Clues

"My lord, you must have come to Youzhou on an important mission. If there is anything the Youzhou branch can do for you, please give us your orders!" Wu Yong said.

"There is no need to keep my original mission secret from you. I came intending to draw on the strength of your Youzhou branch. My original objective was the Huaqing Sect. Word has it that Bai Tianqi of the Huaqing Sect acquired something 'good.' Of course, though this matter is important, there is no firm evidence yet. So after your message arrived, your matter was made the top priority," the Dragon-Seeking Envoy replied.

"I will spare no effort!" Wu Yong did not dare ask just what "good thing" Bai Tianqi of the Huaqing Sect had obtained. If the other man did not tell him, he could not pry. Those were the rules.

"Haha, I know you must be curious. I can tell you a little. What news has been spreading like wildfire through the martial world lately?" the Dragon-Seeking Envoy asked with an air of mystery.

Wu Yong thought for a moment, then something suddenly occurred to him. He asked quietly for confirmation, "The Scripture of Great Peace? Could Bai Tianqi have obtained the Scripture of Great Peace? Wouldn't that bring disaster down on his Huaqing Sect?"

Hearing Wu Yong's words, the Dragon-Seeking Envoy smiled and shook his head. "How could he possibly have obtained the Scripture of Great Peace? He merely seems to have acquired some clues. I came to find a way to verify them." This matter was part of the reason the Dragon-Seeking Envoy had shown himself when he encountered Bai Tianqi earlier. Otherwise, why would he have paid attention to the leaders of these second-class sects?

"Enough, let us put that aside for now. Branch Master Wu, where were you going in such a hurry? I received your message. Have you obtained any definite news about the matter you mentioned in your letter?" the Dragon-Seeking Envoy asked.

"That was precisely why I was about to go out!" Wu Yong replied respectfully.

"Oh? You have a lead?" The Dragon-Seeking Envoy raised his brows at Wu Yong's words and hurriedly asked.

"Yes. I have obtained a portrait of the Jade Thumb Ring's original owner. Please take a look, my lord!" With that, Wu Yong offered the portrait with both hands.

The Dragon-Seeking Envoy took the portrait and looked at it. At that glance, his expression changed dramatically, and he cried out, "That young Daoist?" He had only intended to give Wu Yong's portrait a casual glance. After all, there were so many people in the world-how could he possibly recognize whoever was in it? But the moment he saw the portrait, he recognized him. Wasn't this the gravely injured young Daoist he had seen not long ago? People from the Huaqing Sect had been there, along with an old Daoist.

"My lord, you know him?" Wu Yong asked, his face puzzled.

"No, but I saw him on my way here." At this point, the Dragon-Seeking Envoy suddenly shouted, "This is bad!"

"My lord, what is wrong?" Wu Yong asked hastily.

"When I passed by earlier, the Huaqing Sect's people had already gravely injured him. From the look of him, he did not seem likely to hold on much longer." Panic appeared on the Dragon-Seeking Envoy's face.

"My lord, if we hurry over, perhaps we can still make it?" Wu Yong was anxious too. This tremendous merit lay right before his eyes. If he missed it even now, never mind earning merit-he feared it would turn into a grave offense instead.

"Yes, yes, hurry over! Let us hope there is still time. Damn that Huaqing Sect!" the Dragon-Seeking Envoy said urgently. He had originally set out to seek clues to the Scripture of Great Peace, but along the way, he had received new orders to find Wu Yong. His main objective was to locate the owner of that Jade Thumb Ring. If its owner died at the hands of the Huaqing Sect, he would have no way to account for it when he returned.

"My lord, I nearly forgot. This Huang Xiao is a disciple of the Green Ox Gate. I think that while we send men to search for him, we should also send men to the Green Ox Gate," Wu Yong said.

"The Green Ox Gate? Where is it?" the Dragon-Seeking Envoy asked.

"It is a small, unranked sect on Zhongnan Mountain," Wu Yong replied.

"Be quick. It seems they somehow offended the Huaqing Sect. I fear the Huaqing Sect may move against the Green Ox Gate as well. Send men to guard the Green Ox Gate immediately. Without my permission, no one is to set foot there. Kill any who disobey!" the Dragon-Seeking Envoy said coldly.

"I will see to it at once!" Wu Yong said. Though the Huaqing Sect was the largest sect in the area, Wu Yong truly did not think much of it.

While the two parties were discussing Huang Xiao, Xuanzhenzi raced desperately with him. Half an hour later, they reached a secluded, dilapidated little temple thirty li away.

"Master!" After Xuanzhenzi set Huang Xiao down, he dropped painfully to his knees. Black blood seeped from his mouth, his nose, and even his eyes.

Though Huang Xiao was anxious and knew that his master was deeply poisoned, he could not move at all. The rampaging true qi within him had yet to settle completely, and Hu Guyi's palm strike in particular had left him gravely injured. If he did not receive treatment in time, his life would also be in danger.

"Do not speak!" Xuanzhenzi suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground, then waved a hand. A force lifted Huang Xiao and settled him cross-legged in front of Xuanzhenzi.

"Qingxiao, Hu Guyi's palm strike damaged your meridians. Combined with your chaotic true qi, your condition is very dangerous. I will treat your injuries now." Having said this, Xuanzhenzi pressed both palms against Huang Xiao's back.

Huang Xiao felt a vast, familiar surge of internal power enter his eight extraordinary meridians. This was Xuanzhenzi's internal power. They practiced the same art, and though their internal power differed, it was indeed familiar to Huang Xiao.

After this surge of internal power entered Huang Xiao's body, it began gathering the internal power rampaging through his meridians. In particular, the internal power Hu Guyi had forced into him was soon dispersed under Xuanzhenzi's onslaught.

Then Xuanzhenzi began using his own internal power to heal Huang Xiao's damaged meridians, especially the few around his chest. After all, that was where Hu Guyi's heavy blow had landed.

Hm? Something stirred in Xuanzhenzi's mind. He discovered that apart from the internal power expended on healing Huang Xiao's damaged meridians, a considerable amount was being absorbed by Huang Xiao and then incorporated into his own internal power. Xuanzhenzi had encountered this when treating Huang Xiao before, but the suction now was clearly countless times stronger than it had been then.

Qinghe was right! Xuanzhenzi thought.

Qinghe had told him about the peculiar meridians inside Huang Xiao's body. He could not make sense of such a thing either, but he paid unusually close attention to Huang Xiao. After all, he did not know whether this was good or bad. Judging by the present situation, however, it ought to be a good thing. Huang Xiao could absorb Qinghe's internal power to make his own cultivation soar. Likewise, Xuanzhenzi would not begrudge him his internal power, especially now that his oil was nearly spent and his lamp about to go out. If possible, he would even pour all his cultivation into Huang Xiao's body.

There was a great power-transference art in the martial world, but Xuanzhenzi had only heard of it. Such an art was mastered by only a handful of sects, and the price paid was extremely high. Unless there was absolutely no other choice, they would not use it.

Huang Xiao noticed none of this. He only felt his master's internal power moving through his meridians. His damaged meridians began to heal, and the pain in his body slowly receded.