Chapter 217

Chapter 217: Something strange happened in the sky, a cold and evil aura

“Hurry, there’s a Taoist temple up ahead. Let’s go in and take shelter!”

“Xiaorou, hold on a little longer. We’ve found shelter!”

“Once we’re inside, we’ll build a fire and keep warm. You’ll be fine!”

…

Amidst the clamor, five or six people burst into the hall. All of them were soaking wet, carrying packages on their shoulders, and some were even carrying weapons. It was clear they weren’t ordinary people.

One of them was carrying a young girl on his back.

Upon entering the hall, they were stunned to see someone already inside, but soon they didn’t care.

After a quick nod to Lu Qing and the others, they hurried to the other side and set the girl down.

However, the girl didn’t look well.

Her face was pale, her lips were ashen, and she was trembling all over. A faint smell of blood emanated from her. She had fallen into a semi-comatose state.

“Xiaorou, Xiaorou, wake up!”

The middle-aged man who had carried him in shook the girl’s shoulders, trying to rouse her.

However, the girl barely opened her eyes, glanced at him, and slowly called out “Dad” before passing out again.

“Xiao Rou!”

The middle-aged man was shocked and shook the girl again.

Seeing that the girl’s breath was getting weaker and weaker, his eyes turned red with anxiety.

“Master, what should we do?”

The others were also anxious.

Unfortunately, their luggage was left behind along the way, and they didn’t even have any medicine on them, so they were completely helpless.

“Sir, may I, an old man, take a look?”

Just when they were extremely anxious, a gentle voice rang out.

They looked up and saw an old man with a kind and gentle face standing in front of them.

It was Doctor Chen.

In fact, the old doctor’s expression became serious the moment he saw the girl.

Seeing that the girl had passed out, the middle-aged man and the others seemed helpless, and finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Who is your father-in-law?”

the middle-aged man asked hesitantly.

“I’m a doctor. I have some experience treating illnesses and injuries, so perhaps I can help,” the old doctor said kindly.

“Are you a doctor? That’s great!” The middle-aged man was overjoyed and quickly made way for her. “Please, sir. My daughter is already injured, and she’s been out in the rain for a long time. She’s now unconscious. I hope you can save her. I’ll reward you handsomely.”

“Let me see your daughter first.”

The old doctor leaned over and began to feel the girl’s pulse. Unexpectedly, as soon as his fingers touched the girl’s wrist, his expression changed.

“Ah Qing, boil the medicine immediately. A dose of Baoxin Decoction. Cook it quickly over high heat! Quick!”

“Xiaoyan, get me my medicine box!”

“Yes, Master!”

Seeing the urgency in his master’s tone, Lu Qing knew the girl’s condition was grave, and immediately pulled out some herbs from his bag.

Xiaoyan, sensibly, went and brought the old doctor’s medicine box over.

The middle-aged man and his companions relaxed their guard considerably upon seeing this scene.

With so many herbs and a medicine box in their bag,

it was clear that the old man before them was indeed a doctor.

The old doctor took the medicine box and pulled out a needle bag.

He first injected the girl with a few needles before

looking up at the middle-aged man and saying, “Sir, your daughter is not in good condition. I must give her acupuncture immediately. Furthermore, her wet clothes must be changed. Who can help with this?”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately said, “Qianlin, help Junior Sister change her clothes.”

“Yes, Master!” A woman in her twenties stepped forward.

However, a look of unease crossed her face. “Master, our luggage is all gone, and our packs are completely soaked by the heavy rain. I’m afraid we have no dry clothes left.”

The middle-aged man finally realized what was happening and looked to the old doctor for help.

The old doctor paused for a moment and said, “We do have clean clothes, but they’re all men’s. I’m not sure if they’re suitable.”

Aside from Xiaoyan, Lu Qing’s group consisted of mostly grown men, so naturally, they didn’t have clothes for young women.

“We’re just ordinary people, so we’re not particular about small matters. Could you please lend us a few sets of clothes? I can pay for them,”

the middle-aged man said immediately.

“There’s no need to be so polite when you need help. Zi’an, go get some clean clothes.”

“Yes.”

Wei Zi’an quickly brought the clothes. The woman named Qianlin, holding the girl, followed the old doctor into the main hall.

Even Xiaoyan was called in by the old doctor to help.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man felt completely relieved.

The old doctor was old enough to be his grandfather, and with a little girl, it was clear he wouldn’t have any ill intentions towards his daughter.

“Xiaoyan, go help this sister dry her and change her clothes.”

The old doctor reached out and removed the silver needle that had been inserted into the girl, then turned his back and instructed.

“Okay,”

Xiaoyan replied obediently.

The woman named Qianlin, seeing Xiaoyan’s petite body, originally wanted to refuse, but it was indeed difficult for her to change the clothes of the unconscious sister alone, so she acquiesced.

Then, when Xiaoyan actually began to help, the woman was surprised.

The little girl, though small, possessed considerable strength. With Xiaoyan’s help, she effortlessly dressed her junior sister.

Once the girl was dressed, the old doctor turned around, unsheathed his silver needles, and began acupuncture.

The old doctor possessed exceptional skills and immense experience, and his acupuncture skills were uncanny.

Even through clothing, he maintained unparalleled precision.

Soon, after a series of acupuncture techniques, the girl’s breathing finally calmed, and a hint of color returned to her pale face.

After the acupuncture, the old doctor continued to feel the girl’s pulse, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The woman, Qianlin, was terrified and almost unable to resist, inquiring about her junior sister’s condition.

“Master, the medicine is ready.”

Fortunately, Lu Qing’s voice echoed from outside, softening the old doctor’s expression.

“Bring it in.”

After the old doctor gave the girl the medicine and brought Xiaoyan out from the back hall, several middle-aged men immediately came forward to greet them.

“Father, how is my daughter?”

“Thank goodness you arrived in time. Your daughter’s condition has stabilized for the time being. The wounds on her body have been treated with golden wound medicine, but she still needs to be observed for a while and take two more doses of medicine,” the old doctor said.

“Can I go in and see her?”

“It’s possible, but it’s not advisable to have too many people in at once.”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately said, “Dashi, you wait outside. I’ll go in and check on your sister.”

Once inside, the middle-aged man saw that his daughter’s condition had indeed improved considerably.

He walked out before the old doctor, bowed deeply, and made a profound gesture. “Thank you, old man, for saving my daughter’s life. I will never forget this favor.”

The middle-aged man, remembering his daughter’s earlier appearance, was filled with fear.

She looked so weak and faint that he almost thought she was about to die.

“Don’t be so polite. Healing is our duty as doctors,” the old doctor said gently. “But sir, could I, an old man, take your pulse as well?”

“We should take your pulse too?” The middle-aged man was taken aback.

He didn’t feel any discomfort.

The rain was heavy, but with his cultivation level, a mere drop of water wouldn’t make him sick.

“Sir, don’t assume that your abundant Qi and blood can protect you from everything. You must know that injuries often originate from subtle causes, sometimes unnoticed by you,” the old doctor said solemnly.

The middle-aged man, recalling the old doctor’s earlier demonstration of medical skill, agreed.

He immediately extended his hand: “Then I’ll have to trouble you, old man.”

The old doctor extended two fingers and gently placed them on his wrist. At the same time, a stream of innate Qi silently flowed into the middle-aged man’s body. After

a moment, the old doctor withdrew his Qi, his expression unchanged. “May I ask your disciples to take your pulse as well?”

The middle-aged man had even allowed the old doctor to examine him, so naturally he wouldn’t refuse.

He immediately called out, “Dashi, all of you, come here and let me take your pulse to see if you’ve caught a cold.”

“Yes,” the middle-aged man’s three male disciples immediately approached.

The old doctor took their pulses one by one.

Lu Qing, standing nearby, noticed that his master’s behavior seemed a little strange today.

But he had just used his supernatural powers to investigate the identities of these people. There were no serious problems, and they weren’t bad people.

He decided to ask his master later.

“How are you, old man?”

the middle-aged man asked after the old doctor had taken everyone’s pulse.

“Fortunately, you’re all in very good health. It’s just a slight chill that’s creeping in. A bowl of cold-dispelling medicine will be enough.” The old doctor smiled. “Ah Qing, boil some ginger soup for them later.” “

Yes, Master,” Lu Qing replied.

“Thank you very much, old man,” the middle-aged man thanked him quickly, bowing to Lu Qing. “Thank you for your trouble, young master.”

They had been out in the rain for a long time and truly needed something warm to warm themselves up.

“It’s just a small matter. By the way, I haven’t asked for your name yet,” the old doctor said.

“My surname is Fang, and my given name is Tao, as in pottery figurines. May I ask your name, old man?” the middle-aged man asked respectfully.

“My last name is Chen. You can just call me Doctor Chen…”

The old doctor chatted with Fang Tao for a while while Lu Qing prepared the ginger soup. Knowing that Fang Tao and his companions’ luggage had been lost along the way, he prepared another pot of hot porridge and shared it with the others.

Seeing Lu Qing’s thoughtfulness, Fang Tao and his companions were even more grateful.

They had been running in the rain for a long time and were already starving, so they immediately guzzled the porridge.

Then, they all gasped in amazement.

“Young Master Lu, what did you put in this porridge? It’s truly delicious!”

the tall, sturdy young man Fang Tao called Dashi couldn’t help but exclaim.

“It’s just some homemade bacon, nothing precious,” Lu Qing replied with a smile.

“I didn’t expect to find such delicious meat porridge in this remote Taoist temple. Young Master, your porridge-making skills are truly exceptional,” Fang Tao exclaimed.

As for the other disciples, they were so engrossed in their drinking that they could barely lift their heads.

The porridge brought a much more harmonious atmosphere to both sides, with everyone chatting and laughing.

Time passed slowly as everyone chatted.

Although the rain outside was lighter, it did not stop and continued to rain until dark.

During this period, the old doctor visited the girl several times and gave her another dose of medicine.

“Master Fang, your daughter’s body is no longer in danger. She will probably wake up tomorrow morning. In the days to come, as long as she rests well, there will be no problem in recovery.” The old doctor said.

“Thank you, Doctor Chen!” Fang Tao said happily.

“Well, it’s getting late. We have been traveling all day and it’s time to rest. If your daughter has any problems in the middle of the night, Master Fang can come and call me.”

“Goodbye, Doctor Chen.”

After the old doctor left, Ma Gu came in holding a quilt.

“Master Fang, this quilt was specially allocated by my master for Miss Fang to cover herself with. He said that Miss Fang was ill and had caught a cold, so she shouldn’t be exposed to the cold at night. However, we don’t have many quilts with us, so we can’t give you more. Please forgive me.”

Lu Qing and his companions had their identities concealed during this trip. Among them, Ma Gu’s identity was a groom.

So in front of outsiders, he always called the old doctor “Master”.

“That’s enough, that’s enough. Please thank Doctor Chen for me when you go back.”

Fang Tao was surprised and grateful when he saw the quilt.

He was worried about the cold night and what should his daughter do.

This quilt was like timely help.

As for him and several other disciples, they were all strong and healthy, so it was not a problem for them to get through the night.

As Fang Tao made his daughter’s bed, Lu Qing and the old doctor sat across from each other, separated by a curtain, on the other side of the hall.

A strange aura emanated from the old doctor, enveloping the two-meter radius around them.

“Master, you took the pulses of Master Fang and his disciples earlier. Is there anything amiss with them?” Lu Qing asked.

Strangely, his voice remained trapped within the two men, unable to travel beyond them. Even Wei Zian and Ma Gu, who were not far away, could not hear.

“Yes, I detected a trace of cold and evil energy in their bodies, especially in the injured Miss Fang. It’s more severe,” the old doctor nodded.

“Cold and evil energy?” Lu Qing was startled.

“Well, logically, they were just caught in the rain, at most catching a cold. But now, they’ve been invaded by cold and evil energy. This isn’t a good sign,” the old doctor said with a serious expression.

Lu Qing’s heart moved: “Master, you suspect that…”

“Today’s heavy rain was unusual in itself, and now it can also invade the human body with cold evil. I’m afraid it is very unusual.” The old doctor said.

“Ah Qing, you once said that the world is about to change drastically, and spiritual energy will revive at that time. However, judging from today’s rain, with the changes in the rules of heaven and earth, in addition to the revival of spiritual energy, I am worried that other things will also revive along with it.”

Lu Qing fell silent.

What the master said was not impossible.

After all, his understanding of the revival of spiritual energy came from the essays of Xiaoyao Sanren.

But Xiaoyao Sanren had never experienced the revival of spiritual energy, so no one knew the specific changes after the changes in the rules of heaven and earth.

Judging from today’s heavy rain, it is at least not just a simple revival of spiritual energy.

Lu Qing thought of the warning from heaven and earth that the master had sensed before, and his heart couldn’t help but feel a little heavy.

For a moment, both master and disciple fell silent.

(End of this chapter)