Chapter 647

By the fifth needle, sweat had broken out on Wang Cong's forehead; by the seventh, his hands trembled slightly, but he still pressed down on Mao Li's acupoints and slowly inserted the needle.

Tao Ji only glanced once and said, "Switch to Miao Zhen."

Miao Zhen immediately took over.

This set of Evil-Expelling Needles required nine insertions.

Unlike ordinary acupuncture, with every needle they had to channel primordial force into the needle itself, and at the moment the needle entered the acupoint, their Wan Mugui to Spring technique would activate, sending primordial force through the needle into the body to purge the evil Qi within…

As the saying goes, illness comes like a mountain collapsing, and leaves like pulling silk — evil Qi is the same.

When evil Qi enters the body, it comes like a landslide or a tsunami — swift and violent — but to purge it, one must draw it out thread by thread, which is extremely laborious.

Wang Cong and Miao Zhen's control over primordial force was far inferior to Tao Ji's, and with acupuncture added in, the gap was even greater, so their primordial force expenditure was severe.

Pan Yun watched anxiously, especially wanting to step in and help, but the moment she moved, Tao Ji reached out and tugged at the back of her collar: "Don't move around. The cultivation method you practice is different from ours."

Pan Yun: "But my Kunyuan Art is as thick and heavy as the earth, and is also of the light attribute — can't it purge evil Qi?"

Tao Ji nodded and said, "It can, but once the evil Qi is purged, he won't be far from death either."

Miao Zhen inserted the ninth needle, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and explained on Tao Ji's behalf: "Little Martial Uncle, after being afflicted by evil Qi he developed many illnesses. After three years, his insides are already hollow. Your Kunyuan Art is thick and heavy, even somewhat domineering — once the evil Qi is purged, his five viscera and six bowels will be riddled with holes, and they simply can't withstand the passage of your primordial force…"

Tao Ji said coldly, "Think of a mud house riddled with holes. When a gust of wind blows through, it does blow all the cobwebs out of the house, but the mud house collapses too."

Pan Yun silently withdrew the half-step she had taken forward.

Tao Ji said, "Only Wan Mugui to Spring can purge the evil Qi while simultaneously nourishing his five viscera and six bowels, letting him slowly recover."

Pan Yun mulled it over, then said, "He really is lucky — in the entire Great Ming, only the people of our Mount Sanqing know Wan Mugui to Spring, and he just happened to run into five of them at once!"

Kikkawa Hirono and Mao Li Xiulang, standing to one side, also picked up on it — the acupuncture method was a treasure, but the real treasure was actually the cultivation method they practiced.

Only the cultivation method of their Mount Sanqing could save the family head.

Kikkawa Hirono sighed, "It just goes to show that our Mao Li family has a heaven-sent fate with your esteemed Mount Sanqing."

Pan Yun knew he was flattering her, but she found it very pleasing — and she needed it too.

Seeing that Master Xuanmiao said nothing, she took the initiative and replied, "Yes, an extraordinary fate. If it weren't for such a great destiny, we martial brothers and sisters wouldn't have crossed the ocean to Japan, nor would we have met in the vast sea of people. Clearly, this is heaven arranging for us to meet here."

Pan Yun and Kikkawa Hirono were both deeply moved, gazing at each other with tearful eyes, almost wishing they could grab each other's hands and become sworn siblings on the spot.

Except that Kikkawa Hirono wanted to become sworn siblings with Tao Ji; Pan Yun wanted to become sworn siblings with Mao Li Nobu-suke, who lay unconscious on the couch.

After gazing at each other with tearful eyes for a moment, the two silently looked away.

Xue Shao had been standing quietly to one side, obediently observing, but seeing this couldn't help the corners of her mouth curving up.

After two quarters of an hour of acupuncture, Tao Ji timed it and told them to withdraw the needles.

This was simple — they only needed to circulate their art to seal the acupoints.

Wang Cong could handle it himself.

Just as the last needle was pulled out, the person on the couch's eyeballs slid beneath his eyelids, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Mao Li Xiulang threw himself forward excitedly, shouting, "Father!"

Mao Li Nobu-suke had just opened his eyes and hadn't yet made out the people, let alone his surroundings. Hearing his eldest son's voice, he couldn't help rasping out a warning: "Don't make a sound — didn't I tell you, when you're outside, if you can avoid speaking then don't speak…"

Before he finished speaking, he turned his head and met the eyes of a young Miss.

The other's eyes were like apricots, and within those slightly round eyes something like a deer seemed to leap, as if chasing a sea of stars; on closer look, it wasn't a sea of stars, but tears brought on by smiling.

Pan Yun beamed, happily raising her hand to greet Mao Li Nobu-suke.

Mao Li Nobu-suke silently turned his head back, stared blankly for a while at his son's handsome face directly above him, then turned his head again to look — and saw the young Miss's hand still raised; seeing him look over, she waved at him warmly once more.

Mao Li Nobu-suke then knew it wasn't an illusion — there were people in this room, and quite a few of them. Apart from Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji whom he had seen last night, he didn't recognize any of the others.

Oh, the vanished Master Master Bao Hai didn't count as a person.

Mao Li Nobu-suke gripped his son's and Kikkawa Hirono's arms and with great difficulty shifted himself upright.

Kikkawa Hirono considerately supported his lower back, and took the opportunity to quietly brief him on Pan Yun and the others' identities, specifically pointing out that he had been afflicted by evil Qi, and that their sect's cultivation method, Wan Mugui to Spring, happened to counter the evil Qi within him and could cure him.

Mao Li Nobu-suke understood at once — about himself, and about the other party — and knew exactly where to place himself.

Mao Li Nobu-suke raised his head and gave Pan Yun and the others a friendly smile.

Pan Yun's sharp ears caught it — no, everyone in this room had sharp ears, except Mao Li Xiulang, who was passable-looking but had an awful hairstyle and a touching level of intelligence.

Even Xue Shao couldn't help glancing up at Kikkawa Hirono, thinking he was quite a talent.

Kikkawa Hirono was a talent, and so was Mao Li Nobu-suke.

Knowing his life was in the hands of the people of Mount Sanqing, and knowing they knew this too, the moment he woke up he set his posture very low.

Able to bend and to stretch — the makings of a true great man.

Pan Yun looked toward Master Xuanmiao.

Master Xuanmiao gave her a slight nod, and Pan Yun stepped forward as their representative to begin speaking with Mao Li Nobu-suke.

Mao Li Nobu-suke would not look down on Pan Yun just because she appeared young.

Pan Yun also felt he wouldn't — after all, he had already become a father at her age, so wasn't it only natural that he treat her as my lord?

Sigh, on this point the my lords of our Celestial Empire can't compare with the Japanese — they always subconsciously look down on her because she looks young, and only change their attitude after she shows her abilities.

Once she returns home, she must publicize this widely, so that the my lords correct this bad habit.

Looking down on her is one thing, but if they look down on Japan like this when fighting the dwarf pirates in the future, they'll suffer for it.

Because Mao Li Nobu-suke was seriously ill and his energy was flagging, Pan Yun didn't waste words either; in just a quarter of an hour of conversation, the two of them had established a friendly mutual-assistance intent between the Izumo Province Mao Li clan and Mount Sanqing.

Including but not limited to: Mount Sanqing disciples would purge the evil Qi from him, cure his illness, and do their utmost to help him find the person behind the attack, helping him locate the evil object and strike back;

And the Mao Li family would protect their safety in Japan, ensure their passage was unimpeded, and do their utmost to provide economic and military assistance…

As for deeper cooperation, they would negotiate later.

Both sides were very satisfied with this outcome.

Then, seeing the weariness on his face, Pan Yun tactfully took her leave, giving them the space for father and son to discuss private matters.

Mao Li Nobu-suke gave her a grateful smile, and asked Kikkawa Hirono to see them out. (End of chapter)