Chapter 28
Aside from the doctor’s nightly habit of pressing down on Jinbao and torturing him, leaving him utterly exhausted, the journey over the next few days was relatively calm and uneventful.zOZjlKKoclCFtKJUgZCfZjwrTTAdlz
WvWgUxnZUcHBCNxA dozen or so days later, they were passing through Dalou Mountain. The terrain was treacherous, and the area was sparsely populated, with no inns within several miles.DyybglMvfNLKJdwAmpRnMygMfQkyHM
RVZHloPMFOpMlihQue Siming’s subordinate, a man named Chen Se, approached them after settling the horses and carriages. He was holding a fat carrier pigeon in his hands.YTzrxrkksGDZKSpMifAoAUCXcQeTHn
MhnXzfZQcSxTaiO“Young Master, Steward Xiao has sent a message. If we circle around Dalou Mountain, we’ll meet up with them.”pGRymqTUcPLfNPksJkPgKbwxjkrhYh
jxXrWGEUgLbVDIDQue Siming unfolded the note and glanced at it. “Alright, we’ll make camp here tonight.”KtIZgyFiqiFpvuthHEOvaWCsGsWjWu
PeIKdvPqkDaAtFpChen Se led about a dozen men to set up camp and build a fire.jlarJaFMRkPzpmajejFBBtUWxZfLUJ
QDRMYlNEErAAqclWhile most of the group planned to spend the night huddled around the fire, the doctor, as usual, insisted on sleeping in a tent.nuDpXDQvqlmFKnUFjoqvphiaAUQJhe
ysxcqYAEPPaCrIHBy now, everyone with eyes knew what was going on between the two of them. The only one who still thought he was being discreet was Jinbao, who would go out of his way to call Que Siming “brother” in front of others, thinking he was fooling everyone. Fortunately, Jinbao’s simple and straightforward nature made him endearing rather than annoying, so the others just pretended not to notice.sMCpDzVBAjxncGUSUDFThYGXkNhnhb
fSmtucSizXrIBoJGiven the rough conditions, the doctor didn’t have the luxury of being picky. After a simple meal, he wrapped his arms around Jinbao and went to sleep.SjokonaFxjJoIdTPFfrQCHnImYbVQA
hrxpzqBGtdsOYtVIn the latter half of the night, the Divine Doctor felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, his head spinning from the suffocation, and he unconsciously tossed and turned.DxUXkJrzbjXXTyseFGjoFdVPxqRuhK
HijEyGBpDBWntduHis movements woke Jinbao. Seeing that Que Siming was twisting his body in discomfort, Jinbao quickly shook him awake. “Divine Doctor, Divine Doctor, what’s wrong? Wake up, wake up!”yhqSFKKRSvNHKUgomjuiRZAaQVzPSc
AQtrPNDSHVCFrsRQue Siming woke up and in the darkness, could only see Jinbao’s pair of bright black eyes. He clutched his chest, cold sweat dripping from his body.mmGgimCAPnYwRBSxqmAfyptpoOlJCI
KIMdljcAyZvQMoc“Divine Doctor? Did you have a nightmare?”OsvgDysZLcEBNSFSfbxUWPNFOoXSVB
kCNMktxRFVigFAD“No… Jinbao, something’s wrong…”jvlUsxuqgneYcWqCGtNHdrtARaAFGc
qUGnZjzWNezicHY“What is it?”YXBudcPIlVYyijDDQhZbHdrYxMnBeX
JleFqBbAuopdkbC“I feel chest tightness, and I’m having trouble breathing. The flow of qi and blood in my body is abnormal… It’s the blood gu!”MyFFROMxOTriwsZamMlObbmdDsHxPK
IBUIqFKDuYTWVPXJinbao was shocked. “Could it be Yu Mingjing?”ioXJxucOeuHdICErqVZygIKKOXztTd
QvvyOOyxOWHfnpd“Probably. He’s likely nearby. Blood gu have a spirit, and when they’re close, they resonate with the mother gu.” The Divine Doctor tightly clutched his chest and grabbed Jinbao’s hand. “Little Hu, if we can’t beat him, you should go first. As long as he doesn’t get the Longevity Stone, he won’t kill me.”ernaPMXTWEIVhckIHOWBOsqLECEuuV
BOiRyUBeoGszOStJinbao was anxious. “How can I let you fall into his hands? If you get controlled and turned into a puppet by him, isn’t that basically like dying?”VBNczGhyTIAlIHZcxuFlXtsTvcGRYi
YUExgPZOZBBFuIC“If I turn into a puppet, I’ll lose my memory and mind. Unless he gets the Longevity Stone, he won’t fully control me for now.”FUedupHssSVcdsoVOJUatfGcLcwAnW
prihXYRZeyMqUoUThe boy stubbornly said, “No matter what, I’m not leaving you behind.”uFHpWTtzAhGpOiRmwNeiRmqgIwyqpv
mHTjqFotbMWIPAfQue Siming gritted his teeth, holding his hand tightly. “We can only run now. Let’s go.”xIxpTodRrkcMxNQRtCzHrVqwCzXvJA
BNZVvkIVwVkYfBfSince they were outdoors, neither of them had taken off their clothes. They grabbed their belongings and dashed out of the tent.BRPCUfVFwAdtwZpzYojBMdUstSjipL
cqhKbeYpMEAWVksThe dozen or so people outside were resting with their eyes closed around the fire. They were all martial artists, so they immediately became alert when the two emerged.fmUSLvKDIannpSwYFQNqsbXNRBaAkZ
uewMBBSJBkbNqbwChen Se jumped up from the ground. “Young Master? What’s wrong?”nthOUKYmUgtfOiJeJsVKMMlLtdSyUp
JkEiPGTgxLRcOWP“Yu Mingjing might be nearby.”BWGFFEmRSgXibwvciSWpcosBBZCfaS
ASrBBZRFMLMgYLl“What?”gLYgijtRpCQNAaxMLjGWRAgMsTajGF
EFdSCtnpvwCkwyo“The blood gu in my body is reacting. I can’t be sure it’s him, but it’s highly likely. This feeling is a bit like the last time I smelled his blood.”IUzgwluBbvSLcNMqkOfEmffrOJIEDd
HsLFcyWBsmhjIhlChen Se frowned, thinking for a moment. “Young Master and Young Hero Jinbao should take a few people and head north along the mountain path. If you’re quick, you should meet Chief Xiao before dawn. I’ll lead the rest back along the original route.”bUziZoVAYykRMwejaxLIgybDOYgzIa
vlPZbtdSjeHFFvRQue Siming nodded. “Be careful, then.” With that, he selected a few people and led Jinbao into the mountains.UCroYBeTwFfjneDIHMwqFLPOzUTkRR
RqJzwQXhqdmTaICThis situation, where they couldn’t tell where the enemy was and were constantly shrouded in an unknown fear, was truly anxiety-inducing.ZhFclgvggEIGNRAyjHfoZriCsSqegg
iFoBbFvekOvHnQRQue Siming was filled with resentment.GLXWHbUrQifFtLMCiIkjHqpJJVnmkH
uDQPlOyJqVkhFNgWhenever he thought about how he had to hide from Yu Mingjing like a turtle, especially in front of Little Hu, he wanted to bite Yu Mingjing to death.RFvVnyVEtryvzgKMAmQzjtdxytjTPf
mcetPOmKRLlohIrAs they hurried on the road without stopping, they cautiously observed their surroundings.zFCfydgpAzjfjQcyuNDXbByuRgjfWQ
duhQVOvdXUeypuDJinbao asked, “Divine Doctor, how powerful is Yu Mingjing?”JLqrkCvECIPtEUzDuBCrwgBMvNtdvB
PAbrTaXvCGEpqPyAt the mention of that name, Que Siming’s anger surged. “Powerful my ass, he’s just a damn sissy.”xtmfTNNXpyZOzTmYsNOJRDcAARWMII
ELRtGGYuScNACQGOne of his subordinates chimed in, “Yu Mingjing’s martial arts are mediocre, he’s only skilled in using poison. But the people from the Medicine Valley have ways to counter him. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be able to harm us, it’s just that the Young Master is restrained by the blood gu…”HIImEHlpjrNkdtudVGqXJpGEmBKwej
wULZocoJMdVJwGAQue Siming snapped, “Who asked you to speak? I’m just cursed by a gu, not mute!”GQeBJSfYNTZPUwbgxbReEpVBPNzFdU
MLTJKmFprvKerBOQue Siming nodded. “Be careful.” After saying this, he selected a few people and led Jinbao around the mountain.pVyRGUuZbYiSlVUPRTOXdHEZTJHsgY
ZdtbNGcjcRokoquThis kind of situation, where they couldn’t distinguish where the enemy was and were constantly shrouded in unknown fear, was truly anxiety-inducing.oFYZSYaqrNaLEEGWMuBAGUIwInqkUX
VaHWUNBMjNvEFfHQue Siming was filled with resentment.VufQSOhUTCUDfziAJoPNTDkFtzMrgC
EWcXyhXFrZhoGVTEvery time he thought about how he had to hide from Yu Mingjing like a coward, especially in front of Little Hu, he felt an intense urge to kill Yu Mingjing.tHFpYJGelRDSexQpsBHwIhxvzofciw
MaEhvsepQpMcomMAs they hurried along the road without stopping, they cautiously observed their surroundings.JrlJnoQBFdqTipJudbAJeMjIhRZyMK
kToEQuufVkGXRxIJinbao asked, “Divine Doctor, how powerful is Yu Mingjing?”aviLizgjGcylJtmtcKxAhYNozpcpsx
OjyMJeWuZoUfsnuThe moment Que Siming heard that name, his anger surged. “Powerful my ass, he’s just a damn sissy.”KZXmJNuvnQYDAveFLbEoPqazmcBVqL
CtfHDzPyCjLfxBEOne of his subordinates chimed in, “Yu Mingjing’s martial arts are mediocre, he’s only skilled in using poison. But the people from the Medicine Valley have ways to counter him. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be able to harm us, it’s just that the Young Master is restrained by the blood gu…”LLEWvRafDWhQcdYlDDrzfIMgAaAuBI
TiJVNsObiySTCybQue Siming snapped, “Who asked you to speak? I’m just cursed by a gu, not mute!”SUlMBIprMmBYqlPPTLdTFjuvwNiQKr
pNzlQbjQXqkUasFThat person immediately shut his mouth, helplessly exchanging glances with the others.sFUyPtKAYpasyEZVVpqBSFodFwDGIk
qwNjTACXwosPKwcThe Divine Doctor then spoke up, “He usually brings some Wu family’s guards with him. Those people are not to be feared, but there’s one very formidable bodyguard by his side, highly skilled in martial arts, who never leaves his side.”gsPvSEMVyXEiXZeyRKtJimqpEsxigl
YKQlnYxCiHTRFbt“A very formidable bodyguard?”qRmoXFWNMlvPPeQLDMZlTWbYpyKjpy
qVUxmwXlExDWKCv“Exactly, and he’s quite mysterious. It’s said that he always wears a mask, and even the Wu family doesn’t know who he is. He’s been protecting Yu Mingjing for many years.”omiebrHeqdMHhDhSJhSmzohgDwmxEy
mxNKFjVnfWvLpCQ“Then… can I defeat that person?”QemQHPMdFtsqjBblUOqLJnnuvmGrLM
ZVOFXKUPgBfoPEAQue Siming glanced at him. “If you could defeat him, would I need to run? The people I brought can deal with the Wu family guards, but if I’m controlled by Yu Mingjing, no one would be able to handle that bodyguard.”qRkoIKfaqRSlXxRsEdzlAQEzGSnqwo
oPzHrXLTJiyQhrsJinbao felt his pride take a hit, but no matter how unwilling he was to accept it, the fact was that his skills were lacking.KoRwWGiulHLnSuiTrhvleYSnxytyEb
JedBBjveKiZJbTzIn his heart, he gradually began to see Que Siming as his wife, just as he had imagined when he was a child.dlDzztMZBxlrRCGsTHJJVTVxBNEgkr
XBquhGbysOLVJSiHow could a man not feel frustrated and defeated when he couldn’t protect his own wife?wNTvuVZdEFajKFeDBHqOoLVnhsYidC
HheuQXTrXmAiLhkQue Siming, disheartened and covered in dust from fleeing, felt miserable. He couldn’t stand up and defeat the bad guy; instead, he had to run away, which only made him feel worse.GyZEuaRQZbCzifKCGekxCrvnoScZBo
oAfsNnFOzOXZlRDThey hurried for more than an hour, and soon the sky began to lighten.ZJRSQvcOmBFbbPxhddiqFFzzSTNIxb
qdgXfcXNAXkZqTz“Young Master, after crossing two more mountains, there will be a village. Once we reach the village, we can buy horses. If we continue south for seven or eight miles, we’ll be able to meet up with Chief Xiao.”rHvDEYwhAjTJCWWcaJxLVmgQtWoVpy
UJIXUFRDNQOYEjO“Yeah, the sooner we meet Uncle Xiao, the better. Let’s hurry up and keep moving, don’t slow down.”eznSbMKbPqCpOGsOqAQxACdZCJwcLP
bPGkplzlbKxvVbOYue Siming’s unease grew stronger with each passing moment. It felt like a pair of eyes were locked onto him, like invisible hands were manipulating the cursed blood gu inside his body. The sensation was both nauseating and terrifying, as if he could lose control at any second. He only wanted to get out of these mountains as quickly as possible.xLdzpQVheXzeYitmyXrRGWJjSrNIQV
dBMKpuPRxDJZdbmJinbao noticed Yue Siming’s pace quickening, realizing he must have sensed something. He stopped talking and stayed close behind.kayLWRJNshVaEVqhAFFZIGLxKUlIHC
kiQdrqPuUOHwyEeSuddenly, something caught Jinbao’s foot, causing him to stumble.dBpJvZKEMqrIORuFFEYEhvqBjUryQZ
ftyRLKMVUOWaLcNA thin wire suddenly snapped up from the grass, and the silent forest was filled with the sound of arrows slicing through the air, glowing with a faint purple light as they shot toward them.cJAKKyHxaEbSkAmOSZsdeNeAeyBpws
zvPSeYDfbGsWVNqSomeone shouted, “Watch out, it’s a trap!”qdUbPcXdOpOhjMzPBfUhmWNMIgksvr
TJDtWCZmgTrIRIIThey hurriedly rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding the first wave of arrows.BMnFtbdeIVJbualymMJCKeYROBfnPG
FvFwTFHVvEnLUQrBut the trap was cunning, giving them no time to catch their breath as arrows were fired from the opposite direction.eTFmOIUCGYTCezVkIowVKJnmtxfPgn
JZCrpSEJrvvHBSpIt was clear that whoever set this trap had gone to great lengths, having waited in ambush for a long time on this only path over the mountain. Venomous arrows filled the sky, and despite their heightened vigilance, they were still caught off guard, barely managing to avoid the onslaught in a rather disheveled state.oPyWbwzYwEqeMWbAeYOwCilyauvIDA
NZQHhrodCJgGAQSSeveral white figures suddenly emerged from both sides of the mountain path, surrounding them.onYlHLGrZfkQFHEUwfUonUjzzdvFjO
FwfgnqFeOgSxsOJYue Siming’s subordinate shouted at Jinbao, “Take the young master and run! Get him out of here!”AytuNtaefwWwItliCHZKtrmCkbknpE
sxgsDAbsjNvFLowJinbao quickly jumped to his feet, grabbing Yue Siming, “Divine Doctor, we need to go, now!”QgaydVtwjvWqbGbijRBdBMhemJTufy
YNRbQBcWrQlrgbmBut it was too late. Yue Siming stood rooted to the spot, his face pale, his body trembling uncontrollably. He clung tightly to Jinbao’s sleeve just to keep himself steady.TOatPkBGimpcrFvKKksYAZtAmAsxoV
zrLCyZIHECYpQwSThe group of people in white were all masked.avrtqsIXERzXVFDeBYeUiapnuMLTQv
zLiFCDiUOjPqMjUOnly the leader had his hair down, with a delicate and elegant face, extraordinarily beautiful. His lips were so pale they were almost gray, and his eyes carried a deep, desolate expression. His age was indiscernible, and under the hazy moonlight, he seemed otherworldly, as if he wasn’t a mere mortal.kEaMARNjcLMYYAthxVqkopwZBMotCE
WRXjtRClbXnIQXZAt that moment, he raised his arm, taking slow steps toward Yue Siming. His thin, pale arm was partially exposed, and fresh blood was flowing down it. Upon closer inspection, a strange symbol drawn in blood could be seen on his arm.hUTmZPkjfUlokfjiobjcaBvLMYkThI
rqIclOwfWzNtNfIYue Siming’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, and his expression was twisted in rage. Through gritted teeth, he spat out three words, “Yu Mingjing!”ttVwAyEEHUotEtwMvKJZeNXNTfMFZR
uJEzSqCLnJWpJfGdOfeqNPddZFwvIzlvobqWgwPihIWrT
TexkFYVQCaboTkJiqPNdqOxsnpfBZPEfreALXTDymQdhW