Chapter 243: Change of Hearts, Futile Holy Edicts

"Senior Brother!"

The black-robed figure with the hawkish nose cried out in shock as he saw his companion's head sliced off, his spiritual soul power erupting in a violent surge. Simultaneously, his heart sank with dread.

Now that his senior brother was dead, he knew his own fate was sealed.

Lu Qing was also surprised by his master's sudden lethal strike, witnessing the ruthless execution of the two perpetrators.

It seemed that Master Lao had been truly incensed by the cruel acts of this duo, prompting such a decisive action.

With the hawk-nosed elder dead, there was no reason to spare the other.

Ignoring the desperate pleas in the black-robed figure's eyes, Lu Qing fired a pebble, piercing his brow and extinguishing his spiritual soul power, ensuring a permanent death.

Thus, the two Grand Elders of the Liuyun Sect, the greatest reliance of the sect, perished at the hands of Master Lao and Lu Qing.

Despite their victory over the culprits, neither Lu Qing nor Master Lao felt any joy.

Master Lao, in particular, remained silent after slaying the hawk-nosed elder, his countenance grave.

"Master," Lu Qing called out gently, sensing his master's heavy heart.

"Ah Qing, I think I understand now," Master Lao said, his voice carrying a newfound realization. "When the Sound of Heaven and Earth resonated, I had a premonition, and now I believe I know why."

Lu Qing paused, intrigued by his master's words.

"The changes in the heavens and the earth affect not only the cultivation environment but also the hearts of people," Master Lao continued. "It's not just spiritual energy that has revived, but also all sorts of sinister and demonic energies that can confuse and corrupt one's mind.

As the rules of the heavens and the earth shift, the once murky path of martial arts is becoming clearer, offering new possibilities for advancement.

In their pursuit of breakthroughs, some cultivators will stop at nothing, even if it means breaking taboos."

Lu Qing remained silent, knowing his master spoke the truth.

Cultivators were relentless in their pursuit of strength. With the changes in the heavens and the revival of spiritual energy, the path of martial arts was now filled with even more possibilities.

Especially for those with exceptional talent among the Innate Realm cultivators, there was a high chance they could break through their bottlenecks and ascend to even higher realms.

While it was commendable to achieve breakthroughs through righteous means and the understanding of heavenly phenomena, Lu Qing feared that some Innate Realm cultivators might stray from the path of righteousness and opt for shortcuts and evil methods, harming innocent lives in their pursuit of power.

Just like the Liuyun Sect's master and disciple, who had sacrificed the lives of others, stealing their qi, blood, and souls to enhance themselves.

If such acts became widespread, it would bring disaster upon the people of the world.

As for the edicts of the Holy Mountain, they might hold weight when the world was stable and powers were balanced.

However, with the current shifts in the heavens and the loosening of rules, each force was looking out for its own interests, and no one paid heed to those edicts anymore.

Perhaps even the Holy Mountain itself was already overwhelmed and unable to spare any attention to the other states.

Otherwise, with all the commotion caused by the Liuyun Sect in Yunzhou, why hadn't any representatives of the Holy Mountain appeared?

Even the Tianji Tower, known for its extensive network of informants and its role in upholding the rules of the Holy Mountain, was conspicuously absent.

This could only mean one thing—something significant must have happened in Zhongzhou, occupying the Holy Mountain to the extent that they couldn't spare resources for the other states.

"Master, it seems we must hasten our journey to Zhongzhou to understand the true extent of the changes in the world," Lu Qing said, his eyes determined.

"Yes, once we conclude our business here, we shall depart immediately," Master Lao agreed, his eyes filled with resolve.

Zhongzhou was the most prosperous state in the world, its wealth and power surpassing the combined might of all the other states. Only there could they grasp the full scope of the changes unfolding in the world.

"Seniors, I have come to aid you!"

As Lu Qing and his master conversed, a figure descended and landed before them. It was the swordsman they had encountered earlier.

"Seniors, are you alright...?" The swordsman began to ask, his voice trailing off as he beheld Master Lao's appearance.

Earlier, Master Lao had pushed his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak to break through the bloodlight domain, causing him to revert to his middle-aged appearance from when he had first broken through to the Innate Realm.

The swordsman was stunned by this transformation, his eyes widening in surprise.

"We're fine," Master Lao assured him, his features gradually shifting back to their elderly state as he retracted his energy. "Those two villains have been slain, so you need not worry."

The swordsman's eyes darted between Master Lao's appearances, realizing that the elder had been intentionally maintaining his aged appearance.

However, his surprise soon turned to astonishment as he listened to Master Lao's words.

"Senior, you said you've slain the Mo Fox master and disciple...?" The swordsman began, his voice trailing off as the realization struck him.

His eyes widened as he finally noticed the corpses of the hawk-nosed elder and the black-robed figure lying on the ground.

"Mere evildoers, reckless and wanton in their slaughter of innocent lives. Anyone could have justly executed them." Master Lao replied nonchalantly. "However, I am more concerned about your disciples and the others from Yunzhou. How are they faring?"

The swordsman snapped out of his shocked state and replied with a mournful expression, "Their situation is dire. Half of them have already fallen victim to the Mo Fox master and disciple. The remaining ones have had their qi, blood, and marrow extracted through evil means, and those with weaker constitutions are on the brink of death. I've been using my true qi to treat their injuries and stabilize their conditions temporarily."

Had it not been for this, he wouldn't have lingered at the tavern for so long.

"Oh? That severe?" Master Lao exclaimed, taken aback. "Then let's go take a look. This old man here knows a bit of medicine; perhaps I can be of some help."

"You know medicine, Senior?" The swordsman asked, his eyes lighting up with hope. Given Master Lao's profound cultivation, his medical skills were sure to be extraordinary.

"Just a little," Master Lao replied modestly. "Let's not delay any further. Let's hurry over."

"Please follow me, Senior!"

The swordsman took one last glance at the corpses of the Mo Fox master and disciple before striding forward.

Lu Qing retrieved his longbow and followed his master, with the swordsman leading the way.

Soon, they arrived at the tavern and were greeted by a grim sight—the dried-up corpses strewn across the floor. Lu Qing and Master Lao were both taken aback by the sight.

They knew that these victims had likely fallen to the hawk-nosed elder's evil ways, but the extent of their suffering was beyond what they had imagined.

"Great Elder!"

"Elder Yan!"

Upon seeing Lu Qing and his companions enter, the Silver Moon Sect Master and the others, who had been meditating to recover from their injuries, initially looked relieved. However, upon recognizing Lu Qing and Master Lao, their expressions turned guarded.

"This is Elder Chen and his exceptional disciple. Make way and let Elder Chen examine the disciples from the Hundred Flowers Palace," the swordsman instructed.

The Silver Moon Sect Master and the others hesitated for a moment before hastily moving aside to reveal the figures lying behind them.

They were young women dressed in white, their eyes closed as they lay unconscious. Their faces were pale and haggard, and even their once lustrous black hair had turned dry and white.

Master Lao placed two fingers on one of the women's wrists and channeled a wisp of his innate true qi to assess her internal condition. Soon, his expression turned grave.

Just as the swordsman had said, the condition of these women was dire. Their qi and blood were severely depleted, their pulses weak, and their vital energies nearly extinguished. They were truly at death's door.

"Elder, how are my disciples from the Hundred Flowers Palace doing? Is there still hope for them?"

The deputy palace master of the Hundred Flowers Palace, Liu, asked cautiously, her tone respectful as she addressed Master Lao. Seeing how even the Great Elder of the Silver Moon Sect treated him with deference, she dared not be careless.

"I'll do my best," Master Lao replied solemnly. He took out a needle pouch from his sleeve and turned to Lu Qing. "Ah Qing, go fetch the medicine box. I'll need it for the treatment."

"Yes, Master," Lu Qing replied.

Lu Qing had been using his ability discreetly to scan the people in the tavern, ensuring that none harbored ill intentions. He had just finished examining everyone when he received his master's instruction.

He nodded and turned to leave the tavern, using his movement technique to quickly make his way back to where their carriage was parked.

Noticing his master's grave expression, Lu Qing even activated the Earth Travel Technique empowered by the Earth Element symbol in his brow chakra, increasing his speed.

Thus, he soon returned to the spot where they had set up their camp.

"Young Master!"

"Big Brother!"

"Young Master Lu!"

Ma Gu and the others were overjoyed to see Lu Qing and immediately gathered around him.

"There's no time for questions. I'll explain later. Ma Gu, get everyone ready and drive the carriage into town. My master is treating the injured there, and he needs his medicine. I'll be back shortly. Xiao Yan, be a good girl and don't wander off."

Without giving them a chance to ask questions, Lu Qing picked up a medicine box and disappeared back into the forest.

Ma Gu and the others were left standing there, bewildered.

"Mr. Ma, about this..." The round, middle-aged man spoke up, looking at Ma Gu.

"Let's do as Young Master Lu instructed. Since he asked us to go to the town, it seems the danger there has been dealt with. We should leave immediately," Ma Gu decided after a moment's thought.

"Alright, we'll do as you say, Mr. Ma," the round, middle-aged man agreed.

Ma Gu gave him a curious glance, finding his behavior a little strange. Ever since he had climbed up the tree, his attitude seemed to have changed, becoming more respectful and cautious.

Chapter: "What Did You See?"

Ma Gu had a guess as to what had caused Xu Qianbei's attitude to change so drastically after his observation from the treetop. However, he didn't call him out on it and instead signaled to Wei Zian to start packing up.

After retrieving the medicine box, Lu Qing rushed back to the tavern at top speed.

"Master, I've brought the medicine box," Lu Qing said as he handed it over.

The old doctor opened the box and took out a white jade vial. He uncorked it and dripped a few drops of the medicine into the mouths of the unconscious Hundred Flowers Palace disciples.

Lu Qing recognized the medicine his master was using as the precious life-saving elixir they had concocted together using earth vein spirit liquid and century-old ginseng as the main ingredients, complemented by other rare medicinal herbs.

It was the same medicine that had saved Wei Furen's life when she was gravely ill and Wei Zian when he was poisoned and on the brink of death.

After administering the life-saving elixir, the old doctor began acupuncture, using the needles to stimulate the medicinal effects.

Soon, a hint of color returned to the pale, frail faces of the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples, and their feeble breathing became steadier.

The other martial artists in the tavern, all of them extraordinary individuals, could tell that the condition of the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples was improving, even though they were still weak from their injuries.

At least they looked much better than the lifeless, dried-up corpses that lay around them.

"Alright, their conditions have stabilized for now," the old doctor said softly.

Upon hearing this, Liu, the deputy palace master of the Hundred Flowers Palace, was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply to the old doctor. "Thank you, Elder, for saving them. The Hundred Flowers Palace will forever remember this kindness!"

"There's no need for such formality. However, their bodies are still very weak, and they should refrain from any strenuous activity in the coming months. They need to rest and recuperate, so please keep that in mind," the old doctor said gently.

"Yes, Elder. I will ensure they follow your instructions," Liu replied respectfully.

After removing the needles from the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples, the old doctor looked around and, after a moment's thought, spoke again. "From the looks of your complexions, it seems your qi and blood are also imbalanced. If you don't mind, I can take your pulses and see how we can adjust your bodies."

The martial artists' eyes lit up at his offer.

They had all witnessed the old doctor's remarkable medical skills firsthand.

The Hundred Flowers Palace disciples had been in a dire state, with half of their lives already in the underworld, yet the old doctor had managed to bring them back.

His medical prowess was truly exceptional, capable of bringing people back from the brink of death.

They knew that their qi, blood, and souls had been drained by the Grand Elder of the Liuyun Sect, and even though they had survived, their bodies had suffered significant damage, with potential hidden complications.

Now, to have such a skilled physician offer to treat them, they eagerly accepted.

"Thank you, Elder!" they said in unison, bowing respectfully.

As his master began taking the pulses of the others, Lu Qing started walking around the tavern.

Soon, he stopped in front of a corpse that was different from the dried-up, shriveled corpses that littered the floor.

This corpse still had fresh flesh, having been killed by a sword piercing its brow. Its right shoulder also looked unnatural, as if its scapula had been crushed.

"This person was a disciple of the Liuyun Sect. When I entered, he tried to take the others from Yunzhou hostage to threaten me, so I killed him with a sword strike," the swordsman explained, having kept a close eye on Lu Qing.

Lu Qing nodded and asked, "Then where is the sect master of the Liuyun Sect? Did you not see him, Senior Brother?"

"No," the swordsman shook his head. "He received a warning from Mo Hu and escaped beforehand. At that time, I was using my true qi to treat the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples' injuries, so I didn't pursue him."

As he spoke, the swordsman couldn't hide his regret.

Mo Zhen's cultivation was not low; he had cultivated his soul power and was just a step away from the Innate Realm.

Now that he had escaped, there was a chance he would break through to the Innate Realm in the future, which could spell trouble.

A hidden Innate Realm cultivator was a formidable threat.

Lu Qing understood the swordsman's regret but remained silent.

The swordsman had let Mo Zhen escape, and he would have to bear the consequences of that decision.

Seeing Lu Qing's silence, the swordsman hesitated for a moment before asking, "Young Master Lu, was it you who killed Mo Hu?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end