Chapter 84: First Kill Notification
Lu Xiaofeng's return successfully brought Hua Manlou the antidote, but it was neither from him nor from the divine physician Xue who came with them.
Lu Yusheng learned for the first time that in addition to his skill in wielding a sword, Ximen Chuixue also had the ability to detoxify.
Once she confirmed that Hua Manlou's body had begun to recover visibly, and that his stiff and numb right hand could slowly bend, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After regaining her senses, besides immediately thanking Ximen Chuixue's cold and handsome face, she also began to regain her lost manners.
He looked at the stranger he had previously ignored: "And who is this old gentleman?"
Naturally, she couldn't expect Ximen Chuixue to introduce her to someone, so Lu Xiaofeng wisely took the initiative to recount her experiences over the past few days.
"We couldn't explain things clearly in just a few words over the communicator, and we weren't sure what Hua Manlou's condition was. We were both anxious and worried on our way, but we heard someone say that a miracle doctor had come to the area, so we stopped and decided to try to seek his help."
He paused, then raised his hand to introduce the doctor, his tone becoming even more polite: "This is the legendary physician Xue, known in the martial arts world as 'Enemy of the King of Hell.' Upon hearing the whole story, Elder Xue readily agreed and came with us all the way here."
However, it was unexpected that Hua Manlou's injuries could be healed by Ximen Chuixue's antidote pill alone, making it completely unnecessary for him to take action.
At this moment, Xue Muhua seemed to have finally lost his temper, and stepped forward to grab Hua Manlou's shoulder: "So it was you who killed Xingxiu Old Monster?!"
Lu Yusheng hadn't yet paid attention to the content of his words, and was only somewhat puzzled by his excited mood.
But when she saw that Doctor Xue's hand was always on Hua Manlou's shoulder, his ten fingers gripping so tightly that they almost dug into his flesh through the fabric, she felt a pang of heartache when she thought of the injury that had just healed on his right arm.
Knowing that the other person was likely upset but wouldn't say anything because of their respect for the elderly and love for children, Lu Yusheng walked directly to the two of them and subtly took the old man's hands from him.
He then explained, "Please don't get agitated, Doctor. In the battle with Ding Chunqiu, we only seriously injured him; we didn't kill him."
The old man, whose face had been straightened, gradually regained his composure, showing no sign of the "excitement" she had described. He affirmed, "When I said he was dead, it was because I had received definite news."
Seeing that the girl supporting him hadn't let go yet, seemingly considering the credibility of his words, he added, "He's my martial uncle, Xingxiuhai... I also have people I've planted there."
Lu Yusheng's heart sank to the bottom with those words. His hands involuntarily tightened, his face turned ashen, and he stammered, "I...I killed someone?"
Xue Muhua's expression changed almost simultaneously with hers.
This girl has such strong hands.
Because of his medical practice, his hands were originally well-maintained; his ten fingers were pale yet supple and delicate, creating a stark contrast with his aged face.
But once he came to his senses, he no longer cared about the slight pain in his hand.
"You're saying you killed Ding Chunqiu?"
"I..." Lu Yusheng was still reeling from the shock of becoming a murderer after twenty years of law-abiding behavior. His voice was filled with anxiety as he tried to explain, "I didn't mean to kill him. He wasn't dead when he was taken away..."
Hua Manlou was standing next to Lu Yusheng. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, he immediately put his hand on her shoulder.
Feeling the warmth of her lover's body beside her, she finally let go of Doctor Xue's wrists, which had been squeezed until they were red.
Unlike the harsh treatment she gave herself, Xue Muhua clearly saw the young girl gently and tenderly holding Hua Manlou's arm with both hands. Even through the sleeves, the movements were extremely light and precious.
"I killed someone, and I killed an old man." Her voice was choked with sobs.
"He deserved it!"
At this moment, Xue Muhua couldn't care less about the pinch he had been in earlier, and hurriedly corrected Lu Yusheng's misconception: "Ding Chunqiu has slaughtered the martial arts world for so many years and done so many bad things. How can he be compared to an ordinary old man?"
Ximen Chuixue, who had been listening silently for a long time, calmly spoke up: "Since you say your uncle is Ding Chunqiu, then who is your master?"
"My master's name is Su Xinghe, and people in the martial arts world call him Mr. Congbian." As he said this, Doctor Xue's tone was not without pride.
Sikong Zhaixing seemed to vaguely recognize the name and asked in surprise, "A deaf-mute old man?"
It's not that he used rude language; in fact, in the martial arts world, the title "Deaf-Mute Old Man" is more prestigious than "Mr. Clever Argumentation."
Xue Muhua gave a bitter laugh first: "That's right." When he spoke again, his tone couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment: "But my master wasn't born deaf and mute; he was forced into it by that villain Ding Chunqiu!"
“He seriously injured my ancestor and forced my master to pretend to be deaf and mute, unable to speak for decades. Little girl, you think Ding Chunqiu is old and pitiful, but my master is his senior brother and my ancestor is his mentor. Aren’t they all older and more pitiful than him?”
Upon hearing this, Hua Manlou's expression was slightly moved. He himself was blind, and by putting himself in others' shoes, he could understand the pain of being forced to pretend to be deaf and mute.
Xue Muhua knew that the girl was most likely killed by mistake, but the result was still gratifying. As for the slight sympathy he felt for Ding Chunqiu because he knew very little about him, he could correct it in time.
Then he praised her, saying, "Young lady, you are chivalrous and courageous, and a young hero. You have rid the world of a great villain for countless oppressed people. It is a great blessing that the martial arts world of the Central Plains has more chivalrous figures like you."
Hua Manlou raised the arm that Lu Yusheng wasn't holding and gently patted her shoulder to comfort her, saying, "It's not your fault. You came to this because of me."
Although he also regretted the loss of life, he knew that if Lu Yusheng hadn't intervened, it was very likely that the two of them would have died.
The current outcome is simply because the power of the mechanism exceeded her imagination, as well as the imagination of everyone present.
Even with people trying to comfort him, Lu Yusheng felt that it would probably take him a long time to recover.
Although it is said that "heroes break the law with their martial arts" and that people in the martial arts world may act impulsively when their blood boils, in fact, none of the friends she had the most contact with had any experience in killing.
It seems that only Ximen Chuixue would kill treacherous villains in order to uphold the way of the sword and the justice in his heart, but he did not kill indiscriminately.
Xue Muhua was clearly unable to empathize with her at all. After saying those words, he couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter: "Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes!"
Seeing that Lu Yusheng still looked depressed, Sikong Zhaixing walked closer and said, "Don't worry. You didn't do it on purpose, and you didn't kill any innocent people. If the news of Xingxiu Old Monster's death gets out, I wonder how many people will applaud."
"That's right, that's right."
Xue Muhua immediately agreed. Although he hadn't personally cleaned up the sect, once the news got back, his remaining fellow disciples would definitely celebrate for days and nights.
At this moment, Sikong Zhaixing also harbored more resentment towards Doctor Xue, who had told her this cruel truth, and ignored him.
She quietly turned Lu Yusheng's face and said seriously, "If you really can't accept it, just pretend I killed him. No one will avenge him anyway, and even if they did, they wouldn't recognize me."
"Revenge?" Old Xue seemed unable to bear hearing even the slightest positive news about Ding Chunqiu, and completely disagreed that he had such personal charisma.
After snorting through his nose, he retorted, "Old Monster Xingxiu has made countless enemies in his life. Do you think the remaining disciples of Xingxiu Sect are all respectful and virtuous? Once the master died, those disciples scattered like birds and beasts. Who would bother to avenge him? They probably killed each other to divide up his belongings."
Lu Yusheng was still immersed in the fear and unease of committing the crime. Now, he could hear Hua Manlou's gentle words in his left ear, while on his right, Doctor Xue was shouting and arguing with Sikong Zhaixing in front of him.
Surprisingly, I felt calmer in such a chaotic environment.
She glanced at the faces of these people one by one. Hua Manlou looked at her with a worried expression. Sikong Zhaixing and Xue Muhua were still having a tug-of-war about Ding Chunqiu's interpersonal relationships.
A little further away, Ximen Chuixue's expression remained indifferent, but it was said that he would take the initiative to kill some disloyal and unfilial bad people, so he should not mind his actions.
Finally, his eyes met Lu Xiaofeng's smiling gaze. Lu Xiaofeng nodded at him, showing no sign of blame.
So she nodded and returned a somewhat forced smile.
Seeing that Lu Yusheng's gaze was fixed on him, Lu Xiaofeng broke his silence and coughed lightly to interrupt their conversation.
He looked at Hua Manlou: "I have been traveling for three days straight without eating or drinking, and I dare not stop. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I am relieved."
As soon as he finished speaking, his stomach rumbled in response.
Hua Manlou was naturally moved, but the deep affection between him and Lu Xiaofeng was unspoken and they understood each other perfectly. If their positions were reversed and Lu Xiaofeng were the one poisoned, he would also tirelessly search for a way to save him without sleep or food.
So I won't say any more thank-yous, but I can't help but sigh, "Don't do this next time. No matter what, your health is the most important thing. A person can't last long without eating."
Lu Yusheng suddenly realized, yes, Hua Manlou had successfully cured the poison, and he was definitely not the only one who felt relieved.
They must have belatedly felt their hunger rising, so naturally they should let the other party rest properly first.
Even if Hua Manlou was grateful, he would definitely be too embarrassed to say anything like inviting them to a restaurant in front of her.
Because he knew he wouldn't leave, and he didn't like eating takeout food all the time.
Thinking that he had been worried about the injured these past few days and had been neglecting the food, and that he had limited energy and had not been able to cook much, which had also caused Sikong Zhaixing to drink nourishing soup for several days, and that many of the ingredients he had bought were piling up, Lu Yusheng decided to prepare a big meal for them.
But before that, I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Doctor Xue is so old, why are you letting him travel on an empty stomach with you?"
Lu Xiaofeng gave a wry smile: "I had thought of taking a short break, but if I slowed down even a little, Mr. Xue would urge me on, so I dared not delay any longer."
He had initially thought that the doctor was worried about his injuries and had even secretly admired his benevolence as a physician. Now it seemed that there was also a strong element of wanting to see his benefactor who had personally killed his enemy.
Lu Yusheng nodded, clearly indicating that everyone present now understood why Doctor Xue was so anxious.
I was going to ask Ximen Chuixue, but looking at his calm and detached appearance, he should be able to survive on flower petals and dew, so it's normal that he's not hungry.
Unbeknownst to her, her attention had been subtly diverted by Lu Xiaofeng, and the heavy feeling of having killed someone had also dissipated somewhat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
