"Thank you so much for your kindness, senior!" Song Hao said gratefully.
"Hahaha! Today was truly enjoyable! I, Old Wu, am very satisfied to have met such a young master like you!" Wu Qiguang laughed heartily.
"Sir, you are so magnanimous! And you are so generous with your extraordinary skills to mentor the younger generation. I, Song Hao, will not disappoint you." Song Hao said sincerely, full of admiration.
Wu Qiguang laughed and said, "Don't praise me, you're blushing! I have high hopes for you! You'll definitely amount to something great in the future!"
Amidst their laughter and conversation, a young man entered the house; it was Wu Qiguang's son, Wu Song, who had returned drunk. Wu Qiguang introduced Song Hao to him. Wu Song, unable to hold his liquor, greeted them briefly and then went to his room to rest.
Seeing that it was getting dark, Song Hao remembered his current situation and hurriedly said, "To be honest, sir, I encountered an extremely troublesome matter while traveling alone this time. It is not convenient to tell you now, but I will let you know when there is an opportunity. I must leave here tonight, otherwise I will also cause trouble for you."
Upon hearing this, Wu Qiguang asked in surprise, "Is your trouble related to that girl from earlier in the day?"
Song Hao said worriedly, "It's only part of the story; the bigger trouble may be yet to come."
"Oh!" Wu Qiguang frowned and said, "I didn't realize you were such a troublemaker! In that case, after Wu Song sobers up, I'll have him take you away on his motorcycle. Once you get to the train station in the town ahead, you can take a train there."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao said gratefully, "That's perfect!"
Wu Qiguang continued, "That girl is no good. She might not have left yet and is watching your movements. You can leave after midnight. Think of a way to distract her. Hehe! I'm feeling a little nervous too!" After saying this, he shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Song Hao said with remorse, "I've burdened you, sir!"
Wu Qiguang laughed and said, "It's alright. I don't think you're the kind of person who would do anything bad. Since someone is causing you trouble, I'll help you get out of there for now. We're both in the medical field, so this little favor is nothing."
Song Hao said gratefully, "I will definitely come to thank you in the future!"
Wu Qiguang smiled and said, "Don't be so polite. It's fate that we can get to know such an extraordinary young man like you and learn my Ice and Fire Divine Needle technique."
Chapter Thirty-Four: The Gate of Life and Death
The two chatted for a while longer, and as midnight approached, Wu Qiguang woke up Wu Song and explained Song Hao's current situation.
Wu Song was slightly surprised, but not too bothered. He laughed and said, "No problem, it's just a game. I guarantee Brother Song Hao will get away with it."
Next, Wu Song made several phone calls to friends nearby. Less than ten minutes later, the sound of motorcycles could be heard outside. When Song Hao went out with Wu Song to see what was happening, six motorcycles had arrived, each carrying one person, all of them young men.
Song Hao then bowed to Wu Qiguang and took his leave. Wu Song told Song Hao to change clothes with one of the young men and put on a helmet. Then, he personally drove a motorcycle, taking Song Hao and the other six motorcycles onto the highway, where they sped off in two separate groups.
At the intersection, the three motorcycles that had been traveling with Wu Song each chose their own route and sped off. Wu Song, carrying Song Hao, left the highway and took a shortcut along a dirt road towards a town ahead. This kind of charade was designed to confuse people, especially at night, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
After nearly an hour, Wu Song's motorcycle arrived at a town. Wu Song then called a friend who drove a taxi, and then smiled at Song Hao, saying, "Brother Song, I can only take you this far. You can take my friend's car for now, and then change cars again at dawn to go to where you want to go. At that time, even a god would have a hard time figuring out your whereabouts."
Song Hao said gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Wu. I will definitely come back to thank you and Mr. Wu when I have the chance."
Wu Song smiled and said, "Okay! I hope I'll have the chance to see you again in the future." After saying that, Wu Song gave his friend a few more instructions, waved, and drove off on his motorcycle.
The taxi took Song Hao away from the town and quietly disappeared into the night.
As he drove, Song Hao looked back from time to time to observe, but he did not see any suspicious vehicles following him, which put his mind at ease.
While at a gas station, Song Hao saw a long-distance bus running to a city in Shandong. He thanked the taxi driver and got on the bus.
There weren't many passengers on the bus. After refueling, the bus continued along the highway. Song Hao felt a little sleepy and dozed off in his seat. He felt safe now that no one knew his whereabouts.
A sudden jolt in the bus jolted Song Hao awake. Opening his eyes, he saw that the bus had stopped. It was already getting light. A large truck was blocking the road ahead, its cargo scattered in the middle, and a small passenger car was parked to the side. Clearly, a traffic accident had occurred.
"Damn it! We're going to be delayed!" the bus driver muttered, getting off the bus to check the situation.
Not long after, the driver returned, shook his head, and sat there helplessly waiting for the problem to be fixed. About half an hour later, some passengers became restless and got off to look around at the front of the bus. Others went outside for some fresh air and a walk. Song Hao felt the urge to urinate, so he also got off the bus and walked to the side of the road.
After relieving himself behind some bushes, Song Hao was about to turn around when he suddenly felt someone approaching from his side. Startled, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a needle. However, before Song Hao could examine the area and apply the needle in self-defense, he felt a gust of wind strike the back of his head, instantly losing consciousness and fainting. Clearly, he had encountered a master.
The one who ambushed Song Hao was the Ghost Hand Diao Cheng. After successfully delivering a powerful blow, Diao Cheng carried Song Hao away from the sight of the people on the road and drove through the wilderness.
Under a large willow tree in a grove of trees stood the mysterious, lean old man from before. This old man was Bai Li, the leader of the Wind and Fire Hall.
Seeing Diao Cheng bring over the unconscious Song Hao, a smug smile flashed in Bai Li's eyes.
"Master, the person has been brought here." Diao Cheng placed Song Hao on the ground and said calmly.
"This kid is really something! He almost escaped right under my nose," Bai Li said with a dry cough.
"You go first, I'll handle this man myself. Remember, don't let Luo Beiming know that we've succeeded. If he asks, just say the man hasn't been found yet. The Luo family thinks they can use our Feng Huo Tang to get that priceless acupuncture bronze figure. They've underestimated me, Bai Li. We'll do this big deal ourselves," Bai Li said softly but seriously.
"Understood!" Diao Cheng replied, turning and leaving expressionlessly.
After Diao Cheng had gone far away, Bai Li turned to the unconscious Song Hao and said with a sly smile, "Boy, now that you're in my hands, your secrets are no longer secrets. I have ways to make you say what you don't want to say."
As he spoke, Bai Li stepped forward, intending to use his magic to wake Song Hao up.
At this moment, a deep voice suddenly sounded from the side: "Bai Li, you in the Wind and Fire Hall cannot touch this person."
"Who...who are you?" Bai Li was startled by the voice.
When Bai Li turned around, he saw a person standing more than ten meters away wearing a black trench coat and a baseball cap. The collar of the coat was turned up and the brim of the cap was pulled down, so he could not see the person's face.
"Who are you?" Bai Li saw that the other party had arrived quietly without his knowledge, and he knew that the visitor was not friendly. A hint of fear appeared in his eyes.
"Who I am is not important, but you cannot touch this young man on the ground," the man continued in a low voice.
"Your Excellency, could it be that you've also come for that acupuncture bronze figure?" Bai Li asked, fully on guard.
"I'm not interested in that acupuncture bronze figure. You can eliminate anyone who tries to touch it and find another way to obtain it. But you cannot touch this young man, or your Feng Huo Tang will disappear from the martial world," the man said calmly.
"Your tone is rather arrogant! Are you threatening me? You think you can wipe out the Wind and Fire Hall in a day? I doubt anyone in the world has that ability." Bai Li said, somewhat annoyed. Although he didn't know the other party's background, the fact that the other party showed contempt for the Wind and Fire Hall was something that the arrogant and conceited Bai Li could not tolerate.
"Has Master Bai ever heard of the 'Gate of Life and Death'?" the man asked after a slight pause.