MOF Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Xie Yiling Seeks Medicine at White Bone Mountain – Ashamed and Afraid to Ask…

As Xie Yiling was lost in his memories, Nangong Ci had already sealed his own acupoints.

“Daoist Fufeng!” Seeing the atmosphere was off, Gu Huanzhi sheathed his sword and approached, asking, “Where are you injured, Daoist?”

Nangong Ci raised his arm, his lips beginning to turn faintly white.

Gu Huanzhi was startled when he saw the wound.

“This is too serious! However,” he changed his tone, “I wonder if Daoist Fufeng has ever heard of the name Qingyi Sanren (Qingyi Sanren)?”

Xie Yiling was immediately drawn in by this sentence, and quickly asked, “Who is that?”

Gu Huanzhi explained, “Actually, I don’t know much either. I mentioned before that I had browsed the Record of Strange Contracts, and it mentioned that there is a White Bone Mountain in Shuo City. Purple Periwinkle Grass grows in the mountain, which has a miraculous effect of reviving flesh and bone. As long as you have a breath left, ensuring your spirit and soul are intact, no matter how serious the injury, this medicine can save your life. Later, it spread, and the name of this mountain – White Bone Mountain, that’s how it came about.”

Chaotic fragments flashed through Xie Yiling’s mind. He shook his head to dispel them, focusing all his attention on Nangong Ci’s wound, “You mean, this Purple Periwinkle Grass can cure corpse poison? But what does all this have to do with Qingyi Sanren?”

Gu Huanzhi scratched his head and said, “I dare not guarantee whether it can cure corpse poison. But I’ve heard my father and them chatting in their spare time that a Qingyi Sanren has lived in White Bone Mountain for many years. It is rumored that he is proficient in pharmacology, can cure all poisons, and is known as the Miracle Doctor.”

Xie Yiling didn’t care about these titles, and only asked, “Can he really cure this corpse poison?”

Gu Huanzhi said, “Senior Brother Xie, we have no other choice now. I think, this Qingyi Sanren is worth a try.”

Xie Yiling looked at Nangong Ci, “Master, are you feeling unwell?”

Nangong Ci nodded, frankly saying, “Spiritual power seems to be leaking away.”

This was terrible!

Spiritual power was of utmost importance to a cultivator, and since being reborn, Xie Yiling could very much understand the feeling of not having spiritual power.

His hanging hand clenched secretly, “It seems we have to quickly find that Qingyi Sanren!”

Gu Huanzhi said, “Senior Brother Xie, I’ll go with you. Daoist Fufeng is injured, and if something happens, you won’t be able to handle it alone.”

Xie Yiling said, “Then I’ll trouble Junior Brother Gu.”

“Senior Brother Xie, you don’t have to be so polite. Didn’t you and Daoist Fufeng save me when I was poisoned before?” Gu Huanzhi smiled, “Besides, by being with you, I can also learn things that the Sun and Moon Spirit Platform never taught.”

“A Ling!” Nangong Yue finished dealing with the Yin corpses and hurried over, “How are you?”

Xie Yiling subconsciously leaned towards Gu Huanzhi, moving further away from Nangong Yue.

Nangong Yue noticed this. He stared at Nangong Ci’s wound while trying to dispel the poison with his spiritual power, but failed. He advised, “A Ling, why don’t you go back to Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion with me.”

Nangong Ci lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, “Brother can take Mo’s third son back to Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion and see if the elders have any way.”

Nangong Yue sighed softly, “Then, how about your poison?”

Gu Huanzhi told him the plan they just discussed.

Nangong Yue nodded after listening, “Alright. A Ling, then you…”

He paused, his gaze sweeping around before landing on Xie Yiling again.

Xie Yiling quickly said, “Young Master Yue, rest assured, I will take good care of Master.”

Nangong Yue nodded in agreement.

Xie Yiling felt a strange feeling. The Nangong Yue in front of him seemed different from the one in his memory.

The shock brought about by the underground palace belatedly surfaced in everyone’s minds.

Nangong Yue sighed and said, “I didn’t expect Wen Liangchen to still be alive, and even be the culprit behind the birth of the Yin corpse.”

Gu Huanzhi said, “Speaking of the Wen family, I do have some impression. It is said that they used to have three sons, but now only one is left.”

Xie Yiling recalled the three Wen family sons in his mind. He had met them all in his previous life and couldn’t help but ask, “Why is that?”

Gu Huanzhi hesitated, slowly saying, “I’m not sure about the specific situation, but I only know that about eight years ago, the second son of the Wen family drowned, and at the same time, the eldest son Wen Liangchen died of illness. The two were buried at the same time!”

Si Wumian said, “I’ve heard this rumor too, but isn’t it too coincidental?”

Nangong Ci’s tone was already becoming weak at this time, and he slowly said, “There’s no plan without coincidence. The corpse of the second son of the Wen family was salvaged, and many people saw it with their own eyes, so it shouldn’t be fake. As for the news of Wen Liangchen’s death, it was spread by his servant, and no one can confirm it.”

“Such a big thing,” Gu Huanzhi hesitated, “Doesn’t even the Wen family head know?”

Nangong Yue couldn’t help but sigh again, “Every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite. The Wen family head indeed doesn’t like to talk about family matters.”

Everyone was speechless for a moment. Nangong Yue took the lead in breaking the silence, “Since this is the case, this Yin…Mo Third Young Master, I will take him back to the Immortal Sect first to see if the Sect Leader has a way to save him.”

Nangong Ci said, “Okay, but this place is far away from Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion. If you want to treat him in time, brother, you should take him to the nearest Cang Ling Du first.”

Nangong Yue thought about it and felt that this was not bad, “A Ling, then you be careful, we’ll leave first.”

“Oh right.” He suddenly remembered something, “On the way I came, I noticed the aura of a magical instrument. I’m a little worried about the situation in Ghost City.”

Xie Yiling’s body stiffened. He tilted his head, trying not to look at Nangong Yue.

Nangong Ci glanced at the other disciples, and finally set his sights on Si Wumian, “Si Yuan.”

Si Wumian was startled, “Daoist Fufeng, what’s the matter?”

“Go and see what’s going on in Ghost City. If there is anything unusual, tell us immediately.”

“Okay!” Si Wumian agreed. He had just sent the disciples who were injured at Mount Nongfeng back to Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion, and then was taken to Mount Wangen by Young Master Yue, and now he was going to Ghost City, so he was really busy.

The group finally split into three groups and left.

Xie Yiling supported Nangong Ci and suddenly felt that something was missing. Just as he was about to ask, the very person he was thinking of, A Si, appeared out of thin air, followed by a joyful “Brother Xie Ci.”

Xie Yiling waited for him to come over, patted his head, and asked, “Where were you hiding?”

A Si said triumphantly, “I hid myself, and no one found me!”

“Good.” Xie Yiling was relieved, and looked at Gu Huanzhi, “Junior Brother Gu, take A Si with you, let’s go together.”

White Bone Mountain was located on the border of Shuo City, thousands of miles away from here. According to their current situation, it would probably take a whole day to fly by sword.

“Don’t worry,” Nangong Ci comforted him, “I can still fly by sword for now.”

This time Xie Yiling was in front of Nangong Ci, stepping on Jadefall. There was a constant whistling of wind in his ears, and warm body temperature coming from behind him.

Gu Huanzhi flew by sword, catching up with the two of them with A Si, and flew alongside them.

Seeing Nangong Ci’s expression getting worse and worse, Gu Huanzhi couldn’t help but persuade, “Daoist Fufeng, why don’t we find a place to rest for a while? It’s almost half a day away.”

Xie Yiling felt Nangong Ci’s breathing behind him gradually becoming disordered, and then quickly stabilizing, which should be the result of adjusting his spiritual power. He opened his mouth and asked, “Master, do you want to rest for a while?”

Nangong Ci said “Okay” in a low voice and descended Jadefall. As they approached the ground, a burst of dizziness and disorientation hit him. Xie Yiling felt his feet leave the ground, and a binding force came from his waist.

His heart beat faster. After landing, he quickened his pace forward, and only after escaping from Nangong Ci’s half-embrace did he turn back to take a look.

Nangong Ci’s expression was as usual, but his face was very pale, and his bloodless lips were slightly pursed as he slowly walked towards a nearby tree.

Xie Yiling saw that he seemed to be fine for the time being and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

He looked around, squatted beside Nangong Ci, and asked him, “I hear the sound of water nearby, Master, do you want to drink water?”

Nangong Ci secretly clenched Jadefall, and after a long while, he said, “Thank you.”

Gu Huanzhi also said, “Senior Brother Xie, why don’t we go together?”

Xie Yiling subconsciously glanced at Nangong Ci, seeing that he was already sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes and beginning to adjust his spiritual power.

He nodded and said, “A Si, you stay here with Master, we’ll be back soon.”

As the sound of the two’s footsteps gradually faded away, Nangong Ci opened his eyes, and a trace of loneliness floated in his ink-colored eyes, like a desolate landscape without a single person, eternally silent.

“Hey, are you going to die?” A Si suddenly asked.

Nangong Ci seemed not to have heard his words, and didn’t answer in silence.

A Si walked up to Nangong Ci and looked at him face to face, “Why don’t you talk?”

“You’re too noisy.” Nangong Ci frowned and closed his eyes.

A Si covered his mouth and whispered, “You’re really annoying.”

After a while, he said again, “Although you’re very annoying, I don’t like you at all, but, but…”

Nangong Ci opened his eyes again and looked at him.

“But if you die, what will Brother Xie Ci do? It’s either you die or he dies, you two are really annoying.”

Nangong Ci couldn’t help but cough twice, and said, “Shut up.”

A Si pouted, looking very unconvinced, but he really calmed down and didn’t continue talking.

Xie Yiling and Gu Huanzhi found a vine with larger leaves, picked a few leaves, washed them in the river, and then sealed the bottom to fill them with water.

“Senior Brother Xie, what’s wrong with you?” Gu Huanzhi suddenly asked beside him.

“Hmm?” Xie Yiling came back to his senses, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Huanzhi had just washed his face, wiped the water droplets from his jaw, and said, “You’ve been distracted since just now, is something wrong?”

Xie Yiling shook his head, feeling a little irritable in his heart. Sometimes, he would suddenly have a feeling that Nangong Ci still remembered him, but there was no way to prove it.

Seeing that it had been a long time, Xie Yiling held the leaves filled with water in both hands and got up, “Let’s go back.”

When they went back, Nangong Ci was still closing his eyes to adjust his breathing. Xie Yiling walked over with the water and whispered, “Master, the water is here, have some.”

Nangong Ci opened his eyes, looked at the clear water in front of him, and raised his hand to take it.

“Thank you.”

Xie Yiling shook his head, taking advantage of the gap when Nangong Ci was drinking water to carefully observe his face. It was much better than when they left, but the scars revealed when he raised his hand were even darker.

Xie Yiling frowned unconsciously, murmuring in his mouth, “It would be great if that Qingyi Sanren could really cure this poison, but if he can’t…”

Nangong Ci finished drinking water and put the leaves on the ground, his moistened lips reflecting a watery light.

Xie Yiling’s gaze was attracted by that bit of watery light, and his voice gradually became smaller.

He stared at those lips, and at the moment when Nangong Ci turned his head, he made eye contact with him unprepared.

Xie Yiling suddenly realized that he seemed to have not seriously looked at Nangong Ci for a long time.

Before, it was because he was ashamed and dared not, but now it was because he was regretful and lost his courage.

But at this moment, Nangong Ci took the initiative and quietly stayed in his sight, and he took advantage of the deliberate dazed expression to look to his heart’s content. He looked at Nangong Ci’s sword-like eyebrows, his ink-like eyes, his towering nose, and his pearl-like full lips.

It wasn’t until Nangong Ci shifted his gaze that Xie Yiling slowly regained his thoughts. He belatedly realized that his neck and even his entire face seemed to be a little hot.

Nangong Ci turned his face away, but could not fade the heat on Xie Yiling’s face. A test arose in his heart. He raised his hand and pressed his chest, and just as he coughed lightly, a hand stretched over from the side to pat his back for him.

“If the corpse poison is incurable,” Nangong Ci stopped coughing, and a trace of determination appeared in his tone, “If my Dao dissipates and my body vanishes, then you can come and go freely.”

Xie Yiling’s hand that was patting his back stiffened, and he stared blankly at Nangong Ci, as if trying to find some joke in his expression.

“Master, what do you mean by this? There must be a way to cure the corpse poison on your body, why say such unlucky things now.”

Xie Yiling spoke with anger, both angry that Nangong Ci had decided his fate so early, and angry that he suddenly said such things about life and death.

He really didn’t expect Nangong Ci to not take him to heart like this. They hadn’t even seen Qingyi Sanren yet, and he was already driving him away like a guest.

Thinking like this in his heart, after the anger passed, a desperate courage arose.