Chapter 152 Calm Down "What, did I wrong you?"...
Listening to the wind, I knew that the Gu Master had gone, so I told Lin Mu to go back to his small courtyard in Pinglu first.
Originally, Tingfengzhi had arranged for them to return to Taihang Road together, but Elder He refused to stay there. The old man was too old to bother himself in the middle of the night. The life and death of Tingfengzhi and the Death Umbrella had nothing to do with him, and their grudges and entanglements were none of his concern. It was just these few kids who were eager to get involved.
Elder He waved his hand at Lin Mu: "If you want to leave, you can leave on your own. I'm not in a hurry."
Lin Mu hadn't expected the old man to be a hindrance at this crucial moment, so he went up and pulled the old man's arm out from under the covers: "Elder..."
"You brat, you're rebelling!" Elder He berated Lin Mu, but finally had no choice but to say, "I still have a few patients who haven't fully recovered. How can I abandon them halfway? Besides... I'll wait for Li Liuyun and those other brats. If they suffer because of their lack of skill in Shanzhou, I'll be here to cover for them."
"Yes, if his senior brothers were injured or something, Elder He could provide timely treatment in Pinglu." Lin Mu's nose tingled, and he immediately understood the elder's good intentions in not wanting to leave. Lin Mu was deeply moved: "Elder..."
"Get out of here, stop dawdling around. You're just an eyesore." Elder He said impatiently, shooing him away like a fly. "I've come all this way, I have to take you little brats back with me."
However, when Lin Mu returned to the courtyard in Pinglu and saw several of his senior brothers who were seriously injured and unconscious, the sky seemed to have fallen.
In the courtyard, Tang Yuan was busy washing one blood-stained garment after another and splashing out basin after basin of bloody water.
Tang Yuan's brother, holding a palm-leaf fan, paced around several pots of boiling medicinal soup, while a stranger nearby was grinding and pounding the herbs.
The unfamiliar face was the snake catcher who had been going up and down the mountain with the boys recently. It was he who had been hovering on the edge of danger, and it was only after the boys were injured or killed that he ran to find someone to save them. He happened to meet Tang Yuan's brother, who was on his way back to Pinglu, and was able to carry the boys back safely.
Fortunately, the treatment was timely and without any delay; otherwise, Wen Yi might have been the only one to die.
After listening to the snake catcher recount the entire incident, Lin Mu felt as if his blood had frozen, and his face turned even paler than a sheet of paper.
Elder He spent most of the night mending and sewing for the boys without closing his eyes for a moment. As soon as it was dawn, he went to the whole city to get medicine. Carrying large and small bags, he pushed open the courtyard gate and bumped into Lin Mu's eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's.
Elder He almost thought he was seeing things. Before he could even wonder why this brat had returned, he heard Lin Mu burst into tears: "Elder—"
Lin Mu rushed forward crying, burying his head in Elder He's arms, almost breaking the old man's bones.
"Waaaaah..." Lin Mu hugged Elder He and cried loudly, "Elder, thank goodness you were here."
Elder He had been so busy all night that he was dizzy from being bumped by this kid. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Lin Mu grabbed him with a sob and held him back, letting the brat hug his waist and cry so hard that he could hardly breathe, his tears and snot covering his chest.
"Elder... Senior Brother Wen Yi..."
Upon hearing the mention of Wen Yi, Elder He was immediately overcome with sorrow. The bundle of herbs he was carrying fell to the ground. He raised his aged right hand and slowly stroked the back of Lin Mu's head.
Elder He had dedicated his life to medicine and, at his advanced age, had witnessed countless births, aging, illnesses, and deaths. But these children were only fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years old, with Wen Yi not even an adult yet…
Thinking of this, Elder He was heartbroken by Lin Mu's crying. He comforted the boy who was lying on his chest, his haggard face looking even older.
Aside from a three-year-old who was naked, no other junior in the Taihang Mountains would hug him and cry like Lin Mu.
Lin Mu cried uncontrollably, unable to stop for a long time. There were still three lives in the house waiting to be saved. Elder He had no patience to watch him cry, so he pulled Lin Mu out of his arms and dragged him over to help apply the medicine.
Lin Mu wiped away tears while sobbing as he helped Elder He bandage his fellow disciples.
The stitched wounds were as gruesome as centipedes, filling Lin Mu with rage and causing his hands to tremble uncontrollably.
"I must kill Wang Xiang, I must kill the Gu Master," Lin Mu said hatefully, wiping his eyes which were blurred with tears. "I will kill them to avenge Senior Brother Wen Yi!"
After saying that, he slammed down the bamboo strips and turned to rush out.
Elder He shouted, "What's the rush? Shouldn't we save them first? Get back here and help!"
Lin Mu stood frozen in place, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Elder He didn't stop working, but said irritably, "Don't just jump to conclusions. Stop showing off your reckless courage."
If Li Liuyun and his companions could be defeated like this, how could he possibly kill that Gu Master so easily just because he showed off his temporary abilities?!
"I'm going to find Tingfengzhi..." Maybe Tingfengzhi has already caught up with the Gu Master and is going to kill him.
"How dare you!" Elder He suddenly flew into a rage, barely managing to hold back from smashing the medicine jar in his hand onto Lin Mu's forehead. "You guys are either dead or injured, lying in a row right under my nose, all because of him. How many lives do you have? You actually dared to try and get close to that blind man!"
Lin Mu's tears fell in a steady stream.
"That blind man is a jinx, and that evil spirit beside him brings misfortune to everyone who gets involved with him..."
"Elder!"
Lin Mu suddenly shouted, clearly telling him to shut up. Elder He was so angry that his temples throbbed with pain. He cursed inwardly at this worthless bastard, who was still defending outsiders even when his own people were dying and being injured like this!
Did he say something wrong?!
"You are all ruined by your hypocritical masters!" That's why you've raised such a bunch of dim-witted roe deer who don't know how to avoid danger and always end up in the most dangerous places.
What could be more important than one's own life?
Although he was a doctor, and had lived to a full head of white hair, he was a petty old man with a foul and stubborn temper, often disliked for his unreasonable behavior. So what if he was disliked? Who cared? Elder He stared at the half-dead boy on the bed, his heart aching. The old man hadn't even died yet, but a child who hadn't even grown up had died. He couldn't help but take his anger out on others.
"Alright, get out and watch the stove. Let Tang Yuan's brother come in and help me."
Lin Mu didn't go out to relieve them; it was his turn to take care of his senior brothers himself. After carefully treating all his wounds, he looked up and realized that it had started raining outside.
The rain gradually intensified, preventing those in the courtyard from getting dressed and moving stoves from becoming overwhelmed. However, Zhou Yaren, who was searching for the traces of the Gu Master in the canyon, was not so lucky.
The Gu Master and Wang Xiang had just escaped and were now nowhere to be found. Zhou Yaren searched along the valley without success and was soaked by the torrential rain.
If it weren't for the mishap on Liuyun's side, the Gu Master would never have suddenly appeared here. Zhou Yaren's heart was in her throat, feeling that she couldn't let him leave.
However, the elusive elephant blends silently into the river, drifting downstream, making it extremely difficult to track.
As they got further and further away from Pinglu, Zhou Yaren knew that the Gu Master and Wangxiang had already escaped. He had been fighting with two groups of people since last night and was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now, with the torrential rain, the dampness and cold seeped into his bones, and his not-yet-fully-healed knees started to cramp up, and Zhou Yaren almost couldn't hold on and knelt down.
He waded through the mud, one step at a time, until he reached an inn.
The shopkeeper sized up the man in blue, who was soaking wet, and couldn't help but wonder. There were many strange people these days; he had an umbrella but didn't use it.
Zhou Yaren asked for a guest room and hot water, took off her soaking wet clothes, and soaked in the bathtub completely naked.
As the hot water reached his chest, his stiff and cold muscles gradually relaxed, and fatigue and exhaustion surged over him like a tidal wave. He forced himself to wash himself from head to toe, washing away the blood and grime. Ignoring his wounds, he collapsed onto the bed, his wet hair covering the pillow. His heavy eyelids suddenly drooped, and before losing consciousness, Zhou Yaren reached out and hugged the Death Umbrella to his chest.
He drifted into a chaotic dream, in which he was imprisoned, suffering torture and torment, tossing and turning countless times, unable to find release even in death.
He struggled desperately, the iron chains binding him rattling loudly. Zhou Yaren, barely clinging to life, suddenly noticed something else attached to the end of the long iron lock.
He looked up in shock and saw a black umbrella with shackles fastened to the handle.
Suddenly, the black umbrella transformed into a white shadow.
Zhou Yaren suddenly opened her eyes and was caught off guard by the white figure that was so close to her.
Bai Yuan's skin was as white as frost and snow, and he was holding her tightly in his arms.
Zhou Yaren didn't know how long she had slept. The room was pitch black, without a ray of daylight. Even a blind person could see the innocent person next to her pillow without needing a light source.
Her black hair and long eyelashes were clearly visible.
He snapped out of his nightmare, pressing his forehead against Bai Yuan's cheek. Only then did Zhou Yaren's anxious soul seem to settle back into her body. Xu Zhangfang had been beheaded at the Three Gates, dead beyond any doubt. He could finally hold Bai Yuan in his arms and sleep soundly.
Zhou Yaren closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
Bai Yuan couldn't stand the restraint of having her hands and feet firmly confined. She subconsciously tried to break free and almost exploded, but stopped herself the moment she touched a bare hip bone, managing not to tear her flesh and break her bones as she was thrown off the bed.
After figuring out what was "binding" her at this moment, Bai Yuan calmed herself down for a while and was quite annoyed to find that the person in the quilt was completely naked and pressed against her.
Bai Yuan: "..."
There's no need to be so "frank".
The honest person was radiating an abnormal heat, with a slight fever, but fortunately there was nothing seriously wrong.
Bai Yuan's attempt to push him away and get up startled Zhou Yaren, who suddenly tightened his arms and hugged her tightly.
Zhou Yaren suddenly opened her eyes, meeting Bai Yuan's clear and calm gaze.
He slowly relaxed under Bai Yuan's calm gaze: "Awake?"
"Um."
Zhou Yaren explained, "I failed to catch up with the Gu Master, and it rained on the way, so I found this inn to take shelter."
Bai Yuan brushed him aside, sat up, and gave a cold "hmm".
Zhou Yaren sat up with her, gently entangled herself around her, and intimately embraced her from behind, preventing Bai Yuan from getting off the bed.
Zhou Yaren wrapped her arm around Bai Yuan's back and squeezed her wrist, which was tied with a red ribbon. She then moved her arm down along the wrist and squeezed between Bai Yuan's fingers, saying gently, "Bai Yuan, calm down and make me feel better too."
Bai Yuan turned his head and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye: "What, am I the one who wronged you?"
Zhou Yaren frankly said, "I really feel wronged."
Bai Yuan showed no mercy, shaking off the hand that had slipped between his fingers: "Xu Zhangfang is nothing to fear. You insisted on going to his grave, and you didn't even get to die at the Ghost Gate Pass. You think you've suffered a humiliation?!"
Bai Yuan's words were sharp and sarcastic, leaving Zhou Yaren speechless. She could only swallow back the words "I feel wronged."
“Zhou Yaren, if you had just informed us beforehand… we wouldn’t have ended up on this dead end.”
It wasn't a dead end, but it still forced him into a corner. Bai Yuan understood everything, but... fortunately, it wasn't beyond redemption.
Zhou Yaren lowered her eyes, looking somewhat submissive: "I understand."
It was precisely because he hadn't said a word beforehand and lacked the ability that he made that fatal mistake, enraging Bai Yuan. Zhou Yaren raised her eyes again and said in a low voice, "From now on, wherever I go, whatever I do, even if I'm contemplating suicide, I will ask for your consent first."
The injustice was abruptly abruptly resolved.
The quilt only covered Zhou Yaren's lower abdomen, and her old and new wounds were now fully visible, finally evoking a trace of pity in Bai Yuan.
Forget it, let's look away from this grievance. Why bother?
He had already done it, so there was no point in settling scores later. Bai Yuan didn't want to dwell on this matter, so he got up and got out of bed.
“It’s late at night,” Zhou Yaren said, reaching out to grab her hand before she could get a response. “Where are you going? Get some sleep.”
"I've had enough sleep," Bai Yuan said. "I'm going out for a walk."
Zhou Yaren refused to let go: "Don't go, let's talk some more."
"What do you want to talk about?" Bai Yuan didn't look at her directly. "Put your clothes on first." He couldn't exactly talk to her naked.
Zhou Yaren noticed that her tone had softened and was no longer as cold and hard as before. He said, "Your clothes are wet and you can't wear them."
Bai Yuan looked around and, sure enough, saw a pile of wet clothes next to the bathtub—no wonder the blind man was dressed like that.
Bai Yuanwu said, "Speak."
Zhou Yaren paused before speaking: "The Gu Master told me that the Wangxiang is the remains of the Undead..."
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