Huo Zhanbai dismounted from his horse beside the Twenty-Four Bridges in Yangzhou.
It is just the beginning of spring, and the weather in the south of the Yangtze River is still cold, but it is much better than the harsh weather outside the Great Wall.
Huo Zhanbai was covered in dust and traveled thousands of miles day and night, finally arriving back in Yangzhou on the nineteenth day. In the twilight, he saw the familiar city, and he felt relieved, and could no longer bear the extreme fatigue, so he decided to rest here for a night.
Knowing the route well, he brought Snow Kitten and led his horse to the exquisite flower world beside the bridge.
Huo Zhanbai stood out among the young men who were riding horses and looking for pleasure. His white clothes were torn with many holes, he had not bathed for many days, his hair was disheveled and his face was pale. If it were not for the majestic horse of Dayuan given by Xue Ziye, he would have been beaten out by the maids of Linglong Flower Realm as a beggar.
"Miss Liu Feifei Liu." He was so tired that he just took out a sachet and shook it.
The madam recognized that it was the one that Liu Hua Kui gave to the young master of the Huo family half a year ago. She was startled and rushed to greet him: "Seventh Young Master! It's you? How did you get into this state? You haven't been here for a long time... Come on, come to the back and have a rest."
He ignored the madam's enthusiastic greetings, handed the horse to the servant beside him, staggered upstairs, and went straight into the familiar room: "Fei Fei, Fei Fei!"
"Seventh Young Master, Seventh Young Master!" The madam was anxious and chased after him, "Miss Liu, today..."
"Are there any guests today?" He paused.
"It's okay, let him in." Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the room. The green-dressed beauty opened the door and stood there gracefully. "Mom, please go downstairs and greet the other guests first."
"But... Mr. Qian..." The madam hesitated.
"Just ask mom to help push it." Liu Feifei smiled with her hands covering her mouth.
After the madam left, she closed the door and looked at the man who was already lying down and fast asleep. Her expression slowly changed.
"Are you back?" She sat down beside the couch and looked at his pale and tired face.
"Yeah." He responded, and felt his eyelids droop uncontrollably as soon as he touched the bed.
"Is that thing done?" She refused to let him sleep peacefully. She raised her hand to stroke his straight eyebrows and murmured, "You said last time that if this time is successful, then everything will be over."
He spread his eyebrows and let out a long breath: "It's over."
The Snow Harrier on the shelf chirped in agreement. Liu Feifei was stunned for a moment, as if she couldn't believe that her years of running around had finally come to an end. Suddenly she laughed, "That's great. Remember when I asked you when you would let me redeem myself and follow you? You said that we couldn't talk about this until 'that thing' was over. This time, I finally got what I've been waiting for."
Huo Zhanbai was shocked and opened his eyes: "Fei Fei... I came back this time to tell you-"
However, before he could finish his words, Liu Feifei burst into laughter and pressed her index finger against his mouth.
"Look how scared you are," she said with a smile, "I was kidding you. Do you have that much money to redeem me? Unless you rob or steal - it's not that you don't have the ability, but will you rob or steal for me?"
He frowned as he looked at her, and suddenly felt that after not seeing her for half a year, this beautiful courtesan had changed a little.
I forgot when I was dragged here by a group of friends to have fun and met this top star in the exquisite flower world of Yangzhou. She is a smart woman who has insight into the world and people's hearts, and her conversation is very elegant. He was not used to such occasions at first, hiding in a corner, but she found him and asked him questions attentively. They talked for a long time that time, and finally went home drunk.
She was his first woman.
Then, he would come here almost every year, once or twice, and every time he came, he would ask her to come out and accompany him.
Such a relationship seemed to be just that between a prostitute and her patron. She continued to receive other guests, and he never seemed unhappy. Occasionally, when he returned from a long journey, he would bring her some new things, and she would be very happy. He never told her about his past and present, and never shared his pain and joy with her.
The distance between them is so close, yet so far.
When he was leaving one time, she packed his luggage for him and asked him jokingly when he saw him off: Did he want her to go with him? But he just said he would do it later.
After that time, she never mentioned it again.
—The wandering swordsman and the most beautiful courtesan in the brothel are, after all, people from two completely different worlds. She is a smart woman, and she rarely makes such mistakes. Later, she gradually realized that the reason he came to such a place was because there was really no other place to go.
"I'm afraid I can't let you stay overnight tonight." She took the jade comb and slowly combed her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, she said faintly, "Two days ago, I agreed to be a Hu merchant's second wife. Now, I'm going to be a good person."
He lay on the bed, slightly startled: "Congratulations."
"Oh, thank you." She laughed and tied her hair into a bun with a golden hairpin. "Yes, for a prostitute, this is the best ending... Sometimes I also feel that I am different from other sisters, and maybe I can get a better ending. But even if you think you are different, what can you do? You can't be stronger than fate."
Huo Zhanbai watched her putting on makeup and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Are you coming back this time to say goodbye to me?" She continued with the beginning of her previous conversation. As smart as she was, she had obviously guessed the second half of his sentence.
He nodded silently and said slowly: "I won't come here again in the future."
"Have you found another place to go? Or have you found someone you love? - But anyway, I won't be here anymore." Liu Feifei smiled tiredly, charmingly and affectionately. Suddenly, she leaned over and poked him, saying coquettishly, "Oh, come on, I'm about to get married, you should at least pretend to be disappointed - don't I, Liu Feifei, have any charm at all?"
He drooped his eyelids and made a bitter face: "It is an honor for me to be abandoned by the Oiran."
Liu Feifei giggled and poked his chest: "Pah, you're injured like this, but your tongue is still flexible."
But the next moment, she fell silent, leaned over and gently stroked his weathered cheek, stared into his tired eyes, and sighed: "But... Bai, you should also plan for yourself."
She leaned over and gently gave him a farewell kiss on the forehead, then left without looking back.
Looking at the closed door, he suddenly felt endless tiredness.
Yes, not again... not again. It's time to end it all.
Eight years have passed, and this crazy and passionate time is about to become the past. Indeed, he has to make plans for the future, he can't live like this forever... When thinking about this, the shadow of the purple-clothed woman suddenly flashed in his mind.
As he thought about it, he fell into a deep sleep due to extreme fatigue.
-
More than half a month after Huo Zhanbai left, Pharmacist Valley completely returned to its usual tranquility.
This valley beside the Mohe River in the far north is like a paradise, with chickens and dogs heard and farms busy, as if it has nothing to do with the grudges and martial arts hegemony. Outside, it is snowy and frosty, but inside, it is sunny and bright.
This year's ten patients had already been seen. A new round of Huitian Orders had just been sent out of the valley by Shuanghong. Like in previous years, they went south along the road and were secretly sent out from several different places in the martial arts world. Then, they waited for those who were cured to be sent back for medical treatment. Xue Ziye had a moment of leisure, and watching the maids busy picking and sowing various herbs in the medicine garden, he suddenly felt dazed again.
Mingjie left, and Huo Zhanbai also left.
They all have their own paths to take, and it has nothing to do with her.
It really felt like a dream... Those people who broke into her life came and went without leaving anything behind, and each of them pursued their own future. She was left alone in this place where the seasons would never change, waiting blankly for a future she didn't even know.
She subconsciously reached out to touch her hair, only to find that the purple jade hairpin had been given away by her. She suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold, and could not help but hug the purple gold hand warmer tightly, coughing non-stop.
"Valley Master!" Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and she heard Lu'er running in shouting and waving her hands all the way.
"What?" Her heart skipped a beat, but she was pleasantly surprised - could it be that he was back
“Valley Master! Valley Master!” Lu’er was running so hard that she was almost out of breath. She supported herself on her knees and gasped, stammering, “Something bad has happened… There’s a strange man with blue hair at the entrance of the valley. He wants to see you…”
"Oh?" Xue Ziye was disappointed and said indifferently, "I won't see anyone who hasn't returned to the Heavenly Order."
—This year’s Huitian Order has only been issued for a few days, so there shouldn’t be any patients coming to the hospital so soon.
Generally speaking, the Huitian Order was distributed from a secret location and then spread to the world. Afterwards, it would always go through a struggle, and finally it would be won by the person who needed it the most and had the most power, who would come to Pharmacist Valley to ask for her help. Generally speaking, it would take at least three months for the first patient to arrive here.
"Yes! There are Huitian Orders!" Lu'er gasped and stammered, "There are a lot of them!"
"What!" Xue Ziye stood up suddenly, shocked.
"He, he holds the Ten-sided Rescue Order!" Lu'er gestured with her hands, her eyes full of shock, "Ten-sided!"
"..." Xue Ziye's eyes focused, and he walked a few steps quickly under the window with his hands behind his back, "Where's Shuanghong?"
"Master," Xiao Cheng beside him whispered, "Shuang Hong hasn't come back yet."
Shuang Hong, who had gone out to distribute the Huitian Order, had not returned yet, but the other party had already arrived with ten Huitian Orders! Xue Ziye took a breath without making a sound - she had been practicing medicine for more than ten years, but this was the first time she encountered such a strange situation.
"Take me out to see." She ordered, motioning Xiaocheng beside her to take the lynx fur and put it on.
-
The wind at the mouth of the valley was so strong that it caused the huge rocks to roll around.
When the sedan stopped, she opened the curtain and saw a white shirt fluttering across the Stonehenge. The distance was too far to see the other person's face, but she could see a long blue hair flying in the wind on the snow, which was unforgettable.
The strange thing was that despite the strong wind and snow, there was no snow on his side. It was as if he exuded a warm and gentle power that melted the cold frost and snow.
"Valley Master Xue?" Seeing the sedan chair landed on the opposite side of the stone formation, the man smiled and bowed his head. His voice was not loud, but it came through the wind and snow clearly, soft and pleasant to the ear. "The Envoy Miaofeng from the throne of the Great Light Palace of Kunlun Mountain has been ordered to come to the Medicine Master Valley to seek medical treatment from Miss Xue."
The Great Guangming Palace?!
Xue Ziye was stunned for a moment, his hands stiffly on the curtain, looking at the smiling man in white.
Under the command of the Great Light Palace, there have always been three saints, five wise men, and the three realms of Shura Field. The three saints of Sun, Moon, and Star have lived on the top of Kunlun Mountain for many years, and among the five wise men of Wind, Fire, Water, Space, and Power, Miaoshui, Miaohuo, Miaokong, and Mingli are all figures that change color when heard by the Central Plains martial arts world. Only Miaofeng is the most mysterious. For many years, no one in the world has ever seen his true appearance. It is said that this person is the confidant of the Lord of the Church and has always been by his side.
—However, at this moment, this mysterious man suddenly appeared at the entrance of Yakushi Valley!
She didn't know how to answer for a moment, and just watched the other party hold out a handful of Huitian Ling.
He spread the ten Huitian Orders on the ground one by one, brushed his clothes and bowed.
"I heard that Master Xue has a quiet personality, and he must have this as proof before entering the valley to see patients," he kept smiling and spoke very politely, "so I followed Miss Shuanghong all the way and collected all these Huitian Orders."
Xue Ziye glanced at the ten resuscitation orders and said coldly: "Do you have ten patients to see?"
"There is only one patient." Miao Feng smiled and bowed, his face seemed to be wearing an invisible mask, "But I was afraid that the Valley Master would not agree to treat him, or that someone else would get the disease, which would hinder the Valley Master from seeing me, so I simply took a few more pills - it's convenient anyway."
Xue Ziye felt a little angry and frowned: "Who wants to see a doctor?"
Miao Feng bowed deeply and said, "You are our Lord the King."
Xue Ziye's eyes brightened instantly, and his hands tightened subconsciously: "Prince of the Church?"
"The Lord Church King was in seclusion a few days ago and accidentally became possessed," Miao Feng had been bending over, using the sound transmission technique to talk to her across the stone formation. The voice came through clearly, reaching her ears. "After several days of treatment, there is still no improvement. I heard that the medical skills of Pharmacist Valley are the best in the world, so he ordered me to come here from afar to seek medical treatment."
Xue Ziye was startled: "Order you to come?"
Finally she found a legitimate reason to refuse. She suddenly smiled, waved her hand and ordered Lu'er to lower the curtain of the sedan chair, and said coldly: "I'm sorry, there is no such thing as 'going out to see patients' in Pharmacist Valley."
"Even so, is it not possible?" A question suddenly came from behind. The voice was still soft and pleasant, but with a bit of oppression, followed by the sound of clapping.
"Oh!" Several maids including Lu'er around suddenly exclaimed and raised their hands to cover their eyes.
Xue Ziye was startled and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair. At the same moment, he was dazzled by the light—a golden light suddenly bloomed on the ice and snow!
The twelve Kunlun slaves put down the large boxes they were carrying. Twenty-four boxes of gold were neatly laid out on the snow at the valley entrance.
"I heard that Master Xue charges a high fee for treatment, 100,000 to save one person," Miao Feng smiled and bowed, "The King specially ordered his subordinates to bring some meager gifts here, and I am willing to pay ten times the price for treatment."
Lu'er could only stare at Qiao in amazement. These gold bars were worth more than a million silver coins.
She knew that the Valley Master had always attached great importance to money. Now that a mountain of gold was piled in front of her, her heart couldn't help but beat fast. She turned her head to see the Valley Master's reaction.
However, the curtain of the sedan chair had already been lowered, and Xue Ziye's voice came from inside coldly: "I have been ill for a long time and cannot move easily. I am sorry that I cannot follow you in your medical consultation. Miao Feng, please go back."
After a pause, as if she couldn't help herself, she added: "You should also pay attention to yourself - your hair is blue, I'm afraid you have been deeply poisoned by the ice silkworm cold poison."
Miao Feng had never expected that Xue Ziye could tell the cause of his illness just by looking at his hair color from a distance. He was slightly stunned, but still had a smile on his face: "Valley Master is indeed a national doctor - please convey your kindness to the King. I will be very grateful."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Xue Ziye lowered the curtain coldly.
The moment the sedan chair was lifted, Miao Feng suddenly raised his voice behind him, saying, "Before I came down, I also asked around. For many years, Master Xue was not able to leave the valley because he had a cold and was afraid of the wind and snow outside the valley. Is that true or not?"
Xue Ziye did not agree, but just told Lu'er to leave.
However, the voice behind him suddenly paused: "If so, Miao Feng can help the Valley Master get rid of the cold in his body!"
"Heh," Xue Ziye couldn't help but sneer, "It seems that Master Miao Feng's medical skills are even better than mine."
"Master Valley is known as a national expert in medicine. I wonder if you have ever heard of 'Mu Chunfeng'?" He smiled, slowly raised his hands and half-closed them - suddenly it seemed as if an invisible shield expanded around him, no matter how strong the wind and snow were, they would be melted silently by the warmth when they reached his side!
Miao Feng stood on the snow, her clothes fluttering in the wind, but she had a gentle smile on her face, her voice was soft and pleasant, and she exuded a warmth from the inside out. She looked at him intently and was slightly startled - this warm and gentle atmosphere was incompatible with the surrounding ice and snow!
“I have been fed with ice silkworm poison since I was young. In order to resist the cold poison, I have spent twenty years finally mastering the secret technique on the Holy Fire Token.” Miao Feng gently clasped his hands together, as if a warm current flowed out from his palms, soft and surging, and interacted with the cold wind at the valley mouth. In an instant, with his body as the core, the snow within three feet disappeared out of thin air!
Lu Er was stunned, and then ecstatic - yes! This kind of mentality is probably suitable for the young lady's condition!
Miao Feng smiled and put down his hand. The snowflakes around him continued to fall. He bowed and said, "The Valley Master's medical skills are unparalleled, but compared with internal strength, acupuncture and medicine are also inferior. I wonder if I have the honor to drive away the cold for the Valley Master?"
"Miss...Miss!" Lu Er twisted her hands and murmured excitedly at the visitor in white clothes and blue hair, "He, he can really cure your disease! Why don't you-"
"Lü'er, shut up." Xue Ziye said in a low voice.
Lu Er stamped her feet, reluctant to leave: "Miss! You have been ill for so many years..."
"Life and death are determined by fate." Xue Ziye sneered at Fengxue, raising her beautiful eyebrows. "It has been a tradition since ancient times that doctors do not treat themselves. Master Miaofeng, how could I, Xue Ziye, be the kind of person who is afraid of death and wants to be threatened by others? Get up the sedan!"
The maids had no choice but to lift the sedan chair again and leave.
Miao Feng stood in the snow, the smile on his face finally began to freeze - this woman was really hard to deal with, she would not listen to soft or hard words, and she would even disregard her own life and death! He had been ordered to come here, and had considered many methods on the way and made sufficient preparations, but he did not expect that he would hit a snag after trying several methods in a row.
"Valley Master Xue! If you insist on not doing it—" The voice, which had been soft and pleasant until now, suddenly turned serious, with a hint of murderous intent.
Xue Ziye sneered: Is he still showing his vicious side? This is how the Demon Cult does things, right
"Envoy Miaofeng, you should know that if the doctor is not willing, the patient will never get better." She said coldly, with a mocking expression in her eyes, "I am not afraid of death, you can't threaten me. You don't know medicine, how can you tell whether the prescription I prescribe is correct? - As long as I casually increase or decrease the ingredients in the prescription and make a prescription that does not follow the king and ministers, your king will only die faster."
"I understand the pros and cons of this," Miao Feng said calmly with a smile on his face, "so I have no intention of resorting to violence or offending anyone. If Valley Master Xue insists on not agreeing—"
He suddenly turned to the west and knelt down. A short knife as bright as autumn water slipped out from his sleeve. He turned his wrist and pressed it against his abdomen:
"Since Miao Feng cannot return to Kunlun to report, he can only commit suicide here!"
As soon as the voice fell, the twelve Kunlun slaves behind him drew out their long swords at the same time, and cut back without hesitation. Blood spurted into the sky, and twelve skulls fell to the ground on the snow, like twelve big blood-red flowers blooming.
"Ah!" The women in Pharmacist Valley had never seen such a tragic scene. They all screamed and covered their eyes.
"Stop!" Xue Ziye yelled, pulling aside the curtain, "Stop it now!"
Before he finished speaking, Lu'er received the order and moved like a rabbit. In a flash, she passed the stone formation in a few jumps and rushed to Miaofeng's side, reaching out to block the suicidal knife - but she was a step too late. The dagger had already cut into her lower abdomen, and blood gushed out.
“…” Xue Ziye ran over and saw Miao Feng fall to the ground, speechless for a moment.
She leaned over and took a closer look at his appearance: he was about the same age as Mingjie, with strange long blue hair, elegant and handsome features, and bright eyes. But the difference was that, perhaps because of his practice of the warm mind method, he did not have Mingjie's loneliness and sharpness, but instead exuded warmth from the inside out, and did not feel the slightest bit of evil.
"Heh..." The man raised his head, stretched out his bloody hand, looked at her and smiled, speaking unsteadily, "Valley Master Xue... you, you... have already passed through the stone formation... In other words, you agree to come to see the patient?"
She let him hold her hand, feeling his blood slowly turning cold in her palm, and waves of turmoil surged up in her heart, shaking her so much that she couldn't speak.
The people from this evil cult are just as crazy as Mingjie!
Since he had been raised as a medicine man with ice silkworm poison since he was young, she could imagine the pain and torture he had endured over the years, but... why did he still work so desperately for the King of the Church? Are all these people in the Demonic Cult crazy
He insisted on not fainting and waited for her final answer.
She didn't answer, but raised her hand to seal the broken blood vessels in his abdomen.
"Lu'er, Xiaocheng, Lanlan," she stood up and called the frightened maids over, "carry him into the valley."
When Miao Feng was lifted from the snow, she was almost fainted from the pain, but a smile appeared on her lips: It was true - Master Xue of the Pharmacist Valley was not afraid of anything. Her only weakness was that she was afraid of seeing death right before her eyes.
He won.
――――――――――――――――――――
Kunlun. The west side hall of the Great Guangming Palace.
In the secret room, the two of them were silent. Looking at the scattered corpses that had just been collected, the red-haired man who had just rushed back with a snake in his hand said in surprise: "Good God, it's a good thing we didn't have time to do it! Otherwise, this would be our fate!"
"The Hierophant failed in his retreat, became possessed, and struggled to quell the rebellion of the Sun Saint. He must be seriously injured at this moment." Tong held the sword, leaned against the pillar and looked at the gray sky outside, coldly, "The cunning old fox... He was already weak at that time, but in order not to arouse my suspicion, he dared to meet me in person."
If I had taken action at that time, I would have definitely killed him with the Bloodthirsty Sword! Unfortunately, I was also fooled by his bluff at that time.
"Damn it, Miaoshui didn't even send you a message in time," Miaohuo spat fiercely, unwillingly, "You missed such a good opportunity!"
Tong's eyes gradually focused: "Miao Shui is unreliable - it seems that we still have to make our own plans."
“That’s right!” Miao Huo’s eyes sparkled with fire, and he punched. “The King of Religion has gone astray, and Miao Feng has been sent out, leaving Ming Li alone in the palace. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
"Miao Feng should have already arrived at Pharmacist Valley by now," Tong's eyes turned purple, and her thin lips were pursed into a straight line, "No matter whether he can invite Xue Ziye or not, we must act before he comes back! Otherwise, he may find out that I took the Dragon Blood Pearl - once this news leaks out, Miao Huo, we will be completely exposed."
Miao Huo glared at Tong angrily, "I told you to get rid of that woman! I don't know what was wrong with you at that time. If you keep her until now, she will become a big problem, right?"
Tong frowned, but couldn't refute.
Indeed, I should have killed that woman when I left Pharmacist Valley. But why did I let her go at that time
He shook his head in annoyance. It seemed that after this plan succeeded, he had to go to Pharmacist Valley again no matter what - he had to kill that woman to stop thinking about her.
Otherwise, you will lose your life sooner or later.
He clenched the Blood-Lining Sword tightly, and said in a cold voice: "I will select a team of trusted aides from the Shura Field to kill them halfway. Miao Feng is a master of martial arts, and I don't expect the operation to succeed. I just hope to stop them for a while, so that we have enough time to act calmly."
Miao Huo nodded: "So how do we arrange this?"
"Since the King of Churches has concealed his injury from the public, he will definitely take Hui Ao to the paradise on the top of the mountain for a walk as usual," he said coldly, looking at the peak of Kunlun Mountain covered with clouds and snow, "I will go back to the dark world of Shura Field to meditate and concentrate my pupil power - in three days, we will take action!"
"Okay." Miao Huo thought for a moment, then emphasized, "Should we notify Miao Shui?"
Tong thought about it, and finally shook her head: "No need. That woman is unpredictable in terms of friends and enemies, so it's better not to count on her yet."
The opportunity will never come again. If you don’t seize it, you may never have the chance to overthrow the Pope again in your lifetime!
If you fail, you will die.
It's better than kneeling at someone's knees like a pig or a dog all your life.
―――――――――――――――――――
The distant Mohe Snow Valley.
In the Summer Garden, Xue Ziye looked at the sky to the south and frowned.
It has been more than 20 days. Huo Zhanbai should have arrived in Yangzhou. I wonder if he has found his master. In the past eight years, she has never looked for her master, and I don't know if she still lives in Yangzhou. I just hope that guy has better luck and can find her smoothly.
Otherwise... Mo'er's disease can definitely not be cured by anyone in this world.
She sighed, unable to imagine what Huo Zhanbai's expression would be when he found out that she had lied to him for eight years.
She looked at the western sky again, and the worry between her brows deepened - Mingjie, what is happening now? Even if he had deceived her and hurt her before, she still couldn't help but worry about his situation.
Even if he got the Dragon Blood Pearl and completed this order, how much better would his life be after returning to the Great Light Palace? He would still be back in the Shura Field like before, waiting for the next bloodthirsty order like other killers.
Mingjie, Mingjie. Have you really forgotten everything
Or is it simply because even if I recall it, it is useless and will only increase my pain
How can I bring you out of such a dark place...
She was thinking silently when she heard a rustling sound behind her.
"Don't move." Without even turning her head, she shouted, "The wound on your abdomen is too deep. You can't get out of bed yet."
However, the blue-haired man was already behind her.
"Oh, you're healed so quickly?" Xue Ziye couldn't help but sneer as he stared at the wound on his abdomen. "Sure enough, you intentionally avoided the blood vessels when you cut him, right? You bet I won't watch you die?"
"I can commit suicide immediately to relieve Master Xue's anger." Miao Feng handed over the dagger with his usual gentle smile on his face, and bowed slightly, "But before that, please ask Miss Xue to agree to go to Kunlun as soon as possible to avoid delaying the King's illness."
Xue Ziye was speechless for a moment.
Miao Feng still had that usual gentle smile on his face—a smile that was filled with a peaceful and tranquil glow from the heart. The "Spring Breeze" technique was the highest martial art recorded in the Holy Fire Order, and was known as the pinnacle of Yin and Yang along with the "Iron Horse and Ice River". However, this technique required the practitioner to have a warm and peaceful heart. If the heart was evil and cruel, it would be easy to go astray during the practice.
This person has been practicing for more than twenty years and has managed to integrate his inner energy and his own temperament so perfectly.
She looked at him puzzledly: "You've been fed the poison of ice silkworms since you were a child, and you're willing to die for him?"
Miao Feng smiled and bowed, and replied: "Teaching the king is like giving me a new life."
Xue Ziye frowned: "I don't understand."
"Master Xue, you don't know that I was originally from the royal family of Loulan," Miao Feng said with a faint smile, "but later the country's fortune declined and I was forced into exile. I encountered bandits on the road and I am alive today thanks to the rescue of the King of Religion. So throughout my life, I have regarded him as a kind father and would go through fire and water for him without hesitation."
"Oh..." Xue Ziye murmured, looking at the sky, "So, that priest king did do some good things?"
Miao Feng said respectfully: "Please help me, Master Xue."
"Okay. I promise you, I will go to Kunlun to treat your King—" Xue Ziye stood up, looked at the young man who had been smiling, and raised a finger, "But I have a condition."
Miao Feng nodded: "Valley Master Xue, please speak up."
Xue Ziye sneered: "Can you make this decision?"
"I can do it." Miao Feng bent down, took out something from his sleeve, and handed it over respectfully: "This is the holy object that the King of Churches gave me when he sent me here - the King of Churches' oral instructions. As long as Master Xue is willing to help, any request can be granted."
"Holy Fire Order?!" Xue Ziye was speechless when he saw it.
The black iron talisman was extremely heavy, gleaming with a cold light, and densely engraved with unfamiliar characters. Xue Ziye had vaguely heard the people in the Jianghu talk about it, and knew that it was the supreme holy object of the Demon Cult, and had always been held by the leader.
"Oh... it seems," she smiled, "that your King is seriously ill this time."
Miao Feng was speechless.
She put away the Holy Fire Token and nodded to Miao Feng: "Okay, I will follow you out of the valley to Kunlun tomorrow."
"Thank you." Miao Feng smiled happily, feeling relieved. Suddenly, he felt the pain from the wound was unbearable any longer. He groaned softly, staggered to the ground with his hands covering his abdomen, and blood slowly seeped out from between his fingers.
"Alas," Xue Ziye rushed forward, leaned over to support him, and sighed, "Just like Mingjie, both are desperate for their lives."
Mingjie? Miao Feng was slightly startled, but heard the woman murmur in his ear:
"This time, no matter what, we have to get him out of there..."
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Shura Field. Dark World.
There were continuous screams, dull sounds of broken bones and flesh, and roars before death - those were the sounds coming from the animal world next door. The group of novices who had just entered the Shura Field were undergoing the first round of cruel elimination. In the animal world, life was worthless. Of the five hundred children, eighty percent would die, leaving less than a hundred people alive to enter the world of life and death for the next round of training.
In the end, less than fifty out of five hundred people were able to escape from the realm of life and death.
This is the highest realm for assassins in Shura Field: transcending the realms of animals and life and death, and attaining great light. It is a symbol of success after years of hard training. In the harsh elimination, only a very small number of assassins can enter the realm of light alive - those who survived have become the top assassin elites of the Great Light Palace. Just like... him and Miao Feng.
In the deepest darkness, the man in black sat silently with his eyes closed.
Those screams and cries seemed to have no impact on his heart at all.
He just concentrated all his mind, calmed his heart, and concentrated all his strength in his eyes, but his eyes were tightly closed. He had been sitting in seclusion in the dark world for two days, not eating or drinking, and not saying a word.
The pupil technique requires a huge amount of energy, and when dealing with someone like the King of Popes, one must be especially careful.
In fact, even three days of meditation and concentration would not be enough. After following for more than ten years, he knew very well how terrifying the man on the throne was.
However, there was no time. He had to act before Miao Feng returned from the Pharmacist Valley. Otherwise, even if Miao Feng had not known the secret that he had been to the Pharmacist Valley to steal the Dragon Blood Pearl, she would have brought the female doctor back to treat the King of Churches. Once the King of Churches' injuries improved, there would be no chance for him to act!
However, when he thought of "Pharmacist Valley", a pair of black and white eyes suddenly appeared in front of him, gentle and sad. Mingjie... Mingjie... In a trance, he heard someone calling softly, and a pair of hands reached out to him.
"Get lost!" Finally, he couldn't stand the gaze of those eyes any more, "I'm not Mingjie!"
As soon as I opened my eyes, all the illusions disappeared.
"Master Tong," someone outside the door reported in a low voice. It was Shura Field's trusted subordinate, "The Eight Horses have already gone down the mountain."
The Eight Horses are a group of eight top killers he trained himself, whose abilities are even better than the Twelve Silver Wings. This time, all Eight Horses are out to kill Miao Feng who is returning from Pharmacist Valley. Even if that guy has great martial arts skills, it will be impossible for him to break out of the siege safely within a few days.
What's more... He will most likely be accompanied by that woman from Pharmacist Valley who doesn't know martial arts.
"If you can't kill Miao Feng," he closed his eyes in the darkness and ordered coldly, "you must take the head of the female doctor."
"Yes!" The subordinate responded softly, then knelt down to take his leave.
He sat in the deepest darkness, closed his eyes again, and concentrated his mind between his eyes.
The golden needles on the back of his head ached. The pair of eyes bulged out again, looking at him quietly... Mingjie. Mingjie. That voice rang out again, far and near, igniting countless illusions along the way. Fire. Blood. Escape. The darkness that was overwhelming...
He finally couldn't bear it anymore and punched the cold stone ground beside him, his whole body shaking slightly.
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When Huo Zhanbai woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
He was startled and immediately turned over and sat up - he had actually slept for so long! Mo'er's illness needed urgent treatment in Lin'an, but he had actually fallen asleep!
Liu Feifei's personal maid Yanzhinu brought in breakfast and heavily placed the breakfast plate on the table. She seemed to be angry: "Here, eat and leave! - I really don't know what the young lady likes about you? You come and go as you please, you have no money or power, you are heartless and unrighteous, but the young lady still cares about you the most! You are really bewitched."
Huo Zhanbai's face turned red and white after being told this by the little girl, and he felt that the lotus seed porridge in his mouth had lost its taste: "I'm sorry."
"Oh... You don't have to apologize to me," Yanzhinu snorted, "It was all because of that last time, your friends got drunk in the building and told Miss all the things you had done in the past eight years. It was really shocking! When Miss heard it, she finally lost heart."
"Xia Qianyu..." Huo Zhanbai of course knew who were the close friends who came to this building, and he couldn't help but mutter through gritted teeth.
I've told them time and again not to mention what happened back then, but these big-mouthed guys still don't know what's good for them.
"It just so happened that a wealthy merchant from the Western Regions came. He was so rich that he fell in love with the young lady at first sight. His wife had died, and he wanted to remarry. He thought it would be better than being a concubine, so he agreed." After complaining, Yanzhi Nu left him and said, "Eat by yourself. The young lady is getting married early this morning!"
He stayed alone in the room and ate a few bites of food. Suddenly, there was a loud sound of drums and drums outside the building.
He walked to the window, opened it and looked down, only to see a team of flower drums coming downstairs, with boxes and cages in a row, making a great noise. A forty-year-old Hu man rode a tall horse and stopped at the gate of Linglong Flower Garden. He had brown hair and blue eyes, and his beard was full of smiles. Behind him was a team of servants and servants carrying gifts, and the firecrackers were almost deafening.
I guess this is the wealthy Hu merchant from the Western Regions.
Marrying a prostitute was not a glorious thing, but this Hu merchant was so unscrupulous that he must have doted on Liu Feifei. The madam collected an unknown amount of silver and finally let go of this cash cow. She cried all the way and helped the courtesan covered with a red veil out.
Before getting into the sedan chair, the bride, intentionally or unintentionally, turned her head through the gap in the veil and took a look at her room.
There, a man in white stood by the window, as tall and straight as a jade tree in the wind.
Goodbye, Bai.
"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to see your old lover getting married?" Someone suddenly teased in his ear, and a hand patted him on the shoulder.
Who? Who quietly entered the room when he wasn't paying attention? Huo Zhanbai was shocked and immediately leaned to the right to grab the medicine bag on the bedside. The Mohun Sword in his right hand had already jumped out of the scabbard.
"Stop!" At the moment of drawing the sword, he heard the other party shouting, "It's me!"
"Qianyu?" He was stunned, the tip of his sword paused, and he hesitated.
The young man in brocade clothes was also startled by him. He hurriedly grabbed the silver candlestick to block in front of him and let out a long sigh: "I heard from Chong Niang that you arrived in Yangzhou last night and stayed here. I came to see you early this morning - Lao Qi, what are you crazy about!"
When Dingjian Pavilion was first established, there were four famous swordsmen, which were later increased to eight. They were all elites from various schools and sects in the Central Plains martial arts world, and each had his own unique skills. Xia Qianyu was the only son of the head of the Huashan Sword Sect, one year older than Huo Zhanbai, and ranked sixth among the eight swordsmen. Although he was born in a famous family, he was unruly by nature, and liked to linger in romantic places, and he has not married yet.
The first time I came here, he was the one who pulled me here.
"Sorry." He smiled awkwardly and sheathed his sword. "I was too nervous."
Xia Qianyu put down the candlestick and frowned: "The medicine should be ready this year, right?"
"Okay." Huo Zhanbai smiled and let out a breath.
Xia Qianyu also let out a breath: "It's finally okay - if it wasn't okay, I think you would go crazy."
"I think you're the one who's crazy," Huo Zhanbai refused to give in to his drinking buddy and retorted, "You're already thirty years old, and you're still hanging around here—don't you see that the third child already has a son?"
"Don't compare me to that old man Wei Fengxing." Xia Qianyu sneered, "I'm still young and handsome."
Among the eight swordsmen of Dingjian Pavilion, the most romantic are "Yushu Gongzi" Wei Fengxing and "White Feather Sword" Xia Qianyu. The two have been traveling together since they were young, drawing swords along the way and leaving many romantic stories. However, eight years ago, Wei Fengxing suddenly changed his mind and disappeared from the world of martial arts, rejecting those bad friends and reportedly getting married, having children and becoming a good man.
Xia Qianyu was alone and felt abandoned, and was full of resentment.
"It's rare that you're back alive, let's have a good get-together tonight!" He punched, "We haven't seen each other for almost a year."
The eight swords were brothers in life and death. After being recruited to Dingjian Pavilion, they worked together to do many great things and made great contributions to maintaining the order of the Central Plains martial arts world and resisting the invasion of the Western Demon Cult. But since Xu Chonghua was executed, only seven of the eight swords were left, and the atmosphere became bleak from then on.
"Sorry, I have something urgent to do." Huo Zhanbai shook the medicine bag in his hand.
We have arrived in Yangzhou, can we open it now? He untied the brocade bag impatiently, but a look of surprise flashed in his eyes - he did not see any pills, but only a hairpin, a letter and a smaller brocade bag.
The hairpin was pinned on the envelope. He recognized it as the purple jade hairpin that Xue Ziye often wore in her hair.
There was a line of words written on it: "Under the guidance of my mentor Liao Qingran at the Mulan Courtyard outside the west gate of Yangzhou."
The signature is "Disciple Zi Ye pays homage to you."
Looking at the address on the envelope, Huo Zhanbai frowned slightly: That damn woman repeatedly told him to open the brocade bag when he arrived in Yangzhou, just to let him deliver this letter to the master in time? How strange... Could this letter be more important than delivering medicine to Mo'er
After hesitating for a while, he finally made up his mind: Well, since that damn woman gave such careful instructions, there must be a reason. If I don't deliver this letter, something big might go wrong.
"I'll be leaving first," he said to Xia Qianyu, "I'll come back to have a drink with you guys after things in Lin'an are settled."
Without waiting for Xia Qianyu to answer, he let out a whistle and jumped out of the building with the Snow Kites.
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Located in the western suburbs, the Ancient Mulan Courtyard was built in the Tang Dynasty to store Buddhist relics. It was named after a 500-year-old magnolia tree in the courtyard. Since the war in the previous dynasty, the ancient magnolia and the pagoda were destroyed in the war. The place has been desolate and no monks live there anymore.
Huo Zhanbai stood in the dilapidated courtyard overgrown with weeds, feeling a little surprised.
Could it be that Xue Ziye’s master, Liao Qingran, the miraculous Guanyin who had disappeared from the world for many years, was actually living in seclusion here
The wind after the beginning of spring was still cold. He looked around but saw no signs of human habitation in the temple. He was hesitating when he suddenly heard a snow kite flying back from the back of the courtyard and calling. He looked in the direction of the sound and was suddenly startled!
—The burnt ancient magnolia tree was exposed outside the courtyard wall, and there were actually buds on its branches!
Who can make a dead tree bloom again
His heart skipped a beat and his eyes skipped over the wall - not far from the old tree, there was a neat and tidy small building with smoke rising from the building.
Is it there? He couldn't help but feel surprised and walked over and knocked on the door.
"I asked you to go to the city to buy a pack of diapers for Po, why did you take so long?" A woman's complaining voice came from inside, and she came over to open the door, "Did you sneak off to that kind of place again? You damned bastard, I'm not going to-"
The sound stopped abruptly after the door was opened.
The woman holding her young child looked at the man in white who came to visit her outside the door with a look of surprise: "Who are you looking for, sir? My husband is out."
"I'm here to look for the Miraculous Hands Avalokitesvara." Huo Zhanbai answered respectfully as a disciple would. Although Xue Ziye's master looked to be in his early thirties, wearing plain clothes and a jade hairpin, and was handsome and upright, and only four or five years older than himself, he did not dare to be disrespectful in any way.
"There is no Guanyin here." The woman frowned and said coldly, and immediately wanted to close the door. "The temple has been destroyed, and all the gods have died. You have come to the wrong place."
"Senior Liao." Huo Zhanbai quickly stretched out his arm to hold the door open. "Your disciple asked me to pass a message to you."
The woman in plain clothes was slightly startled, and a purple jade hairpin with a letter was handed to her.
She was stunned for a moment, then finally let go and opened the door, muttering, "Oh. It's been eight years... Is it finally here?"
After letting Huo Zhanbai in, she picked up the hairpin and looked at it for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Yes, this is what I left for Zi Ye when I left Pharmacist Valley. Now she is finally willing to use this token?"
She turned her head to look at Huo Zhanbai: "Are you from Pharmacist Valley? Is Zi Ye in good health now?"
Huo Zhanbai hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to tell the truth: "Not very good, I am getting more and more afraid of the cold."
"Alas... I am the master's fault," Liao Qingran lowered his head and gently patted the sleeping child in his arms, "Zi Ye was only eighteen years old, and I threw the Pharmacist Valley to her - but I also promised Zi Ye that if she encountered difficulties that she couldn't overcome, I would do my best to help her once."
"Once?" Huo Zhanbai was a little surprised.
Liao Qingran laughed, "Of course, only once - I don't want her to have the excuse of 'I have my master anyway if I can't cure her'." She picked up the hairpin and smiled bitterly, "But that girl has always been smart and strong. She hasn't used this token for eight years. I thought her medical skills were unparalleled and there would be no more problems - but unexpectedly, she still had to use this hairpin?"
Huo Zhanbai was listening at the side and felt his heart skip a beat.
What does it mean? Xue Ziye asked him to come to Yangzhou with a hairpin to meet Liao Qingran. Could it be because...
Liao Qingran handed the child to the maid behind her, opened the letter, and murmured: "Could it be that the silly girl still hasn't given up after eight years and insisted that I help her resurrect the man under the ice? I told her early on that it was impossible - ah? This..."
She looked at the letter and suddenly paused, then raised her head and glanced at Huo Zhanbai in a flash.
"Senior, what's wrong?" Huo Zhanbai was also nervous.
Liao Qingran turned around and walked into the hall: "Come in and sit down and we'll talk."
The seven-leaf mingzhi under the Holy Lake of the Moon Palace, the blue phoenix flower in the Baiyun Palace of Bicheng Mountain in the East China Sea, the dragon tongue on the cliff of Junshan Mountain in Dongting Lake, the snow poppy in West Kunlun... Huo Zhanbai's face turned paler as those rare elixirs were poured out of the brocade bag.
"What, what's going on!" He finally couldn't help but scream in horror and jumped up.
Aren't these the things Xue Ziye used to make medicine? How come they are all still here
"Zi Ye failed to refine the real antidote," Liao Qingran said calmly, placing the letter on the table and looking at the man whose face changed drastically. "Mr. Huo Qi, the five-ingredient recipe she wrote to you was actually a fake."
"Is... it fake?" Huo Zhanbai was stunned for a moment.
"Yes." Liao Qingran pointed at the things on the table. "These herbs are all rare and powerful, and they are incompatible with each other. It is impossible for them to complement each other and form a prescription. Zi Ye couldn't resist your pleading back then, and fearing that you would despair, he deliberately prescribed this 'impossible' prescription."
Huo Zhanbai was stunned, and the hand holding the sword began to tremble.
"Zi Ye described Mo'er's illness in detail in the letter. It is indeed rare. She tried her best this time, but she only refined one medicine that can extend Mo'er's life for another three months." Liao Qingran nodded slightly and sighed, "Master Huo Qi, please don't blame your disciple—"
"Impossible!" Huo Zhanbai stared at the medicine on the table and suddenly shouted, "Impossible! It took me eight years to..."
He couldn't hold back the fury in his heart: "Are you saying she lied to me? She... lied to me?!"
Liao Qingran sighed: "Zi Ye is just too soft-hearted - she should have told you long ago: Mo'er has a terminal illness."
"Impossible! She couldn't have lied to me... I'll go back and ask her right away." Huo Zhanbai's face turned pale as he flipped through the treasures on the table. "Look, the dragon blood bead is gone! The medicine should be ready!"
"Master Huo," Liao Qingran sighed, "You don't have to go back to see my disciple, because—"
She turned sideways and looked at the ancient magnolia tree outside the courtyard that had come back to life, and wrote word by word:
"From today on, Xu Mo's illness will be my responsibility."
Huo Zhanbai was stunned, feeling happy and sad at the same time.
"Don't blame Zi Ye. She has worked so hard for this." Liao Qingran looked back at him, picked up the purple jade hairpin, and sighed, "You know what? This was the only token I gave her. I thought she would use this to ask me to help revive the body under the ice... She has always been too obsessed with the past."
She fixed her eyes on the visiting swordsman in white and suddenly smiled: "But, in the end, she used it to save an unrelated child."
After hearing those words, Huo Zhanbai's anger and shock gradually faded away.
"Then... Senior Liao, are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.
"Fifty percent." Liao Qingran nodded.
Huo Zhanbai felt relieved, as if a huge stone had been lifted from his heart.
"Mo'er's illness is critical. I will pack my luggage now," Liao Qingran put away the things on the table and told the maid to go to the room to organize the medicine bags and clothes. "When my husband comes back, I will tell him and I will go to Lin'an with you overnight."
"Yes." Huo Zhanbai bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, Senior Liao."
Just as we were getting busy, we heard the sound of a door being pushed open, and someone walked in quickly, with a hint of vigilance in his voice: "Xiao Qing, there are footprints of a stranger in the yard outside - who's coming?"
"It's okay, Feng Xing," Liao Qingran replied casually, "It's my apprentice's friend who came to visit."
When Huo Zhanbai heard the voice, he felt it was strangely familiar. He turned his head involuntarily and looked over. When they met the person, they both screamed in surprise.
"Old Five?!"
"Seventh Brother?!"
Huo Zhanbai was dumbfounded. This tall and graceful man held a pack of diapers in his left hand and a brand new pearl flower in his right hand. His waist was empty, and the long sword he always carried with him had long been replaced by a purse filled with money. Even if he was hit by a thunderbolt on the head, he could not imagine that the Fifth Master Wei of the Eight Swords, the "Jade Tree Sword" Wei Fengxing who once dominated the martial arts world, would become like this!
The child in the room was awakened by their screams and started crying loudly.
"You two know each other?" Liao Qingran looked at the two people staring at each other in surprise, but she didn't bother to say anything more. She glanced at Wei Fengxing and said, "Why are you still standing there? Go and change Abao's diaper! Do you want our son to cry to death?"
Wei Fengxing was shocked, then he immediately slipped sideways and entered the inner room.
After a while, the child's crying stopped.
Huo Zhanbai stood there in amazement, looking into the room. Wei Fengxing's technique of stripping and changing the baby's diaper was extremely skillful, comparable to his "Jade Tree Sword Technique" back then.
"So..." He turned around and looked at Liao Qingran, stuttering, "You, you are my fifth sister-in-law?"