Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1342 – Yuan Su Stayed Behind, Who Changed?

Meeting Yuan Su here made Qing Shui especially surprised. Back then, there was a hint of romantic feeling between them. It was because he had seen her fully naked body when he was treating her. However, this lady then taken the initiative and asked him for a favor. When Qing Shui saw her, he easily recalled.

“Can we not ever see each other again in the future?” Yuan Su hesitated for a moment before she had said that. She wasn’t looking at Qing Shui but was looking at some other place.

“I understand. Let’s head back!”

“I really don’t have any other choice. I hope to forget about that matter. Otherwise, I won’t be able to attain a breakthrough in my cultivation. When I see you, I’ll think about what happened that day. I wish to forget about it,” Yuan Su sighed and said.

“Don’t feel burdened. I understand. I’ll be returning to the Greencloud Continent in a few days time. I don’t know when the next time I’ll be coming to the Central Continent is but I won’t come to the Seven Stars Country in the future.”

This was what Qing Shui had said when they parted ways. Back then, he had also treated Yuan Su as someone in his life’s journey whom he was thankful to. He might also be the same kind of existence to her. However, they were also passersby in each other’s lives.

They had both gained a lot from each other but it was a pity that this parting went on for over ten years. If it wasn’t because they had met again today, Qing Shui would definitely have forgotten about her. However, he hadn’t expected for them to miraculously meet each other today. It really could be said to be a miracle.

It was already very hard for people to be able to pass by each other in such a vast world. If they could pass by each other and sparks were to grow between them, it would be good fortune that had taken them over 1,000 years to cultivate. For them to be able to meet made Qing Shui feel that the world was really very small. However, the truth was that the world was terrifyingly big and boundless. To think that they would still be able to meet under such a situation. This was when the chances of them being able to encounter each other in the same city was already close to zero.

“I’d never have expected that I’d be able to meet Miss Yuan here,” Qing Shui regained to his senses and said, smiling. His tone was both surprised and warm but yet he was being very polite.

“Hello. I hadn’t expected this either. I didn’t know that the Imperial Cuisine Hall was yours,” although Yuan Su was surprised, she still smiled and said.

The moment she saw Qing Shui, what she felt was both surprise and a kind of other feeling. All these years, she didn’t know if she could forget about Qing Shui. Maybe it’ll all pass if they continue to not meet each other. She had also not expected that she would meet Qing Shui here.

“The Imperial Cuisine Hall doesn’t just belong to a person alone. Both myself and Elder Brother each only take up 10% of its ownership,” Qing Shui smiled and corrected her.

“I apologize. I wish to join the Imperial Cuisine Hall. May I know if there are any conditions?” Yuan Su knew that she had said something wrong and thus she decided to get straight to the point.

“The condition is very simple. The most important thing to a physician is one’s character, then followed by medical skills. Neither of these can be absent.”

Qing Shui’s words caused Yuan Su to be stunned. She thought of what that had happened between Qing Shui and herself. She didn’t know if Qing Shui was commenting on her character. Was the problem between them something that related to character?

Or was it a personal feud?

However, she soon felt a bit of a guilty conscience. She didn’t know why. It was as if she had done something wrong to him. Back then, was she considered to have burned the bridge after crossing it?

Yuan Su looked at Qing Shui calmly, “Then how can we know if there’re any problems with my character?”

“The consultation hours will begin soon. The three of us will go together. Does Miss Yuan have a problem with that?”

Physicians were faced with many different problems, such as metrorrhagia and infected ulcers. The symptoms of many types of medical issues were especially disgusting. Therefore, this was when a physician’s character would be brought into play. After all, when encountered with such a situation, many physicians would just toss a bottle of medicine in the patient’s direction and get them to apply it themselves. They might not even take a closer assessment of the type of ulcers the patients had.

Qing Shui wasn’t just being a physician who treated the rich and powerful. Right now, his reputation was closely associated to the free medical consultation the Imperial Cuisine Hall provided. Although many people despised the poor and loved the rich, most people’s true natures would still be to pity the weak. At least, from the third party’s point of view, they would still pity the weak.

Another thing was the power of conviction. Qing Shui didn’t care if it was true but there was a cause and a result to everything. Many people were grateful to him. If they had more descendants and one of them ended up to be someone with great abilities, it would be beneficial to him. This was a way of repayment as well. Kindness would be repaid with kindness and evil-doers would end up in a bad plight eventually. This was all karma.

“Alright. I’ve no problems with that,” Yuan Su smiled and said.

“So the two of you know each other. That makes things easier. The two of you chat first. I’ll go take a look at Li Ji,” Soulsearch said and left.

Qing Shui nodded before he got Yuan Su to take a seat. “We’re considered acquaintances. Let me treat you to a meal to welcome you.”

Very soon, someone brought up some dishes. Qing Shui took out a vat of Plum Blossom Wine. He wasn’t a petty person to still be hating her. Back then, he didn’t fall in love with her either. Moreover, she had also been a great help to him. If it wasn’t for her back when he was in the Central Continent, the consequences would have been inconceivable.

Therefore, deep in his heart, he was still grateful toward her. It was just that he felt a bit of discomfort with the situation back then. After so many years had passed, everything had dissipated with the wind.

“Thank you!”

Yuan Su smiled and sat down opposite Qing Shui. Qing Shui still needed to ask her some questions. He was also curious about how she got to this place.

“I’m really curious to know why I’d meet you here.” Qing Shui poured her a cup of wine.

“I’m curious to find out too.” Yuan Su smiled and looked at him.

“I’m here to look for someone and it just so happened that there was an item which could bring me here. It’s a pity that it can only bring me alone.” Qing Shui didn’t hide anything.

“There’s a restricted area in the Medicine Sect. I stumbled across it unknowingly and found myself here, unable to get back. I can only rely on the little medical skills I have for a living. It’s going to be two years soon.” When Yuan Su brought this up, there was a slightly bitter expression on her face.

Qing Shui had initially thought that some great master had brought her here but hadn’t expected that she would be so unlucky. It must have been hard for her to be living here alone for two years. Thankfully, she was no longer the weak and feeble lady she was when they had first met. Right now, she was already a Peak Martial Saint expert. Moreover, she had great knowledge in medicinal herbs and could come up with her own alchemy recipes. Therefore, as long as she could pull off an accurate assessment of the ailments, she would be able to hold her own.

The ability of the Meridians Knocking Soul Pulling technique was very powerful but that was Soulsearch’s ultimate skill. His contact with Yuan Su hadn’t been short. Although there was a hint of unpleasantness between them in the end, he knew that she was a good person. If it wasn’t because of some other reason, she wouldn’t have done what she did. Qing Shui wasn’t sure what the reason was but it shouldn’t be something concerning a breakthrough in her martial arts.

“You can pick a room here. In the future, you can stay here!”

The fifth story was very big and although it seemed to be a room, it was one which included the living hall, bedroom, kitchen, study and others.

“Mmm. When I saw you earlier, that moment felt very dramatic.” Yuan Su looked at Qing Shui and said something which he couldn’t really understand.

“I don’t understand!”

“You do. Back then when I parted with you in that manner, were you angry?” Yuan Su looked at Qing Shui seriously.

“Why would I be?”

“You don’t hate me for treating you like that? You’ve helped me so much but yet I treated you in that manner.”

“It’s already been so long. If I was still bothered by it, don’t you think that it’d be a problem?” Qing Shui smiled and said.

There would only be hatred if there was love. Without love, there wouldn’t be hatred. The stronger the love, the deeper the hatred. Without love, there would be no hatred.

“The reason I did that back then was so that I wouldn’t have to meet you ever. However, fate seems to have played a huge joke on us. To think that after so many detours, we’re back to square one.” Yuan Su picked up the wine cup and took a sip.

“Your wine is still as delicious as ever!”

“Why weren’t you willing to see me?” Qing Shui couldn’t understand.

“Would you believe it if I were to say that I did that back then for fear that I would like you? Therefore, I told you that we should never meet again.” Yuan Su smiled as she looked at Qing Shui. Right now, she seemed to have been better able to accept this.

Qing Shui didn’t say anything. He had thought of similar things back then. If this lady were to become his woman, she could come up with her own alchemy recipes and with his powerful abilities in alchemy, they would be a great match if they were to work together. However, he hadn’t expected for them to be unable to become even friends.

“Right now, I don’t even know if I should stay,” Yuan Su then said again.

“It’s already been so many years. Things are no longer the same as before. You should let go of the things which you should let go of!” Qing Shui looked at Yuan Su.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ve already let go of them. Do you think that I should leave?” Yuan Su asked seriously.

“No need to leave. You’ll become a member of this place. When the time comes, you’ll have 10% ownership of this place. I might be leaving after a while but this place will still need your help. In the future, you’ll be able to rely on your own abilities to travel across the nine continents. Don’t you wish to go home? You won’t be able to return with your current cultivation level. At least, if you were to stay in the Imperial Cuisine Hall, no one would dare to bully you,” Qing Shui smiled and said.

“You’re going to leave?”

“I will leave but it’ll probably still be some time still. I still need to look for someone. However, the Imperial Cuisine Hall will continue to exist. It might even expand out to all nine continents. Back then, I had set up a blacksmith store in the Western Oxhe Continent. It was a pity that the effect there wasn’t as good as this place, primarily because there wasn’t anyone suitable to take over. Things are different now. Elder Brother Soulsearch now has the ability to run it by himself. You should be able to do the same too.”

“I don’t have a lot of confidence,” Yuan Su said, hesitant.

“Don’t worry. I know what you excel in. Brother Soulsearch has a set of great medical skill for taking the pulse. After you learn it, you won’t have any problems.”

“You’re still going to help me? Aren’t you afraid that when the time comes, I’ll leave again?” Yuan Su realized that she was still a little guilt stricken.

“It’s a blissful thing to be able to meet an acquaintance in a foreign land. Even if you’re someone who’s bad, I’ll still help you. Moreover, you aren’t considered to be bad,” Qing Shui smiled and said.

“Qing Shui, I’m curious. What kind of person do you see me as?”

“I don’t know. A bad person to one could be a good person to another.”

“I’d like to know what kind of person you see me as.”

“You’re an intelligent lady. You might be rational and maybe emotional. And I know that you’re a kind-hearted person.”

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome! I’ll go call for Brother Soulsearch so that you can get to know him. This Imperial Cuisine Hall was his to begin with but after I came, it was split into ten parts of ownership. In the future, there will be ten people who will co-own the Imperial Cuisine Hall. Therefore, you should keep a lookout to see if there are suitable people as well.” Qing Shui smiled and stood up.

Right now, Yuan Su felt as if all sorts of feelings were running amok in her heart. She didn’t know what she was feeling right now. He had changed. He hadn’t changed. Was she the one who had changed? She didn’t change either.

Time was the one that had changed!