"It's alright!" Song Hao said with a smile.
The two then fell into silence.
After a while...
“Song Hao!” Tang Yu said.
"What?"
"Our Tang family had no choice but to kidnap you this time, please forgive us," Tang Yu said, bowing her head in shame.
“It’s nothing, Uncle Tang has already talked to me about it,” Song Hao said.
"You...you don't resent me? That day at your house, I was the one who drugged you and knocked you out," Tang Yu said after a pause.
"It was an accident, let's just consider it a misunderstanding. Besides, you didn't force me to do anything else. Miss Tang, thank you for your sincerity," Song Hao said earnestly.
Song Hao was somewhat moved by Tang Yu's sincere apology.
"Thank you for your generosity!" Tang Yu's face showed relief and joy.
"And..." Tang Yu hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
"Your second grandfather wants you to come over for breakfast," Tang Yu quickly changed the subject. After saying that, she glanced at Song Hao and left with a complicated expression.
Although Tang Ji and Tang Qingshan harbored their own motives, they now viewed Song Hao with new respect. In their eyes, Song Hao was now of equal value to the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man. The miraculous nature of Song Hao's acupuncture techniques had undoubtedly shocked them. The Tang family, known for its herbal remedies, lacked expertise in acupuncture and sought a breakthrough in this area. However, without a family-inherited acupuncture technique, they could not establish their own unique style. The unexpected appearance of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man brought hope to the Tang family. Even if they couldn't acquire the superior acupuncture techniques, they could still hoard this rare item and use it to lure out secret acupuncture techniques from various families. Moreover, legend had it that the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man could also enhance one's acupuncture strength. Faced with enormous profits and temptations, people's hearts wavered, and justice sometimes seemed insignificant.
That evening, Song Hao was reading an ancient medical book he had borrowed from Tang Ji in his room. Suddenly, the sound of fighting came from outside, disturbing the quiet night.
While Song Hao was still in shock, the door was kicked open and Tang Yu rushed in in a panic.
"Song Hao, come with me quickly! A group of people of unknown origin have entered the manor; they're probably here to rob you," Tang Yu said breathlessly, her face showing obvious concern and anxiety.
Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Song Hao remained calm and composed. He said sternly, "Let them all come. Things must come to an end eventually." His fingers unconsciously gripped the handles of the needles hidden in his sleeve.
Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Record of Strange Writings: Wrong Car
Therefore, those skilled in acupuncture draw yang from yin and yin from yang; treat the left with the right and the right with the left; know the enemy through oneself and know the interior through the exterior; observe the principles of excess and deficiency, see the subtle signs of excess, and use it without fail. (Suwen. Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun)
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At this moment, the sounds of fighting outside grew more intense, interspersed with Tang Qingshan's angry shouts, and gradually moved towards this side.
Tang Yu's expression changed, clearly realizing the seriousness of the situation. She said, "Let's leave here first and avoid this." She pulled Song Hao along and turned to leave, leaving Song Hao no choice but to go with her.
Tang Yu pulled Song Hao away from the room, walked around several houses, and ran towards the back of the village.
Song Hao noticed that Tang Yu's palms were sweaty, likely due to nervousness. He was slightly surprised, wondering why she was so nervous.
After leaving Tangzhuang and reaching a highway, Tang Yu stopped, realizing she was still holding Song Hao's hand, and quickly let go. She then handed Song Hao a small cloth bag, saying, "These are your belongings. I've put some money inside. Take this and leave quickly. Remember, your situation is very special now; don't trust anyone in the future. Our Tang family is sorry." Her words clearly carried a hidden meaning.
"Thank you, Miss Tang!" Song Hao said gratefully.
Although Tang Ji and Tang Qingshan were usually quite friendly to him, they still intended to keep him around. But now Tang Yu was really going to let him go.
"Song Hao, you should leave now. You need to know how to protect yourself in the future." Tang Yu's concern seemed to reveal a hint of sadness and reluctance.
"Also, we're even now," Tang Yu said with a forced smile.
"Yes, we're even!" Song Hao smiled back, glanced gratefully at Tang Yu, and then turned and disappeared into the night.
"I'm sorry, Song Hao, that acupuncture bronze figure has driven everyone crazy..." Tang Yu murmured to herself, watching Song Hao's blurry figure disappear into the distance. A sense of loss washed over her.
On a hill near Tangzhuang, a young woman was observing everything happening in Tangzhuang through binoculars, the kind used for nighttime observation. When she saw two people leave Tangzhuang, one of whom drove off onto the highway, a mysterious smile appeared on her lips. This woman was none other than Luo Feiying.
After bidding farewell to Tang Yu, Song Hao raced along the highway into the night, feeling like a bird released from its cage. Half an hour later, having traveled far from Tang Village and exhausted, Song Hao finally slowed down.
Standing in the wilderness, in the hazy darkness, I looked around blankly, with no houses in sight. The tension and exhaustion from running made me feel disoriented, as if I were in a place that didn't truly exist.
Song Hao rubbed his temples, took several deep breaths, and knew he had to stay clear-headed and calm. Although he had left the Tang family, he was still in danger. Returning to Penglai was out of the question for the time being, otherwise it would attract the attention of those who coveted the Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man. The safety of the Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man was paramount; he couldn't afford any mishaps in his hands. He should go to Qingdao to find his grandfather first and discuss a plan to deal with the current situation.
A blinding beam of light shone from behind, followed by several honks, and a truck sped by.
Song Hao was delighted to see this and quickly waved to stop the truck.
"Brother, could you give me a ride? Just to the town with the bus station up ahead," Song Hao called out to the driver.
The truck driver cautiously sized up Song Hao. Seeing that Song Hao was quite strong, and although he was alone, he would be difficult to deal with in the dark if an accident occurred. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I have urgent business and am in a hurry to pick up goods. Can you flag down a truck?" He was afraid that Song Hao was going to rob him.
After saying that, the driver stepped on the gas and drove off.
Song Hao shook his head helplessly.
Just then, another beam of light appeared in the distance, and another car sped towards them. Having been refused earlier, Song Hao had lost interest and turned to walk away. It's no wonder, then; in the dead of night, few drivers dared to pick up strangers.
The car approached from a distance, then abruptly stopped as it passed Song Hao. Song Hao was startled and stopped, looking around curiously. It was an SUV, and as the window rolled down, the beautiful face of a young woman came into view.
"Hey! You've got some nerve walking alone at night. How about I give you a ride?" the woman said with a hearty laugh.
Song Hao was surprised that the woman would offer him a ride, and hesitated for a moment.
"If you want to keep going, then keep going. It might take several hours to find a town with an inn," the woman said with a smile, seemingly sensing Song Hao's hesitation.
Song Hao listened and thought about it. It made sense. Walking for several hours in the dark was not a good idea, nor was it very safe. So he smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you. It seems I'll have to hitch a ride with you." After saying that, he walked around, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.
The woman smiled smugly to herself and drove away.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Li Yan. May I ask how you should address me, sir?" the woman asked.