Su Wen stepped out of the emergency wing into the open courtyard, the tension of the clinic fading behind him as he immediately set to work.
He knelt and placed a piece of spirit-wood onto the stone ground, igniting it with a casual flick of his finger.
A gentle yet steady flame rose, neither violent nor weak, burning with a controlled warmth that spoke of experience.
Next, he summoned a small table from his storage ring.
One by one, he set out his spices and ingredients, lining them up neatly.
He moved with calm confidence, smooth and unhurried, like a master at his craft.
Only one thing was missing.
The main medicinal herbs.
A short distance away, Young Master Bai... watched with wide-eyed curiosity from his enormous chair, one massive hand still clutching a half-eaten meat leg.
He chewed slowly, eyes never leaving Su Wen, as if afraid to miss even a single movement.
Beside him, the silver-eyed swordsman leaned against the wall, lifting his wine bottle for a casual sip.
Yet his gaze was sharp, curious, silently watching to see what kind of dish he was preparing.
Moments later, an attendant hurried over, slightly out of breath, and respectfully handed Su Wen a storage pouch.
Su Wen accepted it with a nod."Thank you," he said politely, then added almost as an afterthought,"Please send the bill to that fiery Daoist over there."
With that, he returned to his work, completely unfazed by the cost.
A flick of his hand sent the flame beneath the wok leaping higher.
Sizzle!!
The instant Su Wen poured in the base broth, a burst of steam shot upward.
Without pause, he spread his Soul Sense outward, guiding the rising vapor high into the air so the courtyard wouldn't be flooded with choking fumes.
Then...
Shhhk!
A flash of sword intent cut through the air.
The Phoenixflame Chili was shredded into a fine powder in an instant, each tiny grain glowing faintly as fiery Yang energy pulsed within it.
He sprinkled the powder into the wok.
The flames roared in response.
Next came the Crimson Sun Ginger... thinly sliced, each piece uniform, translucent, and humming with warmth before being slid gently into the mixture.
The red coriander followed, shredded and mixed together with Ashbone Lotus Seeds, which cracked lightly as they were tossed in whole.
The aroma began to change... sharper, hotter, more aggressive.
After a few minutes, Su Wen added the Early Grade 3 spirit beast meat into the bubbling mixture, letting it simmer as he carefully adjusted the flame.
The wok boiled violently, then slowly calmed as Su Wen stirred in steady motions, folding the ingredients and their energies together.
Gradually, the contents thickened, transforming into a deep scarlet soup that glowed faintly from within.
When the sizzling finally faded, only the broth remained... rich, potent, and radiating a dangerously spicy energy that made even Su Wen swallow unconsciously.
Su Wen lifted the wok slightly, inspecting the colour and consistency, but did not dare to taste it.
Satisfied, a soft smile appeared on his lips.
"Blazing Phoenixflame Soup…" he murmured."…is ready."
The instant Su Wen removed the lid from the wok, the aroma burst forth like an unleashed tide.
It swept through the courtyard in a scorching wave, completely drowning out the sharp medicinal stench of the Pill Pavilion.
What spread through the air wasn't merely a scent… it was a tangible presence, pressing against the senses with overwhelming force.
The fiery fragrance was impossibly rich.
Du Yue rushed over immediately, moving like a hungry kitten drawn by instinct.
She leaned forward, eyes shining, lips slightly parted, a thin trail of drool nearly escaping as she stared at the bubbling scarlet soup.
On the other side, Young Master Bai's curiosity finally defeated his restraint. He rose from his enormous chair, the meat leg forgotten in his hand, and lumbered a step closer, wanting to have a "small" taste.
The physicians and alchemists watched the scene with stones in their hearts.
Cooking… casually! With Grade 3 spirit ingredients?!
Under normal circumstances, such an act would have been condemned as sheer waste, if not outright heresy.
Yet not a single one of them dared voice a complaint now.
The atmosphere, the confidence in Su Wen's movements, and the terrifying woman standing behind him made silence the only safe choice.
A few among them glanced at Du Yue with envy as she hovered near the wok, her face slightly blurred for some reason.
For reasons unknown, they would easily overlook her existence, as if she were not even there, and not a single thought arose in their minds as to why that was.
Su Wen carefully poured a portion of the scarlet soup into a bowl and straightened his posture.
Before Du Yue or Young Master Bai could utter even a single word, Su Wen raised his hand.
"Wait," he said firmly.
His gaze swept over them before settling toward the emergency wing.
"Let the poisoned lady have it first. Only after we see her reaction…" he paused, then added lightly, "cough… her taste test… can the rest of you decide whether to eat."
He stored the remaining ingredients back into his storage ring, swept the area clean with his Soul Sense, and then lifted the steaming bowl with both hands.
The soup within swirled slowly, scarlet flames dancing along its surface. It looked almost ominous, as though it possessed a will of its own... dangerous, alive, and eager.
As he entered the room, every pair of eyes locked onto the bowl.
Even Lance and April stared, wide-eyed and bewildered.
April's heart began to race. She hadn't expected him to actually cook something, for her.
As she stared at the blazing red soup, a shiver ran through her.
'Why do I suddenly feel uneasy…?' she thought.
Lance leaned forward slightly, his usual composure shaken.
"Brother… this…"
Su Wen looked at him calmly, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"This is Blazing Phoenix Soup...," he said evenly. "It can be effective at countering Yin-based toxins. It is a little…" he paused, searching for the right word, "…strong."
Then he continued just as calmly.
"But there's a chance it can save her arm."
The room went dead silent.
Physicians swallowed hard, throats dry. Alchemists stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.
All attention was focused on the scarlet soup, radiating heat, vitality, and overwhelming power.
"I-Impossible…" a senior alchemist muttered, voice trembling.
"There's no way…" a younger one whispered, shaking his head. "Even a master alchemist would need hours to prepare something like this…"
The room erupted into hushed murmurs, every face etched with shock.
Su Wen ignored them all.
He stepped forward and gently offered the bowl toward April, his eyes calm, steady, unwavering.
"Try it," he said simply. "It's just a dish, after all…"
Then, averting his gaze slightly, he added under his breath,
"…though it's a tiny bit spicy."
Lance accepted the bowl for April. She glanced at Su Wen first… then turned her eyes to Lance.
When the poison had spiralled out of control, when despair had pressed down on them from all sides, only this stranger had stepped forward.
Everyone else had either hesitated, retreated, or looked on helplessly.
"I trust him," Lance said softly, meeting her gaze without hesitation.
April nodded, a faint, gentle smile appearing on her pale face.
"Thank you… fellow Daoist," she said quietly.
Su Wen turned his face away, offering no reply.
The onlookers didn't understand his reaction.
April, however, felt something was off.
As she stared at the swirling scarlet soup, her heart beat a little faster.
An inexplicable sense of foreboding crept over her, but she couldn't tell where it came from.
Lance carefully lifted the bowl to her lips.
She took a small sip.
Instantly, her expression changed.
Her eyes widened as if in shock, then narrowed sharply as they snapped toward Su Wen, locking onto him with fierce intensity.
She opened her mouth to speak… but no words came out.
Instead, tears welled up and spilled over, sliding silently down her cheeks.
Su Wen noticed her reaction. A faint pang of guilt, and unmistakable embarrassment, rose in his chest.
He looked up at the ceiling, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
Lance's heart lurched. Seeing the tears, panic flared within him.
"Brother!" he exclaimed urgently. "What's in this soup? Why is she crying?!"
Su Wen, still staring upward as though the answer were written on the ceiling, replied softly,
"Ah… nothing, brother. She's just a little emotional from being cared for so much by you." He paused, then added quickly, "Hurry and feed her while it's still hot."
Lance froze.
Then his face flushed a deep, burning red.
April shot Su Wen a fierce glare... half fury, half humiliation... before turning back toward Lance, her eyes practically screaming idiot.
Before she could protest, Lance gently raised the bowl again.
"It's fine…" he said awkwardly, his voice trembling with sincerity. "I will always care for you. Here… have some more."
April stiffened.
With no strength left to argue, and no desire to delay, she could only grudgingly take another sip.
The moment the soup entered her body, a violent wave of heat erupted from her dantian, surging outward like liquid fire.
It felt as though her insides were being scorched alive. Her face twisted in pain, teeth clenching tightly, but she endured it without a sound.
From the side, Su Wen instructed calmly,
"Guide the medicinal energy toward your arm. Focus. Don't let it disperse."
Tears streamed freely down April's face now, flowing like a river.
Her lips and tongue burned fiercely, swelling from the merciless spiciness as she cursed silently in her heart.
'Fuck!'
Unable to endure the slow, relentless burn any longer, she tightened her grip on the bowl with her uninjured hand.
Then, without blinking once, she tilted it back and gulped down the rest of the soup in a single breath.
'If I die today', she thought grimly, bracing herself as the fiery rush surged through her veins,'it won't be from poison…'