Chapter 128

Ou Yan's caravan traveled for a few more days. Although the sect's elders hadn't arrived yet, elite disciples from the Lotus Escort Agency and Misty School's strongholds in the surrounding towns had arrived. Ou Yan's safety could be considered guaranteed. After that, Aunt Qin issued an order for the nearby sect's disciples to follow the river and search for Zhang Xiaohua's body. There would be a great reward if they found it. Thus, other than the disciples who had a mission, everyone else followed the river to search.

However, until the seventh day, when Li Jian, Li Laoer, Liu Qingyang, and Liu Laowu rushed over from Ping Yang City and received Ou Yan's carriage, there was still no news from Zhang Xiaohua.

Was Zhang Xiaohua dead?

Or alive?

On that day, that night, and that moment, Zhang Xiaohua was struck in the chest by the black-clothed elder and immediately fainted. Her body was sent flying and fell diagonally towards the river. Zhang Xiaohua was originally running towards the river with Ou Yan on her back. The place where they exchanged blows wasn't far from the river. Zhang Xiaohua's body was small and the black-clothed elder's palm strength was vigorous. Although this palm strike couldn't directly send Zhang Xiaohua into the river, only half of her chest was left on the river bank. At that time, the river was so turbulent. In less than a moment, the river water rushed towards Zhang Xiaohua's legs and dragged her into the river. By the time He Tianshu searched for her, Zhang Xiaohua had already been washed far away.

Speaking of which, Zhang Xiaohua was lucky. If the black-clothed elder's palm strength had increased by just a bit, Zhang Xiaohua would have directly fallen into the river with a "plop". Then, she would have sunk and been washed away. On the other hand, Zhang Xiaohua's legs entered the water first. Her upper body was dragged into the water, but her head was above water. Otherwise, even if she wasn't beaten to death by the black-clothed elder, the river water would have drowned her.

The unconscious Zhang Xiaohua's body was extremely relaxed. Thus, it was very easy for her to float on the river.

At this time, it was already midnight. The unconscious Zhang Xiaohua was once again in a flickering dream. However, it was unknown if he could see it.

In the darkness, Zhang Xiaohua floated in the water and flowed down three thousand feet with the current.

However, this Zhang Xiaohua's drifting was different from others. Generally, when someone fell into the water, they would first float for a period of time. They would either sink into the water or reach the shore and be stranded there. This was what Aunt Qin and the others had imagined. Thus, they had the disciples search along the river.

However, this Zhang Xiaohua was different. It was unknown whether it was because she was still small, or because her body was light, or because she was having a flickering dream. Her small body seemed to be weightless as she floated in the river. The small sword she held tightly in her left hand also seemed to have lost its usual weight. Zhang Xiaohua's body was like a floating wooden board. She was as fast as the current.

Thus, when He Tianshu sent people to search for her the second time, Zhang Xiaohua had already been washed to an unimaginable distance. Later, the people He Tianshu sent only found a distance that they thought was "far" based on their experience. However, this "far" was something that Zhang Xiaohua had already surpassed.

At daybreak, the rain still hadn't stopped. The river became even more turbulent. Zhang Xiaohua floated on the river like this for an unknown distance.

When it was almost evening, Zhang Xiaohua finally floated to a roundabout bend in the river. It was unknown how far this place was from the place where Zhang Xiaohua had fallen into the water.

Beside the river bend was a simple straw hut surrounded by a few fences. In the open space of the straw hut, there was a wooden frame that extended into the river. At this moment, there was a girl about ten years old sitting there, holding a fishing rod in one hand and propping up her cheek with the other. Her eyes were listless as she stared ahead. The girl was wearing a light yellow dress and was very neat. Her long black hair was tied up from the top of her head with a handkerchief and casually scattered behind her head. The girl's face was like a duck's egg. Her eyes were big and there were small eye bags. Her skin was fair and there was a dark red beauty mark at the corner of her mouth. This girl wasn't extremely beautiful, but her clear black and white eyes and slightly raised eyebrows showed her imposing temperament without a doubt.

At the girl's age, it wasn't the season of spring yet, so why was she frowning?

At this moment, the fishing rod in the girl's hand seemed to have caught a big fish and slipped out. The girl didn't seem to have noticed. Suddenly, a loving voice came from the straw hut. "Silly child, if you're distracted again, not only will you not catch the fish, your fishing rod will also be stolen by the fish."

Only then did the girl wake up from her dream. She quickly grabbed the fishing rod that was about to slip out of her hand. When she raised her eyes to look into the river, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Abbess, it's a dead person."

"Eh?"

The person in the house exclaimed and walked out. It was a kind-looking old woman in her fifties. She wore extremely clean moon-white clothes and there was a long sword hanging from her waist.

The old woman quickly walked to the front of the frame. When she looked carefully, at the end of the fishing rod, on the hook, wasn't it the unconscious Zhang Xiaohua?

The girl looked at Zhang Xiaohua's "corpse" and sadly said, "Poor child, he probably fell into the water like me. His family must be very sad if they can't find him."

As she spoke, she seemed to have touched something in her heart. The worry on her face became more obvious.

The abbess looked at the "corpse" in the water and said, "Then let's fish him out. Although we don't know where he fell into the water, it rained heavily last night and the river has risen a lot. It won't be easy to find where he came from. Why don't we bury him here so that he won't be soaked in the water and become food for the fishes and turtles."

The girl's miserable expression didn't lessen. She only nodded and used her strength to pull the fishing rod back. When Zhang Xiaohua was pulled to the shore, the abbess walked closer and didn't avoid anything. She stretched out her hand to pull Zhang Xiaohua's arm. Fortunately, the frame on the water wasn't very high and the water had risen a lot today. The abbess leaned forward slightly and grabbed onto Zhang Xiaohua's arm.

The abbess grabbed onto Zhang Xiaohua's arm and was about to use her internal energy to pull him to the shore. Suddenly, she looked happy and shouted, "He's still alive."

When the girl heard this, she was also very happy. She quickly came over to help. However, she was small and weak. What could she do to help?

Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua's body wasn't heavy. The abbess only used one hand to pull him out of the river. She was just more careful than before.

When the abbess saw that the girl wanted to help, she smiled and said, "Go boil some water and make some ginger soup.

This child has been in the water for who knows how long. He must be cold. Drink some ginger soup to dispel the cold. "

When the little girl heard this, she skipped and ran away. The worry between her eyebrows seemed to have lessened a little.

When the abbess carried Zhang Xiaohua to the straw hut, she changed his wet clothes and wrapped him in a thick quilt. Then, she carefully checked his pulse and used her internal energy to check his body. Her expression became even more serious.

At this time, she saw that Zhang Xiaohua's left hand was tightly holding onto the small sword. She tried to pull it out with her hand but it didn't budge. She then put Zhang Xiaohua's left hand and the small sword in his hand into the quilt.

When the girl walked into the straw hut with the bowl, the abbess was still frowning. She seemed to be thinking about something. The girl carefully asked, "Abbess, what happened to him?

Can he still be saved? "

When the abbess saw that the girl was worried, she smiled and said, "He didn't fall into the water for no reason. He suffered a very serious internal injury and was thrown into the river by someone."

When the girl heard this, she became even sadder and said, "He's about the same age as me. Who could he have offended?

It must be a bad person who caused him to be like this. Abbess, aren't you a martial arts expert? You must save him. "

Hearing the girl's words, the abbess couldn't help but feel ashamed. She had been in the martial arts world for too long. Her considerations were too complicated. Just now, she was actually thinking whether this youth was a bad person. She couldn't see it clearly as a little girl. How could a teenager be a bad person?

Since this was the case, how could she not save him?

Thus, the abbess ordered the girl to go out and put a wooden basin in front of the kang. Then, she helped Zhang Xiaohua up and put him in a meditative position. Then, she sat behind Zhang Xiaohua and put her palms on his back. She then used her sect's unique healing method to help Zhang Xiaohua heal the injury from the light golden palm.

Not long after, Zhang Xiaohua's face gradually became rosy and there was a faint steam rising from his head. The abbess' right palm pulled out and immediately Zhang Xiaohua's back. Then, she used more strength and with a "pa" sound, she slapped his shoulder. Zhang Xiaohua's mouth opened and he spat out a few mouthfuls of blood into the wooden basin. Most of the blood was black and had already solidified.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua spit out the blood clots, the abbess let out a long breath. She withdrew her palms and carefully laid Zhang Xiaohua flat on the kang. At this time, Zhang Xiaohua's face was slightly rosy and his breathing was also slightly stable. His forehead was covered in sweat and there were signs that he was alive.

The girl quickly took the wooden basin out and poured the dirty blood into the river. When she returned to the house, she carefully asked, "Abbess, is he cured just like that?"

The abbess smiled and said, "How can it be that simple?

I only forced out the clogged blood. He has never practiced internal energy and his meridians are still blocked. Using internal energy to treat him won't be very effective. Only medicinal stones are the best way to treat him. That's the skill of a doctor and I can't do it. But where can we find a doctor in the wilderness?

The nearest town is a day's journey away and he'll have to use his qinggong to get there. How can he withstand the bumpy journey with his injuries?

I'm afraid he'll lose his life before he reaches town. "

The girl frowned and said, "Then what should we do?"

The abbess continued, "I don't know which bastard injured this child, but the attack was very vicious. All the organs in his body have been displaced. If the injury to his heart was even a little heavier, he would have died long ago. However, he was probably thrown into the river. During this period of floating in the water, it was like sleeping on a kang bed. The organs in his body were not damaged and are already recovering slightly. I still have a few good healing pills here, I'll give it to him in a while and see the effects. Now, the only thing we can do is to rest quietly and see how his luck is."

The girl seemed to understand and nodded slightly. She looked at the ginger soup that had already turned cold and said, "Should I still feed it to him?"

The abbess smiled and said, "That won't do. Just now, he thought he slipped and fell into the water. The ginger soup can dispel the cold, but now he has internal injuries. This ginger soup is something that stimulates the body. If we let him drink it, won't he die?

You'd better change it to some plain water and feed him some pills later. "

The girl obeyed and went to get some plain water. The abbess took out a white porcelain bottle and carefully opened it. She poured out a thumb-sized black pill from the bottle and then pried open Zhang Xiaohua's teeth. She stuffed the pill into his mouth and washed it down with plain water. Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua still had the consciousness to swallow, the abbess became more confident.

Zhang Xiaohua's arrival did not affect the abbess and the girl's lives too much. The abbess still went out in the morning and came back in the evening. She would only check on Zhang Xiaohua's condition at night and feed him a pill. The girl would stay in the straw hut and either stare blankly or wander around aimlessly. Most of the time, she would sit by the river with a fishing rod and fish with a lot on her mind.

Only the river was turbulent every day. She did not know where it rained. However, nothing else appeared in the river and she did not catch any fish.

A few days passed like this and the weather became colder. It was almost winter and the girl could not stand the cold. She already wanted to start a stove in the straw hut.

The abbess's originally calm mood started to become irritated. Her brows would frown from time to time. She seemed to have encountered a huge problem.

The girl seemed to have noticed the abbess's abnormal mood. She really wanted to ask but did not know how to start.

That night, after the abbess fed the last pill to Zhang Xiaohua, the girl asked: "Abbess, your pills are gone. How are you going to feed him tomorrow?"

The abbess took Zhang Xiaohua's pulse and sent a wave of internal energy into his body to check. She said: "There are only so many pills. If there is an effect, then it is enough. If there is no effect, then it is useless no matter how many pills there are."

The girl was a little worried and said: "Then how is he now?

Is there any effect?

Don't let our Baba fish him up and bury him. That would not be worth it. "

The abbess smiled and said: "Saving people is the process. There is no guarantee that there will be an outcome. With a merciful heart, it is enough.

However, you don't have to worry. This child recovered very quickly. It is beyond my expectations. His life should not be in danger. I just don't know why he has not woken up.

If this goes on, it will not work. I still have to return to the sect before the end of the year. You also have to go with me. I cannot leave you in the deep mountains.

But, if he still does not wake up, do we have to take him with us? "

The girl smiled and said: "Then let's take him with us.

If you take me in, then I will take in another. "

The abbess patted her little head and said: "You make it sound so easy. My sect has always taken in women and not men. Even if there are male disciples, they are mostly outer sect disciples. Moreover, I have never thought of taking in a male disciple."

The girl spread out her hands and said: "Then we can only take him with us. We will send him to the nearest town and let him fend for himself."

The abbess said: "Don't try to provoke me. Let's not talk about sending him to the town first. If he fends for himself, with his situation, once he reaches the town, he will self-destruct."

The girl blinked and said: "Then, maybe he will be fine before you finish your task?"

The abbess smiled and said: "There is no 'maybe'. When I looked for that place, it was already …" At this point, she suddenly realized something and smiled bitterly, saying: "You little girl, if you want to ask, just say it. Why are you beating around the bush? However, this matter involves a lot of things. I cannot let you know for now.

Even if others ask, you can't say anything more, understand? "

The girl said disapprovingly: "I understand, abbess. I will keep your secret."

The abbess knew that she did not take it to heart, but did not point it out. She continued: "It seems that my task will not be completed this time. However, I have long been mentally prepared. I will continue to do it in the future. Let's wait a few more days. Looking at the time, we can still make it back to the mountain."

The girl pouted and said: "I will listen to you, abbess. I have nowhere to go anyway."

The abbess patted her head and said lovingly: "It's okay. You will have a place to go in the future."

Two days later, in the wee hours of this day, when the morning sun shone brightly, Zhang Xiaohua, who had been unconscious on the bed of the straw hut, suddenly opened his eyes. In his black eyes, a ball of light flashed and disappeared.

Zhang Xiaohua, who had just woken up, looked at the unfamiliar cottage in front of him and felt very strange. However, after thinking for a while, he roughly knew how he felt. He tried to turn over and sit up, but when he lifted his chest slightly, he immediately felt an unbearable pain in his chest. He could not help but groan and lie back down on the bed. Thus, he turned his head and looked around. He opened his mouth and wanted to call for someone, but just as he was about to speak, his chest also hurt. He could not shout loudly and could only call out softly: "Is there anyone?"

His voice was very weak, like a cat's meow. Who could hear it?

Luckily, Zhang Xiaohua could still move his arm. Just as he wanted to move, he realized that his left hand was still tightly holding onto the small sword. Zhang Xiaohua sighed with emotion as he held the small sword in front of his eyes with difficulty. Looking at the familiar toy, he once again had doubts in his heart. What exactly was this?

Was it really a toy?

Normally, when practicing sword moves, it would be understandable to stab into a tree or a rock. However, the martial arts of the old man in black was something that even the disciples of the Ethereal Sect could not stab into his body with a long sword. For this small sword to be able to stab into his body so easily, it was really inconceivable. Moreover, this small sword was not sharpened.

Zhang Xiaohua was thinking when he suddenly heard a clear voice: "You are awake?"

Zhang Xiaohua turned his head to look. There was a little girl standing at the door with a figure similar to his. Her face was like a duck's egg, and it was a little red from the cold. Her big eyes were flashing with a trace of surprise, and she was holding a fishing rod in her hand. Zhang Xiaohua was puzzled. Was this the child of a fisherman?

She went fishing early in the morning to make a living?

However, she did not look too beautiful, but the temperament between her eyebrows could not lie. What kind of fisherman's child would be so imposing?

Sure enough, the girl quickly put down the fishing rod and shouted: "Wait here, I'll tell the master now."

After saying that, she turned around and ran out. Her black hair fluttered, leaving behind a beautiful scenery.

Not long after, the master quickly walked over and said happily: "God bless, you finally woke up in time. Let me take a look first."

After saying that, she walked to Zhang Xiaohua's kang and took his pulse. Then, she transferred a strand of true qi into Zhang Xiaohua's body and said: "Not bad, child. You have recovered very well. In these ten days, you were actually able to recover half of your injuries. Your body is really not ordinary. You are full of vitality.

Sigh, it's good to be young.

You can recover so quickly from your injuries. "

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