When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

Xie Mansion, Yunyin Pavilion.

Doctor Xue skillfully tapped the acupuncture points all over Xie Changyan's body. The silver needles flashed with cold light and pierced every key point accurately and without error.

Xie Changyan closed his eyes and concentrated. Although his face was still pale, his breathing had become much calmer.

"You kid didn't follow the doctor's orders again and practiced your internal energy without permission. Are you thinking of sneaking out to do your job again?" Doctor Xue scolded as he took away the needle.

Xie Changyan slowly opened his eyes, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He smiled bitterly, "Mr. Xue, you know there are some things I can't let go of."

"Hmph, if you keep going like this, you'll lose your life sooner or later." Doctor Xue said unhappily, putting the silver needle in his hand back into the medicine box. "Let me ask you, have you felt anything unusual in your body recently?"

Xie Changyan frowned slightly and pondered for a moment. "Aside from occasional heart palpitations, there's nothing serious wrong with me. However, the old injury on my back occasionally causes a dull pain, and it seems to be more frequent than usual."

"Here, this is the ointment I just made. Apply it to the wound before going to bed every day. It will relieve some of the pain."

Doctor Xue pulled out a small bottle of ointment from his sleeve and handed it to Xie Changyan. "However, this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. If you continue to neglect your health like this, you will eventually run out of energy."

After saying that, he picked up the medicine box and left the room shaking his head, leaving Xie Changyan sitting quietly on the couch, stroking the ointment in his hand with a deep look in his eyes.

"Young Master, does Mu Yunlan want to..." Xie Ankang walked in from outside and asked in a low voice, with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Xie Changyan shook his head slightly, "No need, he's still useful. Besides, now is not the time to touch him."

Xie Ankang gritted his teeth unwillingly, "But, he hurt the young lady like that, how can we swallow this?"

Xie Changyan's eyes turned colder. "If he hurts Song'er, he will pay the price."

"However, in the path of cultivation, only through the trials of life and death can one truly become strong. Mu Yunlan's existence may be a good test for Song'er."

"Master, do you mean to let Mu Yunlan be the whetstone for the Young Madam? But, aren't you afraid of the Young Madam..."

"Cruel? Perhaps." Xie Changyan smiled softly, but there was no warmth in that smile. "But she chose this path herself. I'm just providing her with an opportunity for growth."

"Then when the young lady finds out everything, how will you face her?" Xie Ankang asked worriedly.

Xie Changyan was silent for a moment and looked out the window. There was a blue sky with clouds floating leisurely, light and free.

"Ankang, those who practice Taoism emphasize fate and destiny. She and I were brought together by fate, and our future is also determined by destiny."

"I help her cultivate, and she helps me overcome my tribulations. This is a fair trade. When she is strong enough and knows everything, she will naturally understand and make her own choice."

Xie Ankang sighed lightly, stepped aside silently, and said no more.

*

At the same time, Jiang Song was concentrating on drawing the design of Yunjin in the room.

Her writing is full of life. A fire phoenix spreads its wings and soars among auspicious clouds. Its tail is long and brilliant like fire, as if it is embracing the moon in the sky and crushing the stars.

This is the brocade pattern designed by Jiang Song for the Queen Mother’s birthday - "Phoenix Dancing in the Nine Heavens".

The bright and warm colors not only demonstrate the dignity and majesty of the Queen Mother, but also imply that under the protection of the Queen Mother, the Taixi Kingdom is prosperous and in full swing.

After finishing the last stroke, Jiang Song put down the brush with satisfaction, blew gently on the ink on the drawing, and after it dried, he carefully put it into the painting tube.

At this time, the sky was dyed with a light orange-red, and the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled into the courtyard, and all the scenery was coated with a layer of golden halo.

Jiang Song stood up and walked into the yard, stretched himself, and felt the comfort of the breeze brushing against his cheeks.

There was an accident during the mission to kill ghosts in the mass grave, but Jiang Song almost paid with her life for it, so she must not take less of the reward she deserves.

Thinking of this, Jiang Song immediately changed into a neat suit and prepared to go to Tianbao Tower to find Xie Gaozhao to settle the task reward.

When she walked out of the courtyard, she happened to meet Xie Changyu walking towards her.

"Sister-in-law, are you going out?" Xie Changyu looked at her dressed in tight clothes and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Well, I have something to do." Jiang Song responded simply, not wanting to explain too much.

Xie Changyu felt a little disappointed, but still smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, Third Aunt asked me to see if you would be free to visit her courtyard. She has selected several brocade backgrounds and would like you to take a look and give her your opinion."

"Changyu, I've made a painting. Please take it to Aunt San to see if the background color matches the painting."

Jiang Song said this, turned back to the house, took out the newly drawn drawing of "Phoenix Dancing in the Nine Heavens", and handed it to Xie Changyu.

Xie Changyu took the painting tube, opened it curiously and took a look. She was immediately amazed. "Sister-in-law, this phoenix is ​​so well painted, it seems to be flying out of the paper! I'm sure Third Aunt will be full of praise when she sees it."

Jiang Song smiled slightly, "Then please go there for me. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. I will definitely deliver your painting safely to Third Aunt." Xie Changyu said, carefully put away the painting tube, turned and left.

Jiang Song watched his back disappear around the corner, then turned around and walked out of Xie Mansion and headed towards Tianbao Tower.

Tianbao Tower was still bustling with people.

Jiang Song walked to the reception room on the first floor with ease and knocked on Xie Gaozhao's door.

"Come in." Xie Gaozhao's familiar voice came from inside the door.

Jiang Song pushed the door open and walked in, only to see Xie Gaozhao in purple sitting in front of the table, still playing with a string of spiritual beads in his hand.

Seeing her come in, he didn't seem surprised. He just raised his eyes slightly and said with a smile: "Miss Jiang. You are here?"

"Manager Gao Zhao, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the entrance to the mass grave?"

Jiang Song calculated the days and found that the three-day deadline had not yet arrived. Xie Gaozhao should still be waiting outside the mass grave for them to complete their mission and return. How could he have returned to Tianbao Tower so early?

"Ah! Miss Jiang, that place stinks to high heaven. If I really wait there for three days, I'm afraid it will be pickled and smoked by the time I come back."

Xie Gaozhao waved his hand in disgust, as if the smell was still lingering in his nose.

"I sent my men to keep an eye on it. Once they get any news, they will report back immediately. Now that I'm back, the young lady can see me today, right?"

Oh, it’s really exquisite!

Jiang Song curled his lips and didn't say much to him. He got straight to the point: "Manager Gao Zhao, I'm here to settle the payment for the mass grave mission."

As she spoke, she took out the Soul-Binding Bottle from her storage bag and gently placed it on the table. The faint cold aura emanating from the bottle made Xie Gaozhao frown involuntarily.

"This is the Yin Qi I captured after I killed the ghosts. Can you count how many there are?"

Xie Gaozhao's gaze fell on the Soul-Binding Bottle, his expression slightly restrained, and then he regained his usual composure.

He reached out and touched the bottle lightly, closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment, then opened his eyes, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Miss Jiang, the bottle contains a rich amount of Yin energy, which contains fifty-five first-level ghosts. According to the reward standard, each first-level ghost can be exchanged for 10 low-grade spirit stones. Therefore, you should receive 550 low-grade spirit stones this time."

After that, Xie Gaozhao took out a storage bag from the drawer under the table and handed it to Jiang Song. "Here are 560 low-grade spirit stones, 10 of which are your deposit for participating in the mission. Please check them, Miss Jiang."

"What about this soul crystal?" Jiang Song took out another soul crystal that was shining with purple light from the storage bag and gently placed it on the table.