The next day, Cai Zhao rose before dawn.

Like countless mornings by her aunt's side, she meditated and circulated her qi, concentrated her spirit to clear her meridians, listening to her own light and even breathing in the tranquility. She felt the energy flow through her meridians, striking the acupoints throughout her body again and again. The familiar pain struck her body unhurriedly—soreness, bloating, the light popping of her joints. She could only endure it slowly. It was a reassuring kind of pain, one that allowed her to stand before anyone without fear.

The internal arts of the Six Sects of Beichen originated from the same source, but they had undergone subtle changes over two hundred years of separate inheritance. Each generation, individuals of exceptional talent would add their own unique insights into their sect's internal arts. But generally speaking, once one entered the path, cultivation was up to the individual.

Cai Pingshu once said: "So-called cultivation is six parts innate talent and four parts training. If one could defeat enemies and achieve victory solely through exclusive secret manuals, why have the successive Sect Masters of the Qingque Sect always been unable to raise their own children into the sect's elites to inherit the position of Sect Master?"

It was said that this unintentional remark was what made Cai Pingshu offend Yin Dai and his daughter. But she had offended many people in her life and never took it to heart.

Of course, disciples with powerful backgrounds could always obtain better cultivation resources, such as heavenly treasures to nourish their marrow and purify their meridians, and the support of elders to calm their minds and stabilize their natures. However, over the past century, many unknown individuals had always risen like stars to shake the world. For instance, Qi Yunke came from the most inconspicuous group of Outer Sect Disciples of the Qingque Sect.

Cai Pingshu was evidently happy to see this happen. From a young age, she enjoyed sharing high-level internal arts with her newly-acquainted brothers-in-arms, as long as they were of upright character and possessed a chivalrous spirit. She felt that the more people who could cultivate the righteous path, the better.

For this, she was warned by her elders more than once or twice. Even Venerable Fakong did not side with her, advising, 'It is easy to master an unparalleled divine art, but difficult to truly know a person. Benefactor, you view the world with a heart as clear as the sky, yet even the sky has wind, rain, and gloom.'

Cai Zhao opened her eyes and accepted the soft, hot towel from Furong, wiping the cool sweat from her forehead.

She exhaled lightly, feeling clear and at ease. The qi in her Dantian flowed smoothly, and apart from a slight soreness in her joints, the fatigue and irritation accumulated over the past two days were completely swept away.

After circulating her energy and clearing her meridians for a full two hours, the sun was already high in the sky. Cai Zhao asked what Chang Ning was doing, and Feicui replied, "Young Master Chang also hasn't left his room all morning. He went inside after breakfast and told us not to disturb him."

Cai Zhao found this strange. During lunch, she asked Chang Ning, who was unusually silent. After a long pause, he replied, "I was circulating my energy to heal my injuries on my own. It seems to have been beneficial."

"That's a good thing." Cai Zhao didn't dwell on it and turned to ask Furong, "Did anyone cause trouble this morning?"

Furong replied with a smile: "There were four sneaky-looking fellows. Early this morning, they brought a bag of poisonous spiders near Young Master Chang's room. Feicui figured since they liked them so much, she sprinkled some medicinal powder on them. All the snakes, insects, rats, and ants within three feet started chasing after them. They ended up fleeing while hopping on their feet."

Cai Zhao was satisfied. "Feicui did well. Eat some more shrimp for lunch to replenish yourself."

Feicui's face turned green as she walked away.

Chang Ning seemed to have been lost in thought just now. He only came to his senses after Feicui exited the room like a gust of wind. In a gentle tone, he said, "Miss Furong, please thank Miss Feicui for me."

After Furong acknowledged and left, Cai Zhao finally noticed something was off with Chang Ning. She asked him what was wrong, but Chang Ning only said, "Accompany me to the Apothecary this afternoon. I want to ask Martial Uncle Lei for advice on some matters."

The two agreed. After their meal, they took a stroll to the Apothecary. Upon entering, Cai Zhao saw a small, exquisite bamboo fence in a corner. Inside, a dozen fluffy, pale yellow ducklings were running around, quacking adorably.

A few of the ducklings even had small, pink bows tied on their heads. Cai Zhao stopped and watched the ducklings for a good while with a look full of loving pity.

Entering the Apothecary, Cai Zhao finally met the legendary Martial Uncle Lei.

Martial Uncle Lei's real name was Lei Xiuming. He was the only one of the former Sect Master Yin Dai's original seven disciples who still remained in the sect. Like Fan Xingjia, he was also skilled in refining qi and making medicine. Over a decade ago, during a battle against the Demonic Cult, he was severely injured, losing an eye and a leg, and now had to walk with a cane.

"The Sect Master risked his life to dig me out of a pile of dead bodies." Lei Xiuming sat alone in the dispensary, his figure thin and frail. His once handsome face was covered in scars, and an exquisite embroidered satin patch covered his left eye.

"He was the last disciple Master accepted, breaking the rules to do so. Originally, none of us looked up to him. Cai Pingshu was right, he was stronger than all seven of us." Lei Xiuming's gaze shifted to Cai Zhao. "Your eyes and forehead resemble Cai Pingshu's."

His voice suddenly became somber. "Now, even she is dead... Did your aunt ever mention me to you?"

"She did," Cai Zhao said calmly. "Aunt said you were very particular about your food, clothes, and accessories, and were prone to sentimental melancholy, getting upset over small matters for a long time. Because Aunt 'borrowed' two sets of clothes and a jade coronet from you, you were so angry you refused to speak to her for a long time."

"Two sets of clothes, two sets of clothes..." Lei Xiuming raised a hand to his scarred face. "Was that 'borrowing'?! I was just following Eldest Martial Brother to Peiqiong Mountain Manor to handle some business and had the rotten luck to run into your aunt who was planning to roam the Jianghu disguised as a man. Only my robes fit her perfectly, so she took them without even asking!"

"...Didn't Aunt leave a snow lotus as a thank you gift? She said your clothes and accessories were especially beautiful."

"How could they not be beautiful? When your mother saw Cai Pingshu wearing my robes, she was so smitten she could barely walk, vowing to marry no one else. Later, when your mother found out your aunt was a woman, she couldn't bear to blame your aunt, so she came and scolded me instead, saying it was all my fault for lending out the robes that caused the misunderstanding—what an undeserved disaster! Who could I even complain to?" Lei Xiuming gritted his teeth.

Chang Ning suddenly said, "So, Senior Lei's past isn't entirely filled with sad events."

Lei Xiuming was taken aback, a touch of melancholy appearing on his face. "Yes, there were indeed many incidents that were both funny and exasperating."

He turned to look at Cai Zhao again. "I miss your aunt very much. When she passed, I should have gone to see her off, but I could never bring myself to step out of Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff. I've regretted it for three years."

Cai Zhao lowered her head. "Martial Uncle, don't keep thinking about these things. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Whether you saw her off or not, Aunt wouldn't have minded."

Lei Xiuming said, "The day before yesterday, your mother came to see me before she left. Not only did she kick my door down, but she also vividly described Wu Yuanying's miserable state to me three times. In the end, she told me to cherish my blessings and not be ungrateful. Compared to Wu Yuanying, I, who can still breathe properly every day, am incredibly fortunate."

Cai Zhao was embarrassed. "Mother was just comforting you."

"Yes." Lei Xiuming's expression relaxed. "After being yelled at by her, I've felt much better these past few days. Thinking about the seven of us martial brothers, besides Second Martial Brother Qiu Renjie who left for a distant land, and me becoming a cripple, all the remaining martial brothers are dead..."

He suddenly frowned. "But Seventh Junior Brother's body was never found. Do you think he might be like Big Brother Wu..."

"No," Chang Ning said concisely. "Heroine Luo spent two years in the Demonic Cult and searched every prison, inside and out. If there was any news of Senior Guo Zigui, she would never have failed to mention it. Senior Guo's fame before his disappearance was far less than that of Great Hero Wu Yuanying; the Demonic Cult has no reason to secretly imprison him for years."

Lei Xiuming nodded. "What you say makes sense." He then asked, "Why have you come this time? Has there been a change in your injuries?"

"Senior, please take a look for me." Chang Ning sat closer.

Lei Xiuming placed one hand on his wrist pulse and, with the index and middle fingers of his other hand, slowly circulated his true qi to probe his Tiantu, Qishe, and Danzhong acupoints. A moment later, he probed his Dazhui, Lingtai, and Zhongshu acupoints.

"It's better than before. I can sense that you've recovered some of your internal energy." Lei Xiuming lowered his hand. "It's a bit slow, but at least there's progress."

"That's not what this junior wanted to ask." Chang Ning fastened the collar of his robe up to his neck. "In any case, it's only been two years since my father started teaching me martial arts. It doesn't matter if I have to start over from scratch. This junior wants to ask, how much does Senior know about the Five Venoms Palm?"

"Five Venoms Palm?" Lei Xiuming was startled. "So you think you were poisoned by the Five Venoms Palm."

"In the chaos, this junior was indeed struck by several palms, but I'm not sure if it was the Five Venoms Palm," Chang Ning said. "It felt like it was, and yet it wasn't; that's why I came to ask for Senior's guidance."

Lei Xiuming pondered for a moment, then explained, "The Five Venoms Palm was originally a heterodox art from the dense forests of southern Yunnan. It somehow found its way to the Demonic Cult. It uses five potent poisons in conjunction with an internal art to cultivate palm power. Those struck by the Five Venoms Palm suffer from festering skin and flesh in mild cases, and in severe cases, the poisoned blood attacks the heart. It's said that Nie Hengcheng once practiced this art, but as his power grew, he moved on to practice other, more domineering techniques."

Cai Zhao understood.

Simply put, under normal circumstances, being struck by an opponent's palm would only cause internal injuries. As long as the internal organs weren't shattered, one could still be saved. But being struck by the Five Venoms Palm meant suffering not only internal injuries but also poisoning. In the former case, treating the internal injuries was enough, but in the latter, one had to treat the internal injuries and also neutralize the poison.

"Back then, I treated a few people injured by the Five Venoms Palm. They often didn't die from their internal injuries, but from the poison taking effect," Lei Xiuming said.

Cai Zhao: "Can't the poison be neutralized? There are many seniors in the orthodox sects who are skilled in detoxification."

"To neutralize a poison, you first have to know what poison it is. But no one knows which five poisons are used!" Lei Xiuming gave a bitter smile. "That's the wicked part of the Five Venoms Palm. The poisons used differ from person to person. For example, if a pair of martial brothers practice the Five Venoms Palm together, the first four poisons might be the same, but for the fifth, one might use scorpion venom while the other uses Bone-Corroding Grass. If we don't know what kind of poison it is, how can we prescribe the right antidote?"

"So there's no cure for the Five Venoms Palm?" Chang Ning asked.

"Not necessarily," Lei Xiuming said. "Everything has its pros and cons. Although the Five Venoms Palm is instantly poisonous and has endless repercussions, it has three weaknesses."

"First, it's most afraid of encountering someone with superior internal energy who is already on guard. If they meet such a person, the opponent only needs to use their profound internal energy to force the poison back at the moment of impact, and the attacker will suffer the consequences instead."

"Second, it's most afraid of people finding out which five poisons are used in one's Five Venoms Palm. Once your secret is out, the power of the Five Venoms Palm is immediately halved, reducing it to an ordinary palm technique."

"I remember that year, Nie Hengcheng's second disciple, Chen Shu, sought to establish his reputation and ambushed several famous heroes of the orthodox Wulin over a few months. He didn't seek to kill them on the spot, but would land a single palm strike in a sneak attack before immediately retreating, leaving the victims to suffer in agony until they eventually died from the incurable poison."

Cai Zhao listened, captivated. "Then what happened? Did all those great heroes die?"

"If they had all died, your Brother Chang wouldn't be here," Lei Xiuming said with a smile. "Chang Haosheng was among the injured. He was young at the time, not even married yet, when he was unfortunately ambushed."

Cai Zhao turned to look at Chang Ning. "Then how did they recover?"

"It was your aunt who took action."

Lei Xiuming seemed to be lost in memories. "After Chang Haosheng was poisoned, she was incredibly anxious. Within three days, she challenged ten Demonic Cult branches and posted notices everywhere, telling Chen Shu to stop being a coward and come out to fight, one-on-one, with no helpers. As long as Chen Shu didn't show up, the Demonic Cult's minions wouldn't have a moment of peace. Heh, in those days, the grunts of the Demonic Cult got a headache just hearing the name 'Cai'."

"Wasn't Aunt afraid the Demonic Cult would retaliate against Falling Blossoms Valley?" Cai Zhao felt a retrospective fear.

Chang Ning smiled. "First, your bustling Falling Blossoms Town didn't exist back then. Second, there were very few people in Falling Blossoms Valley at the time. If the Demonic Cult wanted to cause trouble, they could go ahead. The worst they could do was burn down the buildings and trees, and your aunt could just renovate and rebuild later. On the other hand, the Demonic Cult, which Nie Hengcheng had painstakingly managed for decades, had a great deal of wealth hidden in every branch and sub-branch."

Cai Zhao gave a few embarrassed laughs.

Lei Xiuming continued, "But how could a treacherous villain like Chen Shu agree to an open and honorable fight? He openly accepted the challenge but secretly went to the dueling site to set up traps. Who knew that was exactly what your aunt was waiting for? She led people to lie in ambush on the perimeter and caught Chen Shu's group right as they were setting up the traps. Then, they all had a big fight."

"During the fierce battle, your aunt deliberately provoked Chen Shu into using the Five Venoms Palm. The moment she was struck, she used her own internal energy to force the poison back. This move was actually very risky because your aunt had never fought Chen Shu before, and neither knew the other's strength. Fortunately, your aunt's internal energy was slightly superior. After being poisoned himself, Chen Shu was in a hurry to find an antidote, inevitably lowering his guard, which finally allowed your aunt to determine which five poisons were used. After that, I went to assist Venerable Fahai, and we quickly formulated the antidote, saving everyone's lives."

Recalling Cai Pingshu's chivalry and awe-inspiring presence back then, Cai Zhao listened with a refreshed spirit. "...Aunt was truly amazing."

"Nonsense. Why else would so many people have listened to her?" Lei Xiuming glanced at her. "When your mother found out your aunt had taken such a risk, she cried enough tears to nearly flood Changchun Temple."

After a pause, he added, "That year, your aunt was not yet seventeen. So many seniors of the orthodox path were helpless, yet she said she would do it, and she did. When our Master found out, he kept repeating 'the younger generation is to be respected' for several days." In truth, Yin Dai had also muttered to himself at the time, 'One should wish for a daughter like Cai Pingshu.' From then on, the Twin Beauties of the Yin Clan deeply hated Cai Pingshu.

"What happened to Chen Shu later?" Chang Ning suddenly asked.

Lei Xiuming came back to his senses and said mockingly, "Once the Five Venoms Palm is mastered, the poisons can't be changed. Since everyone could create an antidote to counter his palm, his technique immediately became useless. It was too late for him to rush and practice another art. Later, he died at the hands of Big Brother Zhou Zhizhen. He was the first of Nie Hengcheng's four great disciples to go to the underworld."

"Martial Uncle just said the Five Venoms Palm has three weaknesses. What's the third one?" Cai Zhao suddenly recalled.

Lei Xiuming smiled. "The third weakness is that it's expensive. If you're going to practice with potent poisons, you must first protect your own life. During practice, you need many precious medicinal herbs to protect your heart meridian from being corroded by the poison. Therefore, those without money should never practice the Five Venoms Palm."

Chang Ning frowned. "Of the two people Senior mentioned, Nie Hengcheng switched to another art halfway through practicing the Five Venoms Palm, while Chen Shu's secrets were exposed. Neither of them continued to practice it. This junior is very curious, if one were to continue practicing the Five Venoms Palm, how powerful could it become? Could it reach a point where one could poison an opponent without even striking them?"

Lei Xiuming's expression turned solemn. "I've only heard rumors about that. It's said that a hundred years ago, there was a master in southern Yunnan who perfected the Five Venoms Palm to the point that even the wind from his palms carried poison. When dueling, he only needed to engage for a short while, and his opponent would die from inhaling the poisonous gas. But no one has ever seen it with their own eyes."

Chang Ning was silent for a long time, then gave a deep bow. "Many thanks to Senior Lei for clearing up this junior's confusion. Next, this junior plans to circulate my energy on my own to heal and see if there is any improvement."

After speaking, he thanked Lei Xiuming once more, then beckoned Cai Zhao to leave with him. As he waited outside the Apothecary, he stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought.

Lei Xiuming watched his back and asked in a low voice, "Why don't you ask him how he's circulating his energy to heal?"

Cai Zhao smiled. "My aunt said that if you believe in someone, they must have their reasons for not telling you. If you don't believe in someone, then whatever they say will be a fabricated lie. What's the point in asking? Martial Uncle Lei, why don't you ask?"

Lei Xiuming's tone was hesitant. "Chang Haosheng was once poisoned by the Five Venoms Palm. I was thinking, perhaps he left behind some internal art that can counter the Five Venoms Palm?"

"That sounds quite reasonable, but that would be the Chang Family's exclusive internal art. It wouldn't be appropriate for outsiders to inquire, would it?" Cai Zhao said with a half-smile.

Lei Xiuming put on a stern face. "Alright, just take good care of that boy. Let's hope Chang Haosheng's spirit in heaven allows his son to recover soon, saving me the trouble of brewing him heat-clearing and detoxifying soup every day."

"If you ask me, food is better than medicine. Martial Uncle Lei, instead of brewing some heat-clearing and detoxifying soup, why not make some heat-clearing old duck congee? When I came in just now, I saw that flock of ducklings in the corner was quite lively. Why not use them to make congee?"

Lei Xiuming: ???!!!

"...Get out!"