As Jiang Chen stared at Meng Qingxue, she returned his gaze, her piercing eyes locked onto his. Without hesitation, she leapt gracefully from the stone lion and landed in front of him. Her cold, clear voice echoed through the crowd.
"So, you're Jiang Chen—the one who injured my brother, Meng Dongxing?"
Her words ignited a wave of murmurs among the onlookers.
"Whoa, Meng Qingxue was waiting here for Jiang Chen!"
"I heard she's very close to her brother. Jiang Chen beat up Meng Dongxing this morning, so no wonder she's confronting him."
"Haha, this is it for Jiang Chen. Meng Qingxue is the second-ranked genius on the Lingyun List—he's done for!"
All eyes turned to Jiang Chen, filled with curiosity, mockery, and some pity.
Jiang Chen didn't respond to her accusation. Instead, he looked at Meng Qingxue seriously and said,
"You're sick, and you need to be cured!"
His words stunned the entire crowd.
What? Did he just say she's sick?
Everyone stood dumbfounded, unable to believe their ears. Was Jiang Chen insane or just insanely bold?
"You dare to repeat that?"
Meng Qingxue's face turned frosty, her eyes brimming with cold, murderous intent. The air around her seemed to chill instantly.
Jiang Chen smiled, unfazed. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he calmly approached her.
"Meng Qingxue, you were born on the first day of July, weren't you? Ever since your birth, haven't you fallen into a coma on your birthday?"
Meng Qingxue's eyes widened in shock, her anger momentarily replaced by disbelief. Her raised hand froze mid-air.
"How do you know that?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly.
Jiang Chen's expression remained calm.
"I know more than you think," he replied. "I also know that since you turned sixteen, you've been falling into a coma on the first day of every month."
Meng Qingxue's eyes narrowed, her voice low and intense.
"Do you know why?"
"Of course."
Jiang Chen leaned in closer, speaking softly so only she could hear.
"You have the Supreme Yin Destiny Body—a rare, heaven-defying constitution that makes you destined for cultivation, yet cursed by the heavens. People with this body rarely live past seventeen. On your seventeenth birthday, you'll fall into a coma and never wake up again."
Meng Qingxue's composure finally cracked, her face paling. She had come to Lingyun Martial Academy with the hidden purpose of seeking Yan Qingxuan, the renowned alchemy expert of the Great Xia Kingdom, to help her understand her condition. Yan Qingxuan had speculated something similar, but this young man knew even more, down to the exact details of her ailment.
"The Supreme Yin Destiny Body can only be cured with the Ancient Profound Yang Pill," Jiang Chen continued, his tone calm but firm.
"Unfortunately, the formula for this pill has been lost. No one else in this world can refine it."
Meng Qingxue's mind reeled. Every word Jiang Chen spoke echoed what she had already heard, but with astonishing clarity. This young man seemed to know everything.
"What are your conditions?" she finally asked, regaining her composure.
Jiang Chen smiled, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"I'm in need of a maid. If you agree to be my maid, I'll save your life."