Chapter 9: A Web of Mystery

Lin Wanqing and Zhao Xuan stood in the abandoned estate, the letter signed "Xiao Yuanshan" in her hand tightening her brow. Scanning it with her heavenly eye, she saw the dark mist was denser than ever, laced with an eerie red glow. "This Xiao Yuanshan is no ordinary man," she thought.

"General Zhao, have you heard of Xiao Yuanshan?" she asked, turning to him.

Zhao Xuan frowned, pondering, then shook his head. "No such name in court. Perhaps an alias. But for Xue'er to seek him out, he must wield power."

Lin Wanqing nodded. "Whoever he is, I need to uncover his identity—or neither the Lin family nor your household will know peace."

Zhao Xuan's gaze hardened. "I'll have men scour the southern city. You hold the fort at the clinic—I'll inform you of any leads."

Back at the Mercy Clinic, Lin Wanqing outwardly refined her "Longevity Pills" while secretly dissecting Xiao Yuanshan's clues. She pored over The Lin Family's Heart Method, seeking ties to the red glow. On the final page, she found a cryptic note: "Red light marks blood qi, tied to slaughter and ambition. At its peak, it can control minds."

"Control minds?" Lin Wanqing gasped. If Xiao Yuanshan wielded such power, he dwarfed Zhang Hongtu's threat.

She set to work crafting a countermeasure. Blending modern neurology with the manual's meridian theories, she developed "Mind-Clearing Powder" to resist mental manipulation. Using ambergris, borneol, and mint, she produced a batch and tested it herself. After ingestion, her mind sharpened, her qi flowing smoother.

"If Xiao Yuanshan can control minds, this might help," she murmured.

Meanwhile, Lin Xue'er fled to a hidden cave in the southern city, kneeling before a figure in black robes. Her voice quivered. "Master Xiao, Zhang Hongtu failed—Lin Wanqing and Zhao Xuan caught him."

The figure turned, revealing a pale face, his eyes glinting crimson. "Useless," he said coldly. "Zhang was a pawn—his loss means little. But you've yet to bring me the manual?"

Xue'er bowed lower. "I tried, but Lin Wanqing's too cunning…"

Xiao Yuanshan sneered. "Cunning? Then let her taste true fear. I'll handle this myself."

Xue'er blinked. "You'll go to the Lin estate?"

His eyes narrowed. "No. I'll strike at what she holds dear."

The clinic buzzed with patients, Lin Wanqing's "miracle doctor" fame spreading citywide. One day, as she treated a man's leg ailment with acupuncture, Xiao Cui burst in, panicked. "Miss, it's bad! Old Master Lin's collapsed!"

Lin Wanqing's heart sank. Dropping her needles, she raced to the Lin estate. In his room, Old Master Lin lay pale and frail, a strange red glow on his forehead.

"Grandfather!" She rushed to him, checking his pulse—chaotic, as if tampered by an outside force. Her heavenly eye revealed dark mist laced with vivid red, identical to Xiao Yuanshan's letter.

"Xiao Yuanshan!" she gritted her teeth, feeding him "Mind-Clearing Powder" and piercing his Shenting acupoint with a needle to dispel the red glow.

After half an incense stick, Old Master Lin stirred, his voice weak. "Wanqing… I dreamed someone tried to kill me…"

She clasped his hand. "You're safe now, Grandfather. I'll find who's behind this."

That night, she told Zhao Xuan. His face grew stern. "If this red glow is Xiao Yuanshan's doing, he's more dangerous than we thought."

Lin Wanqing nodded. "He attacked Grandfather to force me to surrender the manual. I need to strike first."

Zhao Xuan's voice was firm. "I'll go with you to the southern city—find his lair."

They returned to the abandoned estate, but it was empty, littered only with broken vials. Lin Wanqing picked one up, her heavenly eye detecting faint red traces.

"He's moved," she said, frowning. "But these vials suggest he's crafting something."

Zhao Xuan gripped his sword. "Wherever he is, I'll drag him out."

The next day, an anonymous letter arrived at the clinic: "Hand over the manual, or no Lin will survive." Signed, Xiao Yuanshan.

Lin Wanqing smirked, burning the note. The battle had reached a boiling point. She'd use the manual as bait to lure him out.

(End of Chapter)