Chapter 96: The Nine Yin Cold Vein

What was shocking was not only that. After Li Tiedan’s younger sister began breathing again, her fingers twitched, and then her eyes slowly opened.

“B-big brother…”

The moment Li Tiedan heard her faint voice, tears burst from his eyes in overwhelming joy. He wiped them away with his sleeve, and even after being injured earlier, he had never shown such a vulnerable side. It was clear that, to him, his sister’s life mattered more than his own.

“Little sister, you’re awake. You’re finally awake! I… I’m so happy!”

Unable to find the right words, Li Tiedan looked at her with such excitement that his voice trembled.

Then he fell heavily to his knees before Wu Tian, bowing his head over and over as he cried out with great emotion, “Thank you, benefactor! Thank you for saving her! I have nothing to repay you with, only my service for the rest of my life! Thank you for treating my little sister…”

Wu Tian gripped Li Tiedan’s arm and helped him up. “Though the Life-Prolonging Pill saved her life, she’s still very weak right now. Find her a place to rest first.”

“You’re right, benefactor. I’ll settle my little sister down first.”

With that, Li Tiedan hurriedly picked her up and found an inn nearby to put her up. Perhaps because she had been ill for so long, his sister woke briefly and then fell asleep again, but her pulse and breathing were perfectly normal. Li Tiedan finally let out a breath of relief. At least his sister’s life was safe for now.

“Benefactor, thank you for saving us today. First you stood up for me and drove away the young city lord, and then you saved my sister’s life. I, Li Tiedan, can never repay you. From now on, I am willing to serve you with all my strength. So long as you do not despise me!” After settling his sister, Li Tiedan dropped to one knee before Wu Tian and said gratefully, “”

“Brother Li, I saved your sister not because I want you to be my servant, but because I like your character. There’s no need for such thanks. From now on, just treat me like a brother.” Wu Tian shook his head and once again helped Li Tiedan up. “What exactly is your sister’s illness? Why is it so severe?”

Li Tiedan sighed. “I don’t know either. My little sister, Li Qingqing, and I depended on each other since childhood. On her eighth birthday, she suddenly fell ill. Her whole body turned cold and bluish-purple. I searched for famous doctors everywhere, but none could cure her. At best, they could ease her pain. After that, she would suffer an attack once every year. Until this year, her condition became even more severe and remained like that continuously, worsening by the day. Then came the state you saw just now…”

“Brother Li, when your sister has an attack, do her lips turn dark, her whole body grow as cold as iron, does she convulse once every hour, and does cold energy even rise from her dantian?” Xiaohui suddenly asked tentatively.

Li Tiedan’s eyes widened at once, and he nodded hard. “Yes, exactly those symptoms. How did you know?”

“Eh? Xiaohui, really? How did you know?” Wu Tian was also surprised. It seemed there were some symptoms Li Tiedan had not mentioned.

Xiaohui stuck out her tongue shyly at Wu Tian and said, “When Young Master’s dantian was shattered before, I read quite a few medical texts, hoping to find a way to cure him. I happened to come across this illness. If Brother Li’s sister has these symptoms, then her bloodline must be unusual. It is called the Nine Yin Cold Veins.”

“The Nine Yin Cold Veins?” Li Tiedan clearly had never heard of such a condition.

“This bloodline is extraordinarily rare. It is born with a strand of supreme yin, extreme cold power accumulating in the dantian. At first, it causes no symptoms, but as the person grows older, it runs wild through the meridians, resulting in the kind of condition Brother Li’s sister has.” Xiaohui gave a simple explanation.

“Then... then is there any way to cure it completely?” Li Tiedan asked anxiously.

“There is a treatment for the Nine Yin Cold Veins. A grandmaster with cultivation above the level of a Martial Emperor must use powerful true energy to force out the cold. But this method also consumes the grandmaster’s own cultivation. In truth, experts at the Martial Emperor level are already exceedingly few across the entire continent, so this method is practically impossible. That is why the Nine Yin Cold Veins are called a terminal illness. Most girls afflicted by it do not live past sixteen.”

Li Tiedan’s heart sank. Martial Emperor level? That was harder than ascending to heaven.

“Still, Brother Li can rest assured for now. What Young Master gave Li Qingqing just now was a divine Life-Prolonging Pill, which can extend her life by twenty years. Brother Li can look for a cure within that time.” Xiaohui saw what was on Li Tiedan’s mind and reminded him.

Hearing this, Li Tiedan finally relaxed. “Twenty more years should be enough. I will definitely find a way to cure my little sister! This is all thanks to you, benefactor. Please, accept another bow from me!”

Wu Tian gripped Li Tiedan’s arm and said, “If you kneel again, I’ll be unhappy. I liked your temperament just fine at first—why have you become so fussy?”

“Old Li, let me remind you: my boss doesn’t like all that formal nonsense. If you insist on it, he may well be displeased.” At that moment, Niu Wuji beside them warned him.

Li Tiedan nodded, but still cupped his hands respectfully. “Benefactor, no matter what, thank you. Truly, thank you!”

“Oh right, Brother Li. If a girl with the Nine Yin Cold Veins cultivates, her progress will be astonishingly fast, and cultivation will actually help her condition. The higher her cultivation, the more her illness will be relieved,” Xiaohui reminded him.

“So that’s how it is. I thought my sister’s condition was too severe and never let her cultivate, fearing it would worsen. I never imagined cultivation would be better for her. As her brother, I have truly failed her!” Li Tiedan slapped his forehead, regretful.

“It’s not too late now. There are still twenty years, and that’s more than enough!” Wu Tian patted Li Tiedan’s shoulder to comfort him.

“Mmm.” Li Tiedan nodded firmly.

The few of them then rested temporarily at the inn where Li Tiedan was staying. Li Tiedan’s younger sister, Li Qingqing, also woke up. After learning that Wu Tian was her savior, she was deeply grateful. Now that she was conscious again, her complexion looked much better. Wu Tian also realized that the little girl had the makings of a beauty; though only twelve or thirteen years old, her future promise was already apparent.

“Benefactor, today you offended the young city lord on my account. It’s clear he’s the sort who bears grudges. He’ll definitely come for revenge, so after this meal, you should leave New Leaf City quickly!” That evening, while they ate dinner together, Li Tiedan said worriedly to Wu Tian.

“No rush. We only intended to rest in New Leaf City anyway. We’ll leave after this meal. As for you, that spoiled young master will also come looking for trouble. What will you do with your sister?” Wu Tian asked.

“He can forget about harming my little sister. If he does, I’ll fight him to the death!” Li Tiedan said, clenching his fists.

“And what good would fighting to the death do? They have strength in numbers. How will you stop them? By then, you may not even be able to protect yourself and your sister. Come with us!”

“Benefactor, I will surely repay you in the future with all my strength!” Li Tiedan did not refuse. He cupped his hands toward Wu Tian and said, feeling that he had nothing to give Wu Tian in return except to devote himself wholeheartedly to serving him.

Boom!

A table at the inn entrance was kicked aside with violent force, and then countless city guards surged inside.

“Surround this inn. Do not let a single person inside escape!”