Jianyang Prefecture, medical hall.

Between two clean beds, Meng Xiuwen's face was pale, even his lips were devoid of color.

This once strongest Demon Slayer Officer in the Great Nan Continent now appeared to be on his last breath, his usually lively personality significantly constrained.

But compared to the figure on the other bed, his condition was already considerably better.

The youth was covered in gashes, with white scales emerging on his face, barely able to maintain human form. Even with a girl wiping continuously with a towel beside him, tears included, the blood plasma seeping from between the scales could not be wiped clean no matter what.

His eyes were wide open, staring blankly above, like a lamp running out of oil, a candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.

"Where's the Elixir?!"

Meng Xiuwen watched Zi Xian struggling to suppress her sobs, couldn't help but look outside, and roared hoarsely.

Two officers quickly entered, lightly saying, "The rain-praying envoy is severely injured; the necessary Elixir needs to be sourced from the Imperial Capital, and the Government Office is already urging for it."

"Urge, urge, urge! By the time you've urged it here, he'll be long dead!"

Meng Xiuwen gritted his teeth. Although the rain-praying envoy belongs to one of the Eight Divisions, clearly it can't compare with the Demon Slayer Bureau. To have the Government Office seek the Elixir from the Imperial Capital was already a favor considering that Zi Yang got injured while blocking a demon.

The two officers helplessly bowed their heads and slowly stepped out.

"You, what's with you? Even if you come from a remote and poor region, not recognizing a Taiyi Immortal, what, has your brain gone bad? You were just summoning rain, when sensing danger why not hide first? Blocking it directly, could you even delay it for a moment?"

Meng Xiuwen propped himself up, glaring irritably at the bed next door, accidentally pulling at his wound and grimacing in pain.

Not to mention others, he himself was terrified by the action of this young Dragon Demon, exhausting all his accumulated resources over the years to block that strike for him, which only barely kept him alive, nearly costing his own life as well.

It was only because the Emperor's Aura had suppressed the demon's cultivation by more than ninety percent.

If it were a fully potent Taiyi Immortal, there likely would be two grave mounds lying here right now.

"In that inn... she was my only sister... my only father."

Zi Yang stared above, his voice as faint as a mosquito, as if just uttering that sentence had drained all his strength.

Hearing this, Zi Xian, who had been suppressing her emotions, finally buried her head in her brother's chest and burst into loud cries.

Outside, apart from a group of officers, there was also a spirited old man, small and skinny, dressed in coarse clothes. Despite his white hair and old age, his eyes still flickered with a hint of fierceness.

Hearing this, he glanced inside.

This elder was clearly just upset, his mood irritable, his tone slightly impatient: "Tell your Lord Prefect to send another letter, in my name."

From the Great Nan Continent to the Imperial Capital was immensely far; even with the utmost urgency, the chance of it arriving in time was slim.

All one could do was to try one's best and leave it to fate.

"Reply to Lord Yan, subordinates will go now."

The group of officers hurriedly saluted; they didn't know the old man's exact identity, only understanding that even the Lord Prefect was extremely humble in front of him.

Meanwhile, inside, Meng Xiuwen was also someone who couldn't stand crying. At that moment, he slapped the bed and dragged his body off it: "Lift him up, away from Butcher Zhang, we don't eat pigs with fur, let's go!"

Zi Xian, somewhat confused, stopped sobbing but obediently carried her brother: "Senior Meng, where to?"

"Let's find our Mr. Ye."

Meng Xiuwen limped towards the outside. Ye Lan, as the Peak Master of the Dan Peak in Shenxu Mountain, should be able to procure some life-saving items, even if he wasn't an alchemist.

As he walked outside, though somewhat angry, he still respectfully greeted when he saw the old man.

"General Yan."

After the old man nodded lightly, he led the siblings away from the medical hall, heading towards a certain residence.

...

Finally, there was a human voice within the deserted residence.

Zi Xian carried her brother, carefully looking around, until she saw the familiar figure in black robes, her panicked heart suddenly much calmer.

Zi Yang struggled to lift his head; even being injured to this extent, he still tried to lift the corners of his mouth, calling out: "Brother Shen."

Ever since Shen Yi helped their father and them, he was no longer just a senior or Sect Master, but the benefactor of the entire Purple-Bearded White Dragon clan.

That the Imperial Court prepared such a secluded residence for him in the vast Jianyang Prefecture showed that Brother Shen must have become a distinguished guest of Jianyang.

By comparison, his own wretched, moribund appearance was truly laughable.

"You guys are back at last, You don't know, but I, old Meng, was almost beaten to death on the streets."

Meng Xiuwen cried out pitifully, looking back and forth several times: "Where is she? Call her back quickly, if you delay any longer, your old friend's life won't be saved."

...

Shen Yi looked at the two siblings, his expression hardly fluctuating, pausing for a moment: "What happened?"

"These matters can be discussed later, first find Ye Lan..." Before Meng Xiuwen could finish, he saw the other had already turned around.

The next moment, with a slight wave of his sleeve, an enormous Pill Furnace thunderously landed.

"Take your time, no rush."

Shen Yi seemingly without a second thought, lightly tapped with his fingers, and numerous medicinal herbs leapt out from the Finger Ring.