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墨書 Inktalez
On the morning of the twenty-first, just as the dawn began to blanket the earth, Luo Dachun came to our tent with good news.
Last night, the people from Snowfall Villa had conducted a discreet investigation at the six branches of Medicine King Pavilion in Luoyang and found no abnormalities. Fu Zhifeng himself was staying at the largest branch in the East Market. The spies, wary of his profound martial arts skills, dared not approach him but observed from a distance. They noted that his room was lit with candles, and it seemed he was perusing some texts. After a while, he got up and went to another room to check on a person's injuries, taking their pulse before returning to his own room to read. He only extinguished the lights and went to sleep around midnight, without going out or showing any unusual activity.
It sounded like he was simply trying to treat the disciple who had been bitten by the White-Striped Centipede.
It appeared that he was indeed a genuine healer, with no strange connections that we could discern.
So soon we would head into the city to discuss this matter with him and invite him over to examine my brother, hoping he might have better methods for detoxification than those offered by Medicine King Pavilion.
"What about Mirror Gate? Didn't we find traces of them nearby?" I recalled Luo Dachun's investigation into Mirror Gate's whereabouts yesterday and couldn't help but feel concerned.
"We did find them, but we haven't clarified their intentions yet."
"What about Ren Pingsheng? We saw him come here."
"No one has seen him," Luo Dachun pondered. "But as long as he's around, things are quite dangerous. I've already instructed people to strengthen the camp's Five Elements Formation Diagram; if they are unfamiliar with Snowfall Villa's formations, it won't be easy for them to get in."
We could only hope to uncover their movements before they achieved their goals, although that seemed quite challenging.
There was no use in rushing; the most important thing right now was to bring Dr. Fu over.
This time, Luo Dachun, Nie Qiuyuan, and I changed our appearances and entered Luoyang's East Market without drawing attention. Fortunately, Fu Zhifeng had not gone out today, so once we announced our names, we were easily granted an audience with him.
I felt it best not to disclose how my brother had been injured to Fu Zhifeng; after all, there was no need to reveal everything about Mirror Gate and Snowfall Villa to someone from Medicine King Pavilion. I was still pondering how to approach this when Fu Zhifeng straightforwardly stated that he required no explanations from us.
"As long as it is Lord Nie's request, I only need to see the patient and consider how to treat him. There is no need for me to know anything else or discuss any conditions," he declared decisively.
I awkwardly brought up the matter, which was of great importance, and could only request that he come alone, without any assistants, to visit the patient. He agreed without hesitation, showing no doubt that we might be trying to harm him or anything of the sort. I couldn't help but admire the old man's broad-mindedness and loyalty in my heart.
Without further delay, it was best to diagnose the illness as quickly as possible. Dr. Fu wasted no time, returning to the inner room to gather some necessary tools and medicine. He slung a medical kit over his shoulder and joined us as we hurried towards Baiyun Mountain Area.
Luo Dachun led us through the maze directly to the large tent where Sikong Han was recuperating. Upon seeing Sikong Han's complexion, Fu Zhifeng's expression grew serious. He did not say much nor did he use the method of pulse diagnosis; instead, he crouched down and placed his fingers on Sikong Han's wrist pulse.
I couldn't understand what he was doing; I only saw him alternating between using two fingers and three fingers at different positions on Sikong Han's wrist, seemingly testing and contemplating at the same time. This pulse diagnosis took a long time; I felt it lasted at least half an hour. Fu Zhifeng remained crouched, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Finally, he let out a sigh, released his fingers, and furrowed his brow.
"This person's condition is extremely critical," Fu Zhifeng said softly with a sigh. "You all must have used your internal energy to protect his heart pulse and organs; otherwise, he would have likely passed away by now."
"Is there a cure?" Luo Dachun's expression showed urgency. He had been suppressing his worries about his brother's injuries, but now that there was a glimmer of hope for salvation, it was hard for him to contain his anxiety.
"Do not worry, young hero. The poison your brother has contracted is very peculiar; it has not been seen in Central Plains or in the Western Regions. It resembles a strange toxin used by an extinct tribe from the northern wilderness. I have never encountered this poison in its physical form; I suspect it is one described in ancient texts. To determine its true nature, I will need to carefully examine your brother's condition before making any conclusions."
It seemed indeed quite troublesome, but we were immensely grateful for his willingness to help. There was still hope after all.
Looking at Sikong Han's haggard face reminded me of how well we had cooperated when we first met and how much silent support he had given me. My heart felt heavy with sorrow as I silently prayed for his safety and hoped that he would turn this peril into peace.
Just as all our energy was focused on our elder brother, a sudden commotion erupted outside the tent. A loud bang echoed from nearby, sounding like the earth itself was splitting apart.
We all jumped in surprise and stood up, intending to see what was happening outside. At that moment, a bloodied disciple in white burst into the tent with one hand clutching a sword, having been grievously wounded in the chest and abdomen by two blades. As soon as he entered the tent, he collapsed onto the ground and hoarsely shouted, "Mirror Gate... has attacked!"
We were all taken aback in shock. Snowfall Villa had heightened its defenses upon learning that Mirror Gate had appeared nearby and had reinforced the Five Elements Formation. How could they have gotten in?
Before we could react further, another deafening explosion sounded from outside.
Luo Dachun calmly instructed those around him, "Bai Yu, guard this place well; do not let anyone harm our elder brother again."
The person referred to as Bai Yu drew twin blades from his waist and nodded silently.
Yesterday, we had already met Bai Yu, who should be one of the top officials at Snowfall Villa. Luo Dachun trusted him greatly, and his martial arts skills must be quite high for him to feel secure handing over his elder brother to him.
I followed behind them as we exited the large tent. Fu Zhifeng also set down his medical kit and came out with us. We hadn’t mentioned the entanglement between Snowfall Villa and Mirror Gate to Dr. Fu, but the people from Medicine King Pavilion were likely well-informed and must have heard of these two major forces in the martial world. I wondered how he would handle himself in such a situation.
The scene outside the tent could only be described as breathtakingly intense, with black-clad and white-clad figures locked in fierce combat. The clashing of weapons echoed continuously, and chaos reigned all around. I quickly scanned my surroundings and was taken aback when I recognized the leading figure among the black-clad individuals due to his striking features.
A youth with red hair and red eyes, slender in build, was holding a strangely shaped, heavy weapon in one hand, creating a stark contrast. That person was undoubtedly Zhuque, one of the four disciples of Mirror Gate.
The object in his hand increasingly filled me with dread, as its shape resembled a modern high-damage weapon—a rocket launcher. This era shouldn’t even have gunpowder, yet the massive explosion I had just heard must have come from that thing. What kind of principle was at work here?
I shouted urgently, “Get back! That thing in Zhuque’s hand…” But before I could finish my sentence, Zhuque had already spotted us and raised his bizarre weapon, aiming it directly at us.
In my heart, I cursed “not good.” I didn’t know how skilled Nie Qiuyuan and the others were, but if it was a rocket launcher, pulling the trigger now would mean certain death for me no matter how fast I ran.
Yet my body reacted swiftly; I dashed to the side. I had confidence in Qiu; I believed he could evade it. What I lacked confidence in was myself.
There was a deafening explosion, followed by a cloud of dust and smoke enveloping the area. I felt dazed from the shock, unable to hear anything. As I struggled to regain my senses, I found myself crawling on the ground in an awkward position.
Posture didn’t matter much; the key issue was that I was still alive! But what about them?
I pushed myself up with effort and was astonished to see that Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun in white were already engaged in battle with Zhuque in black. They seemed unharmed. Indeed, their judgment was precise; that kind of weapon required close combat to disarm!
So what had happened to me?
I noticed that where we had been standing moments ago had collapsed into a massive pit without any signs of burning, indicating that this weapon wasn’t powered by gunpowder but still possessed tremendous power—truly terrifying for an ancient scientific marvel!
Now that I lay there at a safe distance from the pit, was I blown away? But there were no signs of injury on my body!
Only then did I take notice of my surroundings. Upon closer inspection, standing quietly beside me and watching the battle was none other than Mr. Fu Zhifeng.
So, he just saved me and brought me to this place, saving my life?
I sighed in relief. When I looked up again, I saw Nie Qiuyuan and the others had already knocked the strange weapon out of Zhuque's hand.
Now, Zhuque wielded a black, poison-laden Long Whip, swirling it around with a fierce wind, wrapping her body in the shadows of the whip. Her crimson Long Hair contrasted sharply with the black whip, making her appear extraordinarily enchanting.
However, Zhuque's strength did not lie in her martial arts skills. Moreover, she was currently facing both Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun together. In less than three minutes and after only a few exchanges, she was already struggling to defend herself, clearly at a disadvantage.
Zhuque gritted her teeth and decided not to linger in battle. The Long Whip changed its technique in an unusual manner, revealing countless tiny golden needles as hidden weapons that rained down on Nie Qiuyuan and his companion like a shower.
Zhuque's martial arts were not very strong, so almost all the weapons and hidden darts she used were coated with deadly poison. Nie Qiuyuan and the others understood this well; they channeled their internal energy to create a protective barrier around themselves, repelling the incoming hidden weapons. However, they did not take unnecessary risks and instinctively retreated three zhang. The densely packed golden needles shot into the ground with soft thuds.
Taking advantage of their moment of evasion, Zhuque chose not to continue fighting. She leaped backward gracefully, disappearing into the Five Elements Formation Diagram of Snowfall Villa with swift movements.
This action took us by surprise. No wonder the Mirror Gate was able to break in; Zhuque was an expert in the Five Elements Formation, so it wasn't surprising that she could crack the formation so quickly—though it was still astonishing how fast she did it. But did she abandon her companions and flee in the heat of battle?
If the plan was to capture Snowfall Villa's stronghold, what did it mean for the commander to run away? Moreover, where was Ren Pingsheng? Wouldn't his presence provide more assurance?
Before I could ponder further, I suddenly heard a disciple from Snowfall Villa shout ahead, "It's poisonous! Watch out!"
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