Chapter 70: Rumor's End

Shen Yan stuffed his phone back into his pocket, the tips of his fingers still tingling with the residual heat from the earlier code flow. Pei Yue walked beside him, her medicine pouch swaying gently, emitting faint rustling sounds of dried herbs. The two had just returned from the stream, their shoes still caked with damp mud, when they were abruptly stopped by a group of staff-wielding disciples.

“The Council of Elders summons you to the main hall immediately. The bloodline tracing ritual is about to begin.”

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were supposed to wait three days for further discussion?”

“Xie Wujiu has collapsed, the formation eye has been purified, but the rumors persist,” the disciple lowered his head. “Some insist on conducting the ‘Heart-Burning Soul Inquiry.'”

Pei Yue remained silent, only quietly extending her hand to brush against Shen Yan’s wrist. A cool sensation flowed through his meridians, like well water on a summer night washing over his ankles. He knew she was helping him stabilize his spiritual consciousness—the previous major battle had taken a heavy toll, and his source code spiritual root was still oscillating at a low frequency. If he were to directly enter a high-level blood verification formation now, he might truly be judged as “spiritually polluted.”

The square in front of the main hall was paved with a single slab of green jade, at its center an octagonal bloodline array, with talisman patterns embedded in the stone crevices emitting a faint glow. Seven elders sat on a raised platform, the one in the middle with white hair and beard, leaning on a dragon-entwined staff.

“Shen Yan, you are suspected of Devil Clan infiltration, tampering with the classics, and inducing the Medicine Boy’s betrayal. We now initiate the final verification program,” the elder’s voice was not loud, but it vibrated unpleasantly in the ears. “If you pass, your innocence will be restored; if you fail… your soul will be refined on the spot, to uphold justice.”

Shen Yan adjusted his glasses. “Fine, but can we skip the brain-burning part? I just fixed my system and don’t want it to blow up again.”

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd below.

An elder sneered. “A Devil spawn dares to negotiate terms?”

Pei Yue stepped forward half a step. “I am willing to vouch for him.”

The entire hall fell silent for a moment.

The elder narrowed his eyes. “You are the only Saintess of Medicine Valley. Do you know that if this statement proves false, you will have your cold-vein essence extracted?”

“I know.” She raised her hand and unfastened her sleeve button, revealing a dark purple pattern on the inside of her forearm. “Twenty years ago, I was tainted by demonic energy. If he were truly an evil entity, it would have triggered a backlash by now. But look—”

Her other hand suddenly pressed against Shen Yan’s chest.

There was no rejection, no burning pain. Instead, it felt like two streams of water gently merging. The Star-Shattering Token imitation on her wrist emitted a low hum, glowing with blue light that rippled outward like waves, instantly activating the entire formation.

Golden code overflowed from Shen Yan’s phone screen, spreading along the talisman patterns on the ground, intertwining with the blue light to form a web. At the center of the formation eye, a swirling mass of light and shadow appeared, resembling some ancient genetic chain being reassembled.

“Warning: Pure Heaven’s Secret Holder bloodline detected. Match rate: one hundred percent.” The terminal in his mind suddenly chimed. “Ultimate authentication triggered. Unlocking Medical Art Programming Version 2.0.”

Shen Yan didn’t speak, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

New modules automatically loaded: Gene Repair, Meridian Refactoring, Real-Time Diagnosis… all were hardcore functions. Especially the last one—from now on, he could tell whether someone’s cough was due to a common cold or a spiritual root misalignment just by hearing it twice.

Another elder stood up from below. “The blue light could be forged! We must add the ‘Heart-Burning Soul Inquiry’ test! Otherwise, it will not satisfy public opinion!”

Just as Shen Yan was about to speak, Pei Yue had already turned to face the crowd.

She raised her arms, her sleeves sliding down to reveal the full length of demonic patterns on her arms: “You fear he is a demon? Yet I have shared fate with him three times, performing Energy Transfer, power infusion, and Bidirectional Binding. If he were poison, I would have died ten times over. Yet here I stand—proof that his blood is cleaner than your rules.”

The air froze.

Even the coiled dragon staff trembled slightly.

A moment later, the Formation’s resonance intensified, its blue light suddenly surging and shooting straight into the sky. From the direction of the library pavilion came the harmonious chime of Jade Slips, like the sound of countless ancient texts turning their pages simultaneously.

The elder slowly closed his eyes: “…The great Formation has acknowledged its master. Shen Yan, of pure Heaven’s Secret Holder Bloodline, uncontaminated by demons, untainted by deceit.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

Some still wanted to speak, but were held back by their fellow disciples. After all, if even the ancestral Bloodline Formation could be deceived, then there would be no justice left in this world.

Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to stretch his shoulders when he suddenly felt a warmth within his body. His Source Code Spiritual Root began operating autonomously, a new Module completed its Self-Check, and the Interface popped up with a Notice:

【Medical Art Programming Version 2.0 Online】

【Recommend immediate clinical testing】

【Recommended subject: that certain someone nearby who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside】

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Pei Yue turned and glared at him: “What are you laughing at?”

“I was thinking,” he said leisurely, “was that press of yours just now intentional?”

“What intention?”

“Activating the Formation requires a surface contact area of no less than three hundred square centimeters,” he said with a straight face. “You could have just tapped my forehead, but you had to press your whole hand against it—isn’t that taking advantage of the situation?”

Pei Yue’s ears flushed slightly red, and she raised her hand to hit him, but paused.

She stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly took half a step closer, lowering her voice: “Then have you ever considered… that I was afraid you couldn’t hold on, so I deliberately transferred more Cold Pulse Energy?”

Shen Yan was taken aback.

His Code Flow nearly Lagged.

He opened his mouth, but before he could organize his words, a “ding” sounded in his mind:

【Emotional Variable injection detected】

【Shared-Fate Link stability increased to ninety-two percent】

【System suggestion: maintain current distance】

But Pei Yue had already stepped back, tidying her sleeves as if nothing had happened: “Enough nonsense. The ceremony is over. Next, you need to submit three reports: the water purification Log, the Classics restoration list, and… the record of your privately modified alchemy furnace.”

Shen Yan rubbed his forehead: “That many?”

“Stop complaining,” she said, turning to leave. The hem of her skirt swept past the edge of the Formation, stirring up a circle of fine blue light. “Otherwise, I’ll write you into ‘Ten Major Violation Cases of Contemporary Medical Cultivators.’ I’ve even thought of the title—’On the Destructive Contributions of Grid Shirt Men to System Security.'”

Shen Yan stood where he was, watching her retreating figure, and suddenly called out: “Hey!”

Pei Yue’s footsteps hesitated slightly.

“Now that I’m a legitimate Heaven’s Secret Holder…” he asked with a smile, “shouldn’t you call me senior brother by seniority?”

She turned back, her eyes clear and bright, the corners of her lips slightly raised: “Have you forgotten? When the Star-Shattering Token acknowledged its master, the Priority was set with the Guardian as supreme.”

She paused, blinking: “So now, you should call me senior sister.”

The moment her words fell, Shen Yan’s phone automatically popped up a new Interface—

【Sudden mission triggered】

【Name: Senior Sister’s Command】

【Content: Please submit all materials within one hour】

【Reward: Unknown (according to emotional analysis, may include one Candied Hawthorn)】

He stared at the words “Candied Hawthorn” for three seconds, suddenly feeling that this System… didn’t seem so cold after all.

Pei Yue reached the end of the steps, then paused once more.

Without turning around, she spoke softly: “You saved Medicine Valley, and you saved Xie Wujiu. But for some people, clearing suspicion isn’t enough.”

Shen Yan nodded. “I know. What they want isn’t just the truth—it’s peace of mind.”

“And you?” she finally turned around. “What do you want?”

Shen Yan fell silent for a moment, raising his hand to touch his chest. There, the Source Code Spiritual Root was faintly warm, like a heart restarting.

“What I want…” he smiled, “…is to never again have someone point at my nose and ask, ‘Who are you?'”

Pei Yue looked at him, then suddenly took a few steps forward. In full view of everyone, she reached out and straightened his crooked glasses.

The motion was as light as a passing breeze.

Then she said: “Now you are Shen Yan, my junior brother. If anyone dares question it again, I’ll seal their mouth with a Silver Needle.”

Shen Yan froze.

The System Interface flashed frantically:

【Major Event Log】

【Intimate Behavior Level: Three】

【Emotional Firewall Automatically Disabled】

【New Instruction Generated: Obey All Commands from Senior Sister】

He opened his mouth to protest, but found his throat a bit dry.

Pei Yue had already turned and walked toward the hall’s exit. Sunlight fell upon the jade hairpin in her dark hair, reflecting a soft gleam.

Shen Yan stood in place, his phone suddenly vibrating in his hand.

A new message from the System Background:

【External Signal Snooping Detected】

【Source: Unknown】

【Data Packet Disguised as Routine Inspection Log】

【Intercept?】

His eyes darkened, his fingers silently sliding across the screen.

A line of Chinese characters was input without a sound:

“Initiate Honeypot Protocol, Reverse Trace, track it back eighteen generations.”

(End of Chapter)