Chapter 676: Healing

The physician lowered his head further and whispered, "Difficult."

Uchino Hiromitsu's eyes flickered with light, his demeanor steadying: "How much time remains?"

The physician dared not speak.

"Hmm?" Uchino Hiromitsu's aura crushed down; the physician trembled and stammered, "A-about three to five months."

Uchino Hiromitsu finally released him, a faint smile curling at his lips.

The physician hurried away, not daring to tell a third soul of this matter.

Tonight was a sleepless night for many.

Pan Yun's mouth was full of blood foam, yet her expression remained unchanged; she ate every last spoonful of the congee Mei He had cooked, then entered the tent.

Wang Cong had already set up the formation for her; as soon as she stepped inside, she activated it. Beneath the lamplight, their shadows blurred, casting a hazy silhouette on the tent walls—Takada Hisanori watched silently for a long while but could make nothing of it.

After a moment's thought, he summoned men, sending two back to report to Yamana Motitoyo, and two more to reconnoiter the condition of Shankou Hall…

Seeing his orders carried out smoothly, Takada Hisanori's lips curled slightly, and he dispatched a final squad.

The squad had barely walked a hundred paces when Hu Jing, wielding a great dao, blocked their path.

The squad was brought back; Xue Shao personally returned them to Takada Hisanori: "Lord Takada, the night is late. I'd rather not waste such a beautiful night on this nonsense. I hope this is the last time."

Takada Hisanori's face darkened, but his gaze passed over Xue Shao to the tent behind him. Seeing no movement within, he exhaled in relief—and yet felt fury, forcing a smile: "Thank you, Young Master Xue."

Xue Shao turned away with Hu Jing.

As soon as Xue Shao turned, Takada Hisanori's expression sank.

Inside the tent, Pan Yun sat cross-legged, Tao Yanbai and Mei He standing before and behind her, fingers pinching needles. As they raised their hands, the Revival Technique activated; with each needle inserted, Revival Qi entered the acupoints, causing them to vibrate, the Qi linking into threads that repaired her internal injuries.

Wang Cong and Seeing Miao Zhen sat behind them, transmitting energy to them as sweat beaded on their foreheads and their fingers trembled.

When the needle technique was complete, half an hour had passed.

Mei He and Tao Yanbai withdrew the needles, their faces pale.

Miao Zhen and Wang Cong immediately slipped a Soul-Replenishing Pill into each of their mouths, then glanced at Pan Yun, still with eyes tightly shut, and whispered: "How is Little Master?"

Mei He: "Her injuries are very heavy. Is Dainai Yazi really that powerful?"

"Not Dainai Yazi," Wang Cong whispered. "It's the spirit they've raised—a shikigami—and it borrowed the power of the mountains and rivers. Otherwise, how could it obscure the heavens and lay down this all-encompassing evil array?"

Wang Cong, still shaken, said: "Thankfully it was Little Master—she shattered it with the Purifying Thunder. Otherwise, we'd have been drained to death by this evil array."

Mei He: "Then the shikigami…"

Wang Cong's expression softened slightly, pride creeping in: "Since Little Master returned safely, the thing is gone."

Tao Yanbai: "Then why not press the advantage? Why not wipe out the Uchino clan entirely?"

Wang Cong tapped his head: "You're an idiot. If the Uchino clan is gone, who will hold back the Yamana clan?"

Tao Yanbai: "But we came for revenge. This isn't the Great Ming Realm—why should we care about balance? And the Uchino clan severely wounded Little Master—this debt must be repaid!"

"You don't understand," Wang Cong murmured, recalling Little Master's words about the silver mine. "We must contain the Yamana clan. Don't you realize we have other plans in this land?"

The three lowered their voices together: "What plans?"

Wang Cong: "A plan to permanently eliminate the sea bandits."

Their eyes lit up.

Seeing Miao Zhen mused: "Then Little Master's injury must not be revealed to outsiders—especially not to anyone from the Yamana clan."

"Correct," Wang Cong glanced at the tent flap and sneered: "Takada Hisanori dares to pretend obedience while plotting betrayal. If he knew Little Master was wounded, who knows what he'd do? So tomorrow, stay alert. Watch Little Master's cues. Act when needed—don't let her have to act herself."

All three agreed.

Wang Cong draped a cloak over Pan Yun, then called his junior brothers and sisters to lie down and sleep: "Rest quickly. We have a hard fight ahead tomorrow."

The four lay down on either side of Pan Yun, closed their eyes—and found their minds racing, unable to sleep.

But when they finally could no longer endure and opened their eyes, they saw bright daylight outside—unconsciously, dawn had come.

The four stared blankly, turning to look at Pan Yun.

They saw frost coating her face, white frost thick on her eyebrows, water dripping drop by drop from her fingertips, spiritual energy swirling around her and rushing into her body at incredible speed.

The four widened their eyes.

Mei He and Tao Yanbai panicked: "Th-this—what's happening? We've never seen this before!"

"I don't recall any medical text describing this either."

Seeing Miao Zhen was startled too, but the scene felt familiar. She racked her brain—and suddenly blurted: "The shikigami is yin! This is expelling yin evil energy!"

Wang Cong spoke almost simultaneously: "The mountains and rivers here are yin—this is purging yin evil energy."

The two senior siblings exchanged glances, exhaled together, and calmed Mei He and Tao Yanbai: "Your needle technique last night worked."

Looking at Pan Yun, her face covered in frost, Wang Cong sighed: "Little Master has suffered…"

How much pain must that be~~

Damned mountain spirit and shikigami—protecting evil, no wonder the thunder struck them without mercy.

Wang Cong told them not to disturb Pan Yun; the four slipped quietly out of the tent.

After a night's rest, Mei He and Tao Yanbai had regained some energy and spiritual power.

They took out food for breakfast and shared generously with the heroes.

Everyone knew they carried many supplies and accepted without refusal, delighted.

After eating, they noticed the tent remained still and asked: "Where's Pan Sanzhu?"

Wang Cong dismissed it: "He's cultivating. Little Master expended a lot of spiritual power summoning thunder yesterday. Today he must replenish it—we'll be cultivating too."

Mei He immediately nodded: "Yes, I must cultivate."

The remaining spiritual power in his Upper Dantian was nearly gone.

Hearing this, the other heroes felt they couldn't fall behind—they hurried through breakfast, then sat together to cultivate.

Only the Daoist Priests cultivated spiritual power; they cultivated internal force.

Shanming Xiuqi came hurrying over full of enthusiasm, only to see them all sitting in meditation; his steps faltered and he didn't dare approach.

He paused, then turned to find Taketada Hisatsuna: "When will the provisions arrive? What's wrong with you?"

Taketada Hisatsuna's expression was very grim; the man he'd sent to watch Shankou Manor had just returned and reported that the Ōuchi clan had massed a large force at the gates of Shankou Manor.

They were far off, but he estimated there were over two thousand men, and judging by the weapons in their hands, they were superbly equipped — truly elite troops.

Two thousand elite troops — far more than their own numbers.

Taketada Hisatsuna hadn't expected that after yesterday's great battle, the Ōuchi clan could still field so many men.

He muttered, "That's impossible — the Ōuchi clan even sent out their own clan retainers, how could they still have so many troops left in the city?" (End of chapter)