I Have Medicine

Chapter 557 - (Beast Tide Rises Again) What? It’s the Supporting the Heavens Alliance?!

Gongyi Tianheng smiled when he heard this and replied, “If that’s the case, then many thanks to Brother Shen.”

Shen Yuanbai, usually cold and composed, had a faint smile on his face this time. “No need to be so polite.” He paused briefly before adding, “It’s been quite some time since our last meeting. Now that fate has brought us together again, if you don’t mind, would you allow me to treat you both to some tea? We could catch up on old times.”

Gu Zuo glanced at Shen Yuanbai, sensing an unusual warmth.

To be honest, this man never struck him as the warm or enthusiastic type. Even though they had previously collaborated smoothly, this kind of overt friendliness didn’t quite align with Shen Yuanbai’s typical demeanor.

But Gongyi Tianheng, as calm as ever, replied leisurely, “Brother Shen’s kind invitation—it would be impolite for me to refuse. As the saying goes, one should graciously accept hospitality… please, Brother Shen, lead the way.”

Shen Yuanbai’s gaze softened further, and he gestured for the two to follow him upstairs.

Gu Zuo, watching this unfold, felt increasingly baffled.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Shen Yuanbai’s attitude toward his elder brother was peculiar.

Of course, it wasn’t malice; in fact, it was a kind of inexplicable goodwill. Almost like the way an elder regards a younger relative. And that was… odd.

Gu Zuo couldn’t help but question whether Shen Yuanbai actually mistook his brother for some long-lost family member. But his brother hailed from a distant, marginal continent and was only a dozen or so years younger than Shen Yuanbai—where would such familial ties come from?

What on earth is Shen Yuanbai playing at?

Following Shen Yuanbai upstairs, both men were met with a refreshing breeze that seemed to cleanse the mind.

Ever since arriving in the Eight Desolations City, the place had felt heavy and oppressive, with an air permeated by battle intent. The atmosphere was so stifling it unsettled one’s breathing. However, this second floor seemed to have been carefully arranged. The oppressive energy was nowhere to be found, replaced by a clean and tranquil ambiance.

The floor was layered with the soft, glossy pelts of local wild beasts, while a low table stood at the center. Around it were several cushions for seating.

Gu Zuo found it rather comfortable and promptly chose a cushion to sit on.

Gongyi Tianheng took the seat beside him.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuanbai sat across from them. He lightly tapped the table, signaling for freshly brewed spiritual tea to be served. This tea, crafted from the leaves of the spiritual tea tree and steeped in high-quality water, was a refined elixir known for its therapeutic properties—perfect for entertaining guests.

Both Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng took polite sips, feeling a cooling sensation flow through their bodies. Even the turbulent qi within their dantian seas seemed to purify and settle, leaving them with a pleasant and refreshing sensation.

Gongyi Tianheng praised, “Excellent tea!”

Shen Yuanbai replied, “If Brother Gongyi likes it, I’ll prepare some for you to take with you when you leave.”

Gu Zuo: “…”

This was getting even stranger. Isn’t this man being a little too nice to his brother?

Gongyi Tianheng smiled and said, “Thank you for the kind offer, Brother Shen. I’ll gladly accept.”

Gu Zuo was utterly perplexed.

His big brother wasn’t someone who casually accepted gifts. Normally, wouldn’t he offer something in return, following the principle of “no reward without effort”?

But when Gu Zuo glanced at Shen Yuanbai, he noticed that not only did the man not seem bothered, he actually appeared… delighted?

Gu Zuo was at a complete loss.

What in the world is going on?

Afterward, Shen Yuanbai took the initiative to ask, “Brother Gongyi, I heard that you’re here for a mission?”

Gongyi Tianheng nodded. “Indeed.”

Shen Yuanbai continued, “I imagine such a mission would require various resources.”

At this, Gu Zuo felt as if he had begun to grasp something.

Gongyi Tianheng seamlessly followed up, “I am here to complete a mission. Given the intensity of the ongoing conflicts in this area, acquiring sufficient resources has proven challenging. Brother Shen’s Divine Wind Trading Company, with its abundant supplies, would make for an excellent partner.”

Shen Yuanbai nodded. “My trading company indeed has a variety of goods. If Brother Gongyi requires anything, simply inform the steward here, and they will prioritize preparing what you need.” He paused briefly, then added, “Since we are acquainted, I’ll offer everything at eighty percent of the original price.”

Gongyi Tianheng smiled faintly. “Many thanks to Brother Shen for the generosity.”

Gu Zuo was increasingly puzzled.

At first, he had suspected that Shen Yuanbai’s unusually warm attitude stemmed from wanting to secure a big deal. While the benevolent gaze didn’t quite match, offering an 80% discount seemed far too generous. Eighty percent! How much profit could Shen Yuanbai even make at that rate? Even a ten percent discount would already show ample goodwill for their acquaintance. Besides, their past business dealings had always been straightforward transactions with no lingering ties. Sure, there was some rapport, but they couldn’t exactly be called close friends.

But on second thought, Shen Yuanbai had taken the initiative to lend a helping hand several times before. Could it be that, unbeknownst to him, his elder brother had developed a close friendship with Shen Yuanbai?

Unconsciously, Gu Zuo sent a telepathic message to Gongyi Tianheng.

[Big brother, what’s going on with Shen Yuanbai?]

Gongyi Tianheng’s reply came with a trace of amusement.

[It seems he wishes to act as my elder.]

Gu Zuo froze.

He wants to act as his brother’s elder? What did that even mean…? An incredible thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Could it be, could it really be—!

Forgetting to maintain his calm façade, Gu Zuo directly turned to look at Gongyi Tianheng.

Gongyi Tianheng gave a faint nod.

[Indeed, Shen Yuanbai seems to have feelings for our master.]

Gu Zuo sucked in a breath of cold air, his gaze toward Shen Yuanbai instantly shifting.

That is the Blood Transformation Palace Master!

How bold is this man?!

Yes, Gu Zuo knew their master was exceptional in appearance, demeanor, and talent, and naturally attractive. But they weren’t even from the same generation! For Shen Yuanbai to dare set his sights on the Palace Master… it was audacious, to say the least.

Looking back on past events, Gu Zuo suddenly felt that many of Shen Yuanbai’s actions no longer seemed so strange.

It was all just an attempt to curry favor! Given that his big brother was the youngest disciple of the Palace Master—one of the very few younger than Shen Yuanbai himself—it made perfect sense. While pursuing the Palace Master, Shen Yuanbai would also want to “win over” this “junior.”

Gu Zuo couldn’t help but muse to himself—so was his big brother accepting Shen Yuanbai’s gestures because he had caught on to this? But wasn’t the other party essentially bribing his brother to woo the Palace Master?

Gu Zuo’s emotional fluctuation was so obvious that Gongyi Tianheng noticed and quickly sent another telepathic message.

[Shen Yuanbai’s interest in our master was only speculation. My interactions with him have merely been tests.]

Gu Zuo was enlightened.

[So, today, you’ve confirmed it?]

Gongyi Tianheng nodded almost imperceptibly.

[The matter of resources is a favor I owe him. If he ends up succeeding with our master, he will be one of us, and the favor will be insignificant. I’ll even gift him something valuable as a congratulatory gesture. But if our master has no interest in him, I will repay the favor through other means.]

Gu Zuo agreed with this reasoning but still had a lingering question.

[Big brother, are you planning to put in a good word for him?]

A faint smile flickered in Gongyi Tianheng’s eyes.

[If our master has doubts about him, I will only speak the truth.]

Their exchange lasted but a fleeting moment. Meanwhile, Shen Yuanbai noticed Gu Zuo’s subtle expression change and froze for a second.

However, he didn’t suspect that Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng had discerned his intentions and were reacting to them. Instead, he simply brushed it off, continuing with his cordial demeanor as though nothing had happened.

Thankfully, Gu Zuo quickly regained his composure and maintained a calm front. He then turned to Shen Yuanbai and said, “Brother Shen, about that high-grade sound-transmission stone…”

Shen Yuanbai spread his palm, and in an instant, a smooth, square-shaped stone appeared in his hand. It was about an inch in size. “This is it.”

With that, he placed the item on the table and gently pushed it toward Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo.

Gongyi Tianheng reached out, swept the item into his possession, and then retrieved a small storage bag—commonly used as a coin bag—before handing it over to Shen Yuanbai.

The bag, of course, contained the agreed-upon 300 mystical crystals.

After the transaction was completed, Gongyi Tianheng lingered briefly before bidding farewell to Shen Yuanbai.

Gu Zuo followed his big brother out, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Shen Yuanbai had something more he wanted to say. When they reached the outside of the Divine Wind Trading Company, he finally voiced his thoughts to Gongyi Tianheng.

Gongyi Tianheng chuckled, “Shen Yuanbai likely wanted to ask about our master’s current situation or other matters related to him. However, since I am one of Master’s disciples, he didn’t dare to make his intentions too obvious, for fear that I might catch on.”

Gu Zuo nodded in agreement, finding this reasoning sound.

He then sighed. “Brother Shen wanting to pursue the Palace Master won’t be easy. He’s nearly forty now and still stuck at the peak of the Celestial Realm. Even though he has a golden-rankeda faction and such a large trading company backing him, his progress clearly slowed after reaching the Celestial Realm due to limitations in his aptitude. Catching up to the Palace Master… that’s almost impossible in the foreseeable future.”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master, after all, wasn’t even a hundred years old and was already at the peak of the Royal Realm. With the treasures Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng had sent to assist him, it wouldn’t be long before he stepped into the Cosmic Realm. A Cosmic Realm cultivator under a hundred years old—how extraordinary and formidable was that?

It was obvious that the Palace Master had once been a prodigy, even if not a full-star prodigy. For someone like Shen Yuanbai to pursue such a peerless figure, without some incredible fortuitous encounter, the odds were nearly zero.

On this continent, the higher one’s cultivation level, the more critical it was for a couple to be “well-matched.” Here, “well-matched” wasn’t about family background as in the modern world; the focus was entirely on strength. At the very least, both partners needed to have comparable potential if not current power.

The reasoning was simple: higher cultivation meant longer lifespans. A partner who couldn’t keep up would become a burden, and if one broke through to a higher realm while the other’s lifespan ended, the survivor would be left to endure unending grief.

Of course, this referred to true companions who could walk through life together, not fleeting lovers or casual dalliances.

It was much like the bond between Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng.

Even though Gu Zuo’s current cultivation level was lower than Gongyi Tianheng’s, and he hadn’t formally joined any major faction, his connection to Gongyi Tianheng was inseparable. Moreover, his unparalleled talent in alchemy guaranteed that, even if he relied solely on medicinal pills, he could extend his lifespan for a very long time!

Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng were naturally well-matched in every aspect. But Shen Yuanbai and Xue Li? Shen Yuanbai fell short of Xue Li in potential, status, age, and even influence. How could he possibly win over the Blood Transformation Palace Master? It wasn’t like the Palace Master would lower his standards to accommodate him!

Thus, while Gu Zuo admired Shen Yuanbai’s courage, he held little hope for his pursuit.

With this thought, Gu Zuo sighed again.

Honestly, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of success yet. Shen Yuanbai could only continue to work hard… In the end, what Gu Zuo and his big brother cared about was the Blood Transformation Palace Master, who had always treated them well.

As long as the Palace Master didn’t suffer any losses, Shen Yuanbai’s efforts could be left to him. Let him take his time.

—-

The war slave quickly delivered the voice transmission stone, which recorded the entire sequence of events, to the Ten Ultimates Sect. After receiving the woman in the green dress locked inside a coffin, along with a box of pills, and hearing the contents of the voice transmission stone, the Blood Transformation Palace Master’s expression turned a little complicated.

Regarding the box of flawless pills perfectly suited for his use… he didn’t think much of it. But the woman in the green dress and the accompanying message left him with a mixed expression.

To be honest, when the Blood Transformation Palace Master had sent Gongyi Tianheng to complete this task, he had indeed been hoping to leverage the fortune of a full-star prodigy. However, he hadn’t genuinely expected any groundbreaking progress. He would have been satisfied with even the faintest clue.

Unexpectedly, not only did his disciple and the disciple’s companion clear Wu Yingyuan of suspicion, but they also brought back the real “culprit”! And the one they brought back, despite her mental chaos, retained enough clarity to answer direct questions!

However, soul-control techniques had their limits. The control over Qing Wan would only last for seven days. Just traveling and interrogating her would take up several days, leaving only one day for questioning.

The Blood Transformation Palace Master wasted no time. He swiftly invited all the other Palace Masters to convene in a secret chamber, where they conducted a private meeting with Qing Wan.

During the meeting, the powerful Royal Realm cultivators exuded a sharp and oppressive aura as they quickly and methodically asked all the critical questions. By evening, Qing Wan’s spirit completely collapsed, leaving her incapable of saying another word.

Even so, the information they had obtained was already enough.

Now, they had confirmed the existence of an organization and a mastermind behind the scenes. Going forward, they would proceed with greater caution. Like their enemies, who had hidden in the shadows for years, they would feign ignorance and wait for the final showdown when everything would come to light.

At the very least, the Palace Masters were now prepared. Even if something unforeseen occurred, they would not be caught entirely off guard or left in the worst possible situation.

The next day, the Blood Transformation Palace Master’s subordinates, along with the Celestial Realm war slave sent by Gongyi Tianheng, departed for Eight Desolation City.

When they arrived, they also brought a transmission stone containing the Blood Transformation Palace Master’s instructions, requirements, and insights for Gongyi Tianheng.

Gongyi Tianheng promptly received the transmission stone.

This time, the Blood Transformation Palace Master sent a mid-grade transmission stone. Once it was activated with inner energy, his voice emerged from within:

“My disciple, apart from what you’ve reported recently, there’s another matter you must pay attention to…

“Qing Wan’s consciousness has already crumbled, but she mentioned one name…

‘The Supporting the Heavens Alliance.’

“However, it’s unclear whether this refers to the name of an organization or some force opposing the enemy factions…

“If any further clues point to this, you must report back immediately…”

As soon as the transmission stone delivered all its messages, it disintegrated into a small pile of dust.

Hearing these words, both Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng were visibly shocked.

The Supporting the Heavens Alliance!

How could it be the Supporting the Heavens Alliance?

Previously, under Zhao Ji and Gu Qi’s guidance, the two had explored a stone cave and discovered numerous inheritances. The owner of these inheritances was a member of the Supporting the Heavens Alliance. The message left behind indicated that they had marched forward to a certain death battle with great resolve, leaving behind their legacies for future generations.

However, the actions of the mysterious organization revealed their nature to be evil, ruthless, and completely indifferent to the interests of humanity. Such sinister and underhanded behavior was utterly incompatible with the generosity, clarity, and uprightness associated with the Supporting the Heavens Alliance!

The two exchanged glances.

Gu Zuo said solemnly, “If the impression left by the hidden organization is entirely different from that of the Supporting the Heavens Alliance, then there’s only one possibility: the Supporting the Heavens Alliance and this organization were enemies from the very beginning! If we can uncover what the Supporting the Heavens Alliance did in ancient times and its history, we might be able to find more clues about the organization!”

Having decided, Gu Zuo sent a war slave to purchase a mid-grade transmission stone from the Divine Wind Trading Company. Gongyi Tianheng then used it to inform the Blood Transformation Palace Master of their prior knowledge about the Supporting the Heavens Alliance. However, they continued to conceal the details about the inheritance stone walls.

—-

The Blood Transformation Palace Master hadn’t expected new information to surface so quickly. He immediately increased manpower and, together with the other nine Palace Masters, worked tirelessly. They scoured the vast collections of ancient texts stored within their respective Ten Ultimates Sect’s palaces, searching for any mentions of the Supporting the Heavens Alliance.

Every fragment of information, no matter how small or scattered, was meticulously recorded.

Once everything was compiled, he believed they would gain a clearer understanding of the entire situation!

—-

In the Eight Desolations City, Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng had not received any further messages from the Blood Transformation Palace Master. At the same time, however, another incident occurred in the city.

A beast tide!

Another beast tide had arrived!

Gongyi Tianheng quickly exited his seclusion, with Gu Zuo following closely behind.

From outside, the sound of tolling bells echoed through the air—an urgent summons for the city’s martial artists to gather and defend against the enemy. The more frequent the bell tolls, the stronger the beast tide.

Gu Zuo listened carefully. After three rings, the bells stopped.

His heart tightened, then relaxed slightly. “Thankfully, it’s only a small-scale beast tide.”

Gongyi Tianheng nodded. “Do not underestimate it. This time, the beast tide is the most dangerous type among small-scale ones.”

Gu Zuo quickly responded, “I understand.”

The bell tolls were divided into nine levels. The first three tolls signified a small-scale beast tide, the middle three a medium-scale tide, and the final three a large-scale tide. This time, there were three tolls—indicating the strongest of the small-scale tides. The leading beasts were first-grade primordial beasts, comparable to cultivators in the Atomic Realm. Generally, there was no need for experts above the Ascendant Realm to intervene.

This was an excellent opportunity for the city’s younger generation to hone their skills, but it also meant a higher risk of casualties.

The two quickly made their way to the City Lord’s Manor.

Wu Zhenhuang, clad in armor, was already fully prepared. Around him stood several advisors, while the deputy commanders had returned to their respective camps the moment the bells rang. They wasted no time in assembling at least thirty percent of their forces to participate in the city’s defense battle.

Even the newlyweds, Wu Yingyuan and Chang He Yue, were fully armed, exuding a murderous aura—they, too, were determined to live and die with Eight Desolations City.

When these people saw Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng, they weren’t surprised. On the contrary, they felt that if the two dared not even join the battle, how could they claim to be guardians of the city?

What puzzled them was that Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo were just two people. In a city defense battle, individual strength was almost negligible. Even though Gongyi Tianheng was powerful, it wasn’t practical. And as for Gu Zuo, a mere Pill King with limited spiritual power and insufficient lethality—what could he possibly contribute?

Before they could greet the two or inquire further, Gongyi Tianheng suddenly whistled.

In the next moment, a deafening roar erupted from within the City Lord’s Manor. Several martial artists, brimming with vigorous qi and blood, sprinted out in unison and dropped to one knee on the open ground before Gongyi Tianheng. “Young Master!”

Then, a shadowy black cloud surged upward from the manor. Following it, a blood-red glow accompanied the dark mass of Tianlong Guards, who also knelt before Gongyi Tianheng.

In this world, unless there was a life-and-death enmity, it was rare to demand someone to kneel entirely. However, when one sincerely knelt on one knee, it was a complete act of allegiance, a declaration of absolute loyalty to their chosen master.

Now, with two thousand people pledging themselves in this manner, it naturally sparked envy among many other martial artists.

Wu Zhenhuang made the most of every moment, briefing Gongyi Tianheng on all the possible unforeseen events that could occur on the battlefield. Gongyi Tianheng listened attentively, absorbing every detail. Before long, they had all made their way to the city walls.

Gu Zuo raised his eyes and immediately saw a terrifying sight. In the distance, a flood of wild beasts was charging forward like an unstoppable tide. Their thunderous footsteps shook the earth as they hurtled toward the city in a frenzied stampede!