The old man knocked Xu Yang back and was about to press his advantage when the little girl standing nearby opened her mouth and shouted, "Grandpa Liu, why did you hit him? You even hurt Big Brother! Stop right now, or I'll get angry!"
Hearing the little girl's cries, the old man immediately stopped and turned around. He scooped her into his arms and smiled kindly. "I'll listen to Yao Yao. Grandpa Liu was just worried about you! I thought some bad people had kidnapped you!"
Yao Yao pouted. "Who would dare kidnap me? I'm a little devil! Grandpa Liu, don't change the subject. You hurt Big Brother. What are you going to do about it?"
Xu Yang had just used his internal energy to forcibly suppress his injuries when he saw this. His face fell at once. So the old man and the little girl knew each other. He'd taken that beating for nothing. What rotten luck! Why did he keep running into experts lately? He'd only been out in the martial world for a short while, yet he'd already been injured again and again.
The old man surnamed Liu was cornered by Yao Yao and had no choice but to surrender and promise to treat Xu Yang's injuries. He turned to Xu Yang and said, "Young man, I'm truly sorry. This old man was worried the girl had been too reckless. I should also thank you for bringing Yao Yao back to the residence. As for your injuries, I'll make sure they're treated."
Xu Yang hurriedly bowed to the old man. "I don't know your name, senior. Please accept my respects. You were worried about the girl just now, which is only natural. I understand. I would have done the same in your place, so please don't take it to heart."
"Haha, you're a good kid. But I did injure you, so this old man should naturally treat you. As for my name, there's no need to mention it. Just call me Old Liu!" Old Liu nodded happily at Xu Yang's reply.
"Since you put it that way, I'll respectfully accept." Xu Yang bowed in response.
Xu Yang then followed Old Liu into the residence. Once inside, he discovered that this place was even more luxurious than the Mountain City branch of the Shunfeng Escort Agency: carved beams and painted rafters, red brick and green tiles, pavilions and towers, and oddly shaped rocks everywhere. It was exquisite to the extreme. Xu Yang was dazzled, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
Yao Yao giggled at his country bumpkin appearance, leaving Xu Yang quite embarrassed. A moment later, he followed Old Liu to a reception hall. Old Liu told him to wait there, then carried Yao Yao into the rear courtyard.
Xu Yang sat down in a chair in the hall. A maid soon brought out pastries and dried fruit. He glanced at her and was immediately startled. The maids here all seemed to have martial arts training. Most of them were only third-rate fighters, but even so, that was astonishing.
Before he could examine the furnishings in the hall, he heard footsteps outside the door. He turned to look and saw Old Liu ushering in a beautiful woman of about thirty. Xu Yang hurriedly stood to greet her.
The woman gave Xu Yang a small smile. "There's no need for such formalities, young sir. I should be thanking you for bringing my daughter home. Please, sit." Xu Yang bowed to her, then took a seat nearby.
The woman sat in the seat of honor, while Old Liu stood respectfully below her. Xu Yang was startled. With Old Liu's martial arts, he had never expected him to be a servant. It seemed the master of this place was truly no ordinary person.
From the moment she entered the hall, the woman had been quietly observing Xu Yang. Seeing how respectful he was, and how he revealed not a hint of emotion, she was full of admiration. Such self-control at such a young age was a rare thing indeed.
The woman smiled at Xu Yang. "My daughter was accidentally separated from her father today. If you hadn't stepped in to help, the consequences would have been unthinkable. I'm grateful for your assistance. Please accept this modest gift."
As she spoke, she gave Old Liu a slight signal. He immediately bowed and stepped forward, picked up a box that had suddenly appeared beside the woman, and placed it in front of Xu Yang. Xu Yang clearly saw a flash of envy in Old Liu's eyes.
But just then, Xu Yang had no time to consider Old Liu's feelings. His heart was already surging like storm-tossed waves. If he had seen correctly, the box had appeared out of nowhere beside the woman. She clearly had a spatial artifact—an item that only cultivators could use.
He never thought he would actually meet a cultivator. It had happened so suddenly that Xu Yang was momentarily stunned. Fortunately, he had a steady disposition and quickly recovered, suppressing the tumult in his heart before turning his attention to the brocade box in front of him. The woman sitting nearby saw this and a look of approval crossed her face.
Xu Yang raised a hand and opened the lid. Inside the box lay a porcelain bottle made of jade and a sheet of yellow talisman paper. He turned to the woman, looking puzzled and unsure what they were.
Seeing his expression, the woman chuckled. "I know you're a martial artist, young sir, and that you must value strength highly. The jade bottle contains a spirit pill that will increase your cultivation. The yellow paper is a talisman called the Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman. It can heal injuries. As long as the injury isn't fatal, whether internal or external, it can be healed quickly."
Xu Yang was overjoyed. He hadn't expected the talisman to be so powerful. Used properly, it could save a life! The spirit pill was excellent too. He was caught up in trouble right now and urgently needed to increase his cultivation. It was just like finding a pillow when sleepiness struck!
Xu Yang didn't refuse. He immediately stood and bowed to the woman, his face full of gratitude.
The woman was very pleased by this. Her daughter should be satisfied now. The thought brought a smile to her lips. Coming back to herself, she gestured to Old Liu, who stood nearby.
Old Liu understood and nodded. He stepped forward and said to Xu Yang, "All right, kid, it's time for you to go. You shouldn't stay here long." Hearing this, Xu Yang hurriedly picked up the box, stood, and bowed to the woman.
Then a hesitant look crossed his face. He looked at the woman and opened his mouth as if to ask something. She naturally understood what he meant and smiled. "Yao Yao was exhausted and has fallen asleep. She's fine now, so you can rest easy."
Xu Yang nodded to the woman. No longer hesitating, he left the reception hall with Old Liu.
After seeing Xu Yang off, the woman rose and headed to the rear courtyard. A moment later, she entered a lavishly decorated room. A man of about thirty was waiting inside. Seeing her, he hurriedly bowed. "Madam, the master sent me to tell you that he has encountered a powerful enemy and can't get away. The young miss was separated from him. He wants you to go find her at once."
The woman waved her hand and said worriedly, "Yao Yao has already been brought back. There's no need to worry about her. But is the master in danger? What's the situation now?"
"The master is safe. When I left, he had the enemy on the back foot. He should be able to return in a few days," the man replied.
The woman's expression eased, and she smiled. "That's good. But our whereabouts have already been exposed. Ling Feng, go make preparations with Liu Ji. As soon as the master returns, we'll leave this place at once." Ling Feng bowed, answered, and turned to leave.
The woman turned and walked into the inner room. Yao Yao lay sound asleep on a large bed. The woman gazed at her tenderly, then thought of their situation and sighed softly. A trace of worry appeared on her face.
Meanwhile, Xu Yang followed Old Liu out of the residence. At the gate, Old Liu stopped him and said, "Xu, don't tell anyone what happened today, or it could cost you your life. Also, this old man promised Yao Yao he'd treat your injuries. Take this Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill to help you recover!" As he spoke, Old Liu tossed Xu Yang a porcelain bottle.
Xu Yang caught it and bowed to Old Liu. Then the two went their separate ways. Xu Yang hurried toward the west side of the city, his heart ablaze. He had never imagined he would make such a great haul on this outing. He couldn't wait to examine the treasures he'd obtained.
A short while later, Xu Yang returned to his lodgings. After locking the door, he sat on the bed and took out all the items, examining them one by one. Sure enough, they were exactly as the woman had described.
However, using the Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman consumed a great deal of true energy. Fortunately, Xu Yang had anticipated this. Activating a talisman required innate true energy, and those at the acquired realm couldn't use one at all. This talisman must have been specially made, which was why he had been able to activate it.
Old Liu's Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill was another treasure. It was a famous healing medicine in the martial world. Xu Yang put everything away and checked the time. There wasn't much time left before the operation began. He immediately took out a Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill and swallowed it, then sat cross-legged and circulated his energy to heal his injuries. He hoped to recover before the operation began and improve his ability to protect himself.
Time passed quickly. Two figures appeared in the corridor nearby. A closer look revealed the brothers Zhao Long and Zhao Hu. They went to Xu Yang's door and knocked lightly. "Brother Xu, are you there? It's nearly time. Our master asked us to let you know to meet at the residence's main gate."
"Okay, I know! Thanks for letting me know, you two. I'll get ready and come right over." Hearing them, Xu Yang abruptly opened his eyes and replied, still seated cross-legged as he circulated his energy.
The Zhao brothers answered and immediately turned to leave. Xu Yang sprang lightly down from the bed and felt a wave of comfort throughout his body. Streams of warmth flowed through him, and his injuries had completely healed. Even his true energy had increased.
The bottleneck that had troubled him had also begun to loosen. Given some time, he was confident he could break through to the peerless realm. The Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill truly lived up to its reputation as a sacred healing medicine, Xu Yang thought with delight.
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