AWB Chapter 1146 Where They Went Their Separate Ways
Chapter 1146 Where They Went Their Separate Ways
"Our sect doesn't want to get involved in this mess. Yes, I can't force them."
"You didn't actually want to get involved in this mess either."
Zheng Zibu murmured, his voice growing softer and softer.
Suddenly, a light shone in his palm, outlining a talisman.
He raised his hand and slapped his own head.
Lu Jin reacted quickly, grabbing his wrist and extinguishing the talisman in his palm. A burst of intense lightning erupted from it; it was actually a thunder talisman. If released, it would probably blast Zheng Zibu's head to pieces.
"You're too emotional. Calm down first."
Lu Jin delivered a chop to the back of Zheng Zibu's neck.
Zheng Zibu's body went limp, tears still streaming down his face, and not a single patch of his skin was unharmed.
Lu Jin helped Zheng Zibu, who had collapsed, and gently placed him on the ground.
Looking at his old friend, who was covered in severe burns, he sighed.
Actually, Senior Brother Zhang gave him a lot of healing talismans back then, which could have saved him as long as he had a breath left.
But over the years of fighting, he had already given all those talismans to his comrades.
He didn't even keep a single card for himself as a backup. There was no way to save Zheng Zibu at this point; he could only wait for Senior Brother Zhang to emerge from seclusion.
However, the injury needs to be treated first.
Lu Jin looked at his clansmen and said:
"Let's go, let's take him to Jishetang and ask a doctor to treat him."
A member of the Lu family spoke up, saying, "Brother Jin, I don't think it's necessary."
"What do you mean?" Lu Jin asked, puzzled.
"Let him suffer. Sometimes, physical pain can alleviate mental pain. If he's not in unbearable physical pain, then he must be in unbearable mental pain."
The person speaking was a member of the Lu family who was a bit older and had more experience than Lu Jin.
“But now, looking at Zheng Zibu’s unrecognizable face, Lu Jin felt a pang of sadness.”
"Brother Jin, to be honest, this isn't over yet. There are still many people chasing him. Sending him to the clinic in such a high-profile manner at this time is not a good thing. After we treat his wounds and get him out of danger, let's go home first, and then we can talk about other things."
“Okay.” Lu Jin nodded, then looked back at the burning village behind them. “The commotion here is quite significant; people will probably arrive soon. I’ll take him away from here first, and you can handle the aftermath and bury the villagers.”
“Okay, Brother Jin, you guys leave first, we'll handle this.” The Lu family member replied.
"Be careful, watch out for people coming, don't run into the Quanxing Sect!"
“We know what’s going on. Besides, Quanxing just did something that angered both heaven and man. Without sufficient benefits, other Quanxing demons shouldn’t rashly venture here.”
Lu Jin nodded, and together with the three clansmen, he quickly left the place with Zheng Zibu.
Shortly after they left, people began to arrive at the scene.
They saw a fire burning in the village, and two young men in their thirties were putting it out. Several corpses were lined up at the village entrance.
The group went over to identify the bodies and discovered that they were all members of the infamous Quanxing Demon Clan.
After glancing at the Quanxing demons and then at the village, how could he not guess what had happened here?
"To extend the blame to family members is going too far."
They went inside and inquired about the specifics of the two Lu family members.
The two remaining members of the Lu family told them what they had agreed upon beforehand.
When they arrived, the place was already like this; a fierce battle had taken place outside the village.
As for the whereabouts of the two sides in the fierce battle, they did not know; all they knew was that the ground outside was littered with the corpses of Quanxing demons.
Seeing how terrible the village was, they decided to put out the fire so that the bodies could be laid to rest.
The newcomers had no doubts. Because no one but the Quanxing demons could commit such an act as arson and massacre of a village.
Afterwards, the remaining members of the Lu family invited them to help with the aftermath. The righteous disciples couldn't refuse, so they stayed to help.
Meanwhile, Lu Jin had already taken Zheng Zibu far away from this place and was heading towards the Lu family home. After picking up Zheng Zibu, Lu Jin contacted his family using yin-yang paper. Lu Xuan had arranged for people to meet them, so they returned to the Lu family home without any major incidents.
When Zheng Zibu woke up, it was already the next day.
After waking up, he neither attempted suicide nor cried out in pain. He was in a numb state, like a piece of dead wood, lying on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, completely motionless.
Lu Jin went to see him and said, "Zibu, everything in the village has been arranged, and everyone has been laid to rest."
Zheng Zibu glanced at Lu Jin and said, "Thank you."
Afterwards, Lu Jin recounted the fates of the thirty-six thieves.
Except for a small number who died in accidents, most of them are still alive.
Of the few who mastered this extraordinary skill, the vast majority kept it hidden.
Only Feng Tianyang, thanks to the protection of the Wang family and the Tiantong Church, is no longer being openly hunted down, but he still needs to be wary of schemes from Quanxing and other insidious villains.
Upon hearing that his friend was alright, Zheng Zibu was happy for him, but he couldn't help but feel secretly saddened.
Why is he the only one in such a miserable situation, given that they are in the same predicament?
"Zibu, what are your plans for next?" Lu Jin asked.
"I don't know," Zheng Zibu shook his head. He truly didn't know what to do next.
This is indeed a problem. Lu Jin was silent for a moment, then said, "Since you can't find the answer, why don't you come with me?"
"With you?" Zheng Zibu looked at him and asked, "Going to war with you?"
Lu Jin nodded: "That's a place with faith. If you're feeling lost, you might try going there to see if you can find your direction."
Zheng Zibu looked at him, pondered for a long time, and then nodded. He was currently like a headless fly, but since Lu Jin had given him a way out, he was naturally willing to give it a try.
"By the way, about your injuries..." Lu Jin looked at Zheng Zibu, whose face was completely disfigured. Although his clansmen had said that the more physical pain one felt, the better one's mental state would be, he still wanted to ask.
"What happened to the injury?" Zheng Zibu looked down at his burned arm. The skin was wrinkled, the scars were grotesque, and in some places, clear liquid was still oozing out.
"It hasn't healed yet. Finding a few renowned doctors in the world of supernatural beings should allow it to recover most of its healing," Lu Jin said.
“No need,” Zheng Zibu shook his head. “It’s fine this way. I like this feeling. This constant burning sensation is what makes me feel alive.”
"But you now..."
"You think I've been burned and disfigured?" Zheng Zibu interrupted him. "But actually, I feel that this is a kind of rebirth."
He turned his head and looked out the window. There was a big tree outside the window, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on the windowsill in dappled patterns.
These past few days of being hunted down, the destruction of his hometown, and the tragic deaths of his loved ones have made him realize many things.
He suddenly understood why his elders, who guarded the various talismanic techniques of Maoshan, did not like to venture into the martial world, but preferred to stay in the mountain gate and study the Taoist classics left by their ancestors.
The more pain he felt, the more he was able to confront his inner self through that pain.
He saw his truest self, his arrogant self. He used talismans to roam the world, claiming to be a chivalrous hero, but in essence, it was to satisfy his own competitive spirit.
His current predicament is less a result of being framed or coerced, and more a result of his own actions.
He's too competitive.
He recalled a conversation he had with Lu Jin many years ago. Lu Jin had told him that the two Lu family members were very powerful, and that he and the two Lu family members were evenly matched, with no clear winner. However, the eldest Lu family member was slightly stronger than the two Lu family members.
At that time, his first reaction was to let me try Da Bi's methods another day. Even though Lu Jin declined for fear of hurting the relationship, he still insisted on trying it and even said that he would be careful to do so.
He is inherently competitive.
He had dealings with Wu Gengsheng, partly because Wu Gengsheng was genuinely sincere, and partly because he wanted to hone his skills under Wu Gengsheng's tutelage. His goal was the same as Zhang Huaiyi's. The difference was that Zhang Huaiyi only wanted to be number one, to beat Zhang Zhiwei, and wasn't interested in anyone else. But he just wanted to win, to demonstrate his skills.
He comprehended the Tongtian Talisman because he felt that drawing talismans was too slow and prevented him from showcasing his skills.
His original intention wasn't to save people like Yingzi, nor to eat and have fun like Ruan Feng, nor to achieve mastery of skills like Zhang Huaiyi. He simply wanted to draw talismans quickly, perform rituals, and command divine power as quickly as possible.
Everyone else has fundamental pursuits, but he doesn't; he just wants to be faster and stronger.
Through this ordeal, he saw his true self.
A Taoist priest who should have been quiet and inactive was instead so competitive.
He suddenly understood why so many talismans were so complicated. It wasn't that the patriarch was deliberately making things difficult for people, but rather that the person drawing the talisman should temper their character during the process.
Therefore, all of this is essentially due to his competitive nature.
Unfortunately, it was all too late to realize it.
Outside the window, a bird flew by and disappeared into the distant sky.
Zheng Zibu stared in the direction the bird had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
At the same time, Duanmu Ying also arrived at Lüjia Village.
She originally wanted to disguise herself, but Lü Ci wouldn't allow it.
His rescue of Duanmu Ying was no secret in the martial arts world; many people knew about it, including his family, so there was no need to hide it.
Lüjia Village is nestled deep in the mountains, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with Hui-style buildings scattered in a well-organized manner.
Lu Ci led Duanmu Ying into the village. When they returned, Lu Ci had already informed the villagers in advance, and they were met by clansmen along the way without any incidents.
After learning of his son's massacre, the head of the Lü family brought Duanmu Ying back. Instead of scolding him, he happily inquired about the abilities of the Double-Handed Sword.
After all, the Wang family had benefited greatly from protecting Feng Tianyang, so he naturally wanted a share of the spoils.
Lu Ci chose to be honest about it.
Upon learning that Duanmu Ying's method was to heal others, and that it had even been transformed into an innate ability, Lü's father lost interest in it.
Because of their preservation of their innate Qi, most extraordinary people are relatively healthy and rarely get sick before their innate Qi is depleted.
Once the innate vital energy is depleted, no treatment will be effective.
The only useful thing was the healing method, but since the other party had already converted to the innate level, what else could be said? Call the girl stupid? But looking at Lü Ci's nervous appearance, wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
Most importantly, seeing how concerned Lü Ci was, the elders naturally understood what was going on.
Doesn't that make us family?
Therefore, the Lü family directly announced: Duanmu Ying has been protected by the Lü family.
The Lü family also selectively disclosed information about Duanmu Ying's methods, saying that the methods the eight of them had mastered were based on their respective areas of expertise.
Duanmu Ying is a doctor whose expertise lies in medicine, not the powerful magic that people might imagine.
If any fellow practitioners in the martial arts world suffer from incurable illnesses or injuries, they can communicate with the Lü family, who will arrange for medical treatment.
Since the Lü family had said so, no one in the martial arts world dared to press the matter further.
After all, it's just a medical procedure; what good is it if you manage to get your hands on it?
Are you going to become a doctor?
Those who have the ability to rob are not doctors, nor do they intend to be doctors; it's just a trivial means to do so, and doing so would also anger the Lü family.
The four major families of this generation are quite united, so it's completely unnecessary for them to fight over a medical skill.
If there's any real problem, why not just go to the Lü family and have Duanmu Ying treat you?
It's better for someone else to be a doctor.
As for those who were interested in acquiring this method, they were all doctors with little combat ability, so naturally they had no way to put pressure on the Lü family. Therefore, it was easier for the Lü family to protect Duanmu Ying than for the Wang family to protect Feng Tianyang.
Upon learning that their daughter was unharmed, had not gone abroad, and had instead appeared in Lüjia Village, Duanmu Ying's parents were filled with mixed feelings of worry and joy.
The good news is that my daughter is still in China, and I can still see her.
Their concern was that Duanmu Ying might have been kidnapped by Lü Ci.
Soon after, they arrived at Lüjia Village with Duanmu Ying's master, hoping to see Duanmu Ying.
The Lü family naturally did not stop them and even received them with high honors, allowing them to reunite with their family.
Upon seeing her family, Duanmu Ying immediately embraced them, tears streaming down her face.
Duan's parents thought their daughter had been wronged, so they quickly asked:
"Did the Lü family mistreat you? If so, I... I am..."
Duanmu Ying choked up as she said, "No, I'm fine here. I'm just so happy to see my parents and master that I cried tears of joy."
Then Duanmu Ying recounted her life in Lüjia Village.
The Lü family treated her very well, arranging a quiet courtyard for her with a dedicated kitchen and pharmacy, and even sending people overseas to buy many medical books.
Besides reading books, she spent her days fiddling with medicinal herbs in the yard, and her life was quite peaceful.
Knowing that their daughter was alright, Duan's parents were relieved.
Duanmu Ying's master sighed and said that he had originally wanted to introduce her to Mr. Niu's disciple, but it seems that it is no longer necessary.
Duanmu Ying quickly said that she had always been against arranged marriages.
"Alright, alright, that's outdated. We old folks can't keep up with you young people's thinking." Master waved his hand. "But I'm relieved that you're doing well."
After visiting their daughter and learning that she was safe and sound, Duan's parents stayed at the Lü family's house for a while before leaving.
Duanmu Ying watched her parents and master leave, her eyes reddening as she said, "Thank you, Hedgehog!"
Lu Ci paused for a moment and then said, "I should be thanking you. Since you came, everyone in the village has gotten rid of their old ailments, and everyone looks more than ten years younger!"
On the other hand, after obtaining Feng Tianyang's ability to bind spirits and command generals, Wang Ai had been practicing this technique.
Wang Ai's talent for cultivation wasn't particularly strong, and he was initially worried that he wouldn't be able to learn this technique.
Unexpectedly, this method doesn't discriminate based on aptitude at all. Even for him, the learning curve was incredibly steep, and it didn't take long for him to master its basic usage. (End of Chapter)