Chapter 111: Mystical Sensations, Healing the Injured

"Brother Lu Qing, what brings you here?"

"I came to gather herbs in the mountains. I didn't expect to run into you here," Lu Qing replied.

Ever since he had entered the Sinew and Bone Realm, Lu Qing had obtained another medicinal bath formula from his master to help train his sinews and bones.

Thus, he had been consuming quite a bit of medicinal herbs lately and had used up all the herbs his master had in storage.

To replenish his supply, he had brought Little Li with him into the mountains to gather more herbs.

Unexpectedly, they had stumbled upon Ma Gu being pursued.

"It seems my luck is quite good," Ma Gu sighed.

If Lu Qing hadn't come to gather herbs today, he would never have escaped that leather-clad youth's pursuit.

"Then, Brother Ma, why are you being chased? And who are these people?" Lu Qing asked.

From his psychic probe, Lu Qing only knew that the two men who had attacked earlier were from a sect called the Heavenly Azure Sect.

However, he was still unclear about why Ma Gu had gotten into trouble with them.

"I don't know who they are either. As for why I'm being chased, that's a long story," Ma Gu said with a complicated expression on his face as he began to recount the events of the past few days.

"So, when I went out to find medicine for Madam Wei, that leather-clad youth found me and chased me all the way to that valley, where I ran into you."

"I didn't know you've had such an exciting time these past few days, Brother Ma."

After hearing Ma Gu's story, Lu Qing looked at him strangely.

He realized that this man's luck was rather unfortunate, and it seemed like he had some bad blood with that young Master Wei.

Every time he encountered that young master, he ended up in a miserable situation. This time, he had almost been chased to his death.

"Brother Lu Qing, don't make fun of me," Ma Gu said, sweating. "I really regret going into that mountain forest that day."

Lu Qing smiled but didn't tease him further.

Instead, he felt a sense of admiration for Ma Gu.

Ma Gu could have chosen to abandon Madam Wei and her son, or he could have handed them over to save himself.

Yet, even when he was pursued to a dead end, he remained tight-lipped.

Such faithfulness to his promise truly made him a man of his word.

"By the way, Brother Lu Qing, there's something I need to ask of you. Madam Wei is unconscious due to inflammation from her wounds, and her life is hanging by a thread. I don't know if you could please help save her?"

The Silver Moon Guards had risked their lives to escort Madam Wei and her son to safety.

Ma Gu himself had almost died for it.

He really didn't want Madam Wei to die from her injuries.

If that happened, many people's deaths would have been in vain.

Lu Qing fell into deep thought.

Seeing that Lu Qing didn't respond immediately, Ma Gu didn't dare to urge him.

Lu Qing was powerful, skilled in medicine, and even seemed to have some control over that mysterious and fearsome beast.

With his help, their chances of rescuing Madam Wei and her son would be much higher.

Thinking of that mysterious beast, Ma Gu subtly glanced around.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen that beast at all since he and Lu Qing had moved to this location.

He wondered if it was hiding nearby or if it had already left.

Lu Qing didn't notice Ma Gu's subtle movements and was instead contemplating whether or not to get involved in this messy situation.

Things had become quite clear now.

That so-called Heavenly Azure Sect was likely the force behind the recent unrest in the county, targeting the Wei family.

Although he didn't know the sect's strength, it was apparent that as a force with a Precelestial Realm cultivator, their foundations must be solid.

Going against such a force would lead to unimaginable consequences if one were exposed.

With Little Li by his side, Lu Qing wasn't too concerned about Postcelestial Realm cultivators.

However, Precelestial Realm cultivators were a different story.

Even Little Li might not be able to pose a threat to such beings.

After some contemplation, Lu Qing finally decided to accompany Ma Gu on his mission.

Previously, the Wei family had helped him by blocking the Black Wolf Gang at Happy Fort.

He owed them a favor for that.

If he rescued Madam Wei and her son this time, he would have repaid that debt.

As for Precelestial Realm cultivators, they probably wouldn't appear in these mountains.

That Precelestial Realm cultivator, Wang Cangyi, who coveted the Wei family's treasure, would likely stay in the county, keeping a close watch.

Otherwise, if he left and the Wei family moved their treasure during his absence, all his efforts would be for naught.

Of course, this was assuming that the news of Tong Canglang and Wang Qingshan's deaths hadn't reached the county yet.

Otherwise, with two disciples dead, one of them an adopted son, no one could guarantee that Wang Cangyi wouldn't go berserk.

Therefore, if they were going to save someone, they had to act fast.

They had to rescue Madam Wei and her son before the news of Tong Canglang and Wang Qingshan's deaths reached the county.

Chapter: A Surprising Encounter in the Mountains

"Alright, I'll go with you." Lu Qing finally nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much, Brother Lu Qing!" Ma Gu was overjoyed by Lu Qing's decision and expressed his gratitude profusely.

With their plan decided, the two men did not linger in the cave any longer.

Ma Gu's body, now in the Sinew and Bone Realm, had an incredible capacity for recovery. With Lu Qing's treatment and the application of medicinal ointment, his shoulder wound was no longer a cause for concern, aside from limiting the use of that arm in battle.

Otherwise, his normal activities were unaffected.

The two prepared to set out immediately to the mountain cave where Wei Furen and her son were hiding.

However, before their departure, Lu Qing made a request.

He asked Ma Gu to direct them, but he wanted to be the one to decide on the specific route they would take.

Ma Gu had no objections to this. He knew that Lu Qing frequently ventured into the mountains to gather herbs and was thus much more familiar with the area than he was.

If Lu Qing had such a request, he must have had his reasons.

The two men stood at the mouth of the cave, with Ma Gu beginning to discern their direction.

Although he had been fleeing for his life from the youth in leather armor, Ma Gu had a general sense of the direction he had been running.

After a while, he pointed Lu Qing toward their destination.

With the direction decided, Lu Qing took the lead, with Little Li perched on his shoulder, occasionally providing him with subtle cues.

Indeed, the reason Lu Qing had wanted to choose their route was because of Little Li's extraordinary sensing ability.

Little Li could sense the presence of other creatures from a great distance, a skill that had been enhanced after consuming the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid.

Lu Qing had tested Little Li's abilities and found that when he focused, he could detect any living beings within a radius of one li (about 0.5 kilometers)—an incredible range.

While this distance might not seem impressive on flat ground, it was quite significant in the complex terrain of the mountains.

In the dense forest, objects and people could easily hide just a few steps away, out of sight.

A one-li radius of sensing capability was as good as having X-ray vision.

As they traveled, Lu Qing communicated with Little Li, occasionally changing their direction or finding a place to hide temporarily.

At first, Ma Gu was perplexed by these actions, but he soon understood their purpose when a group of powerful martial artists passed by shortly after they had taken cover.

He marveled at Lu Qing's ability to predict the movements of these warriors.

He also noticed Lu Qing's subtle head movements, as if communicating with something, yet there was nothing visible on his shoulder.

Ma Gu guessed that Lu Qing was communicating with the mysterious creature that had killed the middle-aged man in the Internal Organs Realm.

He also surmised that this creature, with its perfect ability to hide and incredible sensing capabilities, was responsible for predicting the movements of the approaching warriors.

Ma Gu's curiosity was piqued to the extreme, but he could tell that Lu Qing did not wish to divulge any information about the mysterious creature.

Thus, despite his burning questions, he forced himself to remain silent.

Lu Qing, too, was surprised at this turn of events.

As they traveled, Little Li had already sensed several different groups of martial artists.

Had the Heavenly Azure Sect sent so many people into these mountains to search? Or had the bodies of Tong Canglang and Wang Qingshan been discovered, drawing everyone to this area?

Lu Qing couldn't be sure, so he cautiously guided Ma Gu along, doing their best to remain unseen.

Fortunately, after they passed through this particular mountain forest, Little Li no longer sensed any martial artists in the vicinity.

Their pace quickened as they continued on their way.

Relying on Little Li's sensing ability, Lu Qing and Ma Gu eventually reached the mountain where Wei Furen and her son were hiding without any further incidents.

"There's a hidden cave up ahead where Madam Wei and Young Master Wei are located," Ma Gu signaled to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing nodded, and Little Li confirmed that there were indeed people in the cave ahead.

As they approached the cave, Ma Gu checked the simple warning traps he had set up earlier that morning at the cave entrance.

Relieved to find that none of them had been triggered, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that during the time he had been pursued, no one had discovered this cave.

And Young Master Wei had been well-behaved, staying put as instructed.

Ma Gu stepped into the cave first, and just as he reached the entrance, a wooden stick came flying out, aimed directly at his head.

He sidestepped nimbly and said in a low voice, "Young Master, it's me, Ma Gu."

"Ma Gu, you're back?"

Chapter: A Surprising Encounter in the Mountains

"Ah, it's you, Brother Lu Qing!" Wei Xiaogongzi exclaimed with delight as he rushed out, still holding the wooden stick he had used to attack Ma Gu earlier.

"Did you find the medicine? No, wait, you're injured?" Wei Xiaogongzi first asked about the herbs, but then his expression changed as he noticed the blood on Ma Gu's shoulder and the arm hanging limply at his chest.

"I was discovered by those people and got a little injured. Fortunately, Brother Lu Qing came to my rescue, or else I wouldn't have made it back here to see you, Young Master Wei," Ma Gu explained.

"Brother Lu Qing?" Young Master Wei asked, puzzled, his eyes widening as he spotted Lu Qing standing not far away.

"I know you; you're that... that..." Young Master Wei felt he recognized Lu Qing, but he couldn't quite recall his name.

"This is Brother Lu Qing, Master Chen's disciple. Young Master, you should recognize him," Ma Gu reminded him.

"Oh yes, you're the one who used to prepare my medicine every day!" Wei Xiaogongzi finally remembered.

Back when he had been severely injured, he had stayed at Master Chen's place to recuperate for a while. Lu Qing had been the one to prepare and bring him his medicine every day.

However, during that time, Lu Qing rarely spoke to him, and aside from delivering the medicine, he seldom appeared before Wei Xiaogongzi.

This made it so that although Wei Xiaogongzi found Lu Qing familiar, the two were not very acquainted.

"It's nice to see you again, Young Master Wei. I didn't expect to run into you here in these deep mountains," Lu Qing said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Young Master Wei asked in surprise.

"Young Master, Brother Lu Qing is Master Chen's proud disciple and is also skilled in medicine. I happened to meet him in the mountains and invited him to come and treat your mother," Ma Gu explained.

"Oh, you're Master Chen's disciple," Young Master Wei exclaimed, suddenly realizing. "Please, Lu Qing, save my mother! I just checked on her again, and her head feels even hotter now, and she's starting to delirious. She looks really bad!"

Hearing about his mother, Wei Xiaogongzi forgot all about questioning Lu Qing's presence there and instead pleaded with him.

"Oh, it's that serious? Let me take a look," Lu Qing said, his expression turning solemn.

The three of them entered the cave, and Ma Gu stayed by the entrance to keep watch and avoid any misunderstandings.

Lu Qing followed Young Master Wei further into the cave, approaching the spot where Wei Furen lay.

When Lu Qing saw Wei Furen, his brows furrowed.

Wei Furen was lying on her side, with leaves and grass cushioning her from the cold ground. The other side of her body, which wasn't pressed against the ground, was wrapped in white cloth, with blood seeping through, indicating that her wounds hadn't healed well.

Seeing Wei Furen's pale face and the sweat on her forehead, Lu Qing knew that she was probably at her limit.

He felt her pulse and then activated his ability, causing a faint light, a mix of white and gray, to appear on her body.

[Li Ngyan: Wei family matriarch, wife of Wei Xinghe, and mother of Wei Zian. She has a gentle exterior but a strong will and a kind heart.]



[Suffering from sword wounds to the waist and abdomen, she has lost a lot of blood. Due to improper treatment, her wounds have become severely inflamed. With external and internal issues, she is currently in a critical condition.]



Upon seeing the information about Wei Furen, Lu Qing's expression turned grave.

He hadn't expected her condition to have deteriorated so badly.

If he had arrived half an hour later, she might not have been able to hold on any longer.

Even now, the situation was still extremely dire.

"Doctor Lu Qing, how is my mother doing?" Wei Xiaogongzi asked anxiously, seeing Lu Qing's serious expression after feeling his mother's pulse.

"Young Master, to be honest, your mother's condition is very bad," Lu Qing replied candidly. "Her wounds weren't treated properly, allowing external evil influences to invade, and with the recent exertions, her body is suffering both externally and internally. She is in a very critical state."

"What should we do?" Wei Xiaogongzi panicked, grabbing Lu Qing's sleeve and pleading, "Doctor Lu Qing, I beg you, please save my mother! No matter the cost, I'll pay you whatever you ask! Just please save her!"

"There's no need for that, Young Master. Saving people is our duty as healers. I will do my best to treat your mother," Lu Qing assured him.

After calming Wei Xiaogongzi down, Lu Qing fell into deep thought.

Given Wei Furen's current condition, ordinary medicine wouldn't be of much help.

It seemed he would have to use the medicine he had prepared earlier.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end