Mere Pretense

Qiaolian turned to look at the end of the hallway, checking if there were people on their path. She then stepped forward and stood closer to Wang Si.

"Grand Physician, it's just the two of us. There is no need to pretend. Earlier, when your index finger poked the wounds of old Zui... I noticed a tiny black vein tied on the second bone of your finger. I've read some books about it that says... it's an imprint that a ritual acknowledged you as its master. In fact, if you show me your hands right now, I can still recognize the black vein."

Book of Rituals were manuals formally used by those who had practiced the dark path of cultivation. The methods were believed to be mostly entangled with death and sacrifice. The discussion or even mentioning of this manual is forbidden in their cultivation world.

Thus, Qiaolian made sure that no one was around them when she mentioned what she had observed in Wang Si's index finger.

On the other hand, this old physician looked at Qiaolian's face for a few minutes and tried to guess what she was thinking. Interestingly, he could not feel any prejudice or malice in Qiaolian.

If there was something in her expression, it was too hard for him to put a word on it. But, he sensed no harm.

Wang Si sighed with a dramatic shrug of his shoulder. "I am not pretending, Miss Xue. I won't deny too."

"Oh? Then, the Hex Mile of Tears... M-Maybe the cure is in the book of rituals. Just check it. If you find a cure, old Zui and his boatman would not suffer. It's for the good of others. Who cares if it comes from the book of ritual, right?" Qiaolian casually stated.

"The entire cultivation world will care. I will be condemned. And I am not really pretending... I do not have a book of rituals!" Wang Si firmly stated.

"The black vein tied in your index finger... if not entangled by death... then, it's entangled by sacrifice..." Qiaolian mumbled, and peered at him closely, trying to read if there were traces of deceit in the old physician's eyes.

Entanglement of Death would mean the ritual was utilized by Wang Si. However, Entanglement of Sacrifice means, someone made a sacrifice for Wang Si's sake!

"Hmmm... The black vein was but a literal description, Miss Xue. My situation is rather different," Wang Si spoke with a glint of melancholic expression in his eyes. He raised his hand and revealed the index finger that has a bulging black vein in the second bone. "I'm rather curious how you've noticed it. Even Elder Xia did not have any comments on the Book of Rituals! He may have no knowledge about this. How is it that you are so young but you know about it, Miss Xue? You are not from a sect that secretly followed the dark path of cultivation, aren't you?"

"Grand Physician, can you tell me if I am capable of practicing the Book of Rituals?" Qiaolian chuckled, still testing the old physician if she could make her admit anything.

"How can I tell? I've never touched even once of that book. The Book of Rituals called this black vein the Hook of Departure. However, I am not really pretending, Miss Xue. I did not read it. This black vein that you said is not from me. It's from my cultivation partner. She exchanged her life to prolong my life using a ritual that I don't know. That time... It was more than decades ago and I was obsessed with learning how to cure golden poison. But, I accidentally poisoned myself and fell ill. When I woke up, there was a note in my room from my cultivation partner about what she had done... I've never seen her again."

"Ahh... I see... Sorry to bring up your index finger. That's rather insensitive of me. Then, I won't disturb you anymore, Grand Physician. I will try to find a method of tracking the source of this illness in my mansion! No need to see me off," Qiaolian easily spoke. She offered a customary bow and walked to the opposite side, heading out of the building.

Wang Si was left speechless while watching the retreating figure of Qiaolian. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a long time.

After some time, he picked up his pace and decided to head to his room first before going to the library.

"Miss Xue is such a strange lady... I could tell her inner force is strong. But, why can't I sense her elixir field? Didn't Venerable Elder Xia want the best cultivation partner for Master Huan Xue to enhance his aura? Why is he picking a cripple? Does he want the knowledge of Miss Xue?"

Wang Si entered his room with too many questions in mind. He pressed a wooden box to the center of his marble table and it suddenly revealed an illusory book encased with a silver aura. But within the sides of this book emits a rusty brown aura on it.

As soon as this secret compartment was opened, the black vein in the index finger of Wang Si slowly trembled. But, the old physician used his other thumb and pressed it tightly.

"Entangled with Sacrifice... " Wang Si whispered as his eyes stared closely at the book. In fact, it was the ritual that was connected to his index finger.

Qiaolian was right!

On his index finger was the imprint of a ritual that acknowledged him as his master. But, Wang Si rejected the connection and never touched the book.

This book was left to his care when his cultivation partner vanished after he was cured. He does not have the heart to destroy it too. All he could do was hide it in his room. Fortunately, Elder Xia never brought up anything about the book of rituals to him.

~

Meanwhile, Qiaolian entered the Jingguan Mansion with a solemn expression on her face. She took a glance at the wild orchid garden and smelt the intoxicating fragrance before going to her bedroom.

Moments later, Qiaolian sat on the floor and started meditating. She may have told Elder Xia and the others that she would find a method to trace the source of the illness, but, in fact, it was just an easy alibi.

Qiaolian somehow found the matter as leverage for her to be alone without attracting any suspicion from Elder Xia and the others. Shutting the door of her mansion would be reasonable since they would think that she would be busy finding the source of the illness.

Yet, what she really planned to do was to examine the three elixir fields within her body! Now that the seal of her inner core was gone, she could freely explore the powers of all the elixir fields!

She was too excited for her plan that she did not notice the deception of Wang Si when he denied having a book of ritual.