Chapter 133: A Strange Visitor and a Mystical Treasure

Hearing his master say that he had never heard of these two mysterious forces, Lu Qing was not surprised.

Although his master had once possessed a Great Inner Mastery of martial arts, the old man had always considered himself a healer first and foremost, never identifying as a martial artist.

Having spent the first half of his life wandering the countryside, healing and helping people, he had little interest in the conflicts between martial artists.

So, it was no surprise that he was unaware of these pinnacle forces.

However, now that his master had reached the Innate Realm, Lu Qing felt they should pay attention to the outside world's decree regarding this realm.

Lu Qing shared his thoughts, but the old doctor remained unfazed.

"I'm an old man who prefers peace and has no desire for conflict. Let the decree be; it only adds to the tranquility I cherish."

Lu Qing realized his master's nature; he was a healer at heart, always gentle and amicable.

Even when patients were irritable and rude, he would respond with kind words and rarely lose his temper.

Asking him to fight was as difficult as asking him to abandon someone in need.

While the decree might be a constraint for other Innate Realm warriors, it probably made little difference to his master.

With this realization, Lu Qing's worries dissipated.

"Right, Master, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you. Now that the Wei family's ancestor, a master of the Innate Realm, has returned, should I escort Madam Wei and her son back to the county town?"

Lu Qing had not hidden from his master the fact that he had relocated Madam Wei and her son to the depths of the mountains.

The old doctor thought for a moment before replying, "Let's wait a little longer. The situation in the county town is still unclear, and it's best if we stay out of it for now."

"I was thinking the same, Master. Besides, Madam Wei and her family are currently safe here, so there's no rush to return."

According to Xiao Tian, Wang Cangyi still hadn't given up on the Wei family's treasure and was lurking in the town.

If Madam Wei and her family returned now, they might fall right into Wang Cangyi's hands, becoming a liability to the Wei family.

However, although Madam Wei and her family couldn't return yet, Lu Qing felt they should be informed about this development.

Lu Qing spent half the morning with his master, completing his daily lessons before heading into the mountains with Xiao Li.

As for Xiao Yan, her vocabulary had been steadily growing, and she could now stumble through simple sentences.

His master was delighted to hear this and, knowing that Lu Qing often went into the mountains to cultivate, offered to take over Xiao Yan's lessons.

So, the little one had quite a bit of studying to do lately.

As Lu Qing and Xiao Li approached the cave where Ma Gu and the others were hiding, he saw Wei Zian practicing with a staff.

Lu Qing watched for a while and noticed that Wei Zian had already mastered the staff techniques he had simplified and taught him, nodding in satisfaction.

Just as Ma Gu had said, Wei Zian did have a bit of talent when it came to martial arts.

Over the past few days, Lu Qing had imparted to Wei Zian the simplified One Qi Staff Technique.

Now, it seemed that Wei Zian had been diligently practicing in private.

"Well done! Excellent!" Lu Qing exclaimed as Wei Zian finished performing a set of staff techniques.

"Lu, my boy, you're here!" Wei Zian exclaimed, turning around with a delighted expression.

Hearing the voices, Madam Wei, who had been resting in another cave chamber, emerged, a surprised look on her face. "Young Master Lu, why have you come so soon? It hasn't been long since your last visit."

Indeed, Lu Qing usually visited them every three to four days, and it had only been a day since his last visit.

"There's something I wanted to discuss. Where's Master Ma?" Lu Qing asked casually.

"He went out to see if he could find some small game to improve our meals," Wei Zian replied.

Lu Qing nodded but didn't say anything further.

As time passed, everyone realized that the chances of that mysterious force venturing deeper into the mountains to find them were slim.

So, Ma Gu and the others had gradually relaxed from their initial tension.

Their range of activities was no longer limited to the cave.

Before long, Ma Gu returned with two wild rabbits. Seeing Lu Qing, he was both pleased and startled.

He was glad to see Lu Qing but also worried that something unpleasant might have happened outside.

"Now that we're all here, I have some news to share with you," Lu Qing said.

Hearing this, Ma Gu and Madam Wei's hearts tightened. They knew that Lu Qing's sudden visit meant something had happened.

"Madam Wei, please don't worry. This is actually good news for you," Lu Qing said, reassuring her.

Chapter: "A Pleasant Surprise"

Lu Qing smiled at Wei Feng's expression and said, "Lady Wei, what could it be?"

Hearing that it was good news, Lady Wei's face softened, and she asked, "So, Young Master Lu, what is this about?"

"Early this morning, Brother Xiao Tian, a close aide of Master Ma, came to find me. He told me about a significant event that occurred in the county a couple of days ago. Your Wei family's ancestor, the master of the Innate Realm, has returned safely..."

Lu Qing slowly recounted the news that Xiao Tian had shared with him.

As Wei Feng and Wei Zian listened, their eyes widened with surprise. By the end of the tale, they were filled with joy.

"So, the crisis facing your Wei family has been resolved, and you can now rest easy, Madam Wei and Young Master Wei."

"Mother, now that our ancestor is back, can we go home?" Wei Zian asked excitedly.

"Not yet," Wei Feng replied, her voice calm despite her own excitement. "As Young Master Lu said, those villains have not given up on seizing our family's treasure. If we return now, the risk is still too great."

"Madam Wei is right," Lu Qing nodded in agreement.

Although Wei Feng had no knowledge of martial arts, her clear-headedness in the face of such wonderful news showed why she was the matriarch of the Wei family.

"That mysterious force has caused quite a stir. They will not leave easily and are likely keeping a close eye on the entire county. If you return now, you might fall into their trap before even reaching the county seat, which would only cause more trouble for the Wei family."

"Mother, what should we do then?"

Wei Zian had matured over the past few days and understood that his mother and the others had a better grasp of the situation. He didn't insist on returning home.

"Wait!" Wei Feng said firmly. "Now that there's no more trouble at the mansion, it's a blessing. We must not cause any more trouble for your father and the others. We should ensure our safety and stay peacefully in these mountains.

I refuse to believe that those people will remain in Cang County forever. The day they leave will be the day we return home.

In the meantime, you can focus on cultivating the staff techniques that Young Master Lu has taught you. By the time we return, you will have mastered them and will surely surprise your father and make him see you in a new light!"

Hearing his mother's words, Wei Zian felt a surge of enthusiasm.

He longed for his father's approval!

Without hesitation, he exclaimed, "Rest assured, Mother, I will cultivate diligently! No, I will start right now!"

Seeing Wei Zian's newfound passion for cultivation sparked by his mother's words, Lu Qing and Ma Gu couldn't help but chuckle.

After all, the enthusiasm of youth was so easily ignited.

Lu Qing had intended to wait a while longer before escorting Lady Wei and her son back to the county town.

However, the arrival of an unexpected guest the next day completely disrupted his plans.

As he returned from the mountains the following day, Lu Qing, accompanied by Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, made their way to the halfway mountain courtyard as usual.

While Xiao Yan attended her morning lessons with her master, Lu Qing helped out in the courtyard by drying medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, a gentle voice called out from outside the courtyard.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

"Come in. Are you here to see the doctor?" Lu Qing replied without looking up, assuming it was a villager seeking medical attention, a common occurrence.

However, he soon realized something was amiss.

The visitor's first words upon entering were of admiration for the courtyard's plum blossoms.

"Plum blossoms nourished by the heaven and earth's primal energies must make for an exquisite tea. May I trouble you for a cup?"

Lu Qing's body tensed as he looked up at the speaker.

A young man in plain clothing with an ordinary appearance stood at the courtyard entrance, a smile on his face.

Noting Lu Qing's gaze, the young man continued, "At such a young age, you've already achieved a perfect harmony of tendons and bones. Impressive, as expected of the disciple of a Great Innate Master."

"Who are you?" Lu Qing asked, his heart pounding. Without using his abilities, he couldn't discern the young man's martial arts realm.

The young man seemed shrouded in a mist that concealed his true aura, appearing no different from an ordinary youth.

But Lu Qing knew this was no ordinary person.

Someone who could discern the reason for the blooming plum blossoms and easily see through his martial arts realm was no ordinary visitor.

More importantly, even Xiao Li hadn't sensed the young man's approach, which was highly unusual.

Lu Qing immediately activated his abilities and focused on the young man.

Soon, a dense red light, laced with a golden thread, emerged from the young man's body.

Chapter: "A Visitor from the Tianji Pavilion"

Upon seeing the string of information that appeared in his vision, Lu Qing immediately recognized the visitor.

It was the young man in plain clothes who had appeared in the county town, the one who had stopped Wang Cangyi and the Wei family ancestor, two Innate Realm warriors, from fighting! However, he never expected this person to be so formidable. Without being an Innate Realm warrior himself, he possessed the strength to fearlessly face a typical Innate Realm warrior, which was truly incredible.

No wonder Xiao Li hadn't detected the young man's approach; he had a treasure that helped conceal his presence.

"I am Zhi Rui, a disciple of the Tianji Pavilion, and I have come to pay my respects to the newly ascended Innate Realm master, Chen Songqing, the Old Doctor."

As Lu Qing's thoughts raced, the young man in plain clothes bowed politely.

He even knew his master's full name.

Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat once more. Aside from himself and Xiao Yan, almost no one else knew his master's full name.

Even the villagers only referred to him as Old Doctor Chen and were unaware of his full name.

He never expected this stranger, whom he had never met before, to know it so clearly.

Furthermore, he also knew that his master had attained the Innate Realm! The Tianji Pavilion was indeed formidable.

Lu Qing's heart trembled as he sensed the terror of these mysterious forces.

He looked deeply into the young man's eyes and said, "Please wait here while I go and inform my master."

The Old Doctor had already heard the commotion outside. Seeing Lu Qing enter, he frowned and asked, "Lu Qing, is the visitor the young man you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes, Master. It's Zhi Rui, the self-proclaimed disciple of the Tianji Pavilion, and he seems to know that you've entered the Innate Realm."

Lu Qing was also puzzled by this.

According to Xiao Tian, Lin Zhi Rui should have been in the county town during these days.

The county town was quite a distance away, over a hundred miles.

With such a far distance and the fact that his master's breakthrough hadn't created a significant disturbance, how did this person know that his master had achieved the Innate Realm?

The Old Doctor was also unclear about the reason, but he remained calm.

The Old Doctor, who had spent his life healing people, had never done anything dishonest. He lived his life with integrity and had no reason to fear anyone.

"As you mentioned yesterday, this person is likely a righteous individual. I'll go out and meet him."

Leaving Xiao Yan inside to continue with her lessons, the Old Doctor and Lu Qing walked out together.

The young man in plain clothes had been waiting in the courtyard, admiring the plum blossoms on the tree.

Hearing their approach, he turned and immediately fixed his gaze on the Old Doctor.

At the same time, a strange aura appeared in his eyes.

Then, he shuddered and looked at the Old Doctor with reverence, bowing politely.

"Junior Zhi Rui from the Tianji Pavilion pays his respects to Senior Chen."

"There's no need for formalities, young man. Please take a seat." The Old Doctor smiled.

"I dare not. Senior Chen, please take a seat first." The young man in plain clothes quickly replied.

The two exchanged pleasantries, with the young man insisting that the Old Doctor sit first. Eventually, the Old Doctor reluctantly agreed.

As for Lu Qing, being a disciple, he stood by attentively.

"May I ask why Zhi Rui has come here today?"

After they were seated, the Old Doctor asked straightforwardly.

"Senior Chen, I have come to ask for a cup of plum blossom tea."

Instead of revealing his purpose directly, the young man in plain clothes took a roundabout approach.

"That's simple. Lu Qing, go and get my tea set, as well as the plum blossom tea we dried the other day." The Old Doctor instructed.

"Yes, Master."

Lu Qing went inside and quickly retrieved the tea set and the flower tea, then stoked the fire in the stove.

Once the spring water boiled, the Old Doctor placed some plum blossoms into the cup to brew, and a strange fragrance filled the air.

It was indeed magical. This plum tree had bloomed on the day the Old Doctor entered the Innate Realm.

Even after all this time, the plum blossoms hadn't withered and continued to bloom.

Everyone who came to see the doctor was astonished by this sight.

Furthermore, the Old Doctor discovered that these plum blossoms, nourished by the primal energies of the heavens and the earth during his breakthrough, had become quite extraordinary.

Not only did they possess a unique fragrance, but they also had the effects of nourishing Yin and Yang, and quenching thirst.

So, he had collected the fallen blossoms and dried them to make flower tea.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end