Based on the examination results, Qi Zhimu gave a preliminary conclusion.
The reason Jingliu couldn't absorb the medicinal power was fundamentally the same as exceeding the age limit.
Yet she was clearly not yet eighteen.
The Qi Family's historical records on body tempering had never documented such a situation. In fact, Jingliu's time undergoing medicinal bath tempering was even shorter.
The strangeness lay right here.
With no leads, Qi Zhimu could only attribute the cause to his disciple starting too late.
He made a shallow cut on Jingliu's arm. The slender blood trace completely healed in less than seven seconds, leaving not a single mark.
"Such formidable healing power!" Clear Cold's face showed surprise.
Due to physical differences, ordinary Xianzhou people would need about half a minute to heal a similar wound.
Even for veteran Cloud Knights or those with exceptionally strong physiques, it would take at least over ten seconds.
As for a speed as fast as Jingliu's, she had only ever seen one person capable of it.
—That person was Qi Zhimu, standing right before her.
No, Qi Zhimu was even stronger... "It seems there's no problem with her body." Qi Zhimu breathed a sigh of relief.
Around seven seconds was precisely the average data for Qi Family descendants who had completed their tempering, undergoing the same test.
Though he didn't understand why Jingliu could meet the standard despite lacking sufficient medicinal baths, judging by the result, it seemed unnecessary to delve deeper.
Qi Zhimu even had a fleeting thought: Could starting tempering later actually lead to better absorption of medicinal power?
It was just a pity he currently couldn't verify this.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to make the method public, but the herbs required for tempering were extremely expensive. Several of the rare ingredients had extremely low yields, making widespread adoption simply impossible.
Cultivating Jingliu alone was already the limit.
Since the medicinal baths were no longer effective, Qi Zhimu quickly withdrew the needles and turned his head towards Clear Cold.
"I'll wait for you outside."
"Alright."
Not long after, Clear Cold emerged from Jingliu's room.
Seeing Qi Zhimu disinfecting the silver needles, she very naturally removed her clothing.
A figure with distinct curves, completely unclothed, was revealed before Qi Zhimu.
After several months of treatment, Clear Cold was already accustomed to such scenes. She closed her eyes and sat quietly.
Lord Zhimu's needlework was extremely steady; he wouldn't touch her body at all throughout the entire process.
Compared to pointless shyness about her body being seen, she was more grateful to Lord Zhimu for giving her the chance to return to the battlefield and fight the enemy.
Starting from the soles of her feet and moving upwards, silver needles were sequentially inserted into acupoints on her calves and thighs, gently twisted.
Then came the elixir organ, chest, shoulders, and finally the back.
The foreign, impure Power of Abundance that didn't belong to her couldn't be expelled. It could only be first engulfed and sealed, then gradually refined for her own use.
At this stage, each treatment was actually helping her refine this external power.
Sensing the activity in her elixir organ, Clear Cold focused her mind and spirit, skillfully beginning today's fusion process.
At this rate, in less than two and a half years, she would completely transform the power left by Luohou.
As the progress advanced, she could clearly feel her body's regenerative ability strengthening, in an extremely sensitive manner...—through the Power of Abundance.
Currently, only she and Lord Zhimu knew about this. The Ten Lords Tribunal must never find out.
Although Lord Zhimu had said it didn't technically violate Ten Lords Tribunal regulations, the matter of growing stronger through the Power of Abundance... Clear Cold didn't dare think further.
She herself didn't care, but once exposed, it would inevitably implicate Lord Zhimu.
He was walking the edge of high risk solely to help her.
This debt of gratitude must not be betrayed.
After over twenty minutes, Qi Zhimu collected the last silver needle.
"Lord Zhimu, the position of Cloud Knight Sword Master in Yaoqing is currently vacant. Are you interested in competing for it?"
Qi Zhimu's movements paused for an instant. "I am not," he said calmly.
Huh?
Clear Cold couldn't help but be taken aback, instinctively pressing further.
"Why?"
Although the overall strength of Yaoqing's Cloud Knight Vanguard surpassed that of other Xianzhou ships, those stronger than Qi Zhimu probably numbered no more than the fingers on one hand.
As for someone who could control a thousand flying swords as easily as their own limbs to kill enemies—at least in Yaoqing, she hadn't heard of any Vanguard who could do that.
"Due to some personal reasons that are inconvenient to explain."
Hearing the evasion in his tone, Clear Cold understood it would be impolite to ask further. Suppressing her confusion, she reached for her clothing.
Unexpectedly, Qi Zhimu suddenly swayed and actually fell towards her.
Clear Cold was caught off guard. Only after he knocked her to the ground did she start to regain her senses.
A strangely familiar, eerie aura silently permeated the air, causing her body to reflexively stiffen.
But the aura came and went quickly. Before she could examine it closely, it dissipated without a trace, as if it had just been an illusion.
"Lord Zhimu, what's wrong with you?!"
Forgetting their currently ambiguous posture, Clear Cold braced Qi Zhimu's shoulders, only to meet a pair of eyes where the crimson hue was gradually fading.
Why does that look a bit like... the Mara-Struck?
Impossible, right... Clear Cold froze, blinking hard. When she looked again, that hint of crimson had completely vanished.
"It's nothing. Just an old ailment acting up."
Qi Zhimu's voice was as usual, betraying no fluctuation.
"Old ailment?"
"A lingering illness left from the battle at Yueque back then. It causes periodic mental restlessness and agitation, an uncontrollable desire for destruction."
"I see."
Hearing this, Clear Cold's heart settled somewhat.
Now both she and her sister knew of Qi Zhimu's origins—the famous descendant of the Qi Family from Azure City.
Back when the second Abundance Plague War erupted at Yueque, the entire Qi Family went to provide support and participate in the battle.
The family head of that generation and the eldest daughter died heroic deaths, leaving only Qi Zhimu and his mother.
After the war ended, they both chose to retire from military service. The reason might be related to the old ailment Lord Zhimu mentioned.
"Even your medical skills cannot cure it completely?"
"Mn. It can only be suppressed once every ten years using a desperate method."
Qi Zhimu sighed, got up without looking askance, picked up the clothing from the ground, and handed it to Clear Cold.
The latter took it and put it on, then heard his request.
"After Azure City's calamity, I couldn't attend to this matter for a while. In the past, my mother performed the acupuncture for me. But now..."
"Can this subordinate be of assistance?"
"Yes. It's not too complicated. You just need to insert the silver needles into specific acupoints as I instruct."
Qi Zhimu removed his upper garment, sat cross-legged on the spot.
"I'll trouble you."
"You honor me too much, my lord. Assisting you and solving your troubles is precisely the duty of a personal guard."
Human acupoints were basic knowledge every Cloud Knight soldier needed to understand. Following instructions to insert needles wasn't particularly difficult.
"Neiguan, Guanyuan, Qihai. In that order, depths of 0.4 cun, 0.6 cun, and 0.7 cun respectively."
"Understood."
Clear Cold focused intently, carefully inserting the needles as instructed, precisely controlling the depth.
"Twist the needle at Qihai counterclockwise. Stop when I say stop."
"Stop. Next is Guanyuan..."
When Sleeping Snow returned, this was the peculiar scene she witnessed.
She waited quietly for the treatment to end. After learning the reason, she silently noted the matter in her heart.
The two sisters didn't ponder it deeply.
They were even less aware that in the dead of night, Qi Zhimu, alone in the laboratory, once again opened an ancient medical tome.
The next day, everything seemed to return to normal.