The Corpse Clothes in the Green Bag [Complete] - 18

Chapter 228

Yang Gong knew that Old Cuihua was a renowned female ghost in Guandong, whose influence among the common people even surpassed that of the Fox and Weasel Immortals. She must possess extraordinary power, and it was best not to antagonize her unless absolutely necessary.

"Haha, Old Cuihua, how could I dare offend your daughter? If you don't believe me, ask Little Cuihua. Have I, Yang Gong, even touched a single finger of hers?" Yang Gong's face broke into a smile.

"Hmph, you harmed my son-in-law, which is tantamount to bullying my daughter," Old Cuihua said from inside Little Cuihua's body.

"Your son-in-law?" Yang Gong asked, puzzled.

"Liu Jinmo is my son-in-law. They're already preparing to get married before the festival in the twelfth lunar month," Little Cuihua said.

Yang Gong was greatly surprised. When did Liu Jinmo from Qingtian become Old Cuihua's son-in-law?

"I don't believe you? Old Cuihua can also bluff," Yang Gong shook his head.

"Don't believe me? Fine, ask them both," Old Cuihua said.

Yang Gong walked up to Liu Jinmo, chuckled, and said, "Liu Jinmo of Qingtian, you're quite the big shot in the martial arts world, a man of your word. Tell me, are you Old Cuihua's son-in-law?"

Although Liu Jinmo was a fearless and tough man, he had already promised the two Cuihuas, so he would keep his word. He nodded frankly and said, "That's right, I have agreed to this marriage."

"Well? Why don't you release his pressure points?" Old Cuihua urged.

"That's right, 'Better to tear down a temple than break up a marriage,' Yang Gong's grand-disciple, this Liu Jinmo of Qingtian and this little dwarf are a perfect match, I think it's like a god farting—truly extraordinary!" Ye Lao clapped his hands and exclaimed, the skin-covered corpse was indeed very mischievous.

Yang Gong hesitated, unsure of what to do. He knew the power of Liu Jinmo's ten-finger steel armor; though not as formidable as his own phlegm-spitting skills, he couldn't afford to be careless. His only uncertainty was with Lao Cuihua, this female ghost whose abilities he knew nothing of.

"Hmph, Yang Gong, are you trying to go to the outhouse without toilet paper—trying not to wipe yourself?" Lao Cuihua sneered.

Yang Gong pondered for a moment, then made up his mind. He secretly moved his palm to his mouth, channeling his inner energy to draw out a thick, sticky phlegm from his chest. He then rubbed his hands together and struck Liu Jinmo's lower back, specifically the Mingmen acupoint between his kidneys.

The Mingmen was a vital point on the Du meridian. The strike instantly ignited the Yang fire within the Mingmen, breaking through the stagnation in the Du meridian and clearing the blocked bladder meridian. However, the phlegm poison carried in his palm was also unknowingly transported into the Du meridian through the Mingmen.

At this moment, Liu Jinmo felt his true energy flowing smoothly, so he moved his limbs and found himself unharmed. He nodded to Xiao Cuihua.

"Master Yang, now you must hand over the medicinal ingredient." Liu Jinmo stood up, glaring at Master Yang with resentment, his voice sharp and piercing.

"Hmph, you think you can do that?" Master Yang let out a malicious sneer, speaking dismissively.

Han Sheng was burning with rage. He stepped forward, his pupils seemingly sparking, and said through gritted teeth, "Master Yang, my father was just a village doctor, a man who knew absolutely no martial arts. You cruelly murdered him. And Lan'er's mother was a weak country woman, yet you could do that to her too. If I, Han Sheng, cannot avenge my father, I will not live on in this world!"

Master Yang snorted indifferently, his eyes glancing at Xiao Cuihua. The only person he feared here was the old female ghost, Lao Cuihua, who was possessing her.

"Oh, Yang Gong's grand-disciple, did you really do these bad things?" Old Master Ye leaned back in his armchair, frowning as he spoke.

Han Sheng said bitterly, "The heinous things Yang Gong did are simply too numerous to count."

Yang Gong turned back to Old Master Ye and chuckled, feigning grievance, "Grandmaster Ye, sometimes we Black Witches are forced to do things."

"Nonsense! Even thieves have their code of honor! Damn it, although I've been confined to this tower for a thousand years, ignoring the outside world, since the Qing army entered the pass, the Black Witch's grand-disciples have all become profit-driven, each generation worse than the last. Every sect leader is lying to me, making up stories they think are very smooth, but in my eyes, it's like 'fifty old women squatting in the outhouse—full of holes.'" Old Master Ye said resentfully.

"Old Master, well said! Even thieves have their code of honor, and I, too, have my own code of honor! That scoundrel of your sect, Yang Gong, who's all blind and ignorant, I'll rid you of him today!" Old Cuihua shouted. Old

Master clapped his hands and said, "Then I'll trouble you."

"Grandmaster, they're just spouting nonsense!" Yang Gong blurted out a proverb in his haste.

"Yang Gong, prepare to die!" Liu Jinmo roared, his true energy exploding. He stretched out his palms, and ten steel fingernails shot out with a "whoosh"... "Ah!" Liu Jinmo's body suddenly trembled, his face turning deathly pale. His true energy dissipated prematurely, and the ten steel fingernails, after flying about ten feet, drooped limply, tracing an arc before falling to the ground with a "clinking" sound.

Yang Gong laughed loudly and said, "Qingtian Liu Jinmo, did you really think I would release your acupoints? Let me tell you, you've also been poisoned by my phlegm poison, and you'll soon be joining Wu Chushanren in your old age."

Han Sheng was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly stepped forward to support Liu Jinmo, only to find beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Don't use your true energy!" Han Sheng hurriedly warned.

"Despicable!" Old Cuihua was furious.

"Despicable," Ye Lao repeated.

"Damn it, Yang Gong's grandson, he actually 'poisoned her behind her back while she brewed the medicine,' he's utterly disgraced the Black Witch Clan!" Ye Lao glared angrily with his small round eyes, trying to stand up. He swayed twice, then suddenly his body trembled, and he finally stood up, slowly walking down from the altar.

"You..." Yang Gong stared at Ye Lao in astonishment.

Old Master Ye was a mummified corpse, but his three souls—Heaven, Earth, and Man—had remained intact for a thousand years. Successive leaders of the Black Witch Cult had carefully preserved his body, keeping it a closely guarded secret, a top secret within the Black Witch Cult. Only the leader could enter and exit the secret underground palace. From the dying words of the previous leader, Yang Gong knew that Old Master Ye had lost his martial arts and could only mechanically swing his arms. Furthermore, he had sat cross-legged for a thousand years and should never have been able to stand. Yet today, he had unusually stepped down from the altar.

Yang Gong stared at Old Master Ye's face; that usually withered face was now filled with an eerie, malevolent aura… “Old Cuihua…” Yang Gong understood; it was Old Cuihua who had possessed Old Master Ye's body.

"That's right, Cuihua, I'm going down the mountain today. Leading the way are the Hu and Huang generals, followed by a host of officers. Qin Qiong holds his book and mace, Jingde wields his whip, and Erlang and Nezha are on either side. We'll beat you until your bones are broken, your back is bent, your limbs are incomplete, you can't even get off the bed, and you need help walking, oh dear..." Old Ye began to sing in a high-pitched voice.

A sharp "snap" rang out, and before Old Cuihua could finish singing, Yang Gong spat out a large, glistening, watery, dark green phlegm, aiming straight for Old Ye's open mouth... Old Cuihua usually wouldn't stop singing until she finished, so that thick, foul-smelling phlegm shot directly into Old Ye's mouth.

"...Ya hoo hey." Old Cuihua finished the last note, and with a "clunk," swallowed the sticky phlegm.

Old Ye's seven souls had long since dissipated, his internal organs were dry, and his blood vessels were blocked; the poisonous phlegm had no effect on him whatsoever.

With a "whoosh," Ye Lao swung his arm and swept it across Yang Gong's neck with a "smack." Even though Yang Gong dodged quickly, he would have suffered broken bones and tendons. Despite this, his neck was already burning with pain.

Yang Gong was terrified and hurriedly used his feet to dodge, but Ye Lao followed closely, his arms swinging relentlessly towards him.

In his panic, Yang Gong spat out several mouthfuls of phlegm, which landed on Ye Lao's cheek. Ye Lao, however, ignored it completely, continuing to swing his arm wildly despite the phlegm on his face. Yang Gong accidentally struck Ye Lao's bald head and back twice more, causing him excruciating pain.

This couldn't go on. Yang Gong's mind raced, and he grabbed at Xiao Cuihua… Startled by Xiao Cuihua's sudden movement, Xiao Cuihua froze, then her attention focused entirely on Liu Jinmo. She softly called out, "Jinmo…", and walked slowly towards him, her expression blank, completely oblivious to the fierce fight between Ye Lao and Yang Gong.

With a swift "whoosh," Yang Gong grabbed the unsuspecting Xiao Cuihua by the shoulder, pressing his thumb against her Dazhui acupoint, and shouted, "Old Cuihua, do you see clearly? Your daughter is now in my hands!"

Ye Lao stopped, slowly lowering his arm. With Xiao Cuihua subdued, Old Cuihua hesitated, afraid to make a move.

At this moment, Liu Jinmo's phlegm poison was rising from the Mingmen acupoint on the Du meridian, having already passed the Xuanshu acupoint and reached the spine. He could only press the Zhongshu, Jinsuo, Zhiyang, and Lingtai acupoints in quick succession to block the phlegm poison's upward flow along the Du meridian, thus relieving the immediate crisis.

"Don't circulate your true qi. Wait for me to use acupuncture to release the poison. If the poison enters the brain, it will be troublesome," Han Sheng said softly, his heart filled with anxiety.

Seeing Yang Gong suddenly attack and subdue Xiao Cuihua, Liu Jinmo was instantly filled with a surge of chivalrous spirit. He disregarded his own life and death, roared, and opened the four acupoints of his Du meridian that had just closed. He channeled his inner energy to the Baihui point on the top of his head, and with all his might, leaped into the air, crashing into Yang Gong.

This completely caught Yang Gong off guard. He had assumed Liu Jinmo was poisoned and beyond saving, that with Xiao Cuihua held hostage, the old Cuihua wouldn't dare to act rashly, and that Han Sheng, who knew absolutely no martial arts, was no threat. He believed he had the entire situation under control.

Therefore, when she suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind, it was too late to dodge. Suddenly, Liu Jinmo's head slammed heavily into her chest. In an instant, several ribs cracked and broke. Then, a sweet taste filled her throat, and she vomited a pool of steaming, greenish-brown phlegm, mixed with blood, and incredibly foul-smelling… Yang Gong released Xiao Cuihua, his face deathly pale. He stumbled back more than ten steps, reaching the edge of the pool.

“You…” Yang Gong pointed at Liu Jinmo, not understanding why he would act so recklessly, completely disregarding his own safety.

Liu Jinmo's face was ashen; the phlegm poison had invaded his brain along with his internal energy, and his consciousness was slowly fading. He forced a slight smile at Xiao Cuihua, then closed his eyes, leaned back, and fell heavily to the ground…

Chapter 229

Xiao Cuihua let out a shrill scream and collapsed onto Liu Jinmo's chest.

Old Cuihua flew into a rage, and Ye Lao's face immediately turned red. He gesticulated wildly and shouted, "You, Yang Gong, how dare you plot against my son-in-law! I'm furious!" Then he began to sing, "Alas... the snow in June kills Dou E, night after night I yearn for Liang Shanbo, Yang Guifei sings the Song of Everlasting Regret, Meng Jiangnu, she cried down the Great Wall in three days and three nights... Hey! Cuihua, I first invite Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie, second invite Sha Wujing and Sun Wukong, third invite Erlang Shen to appear, fourth invite Ma Chao and Huang Hansheng, fifth invite Ji Dian, the Buddha, sixth invite the willow tree of the Jianghu." "Seven times, invite Huang Santai with flying darts; eight times, invite Leng Yubing from the previous dynasty; nine times, invite Hua Tuo to cure the illness; ten times, invite Nezha, the Third Prince, to lead 100,000 heavenly soldiers to quickly capture Yang Gong... Huh? Where is he?"

Old Ye stared wide-eyed at the edge of the pool. Yang Gong had long since disappeared, leaving only ripples on the water's surface... Han Sheng sighed silently and whispered to Xiao Cuihua, "Mr. Liu has already become a catatonic."

Xiao Cuihua clung to Liu Jinmo like a child, looking up with tearful eyes, pitiful. "Han Sheng, you can save him, can't you?" Xiao Cuihua sobbed.

Han Sheng said regretfully, "Only by capturing Yang Gong, extracting the phlegm essence from his lungs, and cultivating antibodies can the phlegm poison be neutralized, but..."

Xiao Cuihua pointed to the ground and said, "Won't that pool of green phlegm on the ground work?"

Han Sheng looked over and saw a pool of greenish-brown phlegm vomited by Yang Gong, slowly seeping into the soil.

Han Sheng suddenly cried out and rushed over, hurriedly pulling out a small porcelain bottle he had prepared beforehand. There was no time to find anything else useful; he simply scraped the sticky green phlegm from the ground with his fingers and stuffed it into the bottle.

Liu Jinmo rammed his head against Yang Gong's chest, violently squeezing his lungs, instantly vomiting out the mucus hidden deep within his lungs and bronchi. The mucus was a light green color and hadn't oxidized—the very phlegm essence Han Sheng had been longing for.

"Mr. Liu and Uncle Shanren are saved!" Han Sheng exclaimed excitedly, carefully sealing the bottle.

Old Ye walked forward shakily, looking at the small porcelain bottle in Han Sheng's hand, and said, "Han Sheng, you say my son-in-law is saved?"

Han Sheng knew this was Old Cuihua, so he nodded and said, "With the phlegm essence, we can cultivate antibodies, and with some medicinal guide, we can definitely break the catatonia."

"Then let's treat him quickly," Old Cuihua urged anxiously.

Han Sheng said apologetically, "The culture of the phlegm-retention antibody takes some time, about seven days."

"Then my son-in-law won't be able to..." Old Cuihua couldn't finish her sentence.

"It's alright, Mr. Liu is just in a state of catatonia, there's no immediate danger to his life, but Uncle Shanren's catatonia will last even longer." Han Sheng thought of Wu Chushanren and Lan'er, and couldn't wait to return to Poyang Lake Valley.

With a "plop," someone else fell in.

Water splashed up, and a pretty figure leaped out of the water, standing on the edge of the pool, soaking wet, her figure graceful and slender, a beautiful girl.

Old Ye waved his arms and rushed forward, shouting, "What kind of demon are you, quickly state your name!"

The woman was somewhat frightened at the sight and couldn't help but take two steps back.

"Haha, so the lair is here..." A person slowly descended from the secret cave, her movements graceful, it was an old woman.

Old Ye didn't answer, cleared his throat, and suddenly swept his arms horizontally, the wind whistling loudly.

The old woman's figure blurred suddenly, and she was already standing behind Ye Lao. She extended her fingers, and with two sharp "plop" sounds, jabbed Ye Lao's left and right shoulder blades, intending to cripple his arms. Unexpectedly, Ye Lao turned around unmoved, facing the old woman, and exhaled a foul, fishy smell—the lingering taste of the phlegm he had swallowed from Yang Gong.

The old woman then struck again with a "smack," hitting Ye Lao's Tian Tu acupoint.

The Tian Tu acupoint, also known as the Yu Hu acupoint or Tian Qu acupoint, is the meeting point of the Yin Wei and Ren meridians, located between the two collarbones, in the center of the suprasternal notch; it is a fatal acupoint. The old woman's strike was extremely powerful; it was expected that even if the man didn't die, he would be paralyzed and unable to move.

Ye Lao was a desiccated corpse without a soul; his meridians had long since withered and failed, so this strike was slightly less effective than nothing.

Ye Lao was enraged and "crack!" bit down on the old woman's finger… "Wait!" Han Sheng shouted urgently, rushing forward.

"Grandma Wang! Mingyue! How could it be you?" Hansheng exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Ye Lao, with Grandma Wang's finger still in his mouth, refrained from biting it.

Grandma Wang was also startled and said, "Hansheng, how did you end up in Yang Gong's lair? Who is this strange person?"

Hansheng quickly said to Ye Lao, "Old Cuihua, Grandma Wang and Mingyue are our own people, please let go."

Ye Lao slowly released his mouth. Grandma Wang looked at her finger; thankfully, only a few bluish teeth marks remained.

Everyone arrived at the altar. Hansheng recounted his and Liu Jinmo's experiences since arriving in Beijing, omitting the matter of the old lama Danba entrusting him with the old sheepskin—he knew that matter was of utmost importance.

“That wicked disciple of Yang Gong, he managed to escape again!” Granny Wang said indignantly.

“Granny, why did you come to Guandong as well?” Han Sheng asked.

Granny Wang nodded and said, “I suspected that Liu Jinmo was no match for the cunning Yang Gong, and that you might be in danger, so Mingyue and I went north to Beijing. First, we went to Baiyun Temple to inquire with Master Jin, but he went to Yonghe Temple instead. There we found Master Jin, the one-armed professor, and a woman named Xiao Yanfang who was neither male nor female. At that time, Lama Danba was already dead…”

“Old Lama Danba is dead?” Han Sheng exclaimed in surprise.

Granny Wang recounted what she had seen and heard at Yonghe Temple. After she and Mingyue left, they went to the Beijing Railway Station and found an international train from Beijing to Manzhouli-Moscow. They secretly boarded the express train and got off at Changchun Station in the early hours of the morning. They found a small truck, paid extra, and drove all the way to Nong’an County, where they found the Liao Pagoda in Huanglongfu.

Many years ago, Granny Wang had taken Granny Yin as her apprentice in Lingnan. Later, Granny Yin married Yang Gong and moved to Huanglong Prefecture. Granny Wang traveled north to congratulate him and met the newlyweds on their wedding night. At their repeated pleas, she reluctantly took Yang Gong as her apprentice, even though she already knew he was a member of the Black Shamanic Sect. Out of respect for Granny Yin, she accepted him. Granny Wang was then a renowned figure in the martial arts world, nicknamed "The Hakka Holy Mother," feared by both the righteous and the wicked.

Granny Yin had mentioned that the Black Shamanic Sect's headquarters were inside the Liao Pagoda in Huanglong Prefecture. Therefore, Granny Wang and her apprentice Mingyue directly climbed over the wall and entered the pagoda, discovering a secret cave located above the tenth floor. Mingyue, still learning her skills, carelessly fell into the pool.

"The culprit is actually Kunwei Cha, the Thai sorcerer that the old lama Danba wanted to hire?" Han Sheng said after a long silence following Granny Wang's account.

"Hmm," Granny Wang nodded, then continued, "those two Yin-Yang herbs have been taken back by Kunwei and placed in his lower abdomen, in his dantian."

"It's a pity, the old lama is a very good person. If I had time, I would definitely try my best to heal him," Hansheng said with deep regret.

"Hansheng, I have a question for you," Granny Wang said sternly, her gaze fixed on Hansheng, then slowly added, "Did the old lama entrust you with any final arrangements?"

Hansheng was startled. Strange, how did Granny Wang know?

"No..." Hansheng's face flushed slightly, but his tone was firm. He absolutely had to keep quiet about what the old lama Danba had entrusted to him with his life; he couldn't tell anyone. So he raised his face, his clear eyes meeting Granny Wang's honesty.

Granny Wang gazed at him for a long time, then sighed, saying thoughtfully, "Alas, Hansheng, I'm afraid you will never have peace in your life again."

Hansheng pondered Granny Wang's words. Never have peace in his life? All because of that old sheepskin with those numbers written on it? " If I don't say anything, no one will know."

Old Cuihua withdrew from Ye Lao's body, clung to his back, and poked her enormous head out. Pointing at Ye Lao, she bared her teeth and said to Granny Wang, "You're Yang Gong's master? But this Ye Lao is the founder of the Black Witch Clan. What's going on here?"

A small dwarf suddenly appeared on the back of the withered Ye Lao, startling Granny Wang and Mingyue.

"Who are you?" Granny Wang asked warily.

"The female ghost Cuihua," the old dwarf said smugly.

Han Sheng explained to Granny Wang and Mingyue that Old Cuihua was a famous female ghost from Guandong who could possess ordinary people's bodies to exorcise demons and cure illnesses. She was very kind-hearted and was also Liu Jinmo's future mother-in-law.

Granny Wang glanced at the heartbroken little dwarf clinging to Liu Jinmo. "Yes, little Cuihua is Liu Jinmo's betrothed," Han Sheng said.

Granny Wang couldn't help but chuckle. Qingtian Liu Jinmo had actually married a dwarf girl from Guandong! If that burly old patriarch in Poyang Lake Valley knew, who knew how jealous and trouble he'd cause!

Mingyue, meanwhile, curiously squatted down in front of the dwarf, Xiao Cuihua, scrutinizing her short stature, enormous head, and thick lips. Having grown up in the nameless nunnery, Mingyue had never seen a dwarf before and found it all very novel.

"Granny Wang, we must hurry back to Poyang Lake Valley to prepare the medicine. We need to treat Mr. Liu and Uncle Shanren's catatonia in seven days," Hansheng said.

Granny Wang nodded and asked, "Alright, you all go back first. Mingyue and I will track down Yang Gong's whereabouts. If this wicked disciple isn't eliminated, he will eventually become a major threat. By the way, where are the others?"

Little Cuihua stood up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, and said to Old Cuihua, "Mother, I want to go with Jinmo."

Old Cuihua thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll go with you too. It wasn't easy to find a suitable son-in-law, and I don't want anything to happen to him."

Little Cuihua suddenly blushed, lowered her head, and murmured, "Mother, Cuihua is getting married, and I don't want you to still be on top of me every night..."

Han Sheng thought to himself, Little Cuihua is right, it really is inconvenient.

Old Cuihua hummed in agreement and said, "From now on, I will never possess you again. You two should live a good life."

Han Sheng was startled and quickly said, "Old Cuihua, don't even think about taking advantage of me."

Old Cuihua chuckled slightly, patted Ye Lao's bald head beneath her, and said, "Isn't this my perfect substitute?"

Ye Lao was overjoyed and said, "Great! From now on, we can 'guard' every day."

Han Sheng glanced at the unconscious Liu Jinmo and said to Ye Lao, "Ye Lao, where is the secret passage here? Yang Gong must have escaped from there, and we must go out that way too."

"There's a stone cave below the pool that connects to a small lake outside the tower." Ye Lao thought for a long time before finally remembering.

"I'll go down and scout ahead." Granny Wang said, jumping into the pool and splashing water.

Granny Wang dived several meters into the pool and found a cave in the stone wall. She swam forward for dozens of meters, and the underwater space suddenly opened up, revealing a frozen lake overhead. The ice was about a foot thick. Not far away, she found an ice hole, swam into it, and surfaced. She took a deep breath; the night was still dark, the wind was biting, and snowflakes were falling. "

Yang Gong escaped by breaking through the ice here," she thought.

Granny Wang swam back to the underground palace beneath the tower and leaped out of the pool.

"That's right, Yang Gong escaped from the underground palace from here," Granny Wang recounted the secret passage in the water. "

Unbelievable, a thousand years later, it's still the same," Old Man Ye sighed.

Granny Wang picked up Liu Jinmo and said, "Let's go." She then jumped into the pool first.

Old Cuihua entered Old Man Ye's body and then jumped into the water.

Xiao Cuihua and Mingyue both knew martial arts, so their breath-holding ability was naturally superior to ordinary people. The two of them flanked Hansheng from the left and right, and finally dived into the pool.

Hansheng grew up in the water towns of Wuyuan in Jiangnan. Although he could swim, his breath-holding time was still limited. He had only swum halfway, and he had already run out of air while still inside the stone cave. He painfully shook his head, exhaling all the air from his lungs. His chest felt like it was about to explode. In the end, he could only open his mouth and start drinking water... At this moment, a pair of soft, large lips pressed against his lips, slowly blowing air into them...

Chapter 230

In the depths of his mind, Lan'er appeared in Hansheng's subconscious. She shyly pressed her lips to his mouth, and a fresh breath slowly flowed into his lungs. He couldn't help but hug Lan'er tightly with both hands.

With a splash, Han Sheng emerged from the ice hole. A biting wind whipped his face, jolting him awake. He opened his eyes and found himself tightly embracing the dwarf Xiao Cuihua, their lips meeting... Han Sheng was shocked and quickly released her. Xiao Cuihua withdrew her plump lips, smiled at Han Sheng, and with a sudden burst of strength, pushed him onto the ice. Han

Sheng realized that Xiao Cuihua had saved him, and he was secretly deeply grateful.

Mingyue, watching all this, felt a slight pang in her heart. She thought, "If Jian Guo were in trouble, I would be willing to risk my life to save him too." In

the early hours of December, the wind on the ice was biting, like a knife cutting through the flesh. In an instant, everyone's clothes were frozen solid. Han Sheng couldn't help but chatter, his teeth chattering, his whole body trembling.

Granny Wang glanced at Han Sheng and said, "Hurry and find a house. We need to dry our clothes. Han Sheng doesn't know martial arts; if the cold gets inside, he'll definitely fall ill."

Little Cuihua pointed to a row of houses not far away and said, "There's a house over there with its lights on."

The group hurried forward through the wind and snow, arriving at the house.

Granny Wang knocked on the door, which was ajar, so she pushed it open and went inside. This was the family's kitchen; a fire was still burning in the stove, making the room warm.

Soft sobbing came from the east room. Granny Wang quietly entered. The room wasn't large, with two large kang beds, one on the north and one on the south. An elderly man lay dying on the south kang, his face ashen. An old woman sat cross-legged on the kang, constantly wiping away tears. Seeing the group of people, soaking wet and disheveled, burst into the room, they were greatly alarmed.

Granny Wang told the old woman not to be afraid. The group had fallen into an ice hole while traveling at night, and seeing the light still on in the house, they came in to make a fire and dry their clothes.

People from Northeast China are known for their hospitality, even women. Despite her husband being critically ill, the old woman got up and first laid the unconscious Liu Jinmo on the north-facing kang (heated brick bed). Then she went to the back of the house, gathered firewood, and put it into the stove. The fire quickly blazed up, crackling loudly.

Granny Wang and the others, all skilled in martial arts, could use their internal energy to promote blood circulation and generate heat, slowly drying their clothes. Han Sheng, however, had no choice but to take off his clothes, leaving only his undergarments and shorts, and crawled under the quilt at the head of the kang, close to the critically ill old man.

Liu Jinmo was already in a state of catatonia, so he didn't need to take off his clothes; lying on the kang, he would gradually dry.

Ye Lao, being a mummified corpse, found his damp homespun robe quite comfortable against his dry skin and didn't bother to dry it.

The old woman remained suspicious of these uninvited guests who had suddenly arrived in the dead of night, especially the gaunt monk in the homespun robe. He was not only emaciated, but his entire body was covered only by a layer of yellowish-brown, withered skin, devoid of any flesh. Then there was the little dwarf, with a head as large as a bucket, short hair combed to his ears, enormous eyes, and thick lips.

Who were these people?

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm, and Han Sheng immediately felt cozy. His gaze then fell on the face of the dying old man beside him on the kang. He had been poisoned; Han Sheng could tell at a glance. The old

man sat on the edge of the north kang, tilting his head to look at Liu Jinmo's belly. He thought to himself, "Looking at his physique, he's just as thin as me, so why is his belly so full?" Curious, he secretly reached into Liu Jinmo's clothes and felt around. Hmm, what are those hard, round testicles? He glanced back and, finding no one paying attention, grew bolder. He quietly untied Liu Jinmo's damp clothes, revealing a long, narrow oilcloth bag tied to his abdomen. Old Ye carefully untied the bag, revealing several stacks of colorful paper scraps and five fist-sized, five-colored clay balls.

What were these? Old Ye had never seen anything like them.

"Wow, so much money!" Old Ye heard Old Cuihua's exclamation echoing in his ears.

"You mean silver?" Old Ye picked up one of the clay balls and weighed it in his hand. "

No, these are the paper scraps, called Renminbi. They're worth so much silver! Put them back quickly, that's my son-in-law's property. I never thought he was so rich. Little Cuihua won't have to worry about food and clothing anymore," Old Cuihua said happily.

Just then, Ye Lao heard Han Sheng muttering to himself, "Strange, how could this uncle also be poisoned by the Black Witch Clan's phlegm poison?" Han Sheng muttered to himself.

Ye Lao blushed upon hearing this, hurriedly threw down the dirt ball, jumped off the north kang (heated brick bed), and came over, angrily saying, "Nonsense, humph, 'eunuchs holding a meeting—nonsense,' my Black Witch Clan has never had any such low-class skills as poisonous phlegm."

"Oh?" Han Sheng glanced at Ye Lao, lost in thought and remained silent.

Granny Wang said to Han Sheng, "Could it be related to Yang Gong?"

Han Sheng nodded and said, "This uncle doesn't know martial arts. The phlegm poison won't spread to the brain along the Ren and Du meridians with his internal energy, but will instead invade his liver. In the Five Elements, the liver belongs to wood, hence his face is a bluish-black wood color, and there's a faint odor of phlegm unique to Yang Gong emanating from his mouth and nose."

Granny Wang asked doubtfully, "Could Yang Gong have come here too?"

"No, this uncle has been poisoned for at least some time," Han Sheng turned to the old woman and asked, "Auntie, how did the uncle get poisoned?"

The old woman spoke incoherently and vaguely for a long time before Han Sheng roughly understood the situation.

Yesterday morning, the wind and snow suddenly stopped. Before dawn, the uncle went to the small lake, chiseled a hole in the ice, and put down his fishing hook, intending to catch a few fish to celebrate the Little New Year. He waited on the ice for a long time, but no fish took the bait. Feeling too cold, he was about to leave when suddenly the float sank. Overjoyed, he pulled hard on the hook, but couldn't lift it—it was a huge fish! Just then, a large man emerged from the ice hole. Startled, the man fainted. When his wife came out to call him for breakfast, she found him lying unconscious on the ice, his body almost frozen solid.

She dragged him back inside and placed him on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed). The old man briefly regained consciousness and hurriedly told his wife about the strange incident before falling back into a coma, never to wake up again.

"Is there anything unusual about the man?" Han Sheng asked.

The old woman shook her head, indicating she hadn't noticed anything.

"Is there any green phlegm on his face?" Granny Wang interjected.

The old woman thought for a moment and said, "That's right, there was a small patch of greenish ice on his face."

Han Sheng suddenly realized, "I understand. Yang Gong was hooked by Uncle's fishhook after coming out of the water. Seeing that he was already unconscious, he didn't continue, but spat poison on his face, causing him to die from poisoning, so that no one would suspect anything."

"But Uncle did wake up for a little while and told us what happened," Mingyue interjected.

Han Sheng explained, "What Yang Gong didn't expect was that the temperature was extremely low yesterday morning. The poison didn't fully penetrate the skin before freezing, which is the green ice that Auntie saw. But after returning to the room, the phlegm ice melted, and the poison gradually seeped into the skin, eventually invading the liver and causing death."

"How cruel Yang Gong was!" Xiao Cuihua shuddered upon hearing this, worried about Liu Jinmo's safety.

"Young man, are you a doctor? Please, please treat my husband!" the old woman pleaded with Han Sheng.

Han Sheng thought for a moment and said to Elder Ye, "Senior Elder Ye, you can save him."

Elder Ye was intrigued. It would be quite fun to be a doctor, so he happily said, "Alright, I've been itching for a cure for this for a long time. Tell me, how do you plan to treat him?"

Han Sheng said, "You are a corpse, immune to all poisons. You only need to use your mouth to suck out the phlegm and poison from your husband's body."

"Ah, this is disgusting!" Old Ye exclaimed, covering his mouth.

The peasant woman turned and knelt before him, her swollen eyes filled with pleading. "Brother, Yelu Cunmei begs you, have mercy!"

"Eh, you're a descendant of the Yelu family?" Old Ye asked in surprise.

The old woman nodded repeatedly, saying, "My husband is also surnamed Yelu. Our ancestors have been guarding the Liao Pagoda for generations."

Hearing this, Old Ye sighed repeatedly, slapping his forehead.

"Brother, where did I say something wrong?" the peasant woman said in a panic.

Ye Lao said, "This old monk is like a widow in the middle of the night—sad. Back then, when Emperor Taizu Abaoji swept across the desert, how glorious the Yelü family was! But now we are an eighty-year-old, childless head of the family—without a successor. Alright, considering you are descendants of the Yelü family and have guarded this old monk for so many years, I will have to go even if it's disgusting." He looked tragic and quietly asked Han Sheng, "How do I suck?" "

Mouth to mouth, keep sucking until the uncle's face turns from bluish-black to rosy." Han Sheng explained.

"Alas, I am still a virgin." Old Cuihua said softly inside Ye Lao's body.

Old Ye climbed onto the old man on the kang (a heated brick bed), his withered fingers prying open his bluish-black lips, inserting his shriveled, protruding lips into the old man's mouth, and began to suck forcefully. At first, it made a hissing, hollow sound, then a sizzling, watery sound. Old Ye sucked the mucus from the old man's respiratory tract and lungs, even the undigested food from several days ago, into his mouth... "Hmm, cornmeal buns, not bad," Old Cuihua said with satisfaction.

Mingyue, unable to bear watching any longer, rushed outside and vomited repeatedly. Inadvertently, she saw a dark shadow flash behind the house, disappearing in an instant with incredible speed.

Mingyue was surprised, her feet barely touching the ground as she leaped up and followed him with a "whoosh," but by the time she turned the corner, the figure had vanished.

"Mingyue, what did you see?" Granny Wang asked, standing behind her with her hands behind her back.

“Master, there’s a very fast-moving dark figure, it seems to be watching us,” Mingyue replied.

“Could it be Yang Gong?” Granny Wang asked.

Mingyue thought for a moment, then shook her head, “No, it’s not as big as Yang Gong, it looks like a woman.”

Granny Wang nodded, muttering to herself, “Hmm, finally here.”

Chapter 331

Inside the house, the old man’s bluish-black complexion on the kang gradually faded, first turning pale and then rosy.

Old Ye slowly pulled out his pointed mouth, a little sticky mucus still clinging to his tongue, a few strands of green vegetable fiber stuck between his teeth. He looked down at his slightly protruding belly and let out a burp.

The liver is common to vertebrates, the largest organ in the human body, and the only organ with regenerative functions, responsible for metabolism, detoxification, and immune functions. Foreign toxins entering the body are processed by the liver and excreted by the kidneys.

Yang Gong's unique phlegm poison is unparalleled in the world, extremely potent. The *Qing Nang Jing*, written a thousand years ago, contains no record of it, therefore Han Sheng currently has no effective way to counteract it. The only method is to obtain the phlegm essence, add it to medicine, and cultivate antibodies.

The old man on the kang (heated brick bed) is an ordinary person. Yang Gong's phlegm poison rapidly erodes his liver, incurable by any medicine. Antibody cultivation requires at least seven days, too short for a living person. Therefore, Han Sheng devised the method of having Ye Lao absorb the poison, a last resort. Ye Lao had once ingested a mouthful of Yang Gong's green phlegm in the underground palace; he was a corpse, possessing a soul but no spirit, his organs withered, impervious to any poison.

The phlegm poison in the old man's liver is slowly drawn out through the Qimen acupoint of the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, dispersed into the meridians and extracted by the negative pressure generated by Ye Lao's frantic inhalation. Perhaps no one in the world, except for a corpse, could do this.

The old man regained consciousness, slowly opening his eyes. The old woman happily climbed onto the kang, telling her husband that Ye Lao had saved his life. The old man rose to thank him, and Ye Lao waved in acknowledgment, licking away the last drop of saliva from the corner of his mouth. He felt very satisfied that he had saved a descendant of the Yelü family so soon after leaving the mountain.

Granny Wang walked in solemnly and said to Han Sheng, "There was a powerful figure spying outside the house just now."

"Was it Yang Gong?" Han Sheng asked nervously.

Granny Wang shook her head and said heavily, "It seemed to be a woman, Han Sheng. She's probably after the funeral arrangements entrusted to her by Danba."

Han Sheng remained silent upon hearing this.

Xiao Cuihua had already dried Han Sheng's clothes, and Han Sheng took them and silently dressed himself.

Granny Wang gave Han Sheng a wink and said, "Come with me to the west room; I have something to tell you."

Han Sheng got off the ground and followed Granny Wang to the west room, closed the door, and looked at Granny Wang with clear eyes.

Granny Wang stared at Han Sheng with sharp eyes for a long time, then sighed and slowly said, "Han Sheng, I have a question for you, and I hope you will tell me the truth."

Han Sheng thought to himself, "If it's about the truth of what the old lama Danba entrusted to me, I absolutely cannot tell him. Uncle Shanren is right; the world is dangerous. I must never live as innocently and carefree as I did with my father. I must be careful in everything I do.

" "Han Sheng, is there a method in the *Qing Nang Jing* that can transfer the knowledge and information stored in one person's brain to another's?" Granny Wang suddenly asked. Han Sheng

was taken aback, thought for a moment, and then said, "Hua Tuo only mentioned that if two people's meridians are connected, they can use the Yin-Yang reversal technique to balance Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and achieve the purpose of treating diseases. But to transfer one person's knowledge to another, I'm afraid there is no such incredible method in the world."

"Not necessarily," Granny Wang said with a smile.

"What is it?" Han Sheng's eyes widened, finding it hard to believe.

"The Zhu You School," Granny Wang said.

Han Sheng exclaimed in surprise, "The Zhu You School?"

Granny Wang nodded and slowly said, "The Zhu You School has an extremely profound technique called 'Transformation and Position Transfer,' which can temporarily superimpose one person's thoughts into another's mind for a certain period of time, but it cannot last. I think that if we combine it with the Yin-Yang Reversal technique in the *Qing Nang Jing*, it should be possible."

Han Sheng was an extremely intelligent person, and with the help of the two peerless classics, *Qing Nang Shi Yi*, he was already a medical genius of unparalleled talent. After listening to Granny Wang's words, he pondered for a moment, and after understanding a few key points, he suddenly understood and smiled.

"It can be done," he said.

Granny Wang smiled but remained silent.

"Granny, what do you mean..." Han Sheng couldn't fathom the true meaning of Granny Wang's conversation.

Granny Wang looked at Han Sheng and said solemnly, "Han Sheng, ever since you accepted the entrustment of Lama Danba at Yonghe Temple, you have never had peace. No matter where you are, danger will always follow you. From now on, you will be relentlessly pursued and killed. It is extremely dangerous. Moreover, you have no martial arts skills whatsoever. Granny Wang is not exaggerating; I fear you may not even be able to return to Poyang Lake Valley before you perish on the way."

Han Sheng listened silently to Granny Wang's words, his heart filled with astonishment. What Granny Wang said was true; the death of the old Lama Danba was a sign. It seemed that the old sheepskin was indeed an ominous sign.

Han Sheng was a stubborn man by nature. Having already agreed to the old Lama Danba's request, no matter how great the danger, he would not turn back.

He raised his head and looked directly at Granny Wang, his eyes revealing his intentions.

"We will use the techniques of teleportation and yin-yang reversal to transfer all of Granny Wang's lifelong knowledge and martial arts skills to you..." Granny Wang said calmly.

"No! I absolutely refuse." Han Sheng said with unusual seriousness.

"Why? With Granny Wang's healing arts skills, those who are secretly hunting you will be unable to do anything to you. If you want, you can easily wipe them out. Anyway, Granny Wang is old and doesn't have much time left. Thinking back to my early years in the martial world, I used to kill innocent people indiscriminately, my hands stained with blood. Now, I can pass on all my knowledge to a healer like you, a doctor who saves lives. This is my way of atoning for my sins to the world, and it's also a way of giving an explanation to the Ancient Immortal..." Granny Wang said, her voice filled with extreme sorrow.

"Did Granny Wang kill the Mei family in Phoenix City, Xiangxi?" Han Sheng asked, looking directly at Granny Wang.

"Phoenix City? Hmm, that's right. Back then, it was to seize the treasure map of Ye Fu. Alas, how many martial arts figures in the past died at Granny Wang's hands? Countless. That's why the Ancient Immortal refused to marry me until his death..." Granny Wang said softly.

"Grandma, you killed Master Mei and his wife. Did you ever consider the two underage children in the Mei family? How much trauma will they suffer? How will they live after losing their parents?" Han Sheng's tone was unusually stern.

Grandma Wang's face paled with embarrassment.

Han Sheng sighed deeply and said softly, "Grandma Xiaoying and Master Liu's master, Mei Yiying and her brother, have had their lives completely changed because of this..."

Grandma Wang was stunned, silent for a long time. After a while, she sighed and said, "Han Sheng, there are many bad people in the world. I was one of them back then. And the higher one's martial arts skills, the more evil deeds one commits. Now it's too late for regrets. Therefore, I want to pass on all my magical healing arts to you. You are kind and honest by nature, with high medical ethics, and you also understand the art of Yin and Yang reversal. This is all fate, allowing me, Bai Suzhen, to do one last good deed before I die."

Han Sheng smiled bitterly and said, "I was originally a country boy who accidentally obtained the Qingnang Medical Book. I only wanted to quietly treat the poor people who lacked medical care and medicine, and I didn't want to become..." "These so-called big shots with high martial arts skills, who can arbitrarily control other people's lives, I appreciate your good intentions, Granny Wang."

Granny Wang shook her head and comforted him, "Hansheng, your thoughts are certainly not wrong, but in the martial world, one is not in control of one's own destiny. Your life path is full of dangers. I don't know what Danba Lama entrusted to you, but from now on you have been involved in a dangerous and bloody struggle in the martial world. In your current state, you definitely won't live much longer."

Hansheng smiled faintly, his clear eyes looking at Granny Wang, and said calmly, "Granny, life is only a few decades long. What is there to be happy about in life? What is there to fear in death? If I am not plagued by illness, I am already very fortunate. I am of a detached nature and will let things take their course."

Granny Wang pondered for a long time after hearing this, and finally made up her mind.

In the east room, the peasant woman Yelu Cunmei was very happy to see that her husband had fully recovered, and hurriedly lit a fire in the stove to cook a meal. Xiao Cuihua rewrapped Liu Jinmo's oilcloth bundle, fastened her clothes, and silently watched him, sighing involuntarily.

Old Master Ye sat on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), staring curiously at the light bulb, reaching out to touch it; it was quite hot. He shook his head, his gaze falling again on a standard portrait of Chairman Mao hanging on the wall. He stepped forward and gently touched it with his finger, muttering, "Who is this person? He even has a beauty mark on his chin? The painting is so exquisite, even more skillful than Yelü Bei's."

At this moment, Granny Wang walked alone into the east room and solemnly announced to everyone, "I, Bai Suzhen, have decided to transfer all my life's healing powers to Han Sheng. From today onwards, the 'Hakka Holy Mother' will retire from the martial world, and Han Sheng will become the world's number one master. Of course, he assured me that as long as no one harms him, he will not easily attack anyone, because when he does, it will be fatal." At this point, she suddenly raised her voice, "Listen up, you people outside the window! Get out of here, or I won't be polite!"

A rustling sound came from outside the window, like a gentle breeze, and it disappeared in an instant. Granny Wang knew it was the sound of her clothes rustling in the wind.

"Mingyue, come help in the west room. The rest of you stay in the east room," Granny Wang instructed, then called over the dumbfounded Mingyue and went out.

"The Hakka Holy Mother? The number one expert?" Old Ye frowned, subconsciously rubbing his arm where Han Sheng had grabbed him.

Little Cuihua said, "Han Sheng is Jinmo's friend. Now that he has superior martial arts skills, Jinmo will be very happy when he wakes up."

"I've heard the Hakka Holy Mother is the most mysterious and top-tier figure in the martial arts world of the South. So this is the old woman. She's quite formidable, though. Just now, I smelled a stranger outside the window, and the Hakka Holy Mother spotted it." Old Cuihua whispered inside Old Ye's body.

Old Ye shook his head and turned back to study the portrait of the great man on the wall.

Old Lady Yelu finished making cornbread in the kitchen, bringing in the fragrant pancakes, along with a few scallions and a bowl of yellowish soybean paste.

"Cornbread, scallions with soybean paste, that's all we have at home, please make do with this," said the old woman Yelü apologetically.

Little Cuihua's stomach had been rumbling for a while. She eagerly peeled a scallion, smoked it with soybean paste, and ate it with relish, a bite of cornbread followed by a bite of scallion.

Old Mrs. Yelü rubbed her stomach and sighed, "A thousand years, I really crave food."

Old Cuihua chuckled, "Didn't you just inhale quite a bit?"

"Uh..." Little Cuihua almost vomited at that.

Chapter 232

The door to the west room was tightly closed, and it was quiet inside, without a sound.

The snowstorm that had lasted for several days finally stopped, and the winter sun slowly rose. The ancient Liao Pagoda stood in the morning light, and the sounds of activity drifted from the distant streets. Children were already setting off firecrackers sporadically in the alleys; the New Year was approaching.

In the east room, Old Ye had abandoned his study of the portrait of the great man and was now sitting cross-legged on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-

stove), diligently studying a Meiduo brand vacuum tube radio on the cabinet above the kang. He was extremely curious about who was speaking inside this small box. The old man on the kang had recovered from his poisoning and got up. He insisted on going to the market to buy a chicken and meat to properly entertain his benefactors. Accompanied by the peasant woman Yelu Cunmei, he went out to the market and soon returned with a speckled hen, two jin of meat, and some vegetables. The couple began to cook with great enthusiasm.

On the north kang, Liu Jinmo was still unconscious. Xiao Cuihua silently stared at his haggard face, hoping that Hansheng would develop antibodies soon and cure his cataracts so that they could get married.

Old Cuihua had probably fallen asleep and remained silent for a long time.

Time passed slowly, and the sun outside the window had moved high overhead; it was noon.

The door to the west room opened, and Hansheng and Mingyue helped Granny Wang out, one on each side… Granny Wang seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, her face wrinkled, her hair completely white, and her once bright eyes now dull and lifeless; she appeared utterly exhausted.

Hansheng's face was somewhat pale, but his gaze remained bright and clear.

Mingyue, however, had a flushed face, a shy expression that made her seem even more beautiful.

Old Master Ye jumped off the kang (heated brick bed), stepped forward, and tilted his head to carefully examine Granny Wang. He then reached out and gently touched her skin, finding it almost identical to his own withered skin, and a smile appeared on his face.

Then he looked at Hansheng again and cautiously asked, “Hansheng, you are already a top master in the world, so will you still be able to perform the scouting?”

Hansheng smiled bitterly, remained silent, and gently helped Granny Wang onto the kang.

Granny Wang looked at everyone and said weakly, "I have transferred all my life's power to Hansheng, and I don't have much time left. We will set off for Poyang Lake Valley now. We will definitely encounter some troubles on the way, so we must all work together."

Han Sheng silently approached Liu Jinmo, untied the oilcloth pouch from his waist, took out a stack of money, and handed it to Yelü Cunmei and his wife, asking them to help buy a carriage. He left the extra money for them.

That evening, everyone ate and drank their fill and rested soundly. The

next morning, Liu Jinmo lay in the carriage, covered with a thick quilt. Xiao Cuihua, holding a long whip, drove the carriage. Yelü Cunmei tried to persuade him several times without success, then reluctantly sat in the second seat. The others also boarded the carriage.

Yelü Cunmei and his wife were moved to tears, their gratitude beyond words.

Xiao Cuihua raised the whip, gave a soft "Giddy up!", and the carriage slowly left Huanglong Prefecture.

The fields were covered with thick white snow, and the golden sunlight was particularly dazzling. At the three-way intersection outside Nong'an County, a thin, middle-aged man hesitated, his back view showing a lost and disheveled appearance.

"Fellow villager, can I give you a ride?" The man raised his hand to stop the carriage, his accent thick with Tangshan dialect.

"Hey, isn't this Feng Sheng from Tangshan?" Han Sheng said.

"Ah, it's you! What a coincidence! Where are you going?" Feng Sheng looked at the people in the carriage and asked warily.

"South, back to our hometown in Jiangxi," Han Sheng replied.

Feng Sheng jumped into the carriage, his face marked with dark circles under his eyes, looking exhausted.

“I happen to be hitchhiking back to Beijing, we can travel together. Haha, by the way, have you found that Yang Gong yet?” Feng Sheng said, his gaze fixed on Liu Jinmo lying under the quilt, and asked in surprise, “Eh, Liu Jinmo from Qingtian, what happened to him?”

Granny Wang had never seen this person before, and frowned, saying to Han Sheng, “Han Sheng, who is this person?”

Han Sheng hurriedly replied, “This Feng Sheng is a government official in Beijing, an agent of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. We met him the night we came to Huanglong Prefecture.”

Granny Wang snorted; these constables from the government offices were a real nuisance.

Before Feng Sheng could answer, he reached out and examined Liu Jinmo's eyelids, exclaiming in surprise, "Liu Jinmo from Qingtian has gone into shock... What happened?"

Han Sheng explained, "He suddenly fell seriously ill, so we had to send him back to his hometown."

Feng Sheng stared intently into Han Sheng's eyes, asking suspiciously, "Why didn't you send him to the hospital for emergency treatment? Why did you travel thousands of miles south?"

Han Sheng sighed helplessly and said, "I am a doctor myself. Mr. Liu doesn't have an ordinary illness; it's 'catatonia,' what Western medicine calls a vegetative state. Hospitals can't treat it, so we sent him back to his hometown to recuperate." "

Oh," Feng Sheng said, still suspicious. He turned his head and caught sight of Old Ye secretly watching him. He was startled. How could this man be so emaciated, like a dried-up mummy?

"Who is this?" Feng Sheng asked in astonishment.

Old Ye quickly pulled back, hiding his head inside his coat, and remained silent.

Han Sheng quickly smoothed things over, saying, "His name is Ye Lao, and he suffers from severe malnutrition."

Feng Sheng nodded, muttering, "Look at him, he doesn't look like a living person at all."

Ye Lao, hiding inside his coat, couldn't help but retort, "You're the one who's 'fallen to the ground and doesn't bounce—a dead bear.'"

"What did you say!" Feng Sheng, with his sharp ears, heard it immediately.

"Brother, why bother arguing with a patient?" Ming Yue smiled gently from the side.

Upon hearing this, Feng Sheng turned to the girl who had spoken, and his gaze immediately froze. The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, skin like jade, and was beautiful and refined. To be honest, he had never seen such a beautiful girl in the capital.

Feng Sheng thought to himself, this carriage carries Zhu Han Sheng, the little dwarf, the mummy Ye Lao, a frail old woman, and that young and beautiful girl, plus the vegetative state patient Liu Jinmo from Qingtian—a total of six people traveling south to Jiangxi. The journey to Jiangxi is nearly 2,000 kilometers, and these three horse-drawn carriages can only travel a maximum of 200 kilometers a day, taking at least ten days. Moreover, the costs of food, lodging, and feeding the horses along the way would be considerable. Why not take the train? There are only two possibilities: either Liu Jinmo from Qingtian's illness is suspicious and unlikely to board the train, or they are not actually going back to Jiangxi.

Feng Sheng found this increasingly suspicious. They not only knew the true identity of the murderer in the Wan Jinta massacre, but they must also be hiding more secrets. This clue was crucial; the success of the case depended entirely on it.

Thinking this, Feng Sheng tentatively asked Han Sheng, "It's freezing cold. Why don't you take a bus to Changchun and then transfer to a train to enter the pass?"

Han Sheng smiled slightly and explained, "My mother-in-law's hometown is in Tangshan. She hasn't been back for many years and wanted to visit the ancestral graves along the way."

Feng Sheng nodded; this explanation was barely acceptable.

“Oh, so you’re from Tangshan, ma’am? I’m from Luan County, a true fellow countryman! May I ask which township in Tangshan you’re from?” Feng Sheng pressed on.

“Kaiping,” Granny Wang replied, already sensing that this constable from the Beijing Public Security Bureau had caught on to something and was now clinging to her.

“Kaiping, the ground there is a sea of coal! In 1878, the Qing government established the ‘Kaiping Mining Bureau,’ using Western-style well drilling. It was the first place in China to use machinery for coal mining, and it also built China’s first steam locomotive—the Dragon Locomotive—and the first standard-gauge railway, the Tangxu Railway. I know that place very well; I can be your guide.” Feng Sheng’s words grew increasingly familiar.

Granny Wang snorted, silently gazing at the snow-covered fields and a few lonely, bare poplar trees in the distance, offering no reply.

Feng Sheng, seemingly oblivious, turned to Han Sheng and asked, "By the way, Han Sheng, I drank too much that night, but I seem to remember going into the underground palace of that half-finished tower, right?"

Han Sheng could only nod, mumbling a vague "Mmm."

"But how did I suddenly end up drunk at a farmer's house? Where did you all go then?" Feng Sheng asked, observing Han Sheng's expression.

Han Sheng dodged the question, saying, "We saw you were completely drunk, so of course we left."

"Did you go to find Yang Gong?" Feng Sheng's eyes suddenly lit up.

Han Sheng shook his head, his gaze turning to the boundless snowfield, desolate and sorrowful. A lone old eagle cried out as it soared across the sky, disappearing into the horizon in a short while.

Even in the twelfth lunar month, Nanshan Mountain in Wuyuan was still lush and green. Birds chirped incessantly, and the aroma of burning firewood wafted from the thatched houses. He could almost hear his father pounding medicine again; everything felt so familiar… Hansheng's eyes welled up with tears.

A grass-green jeep swayed past him, and a familiar face flashed through the window: short hair, pale complexion, aquiline nose, delicate lips, willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a beauty mark on her chin… Xiao Yanfang!

Hansheng was startled. How had she followed him? He turned to look at the others in the carriage. Most were wrapped tightly in cotton-padded clothes, drowsy. Feng Sheng, who had been so insistent on asking questions, was now snoring softly.

So, Granny Wang and Mingyue had just left the seclusion, and Xiao Yanfang had tracked them down. Why had Master Jin sent him to Huanglong Prefecture? Han Sheng vaguely sensed danger approaching. Granny Wang was right; he had been drawn into a turbulent underworld struggle, all because of the old sheepskin from the Danba Lama—in short, those few sets of numbers.

But weren't Master Jin and the others friends of the Danba Lama?

Han Sheng carefully recalled the situation. He had asked the Danba Lama why he hadn't entrusted them to his friends, Master Jin, Professor Liu, and Xiao Yanfang, but instead to him, a complete stranger. He remembered the old lama replying that they had already been watched… Who was watching them? Was it Yang Gong, or Xiao Cuihua?

Having witnessed Xiao Yanfang's lightness skill firsthand, which far surpassed that of Yang Gong and Xiao Cuihua, Han Sheng wondered about the one-armed professor's martial arts, but Master Jin was certainly skilled. Why would Old Lama Danba be so worried?

Perhaps there were even more powerful figures lurking in the shadows, Han Sheng thought.

He was an outsider who had inadvertently stumbled upon this situation and vanished instantly into the vast crowd, unnoticed by anyone. Therefore, it was safest for Danba to entrust the sheepskin to him. With his death, the trail would be broken, and probably no one would ever come looking for him to exchange passwords or demand the old sheepskin again.

Xiao Yanfang's appearance meant that Master Jin and the others suspected him, and the trail was now connected… but were they friend or foe? Han Sheng was completely baffled.

As evening fell, the carriage pulled into a large inn. Judging from the sign, they were already in Liaoning Province.

Chapter 233

Since ancient times, transportation in Northeast China has relied on mule and horse carts. Therefore, inns—traveling inns—emerged primarily to accommodate these long-distance carts. These inns were typically located near major transportation routes or on the outskirts of larger towns, spaced about ten or twenty li apart, to facilitate rest for travelers. Many place names in Northeast China today bearing the character "店" (dian, meaning inn) are derived from the names of former traveling inns, such as "Pulandian" and "Wafangdian."

This particular traveling inn was called "Zhao Family Inn," owned by the Zhao family, who were said to have been operating there since the Qing Dynasty, for several generations. Traveling inns were generally spacious rooms with two beds facing each other on a large kang (heated brick bed). A single room could accommodate a dozen or even several dozen people, and the prices were very cheap, essentially the lowest-class inns. Even so, traveling inns needed ample space around them to ensure parking for carts and tethering for livestock. The cart drivers who stayed at these inns were usually exhausted from a long day's travel, both physically and mentally, and starving. After settling in and their horses in, the innkeepers would serve them hot water to wash their faces and food. They would eat and then fall asleep immediately, setting off again the next morning. Although most people only stayed one night, as long as they were comfortable and their goods were safe, they had many repeat customers. Some cart drivers would even travel an extra 10 or 20 miles to rest at a familiar inn. Because these inns were popular with out-of-town travelers, they also spurred related businesses to flourish. These included small restaurants, horseshoeing shops, fodder vendors, and general merchandise sellers. Those selling cigarettes, peanuts, and melon seeds often secretly acted as pimps, finding customers and taking them to shady spots in the village for a small tip. While these places weren't exactly elegant or comfortable, they were essential homes for the cart drivers on their journeys.

Two or three carts had already arrived at Zhao's shop. Several porters, naked, were already snoring in their greasy quilts. A burly man with a thick beard was half-exposed, diligently picking lice off his underwear. Each time he caught one, he would throw it into his mouth, bite it to death with a vicious "crunch," and then spit it off the kang (heated brick bed). Several others were sitting cross-legged on the kang table, drinking strong liquor from large, rough porcelain bowls. A pot of stewed cabbage, vermicelli, and potatoes was topped with a few slices of lean pork. At that time, even pigs were starving, so fatty meat was a precious commodity. People were smoking tobacco, and the room was filled with the pungent smell of tobacco, the stench of sweat, and a strange, indescribable odor... Mingyue couldn't help but wrinkle her nose.

“This is the smell of a errand runner, the older the better,” Old Ye proudly explained. “‘Carpenter’s axe, bricklayer’s knife, errand runner’s luggage, and a young woman’s waist,’ of the four beauties of Northeast China, the errand runner’s luggage is the most beautiful.”

“What is a ‘errand runner’?” Mingyue asked softly.

Her soft, thick southern accent attracted the attention of the men, who were immediately stunned. They had never seen such a beautiful woman in Northeast China.

"'Errandmen' are just bachelors who travel by foot, look, they are all like that," Old Ye said with a grin, pointing to the few stunned young men by the kang table. "I'm the oldest errandman."

The innkeeper apologized, "Our inn doesn't have rooms specifically for female guests, so everyone will have to squeeze in, with the women sleeping at one end."

The innkeeper stepped forward with a smile and said, "I'm really sorry, if you feel uncomfortable, how about I take a few ladies to the village to stay for the night?"

Granny Wang smiled faintly and said, "No need," pointing to the north end of the kang, "It'll be right there." Granny

Wang had been wandering the martial world for nearly a hundred years and naturally didn't care about worldly matters. Little Cuihua was already satisfied as long as she could lie next to Liu Jinmo, and Old Cuihua was even less concerned about staying in Old Ye's body. Only Mingyue felt her face turn red and didn't know what to do.

In the cold Northeast, people rarely bathe. Sleeping on heated brick beds (kang) causes sweating and dirt buildup, making them prone to lice and nits. To prevent nighttime bites and itching, people of all ages prefer to sleep naked – a common custom in the Northeast.

The inn's south-facing kang has a long row of windows, two panes. The lower pane is a large pane of glass, while the upper pane is a small square window covered with paper. The bottom pane is mostly torn, revealing holes. Although a cool breeze gets in, it's not a biting wind because the inn faces south, so it doesn't bother the messengers sleeping on the heated kang.

These small holes in the paper are very useful. If a messenger needs to get up at night, going out naked risks catching a chill, and getting dressed in the dark is too much trouble. So, they stand on the kang, stick their penises out of the holes, and urinate – convenient and quick. The urine shot into the yard, mixing with the excrement of the mules and horses tied there, and soon froze into yellowish-brown lumps of ice. The next day, the shopkeeper used a pickaxe to dig them out and throw them into the manure pile, which would be useful for planting in the spring.

After dinner, Granny Wang and Mingyue slept together on the north kang (heated brick bed). The kang was so warm that they didn't even need a blanket. Little Cuihua was next to Mingyue, Liu Jinmo, who was now in a vegetative state, was to her right, and next to Hansheng was the old man Feng Sheng. Finally, there was Old Man Ye. Ignoring Old Cuihua's advice, Old Man Ye insisted on sleeping naked. Later, after undressing halfway, he realized he was too thin and reluctantly gave up.

The room was warm and cozy. The errand runners' eyes kept glancing at Mingyue, and they all drank more than usual, drunkenly telling vulgar jokes.

"Hansheng, your fingerprints are quite strange," Feng Sheng said in surprise, grabbing Hansheng's hand as he lay on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Really?" Hansheng replied casually.

"Look," Feng Sheng said, "you have four arched fingerprints, two reverse loops, and four upright loops on your ten fingers. This combination is highly abnormal. Theoretically, it occurs in only three in a million people. It indicates a patient with Chromosomal Syndrome 47, who is infertile and incurable." Feng Sheng said very seriously.

"How do you know?" Hansheng asked with a smile.

"I worked in the forensic department of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security for many years and saw several cases of people with the same fingerprints," Feng Sheng said.

"So what?" Hansheng asked with interest.

"They're all dead," Feng Sheng said.

"Is that so?" Hansheng smiled slightly.

Feng Sheng sighed and explained, "Theoretically, that's how it is. Fingerprints are a unique characteristic of each human body. No two people in the world have the same fingerprints. Therefore, judicial departments in various countries consider fingerprints the 'primary piece of evidence.' To put it another way, if a person's neural pathways are damaged or underdeveloped during the embryonic stage, it will lead to underdeveloped fingerprints. Therefore, fingerprint analysis can reveal whether neural pathway development is normal. In other words, a person's neural defects will definitely manifest in their fingerprints."

Han Sheng chuckled, "You're a police officer, do you also believe in those folk tales like 'One whorl means poverty, two whorls mean wealth, three or four whorls mean selling tofu, five or six whorls mean owning a pawnshop, seven or eight whorls mean sitting and walking, nine whorls plus one whorl mean carrying a flower basket and walking the streets'?"

Feng Sheng said softly, "From a probabilistic point of view, these are all correct."

"One whorl means poverty, two whorls mean wealth, three whorls mean brewing wine and selling tofu, four whorls mean opening a pawnshop, five whorls mean becoming a matchmaker, six whorls mean becoming a thief at night, seven whorls mean picking up horse manure, eight whorls mean riding a horse to a white grave, nine whorls mean facing the emperor on flat ground, ten whorls mean building a golden mound to the south. Hehe..." Old Ye suddenly poked his head out from under the covers beside him and said.

Feng Sheng was startled and turned to glare at Old Ye, who then shrank back under the covers and remained silent.

Han Sheng lay on the kang (a heated brick bed). Traditional Chinese medicine also touches on the diagnosis of diseases based on fingerprints, such as the "Song of Fingerprint Diagnosis in Children," which says, "Children's health is affected by three gates of life, carefully distinguish the color and length. Blue indicates fright and mild malnutrition, purple lines indicate heat, and red indicates cold. If the fingerprints are prominent, the disease is on the surface; if the lines are deep and dark, the disease is internal. Do not palpate a three-year-old child; light red lines indicate health and well-being." However, none of them were as sensational as what Feng Sheng said.

"The world is vast and full of wonders, let's just take it as gospel," Han Sheng thought to himself.

"You drink my blood, I'll eat your flesh..." a vicious voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Han Sheng was startled and quickly sat up to look. It turned out that the bearded man on the south kang (heated brick bed) had somehow pulled out another louse and was muttering to himself.

Han Sheng found it amusing. His gaze swept across the doorway and he caught sight of the shop assistant standing outside, waving at him... Han Sheng pointed at himself in confusion, and the shop assistant nodded.

Han Sheng got up, put on his shoes, and went outside. Behind him, Old Ye curiously peeked out.

"Are you looking for me?" Han Sheng asked the shop assistant.

Seeing no one around, the shop assistant whispered, "Yes, someone outside is looking for you, and said not to let anyone else see."

"Who?" Han Sheng asked, puzzled.

"A woman," the shop assistant smiled knowingly.

Chapter 234

A crescent moon hung upside down on the bare branches of a tall poplar tree. A crow's head peeked out from a lonely nest, coldly observing the world. The chilly moonlight spilled onto the snow-covered plains, creating a sense of desolation.

Under the moonlight stood a woman with a captivating figure, a faint scent of spearmint cream wafting in the breeze.

"Xiao Yanfang?" Han Sheng smiled faintly. He knew this famous actress from the capital, who had followed him, would eventually show herself.

"Han Sheng, are you used to the weather in Guandong?" Xiao Yanfang's fair face was expressionless, her gaze extremely cold and beautiful.

Although Han Sheng already knew why she had come, he could only pretend to be oblivious, maintaining the facade for as long as possible.

"I really didn't expect to meet you here. Are Master Jin, Professor Liu, and the old lama Danba all well?" Han Sheng said warmly.

Han Sheng, after all, lacked experience in the ways of the world, and his words immediately betrayed his ignorance. Granny Wang had seen that Lama Danba was dead at the Yonghe Temple, and now she was traveling with Han Sheng. Yet Han Sheng was asking if Danba was alright—wasn't that asking a question he already knew the answer to?

Xiao Yanfang chuckled coldly, thinking to herself that this newbie was still too naive. She decided not to expose him and said sadly, "Han Sheng, Lama Danba has passed away. Master Jin sent me to find you and ask you something."

"What is it?" Han Sheng asked, his clear eyes looking at Xiao Yanfang.

“Well, let’s put it this way,” Xiao Yanfang said thoughtfully, looking at the frank look in Han Sheng’s eyes, “After you left, Lama Danba told Master Jin that he entrusted you with a task, asking the three of us to assist you in completing it. If you feel it’s inconvenient or difficult, you can leave it to us. So, do you feel it’s inconvenient or difficult now? Are you willing to leave it to us?”

Han Sheng’s bright eyes remained calm as he looked at Xiao Yanfang, and he said calmly, “The task that Lama Danba asked me to do is something you can’t do for me.”

Xiao Yanfang felt a surge of excitement and quickly said, “We will try our best to do it. Tell me quickly, what is it?”

“Lama Danba is a kind-hearted person. He asked me to visit medical groves and thoroughly research medical books to find a cure for the ‘Yin-Yang Grass’ curse and rid the people of this scourge,” Han Sheng said.

“That’s all he said?” Xiao Yanfang’s face, which had just flushed, suddenly darkened again.

"Yes, the old lama Danba is such a good man. He said that to be a good doctor, one must strive for excellence and study diligently. 'Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.' Even Dr. Bethune traveled thousands of miles to China, and the old man Yu Gong was still moving mountains at such an advanced age. And then there's Zhang Side burning charcoal, Li Zicheng entering Beijing…" Han Sheng went on and on.

"Shut up!" Xiao Yanfang couldn't stand Han Sheng's rambling anymore.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going back to sleep," Han Sheng yawned.

Good lad, still got his hair in the styrofoam, already trying to fool me, Xiao Yanfang… Wait, this kid is so unrestrained, could it be that that unfathomable old woman really passed on all her martial arts skills to Han Sheng? No, I need to plan carefully before acting. I have to test the waters first. Thinking of this, Xiao Yanfang's face became charming and alluring. She touched her waist and pinched her buttocks, saying, "Hansheng, you're still young. You need to learn some self-defense skills to survive in the martial arts world. Just like me, Xiao Yanfang, I

'm skilled in both art and beauty. If I didn't have some tricks up my sleeve, wouldn't I just be taken advantage of by those theatergoers?" Hansheng smiled and didn't say anything. He thought to himself, "I wonder what this actor is up to now. I heard from Granny Wang that he killed the Thai sorcerer Kunweicha with his fingernails at lightning speed. Such indiscriminate killing must make him a villain, even though that sorcerer was the murderer who killed the old lama Danba."

"So, learning a little light-body skill is still necessary. Look, this thick poplar tree, its branches are almost two stories high. Watch how I get up there..." Before Xiao Yanfang finished speaking, she had already bent her knees, twisted her hips, contorted her waist, gathered her breath, and struck a pose. Then, with a "whoosh," she leaped more than ten feet high, lightly pressing her palm against the rough poplar trunk. Suddenly, her body rose again, landing heavily on a high branch.

Wow, Han Sheng was speechless at this move. The key was that Xiao Yanfang's movements were very dramatic and beautiful, completely different from the image of the white-haired, impoverished old man from western Hunan.

At this moment, Xiao Yanfang struck another pose on the branch, paused for a second or two, and then lightly leaped to the ground.

"Han Sheng, let's see how high you can jump?" Xiao Yanfang asked with a grin from under the tree, fiddling with her long fingernails.

"Hmph, Hansheng, if that old woman is just making things up and didn't actually teach you the world's number one incantation technique, I'll kidnap you first and slowly interrogate you to find out what Danba really told you..." Suddenly, Xiao Yanfang's eyes froze... Hansheng's hands fell limply, and his body floated up gently, rising higher and higher until he reached the treetops... His silhouette was cast on a crescent moon, like that of an immortal.

"The miraculous incantation technique..." Xiao Yanfang couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Xiao Yanfang stomped her foot in dejection, and with a flash, disappeared into the vast wilderness.

A huge crow's head poked out from a bird's nest beside Hansheng, its beak snapping open and clamping down on the back of Hansheng's hand... "Ouch!" Hansheng suddenly deflated, his body lurching downwards. In his panic, he managed to grab a branch, swaying a few times before falling.

"Oh no, Old Cuihua, I can't get down!" Hansheng cried out anxiously.

"I told you to stay calm so I could use my power properly, but you always mess up at crucial moments," Old Cuihua grumbled discontentedly inside Han Sheng's body.

Just now, Han Sheng got off the kang (heated brick bed) and went out at the shopkeeper's call. Curious Old Ye noticed him and was eager to get up and follow him out, but Old Cuihua stopped him. Then she possessed Han Sheng's body and went out with him to see what was going on.

When Xiao Yanfang told Hansheng to climb the tree, Lao Cuihua whispered in his ear that there was danger. She warned him that Xiao Yanfang was definitely up to no good. She instructed Hansheng to relax completely, just like when he leaped over the Liaota wall last time, focusing only on his mental ascent. With Lao Cuihua channeling her energy into Hansheng's body, he floated smoothly until he startled the large crow… Hansheng clung tightly to the poplar branch, looking down. Good heavens, it was so high!

“Don't worry, continue to relax your whole body and limbs, imagine yourself floating in the air like a snowflake,” Lao Cuihua instructed .

“If I let go, I'll fall. Besides, I remember last time it was goose feathers, not snowflakes,” Hansheng reminded her.

“Snowflakes and goose feathers are the same, the lighter the better,” Lao Cuihua said impatiently.

The lighter the better? Han Sheng thought, "That's not even as good as Wu Daoming's Yin Cone. It's so light and airy, with curls at the top..." Thinking this, his whole body relaxed, then his hands loosened, and his body floated up again, swaying as he fell. Near the ground, he even drew a circle... Han Sheng landed steadily on the ground. "Wow, that was close!" he breathed a sigh of relief.

"How was that? Easy, right?" Old Cuihua said proudly.

"One more time," Han Sheng said.

"What?" Old Cuihua asked.

"I said, let's do it again! It feels so good!" Han Sheng said enthusiastically.

"Okay, but what were you thinking about just now? Why did you circle when you landed?" Old Cuihua asked suspiciously.

Han Sheng chuckled inwardly, without answering.

Chapter 235

Under Old Cuihua's guidance, Han Sheng practiced ascent and descent several more times. Although he still habitually circled a little when landing, his movements were now almost perfect.

"If only I could fly without being possessed, how wonderful that would be," Han Sheng sighed softly.

"That's absolutely impossible," Old Cuihua firmly denied.

"Why can ghosts fly, but humans can't?" Han Sheng muttered to himself.

Old Cuihua smiled and said, "I only weigh two ounces, while you weigh a good 150 or 160 pounds. How can you compare?"

"If you put two ounces of pork on the ground, it still won't fly. How can you overcome Earth's gravity?" Han Sheng racked his brains, seeking answers from the perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine, such as physiology and meridians.

Old Cuihua sighed and said, "Han Sheng, do you know about 'sleepwalking syndrome'?"

"Of course I know, it's 'sleepwalking syndrome,' why?" Han Sheng answered casually.

"Most people with somnambulism are children, especially boys aged five to twelve, about one in five. It usually happens about an hour after they fall asleep. In mild cases, they will open their eyes and stare into the air, which adults think is wakefulness, but it's not. In severe cases, they may sit up and get out of bed, but they won't bump into anything or fall and get hurt. Sometimes they can even do things, like sweeping or pouring water. After a few minutes to half an hour, they go back to bed and fall asleep again, completely forgetting everything when they wake up," Old Cuihua said.

Hansheng nodded and said, "It's also called 'sleepwalking' in folk terms. Actually, it's a kind of epilepsy, a brain consciousness disorder."

"Wrong, even healthy people can have it, and I can make him sleepwalk anytime, day or night," Old Cuihua chuckled.

"Of course, you can just lean on him," Hansheng said dismissively.

Old Cuihua snorted and said, "It's not possession, it's hysteria."

"Hysteria," Hansheng was taken aback.

“That’s right, hysteria. I can use their senses of sight, smell, and hearing to trigger hysteria in them, just like how the fox and weasel spirits use their farts to entice women into possession,” Old Cuihua said proudly.

“Hmm, so what?” Hansheng asked with interest.

“You know, some people suffer from hysteria and fall off cliffs unharmed. Why? Because they are sleepwalking. Their entire consciousness, even their heart, nerves, muscles, bones, and even their hair, are completely and utterly relaxed. A person could never do that when they are awake,” Old Cuihua explained.

Hansheng seemed to gradually understand: “Oh, those high-ranking monks in temples who meditate and enter a state of deep tranquility use their minds to strive to reach such a state of complete relaxation, and then unexpected abilities will appear.”

“Hmm, you’re really ‘different from the crowd,’ kid. You’re indeed teachable,” Old Cuihua said with satisfaction.

“Is hysteria any great use?” Hansheng asked cautiously.

Old Cuihua smiled mysteriously and said, "Listen carefully, the most common form of hysteria in ordinary people is temporary, intermittent opening of the third eye, seeing some unclean things, and being extremely prone to 'holding one's breath like an ox,' after which they can communicate with some small animal spirits (such as crows, rabbits, hedgehogs, or even weasels). These are minor occurrences, commonly seen in rural areas of Northeast China."

"Then what about the highest level of hysteria?" Han Sheng asked impatiently.

"The highest level is currently unattainable; it requires arduous training. It's said that one can smell like a wolf, hear like a dog, and see like a fly," Old Cuihua said vaguely.

"See like a fly? A fly? Are you kidding me?" Han Sheng asked in surprise.

"Well, their hearing and sense of smell are only slightly better than ordinary people, but don't underestimate the abilities of a fly. The most powerful thing about someone who has mastered the 'Hysteria Divine Skill' is that they can react 200 times faster than a fly," Old Cuihua said.

“‘Hysteria Divine Skill’?” Han Sheng couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Listen carefully,” Old Cuihua said with dissatisfaction, “Looking out from a fly’s perspective, a person waving a fly swatter is extremely slow, more than 200 times slower. So once it notices you, it can easily run away. Isn’t that amazing? Therefore, if you master ‘Hysteria Divine Skill,’ you’ll be the number one master in the world.”

“Then what about fist techniques, palm techniques, and internal energy cultivation? You don’t have to learn any of those?” Han Sheng asked doubtfully.

“Of course! Think about it, if a bullet comes flying at you, you can easily dodge it, or even catch it in your hand. Isn’t that amazing?” Old Cuihua muttered.

"Ah..." Han Sheng stared in disbelief. After a long while, he recovered and stammered, "Even the fastest punches, kicks, slashes, and thrusts from any master become...slow motion? I can punch him in the chin after he extends his hand, haha, that's great!"

Old Cuihua solemnly corrected him, "But you must understand that you have no other martial arts skills, your punches and kicks are weak, and it's difficult to injure the opponent's vitals."

"It doesn't matter, I can gouge his eyes, kick his groin, kick his manhood..." In his excitement, Han Sheng discovered that he actually knew quite a few underhanded tricks.

Old Cuihua chuckled.

"It's amazing! With the Green Bag Corpse Clothes and the 'Hysteria Divine Skill,' I no longer have to worry about those bad guys in the martial arts world. Old Cuihua, quickly teach me the 'Hysteria Divine Skill'!" Han Sheng said eagerly.

"This matter must not be known to anyone. Can you do that?" Old Cuihua said.

"I will never tell anyone," Han Sheng promised solemnly.

The moonlight was cold and clear, the air was chilly, and the world was solemn... Han Sheng sat cross-legged on the snow, lost in deep thought... Zhu Han Sheng, the son of an ordinary barefoot doctor in a rural village in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, obtained the lost books "Qing Nang Jing" and "Shi Yi Jing" by chance. He originally wanted to practice medicine and help the poor who lacked medical care, and his life would be enough. However, he was unwittingly drawn into the endless struggles of the martial arts world. Life is unpredictable.

Possessing unparalleled medical skills and the Evil-Repelling Corpse Cloth, he had no desire to learn any more martial arts. He refused the "Thirty-Six Measuring Rulers" Ghost Valley secret technique from the old man of Xiangxi, not wanting to be naked and with flowing white hair, nor did he want to practice the "Zhu You Divine Skill" of the Hakka Holy Mother Granny Wang. After all, she had personally killed Liu Jinmo's master's parents, trained the Yang Gong Yin Po and Jing Taiji—a group of beasts—and indirectly killed his father and Lan'er's mother. Besides, what good was high martial arts skill? Today's society is no longer the era of rampant bandits, swords, and bloodshed. Now there are people's governments, revolutionary committees, public security bureaus, and courts; murder is punishable by death. More importantly, guns exist now. What use is high martial arts skill? Zhu Biao is a clear example; with a dog-brand pistol, he beat the old woman to a pulp. What if it were a machine gun?

But from what he had seen and heard since childhood, the world was a constant cycle of bad people killing good people, and good people killing bad people. More often than not, groups of ordinary people would inexplicably kill other groups, just like in previous wars and the Cultural Revolution.

For months, he had witnessed too much bloodshed. It wasn't until the deaths of his father and Lan'er's mother that his heart was truly shaken. Han Sheng finally understood a truth: no outsider could protect him and his loved ones.

Now that Old Cuihua possessed the "Hysteria Divine Skill" that made her impervious to bullets, and didn't require him to spend too much time learning martial arts routines or internal energy cultivation, why wouldn't he take her on?

His original belief that simply caring for the common people and being a good doctor was enough to heal the sick and benefit the poor was unrealistic in the real world. He needed powerful martial arts skills to truly practice medicine and benefit the poor.

The "Hysteria Divine Skill" seemed insurmountable to others, but since he already knew the secrets of the medical texts and the medical texts, practicing it would be much easier. Although he needed to overcome five major hurdles—"the ox holding its breath," "hysteria," "mental breakdown," "a final burst of lucidity," and "seeing people through a fly's eye"—he believed that given time, he would be able to overcome them.

Moreover, the wonder of the "Hysteria Divine Skill" lay in the fact that he could practice it at night, lying in bed with his eyes closed, unnoticed. Haha… When Han Sheng returned to the inn, it was nearly midnight. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a fleshy rod protruding from a hole in the upper half of the south-facing window of the main house. With a "whoosh" sound, a white arc of steam rose from the moonlight, followed by a strong stench of urine.

Han Sheng was shocked. Living in Jiangnan, he had never seen such a sight. The people of Guandong were indeed fierce and untamed.

Surprised, the penis twitched twice, shaking off the water droplets, and retracted. Immediately afterward, another spout emerged from the paper hole beside it, and with a "squeak," a jet of water shot more than ten feet away… Han Sheng entered the room. In the darkness, the man, naked from the waist down, oblivious to his surroundings, crawled into bed and fell asleep.

On the north kang (heated brick bed), exhausted from a day's work, the female guests were all fast asleep, emitting soft, even snores.

“Where did you go?” Feng Sheng mumbled sleepily.

“Oh, to relieve myself,” Han Sheng replied, taking off his shoes and getting onto the kang.

“It took quite a while,” Feng Sheng muttered.

“What’s the speed of a bullet?” Han Sheng suddenly asked Feng Sheng.

“A pistol is about 400 meters per second, almost the speed of sound; a rifle is around 800 meters per second. Why are you asking?” Feng Sheng said, half-asleep. Han

Sheng didn't answer, lying on the kang, pondering.

The bullet's speed is 400 meters per second, which is equivalent to 2 meters per second. Hmm, definitely catch it. A rifle bullet is twice as fast; even if you can't catch it, you can dodge it. Hmm, the "Hysteria Divine Skill" is truly an unbelievable, unparalleled technique… In his sleep, Han Sheng still occasionally let out soft laughter.

At dawn, a shrill scream awakened the sleeping people… Han Sheng got up, rubbed his eyes, and at that moment, Feng Sheng suddenly jumped to the ground, put on his shoes, and quickly rushed out of the room.

Outside the inn, around the corner, lay a man wearing only a black cotton overcoat, naked underneath, his face extremely distorted. His upper body skin was pale, without a trace of blood, and his lower body was splattered with a large amount of congealed black blood—a gruesome sight. His genitals had been cleanly severed, rolling on the snow, looking as ugly as a piece of wrinkled purple sausage… People gathered around, none daring to believe it was real; the dead man was the manager of a mule-drawn cart.

The shop assistant was the first to discover the body, now crouching nearby, trembling with fear, unable to straighten his back.

Feng Sheng turned the body over, pressing his fingers against the bright red lividity beneath the skin, and said, “This man has been dead for three or four hours; some muscles have already developed rigor mortis. Who could have such a deep-seated hatred to commit such a brutal act?” In

Chapter 236,

someone in the crowd interrupted, “Who are you? Why are you disturbing someone’s body?” It was the cart owner who had been with the deceased.

“Yes, let’s wait for the police to arrive; preserving the scene is important,” people clamored.

Feng Sheng stood up, pulled a brown booklet with the words "Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China" embossed in gold from his pocket ,

and waved it, saying, "Silence! I am an investigator from the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security." People stared wide-eyed at the small badge with reverence, then fell silent, becoming uneasy and retreating hastily.

"I suspect this is a serious crime of passion, particularly cruel. I estimate the murderer knew the victim well and was completely unguarded; otherwise, who could have waited for the victim to leave in the cold of the early morning in December? Therefore, I conclude the murderer is hiding among us and slept in this room last night. I now declare that no one is allowed to leave during the investigation." Feng Sheng said authoritatively, giving Han Sheng a meaningful glance.

Han Sheng noticed Feng Sheng's suspicious look. Was he being questioned? But he had indeed returned in the middle of the night; things seemed rather ominous.

"Comrade Feng, we must set off this morning," Granny Wang said weakly, supported by Mingyue, but her tone was remarkably decisive.

"No, a murder has occurred. No one is allowed to leave the inn. We'll wait for the county bureau to arrive," Feng Sheng refused firmly.

"What will it take to let us go?" Granny Wang asked coldly.

Feng Sheng straightened his back and spoke with the air of a government official: "Unless the murderer is found, or orders from higher authorities allow release, do you all agree?"

Everyone agreed. They should not only wait for the local government to arrive, but also for the deceased's family to be present. The murderer should not only be apprehended, but also forced to provide financial compensation to the victim's family, as the deceased was young and a strong laborer, earning at least 4,000 work points a year, worth over 3,000 yuan.

Han Sheng thought to himself, "This is troublesome. I'm in a hurry to get back to get the medicine. What if it's delayed for ten days or half a month? Wouldn't that delay important matters?"

In his anxiety, his gaze fell upon Old Man Ye, who winked at him and pouted, as if he had a solution.

Suddenly, Feng Sheng trembled slightly and said to everyone, "Shall I sing a song for you all?"

Everyone was taken aback. Before they could answer, Feng Sheng had already parted his lips, cleared his throat, and began to sing in a high-pitched voice: "Hey... beat the drum and stand before the platform, today the masses are all here, there are those who hold the bundles and those who crack the whips, there are leaders and members, let's all pull the big rope together, hey cough hey cough yo ah... Han Sheng knew that Old Cuihua had come to the rescue.

The people from Northeast China present were all astonished to hear this policeman from Beijing singing a Northeast folk song, and immediately immersed themselves in the familiar and beautiful melody."

"Listen up, everyone! I'm an investigator from the Ministry of Public Security. Don't make a fuss, don't shout, don't yell. I know who the murderer is. I'm the best at catching thieves and criminals. Hey, hey, oh... The room is narrow, so there are many people. The kang (heated brick bed) is wide, so everyone gets confused. Aren't you all confused?" Feng Sheng stopped and looked at the crowd.

"Confused, confused!" Several men from Northeast China laughed and shouted, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

Then Feng Sheng continued singing: "Zhang San ate the dead child but didn't cry out, listen to me imitate the murderer's appearance (Guandong pronunciation xiao), this person has two eyes, definitely not a one-eyed wolf, and also has a high nose bridge, a gourd-shaped head with leopard-like markings, hairy in the middle and smooth in the middle, hey cough hey cough yo ah..." Before he finished speaking, everyone cheered and shouted: "Leopard-like markings! Leopard-like markings!"

"De'er ya hu hei... De'er ya hu hei, don't argue with me, do these guys look like them? The old woman put away her weapons and long forgot about that bastard, the little dwarf is even less like him, never dared to think of that, the young lady is really pretty, like a little bear holding a bag, we didn't even like her, hey cough hey cough yo ah..."

"Didn't like her! Didn't like her! De'er ya hu hei..." The men from Guandong were so excited that they also joined in the chorus.

Feng Sheng's face flushed red, spittle flying everywhere, and he continued singing: "Women, we've talked, now let's talk about the men. This guy is imposing, his horse is fat and his spear is fast, surpassing Yue Fei. He charged straight at Huanglong Mansion, speared Little Liang Wang, and even ten gold tablets couldn't save him. A southerner coming to the north, he can't adapt to the climate, how can he raise rice seedlings? Hey cough hey cough oh ah... And that dry, withered old coffin, doesn't it look like him?"

Several men standing in front wiped the spittle off their faces and shouted in unison, "No! No!"

"Hey... these guys are like this, wanting to hurry home. I'll go with the cart to the county to report the case, and the government should come and bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible. Will you all let them pass? Hey cough hey cough oh ah..." Feng Sheng's voice trailed off.

"Let them pass! Let them pass!" the crowd shouted with laughter.

Han Sheng and the others boarded the carriage. The little dwarf cracked his whip: "Giddy up!" They drove away from the inn, taking National Highway 102 straight towards Shanhaiguan.

Inside the carriage, Granny Wang looked at Feng Sheng and said, "Old Cuihua, don't come out yet." Then she turned to Mingyue, her face tense, her eyes stern.

"Mingyue, did you do this?" After a long silence, Granny Wang finally spoke.

Han Sheng was startled and quickly looked at Mingyue. Even Old Master Ye turned around.

"Master, he molested me..." Mingyue lowered her head and whispered.

"What happened?" Granny Wang still spoke coldly.

Mingyue blushed, her voice barely audible: "It was early morning, everyone was asleep, I needed to relieve myself, so I went out and squatted behind the corner of the wall. While I was relieving myself, that stinky man followed me, so I..."

"But you went too far! Giving him a lesson is one thing, but why kill him?" Granny Wang complained angrily.

Mingyue began to sob softly, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Hansheng, hoping he would say a few good words for her.

"Mingyue, that man also has a family. Think about it, you killed that man, what will happen to his wife and children? Who will care for the elderly in the family? Alas, you've ruined so many lives," Hansheng said, shaking his head.

Old Ye chimed in, "Yes, little sister, you're beautiful, but your actions are so cruel. 'The mouth of a green bamboo snake, the sting of a wasp, both are permissible, but the most poisonous is a woman's heart.'"

Hearing this, Mingyue burst into tears.

Granny Wang remained silent, her eyes gazing at the distant snow-covered foothills. The wind ruffled her aged white hair, her mind heavy with worry, like a forlorn statue. Silence

fell over the crowd; only the clatter of hooves and the crunch of wheels on the snow could be heard.

"Huh, why are we on this road? Have the county police come? Who's the murderer?" Feng Sheng suddenly snapped out of

his daze and asked blankly. Everyone remained silent. After a while, Han Sheng quietly said, "They said the murderer is a bald man with a high nose and double eyelids, and that it has nothing to do with us, so they let us go."

"Bald man? Hmm, that makes sense. I knew this was a crime of passion. Bald men are known to have strong sexual desires because of excess testosterone. Such men are most likely to have affairs." Feng Sheng analyzed logically.

Old Ye, sitting in front of the carriage, touched his bald head and quickly turned up his coat collar, trying to cover it.

"Luckily, none of us here are bald," Feng Sheng said.

"Absolutely none," Old Ye repeated softly.

"Grandma, when can we transfer to the train?" Han Sheng asked, worried about Liu Jinmo and Uncle Shanren's condition.

Granny Wang sighed and said, "After entering the pass, it won't be far to Kaiping. I haven't returned to my hometown for many years. I might not be able to leave this time. You should all go back to Poyang Lake Valley."

"Why?" Han Sheng asked, puzzled.

"Granny is nearing the end of her life. I only have a few days left. When we get back home, I have some unfinished business to entrust to you." Granny Wang's tone was full of vicissitudes.

Han Sheng was taken aback and quickly said, "Granny, let me take your pulse."

Granny Wang smiled bitterly twice and said, "No need. I know my lifespan is limited. Besides, I've lived too long, and my heart has been dead for many years. Let it be."

"Master, don't scare me. Mingyue won't do it again." Mingyue said, her voice trembling with tears, as she held Granny Wang's hand.

Granny Wang remained silent, wearily closing her eyes and murmuring, "We're about to enter Shanhaiguan."

Chapter 237

Shanhaiguan, formerly known as Yuguan, also called Yuguan or Linluguan, was established in 1382 (the 14th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty) by Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, during the construction of the Yongping and Jieling sections of the Great Wall. It was named Shanhaiguan because it is situated between the Yanshan Mountains to the north and the Bohai Sea to the south. The

entire city of Shanhaiguan is connected to the Great Wall, with the city itself serving as the pass. It is 14 meters high and 7 meters thick, and is known as the "First Pass Under Heaven." The arrow tower stands tall atop the Great Wall, overlooking the surrounding area and dominating the east. From the tower, one can see the boundless plains beyond the pass, with the Great Wall to the north and the sea to the south. It has been a crucial military stronghold in northern China since ancient times, and Wu Sangui once garrisoned this place.

The plaque above the city gate tower, inscribed with the words "The First Pass Under Heaven" in regular script, is over five meters long and one and a half meters high. It was written by Xiao Xian, a Ming Dynasty scholar and great calligrapher. His brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, perfectly integrated with the city gate tower. Legend has it that the dot on the character "下" (xia, meaning "below") wasn't written at the same time, but rather Xiao Xian threw his ink-laden brush into the air and placed it there.

At this moment, the setting sun paints the border pass in a crimson hue. The wind whistles through the mountains, carrying a mournful sound like a bugle call, as if echoing

the clash of swords and the thunder of war. On the arrow tower, two men stand, the cold wind whipping their robes, gazing motionlessly at the heavy twilight beyond the pass… "On that day, Dinghu abandoned the world, defeating the enemy and capturing the capital at Yuguan Pass, the six armies wept in mourning, all clad in white, a crown lost in a rage for a beauty…" The middle-aged man, hands behind his back, brows furrowed, recited with emotion.

"If not for the valiant warriors' complete victory, the hero would be helpless against his own sentimentality…" the young man behind him continued.

These lines of poetry are from "The Ballad of Chen Yuanyuan" by Wu Meicun, a great poet of the early Qing Dynasty. It tells the long history of Wu Sangui's anger over the courtesan Chen Yuanyuan, which led to the Qing army's invasion of China.

The middle-aged man, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, had a square face with a slightly bluish complexion, sharp eyes, and an imposing presence. He nodded and said, "Yes, back then, Wu Sangui stood atop this very tower, waving his hand to invite Dorgon's iron cavalry into the pass, which led to the demise of the Ming Dynasty, which had lasted 276 years. Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Hill, and China experienced another dynastic change." "

Sir..." the young man said.

"Jianguo, what did you call me?" the middle-aged man asked with a slight reproach.

"Yes, father-in-law," the young man replied respectfully

. He wore a brand-new grass-green military uniform, but without collar insignia or cap badges. He was fair-skinned, handsome, and had a dignified air, yet still retained a scholarly air. This man was Huang Jianguo. "What do you want to say?" the middle-aged man said gently.

Huang Jianguo asked sincerely, "Father-in-law, you said you wanted to introduce someone to me. Now it's getting late, that person..."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly and said, "Haven't he already arrived?"

Light footsteps came from the stone steps of the city gate. A woman dressed flamboyantly, in her fifties, approached quickly. This woman was Xiao Yanfang.

"Let me introduce you. This is Xiao Yanfang. He's actually a man, a famous Peking Opera actress," the middle-aged man smiled slightly, then continued, "Xiao Yanfang, this is my son-in-law, Huang Jianguo. From now on, you will be under Jianguo's direct command."

"Yes, sir," Xiao Yanfang replied cautiously, extending her hand to Huang Jianguo.

Huang Jianguo reached out his hand, lightly touching it, thinking to himself, "This man looks like a transvestite.

" "Xiao Yanfang, tell me about your trip to Northeast China," the middle-aged man's expression became stern.

"Yes, the situation is like this. Following your instructions, sir, I rushed to Huanglongfu in Northeast China overnight, trying to find that young man from Jiangxi, Zhu Hansheng..." Xiao Yanfang reported.

"Zhu Hansheng?" Huang Jianguo was surprised.

The middle-aged man smiled but remained silent.

“Yes, his name is Zhu Hansheng. He knows medicine and is probably a village barefoot doctor. The person with Zhu Hansheng is Liu Jinmo from Qingtian. He is skilled in martial arts, but he is currently in a vegetative state and is not a threat. The most difficult one to deal with is that old woman Bai Suzhen. It turns out that she was the famous 'Hakka Holy Mother' in Lingnan before liberation. Her martial arts are unfathomable, so I have been secretly monitoring her and have not acted rashly,” Xiao Yanfang said.

Huang Jianguo was even more surprised. How come Mingyue's master had also come to the north?

“Things have taken a turn for the better. The Hakka Holy Mother actually transferred all her life's skills to Zhu Hansheng. I went to a roadside inn in Liaoning at night and arranged to meet Hansheng. It turned out to be true. Xiao Yanfang originally wanted to secretly arrest him, but she was afraid that he was no match for her and was also afraid of alerting him, so she rushed back to report to the commander and await further instructions,” Xiao Yanfang said.

“Hmm,” the middle-aged man pondered, then said, “What about that young girl?”

Xiao Yanfang was taken aback, then realized what he meant and said, “That girl’s name is Mingyue. She’s naturally beautiful and is the old woman’s apprentice. Her martial arts skills are mediocre. Currently, the old woman is extremely weak after passing on her skills, and she has been taking care of Bai Suzhen’s health along the way.”

Huang Jianguo couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected, “Father-in-law, is that Zhu Hansheng from Nanshan Village in Wuyuan?” But he wasn’t foolish enough to mention that he knew Mingyue in front of his father-in-law.

“Exactly. This Zhu Hansheng is quite interesting. He seems to have a lot of adventures. First, he used miraculous medical skills to cure the old man’s ‘human motor neuron atrophy.’ He even took the time to go to Hong Kong and cause a ruckus, making things difficult for the British colonialists. Now he’s colluded with the Danba Lama. I’d like to meet this young man sometime.” The middle-aged man nodded with a smile.

“Father-in-law, why are we tracking Zhu Hansheng?” Huang Jianguo asked.

The middle-aged man said solemnly, “Jianguo, this matter involves top state secrets, so I haven’t told you. Now that you’re involved, let me tell you slowly…”

One day in 1922, an Austrian-American anthropologist named Joseph Rock arrived in northwestern Yunnan, in the Hengduan Mountains, at the confluence of the Jinsha, Lancang, and Nu Rivers—in Zhongdian County, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province—where he stayed for 27 years. He lived in seclusion in a Karma Kagyu monastery in a valley called “Blue Moon.” What happened during his time in the monastery remains unknown. If it weren’t for the British writer James Hilton’s book, *Lost Horizon*, written in 1933, it might have remained a permanent mystery.

The book describes a mysterious lama temple in Blue Moon Valley, where the Living Buddha is a blue-eyed Westerner, hinting at his mysterious prophetic abilities. The Living Buddha says that this secluded place is called “Shangri-La,” meaning “paradise on earth” in Tibetan.

In 1949, during the Long March, the Red Army crossed the Jinsha River. A commander, having endured great hardship, found this Lama temple and personally visited the Living Buddha, asking him to predict the fate of the Red Army and the future of China. It is said that the Living Buddha predicted the victory of the Chinese Revolution in 1949 and the fortunes of the following sixty years, and history unfolded exactly as he predicted. After liberation, people were repeatedly sent to search for the Blue Moon Valley and the Lama temple, but as hinted in the afterword of the book *Lost Horizon*, "It cannot be said that it is impossible, but from a geographical perspective, it seems unlikely." In short, the Blue Moon Valley and the Lama temple disappeared together, and no one could find them.

The Air Force even dispatched helicopters to search for a year, but returned empty-handed.

Several years ago, an old Lama named Danba appeared at the Yonghe Temple in Beijing. According to investigations, he came from the Hengduan Mountains in northwestern Yunnan and was a Lama of the Karma Kagyu school of the Kagyu sect. Later, he became acquainted with Master Jin of Baiyun Temple, Professor Liu of Peking University, and Xiao Yanfang. A year ago, Xiao Yanfang finally discovered that Lama Danba was from Blue Moon Valley. The original Living Buddha had died, and Danba was the designated successor. More importantly, Danba had once inadvertently revealed that he might one day entrust Master Jin with a prophetic matter concerning the fate of China.

So, what exactly did the Living Buddha prophesy to the Red Army leaders? What would happen within a sixty-year cycle? What kind of prophecy was Lama Danba entrusting with his affairs?

This was a top-level state secret.

Lama Danba was dead, but he hadn't entrusted his affairs to Master Jin. Xiao Yanfang was present and could confirm this.

Huang Jianguo didn't dare to breathe, barely suppressing his pounding heart, and listened to his father-in-law's narration without missing a single word.

"Did Lama Danba entrust his affairs to Hansheng?" Huang Jianguo asked.

"That's the only explanation." The middle-aged man looked at his future, handsome and intelligent son-in-law with satisfaction.

"Father-in-law, what should we do?" Huang Jianguo asked cautiously.

"I'd like to hear your opinion," the middle-aged man said calmly, turning to face the vast snow-covered plains in the twilight beyond the Great Wall.

Huang Jianguo knew his future father-in-law wanted to test his abilities, so he pondered for a moment, then raised his head and, with the air of Zhuge Liang discussing the Three Kingdoms in Longzhong, said loudly, "Father-in-law's willingness to entrust such an important secret to me shows your trust in Jianguo. Rest assured, Father-in-law, Jianguo will not let you down."

The middle-aged man nodded.

"Jianguo thinks that our only purpose in this matter is to find out what Danba Lama said to Hansheng. Danba is dead, and Hansheng is the only clue. Hansheng used to be a weak and uneducated country boy. As a fellow villager, I know he is rather simple-minded and dull-witted. Even if 'Hakka Holy Mother' Granny Wang taught him martial arts, it's not a problem," Huang Jianguo analyzed.

"Little Huang, you must not be careless. I saw him slowly ascend to the treetop with my own eyes," Xiao Yanfang kindly reminded him from the side.

Huang Jianguo smiled slightly and said, "The era of cold weapons is long gone. A pistol is enough to deal with a dozen martial arts masters. The key lies in strategy. I plan to approach this from both inside and outside. First, we'll place an informant by Han Sheng's side to know him well and keep track of his every move, just like my father-in-law had Xiao Yanfang by Danba Lama's side. Second, we'll wait for the right time, place, and environment, then I'll personally arrest Han Sheng and use scientific hypnosis to extract everything we want..." As he spoke, he glanced at his father-in-law, observing his reaction, and then said in a cold tone, "After that, kill him."

"But how do we find an undercover agent to infiltrate his inner circle?" Xiao Yanfang asked with difficulty.

Huang Jianguo sneered and said, "I have my own way of handling this."

The middle-aged man slowly turned around, his eyes revealing approval, and said, "Good, Jianguo, I didn't misjudge you. Using spies allows you to know yourself and your enemy; hypnosis leverages scientific power; and execution eliminates future troubles. You simplify complex matters, are incredibly resourceful, and handle the aftermath decisively, without letting emotions cloud your judgment. Our country lacks such a pillar of society."

Huang Jianguo blushed and lowered his head humbly, saying, "Father-in-law, you flatter me."

"Who is your undercover agent?" the middle-aged man suddenly asked.

"I won't tell anyone right now," Huang Jianguo said firmly, his gaze calm.

The middle-aged man's sharp eyes stared directly at Huang Jianguo, and finally, he nodded.

Chapter 238

Night fell, and Xiao Cuihua finally arrived at Shanhaiguan with the carriage.

Shanhaiguan is a small city, with Ming and Qing dynasty-style houses lining the streets. Their upturned eaves, bracket sets, and upturned walls exude elegance and antiquity. The aroma of food wafts from the lacquered doors and wine flags, making one feel as if transported back to a bygone era.

The truck stopped in front of a hotel, and Han Sheng went to the front desk to check in.

"Letter of introduction," the clerk said coldly.

Han Sheng was dumbfounded; he had tried to explain for a long time, but to no avail.

"From the Ministry of Public Security," Feng Sheng stepped forward, pulled out his work ID, and tossed it over.

"Oh, comrade, excuse me, please fill out the registration form," the clerk said, immediately putting on a smiling face after checking the ID.

The hotel was a large courtyard house with quiet, blue-brick corridors.

Han Sheng carried Liu Jinmo into the courtyard. The clerk, carrying a bunch of keys, walked ahead, glancing back with surprise. Feng Sheng coughed lightly, and the clerk quickly opened the door. Those in the hotel industry were experienced; it was best to mind your own business.

In the west wing, three people lived in a room shared by Granny Wang, Mingyue, and Xiao Cuihua. The east wing was a five-person room, where the men lived together: Hansheng, Liu Jinmo, Ye Lao, and Fengsheng.

"We've made it through the pass! We're finally home!" Fengsheng breathed a sigh of relief and volunteered to lead everyone to dinner.

"Everyone's been tired these past few days, let's go get something good to eat," Hansheng said.

Everyone agreed, except for Xiao Cuihua, who shook her head, indicating she wouldn't go; she wanted to stay by Liu Jinmo's side.

"Then I'll bring it back for you," Hansheng sighed.

The remaining group went to the street and entered the largest state-run restaurant in town. It was quite crowded, the air steaming and filled with the aroma of wine.

The dishes arrived quickly, all local specialties: braised donkey meat, Meng Heshang's sausage, Great Wall steamed buns, Qinhuangdao grilled prawns, four-strip steamed buns, pancake dumplings, and sesame seed cakes.

Gazing at the fragrant dishes on the octagonal table, only Old Man Ye remained sullen. He was a mere shell of a corpse, his internal organs shriveled and long since devoid of digestive function. He sat there sulking, and Old Cuihua's repeated attempts to comfort him within his body were to no avail.

Just then, a smiling waiter approached and said to everyone, "There are some foreign guests in that private room over there. We'd like to invite this lady for a drink. Would she do us the honor?"

"Foreign guests?" Han Sheng asked doubtfully.

"They are Japanese guests from Beijing," the waiter explained.

Granny Wang waved her hand dismissively, saying with disgust, "No way."

The waiter walked away dejectedly.

A moment later, a young man in a black suit approached, carrying a wine glass. His face was flushed and he smiled broadly. Speaking fluent Chinese, he said directly to Mingyue, “Beautiful lady, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Japanese, a journalist named Murakami Takeo. Our renowned Japanese director, Mr. Kameda, is currently co-producing a period film with your country. He just saw you and found you to possess a rare classical beauty, perfectly suited for the female lead role. Would you be interested in giving it a try?”

Mingyue blushed and quickly waved her hands, saying, “No, no.”

“No?” Murakami Takeo exclaimed in surprise, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Countless Chinese girls dream of it. Anyone Mr. Kameda takes a liking to will become incredibly famous. Please think it over, Miss.”

At this moment, Granny Wang suddenly asked, “What is the script about?”

“It’s a martial arts story about the love and hate between Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of the Tokugawa Shogunate era, and Qin San Niang, a commoner from the Ming Dynasty in China,” Murakami Takeo explained.

Granny Wang remained silent. "Sigh," she sighed, "this young girl, Mingyue, can't possibly die a mortal in the Poyang Lake Valley. Nor can she remain entangled with that Huang Jianguo, lest she ruin her life. I don't have long to live; it's time for Mingyue to leave the martial world and start a new life." She recalled her youth in Hong Kong, knowing how easy it was to become an overnight sensation in the film industry. With Mingyue's figure, looks, and martial arts skills, she was sure to become a star. Besides, the film industry is full of handsome men; in time, Mingyue would gradually forget that Huang fellow. Wouldn't that be a kind of liberation?

"Go back and ask Director Kameda if he can cast Mingyue as the female lead," Granny Wang said decisively.

"Oh, so Miss's name is Mingyue. What a beautiful name, just like her! Alright, I'll go ask Mr. Kameda right away. Please await good news." Murakami bowed and hurried away.

"Master..." Mingyue looked at Granny Wang with a puzzled expression.

Han Sheng was also baffled. What was wrong with his mother-in-law today? Why would she so readily agree to an invitation from a stranger?

"The Japanese might be lusting after Mingyue's beauty. Evidence from the public security department shows that Japan is an island nation with abundant seafood, so the Japanese have particularly high levels of male hormones. They come to China and seek out prostitutes every night, which is astonishing. And look at our vast population, everyone has 'cornmeal bellies,' their sexual abilities are far inferior to those Japanese. Alas, a disgrace to the descendants of Yan and Huang!" Feng Sheng sighed, his face showing pain.

"Outrageous!" Old Ye said angrily.

"Then why should our Chinese women cater to the Japanese? If they didn't, wouldn't the Japanese be left empty-handed and anxious?" Han Sheng asked Feng Sheng.

"But there are still prostitutes." Feng Sheng shook his head.

"The prostitutes don't take their pants off..." Old Ye said through gritted teeth.

"Why?" Feng Sheng asked, puzzled.

"To resist the Japanese." Old Ye replied.

Han Sheng couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Ye Lao, while Feng Sheng beside him burst into laughter.

Mingyue's face turned even redder. Granny Wang coughed and slowly said, "Grandma has her own ideas."

At this moment, Murakami Takeo walked over excitedly and said happily, "No problem, Mr. Kameda has agreed to let Miss Mingyue play the female lead, Qin San Niang, in this film. Now he would like to have a few words with Miss Mingyue alone, is that alright?"

Mingyue looked at her master and shook her head, indicating that she was unwilling.

"Mingyue, go ahead, your master is waiting for you here," Granny Wang said decisively, without a hint of negotiation.

Mingyue dared not disobey her master's wishes, so she hesitantly stood up, looking at her master with a wronged expression, and followed Murakami Takeo into the restaurant's private room.

This was a suite specifically for VIPs. Several well-dressed men sat around the outer table, their admiring gazes fixed on Mingyue.

Mingyue glanced at them, wondering which one was that Kameda guy—what an unpleasant name.

Murakami pointed to the inner room and said, "Miss Mingyue, Mr. Kameda is waiting for you inside."

Mingyue gently pushed open the door. Inside stood a young man with his hands behind his back, gazing intently out the window. Hearing the door open, he slowly turned around… "Jianguo!" Mingyue exclaimed.

No one spoke, no one ate, silently waiting for Mingyue. Time passed, but Mingyue had not returned.

"I hope Mingyue isn't in any trouble?" Feng Sheng frowned.

"She'll be fine," Granny Wang said calmly.

"Those Japanese are all lecherous. It's been so long, shouldn't we go check on her?" Feng Sheng was still worried. As a police officer, his profession required him to protect his countrymen in front of foreigners.

"Yes, let's go take a look," Han Sheng agreed.

Feng Sheng stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked confidently towards the Japanese's private room.

"Stop! You can't go in," Murakami Takeo, who was drinking in the outer room, stood up and said.

"I'm looking for Mingyue. Everyone is waiting for her to eat," Feng Sheng said politely.

"Miss Mingyue is talking to Mr. Kameda. It's not convenient to disturb her," Murakami Takeo blocked Feng Sheng's path.

“Then please have Mingyue come out and say hello, so we won’t wait for her and can eat first,” Feng Sheng said, suppressing his anger. Premier Zhou often warned that “foreign affairs are never trivial,” so he didn’t want to cause any trouble related to foreign affairs.

“I’m sorry, please go back first. I will consult with Mr. Kameda myself,” Murakami Takeo politely declined.

Feng Sheng looked at Murakami Takeo and thought to himself, this man is a reporter, while Kameda is a film director. The two have no affiliation, so why would he need to ‘consult’? It seems there must be a trap. He must go in and see.

“Get out of the way, I must go in!” Feng Sheng reached out and forcefully pushed Murakami Takeo aside.

Unexpectedly, Murakami Takeo’s feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and his body did not move an inch… Feng Sheng was from Luan County and had practiced the Liuhe Spear of the Tianjin Bajiquan since childhood. Despite his thin frame, he was quite strong, but he couldn’t push this Japanese man away. He was secretly surprised.

Murakami Takeo glanced at him with disdain, and Feng Sheng felt a strong sense of humiliation. Enraged, he straightened his wrist, brought two fingers together in a spear-like shape, and thrust them straight at the Japanese man's chest with a move called "Thread Through a Bead.

" A loud "thud" echoed as the man's chest felt like an iron plate. Feng Sheng's fingers felt a sharp, piercing pain, as if they had been broken. Murakami Takeo's upper body remained motionless. Feng Sheng understood that his martial arts skills were far inferior to Murakami's.

Rubbing his fingers, Feng Sheng pulled out his Ministry of Public Security ID from his pocket, waved it, and shouted, "I am a member of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. I want to enter this room. Please move aside!"

Murakami Takeo hesitated for a moment, but still didn't move. The people around the table slowly stood up.

Just then, the door opened, and Mingyue walked out with her head down and her face flushed. The door closed behind her immediately. In that instant, Feng Sheng caught a glimpse of a young man's figure flashing in the room...

Chapter 239

In a mountain valley south of Shanhaiguan, several villas nestled within high walls and deep courtyards, facing the Bohai Sea, ebb and flow with the tides, extremely quiet. This was a sanatorium belonging to a certain national agency.

Late at night, the lights were still on in the white villa closest to the sea, and two plainclothes guards stood outside the door.

In the living room, Huang Jianguo stood facing the wall, hands behind his back, deep in thought before an administrative map of Tangshan.

"They're going to Kaiping, supposedly to return to the ancestral home of 'Hakka Holy Mother' Granny Wang. Yang Gong, how much do you know about your master's hometown?" Huang Jianguo turned to Yang Gong, who was sitting on the sofa, and asked.

Yang Gong had clearly lost a lot of weight, his face was pale, and he seemed exhausted.

"Jianguo, I never expected my master to chase me all the way to Guandong. She's here to take my life." Yang Gong said, clutching his chest and panting. Several of his ribs were broken, caused by Liu Jinmo's final, desperate strike in the underground palace of the Liao Pagoda in Huanglong Prefecture.

Since fleeing the pool in the underground palace, Yang Gong had rushed to the capital, where he met with the leader, who was very dissatisfied with his recent work and assigned him to work under Huang Jianguo.

"Are you still so afraid of Granny Wang?" Huang Jianguo asked disdainfully.

"Well… her skills are just too strong, and she's ruthless," Yang Gong said, still shaken.

"Hmph, she's lost all her skills and won't live much longer," Huang Jianguo chuckled coldly.

"What did you say?" Yang Gong exclaimed in astonishment.

Huang Jianguo smiled knowingly, then slowly said, "In short, you don't need to be afraid of him anymore."

Yang Gong wanted to ask more questions, but at that moment, a glamorous woman walked in, followed by a young man in a suit and tie—Murakami Takeo.

"Let me introduce you. This is Yang Gong, the leader of the Kanto Black Witch Clan. This is Xiao Yanfang and Murakami Takeo. You will be working together for some time to come," Huang Jianguo introduced.

"Japanese?" Yang Gong asked, puzzled.

"That's right. Murakami Takeo is the world's number one Miyamoto Musashi Two-Sword Style master, and he speaks good Chinese," Huang Jianguo explained.

Murakami Takeo nodded reservedly to Yang Gong without saying a word.

Xiao Yanfang gave Yang Gong a charming smile and said, "Brother Yang, I greet you."

Yang Gong quickly returned the smile, thinking to himself, "This woman's yin energy is really 'strange' (a Kanto dialect term meaning unusual). Using yin to replenish yang wouldn't be bad."

After introducing them, Huang Jianguo continued, "Zhu Hansheng's group consists of seven people: Granny Wang and her apprentice, Liu Jinmo from Qingtian (now a cripple), a dwarf named Cuihua, a withered mummy from the Liao Pagoda named Ye Lao, and a man named Feng Sheng, an official from the Beijing Public Security Bureau, who is investigating a child murder case in Huanglong Prefecture. He will join them on their return journey. Currently, they are staying at the Limin Hotel in Shanhaiguan City and will depart for Kaiping tomorrow morning."

Huang Jianguo looked at everyone and continued, "Our target is Zhu Hansheng. Your task is to closely monitor him along the way, without revealing yourselves, and wait for a suitable opportunity to secretly capture Zhu Hansheng. Understand?"

"What constitutes a suitable opportunity?" Xiao Yanfang asked.

"I will inform you when the time comes," Huang Jianguo said with a sinister smile.

The setting sun cast its slanting rays upon the Yunji Mountain House in the back garden of Baiyun Temple, white smoke rising from the tin chimney, while the fire inside burned brightly.

Master Jin sat cross-legged on the futon, head bowed and silent, his wrinkles deepening.

Professor Liu, the one-armed man, stood on the ground, his face grim.

“Xiao Yanfang suddenly disappeared. Ever since that time at Yonghe Temple, when he suddenly attacked and killed that Thai man, Kun Weichai, I didn’t understand. With Xiao Yanfang’s martial arts skills, subduing that man would have been a piece of cake. Why did he have to kill him? These past two days, we haven’t been able to find him anywhere, and no one knows his whereabouts. I think something has happened to him,” Professor Liu said, frowning. Master

Jin remained silent .

“Master, say something! Where could Xiao Yanfang have gone?” Professor Liu said impatiently.

Master Jin slowly exhaled and said in a deep voice, “He must have come out of seclusion.”

“Coming out of seclusion? You mean…” Professor Liu gasped.

“Yes, he went to track down that young man from Jiangxi, Zhu Hansheng,” Master Jin said.

“Master, you suspect he’s a traitor?” Professor Liu asked in surprise.

Master Jin nodded slowly and said, “Danba Lama was killed by Kunwei Cha. Xiao Yanfang’s haste in killing him to silence him cut off our only lead in tracing the mastermind behind the sorcery. That’s one reason. Bai Suzhen deduced that Zhu Hansheng might be the person Danba entrusted before his death, and Xiao Yanfang overheard this and then disappeared. That’s another reason. So I estimate that he chased after him all the way to Huanglong Prefecture. In that case, Zhu Hansheng and Liu Jinmo from Qingtian are in great danger.”

“Do you think Xiao Yanfang can handle that Liu Jinmo from Qingtian?” Professor Liu asked doubtfully. Master

Jin smiled bitterly, “I don’t know, but I can guess that the mastermind behind Xiao Yanfang’s collusion will definitely take this into account and may have another expert to help.”

“Sigh, Danba really is something. What secrets can’t he tell us instead of entrusting them to a naive child?” Professor Liu complained.

"That's precisely Danba's cleverness. Think about it, even Xiao Yanfang has become someone who covets Danba's secret. Who else can he trust? Of course, perhaps he hasn't suspected Xiao Yanfang yet, but Zhu Hansheng's appearance prompted Danba to change his mind temporarily. If Bai Suzhen hadn't appeared later, perhaps the old lama Danba's secret would have been best and permanently protected." Master Jin analyzed.

Professor Liu nodded, agreeing with Master Jin's deduction. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Master, things have come to this. What should we do?"

Master Jin sighed and said, "The secret that Danba is protecting with his life must be extremely important. I think it's related to the prophecy of who will rule the Central Plains. This matter concerns the safety of all living beings. It's a matter of life and death. Otherwise, Danba wouldn't be so cautious. Professor, it seems we must also make a trip to the border." "

When?" Professor Liu asked.

"Now," Master Jin said.

More wonderful books are available at --- Zhulang Original Literature () Chapter 239 (2) Beijing Railway Station.

Night fell, and the city lights began to twinkle. Professor Liu helped Master Jin to the station square. The square was bustling with people, a constant stream of them speaking various accents and hurrying about.

"There's a man wearing hard leather-soled shoes, quite heavy, who's been following us ever since we came out of Baiyun Temple," Master Jin said in a low voice.

Professor Liu was startled and asked softly, "Master, how did you know?"

"This man has an iron heel on one shoe, the other one is missing, so his voice is different," Master Jin replied.

"Wait, I'll go see who it is," Professor Liu said, releasing Master Jin and turning back to find the follower.

"No need," Master Jin said, "Let's go to a quiet alley and let him come to us."

Professor Liu helped Master Jin into a dark alley, a common type in Beijing, some without even streetlights.

The footsteps behind seemed to hesitate for a moment, then followed into the alley.

This was a burly young man, dressed in a blue shirt, work trousers, and yellow military-style suede shoes. His footsteps clattered intermittently on the stone pavement of the alley.

The blind man and the one-armed disabled man ahead walked unhurriedly, disappearing around a corner—it was a winding alley.

The young man listened intently to the footsteps ahead, cautiously turning the corner. Wait, why was there only one target? Only the one-armed man continued walking… Oh no, he'd been tricked! The young man realized this, but it was too late. A strong hand had already gripped his shoulder, and instantly, his lower body went completely numb.

“Who are you?” a deep voice asked in his ear.

The young man turned his head and saw a pair of grayish-white eyes staring intently at him. At that moment, the one-armed man also turned back.

“I'm just passing by. Why are you grabbing me?” the young man calmly replied.

“Hehe,” Master Jin tightened his grip, saying, “Fine, if you won’t talk, I’ll make you a cripple for once.”

The man’s shoulder blade throbbed with excruciating pain, as if it were about to be crushed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“I was hired to monitor you,” he stammered, trembling with pain.

“Who is your employer?” Master Jin pressed.

“Yes, yes, her name is Xiao Yanfang…” the man stammered.

“What did he want you to do?” Master Jin continued.

“Monitor and follow you, see if you’ll head north across the border,” the man confessed, gasping for breath, “If you discover you’re leaving the border, follow her and quickly contact her by phone.”

“Xiao Yanfang isn’t in the capital, how can she make a phone call? That’s clearly an excuse.” Master Jin chuckled coldly.

“He gave me a phone number in Shanhaiguan,” the man exclaimed.

“What’s the number?” Master Jin asked.

The man recited the number, which Professor Liu memorized, then looked at Master Jin.

Master Jin's eyelids drooped, and in an instant, Professor Liu struck the man's Baihui acupoint on the top of his head with a palm, causing him to fall slowly against the wall without uttering a sound.

"Let's go," Master Jin said, and with Professor Liu's support, they staggered back along the alley, heading towards the brightly lit train station.

Chapter 240

The train slowly pulled into Shanhaiguan Railway Station in the middle of the night.

Master Jin and Professor Liu checked into the government guesthouse. The staff, feeling sorry for the two disabled people, arranged a room on the first floor with a telephone and a bathroom. Professor Liu dialed

the directory assistance, and the night shift staff of the Qinhuangdao Telecom Bureau searched for a moment and told him that the number belonged to a seaside sanatorium of a certain national agency, and the registered address was in a coastal area of Shanhaiguan.

Professor Liu locked the door, opened the window, and he and Master Jin jumped out and headed towards the sea that night.

At dawn, they finally found the sanatorium by the sea. The cool moonlight cast dappled shadows through the pine forest beside the mountain valley. Hidden behind a tree, the two quietly observed the sanatorium.

Near the sea stood a white villa, with blurry figures moving back and forth on either side of the entrance—presumably guards. However, in winter, it was rare for high-ranking officials from the capital to come to this cold, damp seaside for recuperation. Professor Liu explained the situation to Master Jin.

"Hmm, since Xiao Yanfang left this phone number, this is very likely a contact point for the person behind the assassination of Danba. Let's not act rashly. Let's continue observing until daybreak. If Xiao Yanfang is still here, she will definitely come out in the morning," Master Jin said, wrapping his thick cotton coat tighter around himself.

The seawater on the horizon slowly turned golden, and soon, a red sun rose above the water, the morning glow dyeing the eastern sky red, and a new day began.

"Shh..." Master Jin made a gesture, then pricked up his ears, using his internal energy to listen intently; no subtle sound escaped his extremely keen hearing.

Professor Liu was also observing the movements at the villa's entrance.

From afar, he saw that the first person to emerge was Xiao Yanfang. She stretched a few times, then bent over, did a split, and performed several somersaults and somersaults, followed by some poses from Peking Opera.

Then another person emerged, coughed twice, and walked down the steps. As he approached Xiao Yanfang, he spat out a wad of phlegm with a "pfft" sound, which landed at Xiao Yanfang's feet.

Master Jin smiled slightly; it turned out that Master Yang was also here.

"You're disgusting!" Xiao Yanfang said sweetly to Master Yang, taking out a handkerchief with a spearmint scent and gently fanning the air in front of her nose.

Yang Gong laughed and said, "Xiao Yanfang, phlegm originates in the lungs, develops in the trachea, strengthens in the throat, and exits through the mouth. This is the essence of the human body, and it has a similar effect to other bodily fluids."

Xiao Yanfang frowned and asked, "Which other fluids?"

Yang Gong explained smugly, "Tears, the fluid of emotion; sweat, the fluid that cools the body; excrement, the poison of grains; urine, the water that drains the body; semen, the yang of life; menstruation, the yin of death."

"Disgusting! How could you even think of that?" Xiao Yanfang chuckled in disgust.

Yang Gong chuckled nonchalantly, smacked his lips, and continued, "Xiao Yanfang, I see that you are filled with an old yin energy, rich and mellow, sweet and lingering. You are truly a rare beauty."

Xiao Yanfang's face flushed, her almond eyes slightly intoxicated, her delicate body trembled, and she began to whimper lewdly, her voice hot and nauseating... Behind the pine tree, Professor Liu couldn't bear it any longer and vomited.

"Who dares to spy on me while I practice my martial arts? Get out here right now!" Xiao Yanfang shouted angrily, hands on her hips.

Yang Gong chuckled, "It must be some villagers from nearby who relieved themselves in the woods early this morning. They were captivated by your beauty and made those sounds of admiration."

"How annoying!" Xiao Yanfang glared at him and leaped into the pine forest.

Yang Gong followed.

The pine forest was shrouded in mist, and no one was in sight. Only behind a large pine tree was a pile of steaming vomit.

"Eh, it's not poison from grains, but undigested food in the stomach," Yang Gong laughed heartily. "

Xiao Yanfang, Yang Gong, the boss is calling you. The target has already set off," came the deep voice of the village warrior from the villa entrance.

Xiao Yanfang stomped her foot angrily and turned back to the villa.

Yang Gong stared at the puddle of filth for a moment, then muttered to himself thoughtfully, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

Early in the morning, Han Sheng and the others had already set off, determined to reach Granny Wang's ancestral home, Kaiping, before sunset.

Last night, back at the inn, Mingyue told her master that she had declined Mr. Guitian's invitation and was willing to stay by his side permanently.

Granny Wang didn't say another word and turned over to sleep.

Xiao Cuihua whipped the carriage, urging it to speed away, kicking up clouds of snow behind it.

Kaiping, located on the eastern Hebei Plain, nestled against the Yanshan Mountains to the north and bordering the Bohai Sea to the south, has been a major commercial town since ancient times, known as "the insatiable city of Kaiping," and hailed as the foremost of the four famous towns east of the Yellow River. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was part of the Yan state; during the Han Dynasty, it belonged to Youzhou. Historically, "the land of Yan and Zhao is known for its brave warriors," and its people are known for their fierce spirit.

Granny Wang's ancestors were a prominent family in Kaiping City. In the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign (1644), Dorgon led the Qing army into the pass. To escape the war, the entire family hastily migrated south to Lingnan, becoming Hakka people in eastern Guangdong. Decades ago, Granny Wang passed through Kaiping on her way out of the pass to pay respects at the ancestral graves that she hadn't been able to move. Now, more than half a century later, it was only natural for her to want to return to her roots and see them again.

Han Sheng sat in the carriage, looking at Granny Wang's frail and aged appearance with emotion, so different from before the transmission of her skills a few days ago. That night, Han Sheng insisted on not receiving the skills, and Granny Wang, helpless, summoned Mingyue and solemnly instructed the two that she was old and her days were numbered. She decided to pass on all her lifelong skills of incantation magic to Mingyue, using Han Sheng's Yin-Yang reversal technique from the *Qing Nang Jing*, and asked Mingyue to swear that after the skill was completed, she would ensure Han Sheng's safety.

After Mingyue made her vow, Hansheng began to use the Yin-Yang Reversal Technique to transmit the Zhuyou Divine Skill to her and her disciple. Of course, this required the two to be naked, just like Shen Caihua and the wrinkled baby girl.

Although Hansheng was a doctor, he was still a young man in his adolescence. Faced with the naked bodies of the old man and the young girl, he was extremely shy. His face was burning hot, his heart was pounding like a deer, and his mind went blank. He had almost forgotten everything he had read in the scriptures... The Ren and Du meridians originally belonged to the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, which, together with the Twelve Regular Meridians, were called the Fourteen Regular Meridians. The Ren meridian governs blood and is the sea of Yin meridians; the Du meridian governs Qi and is the sea of Yang meridians. The Ren and Du meridians correspond to the six Yin meridians and six Yang meridians of the hands and feet, respectively. When the Qi and blood of the Twelve Regular Meridians are abundant, they will overflow into the Ren and Du meridians; conversely, if the Qi of the Ren and Du meridians is vigorous, it will also circulate and act on the Twelve Regular Meridians. Therefore, the Qingnang Jing says: "When the Ren and Du meridians are unblocked, all meridians are unblocked."

"Grandma, the method of reversing Yin and Yang requires you and Mingyue to remove all your clothes..." Hansheng stammered, embarrassed.

"Children of the martial world should have no ulterior motives. Mingyue, remove your clothes," Grandma Wang commanded, and then stripped herself naked.

Although Grandma Wang was over a hundred years old, she was as plump as a young woman, her breasts slightly sagging, her abdomen slightly protruding, but not from excess fat, but from the fullness of her dantian. Only her skin was covered with fine wrinkles, faintly visible, showing the erosion of time.

"Master," Mingyue said shyly, her face flushed red all the way down to her neck, her hands trembling, wanting to undo her clothes but holding back.

Han Sheng turned around, chanting, "Grandma and Mingyue connect through the Ren meridian acupoints. The Zhuyou technique's shifting and repositioning flow begins with the Lung meridian, circulating sequentially to the Liver meridian, then entering the chest, ascending through the forehead to the top of the head, then descending along the Du meridian to the coccyx, passing through the genitals and connecting to the Ren meridian, before flowing back into the Lung meridian. It circulates through the three gates: coccyx, Jiaji, and Yuzhen, completing the Great Circulation."

"Hmm, Han Sheng, begin," Grandma instructed.

Han Sheng turned around, and the scene before him astonished him, his chest tightening, almost unable to breathe.

Mingyue's skin was like jade, her breasts high and luscious… her waist was like a willow, delicate and limp… "Han Sheng," Grandma Wang frowned, scolding him.

"Alright, now connect the Ren meridians," Han Sheng said hastily, his face flushing.

Under Han Sheng's guidance, the master and apprentice sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), their skin pressed together, arms clasped, legs intertwined, like a pair of toads embracing a hibernating toad under a layer of winter ice.

"Now, let the true qi flow in reverse through the three gates," Han Sheng instructed.

This reverse flow refers to the Du meridian starting at the perineum, passing through the three gates of the spine to the Baihui point on the top of the head, then descending along the Ren meridian down to the Dantian (lower abdomen). This is called the Small Heavenly Circuit, the opposite of the meridian pathways described in modern Traditional Chinese Medicine. It draws upon Daoist methods of qi circulation, combining innate essence with acquired qi, refining and transforming it into essence—this is the "Initial Gate." Then comes the Great Heavenly Circuit, the stage of refining qi into spirit, called the "Middle Gate." Finally, the stage of deep meditation reaches the "Upper Gate," the stage of refining spirit into emptiness, thus entering the Daoist body.

Simultaneously, Granny Wang used her incantation magic to shift her position; only when the qi reached the "Upper Gate" would the process be complete.

"It takes five hours for the Five Elements to be unblocked and the practice to be complete," Han Sheng told them.

The circulation of Qi in the body is mainly through the Ren and Du meridians. The first gate is the Nine-Month Gate, the middle gate is the Ten-Month Gate, and the upper gate is the Nine-Year Gate, which shows how difficult the practice is. The scriptures say, "Following the natural order makes one a human, going against it makes one an immortal." This means that the Du meridian ascends while the Ren meridian descends. The practitioner regulates the body's original Qi, filling the Ren meridian with blood and the Du meridian with Qi. The chariot of Qi reverses, which is the so-called dual cultivation of body and mind.

The *Qing Nang Jing* truly lived up to its reputation as a peerless masterpiece. Its method of inverting Yin and Yang, combined with the teleportation technique of the *

Zhu You* divine skill, allowed it to reach the upper gate within five hours, completing the transfer of divine power—a truly unbelievable feat. Han Sheng dared not breathe, quietly waiting. The long night passed until noon the next day when Granny Wang finally exhaled a long breath. Immediately, her graying hair turned snow-white, the fine wrinkles on her body deepened and lengthened, and her once plump skin lost its luster, becoming withered and shriveled like Ye Lao's.

Mingyue also released her grip, a blush appearing on her fair skin, making her even more radiant.

"Thank you, Master," Mingyue said softly, turning to face Han Sheng, her eyes sparkling with shyness, revealing her completely.

Han Sheng's heart pounded, and he quickly turned away.

Granny Wang's unparalleled *Zhu You* divine skill had been transferred to Mingyue; from now on, Mingyue would become the number one master in the martial arts world.

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