Chapter 218: Inside Story and Confession

"Master, I suspect Miss Fang Rou's injuries are not ordinary; they resemble sword wounds. As for Master Fang, his cultivation is profound, having reached the Small Achievement of Internal Organs. The person who could injure them must be extraordinary."

After a moment of silence, Lu Qing spoke, "My ability allows me to see through the information of all things in the world. However, the information I uncover is not infinite and has a certain degree of randomness. For example, this time, I couldn't discern the reason for Miss Fang Rou's injuries from Master Fang and the others."

"Whoever it was, we healers only focus on treating illnesses and saving people. As for grudges and feuds, it's best to stay out of them if we can," the old doctor advised.

"Disciple understands," Lu Qing nodded.

Sensing the peculiar aura surrounding them, he couldn't help but praise, "Master, your innate domain is truly marvelous. I wonder when I'll be able to attain such a realm."

"Stop your flattery," the old doctor chided with a smile. "Your innate talent far surpasses mine. With the spiritual energy about to revive, it won't be long before you catch up to my level."

He was well aware of Lu Qing's exceptional talent for cultivation. In fact, he even suspected that his disciple's delay in reaching the Innate Realm was intentional rather than a genuine inability to break through. After all, it had only taken Lu Qing a few months to progress from the initial stages of martial arts cultivation to the Internal Organs realm.

It didn't make sense that after two years, he still hadn't transcended to the Innate Realm.

However, the old doctor knew that Lu Qing had his own plans when it came to cultivation, so he didn't press the matter further.

After chatting for a while longer, the master and disciple retired for the night.

As for Xiao Yan, she had already fallen asleep, cuddling Xiao Li, and even Wei Zi'an was asleep.

Ma Gu was on night watch, and Lu Qing would take over from him during the latter half of the night.

It was always better to be cautious when traveling, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

As Lu Qing and his group settled down to rest, in the inner hall of the main hall, Fang Tao and his companions were also whispering among themselves.

"Master, now that we're stranded here by the heavy rain, and with our junior sister seriously ill and unconscious, what if the people from Liuyun Sect catch up to us?" asked the disciple named Da Shi in a low voice.

"They shouldn't be able to," Fang Tao replied thoughtfully. "Our escape route was rather secluded, and this downpour has washed away all traces of our presence. It won't be easy for the Liuyun Sect to find us."

"That Liuyun Sect is despicable! Our mountain villa pays them a hefty sum every year, and yet they turn on us so easily. That good-for-nothing young sect master even wanted to take our junior sister as his concubine. Master, why didn't you let me slice him up then and there?" Da Shi seethed with anger.

"Killing the young sect master would have sealed our doom, leaving us with no way out," Fang Tao sighed. "The Liuyun Sect has an Innate Realm elder, and they are already domineering. That young sect master is the only great-grandson of the Innate Realm elder, and if he dies, the Liuyun Sect's wrath will know no bounds. We would have nowhere to hide in this vast world."

"But if we don't kill him, we're still being hunted by the Liuyun Sect. What's the difference, Master?" Da Shi asked, confused.

"As long as we haven't drawn blood, there's still room for negotiation," Fang Tao explained. "I have a connection with an elder from the Qingzhou Guiyuan Sect. If we can make it to Qingzhou and pay the price, perhaps we can ask the Guiyuan Sect to mediate and resolve the conflict with the Liuyun Sect peacefully."

Da Shi remained silent. He recalled the contemptuous expression of the young sect master, wondering if his master was being too optimistic. Given the young master's vengeful nature, would he truly be willing to reconcile after suffering such a loss?

As Da Shi saw it, they should have killed that scoundrel when they had the chance. At least then, even if they all perished, they would have taken one of them down with them.

Remembering the guards and servants of the mountain villa who had been brutally slain by the Liuyun Sect disciples, Da Shi's heart burned with rage. If not for his insufficient strength, he would have gone to the Liuyun Sect alone to avenge his fallen comrades.

But this was his master's decision, and as a disciple, he could only obey, no matter how reluctant he felt.

"However, this is just my hope," Fang Tao continued. "If we're caught by the Liuyun Sect before we reach Qingzhou, then we'll have no choice but to fight to the death. Da Shi, if the Liuyun Sect shows up at the temple in the next couple of days, remember to distance ourselves from Chen Lao and the others. They've shown us kindness, and we must not repay them with ingratitude."

"Master, what if the people from the Liuyun Sect insist on harming Chen Lao and the others?" Da Shi asked, his voice laced with concern. He couldn't forget how ruthless and unreasonable their pursuers had been.

Fang Tao paused, a grim expression on his face, before replying, "Then we'll fight them with everything we've got to buy Chen Lao and the others time to escape!"

...

Lying on the ground with his eyes closed, Lu Qing allowed himself a slight smile.

Fang Tao and his group had kept their voices low, but to a martial arts master like Lu Qing, it might as well have been a loud conspiracy.

Hearing Fang Tao's assurance that they had no ill intentions, Lu Qing finally relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

The night passed without incident, and peace reigned.

There were no disturbances from Fang Tao's daughter, and she didn't come to bother Lu Qing and his group in the middle of the night.

As Lu Qing was responsible for the latter half of the night watch, he could also start preparing breakfast early. So, by the time everyone else woke up, the aroma of a delicious meal filled the air.

"You're up early, Lu Qing?"

Fang Tao was surprised to see Lu Qing already busy in the kitchen.

"It's a habit," Lu Qing replied with a smile. "Actually, I've also made breakfast for you and your daughter. And this bowl of medicinal porridge is for Miss Fang. I suspect she'll be waking up soon."

"Really?" Fang Tao's face lit up with joy, and he was about to ask more questions when a young woman named Qian Lin rushed out from the main hall.

"Master, Junior Sister is awake!"

"Little Rou is really awake?"

Fang Tao's joy knew no bounds. He felt both the happiness of a father seeing his daughter awake and the surprise at Lu Qing's uncanny accuracy.

"Please excuse me, Lu Qing." Fang Tao hurriedly said.

"Wait, Fang Zhuangzhu," Lu Qing interjected. "Since your daughter is awake, why don't you take this bowl of medicinal porridge to her? She's just recovered from a serious illness, and her body is weak. She needs to replenish her nutrition."

Lu Qing handed over a bowl of medicinal porridge.

"Thank you, Lu Qing," Fang Tao said gratefully, taking the porridge and hurrying into the main hall.

He found his daughter sitting with her back half-leaning against the wall.

"Father," Fang Rou called out weakly when she saw him enter.

"Little Rou, how are you feeling now?" Fang Tao asked, rushing to her side.

"I feel much better, Father. Where are we now?" she asked.

Fang Tao's expression turned somber as he replied, "We're in an unnamed Taoist temple. Before you woke up, you were injured and invaded by cold energy, and your condition was critical. Fortunately, Chen Lao and the others, who were also taking shelter here from the rain, came to your aid and saved your life."

Fang Tao explained the situation to his daughter.

"Then... whose clothes am I wearing?" Fang Rou asked, a hint of embarrassment creeping into her voice.

She had noticed that the clothes she was wearing were not her own but seemed to belong to a man. She had wanted to ask about it earlier, but her senior sister had rushed out to inform her father as soon as she woke up.

"Those are borrowed from Chen Lao and the others. They are all men, so they only had men's clothing. But rest assured, your senior sister helped you change," Fang Tao explained.

Fang Rou breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, I owe this Chen Lao a great debt of gratitude, and I must thank him in person."

"There's no rush. When Chen Lao and the others wake up, I'll accompany you to express your thanks," Fang Tao assured her.

"Mmm." Fang Rou nodded, then suddenly, her eyes widened as she caught a whiff of a delightful aroma. She looked around, her gaze finally landing on the bowl in her father's hands. "Father, what's that? It smells wonderful!"

Fang Rou's throat twitched as she spoke, her hunger stirring.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Fang Tao said, realizing he was still holding the bowl of porridge. "This bowl of medicinal porridge was specially prepared for you by Chen Lao's disciple, Lu Qing. He predicted that you would wake up this morning, and indeed, you did. He truly is perceptive."

Fang Tao handed the bowl of porridge to his daughter. "Little Rou, you haven't eaten for a couple of days. Go on, drink the porridge while it's still hot."

"Medicinal porridge?" Fang Rou looked at the bowl, her eyes widening in surprise. In her experience, anything associated with medicine tended to be bitter and unpleasant, but this porridge smelled absolutely delicious.

Intrigued, she took a spoonful and tasted it, her eyes lighting up with delight. Soon, she was eagerly drinking the porridge.

Fang Tao could tell from her reaction that the porridge suited his daughter's taste, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, Fang Rou finished the entire bowl of porridge and reluctantly handed the bowl back to her father.

She felt like she could eat a few more bowls but also knew that she should not overeat given her frail health.

"Master, Chen Lao has arrived," a disciple named Da Shi reported.

"Please invite him in quickly!" Fang Tao hastily instructed.

"Fang Zhuangzhu, I heard that your daughter has awakened, so I came to take a look," the old doctor said with a smile upon entering.

"Indeed, my daughter just woke up not long ago. She drank a bowl of medicinal porridge prepared by Lu Xiaolangjun. I wonder if you could examine her to ensure her body has recovered," Fang Tao replied.

"Let me check her pulse first," the old doctor said as he approached Fang Rou. The young lady felt a surge of warmth and closeness towards the elderly man, who exuded a gentle and amicable aura, and she instinctively extended her hand.

The old doctor placed his fingers on her wrist and carefully sensed her pulse before withdrawing his hand.

"Congratulations, Fang Zhuangzhu. The cold energy in your daughter's body has been largely dispelled, and the wound on her shoulder has started to heal. From now on, as long as she rests and recuperates, she will be just fine," the doctor assured him.

"Thank you so much, Chen Lao!" Fang Tao's heart was filled with gratitude, and he bowed deeply to express his appreciation.

"Thank you, Chen Lao, for saving my life," Fang Rou attempted to get up to show her gratitude, but the old doctor gently pressed her back down. "There's no need for such formality. Your health is still delicate after recovering from your illness, so it's best to avoid excessive movement."

The old doctor continued, "Fang Zhuangzhu, my disciple prepared some breakfast. If you don't mind, please join us for a meal."

Fang Tao and his disciples were deeply appreciative of the offer, and soon they gathered around the fireplace to enjoy the morning meal.

Lu Qing had prepared a simple breakfast—a large pot of braised pork rice and a jar of wild vegetable soup—but it was hearty and satisfying.

Fang Tao and his disciples savored the meal, not only because of Lu Qing's excellent culinary skills but also because, amidst their life-and-death pursuit, a warm meal and a hot soup were luxuries.

"Old Doctor, judging from the rain, it seems like it will continue for another day or two. What are your plans?" Fang Tao asked after they finished eating.

"There's not much we can do. We're traveling by horse-drawn carriage, and it's not ideal to travel in the rain. We'll have to wait for the rain to stop before resuming our journey," the old doctor replied.

Fang Tao's heart was filled with conflicting emotions upon hearing this.

To be honest, if the old doctor and his companions decided to travel in the rain, it wouldn't be good news for them.

Fang Rou's injury and illness meant that she couldn't afford to be exposed to the rain and cold again.

If they stayed in this remote Taoist temple, their days ahead might become much more difficult.

However, if the old doctor and his group continued on their way, there was no guarantee that the pursuers from the Liuyun Sect wouldn't catch up to them.

If that happened, Fang Tao feared that he would never be able to repay the debt of gratitude he owed them.

The internal struggle between self-interest and morality left Fang Tao at a loss for words.

After some thought, he believed that given the heavy rain yesterday, the Liuyun Sect would not continue their pursuit until the rain stopped.

So, he decided to keep this matter a secret for the time being.

"In that case, we will have to impose on you for a while longer, Old Doctor. I have some gold leaves here, not a large amount, but please accept them as a token of my appreciation," Fang Tao said as he took out a small stack of gold leaves and offered them to the old doctor.

The old doctor glanced at the stack, which weighed at least a few taels, and smiled. He took out one gold leaf from the stack.

"This is more than enough. This single gold leaf will cover the medical fees and the cost of the medicine. Please take the rest back, Fang Zhuangzhu," the old doctor said.

"But, Old Doctor..." Fang Tao began, but the old doctor gently shook his head. "Fang Zhuangzhu, we healers treat patients and save lives, following our conscience, not for monetary gain."

Seeing the old doctor's insistence, Fang Tao had no choice but to put the remaining gold leaves back.

However, his respect and admiration for the old doctor only deepened.

At the same time, he felt even more indebted.

A conflicted expression appeared on his face, and finally, Fang Tao decided to come clean.

"Old Doctor Chen, there's something I must explain to you..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end