Chapter 53: Gao Xianjue and Gao Tianming

Xiao Yu finally understood Guan Hu Chen's true prestige in the Luye Guard today: almost no prestige.

Guan Zhong kept calling names and shouting, and also glared at them with sinister eyes, as if saying: You better think clearly, the Guan family hasn't fallen yet! The Guan family still knows your home addresses!

But in total, only about a dozen iron-clad knights such as Wei Wu, Song Changqing, Wang Bao, and Li Qing were called over.

When Guan Zhong was calling people, Xiao Yu had already skillfully drawn her Dragon Kiss short sword, pried Guan Hu Chen's fire-rat cloth cloak off his shoulder armor, and then spread it out to cover Hu Chen.

The fire-rat robe was very wide; let alone one Guan Hu Chen, even he and his Red Smoke Steed could be covered together.

However, when he was blasted out just now, his armor was twisted and deformed, and the cloak behind him was even more messy, not covering all parts of his body.

"You all don't move yet, let Military Doctor Wei examine Foster Father's body."

When the iron-clad knights walked over to prepare to lift Hu Chen out of the fire pit, Xiao Yu called out.

Wei Wu crouched down, examined for a while, then shook his head and sighed: "Miss Yu, General Guan really can't be saved."

"Nonsense, Old Master is still alive!"

Guan Zhong's eyes were red, and he roared in a low voice, "Extinguish the poisonous fire on the Old Master first!"

Wei Wu pointed to Hu Chen's chest, which was shriveled like an empty soda can that had been stepped on, "The flaming true qi of 'Fire Crow Strength' is certainly a fatal injury."

"But look at this."

"The iron armor is dented and twisted, the ribs must be all broken, and most of the internal organs are shattered; there is really no saving him."

Xiao Yu said: "Even if there is no saving him, we must save him! Military Doctor Wei, your responsibility now is to try your best to rescue him, not to say discouraging words here."

Glancing at the soldiers watching the fun around, she lowered her voice again: "I say, you do. First, without causing further damage to Foster Father's internal organs, lift him out of the dirt pit, and then transfer him to the inn."

Wei Wu observed carefully for a while, pointed out a few black-clad knights to wrap Hu Chen with the fire-rat robe, and slowly lifted him out of the scorching and charred dirt pit.

Gao Xianjue was directing soldiers to repair the commander's tent, and seeing this, he hurriedly returned to the tent and whispered to Marquis Lieyang, who was sitting on the soft couch in a daze: "Marquis, they are going to lift Guan Hu Chen away."

At this time, the Cyan Luan had long flown away.

Daoist Qingsong sat on the lower seat of Marquis Lieyang, his expression even gloomier and more iron-blue than Marquis Lieyang's, two ghost fires seemingly lit in his eyes, wanting to choose someone to devour but finding no target.

Marquis Lieyang raised his head and looked at Gao Xianjue, expressionless, his eyes indifferent, "You have a cousin who also practiced the Heavenly Eye?"

Gao Xianjue's liver and gallbladder trembled, he lowered his head, and said respectfully: "The end general's cousin Gao Tianming is practicing under 'Long Bow True Person' on Mount Emei; now the Heavenly Eye divine ability has achieved small success, looking at ten thousand li as if looking at patterns on one's palm, and will descend the mountain to enter the world in a few days."

"Gao Tianming..." Marquis Lieyang sneered: "How many cousins do you have who practiced the Heavenly Eye?"

Gao Xianjue was stunned and muttered: "The end general only has one cousin in total."

"Since he is a cousin, why is his surname 'Gao' like yours? Instead of 'Shen'?" Marquis Lieyang asked again.

Gao Xianjue felt his scalp go numb, and a layer of cold sweat seeped out on his back instantly.

The Marquis not only knew he had a cousin who practiced the Heavenly Eye, but even knew his name clearly...

"The end general's cousin was originally surnamed 'Shen' and called 'Shen Sanhe.' Because he practiced the Heavenly Eye divine ability, he changed it to 'Gao Tianming,' imitating the name of the medieval Meishan immortal 'Gao Ming'."

Marquis Lieyang stared at him indifferently for a long time before saying lightly: "Since your cousin has the idea of entering the world, is he willing to surrender to this Marquis and form the 'Left and Right Commanders of the Scout Camp' with you?"

"Thank you, Marquis, for the fulfillment!"

Gao Xianjue knelt on the ground with a "thud" and kowtowed nine times.

Saying "Thank you, Marquis, for the fulfillment" was a truthful statement, admitting his little scheme.

Hu Chen originally had no grievances with him.

It was just that the Heavenly Eye could be ministers in the same hall with the Wind-Listening Ear, but there couldn't be two Heavenly Eyes serving the same monarch.

Moreover, he wasn't deliberately inducing Hu Chen to commit a crime.

It was purely "Old Man Guan" courting death himself.

He just submitted Hu Chen's death-courting matter to Marquis Lieyang in the most inappropriate time.

"Bring that Shadow God Map over." Marquis Lieyang said lightly.

"Obey!"

Gao Xianjue didn't continue to say "they are going to lift Guan Hu Chen away."

First of all, he had already said it before, and Marquis Lieyang's lack of expression meant he didn't care.

In addition, Marquis Lieyang had promised to hand over the position of "Heavenly Eye" to his cousin Gao Tianming.

Hu Chen had been completely eliminated; even if he survived by luck, the two sides no longer had any conflict of interest.

Qingsong glanced at Marquis Lieyang on the main seat and sneered: "The Marquis is cold-blooded enough; the Human Emperor has already passed away, yet you still have the heart to toss about that set of ancient immortal arrays."

Marquis Lieyang said calmly: "This Marquis just learned one thing very early: the living must look forward."

"Look forward..." Daoist Qingsong's face was full of bitterness, and he muttered: "An individual can look forward, but how can Great Qin be without the Emperor!"

Marquis Lieyang sighed: "His Majesty is indeed wise and martial, rare in ten thousand years, but Prince Fusu has always had a reputation for virtue and is also capable of being a wise monarch of a generation."

Qingsong shook his head and said: "Prince Fusu is too benevolent and cowardly; he can be a monarch of peace, but he is not suitable for Great Qin at this time. Moreover, now that Empress Dowager Zhao is presiding over the government, Prince Fusu may not be able to smoothly..."

Seeing Gao Xianjue arrive outside the commander's tent, he immediately closed his mouth.

"Marquis, this is the Shadow God Map of Guan Yu." Gao Xianjue knelt on one knee and handed the scroll to him with both hands.

Marquis Lieyang untied the rope and shook the scroll lightly, "Whoosh~~~"

The moment the scroll unfolded, Xiao Yu, who had already arrived at the main hall of the Cloud Coming Inn, felt something but didn't know why.

She looked confused, turned her head to look in the direction of the commander's tent, and then continued to direct people to bandage Guan Hu Chen's wounds.

And seeing the person in the painting, Marquis Lieyang's expression instantly became dull.

Qingsong saw it, and was extremely curious in his heart, leaned over to take a look, and was also shocked on the spot, "This is Guan Yu?!"

Marquis Lieyang put down the scroll, closed his eyes, leaned lightly on the soft couch, and complex expressions such as recollection, sadness, and nostalgia appeared on his face.

"There is also a poem on it... Clouds think of clothes and flowers think of appearance, spring breeze brushes the railing and dew is thick. If not seen on the top of Qunyu Mountain, I will meet you under the moon at the Jade Terrace. Good poem... eh, the poet's name is hidden by a blindfold."

Qingsong Daoist pinched a seal, cyan light flickered in his eyes, and several lines of cursive script floated on the right side of the scroll.

"What a beautiful woman with both talent and appearance; this Daoist was truly blind."

Marquis Lieyang opened his eyes, first recited the poem lightly, and then looked at the characters that appeared behind the poem, "Miss Yu is happy to see the picture, and wrote a poem to praise herself after her twentieth year~~~ Some year, some month, Zhang Yao's brush."

"Isn't she a barbarian?"

Qingsong Daoist glanced at him, really wanting to say: Isn't your mother also a barbarian?

"She has innate wisdom, and can even raise dragon veins at will; writing a poem is even simpler. After all, articles are formed by heaven, and clever hands are met by chance."

Having seen the Shadow God Map, Qingsong also had no interest in sitting and chatting with Marquis Lieyang.

"The Human Emperor has passed away; this Daoist must return to Xianyang as soon as possible. Marquis, the follow-up of the Western countries will be left to you."

Qingsong got up and bowed to Marquis Lieyang, then turned and walked out.

"Wait, the Cyan

The Marquis of Lieyang first rolled up the Shadow God Map, placed it back into the box, then stood up, found the small porcelain bottle, and tossed it toward Qingsong.

"Guan Huchen is already crippled; why not keep it for your own use?" Qingsong laughed.

"Does this Marquis lack such trifles?" The Marquis of Lieyang replied dismissively.

"The Marquis certainly doesn't lack it, but your subordinates..." Qingsong glanced at Gao Xianjue.

Gao Xianjue's eyes burned with intense longing.

He turned his hopeful gaze toward Qingsong.

Qingsong sneered and gestured with his chin toward the Marquis of Lieyang.

Gao Xianjue immediately shifted his hopeful gaze to the Marquis of Lieyang.

The Marquis of Lieyang said coldly, "Go earn your own military merit and exchange it at the Dao Palace. If I were to embezzle Guan Huchen's Bone-Changing Pill for you, the previous execution for his crime of currying favor would turn into murder for greed."

And killing one's own subordinate at that.

Do you want me to become a man without faith or righteousness, devoid of grace and virtue, in the eyes of everyone?

Gao Xianjue's eyes dimmed, and he lowered his head, saying, "This subordinate dares not. This subordinate will strive to serve the Marquis and remain loyal to Great Qin, and will earn the Bone-Changing Pill through my own merits."

The Daoist boy Qingsong gave a faint smile, strode out of the commander's tent, and headed straight for the Yunlai Inn.

By now, Huchen had already been moved to the inn's main hall.

Whether it was the military physician Wei Wu or the physician Guan Zhong had found from the inn, neither knew how to continue the treatment.

Huchen's chest was collapsed, his refined steel breastplate dented irregularly like a crushed soda can; his spine had broken in who knows how many places, with several fist-sized lumps protruding from his back—all fractured, displaced vertebrae; his helmet, not covered by his Fire-Rat Robe, had been half-melted by the Blazing True Qi, fused onto Huchen's head.

It was fortunate he wasn't like Song Changqing, who wore a mask every day; Huchen's square face was still largely intact.

And this was only the "bone and flesh" injury.

The internal injuries caused by the Blazing True Qi were impossible to estimate and difficult to purge completely.

"Miss Yu, General Guan is truly beyond saving. Perhaps he still has a breath of True Qi trapped in his chest, showing faint signs of breathing, but the moment we move any part of his body, that breath will immediately dissipate," Wei Wu said helplessly.

Xiao Yu knew that conventional means couldn't save Guan Huchen, but this world had gods, demons, immortals, and Buddhas.

"Uncle Zhong, call the innkeeper of Yunlai Inn. Since he runs an inn here, he must be very familiar with the local famous physicians. Ask him if there are any renowned masters or eccentric individuals capable of bringing the dead back to life."

Wei Wu cried out, "Miss Yu, I'm afraid there's no need; General Guan won't last that long."

Xiao Yu really wanted to punch him: You idiot, how long Guan Huchen lasts is his business; showing urgency and loyalty is what you lackeys should be doing now; demonstrating the filial piety of never abandoning one's foster father is my business, Miss Yu.

A soldier who doesn't use his brain will be a "little military physician" for life!

"Physician Wei, help my foster father clean his burns and first remove the Blazing True Qi from his skin," Xiao Yu said.

Before long, Guan Zhong ran back, his face full of despair, and shouted, "Past Feixian Ferry, eighty li to the southwest, there is a 'Benevolent Hand Zhang Qianyi,' the most famous divine physician in the area.

But he specializes in treating plague and poison; he has no supernatural skills himself, and he doesn't even cultivate True Qi, so he doesn't understand the internal injury treatments of martial artists."

"Eighty li is still relatively close. Are there any divine physicians in the further prefectures or counties? Hmm, my foster father has the Red Smoke Steed, which can travel three thousand li a day. Right, Deputy General Song, hurry and go fetch my foster father's Red Smoke Steed."

—Don't let outsiders seize our Guan family inheritance!

The Red Smoke Steed has the bloodline of an ancient divine beast and will actively choose its master; she, "Guan Yu," might not be without a chance.

If the Marquis of Lieyang or others from the Fire Crow Army snatch it, she won't have the slightest chance.

"Only General Guan can approach the Red Smoke Steed; no one else can lead it." Guan Huchen didn't move.

As Huchen's deputy general, having been taught the *Tiger Soul Seven Kills*, at this critical moment when Huchen's life hung by a thread, he remained as cold as an ordinary Luye Guard armored knight.

"Sigh, if only we were at Yingxiang Mansion, my Guan family would not lack divine physicians at all," Guan Zhong wailed.

"Oh, does the Guan Mansion have eccentric individuals who can revive the dead?" Xiao Yu was a bit surprised.

She knew the Guan family's medicinal herb business was vast and should have employed many famous physicians.

Previously at Hengsha Pass, there were seven or eight resident physicians in the raw herb shop.

"My Guan family ancestor is the number one divine physician in the West."

Even in such sorrow and despair, once the topic turned to the ancestor's medical skills, a hint of pride appeared on Guan Zhong's face.

Xiao Yu didn't notice that Song Changqing, who was playing the wooden statue on the side, clenched his fists tightly again after hearing Guan Zhong's words, his body still trembling slightly.

If one could lift his mask, one would see his ugly face filled with hatred and rage.

"How is it? Has General Guan been saved?" The Daoist boy Qingsong's voice came from behind the crowd.