310: Chapter 310 Shen Wanying

As the boat sailed thus far, it had already entered the territory of the Medical Valley.

Under the welcome and guidance of Liu Qing and a group of Disciples, Chen Ran stepped onto the shore steps.

Two gatekeeping female cultivators had already hurried ahead to report into the valley.

Chen Ran walked with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

Surrounded by a sea of bamboo, the birdsongs were clear and resonant.

Corridors and pavilions were connected across the island, and amongst them were many medicinal gardens, with the plants cultivated quite meticulously.

The air faintly lingered with a hint of the bitter fragrance of herbs, mixed with the fresh scent of bamboo leaves, possessing a rather unique Concept.

"Young Master Chen, sorry to trouble you."

Liu Qing spoke in front, her voice respectful.

Chen Ran slightly lifted his chin, noncommittal.

The procession walked slowly along the path on the island. When passing by a medicinal garden, several female cultivators who were tending to the herbs raised their heads, their gazes landing on the only male in the procession.

They first froze in a daze, then successively whispered and muttered to one another.

"Who is he?"

"So strikingly handsome..."

"Why did the Elder bring a man back to the valley?"

"Look at his bearing, he's probably no ordinary figure."

"The Medical Valley has never taken in external men, how is it that this time..."

Those low discussions drifted over with the wind.

Chen Ran's expression did not change as he simply walked forward calmly.

Bai Nianci followed behind, lowering her head slightly like a quail that had done something wrong.

She stealthily glanced at her Senior Sisters' probing gazes, then quickly withdrew her line of sight.

The procession walked past the long corridor and skirted around a lotus pond.

In the lotus pond, a few lotus leaves floated on the water surface. The lotus flowers had already withered, leaving only a few seed pods standing upon the stems.

Koi fish swam leisurely in the water, occasionally leaping out of the surface and splashing up water droplets.

The view ahead suddenly opened up.

A grand hall carved with beams and painted pillars stood in the center of the island.

Liu Qing walked to the front of the hall and slightly turned sideways:

"The Valley Master is already waiting inside the hall."

Chen Ran nodded and stepped forward.

The hall doors were wide open, and a long chair was placed right in the center.

An old woman was sitting on the chair.

The old woman wore a cyan-grey long robe, her hair was grey-white and casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her face was aged.

In her hand, she leaned on a dragon-headed cane, the surface of the staff having a warm patina, obviously having been used for many years.

Chen Ran glanced at her, his heart stirring slightly.

He hadn't expected this.

The Valley Master of Ciyin Medical Valley turned out to be so old.

He slightly sensed the aura on the other person's body.

Innate Realm Late Stage.

The Realm was indeed not low.

It was just that she was too old, her blood and Qi were decaying, and the circulation of her True Qi carried quite a bit of sluggishness, causing her strength to drop very severely.

Chen Ran could clearly perceive that the vitality within the other person's body had weakened to an extremely dangerous degree.

"I'm afraid the other party is close to the end of her lifespan..."

Such a state posed no threat to him.

Chen Ran relaxed his vigilance slightly in his heart.

The old woman slowly opened her eyes, those turbid pupils rolling once before landing on Chen Ran.

She stared at him for a moment, a trace of trance appearing on her aged face as if recalling something.

Afterward, the old woman gently coughed, her voice hoarse:

"You... are the one who saved the Medical Valley's Disciples?"

Chen Ran's brow slightly raised.

Saved?

These words were rather interesting.

He was noncommittal, only speaking indifferently:

"Valley Master exaggerates."

The old woman waved her hand, signaling Liu Qing to withdraw.

Liu Qing hesitated for a moment, her gaze wandering between Chen Ran and the Valley Master, before finally bowing and exiting the grand hall.

Bai Nianci followed behind her, looking back one more time before leaving, and was then pulled away by Liu Qing.

The hall doors slowly closed.

Only Chen Ran and the old woman were left in the hall.

The old woman slowly propped herself up from the chair, leaned on her cane, and walked haltingly in front of Chen Ran.

"Many thanks to Young Master for extending a helping hand."

"If not for Young Master's action, those Disciples on the boat would likely have met with misfortune."

Chen Ran lowered his gaze to look at her, speaking indifferently.

"Valley Master is too polite."

The old woman nodded, a look of appraisal emerging in her eyes. She raised her cane and pointed to the chair beside them:

"Young Master has come from afar, please sit."

Chen Ran stood on ceremony not at all, walking over to the side of the chair and sitting down.

The old woman returned to the grand armchair, slowly seating herself steadily, adjusting her breathing before speaking:

"Young Master coming here this time, is there something you seek this old woman's help with?"

Chen Ran did not beat around the bush and spoke directly:

"Where is Shen Wanying?"

The old woman froze for a moment.

After a long while, the old woman slowly spoke:

"Young Master is looking for her, for what purpose?"

Chen Ran said indifferently:

"Entrusted by an acquaintance."

"An acquaintance?"

The old woman stared at him, a trace of scrutiny flashing through her eyes.

"Does Young Master know that Shen Wanying's identity is extremely sensitive? If this old woman were to rashly hand her over to Young Master, I'm afraid..."

She did not finish, but the meaning was already very obvious.

Chen Ran's expression did not change as he just looked at her calmly:

"Is the Valley Master worried about the imperial court?"

The old woman fell silent for an instant and sighed:

"Since Young Master has found your way here, you must also know something about it."

She paused.

"Indeed, this old woman is indeed concerned about this matter."

Chen Ran did not speak.

The old woman continued:

"Shen Wanying is indeed in the Medical Valley."

Chen Ran's pupils moved slightly.

The old woman leaned on her cane, looking toward the bamboo shadows outside the hall, her voice low:

"More than a dozen years ago, when someone sent her here, she only had a breath left."

"When this old woman looked at her back then, I knew in my heart that with such injuries, there was almost no possibility of saving her."

Speaking to this point, she paused slightly, a look of remembrance surfacing in her eyes.

"But the person who brought her here gave an extremely generous reward, and also brought a few rare medicinal herbs."

"After considering repeatedly, this old woman still decided to try my best."

"The valley employed various methods, expending countless precious medicines and treating her day and night, before finally pulling her back from the gates of hell."

The old woman turned her head to look at Chen Ran:

"It's just that her Origin Qi was heavily damaged, and her physical constitution... is quite a bit worse than an ordinary person's."

Speaking to this point, her tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Hearing this, Chen Ran furrowed his brow slightly.

Origin Qi heavily damaged?

Physical constitution even worse than an ordinary person?

This was completely different from the information he heard from Bodhi Zen Monastery.

Chen Ran interrupted the old woman's words and spoke indifferently:

"I heard from the imperial court's side that Shen Wanying was severely injured, in a perilous state, and only had a breath hanging on."

He paused, his gaze landing on the old woman's face:

"What you are saying is completely different."

The old woman fell silent for a moment.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping a few degrees lower:

"Valley Master, you aren't lying to me, are you?"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

The old woman leaned on her cane and did not speak.

After a moment, she slowly spoke:

"Every word this old woman says is true."

"Shen Wanying was indeed saved, but her physical condition is extremely poor."

"As for the imperial court's side..."

She paused.

"It was this old woman who deliberately concealed it back then, leaking to the imperial court that she remained heavily injured and clinging to life, unable to move."

Chen Ran stared at her without speaking.

It seemed that Ciyin Medical Valley was not entirely subservient to the imperial court either.

Interesting.

Even the major powers controlled by Great Wei itself were not loyal, let alone those other minor powers.

The old woman sighed:

"If Young Master does not believe it, you may go see for yourself."

"Shen Wanying is right in the back courtyard of the valley. This old woman will now order someone to take Young Master over."

Chen Ran looked at her for a moment and slowly nodded:

"Then I shall trouble the Valley Master."

The old woman stood up leaning on her cane, walked to the hall doors, pushed them open, and spoke to a female cultivator guarding outside:

"Go call Bai Nianci over and take this Young Master to the back courtyard."

That female cultivator acknowledged and departed.

A moment later, Bai Nianci walked quickly into the hall.

She glanced at Chen Ran, then glanced at the Valley Master, and spoke cautiously:

"Valley Master, did you call me?"

The old woman nodded:

"Take this Young Master to the back courtyard."

Bai Nianci froze for a moment, then nodded:

"Yes."

Chen Ran stood up and slightly nodded toward the old woman:

"Farewell."

The old woman watched his departing back, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her eyes.

Leaning on her cane, she slowly walked back in front of the grand armchair and sat down again.

She muttered to herself:

"Shen Wanying, oh Shen Wanying... You have hidden deep enough all these years."

"Yet today, someone has finally come looking for you after all."