Neither Liu Qingfeng nor his two disciples had ever expected to run into Ye Wen in Shushan County. Although they knew Ye Wen's Shushan Sect was located on the peak right next to the county town, given Liu Qingfeng's injuries, the master and his disciples had no intention of paying a casual visit to the mountain. The most urgent matter was to hurry back to Tiger Mountain Sect to treat the wounds.

In Liu Qingfeng’s view, even though Ye Wen possessed considerable strength, he likely had no remedy for his internal injuries. Based on his understanding, Ye Wen’s cultivation was indeed impressive, especially considering his age; the future achievements of this Shushan Sect Master were boundless.

However, only a year had passed, and even with Ye Wen’s incredibly rapid progress, Liu Qingfeng doubted he had become strong enough to heal his internal trauma.

Yet, Liu Qingfeng hadn't anticipated that in this single year, Ye Wen had not only diligently trained and improved at a startling pace but had also stumbled upon another fortuitous encounter. The speed of his internal cultivation advancement was terrifying. As his internal injuries flared up, the sheer density of the true qi flowing from Ye Wen’s palm shocked Liu Qingfeng to a degree beyond common description.

Seeing Liu Qingfeng’s face contorted in agony, Ye Wen immediately grasped one of the Daoist Master's hands, pressing his own palm against it, and silently circulated the Zixia Gong, channeling his internal power to suppress the injuries within Liu Qingfeng’s body.

As his internal energy flowed forth, Liu Qingfeng immediately noticed, and the shock reflected in his eyes was apparent even to his two disciples. But seeing that as soon as Ye Wen made his move, their master’s pain subsided, they instantly understood that Sect Master Ye was intervening to heal their master, so they immediately fell silent, watching their master and Ye Wen intently.

Ye Wen remained silent, circulating his profound skill while using his true qi to probe the condition of Liu Qingfeng’s body. This inspection was alarming; the deeper he looked, the more astounded Ye Wen became.

Although the old Daoist's meridians were not broken, they had been ravaged by a violent, intrusive internal force, leaving them fragile and riddled with fissures. If the chaotic internal energy wasn't suppressed quickly, Daoist Master Liu risked being crippled before Ye Wen’s eyes. Losing his ability to practice martial arts would be the mildest outcome; in a severe case, his life could be forfeit right there.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Ye Wen’s expression grew increasingly grave. This startled Liu Qingfeng’s two disciples, but seeing Ye Wen deeply engaged in circulating his power, they dared not speak, fearful of disturbing him.

In one corner of the inn, a young man and an old Daoist held palms facing each other. A faint purple mist began to rise from the young man’s handsome, pale face. At first, it was barely noticeable, but soon the purple energy intensified, and in the blink of an eye, his face turned entirely purple.

The onlookers marveled at this strange spectacle, while only a few with deep insight gasped quietly, whispering among themselves, “I first thought the young man was merely the disciple of some renowned master, which is why he knew Daoist Master Liu of Tiger Mountain Sect. I didn't expect this youth to possess such profound skill—his entire power has reached the stage where anomalies manifest externally. It seems we misjudged him earlier.”

The person beside him offered no reply, merely nodding in agreement and continuing to focus on Liu Qingfeng and Ye Wen, particularly the strange phenomenon on Ye Wen’s face. The thick purple energy seemed on the verge of solidifying and escaping his body, captivating the onlookers.

However, Ye Wen granted them little time. The purple mist on his face flashed brightly before receding instantly, returning to normal in mere moments. Simultaneously, he withdrew his hand, sitting back quietly, appearing to close his eyes to regulate his breathing.

In truth, Ye Wen was regulating his breath. Although the exertion had been brief, it had drained a significant portion of his internal energy—more than half of his total reserves.

This was the first time he had fully unleashed the Zixia Gong, and he hadn't realized how exhausting it was. It was no wonder the technique cautioned against casual use before reaching mastery; he would quickly be rendered powerless. He supposed this was why Great Sect Master Yue was so cautious when employing it.

“In that case, I now understand why Yue Buqun refused to personally heal Linghu Chong when he was injured. Under those circumstances, Yue Buqun was the only one capable of combat. If he had depleted his strength treating his senior disciple, it wouldn't have been surprising if the entire Huashan Sect had been annihilated.”

Though many of Yue Buqun’s actions were despicable, Ye Wen conceded that the man possessed exceptional judgment in certain areas. He felt he should perhaps emulate the 'Gentleman Sword' in that regard. It was precisely due to Yue Buqun’s correct assessment that he retained sufficient fighting strength to contend with the black-clothed assailant during the later surprise attack.

Feeling his internal energy recover slightly, Ye Wen began to contemplate the practical application of the Zixia Gong. For now, it could only be used as a final, decisive move; deploying it carelessly meant he would soon run out of strength, leaving him vulnerable to any attacker.

However, once the Zixia Gong was mastered, it would grant formidable sustained combat capability. Thus, the future of this divine technique remained promising, despite the frustrating limitations in its early stages. Nevertheless, its auxiliary abilities were certainly praiseworthy: it had healed Xu Ping, and now it had suppressed Liu Qingfeng’s internal injuries. In certain respects, this skill was remarkably useful.

As he was pondering, Liu Qingfeng also finished adjusting his breathing and opened his eyes, his expression significantly relaxed. He cupped his hands in thanks, “I am deeply grateful to Sect Master Ye for intervening. Otherwise, this old Daoist might have met his end here today.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Witnessing this exchange, even dullards like Liu Mo and Zhao Heng understood that their master had just walked back from the brink of death. Had it not been for Sect Master Ye’s aid, he would likely be dead already.

The two immediately stood up, stepped back, and ignoring the dozens of eyes watching them from the inn's main hall, knelt and kowtowed three times, “Many thanks to Sect Master Ye for saving our master!”

Ye Wen was startled by their action but did not stop them. On the contrary, accepting their kowtow, he silently remarked, “Daoist Master Liu has taught his disciples well.”

When the two stood up, Ye Wen spoke, “Don’t celebrate too soon. Daoist Master Liu’s injuries have only been suppressed by me; there is still a possibility of relapse.” He spoke this without apparent concern for having just received their formal obeisance, as if unconcerned whether they might feel slighted if they thought the kowtow was unwarranted.

This was because Ye Wen genuinely felt that Liu Qingfeng’s sudden collapse had nearly cost him his life. Although his intervention hadn't cured the man, it had preserved his life. Therefore, the disciples’ prostration felt appropriate.

Evidently, Liu Qingfeng and his disciples were reasonable people. Upon hearing Ye Wen’s words, Liu Mo immediately stated, “If Sect Master Ye had not acted, my master would be in critical condition now, and even our Sect Master Elder Brother might have been powerless. Now that Sect Master Ye has saved my master’s life and given us the chance to return to Tiger Mountain, it is tantamount to curing my master’s internal injuries.”

Liu Qingfeng nodded repeatedly at this statement, clearly satisfied with his disciple’s reply. He then declared, “The kindness shown by Sect Master Ye today, this old Daoist will never forget. Should Sect Master Ye ever require my service in the future, this Daoist will spare no effort.” This was a weighty promise; even stated plainly, the Shushan Sect had gained the aid of a renowned expert from Pingzhou—one who was willing to risk his life. Ye Wen's action had not been in vain.

Hearing Liu Qingfeng’s commitment, Ye Wen pondered briefly, carefully analyzing the Daoist Master’s injuries again, before saying, “Actually, I am not unable to cure Daoist Master Liu’s condition, only it is inconvenient right now.”

Liu Qingfeng was astonished once more. When he sensed the sheer density of the internal energy Ye Wen channeled into him, he had been deeply shocked. He believed that only Ye Wen expending his absolute maximum effort could have achieved the suppression of his internal trauma.

Furthermore, Ye Wen’s subsequent action of closing his eyes to recover his energy was no pretense. Liu Qingfeng was now convinced that while Ye Wen’s progress was rapid, it hadn't reached an absurd level—until now.

He hadn't expected this young man to claim he could fully cure him. Perhaps the young man does not know the immensity of heaven and earth? But he quickly dismissed the thought. Ye Wen had personally examined the state of his internal injuries, and in Liu Qingfeng’s estimation, this young man was not one to speak thoughtlessly.

While Liu Qingfeng was deep in thought, his two disciples were less complex. Hearing Ye Wen claim he could heal the injuries, they immediately pleaded, “We implore Sect Master Ye to act and cure our master’s wounds!” They knew how severe their master’s injuries were, and after the fright they just experienced, they doubted their master could safely return to Tiger Mountain. If Ye Wen was right here, their Sect Master Elder Brother was too far away.

Ye Wen looked at Liu Qingfeng, noticing the slight confusion in his eyes, and immediately understood his unspoken reservations. He smiled, “The internal martial arts I practice are rather unique, and the specific kind of injury Daoist Master Liu has sustained is precisely what I can heal. However, since my own cultivation is still relatively shallow, treating it will require a considerable amount of time.”

Hearing this, Liu Qingfeng finally understood. He recalled how swiftly Ye Wen’s Zixia Gong had helped adjust his turbulent internal circulation—many areas that had troubled him immensely were instantly smoothed out by Ye Wen’s infusion of internal energy. It seemed his unique internal art was indeed capable of counteracting the chaotic energy afflicting his body.

Otherwise, how could he explain how an energy flow that even his own cultivation couldn't subdue was so easily suppressed by Ye Wen? Especially since the internal energy Ye Wen used, though profound, wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than his own. Now, it appeared this Sect Master Ye’s cultivation method was truly extraordinary.

“In that case, I must trouble Sect Master Ye,” Liu Qingfeng conceded.

Ye Wen heard the acceptance and nodded, “I have some minor matters to attend to here. Once those are settled, Daoist Master Liu can accompany me back to my sect's mountain, and I can begin the detailed treatment then.”

Liu Qingfeng nodded again, cupping his hands once more, “Then I shall impose upon you.” He then instructed his disciple, Liu Mo, “You need not accompany your master. Return to Tiger Mountain first and inform your Elder Brother that your master will be staying at the Shushan Sect for a time and will likely be delayed in returning.”

P.S: Thunderstorms and power outages are the worst~ I managed to get both updates out regardless.

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