Fang Han immediately recognized the slightly haggard-looking middle-aged man in front of him as none other than Qiao Qianshan, the instructor who had given him a second chance at life at the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion.
However, Qiao Qianshan seemed completely unaware, his gaze merely sweeping over Fang Han without recognizing him.
Rewind to more than four years ago, when Fang Han was still an innocent and naive boy, studying diligently at the Dragon Abyss Sword Academy at the age of sixteen.
At that time, Qiao Qianshan was a renowned alchemist in the Longyuan Sword Mansion, with outstanding talent and admirable demeanor.
Time flies like an arrow; four years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Fang Han is now twenty years old. His figure has become more upright, and his face has lost its former immaturity, gaining a more mature look.
Qiao Qianshan, on the other hand, seemed to have been cruelly mocked by fate. His former high spirits were gone, and he was sickly, pale as paper, with endless weariness and loneliness in his eyes.
He was standing listlessly in front of the gate of the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion at the moment, so he did not recognize the once familiar boy.
Fang Han stood in front of Qiao Qianshan, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.
In his view, with Qiao Qianshan's extraordinary alchemy skills, even if he encountered some setbacks in the talent-rich Longyuan Sword Mansion, he would never have fallen to such a state.
Who would have thought that the once somewhat famous alchemist would now be a gatekeeper at the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion?
It should be noted that in the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion, guarding the gate is always a job done by servants, not by instructors.
"Instructor Qiao, it's me, Fang Han. It's been years! What happened to you?" Fang
Han could no longer suppress her doubts and concerns, and hurriedly asked.
He knew in his heart that in this life, apart from respectfully addressing his elders with "you," he had never used this honorific title to anyone else.
You should know that in his previous life, he was a powerful figure in the cultivation world who dominated Cangteng Dragon Star, with a far-reaching reputation that intimidated all sides.
Even though he was in this world on the Qiankun Continent, the elders and sect leaders of the three major sects in Tianyuan County were nothing more than ants in his eyes, and not worthy of his respect at all.
But he always held a heart of gratitude and respect for Qiao Qianshan.
Back then, Fang Han was unable to temper his body for a long time, and his cultivation path was full of difficulties. If it weren't for Qiao Qianshan's painstaking efforts to search for rare medicinal herbs and carefully refine a special body tempering pill for him, he would not have been able to temper his body at all.
If he hadn't successfully tempered his body, a few months ago, he would have been captured by Su Qianyu and the people of the Divine Doctor Valley and turned into a medicine man. With his weak body at the time, he wouldn't have been able to activate his innate true essence to fight back.
Then he would really be used as a medicine cauldron and refined alive.
At that time, his grand plan to return to Tenglong Star and avenge his family, which he had risked his life to be reincarnated in this Qiankun Continent in his previous life, will completely vanish.
"Fang Han? You...you are Fang Han?"
Qiao Qianshan was slightly taken aback when he heard Fang Han's voice. His previously somewhat cloudy eyes slowly focused on Fang Han. After carefully examining him, he asked with some uncertainty.
"Instructor Qiao, I am Fang Han, the real deal."
Fang Han said.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Qianshan gave a bitter smile, sighed, and slowly said, "I'm no longer an instructor; I'm just a gatekeeper now."
He paused, then asked, "By the way, is your dementia cured?"
"It's all healed now, thanks to the Body Tempering Pill you refined back then."
Fang Han nodded hurriedly, his eyes filled with gratitude, and then asked with concern, "How did you become a gatekeeper? What happened these past few years? How did things turn out like this?"
Qiao Qianshan shook his head gently, a hint of helplessness and vicissitude in his eyes, and sighed, "The past is like smoke, it's better not to talk about it. However, seeing that you have returned to normal, I feel a little bit of relief in my heart."
As he spoke, Qiao Qianshan slowly stepped aside, making way for the gate of the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion, and said, "Now that you've returned to the Dragon Abyss Sword Mansion, go in and take a look."
"I'm already a useless person, what's the point of investigating? What good would it do even if I found out?"
Looking at Fang Han's anxious expression, Qiao Qianshan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. But when he thought about his own situation, he couldn't help but sigh helplessly. His sigh was full of vicissitudes and loneliness.
However, he ultimately did not refuse Fang Han, allowing Fang Han to place his fingers on his pulse.
His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, a mixture of gratitude and helplessness.
A stream of pure true energy flowed slowly from Fang Han's fingertips, like a lively stream, and instantly entered Qiao Qianshan's body.
The true energy circulated and flowed through Qiao Qianshan's meridians, and wherever it went, the condition of the meridians could be clearly sensed.
A moment later, Fang Han frowned slightly, startled.
He discovered that Qiao Qianshan's meridians had more than a dozen injuries. Some of the injuries were extremely severe, as if the meridians had been severed by a sharp blade. They were not only broken but also completely blocked, like a once-flowing river blocked by countless boulders and silt, preventing the water from flowing normally.
Moreover, judging from the condition of these injuries, they are not new injuries, but rather old injuries that have accumulated over a long period of time.
These old injuries constantly threaten Qiao Qianshan's health. Now, let alone alchemy, Qiao Qianshan is probably already a cripple.
"Instructor Qiao, where did you get this injury?"
Fang Han's eyes were full of doubt and concern.
Qiao Qianshan simply shook his head slightly, his eyes darting around, and said, "Let's not talk about it anymore. It's a good thing that you're revisiting this place today. However, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, you should wear a mask. I'll show you around this Sword Mansion."
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