Qiu Yutong gently opened the inner curtain and looked inside.
Lu Xiao was lying on the bed against the wall, his eyes were closed, his face was extremely pale, and there was a bit of dark blood on the scattered snow-white clothes on his chest.
Qiu Yutong felt a slight pain in his heart, he barely endured the weakness of his legs, walked over cautiously without any noise, and sat down beside the bed.
“Shizun…”
His little apprentice frowned, his expression looked like he was in pain. He looked extremely uncomfortable even when asleep.
Qiu Yutong was a little afraid of waking Lu Xiao up, but he was really distressed. After hesitating for a moment, he gently stroked his little apprentice’s hair with a hint of comfort.
It was just such an extremely gentle touch that Lu Xiao shuddered suddenly, then opened his eyes in a daze.
His expression was very dazed, as if he was not fully awake yet, “Shizun?”
Qiu Yutong looked at his little apprentice’s eyes, his heart was sour and soft. That pair of dark eyes were misty, and looked at himself anxiously and perplexedly, looking extremely helpless.
He felt an indescribable distress for a while, and even regretted using Lu Xiao’s blood, but he had no choice but to comfort him softly, “Shizun is here.”
Lu Xiao stared at him blankly, and suddenly said hoarsely, “… I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” Qiu Yutong blinked inexplicably, “Xiao-er, what nonsense are you talking about?”
He simply wondered if Lu Xiao had a fever, and couldn’t help but touch his little apprentice’s forehead.
Eh, he doesn’t seem to have a fever?
With cold fingers on his warm forehead, Lu Xiao trembled violently, his eyes finally became clearer, “Shizun.”
“En, I’m here,” Qiu Yutong replied casually, and then asked suspiciously, “You don’t have a fever. Are you drowsy?”
Lu Xiao turned his head away with a guilty conscience, as if he didn’t dare to look at Qiu Yutong, “It’s nothing.”
Qiu Yutong looked at Lu Xiao seriously for a moment but didn’t discover anything unusual. He guessed that his little apprentice had lost a lot of blood and was still confused.
Thinking of this, Qiu Yutong couldn’t help sighing: “Xiao-er, these days, you have suffered.”
”No,” Lu Xiao lowered his head and muttered.
”Well, you should go, go back and rest.”
……
That night, a downpour of torrential rain suddenly started, the bright lightning flashed one after another, and the dull rumble of thunder rolled across the sky in waves, as if a chariot ran over his heart.
Qiu Yutong closed his eyes and meditated on the bed, he carefully felt the tiny strands of spiritual power in his body, like the trickle of water in a small stream, scouring his delicate body over and over again.
“Knock knock!” Two knocks sounded on the bedroom door.
Qiu Yutong opened his eyes and looked towards the door.
Lu Xiao stood at the door of the bedroom, his slender fingers tugged on a pillow tightly, and his eyes wandered even more: “Shizun, I… can I sleep with you?”
“How old are you?” Qiu Yutong was a little speechless and felt it was a little funny. Till today, this kid obviously didn’t like to be close to people, but in a thunderstorm, he was still exactly the same as when he was eight or nine years old.
In fact, when Lu Xiao was in his teens, when there was a thunderstorm he came to hide under his blankets, he was not happy, and reprimanded him twice. Now, Lu Xiao was even bigger than him, but he looked at the pale face of his little apprentice and thought about his blood. Qiu Yutong really couldn’t refuse.
But… he was too big, wouldn’t it be too crowded?
Qiu Yutong didn’t answer for a long time, and Lu Xiao called out softly again: “Shizun.”
His voice was low and hoarse.
“Ah,” Qiu Yutong sighed helplessly and patted the bed next to him, “Come here.”
Lu Xiao’s dark pupils lit up slightly, and he quickly strode over, placing the pillow on the bed. “It’s so late, I’ll make the bed for Shizun.”
Qiu Yutong covered his mouth and yawned a little: “Okay, it’s time to sleep. Still the same as before, you want to sleep inside? Well, there is a quilt in the cupboard, take it yourself.”
This kid was so big now, obviously he couldn’t sleep with him in the same bed as he did when he was a child. Fortunately, there were extra quilts in the cabinet.
“En.” Lu Xiao pursed his lips, took out the quilt from the closet, and laid out it carefully.
Qiu Yutong sat aside, watched him adjust the bedding, and his eyelids drooped.
“Shizun, it’s done.”
“Oh.” Qiu Yutong was too lazy to say more, and threw the outer robe at the end of the bed, “slipped” into the quilt, rolled around in the quilt again, and found the most comfortable position to curl up in, then sighed with satisfaction. He muttered, “It’s really comfortable.”
Lu Xiao looked down at him, his dark pupils were gloomy.
Qiu Yutong didn’t know what his little apprentice was doing, so he said, “Xiao-er, the lights are out, hurry up and sleep.”
“Ok.” Lu Xiao came back to his senses, lightly blew out the oil lamp, and, with some rustling, lay beside Qiu Yutong.
That night, the torrential rain “crackled” on the window, the bright lightning criss-crossed, and the thunder exploded one after another. Qiu Yutong didn’t sleep well and had many strange dreams.
In the dream, it seemed that someone was whispering something in his ear.
“I will stay very good…I can even give my life. I, I really have no way…I just think that in a hundred years, there will be a companion, and he will also… …I can’t wait to kill that person, I wish I had killed that person right away”
The voice was very light, very low, very indistinct, it was far and near… Qiu Yutong slept in a daze, he didn’t understand what it meant, he just felt it was very noisy.
“Oh…” He rolled over randomly, he wanted to drive away the annoying voice.
The voice really stopped.
After a long time, something cold and soft touched his lips very lightly. That slightly trembling touch seemed to be extremely attached, extremely longing, and extremely painful.
“I’m sorry…”
……
The next day, Qiu Yutong went to Xu Qiushi’s courtyard on time every day to be baptized with the “Five Elements Washing Marrow Soup”.
The dragon’s blood medicine bath for seven days and seven nights before had exorcized the Ice Jade Bloodworms in his body, and today’s “Five Elements Washing Marrow Soup ” would wash away the illness and strengthen and cultivate his vitality.
Of course, to Lu Xiao, Xu Qiushi only said that the last day’s medicinal bath was a great tonic soup after washing the bone marrow.
After the medicated bath on the last day, Qiu Yutong sat on the bed with his eyes closed, he felt the incomparably pure spiritual power, slowly buffering and brushing his completely clear spiritual veins, as if the tide was full of vitality, and it was inexhaustible.
That distant and familiar feeling was almost from a previous life.
This body had finally washed away the illness, and now it was only necessary to practice slowly.
Qiu Yutong slowly opened his eyes and said sincerely: “I really can’t repay the kindness of the Eldest Master for giving me a new lease of life. If the Eldest Master has any use for me, please feel free to say it.”
Xu Qiushi rolled his eyes: “I’m not scheming anything, I’m just doing this for my father’s sake.”
Qiu Yutong was silent for a moment, then reluctantly said: “If my father knew that I was ungrateful, he wouldn’t be happy.”
Xu Qiushi said impatiently: “It’s alright, let’s keep this promise for now. In the future, if I think of anything, I will tell you again, by then don’t use all sorts of excuses. “
Qiu Yutong nodded solemnly: “I’ll obey your orders.”
……
Time flew so fast, and in a blink of an eye, it was the end of the month.
This day was the twenty-eighth day of the lunar month, the day Xu Qiushi went to fetch his bride.
Early in the morning, the entire Medicine Monarch Manor was busy, there were lanterns everywhere, it was full of joy. The housekeepers, maids, apprentice pharmacists, servants, and old women went in and out, they were busy setting up a banquet in the front yard
In the front yard of the Medicine Monarch Manor, there were hundreds of tables full of banquets, but it was too early, and the dishes had not yet been served, but there were already many exquisite cakes on the table for the guests to enjoy.
Xu Qiushi was standing at the entrance of the front yard, waiting for the sedan car team to pick up the sedan chair, to immediately go to Bifeng Cliff to fetch his bride.
This eccentric Eldest Master also put on a bright red groom’s outfit today, and a smile actually appeared on the face that had looked sour for many years.
Qiu Yutong walked in front of Xu Qiushi, he smiled and cupped his hands: “Congratulations Eldest Master.”
Xu Qiushi was actually a little embarrassed, he scratched his head cluelessly, and a blush appeared on his thin face: “Hehe, thank you.”
While talking, joyful music was played, and the sedan chair team was ready.
The fat matchmaker urged, “Eldest Master, the auspicious time has come, it’s time to get up in the sedan chair to fetch the bride! Bifeng Cliff is twenty miles away, and if you are late, Miss Duan will be too anxious but she can’t say it, and you will not be able to come back by noon!”
“Hey, hurry up and get up the sedan chair!” Xu Qiushi turned over and stepped onto a jujube-red horse, and hurriedly said.
Qiu Yutong looked at Xu Qiushi’s hurried back, and couldn’t help laughing till he shook, “Even this great doctor Xu can’t escape love, this is really…”
Lu Xiao looked at the big red sedan chair that was far away, but didn’t speak for a long time.
“Shizun, after cultivating for two hundred years, have you never… ever been in love?” he suddenly asked.
Qiu Yutong was stunned for a moment: “I’m practicing sword cultivation, and during my time practicing sword cultivation, I had no time for love.”
“Hasn’t Shizun thought about it?” Lu Xiao asked stubbornly.
“Eh, this…” Qiu Yutong blinked, not knowing how to answer.
It’s not that he never thought about it, but there were no women in North Snow City at all. After arriving in the human world, he had been bringing Lu Xiao this “little oil bottle*” , and there was really no chance to develop feelings.
[T/N: oil bottle refers to children from a previous marriage.]
“Shizun?” Lu Xiao stared at him closely.
The young apprentice’s aggressive look made Qiu Yutong slightly uncomfortable, but he couldn’t say anything, so he turned and walked into the manor: “What are you talking about? Let’s go, don’t stand at the door stupidly.”
Lu Xiao pursed his lips and followed.
Seeing that the red sun was gradually reaching the sky, a large number of guests who came to congratulate also arrived one after another. The doorman sang from time to time: “Ming Xu Spiritual Master, Pan Yunlin is here—”
“Palace Master of Bliss, Xue Huairou is here—”
“Palace Master of Yuqin, Lin Yurong is here—”
“Leader of the Poison Dragon Cult, Wu Shengnan is here—”
There were more and more frators in the yard, they were exchanging conventional greetings, chatting, eating, whispering, gesticulating, and it was extremely lively.
“Why is Lin Yurong from the Yuqin Palace here? His bones had long been destroyed, and his life-bound jade zither was also broken. Could it be that the Palace Master of Yuqin still wanted to find the elixir in Medicine Monarch Manor, and then go to the Blood Prison Secret Realm to try his luck?”
“Hee hee, in my opinion, he’s dreaming. Hey, who is that woman wearing a half silver mask? She’s very slim.”
“Shh, be quiet, that’s Wu Shengnan, the leader of the Poison Dragon Cult.”
“Oh it’s her. They said she is a delicate woman, and her name is Shengnan. She also likes to raise poisonous snakes, and she also named it after the poisonous dragon God , tsk tsk.”
“Shh, be careful if she hears you, she is full of poisonous snakes, and you can’t afford a single bite! Besides, let’s not mention Wu Shengnan who is a girl. Look at Xue Huairou from the Bliss Palace, he is obviously a good man, but he likes to stroke his hair coquettishly. This time he’s wearing women’s clothes, he really doesn’t have any shame…”
“Ha ha……”
“By the way, why are they all small sects, where are the people from Nanshan Temple, North Snow City, and Beihai Sword Sect? Could it be that the great doctor Xu’s reputation is not famous enough? Since he’s going to the Blood Prison Secret Realm, shouldn’t he prepare some medicine pills?”
“I don’t know, let’s continue observing.”
Lu Xiao acted as if he didn’t even hear about everything around him, he pushed a small plate in front of Qiu Yutong: “Shizun, I’m done peeling, it’s five-spice flavored.”
“Oh.” Qiu Yutong ate the five-spice melon seeds that Lu Xiao had peeled for him, while secretly sighing that it was good to have a caring apprentice, while listening to the gossip of the surrounding guests with keen interest.
“Palace Master Lin, please come here, please come here. Zhufeng is also here!” Xu Dongqing greeted the guests warmly, “Oh, Master Wu, your poisonous snakes… it’s not easy to handle pets. Otherwise, you can sit over there, there are few people there, I will take you there. “
Qiu Yutong watched the young man greet the guests in an orderly manner while eating the melon seeds, and couldn’t help but secretly applaud.
Xu Qiushi went to Bifeng Cliff to fetch his bride. The task of greeting the guests naturally fell on Xu Dongqing. Although the Second Master was young, he was usually very hospitable. At this time, he greeted many guests back and forth, but he was orderly and not in a mess.
“Abbot of Nanshan Temple, Master Wuchen is here—”
As the doorman sang, there was a commotion in the yard.
“Master Wuchen is here too?”
“Eh, I really didn’t expect it…”
“Master Wuchen is here?” Qiu Yutong was also a little surprised, he looked up at the door.
Lu Xiao also followed his gaze and raised his pupils to look out the door.
He saw Xu Dongqing walking in front with a smile on his face, leading a short, chubby monk to the courtyard: “Abbot Wuchen, please come this way, come this way. Master Qingci, Master Qinghui, please also come this way.”
“Master Xu is very polite.” Wuchen nodded.
The abbot of Nanshan Temple, with a short stature and slender eyes, looked very ordinary, it’s almost unbelievable that he was the abbot of Nanshan Temple, the current leader of the Immortal Dao Alliance, Master Wuchen. The two disciples behind him, Qingci and Qinghui, on the other hand, you could see that their cultivation was deep.
Many guests gathered around one after another, and respectfully saluted: “Master Wuchen!”
“Master Wuchen, you are here too?”
“Master Wuchen, I admire you very much, and I have wanted to see you for a long time…”
While peeling the melon seeds for Qiu Yutong, Lu Xiao said, “This is the abbot of Nanshan Temple, Master Wuchen? Shizun, do you know him?”
Qiu Yutong shook his head: “I heard about him, but I didn’t know him. I thought that Nanshan Temple would send a disciple of the Qing generation to congratulate, but I didn’t expect Master Wuchen to come in person. There is also the Palace Master of Yuqin, Lin Yurong. He hasn’t been out for decades, and this time he’s here too… It’s so lively today, the Eldest Master really has a famous reputation.”
Lu Xiao smiled lightly, and said disapprovingly, “Didn’t the Blood Prison Secret Realm just open? In my opinion, these guests, in all likelihood, came for the panacea of the Medicine Monarch Manor. Thousands flock here for their own benefits, and thousands separate for their own benefits, that’s all”
“I don’t know about that.” Qiu Yutong paused for a while, a little dazed, “Alas, the Blood Prison Secret Realm, I also want to go.”
This time the Blood Prison Secret Realm was opened, and he probably couldn’t make it in time. The cultivation of this body was still too shallow, and it may be dangerous to forcibly enter the secret realm; it may not even be possible to get out.
Someone next to him sneered: ” Does this young master also want to go to the Blood Prison Secret Realm?”
Qiu Yutong turned his head and saw that a loose cultivator swordsman with a shaggy beard was looking at him playfully.
He was very disappointed, so he said coldly: “What if I want to go? What if I don’t want to go?”
“So?” The swordsman sized him up without any hesitation, “This Blood Prison Secret Realm opens every thousand years. When the realm was opened last time, Immortal Master Qingheng fell into it, the first on the rank, “Tianzhao Yuanhai”, his fate is still unknown. If Immortal Master Qingheng has fallen, are you sure you can come out if this little body goes? “”
His presumptuous gaze made Qiu Yutong very unhappy, and he couldn’t help frowning: “Why is this person so rude?”
”Young Master….”
The swordsman still wanted to say something, but Lu Xiao had calmly turned his body to the side, blocked his gaze, took a chopstick of lotus cake and put it on the small plate in front of Qiu Yutong, “This lotus cake tastes not bad.
Qiu Yutong blinked: “Really? I’ll try it.”
Then, Lu Xiao gave a warning and glanced at the swordsman.
“I’m Yan Ran, how should I address you?” The swordsman was very thick-skinned and raised his eyebrows with interest, “Actually, even if you want to go to the Blood Prison Secret Realm, you may not be able to go there. Do you have a jade pass?”
Qiu Yutong was busy eating cakes, and Lu Xiao was too lazy to pay attention to him.
“A jade pass?” an impertinent monk shouted loudly next to him, “What the hell is this? I heard that once you reach the Blood Prison Valley, you can go to the secret realm as you like?!”
Yan Ran smiled and said: “No way, don’t you know? After the fall of Immortal Master Qingheng, Beihai Sword Sect, Nanshan Temple, North Snow City, and Yuqin Palace jointly sealed the Blood Prison Secret Realm. At that time, the four factions made a promise, every thousand years, when the Blood Prison Secret Realm opens, only those who hold the jade pass can enter the secret realm.”
“Then what the hell is the jade pass, where can I get it? Damn it, so troublesome!”
“There are a total of 120 jade passes, each of the four major factions has 20 pieces, which is 80 pieces. The remaining 40 pieces will be distributed by the current Immortal Dao Alliance Leader, that is, Master Wuchen, one by one. You can see why so many people gathered around to please Master Wuchen once he started.”
“F*** him, that’s what it is about! My f****** master didn’t tell me about this!”
“Hahaha, Master, don’t be impatient, it’s not that there is no chance…”
Qiu Yutong ate the lotus cake and listened to Yan Ran’s gossip, and his heart also understood 70% to 80%. It turned out that those people who were circling around Master Wuchen just wanted to ask for the jade pass for the Blood Prison Secret Realm.
“Tsk tsk, I look down on the faces of these people!” the impertinent monk said loudly.
Several people were talking lively when the doorman suddenly lengthened his voice, the sound almost reaching the sky.
“Aoxue Peak Master of North Snow City, Bai Hanyuan is here—”
“Cuibing Peak Master of North Snow City, Sang Lingxi is here—”
The huge Medicine Monarch Manor was suddenly silent, and some people stopped talking and looked out the door.
