Chapter 10 My Female Lead

Now, let us turn to the other side of the story. Weng Li’s elder sister, Weng Tong, the female overseer of the Medicine Pavilion, was ordered to travel to the Central Plains to procure cloth and salt. After completing her personal affairs in the Central Plains, Weng Tong hurriedly purchased the required cloth and salt and set off back to Yelang that same day. Due to the large quantity of cloth and salt procured this time, and considering the long and treacherous journey from the Central Plains to Yelang filled with mountain spirits, ghosts, and occasional bandits the group from the Venom Gu Office had no choice but to ride on horseback and follow the royal caravan loaded with goods, advancing slowly and cautiously without daring to make any mistakes.

One day, as they reached a dense forest at the foot of Mount Qi, night had already fallen. Weng Tong turned to look at her subordinates behind her and noticed that everyone appeared weary. She then turned to a tall, handsome, and robust high-level Shadow Cultivator beside her and said softly, “Feng Chi, tell everyone to rest here. We’ll likely have to spend the night in this forest and continue at daybreak.”

The Shadow Cultivator named Feng Chi dismounted from his horse, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head, replying, “Yes, my lady. I will reply to the message at once.” With that, he turned and walked toward the rear of the heavily laden caravan.

Soon, the entire caravan came to a halt. After stopping, everyone busied themselves with various tasks: some tended to the horses, feeding them fodder; others searched the surroundings for clean water sources to replenish their drinking supply; and still others started a fire to prepare a meal. Before long, a bonfire was lit, and a pot was hung over it. Water was poured into the pot, and food began to cook.

Yelang, located deep in the southern wilderness, was a land of rolling green mountains, sparsely populated, with its people relying on herding and hunting for their livelihood. The kingdom’s treasury revenue came from gold mines in the mountains and taxes collected from recently established border trade. Thus, although Yelang was situated in a remote region, it was relatively prosperous. However, many goods still had to be procured from the Central Plains, and a round trip took over a month. For this reason, whether it was an ordinary merchant caravan or a royal procurement team, they almost always carried cooking utensils.

Seeing everyone occupied with their tasks, Weng Tong sat down on a large bluestone beneath a tree. Originally, she could have used Sword Kinesis to return to Yelang ahead of the group but fearing any mishaps with such a large shipment of goods, she chose to travel slowly with the caravan. The continuous days of travel had left her feeling somewhat fatigued, so she leaned against the tree and rested quietly. Lifting her gaze to Mount Qi in the distance, she grew slightly lost in thought. Over the years, every time she passed this place, her emotions would surge. Especially in the past year or two, traversing this area had brought her a sense of sorrow, as memories she wished to forget would resurface in her heart. Lost in these thoughts, Weng Tong eventually closed her eyes in exhaustion.

At that moment, Feng Chi approached slowly, carrying a bowl of food. As he drew near, he paused, his eyes fixed intently on his lady. From afar, he gazed at this woman, whom even the King of Yelang treated with great respect, and found himself momentarily captivated.

The master before him had a tall, slender build. His raven hair cascaded like satin as he rested against a tree with closed eyes. Slightly tilting his head back revealed a face with sharp contours, skin pale as warm jade, and long eyelashes casting a graceful arc beneath his eyes. His nose was straight and delicate, with thin lips pressed lightly together. Though this face never bore a smile, it was astonishingly beautiful like an ice-sculpted beauty. At this sight, Feng Chi felt his heartbeat skip, as if missing a beat. It involuntarily reminded him of the first time he had seen the master fifteen years earlier.

Fifteen years ago, during an internal strife in the Grass Sea Tribe, Feng Chi had fled with his younger sister Feng Yi under the cover of their kin. Pursued relentlessly, the siblings desperately escaped into Yelang territory. One by one, their guards and relatives fell around them until a group of rebellious tribesmen surrounded them. At this critical moment, Elder Weng Mu arrived via Sword Kinesis, rescuing Feng Chi and his sister and bringing them to the Venom Gu Office. That was his first encounter with the master.

At that time, the master was just a young girl of fifteen, with bright eyes and skin as fair as jade. Her features were exquisitely delicate, yet her aura lacked the sunshine typical of girls her age. Her cool, expressionless face held a trace of youthful innocence. Despite this, the young girl possessed the competence of an adult. When she met the siblings, the master was calmly handling all matters in the Venom Gu Office reviewing reports from various places, methodically arranging their temporary stay, and dealing with the Grass Sea Tribe’s pursuit of the siblings. Everything was orderly and flawless. Back then, Elder Weng was almost always traveling abroad, so the Venom Gu Office’s affairs were largely managed by the master alone.

Three years later, the rebellious faction from the Grass Sea Tribe firmly secured the throne. Seeing no hope of restoration, the siblings decided to remain and serve in the Venom Gu Office. Feng Yi was assigned to attend to the young master Weng Li, becoming his personal guard and maid. Feng Chi voluntarily joined the Medicine Pavilion as a Shadow Cultivator. All cultivators in the Venom Gu Office knew that once one entered the Medicine Pavilion as a Shadow Cultivator, they could never leave without the master’s permission it was equivalent to surrendering their life to the pavilion. Life and death were at its command, with no room for dispute. Though Shadow Cultivators were much higher in rank than ordinary cultivators and received vastly different treatment, the tasks they undertook were exceptionally secretive and perilous. After several high-level missions, Feng Chi excelled so remarkably that he quickly rose to lead the Death Cultivators. At that time, the head of the Medicine Pavilion was the master herself, Weng Tong, who was merely eighteen years old.

Back in the day, Master would enter the secret chamber of the Medicine Pavilion to cultivate every day at mao hour (5-7 AM), only emerging after noon. After finishing her midday meal, she would busy herself with handling all matters great and small in the Venom Gu Office reviewing reports, investigating medicine cases there was always endless work to be done. With her swift and decisive capabilities, she managed the entire Venom Gu Office so efficiently that even the King often praised her abilities.

Now, counting the years, it has been fifteen years since Feng Chi first met Master. Yet he had never seen her smile in front of others. She was like a block of ice, like an ice-sculpted fairy aloof and untouchable. Within the Venom Gu Office, aside from Elder Weng, the young master, and the old madam, everyone feared her and respected her. This wasn’t just because her cultivation and Spirit Energy far surpassed that of the Death Cultivators in the pavilion, but also due to her efficient handling of affairs and her serious, no-nonsense demeanor.

Over the years, Feng Chi had told himself countless times in his heart that he would protect her with his life. Therefore, he dared not slack off in the slightest. If Master hadn’t saved his life back then, his fate would have been tragic. So even if it required Feng Chi to repay her with his life, he would do so without regret. Over these years, something beyond respect had taken root in Feng Chi’s heart love for Master. It was an indescribable love, one that could only remain forever hidden in Feng Chi’s heart. Because Master was so aloof, so unreachable. And for himself, being able to watch over her from afar was enough. Even if it had to be this way for a lifetime.

Feng Chi remembered that it was the fifth year after arriving in Yelang when the Grass Sea Tribe was conquered by the Yelang King’s troops. The Grass Sea Tribe submitted at the feet of the Yelang King and thus began exchanges between the two sides through alliance. That year was also the second year since Master took over the Medicine Pavilion.

Feng Chi recalled that day when he was sitting cross-legged in meditation outside the Medicine Pavilion as usual, waiting for Master to finish cultivating and emerging from the secret chamber.
A servant from the front hall came to report: “Feng Head, Prince Huo Bu of the Grass Sea Tribe requests an audience with the Master.”
Upon hearing it was the Grass Sea Tribe, the fire of hatred smoldered faintly in Feng Chi’s heart. But he also knew very well that he couldn’t act rashly now that Grass Sea had submitted to Yelang, any action harming the alliance between the two sides would greatly impact the entire Venom Gu Office. Over the years, Feng Chi had become Master’s trusted aide. He also knew that although Master was a cultivator, she had secluded herself in Yelang to evade pursuit by the Mystic Sect Families of the Central Plains. He absolutely must not do anything that would cause trouble for Master.

Suppressing the hatred in his heart, Feng Chi glanced at the servant attending the front hall and said indifferently, “Tell him to wait. The Master is currently cultivating in the secret chamber and has no time for visitors. We’ll talk after the midday meal.” Having said this, he closed his eyes and continued his meditation.

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