Chapter 217: A Strange Sky, the Chilling Aura of Death

"Quick, there's a Taoist temple up ahead. Let's take shelter from the rain there!"

"Xiao Rou, hang in there a little longer. We've found a place to get out of the rain!"

"Once we get to the temple, we'll build a fire to warm up. You'll be fine!"

...

Amidst the chaos, five or six people rushed into the main hall. They were all soaked to the bone, with bundles on their shoulders and some even carrying weapons. They clearly weren't your average folk.

One of them was carrying a young girl on his back.

As they entered the hall and spotted others already inside, they paused momentarily, but soon their attention turned to more pressing matters.

After a quick nod to Lu Qing and his group, they hurried to the other side and set the girl down.

However, the girl didn't look well at all.

Her face was pale, her lips cyanotic, and her body trembled uncontrollably. A faint scent of blood emanated from her, and she seemed to be half-conscious.

"Xiao Rou, Xiao Rou, wake up!"

The middle-aged man who had been carrying her on his back shook her shoulders gently, trying to rouse her.

But she only managed to open her eyes slightly, murmur "Father," and then slip back into unconsciousness.

"Xiao Rou!"

The man was shocked and began shaking her again.

As he saw her breath growing weaker, his eyes reddened with worry.

"Master, what should we do?"

The others were equally anxious.

Unfortunately, their luggage had been lost along the way, and they didn't even have any medicine to help.

"May I take a look, sir?"

Just then, a gentle voice spoke up, offering help.

The group looked up to see a kind-faced old man standing before them.

It was Chen Lao, the elderly physician.

The moment the old doctor had laid eyes on the girl, his expression turned grave.

Seeing the girl slip into unconsciousness again, and the middle-aged man and his companions looking helpless, he finally spoke up.

"Er... sir?"

The middle-aged man asked hesitantly.

"I am a healer, and I have some experience with treating illnesses and injuries. Perhaps I can be of assistance," the old doctor said gently.

"You're a physician, sir? That's wonderful!" The middle-aged man was delighted and quickly made space for him. "Please, my daughter has been injured and soaked by the rain for so long. She's now unconscious. I beg you to save her. I will be forever grateful."

"Let me examine your daughter."

The old doctor bent down to feel the girl's pulse. However, as soon as his fingers touched her wrist, his expression changed.

"Aqing, boil this medicine immediately—one dose of Baxintang, boiled over a high flame as quickly as possible!"

"Xiaoyan, bring my medicine box!"

"Yes, Master!"

Lu Qing, knowing that his master's urgent tone meant the girl's condition was dire, immediately retrieved the herbs from his bag.

Xiaoyan, being the sensible girl she was, fetched the old doctor's medicine box.

Seeing this, the worry in the hearts of the middle-aged man and his companions eased a little.

After all, the presence of so many herbs and a medicine box indicated that the old man was indeed a healer.

The old doctor took the medicine box and removed a needle pouch from it.

He first administered several acupuncture treatments to the girl.

Then he looked up at the middle-aged man and said, "Sir, your daughter's condition is quite serious. I must administer acupuncture immediately. Additionally, her wet clothes need to be changed. Can someone assist with that?"

"Qianlin, you help your junior change her clothes," the middle-aged man instructed without hesitation.

"Yes, Master!" A young woman in her twenties stepped forward.

However, she hesitated and said, "Master, we lost our luggage, and our packages were soaked through by the rain. I'm afraid we don't have any dry clothes."

The middle-aged man realized his oversight and turned to the old doctor with a pleading look.

The old doctor pondered for a moment and said, "We do have clean clothes, but they are men's garments. I'm not sure if that would be appropriate."

Lu Qing's group, aside from Xiaoyan, consisted entirely of grown men, so they naturally wouldn't have young women's clothing.

"We are wanderers, unbound by such formalities. Please, sir, lend us a few sets of clothes. I can pay you for them," the middle-aged man said earnestly.

"Helping those in need shouldn't require such formality. Zi'an, go fetch a few sets of clean clothes."

"Yes."

Soon, Wei Zi'an returned with the clothes, and Qianlin, carrying the girl, followed the old doctor to a more private area within the hall.

Even Xiaoyan was called in to assist.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man's heart finally settled.

The old doctor was old enough to be his grandfather, and with a little girl helping, there was no cause for concern about any improper intentions toward his daughter.

"Xiaoyan, go and help dry off this young lady and change her clothes."

The old doctor instructed as he removed the silver needles from the girl's body and turned away.

"Okay!" Xiaoyan replied obediently.

The woman named Qianlin, seeing Xiaoyan's petite frame, was about to refuse, but as she was alone and needed help changing her unconscious junior disciple's clothes, she ultimately acquiesced.

However, she was surprised by Xiaoyan's strength as, with her assistance, they were able to change the girl's clothes with ease.

Once the girl was changed, the old doctor turned back and took out his needles, ready to administer treatment.

His medical skills were exceptional, and his experience in healing was vast. His ability to locate the correct acupuncture points was incredibly precise.

Even through the fabric of her clothes, he was able to place the needles with absolute accuracy.

Soon, after applying a set of needle techniques, the girl's breathing stabilized, and a hint of color returned to her pale face.

After removing the needles, the old doctor continued to feel her pulse, his expression growing increasingly grave.

Qianlin watched anxiously, her heart pounding, barely able to contain her urge to ask about her junior disciple's condition.

"Master, the medicine is ready," Lu Qing's voice sounded from outside, causing the old doctor's expression to ease slightly.

"Bring it in," the old doctor said.

After the old doctor administered the medicine and emerged from the back hall with Xiaoyan, the middle-aged man and his companions immediately approached.

"Old Master, how is my daughter?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Fortunately, you arrived in time. Your daughter's condition has stabilized for now, and her wounds have been treated with wound medicine, but we still need to observe her for a while and administer two more doses of medicine," the old doctor explained.

"May I go in and see her?"

"Yes, but it's best not to have too many people in the room at once."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man instructed, "Dashi, wait outside for now. I'll go in and check on your junior disciple."

After entering and seeing that his daughter's condition had indeed improved, he came out and bowed deeply to the old doctor, expressing his gratitude for saving his daughter's life.

The memory of his daughter's frail state still filled him with fear.

She had looked so fragile, and he had almost believed she would perish.

"There's no need for such formality. Healing the sick is merely our duty as medical practitioners," the old doctor said gently. "However, may I also examine you and your companions? It is important to ensure you haven't caught any illnesses from the rain."

"We should also be examined?" The middle-aged man was taken aback.

He didn't feel any discomfort and believed his cultivation to be robust enough to withstand a little rain.

"You shouldn't assume that your robust health will protect you from all ailments. Know that illnesses often arise from subtle changes, sometimes without you even realizing it," the old doctor said seriously.

The middle-aged man listened intently, recalling the old doctor's impressive display of medical skills earlier, and found his words convincing.

He immediately extended his hand, "Then I appreciate your help, Old Master."

The old doctor placed two fingers lightly on the man's wrist, and at the same time, a thread of innate true qi silently entered the middle-aged man's body.

After a while, the old doctor withdrew his true qi and maintained a neutral expression. "May I also examine your disciples?"

Having already allowed the old doctor to examine himself, the middle-aged man naturally didn't refuse.

"Dashi, you three, come here and let the Old Master take your pulses to check for any signs of a cold," he called out to his disciples.

"Yes," the three male disciples immediately stepped forward.

The old doctor proceeded to take their pulses one by one.

Lu Qing, who was standing by, noticed that his master's actions today seemed somewhat unusual.

However, he had already used his ability to scan these people earlier and found no significant issues or signs that they were malevolent.

He decided to ask his master about it later.

"Well, Old Master?" the middle-aged man inquired after the old doctor had finished examining them.

"Fortunately, all of you are in good health. There's just a slight invasion of cold, which can be remedied with a bowl of warming soup," the old doctor said with a smile. "Aqing, prepare a pot of ginger soup for these folks afterward."

"Yes, Master," Lu Qing replied.

"Then, we are truly grateful for your help," the middle-aged man thanked the old doctor and also bowed to Lu Qing. "Thank you for your trouble, young man."

After being soaked in the rain for so long, they indeed needed something hot to warm their bodies.

"It's a small matter. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet.

"The old physician said, "My surname is Chen. You may address me as Doctor Chen..."

The elderly physician, whose name was Chen Lao, chatted with Fang Tao for a while. Lu Qing, meanwhile, had finished preparing the ginger soup and, knowing that Fang Tao and his group had lost their luggage, he also cooked a pot of hot porridge and shared it with them.

Fang Tao and his companions were deeply grateful for Lu Qing's thoughtful gesture. They had been running in the rain for a long time and were famished. They eagerly devoured the porridge, only to be amazed by its flavor.

"Young Master Lu, what did you put in this porridge? It's incredibly delicious!" The robust young man, whom Fang Tao had addressed as Dashi, exclaimed.

"It's just some homemade salted meat, nothing valuable," Lu Qing replied with a smile.

"I never expected to find such delicious meat porridge in this remote Taoist temple. Young Master Lu, your porridge-making skills are truly exceptional," Fang Tao praised.

As for the other disciples, they were so engrossed in their meal that they couldn't even lift their heads.

This meal of meat porridge further improved the atmosphere, and everyone chatted and laughed together.

Time passed slowly as the group engaged in casual conversation.

The rain outside lessened in intensity but showed no signs of stopping, continuing well into the night.

During this time, the old physician checked on the young girl several times and administered another dose of herbal soup.

"Master Fang, your daughter's condition is no longer life-threatening. She should wake up tomorrow morning. Going forward, as long as she rests and recuperates, she will make a full recovery," the old physician assured.

"Thank you, Doctor Chen!" Fang Tao expressed his relief.

"Well, it's getting late, and we've been traveling all day. We should get some rest. If your daughter experiences any issues during the night, feel free to come and get me," the old physician said before taking his leave.

After he left, Ma Gu walked in, carrying a bed quilt.

"Master Fang, my master asked me to bring this quilt especially for Miss Fang. He said that with her illness and exposure to the rain, she must not catch a chill tonight. However, we don't have many extra quilts, so we can only offer this one. Please accept our apologies," Ma Gu explained.

On this trip, Lu Qing and his companions were traveling incognito. Ma Gu's role was that of a horse caretaker. Therefore, when addressing the old physician in front of outsiders, he referred to him as "master."

"That's more than enough. Please convey my gratitude to your master when you return," Fang Tao said, his heart warmed by the gesture.

Fang Tao had been worried about how his daughter would fare in the cool night after being drenched in the rain. This quilt was indeed a timely gift.

As for Fang Tao and his other disciples, they were all strong and robust, and enduring one night of discomfort wouldn't be a significant issue.

As Fang Tao laid out the quilt for his daughter, on the other side of the hall, separated by a curtain, Lu Qing and the old physician sat facing each other.

A peculiar aura emanated from the old physician, enveloping the area around the two of them in a radius of about two meters.

"Master, when you took the pulses of Master Fang and his disciples earlier, did you sense anything unusual about them?" Lu Qing asked.

Strangely, his voice seemed to be confined to the space between the two of them, unheard by Wei Zi'an and Ma Gu, who were not far away.

"Indeed. I detected a trace of cold, poisonous energy in their bodies, especially in the injured Miss Fang. It's more concentrated in her," the old physician nodded.

"Cold, poisonous energy?" Lu Qing was alarmed.

"Yes. Logically, they should only have caught a chill from the rain, at most resulting in a common cold. But now, they've been invaded by this cold, poisonous energy. I fear this may not bode well," the old physician said gravely.

Lu Qing's heart stirred as he asked, "Master, do you suspect..."

"Today's rain was already unusual, and now, with the presence of this cold, poisonous energy, I'm afraid it's a sign of something highly unusual," the old physician said.

"You once mentioned that the heavens and the earth are about to undergo a great change, and spiritual energy will be restored. However, from what we've seen with today's rain, I worry that along with the restoration of spiritual energy, there may be other things that will also reawaken due to the shift in the rules of the heavens and the earth," the old physician explained.

Lu Qing fell silent, contemplating his master's words.

His master's speculation was not without merit. After all, Lu Qing's understanding of the revival of spiritual energy came from the notes left by the Free and Unfettered One.

However, even the Free and Unfettered One had never experienced the revival of spiritual energy himself, so no one could be certain about the specific changes that would occur with the shift in the rules of the heavens and the earth.

Based on today's unusual rain, it seemed that the changes would be far from limited to the mere revival of spiritual energy.

Lu Qing also thought about the heavenly warning his master had sensed before, and his heart grew heavier.

For a while, both master and disciple remained silent.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end