A bronze furnace stood on the ground, its flames blazing, wisps of white mist rising from its bronze lid.
Guan Yujia lay facedown on the ground, his shattered spine staining his back crimson. He had not moved for some time, and several people stood silently around him.
Ye Jingtang kept his hand on his saber hilt, ready for battle. Although he had expected something to happen to Guan Yujia, he truly had not expected him to die so spectacularly and silently.
After a long silence, Medicine Master Zhang Jinglin, standing behind Bai Siming, finally spoke first:
"Hmm... Hero Guan might have had an existing injury and forcibly circulated his qi during treatment, causing his spine to burst, his qi meridians to shatter, and his immediate death. His reaching the state of unity of heaven and humanity proves that this medicine still has an effect..."
His words brought everyone present back to their senses.
Yao Wenzhong turned toward Bai Siming, disbelief in his eyes:
"He's dead, just like that?!"
Xuanyuan Hongzhi raised a hand, signaling Yao Wenzhong to move away from the furnace:
"Careful, the furnace might explode... And you people wanted to rebel? What an absurd joke..."
Bai Siming likewise had not expected the Little Fist Champion, who had dominated Wu Prefecture for over a decade, to die with such spectacular yet silent violence. His mouth opened, and he moved a little farther from the furnace as well.
Ye Jingtang had wanted to say, "He brought it on himself," but Guan Yujia's death was so bizarre that even those words felt difficult to utter. After some thought, he merely commented:
"Every medicine is three parts poison. We really should listen to our elders. Ah..."
Before everyone could settle their emotions, movement came from beside the furnace again.
Rustle-
Once the