The Corpse Clothes in the Green Bag [Complete] - 11

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter 135.

On the stilted house, Xiaoying lit an oil lamp, and everyone gathered under its light to examine the newborn baby girl.

On Tianmen Mountain Temple, the moonlight was hazy, and so much had happened that no one had been able to see her clearly. Now, upon closer inspection, they couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

The baby girl's skin was completely different from the delicate skin of a newborn. Her entire body was covered in fine wrinkles, her face was wrinkled like a little old woman, her scalp was bald—there was no lanugo, not even pores—and her buttocks were fiery red, like a monkey's bottom. Most astonishingly, when her little mouth was opened, two rows of tiny teeth were revealed.

Seeing so many people observing her, the baby girl turned her head, opened her mouth, and spat on the ground… The old ancestor stared blankly at his child, tears streaming down his face: “How could this be?”

Liu Jinmo had never seen such a strange baby before. Could it also be a ghost child?

“Well then, tomorrow morning, I’ll ask Hansheng to come here and see if there’s anything wrong with the child,” he said.

The old ancestor nodded, still wiping away his tears.

Xiaoying saw Liu Jinmo and Shen Caihua and her child downstairs, instructing him to make sure Hansheng came tomorrow morning.

“Let’s go,” Liu Jinmo said to Shen Caihua.

Shen Caihua instinctively felt that this man had no intention of harming her, so she followed behind him, carrying Xiao Caihua, towards the Tianmen Inn.

Late at night, they could already see the inn’s thatched houses in the distance. The lights in the western rooms were still on, indicating that Hansheng and the others were still awake.

At this time, in the dim moonlight, Liu Jinmo saw three dark figures flash out of the inn’s gate and then rush towards the back mountain.

The figure in front of him was very similar to Xun Wu. Liu Jinmo smiled faintly. Anyway, these Guandong people were all part of Yang Gong Lao Seng's group. Their ambition to seize the Ye Fu treasure had nothing to do with him and Han Sheng. Let them be.

In the west room, Han Sheng and the others were still awake. Liu Jinmo had left with Granny Xiao Ying and hadn't returned yet, which made him a little worried.

The hasty departure of Qian Lao Da and the others from the east room just now added to their anxiety.

Wu Daoming comforted Han Sheng, saying that Liu Jinmo was experienced in the martial world and should be fine.

"Someone's coming," the nun suddenly said.

Footsteps came from the doorway, and Liu Jinmo walked in happily, followed by the timid Shen Caihua, who was tightly holding Xiao Caihua in her arms.

Zhu Biao yelled and jumped out of bed, throwing off the covers. Wearing only floral shorts, he hugged Shen Caihua tightly, tears streaming down his face as he murmured, "Caihua, it's my fault, Zhu Biao, I'm so sorry..."

Hearing this, Han Sheng felt a pang of sadness.

The nun and Wu Daoming exchanged a glance, their hearts warming.

Only Can'er watched them silently, her eyes red-rimmed, her heart filled with unbearable sorrow.

Shen Caihua, expressionless, reached out and wrapped her arms around Zhu Biao's neck, then opened her sharp teeth and bit down...

Shen Caihua's sharp teeth pierced the skin and muscle of Zhu Biao's neck, biting directly at his carotid artery... Zhu Biao froze, blood dripping down his neck.

Han Sheng, Liu Jinmo, and the others were also stunned, staring blankly at this sudden turn of events, at a loss for what to do.

Shen Caihua didn't immediately clench her teeth, which would sever her carotid artery. Instead, she hesitated, but didn't loosen her grip… “Quickly, say something private, a secret only the two of you know!” Wu Daoming suddenly whispered from the side.

Zhu Biao suddenly realized. He remembered that when Wu Daoming first arrived, he had said that one day, when Shen Caihua no longer recognized him, he must say something only the two of them knew.

“Buttocks… Red plum blossom buttocks…” In his haste, Zhu Biao shouted out the phrase he often used during his passionate encounters with Shen Caihua. It was because Caihua had a small, red birthmark resembling a plum blossom on her buttocks.

Zhu Biao also clearly remembered that when he first met Shen Caihua at Shen Tianhu's house, she also had an identical red plum blossom birthmark on her buttocks.

Hearing Zhu Biao's words, Shen Caihua trembled, her blank and empty eyes seeming to see something... one tear after another silently seeped from her eyes... She remembered something: her acquaintance with Zhu Biao, his teasing gaze, Zhu Biao suddenly embracing her, that warm, broad chest, his undressing, the first time a man had entered her body, their passionate lovemaking... Shen Caihua slowly released her mouth... Everyone's tense nerves relaxed. Zhu Biao looked at her

with tearful eyes, "Caihua, you remember, you finally remember..." he murmured.

Shen Caihua reached out and gently stroked the wound on Zhu Biao's neck, opening her mouth, but no sound came out.

The nun's eyes were filled with tears as she turned to look at her fellow Daoist.

Wu Daoming shook his head and sighed softly, "A corpse cannot speak."

"Can she return to normal? Her life is so pitiful," the nun asked.

Wu Daoming said in a low voice, "A corpse is always a corpse. She's only holding on because of the resentment of someone who died with their eyes wide open

. Once that resentment dissipates, she'll slowly rot away and eventually become just a corpse again." "Before that, if we can return to the intermediate state of existence, there might be a way," Han Sheng suddenly said.

The nun looked at Han Sheng earnestly with tearful eyes: "If there's a way, please help her."

Han Sheng sighed and said, "Not yet."

With a thud, Zhu Biao knelt down, his face streaked with tears, and said, "Han Sheng, for the sake of us being from the same village, please, please find a way to heal Caihua. Her life has been so miserable. I'm begging you." He then kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the ground with a resounding thud.

This was the first time in his life that someone had knelt and kowtowed to him. Although he had a bad impression of Zhu Biao before, seeing his genuine affection for Shen Caihua, Han Sheng sighed, "Zhu Biao, if you had stood up for Shen Caihua when she was in danger, she might not have died unjustly. Get up, I will do everything I can to heal her, if there is still a way to cure a corpse in this world."

Since becoming friends with the nun, Wu Daoming seemed to have become more compassionate towards matters of the heart. At this moment, he thought for a moment and said, "Han Sheng, have you heard of the 'Thirteen Branches of Zhu You'?"

"The Branches of Zhu You?" Han Sheng nodded. The entire "Corpse Clothes Classic" discusses it.

“The word ‘zhu’ means curse. I once heard my master say that doctors of the Zhuyou branch would use incantations to curse diseases and drive them out of the body. Zhuyou incantations have a mysterious and unknown aggressive nature. In recent years, Western science has verified that incantations are specific infrasound waves emitted by practitioners when they reach a certain level of skill. These waves resonate with a certain organ in the body and can catalyze changes in the values of certain chemical components in the body. If the resonance effect is good, it can completely achieve a therapeutic effect in the medical sense,” Wu Daoming said.

Han Sheng recalled the discussion in the scriptures and said, “Hmm, ‘In ancient times, the transfer of essence and transformation of qi was done through Zhuyou. It was because of its utmost sincerity and unwavering commitment to communicating with the divine, so essence could be transferred and qi could be transformed. When diseases are caused by the interference of ghosts and gods, they must be attributed to Zhuyou. Generally speaking, the intention is to make the gods accept it, so as to expel evil with righteousness.’ Unfortunately, from childhood to adulthood, I have only assisted my father and have never read medical books properly. I have only heard of the ‘Thirteen Branches of Zhuyou’ and do not know the details. But I think that since the art of Zhuyou can transfer essence and transform qi, it should be of some help to Shen Caihua.”

Wu Daoming pondered, "My master was all alone and died young. I heard him say that he once fell in love with a woman surnamed Bai. That woman was a descendant of the foremost family of healers in the Central Plains. Her ancestors migrated to Lingnan at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty to avoid war. Unfortunately, they never ended up together. If she were still alive, she might be able to help you. However, even if the woman surnamed Bai were still alive, she would be over a hundred years old."

Han Sheng said, "If you have the chance, Mr. Wu, you might as well inquire about her."

Wu Daoming nodded.

At this moment, Liu Jinmo interjected, saying to Han Sheng, "Aunt Mei Xiaoying asks you to go to the stilted house after dawn."

"What is it?" Han Sheng asked

. "The ancestor gave birth to a baby girl, but it seems to be a strange baby," Liu Jinmo said.

Chapter 136

Dawn broke. After breakfast, everyone began to pack their belongings. Han Sheng and the others planned to go to Granny Xiaoying's stilted house and then follow the route taken by Wu Daoming and the abbess, taking the path along Moon Lake, passing through Snow Peak Mountain, crossing Dongting Lake, and returning to Jiangxi.

Ma Du and Manager Tie bid farewell to Han Sheng, as they would ride back to Huang Gou Ya along the same route.

Ma Du was reluctant to part, hoping to have the opportunity to reunite with him in Wuyuan in the future.

Manager Tie handed over the money he had brought with him that he hadn't yet spent to Liu Jinmo, wishing him well, and left behind the extra horses.

Han Sheng watched Ma Du and Manager Tie ride away, feeling a pang of sadness.

Can'er's health had recovered remarkably well, and he could already ride a horse. Shen Caihua carried Xiao Caihua on horseback, with Zhu Biao leading the way, holding the reins. His signature spear, the one he used to dominate the martial arts world, was still tucked under his clothes, though it only had three bullets left.

Liu Jinmo carried a bucket filled with two fish at the front of the group, while Wu Daoming and the nun walked at the back, hand in hand, whispering sweet nothings to each other with affectionate eyes.

Han Sheng glanced one last time at Tianmen Inn. The corpses of Manager Wang and Boss Mo lay silently there. Alas, in this world, in the affairs of the martial world, life and death often hinge on a single thought. Truly, life is unpredictable.

The group headed straight for Tianmen Mountain, facing the rising sun.

Granny Xiaoying stood smiling beneath the stilted house, watching them.

Upstairs, Han Sheng saw the strangely shaped newborn girl.

Looking at the thousands of wrinkles on the baby's skin, her bald head without pores, her bright red bottom, and her two rows of thin teeth, Han Sheng realized that in all his years of delivering babies with his father, this was the first time he had seen such a bizarre infant.

The baby girl, seeing Han Sheng and the others pointing and staring at her, showed disdain and spat a mouthful of sticky phlegm on the ground.

Han Sheng squatted down to examine the phlegm closely, discovering it was yellowish-green, extremely viscous, and had a slightly fishy smell.

"Could this child have a neonatal lung infection?" Han Sheng wondered.

He grasped the baby girl's pulse and was immediately startled. Her pulse was not only strong and forceful, but also extremely surging and vigorous, exhibiting the characteristics of both old yang and young yin. This was hardly the pulse of a newborn!

"Strange," Han Sheng shook his head. He turned to the old ancestor and said, "Let me examine your pulse."

The old ancestor extended her wrist, and Han Sheng examined it closely, his heart filled with astonishment.

The old ancestor's yin essence was completely gone…

Han Sheng shook his head, sighing deeply.

"What's wrong?" Wu Daoming asked, standing beside him.

"Mr. Wu, what is yin essence?" Han Sheng asked Wu Daoming.

Wu Daoming thought for a moment and said, "Innate yin essence, received from one's parents, precedes birth; it is truly essential for a woman."

Han Sheng nodded and said, "Those who possess yin essence live long, while those who possess yang essence die young. The old ancestor has lost all her yin essence; I'm afraid…"

Granny Xiaoying asked anxiously, "Afraid of what?"

"I'm afraid her life is nearing its end," Han Sheng sighed.

At that moment, Wu Daoming suddenly slapped his forehead, realizing something, and exclaimed, "So it was the old monk Yang Gong!"

Mei Xiaoying asked in surprise, "You mean..."

Wu Daoming explained, "Under the sovereign fire, yin essence is received. That lecherous old monk Yang Gong actually did the despicable act of 'absorbing yin to replenish yang'."

Liu Jinmo interjected, "That's right. The old monk Yang Gong drugged the ancestor's wine, making him lose his mind and forcing out yin essence to replenish yang. Even a notorious womanizer, despised in the martial world since ancient times, would be punished by heaven and earth for this. Everyone has the right to kill him." Thinking that he had almost fallen for the trick himself, he felt ashamed after spending decades in the martial world.

The nun was furious upon hearing this, saying, "If this old lecherous monk isn't eliminated, who knows how many more people he'll harm? I think we should join forces to eliminate him and rid the people of this scourge."

Liu Jinmo said, "This old lecherous monk's martial arts are incredibly high; even if several of us join forces, I'm afraid we can't subdue him."

Mei Xiaoying said quietly, "Then there's only one person in the world who can defeat him."

"The old man from Xiangxi?" Han Sheng immediately thought of the silver-haired, white-bearded old man.

Grandma Xiaoying nodded and said, "This old monster possesses the peerless martial art of the 'Thirty-Six Measuring Rulers of Heaven,' created by Guiguzi. No one in the world can rival him, and he is enough to subdue the old monk Yang Gong."

"Hmph, I, Zhu Biao, would like to see it for myself and have a go at him," Zhu Biao said indignantly from the side. He thought to himself that he must find an opportunity to show off, preferably after they have been completely defeated. He would then casually fire a shot, finish off that great demon, and then smile indifferently as he slowly walked back to Shen Caihua and her son... However, no one paid attention to Zhu Biao's words, which somewhat hurt his pride.

Han Sheng looked at the strangely shaped baby girl and said, "This deformed baby girl was born with yang energy but no yin energy, and has very little subcutaneous fat. No wonder her skin is wrinkled, she's bald, has a large head, a small face, an eagle nose, and bird-like eyes. She ages very quickly."

"Oh, are you talking about what Western medicine calls 'congenital progeria'? Hong Kong newspapers published photos of two brothers from Kowloon, saying it was a congenital condition that caused them to age ten times faster than normal. One year for an ordinary person is equivalent to ten years for them. In Hong Kong and the West, it's considered incurable." Wu Daoming recalled.

"That's not necessarily true," Han Sheng said.

Upon hearing this, the patriarch awoke from his grief and confusion, grabbing Han Sheng's hand: "You say it can be cured?"

Han Sheng pondered, "There are no incurable diseases in the world, only those for which the correct treatment method has not yet been found. This infant is also a creation of heaven and earth; isolated yin cannot produce life, isolated yang cannot grow. When yang reaches its peak, yin is born. The problem is, I need to find a way to quickly generate her lesser yin, to achieve yin-yang balance as soon as possible, that is, the harmony of water and fire."

Wu Daoming was sincerely impressed, saying, "I didn't expect that Han Sheng, at such a young age, could already integrate the principles of the I Ching into his medical skills. It's truly remarkable."

"However, treating the infant will take some time. As for the patriarch, he absolutely cannot come into contact with yang anymore. From now on, we should slowly adjust his diet to generate more acquired yin essence to compensate for the lost innate yin essence. However, I have been away from home for a long time, and I'm afraid I don't have time to stay," Han Sheng said hesitantly.

Mei Xiaoying thought for a moment and said, "Ancestor, aren't you tired of staying at Tianmen Mountain yet? Let's go to Jiangxi too."

The Ancestor looked at the baby in his arms, gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, we'll go to Jiangxi with Hansheng. Xiaoying, just pack a few clothes and take the money from the jar."

Liu Jinmo asked with a smile, "What about the wine?"

The Ancestor stamped his foot and said, "Never mind, forget it."

Han Sheng thought this was for the best, giving him time to ponder the principles of the Qingnang Corpse Cloth Classic and find a cure. In short, the more difficult the illness, the stronger Han Sheng's will became. He firmly believed that every illness had a cause, and finding the cause would naturally cure it.

"That would be perfect, but my house is just too cramped..." Han Sheng thought, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Stay at my place! I, Zhu Biao, have been fortunate to meet you all on this journey through the martial world, sharing life and death together!" Zhu Biao declared with great chivalry.

"That's wonderful! In that case, we can set off as soon as possible," Han Sheng said happily.

Lan'er, Han Sheng will be home in a few days. How are you all? Thinking of this, his eyes welled up with tears.

Martial arts heroes are decisive and efficient. Before long, Granny Xiaoying had packed their belongings, and everyone descended from the stilted house, ready to depart. Finally, Liu Jinmo grabbed a few bottles of good wine to take with them.

The old ancestor, cradling the infant, sat on horseback, turning back to gaze at the stilted house where he had lived for decades, a touch of melancholy still lingering in his heart.

"Let's go. The green hills are beautiful, but no longer a place to linger," Mei Xiaoying said wistfully, pulling on the reins.

The group headed south along Tianmen Mountain towards Moon Lake, then turned towards Xuefeng Mountain, passing through Taoyuan County to reach Dongting Lake, and then crossing the 800-li Dongting Lake eastward to Jiangxi.

Ahead lay Moon Lake, its surface shrouded in mist, the shore shrouded in haze.

Liu Jinmo walked at the head of the group.

Chapter 137:

The Dark Night Before Dawn. The old monk Yang Gong, along with his five disciples—Qian Laoda, Dui Er, Li San, Zhen Si, and Xun Wu—arrived at the fog-shrouded Moon Lake.

Gazing at the rising steam from the lake and the dark, mysterious Ghost Valley Cave atop the cliff, the old monk Yang Gong sighed, “Wild Monk, 300 years ago you laid this trap, dreaming of a comeback. For it, how many Qing Dynasty masters and江湖 heroes of Tianmen Mountain died at your hands? But you don’t know that after our Eight Banners descendants entered the pass, the Central Plains ushered in the Kangxi and Qianlong era of prosperity. Isn’t that a hundred times better than your Li Zicheng? Today, I bring the descendants of the Eight Banners to reclaim what doesn’t belong to you.”

The eldest Qian and his fellow disciples slowly removed their clothes, revealing their strong muscles, until only shorts remained. The color of the shorts represented their respective ancestral tribes: the eldest Qian, pure white shorts, a member of the Plain White Banner;

the second Dui, white shorts with trimmed corners, a member of the Bordered White Banner;

the third Li, bright red shorts, a member of the Plain Red Banner; and

the fourth Zhen, dark blue shorts, a member of the Plain Blue Banner.

Xun 5, wearing red shorts with trimmed corners, a descendant of the Bordered Red Banner.

The disciples stood in a row, their expressions solemn. Kan 6, Gen 7, and Kun 8 should have also been present, but they were all gone; they belonged to the Bordered Blue, Bordered Yellow, and Plain Yellow Banners respectively.

The old monk Yang Gong silently removed his monk's robes, leaving only shorts—a pair of large shorts patched with eight different banner colors. His ancestors had belonged to the Imperial Household Department, holding a higher status than the Eight Banners.

"Ten years have passed. Today is the day we, the descendants of the Eight Banners, will bring honor to our ancestors. The Wild Blessed Treasure is somewhere in the Ghost Valley Cave. Currently, we know that there is only one old man from Xiangxi guarding the treasure in the Ghost Valley Cave. We must all work together to capture him and force him to reveal the treasure's mechanism. This will prevent losses to our personnel. Understand?" the old monk Yang Gong said.

"Yes, Master," everyone responded in unison.

"Good. Now, take your weapons and let's go," the old monk Yang Gong commanded.

The eldest, Qian, held a yellow weasel-shaped drum belonging to a wild shaman in his left hand and a drum whip made of twisted wolf skin in his right—the shaman's sacred weapon. The second, Dui, wielded two foot-long animal bones, their whiteness exuding an eerie aura. The third, Li, held a dark red wooden slingshot with a bowstring made from the tendons of a sika deer; his bare upper body was slung over a small deerskin bag containing a secret recipe of poisonous mud pills. The fourth, Zhen, carried a dark blue-black miniature crossbow, his left arm clad in a gauntlet containing dozens of small, dark blue wooden arrows coated with potent poison. The fifth, Xun, wielded a foot-long curved sword with a bluish sheen and red streaks—said to be Dorgon's sword, fed with his blood at night, and used to kill countless Han Chinese.

The old monk Yang, however, needed no weapon; his spitting venom was an invincible hidden weapon.

Led by Elder Qian, everyone dived into the icy, bone-chilling Moon Lake one by one. Finally, the old monk Yang Gong looked around before plunging into the water as well.

Elder Qian's head cautiously peeked out from the calm surface of the cave, making a soft splash as he carefully observed the activity within. A faint ray of light pierced through a crack in the cliff face, revealing the winding stone steps carved into the rock.

Elder Qian tiptoed up, pulling a drum and drumstick from his trousers. He lightly tapped the water with the drumstick to signal the landing.

His fellow disciples followed one after another, with the old monk Yang Gong arriving last.

Elder Qian pointed to the stone steps on the cliff face. The old monk Yang Gong nodded, waved his hand, and Zhen Si took the lead, stepping onto the steps. He took out a small, bluish-green arrow, loaded it into his crossbow, and then stealthily climbed upwards, the others following behind.

After climbing several dozen stone steps, a huge white rat suddenly appeared, blocking Zhen Si's path.

It was a giant white rat, its red eyes fixed intently on Zhen Si's chest muscles in the dim light, drool dripping from its mouth.

Zhen Si had never seen such a large rat before. He waved his hand, trying to shoo it away, but the white rat remained unmoved, still staring at him with predatory eyes.

Enraged, Zhen Si recognized the rat's head and kicked it with a whooshing sound. However, the creature was incredibly agile in the darkness, and instead bit Zhen Si's forefoot. His

rubber boots were instantly torn through, almost injuring his toes, but the force of the kick sent the giant white rat flying with a squeak, its bones broken as it tumbled down the steps and crashed into the cave below.

Zhen Si breathed a sigh of relief and continued climbing the stone steps.

Not far ahead, around the corner of the stone steps, five or six equally large white-furred rats sat in a row, staring at him menacingly… Zhen Si gasped. How could this godforsaken place have so many vicious rats? He couldn't be careless any longer. Thinking this, he pulled the trigger, and a poisoned arrow shot out with a "whoosh," hitting the giant rat on the left. The rat fell down without a sound, its limbs twitching twice before going still.

With another "whoosh," Li San behind him fired a slingshot, and a highly poisonous yellow mud ball actually hit a giant rat's eye, scattering shattered eye tissue everywhere. The rat instantly collapsed and died. The other three or four rats were stunned for a moment, then suddenly squeaked twice and pounced at him all at once.

"Dong dong," a soft drumbeat sounded behind them. Several rats suddenly stopped, hesitated for a moment, then swayed their bodies in unison to the drumbeat, their large heads bobbing to the rhythm... This was Boss Qian playing the hand-grabbed drum of a wild shaman.

In the past, weasels were more common in Northeast China; in the Central Plains they were called "yellow weasels." A weasel over sixty years old was considered very alluring; its scent could induce hysteria in many women with weaker constitutions. According to current Western medicine, the scent, feces, and fur of weasels contain certain volatile enzymes that can cause hallucinations in some people with neurasthenia or sensitivity.

Boss Qian's hand-grabbed drum was made from the belly skin of a weasel over a hundred years old. When the wolf whip struck it, these white-haired rock rats in the Ghost Valley Cave, who had never seen the world before, naturally couldn't resist the temptation and began to dance.

Zhen Si seized the opportunity and kicked the dazed rock rats several times, sending them crashing down the stone steps and killing them on the rocky ground at the bottom of the cave.

The drumming stopped, and they continued their ascent, never seeing the giant white rat again.

Finally, they reached the end of the stone steps, where a stone doorway stood open, oil lamps illuminating its interior.

Zhen Si hesitated, glancing at Qian Laoda, unsure whether to rashly enter.

Just then, a deep, resonant voice came from within the stone doorway: "Now that the old monk Yang Gong of Guandong has arrived, does he dare not enter? This old man has been waiting for you for a long time."

Startled by this, the old monk Yang Gong leaped forward and stepped through the stone doorway.

Inside was a spacious stone hall, illuminated by more than ten oil lamps. Many rock paintings could be seen on the surrounding stone walls, depicting nude figures in various flying poses, their postures extremely graceful and elegant.

On one side of the stone hall stood a blue stone platform, upon which sat cross-legged an elderly man with silver hair and a white beard, completely naked. Long, white pubic hair, about a foot long, cascaded down his knees. His skin was extremely white, even the faint blue veins were clearly visible.

Behind the old man stood a young woman in plain clothes, exceptionally beautiful, but with an icy expression.

Astonishingly, beneath the blue stone platform, rows upon rows of giant white-furred rats crouched, like an army, their blood-red eyes fixed on them, disciplined and utterly silent.

Seeing this, Qian Laoda and the others were filled with dread; the situation was truly bizarre.

The old monk Yang Gong smiled faintly and said loudly, "You must be the old man from Xiangxi, sir?"

The white-bearded old man nodded and said, "That's right, I am the old man from Xiangxi. Monk Yang Gong has traveled thousands of miles from Guandong to Xiangxi, hiding in Tianmen Mountain Temple for ten years for the Wild Beast Treasure. It must have been hard for you."

The old monk Yang Gong smiled slyly and said, "Isn't the old man from Xiangxi also hiding in Guigu Cave for decades to guard the Wild Beast Treasure? Such perseverance is truly admirable. Oh, so you also have young beauties hiding in your cave, old man. No wonder you never come out of the cave, and you don't even wear clothes for convenience, haha."

The old man from Xiangxi blushed slightly upon hearing this. In terms of experience in the martial world, he was far inferior to the old monk Yang Gong. In fact, Yang Gong was deliberately trying to provoke him.

Nika, unable to bear the old monk Yang Gong's sarcasm any longer, blushed and couldn't help but curse, "You old lecherous monk, how dare you spout such nonsense! I'll make sure you die a horrible death today!"

The old monk Yang Gong laughed loudly, "Girl, look at my disciples, aren't they all young, strong, and incredibly sexy? Why would you want to mess around with an old coffin-head? You can pick any one of them with your eyes closed; they're all a hundred times better than that white-haired old monster."

Nika was furious and leaped forward to fight the old monk Yang Gong.

The old man from Xiangxi gestured to stop Nika, and said loudly, "Old Monk Yang Gong, you are a man of considerable seniority. Why make trouble for a young girl? There are still some things between us that haven't been cleared up. I don't want you to die without knowing why. For 300 years, Guigu Cave has strictly followed the teachings of Ye Fu: all who enter the cave must have their origins clarified before being killed, and no remains are left. This is something I needed to explain to you beforehand."

Old Monk Yang Gong nodded and said, "Hmm..." "Indeed, you possess the benevolent spirit of the Central Plains. As for the origins of the old monk Yang Gong, I may tell you. Have you heard of Huanglong Prefecture in Guandong?"

The old man from Xiangxi shook his head and said, "No."

The old monk Yang Gong continued, "Huanglong Prefecture is now Nong'an County in Jilin Province, the birthplace of Shamanism in the Qing Dynasty. There is a highly secret Black Witch sect here, and the current leader is me, monk Yang Gong. Our sect has always had only eight disciples besides the leader, all from the Eight Banners." 164 Four years ago, I sent my then-master and eight disciples to follow Dorgon's army south through the pass. Dorgon ordered them to track down General Li Guo, Li Zicheng's nephew, who had plundered 70 million taels of silver from the Ming Dynasty treasury—equivalent to ten years of tax revenue during the Chongzhen reign. This was desperately needed by the newly established and unstable Qing Dynasty. Unexpectedly, they were all defeated at Tianmen Mountain in western Hunan. Eight disciples died at the hands of a wild beast, and the master returned severely wounded. Huanglongfu, too, soon succumbed to his injuries. Before his death, the sect leader instructed his new disciples to return to Tianmen Mountain several years after Yefu's death, to raze Tianmen Mountain Temple to the ground, and to find Yefu's treasure to comfort his spirit. During the reigns of Kangxi, Qianlong, and Daoguang, our sect sent people to Xiangxi, but all of them never returned, disappearing without a trace. Tianmen Mountain Temple was destroyed, but the treasure's whereabouts remained unknown.”

The old man from Xiangxi said, “So there's such a story behind it.”

“Therefore, ten years ago, I infiltrated Tianmen Mountain Temple, killed the only old monk there, and impersonated the temple's guardian monk. To fulfill my predecessor's last wish, I searched diligently for ten years, and today I have finally succeeded, which can comfort my predecessor's spirit in heaven.” The old monk Yang Gong's tone was extremely desolate.

The old man from Xiangxi sighed, "For 300 years, countless Qing Dynasty lackeys and江湖 heroes have perished at Tianmen Mountain because of the Wild Beast Treasure. But what good is the treasure? The Manchus and Han Chinese are now one. Do you intend to restore the Qing Dynasty?"

The old monk Yang Gong smiled faintly, "Now the Manchus all have Han surnames, and the Qing Dynasty is gone forever. Who would bother with that? Only a fool would do something like throwing an egg against a rock."

"Then what do you want the treasure for?" the old man from Xiangxi asked, puzzled.

"We don't want it for anything, but someone wants it," the old monk Yang Gong said.

"Who?" the old man from Xiangxi asked in surprise.

The old monk Yang Gong chuckled and said, "There's no need to discuss this further. Now that I've explained my origins, it's my turn to ask you: Is the Wild Blessing Treasure hidden in the Ghost Valley Cave?"

The old man from Xiangxi nodded and said, "That's right, it's right here." The

old monk Yang Gong grunted and said, "Old man from Xiangxi, you're not young anymore, and your days are numbered. Why don't we take the Wild Blessing Treasure? If you'd like, you can come back to our hometown in Guandong with us. We'll take good care of you and find you some beautiful girls from the Northeast to keep you company. Wouldn't that be better than enduring this hardship in this dark cave?"

The old man from Xiangxi calmly said, "I'd like to ask you something else."

"Please speak," the old monk Yang Gong replied, while nervously rubbing his hands together.

"In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, there were two people entrusted by their ancestors to guard the Wild Blessing Treasure. One was the old man, who lived in seclusion in the Ghost Valley Cave, and the other was surnamed Mei, who lived in Phoenix Ancient City to act as an outside agent. One night, Mr. and Mrs. Mei were brutally murdered by masked men of unknown origin, and a sandalwood box was stolen. There were no wounds on their bodies. Given the martial arts skills of Mr. and Mrs. Mei, it is incredible that they showed no signs of resistance. Moreover, the couple lived in seclusion, keeping a low profile, and it was impossible for them to have made enemies in the martial arts world. Was this done by you black witches of Guandong?" The old man from Xiangxi slowly recounted.

The old monk Yang Gong rubbed his hands together and laughed heartily: "The old man from Xiangxi is indeed incredibly clever, remembering things from seventy or eighty years ago so vividly. That's right, it was the black witch from Guandong who did it. My master did it himself back then. He knew that Master Mei's unique martial arts were unfathomable, and a direct attack might not be enough to win, so he tampered with the sandalwood in the incense hall. Master Mei and his wife had a habit of going to the incense hall to worship the spirit tablet of the wild spirit every night. He replaced the sandalwood with shamanic 'brain corpse powder,' and when the couple smelled it until they fainted, he covered their nostrils with absorbent paper. That way, he killed Master Mei and his wife without anyone knowing and obtained the sandalwood box." "

So what if you got it?" The old man from Xiangxi snorted.

The old monk Yang Gong said, "That's right, the treasure map in the wooden box is indeed fake, but the final clue still leads to the Ghost Valley Cave on Tianmen Mountain."

The old man from Xiangxi sighed, "Xiao Ying, so your parents died at the hands of the Black Witch of Guandong, not that tyrant from Phoenix City. I promised you I would kill your enemies, alas, it's been so many years before I finally fulfilled my promise. Before, I wronged you, but why didn't you tell me sooner that our ancestor was a woman? Now it's all too late..."

"It's not too late." A figure emerged from the stone doorway of the secret passage; it was Mei Xiaoying.

Chapter 138:

Mei Xiaoying's sudden appearance startled everyone in the Ghost Valley Cave.

The old monk Yang Gong was taken aback for a moment, then said softly, "Xiaoying, instead of taking good care of the ancestor and the child, why did you come here? Go back quickly; this is not a place for you to linger."

"Xiaoying, you, what did you say..." The old man from Xiangxi seemed unable to believe his ears and eyes, his eyes immediately welling up with tears.

Mei Xiaoying gave the old monk Yang Gong a disdainful look, then walked straight towards the blue stone platform.

"Old man, you shouldn't have lost your temper with me back then." Xiaoying came to the old man's side, gently stroking his white hair, her tone extremely mournful and bitter.

"I understand, I was wrong, I..." The old man from Xiangxi grabbed Xiaoying's hand and burst into tears.

Mei Xiaoying gently wiped away the tears from the old man's eyes with her fingers and sighed, "I had already prepared to leave Tianmen Mountain forever, but when I passed by the shore of Moon Lake, I remembered things from long ago, and I couldn't help but come up to say goodbye to you."

"What? You're leaving?" The old man was startled, tears welling up in his eyes.

Xiaoying gently nudged the old man, then smiled sweetly, gazing at him with deep affection, without giving a direct answer.

That smile contained so much bittersweetness, so much love and hate; the old man's heart melted instantly. He reached out and hugged Xiaoying's legs tightly like a baby, too moved to speak.

"Enough!" Old Monk Yang rubbed his hands together frantically, his face flushed, and roared, "You two shameless bastards, stop making a fool of yourselves here! Tell me, where is the Wild Blessed Treasure? And where is my disciple named Kan Liu?"

Xiao Ying retorted sarcastically, "The one who went to the market to look for a phone? Go look inside a rat's belly!" She had initially felt some sympathy for the young man from Guandong, but upon learning that they were the ones who had murdered her parents, she was filled with hatred.

Old Monk Yang and Boss Qian then realized that Kan Liu had already perished in the rat's belly.

Old Monk Yang seemed utterly enraged, frantically rubbing his hands together... The old man from Xiangxi stood up and said softly, "Xiao Ying, today you'll see the pitiful end of the enemies who killed your parents." With that, a whistle suddenly rang out.

The rock rats, which had been lined up in neat rows just moments before, suddenly broke apart, the swarm baring their teeth and rushing towards the old monk Yang Gong and Elder Qian. A

deep, resonant drumbeat rang out as Elder Qian began to beat his shamanic hand drum. The giant white rats, already upon them, slowed their advance, then hesitated, frozen in place.

The old man from Xiangxi, seeing this, was greatly alarmed and repeatedly whistled for an attack.

Encouraged, the giant rats charged forward for several meters before stopping. Several even began swaying to the drumbeats, and more and more rock rats joined the swaying, eventually shaking their heads in unison with remarkably synchronized and rhythmic movements… The old man from Xiangxi realized it was the shaman's demonic drum at work and that the drumbeats had to be disrupted. With another sharp whistle, a whistle swept through the darkness of the stone tunnel, and countless red-eyed bats, like celestial warriors, swarmed in, viciously attacking the black shamans of Guandong and frantically plucking their fur. The leader, a gigantic bat with a riding cloth around its neck, charged straight at Qian Laoda.

Dui Er, wielding two large animal bones, fought the bats. Where white light flashed, bats broke bones and fell dead, but more bats surged forward relentlessly. Dui Er's tufts of hair were plucked out, leaving him with nothing but eyebrows and beard. As he raised his beast-bone club, the Yin Bats seized the opportunity to rip out the hair under his armpits as well. Dui Er screamed in agony, and in a moment of carelessness, his white-trimmed trousers were also torn to shreds, and his pubic hair was plucked out as well.

Li San and Zhen Si's crossbows and slingshots were rendered useless, as the Yin Bats swarmed over them. The two men let out screams of agony, and when the Yin Bats retreated, they were completely naked, utterly bald.

Only Xun Wu's eerie blue curved blade proved effective. He wielded it with impenetrable skill, and the Yin Bats that pounced into its circle were instantly torn apart, their flesh and blood flying everywhere, leaving a pile of mangled limbs on the ground. However, some managed to break through the gaps, tearing off a few bloody strands of hair before dying.

The leader of the red-eyed yin bats pounced on Qian Laoda's head, pulling out a thick tuft of hair from the top of his head. Qian Laoda endured the pain and continued drumming, knowing that once the drumming stopped, the terrifying giant rats would join the frenzied attack, and he would likely be reduced to ashes.

The yin bats quickly plucked his hair, beard, eyebrows, and armpit hair. The leader pounced a second time, tearing off his white shorts. A sharp pain shot through his groin as his pubic hair was also ripped out. Finally, two smaller yin bats carefully plucked even the longest nose hairs from Qian Laoda's nostrils.

Despite this, Qian Laoda persisted in drumming, while the swarms of white rats danced wildly, drenched in sweat.

Dozens of yin bats attacked the old monk Yang Gong, but he seemed oblivious, not even flinching, still standing there, his palms rubbing together incessantly.

The yin bats were overjoyed, calmly plucking the old monk Yang Gong's white hair, beard, and eyebrows. Two adult female yin bats then tore off Yang Gong's Manchu-style trousers, quickly plucking out the few remaining withered yellow pubic hairs.

The old man from Xiangxi sensed something was amiss, released Xiao Ying's hand, and said, "You wait here and witness the power of my 'Thirty-Six Measuring Rulers of Heaven' technique."

With that, the old man leaped into the air, arms outstretched, feet together, his body flying out in a beautiful arc. His silver hair, white beard, and the soft, long hair between his legs flowed like waves in the wind, an incredibly graceful sight. Xiao Ying was completely mesmerized.

At this moment, the old monk Yang Gong shouted loudly, spread his palms apart, pressed down lightly, then his true energy

rose to the top of his head. He opened his mouth, and a piece of yellowish-green phlegm with blood streaks flew out of his throat, shooting towards the old man from Xiangxi who was flying through the air. The old man from Xiangxi was not concerned about the flying projectile. He thought it was a good opportunity to show off his skills in front of Xiao Ying. Just as the projectile was about to reach his face, he opened his mouth and bit it...

The old man from Xiangxi's "Thirty-Six Measuring Rulers of Heaven" is a mysterious qigong. His true energy fills his body and can form a magnetic field around his body. Any object, including high-speed projectiles, will lose its speed instantly once it enters this range. Therefore, when Kan Liu's money dart came, the old man could even bite it with his mouth and hold it between his eyelids.

At this moment, the old monk Yang Gong's hidden weapon, which should have lost its speed, showed no signs of slowing down. The old man from Xiangxi, however, bit down as usual, only to miss completely; the hidden weapon slipped into his mouth and throat… The powerful impact sent the old man tumbling over, landing heavily among the rats.

The old man was shocked; his "Thirty-Six Measuring Rulers" had failed. He tried to circulate his inner energy, but it was completely depleted, vanished without a trace.

"Hahaha, old man from Xiangxi, you've been poisoned by the Guandong shaman's black witch's brain powder. No matter how high your martial arts are, you can't use it anymore. Don't believe me? Then look back at Xiaoying…" the old monk Yang Gong laughed happily.

The old man from Xiangxi looked back and saw Xiaoying and Nika slowly collapsing onto the bluestone platform, half-asleep. Then, a series of "thump...crash..." sounds filled the air. One by one, the white-furred rock rats fell, and the red-eyed shadow bats flying in the cave also plummeted from the sky. Finally, even the shadow bat leader, wearing a riding cloth, couldn't hold on any longer and crashed heavily onto the bluestone platform. Although the shadow bats had two small ears, they had long since degenerated; they used ultrasound for navigation and were therefore unaffected by the rhythm of the shaman's hand-held drum. However, they couldn't resist the smell of the Guandong shaman's black witch brain powder and, like the rock rats, all fainted.

"When did you poison them?" the old man from Xiangxi sighed, regretting that despite his extraordinary martial arts skills, he had been careless and fallen victim to the poison, even implicating Xiaoying.

The old monk Yang Gong chuckled sinisterly, "Let me tell you, before I entered this stone gate, I already had the brain powder in my palm. Didn't you see me constantly rubbing my hands together? That was using my inner energy to heat and evaporate the brain powder. Back in the day, when my master plotted against Master Mei and his wife, he could only burn the brain powder with an open flame to produce poisonous gas—a very outdated technique. I, however, have improved upon that. No need for an open flame; I can simply rub it with my inner energy. The student has surpassed the master, hasn't he?"

The old man from Xiangxi finally understood. The old monk Yang Gong had been rubbing his hands ever since entering the cave. He had thought it was just a habitual action when he was nervous. Alas, it seemed that after being cooped up in the cave for decades, his experience in the martial world had become outdated.

"What brain powder? Don't hurt Xiaoying," the old man from Xiangxi said.

"The origin of the Guandong Shaman Black Witch Brain Corpse Powder is extraordinary. It is taken from the brains of the successive leaders of my Black Witch sect. After they die, their skulls are immediately opened, and fresh brain tissue is taken out, dried, and ground into powder. It is usually mixed with the brain corpse powder of three generations of leaders for the best effect," the old monk Yang Gong said with a smile. The

old monk Yang Gong waved his hand, and Qian Laoda and the others walked naked onto the bluestone platform, lifted Mei Xiaoying down, and placed her on the ground in front of the old monk Yang Gong. The old monk Yang Gong said, "I have always wanted to taste Xiaoying's brain. It contains a trace of century-old yang within old yin. My eyesight is not wrong. It is a rare tonic in the world. Disciples, do it!"

Xun Wu, holding the sharp blue curved knife, came to Xiaoying. Li San helped Xiaoying sit on the ground, Zhen Si pulled Xiaoying's hair, and Xun Wu stepped forward and slashed...

Chapter 139

The blade flashed back and forth, and Mei Xiaoying's black hair fell off one by one. In a moment, only a bald scalp remained.

"Stop!" the old man from Xiangxi shouted angrily, his voice trembling.

The old monk Yang Gong seemed not to hear, pointing at Xiao Ying's skull and saying, "Be careful when cutting open the skull. I don't want Xiao Ying to suffer too much. When you eat it, wake her up first; the brain tastes better when she's thinking. Also, don't fight over the brain when you're scooping it up; don't let Xiao Ying think we're so shallow."

"Yes, Master," everyone replied in unison.

Xun Wu stretched out his finger, measuring Xiao Ying's bald head, searching for the right spot to cut… "Alright, old man, I'll tell you where the Wild Blessed Treasure is." The old man from Xiangxi completely lost his fighting spirit, hanging his head dejectedly.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, the old monk Yang Gong nodded. Xun Wu sheathed his knife, picked up Mei Xiao Ying, walked to the old man from Xiangxi, and gently placed her in his arms.

The old man from Xiangxi looked sadly at the unconscious Xiaoying, gently stroking her face and her shaved head. He said wistfully, "Xiaoying, we've lost too much already. Our days are numbered. You're right, I should have left Guigu Cave sooner and lived a simple life with you, farming and weaving. We can't take the treasure with us when we die; what does it matter who takes it?"

The old monk Yanggong laughed heartily, "That's right! You have to be more open-minded. Tell me, where is the treasure?"

The old man from Xiangxi sighed and whispered, "Go into this stone alley. At the end, you'll find a large stone pit filled with bat droppings. All the jars are buried under the luminous sand."

The old monk Yanggong was overjoyed. He waved his hand, instructing Li San to watch over the old man, and led the others straight to the stone alley the old man had indicated.

Li San gripped his crossbow tightly, a poisoned arrow already inserted, guarding it vigilantly.

The old man from Xiangxi tried, but still couldn't muster any true energy. This shaman's black witch's brain powder was truly potent; only a small wisp of true energy remained in his heart meridian, enveloping the phlegm in Yang Gong's mouth, causing him to vomit intermittently. It seemed the poison wouldn't dissipate for another hour or two.

On the bluestone platform, Nika, lying on the ground, quietly opened her eyes. As a conscious corpse, the shaman's brain powder had no effect on her. Her earlier act of collapsing with Mei Xiaoying was a clever move; when the opponent was too strong, the only option was to first paralyze them and then wait for an opportunity. Now that Yang Gong and the others were far away, the opportunity had arrived.

She tiptoed to her feet, gathered her true energy, and silently leaped up, one hand outstretched, feet together, pouncing towards Li Sanji like a flying dragon.

Li San felt a sudden gust of wind behind his head and knew something was wrong. He was about to turn and fire, but it was too late. Nika's hand was already on his bald head. He felt a numbness in the back of his head, his vision went black, and he immediately fainted. His body went limp and he fell to the ground, his crossbow flying to the side.

The old man from Xiangxi nodded and said, "Well done. Master will need an hour or two to recover. You are no match for Old Monk Yang Gong. Let's avoid them for now."

"Yes, Master." Nika followed the old man's instructions, picked up her master and Xiao Ying together, walked to the last rock painting on the west side, pressed the mechanism, opened the small door behind the rock painting, entered the secret chamber, and then closed the mechanism from the inside. The rock painting immediately returned to its original state.

Old Monk Yang Gong and his group walked along the stone alley. Zhen Si walked in front with a flashlight. Patches of moss grew on the uneven stone walls, emitting a damp, musty smell. After walking about a hundred meters, they reached the end of the stone alley.

Zhen Si shone his flashlight and saw a large stone pit, over ten zhang in circumference, filled with black, granular, dried bat droppings, known in traditional Chinese medicine as "Night-Shining Sand." At the far end of the pit, a stone platform protruded, upon which lay a large, terrified mother bat, tightly protecting her dozen or so newly hatched bats beneath her, their fleshy bodies still hairless.

"Go down and take a look," the old monk Yang Gong commanded.

"Yes, Master." Zhen Si jumped into the pit first, digging into the bat droppings with both hands, while the others stood on the edge, shining their flashlights.

A moment later, Zhen Si exclaimed from the bottom of the pit, "I've got it, Master!"

The flashlight beam focused down, revealing a clay jar within the black bat droppings, its lid sealed with yellow wax.

"Quickly, pry it up!" the old monk Yang Gong said excitedly.

Dui Er and Xun Wu jumped down as well. With a combined effort, the three of them pulled the earthenware jar out of the bat droppings and placed it on the edge of the pit.

Under the flashlight beam, Qian Lao Da found the two characters on the jar: "Ye Fu."

"It truly is the Ye Fu treasure..." The old monk Yang Gong wept with joy, tears streaming down his face.

Qian Lao Da shook the jar; it was quite heavy. He hoped it wasn't... He didn't say it aloud; at this moment, spoiling his master's mood would be the most foolish thing to do.

"Open it," the old monk Yang Gong ordered in a hoarse voice.

Xun Wu drew his curved knife, cut open the wax seal, and slowly lifted the lid. A strong aroma of yeast wafted out.

"Liquor!" Xun Wu exclaimed.

The old monk Yang Gong pushed Xun Wu aside and reached into the jar. There was nothing else inside, just a jar of fine liquor.

"All of you, get out and go find more!" the old monk Yang Gong shouted, his face flushed.

Besides the old monk Yang Gong, Qian Lao Da, Dui Er, Zhen Si, and Xun Wu were all digging frantically in the pit. Soon, they found dozens more earthenware jars. The old monk Yang Gong instructed them to open them one by one, only to find that they were all filled with wine.

The old monk Yang Gong looked up at the sky and laughed sadly: "Wild Buddha, wild Buddha, you have played a cruel joke on the world! This joke has lasted for 300 years..." Then he suddenly broke down in tears, crying as he said, "I, Yang Gong, came from Guandong, endured ten years of hardship, lost several disciples in vain, and in the end, it was all for a few jars of liquor..."

"Master! We've found a few more glazed porcelain jars!" Xun Wu suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing this, the old monk Yang Gong immediately stopped sobbing and impatiently shouted, "Quickly, bring them over!"

Several disciples hurriedly carried over three porcelain jars, each over two feet tall. Upon closer inspection, they realized these jars were indeed quite different from the previous earthenware jars. The surfaces of these three porcelain jars were covered with a layer of dark brown excrement. Zhen Si casually wiped one away, revealing a bluish-white floral pattern underneath.

The old monk Yang Gong was greatly surprised and quickly wiped away the grime, revealing beautiful blue-and-white patterns on the glaze.

"Blue-and-white porcelain!" the old monk Yang Gong exclaimed, quickly setting the jars down and wiping the bottoms clean. The inscription "Made in the Xuande period of the Great Ming Dynasty" was clearly visible.

"Ah...this is Xuande blue and white porcelain from the Ming Dynasty! Look, the body and glaze are extremely fine, the blue is rich and vibrant, the lingzhi pattern and stylized lotus petals are soft and bold. This is definitely from the Jingdezhen imperial kiln, it should be something from the palace. Blue and white porcelain is valuable, so what's inside must be priceless treasures! Haha, this is the real Wild Monk's treasure!" Old Monk Yang Gong laughed heartily.

His laughter suddenly stopped, and he turned and shouted, "Who goes there?"

In the chaos of the moment, everyone had been careless and hadn't expected anyone to sneak up in the dark. By the time they noticed, the footsteps were already close.

Ten high-brightness long flashlights suddenly shone simultaneously, the intense beams of light shining on Old Monk Yang Gong and his companions.

"How could you, an old bald monk, possibly monopolize the Wild Monk's treasure?" someone sneered from behind the dazzling halo.

The old monk Yang Gong scoffed dismissively, saying, "Very well, let me unleash my killing spree today."

Before he finished speaking, the old monk opened his mouth, and a sticky phlegm shot out. "Ah!" A scream rang out, and someone behind the halo fell to the ground.

Zhen Si reacted swiftly, drawing his bow, nocking a ball, and firing it in one fluid motion. Another person fell, struck by the poisoned phlegm. Xun Wu brandished Dorgon's old, bluish-green curved sword, while Dui Er brandished two white, gleaming animal bones, and they both charged forward.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Deafening gunshots rang out in quick succession, and instantly, the cave was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder.

Xun Wu was hit twice in the chest, but he still managed to get close to his opponent. His bluish-white sword flashed twice, and with two "thuds," two heads were severed. At that moment, another bullet struck his face, and Xun Wu fell backward to the ground, dead. Dui Er was shot in the head.

In his dying moments, he desperately threw out the animal bone. A muffled groan followed, and another person was hit in the head, his skull instantly shattered, and he was clearly not going to survive. Seeing the situation was bad, Qian Laoda jumped into the stone pit, found a shady spot, and tried to hide by digging through the bat droppings. The old monk Yang Gong was also shot several times and sat down heavily on the ground. His lungs had been pierced by bullets, his true energy was leaking out, and he could no longer cough up phlegm. The flashlight beam gradually approached, and the old monk Yang Gong gasped, "Who are you?" The man squatted down, exposing his face to the light, and chuckled, "Old bald monk, we met once at Tianmen Inn. Don't you remember? I'm Manager Tie." "So you came to Tianmen Mountain for the Wild Blessed Treasure too," the old monk Yang Gong sighed. "No, it was me, Manager Tie, not them." Manager Tie grinned smugly and raised his Type 54 pistol. "Wait, let me see the treasure one last time, then I can die without regrets," the old monk Yang Gong said calmly. "Fine, it wouldn't be humane to send you to the underworld with regrets. Come, open these three jars, let this old bald monk see for himself," the Iron Shopkeeper ordered. Three henchmen came up and pried open all the jars sealed with yellow wax with knives. The cave was silent; everyone's eyes were fixed on the blue-and-white porcelain jars… The henchmen gently knocked down the three jars, and swarms of tiny, shiny black fleas, the size of sesame seeds, poured out… Chapter 140 Inside the secret chamber, the old man from Xiangxi pressed his body against the wall as if flying, his feet off the ground. He had been practicing the Heavenly Measuring Ruler from the first to the thirty-sixth ruler for about half an hour. Dense gunfire came through the cracks in the rock walls of the secret chamber. "Master, is the poison completely neutralized?" Nika asked anxiously. "Yes, the brain powder of this Guandong black witch is indeed powerful. I am extremely ashamed, almost implicated Xiaoying, but at least she returned to my side. In the afterlife, I can say I have done right by the Mei family." The old man from Xiangxi said. "Master, there are gunshots outside. Can we go out and deal with them now?" Nika asked angrily, resentful of the old monk's rude words. The old man from Xiangxi said, "Based on the timeline, they must have already found the wine and the three blue-and-white porcelain jars. Curiosity led them to open the jars, and a disaster began." "Disaster?" Nika asked, puzzled. "You'll know once you come out and see." The old man from Xiangxi pressed a mechanism, and the secret room door opened. Random footsteps came from the stone alley, and then several people stumbled and crawled out. The Iron Shopkeeper's head, face, and hands were covered with black fleas, and no bare skin could be seen. He screamed in pain and rolled on the ground. The others were in the same predicament, all groaning in agony. One of them, unable to bear the bites of the fleas crawling all over his body, kept banging his head against the stone wall until his skull cracked and his brains spilled out. Nika was shocked and asked, "Master, what happened to them?" The old man from Xiangxi looked around and calmly said, "Nika, we can't stay here any longer. We have to leave." The old man gently picked up the unconscious Mei Xiaoying and gracefully leaped out of the secret chamber, floating to the door of the secret passage. Nika followed closely behind. The master and apprentice descended the stone steps. When they were about three or four zhang (approximately 10-12 meters) above the underground river in the cave, the old man from Xiangxi leaped into the water with a graceful movement, diving into Moon Lake… With a splash, the old man, carrying Xiaoying, leaped out of the icy lake and onto the shore. He then sat cross-legged, straightened Xiaoying's body, and used his Thirty-Six Measuring Ruler internal energy to expel the poison from her. Nika vigilantly guarded the shore. A short while later, white mist rose from the Baihui acupoint on Xiaoying's bald head, and she slowly opened her eyes. “I’m alright.” The poison from the brain-corrupting powder had been neutralized, and Xiaoying was fully conscious. The old man from Xiangxi smiled at her and said softly, "Xiaoying, I will never go back to Guigu Cave with you again." Xiaoying smiled faintly, nodded wearily, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, said, "Old man, let's go find Hansheng. They're still waiting for me in the woods ahead." In the woods at the foot of the mountain, Hansheng and the others waited anxiously. Xiaoying's grandmother had gone to Guigu Cave to bid farewell to the old man from Xiangxi a long time ago. "Someone's coming," Liu Jinmo suddenly said.

Grandma Xiaoying's figure appeared in the thick fog, startling Han Sheng and the others. Her long, black hair was gone, leaving her head completely bald.

Then, a naked old man with shoulder-length silver hair, a long beard reaching his chest, and white hair reaching his knees emerged from the fog.

"The Old Man of Xiangxi!" Han Sheng and Liu Jinmo were even more astonished. Apart from their ancestor having seen him once, none of the others had ever seen the old man's appearance before, and their sudden appearance was extremely strange.

At the back was Nika, who gave Han Sheng a shy smile.

"Grandma, this is…" Han Sheng asked in surprise.

Grandma Xiaoying smiled slightly, glancing affectionately at the old man, and said, "A lot has happened in the cave. I've decided not to leave and will live with you on Tianmen Mountain."

The old woman was anxious and hurriedly asked, "What about me?"

The old man from Xiangxi angrily retorted, "Old woman, you wicked woman! Haven't you had enough of Xiaoying for decades?!"

Knowing she was in the wrong and intimidated by the old man's power, the old woman shrank back, looking at the baby girl in her arms and whispering, "From now on, it will only be us, mother and child, relying on each other."

"Hansheng greets the old man from Xiangxi and Nika," Hansheng stepped forward and bowed to the old man.

Mei Xiaoying walked to the old woman's side, took her hand, and whispered, "Old Monk Yang Gong is dead, in Ghost Valley Cave. You must take good care of yourself from now on."

The old woman sighed silently, her eyes seemingly reddening.

Han Sheng asked the old man from Xiangxi, "Senior, what happened in Guigu Cave?"

The old man paused, then said, "Do you know about the Wild Monk's Treasure?"

Han Sheng nodded and replied, "I heard Mr. Liu say that when the Ming Dynasty fell, Li Zicheng looted the national treasury's annual silver, which his nephew, General Li Guo, hid on Tianmen Mountain under the alias Wild Monk. Later generations called it the 'Wild Monk's Treasure.'"

The old man then asked, "That's right. Do you also know who Xiaoying's and my fathers were?"

Han Sheng shook his head.

"My father, Master Mei, and I were both guardians of the Wild Monk's Treasure. More than eighty years ago, the Black Witch Clan of Guandong poisoned Master Mei and his wife and stole the treasure map. Old Monk Yang and his group came for the treasure," the old man said.

Han Sheng turned to look at Xiaoying's grandmother; she was already sobbing softly.

"Do you know how the Ming Dynasty fell?" the old man from Xiangxi asked.

Han Sheng replied, "We've already learned this in history class. The late Ming court was corrupt, corrupt officials ran rampant, and the people suffered from hunger and cold. So they rose up in rebellion. Li Zicheng led his peasant army into Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. Unfortunately, the traitor Wu Sangui led the Qing army into the pass, Li Zicheng was defeated, and the Jurchen people unified the country."

The old man from Xiangxi smiled slightly: "But do you know that Li Zicheng's peasant army, plus the surrendered Ming troops, numbered in the millions near the capital? How could they be no match for the 100,000 Manchu cavalry?"

Han Sheng didn't know the answer to this; it wasn't in the history textbook.

The old man from Xiangxi sighed, “Beijing was established as the capital during the Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty undertook massive construction projects. The city walls were high and easy to defend, and the Imperial Guards were formidable. How could Li Zicheng have taken it so easily? The rebel king entered Beijing in the third month of the lunar calendar, yet in less than forty days, his million-strong, battle-hardened peasant army completely lost its fighting capacity, collapsing at the first touch with the Manchu cavalry? Zuo Liangyu led a large army to ‘purge the court of corrupt officials,’ yet he died spitting blood.”

Han Sheng listened with great curiosity and asked, “Yes, what happened?”

The old man from Xiangxi said gravely, “It’s because a disease is spreading in the Beijing area, a terrible infectious disease.”

“What disease?” Han Sheng immediately became excited.

“People’s necks swell, their skin turns black and their pores bleed, they have persistent high fevers and incessant coughing. Han Sheng, do you know what disease it is?” the old man from Xiangxi asked.

Han Sheng thought for a moment and said, "I've never seen these symptoms before, but I think I've described them in books. Is it the plague?"

The old man from Xiangxi nodded approvingly and said, "That's right. In the autumn of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, a plague broke out in the capital, killing countless soldiers and civilians. Therefore, Li Zicheng easily captured Beijing in the third month of the following lunar calendar. However, he never expected that when spring arrived, the plague would break out again. The million-strong army of the rebel king collapsed in less than a month, losing its fighting capacity. When the 100,000 Manchu cavalry attacked, they naturally crumbled at the first contact, their defeat like a landslide."

Han Sheng frowned and asked in confusion, "If that's the case, why were the Manchu soldiers unharmed? They even swept across the Central Plains afterwards."

"Good question. That's the key to the problem. Because the Manchus were cavalry, and cavalry wouldn't be infected with the plague," the old man from Xiangxi said.

Han Sheng asked curiously, "Why?"

The old man from Xiangxi explained, "The plague is spread by fleas on rats that feed on human blood. Fleas hate horses the most. The special smell of horses makes fleas avoid them like the plague. Cavalrymen are also covered in the smell of horses. Therefore, the Manchu cavalry and Wu Sangui's cavalry were not affected by the plague at all, while Li Zicheng's million-strong infantry were all killed by fleas. Only a small number of cavalrymen and mounted generals, such as Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, and Hao Yaoqi, were not infected, including Ye Fu. Zuo Liangyu of the Ming army, who came by sedan chair, contracted the plague and died vomiting blood."

Han Sheng was amazed after hearing this and exclaimed, "I never thought that the mighty Li Zicheng would be defeated by such a small flea."

"The strategist Song Xianze, sensing the tide had turned, asked the rebel leader to order the capture of three porcelain jars of fleas. He filled them with straw and poured in some fresh human blood, keeping them alive to poison the Jurchen nobles who were entering the Central Plains. At that time, Huang Taiji had already died in the autumn of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, so the target was Fulin of the Aisin Gioro family, who later became the first Manchu emperor after the Qing dynasty entered the Central Plains, Shunzhi. Song Xianze knew that this plan might not be implemented for a long time, as fleas generally only live for a little over a year, so he added some datura flowers to the jars to put the fleas to sleep. He didn't expect that this sleep would last for 300 years," the old man from Xiangxi explained.

"Have they woken up?" Han Sheng asked curiously.

"They have. These fleas carrying the plague virus killed everyone who entered the Ghost Valley Cave, including the old monk Yang Gong. No one could withstand the sheer number of blood-sucking fleas that had been thirsty for three hundred years, and we can no longer enter the cave," the old man from Xiangxi said.

Han Sheng asked with some concern, "Won't those fleas carrying the virus escape and spread the plague?"

"No," the old man from Xiangxi explained, "the Moon Lake water blocks their only escape route. These three jars of millions of fleas will fend for themselves in Ghost Valley Cave."

After listening to the old man's explanation, Han Sheng felt a profound sense of loss and sighed, "For 300 years, how many heroes of the martial world have abandoned their families and died far from home in their quest for the Wild Broom Treasure, only to end up with three jars of fleas? What was the point? Is the mortal world truly so unfathomable?"

The nun, listening nearby, was also deeply moved, and Wu Daoming held her hand tightly.

Liu Jinmo softly asked Xiaoying, "Aunt, what are your plans for the future?"

Xiaoying replied, "We'll live in the stilted house from now on. We hope you and Hansheng can visit us sometime."

Hansheng nodded, "We will." Though he said this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance. But life is full of partings and reunions, and only husband and wife can stay together for life.

"Aunt, please take care," Liu Jinmo said, bowing to Xiaoying.

Xiaoying's mother-in-law and the old man from Xiangxi left, disappearing into the white mist. Their voices could be faintly heard fading into the distance.

"Did you really swallow that phlegm?" Xiaoying asked.

"Yes," came the old man from Xiangxi.

"How disgusting..."

Han Sheng stood there silently for a long time before turning around and saying, "We should get going too."

Han Sheng and his group left Tianmen Mountain and headed straight for Xuefeng Mountain.

They had already traveled quite a distance when Han Sheng looked back. Tianmen Mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist, appearing and disappearing as if from another world.

Two small black dots appeared in the clouds and flew towards them. "Squeak..." The black dots swooped down towards Han Sheng and his group. When they got closer, Han Sheng saw that they were two black shadow bats. The leader of the shadow bats still had the riding cloth tied around its neck... "It's the leader and his wife!" Han Sheng looked on with surprise as the two huge red-eyed shadow bats circled and landed in front of him.

The riding cloth around the leader's neck was bulging and wriggling. Han Sheng gently pulled it open with his fingers and immediately laughed. It turned out to be a bunch of plump shadow bat babies... "So the riding cloth has this use too." Han Sheng praised sincerely.

"Wait! Check them for fleas," Nika said warily as she approached.

Her master, the old man from Xiangxi, and Xiaoying wanted to return to their stilted house, but Nika didn't want to go back to the Miao village and insisted on traveling with them to take care of the ancestor and the baby. Actually, Nika's heart was with Hansheng.

Nika and Liu Jinmo carefully checked them but found no fleas. It seemed the alert chieftain and

his wife had escaped this time. "They must have escaped from the Ghost Valley Cave entrance; they probably want to come back to Wolong Valley with us," Liu Jinmo said. Although the chieftain had once plucked his fur, he wouldn't hold a grudge against anyone who was Hansheng's friend.

"Alright, Ghost Valley Cave is no longer suitable for them. Let them come with us," Hansheng said happily.

Nika cleared out a large basket, put the baby shadow bats inside, and hung the basket on the horse's back. The mother shadow bat immediately jumped into the basket and hurriedly began nursing her babies.

The leader of the Shadow Bats retied his riding cloth with his two winged arms, then flew to the horse's rump and lay down, where it was warm and safe.

Han Sheng and his group continued their relentless eastward journey, crossing the Xuefeng Mountains and Dongting Lake. Several days later, the silhouette of the Great Zhang Mountains could be faintly seen on the distant horizon.

Chapter 141

As the sun set, Han Sheng and his group finally arrived at Nanshan Village.

The three thatched houses at the east end of the village were gone; in their place stood a brand-new Hui-style manor, with white walls, gray tiles, upturned eaves, swaying tree shadows, a vermilion gate, and a pair of blue stone lions crouching on either side, exuding grandeur.

Han Sheng rubbed his eyes. Had they gone to the wrong place? This was Nanshan Village! The hillside, the fields, and the small trees to the east of the village were all too familiar, but where were the three thatched houses?

A black dog's head peeked out from the crack in the vermilion gate, warily watching the group of uninvited guests. It then ran back to its kennel in the corner of the yard and woke up Benben, who was snoring. Benben yawned, lazily stretched its limbs, and suddenly, with a jolt, sniffed the air and darted out towards the gate.

Just as Hansheng was wondering what was happening, the familiar yellow figure pounced, its large tongue warmly licking Hansheng's cheek.

"Benben!" Hansheng cried out in delight, seeing tears of joy on the big yellow dog's face.

The leader on horseback lazily raised its head and glanced over. Benben suddenly remembered the painful experience of having its fur plucked. Seeing its enemy, its eyes blazed with fury. It roared, shoved Hansheng aside, and pounced on the leader of the Shadow Bats, its fur standing on end.

"Benben!" Hansheng quickly called out, grabbing Benben's mane and dragging him back, saying, "Benben, it was a misunderstanding. From now on, we're all family."

Benben turned its head and barked twice towards the gate. The black dog hesitated, taking small steps slowly towards the gate, its eyes secretly glancing at Hansheng before it stood timidly in front of him.

Hansheng looked at Benben in surprise, saying, "Huh? It's been over a month, and Benben has a girlfriend? Ha, and she's even pregnant?"

Benben lowered its head, appearing somewhat shy and embarrassed.

With a "bang," the gate opened from the inside, and Lan'er, wearing a blue-and-white printed cotton jacket, looked at him with delight... "Lan'er! You... what's going on?" Hansheng's heart pounded, and he rushed over anxiously.

"You're finally back," Lan'er said softly, tears streaming down her face.

"Lan'er, what happened?" Hansheng asked urgently.

"Hansheng, is that you?" A familiar voice came from the courtyard, and Dr. Zhu hurried out.

"Father!" Hansheng cried, his eyes already brimming with tears.

Dr. Zhu looked noticeably older, his temples already streaked with gray.

"Come in and talk, are they with you? Ah, and Liu Jinmo and Mr. Wu too." Dr. Zhu was surprised to see such a large group of people outside the gate.

The group entered the manor one after another; the courtyard was huge, even the horses had been brought in.

Everyone sat down in the living room, and Lan'er brewed some local tea. Mr. and Mrs. Wu Chushan also arrived after hearing the news. Dr. Zhu then told Hansheng about all the things that had happened in the family since he left.

Zhu Biao sat sullenly in the corner of the living room, with Shen Caihua beside him, her head bowed, tightly holding her child.

"Captain Zhu, what's wrong?" Dr. Zhu noticed Zhu Biao's unusual behavior and asked.

Zhu Biao looked somewhat embarrassed, muttering something under his breath.

Han Sheng understood Zhu Biao's feelings. Returning to Nanshan Village meant falling back into the Meng family's territory, and Shen Caihua was Meng Hongbing's deceased wife. More importantly, both Meng Wu and Meng Hongbing had died in Wolong Valley; if news of Zhu Biao's return got out, he would surely die.

"Zhu Biao, stay here tonight. Let's come up with a foolproof plan. If all else fails, I'll have to treat that young master of the Meng family in exchange for their mercy on you and Caihua," Han Sheng comforted him.

"No! Don't let the Meng family father and son get away with this! They're murderers, killers! Make them live in misery for the rest of their lives!" Zhu Biao shouted hoarsely.

"Then what about you and Caihua?" Han Sheng asked, then sighed to himself, "And what about Shen Tianhu…"

"No! Caihua is my son! I went through so much to find him, I won't give him to anyone!" Zhu Biao's eyes welled with tears.

"But little Caihua is indeed born to Shen Tianhu's wife," Dr. Zhu also felt the situation was extremely difficult.

"No! He's Caihua's own flesh and blood..." Zhu Biao burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, he stood up abruptly, grabbed Xiao Caihua, and showed everyone his little bottom. On one of the child's buttocks was a red plum blossom-shaped birthmark. Then, he pulled over the expressionless Shen Caihua, and dragged down her pants. Shen Caihua didn't resist at all.

On Shen Caihua's buttocks was an identical plum blossom-shaped birthmark, bright red and vivid... Everyone looked at each other in astonishment, speechless for a moment.

At this moment, Wu Daoming spoke up: "The baby girl from Shen Tianhu and his wife's story has long been replaced by a substitute. Xiao Caihua's genetic makeup, from her nervous system to her skin, is now completely and utterly Shen Caihua's. The idea of a ghost fetus has been circulating among the people for a long time. From a feng shui perspective, the yin energy of the White Tiger carrying a corpse in the Ten Killings Land contributed to the lingering resentment of Shen Caihua. People who are strangled usually retain a breath, and Shen Caihua's resentment descended and protected the fetus. By sheer coincidence, not long after this poor woman was buried, she encountered Shen's wife, whose pregnancy was around the same stage. These coincidences led to a successful pregnancy, and Xiao Caihua was born into that body. Inside Shen's wife's womb, Xiao Caihua's nervous system murdered the original baby girl, restoring her own biomagnetic field. Therefore, this baby..." "Only Shen Caihua and I share a deep connection. In a sense, Xiao Caihua should belong to Shen Caihua."

Wu Chushan glanced at Shen Caihua, recalling the bloody massacre at Zhu Biao's house that night, and said with some surprise, "The Yin Corpse has always been the most ferocious of the eighteen types of corpse transformations, but now she seems unusually docile. Could something have happened?"

Wu Daoming, worthy of being the number one Feng Shui master in Lingnan, immediately explained, "Since Shen Caihua saw the child, the power of maternal love has gradually weakened and melted away the Yin Corpse's ferocity, making her increasingly docile. However, her lifespan is getting shorter and shorter. In the end, she will rot from her feet up. When her resentment completely disappears, she will become a rotting corpse again. At this moment, she has no regrets."

"It's so tragic." The nun listened, tears already streaming down her face.

Wu Daoming nodded and said, "Hansheng, tomorrow morning, my junior sister and I will head south to Guangdong, smuggle ourselves back to Hong Kong, and search for Mingyue's whereabouts. We also hope to find out about my master's confidante, the woman surnamed Bai, if she's still alive."

Hansheng said, "If you find her, notify me immediately. I'll rush to see that old woman surnamed Bai and ask her a few questions about the Zhu You (a type of folk healing)."

"Can our whole family come with you, Mr. Wu?" Zhu Biao asked timidly. Wu

Daoming hesitated, neither confirming nor denying.

"Don't you have a big house on the Mid-Levels in Hong Kong? And several tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars? Supporting three people shouldn't be a problem, right?" The nun tugged at Wu Daoming and said.

Wu Daoming glanced at Shen Caihua, pondering what this ghost infant would become. What if it caused a ruckus in Hong Kong, sucking blood and eating people? He'd be in legal trouble.

“Alright, since we’re destined to meet, you can come with us,” the kind nun said. She assumed Wu Daoming’s silence was due to concerns about disrupting their time together, so she readily agreed on his behalf. To be honest, she truly adored the baby Shen Caihua.

Seeing his junior sister had agreed, Wu Daoming smiled and didn’t object further.

Han Sheng happily said, “That’s perfect! Zhu Biao has escaped the Meng family’s pursuit and might even encounter Granny Bai. If he can cure Shen Caihua, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Everyone agreed that this idea was excellent.

“I also want to go to Hong Kong,” Can’er suddenly said.

Wu Daoming was taken aback.

Han Sheng sighed inwardly; Can’er’s love for Mingyue remained unchanged.

“Can’er,” Han Sheng paused, then said, “Mingyue has always been deeply in love with Huang Jianguo, I’m afraid…”

“I only want to help Mr. Wu rescue Mingyue, to see her one last time. Then Can’er will have no more regrets in this life,” Can’er said firmly, her eyes red.

Deeply moved, the nun took Wu Daoming's hand and said emotionally, "Brother Dao, please grant him his wish."

Wu Daoming laughed loudly and said, "Alright, may all lovers in the world be united in marriage. Can'er will come with us. To be honest, I don't want my junior sister's disciple to marry into the treacherous Huang family. What kind of good person is Huang Jianguo? Look at how viciously he attacked Old Master Huang. If the kind-hearted Mingyue falls into their hands, she will surely suffer a fate worse than death. Can'er, I will help you."

That night, the wind howled, carrying the cold air from the north, making the moonlight even more chilly and desolate. Seeing that the nun was already asleep, Wu Daoming quietly got up, took his clothes, and went out to the corridor.

He quickly dressed, reached into his crotch, and felt around. Fortunately, some new pubic hair had begun to grow, though short, it could still be used as a penis.

Wu Daoming lightly leaped onto the roof ridge and then headed northeast in the night.

Chapter 142

Under the clear moonlight and gentle breeze, Wu Daoming traveled swiftly for about an hour, and soon he could see the sparsely lit town of Wuyuan ahead.

The grand mansion, with its high walls and two tightly closed stone gates, was quiet in the dead of night; the people in the nearby alleys were already fast asleep.

Wu Daoming leaped over the wall, vaulted into the courtyard, and stealthily entered the central courtyard. He followed the corridor to the front of the main house at the back, finding the lights still on in the living room and hearing voices coming from inside.

He approached quietly, peering through the latticed window.

Huang Qianhui sat in a grand chair, with his brother-in-law Meng Zhuqi beside him; the two were drinking.

“Brother-in-law, why don’t we act tonight? Zhu Biao is staying at Han Sheng’s house, and quite a few men and women have come along, along with several horses. The person in charge of monitoring that house came back saying it was definitely Zhu Biao, but he didn’t see Meng Wu and his companion among the group. I told him to go back and keep a close eye on them,” Meng Zhuqi said.

Huang Qianhui took a small sip of wine and slowly said, “Arresting someone at Han Sheng’s house late at night will definitely provoke Han Sheng’s resentment. He still has value for us. The leader called a couple of days ago to inquire about his situation. Arresting Zhu Biao must be done secretly, without alerting anyone else, understand?”

“Understood, brother-in-law,” Meng Zhuqi replied.

“Tomorrow morning, I will personally go with you to see Han Sheng. We need to find out who came back with him. The current class struggle situation is very serious,” Huang Qianhui instructed.

“Yes, brother-in-law. Is there any new news from Jianguo?” Meng Zhuqi asked, respectfully filling his wine glass.

Huang Qianhui downed his drink in one gulp, his face flushed, and said, "He's still studying in the Central Party School's crash course. Every student in his class has a powerful backer. The future of the country will be in their hands, of course, under the leadership of Jianguo."

"Heh, I hope that day comes soon." Meng Zhuqi excitedly tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine.

These corrupt officials still dream of Huang Jianguo becoming emperor. The old man is upside down, his yin and yang reversed. At most, he'll produce a queen. Unfortunately, Huang Jianguo is a man, so it seems there's no hope for that either. Wu Daoming thought to himself, while reaching into his crotch and painfully plucking two newly grown hairs. He hesitated, wondering whether he should kill the two men.

"Oh, right, Jianguo said that those Taiji eggs seized from Wu Daoming should be sent to the capital as soon as possible to bribe the higher-ups. Go to the safe and get them all," Huang Qianhui ordered.

“Okay, I’ll go get it for my brother-in-law right away,” Meng Zhuqi said, standing up.

Wu Daoming had already made up his mind, so he disappeared into the shadows.

Meng Zhuqi stepped out of the room, seemingly feeling a chill, and shivered, then quickly walked towards the east wing, Huang Qianhui’s study.

On the wall of the study hung a portrait of the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China, showing Chairman Mao standing on Tiananmen Square, solemnly announcing to the world: The People’s Republic of China has been founded.

Meng Zhuqi gently moved the portrait aside. There was a small wooden door on the wall, behind which was a safe. He carefully turned the combination dial three times, opening the safe and pulling out a bulging canvas bag. He then closed the safe's iron door again, and the portrait returned to its original position.

Inside were the twenty-seven five-colored Taiji earth eggs.

Meng Zhuqi chuckled to himself, muttering, "Old Wu, Old Wu, and that restless old nun, they should have died from the poison long ago. Humph, this is the fate of traitors."

Wu Daoming appeared in the doorway, gathering his inner energy, and forcefully blew out two Yin Cones… The two Yin Cones shakily pierced into the Fengchi acupoints on the back of Meng Zhuqi's neck, one of the thirty-six fatal acupoints on the human body. His medulla oblongata would be intensely stimulated by the Yin Cones, causing him to immediately faint. Wu Daoming let out a cold, gleeful laugh.

Unexpectedly, Meng Zhuqi didn't collapse. Instead, he reached out and slapped the back of his neck with a loud "smack," muttering, "Strange, there shouldn't be mosquitoes at this time of year."

Wu Daoming was shocked. His signature hidden weapon, the Yin Cone, hadn't worked on Meng Zhuqi. This was strange. Without delay, he immediately stepped forward, his right hand forming an eagle claw shape, and struck Meng Zhuqi's Xinshu acupoint, located about an inch beside the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra. This acupoint was a vital point on the body, belonging to the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang. A strike from this point would immediately cause shock.

This time, Meng Zhuqi finally collapsed, even foaming at the mouth.

Wu Daoming thought that killing him now would be too lenient. Letting Huang Qiansui and Meng Zhuqi witness firsthand how their meticulously planned conspiracy had ultimately come to nothing would be the greatest blow to them.

Wu Daoming picked up the canvas bag, slung it over his shoulder, went out, leaped over the wall, took a deep breath, and sped out of the city under the moonlight.

Huang Qianhui, having waited a long time for Meng Zhuqi to return, grew suspicious and went to the study himself. He was shocked to see Meng Zhuqi collapsed on the floor and quickly called the driver and guards from the front house. They carried him to bed and immediately called the director of the familiar hospital.

The director examined Meng Zhuqi's condition and found it rather strange. Shaking his head, he said, "His blood pressure is normal, and there are no signs of a stroke. Let's try to wake him up first." He took out large silver needles from his first-aid kit and inserted them into Meng Zhuqi's philtrum and twelve Jing-Well acupoints to draw blood. After a while, he slowly woke up.

"What happened to you?" Huang Qianhui asked.

"I... I started getting bitten by mosquitoes on my neck, then my back hurt and I don't know anything else," Meng Zhuqi stammered.

The dean lifted Meng Zhuqi's shirt and examined his back. About an inch and a half to the right of the spinous process of his fifth thoracic vertebra, he found a purplish lesion.

"He was ambushed and struck at the Zhongshu acupoint, causing him to go into shock and lose consciousness," the dean said solemnly.

Huang Qiansui remained silent upon hearing this, then quietly walked out of the room and into the study. He looked around warily, then moved the painting on the wall, opened the safe, and found the Tai Chi clay egg gone… Huang Qiansui returned, deep in thought. The dean held two curled hairs in his palm.

"There are no mosquito bite marks. These were plucked from the back of his neck; they're definitely not hair," the dean said.

"Then what are they?" Huang Qiansui asked in surprise.

"They look like pubic hair, but it's strange that Director Meng would have pubic hair on his neck," the dean said, puzzled.

The dean's name was Jing Taiji, originally from Emei County, Sichuan, though his accent wasn't strong. He and Huang Qianhui were close friends; the red letterstone used to poison Wu Daoming and the nun was obtained by Dean Jing.

Leaving Huang Qianhui's secluded residence, Jing Taiji held the two pubic hairs in his hand, puzzled. It was impossible for pubic hair to grow on Meng Zhuqi's neck; someone had used extremely skillful external techniques to pierce his left and right Fengchi acupoints. For pubic hair, softer than hair, to penetrate flesh, it required immense internal force, making the hair as sharp as a steel needle. Wuyuan had never heard of such a master.

Pubic hair, also known as pubic hair, is stiff hair that grows on the external genitalia and inner thighs. Upon closer inspection, the hair, when twirled between the fingers, is oval-shaped and much thicker than that of an average person, indicating extremely high levels of male hormones. However, its color is mottled and the hair follicles are not very full, suggesting it belongs to a middle-aged or elderly man. Married middle-aged and elderly men generally suffer from kidney deficiency, with their male hormones nearly depleted. Therefore, this is the hair of an elderly virgin.

Monks or Taoist priests? Although there are many temples and monasteries here, most monks and Taoist priests had returned

to secular life by the end of the Cultural Revolution, and no one had been known to possess such profound incantation techniques. As far as he knew, only one other "old boy" had come to Wuyuan recently, possessing not only profound martial arts skills but also a grudge against Huang Qianhui and Meng Zhuqi—that was Wu Daoming from Lingnan.

Huang Qianhui had already added batches of red realgar to his and his nun's food. Could it be that they hadn't died from the poison yet?

Jing Taiji returned worriedly to his single dormitory in the hospital. He was approaching fifty and still alone.

Zhu You, the earliest form of witchcraft in Central China, was once a title bestowed by the Yellow Emperor as a divine official position. At that time, witchcraft and medicine merged; "Zhu" means incantation, and "You" refers to the cause of illness. It was a method of treating diseases using Chinese herbal medicine and incantations. Those who could practice Zhu You were highly educated and revered, and it was usually passed down orally from master to apprentice. The main techniques included "visualization,

" "possession by a demon," chanting incantations, and dance. These techniques are now considered superstition. "Vividization" is simply a state of deep meditation, while "possession by a demon" is visualization during meditation. Many Qigong practitioners view it as a method of mental manipulation to induce special abilities and maximize human potential.

Later, Traditional Chinese Medicine separated from Zhu You, leading to its gradual decline. It eventually infiltrated Taoist doctrines, evolving into the Taoist practices of Maoshan and Longhushan.

Only a secret branch outside the thirteen branches of Zhuyou (a form of traditional Chinese medicine) has been quietly passed down among the people. Not only are those who know this art extremely rare, but it's also rarely even heard of in the martial arts world.

The Yin-Yang Cone Technique is an extremely profound secret art within the external arts of Zhuyou, and it can only be mastered

by a virgin for many years. Jing Taiji himself had been a virgin for nearly fifty years, but his master had never taught him the Yin-Yang Cone Technique, perhaps because his master was a woman and it was inconvenient for her.

Early the next morning, Jing Taiji drove a dilapidated ambulance alone from the hospital, first heading west towards Jingdezhen, then turning towards Poyang Lake.

An hour later, the ambulance stopped at the mouth of a mountain valley.

Jing Taiji jumped out of the car and looked around. The mountains and fields were ablaze with red and gold; the late autumn and early winter scenery of Jiangnan was truly unique. He recalled Du Mu's poem "Mountain Journey": "A winding stone path leads up the cold mountain, where houses stand amidst the white clouds. I stop my carriage to admire the maple forest at dusk, its frosted leaves redder than February flowers."

Only a recluse like his master, living in such a beautiful mountain setting, could truly embody the elegance of a hermit. Jing Taiji thought to himself as he walked into the valley.

His master, known as Granny Wang, was kind and gentle, rarely interacting with outsiders. So much so that no one knew she was a renowned master of the Emei School decades ago, nor that she was a successor of the Central Plains' Zhuyou external arts. He himself had come from a poor family and had worked as a laborer in a temple on Mount Emei, where he had met his master several times. After graduating from Sichuan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he was assigned to the Wuyuan County People's Hospital. One day, while collecting herbs in this valley, he encountered his master again, thus beginning their master-disciple relationship.

From then on, he realized that there was such a strange art as Zhuyou.

The pool of water in front of the thatched house in the valley was still crystal clear, and the stream flowing down from the cave was like a white ribbon, splashing into the pool and creating wisps of white mist.

From afar, he saw little Ping'er playing in front of the thatched hut, with a middle-aged peasant woman standing beside her.

"Uncle Jing is here!" Ping'er exclaimed, skipping over as she spotted Jing Taiji approaching.

"Ha, Ping'er's grown taller again," Jing Taiji said with a smile, thinking that he hadn't visited since last Spring Festival when he saw his master.

"Grandma's gone out," Ping'er pouted.

"Oh, when will Master be back?" Jing Taiji asked quietly.

The little girl shook her head, indicating she didn't know.

"Who's that woman?" Jing Taiji asked.

"Grandma sent her to see me; she lives in the village outside the valley," Ping'er replied.

Jing Taiji walked to the thatched hut and greeted the peasant woman.

The woman told him that Grandma Wang had been gone for over half a month and might not return for another half month; she would be taking care of Ping'er in the meantime.

It was truly unfortunate. He had specifically brought the two pubic hairs he had plucked from Meng Zhuqi's neck, intending to have his master verify if they were indeed Yin Cones. If they were, it meant that there were still people in the martial arts world who understood the Zhu You technique. If the two Yin Cones belonged to Wu Daoming, then what connection did Wu Daoming of Lingnan have with his master?

His master had never mentioned it.

Chapter 143

As the moon set in the west, Wu Daoming returned to the manor at the east end of Nanshan Village. Seeing that no one was around, he was about to climb over the wall.

"Brother Dao." A person emerged from behind a tree and said.

Wu Daoming was startled and looked quickly; it was the nun.

"It's so late, why are you here, Junior Sister?" Wu Daoming asked in confusion.

The nun walked over, smiled gently, and said softly, "I woke up as soon as Brother Dao got up. I guessed that Brother Dao must have gone to Wuyuan for revenge. I wanted to follow you, but as soon as I came out, I discovered that someone was watching this house."

"Oh, did you see anyone?" Wu Daoming asked, feeling quite ashamed that he hadn't noticed when he came out.

“It was Meng Zhuqi who sent him to monitor us. I caught him and, under interrogation, he confessed that he discovered our group arriving at the manor in the evening. He recognized Zhu Biao and had already run back to town to report to Meng Zhuqi, who then ordered him to continue monitoring us,” the nun said.

Wu Daoming, who had infiltrated Huang Qiansui's home in Wuyuan, had overheard Huang Qiansui and Meng Zhuqi's conversation, so he wasn't surprised.

“Where is that man now?” Wu Daoming asked.

“I've already used acupressure on him and thrown him into the bushes,” the nun replied.

Wu Daoming pondered for a moment and said, "It seems we need to leave here as soon as possible. Huang Qianhui and the others will be here after dawn."

Wu Daoming recounted the conversation he had overheard, then said to the nun, "Junior sister, let's go say goodbye to Hansheng now, and call Zhu Biao and Can'er to go with us. It will be too late after dawn."

The nun nodded, and the two leaped over the high wall, landing lightly in the courtyard. In the kennel, the sleepy-eyed Benben poked its head out, glanced at them, then rolled over and drowsily went back to sleep, cuddling the black dog.

Wu Daoming knocked on the door of the main room. Dr. Zhu and his son had reunited and talked for most of the night, and were just falling asleep.

After Wu Daoming and the nun entered the room, they recounted the events of the night in detail. Dr. Zhu sensed that the situation was quite serious.

"Hansheng, go and wake Zhu Biao and Can'er," Dr. Zhu instructed.

A moment later, Zhu Biao and Can'er hurriedly entered the room, followed by Shen Caihua, who was carrying a child.

Dr. Zhu briefly explained the situation, then said, "You'll have to set off immediately."

"Hansheng, these are the Taiji Eggs I retrieved from the Taiji Yin Aura, a total of 27. I'm giving them to you now; use them on those who need them." Wu Daoming handed the canvas bag to Hansheng.

Hansheng opened the bag, revealing the five-colored earthen eggs. He nodded and said, "I will use them where they are needed."

Shen Caihua, standing nearby, quickly and discreetly covered her waist, where she still had a yellow earthen egg hidden.

Liu Jinmo led three horses; Zhu Biao and Shen Caihua rode one, Wu Daoming and the nun rode another, and the disabled child rode alone. Under the cover of darkness, they left Nanshan Village, galloping south.

At Hansheng's house, only the old grandmother, Nika, and Liu Jinmo remained as outsiders.

Lan'er quietly pulled Han Sheng aside and said, "When I left the old thatched house, I took those earthen eggs with me. Let's hide them together with the ones in this bag."

Han Sheng nodded, found a hoe, dug a hole under a gardenia tree in the yard, buried all the Tai Chi earthen eggs in it, filled in the soil, and leveled the ground so they were invisible.

The village roosters crowed, and the first light of dawn appeared in the east; daybreak was approaching.

At ten o'clock in the morning, a jeep swayed along the newly paved gravel road and pulled up in front of the manor.

The door opened, and Huang Qianhui got out, followed by a dejected Meng Zhuqi, who was carrying two large net bags of fruit and had a thick red-covered book tucked under his arm. He had lost the Tai Chi earthen eggs and had been severely scolded by his brother-in-law the night before.

Standing at the gate was an old man with a face covered in purple spots, holding a wrinkled, orange-peel-like baby in his arms. Upon closer inspection, Huang Qiansui was startled; the ugly man was breastfeeding the child with his chest exposed… “Oh, Director Huang, Director Meng are here.” Dr. Zhu, standing in the courtyard, greeted them first.

Huang Qiansui glanced around and saw a young girl in white standing in the courtyard. She was very pretty, with distinct ethnic features, and exuded a faint, natural fragrance of wild chrysanthemums, which was invigorating.

“Ha, Dr. Zhu, how is it? Are you satisfied with the house? Who is this young lady?” Huang Qiansui chuckled.

Dr. Zhu said, “Her name is Nika, she’s Hansheng’s friend, from Miao territory.”

“Hmm, not bad, this young Miao lady is very pretty. Is she a member of the Communist Youth League?” Huang Qiansui’s eyes sized Nika up and down.

Nika was a Miao girl from Luohua Cave. The customs of the Miao region differed from those of the Central Plains Han areas, and Miao girls were not shy or timid like Han girls. Huang Qiansui stared at her, but Nika didn't seem to care. Instead, she opened her clear, innocent eyes and gazed at the middle-aged man before her with a confident and poised demeanor.

"Director Huang, please come inside," Dr. Zhu invited them in. "

It's a pity she's just a commoner; she won't be of much help to the nation's cause. Otherwise, having such a beautiful girl as a daughter-in-law would be quite nice," Huang Qiansui mused.

Meng Zhuqi, however, had many more ideas. Since he couldn't get Lan'er, this girl was much more appealing. Xiaobing would definitely be satisfied. The key was that Hansheng already had Lan'er, so there wouldn't be any more conflict. However, it was still important to first get Hansheng to cure Xiaobing's paraplegia and help him grow new testicles.

"Dr. Zhu, I've come today for two reasons. First, to visit you and your son and see if you have any difficulties in your lives. The organization will do its best to help. Second, I've brought you the Little Red Book. Zhuqi, take it out quickly." Huang Qianhui's attitude was extremely sincere.

Meng Zhuqi quickly handed over the thick book under his arm.

"This is the latest edition of the four-volume Selected Works of Mao Zedong. I hope you and your son will strengthen your theoretical studies, transform your worldview, establish a proletarian outlook on life, and wholeheartedly serve the Chinese people and the people of the world." Huang Qianhui spoke earnestly.

"Father." Hansheng walked in from outside the door.

"Ah, Hansheng, hmm, it's been over a month, you seem much more mature." Huang Qianhui looked him over with satisfaction.

Han Sheng simply smiled politely and said nothing.

"Han Sheng, are you satisfied with the house? When are you and Lan'er getting married? I definitely want to come to the wedding banquet!" Huang Qiansui said with a smile.

Han Sheng said seriously, "Speaking of the house, the original three thatched houses were simple but cozy. If the old house were still there, I would rather live there. Dad, when I have money in the future, I will definitely pay them back for the money they spent on building the house."

Dr. Zhu nodded approvingly and then said, "Director Huang, you can't accept something for nothing. How much did it cost to build the house? My son and I will definitely pay it back."

Huang Qiansui chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and said, "I'll take a look at all the rooms. If there's anything I don't like, I'll let Director Meng know."

Dr. Zhu understood Huang Qiansui's intention. Anyway, Zhu Biao and Wu Daoming had already left, so there was no harm in taking a look.

Huang Qiansui and Meng Zhuqi inspected all the rooms but didn't see Zhu Biao. However, they caught a glimpse of Liu Jinmo.

"Oh, Mr. Liu Jinmo is here. That's quite a rare sight," Huang Qianhui said meaningfully.

Liu Jinmo chuckled coldly and said indifferently, "I'm here to ask Hansheng for treatment."

Seeing this, Dr. Zhu explained, "Mr. Liu, Nika, and the old man with the child at the door are all Hansheng's patients."

"Hansheng, the commander called a couple of days ago. He's been thinking about you," Huang Qianhui said kindly.

Hansheng neither confirmed nor denied.

"Hansheng, you said last time that if your father came back, you promised to treat Xiaobing's illness, and you even said that his testicles could grow back," Meng Zhuqi said cautiously with a smile.

Han Sheng's face hardened, and he slowly said, "But while I wasn't home, you actually set a trap to lure Lan'er. How do you explain that?"

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! I apologize to you. Think about it, Xiaobing is a eunuch without testicles; what improper thoughts could he possibly have? Please, forgive my rudeness, I beg you!" Meng Zhuqi bowed deeply, almost crawling on the ground.

Huang Qiansui glanced disdainfully at his brother-in-law, then turned to Han Sheng and said, "Director Meng has already admitted his mistake. Furthermore, I formally inform you that the organization has decided that the Wu Chushan family can officially settle in Nanshan Village. Someone will be sent this afternoon to deliver the forms to fill out, and they will be allocated a plot of land. Is that right, Director Meng?"

Meng Zhuqi was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, it's been decided. The town's Revolutionary Committee will issue an official document immediately; it's a special case." Han

Sheng understood that all of this was conditional on Meng Hongbing's medical treatment, but could he refuse so that Lan'er's family could stay?

Han Sheng said solemnly, "I need to think about the treatment plan. You should handle the formalities for Lan'er's family first." He then turned and left.

"Okay, okay, we'll do it this afternoon," Meng Zhuqi said gratefully behind Han Sheng.

Seeing that he couldn't get any results, Huang Qiansui took his leave. Dr. Zhu saw him to the gate, and the jeep drove away from the Zhu family's house.

"Where's the person you sent to monitor us?" Huang Qiansui asked, dissatisfied.

"Strange, I haven't seen him either. He should be around here," Meng Zhuqi replied, equally puzzled.

"Let's go back to town first," Huang Qiansui ordered.

The jeep sped off.

Upon arriving at the Nanshan Town Revolutionary Committee compound, Huang Qiansui went into the director's office, where someone had already brought him hot tea.

Meng Zhuqi inquired at the gatehouse, but the person he had sent out hadn't returned.

Huang Qiansui snorted and said, "Nanshan Village needs to be kept under surveillance. As for the Wu Chushan family, you'd better hurry up and handle that matter. Otherwise, Hansheng won't have come to treat Xiaobing. That little rascal."

Meng Zhuqi responded and went out to arrange for the drafting of the official document.

Huang Qiansui pondered for a moment, then picked up the phone from the table and dialed the office of the director of the People's Hospital. The person on the other end informed him that the director was not there.

Huang Qiansui returned to the county town. Not long after arriving home, Jing Taiji came to visit.

"Director Huang, I suspect that Wu Daoming and that old nun are not dead." Jing Taiji took out the two pubic hairs and explained his doubts and speculations to Huang Qiansui.

After listening, Huang Qianhui pondered for a long time before saying, "Your analysis isn't without merit. Can the poison of realgar be cured?"

Jing Taiji replied, "Acute cases can be treated with timely gastric lavage and IV fluids in the hospital. However, we're giving them a chronic dose, which is difficult to detect except for slight fatigue. When it accumulates to a critical point and suddenly flares up, even gastric lavage won't help." "

At that time, unless someone is by their side, perhaps they can be cured," Huang Qianhui said thoughtfully.

"Who?" Jing Taiji asked in surprise.

"Han Sheng," Huang Qianhui answered.

Jing Taiji asked doubtfully, "Han Sheng? Could it be that so-called 'miracle doctor' who supposedly cured ALS? That's unbelievable."

"I saw it with my own eyes, but because it involves state secrets, the news was kept secret," Huang Qianhui said.

"Is it really true? How did he administer the medicine?" Jing Taiji showed great interest.

Huang Qianhui recalled, "He used a small, green silkworm. First, he plucked some of the patient's pubic hair, burned it to ash, fed it to the silkworm, then had the patient eat the silkworm while covering the patient's mouth and nose. Finally, the patient let out a loud fart, and the illness was cured."

Jing Taiji was dumbfounded. This was utterly absurd! If it hadn't come from Director Huang, he would have scoffed at it long ago.

Jing Taiji shook his head and said, "If I have the chance, I'd like to meet Hansheng."

"There will be an opportunity this afternoon," Huang Qianhui said.

Chapter 144

"Hansheng, come here for a moment, your father has something to tell you." Seeing the jeep drive away, Dr. Zhu called Hansheng back to his room and gently closed the door.

"Father, what is it?" Hansheng asked.

"Hansheng, you've suffered a lot on this journey. You cured the Miao village chief's osteomyelitis, operated on the disabled child, cured Grandma Mei Xiaoying's cataracts, and even cured her ALS. I just want to know, where did you learn all this?" Dr. Zhu asked Hansheng seriously. Hansheng

thought for a moment, then said solemnly, "Father, I found a book in an ancient tomb beneath our great-grandfather's grave..." He then recounted how he had returned to the old grave in front of Linggu Cave that night to search for his lost finger bone, and how he had found a golden well. He had dug down into the well and discovered an ancient tomb containing a corpse covered in white hair, and next to it a wooden box. Inside the box were a book and a ruler—a medical book.

"What medical book?" Dr. Zhu asked in astonishment.

"The *Qingnang Jing*," Hansheng replied.

"The *Qingnang Jing*! You...you mean Hua Tuo's..." Dr. Zhu's voice trembled with shock.

Hansheng nodded.

Dr. Zhu felt a wave of dizziness, and Han Sheng quickly helped his father sit down.

"Where is the book?" Dr. Zhu asked after calming down for a moment.

Han Sheng sighed and said regretfully, "I hid it in Benben's nest, and it was burned in the fire."

“…It is fate…Seventeen hundred years have passed, and who could have predicted that Hua Tuo’s medical book would still be passed down and end up in my son’s possession? My child, your father is old, but you are still young. Do what you know to serve the people. Remember, for a doctor, medical ethics come first, medical skills second, understand?” Dr. Zhu sighed.

“I understand, Father,” Han Sheng said.

Someone gently knocked on the door, and it opened. Liu Jinmo walked in.

“Han Sheng, are you really going to treat that damned son of Meng Zhuqi?” Liu Jinmo asked.

Han Sheng pondered for a moment and said, “For Lan’er’s whole family, I have no choice but to do this. Besides, a doctor cannot choose who he treats. Just like Hua Tuo, who treated the great general Guan Yu by scraping the bone to remove poison, and also treated the villainous Cao Cao’s headache. As for good and evil, they will be punished in the end.”

Dr. Zhu nodded with satisfaction. Han Sheng had finally grown up.

“I caused his paraplegia,” Liu Jinmo said, recounting how he severely punished Meng Hongbing when Meng Hongbing harassed Lan’er and attempted to molest her.

Upon hearing this, Han Sheng's anger flared, but he managed to restrain himself. After calming down, he slowly said, "Evil people are everywhere in the world; they can't be eradicated completely."

Liu Jinmo silently watched Han Sheng, and seeing that he had made up his mind, he sighed and said, "I used my unique Three Yin Heavy Technique to strike his Dazhui acupoint, sealing his Du meridian with true qi. To undo this, a second heavy strike is needed to release the true qi stagnating in the 'Meeting of the Three Yang Du Meridians,' which will take a full day and night to release."

Han Sheng thought for a moment and understood, saying, "Dazhui is the main acupoint of the Du meridian, also known as Bailao. The Du meridian is the sea of Yang meridians, its veins enter the marrow, reaching the orifices of clear Yang above and the root of primordial qi below, governing the Yang qi of the whole body. Therefore, the Du meridian can flow through Dazhui internally, and the three Yang meridians can flow externally. Mr. Liu blocked this acupoint, preventing the Yang qi from reaching the orifices of clear Yang above and from distributing to the limbs below. Alright, Mr. Liu, come with me."

“That stinking dog shit is too cheap,” Liu Jinmo muttered.

“Then let’s get him some dog shit, hmm, let’s call it ‘Dog Shit Yellow’,” Han Sheng chuckled maliciously.

Around two o’clock in the afternoon, a car horn sounded outside the manor.

Liu Jinmo opened the gate, and Meng Zhuqi, his entourage, and a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties got out of the jeep.

Liu Jinmo’s gaze was fixed on the middle-aged man. The man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He had regular features and an imposing presence, but a hint of evil emanated from between his brows. This man was none other than Jing Taiji.

When Jing Taiji saw Liu Jinmo for the first time, he was even more shocked. This man was lean and refined, with a hooked nose and hawk-like eyes. He was extremely gloomy, and his temples were bulging. He was a master of internal martial arts.

"Haha, Liu Jinmo, I've come to deliver the official document to Hansheng. From now on, Lan'er's family will be registered residents of Nanshan Town." Meng Zhuqi said with a laugh, in a cheerful mood.

"Please come in." Liu Jinmo said coldly, his voice as harsh as metal.

After everyone was seated in the living room, Dr. Zhu invited Wu Chushanren over.

"Look, this is the official document issued by the Nanshan Town Revolutionary Committee. Wu Chushanren, from now on, your family will officially be registered residents of Nanshan Village." Meng Zhuqi said with a beaming smile.

Shanren glanced at the document. The content was nothing more than the town's revolutionary committee's decision to approve their registration. There was a form attached to the document. Shanren took out a pen and quickly filled in the family's information and handed it to Meng Zhuqi.

"Where's Hansheng?" Meng Zhuqi asked.

Dr. Zhu went out and called Hansheng in.

Jing Taiji carefully examined the young man who walked in. He was of medium height and had an ordinary appearance, except for his clear and deep eyes. He had a generous and open demeanor, and there was nothing unusual about him.

"Hansheng, when can we start treating Xiaobing?" Meng Zhuqi asked with a forced smile.

Hansheng counted on his fingers for a moment and said, "Tomorrow."

"Can Xiaobing's testicles be treated?" Meng Zhuqi pressed on.

Hansheng glanced at Meng Zhuqi and said, "Tomorrow morning, find a surgeon to assist me and prepare the surgical instruments."

"Yes, yes, I'll do it, I'll do it!" Meng Zhuqi was overjoyed and hurriedly replied.

Hansheng turned and walked towards the door.

"Young man, what treatment plan do you plan to use?" A deep voice came from behind.

Hansheng turned around and looked at the middle-aged man who had been sitting quietly beside him.

"I forgot to introduce you earlier, this is Director Jing from the County People's Hospital," Meng Zhuqi quickly said.

Hansheng nodded and said, "The plan hasn't been fully decided yet, I'm sorry, I still need to do some preparation." With that, he turned and left. He didn't like these people, and the treatment was a last resort.

Jing Taiji, slightly embarrassed, chuckled and said, "Young and promising, young and promising indeed."

Meng Zhuqi quickly got up and chased after him, calling out, "I'll send a car to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Han Sheng left without looking back.

Liu Jinmo stood in the courtyard and asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Catch slugs," Han Sheng replied.

Slugs, also known as wild slugs, resemble snails but have no shell. They are nocturnal, feeding on green plants, and during the day, they lurk in the crevices of moss-covered rocks near water. Because they live in dark and damp places year-round, their bodies contain a lot of water, about 90% of their total volume.

The *Qing Nang Jing* records that the slug's juice can dissolve human flesh residue and reconnect broken bones, meridians, and blood vessels; truly a creation of heaven and earth.

Han Sheng and Liu Jinmo arrived at the foot of Nanshan Mountain and found a damp little canyon. The two began to push aside the bushes and search along the stream.

At dusk, the two caught more than ten slugs, each about three inches long and covered in a slimy substance. Han Sheng put them all into a bottle.

Back home, Han Sheng went to the kitchen, grabbed a pinch of salt, and sprinkled it on the slugs.

Liu Jinmo watched Han Sheng's enthusiastic actions with curiosity. He was a very deep and reserved person; he would never ask questions he shouldn't.

"Slugs are used medicinally to extract their juice. Sprinkling salt on them will cause the moisture in their bodies to slowly seep out through their skin, until only a thin skin remains," Han Sheng explained to him. At

the county hospital's inpatient department, Meng Zhuqi walked into the ward beaming.

"Xiaobing, Han Sheng has finally agreed to treat you!" Meng Zhuqi couldn't hide his excitement.

Meng Hongbing was still unable to move from the neck down, but the nurses were still doing their best, so he hadn't developed any bedsores yet. Hearing the good news from his father, Meng Hongbing exclaimed excitedly, "Dandan, he can give me a new egg?"

Meng Zhuqi replied with a beaming smile, "Of course, you'll have one soon."

"That's great! There are two pretty nurses in this hospital, with faces as red as apples, lips like cherries, and breasts like two ripe peaches, dripping with sweet juice if you bite into them. But they're not good as wives, I still want Lan'er." Meng Hongbing sprayed spittle all over Meng Zhuqi's face.

Seeing his son's high spirits, Meng Zhuqi was overjoyed and quickly told him, "Xiaobing, a girl from another ethnic group came to Hansheng's house. Her face is indescribably beautiful, and she has a natural floral fragrance that's intoxicating. You'll definitely like her. As for Lan'er, forget about her." "

Are you serious?" Meng Hongbing asked sternly.

"Of course it's true, absolutely true. Once you're better, I'll take you to see her right away, I guarantee you'll be satisfied," Meng Zhuqi said.

Lying on the hospital bed, Meng Hongbing envisioned his goals and plans after having a child, a lewd smile spreading across his face.

Chapter 145:

At dawn, just as the sun rose, the jeep that had come to pick up Han Sheng was already parked at the manor gate.

Han Sheng held the glass bottle in his hand; the slugs inside, after a night, had indeed reduced to just skins, the liquefied juice filling about half the bottle, quite viscous. Han Sheng used chopsticks to pick out the dozen or so slug skins, discarded them, capped the bottle, and got into the jeep with Liu Jinmo.

Today was market day in Wuyuan County, and from afar, the market was bustling with people, very lively.

"Stop up ahead," Han Sheng instructed the driver.

The driver looked at Han Sheng with surprise.

Han Sheng smiled and said, "Driver, wait by the roadside for a moment, I need to buy something." With that, he and Liu Jinmo jumped out of the car and walked towards the market.

Liu Jinmo silently followed behind Han Sheng, not asking what he wanted to do.

Ahead was a row of wooden meat stalls, where pork, beef, and mutton were sold. The stall owners deftly wielded their cleavers, loudly hawking their wares.

In the 1970s, resources were not abundant; pork was mostly lean with little fat, and people usually bought only a few ounces or half a pound to enjoy at home. Back then, boars were generally not castrated; they were slaughtered before they reached full size, so boar meat was plentiful in the market.

Han Sheng walked to a meat stall and asked the stall owner, "I want to buy two pig testicles."

The stall owner glanced at him and said, "These pig testicles are just the right size for a year old, absolutely nourishing, freshly slaughtered, still warm." He then pulled out two pig testicles from under the counter. "Two for fifty cents, a bargain."

Han Sheng took out fifty cents and handed them over, buying the two fresh pig testicles.

Pig testicles are commonly known as "pig treasures" or "pig Buddhas," and those that are round, red, and free of any remaining meat are considered the best. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pig testicles are sweet, salty, and warm in nature, entering the lung and kidney meridians. They have the functions of warming the kidneys and strengthening yang, tonifying the lungs and replenishing qi, and are suitable for symptoms such as impotence, cough, wheezing, and soreness of the waist and knees due to kidney deficiency.

Han Sheng opened the bottle cap, soaked two pig testicles in slug liquid, then closed the cap, and said to Liu Jinmo with a beaming smile, "I'm going to put these two balls into Meng Hongbing's penis." As he spoke, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Liu Jinmo was also amused, thinking to himself, "Han Sheng is really something else, I can't believe he came up with this.

" "Go and find a bag of dog poop to smother that brat," Han Sheng ordered.

"No problem," Liu Jinmo readily agreed, smiling as he went to find the dog poop.

A little while later, Liu Jinmo returned with a large pile of smelly dog poop wrapped in newspaper, something that was never in short supply at the market.

"It's still warm," Liu Jinmo said with a grin.

The two returned to the car and drove towards the county hospital.

"What's that smell?" the driver sniffed.

Han Sheng and Liu Jinmo smiled but didn't answer.

In the hospital ward, the windowsill and table were filled with fresh flowers. Meng Zhuqi and Dean Jing, dressed in a white coat, were already waiting there. Meng Hongbing looked particularly energetic, having not slept all night.

Han Sheng and Liu Jinmo pushed open the door and entered.

Dean Jing's nostrils twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

"What's that smell? It's a bit pungent," Meng Zhuqi said, taking a deep breath.

"Dog poop," Han Sheng said casually.

"It's dog poop," Liu Jinmo added with a smile.

Jing Taiji snorted and said, "Comrade Han Sheng, the operating room is ready, and the anesthesiologist is waiting there."

"No need. We can operate here. He has no feeling down there, so anesthesia isn't necessary. We can just cut him open," Han Sheng said.

Jing Taiji was taken aback and said, "This isn't a sterile environment."

"No problem, there won't be an infection," Han Sheng put down the bottle in his hand.

Jing Taiji turned to Meng Zhuqi and said, "Let's discuss the surgical plan first."

Meng Zhuqi looked at Han Sheng.

Han Sheng said, "Either start immediately, or I'll go back."

Meng Zhuqi knew that Han Sheng possessed extraordinary skills and often acted in unpredictable ways, so he quickly said, "As you wish, whatever you say." Han Sheng

glanced at Dean Jing and said, "Those who are not involved can leave."

Jing Taiji smiled slightly and said, "I am the surgeon assisting you in the operation. Please give your instructions."

Hmph, isn't he just a barefoot doctor from the countryside? He hasn't studied medicine or received any systematic professional training. Perhaps he has a few ancestral remedies to fool people. I want to see how he can make a paraplegic patient with a cervical spine injury stand up, or how he can make a eunuch grow new testicles. It's simply a fantasy.

Han Sheng stepped forward and yanked off the blanket on the bed, revealing the naked Meng Hongbing and the thick tuft of black hair between his legs.

“Alright, first, please have the dean shave.” Han Sheng instructed.

Without a word, Jing Taiji, wielding a razor, the blade flashing, shaved off the black pubic hair like petals falling from the sky. In no time, it was completely shaved, leaving only a bald patch, like a white-skinned chicken.

At this moment, people could see that Meng Hongbing's testicles were shriveled, leaving only a wrinkled, brown skin.

“Disinfect,” Han Sheng said.

Jing Taiji put on a mask and surgical gloves, first applying iodine and then alcohol swabs to the entire genital area for disinfection.

“Incise the scrotum, being careful to avoid blood vessels,” Han Sheng indicated the location and length of the incision to Jing Taiji.

Jing Taiji was a seasoned doctor, his scalpel technique extremely skillful. He held the razor with three fingers of one hand, without trembling or shaking, silently making a small, inch-long incision on the front of the scrotum, with only a tiny amount of blood seeping from the capillaries on the surface.

Meng Zhuqi, heartbroken, couldn't bear to watch any longer and quickly turned his head away.

In the blink of an eye, Han Sheng had already reached into the bottle, grabbed the two sticky, snot-covered pig testicles, pulled at the scrotum skin, and forcefully shoved them back into the incision. Then, he took the bottle and poured a little more mucus into the scrotum.

"Sew up the incision immediately. The surgery is over," Han Sheng said with a slight smile.

Jing Taiji, a doctor, understood that Han Sheng's procedure was to transplant a pair of testicles, but he hadn't connected the capillaries and vas deferens, nor had he seen any measures to prevent rejection by the immune system. Of course, testicle transplantation was still a novel procedure, both domestically and internationally. It was utterly outlandish, so he tried several times to stop Han Sheng. But then he thought, didn't Zhu You Shu (a form of folk healing) also have some mysterious and profound techniques? Since the Meng family father and son had no objections, he might as well see for himself. But where did Han Sheng get these testicles from?

He never imagined that those were pig testicles he'd bought for five cents at the market.

Meng Hongbing had no feeling in his lower body, so he listened intently to their conversation until Han Sheng announced the surgery was complete, at which point he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xiaobing, you just had two testicles transplanted," Meng Zhuqi told his son about the surgery's progress.

"Really? Are they big? Dad, I won't have to take hormones anymore!" Meng Hongbing exclaimed excitedly.

"Big, extremely big, even bigger than Dad's," Meng Zhuqi comforted his son.

Jing Taiji stitched up the incision, disinfected it again, and then bandaged it.

"Comrade Hansheng, how do you handle the rejection reaction? Is it necessary to take corticosteroids like prednisone to reduce the rejection?" Jing Taiji asked.

"No need, there will be no rejection, and no infection. The medicine in this bottle is my secret medicine. It can not only dissolve the remaining necrotic tissue, but also unblock the meridians. That layer of neutral mucus will prevent the immune system from detecting the foreign object. Don't worry. Now let's begin the treatment for high-level paraplegia. Mr. Liu, prepare the dog feces." Hansheng said.

Jing Taiji was speechless, thinking to himself, "We'll see."

Liu Jinmo casually took Meng Hongbing's enamel bowl and poured the dog feces into it, instantly filling the room with a stench.

Hansheng said to Meng Zhuqi, "Yellow dogs belong to the earth element, and their feces are yellow, acidic, and astringent, which can connect with the earth. Now, use your hands to smear the dog feces all over the patient's body. Do not wash it off for a month, understand?"

Meng Zhuqi looked at Hansheng with suspicion: "This..."

"If you don't want to treat him, then forget it." Hansheng said nonchalantly.

Seeing this, Meng Zhuqi gritted his teeth, reached into the bowl, grabbed a handful of dog poop, and slapped it onto Meng Hongbing's chest with a "smack." Then he started smearing it on... After finishing the front, he asked Dean Jing to help him turn over and smear it on the back. Finally, the bowl of stinking dog poop was completely wiped clean, not a single bit left, even Jing Taiji got some on his hand.

"Alright, you can go wash your hands now," Han Sheng said.

The two of them, snorting, quickly went to the washroom across the corridor to wash their hands.

Han Sheng gave a wink, and Liu Jinmo turned around and struck Meng Hongbing's Dazhui acupoint with a heavy blow. The boy didn't utter a sound and immediately fainted.

Meng Zhuqi and Jing Taiji returned to the ward.

Han Sheng said to them, "Alright, the effects of the dog poop medicine have taken hold. He will be asleep for twelve hours, and he can move around after he wakes up. Remember, the dog poop medicine must be kept on for a full month. If you wash it off beforehand, it will affect the efficacy, and you will bear the consequences. Don't come looking for me again."

"Certainly, certainly," Meng Zhuqi said hurriedly.

"Let's go." Han Sheng and Liu Jinmo strode away.

Meng Zhuqi and Jing Taiji exchanged glances.

Jing Taiji's eyes caught sight of the glass bottle containing the sticky liquid. Hmm, Han Sheng's secret remedy. I need to get it tested to see what it is.

Chapter 146

Wu Daoming, the nun, Can'er, and Zhu Biao's family rode south at breakneck speed through the night. By dawn, they had already covered dozens of miles. The mountains were shrouded in mist. They dismounted and ate some breakfast at a small food stall at a crossroads along the mountain road.

Wu Daoming said to everyone, "The population is gradually increasing ahead. Riding horses in broad daylight will attract attention. We should switch to cars."

Everyone agreed with him. So Zhu Biao found a local relative and sold their horses at a very low price. Then they went to the market town ahead and boarded a long-distance bus heading south.

In no time, they finally arrived at Dapeng Bay on the South China Sea.

Except for Wu Daoming, everyone else was seeing the sea for the first time. Gazing at the azure sea and the seagulls soaring above, everyone was filled with excitement.

Wu Daoming led them to hide in the home of a fisherman in Dameisha, allowing them to rest and recharge before sneaking into Hong Kong at night. Most of the young people in the fishing village had gone to Hong Kong to work, leaving only the elderly and children who lived a meager existence relying on remittances from Hong Kong.

The old man accepted the money without further ado, went out and brought back a smuggler, negotiated a price, and waited for the high tide that night. At

the beginning of Hai hour (9-11 PM), they secretly boarded a small fishing boat and headed towards Hong Kong. A little over an hour later, the boat docked at a secluded spot in the New Territories. Wu Daoming led them through the mountains, reaching the Tsim Sha Tsui pier in Kowloon before dawn. They boarded the early Star Ferry, successfully crossed Victoria Harbour, arrived in Central on Hong Kong Island, and took a taxi up the hillside.

Mid-Levels in Hong Kong is an affluent area, with villas nestled among the trees and hillsides facing the sea, offering breathtaking scenery but at exorbitant prices. Most of the wealthy and influential reside here. Wu Daoming also owns one, left to him by his master upon his passing.

At villa number 911 Peak Road, Wu Daoming rang the doorbell. A maid in her fifties rushed out and opened the tall iron gate to the garden.

"Mr. Wu is back," the maid said respectfully.

Wu Daoming introduced her, "This is Aunt Wang, she's worked here for many years. Please come in."

The villa had only two floors, with about seven or eight rooms. The second-floor terrace was very spacious, offering a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon across the bay.

The nun stood on the terrace, gazing into the distance, her brow slightly furrowed. The sea breeze gently ruffled her remaining white hair, making her appear like a statue. Wu Daoming was captivated by her beauty.

"Junior Sister, what are you thinking about?" Wu Daoming asked softly in her ear.

The nun sighed softly, "Life is like a dream, and the world is unpredictable..."

Dinner was extremely lavish, all seafood: boiled prawns, steamed grouper, stir-fried flower crab with scallions and ginger, stir-fried conch slices, celery, cashews, scallops, and a soup

of dried vegetables, duck gizzards, and jujubes, all made by Wang Ma. During the meal, Zhu Biao ate heartily, praising the delicious dishes repeatedly.

Wang Ma secretly asked Wu Daoming, "That woman holding the child seems strange; why isn't she eating?" Wu Daoming didn't want to elaborate and could only tell Wang Ma not to worry about it.

Shen Caihua stared with his dark eyes at everyone eating, a nameless anger rising in his heart. He kept licking his lips; he hadn't eaten for days.

After dinner, everyone went to the living room, where there was a television set. None of them had ever seen such a thing in the Central Plains—a square box that could play colorful movies; it was incredibly convenient.

Wu Daoming played a program from RTV (Rediffusion Television), which was spoken in Cantonese, and none of them could understand it, finding it rather dull. Switching to TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited), they found a rebroadcast of this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant.

"Why are they dressed so scantily?" Zhu Biao's eyes were fixed on the contestants in their swimsuits.

The 1975 Miss Hong Kong was crowned, and the legendary Miss Hong Kong, Cheung Ma-li, smiled at everyone wearing her crown.

"Do you know? She was the sister-in-law of the kung fu star Bruce Lee, who passed away two years ago. She was once a homeless child," Wu Daoming translated.

Can'er scrutinized the Miss Hong Kong and said softly, "She's far inferior to Mingyue."

Wu Daoming smiled wryly and comforted him, "I'll start inquiring about Mingyue's whereabouts tomorrow."

Exhausted from days of travel, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

On the balcony, Shen Caihua held her child, gazing thoughtfully at the starlight and lights of the night sky, while little Caihua dozed off in his mother's arms.

A strange cry, "Awooo!", came from a villa not far away, jolting Shen Caihua awake. He pricked up his ears and listened intently.

The next morning, after washing up but before having breakfast, a series of police sirens blared down the hilltop road, reaching the villa.

Wu Daoming was startled and quickly told everyone not to show themselves, saying he would handle the police. Wu Daoming stepped out of the yard and stood inside the iron gate. Through the fence, he saw three or four police cars and an ambulance parked in front of number 900 on the hilltop road next door. He wondered what had happened there.

He opened the gate and went to the police cars.

Just then, a stretcher was carried out from inside. A white sheet covered the stretcher, and a hairy arm dangled outside it—it was definitely not a human arm… Wu Daoming breathed a sigh of relief and returned to tell everyone that everything was alright; the police weren't searching for illegal immigrants.

At breakfast, Shen Caihua and her child didn't leave their room. When Wang Ma went in to check on them, she found the baby, Shen Caihua, lying stiffly asleep on the bed, his belly swollen.

After breakfast, Wu Daoming warned everyone not to go out unnecessarily. He and the nun went to Kowloon Walled City to inquire about the whereabouts of the "Hong Kong's One Flower," the Old Yin Woman.

North of Mong Kok in Kowloon is Boundary Street, which horizontally divides the Kowloon Peninsula in two. The southern part of the street is called Kowloon, and the northern part is the New Territories. The eastern end of Boundary Street leads to Kai Tak Airport, and north of Kai Tak Airport lies the infamous Kowloon Walled City, a lawless area between China, Hong Kong, and Britain. The entire Walled City covered less than three hectares, yet had a population of nearly 50,000, resulting in a population density equivalent to 1.9 million people per square kilometer—one of the most densely populated places in the world.

This area, ceded by Britain but still under Chinese territorial sovereignty, held a very unique status. The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory stipulated that Chinese officials could remain stationed within Kowloon City and retain nearby wharves for travel, thus making the Walled City a "boundary within a boundary." However, in reality, China neglected its governance during the Qing Dynasty, the Kuomintang era, and after the liberation, turning the Walled City into a lawless zone. Many criminals in Hong Kong fled here, and the area became a haven of vice, teeming with brothels, casinos, opium dens, heroin dens, and dog meat restaurants. The streets were narrow, like corridors, and residents relied on eight public water pipes or wells for water. The environment was extremely poor; someone of Wu Daoming's status would never have gone there.

Wu Daoming and the nun entered the walled city. The narrow alleyways were crowded with fortune tellers and physiognomists, who would call out to anyone who passed by, offering nothing more than empty phrases like, "Sir, you're very fortunate, but you'll soon encounter an unexpected disaster," or "Sir, here's a reading for you; if it's inaccurate, you don't have to pay."

Wu Daoming smiled at the nun, "Kowloon City has all sorts of people, from the most shady to the most cunning. Take these fortune tellers, for example; they're all bluffing. Where would you find any real skill?"

"I don't think so," said a disheveled old man with a goatee by the roadside.

Hearing the deep, resonant voice, Wu Daoming stopped and looked closely. It was a character fortune teller.

"Fish-fakes mixed with pearls, mud and sand mixed together—who in this world can recognize the jade of the Bian family, or the pearl of the Sui dynasty?" the man muttered to himself.

Seeing the man's refined manner, Wu Daoming smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then please, sir, divine a word for me."

The man pushed over a brush, inkstone, and paper. Wu Daoming picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and without thinking, wrote the character "尼" (ni). Unexpectedly, the ink was too saturated, and a drop fell to the left of the character, forming a small black dot.

"I'm sorry," Wu Daoming said.

The man examined it carefully and said, "It's fate, no need to be polite. No need to say more, sir, you asked about marriage. If I'm not mistaken, you want to marry a nun."

Wu Daoming was taken aback and said, "How so?"

The man pointed to the character "尼" and said, "The character '尸' (shi) with a dagger protruding from it forms the character '七' (qi), which sounds like '妻' (qi, wife). The ink drop on the '尼' radical is round like the sun. '日' (ri, sun) with '尼' (ni, nun) naturally means you want to marry a nun, but it will likely be extremely dangerous."

Wu Daoming coldly asked, "What danger?" "

A dagger hidden under a corpse, the danger is known to oneself," the man said without looking up.

Wu Daoming and the fortune teller spoke entirely in Cantonese, which the nun couldn't understand a word of, but she noticed Wu Daoming's expression suddenly turn serious.

"Can you interpret more characters?" Wu Daoming asked.

"Please write them down," the fortune teller said.

Wu Daoming took the pen and quickly wrote five characters: "A Flower of Hong Kong."

The fortune teller with the goatee's face changed drastically upon seeing this. He hurriedly packed up his stall, saying, "I'm not doing any readings today, I have to go." With that, he quickly left, turning into a narrow alley.

"Huh, why did that person leave without taking the money?" the nun exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Daoming pondered, "This person must know the whereabouts of 'A Flower of Hong Kong,' otherwise he wouldn't be so fearful. Let's follow him."

Wu Daoming and the nun quickened their pace and followed him into the alley.

The dilapidated alleyways were piled with junk and clothes hung out to dry. Puddles of dirty water dotted the ground. After turning through several alleys, they reached the heart of Kowloon Walled City. Several staggering drunkards blocked their way. Wu Daoming forcefully shoved them aside, and two of them lost their balance and fell into puddles, immediately shouting and cursing.

Wu Daoming ignored them, his eyes still fixed on the retreating figure of the fortune teller. Just then, several Royal Hong Kong police officers appeared at the alleyway ahead, questioning passersby.

Wu Daoming pulled the nun into a side alley. The nun didn't have a Hong Kong ID card and didn't understand Cantonese, so she couldn't withstand the questioning.

"Let's go back. The police are checking things closely here. I'll come back alone to find that fortune teller tomorrow," Wu Daoming said, pulling the nun away hastily, slipping out of Kowloon Walled City.

Since they were already out, Wu Daoming decided to take his nun to Ocean Park. She enthusiastically followed along for most of the day. At noon, they went to a restaurant and ordered some dishes.

While eating, Wu Daoming noticed the Cantonese midday news on the TV in the lobby: "Vampire Spotted on Hong Kong Island! Late last night, a five-year-old male gorilla named 'Jeff' was found with its throat slit at 900 Peak Road..."

Wu Daoming was shocked and quickly put down his chopsticks to continue reading. It turned out that the family had found Jeff dead on their lawn that morning, his carotid artery ruptured, and a large amount of blood drained from his body. The police were actively searching for the killer, and according to a police spokesperson, the killer was very likely not human... Wu Daoming immediately understood that it was Shen Caihua who had done it.

"Eat quickly, and we need to get back as soon as we finish," Wu Daoming hurriedly told his nun.

The two quickly finished their meal, paid the bill, and took a taxi back to their Mid-Levels villa.

In Chapter 147

, inside the Ghost Valley Cave of Tianmen Mountain, the old monk Yang Gong recovered from his momentary shock. In that instant, he understood that the three jars of fleas carrying plague bacteria that Ye Fu had risked his life to preserve were seeds of revenge left behind to eliminate the Manchu Eight Banners who had entered the pass. In that case, these three jars could destroy a generation of the Qing Dynasty, and it was no exaggeration to call them treasures.

In the flashlight beam on the ground, there were definitely no fewer than several million fleas surging out of the three porcelain jars. They had been sealed in the jars for three hundred years, and now that they saw warm-blooded humans, they swarmed forward and began to bite desperately. They did not even spare those who had just been shot and died. The bodies of those who had died and whose blood had not yet completely congealed were covered with blood-sucking fleas, wave after wave. Even the two heads that had been cut off by Dorgon's blue scimitar were covered with a layer of black fleas. The Iron Shopkeeper and his few surviving men were also swarmed. Hordes of fleas first landed on their legs, then leaped over their bodies, burrowing into their clothes and biting them. The Iron Shopkeeper and the others fell to the ground, swallowed by the flea torrent. The men, enduring the intense pain and itching, scrambled to their feet and stumbled away.

Strangely, the fleas bypassed the old monk Yang Gong; not a single one approached. Yang Gong chuckled coldly.

"Master, are you alright?" The eldest brother, Qian, crawled out of the luminous sand in the stone pit and came to the old monk Yang Gong's side.

Yang Gong nodded.

In June 1940, Huanglong Prefecture in Guandong, now Nong'an County in Jilin Province, experienced a major plague outbreak caused by the release of plague bacteria by Unit 731 of the Japanese Kwantung Army. In November, after the bacterial experiments had achieved their objectives, the Japanese army reorganized the "South Manchuria Railway Company's Provisional Epidemic Prevention Committee in Xinjing," also known as the Nong'an Dispatch Team (or Plague Extermination Team), comprising over a thousand people. These included puppet police officers, puppet soldiers, Japanese garrison troops, Japanese Kwantung Army medical officers, members of the Harbin Red Army, and teachers and students from Harbin Medical University. They thoroughly eradicated the source of the plague in Nong'an County, conducting nearly a month of complete disinfection and repeated quarantine. At the end of the same year, the "South Manchuria Railway Company's Provisional Epidemic Prevention Committee in Xinjing" declared the plague eradicated in Nong'an County. The tens of thousands of residents of the county endured 165 days of hell on earth. The survivors all developed immunity, including the elderly monk Yang Gong and the eldest son of the Qian family.

The fleas possessed an innate ability to sense danger, so they let the two of them go, attacking those without immunity instead.

Old Monk Yang Gong's lung was pierced by a bullet, causing pneumothorax. Fortunately, it wasn't a fatal wound; the rest were just superficial injuries. He had already sealed the acupoints of the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, and was temporarily out of danger.

"Master, we need to go out and gather herbs to heal your wounds," said Elder Qian.

"Alright, let's go back the way we came," said Old Monk Yang Gong.

Old Master Qian helped his master to his feet and carried him on his back. Just then, they heard a thunderous roar, like ten thousand horses galloping, approaching them, and their feet trembled. Their expressions changed drastically; they knew the giant white rats had awakened… The brain-corrupting poison from the Guandong Black Witch hadn't kept the rock rats and shadow bats unconscious for long. Just as the old man from Xiangxi and his companions left Ghost Valley Cave, the rock rats awoke one after another. They swarmed forward, devouring the unconscious, naked Li San on the ground. In an instant, they swept him away, leaving not even a bone fragment.

The red-eyed shadow bats flew to the cave ceiling and hung upside down to rest. The shadow bat leader flapped his wings and flew deeper into the passageway, where his wife and newborn children were.

Manager Tie collapsed to the ground, watching in horror as the giant white rats pounced on him. His vision went black, and he fainted. The men, writhing on the ground from flea bites, suddenly felt excruciating pain all over their bodies, their vision filled with shimmering white figures.

Soon, pools of blood appeared on the stone ground; all the bodies had been devoured completely.

The white rock rat army then charged into the tunnel, their blood-red eyes glaring, drool dripping from their mouths, emitting impatient roars.

Dozens of giant white rats at the head of the pack leaped onto the corpses and began to tear them apart, while the rest pounced on the old monk Yang Gong.

"Dong dong dong," Qian Laoda began beating the shaman's hand-held drum, then carried the old monk Yang Gong on his back and calmly walked towards the rat swarm.

The giant white rats stopped tearing and growling, silently parting to make way. Qian Laoda walked through the tunnel, drumming as he went. As the drumming faded, the rock rats swarmed again, resuming their devouring of the corpses on the ground.

Old Master Qian carried the old monk Yang Gong out of the cave's stone gate, walking down the stone steps while drumming.

Finally, they reached the entrance to the underwater passage and gently set the old monk down.

"Master, can your body get out?" Old Master Qian asked cautiously.

"What are you talking about? Is this little thing too difficult for your master?" the old monk Yang Gong said disdainfully, then held his breath and plunged into the water.

Old Master Qian immediately followed, jumping into the icy Moon Lake.

The warm early winter sun shone on the surface of Moon Lake, and the mist slowly dissipated. Yang Gong and Old Master Qian emerged naked from the water, both bald from head to toe.

A "squeak" came from the misty air; it was the leader and his wife of the Yin Bats, with their newborn child, flying towards Han Sheng and his group.

A trickle of blood still flowed from a bullet hole in Yang Gong's right chest. Ten years of preparation had ended like this; he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Elder Qian retrieved the clothes he had taken off before going into the water and helped his master dress.

"Forget the monk's robes. I've been a monk for ten years; I'm tired of them. Just change into Dui Er's clothes." Yang Gong put on Dui Er's dark blue Zhongshan suit, which fit him quite well. He felt the pockets and found a wad of RMB and several colorful Hong Kong dollars.

"Master, we must leave Tianmen Mountain as soon as possible to avoid being discovered by that old man from Xiangxi," Elder Qian said.

"Wait," Yang Gong sniffed for a moment, then said, "I smelled the scent of the Ancestor and my daughter; they're heading east. We'll head east too."

With Elder Qian's help, the two slowly walked eastward towards Xuefeng Mountain.

Along the way, Elder Qian gathered some herbs to stop bleeding, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue regeneration, chewed them, and applied them to his master's wound. For several days, they traveled on and off. Yang Gong, a man of exceptionally high martial arts skill and abundant internal energy, had largely recovered from his injury by the time they rounded Xuefeng Mountain, passed Taoyuan, and reached the shores of Dongting Lake.

"Master, what's next?" Qian Laoda asked.

"The Ancestor is taking the child eastward. There's only one possibility: she's going back to Jiangxi with Hansheng and the others. I remember Hansheng and the others are from Wuyuan, so let's go there," Yang Gong said.

"Master, you mean…" Qian Laoda asked.

"Of course, I'm going to find my child! I've lived so long and only have this one daughter; I absolutely cannot abandon her. As for that Ancestor, she's simply an ugly monster. Since her yin essence has already been drained, I might as well eat her brain. She'll be inside my body, and we can take care of the child together," Yang Gong chuckled.

A chill ran down Qian Laoda's spine. He forced a smile and analyzed, "Among Han Sheng's group, aside from Liu Jinmo of Qingtian and that white-haired old nun, the rest are just mediocre fighters. However, even if you included them all, they wouldn't be a match for you, Master."

Yang Gong nodded and said, "Under heaven and earth, apart from the old man from Xiangxi and that man named Zhu Biao, I'm afraid I have no equal."

Having made up their minds, the two boarded a long-distance bus in a market town by the lake. In no time, they arrived in Wuyuan County, northern Jiangxi. In

the small Jiangnan town of Wuyuan, the setting sun cast its golden rays upon the white walls and gray tiles, the upturned eaves, the small bridges and flowing water—the Hui-style houses lining the streets exuded a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere.

Yang Gong, having secluded himself at Tianmen Mountain Temple for ten years, truly felt the vicissitudes of life. In his quest for the Wild Beast's treasure, he had lost seven disciples; now, only Qian Laoda remained of the Eight Banners descendants. The passing of time was truly lamentable.

The two checked into a small inn called "People's Inn," then went to the main street of the county town and found the county post office. Yang Gong asked Qian Laoda to wait outside while he went in to make a long-distance call.

The call connected, and a familiar voice from Beijing came through. Yang Gong told the caller that the Wild Beast's treasure was actually a hoax, consisting of three jars of fleas infected with plague that the Wild Beast had sealed away.

"So, the claim that the peasant army of Li Zicheng was destroyed by plague at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the Wild Beast's treasure worth tens of thousands of taels of silver is purely a fabrication by later generations," the voice from Beijing said, sounding utterly disappointed.

"Yes, if I hadn't had immunity to the plague, I wouldn't have been able to return alive," Yang Gong said.

“Alright, the Wild Blessing Treasure mission is canceled. Now, you have to do something for me,” the man said.

“What is it?” Yang Gong asked.

“Where are you now?”

“Wuyuan, Jiangxi,” Yang Gong replied.

“Go and kill someone for me.”

“Who?” Yang Gong asked.

“Liu Jinmo from Qingtian.” A cold voice came from the receiver.

“Where am I supposed to find him?” Yang Gong smiled inwardly.

“Go find the director of the Revolutionary Committee of Wuyuan County. His name is Huang Qiansui, but don’t tell him anything. I’ll arrange for him to contact you as soon as possible. Where are you staying?”

“Wuyuan County People’s Hotel.” Yang Gong replied.

A busy tone came from the receiver; the other party had hung up.

Yang Gong walked out of the post office, where Qian Laoda greeted him.

“We need to kill someone, Liu Jinmo from Qingtian,” Yang Gong said.

“I think he should be with Han Sheng,” Qian Laoda said.

“Hmm, although Liu Jinmo’s martial arts skills and experience in the martial world are very sophisticated, killing him shouldn’t be difficult. However, it’s best to avoid Zhu Biao.” Yang Gong pondered.

Qian Laoda nodded and asked, “When do we make our move?”

Yang Gong said, “Don’t rush, I’m waiting for someone.”

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