When Lin Yuan brought Qing Lin to the small valley, the Little Fairy Doctor had already awakened. She was standing before a sea of flowers, quietly gazing into the distance.
Lin Yuan held Qing Lin back when she was about to run over to the Little Fairy Doctor. He took out a thick book from his storage ring and placed it into Qing Lin's hands. After giving her a few instructions, Qing Lin's expression turned somewhat bitter, but she obediently opened the book and began reading.
Lin Yuan walked over to the Little Fairy Doctor and stood beside her, looking ahead together. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the dead butterfly by her feet before turning his gaze toward the flower sea.
"Has the Woeful Poison Body awakened?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel now?"
"Worried, relieved, expectant, resolute… it's very complicated. I can't quite put it into words."
"Do you regret it?"
"No. I knew it was only a matter of time. From the moment I learned that I possessed the Woeful Poison Body, this outcome was already destined."
"Once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back. Since you've made your choice, then walk this path bravely. I'll help you."
The two turned slightly, their gazes meeting. The Little Fairy Doctor revealed a moving smile and softly said, "Thank you, Lin Yuan. Thank you for being willing to help me, and thank you for still being my friend."
"There's no need to thank me. We're friends, aren't we?" Lin Yuan smiled back at her.
Then, his tone suddenly shifted as he began to sharply critique her.
"Little Fairy Doctor, your Dou Qi control is really lacking. That butterfly died because of your poison, didn't it? How can you not even control your own Dou Qi properly? Mastering one's Dou Qi is the most basic requirement. Your fundamentals aren't solid looks like you need much more practice."
Lin Yuan's blunt barrage of criticism shattered the emotion the Little Fairy Doctor had just felt from his trust, as well as the tangle of complex feelings in her heart. She rubbed her forehead and looked at Lin Yuan, who was seriously criticizing her, with a helpless expression.
How many times had this happened already? Why was this person always like this?
The Little Fairy Doctor could only stare at Lin Yuan for a while. After he finally stopped, she let out a quiet sigh and said faintly, "You really don't understand a girl's heart at all."
With that, she turned and walked toward Qing Lin. She had already gained preliminary control over her newly awakened Woeful Poison Body. As long as nothing unexpected happened, she wouldn't accidentally harm others anymore and could come into contact with Qing Lin.
After she turned away, Lin Yuan also shifted his gaze toward the distant sky. His eyes were unfathomably deep, an expression the Little Fairy Doctor had never seen.
Lin Yuan was not someone oblivious to romance or atmosphere. He understood the mood perfectly. It was just that now was not the time, not the time to turn their friendship into something romantic.
What Lin Yuan hoped for was that, in the not-too-distant future, the Little Fairy Doctor could become a companion capable of standing on her own and fighting alongside him. Among the people he saw potential in, she was the most suitable choice—unburdened by attachments and exceptionally intelligent. Qing Lin and Zi Yan had great potential as well, but they were still far from mature in temperament.
If their friendship turned into romance too early, it would disrupt Lin Yuan's plans. Thus, he chose to keep their relationship at a level above friendship but short of lovers. Moreover, he wanted to see that woman who would be tempered by the world and emerge like a butterfly from its cocoon—the woman who was both the Little Fairy Doctor and the Poison Queen.
Shaking his head, Lin Yuan walked toward Qing Lin and the Little Fairy Doctor.
Seeing Lin Yuan approach, the Little Fairy Doctor patted Qing Lin's head and said irritably, "Are you a devil? You make Qing Lin cultivate, and you also assign her so many study tasks. How can she possibly handle all of that?"
"There's no helping it. Qing'er has excellent cultivation talent, but she's lacking in academic knowledge. I need to help her make up for that," Lin Yuan said with a bitter smile. Because of her family background, Qing Lin had never had the opportunity to receive proper basic education, so Lin Yuan had been filling in that gap during this time.
The Little Fairy Doctor walked up to Lin Yuan, raised a slender finger, and poked him in the chest as she sharply commented, "Your standards are too high. Look at the plans you made for her—it feels like you set them using yourself as the benchmark. Is that something an ordinary person could achieve? Leave this to me. I'll make a proper plan for Qing Lin."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Little Fairy Doctor," Lin Yuan's eyes lit up. Thinking it over, he realized she was right. Because his innate soul strength was exceptionally strong, he learned everything very quickly, which skewed his perspective and standards. Letting the Little Fairy Doctor—someone he himself acknowledged—design Qing Lin's learning plan would indeed be more appropriate.
"Qing'er!" Lin Yuan called out.
Qing Lin immediately understood his meaning. With a bright smile, she threw herself into the Little Fairy Doctor's arms. "Thank you, Little Fairy Doctor!"
The Little Fairy Doctor shot Lin Yuan a triumphant glance, then pulled Qing Lin toward the wooden cabin Lin Yuan had built a few days earlier.
"Come on, Qing Lin. Let big sister take a look at your current situation and help you make a suitable plan."
"Then I'll cook something delicious for you as a reward," Lin Yuan said. As he spoke, he took out a strangely shaped "medicine cauldron" he had modified himself. It was called strange because it looked more like an oddly designed pot than a traditional cauldron. He then took out some ingredients and began a different kind of "refining."
That night, the three of them sat around the table, which was filled with a lavish spread of exquisite dishes.
Qing Lin ate with great relish.
The Little Fairy Doctor also enjoyed the delicious food. She had not expected Lin Yuan's cooking skills to be so outstanding, but when she thought of how he used a medicine cauldron and alchemy techniques to prepare food, her feelings became complicated. Lin Yuan's actions made the Little Fairy Doctor—who had always yearned to become an alchemist and regarded alchemy as something sacred—feel as if her dream had been shattered.
"If other alchemists knew you were using a cauldron in such a heretical way, defiling the sacred art of alchemy, you'd definitely be jointly condemned by everyone!"
"I don't care. Besides, as long as they don't find out, it's fine. Just wait—once I become a grandmaster, I'll directly open up a new branch called Alchemy–Medicinal Cuisine."
"Yes, Young Master is right. What Young Master makes is really delicious," Qing Lin said earnestly.
One month later.
In the valley, the Little Fairy Doctor was bidding farewell to Lin Yuan and Qing Lin. In the end, she had decided to go out and travel, and her first destination would be the Chu Yun Empire, the stronghold of poison masters.
Qing Lin looked at the Little Fairy Doctor with tearful eyes, biting her lip tightly. Over the course of this month together, this woman—who had cared for and guided her like an elder sister—had deeply engraved herself into Qing Lin's heart.
Seeing this, the Little Fairy Doctor pulled Qing Lin into her arms, equally reluctant to part. Stroking her head, she gently instructed her, "After I leave, little Qing Lin must obediently listen to your Young Master. If he bullies you, remember to tell me the next time we meet, and I'll help you teach him a lesson."
"Mm, don't worry, Little Fairy Doctor. I understand. But Young Master won't bully me," Qing Lin said with a slight sob in her voice.
"You little girl, you're really lovable. Lin Yuan, you've truly found yourself a treasure," the Little Fairy Doctor said as she gently patted Qing Lin's long hair and glanced at Lin Yuan.
After holding her for a while, the Little Fairy Doctor reluctantly let go and walked over to Lin Yuan. Their gazes met, and an indescribable emotion flowed between them.
"I'm leaving."
"Mm. Be careful when you're out training and traveling."
"No need to worry. I have Xiao Lan, and I'll soon break through to Dou Master. Besides, you've given me so many things—medicinal pills, a human-skin mask, and a secret technique for concealing my cultivation…"
"And this as well. These are some small techniques I summarized for enhancing Dou Qi control, and this is some of my own insights into the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture." Lin Yuan took out two notebooks and handed them to the Little Fairy Doctor.
The Little Fairy Doctor accepted the notebooks and placed them into her storage ring. Looking at Lin Yuan, her heart felt warm. There were clearly many things she wanted to say, yet it seemed as if nothing could be said at all.
In the end, the Little Fairy Doctor reached out and took Lin Yuan's hand, saying in a deliberately light tone, "Then I'm going. When you miss me, take out that lock of hair I gave you as proof of our friendship."
"Mm. No matter what happens, no matter what you become, I will always be your friend. Don't be afraid. I will find a way to help you resolve the matter of the Woeful Poison Body," Lin Yuan said solemnly.
"Friends… is it? Farewell." Hearing Lin Yuan's words, the Little Fairy Doctor murmured softly, then decisively mounted Xiao Lan.
Suddenly, just as Xiao Lan was about to take off, the Little Fairy Doctor leapt down, rushed over to Lin Yuan, stood on her tiptoes, and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. After a fleeting touch, she mounted Xiao Lan again and flew off into the distance without looking back, leaving only her voice echoing through the valley.
"Lin Yuan, the next time we meet, I'll amaze you!"
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