Nie Kong hadn't expected to see this woman the moment he stepped into the Sixth Ward of the Apothecary Hall. Astonishment flared within him as a thought shot toward the little creature:

"Xiangxiang!"

The instant the call echoed, the little fellow responded with an excited chirp. A surge of green erupted from his Dantian's "Yaochi Acupoint," rushing swiftly toward Nie Kong's head. It completely enveloped the scent particles entering his nostrils, and the intense dizziness gradually subsided, while the strength in his body steadily returned.

Nie Kong let out a silent sigh of relief, only to suddenly notice that the little creature hadn't dissolved the medicinal potency contained within that cloud of air itself. Instead, it whisked the entirety of it into the Pet Backpack, dropping it onto a single leaf of the "Fire Tree Silver Flower." The blood-red leaf curled and relaxed once, and the droplet of medicinal essence was completely absorbed.

Nie Kong was mildly startled, abruptly recalling something he had previously overlooked.

When he had fought She Yan at the "Shuying Residence" in Jiyang City, he had inhaled a considerable amount of the foul, black miasma She Yan generated. It had left him dizzy and even made executing the "Cloud Flower Quadruple Fold" somewhat difficult. It was the little creature that had swept away the black vapors that had entered his system afterward.

He had always assumed that the toxic black air had been neutralized by Xiangxiang, but contrasting that incident with the scene just now, Nie Kong realized he had been wrong; that miasma had likely also been delivered by Xiangxiang to the Fire Tree Silver Flower.

According to what Nie Xingyun and Lian Tianxin had revealed, once the "Silver Flower" of the Fire Tree matured, the flowers could be used in alchemy to increase the success rate, while the leaves could dissolve the vast majority of known poisons on the Tianling Continent. To achieve that detoxification effect later on, did it first need to be cultivated using poisons?

But the "Serpent Coil Blood Lotus" was also highly toxic. Why hadn't the little creature absorbed its poison and delivered it to the Fire Tree Silver Flower as nourishment? Could it be because Nie Kong intended to save the Serpent Coil Blood Lotus for his master, Nie Xingyun, which was why the little creature had never dared approach it?

A flash of green light, and Long Xuechan appeared before Nie Kong. Her captivating voice broke his train of thought: "Little brother, how do you find the atmosphere in the Sixth Ward of my Apothecary Hall?"

"Not bad."

Nie Kong smiled, then suddenly recalling the deeper meaning hinted at in Long Xuechan's words, his brow furrowed slightly. "This Sixth Ward belongs to you?"

Long Xuechan blinked her beautiful eyes, a teasing smile curling at the corners of her lips. "That's right, little brother. From now on, you're my assistant. My Sixth Ward is different from the others; we focus on researching poisons and poisonous herbs. You know, little brother, this sort of work is both novel and thrilling."

Both novel and thrilling!

Long Xuechan was throwing back at him the very words Nie Kong had used yesterday, yet the meaning conveyed by those six characters was vastly different now.

Nie Kong shook his head with a wry smile. He hadn't expected coming to the Sixth Ward would involve dealing with poisons. Only then did he understand why Long An and Long Xuechan had looked so strange when he requested to come here yesterday, and why Long An had said no one had ever voluntarily asked for the Sixth Ward. It was all because of this.

Indeed, most Spirit Alchemists were highly cautious around poisons. Spirit Alchemists who specialized in researching them, like Long Xuechan, were exceedingly rare.

As for the reason, Nie Kong knew a little. Since the spiritual energy elements of heaven and earth were abundantly rich, not only were spiritual herbs affected, but poisonous herbs were nourished as well, making their toxicity extremely potent. Many poisonous herbs could kill with a mere touch, leaving no time for detoxification.

Consequently, low-grade Spirit Alchemists were even more fearful and did everything to avoid them, so who would voluntarily apply to be an attendant here?

However, since the "Fire Tree Silver Flower" needed to absorb poisons, becoming an assistant in the Sixth Ward of the Apothecary Hall was an excellent choice. This place, so dangerous in the eyes of other Spirit Alchemists, might just become his personal treasure trove. Furthermore, there was a medicinal herb hidden here that Xiangxiang seemed to care deeply about; if he could find an opportunity to absorb its medicinal essence and refine it, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost to his cultivation.

Nie Kong's thoughts spun rapidly, and having made up his mind, a natural change appeared in his expression.

Seeing Nie Kong smile so quickly and his demeanor become calm, Long Xuechan assumed he had already made some kind of decision. The corner of her lips curved upward, and a soul-stealing smile surfaced. Long Xuechan gazed at Nie Kong, her expression radiating intense allure. "Little brother, from this moment on, you belong to me. If you regret it now and wish to leave the Sixth Ward, big sister absolutely won't agree, mind you."

Nie Kong chuckled heartily, "Leave? Why would I leave? It's just researching poisons; well, it's a chance for me to broaden my horizons."

"Eh?"

Long Xuechan’s ruby lips parted slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her dark, beautiful eyes. She hadn't expected Nie Kong, after learning the true nature of the place, to not only show no hesitation but to decide to stay so quickly. Long Xuechan's gaze circled Nie Kong's face swiftly, trying to discern if his words were insincere, but she was soon disappointed; Nie Kong's expression held not a trace of reluctance or coercion.

He truly didn't mind assisting a Spirit Alchemist who specialized in poisons?

The suspicious thought flashed and vanished from her mind. Only then did Long Xuechan realize that Nie Kong was indeed different from other low-grade Spirit Alchemists, at least in his attitude toward poisons. This was, of course, assuming Nie Kong's performance just now was entirely genuine and not feigned.

Long Xuechan glanced down at Nie Kong, smiling seductively. "It's good that you don't want to leave. Little brother, sit and rest for a while. I'll show you around the courtyard properly this afternoon." With that, Long Xuechan swayed her waist and moved her lotus steps, gliding gracefully toward the door.

"No need to wait until afternoon; let's do it now."

Nie Kong smiled faintly, suddenly pushing off the ground with both palms. His body sprung up lightly, and as he landed, he gently patted the dust from his clothes.

Long Xuechan froze and turned back, her enchanting face etched with disbelief. She stared at Nie Kong, stammering, "Little brother, how... how can you stand up? You clearly just inhaled the scent of the 'Weak Water Fragrant Herb.' Even a Spirit Fusion Master would need half the day to recover their strength."

So that aroma was emitted by the "Weak Water Fragrant Herb"! Nie Kong had heard Nie Xingyun mention it back in Jiyang City. This "Weak Water Fragrant Herb" was considered the mildest among all poisonous grasses. Spirit Masters below the Ninth Grade of Spirit Fusion who smelled it would become dizzy and their limbs weak, unable to even mobilize their spiritual power. However, this toxicity caused no actual harm to the body; once the effect passed, one returned completely to normal.

"If I want to stand, I stand,"

Looking at the woman who had given him a humbling introduction the moment he entered, Nie Kong continued, "Big Sister Xuechan, this doesn't seem like the proper way to treat a guest! If it were another Second-Grade Spirit Alchemist, they'd probably be stuck sitting on this cold floor until afternoon."

Long Xuechan snapped back to her senses, letting out a sticky sweet laugh. "Little brother, how do you think big sister should treat a guest?"

Nie Kong surveyed the room, then suddenly pointed toward the bedroom on the side, laughing playfully. "Leaning against the headboard, chest half-bare, legs partially exposed, and with a look of shy reluctance—wanting to yield but holding back—that would be the most suitable way for Big Sister to treat a guest!"

Long Xuechan’s eyebrows rose slightly, a barely perceptible blush creeping onto her cheeks. She smiled alluringly, "Little brother speaks sweetly. If there's a chance in the future, big sister will certainly welcome you this way. But for now, let big sister show you around the Sixth Ward of the Apothecary Hall."

As she spoke, Long Xuechan’s face was all smiles, yet these words were almost ground out between her pearl-like teeth.

Before Nie Kong could respond to her statement, Long Xuechan walked toward the back of the hall...

...