Upon hearing Liu Ling's response, Gu He gave a slight nod.
"Very well. Go back and apply some ointment. Continue your special training tomorrow, and once you break through to the Dou Master Realm, I will grant you another empowerment."
At the mention of the empowerment, Liu Ling's heart stirred. She nodded vigorously and said, "Understood Teacher!"
With that, Liu Ling bowed to Gu He, nodded to the Little Fairy Doctor, and left the courtyard.
"Teacher, is Senior Brother alright?" The Little Fairy Doctor watched Liu Ling's retreating figure, feeling a pang of guilt.
'Did I upset Senior Brother? Maybe next time, after breaking through, I should keep a lower profile.'
Gu He waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. If he can't handle something like this, he won't amount to much in the future." He then turned his attention to the Little Fairy Doctor.
"I made a promise to you. Once you break through to the Dou Master Realm, I would reward you." Gu He beckoned her closer. "Since you've achieved your breakthrough, it's time for me to fulfill that promise."
Hearing this, the Little Fairy Doctor's eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly approached Gu He.
Seeing her eager expression, Gu He initially thought of performing the empowerment. But then, a sudden idea crossed his mind.
'Why not try something different today?'
With that thought, Gu He didn't proceed with the empowerment. Instead, he reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a purple-gold card adorned with seven intricate patterns.
"Disciple, your Woeful Poison Body requires you to consume vast amounts of poison. While you can request medicinal materials from the sect each month, consistently asking for poison might raise suspicions."
He handed the Seven-Pattern Purple Gold Card to the Little Fairy Doctor.
"This is the Seven-Pattern Purple Gold Card, containing 150 million gold coins. While it may not seem like much, it should suffice for purchasing the poison you need."
The Little Fairy Doctor stared blankly at the card in her hand, momentarily stunned.
Though she didn't fully grasp the significance of the Seven-Pattern Purple Gold Card, the amount of 150 million gold coins was enough to leave her speechless.
Back when she worked at Ten Thousand Medicines House in Qingshan Town, her annual earnings were a mere thousand gold coins. As far as she knew, Ten Thousand Medicines House's yearly income didn't even reach a million gold coins.
'150 million gold coins... That's equivalent to the annual income of over a hundred Ten Thousand Medicines Houses!'
Such an astronomical sum made her uneasy.
"Teacher, this... this is too much. I can't accept it," she said hesitantly, biting her lip as she tried to return the card.
Gu He was taken aback.
'Why is she refusing? This is the first time she's turned down something I've offered.'
"Why?" he asked, puzzled.
"Teacher, you've already imparted alchemy knowledge,dou qi techniques, and even empowered me with dou qi. These are already immense blessings for me," the Little Fairy Doctor explained softly. "How can I possibly take your money as well?"
Gu He paused, then realized what was going through her mind.
To her, it was natural for a teacher to pass down techniques, skills, and even dou qi. But giving money felt like it crossed a line, going beyond the traditional teacher-disciple relationship.
Understanding this, Gu He couldn't help but smile wryly. He looked at the Little Fairy Doctor, who stood with her head bowed, as if awaiting judgment for some wrongdoing.
"Silly girl," he said affectionately, reaching out to ruffle her hair. He then firmly placed the purple-gold card back into her hand.
"Teacher, I..." The Little Fairy Doctor looked at the card, still uneasy, and tried to protest.
"Enough. If I give it to you, just accept it. Don't overthink it," Gu He said, his tone firm and commanding.
"But, Teacher..." she stammered, still hesitant.
"When an elder gives you something, you don't refuse. Are you defying your teacher's orders?" Gu He said sternly.
"Then... alright," the Little Fairy Doctor relented, not daring to argue further.
Seeing her accept the card, Gu He's usual gentle smile returned.
"Girl, 150 million gold coins are nothing to me. Consider it your pocket money. If you need anything in the future, you can purchase it yourself in Jia Ma Imperial City," he said, gently patting her head.
Hearing his soothing words, the Little Fairy Doctor's anxiety gradually faded. She nodded softly and said, "Thank you, Teacher."
Gu He simply smiled in response.
A system notification suddenly echoed in Gu He's mind.
[Ding! Host has granted 150 million gold coins to the second disciple, Little Fairy Doctor.]
[Congratulations! A 1,833-fold refund has been triggered. Host has received 220 billion gold coins!]
[All gold coins have been deposited into the system space. Please check, Host.]
Gu He's eyes lit up with joy.
'This method also works!'
But then, as he processed the notification, a look of astonishment crossed his face.
'1,833 times return! 220 billion gold coins!'
'Just how much money is that?'
For a moment, Gu He was overwhelmed.
'If this much gold suddenly appears, will it cause inflation in the Jia Ma Empire?'
'Even if the entire empire were sold, it wouldn't amount to this much.'
But then he shrugged off the concern.
'What does it matter if it causes inflation?'
Curious, he quickly checked the system space.
Instead of a mountain of gold coins, he found a mysterious purple card floating in the space.
With a thought, he summoned the card into his hand. A flood of information entered his mind.
[Unlimited Gold Card]
[Maximum Capacity: 2000 million gold coins]
[Balance: 220 billion]
[Ability: Automatically replenishes gold coins]
After understanding the card's abilities, a satisfied smile spread across Gu He's face.
…
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