Chapter 66
Consciousness seemed to have been floating in an endless sea of suffering for thousands of years, and was finally pushed back to the shore of reality by a gentle but irresistible force.
The first thing he felt was pain. Not the soul-wrenching agony of ice and fire, but a heavy, dull ache that penetrated his bones and permeated his entire body, as if every inch of his flesh and bones had been shattered and then barely held together. This was followed by immense weakness, so much so that even lifting a finger required immense effort.
Gu Linzhi struggled to open his eyes, his vision taking a moment to focus. Above him was a rough rock dome, a faint light seeping through the cracks. The air was filled with the bitter aroma of herbs, mixed with moisture and a faint... lotus fragrance? He found himself lying on a stone bed covered with dry straw, covered by a plain white robe of a strange texture, slightly cool to the touch.
He tried to move, and a familiar pain rippled through his ribs. But the bone-chilling cold had vanished without a trace! Instead, there was a burning sensation left by emptiness, and a faint but real warmth coursing through his meridians. Did the Earth Flame Heart… that supreme yang power truly dispel the cold poison?
He suddenly recalled the tragic scene before he passed out—Mo Ya's last glance as he fell into the lava, Chang Wu's desperate cries, and the mysterious bell doctor...
"You're awake."
A cold, calm female voice echoed beside him. Gu Linzhi turned his head and saw the bell doctor sitting on a stone bench not far away, grinding some medicinal herbs by the dim light of a lamp. Her face was still covered with a white veil, revealing only a pair of calm, autumn-water eyes, as if the life-or-death struggle of last night had nothing to do with her.
"Mo Ya..." Gu Linzhi's throat was dry and hoarse, and he could hardly make a sound.
Doctor Ling continued grinding, her voice flat and steady, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. He has chosen his end." She didn't look up, her tone devoid of emotion. "The cold poison has cleared from your body, but the overbearing power of the Earth Flame Heart clashes with your own vital energy, severely damaging your meridians. You must rest for at least half a month, and do not recklessly activate your true energy. Otherwise, all your efforts will be wasted, and even a god cannot save you."
Gu Linzhi closed his eyes, a huge wave of grief and powerlessness surging in his chest. Mo Ya… that silent, loyal man, had ultimately saved him… and Su Wanwan… The number of lives he owed was growing.
"Where's Chang Wu?" When he spoke again, his voice was a little steadier.
"Stand guard outside." Doctor Ling put down the pestle, picked up a ceramic bowl, and poured the ground medicine powder into clean water to mix. "This is my temporary stopover. It's relatively safe. But the people from the East Factory and the Snow Spider Pavilion won't give up. You shouldn't stay for long."
She brought the prepared medicine to Gu Linzhi and said, "Drink it. It will strengthen your body and relieve the burning pain in your meridians."
Gu Linzhi took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp without hesitation. The medicine tasted extremely bitter and acrid, but after entering his stomach, it transformed into a gentle warm current, nourishing his parched meridians, and the burning sensation was indeed much lessened.
"Thank you... Senior for saving my life." Gu Linzhi put down the bowl and said solemnly. Whatever the purpose of this bell doctor was, she did save him twice.
Doctor Ling took the empty bowl and said calmly, "It's just a matter of necessity. You're still useful to others if you're still alive." Her words were still direct and almost cold. "Your companions will take you away soon. You'll take care of yourself as to what happens next."
After saying that, she no longer paid attention to Gu Linzhi, turned around and walked to the other corner of the cave, and began to pack up some bottles and jars, as if preparing to leave.
At that moment, Chang Wu came in from the cave entrance, his face tired, but when he saw Gu Linzhi awake, he was immediately surprised and delighted: "Master Gu! You're awake! That's great!" He walked quickly to the bedside and lowered his voice, "How are you feeling? That female...senior said that your poison has been cured?"
Gu Linzhi nodded, looked at Doctor Ling's back, and asked, "Senior, may I ask your name?"
Doctor Ling paused while packing her things. Without turning back, she spoke in a cold voice, "I have long forgotten the name. If you are lucky enough in the future, you may still hear the sound of the bronze bell." Before she finished speaking, she had picked up a simple medicine bag. With a flash of her figure, she disappeared silently into a more hidden passage deep in the cave, as if blending into the shadows, leaving behind only the faint lotus fragrance and the silence in the room.
He comes and goes without a trace, mysterious and unpredictable.
Chang Wu was stunned and whispered, "This senior... is truly a mysterious dragon that can only be seen from head to tail."
Gu Linzhi was silent for a moment, suppressing the many questions in his mind, and looked at Chang Wu: "How long have we been unconscious? What's the situation outside?"
"It's been almost a day and a night." Chang Wu's face grew serious. "There's been a lot of commotion over in Luoxing Valley. It's said that lava has erupted, and half of the valley has collapsed. Many people from the East Depot have been killed or injured, so they shouldn't be able to investigate here for the time being. But there's a secret signal coming from Master Luo, and the situation isn't good. News has come from Shengjing that the Emperor... seems to have acquiesced to Cao Wushang's accusations against you. The arrest warrant has been issued, accusing you... of colluding with the Northern Di, smuggling refined iron, and having ulterior motives! Your former subordinates in Jingbei and some officials who spoke up for you have all been suppressed! Cao Wushang is making every effort to wipe out the remnants of 'Shadow Scale' and the forces associated with you! I'm afraid the Snake Fang Cave where Master Luo and his men are hiding won't hold out for much longer!"
Gu Linzhi's heart sank. The worst had happened! Cao Wushang had indeed seized the opportunity to attack, and the emperor... ultimately, for the sake of so-called "stability," he had chosen to sacrifice him as a pawn, even going so far as to distort the truth and pin the charge of colluding with the Northern Di on him! Was the injustice of those 70,000 heroes really going to be buried forever?
A fiery rage, mixed with the remaining yang energy of the Earth Flame Heart, surged and burned in his chest! The feeling of weakness remained, but deep within those empty meridians, a new, more concentrated power seemed to be slowly growing. Grief and anger did not destroy him, but instead, like a hammer, forging him into a harder state.
He can't die here! Mo Ya's death can't be in vain! Su Wanwan's death can't be in vain! Feng Zijing's death can't be in vain! The 70,000 heroes of the North can't sacrifice in vain!
"We must meet up with Luo Manzi as soon as possible." Gu Linzhi struggled to sit up. The wound under his ribs and the severe pain all over his body made his forehead sweat instantly, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. "The box must not fall into Cao Wushang's hands!"
"But your health..." Chang Wu said worriedly.
"I won't die." Gu Linzhi gritted his teeth and imitated Mo Ya's calm and resolute tone, "Help me up. Let's set off immediately."
…
With Chang Wu's support, the two left Doctor Ling's makeshift academy. It was already midnight outside, the stars and moon dimmed, and the mountains and forests were silent. Relying on Chang Wu's familiarity with the terrain and Gu Linzhi's exceptional willpower, they trudged through the rugged mountains, avoiding official roads and towns with potential checkpoints.
Gu Linzhi's physical condition was extremely poor. Every step felt like treading on a knife's edge. The burning pain in his meridians and the tearing sensation in his wounds tormented him constantly. But he gritted his teeth, uttering no groan, only occasionally pausing to gasp for air. The Earth Flame Heart had reshaped his foundation, but it also left him vulnerable.
Two days later, they finally arrived at the Snake Fang Cave deep in the swamp without any danger.
Seeing Gu Linzhi return alive, Luo Manzi and the dozen or so remaining Cao Gang men were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes. But when they saw Gu Linzhi's pale face and the state in which he needed someone to support him to stand, and heard the news of Mo Ya's martyrdom, their joy was instantly replaced by heavy grief and indignation.
"Minister Gu! You..." Luo Manzi's eyes were filled with tears. He looked at the bandage under Gu Linzhi's ribs that was bleeding again, and his voice choked with sobs.
"I'm fine." Gu Linzhi waved his hand, his eyes immediately falling on the camphorwood box quietly placed in the corner of the cave, "I'm glad the box is okay."
He walked over to the box, running his fingers over the cold, rough wood grain, feeling the weight of the contents. Inside, held the evidence to redress the injustice, but also the hopes and sacrifices of countless people.
"I know everything about what's going on outside." Gu Linzhi turned around, leaning against the cold box, his eyes sweeping across the tired yet resolute faces in the cave. "Cao Wushang is confusing right and wrong. Your Majesty... perhaps he has his reasons. But the blood of 70,000 brothers in the North cannot be shed in vain. We cannot allow evil spirits to run rampant in this world!"
His voice was not loud, but it carried a calmness and strength that had been tempered by life and death, and it was clearly heard by everyone.
"We are weak now. A direct confrontation is like hitting a rock with an egg. But we are not without bargaining chips." Gu Linzhi's eyes sharpened. "The evidence in this box, the confession that Ge Ping paid for with his life, the information left by Su Wanwan, and... we are still alive!"
He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood. "The reason Cao Wushang can act so recklessly is because he relies on the power of the East Factory and His Majesty's... tacit approval. But to bring him down, there's more than just confronting the imperial power directly."
Luo Manzi and others were cheered up and looked at Gu Linzhi with burning eyes.
"Grain transport." Gu Linzhi spat out two words. "The transportation of fine iron to the north is inseparable from grain transport. Cao Wushang is colluding with the Yunze Society and the Snow Spider Pavilion, and their network is spread all over the grain transport route. What we need to do is not to go directly to the Golden Palace to file a complaint, but to cut off their minions and tear off their disguise from the root!"
He looked at Luo Manzi and said, "Boss Luo, you still have some prestige in the Cao Gang. Perhaps you can contact those brothers who are still suspicious of Ge Ping's death and dissatisfied with Cao Wushang and the Yunze Society that now controls the grain transport?"
Luo Manzi nodded heavily, his eyes ablaze with fighting spirit: "Yes! Master Ge is dissatisfied with his brothers, and there are many people who secretly disobey the Yunze Society! It's just that there was no leader before..."
"Alright!" Gu Linzhi interrupted him. "Contact them immediately and secretly. There's no need to rush into rebellion. Simply gather evidence of Cao Wushang and his gang using the canal to smuggle goods, exploit the people, and interact with the Northern Di people. Spread the evidence and create public pressure."
He then looked at Chang Wu and several other clever men. "You two should split up and find a way to anonymously deliver some of the evidence we have, such as Ge Ping's confession transcript and Su Wanwan's intelligence about the Yunze Society's collusion with Cao Wushang, to several well-known censors in the Censorate, as well as... several students and old friends of Master Feng Zijing. Don't accuse Cao Wushang directly. Just state the facts and let them investigate on their own!"
"Then...what about His Majesty?" Chang Wu hesitated.
A cold glint flashed in Gu Linzhi's eyes. "Your Majesty...someone will speak to him." He thought of the owl token taken by Doctor Ling, and the potential backup plan Su Wanwan might have left behind, one even he didn't know about. "What we must do now is expose the truth to the world, and expose Cao Wushang and the forces behind him to the light of day! When public outrage boils over and the court debates rage, even Your Majesty can no longer blindly protect them!"
He stood up straight, and although his face was still pale, a spark that could start a prairie fire had already ignited in his cold eyes.
"Organize our personnel and take stock of all the resources we can mobilize. Our counterattack begins from this canal!"
"It's time for the evil spirits of the Great Yong Dynasty to... have a taste of the iron fist."
Inside the cave, everyone looked at the former Jingbei Commander and Shadow Scale Commander in front of them, who seemed to have returned from hell, scarred but with astonishing momentum. The long-lost passion and hope in their hearts were ignited again.
Though the lone spearhead is broken, its sharpness remains. A dragon hidden in the abyss will surely soar to the sky.
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