After Xiaoyu confirmed that the "thing" in the corner of the pond was a person, Zhou Yuanyuan hurried over.
There was a passage about 50 centimeters wide between the two pools, also made of bluestone. Zhou Yuanyuan was anxious, so she tiptoed and "floated" to the person's side in an instant.
I don’t know how long this person has been in the pool, he seems to have lost consciousness.
As Zhou Yuanyuan approached, she was startled by what she saw. "He" sat cross-legged at the bottom of the pool, his entire body submerged in the medicinal concoction, yet he managed to tilt his head upwards, leaving his nostrils above the surface for air. He was shirtless. From her perch at the edge, Zhou Yuanyuan could see the dark brown concoction swirling around him, bubbling and gurgling like boiling water.
Every time a bubble burst, it would bring a piece of flesh and blood from this person's body. In the medicine juice near "him", pieces of flesh floated in it, and the blood dyed the medicine around "his" body a dark red, emitting a bloody smell.
Strangely enough, the man's skin and muscles corroded away layer by layer under the influence of the medicinal juice, only to slowly creep back again. In some places, the flesh couldn't grow faster than it did, and in some places on his back, you could even see the white bones.
Zhou Yuanyuan's scalp tingled at the sight, yet she didn't dare to pull the man out of the pool hastily. Xiaoyu had said the medicinal juice in the pool was used to cleanse the marrow and remove hair. It was obvious that this man was taking a medicinal bath, but she didn't know why he was enduring such pain.
Zhou Yuanyuan felt an indescribable sense of familiarity towards the man in front of her, who looked completely different. Although she couldn't tell who he was, Zhou Yuanyuan felt that he must be someone she knew very well.
Could it be Brother Ziqing? Zhou Yuanyuan's mind flashed back to the scene of Taoist Baopu storming into Wen Ziqing's yard. Zhou Yuanyuan had been running to the back mountain with Xiaoyu and the Chaos Pearl for almost half an hour. In that half hour, if Taoist Baopu had wanted to harm Wen Ziqing, he would have done it. Zhou Yuanyuan's heart was filled with panic and regret at the thought. If only she hadn't gotten angry with Brother Ziqing at the time, with her around, even if Old Man Baopu wanted to do anything to Brother Ziqing, it would have depended on her consent!
Looking at the suffering people in the pond, Zhou Yuanyuan was in turmoil. She knew clearly that Brother Ziqing didn't like He Jingjing, so why was she jealous? If... If Brother Ziqing was really hurt by Taoist Baopu because of her negligence, Zhou Yuanyuan felt that even she would never forgive herself.
Zhou Yuanyuan took out a handkerchief and tried to wipe the bloody face of the man in the water. Her hands were shaking violently, and she was really scared.
"Master, this isn't Wen Ziqing." Xiaoyu sensed Zhou Yuanyuan's fear and conflict and quickly searched her memory for the person's soul power fluctuations. Xiaoyu carefully memorized the soul power fluctuations of the people Zhou Yuanyuan cared about. Using soul power fluctuations to confirm a person's identity was Xiaoyu's special skill.
As soon as Zhou Yuanyuan's handkerchief touched the man's face, the man seemed to feel it. He opened one eye with great effort and uttered a word anxiously from his broken lips: "Little Miss, go quickly."
The man's voice was very soft, but it was like a huge thunder dropped on Zhou Yuanyuan's heart, making her dizzy for a second.
Zhou Xi! This person turned out to be Grandpa Xi!
Didn't Zhou Xi follow Wu Xiuyun to Yushan Sect to cultivate immortality? Oh, and when Zhou Xi left, he said his master was none other than Taoist Baopu. How could this cunning old Taoist, Baopu, torture her grandfather like this?
Zhou Yuanyuan felt as if her heart was being gripped by a big hand, causing waves of twisting pain.
Zhou Xi had been with General Zhou for decades. Although not a member of the Zhou family, he was closer than family. After more than fifty years of companionship, General Zhou had grown accustomed to having Zhou Xi by his side. Zhou Yuanyuan had witnessed General Zhou's loss after Zhou Xi's departure.
Zhou Yuanyuan was also thinking that after finding out about Wen Ziqing's "disappearance", she would find an opportunity to go to Yushan Sect to negotiate with Taoist Baopu and bring Zhou Xi back to Kyoto.
But now, seeing the once energetic Zhou Xi slumped in the pool like a rag, Zhou Yuanyuan felt deeply distressed. She knew that Zhou Xi's visit to Yushan Sect was due to her coma. It was only because of her desire to seek help from Baopu Taoist that Zhou Xi agreed to become his disciple.
If Taoist Baopu wanted Zhou Xi to practice cultivation with him, why did he torture him like this? Zhou Yuanyuan was puzzled.
However, seeing Zhou Xi dying in the pool, Zhou Yuanyuan had to put aside all her doubts.
"Xiao Yu, think of a way quickly to save Grandpa Xi's life!" Zhou Yuanyuan didn't know what to do to save Zhou Xi, so she had to ask Xiao Yu for help.
"Master, please give him a little of Xiaoyu's innate spiritual energy. These medicinal juices will not only not harm him, but will be of great benefit to him." Xiaoyu was already prepared when she realized that the person in the pool was Zhou Xi. Xiaoyu's spiritual energy came from the same source as the thousand-year-old chalcedony, but it was hundreds of times more powerful. With Xiaoyu's innate spiritual energy, the medicinal juice in the pool would become milder, and Zhou Xi would not have to endure so much pain.
"Xiaoyu, thank you." Zhou Yuanyuan didn't know how else to thank Xiaoyu except to say thank you. Xiaoyu had been with Zhou Yuanyuan for so many years, yet Zhou Yuanyuan had always done less for her, while Xiaoyu had given more for her. Over the years, almost all of the innate spiritual energy Xiaoyu had cultivated had been spent on Zhou Yuanyuan's close friends and family. First, Wen Yiran, then General Zhou, and now Zhou Xi.
At this moment, Zhou Yuanyuan deeply regretted that she had usually treated cultivation as an insignificant matter. After her rebirth, Zhou Yuanyuan usually focused most of her attention on her family. For Zhou Yuanyuan, cultivation had become a side job.
Because of this mindset, Zhou Yuanyuan wasn't diligent in her cultivation. During the day, she enjoyed living an ordinary life, busy with school and spending time with her family. Xiaoyu never urged her to set aside time for cultivation. At night, when Zhou Yuanyuan didn't feel like practicing, Xiaoyu would at most grumble a little, but she would still let her sleep.
Zhou Yuanyuan reflected on how much she owed Xiaoyu over the years. Her lack of ambition had hindered Xiaoyu's progress. Furthermore, with the addition of a Chaos Orb to the contract, Zhou Yuanyuan would have to share a portion of her spiritual energy with the Chaos Orb, effectively putting Xiaoyu at a disadvantage.
Zhou Yuanyuan knew that Xiaoyu had been indulging her, but she took Xiaoyu's indulgence as an excuse to be lazy.
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