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Bacteria? Antibiotics?

Xie Shiyuan was utterly baffled. He recognized every word she spoke, yet strung together, they made no sense to him.

Where did this little girl get the audacity to **push** him toward the stone bed?

Her strength was laughable, yet he played along, reclining onto the bed just to see what she was up to.

Qin Shu grabbed the tip of his tail and **tried to pull it up onto the bed**.

Xie Shiyuan instantly stiffened.

The warmth of her touch was unbearable.

His tail instinctively flicked her hand away, coiling into a tight spiral, tucking the tip **deep within the coils**—far from her reach.

Qin Shu stared at the knotted-up tail, utterly helpless.

She sighed and turned to glare at him.

"If you want me to heal you, you **have** to show me the wound!"

Xie Shiyuan met her clear gaze, as if trying to peer into her soul, searching for any trace of ill intent.

A long silence.

Qin Shu's eyes began to sting from the staring contest when he finally looked away. His tail slowly uncoiled, revealing the wound.

She frowned the moment she saw it.

"The injury was already healing before. Why does it look worse now?"

Last time he left, the wound had closed. The scales hadn't grown back, but at least it wasn't bleeding.

Then she remembered—he had fought that demonic beast at Wangxu Valley.

Did his wounds **reopen** during the battle?

"Scraped it while walking," Xie Shiyuan said lightly.

Qin Shu: **"???"**

Did she look like an idiot?

Demonic beasts had bodies as tough as steel. Even a sword strike might not cut them—**but he scraped himself while walking?**

She sniffed the air.

Blood, mixed with a faint burnt scent.

Without another word, she gathered **wood-elemental energy** in her palms, covering his wound in a healing glow.

But then—

A sharp, electric shock ran through her fingertips.

Tiny arcs of lightning crackled along his tail, numbing her hands.

She gritted her teeth and poured in more spiritual energy until the tingling became unbearable, forcing her to stop.

"Why is there **lightning** in your body?" she demanded.

Xie Shiyuan arched a brow.

"Is that any of your business?"

"Of course it is! A healer needs to **observe, question, and diagnose**. How else can I treat you properly?"

As she spoke, she pulled out a bottle of **wound powder** from her storage jade and sprinkled it over his injuries.

Xie Shiyuan watched her, amused. He doubted the medicine would help, but he didn't stop her either.

"Those are scars left by **heaven's punishment**—traces of **tribulation lightning**."

Qin Shu's eyes widened.

"You were injured... by lightning tribulation?"

He leaned lazily against the bed, half-closing his eyes.

"Hmm."

He had expected her to **piece it together** by now.

Would she finally realize his true identity? Would she run to tell Lingxu Zhenren?

But then—

Qin Shu's eyes **lit up** with excitement.

"Wait, can lightning tribulation be used for **body training**?!"

Xie Shiyuan: **"???"**

For the first time in centuries, he was speechless.

Wasn't **lightning tribulation** something all cultivators feared?

Who in their right mind would **willingly** use it for training?!

He rubbed his temples. "No sane person cultivates with tribulation lightning."

Qin Shu, oblivious to his disbelief, carefully **wrapped** his tail with a **pink silk ribbon**, securing it with a **neat little bow**.

Xie Shiyuan: **"..."**

His tail twitched slightly, withdrawing further **under the covers**.

She didn't notice and continued with her argument. "Look, the areas where lightning struck are **clearly** firmer than the rest."

To prove her point, she **poked** his uninjured tail.

Xie Shiyuan nearly **jumped out of his skin**.

The scales bristled, and the tail **retreated** even further, pressing tightly against the bed.

Qin Shu pouted at the missed opportunity.

"Has anyone ever tried using lightning tribulation for body training?" she asked.

"Maybe someone with a **lightning spiritual root**—but certainly **not you**," Xie Shiyuan dismissed.

Qin Shu, however, **wasn't convinced**.

What did a snake **know** about human cultivation?

She'd check the **sect archives** later.

"I'll find a way to **extract** the tribulation energy from your body," she offered.

She figured **earning some favor** from him would keep him from reclaiming those spirit stones.

But Xie Shiyuan waved her off.

"No need. I'll refine the energy myself soon enough."

That single sentence opened **a whole new world** for Qin Shu.

"Wait—you can **refine** tribulation energy?"

Could **she** do the same in the future?

She **mentally noted** this for later research.

After leaving the cave, she settled onto her meditation mat and retrieved the **body training manual** he had given her.

After reading the contents, she **fell silent**.

...Was this a **joke**?

Back in the modern world, she **barely walked anywhere**, let alone exercised.

Now this manual was telling her to **carry weights and sprint 30 miles** daily?

Then—while **exhausted beyond reason**—soak in a medicinal bath?

The herbs listed were easy enough to obtain through sect contributions, but...

She glanced down at her **tiny arms and legs**.

Yeah... If she followed this routine **immediately**, she'd **cripple herself**.

"One step at a time," she muttered.

She first **exchanged** her contribution points for the necessary medicinal herbs, then **bartered** with the outer sect kitchen elders for a **large iron cauldron** using **superior-grade pills**.

Once the water was boiling, she secured her **hair**, inhaled deeply, and took off **running down the mountain**.

Today, she'd **start small**—just **three** laps up and down.

By the time she dragged herself back up, **drenched in sweat**, her hair was loose, sticking to her face.

Even with spiritual energy tempering her body, the workout was **brutal**.

She quickly set up a **wooden tub**, poured in the **boiling medicinal broth**, cooled it slightly, and then—

**SPLASH!**

She **collapsed** into the bath, sending water everywhere.