Chapter 93: Do You Recognize Her?

Chapter 93: Do You Recognize Her?

"Does this mean you refined this medicine?" Ye Qianshan asked, his voice steady and commanding as he looked down at the man before him.

"Yes," Master Liu replied, doing his best to suppress the excitement on his face. "It was indeed refined by my subordinates."

Ye Qianshan leaned back in his seat, tapping the handrail with the fingers of his right hand. His dark golden mask concealed his expression, leaving no trace of emotion or anger visible.

"Who gave you the formula for this liquid medicine?" he asked, his tone sharp and piercing.

Beneath the mask, Ye Qianshan's mind raced. The formula for Luo Qingtong's medicinal solution unmistakably originated from his sacred healing elixir. How could he not recognize it? Though Luo Qingtong had improved the formula, she had only utilized a fraction of the medicinal properties.

But Ye Qianshan had relied on the sacred healing elixir for so long that its essence was etched into his very being. The familiar scent of the liquid in the bottle made him suspicious—this solution had to be connected to her.

The image of Luo Qingtong's face surfaced in his mind. Though the exact details of her features eluded him, he vividly recalled her cunning, mischievous expression. His eyes narrowed slightly.

If it really were that woman, it wouldn't be surprising that she could decipher his sacred healing elixir formula at a glance and use only parts of it to craft her own medicine. Ye Qianshan recalled all the peculiarities surrounding Luo Qingtong during her time in Jiuwu Mountain. Could she not only be a weapon refiner and a spiritual formation master but also a pharmacist? How many more talents did she possess?

"Lord?" Master Liu's voice quivered as he tried to make sense of the Lord's sudden interrogation.

Why was the Lord asking about the formula? Could it be that his secret—switching the medicinal solution—had been discovered?

No, impossible! How could the Lord possibly know about such a small detail?

Master Liu struggled to maintain his composure. His voice trembled as he replied, "Lord, I... I don't know what you mean. I refined this medicine myself, and the formula for the liquid is also—"

"You couldn't have made this medicine," Ye Qianshan interrupted him coldly. "You don't have the skill to create this liquid formula. There's no point in hiding it. Just tell me who gave it to you."

Master Liu froze. While Ye Qianshan didn't know he had replaced the medicine, the Lord was clearly certain that the formula did not originate from him. And Ye Qianshan was right—the sacred healing elixir formula was not something an ordinary pharmacist could conceive of.

Even if someone could somehow obtain the formula, they would still lack the ability to prepare the medicine. Only those at the pinnacle of the pharmacological arts—the so-called Extreme State—could possibly refine it. And even then, achieving such a feat required mastery beyond what most could hope to achieve. Only someone like Tian Yaoshi might have the faintest chance.

"Lord..." Master Liu stammered, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as Ye Qianshan's intense gaze bore into him.

The realization struck Master Liu like a lightning bolt: the Lord wasn't aware of the switched medicine. Instead, Ye Qianshan believed the formula had been gifted to him by someone else. But why was the Lord so convinced? Was he looking for the person who originally devised this medicinal solution?

Panic surged through Master Liu. He couldn't possibly tell the truth. What could he say? That the person the Lord sought had been forced to leave because he, Master Liu, had swapped out the medicine? That he had wronged this person, and Ye Qianshan should abandon the search?

Ridiculous. Unthinkable.

Sweat poured down Master Liu's face as he frantically searched for a way to extricate himself. There was no way he could admit the truth. If the Lord ever discovered the black-robed figure, Master Liu's fate would be sealed.

Regret welled up in him like a tide. If only he had known the Lord would recognize the discrepancy immediately, he would never have meddled with the medicine. If he had introduced the black-robed figure to the Lord, he might even have received a great reward.

Now, all he felt was despair.

As he scrambled for an excuse, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his hand.

"Ah!" Master Liu screamed, his voice piercing the silence.