Chapter 148

In the tranquil courtyard, a heavy oppression settled, and a thick gloom covered everyone's spirit.

The black-robed old man walked slowly, his steps light and casual, like a leisurely stroll in a garden, calmly watching flowers bloom and fall, showing no urgency. Yet his slow footsteps brought us endless despair.

Chen Zheng struggled to rise, expending his last ounce of strength, but the spent Chen Zheng could not block his steps. Chen Zheng was drenched in blood; even fallen, he stubbornly struggled to crawl forward.

The outcome seemed predictable—tonight, we would be utterly annihilated.

"Have they arrived? Where exactly are Xiaoqiang and Hai Sheng?" At that moment, I, curled up and trembling on the ground, seemed to hear a very familiar voice, one that had accompanied me since childhood, so familiar I could not mistake it. The voice belonged to Pangzi's father, QingSongShu. It sounded as if it came from far away, yet also as if it were right beside us.

At that moment, the black-robed old man's steps inexplicably stopped. He glanced toward the courtyard gate and chuckled meaningfully: "Interesting, truly interesting."

He not only halted his steps, standing still in the courtyard for a moment, then suddenly turned his back on us and walked away slowly, thereafter vanishing mysteriously into the night.

I watched him go, feeling both strange and perplexed. He already had victory in his grasp—why let us go?

But I might never find answers to all these doubts, as yin energy invaded my body through the acupoints, ravaging my internals; perhaps within moments I would become a wholly cold corpse.

With a creak, the gate swung open, and two figures rushed in.

As my consciousness faded, I saw the likenesses of Yuan Qiu and QingSongShu. It turned out I wasn't dreaming; I had truly heard QingSongShu's words.

"Pangzi is saved!" As that joyful thought flashed through my mind, my vision darkened and I sank into complete unconsciousness.

………………

I do not know how much time passed, but I seemed to have spent an eternity in a frigid world. There I felt no warmth whatsoever; white snow swirled all around, and only bone‑deep cold remained.

The frost spread for a long, long time; then I seemed to hear someone hammering hard, shattering the icy world, and sunlight slowly poured in through the breach.

When my consciousness gradually cleared and I woke with a start, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. Turning my head, I saw the familiar faces of Yuan Qiu and QingSongShu. Yuan Qiu's pale, scholarly visage was now covered in many pimples; he looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days.

QingSongShu's stern, square face was likewise filled with worry and anxiety as he leaned against the table, eyes closed in sleep.

I tried to shift my body, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest; looking down, I saw my body bristling with silver needles, like a living porcupine.

Perhaps my cry of pain woke Yuan Qiu; his body jerked, and his weary face slowly lifted.

"He's awake, QingSongShu, Hai Sheng is awake…" Yuan Qiu seized QingSongShu's shoulders, shaking him with joy and tears.

QingSongShu's body trembled, and he quickly turned his gaze toward me.

"QingSongShu…" I gave him a weak smile.

QingSongShu's bloodshot eyes were on the verge of tearing up.

I struggled to sit up, but my body would not obey; any movement sent a bone‑deep stabbing pain.

"Don't move." QingSongShu pressed me down with one hand: "These silver needles disperse the yin energy in your body. Though you've awakened, the yin energy hasn't fully dissipated, so for now you must not act rashly."

QingSongShu said that, so I could only continue lying still. As I drew a few slow breaths and my muddled mind gradually cleared, I immediately asked about Pangzi.

"QingSongShu, how is Pangzi now?"

QingSongShu patted my hand and reassured me: "Xiaoqiang is in the neighboring ward; although the Five Thunder God Strike is immensely powerful, he has trained martial arts for years and has a solid base, so he already woke up yesterday."

Soon after, QingSongShu seemed to recall something, his expression shifting for a long while, then he solemnly instructed me: "You and Xiaoqiang and Xiao Qiu (Yuan Qiu) have already told me what happened. Though I never saw the mysterious person who harmed you, anyone who understands the martial arts of both the Yin Mountain and Splendor Light schools and is also an Insect Master is certainly no ordinary individual. Having borne a grudge against him, you must be extra cautious from now on."

"Sorry, QingSongShu, I was wrong!" I sighed and lowered my head in regret. In this matter, Pangzi and I were indeed remiss. Take the Nine Yin Formation—Pangzi's clan records surely note its drawbacks. But Pangzi was careless, or perhaps he rushed the attack, solely wanting to use the Nine Yin Formation to improve the fortune of Chen Zheng's ancestral home, overlooking those drawbacks, which led to this great disaster.

Had I asked more and thought more before setting up the formation, perhaps the whole affair would not have turned out so badly.

"QingSongShu uncle, I invited Brother Weiqiang and Hai Sheng to come to Aomen this time; any fault is mine alone, don't blame them!" Yuan Qiu stood up anxiously.

QingSongShu waved his hand, smiling faintly: "All right, all right, I don't blame you."

"In worldly affairs, even eating and drinking are predestined. Though this is a calamity, people must experience things to grow." QingSongShu glanced at me and Yuan Qiu, then continued calmly: "I never fear your mistakes; on the contrary, I hope you make them. For what I teach is always theoretical—discussing benefits and harms, good and evil—only after you have lived through it will you gain deep insight, learn how to choose, and walk well on the road ahead."

"Yes… I understand!" I replied sincerely.

QingSongShu gazed at me with indulgence, a hint of weariness in his expression, then slowly rose and said to me: "Rest well first; I'll go check on Xiaoqiang… and that… girl."

Having said that, he walked out of the ward.

After QingSongShu left, I could no longer contain my curiosity and asked Yuan Qiu: "Who is that girl he mentioned—could it be Chen Mo? And have you seen Brother Wuchang? How is he doing now?"

Yuan Qiu reassured me: "Don't worry, Brother Wuchang has been rescued; though still hospitalized, his life is no longer in danger and he can slowly recover. As for the girl QingSongShu mentioned…"

Yuan Qiu's face bore a hint of bitterness; after a pause, he hoarsely said: "It's Sister‑in‑law Dong Yumin."

Upon hearing that Fan Wuchang was unharmed, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yet when Yuan Qiu mentioned Dong Yumin, I too felt a pang of gloom.

"Is the gu poison in Sister‑in‑law's body really that severe?"

"Very severe!" Yuan Qiu nodded firmly.

He said that Dong Yumin's Heart-Eating Gu had become fused with her heart; even though QingSongShu used silver needles to confine the gu poison to a certain area, he could not stop the gu worms from spreading. Now Dong Yumin is no different from a poisoned person—her very blood is toxic—and QingSongShu can only alternate between giving her blood transfusions and forcing out some of the gu from her body.

Yet this Heart-Eating Gu is refined from countless ant mothers; among them resides an ant king, and as long as the ant king lives, the worm eggs will proliferate endlessly—making it extremely troublesome.

"Ah… I hope sister‑in‑law catches a lucky break." I sighed, only able to pray for her silently in my heart. I admit that I previously harbored reservations and prejudices toward Dong Yumin, especially during the banquet when I felt a twinge of panic, which made me suspect her of being one of those who harmed Chen Zheng.

My speculation was correct: within the courtyard, Dong Yumin's brandishing of the knife proved everything. However, I only guessed the beginning, not the outcome. Dong Yumin was indeed one of those who harmed Chen Zheng, but she was acting under compulsion, forced by others. Moreover, even though the gu worms controlled her, at the critical moment she managed to break free, and after a fleeting instant of clarity she unhesitatingly turned the blade tip toward herself.

Heart-Eating Gu, which devours both heart and spirit—I do not know what power enabled Dong Yumin to break free of the gu worms' bonds at that moment, nor what compelled her to sacrifice herself without hesitation.

Perhaps the reason, beyond ordinary explanation, can be summed up in a single word… love. Dong Yumin's love for Chen Zheng.

……

Amid vexation and worry, another day passed; the next day, QingSongShu finally came to remove the needles for me. Afterwards I discovered I could not muster a trace of qi sensation; my body felt empty, devoid of any spiritual power.

In an instant I was dazed, stunned and unable to regain my composure. Later QingSongShu explained everything, and my heart eased somewhat.

QingSongShu said that, because I suffered a backlash while resisting the invasion of yin energy, my meridians were impaired, and my internal spiritual power and yin energy became intertwined and knotted together. Using yin needles to drain the yin energy naturally also drains the spiritual power along with it. However, this is only temporary; as long as I nurse my body back to health, clear my meridians, my spiritual power can gradually recover.

All I could do was sigh helplessly, wanting to cry but unable to. Especially after shaving my head bald and tying on a leather eye shield, looking at my reflection in the mirror I resembled a Republican‑era bandit, which made me feel even more like crying but unable to.

As for why I had to shave my head to fashion a one‑eyed‑dragon image, there must be a reason, and I certainly did not volunteer—I was forced to do so.

Since my hair had been scorched by lightning in the courtyard, if I didn't shave it off, no new hair would grow; without hair I couldn't cover my left eye… and if I left my left eye uncovered, walking out into the street would surely terrify a large crowd.

Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I even began to doubt whether my usual flamboyant manner had gone too far; as the saying goes, showing off invites lightning strike—should I henceforth be more low‑key and restrained?

In short, this period can be said to be the darkest time of my life; amid this oppressive and painful era, the suffering me unexpectedly grasped a philosophical truth,

No wonder people often say that those who love me claim that famous flowers have owners. Look at myself in the mirror…… I suddenly understood: all renowned blossoms have owners because the one who loves them is a pitiful sight… Alas, after having my head shaved overnight, tears flood forth; I think nothing, cannot bear to look, cover my face and flee wildly; seeing a mirror drives me mad, unable to face my parents.