136: Chapter 136 Settling Down in the Herb Garden

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.

With Ye Tian sparing no effort to nourish her Meridians with his own Origin Qi, and under the meticulous care of Liu Ruyan, Su Wan's injuries finally stabilized, and she was out of danger.

A hint of color had gradually returned to her pale little face, though her body remained extremely weak and would require a long period of quiet rest to fully recover her Origin Qi.

During this time, Liu Ruyan and Leng Feng had come to visit twice.

Every time the dressing needed changing, Liu Ruyan would naturally do it herself.

Whenever this happened, Su Wan would always hang her head low, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Her pale little face would uncontrollably flush red, and her eyes would dart around, not daring to meet Liu Ruyan's gaze. Her hands would nervously tug at the corner of her clothes, looking completely at a loss.

Liu Ruyan saw this, feeling both amused and compassionate in her heart.

Her movements were gentle and her technique skillful. While meticulously applying the ointment, she whispered softly: "Relax a little. The wound is healing well, but you still need to be careful."

"You silly girl, why are you so shy in front of your own people? Don't worry, I will keep your secret for you."

Upon hearing this, Su Wan's earlobes turned even redder, but she was no longer as stiff, though she still dared not look up, feeling silently grateful to Liu Ruyan in her heart.

Meanwhile, the news that Ye Tian had been taken in as a closed-door Disciple by Elder Tianshu had finally spread throughout the entire Liuli Xuan Sect, both the inner and outer Sects, causing quite an uproar!

"Elder Tianshu took on a Disciple? And an Outer Sect Disciple at that?!"

"Who is Ye Tian?"

"It seems to be that newcomer who has been in the Sect for less than half a year and caused quite a stir in the Falling Star Swamp and Chenxing Ancient Mine..."

"Isn't he just a kid at the Ningyuan Realm Fifth Stage?"

"How is that possible! I have cultivated for ten years and have been refused every time I sought an audience with Elder Tianshu. What virtue or ability does he, Ye Tian, have?"

Many Outer Sect Disciples were extremely envious, while some arrogant Inner Sect Disciples felt humiliated and were filled with resentment.

A few Inner Sect Disciples, who were at the Ninth Stage of Condensing Essence and considered themselves Geniuses, even publicly declared that they would find an opportunity to spar with Ye Tian.

Regarding the gossip outside, Ye Tian only smiled and did not take it to heart.

He knew well that a tall tree catches the wind, but he was not afraid of any challenges.

Now, he was more worried about where to place Su Wan.

Su Wan's injuries required quiet rest. The environment of the Handyman Hall, with its heavy labor and complex personnel, was definitely not a place for recuperation.

Moreover, he did not want to, nor could he, let Su Wan return to that place surrounded by wolves.

However, although he was now an Elder's Disciple, he was still an Outer Sect Disciple after all. According to the Sect rules, he had no authority to keep a Utility Disciple by his side for long-term care.

Within the Sect, only Elders and True Disciples with prestigious status were qualified to have attendants.

Should he go and ask his Revered Master, Elder Tianshu, directly?

Ye Tian had considered it.

Given the high regard his Revered Master had for him, asking for a Utility Disciple to be transferred might just be a matter of one sentence.

But after careful consideration, Ye Tian dismissed this thought.

His Revered Master was a powerful figure in the Huahai Realm and an Elder of the Inner Sect. Having just become his Disciple, if he went to bother him with such a trivial matter, it would inevitably give people grounds for criticism, making it seem like he was abusing his position, and might even implicate his Revered Master's reputation, causing other Elders to whisper about favoritism.

He did not want to cause trouble for his Revered Master, much less give others a handle to use against him.

"I must find another way."

Ye Tian pondered for a long time, and suddenly a figure flashed through his mind.

Elder Xie of the Hundred Herb Garden!

This eccentric but kind-hearted Revered Master of his!

The environment of the Hundred Herb Garden was quiet and elegant, rich in Spiritual Qi, and most suitable for recuperation.

Moreover, Elder Xie had a special status. Although he did not hold power, he had deep seniority, and arranging a spot for a medicine boy should not be difficult.

More importantly, although Elder Xie had a grumpy temperament, he was very loyal and valued relationships, especially protecting his own, and was extremely caring towards those he approved of.

Thinking of this, after settling Su Wan down, Ye Tian went straight to the Hundred Herb Garden.

In the herb garden, Elder Xie was squatting in front of a rare "Seven-Leaf Spirit-Nourishing Grass," carefully removing weeds, while muttering curses at the blind insects.

Seeing Ye Tian enter, he didn't even lift his head and snorted: "You brat, why aren't you staying properly at your Tianshu Peak? What are you doing running to my herb garden? Have you encountered problems with Alchemy again?"

Ye Tian bowed and saluted, his tone respectful: "Disciple greets Elder Xie. I have not come for Alchemy today, but I have a favor to ask."

"Oh?"

Elder Xie finally looked up, patted the dirt off his hands, and slanted a glance at Ye Tian: "You brat are now the favorite of Elder Tianshu, and you still have things to ask of me? Let's hear it."

Ye Tian then recounted the whole story of how Su Wan was implicated because of him and subjected to cruel torture by Zhao Qian.

His words were sincere, and he kept his posture very low.

"What?! That bastard Zhao Qian! Inflicting such cruel hands on a child?!"

After hearing this, Elder Xie was suddenly furious, his white beard bristling with anger, and terrifying rage shot from his cloudy old eyes: "Simply worse than a pig or dog! A beast! I should have smashed him to death with a Cauldron back then!"

He was so angry that he paced in circles on the spot, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to rush out: "That scoundrel is locked up at Woxin Cliff, right? I'm going to go cripple his other arm right now!"

Seeing this, Ye Tian quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Elder Xie, please calm down! Zhao Qian has already been stripped of his cultivation by Revered Master Tianshu and cast into the Black Wind Cave to face the wall for thirty years. His life is already ruined; why should you get angry over such scum and invite trouble for yourself?"

Elder Xie took a few deep breaths and glared fiercely at Ye Tian: "Hmph! He's lucky! If he had fallen into my hands, I would have made him wish he were dead!"

After venting, his anger subsided a little. Looking at Ye Tian, his tone softened: "You brat, you still have some conscience and haven't forgotten your friend."

"Fine, fine. Since you've asked, that kid... Su Wan, right? Let her stay in the herb garden and be a small medicine boy who takes care of the low-grade herb fields."

"Although the work is simple, it's quiet and the Spiritual Qi is abundant, which is good for healing. With me here, let's see who dares to come to the herb garden to act wild!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Tian was overjoyed and bowed deeply: "This Disciple thanks Elder Xie for his kindness on behalf of Su Wan!"

"None of that fake stuff!"

Elder Xie waved his hand and returned to his impatient look: "Hurry up and go get that kid; don't delay me in taking care of the herbs! By the way, how are her injuries? Does she need any special medicinal materials? If we have them in the garden, just take them and use them!"

Warmth surged in Ye Tian's heart, and he thanked him again.

He knew he had found the right person; Elder Xie was someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

Soon, Ye Tian brought the still-weak Su Wan to the Hundred Herb Garden.

Although Elder Xie complained about it, he still personally arranged a clean and tidy small house near the spiritual spring for Su Wan and instructed the other medicine boys in the garden to take good care of her.

Thus, Su Wan settled down in the Hundred Herb Garden as an ordinary medicine boy.

When the news spread, it caused quite a stir again.

"What? That Utility Disciple named Su Wan was taken into the herb garden by Elder Xie?"

"It must have been Ye Tian's help! I heard that Elder Xie has a high regard for Ye Tian!"

"Tsk tsk, truly different fates for different people! A Utility Disciple climbed up to a high branch and entered such a good place as the herb garden!"

"In the future, when we see Su Wan, we must be polite. She has Elder Xie backing her!"

Many Outer Sect Disciples, and even some Inner Sect Disciples, were extremely envious of Su Wan's good fortune.

The work in the herb garden was relatively easy, the environment was superior, and there were more opportunities to come into contact with rare medicinal materials. It was a place that countless bottom-tier Disciples dreamed of.

Now, a kid who was originally struggling in the Handyman Hall had unexpectedly gained a blessing from a misfortune and ascended to the sky in one step. How could people not be jealous?

However, beneath this apparent calm, the undercurrents had not subsided.

In a dark corner, two youths with gloomy faces were whispering in secret; they were the brothers Zhao Kanghu and Zhao Kanglong.

"Big brother! Uncle was crippled, and we brothers can't hold our heads up in the Sect! All of this is thanks to that little bastard Ye Tian!"

Zhao Kanghu gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tight.

Zhao Kanglong's eyes were sinister as he lowered his voice: "Hmph! Ye Tian is currently riding high and has the protection of Elder Tianshu. We can't touch him openly."

"But his friend, Su Wan, is now in the herb garden... Although the herb garden is under the protection of Elder Xie, there are always opportunities..."

"Big brother, you mean?" Zhao Kanghu's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness.

"Find an opportunity to have someone damage a few rare herbs in the herb field and frame it on that Su Wan!"

"Elder Xie has a strange and upright temper; he will absolutely not tolerate such a big mistake in the herb garden!"

"By then, even if Ye Tian steps in, he might not be able to protect her!"

"As long as that kid is driven out of the herb garden, or even driven out of the Sect, we can severely disgust Ye Tian!"

A sinister smile appeared on Zhao Kanglong's face.

"Good! Let's do it! I know an Outer Sect Disciple who works as a handyman in the herb garden. I'll give him some benefits and have him..."

Zhao Kanghu understood, and the two began to discuss in low voices.

In the herb garden under the sunlight, it was quiet and peaceful. Su Wan was carefully watering a low-grade Spirit-Calming Flower, a rare trace of tranquility appearing on her pale face.

But she did not know that in the shadows, a new crisis was quietly approaching.