How Much For Your Soul

"May I ask who you're looking for?" One of the servants asked.

"I have a letter for young master Gu Bei that I was tasked to deliver personally."

The two servants shared a look before the younger of the two motioned for the messenger to follow him. The two of them entered an incredibly vast courtyard that opened up into a large garden dotted with pavilions. There was even a small bridge with water flowing below. It was like a scene of paradise, the air carrying the fragrance of heavenly flowers.

Soon, they reached a small courtyard that was well maintained, if a little spartan. The servant announced himself and respectfully requested an audience with Gu Bei. Two minutes later, a long-haired youth with handsome features walked over.

"Young master Bei, this man says he has a letter that he must personally deliver to you."

"Greetings young master Bei, I have been instructed to deliver this message to you and either guide you to my master or take back a response."

Gu Bei gave the messenger a once-over and then took the letter that had been held out for him. Breaking the seal, he read over the letter with a blank face. The only sign he was surprised by the letter's contents, was his eyes suddenly widening. Acting like everything was normal, he motioned for the gate servant to return to his post and for the messenger to follow him into his courtyard.

"If I am reading this correctly, then you master claims to be able to cure my sister, he even guarantees it! However, he wants me and my sick sister to travel to his private residence for treatment. This master Ling also wants me to keep the matter quiet, tell me, is this a trap to finish off my sister and me?" Asked Gu Bei, his expression slowly becoming more and more frosty.

"No, Young master. Master Hua Ling has complete confidence in treating your sister, but the case is sensitive. He believes that Gu Lan has been poisoned and that the Gu Family has prevented her treatment. How else could you explain her situation? He merely wants privacy to keep everything from blowing back on him." Said the messenger calmly, he had been given specific instructions on how to deal with the task of getting the Gu siblings to follow him.

They walked along a small path and reached a more modest courtyard. Inside, there was a girl clothed in white who sat quietly on a chair. Her bright pupils were like autumn water and were embedded in her beautiful and delicate face like gems. With a calm and peaceful expression, she quietly stared at a purple flower on a small artificial mound. She had light-coloured lips that were as pale as water. Beneath the white clothes was her jade-bright skin. Traces of ill-coloured ash showed on her face, like a flower that might wither at any time.

"Beauty that lasts through the spring, the flower withers and people die unknowingly," the white-clothed girl muttered, with a trace of sadness between her brows.

"Elder sister." A gleam of tears flashed through Gu Bei's eyes. As he watched Gu Lan, his once high-spirited sister who had been rendered into such a state, Gu Bei felt as though his heart was being torn apart.

"Gu Bei, you're back?" The girl in white revealed a faint smile. Her eyes then fell onto the man behind Gu Bei as she asked, "This is?"

"This is a servant of a man that guarantees to heal you, but we must travel to his courtyard to receive treatment. At first, I thought it was a trap, but it would be impossible for them to kill us in the Skysoul Institute and remain alive afterwards." Said Gu Bei as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Before she could say anything, he took control of her wheelchair and started to guide her out of her yard. Every time a physician visited, she would always smile and reject them. But not this time, he was tired of seeing her so depressed, he ignored her protests and continued wheeling her towards the Gu compound's gates. He wanted to see the strong, vibrant sister that he was proud of once more. Today, he would see her cured!

An hour later, the Gu siblings were ushered into the newly minted clinic. Seeing that it was in the middle of the residential area gave them peace of mind, you would have to be crazy to kill them here! They were guided to meet Hua Ling, as he sat on his throne doing his best to look like a scholarly doctor. Unfortunately, he still looked like the arrogant young master he was initially, even in his new plain white robes.

"Greetings Gu Lan, Gu Bei, it is an honour to meet you. Thank you for believing in my skill and for showing your trust by coming here today. I realise that I appear to be too young to be a doctor of any skill, but I assure you, I am. Please have some tea." Said Hua Ling as courteously as he could. After all, even these out of favour brother and sister had ten times his standing and influence.

Shen Yue appeared with two cups of tea, handing the first to Gu Bei and the second to Gu Lan. As he handed off the second cup, he made sure to 'accidentally' touch Gu Lan's hand. Brief contact was all he needed, and his Library did the rest of the work.

[ Gu Lan, 18 years of age, Student of Skysoul Institute and member of the Divine Feathers Sect, a direct descendant of the Gu Clan,

4th Stage Heavenly Star

"Flaws: No.1, Cultivation technique is not compatible with soul realm form. No.2, Cultivation technique of poor quality, the errors are causing... No.3, Poisoned with a mixture of Scarlet Apex Herb and Serpent Fruit causing meridians to clog up, halting the progress of cultivation... ]

It was just like Nie Li had described in the novel, Gu Lan had been poisoned, causing her cultivation to fail so she would not be the next successor to the Clan. Ignoring the angry look from Gu Lan for touching her hand, he retreated to the side and took a kneeling position, just another dutiful servant.

Hua Ling had the poison's information and cure transmitted to him through his slave seal. Now he just had to put on a show for the Gu siblings. He looked at Gu Lan with a thoughtful expression.

"Your complexion speaks of a problem with your veins, do you mind if I feel your pulse?" Asked Hua Ling respectfully.

Gu Lan noticed that Hua Ling had been staring at her and she knitted her brows, and now he wanted to touch her? It was bad enough his clumsy servant dared to touch her hand, now this pompous quack also wanted to? But because Gu Bei was so insistent she could only nod her head, she didn't want to upset him.

Gaining permission, Hua Ling held her dainty wrist for a couple of minutes, receiving a frigid stare from the Gu Clan young miss.

"Doctor, did you find anything?" Gu Bei asked anxiously.

"She's not ill, nor had she run amok during cultivations. She was poisoned," said Hua Ling.

After Gu Bei heard this, his emotions were immediately stirred up as he looked at Hua Ling and asked, "Poisoned? You're saying that my sister was poisoned?"

Hua Ling nodded, "That's correct."

Gu Bei was puzzled, but the servant earlier had hinted at poison possibly being the reason behind his sister's sudden ailment. "But that's impossible! There have been so many physicians who've examined my sister before. If she's been poisoned, why didn't any of them notice it? Could it really be that the Gu Clan has abandoned us?"

Gu Lan, who sat to the side, also couldn't help staring at Hua Ling. This boy appeared the same age as Gu Bei, but could he actually be a physician? If she'd been poisoned, she would've definitely noticed it, so why couldn't she sense it?

"Have you guys heard of a herb called the Scarlet Apex Herb? When that herb is mixed with Serpent Fruit, it produces a colourless and tasteless poison. After consuming it, the veins will gradually clog up, halting the progress of cultivation. However, the poison itself is undetectable."

At the doctor's words, Gu Lan's heart trembled and she exchanged glances with Gu Bei. The symptoms she had experienced were just accurately described by this young doctor.

Gu Bei instantly grabbed Hua Ling's shoulders. "Then is this kind of poison curable?"

"You don't have to be so anxious. Your sister has been poisoned for much longer than just one or two days. I'm certain that she's been badly poisoned, but with the correct treatment, she will be back to perfect health. The poison within your body has been there for at least three years. If I were to give you heavy medications, I'm afraid your veins won't be able to handle them. I'll write another prescription first. Once the poison inside your body has been lessened, then I will administer a more rigorous prescription."

Hua Ling retrieved a piece of paper and a pen from his interspatial ring, wrote down a prescription, and handed it to Gu Bei. Gu Bei took one look at the note and instantly held it as if it was a priceless treasure.

"I'll go get these herbs!"

Everything had gone precisely as it had in the book, besides a few minor changes. Even the dialogue was mostly the same! Shen Yue supposed it had something to do with the fact that he had fed Nie Li's lines from the story to Hua Ling to say to Gu Bei. Now he just had to wait for the excited Gu Bei to return with the herbs, his plan was proceeding smoothly!