169: Chapter 169 Compassionate Healing Valley

The long streets of the capital were bustling and noisy. The sounds of peddling mingled with the rumbling of carriage wheels, exuding the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.

Today, however, a particularly eye-catching scene appeared on the street. A group of women dressed in elegant, simple long dresses walked together.

Each of them was beautiful and possessed an ethereal air, with a faint scent of medicinal herbs clinging to them. Walking amidst the crowd, they seemed completely out of place in the noisy surroundings, drawing frequent glances from passersby.

"Is that... someone from Ciyin Medical Valley?" "Good heavens, so many female Disciples from the Medical Valley have actually come!" Someone could not help but swallow hard, muttering to themselves.

Ciyin Medical Valley had an excellent reputation in the Jianghu. The Valley was composed entirely of women, and they were highly skilled in medicine, having saved countless lives. They were rarely seen on ordinary days, so their appearance in the capital in such a large group naturally attracted attention.

Walking in the middle of the group was a young girl of stunning beauty. She wore a simple hair bun, and her eyes were clear and bright as she curiously examined the surrounding shops and stalls.

"Senior Sister, the capital is so lively." Bai Nianci tugged on the sleeve of the woman beside her, pointing at a street performer breathing fire not far away, her eyes full of wonder.

The woman addressed as Senior Sister was slightly older and had a dignified appearance, though her brows were slightly furrowed at the moment. Her name was Liu Qing, and she was the Senior Sister leading the group this time.

Originally, she had planned to bring the Junior Sisters out to relax to celebrate Bai Nianci successfully advancing into the top ten of the Grand Martial Arts Tournament.

However, considering that the group consisted entirely of young and beautiful women, going to a tavern—a place teeming with all sorts of people and reeking of alcohol—was truly inappropriate. After much thought, Liu Qing led everyone into a teahouse that looked quite elegant.

The interior of the teahouse had originally been extremely noisy. Jianghu travelers were slamming tables, spitting as they boasted about their glorious deeds.

"Back in the day, I took down three horse bandits with a single slash in the Northern Desert..." "That's nothing, I just traded blows with a Hall Master of the Iron Sand Gang a few days ago!"

But the moment this group of women from Ciyin Medical Valley stepped into the teahouse, the entire place immediately quieted down. All sounds came to an abrupt halt.

Immediately afterward, those originally boorish Jianghu travelers all sat up straight. Some hurriedly put down the legs they had propped up on the benches. Others picked up their teacups, gently blowing on the tea leaves, pretending to be refined scholars. Some lowered their voices and began discussing national affairs with their companions.

"Brother Li, in your opinion, what is the current situation at the border?" "Brother Wang's words are very true; I believe we should prioritize peace..." The atmosphere of the entire teahouse changed abruptly.

Bai Nianci watched this scene, finding it quite novel. She blinked and turned to look at Liu Qing. "Senior Sister, is this what Jianghu people are like?" "They look... quite refined, and they even care about national affairs."

Liu Qing's face darkened. This Junior Sister of hers had grown up in the Valley, was simple-minded, and spent her days diligently Cultivating medical skills. She rarely traveled in the Jianghu and had no idea about the dangers of the Jianghu.

"Nianci, don't be fooled by them." Liu Qing lowered her voice, her tone serious. "These people are putting on a facade right now, but who knows what they are actually like behind closed doors." "People in the Jianghu are the best at playing pretend." "You must be careful; never trust their words lightly, lest you end up counting money for someone after they've sold you off."

Bai Nianci nodded, appearing to understand but not fully grasping it. This was her first time in the capital, and she was full of curiosity about everything. Her gaze wandered around the teahouse; she had not yet had a proper chance to explore this bustling place.

...

On the second floor of the teahouse, at a private seat by the window, Chen Ran was holding a cup of tea, watching downstairs with a calm gaze.

"Ciyin Medical Valley..." Chen Ran pondered inwardly. These women held a special status in the Jianghu; not only were they highly skilled in medicine, but their martial arts were not weak either. They were one of the prominent factions in this Grand Martial Arts Tournament.

According to Chen Ran's understanding, even martial arts Schools were ranked in the Jianghu. Third-rate martial arts Schools were often just martial arts gyms founded by ordinary sixth or seventh-grade Martial Artists; they were not strong, and they usually did not have many members.

As for second-rate martial arts Schools, they were mostly founded by middle-grade Martial Artists. They had some fame and generally taught a set of well-known martial arts systems.

Going further up, there were first-rate Schools, which had Upper Three Grades Martial Artists presiding over them. They had established countless branches, possessed vast influence, had over hundreds of Disciples within the School, and possessed mature training systems and Cultivation Techniques.

As for those above that, there were top-tier Schools, which often had legendary first-grade Grandmasters presiding over them, such as the Zhengyang Sword Sect, the Tiangang Sect...

Although Ciyin Medical Valley was only considered a first-rate School in terms of strength, its status was extremely special. Due to their identity as healers, their fame was on par with some top-tier Schools.

Especially that Bai Nianci; being able to break into the top ten of the Grand Martial Arts Tournament, she was definitely no mere vase.

Chen Ran had been continuously running his Breath Concealment Technique, perfectly hiding his aura within the surrounding noise. To others, he just looked like an ordinary tea drinker, completely unremarkable.

Yet for some reason, Bai Nianci downstairs suddenly seemed to sense something. She stopped what she was doing, looked up, and stared directly at the second floor. Her gaze fell accurately and unerringly onto Chen Ran.

Chen Ran paused. A flash of surprise crossed his mind. His Breath Concealment Technique had long since reached perfection; ordinary Martial Artists could not detect his presence at all. Could this Bai Nianci actually discover him?

Seeing that she kept staring at him, Chen Ran frowned slightly. He did not want to attract the attention of these women, nor did he want to become a public enemy of those Jianghu travelers downstairs. Putting down his teacup, Chen Ran stood up and turned to walk towards the staircase. His movements were crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Downstairs, Liu Qing noticed Bai Nianci's unusual behavior. "Nianci, what's wrong?" Liu Qing followed Bai Nianci's gaze, but only saw a departing back.

Bai Nianci pointed to the second floor. "Senior Sister, that person... feels strange." "Strange?" Liu Qing was a bit puzzled. She stared intently at the back that was about to disappear at the staircase, until she finally saw the man's face clearly.

At first, she did not think much of it. But the more she looked, the more familiar he seemed. A name suddenly flashed through Liu Qing's mind. She let out a low exclamation and remarked, "So it was him."

Bai Nianci turned her head curiously. "Senior Sister knows him?" Liu Qing nodded and lowered her voice. "This man is a prominent figure in the capital recently. The Celestial Prison Warden, Chen Ran."

Bai Nianci was somewhat unfamiliar with this name. "Is he very powerful?" Liu Qing had a strange expression and leaned into Bai Nianci's ear. "Whether he's powerful or not aside, it's said that he is the sweetheart of that famous capital Constable, Lin Wan!"

Hearing this, Bai Nianci, who usually did not pay much attention to Jianghu affairs, immediately lit up. "A sweetheart?" Whenever it came to such gossip, even the usually cool and aloof Bai Nianci became interested. She pulled on Liu Qing's arm and continued to press for more. "Senior Sister, tell me quickly, what is going on?"

Seeing that her Junior Sister was rarely this interested in something, Liu Qing pulled her down to sit and began to recount with vivid detail the gossip circulating in the capital recently. "You do not know, it has been spreading like wildfire in the capital these past few days." "They say that this Warden Chen, for the sake of Lin Wan, angrily confronted the young master of the Lu family, Lu Yuzhou, in the street, and did not even hesitate to offend the entire Lu family."

Hearing this, the surrounding companions also curiously gathered around. They took the opportunity to discuss this matter.

...

After leaving the teahouse, Chen Ran headed straight back to the Six Doors. As soon as he stepped through the main gate, he sensed something was wrong.

In the courtyard, several colleagues who were chatting immediately stopped talking when they saw him enter. They stood up straight in unison. "Lord Chen!" "Greetings, Lord Chen!" Their attitude was unusually respectful, and even carried a hint of... awe?

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow. "Greetings." Although he usually had a decent reputation in the Six Doors, everyone was just an acquaintance. What was wrong today? Did they take the wrong medicine?

He continued walking inside. Along the way, every Constable and clerk he encountered treated him with great respect. Some even took the initiative to make way for him.

Chen Ran stopped in his tracks. Abnormalities must have a hidden cause. He turned around and walked out of the Six Doors gate. Arriving at the side of the street, he happened to see a newsboy running past. "Extra, extra!" Chen Ran waved his hand. "Give me a newspaper."