2 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

**Bànxià Novel** **Chapter 2** Yan Zhu Guang's mind stirred; it seemed as though the System was pressuring her to take a stance. If handled improperly, the System… Her thoughts shifted, and her demeanor softened. "I just wanted to confirm whether this so-called 'white moonlight' of yours is truly as magnificent as you claim." The System perked up, sensing an opportunity. "Host, you've seen it just now—why resist?" Yan Zhu Guang asked, "How did she die?" The System weakly replied, "By the poison of 'Polar Ice Snowfall,' a slow-acting toxin that gradually turns the body rigid, transforming it into an ice sculpture, before finally disintegrating into snowflakes." How befitting of a white moonlight, even her death was so hauntingly beautiful. "How could someone like her harbor such hatred that they would kill her in such a manner?" Even though that final moment must have been exquisitely beautiful, the gradual stiffening must have been excruciatingly painful. How much must someone abhor her to resort to such measures? Such a person, who could bear it? Moreover, "Are the poisons in this world truly so potent?" The System, feeling sheepish, admitted, "Identifying the culprit is your responsibility, Host. It's not written in the book." Otherwise, there would be no need for a System like it to exist. "As for that poison, it was likely invented by the author to make the white moonlight's image more striking." Indeed, it does seem rather peculiar for the cultivation world to harbor such a toxin. Approaching the servant disciples' area, Yan Zhu Guang slowed her pace, lost in thought. "Host," the System whispered, "what do you think? Will you accept the mission?" "Let me tell you, if the Host doesn't accept the main mission, you can't fully bind with the System. Your permissions will be severely limited, and the information you receive will be much restricted." "I've already revealed so much to you, which is against the rules. If you don't bind with me, I'll be punished when I return." "Please have mercy on me, QAQ." The System played the pity card, and Yan Zhu Guang appeared moved, though internally she was... Return? It seemed someone else was orchestrating things behind the System. The System persisted, "Host, I'm very useful. Once bound, you'll receive perks like a mini-map program, a favorability meter, and many treasures, all obtainable upon mission completion~" "There were also other side missions like joining the Yi Miao Sect and initiating qi intake that you've missed out on, which is quite a shame." Yan Zhu Guang inquired, "If I accept the main mission now, will those side tasks still count as completed?" "Huh?" The System hesitated for a moment, "In theory... it should be possible." "Only theoretically?" she raised an eyebrow. "Absolutely, definitely possible!" The System rubbed its virtual hands. "Then, Host..." Yan Zhu Guang continued, "Could I exchange the rewards from those side missions for something I desire?" "The rewards are valuable for enhancing spiritual roots, beneficial for you, Host." She asked again, "Can I exchange them for what I want?" "Yes, yes, whatever you want, Host, I can help you exchange for it!" "What ensures that once I bind with you, you won't go back on your word?" "I'll write it into the program right now. No one can alter it except the highest-level authorities." So, Host, just agree, please! Finding such an action-oriented Host was a rarity for it. Truth be told, it couldn't bear the thought of unbinding. Which previous Hosts had her capabilities—completing prerequisites without even binding with the System? It had a hunch that this mission, under her leadership, would undoubtedly succeed. Once bound with her, it could share in her accomplishments, and then it would receive promotions and raises, scaling the pinnacle of its existence—just the thought of it was delightful. Satisfied with the System's response, Yan Zhu Guang thought it was time to reward it. As she was about to agree, a voice suddenly interrupted her conversation with the System. "Yan Zhu Guang! Where have you been, why are you just returning now?" The System was furious; the Host was about to agree, and now someone had interrupted. What if she changed her mind? Scanning the newcomer, it also scanned the vicinity and its tone turned a bit rigid, "Uh… Host, you're in trouble." The one shouting was a girl—no, a little girl—barely twelve or thirteen years old. Seeing Yan Zhu Guang, her eyes quickly flickered with jealousy and malice, only to be replaced with a gloating delight. She wasn't particularly pretty, only a bit dainty, passable at best. But with that twisted expression, her appearance turned rather... ugly. Yan Zhu Guang typically showed great tolerance towards girls, especially the pretty and kind-hearted ones. However, this girl was neither pretty nor kind and with such an attitude towards her, Yan Zhu Guang wasn't one to embody sainthood. Having seen countless such looks in her previous life, Yan Zhu Guang was quite adept at knowing how to respond. She merely glanced at her indifferently and walked past. "You—" The dainty girl felt provoked. "What are you proud of? Your spiritual roots are worse than mine! It's just because you have some looks; there are plenty of women in the cultivation world prettier than you!" Yan Zhu Guang halted, turned her head slightly, and curved her lips softly. The glimpse sent the dainty girl into a daze for a fraction of a second. Her lips parted, releasing a voice that could soften souls: "But you're not as good as me, are you?" Realizing what she had just said, the dainty girl fumed with rage, her eyes reddening. "Yan Zhu Guang, you won't be smug for long!" Yan Zhu Guang, too indifferent to engage further, left on her own. If the ethereal beauty of Yun Mi Xue, the white moonlight, was gentle and non-threatening, then Yan Zhu Guang was her complete opposite. She was dazzlingly beautiful—so radiant that it shook the soul. Because of this face, she had often been the target of jealousy, schemes, rumors, and assassination attempts—such attacks were only everyday occurrences to her. The small girl's tactics just now weren't even a scratch. Of course, all that tumult was in her past life. In this life, she was merely a young girl in her early teens. Although the System, in its bid to please her, had adjusted her appearance to match her past life, she hadn't even come into her full looks yet. The girl had likely seen few beauties, or she wouldn't be so envious of such a youthful face. Aware of the presence of others, Yan Zhu Guang re-engaged her inner communication. Hearing her thoughts, the System was moved to tears. Host, do you have some misunderstanding about your looks? Had it not been for the allure of her soul's visage, it wouldn't have whisked her residual soul away to make her its Host without any prior investigation. Nor would it have gone to such lengths to modify this body to mirror her original form—spending its private funds, no less. Despite the financial pain, for the system, a self-proclaimed die-hard beauty enthusiast, it was worth every bit. Such beauty, it got to enjoy every day! Quietly scorning her sense of aesthetics, the System voiced its concern, "Host, a very troubling situation has arisen..." "Isn't it about the spirit fields?" The System was surprised, "Host, you already knew?" "Just child's play." Then excuse me, it seems I’m even less competent than a child. The System reflected on whether it had recently become complacent because of how proactive the Host was, forgetting the responsibilities it should uphold. These matters should have been something it warned the Host about, not something the Host should have casually dismissed with an "oh, that's not a problem." It began doubting its usefulness, pondering what it truly contributed beyond a few pieces of information. Seized with self-doubt, the System lapsed into silence. Yan Zhu Guang always found this so-called System a bit erratic. Its sudden muteness didn't seem unusual to her. Ambling along, she reached the spiritual fields, where several servant disciples had already gathered. A petite, apricot-eyed girl, about her age, brightened upon seeing Yan Zhu Guang. After looking around to ensure no one paid attention, she hurried over, grasping Yan Zhu Guang’s hand and whispering, "Zhu Er, where did you wander off to? Something big happened—the overseer is looking everywhere for you." Yan Zhu Guang disliked being called Zhu Er; it sounded foolish. She had corrected the girl numerous times, but the girl stubbornly ignored her every time. "The spirit fields don’t need constant guarding. I just went for a stroll outside, what could possibly happen?" "Ah," the apricot-eyed girl, flustered and unable to explain clearly, pulled Yan Zhu Guang aside, pointing toward the middle of a plot in the field, "look." It was nearly harvest time for spiritual grains. In other paddies, the spirit rice stood upright, swaying gently with the breeze to form beautiful waves. But in the plot she pointed to, all the spirit rice was collapsed on the ground. Spirit rice was an exceptionally delicate plant. In its current, unripe state, any attempt to salvage it would be fruitless, as all the spiritual essence within the grains had dissipated. And that field was precisely the one Yan Zhu Guang was responsible for. Servant disciples were merely managers of the spirit fields and did not have the privilege to partake in even a single grain of spirit rice. With an entire field ruined, the repercussions on a responsible servant disciple could range from expulsion from the Yi Miao Sect at best, to losing their life at worst. "Zhu Er, what are we going to do?" The apricot-eyed girl was near tears with anxiety. Out of all the spirit fields, only hers ended up like this. Claiming it wasn't sabotage would be hard for anyone to believe. However, the overseer responsible for managing the servant disciples was always laden with daily tasks and rarely bothered to investigate if a disciple was wronged; they typically dealt with matters swiftly and without mercy. The others present looked at Yan Zhu Guang, their eyes filled with pity. Yan Zhu Guang remained unfazed, not moving a single eyebrow, which rather disappointed several onlookers. She scanned the crowd until her gaze settled on a middle-aged man. She gently released the apricot-eyed girl's grip and walked towards the middle-aged man. "Overseer, sir." The middle-aged man was indeed the one responsible for this group of servant disciples. His gaze at Yan Zhu Guang was inscrutable, neither revealing favor nor disdain. Yan Zhu Guang chose not to argue her innocence; instead, she proposed, "Overseer, sir, it's not too late to apply my method to the other unripe spirit rice. Would you allow me to give it a try?" Her bold suggestion left the other servant disciples dumbfounded. What was she talking about?