Chapter 429: Making the Best of a Mistake, Must Stay Calm

Han Yan was in a bad mood.

She had overheard the maids talking. Her younger sister, Han Xiao Xiao, had stayed in Lin Fan's room all night and only emerged in the morning, radiant and full of energy. This was a disaster for Han Yan.

"My sister..."

She couldn't bear to imagine it.

She had always kept a close watch on her sister, afraid that Lin Fan would succeed in his pursuits. But over time, there were bound to be lapses in her vigilance, and now, her negligence had led to this.

As the older sister, she felt deeply responsible.

If she had been more attentive, her sister would never have fallen prey.

Physician Xu, though advanced in age, took great care of his health. Who said older people could only wait for death? He made time to exercise every day.

At that moment, in the courtyard, Physician Xu was practicing his boxing. His movements were peculiar. He took his daily regimen very seriously, shouting out with each punch.

"Tiger Descends the Mountain!"

"Eagle Spreads its Wings!"

"Chick Pecks Rice!"

"Rabid Wild Dog!"

"Woof woof woof..."

Physician Xu's dramatic performance made it seem as if he had created some profound martial art.

"Physician Xu..."

Han Xiao Xiao, feeling perfectly content, left Lin Fan's room and headed back to her own. She wanted to lie in bed, hug her blanket, and roll around blissfully. This was a beautiful beginning, and things would only get better from here on out.

Seeing her, Physician Xu stopped his exercises and smiled. "Young Miss Xiao Xiao, the medicine I prescribed for you worked quite well, didn't it?"

As a physician, the most rewarding thing was a patient's approval. He was a brilliant medical prodigy who not only studied the techniques of his predecessors but also developed new medicines himself.

Han Xiao Xiao said, "The medicine was very effective. It's just that after taking it, my head felt heavy, and I didn't feel anything. I heard others say that after taking these medicines, you should still have some awareness."

"You didn't take all the medicine I prescribed, did you?" Physician Xu asked.

He had taken it himself. As long as one was careful with the dosage, there would definitely not be the situation Han Xiao Xiao described. If such a situation did occur, there was only one possibility.

Han Xiao Xiao said, "I was afraid the medicine wouldn't be effective, so I took it all."

"No wonder," Physician Xu said, his expression revealing sudden understanding. "Taking such a large dose will definitely cause these problems. Fortunately, you took the medicine I recently developed. Even if you overdose, there won't be any problems. It can even enhance the calming and sleep-inducing effects. You slept soundly last night, right? Your complexion certainly suggests so."

Physician Xu was very pleased.

This clearly demonstrated that his medical skills were effective.

Han Xiao Xiao still hadn't grasped the crux of the matter.

She giggled.

But soon,

Her smile faded, and her expression gradually froze.

"Physician Xu, what kind of medicine did you just say it was?"

"Sleeping medicine."

"Ah?"

"It's sleeping medicine, for calming the mind and inducing sleep. I saw that your complexion wasn't very good yesterday, and I could tell you were having trouble sleeping, so I prescribed my newly developed sleeping medicine. It worked well, didn't it?"

Han Xiao Xiao's expression became one of despair. That's right, she thought, it's impossible that I didn't feel anything. Nothing must have happened. It must be because I took the medicine and fell asleep.

Her good mood suddenly changed.

Sunshine turned to gloom.

Dark clouds gathered over her heart.

"Young Miss Xiao Xiao, what's wrong?" Physician Xu hurriedly asked, feeling that something was amiss with her.

Han Xiao Xiao stamped her foot, raised her head, and left with a whimper, wanting to cry but unable to shed any tears.

Physician Xu scratched his head, puzzled. He couldn't understand Han Xiao Xiao's behavior. What was going on? Why had she suddenly become like this? Had he done something wrong?

In her room, Han Xiao Xiao lay on the table, wanting to cry, wanting to die. She had mustered up the courage to do this, but she never expected it to turn out this way.

"He still calls himself a divine physician, saying he's diagnosed my problem. Liar, they're all liars."

Xiao Xiao whimpered, heartbroken. Whoever hurt our Xiao Xiao like this must be a huge scoundrel.

Knock, knock!

A knock came at the door.

Han Yan stood outside. "Sister, are you there?"

Hearing her sister's voice, Han Xiao Xiao quickly composed herself, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Yes, Sister, come in."

She couldn't show any sign of distress in front of her sister.

When her sister entered,

She noticed that her sister's expression was a bit off, as if she had something on her mind.

She felt inexplicably panicked.

Could she have been discovered?

"You didn't leave his room last night?" Han Yan asked directly.

Han Xiao Xiao's heart skipped a beat. As she had suspected, her sister knew.

Her sister's purpose in coming here must be that she was unwilling to accept it and wanted to know the truth. Han Xiao Xiao's mind raced. She absolutely couldn't back down. If she was suppressed by her sister's aura, all her efforts would be in vain.

Han Xiao Xiao lifted her chin and puffed out her chest, displaying her own strength. "Yes, I spent the night in Brother Lin's room."

Hearing it from someone else and hearing it from her sister's own mouth were two different experiences.

Thud!

Han Yan swayed, supporting herself on the table with one hand, her eyes wide. "Sister, you..."

Seeing her sister's heartbroken look,

She felt truly awful.

"Sister, I'm sorry," Han Xiao Xiao murmured, lowering her head. But I won't back down on this matter, even if you are my sister.

Han Yan shook her head. "You... you."

She didn't know what to say to her sister anymore.

"Did everything happen?" Han Yan asked.

Han Xiao Xiao said, "Yes."

Although nothing had happened, Han Xiao Xiao wouldn't admit it. She had to let her sister know that she was ultimately a step too late. Sometimes, taking the initiative to let go was the right thing to do.

Han Yan gritted her teeth. That damned Lin Fan, you finally made your move on my sister. I offered myself to you, and you didn't even look, but you've been thinking about my sister all along. She clenched her fists, a dangerous thought forming in her mind.

She felt that Lin Fan would definitely make a move on her.

Because he had already conquered her sister, and the next target would definitely be her, the older sister.

The two sisters?

Don't even dream about it.

Han Yan had already made up her mind. She had to keep a close eye on her sister and absolutely not let her continue down this path. She had been preparing for this, to stay by her sister's side, even sleeping together at night.

Han Xiao Xiao saw her sister lost in thought, perhaps heartbroken. "Sister, it's already happened. You have to let it go."

"Sister, you..." Han Yan shook her head. You've already let it go. Even if I, as your older sister, am angry, what use is it? What else is there to not let go of?

Several months later.

The Lin residence remained as usual.

Han Xiao Xiao, however, was quite distressed. Ever since she had pretended in front of her sister that everything that should have happened had happened, her sister had kept a close watch on her.

Every night, they slept in the same room.

This made her feel like she was brimming with energy but had nowhere to release it. It was so frustrating, so agonizing.

Imperial Palace!

The Emperor's cultivation had reached a bottleneck. Five Elements Unification was difficult to achieve, as if some invisible obstacle was blocking him.

His urgent desire for Five Elements Unification wasn't solely driven by revenge, but also by the need to eliminate any threats within the empire.

He left his palace

and headed towards the depths of the Imperial Palace.

Soon,

He arrived at the place where the Five Elements Ancestors cultivated. Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from within.

"Your Majesty, enter."

The night was dark, and everything felt oppressive. Dark clouds pressed down on the empire. As Elder Jin's voice faded, a purple lightning bolt split the sky, tearing through the dark clouds.

The Emperor pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

The five ancestors sat cross-legged on the platform. As the Emperor entered, they slowly opened their eyes. The passage of time, instead of strengthening their auras, seemed to have weakened them.

"Your Majesty is truly a prodigy in cultivating the Five Elements Secret Art. We are content to have passed on such a profound art to you," Elder Jin said with a smile, full of satisfaction.

"The Five Elements Secret Art is vast and profound, and extremely difficult to cultivate. One may not achieve Five Elements Unification even in a lifetime," the Emperor said slowly.

Elder Jin stroked his white beard and said slowly, "Your Majesty speaks the truth. Five Elements Unification requires profound true essence. Achieving it through one's own power is indeed as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Your Majesty, there is no need for further words. We are aware of your intentions. The spiritual medicine you sent us a year ago contained a slow-acting poison. We are aware of this."

"Of course, Your Majesty need not worry. We were willing to help you and naturally made preparations for this. To be able to cultivate a peerless prodigy who has achieved Five Elements Unification from our hands, we are content."

The Emperor looked at the five ancestors in shock. "You all knew?"

"Naturally, we knew. If we couldn't even see through such a simple trick, the five of us wouldn't have lived to this age," Elder Jin said with a smile.

From the moment they first saw the Emperor, they had recognized his ambition and his willingness to use any means to achieve his goals. They were training a lion, a dragon, that would turn on them once it matured.

The Emperor looked at the five ancestors and bowed. "Elders, I had no choice."

Elder Jin smiled and waved his hand. "We five are nearing the end of our lifespans. Keeping our cultivation to ourselves would be a waste. Your Majesty was cultivated by us and is already like our disciple."

"Could Your Majesty call us 'Master' and fulfill our wish?"

Hearing these words,

The Emperor knelt down. "Disciple greets Masters. Please grant your disciple's request."

As soon as he finished speaking,

The Emperor kowtowed to each of the five ancestors.

"Hahaha..." Elder Jin laughed heartily. "Good. Your Majesty, please focus your mind on your dantian and circulate the Five Elements Secret Art."

Immediately,

The five ancestors extended their palms towards the Emperor from a distance. Five different colored true essences surged forth, representing the most profound true essence they had cultivated throughout their lives.

"Brothers, it is difficult for His Majesty to achieve Five Elements Unification with his own power alone. Let us help His Majesty condense Five Elements Talismans, embed them within his body, and form a cycle. This will not be in vain for our efforts."

"Agreed."

Suddenly,

Five profound true essences filled the room.

At the same time, these five true essences began to rotate faster and faster, gradually forming five talismans, representing metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. As the Five Elements Ancestors released their true essence, their already aged faces became even more withered, their skin like the surface of dry wood, and their bodies deflated like punctured balls, shrinking by half.

"Your Majesty, succeed."