Chapter 18: Releasing the Cold with Silver Needles

“Who told you that?” Summer Yue’s cold eyebrow arched as she asked, a sudden shock rippling through her heart. Equal levels of mystical power meant that those within the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace lived far shorter lives than those in other sects—a brutal reality, and one that, even within the Ice Cloud Palace, was a tightly guarded secret, suppressed by the higher-ups. Yet because the mystical power of the Ice Cloud Palace was so profound, the lifespans of its people were also notably long, so this truth hadn’t manifested itself so clearly.

Summer Yue had come to know this because her master, after her breakthrough, had fallen into a stupor and spoken these words, revealing it as the greatest flaw of the Ice Cloud Technique, commanding her never to tell anyone—not even her elder sister or younger sisters. And now, Xiao Che had let it slip.

“I would have used every means at my disposal to suppress such a ‘flaw’ if I were the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace’s patriarch. Where would you even have heard such a thing from?” Xiao Che scoffed, his tone laced with disdain. “I’ve only drawn these conclusions from your pulse. That’s all. Seeing your reaction, I suppose I got everything right.”

“I don’t believe it!” Summer Yue shook her head firmly. Could a single pulse reading reveal a secret so profoundly hidden within the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace? It was preposterous! If it were that simple, the imperial physician of the Azure Wind Empire would have uncovered this secret long ago, spreading it across the land.

Yet all that Xiao Che had just said struck at the heart of the matter, leaving no room for doubt. It left Summer Yue unable to suppress her growing uncertainty.

“You never believe me.” Xiao Che picked up the medicine jar and bundle, heading toward the inner chamber. “Come with me.”

Summer Yue’s gaze lingered on what he carried, hesitation flickering in her eyes before she followed him inside, closing the door behind them.

“Sit down.” He set the jar and bundle down with an authoritative tone.

“What are you planning to do?” Summer Yue stared at him, her expression riddled with confusion.

“The obvious answer is to tend to you.”

“I don’t need that.” She waved a dismissive hand.

“You can’t just decide that without trying… Hey, are you too afraid to even give it a shot?”

Xiao Che had already opened the bundle, revealing a silver box. He sighed, a trace of disappointment crossing his face: “I know you don’t trust most of what I’ve said. But I have no power to harm you, nor any reason to do so. I went to the pharmacy early this morning just to bring these things over, purely to tend to you. If it works, well and good. If not, you lose nothing. Since you don’t trust me and won’t even try, I suppose I’ve simply been overworried.”

Summer Yue paused, a pang of guilt stirring in her chest. Indeed, everything he’d said—and was about to do—had been solely for her benefit, not to extract anything from her or demand anything of her. He’d spoken the truth, and he had no reason or ability to harm her. Rejecting his offer outright was rather excessive.

A deep sigh escaped her as she settled beside him. “How exactly will you tend to me?”

“…You’re willing to let me try?” Xiao Che glanced at her, then let out a soft huff, turning his face away.

His childish, sulky posture made Summer Yue momentarily speechless, her voice softening: “I want to see how you’ll do it.”

“Alright, then.” When he turned back, his expression had shifted to a warm smile. Summer Yue blinked in surprise—this boy’s face changed faster than anyone she knew.

“Extend your hands.”

Xiao Che knelt before Summer Yue, who obeyed, placing her arms on the table, her loose red sleeves pushed up to her elbows, revealing forearms as pale and smooth as fresh snow.

He opened the silver box, revealing dozens of slender, silvery needles.

“Silver needles… Are you going to use acupuncture?” Summer Yue raised an eyebrow.

“You actually know acupuncture?” Xiao Che looked at her with some surprise. Back on the Cangyun Continent, fewer than ten people knew acupuncture, including himself and his master, the Divine Healer. But on Tianxuan Continent, it seemed to be a more widely practiced art. Even the pharmacy within the Xiao Sect stocked acupuncture tools.

“Of course. I’m well aware that acupuncture demands years of practice to master, decades to perfect. I’ve never heard you speak of medicine, let alone acupuncture. And there’s no trace of Qihuang’s scent or residue in your room. What exactly are you up to?” Summer Yue’s eyes held persistent doubt and wariness.

Xiao Che withdrew a needle, twisting the base between his fingers. As he lifted it, Summer Yue’s gaze flickered, for the needle in his hand seemed to harmonize with him, as if it had grown naturally from his fingertips. The sensation was ineffable yet unmistakably real.

He uncorked a small vial, dipping the needle into its contents. “I’ll show you whether I know acupuncture. If you feel any discomfort or think I’m joking, just tell me to stop.”

“What’s in that vial?” Summer Yue glanced at the small bottle.

“A common decoction of Vermilion Bird Flower.” Xiao Che replied, his gaze drifting to her snow-white hands. He gave her left hand a slight shake.

His motion was so swift that Summer Yue couldn’t react. When his hand withdrew, the needle had vanished, and a silver needle stood vertically in her right wrist—precisely at the Yangchuan acupoint.

There was no pain, not even a sensation. If not for her eyes witnessing the needle pierce her skin, she wouldn’t have known it had entered. Summer Yue gasped—not from speed! No, it was mastery! A level of skill so refined it bordered on supernatural.

A second needle, dipped in Vermilion Bird Flower, approached her right hand. Her wrist trembled slightly, and the second needle found its mark at the Yanggou acupoint. Then a third and fourth, each landing flawlessly at the Zhongzhu and Heqiu points.

After her right hand, four more needles followed, each inserted into her left hand’s Yangchuan, Yanggou, Zhongzhu, and Heqiu with the same blinding speed. Summer Yue could only see their movements as fleeting shadows. Her astonishment layered upon itself with each needle’s entry.

She couldn’t fathom whether his “treatment” would yield results, but his movements were so practiced, so otherworldly, that she couldn’t believe a sixteen-year-old boy had done this.

“Relax your hands, breathe steadily. Don’t use mystical energy.”

Xiao Che’s voice whispered in her ear. She obeyed, loosening her arms and calming her breath. At that moment, she felt four cold currents converging in both hands, surging toward the acupoints like water finding an outlet, rushing through the silver needles.

Upward, eight wisps of white mist rose from the needles, their chill seeping into the air, plunging the room’s temperature into a rapid decline. As the cold energy coursed through her meridians and the mist dissipated, Summer Yue’s pale face contorted.

When the mist finally faded after ten minutes, Xiao Che suddenly withdrew his hands, his fingers a blur. In an instant, all eight needles were back in his grasp, placed into another box.

“The cold energy is stronger than I thought. Lucky you encountered me.” He muttered softly, closing the box. “My wife, Qingyue, how do your hands feel now?”

Summer Yue lifted her hands, her eyes swirling with emotion. Relief, comfort, warmth—she’d never felt such a sensation before. It was like breaking free from a heavy burden. The warmth in her palms and arms, something she’d never experienced after practicing the Ice Cloud Technique, made her glance up at Xiao Che in amazement: “What exactly is this?”

“It’s simple. I just guided the cold energy in your hands and meridians to release, clearing the blockages.” Xiao Che said lightly. “In the Ice Cloud Sect, their mystical technique turns qi into ice, amplifying its power. Ice qi is stronger because cold energy harms others—and oneself. It’s a basic truth: before you strike an enemy, you must first wound yourself.”

“This morning, when I touched your palms, I noticed your hand temperature was far below normal. Those in the Ice Cloud Sect might naturally assume this is normal from practicing the Ice Cloud Technique. But medically, such low body temperature is abnormal! Normally, mystical energy resides in the meridians without affecting the body. But when you use it, the ice qi spreads through you, and when released, it harms others, when circulating, it inevitably harms itself. The longer you practice the Ice Cloud Technique, the more cold energy seeps into your organs, blood, bones, and dantian, accumulating over time and causing severe, lasting damage to your internal organs. That’s why you live short lives!”

Summer Yue: “…”

“Additionally, the cold energy causes frequent meridian spasms, blocking them and hindering the flow of qi. Try channeling your mystical energy into your hands now—see if it differs from before.” Xiao Che spoke with utmost sincerity.

His explanation was logical, complete, cause and effect clear as day. Even a fool could grasp it. Combined with Summer Yue’s immediate reaction and her post-treatment sensations, there was no room for her to dispute it.

Yet as he spoke earnestly, his lips curled inward in distaste. For while his words were true, they were also half-truths.

The truth was that cold energy accumulation did harm the body and block meridians—but if the Ice Cloud Technique were truly as flawed as he claimed, the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace wouldn’t have survived! Not to mention standing atop the Azure Wind Continent, they’d have been wiped out centuries ago. Once a practitioner fully adapts to the Ice Cloud Technique, their body adjusts. The cold energy, though still harmful, becomes a source of strength rather than damage, and the blocked meridians naturally open.

But Summer Yue had only practiced the Ice Cloud Technique for three or four years—far from full adaptation. Based on his words, her lived experience, and the relief she now felt, Xiao Che’s claims were flawless.

“Treatment,” was merely an excuse. The Ice Cloud Technique’s “flaw” was another excuse. What he truly sought, only he knew.