Chapter 88: Arrival, Observations, and the Miraculous Effect of the Returned Pill

"Uncle-master, what should we do?"

Under the reflection of the firelight, two horse bandits approached with malicious intent. Xi Beichen's expression turned stern; one hand pressed against his sword, while the other reached into his bosom, prepared to take action.

Now that half a year had passed, the injuries he had sustained in the Jingwu Division dungeon had long since fully recovered, and his Martial Arts had advanced even further, reaching the Fourth Realm Thunder Sound level.

Although the horse bandits before them had over a dozen guns, most of them were a rabble. Moreover, it was dark, and they had the post station as cover. He also carried a Firearm on his person; with their combined strength, they might not be unable to deal with this group.

The only thing that worried him slightly was that his Uncle-master Li Junxian had a hidden ailment; he wondered if it would have an impact if they truly came to blows.

"Beichen, A Yuan, do not move yet."

However, Li Junxian, whose injuries had now fully recovered, suddenly gave a low instruction, then raised both hands and shouted aloud:

"This boss, this old man and my two nephews are finally returning to our hometown. It hasn't been easy to save up some silver for them to take wives over these years. Could you allow this old man to use an important piece of news to trade for you letting us go?"

"Hm? Important news?"

Several zhang away, Duyan Jiao looked over with a surprised expression and said with keen interest:

"What news?"

Li Junxian said slowly:

"Two days ago, this old man and my nephews were staying at an inn in Tianyun Town. When I returned from the latrine at night, I accidentally heard two people looking for some treasure. It sounded a bit strange."

Tianyun Town, treasure!?

On horseback, Duyan Jiao's expression changed, and he instantly made a connection.

Tianyun Town was a small town under the jurisdiction of Tianyun Prefecture.

And Tianyun Prefecture, over twenty years ago, was the capital of the Shengping Heavenly Kingdom.

There was a rumor in the world that before Saint King Chen Kequan had his Tianyun Prefecture broken by the Jin Army, he had already dispatched trusted aides to secretly escort a large amount of treasure worth over a million Silver Yuan away, burying it in the deep mountains near Tianyun Prefecture to be used for a future resurgence.

After the fall of the Shengping Heavenly Kingdom, the Jin Army had dispatched a large number of troops to scour the mountains and scrape the earth, but after several months, they had never been able to find it. The news spread as a result, and in the years that followed, it sparked a treasure-hunting craze among the common people.

Never having expected that after such a long time someone would still be looking for the treasure, Duyan Jiao became intensely interested:

"Bring him over, and tell me in detail!"

The two horse bandits who were about to search them immediately surrounded them, and Li Junxian walked forward with his hands raised, neither fast nor slow.

Having understood Li Junxian's plan, Xi Beichen's expression was slightly worried, while Lu Yuan wore an expression of watching a good show.

After all, even before his injuries healed, this master possessed the Martial Arts strength of the peak of the Fourth Realm and was by no means an easy target; now that his internal injuries had mostly recovered, although he could not immediately return to his peak, dealing with a horse bandit leader was still not a problem.

Soon, Li Junxian, whose aura was completely restrained so that no high Martial Arts cultivation could be seen, arrived before the group of tiger-eyed horse bandits.

"You said someone is looking for treasure in Tianyun Town!?"

Duyan Jiao held a gun in one hand and a saber in the other, examining him from head to toe, and asked impatiently:

"What exactly is going on? Tell me in detail!"

At this moment, the distance between the two sides was no more than a zhang. Li Junxian looked up and slowly revealed a smile: "Replying to this boss, those two said..."

Boom—!

Suddenly, a heavy sound like a beating drum rang out.

In everyone's line of sight, Li Junxian's frail, elderly figure suddenly erupted. The airflow around his body exploded into a gale, and his entire person was like a flaming meteor tearing through the long sky, instantly pouncing before Duyan Jiao!

What!?

This move by Li Junxian could be called earth-shattering; it was too sudden and too explosive. The terrifying force of his Qi rushed toward him. Duyan Jiao on the horse had his expression change wildly; he had neither the time to fire his gun nor the time to draw his saber, and in shock and anger, he subconsciously dodged to the side.

Crack!

The Box Cannon in his hand was first crushed by Li Junxian in one grip.

At the same time, Li Junxian's other hand had already fiercely grabbed his right shoulder. Under the terrifying, mountain-collapsing and sea-roaring force, a clear sound of bone shattering erupted from his shoulder, and then his whole person was grabbed off the horse's back as if a hawk were catching a chick!

"Ah—!"

In an instant, a shrill, painful roar resounded through the night sky. Duyan Jiao, who had been imposing just a moment ago, was dragged off his horse by Li Junxian in the blink of an eye, crashing to the ground and vomiting blood.

Behind them, more than ten lackeys were suddenly shocked and terrified, one after another raising their guns and cursing angrily:

"Old scoundrel, how dare you!!"

"Let go of our Boss Jiao, or we will make sure you die without a burial place immediately!"

Even the Martial Masters of the Zhen'an Escort Agency in the post station were dumbfounded and incredulous at this scene.

At this moment, Li Junxian locked Duyan Jiao's throat with one hand and snatched the large saber from his hand with the other, lifting the man up to use as a shield in front of him. While drifting backward, he said indifferently:

"This Boss Jiao, you had better let your subordinates be a bit quieter."

Duyan Jiao had only just managed to recover somewhat from the sharp pain in his shoulder and the shock to his internal organs. He immediately shouted with a ferocious expression:

"All of you shut your mouths for me first!"

Afterward, he tilted his head slightly, a rather ugly smile appearing on his fierce face:

"This sir, we have never met and have no grievances. With your Martial Arts cultivation, why play the game of pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? If you had just said something in advance, I would definitely have retreated three zhang long ago; how would I have let my subordinates search you?"

"We are all people who cannot survive under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, so we came out to lick blood from the blade to earn a living. Why must you be like this?"

Just in that instant, he had clearly felt the terrifying Martial Arts cultivation of this old man, far surpassing his own, as he had only just stepped into the Thunder Sound Realm; he was afraid he had already reached the Fifth Realm.

Normally, even with so many people and guns under his command, he would try his best to avoid provoking such a person. Who would have thought Li Junxian would hide so deeply without showing his true colors?

He had been careless!

"Are bandits of the greenwood like you actually capable of being scared off by a few words?"

Not mentioning the regret in his heart, Li Junxian said indifferently:

"Duyan Jiao, they say you have quite a few rules in how you do things and are not some unpardonable villain. I will not take your life either; have your men throw down all their guns, and I will let you go."

Duyan Jiao, whose life hung on the whim of another, had no other choice and immediately turned his head to roar:

"Did you hear that? Hurry up and throw all your guns for me, quick!"

The twenty-plus horse bandits looked at each other in dismay.

And because this team was entirely raised by Duyan Jiao and he held high prestige, they only hesitated for a moment before throwing the Firearms in their hands onto the ground one after another.

This also made Duyan Jiao heave a heavy sigh of relief: "This master, this should be enough, right?"

Li Junxian did not speak, while Lu Yuan and Xi Beichen had already stepped forward, quickly picking up all the firearms on the ground, and then taking them back into the post station.

At this moment, Li Junxian nodded: "Very good."

As he spoke, he held Duyan Jiao hostage and retreated to the perimeter wall, then released him.

Duyan Jiao stumbled while baring his teeth, then turned around, clutching his dislocated shoulder, and hurried toward his subordinates in two or three steps.

After two of his trusted aides from the horse bandit side stepped forward to support him, he turned around and shouted with an unpredictable expression:

"They say one doesn't get to know each other without a fight; having fallen into your hands, I, Duyan Jiao, admit defeat. May I ask for your Great Name?"

Li Junxian said with a half-smile:

"What, are you planning to come back for revenge?"

"You joke, sir. It was my own eyes that were dim; I cannot blame others."

Although there was resentment in his heart, Duyan Jiao was still straightforward and tactful as he cupped his hands and pleaded:

"Those guns are the foundation of our brothers' livelihood. Could you return some to us?"

Li Junxian pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Fine. I will leave the firearms in the post station. You may send someone to retrieve them tomorrow morning after we have left."

Duyan Jiao, who had not held much hope, was suddenly overjoyed:

"Many thanks, many thanks for your mercy, sir!"

At this point, both sides had reached a consensus.

Afterwards, Duyan Jiao waved his hand, shouted loudly, and led the group of horse bandits to turn around and leave.

Under the night sky, watching the figures of these people slinking away, Xi Beichen walked up, his eyes showing hesitation:

"Uncle-Master, are we really going to return these guns to them tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

Li Junxian answered very decisively:

"This group of horse bandits still has some rules. If these firearms were destroyed, it would undoubtedly be equivalent to forming a deadly feud. Unless we killed them all just now, otherwise, it might bring more trouble later. Your master is still waiting for us, so it is not appropriate to create extra complications now."

Ginger is indeed spicier when it is old.

Xi Beichen was suddenly enlightened, and Lu Yuan nodded in his heart.

With so many horse bandits present just now, some might have hidden firearms on their persons that they did not hand over. Plus, with the night being pitch black all around, Li Junxian and Xi Beichen alone truly could not manage to annihilate the enemy completely.

No one knew how many more men this group of horse bandits had. If any fish slipped through the net and ran back to call for friends and bring more people, it would instead evolve into even greater trouble.

And Lin Xingchao was still in Jinjin waiting, with his life hanging by a thread; under such circumstances, there was no need to take that risk.

Of course, if Lu Yuan truly revealed his methods, wiping out this group of horse bandits would be as easy as turning over his hand. But on one hand, it would certainly not be good to use Earthly Fiend Arts under the eyes of so many people; on the other hand, just as Li Junxian said, this group of horse bandits still had some rules. Even if they were all slaughtered, the power vacuum left behind would soon be filled by other horse bandits, which would be even worse.

In this day and age, one has to say that this is also a kind of helplessness.

"Th-three masters."

And just as the three master and disciples were speaking, on the other side, the bearded Martial Master leading the Zhen'an Escort Agency walked up excitedly and respectfully, bowing to Li Junxian:

"Many thanks for forcing these thieves back, sir. Please accept my bow!"

"You are too polite."

Li Junxian said:

"They will come again tomorrow morning. You had best leave quickly before dawn; that should allow you to avoid being robbed."

After simply dealing with these people.

The three returned to the drafty hall of the post station to rest, with Lu Yuan and Xi Beichen taking turns keeping watch.

The Martial Masters of the Zhen'an Escort Agency also dared not be careless at all, with eight people taking turns keeping watch outside, fearing that Duyan Jiao and the others would sneak in overnight.

They had originally wanted to buy a few of the horse bandits' firearms from Li Junxian for self-defense, but gave up because they could not be used without ammunition.

Fortunately, the deterrent power of a Fifth Realm Martial Artist was sufficient; after the night passed, Duyan Jiao and the other horse bandits did not dare to appear again.

And when the sky faintly began to turn white like a fish belly.

The Martial Masters of the Zhen'an Escort Agency took their leave early, then took their goods and changed to a different road to leave the post station.

Li Junxian and the others, who were in a hurry, followed closely behind. When the daylight brightened, they packed their things and left the post station to embark on their journey once more.

Of course, to prevent Duyan Jiao's group from catching up after getting the firearms, Xi Beichen had poured water into the barrels of all the long and short firearms; they would be unusable for at least three or four days.

In fact, Duyan Jiao and the others did indeed curse loudly after getting the firearms back, but they were very smart and had no intention of pursuing them from beginning to end.

After all, in their line of work, those who like to be brave and fight, or act on impulse, die the fastest.

Moreover, a Fifth Realm Martial Artist was not easy to deal with, and he truly did not want to take that risk.

In short, Lu Yuan and the others successfully passed through this small disturbance and continued their journey, racing against time.

After another two consecutive days of long-distance trekking.

At noon on the third day.

At this moment, the long wind was vast, the Heaven was high and the Earth was far, and the clouds were sparse and calm.

On the official road, the three of them, Lu Yuan and his companions, covered in dust, could clearly see the shadows of a magnificent city sitting in the distance, with a vast Hai River flowing past it, sparkling and endless.

It was precisely the important city directly under the Coastal region of the Jin Dynasty, Jinjin had arrived!

After accelerating for two or three quarters of an hour, the three arrived at the foot of Jinjin City.

The city wall, over three zhang high, stood tall, having weathered many vicissitudes, with a solemn atmosphere.

In the center of the city wall, a huge city gate stood tall, with heavy traffic in front of it. There were squads of powerful guards setting up checkpoints, and a large number of commoners, caravans, and horse teams gathered here, surging inward, indicating the prosperity of this place.

Lu Yuan glanced at it, but did not have much of a reaction.

After all, he was a modern person and had long been accustomed to the skyscrapers and prosperity of big cities. Although the Jinjin before his eyes was far more prosperous in scale and atmosphere than Fengyang Prefecture, it was not enough to surprise him.

Jinjin was a commercial hub; anyone bringing goods into the city had to pay an entry tax. Lu Yuan and the others were traveling light and had nothing but their packs, so they entered the city through a small gate.

Passing through the thick city gates, the view suddenly opened up; the bluestone streets were exceptionally wide, and the pavilions and grand buildings on both sides stood in close succession, fully displaying prosperity.

As they ventured deeper into the city, the flow of people was bustling everywhere; horses were allowed on the main thoroughfares, but galloping was forbidden. Under the lead of Xi Beichen, Li Junxian and his disciples controlled their horses' speed to follow behind, while Lu Yuan scanned everything around him with great interest, experiencing the local customs and atmosphere of this major city directly under the capital, which were clearly different from Fengyang Prefecture.

The most intuitive and obvious difference was that on the main streets of Jinjin, besides the common Jin Dynasty attire such as cloth shirts and long robes with jackets, one could even sporadically see Han people wearing new-style Western clothing!

Most of these people were young, clearly influenced by new-style trends, wearing leather shoes and Western suits while sporting short hair; as they sped past in rickshaws, it made Lu Yuan feel a sense of trance.

Moreover, he also discovered that besides the sporadic people wearing new-style clothing, many pedestrians on the street did not keep that ugly money-rat tail braid, instead flaunting their messy short hair in public.

Lu Yuan could not help but ask: "Senior Brother Xi, here in Jinjin, does the imperial court no longer care about the shaving of hair and changing of clothes?"

Xi Beichen, who was anxious to return, sneered and replied:

"The Jin Dynasty would like to care, but unfortunately, they lack the ability. Nowadays, nearly a quarter of Jinjin's territory has been ceded as a Concession for the Holy Roman Powers, and now they have to cede another part to the Japanese thieves of Sunlight Country to serve as a state within a state.

Currently, the foreigners are powerful here, and the Jin Dynasty's ruling power and influence have long since dropped to the minimum. Let alone the shaving of hair and changing of clothes, they can't even manage the various smuggling, secret societies, religious sects, and gang fights among the common people, which is why we chose Jinjin as our base for development."

"So that's how it is."

Lu Yuan could not help but feel a stir in his heart.

If things were as Xi Beichen said, then this place was indeed a very suitable place for him to develop.

With various thoughts turning in his mind, they rode their horses straight into the city.

Jinjin had a population of over a million, and the situation within the city was complex, with divisions into the outer city, inner city, and even Concessions. The outer city occupied over seventy percent of the area, inhabited mainly by commoners and the poor; there were poor people and beggars everywhere, and one could see corpses floating in the river or in corners almost every few steps, appearing chaotic and unbearable.

After passing through this stretch and entering the inner city, the situation changed completely; this place was commercially prosperous, and the residences were all owned by wealthy families or even high-ranking officials and nobles, with the environment and public security far better than in the outer city.

On the bluestone avenue here, Lu Yuan even saw a slightly crude and clumsy steam automobile emitting black smoke driving past, with two blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners sitting on it, looking around with arrogance.

Needless to say, both the vehicle and the people must have come from the Concession of the Holy Roman Powers.

The Concession of the Holy Roman Powers was a state within a state guarded by heavy troops, equipped with churches, factories, guild halls, and so on. Without the permission of the Holy Roman Powers, Jin Dynasty people from inside or outside the city, regardless of their status, were not allowed to enter.

Just like that.

Amidst his full wonder, Xi Beichen led Lu Yuan and his master to the back door of a secluded residence on the outskirts of the inner city.

He knocked on the door with a unique rhythm, full of nervousness. A moment later, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded inside, and then Gu Yourong, with red and swollen eyes, appeared at the door and said with pleasant surprise:

"Senior Brother, Senior Uncle, you have finally come!"

This tone made Li Junxian and Xi Beichen feel somewhat relieved, and Li Junxian immediately asked:

"Where is your master? Take me to him quickly!"

"Senior Uncle, follow me!"

Gu Yourong led the three of them into the backyard without a word, then arrived at a quiet room.

Li Junxian walked quickly into the room, only to see Lin Xingchao on the bed, bloodless and withered, his upper body wrapped in bandages, and his left arm severed at the shoulder, completely lacking the demeanor he had half a year ago.

Hearing the movement, Lin Xingchao turned his head with great difficulty, revealing a joyful but extremely weak voice:

"Senior Brother, A Yuan, you have come..."

"Lie still, don't speak."

Li Junxian stepped forward quickly to the bedside and held his other hand, revealing a smile instead:

"You old fellow, you didn't even die from this; you really have a big life!"

Lin Xingchao, as if experiencing a final burst of energy, became spirited instead and chuckled:

"That's right. The moment that old hag attacked me, I almost thought I was going to die. I didn't expect to barely survive this disaster. It's just a pity that the hag was too powerful; the palm strike she hit me with has already shattered my internal organs, and it's incurable. I reckon I'll be going to see Master and the Saint King in these next two days. It's fortunate that I could see you, Senior Brother, before I leave..."

"What 'before I leave'? You old fellow have good luck; you won't die this time!"

However, facing Lin Xingchao, who was already showing signs of death and whose life force seemed to be extinguishing at any moment, Li Junxian laughed out loud:

"Yourong, go get me a bowl of well water immediately; I have a way to save your master!"

What?

In the room, except for Lu Yuan, the three of Lin Xingchao's disciples were all stunned. Gu Yourong and Xi Beichen were pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed, saying as if in a dream:

"Senior Uncle, is this true!?"

"Of course!"

Li Junxian said quickly:

"A Yuan encountered a peerless expert by chance and obtained two miraculous healing Pills called the Healing Bait Return Pill from them. My old hidden injuries were visited by many famous doctors and could not be cured, but after taking this Pill, I immediately recovered by more than half.

I only took one of these Healing Bait Return Pills, and I brought the other one with me. It is just right for your master to take. If he eats this Pill, not to mention a full recovery, living another ten or twenty years will be no problem at all! Go and fetch the well water quickly!"

As his voice fell, Xi Beichen and Gu Yourong were dazed for a moment, then rushed out of the room to fetch well water without a word.

Lin Xingchao, who was weak to the extreme, stared blankly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Li Junxian and Lu Yuan:

"Senior Brother, how can there be such a divine Pill in the world? You aren't trying to deceive me, are you?"

Li Junxian laughed: "Won't you know if it's useful once you eat it?"

Lu Yuan also chimed in: "Senior Uncle, you are in such a state; how could my master make things up to tease you? That Pill is indeed incredibly miraculous and will surely cure your severe injuries."

While they were speaking.

Outside the room, Xi Beichen and the other had already rushed to fetch a bucket of well water and poured it into a bowl.

Under their expectant gazes, Li Junxian had already taken out the medicine box from his inner pocket and carefully cut off one-third with a prepared wooden knife, dissolving it into the well water in the bowl.

After stirring it completely, he immediately handed the bowl to Gu Yourong:

"This medicine must be taken in three doses. First, feed this bowl to your master, then wait for the medicinal power to take effect."

Xi Beichen immediately stepped forward, extremely carefully lifting Lin Xingchao's upper body, and then let Gu Yourong feed it to him.

Because his internal organs were shattered, even breathing was painful, so Lin Xingchao drank the well water in small, difficult, and slow sips, then slowly lay back down.

Including Lu Yuan, everyone stared at the other without blinking. In particular, Xi Beichen and Gu Yourong clenched their hands until their knuckles turned white, not even realizing they were bleeding.

And about half an hour after he lay down.

A trace of color gradually appeared on the face of Lin Xingchao, who was lying quietly. He suddenly opened his eyes, his originally weak gaze filled with shock:

"Senior Brother, this, this medicine!?"

(End of chapter)