About half an hour later, Jiang Chen gently released Madame Yun's hand. Having been tormented by illness and injury for so many years, her palm had grown somewhat withered, stripped of its natural luster.
"How is it, brother?" The Peerless Emperor asked the moment he saw Jiang Chen stop taking her pulse, his face tight with worry. He looked nothing like a great emperor — more like some nervous young lad.
"Elder brother, the situation is rather complicated. Treating her will require sustained effort over a long period. My recommendation is to have Madame Yun take some pills first — let their medicinal potency restore some vitality and get her blood, qi, and meridians flowing again. As long as we can elevate her life energy, I'm confident there's a way to bring her back to full health. However… we may need to go to the Glazed Royal City for that."
The Peerless Emperor's face broke into a wide grin at these words. "No problem at all! As long as you can cure your sister-in-law, I wouldn't balk at climbing mountains of blades or plunging into seas of fire. Besides, the Glazed Royal City has been calling to me for ages. Haha — going there couldn't suit me better!"
"A-Yun, did you hear that? I told you this brother of mine could help. In all our human territories, if anyone can save you, it has to be him. I haven't even properly introduced him yet. Our brother here, he—" The Peerless Emperor was about to continue when he spotted Madame Qing standing in the doorway, looking as though she wanted to enter but hadn't yet. "Sister Qing, what are you doing standing outside? Come in — there are no strangers here."
A faint flush of embarrassment appeared on Madame Qing's fair complexion. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.
"Brother, there are no outsiders here, so I won't keep up appearances. This is your sister-in-law, and Sister Qing is her close friend — practically family."
The Peerless Emperor looked thoroughly delighted, then addressed both Madame Yun and Madame Qing. "This brother of mine is quite well-known. He's the young master of Peacock Holy Mountain in the Glazed Royal City. You can call him Brother Zhen."
Though excited, the Peerless Emperor did not let slip Jiang Chen's true identity — there was simply no need to reveal it yet.
"The young master of Peacock Holy Mountain?" A flicker of surprise crossed Madame Yun's face. "Mo-ge, is this the Young Master Zhen you're always talking about? The young man who defeated Pill King Ji Lang?"
"Hehe, the very same!" The Peerless Emperor threw back his head and laughed. "A-Yun, isn't this fate itself at work? I was just saying I'd find a chance to visit him in the Glazed Royal City, and wouldn't you know it — I'd barely arrived in Pillfire City before I ran into him and we became sworn brothers. That's what you call destiny!"
Although a hint of surprise showed on Madame Qing's face, her expression quickly smoothed back into calm, leaving only a faint smile on her lips.
The smile looked warm enough, yet carried a thread of wistful melancholy.
"Sister Qing, my brother and I may have to impose on your hospitality for a few more days. Haha, once your sister-in-law has recovered a bit, we'll head for the Glazed Royal City. We've been troubling you for so long now…"
"Brother Mo, we're all family here — why talk so formally?" Madame Qing sighed softly. "Please, stay. I'm on my own, and it gets so quiet. In fact, I wish you'd both stay here every day and never leave."
"Haha, that would be too much of an imposition," the Peerless Emperor laughed.
"Brother Mo, Sister Yun, please rest up. I'll go make some arrangements. The lodgings here are a bit humble — I hope Brother Zhen won't find them beneath him."
With that, Madame Qing gave Jiang Chen a graceful curtsy.
Jiang Chen smiled mildly. "Madame Qing is too kind."
Watching Madame Qing's graceful figure withdraw, Jiang Chen found himself deep in thought. For reasons he couldn't quite name, this Madame Qing always gave him an inscrutable impression.
He sensed no ill will from her — not really. Yet the things she had said to him earlier, outside, had seemed somewhat over the line.
This was a woman who clearly cared deeply for Madame Yun. She was warm and welcoming toward Brother Mo. She bore even him, a stranger, no obvious malice.
So why had she said those things?
Jiang Chen turned the question over and over in his mind but found no answer. He kept it to himself, though. After all, Madame Qing and Madame Yun were dear friends — practically sisters. If he spoke up about his suspicions, he might drive a wedge between them, and that would make him nothing but a meddlesome fool.
"Brother Mo, let me have Madame Yun take the Pine Crane Pill first. Its medicinal properties are gentle — she can absorb it slowly, and there shouldn't be any adverse effects."
After giving his instructions, Jiang Chen stepped out of the room and made his way toward the outer area.
Madame Qing's residence was not large, but it was refined and secluded — a pocket of tranquility amid the bustle, perfect for quiet living.
When Jiang Chen emerged, Madame Qing's gaze held a brief, complex flicker. But she said nothing more about it, only remarking, "Brother Zhen, the accommodations are rather modest. I hope you won't think us lacking in hospitality."
Jiang Chen gave a light laugh. "We cultivators — since when do we fuss over such things?"
Madame Qing dipped her head in a quiet nod and said nothing further.
Jiang Chen wandered around the courtyard for a while but found it dull. In the end, he left the grounds and strolled outside Frost Moon City.
In a foreign land, his thoughts weighed heavy on him.
He didn't rush to gather information about the Moon Worship Sect, either. After all, having just arrived, if he rashly started asking around about the Moon Worship Sect, it would be all too easy to attract unwanted attention. He had no desire to stir up trouble the moment he set foot here. The investigation would have to proceed carefully, one step at a time.