Tales of Demons and Gods

Cultivation Hall.    

After bidding farewell to Gu Bei, Nie Li and Lu Piao strolled through the Skysoul Institute and arrived at the Cultivation Hall.    

This     

was the place where missions were assigned. After students completed     

their missions, they would return here to receive their spiritual     

stones, artifacts, and various other rewards.    

With their monthly     

allowance, they would never have enough spiritual stones. Therefore, Nie     

Li and Lu Piao were forced to find other methods of acquiring them.    

The     

Draconic Ruins Realm is an extremely cruel place where countless     

experts compete for the scarce resources. Regardless of how high one’s     

talent was, it would be difficult to raise one’s cultivation without     

spiritual stones. One of the best ways of obtaining them was to join a     

faction; after swearing loyalty, a faction would provide its talented     

underlings with large quantities of spiritual stones. However, this was     

definitely not an option for Nie Li and Lu Piao.    

Aside from joining a faction, obtaining spiritual stones through the Cultivation Hall’s missions was also a valid idea.    

The     

Cultivation Hall was filled with students from various districts of the     

Skysoul Institute. The hall was also filled with poster walls, each     

crammed thick with job listings.    

Nie Li quickly checked the open     

missions. Many of them were hunting jobs that asked for the demon     

spirits of various kinds of demon beasts. Those demon spirits had to     

have at least an Extraordinary growth rate in order to be exchangeable     

for spiritual stones; therefore, the mission difficulties were rather     

high. Aside from these, there were also missions for forging weapons,     

collecting materials, etc. However, none of them could be called easy.    

Lu     

Piao scanned over the missions and sighed when he found none of his     

level. “It seems like it’s pretty hard to obtain spiritual stones.”    

“That’s     

for sure. The Divine Feathers Sect only controls a limited number of     

Deity's Lakes. Each lake produces a several tens of thousands stones for     

the disciples of the Inner Division of the Divine Feathers Sect. That     

means that once they get divvied up, there won’t be much left for us,”     

Nie Li explained.    

“Obtaining spiritual stones is really hard! So what do we do now?” asked Lu Piao.    

Nie Li pointed at a mission on the wall and said, “We can give this mission a try!”    

“What mission?” Lu Piao turned to look at the listing that Nie Li was pointing to.    

“The     

Gu Clan’s young miss Gu Lan encountered a problem during cultivation,     

which made her bedridden. If there’s anyone who’s well-versed in     

medicine who can cure the young miss’s illness, the reward will be one     

thousand spiritual stones.” Lu Piao muttered as he re-read the notice,     

“A thousand spiritual stones. The Gu Clan must be really rich. Gu Bei     

also seems to be from the Gu Clan. But Nie Li, are you really taking     

this job just to cure her illness and not to pick up girls? The notice     

says that they’ve already tried many well-known doctors, but young miss     

Gu Lan still hasn’t been cured!”    

Nie Li rolled his eyes at Lu     

Piao, “Of course I’m going to cure her illness. Saving someone’s life is     

better than building a seven floored pagoda[1. Chinese idiom. Saving     

someone’s life earns you more respect and is more useful than when kings     

build great structures to display their power and fame.]. Do you     

understand?”    

Nie Li was rather confident in his Daoyin Technique.    

“If     

you really can cure her illness and earn spiritual stones at the same     

time, then it’s not a bad idea.” Lu Piao stroked his chin with his right     

hand and said, “That Gu Bei also seems like a pretty nice guy. He even     

offered to treat us to a meal!”    

In his previous life, Nie Li had     

been somewhat aware of Gu Lan. She was Master Bei’s elder sister and a     

mysterious girl. Rumor was that when she was young, she’d been injured     

in a cultivating accident and left in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the     

waist down. She also couldn’t cultivate anymore due to her handicap.     

However, she still managed to live for two hundred years. Rumors also     

say that Gu Lan was the one who guided Master Bei in swordplay and that     

was the reason why he’d been able to reach the pinnacle of the sword.    

In     

his previous life, Nie Li had heard many legends about Gu Lan that     

circulated throughout the Draconic Ruins Realm. Now, coincidentally,     

there’s a notice about it here, so it’s not likely a trap. Therefore,     

there’s no harm in giving it a try.    

Lu Piao pointed to several     

notices that were stuck on another wall and said, “Nie Li, if you’re so     

confident in your medical techniques, then look over here. There’re at     

least a few hundred other postings about people who got into accidents     

during cultivation. If you managed to cure them all, then doesn’t that     

mean that we’ll have at least several tens of thousands of spiritual     

stones?”    

Upon hearing Lu Piao’s words, Nie Li bitterly smiled and     

said, “Are you trying to work me to death? Not to mention that the     

Divine Feathers Sect’s political situation is extremely complicated. We     

have to be cautious with each step! If Gu Bei didn’t seem like such an     

honest guy, I wouldn’t even want to show my skills and risk attracting     

unwanted attentions.”    

“Then we’ll talk about it after you’ve cured the Gu Clan’s Miss,” Lu Piao said as he smiled.    

Together, Nie Li and Lu Piao left for the address written on the notice.    

On     

the way there, Nie Li carefully recalled all the information related to     

the Divine Feathers Sect that he’d gathered in his previous life.     

Within the Divine Feathers Sect, there were three major factions: the     

Dragonseal Family, the Gu Clan, and the Ashen Flames Family, which is     

the Jin Clan that Jin Yan belongs to. Yan Hao’s Yan Clan was too low to     

be compared to those three major factions.    

Nie Li intended to try     

and cure Gu Lan. Aside from the reward of one thousand spiritual stones,     

it’d also help pave the future for himself and Lu Piao. If they cured     

the Gu Clan’s young miss, then they’d be able to form a good     

relationship with the clan, or at least with Gu Bei.    

Nie Li followed the address given on the notice and arrived at a vast courtyard in the southern area of the Skysoul Institute.    

This     

was where Gu Bei and Gu Lan stayed, but was just one of the Gu Clan’s     

many properties. The large gate was shut tight, leaving only the side     

door open for entry[2. In ancient Chinese architecture, there are always     

two front doors: a large one and a small small one right next to each     

other.]. There were also two servants standing guard at the smaller     

door.    

“May I ask who you’re looking for?” one of the servants asked.    

“It’s     

like this. We saw the job notice in the Cultivation Hall and came here     

to try and cure your young miss’s illness,” said Nie Li.    

The servant gave Nie Li a once-over, then he waved his hand and said, “It’s better if you leave quickly.”    

“Could it be that your young miss’s illness has already been cured?” Nie Li asked curiously.    

“The     

young miss has already been examined by many doctors who’re     

exceptionally versed in medicine, but even they could not cure her     

illness. Do you really think you can cure my young miss’s illness? Just     

leave quickly!” one of the servants said. Recently, the number of     

physicians who’d come to examine the young miss had already hit a few     

thousand, or at least several hundred. None of them could help her. Just     

how old was Nie Li? How could he possibly have much medical knowledge?    

Nie     

Li furrowed his brows. “Your young miss is seeking medical assistance.     

How would you know if I’m capable or not, if you don’t even let me see     

the situation? Will you take responsibility for preventing her     

recovery?”    

The servant never expected Nie Li to be so overbearing and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should bring Nie Li in.    

Suddenly, a person walked out from the residence. It was Gu Bei.    

“What’s     

wrong?” Gu Bei asked in solemn tone. He raised his head and saw Nie Li     

and Lu Piao and was stunned for a brief moment. “What are you guys doing     

here? Are you looking for me?”    

Lu Piao chuckled from Nie Li’s     

side as he answered, “We’re not here for you. We heard that the Gu     

Clan’s Miss Gu Lan is ill. We came to take a look and see if we could     

cure her,”    

Gu Bei’s brows twitched as he looked at Nie Li and Lu Piao in astonishment as he asked, “You guys know medicine?”    

Nie Li nodded. “Somewhat.”    

Gu Bei went silent for a moment. Although he was a little skeptical, he still nodded his head and said, “Then come in.”    

Guided     

by Gu Bei, the two of them entered an extremely vast courtyard. Upon     

entering, the courtyard opened up into a large garden dotted with     

pavilions. There was even a small bridge with water flowing below. It     

was like a scene of paradise. Even the air carried the fragrance of     

heavenly flowers.    

“My sister and I are direct descendents of the     

Gu Clan. My sister was once considered the most outstanding among our     

younger generation. However, she encountered trouble during cultivation,     

which paralysed her entire lower body. No one knows how or why it     

happened.” Finishing his words, Gu Bei’s eyes flashed with chilling     

rays.    

Nie Li vaguely sensed an undertone to Gu Bei’s words. Gu Lan was probably the victim of the family’s internal conflicts.    

Lu     

Piao pondered inwardly. So Gu Bei and his sister were only two out of     

many direct descendents. It seems like this Gu Clan was quite a large     

faction.    

Nie Li and Lu Piao followed Gu Bei along the small path     

and reached a smaller courtyard. Inside, there was a girl clothed in     

white who sat quietly on a chair. Her clear pupils were like autumn     

water and were embedded into her beautiful and delicate face like gems.     

With a calm and peaceful expression, she quietly stared at a purple     

flower on a small artificial mound. She had a light-coloured lips that     

were as pale as water. Beneath the white clothes was her jade-bright     

skin. Traces of ill-coloured ash showed on her face, like a flower that     

might wither at any time.    

“Beauty that lasts through the spring,     

the flower withers and people die unknowingly,” the white clothed girl     

muttered, with a trace of sadness between her brows.    

“Elder     

sister.” A gleam of tears flashed through Gu Bei’s eyes. As he watched     

Gu Lan, his once high-spirited sister who had been rendered into such a     

state, Gu Bei felt as though his heart was being torn apart.    

“Gu     

Bei, you’re back?” The girl in white revealed a faint smile. Her eyes     

then fell onto the two behind Gu Bei as she asked, “These two are...?”    

“Both     

of them are my friends.” Gu Bei didn’t dare say that Nie Li was here to     

examine her illness. Every time a physician visited, she would always     

smile and reject them.    

“Oh,” Gu Lan calmly smiled and nodded her head at Nie Li and Lu Piao.    

Lu     

Piao couldn’t help wondering just what kind of illness this beautiful     

lady suffered from. For such a beauty in her prime to be forced to sit     

in a chair for the rest of her life, it’d simply be a cruel prank of the     

heavens.    

Nie Li looked at Gu Lan with a thoughtful expression.    

Gu     

Lan noticed that Nie Li had been staring at her and she knitted her     

brows. But because they were Gu Bei’s friends, she didn’t say anything.    

“Nie Li, did you find anything?” Lu Piao asked in a soft voice.    

“She’s     

not ill, nor had she run amok during cultivations. She was poisoned,”     

said Nie Li. His voice was neither too soft nor loud, just enough that     

it could be heard by Gu Bei and Gu Lan.    

After Gu Bei heard this,     

his emotions were immediately stirred up as he looked at Nie Li and     

asked, “Poisoned? You’re saying that my sister was poisoned?”    

Nie Li nodded. “That’s correct.”    

Gu     

Bei was puzzled. “But that’s impossible! There have been so many     

physicians who’ve examined my sister before. If she’s been poisoned, why     

didn’t any of them notice it?”    

Gu Lan, who sat to the side, also     

couldn’t help staring at Nie Li. This boy appeared even younger than Gu     

Bei, but could he actually be a physician? If she’d been poisoned, she     

would’ve definitely noticed it. So why couldn’t she sense it?    

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