Chapter 313
Chapter 313
Lu Qing looked over and noticed a group of people gathered not far away, chatting idly. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be traveling merchants.
He was surprised that the news from Sacred City had spread throughout Zhongzhou so quickly. However, when he thought about the jade token Lin Zhirui had given to his master, he understood.
With the revival of spiritual energy, many cultivation methods had started to gradually reveal themselves. Communication jade tokens were likely to be collected by many sects. Even if they didn’t have those, there were some strange birds that could fly at extreme speeds, quickly delivering information.
The white vortex atop Sacred Mountain was so enormous and shocking that it was only natural that the news had spread throughout Zhongzhou in such a short time.
After some thought, he began walking towards the group.
"Uncles, this young man greets you."
The group, engrossed in their conversation, was suddenly interrupted by a gentle voice, clear as pearls and jade. They all paused and turned to look at Lu Qing, momentarily stunned.
At this moment, Lu Qing had passed through the Thunder Tribulation, stepped into the Precelestial Realm, and practiced the Body Refining Technique, becoming a true cultivator. Although he had fully retracted his aura, the extraordinary and refined temperament of a cultivator was still impossible to conceal.
The group of merchants immediately felt a stirring in their hearts. They instantly realized that this young man was no ordinary person, likely the scion of a prominent family or a disciple of a sect.
They dared not be negligent and quickly returned his greeting, "No need, no need, young lord, we are honored by your presence.""Uncles, I just overheard you discussing the strange phenomenon in Sacred City and the matters of the white wolf and white elephant. I am very interested. Could you kindly elaborate?"
Lu Qing asked politely.
"Of course, young lord, please have a seat."
One of the men quickly vacated his small stool, inviting Lu Qing to sit down.
Lu Qing did not decline and sat down.
"What would the young lord like to know?" someone asked.
"I’ve heard some things about the Sacred City event on my way here, but this is the first time I’ve heard of the white wolf and white elephant mentioned by you two uncles. Could you please elaborate?"
"So, the young lord wants to know about these strange beasts."
"Indeed, I have always been interested in rare and strange occurrences in the world."
"Well, the white wolf is quite something..."
The merchant, who was fond of talking and boasting, immediately began to speak with pride, especially now that a noble young man was seeking his knowledge.
"Some time ago, a white wolf appeared in the northern part of Zhongzhou. This wolf stood about ten feet tall, its entire body pure white without a single strand of mixed fur. Not only could it move as fast as the wind, but it also commanded a pack of wolves, maneuvering them as if they were an army. Some time ago, this white wolf led its pack to attack a small town in the north. That area belonged to the Guiyuan Sect. Later, Guiyuan Sect dispatched many elders and elite disciples to encircle and suppress the wolf. However, not only did they fail to capture the white wolf, but a few elders were injured, and the wolf easily escaped."
Even though the group had already heard about this, they were still astonished when they heard the details again.
"As for the white elephant, I heard about it from the townspeople in a southern town."
At this point, another merchant, who had traveled to the south, began to recount his tale.
"The townspeople said that a while ago, a giant white elephant appeared in the mountains. This elephant was unbelievably large, almost as tall as half a small mountain. Someone once saw it with their own eyes, and with just a flick of its long trunk, it shattered a boulder the size of a small mountain. Fortunately, the white elephant was not violent and didn’t intend to harm people, so the townspeople were spared."
"A white elephant as tall as half a small mountain—how tall must that be?!"
Upon hearing this, the group was once again shocked, finding it hard to imagine just how gigantic the white elephant must be.
Lu Qing fell into deep thought. If what these two said was accurate, then the changes in the world since the revival of spiritual energy were even more profound than he had imagined.
The white wolf and white elephant described by the merchants were clearly strange beasts born from the changes in heaven and earth. But whether they were natural spirit beasts like Xiao Li or had undergone a sudden transformation due to some fortuitous encounter was unclear.
Thinking of this, Lu Qing smiled and said, "Thank you both for your insights. By the way, I noticed that this uncle’s legs seem to be a bit troublesome?"
Lu Qing was referring to the merchant who had described the white elephant. The middle-aged man, with graying temples, was initially stunned but then showed a surprised expression.
"How did the young lord see that? Indeed, some time ago, I was traveling outdoors when a heavy rain suddenly fell. The rain continued for several days without stopping. In my haste, I braved the rain for two days. Since then, I’ve had trouble with my legs. Every night, the pain becomes unbearable, but during the day, it significantly subsides. I’ve seen doctors, but none could cure me. Fortunately, I can still barely walk during the day, otherwise, I would have had to give up my livelihood."
"You were caught in the rain back then, allowing the Cold Sha to enter your body, which then settled in your legs and could not be dispelled. That’s why the pain intensifies at night. The cold energy in the night resonates with the Cold Sha in your body, exacerbating your condition."
Lu Qing explained in detail.
He also thought that the rain the merchant mentioned might have been the Cold Sha Rain they encountered when leaving Jiuli Village.
"Does the young lord know medicine?"
The merchant’s eyes lit up as he saw how accurately Lu Qing diagnosed his condition.
"I know a little. If you don’t mind, uncle, I could treat you as a small gesture of gratitude for the information you just shared."
"Yes, yes, please treat me! Even if you make it worse, I won’t blame you!" the merchant quickly said.
"I won’t make it worse. Though my skills are not advanced, I’ve never harmed anyone with them."
Lu Qing smiled, taking out a needle pouch from his robes.
"Please remove your shoes and roll up your pant legs, uncle."
The merchant quickly took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pant legs. The others gasped as they saw the man’s legs. From the knees down, they were a deep blue-black. Even above the knees, there was a faint blue-black hue, which looked quite frightening.
Even Lu Qing was slightly surprised. It wasn’t the appearance that startled him but the fact that the Cold Sha had accumulated so severely. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to walk at all with such a condition, yet this merchant only showed slight discomfort. Considering he was just an ordinary man, not even a martial artist, Lu Qing couldn’t help but admire his willpower.
"Uncle, I will use acupuncture to expel the Cold Sha from your body. It might be a bit uncomfortable, so please bear with it."
"No problem, young lord, do whatever you need to. How could the pain possibly be worse than what I endure at night? As long as you don’t cut off my legs, do as you please." The merchant spoke nonchalantly.
This startled everyone, making them wonder just how much pain this man had endured to speak so lightly of it.
Lu Qing nodded and took out several silver needles from the pouch. He inserted the needles one by one into the merchant’s legs. Although he didn’t move quickly, his actions were fluid and natural. Even those who didn’t know much about medicine could tell that this young man had profound knowledge of acupuncture.
As for the merchant, he was even more amazed. Lu Qing had mentioned that the acupuncture might be uncomfortable, so he had mentally prepared himself to endure any pain. He was determined to grit his teeth and not cry out, no matter how painful it might be. However, as he watched the silver needles being inserted into his legs, he only felt a slight prick at the start, and then nothing more. Compared to the torment he had endured recently, this was nothing at all.
Though Lu Qing inserted the needles slowly, he was precise in his actions. Before long, both of the merchant’s legs were adorned with eighteen silver needles each. After all the needles were in place, Lu Qing gently flicked his hand, releasing a trace of spiritual energy to guide the needles.
Immediately, the thirty-six silver needles in the merchant’s legs began to hum and vibrate, emitting a brilliant silver light.
At that moment, the merchant’s eyes widened in shock. He felt his legs tingling and swelling, as if countless streams of heat were coursing through them, making him extremely uncomfortable. If he hadn’t gritted his teeth in time, he might have cried out in pain.
To the onlookers, however, the scene appeared quite different. They saw the silver light shimmering, and noticed the blue-black hue on the merchant’s legs being gradually forced downward. Eventually, the blue-black color gathered into two black lumps, each the size of a copper bean, at his big toes.
As soon as the lumps formed, Lu Qing quickly produced another silver needle and swiftly pierced the lumps. With a soft hiss, two streams of black blood spurted out, splattering onto the ground and releasing a dark vapor that quickly dissipated in the sunlight.
As the black blood was expelled, the merchant’s face immediately relaxed, showing an expression of
great relief, with no trace of pain remaining.
Seeing that the merchant’s legs were now free of the blue-black color, Lu Qing began removing the needles. His speed in withdrawing the needles was much faster than when he had inserted them. In the blink of an eye, he had collected all the silver needles and placed them back into the pouch.
"Uncle, try standing up and walking around. See if there’s anything wrong."
The merchant didn’t hesitate and stood up immediately, walking barefoot on the ground. Soon, a look of joy appeared on his face. His legs felt incredibly comfortable, and apart from a slight stinging sensation at the two wounded toes, there was no discomfort at all. The difference from before was like night and day.
He couldn’t contain himself any longer and dropped to his knees, kowtowing to Lu Qing.
"Thank you, young lord, for saving my life!"
Lu Qing was startled and quickly helped him up. "Uncle, there’s no need for such formalities. It was just a simple treatment for your leg ailment. No need for such a grand gesture."
With Lu Qing’s cultivation, the merchant naturally couldn’t resist his strength and was easily lifted up. However, the gratitude on his face didn’t diminish, and he even teared up as he recounted his suffering to Lu Qing.
"You don’t know, young lord, ever since I developed this leg pain, I’ve been tormented every night. As soon as night falls, the pain starts, and it gradually worsens as the night goes on. By midnight, the pain is so severe that I feel like my teeth are going to shatter from clenching them. To be honest, there were times when the pain was so unbearable that I seriously considered cutting off my own legs. But despite seeing many doctors, none of them could cure me. Some even said that my leg ailment was so bizarre that only a Precelestial Realm warrior could possibly cure it. But I’m just an ordinary merchant, how could I have the means to ask such powerful beings for help? So, I had given up hope and planned to return home and arrange my affairs before finding a place to end my life, to avoid further suffering."
As the merchant poured out his grievances, the onlookers felt both sorrow and fear, realizing how terrifying the Cold Sha was. They could hardly imagine the pain this strong-willed merchant had endured, to the point of wanting to take his own life.
"That’s why I say, young lord, you have saved my life."
As the merchant spoke, he attempted to kneel before Lu Qing again. However, Lu Qing was prepared this time and gently prevented him from doing so.
"I was just fulfilling my duty as a healer, uncle. There’s no need for further formalities."
Realizing that he couldn’t kneel, the merchant understood that Lu Qing was not an ordinary person, likely a powerful warrior. He then hurriedly reached for his money pouch, "Young lord, I must pay you for your services."
"No need, uncle," Lu Qing shook his head with a smile. "Consider this my thanks for the information you shared about the white elephant. It’s not easy for anyone to travel far from home. Besides, I didn’t use any medicine, so there’s no need for payment. The city gates will open soon, and my companions are waiting for me, so I must go."
With that, he didn’t give the merchant another chance to speak and lightly flashed out of the crowd, heading towards the carriage.
The group watched his graceful movement with admiration, their respect for this extraordinary young man growing even deeper.
"Brother, were you treating that uncle’s illness just now?" Little Yan asked sweetly as Lu Qing returned.
They had all been watching as Lu Qing performed acupuncture earlier.
"Yes, I was asking about something and noticed that uncle had some trouble with his legs, so I helped him with it," Lu Qing nodded.
Hu Zezhi’s eyes sparkled with admiration. To her, Lu Qing was always so helpful and kind-hearted, someone she could only aspire to be like.
The old doctor looked at Lu Qing with approval, pleased that he hadn’t forgotten his duty as a healer.
"By the way, Master, you heard what those two merchants were saying earlier, right?" Lu Qing asked.
The old doctor’s expression grew serious as he nodded, "Yes, I heard it. I didn’t expect there to be so many strange beasts appearing out there."
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