Repentance Cliff was situated upon a secluded, solitary peak in the back mountains of Divine Might Manor, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round and buffeted by biting astral winds.
It was not merely a place for facing the wall and reflecting; a unique formation was also laid down here. It could induce the punished cultivator’s spiritual energy to flow slightly in reverse. Though it did not damage their foundation, it produced waves of numb, tingling aches, as if countless fine needles were weaving through their meridians—an utterly excruciating sensation.
The three lashes of the whip each day were an even more tangible torment. A specially crafted thunder-patterned whip lashed across the back, leaving scorch-marked bloody welts. The power of thunder contained within burrowed into the flesh, and while it had the effect of tempering the body, it was far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.
Though Su Yi was resolute of mind, over the course of several days, his complexion had turned pale, and cold sweat frequently beaded on his brow.
Sitting cross-legged against the cold stone cliff, he cleared his mind and simply treated this as a month of seclusion to temper his body.
Soon arrived the final day. After the whipping concluded, the law enforcement disciple guarding the cliff looked at the crisscrossing new and old scars on Su Yi’s back and could not help sighing: “Young Manor Lord, you truly are a regular here.”
Grimacing, Su Yi stretched his muscles and bones. Knowing the disciple was referring to the trouble he used to stir up in other sects, he chuckled and said, “Precisely because I come so often, my body has grown this sturdy.”
The law enforcement disciple shook his head helplessly and handed over a jade bottle. “Here is some golden sore ointment; please use this first, Young Manor Lord. Once you descend the cliff in a bit, it would be best to visit Hundred Herbs Hall or Apricot Grove Pavilion to have a physician take a look and disperse the lingering thunder energy, lest it leave behind hidden injuries.”
Su Yi took the bottle and expressed his thanks. Only when sunset arrived and the final day of facing the wall concluded did he truly leave Repentance Cliff.
He did not return to his residence immediately. Remembering the law enforcement disciple’s words, he decided to visit a clinic first to treat his injuries.
There were several clinics within Divine Might Manor. Aside from the sect-established Hundred Herbs Hall, there were also clinics opened by skilled disciples or guest elders on their own.
In the early game, these had also served as player respawn points upon death. Naturally, respawning was no longer possible here now.
After a moment’s thought, Su Yi originally intended to head straight for the largest establishment, Hundred Herbs Hall, but by chance, he overheard two disciples chatting by the roadside.
“...You mean that newly arrived Junior Sister at Yunzhi Clinic? She’s quite strange. Her medical skills are solid, and her prescriptions work wonders, but she set a rule that physical therapy is only for female cultivators. What’s more, she’s often nowhere to be seen, closing up shop every few days.”
“You can’t blame her, can you? After all, physical therapy is meant for relaxation, and skin-to-skin contact is inevitable. She is a woman of virtue, and what certain people have on their minds has been obvious to everyone for a while. Besides, even if she only receives female cultivators, demand still outstrips supply!”
“What’s more, her medicinal bath prescriptions are in no way inferior to the orthodox methods of the physical therapy halls, and they save you a bit of money.”
‘Yunzhi Clinic?’ Hearing the familiar name, Su Yi paused in his tracks.
In the game, when many players first joined a sect and were tight on funds, opening a shop was a great option.
Among them, medical clinics were the most common. For one, clinics generated the most income; Divine Might Manor disciples accumulated injuries from daily martial practice, whereas they didn’t need to buy pills or seek out artifacts every single day.
Second, most clinic physicians were male cultivators, and many female cultivators couldn’t bring themselves to receive treatments from them, settling instead for medicinal baths. Therefore, the appearance of a clinic run by a female cultivator undoubtedly provided Divine Might Manor’s female cultivators with a great alternative.
Piqued by curiosity, Su Yi held off on visiting Hundred Herbs Hall and instead walked toward the main market avenue inside Divine Might Manor, following the vague directions mentioned by the two disciples.
Sure enough, amid the cluster of clinics, he found a small courtyard bearing a plaque that read “Yunzhi Clinic.”
The plaque was brand-new and the storefront tiny, standing in stark contrast to the bustling crowd coming and going at the nearby Hundred Herbs Hall.
Su Yi pushed open the door and stepped inside. The courtyard was very quiet. The herb garden was neatly tended, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.
The main hall was empty, furnished with only a few simple tables, chairs, and medicine cabinets.
“Is anyone here?” Su Yi called out.
A moment later, the curtain of a side door lifted, and an elderly woman who looked like a servant stepped out, wiping water from her hands.
Seeing Su Yi, the old woman paused in surprise, then hurriedly said, “Young Master, I apologize, but my master is not in today. Furthermore... my master has a rule that the clinic’s physical therapy is only for... female cultivators.”
Hearing this, Su Yi felt a bit awkward. Had Tantai Yunzhi been harassed so often, or did he look so much like a creep hoping to steal a taste of beauty that she automatically assumed he was one of those types?
“I am only here for a prescription. That isn’t limited to female cultivators, is it?” Su Yi sat down.
Hearing this, the old woman hurriedly apologized: “Young Master, I am terribly sorry. This old servant assumed—”
“It is fine. I imagine Junior Sister Tantai often attracts questionable individuals, so your reaction was merely instinctive.” Su Yi gave her an easy way out while discreetly inquiring about Tantai Yunzhi’s recent situation.
The old woman blinked, then nodded repeatedly. She had indeed jumped to conclusions and blurted it out instinctively; she had even braced herself to be berated, yet she hadn’t expected him to be so gracious.
“That has indeed been the case. Please wait a moment, Young Master. Yunzhi has been out for a while now and should be back soon.”
The old woman offered a cup of tea, then returned behind the curtain to busy herself with who knew what.
A few quarters of an hour later—
“Senior Brother Su?”
A gentle voice sounded from behind him. Su Yi turned around to see Tantai Yunzhi standing in the doorway of the clinic at some point, holding several fresh medicinal herbs, apparently having just returned from outside.
She looked at Su Yi, and when her eyes caught his somewhat pale complexion, her azure pupils contracted slightly.
“Junior Sister Tantai. I heard someone had opened a new clinic and dropped by out of curiosity. Sure enough, it’s you.” Su Yi didn’t notice the look in Tantai Yunzhi’s eyes, only observing her aura.
‘Ninth Layer Qi Condensation—she broke through in just a single month?’
At that moment, Tantai Yunzhi quickened her pace forward. Her gaze fell upon Su Yi’s back, her tone carrying an imperceptible trace of concern: “Senior Brother... your injuries?”
Su Yi waved his hand, feigning nonchalance. “Minor wounds, nothing serious. It just so happens I can test your medical skills, Junior Sister. Prescribe me a formula, and I won’t trouble you with anything more.”
Hearing this, Tantai Yunzhi said softly, “Senior Brother need not worry about troubling Yunzhi. The clinic is already closed, so stay a while longer and let me examine you more thoroughly.”
Tantai Yunzhi tightened her grip on the freshly gathered herbs in her hands. She had originally calculated the time, only to make a trip to Repentance Cliff in vain.
Possessing the Five Elements Dao Physique, her perception and conditioning of energies of various attributes were naturally far beyond ordinary people. Although the deathly gray aura troubled her, it had also granted her a unique understanding of how to resolve the invasion of foreign energies.
The herbs in her hands had been gathered specifically for Su Yi’s body, which had been ravaged by astral winds.
At her words, Su Yi smiled. “Then I will have to trouble you, Junior Sister.”
Tantai Yunzhi gave a slight nod, gesturing for Su Yi to follow her to a clean daybed in the inner room.
Carefully setting down the herbs in her hand, she looked at Su Yi and said in a calm, natural tone, “Senior Brother, please remove your upper garments and sit facing away from me.”
“Ah?” Su Yi was taken aback. “Getting a prescription... requires taking off my clothes?”
Tantai Yunzhi lifted her gaze, her clear blue eyes looking straight at Su Yi as she explained: “Senior Brother’s injuries are from the thunder whip, compounded by the astral winds of Repentance Cliff invading your meridians. Ordinary medicinal baths or oral elixirs can alleviate them, but the medicinal efficacy takes time to circulate, and it is difficult to accurately dissolve the thunder force and wind fiend entrenched in specific acupoints.
“I need to use a specially prepared ointment paired with spiritual energy massage to stimulate the relevant acupoints. Only by directly channeling the medicinal potency can we achieve twice the result with half the effort and prevent lingering hidden injuries.”
Her explanation was coherent and logical, genuinely presenting a professional approach to treatment. But recalling the old woman’s words and the rumors on the street, Su Yi could not help asking, “Yet if I remember correctly... doesn’t your clinic have a rule that physical therapy is only for female cultivators?”
Hearing this, Tantai Yunzhi was momentarily taken aback. Then, across that face usually devoid of expression, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of a smile flickered.
“Rules are dead, but people are living. Besides... could it be that Senior Brother Su also has... ulterior motives toward Yunzhi?”
She paused, then added with a soft chuckle, “If that is truly the case, then Yunzhi will have no choice but to ‘show’ you out, Senior Brother.”
Stumped for words by her reply, Su Yi then burst into a helpless laugh. It seemed his trust score in the female lead’s eyes was quite high.
And so, he swiftly untied his outer robe and inner garment, revealing a lean, toned torso covered in old and new whip scars, and sat down on the daybed facing away from her.
Looking at the crisscrossing, blackened whip marks on Su Yi’s back—where the flesh was even torn and turned outward in places—Tantai Yunzhi’s breath caught almost imperceptibly.
‘If I ever achieve success on the Great Dao in the future, I will repay Senior Brother a thousandfold.’
Rate on N.U.
