveal a smooth expanse of snow-white skin and a deep, alluring cleavage, while the high slit of her skirt exposed a long, slender leg with every subtle shift of her stance.
A translucent outer layer draped over her shoulders, giving her an ethereal, almost fairy-like aura.
Even standing in front of a shabby outer disciple’s residence, she still looked completely out of place... like a cold, untouchable immortal who had accidentally descended to the mortal world.
It was Zheng Qingyao.
Li Jian’s eyes widened slightly for a brief moment before he quickly lowered his gaze, putting on a respectful and somewhat weak appearance.
"...Senior Sister Zheng."
Zheng Qingyao’s purple eyes swept over him once, lingering briefly on his still-pale face and the way he was slightly hunched from the lingering pain.
Then a faint frown appeared between her brows, but it quickly smoothed out.
She spoke in a cool, clear voice that carried a natural arrogance.
"You’re still alive. That’s good."
Li Jian’s mouth twitched slightly in his heart.
’What kind of greeting is that?’
Zheng Qingya did not wait for him to reply.
She lifted her hand, and a small jade bottle appeared between her slender fingers.
The bottle was simple, yet it faintly emitted a refreshing medicinal fragrance.
"I calculated the reaction of the pill earlier," she said calmly, as if discussing something completely ordinary. "The side effects on your meridians should still be present. Take this."
She casually tossed the jade bottle toward him.
Li Jian hurriedly caught it with both hands, a bit surprised by how naturally she was acting.
’It... really worked?’
He lowered his head and looked at the jade bottle.
The system’s earlier words echoed in his mind once more.
[No matter how unreasonable the request is, the target will feel that it is natural and proper...]
Zheng Qingya truly did not seem to find anything strange about coming all the way to an outer disciple’s residence just to give him a recovery pill.
She stood there gracefully, one hand lightly resting near her collar, her expression still carrying that usual cold indifference mixed with a trace of impatience.
"Why are you still standing there?" she asked, her tone slightly colder. "Are you not going to take it?"
Li Jian quickly cupped his fists and spoke with a weak but respectful voice.
"Many thanks, Senior Sister Zheng... for your concern."
Zheng Qingya gave a soft, almost disdainful hum.
"Concern? Don’t misunderstand. I simply don’t want my test subject to die too early and waste my time finding another one."
Even while saying such words, she still stood there without leaving, her purple eyes quietly watching him as if waiting to see whether he would take the pill properly.
Li Jian did not dare to delay.
He carefully opened the jade bottle.
A round, emerald-green recovery pill rolled out onto his palm, releasing a dense medicinal fragrance that already made the pain in his meridians feel slightly soothed just from the scent.
’This quality... is not ordinary at all.’
Without hesitation, he tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, a cool and gentle medicinal energy spread out, quickly flowing into his damaged meridians.
The sharp pain that had been lingering in his body began to rapidly fade, replaced by a comfortable warmth.
Li Jian could clearly feel his injuries recovering at a visible speed.
He let out a soft breath of relief and cupped his fists once more.
"Senior Sister Zheng’s alchemy skills are truly extraordinary. This junior’s injuries are already improving greatly."
Zheng Qingyao’s expression remained mostly indifferent, but a faint trace of satisfaction flashed through her purple eyes upon hearing his words.
She clearly enjoyed having her alchemy acknowledged, even if it came from a lowly outer disciple.
"Of course," she replied coldly. "If even a simple recovery pill gave me trouble, how could I continue researching higher-level formulas?"
She paused for a moment, then added,
"Your body reacted more strongly to the previous experimental pill than the others. When your injuries are fully healed, come to Alchemy Peak again. I still have a few new variations that need testing."
Li Jian’s heart stirred slightly, but his face only showed a respectful and slightly helpless expression.
"Yes, Senior Sister."
Zheng Qingyao gave him one last glance.
Her gaze lingered briefly on his face before she turned around, her long black hair and purple accessories swaying lightly with the movement.
The high slit of her robe revealed a flash of her fair, slender leg as she stepped away.
"Hmph... trash," she said softly.
With that, she left, her figure quickly disappearing down the path as if she had only come to casually drop off something unimportant.
Li Jian stood at the doorway, watching her leave with a vein bulging on his forehead as he smiled.
But he took a deep breath to calm his anger.
Then he closed the door, returned to the bed, and sat down.
The recovery pill’s effect was still spreading through his body, continuously repairing the damage.
At the same time, the system panel reappeared in his mind.
[Zheng Qingyao current Favor Debt points : 50]
Li Jian stared at the remaining points, his smile widening slightly.
’It really works...’
She actually came and delivered the pill herself, and even felt that it was completely natural.
He leaned back against the wall, feeling the comfortable sensation of his meridians healing, while a dark and expectant light flickered in his eyes.