Song Hao listened without saying a word. He knew that anyone who could break into a private residence, drug someone, and then kidnap him was no good person; they must be a scoundrel. Their only goal was the most precious medical treasure—the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure.
"Hey! Are you mute? My father is talking to you!" The woman said, somewhat displeased that Song Hao did not respond.
"He's not mute. When he immobilized me with that needle, he even asked me who I was!" the man beside him said.
The middle-aged man chuckled dryly, then said, "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Tang Qingshan, this is my daughter Tang Yu, and this is my eldest son Tang Liang. These are my apprentices: Liu Youhe, Zhang Peng, and Wang Guojun. We are the Tang family, one of the nine sects and eighteen schools of martial arts medicine. The Tang family has been established for over three hundred years, practicing both medicine and martial arts. Of course, this is the old name; you modern young people may not know about the affairs of the martial arts world. Alright, now that we've finished introducing ourselves, you should tell me your name."
"Song Hao!" Song Hao could only reply. Inwardly, he was astonished. The emergence of Song Tiansheng's acupuncture bronze figure had indeed stirred up the nine schools and eighteen families of medical practitioners who had been lying dormant in the martial world. Today, he had finally met someone from the Tang family.
"Song Hao!" Tang Qingshan nodded, then said, "Song Hao, let's get straight to the point. I know that the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure is in your possession. This medical treasure is of no use to outsiders; it is only useful to physicians. I hope you can hand it over to our Tang family for safekeeping. This is a national treasure; you don't want it to be stolen and sold as an antique, do you? Although it is priceless, it belongs to the sacred objects of medicine and should not be bought and sold by others."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao knew that the secret chamber containing the Song Tiansheng acupuncture bronze figure had not yet been discovered, which put his mind at ease. He wasn't particularly averse to the Tang family's request for the acupuncture bronze figure for medical purposes. He simply disdained their methods. Furthermore, the Song Tiansheng acupuncture bronze figure belonged to the Dou family of the Golden Needle Sect, and he was entrusted by Dou Haiqin to temporarily prevent him from handing it over to anyone else.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about. I don't know anything about acupuncture bronze figures," Song Hao said, shaking his head.
"Hey! Things have come to this point, don't pretend you don't understand!" Tang Yu said impatiently.
Song Hao shook his head and smiled bitterly, then fell silent. He knew that as long as he didn't reveal the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man, the other party wouldn't do anything to him; besides, this was the only way to ensure his safety.
"Song Hao!" Tang Qingshan's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "That bronze figure won't bring you wealth or fortune; on the contrary, it will only bring you endless trouble, even death. By the time we speak, all sorts of forces in the martial world should have arrived in Penglai, and it's already in complete chaos. You can no longer freely appear in public. The only solution is to hand over that acupuncture bronze figure to us, extricate yourself from the situation, and protect yourself. Of course, we will also pay you a considerable sum of money; whatever you ask for, it's no problem. Then we will spread the word that the medical treasure has been acquired by our Tang family and has nothing to do with you. You can use that money to do whatever you want, and no one will bother you. Everyone will be happy, so why not! If you insist on not revealing the whereabouts of the acupuncture bronze figure, we will have many ways to make you tell us. At that point, it won't look good for anyone."
In the end, Tang Qingshan's face darkened.
Chapter Twenty-One of the Records of Strange Writings: Betrayal
Tang Qingshan tried to coerce and entice Song Hao into revealing the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man, but Song Hao smiled and remained silent, unmoved.
Seeing that Song Hao was so young yet so calm under such circumstances, Tang Qingshan had a sudden thought and was secretly startled. He quickly stood up and said, "Think about it yourself, and I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible." After saying that, he glanced at Tang Yu and the others, and led them out.
Song Hao knew he was imprisoned by the Tang family, and it seemed he couldn't escape without handing over the acupuncture bronze figure. Even if he revealed the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Figure, would they let him go? Besides, he was entrusted with this task by Dou Haiqin in a moment of crisis; such a national treasure could not be easily given away.
Song Hao sighed and got up to go to the window. Outside was a rural scene, but it was a wealthy place, as evidenced by the luxurious houses scattered among the trees. Suddenly, he saw the word "Zhejiang" on a sign of what looked like a shop in the distance. Song Hao was startled, realizing he had been kidnapped by the Tang family and taken to an unknown village in Zhejiang Province.
Song Hao then realized that all his belongings had been taken while he was unconscious, except for a few needles he kept in his sleeve for using the Thunder Needle Technique, which hadn't been discovered by his assailant. With the needles by his side, he could find an opportunity to escape, and Song Hao felt slightly relieved.
Inside a house, Tang Qingshan sat there, his expression serious, his brows furrowed, and he remained silent.
Seeing this, Tang Yu hurriedly asked, "Father, what's wrong? This Song Hao...?"
"This person is no ordinary individual!" Tang Qingshan sighed. "The shockwave from his needles could reverberate throughout the entire body. He subdued your brother with a single needle. Such an effect must be due to the Thunderclap Needle Technique of the Lu Clan. This kind of extraordinary skill is unique in the world except for the Lu Clan. Could it be that the Golden Needle Sect invited someone from the Lu Clan to protect that acupuncture bronze figure? If so, things are getting complicated. Lu Yanping, the leader of the Lu Clan, is extremely protective of his own. He won't let it go if anyone offends his disciples."
Tang Liang chimed in, "The Lu family and my Tang family have some history. We abducted Song Hao without our knowledge. We can explain it to Lu Yanping later. But that acupuncture bronze figure..."
"Our Tang family is determined to get that acupuncture bronze figure! We must get the whereabouts of this treasure from Song Hao. We'll deal with it when Lu Yanping comes knocking on our door later," Tang Qingshan said helplessly.
"Father, I don't think this Song Hao is necessarily a member of the Lu Clan. He might just have learned a needle technique similar to the Thunderbolt Needle Technique, and he has no connection to the Lu Clan. Every disciple of the Lu Clan is exceptionally skilled; even if I attacked from behind, I wouldn't succeed easily. This Song Hao doesn't seem to possess the strength expected of a martial artist, so he's probably not related to the Lu Clan. Father, there's no need to worry about this. Besides, we found a Golden Dragon Needle from the Golden Needle Sect on him, so he must be a member of the Golden Needle Sect. The Dou family of the Golden Needle Sect is only famous for their needle techniques; they don't get involved in martial arts matters, so they're nothing to worry about," Tang Yu said.
"It would be best if this person had no connection with Lu Men, but we still need to be careful. Give the order that everyone involved in this operation must keep their mouths shut and not leak any information. Yu'er, you are responsible for getting information from Song Hao about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man. No matter what method you use, you must get him to talk," Tang Qingshan said decisively.
"Don't worry, Father. I think this Song Hao is just an ordinary person. I'll be able to get him to talk in a few days," Tang Yu nodded.
"There's more," Tang Qingshan said, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, "In Penglai, I saw members of the Luo family. That old fox, Luo Beiming, is also coveting this bronze figure. We absolutely cannot let him get his hands on this national treasure, otherwise it's highly likely to be lost overseas. This medical treasure has been missing for nearly a thousand years, and it has miraculously reappeared in the modern era. To have the honor of seeing its true form is something we medical practitioners have always dreamed of. Our Tang family emphasizes medicine over acupuncture, and we lag behind other medical schools in acupuncture techniques. This is a weakness of our Tang family's medical skills. If we can obtain that Song Tiansheng acupuncture bronze figure, and if it truly has the miraculous effect of enhancing a person's acupuncture strength as the legends say, then the Tang family's medical skills can be restored to their former glory of a hundred years ago. This is an opportunity given to our Tang family by heaven, and we cannot miss it."
Tang Qingshan said excitedly at the end.
Tianjin.
In a bar, a young man in his mid-twenties slumped over a table, his expression blank and his eyes vacant. Several empty bottles on the table indicated that he had been drunk for some time.
A woman walked up to him, looked at his indulgent and desperate appearance, and couldn't help but shake her head. This woman was Luo Feiying, and the young man slumped over the table was her fellow disciple, Li He.
After her failed trip to Penglai, Luo Feiying was severely reprimanded by her father, Luo Beiming, upon her return, leaving her in a bad mood. She was then ordered by her father to search for Li He again.
"There are matters to attend to in the sect. Please return, senior brother."
Luo Feiying said calmly. Then she waved her hand, and two burly men came up behind her, dragged Li He out of the bar and into a car.
In the villa where Luo Beiming lives. Looking at Li He, who was slumped on the sofa, looking dejected, Luo Beiming shook his head and sighed. Then he said, "He, you can't keep going like this. It will ruin you. I promised you that I would only take the acupuncture bronze figure and wouldn't harm the Dou family. I will never break my promise. The people who killed Dou Fei, the leader of the Golden Needle Sect, were indeed another group of antique dealers. I don't know how they found out about this. It has nothing to do with us. Now, our several attempts have failed, and the whereabouts of the acupuncture bronze figure are unknown. It seems that only by finding the Dou family can we find clues about the acupuncture bronze figure. You are the only one who can contact the Dou family. I hope you will go again. The Dou family may not suspect you for leaking the matter of the bronze figure. You and that girl named Dou Wei from the Dou family must have a good relationship. Why not use her this time? To have the honor of witnessing the true form of Song Tiansheng's acupuncture bronze figure is my greatest wish in life. I can assure you that as long as we find the bronze figure, we will share it. I will never make you do anything you don't want to do again."
Li He stared blankly ahead, offering no response.
"Oh dear, I know this is very difficult for you, but there's no other way. If we delay any longer, someone else might get their hands on it. Take a few days to rest and calm down before you take any further action."
After Luo Beiming finished speaking, he waved for someone to help Li He to his room to rest.
“Dad, Senior Brother Li He won’t amount to anything like this,” Luo Feiying said, shaking her head.
"He is our last hope. After the failure of Penglai, I have increased the amount of money to Feng Huo Tang by 50 million, and the head of Feng Huo Tang, Bai Li, will personally investigate the person who kidnapped Song Hao before us. They will handle the affairs of the martial arts world. But for the best, we must take a two-pronged approach. Li He should use the Dou family to find out the whereabouts of the bronze statue. If we can find the bronze statue through another means, we will save the 50 million. Yingying, the failure of this operation was mainly due to your lack of experience. Remember, in the future, you must act quickly, ruthlessly, and accurately! Only by seizing the initiative can you remain invincible!" Luo Beiming said in a gloomy tone.
"I understand!" Luo Feiying replied, bowing her head.
Upstairs in his room, Li He lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Luo Beiming's words were meaningless to him now; he was consumed by extreme anguish. Five years ago, Li He had secretly infiltrated the Golden Needle Sect under his master's orders to steal the Dou family's acupuncture techniques. Over the past five years, the Dou family had shown him a level of care he had never experienced before. Although he had felt guilty—stealing techniques within the profession was unethical—he had never felt truly remorseful. Because he was learning a life-saving medical art, his methods, while flawed, were not entirely unreasonable.
Li He spent his five years at the Golden Needle Sect happily. Besides being valued by his master and fellow disciples, he also found love. Dou Wei, his master's granddaughter, was a beautiful girl, and the two fell in love at first sight. The wonderful feeling was like a dream, indescribable.
But a month ago, all of this changed. Because of Li He's outstanding acupuncture skills, he naturally had the foundation of being taught by Luo Beiming in the Demon Needle Sect. Dou Fei regarded him as an inner disciple and even allowed him to observe and practice the rare treasure of the Dou family, which had been passed down for more than 800 years—the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man.
The Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure greatly shocked Li He; this legendary medical treasure was still preserved in the world. In his ecstasy, Li He forgot the vow he had made before studying the bronze figure—that he would not reveal it to outsiders.
The reason Li He secretly informed Luo Beiming about the discovery of the long-lost Song Tiansheng acupuncture bronze figure in the Dou family was not only because he was ordered by Luo Beiming to investigate all matters related to the Dou family's acupuncture techniques, but also, and perhaps more importantly, because of the young man's irrepressible desire to show off. Little did he expect that this action would bring such a devastating disaster upon the Dou family.
Once Li He revealed that Song Tiansheng's acupuncture bronze figure was hidden in the Dou family of the Golden Needle Sect, it sparked a fierce struggle among various forces in the martial arts world. Master Dou Fei was tragically murdered, and Dou Wei mysteriously disappeared. The Golden Needle Sect suffered this devastating blow, forcing its members to scatter and go into hiding. However, Li He sensed suspicion in the eyes of his senior sister, Dou Haiqin.
Chapter Twenty-Two of the Record of Strange Writings: A Strange Illness
The place where Song Hao was imprisoned was called Tangzhuang, the hometown of Tang Qingshan. The Tang family had secretly abducted Song Hao before the Demon Needle Sect, showing that they had made thorough preparations in all aspects. The Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure was not only priceless to medical practitioners, but also a supreme and unparalleled sacred object in the medical field. Possessing this divine object was enough to bring glory to one's own medical skills, so all the sects disregarded justice and injustice, risking their lives to seize it.
Although Song Hao had lost his freedom, he felt a slight sense of relief. He knew that the secret chamber in the old Penglai mansion containing the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man was perfectly safe, and his departure had diverted everyone's attention. With the martial world's focus shifting to him, the bronze man would be even safer. As long as he kept quiet, who could do anything to him? However, his sudden disappearance worried his grandfather and uncle.