A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 6 Junior Sister

The room was filled with the aroma of medicine.

Inside a half-person-high cypress bathtub, dark brown medicinal soup was steaming gently.

Lu Zheji sat there shirtless, the medicinal power like countless fine needles, seeping into his muscles, bones and skin.

A gentle voice came from the side: "Junior brother, now that you've entered the second realm, the medicinal herbs in the bath have become more potent. If you can't handle it, you should tell your senior sister."

"Don't worry, Junior Sister, I can handle it," Lu Zheji replied.

The girl's name was Su Wanning, and she was the private physician assigned to him by the academy.

Calling her a young girl is actually a bit inappropriate. Su Wan Ning is petite and only reaches his chest when she stands up straight, but she is actually almost a decade older than Lu Zhe Ji.

Well, since they're all cultivating immortality, don't be too rigid about the standards for young girls.

Because Su Wanning had also been a student at Chang'an Academy in her early years, she always referred to herself as her senior sister and affectionately called him "Junior Brother".

Lu Zheji is now tall and straight. Although he is still young, he doesn't have much of a boyish feel. He feels that calling him "Junior Brother" is a bit too young for him, but Su Wanning has already gotten used to calling him that, so he hasn't changed it. On the other hand, Su Wanning is as petite and delicate as ever, so Lu Zheji always calls her "Junior Sister".

Su Wan Ning is gentle and kind, the kind of older sister who takes meticulous care of people. She has been managing Lu Zheji's daily life in Chang'an for the past few years, making her his personal housekeeper.

At this moment, however, the young housekeeper was slightly frowning, stirring the medicine while muttering complaints under her breath:

"Sigh, if only you had broken through to the second realm a few days earlier, you could have still made it to the martial arts exam. Now, with the academy closing, you'll be returning to the North. Junior brother, if you have any free time in the future, remember to come visit your senior sister in Chang'an."

Her tone was full of reluctance, as if she had no idea that for Lu Zheji, returning to the North was almost tantamount to suicide.

The decree issued by the Prince of Zhenbei, requiring all adult sons to serve in the army, seemed to be considered a family disgrace by the Lu royal family and did not circulate widely; it was probably only known to a few high-ranking figures. Su Wan Ning's usual regret about this matter sounded more like she was simply reluctant to part with him.

But... is it that you really don't know, or are you pretending not to know?

Huang Siye revealed that the mysterious big shot had used Su Wanning to add the five elements spiritual substances that nourish the innate Dao embryo into the medicine.

Lu Zheji was unsure whether Su Wanning was someone planted by the big boss to cultivate and observe, or simply a ruthless tool for brewing medicine.

The latter possibility is actually quite high. Someone who can treat such a difficult and complicated disease as congenital weakness of the spirit must be a renowned medical master. It is normal for such a person to treat his illness once, but it is absolutely impossible for him to stay by his side and take care of him every day.

So Su Wan Ning's job was simply to prepare medicinal baths and meals for him on time, using the medicinal herbs provided by the academy, according to the prescriptions written by those famous doctors in advance. This job could be done by any meticulous apprentice, and Su Wan Ning herself often jokingly said that she was just a person who came to the academy to gain seniority through connections.

But if it's the former... then it means he must be extremely careful and absolutely cannot reveal the fact that he cannot cast spells in front of Su Wan Ning.

Having to be wary of even close family members you see every day makes life too tiring.

Lu Zheji's heart stirred, and a hint of sadness appeared on his face. He sighed, following her words, "Alas, I would like to visit Junior Sister more often, but I'm afraid the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion might not welcome me. I don't know what the situation will be like when I go back, and it's hard to say whether I'll have the chance to come to Chang'an again."

Su Wan Ning asked in surprise, "How could this be? Junior Brother, are you recalling some old stories from the Prince's Mansion?"

"No, not at all." Lu Zheji shook his head, his tone somewhat dejected. "It's just that in all these years since I came to Chang'an, the Prince's Mansion has never sent me a single coin, not even a letter home. I suppose they simply don't care about me."

"Oh dear, junior brother, don't think like that!"

Su Wan Ning quickly waved her hand, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Junior Brother, I have something to tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone. The medicine packet the academy gave you contains many extremely rare herbs, some of which I don't even know the names of! The academy specifically instructed me not to spread the word. Think about it, would the imperial court be so generous to a hostage? In my opinion, this must have been prepared by your father. On the surface, it's a show of letting you roam free, but in reality, it's to temper your character!"

Hearing her "reasonable" speculation, Lu Zheji slowly smiled and said, "I see. Now that you say so, I feel much more at ease."

……

After the medicinal bath, Su Wan Ning had already prepared dinner.

The food box has a simple heat-keeping array, so even if it's left out for a long time, the dishes taken out are still steaming hot.

However, along with it was a bowl of a paste-like substance that emitted a strong medicinal smell.

Upon seeing the bowl of medicinal food, Lu Zheji's stomach involuntarily twitched.

In my memory, Su Wan Ning's cooking skills were superb, but this medicinal cuisine seemed to be dragged down by the medicinal herbs, and the taste was a disaster.

If she hadn't used medicine to restore his sense of taste after each encounter, Lu Zheji suspected that his tongue would have been ruined long ago.

"Junior Sister, I have now broken through to the second realm, and my soul ailment has been cured. Can I skip this medicinal meal?"

"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations, Junior Brother! But..."

Su Wan Ning pointed to the bowl of medicinal food, a look of heartache on her face. "The herbs in this are really precious. Even if your soul is intact, it won't hurt to nourish it. And this time I also specially added herbs that can boost your qi and blood, which will also help stabilize your cultivation level. It would be such a waste to throw it away."

"Boosts Qi and Blood?" Lu Zheji's eyes lit up. He was in a difficult situation and couldn't let go of any opportunity to improve his strength. Even a small amount of nourishment from this medicinal diet was still beneficial!

"Okay, I'll eat!" He immediately picked up the bowl and, with a look of grim determination, scooped up a large spoonful and put it into his mouth.

The next moment, an indescribable, eerie taste exploded in his mouth. Lu Zheji felt as if his skull was about to be blown off, his vision went black, and he almost lost consciousness on the spot.

He gritted his teeth and, with immense willpower, quickly swallowed the entire bowl of medicinal food, barely daring to chew it properly.

After eating, his face turned green, and he felt like his tongue wasn't even his own anymore.

Su Wan Ning chuckled and pulled his wrist: "Open your mouth and stick your tongue out."

Lu Zheji obediently did as instructed. Su Wanning dipped her fingertip in some light green liquid and gently applied it to his tongue. The liquid worked remarkably well; the hellish taste was quickly replaced by a cool and sweet sensation.

"It's not bitter anymore, it's not bitter anymore, little junior brother is so good." She said softly as if coaxing a child, and handed him another bowl of soup. "Here, have a bowl of hot soup to soothe your nerves. Senior sister just made this beef soup, it smells so good."

Lu Zheji took the soup bowl, and the rich aroma of meat wafted towards him. He had just brought it to his lips when he suddenly stopped.

"Wait, Junior Sister, what kind of soup did you just say this was?"

Su Wan Ning's smile froze, her eyes darted around, and she quietly corrected herself, "I misspoke, it was pork soup..."

Lu Zheji didn't speak. He picked up a piece of stewed meat that was tender from the soup with his chopsticks, examined the texture carefully, chewed it for a moment, and said with certainty, "That's right, it's beef."

Su Wanning shrank her neck.

Lu Zheji's lips curled into a mocking smile:

"Junior sister, do you know you've broken the law?"