Liu Yuanping Was Gravely Wounded

"Sigh, fortune was against us!"

Liu Bohu lowered his eyes and couldn't help sighing. "The day before yesterday, more than ten of us, including my clan brother, formed a Task Team. We'd planned to hunt First-grade Upper-rank and mid-rank Monster Beasts, but an unexpected turn of events struck along the way. The Monster Beasts at Blackwater Lake ran amok. Three of our Task Team members died and two were gravely wounded. Our losses were devastating."

"The Monster Beasts at Blackwater Lake ran amok?"

Zhao Huaian frowned when he heard this. "What happened? I remember that the strongest Monster Beasts at Blackwater Lake were only First-grade Upper-rank, and most of them were mid- or low-rank. How could there have been a disturbance? And how did it inflict such heavy losses on your Task Team?"

After spending so long in the Outer Sect of Greenwood Sect, Zhao Huaian had gained some understanding of the surrounding area, even though he was absorbed in secluded cultivation.

Blackwater Lake was one example.

Blackwater Lake lay at the center of a vast island, hundreds of miles from Greenwood Sect's Outer Sect.

Rich in resources, Blackwater Lake could be considered the Outer Disciples' backyard.

A hundred years ago, as the Monster Beasts at Blackwater Lake grew more numerous, many Outer Disciples began heading there in groups to hunt them.

In all those years, there had never been any major disturbances among the Monster Beasts at Blackwater Lake. How could Zhao Huaian not be shocked that one had suddenly left a Task Team with three dead and two gravely wounded?

After all, he knew the strength of the Task Team Liu Bohu belonged to.

Other than Liu Bohu, who was at Qi Refining Layer Four, the rest were basically at Qi Refining Layer Six or higher.

Liu Bohu's clan brother, Liu Yuanping, was especially strong. He was at Qi Refining Layer Eight, and people said he wasn't far from Qi Refining Layer Nine.

With a team of that strength suffering such heavy casualties, Blackwater Lake seemed deeply unusual by any measure.

"I don't know either. Maybe we were just unlucky!"

Liu Bohu hung his head, his face still tinged with fear. "With our strength, we should've been able to retreat unharmed from an ordinary Monster Beast disturbance. But who could've guessed those Monster Beasts would charge at us all at once, as if someone were directing them? There were even quite a few First-grade Upper-rank Monster Beasts. If not for that, our Task Team wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses."

As he spoke, Liu Bohu's voice suddenly grew sorrowful. "And my clan brother Liu Yuanping was gravely wounded while protecting us as we retreated."

"Senior Brother Liu was gravely wounded too?"

Zhao Huaian was even more shocked.

He hadn't expected Liu Yuanping, the team's strongest member, to be gravely wounded as well. That showed just how dangerous Liu Bohu's trip had been.

Liu Bohu nodded, his face filled with grief. "He only got hurt so badly because he was covering our retreat. With his cultivation, he wouldn't have been so badly wounded otherwise."

"We've already spent more than a thousand Spirit Stones on all kinds of healing Elixir Pills, but all they did was stabilize my clan brother's injuries."

"Now we have no other options. We've spent all our Spirit Stones, and even pawned off many of our Dharma Artifacts."

"I know you're known as a miracle doctor among mortals, Brother Zhao. Perhaps you could help treat my clan brother's injuries."

Liu Bohu lifted his head and looked at Zhao Huaian with pleading eyes. "Brother Zhao, you have to help me this time. My clan brother absolutely can't die. Otherwise, our Task Team will be finished, and I'll have a hard time getting by in Greenwood Sect from now on."

"This... I don't know if I can do it, but I can try."

Looking at Liu Bohu's hopeful face, Zhao Huaian thought it over, then finally nodded.

He had only treated martial artists among mortals, never cultivators in the Cultivation World, so he had little confidence.

But Liu Yuanping seemed like a good man. He'd even given Zhao Huaian ten jin of Black Wind Boar Meat before. Whether he succeeded or not, he had to try.

What's more, if he could treat Liu Yuanping, word of his skills would spread through Greenwood Sect's Outer Sect. He would earn the gratitude of Liu Yuanping and the others, and gain another way to earn Spirit Stones.

If he couldn't treat him, then there was nothing to be done. He would have done all he could and left the rest to fate.

"Good, good! I'll leave it all to you, Brother Zhao. Whether you succeed or not, my clan brother and the rest of us will remember your kindness!"

The moment Zhao Huaian agreed, Liu Bohu nodded excitedly.

"Right. Where is Senior Brother Liu? Some injuries can't wait. We need to treat him right away. If we leave it too long, even the best chance won't be enough to save him."

Zhao Huaian nodded and asked Liu Bohu, who was still overcome with excitement.

Liu Bohu quickly replied, "He's in my room. I knew you'd help, Brother Zhao, so I brought my clan brother over this afternoon."

"All right, let's take a look. But don't get your hopes up too high!"

Zhao Huaian nodded.

Liu Bohu was his neighbor.

A short while later, he followed Liu Bohu into the neighboring single-story house.

As soon as they pushed open the door, a strong smell of blood and a faint stench of rot hit them.

Zhao Huaian frowned, but wasn't especially bothered.

He'd seen plenty of scenes like this among mortals before, and some had smelled far worse, of blood and decay alike.

"Clan brother, I've brought Brother Zhao over. He's a miracle doctor among mortals, so he'll surely be able to help with your injuries."

Entering the room, Liu Bohu hurriedly called out.

At the sound of his voice, Liu Yuanping weakly lifted his eyelids and glanced at Zhao Huaian as he came in. He managed a faint smile. "Then I'll trouble you, Junior Brother Zhao!"

"It's no trouble."

Zhao Huaian shook his head, sat down beside the bed, and carefully examined Liu Yuanping's injuries.

Deep, bone-revealing gashes covered Liu Yuanping's body.

The wounds were all different shapes, clearly inflicted by several kinds of Monster Beasts.

Though serious, the injuries weren't beyond recovery.

This made Zhao Huaian furrow his brows.

He leaned closer and carefully examined the wounds one by one. It didn't take long for him to notice something unusual.

He quickly pulled open the clothes over Liu Yuanping's chest, took a Silver Needle in hand, and thrust it in hard.

"Ah!!!"

As Liu Yuanping let out a scream, Zhao Huaian swiftly pulled out the needle.

The instant the needle came free, a gush of black blood spurted out and splattered across the bedframe, sizzling.

"This... what's going on?"

Liu Bohu stared at the scene in shock.

"It should be some kind of Monster Poison!"

Zhao Huaian said gravely, "It's too early to tell how things stand. I can only hope the Monster Poison hasn't spread through his whole body. Otherwise, there's no way I can treat him. He'd need some kind of high-grade Detox Pill."

"Then please examine him first, Brother Zhao!" Liu Bohu hurriedly said, standing to the side and not daring even to breathe loudly.

Zhao Huaian slowly nodded and placed his fingers against the pulse at Liu Yuanping's wrist.

With his Medical Skill from among mortals, it would have been extremely difficult to diagnose Liu Yuanping's condition by taking his pulse.

After all, Liu Yuanping was a cultivator.

Fortunately, Zhao Huaian knew how to learn as he went.

A trace of Spiritual Energy flowed from his fingers. With Spiritual Energy bolstering his efforts, the difficulty instantly dropped.

About half an incense stick later, Zhao Huaian's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

"Brother Zhao, how is he? Is my clan brother still going to make it?"