Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 313 - 21 Bitter Heart Flower (11)

Wang Anfeng looked at the young girl in front of him, his mouth twitching slightly as he said,

"What would you like to eat?"

Tan Yurou clasped the hem of her clothing, her cheeks slightly flushed as she tilted to one side and muttered,

"For the morning..."

"Something light would suffice for the young master."

Wang Anfeng sighed in his heart, guessing that this ’something light’ probably couldn’t be made so casually. He said he would wait a moment and then walked towards the inside, pausing slightly as he passed by the girl, sensing a very faint and unusual scent.

A strange bitter taste wafted from the well-behaved girl beside him.

Ordinary people would likely not notice it at all, but Wang Anfeng, having first inherited the world’s finest Divine Doctor’s medical skills and cultivated the Legitimate Heir Ultimate Technique of the Mixed Yuan Body from Medicine King Valley, found this slight bitterness extremely evident after several years, furrowing his brows and turning his head to look at Tan Yurou.

At that moment, the girl wore a lotus-colored dress, her eyes lowered only to gaze at her feet poking out from her dress. Seemingly perceiving Wang Anfeng’s stare, her cheeks turned a deeper red as she glanced at Wang Anfeng and then quickly averted her gaze, her flush deepening as she spoke in a soft, tender voice,

"Young master..."

Explore more at novelbuddy

Wang Anfeng paused slightly, realizing he had been startled, and instinctively stepped back.

He opened his mouth, already having called out her name, yet still couldn’t continue speaking. Seeing Tan Yurou’s curious gaze, he abandoned his original intent and sighed inwardly, smiling as he said,

"It’s nothing, but please, wait just a moment longer."

The curious expression on Tan Yurou’s face turned into an expectant and shy smile as she nodded, saying,

"It would be troubling the young master..."

Wang Anfeng nodded and passed by Tan Yurou.

Their black tresses momentarily intertwined in the air before dispersing with the wind.

In the courtyard’s side room.

Wang Anfeng’s right hand held the handle of the kitchen knife. It took him a moment to decide on a recipe, grateful that he had bought some ingredients the day before; otherwise, today’s cooking would scarcely suffice. After washing his hands, he placed the ingredients on the cutting board, and peered through the windowsill at Tan Yurou, who stood alone, seemingly gazing at the plum tree beside her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

That taste from before...

Bitter Heart Flower, no doubt about it.

Humans have seven emotions and six desires; thoughts thus wander, incapable of remaining pure and detached.

At the extremely cold places, there grows a miraculous herb, watered by fingertip’s blood, maturing in thirty years.

It bears thirteen leaves, blooms one flower, and bears no fruit.

It can clear all sorts of mixed thoughts, making the heart like a clear mirror.

Its taste is extremely bitter.

There were experts who would rather suffer from an untreated injury, enduring months of agonizing pain from wounds than take an elixir containing the Bitter Heart Flower, simply because they were unwilling to endure the bitter taste. Such a taste could make fighters who see life and death as ordinary, willing to risk their lives for natural healing rather than touch it, showing the severity of its flavor.

Besides, the use of this miracle medicine has significant prohibitions.

Wang Anfeng chopped the ingredients on the cutting board finely, as his mind recalled the words said by his second master back at Fufeng Academy. Back then, the elderly man flipped through the medical books he found in the Wind Character Tower and guided his cultivation. When speaking about various herbs, the elder stroked his beard and said,

"Anfeng, remember, aside from the common medicines and the four categories of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy, our predecessors in Medicine King Valley have also separated some herbs and placed them outside these four categories, calling them prohibitions."

"Like this ’Bitter Heart Flower’."

"Second master, isn’t this herb often used by martial artists to cultivate their Inner Strength, especially at crucial moments to break through barriers? Why is it called a prohibited medicine?"

The elder stroked his beard and laughed,

"Hahaha, Anfeng, you don’t know yet."

"This prohibition isn’t about completely forbidding its use but to let future generations know its significance. When using this medicine, one must be extremely cautious, and hence it’s called a prohibition. The Bitter Heart Flower indeed can rid a martial artist of all distractions in the heart, fearless and indifferent, neither sorrowful nor joyful, but after all, it’s an external thing. Using it occasionally does no harm."

The elder’s voice paused for a moment, his expression turning grave, and said,

"However, if it is taken for many years, it can be greatly harmful."

"Deep emotions shorten life, extreme wisdom causes harm. Those who take this elixir for years, their thoughts untroubled, will surely find it difficult to live past thirty years of age."

"Their manner of death, bizarre."

"It is in that their bodies are unharmed, yet they die of a ceased heart."

The elder’s voice gradually faded into the depths of the young man’s memory as Wang Anfeng gazed at Tan Yurou under the plum tree.

The girl stood alone, her shoulders slender, the thin cool sunlight of winter falling upon her black hair, coating it with a layer of tender luster, making her seem less unreasonable than usual.

Wang Anfeng pursed his lips.

When he had seen her yesterday, he had not detected the scent of Bitter Heart Flower on Tan Yurou, suggesting that she must not be taking it all the time, and thus, there should be no significant harm.

Moreover, having never been in her circumstances, how could Wang Anfeng truly empathize?

Perhaps Tan Yurou also had her unavoidable reasons.

It is difficult for bystanders to truly empathize; those well-meaning but ultimately impartial gestures can be quite cold.

By now, the pot nearby had begun to emit a fragrant smell of oil. Wang Anfeng sighed softly, contained his stray thoughts, and stopped indulging in wild speculation, instead beginning to prepare breakfast.

Under the plum tree.

Tan Yurou stood quietly, looking at the unopened blossoms of the plum tree.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

She raised her hand to brush the black hair at her temples.

...............

Tan Residence.

The young man in white robes looked up at the sky as it gradually darkened.

It was still morning, yet the clouds were already building up heavily, making one feel quite oppressed.

He raised his wrist to lift the pen.

On the paper in front of him, already filled with secret codes, he then took a Seal of Collapsing Mountain Fist, looked at the fierce and domineering tiger on it, flames of passion igniting in his eyes, and muttered a few words under his breath. With a strong flick of his wrist, he pressed the blood-soaked seal heavily onto the paper.

Several breaths later, Yu Jiu exhaled a turbid breath, lifted the seal.

Originally as white as snow, the paper was now covered in a layer of blood-red.

After setting the seal aside, the young man casually knocked on the table. Moments later, a man dressed in black vigorous attire appeared in the room, tall in stature, his martial arts prowess apparent, Yu Jiu glanced at him and said lightly,

"Take this sealed letter to the esteemed senior Li of Collapsing Mountain Fist."

The Martial Artist bowed and accepted the letter, then turned and left.

Moments later, a fast horse galloped away.

This was the fifth fast horse to leave Xi Dingzhou in recent days, each bearing a Martial Artist of the Eighth Rank, each Martial Artist carrying a letter stamped with the seal, every letter destined for a renowned figure in the Jianghu of Xi Dingzhou.

This was an order from the ’Tiger King.’

Within the territory of Xi Dingzhou, who would dare not comply?

"Go!"

The Martial Artist cried out sharply, the fast horse beneath him neighing loudly, and in a moment, they disappeared without a trace.

PS: I am taking a leave today, there will only be one update. We have reached a critical plot point, and it’s taking time to handle, it’s a bit stuck haha, forgive me for this... (bows)

Thank you to those who have passionately awaited this book for five hundred years, truly grateful