Chapter 48
Besides being able to play the flute, Qiao Wan also knew a bit of medical skills, after all, she had lived with Lu Pihan for quite a while.
But she couldn't be considered an expert.
After thinking for a while, Qiao Wan suddenly realized something.
She had become a caretaker because of Elder Martial Brother's prolonged illness.
After being sick for so long, Elder Martial Brother's thoughts worried her. In the end, she had exhausted herself into becoming a caretaker.
She worried about how much he ate and slept every day, and how much blood he coughed up.
In her forties, Qiao Wan was at the prime age of an extraordinary beauty in the cultivation world, but she worried so much that she felt her heart breaking.
Lowering her gaze, Qiao Wan focused and continued to play, while Yu Sanniang listened quietly.
But before the piece finished playing, something happened with Liang Yiqing.
Yao Guang, a fellow cultivator, rushed over in a panic and said that Liang Yiqing was in trouble.
Qiao Wan jumped off the bed and followed Yu Sanniang out.
Yu Sanniang asked, "What happened to Lao Liang?"
Thinking about the scenes that had just happened in the room, Yao Guang was a bit overwhelmed. "Lao Liang had a mishap while cultivating."
"Miss Lu, didn't you advise against Lao Liang practicing this technique?" Yao Guang was frantic, "What do we do now? Is there any solution?"
It was true that Liang Yiqing had encountered trouble while cultivating. He lay motionless on the bed, his spiritual energy in chaos. Jiang Kai was sitting by his side, taking care of him.
To be honest, at this moment, Liang Yiqing truly regretted it. He regretted it so much that his intestines turned green.
With only his eyes able to move, Qiao Wan could clearly see the regret and shame in Liang Yiqing's eyes.
Qiao Wan didn't have enough spiritual energy herself, so she could only direct Yu Sanniang to help him rearrange his internal energy.
"What should we do now?" Qiao Wan pondered, "We need to get some medicine."
Even though her expression was hidden behind a scary ghost mask, it inexplicably made people feel a bit relieved.
Seeing a solution, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
But then another problem arose.
Jiang Kai asked, "What about the Bodhisattva Society...?"
Oh no, I almost forgot about the Bodhisattva Society.
"What should we do now?" another man asked, wide-eyed.
Qiao Wan walked to the window and peeked outside.
The streets were empty and cold.
No one would want to go out and risk their lives in the middle of the night.
"What about tomorrow?"
"We don't have time for tomorrow," Qiao Wan said, "His cultivation will definitely suffer tomorrow."
Liang Yiqing's face showed a hint of despair.
Cultivators value their cultivation level even more than their lives.
Yu Sanniang couldn't bear to see Liang Yiqing like this. She bit her lip, as Liang Yiqing has taken care of her throughout their journey. She couldn't just stand by and watch him suffer.
"I'll go. Miss Lu, give me the prescription, I'll go."
Qiao Wan said, "I'll go with you."
One person alone wouldn't be enough, even if it was Yu Sanniang.
Though she was only at the second level of Qi cultivation, Qiao Wan thought she had the most combat experience among them and was probably the strongest.
Yao Guang said, "I'll go too."
Jiang Kai stood up and said, "Take me with you."
Liang Yiqing couldn't move, but as he looked at this group of brothers, there was a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
Qiao Wan shook her head, "We don't need that many people."
Someone needs to stay behind to take care of him. It takes a lot of spiritual energy to help him recover once he's in a bad state, and one person may not be enough."
After a brief discussion, they finally made a decision. Qiao Wan, Yu Sanniang, Yao Guang, Jiang Kai, and Bai Jingmen would go together, while the rest would stay behind to look after Liang Yiqing.
Time was of the essence, so they quickly agreed and set off for the pharmacy.
They aimed to be fast, accurate, and decisive - get the medicine and come back without giving any opportunity to the evil forces!
In the middle of the night, Youxian Town was much quieter compared to the daytime.
The lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed in the night breeze, casting eerie shadows.
But there were still plenty of brave individuals with ill intentions, thinking of illegal activities. The Bodhisattva Society was just a small gang in Youxian Town.
The medicine Liang Yiqing needed was not available in one pharmacy.
Leaving the inn, Qiao Wan divided their group into two. Yu Sanniang went with Yao Guang and Jiang Kai, while Qiao Wan went with Bai Jingmen.
Bai Jingmen was a middle-aged man with fair skin and a mustache. He pursued both Confucianism and Daoism and appeared calm and gentle. Because he missed the enrollment time for Qingyang Academy, he decided to study in Kunshan instead.
After all, it didn't matter where you studied.
According to Bai Jingmen himself, he used to be a teacher in the village, or rather, a teacher for pigs. One day, he was driven to doubt his life by a group of piglets, so he sat on the doorstep, lost in thought. And then, accidentally, he gained enlightenment. He decided to leave everything behind and embark on the path of cultivation.
The road was very smooth and there were no signs of danger. After getting the medicine, Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen were on their way back when they realized they were being followed.
From the moment they left, Qiao Wan noticed that there were many eyes secretly watching them on the way to the pharmacy. As soon as they came out with the medicine, those eyes became restless.
Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen, a seemingly weak man, naturally became targets in the eyes of others, as if they were moving spirit stones and were approached to do some "business".
Just as they were about to reach the inn, several big and strong men with masks appeared at the corner, surrounding Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen.
"Two taoist friends are in high spirits to go out at midnight."
"Kunshan's recruitment is approaching, and we are all a bit worried because we don't have any weapons or spirit stones to pass the test. We couldn't sleep at midnight and wondered if the two taoist friends were interested in having a match with us?"
Seeing the situation in front of them, Bai Jingmen's heart skipped a beat and he quickly assessed the situation.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Too many people.
They couldn't afford to provoke them.
"Miss Lu," Bai Jingmen whispered, "What do you think we should do now?"
The eight men didn't rush to attack and gave Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen some time to discuss whether they should pay or fight.
"What does Bai Taoist friend think?" Bai Jingmen glanced at the eight men opposite him and pondered for a moment, "They outnumber us and Lian Taoist friend is waiting at the inn. We can't afford to delay."
Qiao Wan looked up.
Although there were eight people in front of them, they were all in the Qi refining stage, with only one at the Foundation Building stage.
Qiao Wan calculated and realized that she and Bai Jingmen might not be able to defeat them.
A gust of wind blew, causing the lanterns on the street to sway and create eerie shadows.
The terrifying ghost mask had two dark, creepy eyes.
Even the members of the Bodhisattva Society felt a sudden sense of unease.
After successfully robbing many times, they felt a bit nervous for the first time.
"What's the matter? Haven't made a decision yet?" Under the pressure, the leader's patience finally ran out, "Since you haven't decided, we will make the decision for you."
With that, he waved his hand.
The fight began!
"Damn it," Bai Jingmen's elegant face twisted, and he couldn't help but curse.
At this point, he had no choice but to take out the ruler from his waist, roll up his sleeves, and start fighting, whipping the ruler with great force.
Both sides rushed towards each other.
Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen were currently at the second level of Qi refining, and it was a bit challenging for them to face seven Qi refining cultivators and one Foundation Building cultivator.
After a few moves, Bai Jingmen's forehead was covered in sweat.
Not only did Bai Jingmen feel the pressure, but the eight members of the Bodhisattva Society also felt overwhelmed.
They made a mistake and bit off more than they could chew.
That fair-faced scholar is not really something to fear, but this girl with a scary mask on her face is quite troublesome, even though she only has the cultivation of the Qi-Refining Stage.
Her fighting skills don't look like those of an ordinary, naive Qi-Refining Stage cultivator. It's obvious that she has been through many battles.
Her footwork seems to be both real and illusory.
She dodges a downward strike with a sideways leap, then leans back and slides beneath someone's legs, reaching out to steal their belongings.
She viciously demonstrates what it means to abandon principles in critical moments.
Finally, one of the members from the Bodhisattva Society couldn't withstand it anymore, grinds his teeth, and secretly communicates.
"Where is Qiao Ba?! Why isn't he here yet?!"
Qiao Ba is naturally the Foundation Building cultivation among them, skilled in handling flying swords.
Reliant on his cultivation level of Foundation Building, he feels that it's beneath him to act hastily. He insists on waiting until they are overpowered before smugly intervening to turn the tide of the battle.
It's the same situation now.
Seeing that they can't hold back anymore, Qiao Ba finally smiles faintly, waves his sleeve, and gracefully summons the flying sword from within it, while reciting an incantation.
Oh no!
Qiao Wan's gaze darkens.
Realizing that things are not looking good, Qiao Wan kicks one person away and grabs Bai Jingmen, fleeing quickly!
"Stop!"
"Running?! Now you know how to run?!"
Of course, the members of the Bodhisattva Society refuse to let them go, their morale soaring as they chase after them.
"Surrender the spirit stone and magical artifact willingly, and I might spare your lives."
"Otherwise, I'll turn the two of you into spirits!"
The group pursues them menacingly from behind, and Bai Jingmen starts to panic a little, but Qiao Wan doesn't go back to the inn for help. Instead, she continues to run deeper into the dark night.
"Lu...Miss Lu, where are we going?"
Seeing that Qiao Wan shows no intention of stopping as she runs, Bai Jingmen asks uncertainly.
"Let's...let's just give them a little of the spirit stone."
"No." Qiao Wan refuses immediately without hesitation.
She only has a small amount of spirit stone left on her.
Allowing evil to prosper only leads to more evil.
If these people's appetites grow, even if they stopped now, it wouldn't be resolved with just a small amount of spirit stone.
Furthermore, her storage pouch also contains the clothes she changed out of and the jade scroll from Kunshan.
This won't work, that won't work.
If you can win the fight, then it's understandable to be stubborn.
But if you're being chased and forced to flee for your life, what's the point of being stubborn?
Qiao Ba's flying sword narrowly misses Bai Jingmen's scalp several times.
Bai Jingmen's legs go weak, and he laments inwardly.
"To the store." Qiao Wan suddenly says.
Bai Jingmen is a bit confused, "Store? What store?"
Of course, they are going to the store to retrieve her two huge hammers.
Qiao Wan grins.
Lifting Bai Jingmen, she leaps forward, crashing through the shop door and darting inside, shouting, "Shopkeeper! Give me the hammers!"
The shopkeeper was leaning over the counter, calculating. He looked up and saw Qiao Wan, followed closely by the group from the Bodhisattva Society. It took him a moment to catch his breath, and then he nervously reached for the abacus on the counter, holding it in front of him.
"Give me the hammer!" Qiao Wan put down Bai Jingmen and urged, "The pair of meteor hammers we made here the day before yesterday. Hurry up!"
Turning around, Qiao Wan glanced at the group of people chasing after them and said sternly, "Otherwise, we'll all have to explain things here."
Seeing the situation, the shopkeeper didn't dare to ask any questions. He silently dropped the abacus and crawled to the back weapon storage room.
Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen entered the shop.
The people from the Bodhisattva Society slowed down their pace and entered slowly. Qiao Ba played with his flying sword and sneered, "Why bother? You could have just paid up earlier, now someone might lose their life."
Unexpectedly, Qiao Wan raised her hand and pushed Bai Jingmen forward.
"Brother Bai, sorry, but please help me carry this for a while."
Bai Jingmen was stunned, shocked at Qiao Wan's decisive act of betraying him at such a critical moment. He couldn't utter a word, and could only watch as Qiao Wan swiftly disappeared into the weapon storage room like a gust of wind.
What a mistake in judgment!
A mistake in judgment!
Bai Jingmen regretted deeply, sighing repeatedly. He shouldn't have gone out tonight, and even if he did, he shouldn't have gone with that person named Lu.
Cowardly and treacherous.
There were seven Qi Refinement practitioners and one Foundation Building practitioner.
It was a doomed situation today.
Bai Jingmen released his ruler and let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of tragic betrayal.
It was Sanniang's misjudgment, and he would end up sacrificing himself for this person in the end.
And at that moment, Qiao Wan rushed into the weapon storage room and immediately saw the trembling shopkeeper huddled in a corner.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened, and he shook even more violently, holding his head.
Qiao Wan immediately understood why her two big metal hammers hadn't been delivered...
Without another glance at the shopkeeper, Qiao Wan rushed to the shelves, desperately searching among the swords and spears for her two iron hammers.
Meanwhile, Qiao Ba put away his flying sword, smiling faintly. "What's the matter? Did your companion abandon you?"
Thinking of Lu Wan decisively pushing him out and running away, Bai Jingmen spat out a mouthful of blood and bitterly smiled in his heart.
Indeed, no one could be trusted on the path of cultivation.
Bai Jingmen tightly gripped his ruler, took a deep breath, and said, "Stop talking."
Although there were many weapons in the weapon storage room, the two big metal hammers stood out particularly among the swords, spears, and axes, looking fresh and unique.
Qiao Wan rushed forward, grabbed the iron chains, and tested them.
They felt right.
So, she decisively swung one of the big metal hammers and charged forward.
Meanwhile, the battle outside was mostly settled.
"Just when I needed a soul to complete my sword, I happened to choose you to help me. Today, you will become the sword," said Qiao Ba, "If you help me become a sword, it wouldn't be unjust for you to die. Don't worry, I will light some incense for you on the path to the underworld."
Bai Jingmen dropped his ruler to the ground and closed his eyes in a world-weary manner, ready to receive the flying sword from Qiao Ba. His whole life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
If there was a chance...
If there was a chance...
The flying sword shot straight towards his forehead!
Just then, a clear and bright female voice suddenly came from behind.
"Hey! Look out!!!"
It was said too late, and happening too quickly.
With a swooshing sound, a streak of golden light flashed by!
Bang!!!
A muffled sound.
The immense force of the two giant golden gourd hammers sent everyone, including the flying sword, flying away with tremendous power.
Bai Jingmen turned his head in a daze.
He only saw a hint of a smile behind the fierce ghost mask. The girl, carrying two giant golden gourd hammers, grinned mischievously, "What are you afraid of? Didn't I come?"
