stjorthotic Chapter 106 Qiao Family Relics
Chapter 106 Qiao Family Relics
Chapter 105 Qiao Family Relics
The Qiao residence.
Qiao Zhi ultimately couldn't hold on any longer. Several midwives couldn't stop the bleeding, and even the senior doctor's acupuncture and medication couldn't stop the massive hemorrhage.
Her breath grew weaker and weaker, and in the end she only had time to glance at the baby that the midwife had carefully placed beside her pillow. Her eyelashes trembled, and then she made no further sound.
Yang Wei held his newborn grandson, kneeling by the bed, his whole body tense, but tears silently streamed down his face.
This man, who once held absolute authority in the martial arts school, now stood hunched over, making hoarse sounds in his throat, but unable to utter a sound.
"Master."
Liang Cheng placed his hand on Yang Wei's trembling shoulder, his voice steady, "This place is dangerous, we can't stay here long. Let's take Senior Sister back to the Martial Academy first."
Yang Wei nodded blankly, as if most of his soul had been taken away.
He carefully handed the baby to Zhou Hu, then bent down and wrapped his daughter's cold body tightly in his blood-stained robe before picking her up.
Liang Cheng paid the midwife and the old doctor, but they dared not accept the money, having witnessed the perilous situation just now.
"Keep tonight's events to yourself and don't tell anyone, lest you meet a deadly end."
They nodded hastily, took the money, and left in a hurry.
Liang Cheng's gaze swept over the messy backyard. Wu Zhenshan was slumped on the ground, his breath weak. He grabbed Wu Zhenshan.
"Walk."
Liang Cheng led the way, Zhou Hu carried the baby, and Yang Wei carried Qiao Zhi's body. Under the cover of night, the group quietly left the Qiao residence and hurried towards the Martial Academy.
Behind the mountain, Huang Lao's alchemy room.
Wu Zhenshan was thrown into a corner, panting heavily. Huang Lao's finger strike not only destroyed his newly broken-through true essence foundation, but also sealed the circulation of true qi in his dantian. At this moment, he was not even as strong as a mortal.
Liang Cheng squatted down in front of him, his eyes as cold as icy blades.
"Tell me, what exactly is the Zoroastrian sect's conspiracy?"
Wu Zhenshan spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed bitterly, "The victor is king, the loser is villain. Liang Cheng, you won't get anything out of me."
Before he finished speaking, Liang Cheng pointed his fingers like a sword, and a wisp of condensed Xuan Yin sword energy emerged from his fingertips, gently touching the remaining meridian in his lower abdomen.
"ah!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream burst forth!
The chilling sword energy burrowed into Wu Zhenshan's already damaged meridians like a venomous snake, and the pain instantly overwhelmed him.
He convulsed, his eyes bulged, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his robes.
However, Wu Zhenshan remained silent.
"Kid, you're too green."
Old Huang couldn't stand it any longer and took action, striking several acupoints. Wu Zhenshan's body stiffened abruptly, then he trembled violently, his eyes filled with fear.
However, he couldn't utter a single word. After a while, Old Huang tapped him a few more times, and Wu Zhenshan finally calmed down, his body drenched in sweat.
"I'll talk, I'll talk, please spare me."
Liang Cheng glanced at Old Huang with admiration, but Old Huang snorted coldly and ignored the situation.
"What do you want to know?"
Liang Cheng thought for a moment, "How did you break through to the True Essence Realm?"
"It's a Blood Marrow Pill!"
Wu Zhenshan's voice was hoarse, "The Blood Marrow Pill, refined by the Fire Worship Cult using the blood from the Dongshan mine, has a 60% chance of forcibly condensing true essence, helping me break through to a higher realm!"
"What exactly is the Zoroastrian sect trying to do by distracting the abbot, massacring Bian Hai, and attacking Dongshan?"
"They want to launch a coordinated attack from within and without to capture Linwu City! Bianhai is just bait. Shen Jun and Bai Hong are tied up on Black Stone Island, and only that useless Yue Shan is left in the city. They've calculated the timing perfectly. In three days at most, the main force of the Fire Worship Cult will be at the city gates, and then I'll turn against them and take Linwu City!"
"Will Situ Lang agree?"
A twisted sneer flashed across Wu Zhenshan's face. "He wants the position of city lord, while the Fire Worship Cult wants the entire Linwu City as a blood altar. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement!"
"When the Dongshan Mine was destroyed, your clothes were torn. What happened then?"
"At the time, I was having a secret meeting with the Zoroastrian protector when several of my men from the Armed Forces Department discovered me. I had no choice but to kill them. One of them tore the corner of my clothes. He was gripping me too tightly, so I had to break his hand."
No wonder----
"What happened to Chen Ping? Wasn't he one of your men? Why was he killed during the mine raid?"
Liang Cheng had always had this question.
Wu Zhenshan shook his head. "This guy is too stubborn and won't listen to reason, so I sent him over there. I originally wanted to use you to kill him, and then I would use him as an excuse to cause you trouble."
"I didn't expect you to destroy the Zoroastrian altar in advance, allowing Chen Ping to escape death. We could only delay until the Dongshan mine raid, and then use the Zoroastrian sect to kill him."
Liang Cheng was surprised that Chen Ping was innocent. No wonder he hadn't suffered much trouble back then. But how come the news about Dongshan Mine kept leaking?
Liang Cheng was somewhat puzzled when Wu Zhenshan suddenly laughed and said, "If I had known this would happen, I should have killed you back then."
Liang Cheng turned his head. "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember Wu Tianxiong? He was my half-son back then, but we had a good relationship. He asked me to kill you, but you were nothing more than an ant, so why would I need to lift a finger?"
"Later, Chen Bainian's goods were robbed, and my subordinates from the Armed Forces Hall were killed by you. I could have done it then, but unfortunately, I didn't care about you at all. Who knew you would grow up so fast—"
"You're a monster!"
Liang Cheng, however, didn't want to listen to his nonsense. "If Chen Ping wasn't your informant, how did you know about the commotion at the mine?"
Wu Zhenshan's lips suddenly curled into a strange smile: "Guess?"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly clenched his teeth!
With a soft "crack," black blood instantly spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Ok?
Liang Cheng realized something was wrong and hurriedly got up, but it was too late. Blood trickled from the corner of Wu Zhenshan's mouth, and there seemed to be a mocking smile on his lips. He died.
Old Huang walked over, pried open his mouth, and shook his head.
"He had poison in his teeth."
Liang Cheng felt somewhat helpless, realizing that he had been careless and hadn't even thought of this.
Lin Fuzhi died just like that, but who would have thought that the dignified Wu Zhenshan would also die like that?
Liang Cheng looked at Wu Zhenshan's corpse, rummaged around for a while, and found a jade bottle labeled "Blood Marrow Pill". There was only one pill left inside.
Old Huang took it and glanced at it, then curled his lip in disgust.
"Master Huang."
Liang Cheng stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Elder Huang, "Please help me keep the news of Wu Zhenshan's death a secret. Anyway, the outside world knows that he was in seclusion to break through to the True Yuan realm, so as not to alert him."
Old Huang squinted and took a sip of wine: "Then you must agree to my drug testing—"
"After this matter is over, I will be at Elder Huang's beck and call without hesitation."
Old Huang stared at him for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Alright, leave the corpse here, it won't decompose. But remember this, kid, the interest on the debt you owe me isn't low."
"I understand."
Without further delay, Liang Cheng turned and strode away from the alchemy room on the back mountain.
Twilight.
Liang Cheng, accompanied by Li Mu and several trusted disciples, headed straight for Jubaoxuan.
However, it was too late.
The huge pavilion had its doors wide open, and the inside was a mess.
Valuable items, account books, and documents had already been moved out, leaving only some heavy furniture and a few boxes of worthless junk lying on the ground.
The warehouse door was forcibly broken open, and the inside was empty.
Qian Wanjin, along with his capable subordinates, seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"search!"
-
Liang Cheng said coldly.
The crowd dispersed and quickly searched the inside and outside of Jubao Pavilion.
Li Mu pulled out several letters that hadn't been destroyed in time from a hidden compartment in the back room, but the contents were just ordinary business dealings, and there was nothing suspicious about them.
"Senior brother, there are fresh hoof prints and cart tracks in the stable in the backyard, pointing towards the west gate."
A disciple reported back.
Liang Cheng walked to the backyard, squatted down, and touched the deep ruts in the mud. They indicated a heavy load, suggesting that more than six hours had passed since they left.
"They walked quickly, but in an orderly manner."
Li Mu said in a low voice, "I'm afraid they've already prepared an escape route."
Liang Cheng stood up and looked towards the west gate.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the streets were deserted.
Ultimately, it was too late.
"Back to the Martial Arts Academy."
Martial Arts Academy.
Mingxin Pavilion.
Liang Cheng found Lü Bingchen and Yan Song. The Zoroastrian Church would attack in three days. Wu Zhenshan's death could be concealed for a while, but this matter had to be told.
Upon hearing the news, Lü Bingchen and Yan Song immediately stood up and asked him about the source of the information and whether it was reliable.
Liang Cheng could only swear by his status as a true disciple, but for the safety of the spy, he could not reveal the source of the information.
Lü Bingchen made a decisive decision.
"Alright, since it's for the safety of your information channels, we won't ask. Chief Yan, please lead the disciples of the Enforcement Hall to be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant, and don't reveal any flaws for now."
Yan Song nodded.
"I first went to the City Lord's Mansion and found Yue Shan to discuss how to deal with this crisis. The Dean City Lord was not there, so I went to the Fire Worship Hall."
An attack by the cult will inevitably lead to a fierce battle.
"Liang Cheng, stay at the Martial Arts Academy and don't go anywhere else. Follow orders at any time."
"Yes."
Zhenchuan Peak Courtyard No. 3.
Ning San Niang placed the baby in the side room's warm pavilion, carefully feeding him rice porridge. The child was thin and small, but his cries were quite loud.
In the main hall, Yang Wei sat in a chair, staring blankly at Qiao Zhi's pale and quiet face, motionless, as if he had become a statue.
Zhou Hu stood to the side, silent.
Liang Cheng walked in, glanced at the side room, and Ning San Niang gently shook her head at him, indicating that the child was temporarily alright. Only then did he walk up to Yang Wei.
"Master."
Liang Cheng said in a low voice, "Please accept my condolences. You are your only grandson."
Yang Wei slowly raised his head, the deathly silence gradually dissipating. He then rallied, looked at Qiao Zhi's body, and slowly said, "Zhi'er, don't worry, I will raise your child to adulthood."
Liang Cheng felt relieved. As long as there are things to care about, a person won't live an empty life, like a walking corpse.
He turned to Li Mu: "Li Mu, Senior Brother Lu Qingzhou is still able to come over. Please ask him to come over secretly. Junior Brother Zhao Yuan is seriously injured. Tell him to rest and recuperate."
"yes!"
Li Mu accepted the order and quickly left.
Liang Cheng then said to Zhou Hu, "Senior brother, the city is likely to be in chaos for the next few days. If I leave, please take good care of this place."
Zhou Hu nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, leave it to me."
Finally, Liang Cheng looked at Yang Wei: "Master, you—"
"I will bury Zhi'er and watch over the child."
Yang Wei interrupted him, his voice low but firm, "Zhi'er has always considered herself extraordinary, often saying that if she weren't a girl, she could also enter the Martial Academy to try her luck. Since that's the case, it's her blessing to be buried in the Martial Academy."
Liang Cheng nodded: "Okay."
Yang Wei settled down in a side room on Zhenchuan Peak.
The next morning, Yang Wei began burying Qiao Zhi. With no outsiders around, he took out a small silver peace lock from his personal pocket.
Yang Wei looked at Qiao Zhi's pale and cold face and said, "When I left the Qiao family back then, your mother said that my things were unlucky, so she took this peace lock with her."
"I never imagined that your short life would be filled with so many hardships. Today, I hope that your child will wear this peace lock and, unlike you, live a peaceful and safe life."
Yang Wei held the safety lock and then carefully fastened it around the child's neck.
From now on, your name will be Yang An.
Yang Wei said in a low voice, gently stroking the child's innocent face with his fingers, "Don't be like your mother, with ambitions that are higher than the sky but a life that is thinner than paper."
Then Yang Wei looked at Liang Cheng, who nodded, and together with Zhou Hu carried Qiao Zhi's body and buried it on the back mountain of the Martial Academy.
As the paper money burned, Yang Wei held Yang An in silence, then turned and returned to Zhenchuan Peak.
From now on, he will raise Yang An to adulthood and ensure his peaceful life.
Yan'er, Zhi'er, if you and your mother are watching over him from heaven, please bless him.
When they returned, Ning San Niang brought over rice porridge to feed Yang An. She was taken aback when she saw the peace lock.
"Master Yang, this lock—"
"I left it to his mother back then, but she didn't wear it, so I left it to him. By the way, this kid will take my surname from now on and be named Yang An."
"Yang An—Alright, with you by his side, this child won't go astray."
Ning San Niang stopped talking and carefully fed the child rice porridge. The safety lock around her neck swayed gently with her movements, hitting the side of the cradle and making a soft sound.
Liang Cheng went out to Mingxin Pavilion to discuss matters with Lü Bingchen. After noon, he returned to Zhenchuan Peak.
After Yang An finished eating, Ning San Niang held him and patted him to help him burp. The peace lock slid to one side, reflecting the sunlight.
Liang Cheng's gaze swept over the peace lock, and he paused in his steps.
"Mother, this lock—"
"It was given to Yang An by Master Yang; it's a keepsake from Qiao Zhi."
Liang Cheng did not answer. He had seen Yang Wei put the safety lock on Yang An with his own eyes, and he felt something was off about it in the sunlight.
He reached out and grabbed a corner of the safety lock. It felt slightly heavy in his hand. He ran his fingers along the cloud patterns on the lock's surface, and his brows gradually furrowed.
Not right.
Thinking of this, he asked, "Where is Master?"
"I've rested next door."
Liang Cheng nodded, handed the child to his mother, and then went next door to wake Yang Wei.
"Master, there's something wrong with the peace lock you gave Yang An."
"Something's not right?"
Yang Wei immediately stood up, dressed, and came to Yang An's side with Liang Cheng. Liang Cheng nodded to him, took off the safety lock, and walked under the lamp.
Liang Cheng focused intently on the pattern, and at several turning points in the cloud pattern, he infused a wisp of true energy into his fingertip, letting it travel along the lines of the pattern.
"Click."
With a soft click, a tiny crack, the size of a hair, popped open along the edge of the lock.
Yang Wei was also somewhat surprised.
Over the years, he had never noticed anything unusual.
Liang Cheng's eyes sharpened as he glanced at Yang Wei, who nodded. Only then did he insert his nails into the gap and slowly apply force.
The safety lock split in the middle, revealing a hollow compartment containing only a neatly folded, yellowed piece of kraft paper.
He took out a piece of parchment, unfolded it, and found neat handwriting on the paper, beginning with admonitions from the Qiao family ancestors.
"The Fragment of 'The True Meaning of Crossing the Sea' - Using the body as a boat, crossing the sea like a boat, refining essence into qi."
"Qiao's ancestor, Jinglan Gong, had perfected his true qi. After practicing this incomplete technique for three months, his qi and blood surged in reverse, his meridians were severed, and he exploded and died."
For the next three generations, all the True Qi Realm experts in the Qiao family who practiced this technique died from their bodies exploding, considered an ominous sign. This knowledge was then sealed away, for future generations to be cautious!
Below are small-print annotations, recording the methods of refining and assisting the body's essence, qi, and blood during cultivation, the direction of the practice, and the methods of impacting acupoints.
Liang Cheng quickly finished reading it and then handed the parchment to Yang Wei. Yang Wei stared blankly at it, his hand trembling slightly as he moved from the incantation to the warning text.
"It turns out that the message from the Qiao family about breaking through to the True Essence and True Qi is true."
Yang Wei muttered to himself, "Back then, Yan'er said this was an ominous object and asked me to take it away. It turns out she really thought it was unlucky."
Liang Cheng said in a low voice, "The Qiao family ancestor died because of a qi deviation caused by this technique, and the Qiao family has declined ever since. But she left this to you, probably because she had some lingering thoughts."
Upon hearing this, Yang Wei suddenly looked up.
Liang Cheng paused for a moment: "If you haven't discovered it, then so be it. But if you have, this is the Qiao family's way of making amends to you."
Yang Wei stared at the parchment, his fingers trembling: "She actually left this to me—"
"Your wife believes in you."
Liang Cheng's voice was low and deep. "The Qiao family declined because of this incomplete manuscript. She asked you to take it away because she didn't want to bring trouble to Qiao Zhi. She knew that even if you found out, you would protect them."
"The only person she could trust was her master. But she never expected that even after she handed the things over to you, the Qiao family still couldn't find peace."
Yang Wei stared at the parchment, looking at the words "blood and qi reversed, meridians severed, death," and suddenly recalled the complex look in Madam Qiao's eyes when she handed him the lock many years ago.
There was determination, reluctance, and sorrow.
"She still had feelings for me after all," Yang Wei said, his voice choked with emotion. "I used to resent her for being heartless and for the Qiao family's harsh treatment. It turns out that the only person she could trust was me—"
Yang Wei's shoulders trembled, and tears fell onto the parchment.
Liang Cheng waited quietly to the side without saying another word.
After a long while, Yang Wei wiped his face and said, "You should have memorized all the techniques above by now, so I won't copy one for you."
Liang Cheng nodded, and Yang Wei carefully folded the parchment and put it back into the lock. The hidden compartment closed, and the lock was restored to its original state.
"Keep this thing."
Yang Wei took a deep breath. "Yang An is still young. We'll see what his future holds. If he doesn't succeed in martial arts, it's best if he doesn't know about this."
Liang Cheng nodded and said, "Master, don't worry, this is between you and me."
Yang Wei nodded emphatically, clutching the safety lock tightly in his hand.
As the sun sets and dusk falls outside the window, the martial arts academy gradually comes alive with lights.
night.
Liang Cheng was tossing and turning at this moment.
The fragmented manual of the true meaning of crossing the sea on kraft paper kept appearing in his mind.
Under the fate of a mayfly, one's own training methods will have no bottlenecks, and one will surely achieve something.
Want to give it a try?
But remembering the warnings of the Qiao family ancestors, and knowing that this was only an incomplete version and the Mayfly Destiny did not have the function of completing the cultivation method, he finally took a deep breath and suppressed all his emotions.
Why take risks when you can just move forward steadily step by step?
Thinking of this, he regained his composure and simply sat cross-legged to circulate his Qi. The power of the Tidal Wave Technique flowed through his body, and he gradually forgot himself and the world around him.
For the next two days, everything was calm.
Before dawn on the third day, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
A disciple from the Enforcement Hall rushed over: "Senior Brother Liang, something terrible has happened! News has come from the City Lord's Mansion that Commander Yue Shan's injuries have suddenly worsened; he's vomiting blood incessantly. Master Lü and the others have already gone there!"
Liang Cheng's pupils contracted.
"Walk!"
Liang Cheng grabbed the Zhengxian knife, nodded to Zhou Hu and Yang Wei, and his figure had already darted out the door.