Chapter 241: Locust Blossoms for a Summer, Locusts Linked to Beans

Seeing the Miasma Poison spreading on Long Qi's body, Lingxiang could not help but feel a bit anxious. Although Huiwu's demon cultivation was not as strong as Guihua's, he truly possessed the ability of Demon Transformation, and now, for some reason, he even carried the Demon Miasma Poison.

Even if Long Qi's life was not currently in danger, the erosion of the Demon Miasma would sooner or later lead him to the same fate as Maidong; if it were not resolved early, he might turn into one of those foolish demon creatures.

The most urgent task was to neutralize the Miasma Poison for Long Qi, but given Lingxiang's cultivation, she was powerless to do so. The only plan for now was to use Silver Needles to inject Qi and set up an Array Formation on his physical body to seal his vital acupoints and delay the spread of the toxic miasma.

But this was ultimately just a delaying tactic; even if they managed to escape now, where would they find someone capable of dispelling the miasma? Pills and acupuncture alone could not delay it for long!

She also blamed herself for being self-righteous, ignoring Xin Yi's advice, and falling into Huiwu's ambush due to her carelessness. If not for this, Long Qi would not have been injured while trying to block the attack for her.

For the first time, Lingxiang felt so helpless. Even if she were proficient in the External Elixir Technique, what could she do? Could she only watch as Long Qi suffered from the erosion of the Demon Miasma?

Yet Lingxiang dared not show her true feelings, only pretending to be calm as she manipulated the Silver Needles with lifting, thrusting, and twisting motions, but her reddened eyes and the trembling hand holding the Fine Needle betrayed her. Crystal tears filled Lingxiang's eyes, blurring her vision, yet she struggled to keep her eyes wide open, not daring to let the tears fall.

Just as Lingxiang was in a state of panic, Long Qi grabbed her constantly trembling hand and said, panting:

"Don't panic. Your Young Master has a tough life; I definitely won't have any trouble. Just go ahead and try the needles; I trust you!"

Lingxiang looked at Long Qi, at his sweat-drenched face, which was filled with determination.

Looking at such eyes, for some reason, Lingxiang suddenly calmed down.

"Right! You will absolutely be fine!" Lingxiang's expression suddenly became firm, and the hand holding the needle steadied.

Seeing the change in Lingxiang's expression, Bai Wuchang was slightly surprised and could not help but secretly praise her: what a calm and composed woman.

Ordinary women would have been flustered in such a situation, but Lingxiang was able to force herself to be calm, and even after some thought, she could settle her mind; she was indeed quite impressive.

Such a temperament was not lacking the style of Tumi back in the day. No wonder the Venerable One had given orders to capture her alive; he must intend to use her hand to plot future matters.

Bai Wuchang remained calm and composed, only watching everything coldly from the sidelines.

Huiwu's demonic nature surged, his sharp claws carrying fierce wind and Demon Miasma, attacking Zhao Wuyang like a storm. His movements were agile, and one could only see streaks of afterimages and hear the whistling wind; it looked extremely overbearing.

Fortunately, Zhao Wuyang had undergone Seeking Qi, his Body Movement had improved, and he had the Demon Eradication Power, so he could handle it with ease.

This fight could be considered evenly matched, but Zhao Wuyang was ultimately too young, his mind simple and his experience shallow; how could he compare to Huiwu's sinister cunning? Under a series of feints, he finally fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing Huiwu leap into the air and swing his sharp claws down violently at Zhao Wuyang, Zhao Wuyang hurriedly rolled to dodge, causing the attack to miss.

Perhaps because he landed too hard, Huiwu's eagle-like claws were actually deeply embedded in the ground, looking as if they could never be pulled out.

Being kind to an enemy is being cruel to oneself. Zhao Wuyang remembered the teachings of Qianyuan Zhenren, gathered Qi in his fingers, performed Qi Transformation into Sword, leaped up, and thrust directly at Huiwu.

Just as the sharp sword Qi approached, the panic on Huiwu's face suddenly changed; the corners of his mouth curled up, and he actually started to laugh.

It was at this very moment that the gravel beneath Zhao Wuyang's feet shattered and flew, and a sharp claw suddenly lunged out from the mountain rock, from bottom to top; it looked as if it were about to split him in two.

At this very moment, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and a force pulled Zhao Wuyang violently backward.

Even so, it was still too late.

Zhao Wuyang only felt a chill in his chest and abdomen, followed by a burning sensation. The pain struck instantly, so intense that he nearly fainted. His chest was now torn open, his green robes stained with blood, and the wound made a "sizzling" sound as the Miasma Poison continuously eroded the bloody chest.

"Wuyang! Wuyang!"

The urgent calls reached his ears, but Zhao Wuyang was gradually sinking into Chaos. He could not distinguish between illusion and reality, only sinking deeper and deeper, without even the strength to struggle.

"Wuyang! Wuyang..."

The cicadas chirped incessantly, tireless, as if they would not stop until they had called down the scorching sun. The old locust tree in the courtyard stood peacefully, lush and leafy, like an old man who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, watching everything in the courtyard quietly, or like a loyal guard, firmly protecting the peace of the place.

Under the veranda, a rocking chair creaked back and forth, but no one was sitting on it. A draft blew through, and the locust leaves rustled in response; it was a scene of peace.

Zhao Wuyang looked blankly at everything familiar; although it was the same as in the past, the figure he missed in his heart was missing. He sighed softly and walked toward the rocking chair.

It was at this moment that the rocking chair suddenly stopped. Zhao Wuyang rubbed the armrest; as soon as he touched it, he felt it was smooth, as if it had been polished by long use.

It seemed the owner must have often stroked this armrest!

The scorching sun cast its light on the old locust tree, spilling a patch of shadow, but under the eaves of the veranda, it was very cool, making one's heart feel settled as well.

"Sigh..." Zhao Wuyang sighed, flicked his robe, lay down on the rocking chair, closed his eyes, and began to rock.

"Creak... creak..."

In his memory, his mother would often be like this, fanning herself comfortably, watching the clouds roll and unroll, or listening to the flowers bloom and fall...

"Wuyang, have you ever thought about what kind of person you want to become when you grow up?" Lady Qiao asked, waving her fan, her face full of warmth.

"When I grow up, I want to be a great hero, to protect this land and bring prosperity to the common people!" Little Wuyang patted his chest with pride, as if he were already a great hero.

Lady Qiao shook her head: "Wuyang, look at that locust tree. It has weathered the wind and sun for at least a hundred years. It blooms in summer and bears seeds in summer. Every time the summer heat is intense, it casts a patch of shade, shielding this courtyard from the scorching sun. Isn't that also a way of benefiting the land?"

"Your mother doesn't ask for you to achieve great fame and success in the future; I only ask that you live in peace for a lifetime. The long river of time flows like a shuttle; there are many adversities in it. If you always dwell on what you have lost, how can you cherish what is before you?"

"When the Goddess Wa created humans, she gave them a pair of eyes so that they would look forward..."

Yes, one must look forward!

Zhao Wuyang sighed again, but this time, it was not as bitter as before; it was more like a sense of relief.

He opened his eyes and looked at the old locust tree under the veranda. The green leaves on the tree were lush, and there were no more white locust blossoms on the branches, but heavy locust seeds...

"Wuyang! Wuyang!"

As if he had heard Ajin's anxious calls, Zhao Wuyang suddenly opened his eyes wide, grabbed his sleeve, and exerted force with his hand, as if trying his best to endure the pain in his chest.

"Ajin, I heard that the Cat Spirit of Xishan can grant people's wishes. Is that true or not?"