Reverse scale needle

The cold rain dripped incessantly, pounding against Xiao Yuxuan's burning forehead like countless fine silver needles trying to pierce the thick, viscous darkness surrounding his consciousness, a mixture of sulfur, blood, and the smell of burnt blood. Each labored breath tore at his ribs with excruciating pain; his lungs felt like they were filled with burning sand, each expansion bringing a searing, suffocating sensation. The skin on his back, scorched by the blast wave and scorching oil fumes from the "Fire Cabinet" explosion, sent waves of burning numbness and stinging pain through him. He felt as if he were sinking to the bottom of the icy Wei River, surrounded by endless crimson and the silent wails of the dead; the blood splattered from General Bai's suicide, the all-consuming smoke and smoldering fire at the mouth of Eagle's Sorrow Valley, and the bronze dagger stuck diagonally in the blood-soaked mud… Countless fragmented images spun and tore wildly in the darkness.

Just as he felt he was about to be completely swallowed up by the cold mud and the burning pain, a cool but unusually steady hand gently pressed on his burning forehead.

The touch possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly dispelling some of the chaos on the edge of his consciousness. Immediately afterward, an extremely faint yet incredibly clear warm current, like melting snow in early spring, slowly seeped into the depths of his chaotic, near-collapsed sea of ​​consciousness, flowing along the skin touched by that hand. This warm current wasn't overwhelming, but it possessed an indescribable resilience, gently yet firmly soothing the violently fluctuating pain, and untangling his thoughts, which had been churned up like a hurricane.

"...O soul...return...O spirit...guard the home..."

An aged, hoarse voice, with a strange rhythm, seemed to come from the depths of a distant valley, or perhaps it resonated directly in the depths of his mind. The voice was deep and slow, each syllable seemingly containing some ancient power, guiding that faint current of warmth through and soothing his broken body and chaotic mind.

Xiao Yuxuan's heavy, leaden eyelids finally managed to open a tiny crack with great difficulty.

What came into view was a grayish-white, gloomy sky filtering through the sparse foliage. The cold rain continued to fall persistently, lashing his face. His vision was blurry and shaky; he could only barely make out a vague figure crouching beside him. The figure wore a faded, mud-stained indigo robe, his hair casually tied back with a withered twig, revealing a smooth, broad forehead and a few damp strands of silver hair. Most striking were his eyes—deeply set in their sockets, the pupils a very pale, almost transparent gray, like the calm, still water of an ancient well, calm and undisturbed, yet so profound it seemed to reflect every scar on the soul's deepest recesses. It was Xuanweizi.

At this moment, Xuanweizi's gray eyes were focused intently on him. The index and middle fingers of his right hand were joined together, with a faint, almost imperceptible, pale blue halo like the morning mist swirling around the fingertips. He pressed them firmly against Xiao Yuxuan's ancestral acupoint between his eyebrows. The warm and peaceful current was flowing into him from there.

“The heart fire is too intense, the lung metal is damaged, the metal energy invades the meridians, and there is also internal filth and poison… To have endured this long is already a testament to his resilience.” Xuanweizi’s voice was like the rustling of withered leaves, stating the facts without any emotion, as if he were evaluating an object rather than a living person. His gaze swept over Xiao Yuxuan’s back, which was faintly visible beneath his tattered clothes and charred and reddish from the thick smoke, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. “Burning mountains and splitting rocks, the ferocious flames soar to the sky… This kind of murderous and malevolent energy has penetrated deep into the very skin.”

Xiao Yuxuan's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but only a hoarse sound like a broken bellows came from his throat, and he choked on a mouthful of black blood with a strong sulfur smell.

Xuanweizi withdrew his fingers from Xiao Yuxuan's brow, and the pale blue halo quietly dissipated. Ignoring Xiao Yuxuan's cough, his withered hand shot out like lightning, precisely gripping Xiao Yuxuan's left wrist pulse. The pulse transmitted through his fingertips was rapid as a galloping horse, yet heavy and dull as a knife scraping rotten wood. Furthermore, several distinctly different evil energies clashed and raged within his meridians—the sharp edge of battlefield combat, the burning heat of raging flames, the foul poison of raging fire and sulfur, and the lingering shock from last night's desperate escape and profound mental turmoil. These chaotic intertwined energies created a miniature battlefield within his body.

"Hmph." Xuanweizi let out a soft, ambiguous snort, a hint of seriousness flashing deep in his gray eyes. From an inconspicuous old leather pouch in his bosom, he took out several items: several bone needles of varying lengths, as thin as cow hair, gleaming with a cold, eerie light (*suspected to be made from the bones of some strange beast*); several dark purple grass leaves with dry, curled edges, emitting a strange, pungent aroma; and a palm-sized, warm-colored, dark green jade box.

His movements were so fast it was dazzling. First, he stuffed a few dark purple grass leaves into Xiao Yuxuan's mouth. A pungent, irritating, and refreshing sensation exploded in his mouth, instantly clearing Xiao Yuxuan's drowsy consciousness! Immediately afterward, Xuan Weizi picked up the longest bone needle and lightly dipped the tip into a thick, honey-like, emerald-green ointment in the dark green jade box. The ointment emitted a rich, strange aroma, a mixture of the bitterness of herbs and the stench of blood.

Without any warning, Xuanweizi flicked his wrist, and the bone needle, dipped in emerald green ointment, shot out like a viper's tongue, faster than lightning, and with unparalleled precision, pierced a vital point on Xiao Yuxuan's chest! The moment the needle pierced flesh, an indescribable pain mixed with bone-chilling cold, like an ice pick stabbing into Xiao Yuxuan's heart!

"Ugh—!" Xiao Yuxuan's body suddenly arched, letting out a scream that was not human! The pain was far worse than being stabbed by swords, as if his soul had been pierced and frozen by this needle!

Xuanweizi remained expressionless, his hands moving without pause. The second needle pierced the area near the old arrow wound under his ribs! The third needle pierced the acupoint on his back, near the lung meridian! Each needle strike was accompanied by Xiao Yuxuan's heart-wrenching screams and violent convulsions. The bone needles seemed to possess some strange power; with each insertion, they precisely stirred the chaotic and conflicting evil energies within his body, forcibly separating and expelling them from their entangled and tearing state! The emerald green ointment seeped into the acupoints along the needles, bringing an extreme, icy, stinging pain wherever it passed, as if forcibly freezing the burning meridians and internal organs!

The excruciating pain, like a raging tsunami, crashed against Xiao Yuxuan's remaining consciousness wave after wave. In the extreme agony, the thick smoke rising into the sky and the silent, spreading smoldering fire at the mouth of Eagle's Sorrow Valley, Ji Zhai's chilling question of "burning away the fire of one's conscience," the blinding blood rainbow as General Bai committed suicide by the Wei River, and that silent bronze dagger… all the images spun wildly before his eyes, shattering and overlapping! He felt like a fish nailed to a chopping board, mercilessly dissected and examined by these cold, bone needles. Every trace of "violence" and "poison" that had bred within him from killing, hatred, and confusion was forcibly stripped away and amplified by this inhuman method!

"To defy the heavens and forcibly lock away life is to seize the power of creation itself; how can one not feel pain?" Xuanweizi's voice, like a cold mountain spring, rang out amidst Xiao Yuxuan's agonizing screams on the verge of collapse, carrying an almost cruel calm. "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things as straw dogs. Life, death, decay, and prosperity are the natural cycle of the heavens. My actions have already defied the heavens! If one cannot even endure this mere prickling pain, why force this sliver of life? It would be better to return here, turning into a handful of bloody mud by the Wei River, at least that would be clean!" His words were like knives, each one piercing the heart!

Just as Xiao Yuxuan felt he was about to be completely torn apart by this boundless pain and his consciousness was about to sink into eternal darkness, Xuanweizi pierced the last needle—right on his ancestral aperture between his eyebrows!

"Buzz—!"

It was as if an invisible thunderclap had exploded in his mind! All the excruciating pain, chaos, and screams... were instantly suppressed and cleansed by an overwhelming, cold, and clear force! Xiao Yuxuan's arched body stiffened abruptly, and all the screams ceased abruptly. His bloodshot eyes widened, his pupils unfocused, staring straight at the gray sky above. The several wildly conflicting evil energies within his body seemed to be forcibly kneaded and compressed by an invisible force, temporarily imprisoned near several acupoints nailed shut by bone needles. Although still restless, they could no longer ravage his body. In their place was a near-numb exhaustion, as if utterly drained, and an unusual clarity, as if forcibly infused with a cold force.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, temples, and back, instantly soaking his tattered clothes and spreading into a dark puddle on the cold, muddy ground beneath him. He breathed heavily, each breath accompanied by a shiver of relief.

Xuanweizi slowly withdrew the bone needles, not even glancing at the tiny, eerie bluish-black blood droplets clinging to their tips. He casually wiped them clean with a coarse cloth and put them back into his leather pouch. He picked up the dark green jade box, used a thin bone pick to extract the last bit of emerald-green ointment, and evenly applied it to the burned areas on Xiao Yuxuan's back. The ointment, upon touching the wound, brought a cool sensation that penetrated deep into the bone marrow, temporarily suppressing the burning pain.

"The medicine can only temporarily seal the malevolent energy and toxins in your body and clear the blocked meridians. External injuries require rest, and your mind... you must control yourself even more." Xuanweizi packed his things, his voice returning to its calm and indifferent tone. "If you recklessly harbor murderous intent, arouse the aura of metal and spear, or lose your composure and experience another bout of shock, the medicine will be ineffective, and the malevolent energy will backfire, resulting in severed meridians and bleeding from all seven orifices in an instant."

Xiao Yuxuan lay sprawled on the cold, muddy ground, like a fish out of water, only his chest rising and falling weakly. He struggled to turn his eyes to look at Xuanweizi, squeezing out broken words from his hoarse throat: "Why...why...save me?" He remembered this Taoist priest, who had coldly observed the plague-ridden military camp and said, "The cycle of Heaven is cyclical; forcibly interfering may incur divine retribution."

Xuanweizi paused slightly as he wiped his fingers with a damp coarse cloth. He raised his strange gray eyes and looked towards the direction of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge deep in the dense forest—there, thick smoke still rose, though suppressed by the rain, it stubbornly lingered under the gloomy sky, like a huge, ominous brand.

"The Way of Heaven?" Xuanweizi's lips curled into a faint, almost self-mocking smile, a smile cold and desolate. "'Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.' This saying is true. However..." His gaze slowly moved down, landing on Xiao Yuxuan's face, contorted by pain and weakness, yet still retaining the last vestige of youthful stubbornness. Something seemed to flicker subtly deep within his gray eyes. "...Even among straw dogs, there is a struggle for survival. When I witnessed that pregnant woman's tragic death, I realized that the word 'cherishing life' is not empty talk. To stand by and watch someone die is 'following Heaven,' but also the cold indifference of 'inaction.' Saving you today is 'defying Heaven,' but also... a trace of 'rebellious spirit' still lingers in my heart."

He paused, his voice growing increasingly low, as if speaking to Xiao Yuxuan, or perhaps questioning the mountains and forests repeatedly ravaged by war: "'The Way of Nature'... What is nature? Plagues rage, corpses lie scattered, swords clash, blood flows like rivers... Is this the 'nature' that Heaven seeks? If 'nature' is the survival of the fittest, this endless slaughter and devouring, then this 'Way' is not worth following!" The last sentence carried a long-suppressed, almost indignant resolve, completely different from his usual indifference.

Xiao Yuxuan was stunned. The heavy struggle and transformation in Xuanweizi's words were like a faint light, piercing through the heavy gloom and self-loathing that had shrouded his heart due to the burning road at Yingchoujian. It turned out that this seemingly indifferent Taoist priest was not so unyielding after all.

Just then, a very faint bird call, with a special rhythm, came from deep in the dense forest, three short and one long, repeated twice.

Xuanweizi's gray eyes narrowed, instantly regaining their worldly-wise indifference. He quickly stood up, no longer looking at Xiao Yuxuan: "We cannot stay here long. With fires raging in Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, Qin scouts and the routed Di Rong soldiers will soon find us." He took out two dark red pills with a strong earthy smell from his old leather pouch and tossed them beside Xiao Yuxuan. "'Dragon-Hibernating Pills.' Chew one; it will boost your spirits and suppress your pain for several hours, helping you leave this place. Save the other for a life-or-death situation. Remember, this pill is like drinking poison; it depletes your vital energy. Be careful! Be careful!"

After speaking, Xuanweizi's indigo figure disappeared into the dense bushes like mist in the forest, leaving only cold rain and Xiao Yuxuan's heavy breathing.

Xiao Yuxuan lay in the cold mud, struggling to turn his head to look at the two dark red "Dragon-Slaying Pills." The pills exuded an ominous aura, like congealed poison. Xuan Weizi's final warning, "like drinking poison," still echoed in his ears. He closed his eyes, and the silent, spreading smoldering fire at the mouth of Eagle's Sorrow Valley, Ji Zhai's icy interrogation, Xuan Weizi's defiant confession, and the blood-stained locust tree buds by the Wei River... all intertwined and collided once more.

Live on! You must live on!

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. He grabbed a "Dragon-Hibernating Pill," shoved it into his mouth, and chewed it with all his might! An indescribable, domineering aura, a mixture of earthy, bitter, and spicy flavors, exploded in his mouth, shooting straight to the top of his head! Immediately afterward, a scorching, magma-like power erupted from his stomach, instantly surging through his limbs and bones!

"Ugh—!" Xiao Yuxuan groaned, his body arching like a shrimp! Wherever the scorching power passed, the numb wounds throbbed with excruciating pain, while his exhausted bones felt as if they were being forcibly injected with violent energy! His dazed mind was stimulated by the domineering medicinal power to become unusually clear, even with a kind of almost morbid excitement! The burns on his back, the old wounds under his ribs, the burning pain in his lungs... all the pain did not disappear, but was forcibly amplified and activated by the medicinal power, yet it was also suppressed by an even more tyrannical force! This feeling of consciously experiencing all the pain while being forcibly driven to stand up was more torturous than simple excruciating pain!

He gritted his teeth, his gums almost bleeding, and relying on the violent effects of the drug, he used his trembling, muddy, and blood-stained hands to grip the trunk of a small tree next to him, inch by inch, with extreme difficulty and swaying as he stood up! Every step he took felt like stepping on a red-hot knife, and cold sweat instantly soaked his entire body again.

Having determined his direction (the location of the Qin army camp), he leaned on a thick tree branch he had picked up at random, staggering along like a puppet, driven by the domineering and cruel power of the drug within him, towards the depths of the rain, towards that camp that represented temporary safety but also implied an unknown judgment. Behind him, the thick smoke rising from the direction of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, against the leaden sky, resembled a huge, silent scar.

When Xiao Yuxuan, like a ghost crawling out of hell, covered in mud and blood, exuding a strong smell of sulfur and blood, staggered onto the outpost outside the Qin army camp, it immediately caused a huge commotion.

"Who goes there?!" the crossbowman on the watchtower shouted sharply, and the cold tip of the bronze crossbow bolt instantly locked onto his swaying figure.

"It's...it's Xiao Yuxuan! The assassin who went to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge last night!" A sharp-eyed soldier recognized him, his voice filled with shock.

The news spread like wildfire through the oppressive camp. Soldiers poured out of their tents, staring in disbelief at their comrade who was barely recognizable. His tattered clothes were plastered with blood and mud, his exposed skin was covered with burns and abrasions, his face was an unnatural flush, forcibly induced by the drugs, his lips were cracked and purple, only his eyes, stimulated by the drugs, shone with an astonishing brightness, like two eerie flames burning, but deep within them lay a near-numb, lifeless stillness, washed away by repeated waves of pain and exhaustion.

Soon, a team of fully armed law enforcement officers, under the cold, iron-like gaze of the military judge, escorted the swaying Xiao Yuxuan to the front of the central command tent as if he were a serious criminal.

The felt curtain of the command tent was lifted, and Sun Qian strode out. He was still in his black armor, his face showing the fatigue of commanding the battle all night, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's. When he saw Xiao Yuxuan's appearance, his brows furrowed sharply, and a barely perceptible tremor flashed in his eyes.

"How about Eagle's Sorrow Gorge?" Sun Qian's voice was deep and direct, carrying an unquestionable authority. The surrounding generals, soldiers, and even the gloomy-faced military judge all had their eyes fixed on Xiao Yuxuan.

Xiao Yuxuan leaned on a tree branch, swaying slightly, but managed to steady himself. He took a deep breath; the scorching air, thick with the smell of sulfur and blood, stung his lungs. With all his might, he raised his head to meet Sun Qian's gaze, his hoarse voice like sandpaper scraping, yet clearly piercing through the rain:

"The road is burned...it's already...chaos reigns within the ravine..."

Those few simple words struck the hearts of everyone present with immense force! Success! Gu Yan's ruthless and vicious plan to burn the mountain and exterminate the family had actually succeeded!

A barely suppressed commotion erupted among the surrounding soldiers! Some eyes revealed the relief of surviving a calamity, others the satisfaction of avenging a great wrong, but most were filled with a complex mix of awe and fear. They looked at Xiao Yuxuan as if he were a demon who had crawled out of the flames of hell.

Sun Qian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he suddenly took a step forward: "The remnants of the Di Rong tribe?"

“Collapse…collapse…fire…smoke…cut off…retreat…” Xiao Yuxuan uttered broken words with difficulty. His body shook violently again due to the backlash from the medicine and the enormous consumption of energy. His vision went black in waves.

"Good! Good!" Sun Qian said twice, then turned around abruptly and gave a stern order to the generals behind him, "Send word! The entire army is ready! Crossbowmen and light infantry will be the vanguard, and immediately march to Yingchoujian! Smash the enemy while they're down! Make sure to annihilate the remaining enemy!" His command was filled with a long-suppressed ruthlessness and the excitement of about to reap the fruits of victory.

"Yes, sir!" The generals responded in unison and immediately dispersed to make arrangements.

Just then, the military judge, who had been observing coldly, slowly stepped forward like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait for a long time. His icy gaze, like a steel knife scraping bone, swept over Xiao Yuxuan, finally landing on the burns that were faintly visible beneath his tattered clothes and the strong smell of sulfur and blood emanating from him. A cold smile, undisguised and mixed with disgust and judgment, curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Xiao Yuxuan,” the military judge’s voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling quality that clearly overwhelmed the noise of the camp, “you have tampered with the general’s belongings, offended your superiors, and have an unresolved case! Last night, you even carried and used the Mo family’s forbidden weapon, the ‘Fire Cabinet,’ to carry out a poisonous plan that could burn mountains and split rocks! Such acts are violent and cruel, and are against the natural order! Moreover, you are tainted with the blood and ferocity of the defeated Di and Rong soldiers, your body is infected with filth and poison, and you look like a ghost! According to the Military Law and the Prohibition on Burning, this is a serious crime! You should be immediately detained and thoroughly interrogated! After the Battle of Eagle Sorrow Gorge is over, you will be punished for all your crimes and publicly executed to serve as a warning to others!”

The cold verdict, like a final death knell, thundered in Xiao Yuxuan's ears! Multiple crimes, punished according to the law! The military judge was finally going to take action against him, this "destabilizing factor"! The surrounding air froze instantly, and all eyes were focused on Xiao Yuxuan and the military judge.

Xiao Yuxuan's body swayed violently. The "Dragon-Slaying Pill" within him, which he had been forcibly maintaining, seemed to have reached its limit. A more intense wave of exhaustion and excruciating pain swept over him like a tsunami. His vision blurred, and he saw stars. He bit his tongue hard, a metallic taste filling his mouth, as he forcefully maintained the last shred of consciousness. He raised his head, his eyes, unusually bright due to the drug's effects, piercing through the rain and past the cold figure of the military judge, to look at Sun Qian, who stood silently before the commander's tent.

Sun Qian's gaze briefly met Xiao Yuxuan's. His eyes were extremely complex—there was recognition for Xiao Yuxuan's successful completion of the mission and turning the tide of the battle, shock at Xiao Yuxuan's current miserable state, dissatisfaction with the military judge's aggressive manner, and a deep, unspeakable weighing of emotions. He did not speak immediately, but his brows were furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously stroked the hilt of the sword at his waist.

“Your Honor,” Sun Qian finally spoke, his voice steady and devoid of emotion, “Xiao Yuxuan is seriously injured, and his contribution in burning the road last night is undeniable. Detaining him now might suffocate him, damaging morale. Perhaps…” He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Yuxuan’s swaying body, “...we should first send a physician to treat him, and once his condition stabilizes and the situation at Yingchoujian becomes clearer, we can then decide on his fate. What do you think, Your Honor?” It was still the wisdom of military strategy—"strategic maneuvering" and "diplomatic maneuvering"—a strategic retreat to buy time.

The military judge's eyes swept coldly back and forth between Sun Qian and Xiao Yuxuan, his hand on the hilt of his sword tightening and loosening. Sun Qian's suggestion was reasonable, and he couldn't refute it on the spot. Finally, he gave a heavy, cold snort, tacitly agreeing, but his icy gaze, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, was fixed on Xiao Yuxuan: "It is as General Sun says. However, this man is gravely guilty and corrupted; he must be kept under strict surveillance! There must be no mistakes!" After saying this, he gave Xiao Yuxuan a cold glance, as if looking at a prisoner awaiting death, and turned to leave.

Two guards stepped forward and roughly lifted the nearly exhausted Xiao Yuxuan. Just as he was being dragged away, Xiao Yuxuan's unfocused gaze inadvertently swept over a corner of the camp where supplies were piled up. Several wounded soldiers, recently rotated from the front lines, were huddled around a fire, warming themselves and talking quietly. They bore fresh marks of battle, and their faces still showed signs of shock.

"...That Eagle's Sorrow Gorge is incredibly strange! The fire didn't burn very big, but the smoke was deadly! And many Di and Rong soldiers died a horrible death, blood flowing from their mouths and noses, their eyes bulging out..."

"...I heard...the brothers who retreated said they found something at a fork in the ravine..."

"What is it?"

"A piece of...blood-stained coarse linen cloth, it looked like...a lucky charm? There was a crooked character embroidered on it, I couldn't make it out...it was just left at the crossroads leading to the horse farm..."

"...After finding that thing, Wu Tu and Mo Han's two groups immediately exploded! Wu Tu insisted that Mo Han was colluding with the Qin army, while Mo Han said that Wu Tu was framing him...They started killing each other! They were even more ruthless than when we attacked!"

The intermittent whispers, like subtle electric currents, pierced through the noisy rain and the excruciating pain, reaching Xiao Yuxuan's ears, which were on the verge of collapse. That blood-stained, coarse linen talisman he had hastily tossed aside… had it become the final spark that ignited the internal strife within the Di Rong tribe? Had Gu Yan's scheme to sow discord ultimately been "delivered" and "detonated" by him personally in this very way?

An indescribable sense of absurdity, mixed with Xuanweizi's provocative sigh, Ji Zhai's icy interrogation, and the burning pain from the domineering medicine within him, pierced his already exhausted soul like countless cold needles. His vision went black; his last shred of consciousness finally snapped. His body, like a puppet with broken strings, slumped limply in the arms of the enforcer supporting him, sinking into boundless darkness. Only the lingering echoes of the Wei River's mournful lament and the silent tremor of the bronze dagger in the blood-soaked mud remained in his ears.