“That’s natural,” Wuguo said with a smile.
"By the way, junior brother." Wu Guo changed the subject, glanced at Song Hao, and said in a low voice, "We have come here on Master's orders to ask you to help us complete a special task."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao sighed inwardly, but pretended to be calm and said, "Since it is a master's order, then I will do my best to comply."
"Very good!" Wuguo nodded and said, "Help us find that Ji Dongyang. Last time in Xining, he ran away for some reason. Now we have a clue that he is very likely to come to Tianyi Hall to ask for your help. As soon as he finds you, hand him over to us. Take him back to Shangqing Temple to ensure his safety, which was also your original intention. There are some things you should know. Actually, we have been searching for Ji Dongyang's whereabouts. Master is very interested in that legendary medicineless remedy. It has been a wish of Master's for many years, and he hopes that we can work together to achieve it."
"They really came for Ji Dongyang!" Song Hao thought in surprise. If he hadn't already learned that Wu Guo, Wu Fa Wu Tian, and the other two were the murderers of Ji Xuan, Song Hao could have told Wu Guo that Ji Dongyang had contacted him and that he would have them take him away. However, this unexpected turn of events caused Song Hao to develop different feelings towards Wu Guo and his master, Xiao Boran.
"Of course!" Song Hao replied casually, then said, "Senior brother, there's something I'd like to ask you, about that Ji..."
In his haste, Song Hao, who had initially intended to confirm whether Ji Xuan had been killed by Wu Guo and Wu Fa Wu Tian, suddenly realized that saying so would confirm that Ji Dongyang had found him. He quickly changed his words, saying, "Ji Dongyang hasn't contacted me since we got separated in Xining. How could he have found us here? Many people are looking for him now, and he should know that coming here is dangerous. Besides, he wouldn't trust me, otherwise he wouldn't have left without saying goodbye last time, disappearing inexplicably."
“You don’t need to worry about that. Based on my deduction, he’s already desperate. You helped him before and had a plan for him to escape to Shangqing Temple, so Ji Dongyang will still come looking for you. All the clues indicate that he’s already here, but that has attracted the people chasing him. For safety reasons, he probably won’t contact you for the time being. He’s also observing whether you can make him feel safe. But as soon as he contacts you, he must tell me immediately. If someone else gets there first, his life will be in danger,” Wuguo said.
"Since you've already killed Ji Xuan, why would Ji Dongyang still follow you back to Shangqing Temple?" Song Hao thought to himself.
“Okay, I’ll inform my senior brother as soon as I hear any news about him,” Song Hao replied casually.
"There's another matter," Wu Guo said solemnly. "The people from the Heavenly Medicine Sect are also looking for this Ji Dongyang. And we've learned that the Qi family of the Heavenly Medicine Sect seems to have a special relationship with you. Although you haven't told Master about this, Master already knows some details. It's just that because it's your private matter, Master hasn't interfered. The people from the Heavenly Medicine Sect might come to you for help in the next few days. At that time, Junior Brother, you need to know what's important."
"Please tell Master that the Qi family of the Heavenly Medicine Sect has no relation to me, and I have no reason to help them," Song Hao said calmly.
Wu Guo was taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "That's for the best! You've lived up to your master's painstaking efforts in cultivating you, and helping us fulfill his wish is the best thing that could happen."
Chapter Eight: A Gathering of Heroes
In the county town, at a temporary base of the Life and Death Sect, a disciple of the sect was reporting the situation to Gu Xiaofeng.
"Master, the people from Shangqing Temple have also arrived at Tianyi Hall."
"Old Daoist Xiao is quick on his feet!" Gu Xiaofeng exclaimed in surprise. He then laughed and said, "This little Song Hao is now in a dilemma."
"Also, Hong Huang and his group have tracked us down here. They are from the Tianyi Group. Will this cause a conflict with our operation?" the disciple added.
“The head of Tianyi Group doesn’t care about this medicineless remedy right now. Hong Huang and his gang are Qi Yanfeng’s men. Qi Yanfeng wants to use the medicineless remedy to turn his fortunes around within Tianyi Group, but we can’t let him succeed. First, for the sake of his brother, and second, for our sake. Besides, with the people from Shangqing Temple around, it won’t be his turn in the end,” Gu Xiaofeng said.
“I just didn’t expect Ji Dongyang to come to Tianyi Hall to find Song Hao, which complicated things and caught us off guard. This could very well provoke Qi Yanfeng to take extreme action. Now, I’ve ordered all personnel to closely monitor Hong Huang, the people from Shangqing Temple, and that Song Hao. I now suspect that Ji Dongyang has already contacted Song Hao and is being secretly hidden by him; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to find his trail in this small place. Song Hao and that Tang Yu are getting smarter and smarter, shaking off all their pursuers in Qinghai. It was because everyone’s attention was on the two of them that Ji Dongyang was able to escape in time; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to leave Qinghai. This was a mistake on our part; we didn’t expect Song Hao and Tang Yu to unexpectedly encounter Ji Dongyang in Qinghai,” Gu Xiaofeng added.
“There’s just one thing I don’t understand. Song Hao originally intended to hand Ji Dongyang over to the people of Shangqing Temple, but for some reason he changed his mind halfway through, causing Ji Dongyang to suddenly disappear and disrupting our plans. Originally, I didn’t want to take him from him, but now I suspect it was a plan the three of them had discussed to help Ji Dongyang escape. It seems that this young Song Hao is not as simple as we thought.” Gu Xiaofeng shook his head.
Tianyitang.
Tang Yu had already returned from the Hundred Herbs Garden in Wansongling.
“Li He has settled in over there. With Yingying by his side, he shouldn’t cause any more trouble,” Tang Yu said.
Song Hao nodded and said, "I'm relieved. We really have to thank Gu Xiaofeng for this. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to find Li He for a while, and who knows how many more people he would have harmed with his acupuncture. Gu Xiaofeng has clearly expressed his intentions to me. He came here for Ji Dongyang. Also, Brother Wuguo from Shangqing Temple and the others have arrived."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu exclaimed in surprise, "The people from Shangqing Temple have also arrived! They are even more difficult to deal with than the people from the Gate of Life and Death."
Song Hao said, "Now that things have come to this, we can't worry about so much. Ensuring Ji Dongyang's safety is the most important thing, otherwise we'll be aiding and abetting evil."
"Song Hao, you've really had a hard time!" Tang Yu sighed.
"There's nothing we can do about it. By the way, how is Ji Dongyang doing now?" Song Hao asked.
“I’ve secretly asked Xiao Wu to move him to a safer place, where he can eat and drink without any problems. Xiao Wu said he’s in a pretty good mood,” Tang Yu said.
“I’ll go see him after things have calmed down. Xiao Wu is a trustworthy person. Apart from him, no one else can know about Ji Dongyang’s situation. For safety’s sake, I won’t tell anyone, not even myself, where he is hiding, except you and Xiao Wu, so that I can deal with Senior Brother Wuguo and Gu Xiaofeng with more composure. Not knowing means not knowing where he is, and I’m not lying, otherwise they will see through me.” Song Hao gave a wry smile.
Tang Yu listened and smiled helplessly.
After making his rounds in the inpatient department, Song Hao felt depressed, so he left Tianyi Hall and strolled to the bank of the Baishui River. Gazing at the quietly flowing water, he recalled the times he used to play and swim in the river as a child, as if it were yesterday, and was filled with emotion.
The grove of trees by the river remains the same, the place where Song Hao used to study and practice acupuncture. It was here that Lu Yanping taught him the Thunderbolt Needle Technique. Not far away, there is still the same watermelon field, where two unfamiliar faces are working. Things have changed; more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.
Song Hao looked back at the towering Tianyi Hall building not far away. It had appeared overnight like a dream, transforming into the arena where he could realize his ambitions. Compared to his current achievements, the difficulties he faced were insignificant. Tianyi Hall was the source of his confidence.
At this moment, Song Hao really couldn't believe the fact before his eyes! This wonderful place, Baihe Town, not only raised him, but also made him who he was.
"Life is truly unpredictable!" Song Hao sighed.
"Master sent Senior Brother Wuguo to the Heavenly Medicine Hall to find Ji Dongyang and obtain the Divine Formula of No Medicine, but they actually committed murder for it! Master! How could you be such a person?" Song Hao shook his head in anguish, "I just can't believe that Master would order Senior Brother Wuguo and the others to do such a thing. With Master's cultivation, what in this world could move his heart!"
"Originally, Shangqing Temple should have been the best refuge for Ji Dongyang, but now it has become a dangerous place. I cannot hand him over under any circumstances, otherwise it would be no different from killing him. Although I have witnessed the efficacy of the 'miracle cure without medicine' once, I am still puzzled and confused by this seemingly illusory healing technique. And why are so many people interested in it and use every means to seize it? Before the effect is achieved, the harm is already caused. Is this the true way of medicine? Although it is the way of great physicians, if acupuncture and medicine are abandoned, it cannot help the world. What benefit is there? The treatment of people's diseases should still be based on acupuncture and medicine."
"However, there are indeed special and effective folk remedies that are simple and quick to cure diseases. These methods and secrets should be explored and examined to see if they can be grounded in a reasonable explanation of medical principles. A research department for traditional Chinese medicine should be established, and existing theories of traditional Chinese medicine that are not yet well understood should be explained in a simple and clear way. This is an important condition for the world to understand and accept traditional Chinese medicine. If this theory of medicine being in harmony with the way of nature cannot be explained clearly, people will eventually distance themselves from it. Transforming profound knowledge into something simple and easy to understand is not an easy task, but it must be done."
Lost in thought, Song Hao unknowingly walked away along the riverbank. A figure quietly followed him; it was none other than Diao Cheng, the Ghost Hand from the Wind and Fire Hall.
At this moment, a black sedan was parked on the Baishuihe Bridge. Gu Xiaofeng was standing inside the bridge railing, observing Song Hao from a distance with binoculars.
"Diao Cheng? Why is he here too! He wasn't notified about this operation. Who is this guy working for?" Gu Xiaofeng frowned.
Just as Song Hao realized he had unintentionally wandered a bit too far and was about to turn back, he noticed a middle-aged man with a cold face standing behind him. He was taken aback.
"It's rare for you to come out alone," the man said coldly.
"Who are you? What do you need?" Song Hao asked. He was filled with regret for going for a walk in the countryside alone at such a sensitive time.
“My name is Diao Cheng. We’ve had a few chances to meet before, but you never noticed me. I’m here today to say a few words to you,” Diao Cheng said.
"Please speak!" Song Hao said. At the same time, he produced a needle from his sleeve and secretly fastened it to his hand.
“We used to be enemies and offended you; but now we’re friends, and everything I do is for your own good. Please believe this, otherwise there’s no point in me continuing. Although I’ve gotten your phone number, you might not believe me if I tell you over the phone, and I might not be able to explain it clearly to you,” Diao Cheng said.
"Just say what you want to say," Song Hao said. He still found Diao Cheng's behavior strange.