As the large man in black received the medicine bottle, he hesitated for a moment. When Wei Yunshan approached, he involuntarily took half a step back.

“Hand over the medicine,” Wei Yunshan demanded, grinding his teeth in anger at Chu Dingjiang.

The leader of the black-clad men spoke up, “Elder Wei, the medicine will be delivered to our master whether it’s with us or you. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”

Wei Yunshan pondered for a moment, suspecting the bottle might be a trap. But what if it was genuine? Whether consumed by these rats or delivered to that person in Liao, recovering it would be nearly impossible.

Even with only a slim chance of it being real, Wei Yunshan was unwilling to let it go. Fighting twenty opponents alone would be challenging, but far easier than snatching it from that person’s hands.

“That boy is cunning. I need to verify the medicine’s authenticity,” Wei Yunshan insisted stubbornly.

The black-clad leader reached out. The large man holding the bottle hesitated imperceptibly before handing it over.

The leader removed the stopper. Before even looking inside, he caught a whiff of the potent medicinal fragrance, much stronger than the single pill from earlier. Peering through the narrow opening, he saw the pills. The medicine, mixed with heart blood, had a unique scent and color that cleared the mind—likely difficult to replicate.

Aware of others coveting the miraculous medicine, the leader quickly tucked the bottle into his robes after confirming its contents.

Wei Yunshan’s eyes flashed dangerously. His mental energy exploded, invisibly manipulating the weapons at the waists of the twenty-odd men in an instant.

…

Meanwhile, Chu Dingjiang and his companions returned calmly to their camp.

Mo Sigui, still breathless, urgently asked Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu, “Did you hand over the item?!”

An Jiu looked at Chu Dingjiang. Though reluctant to admit her oversight, she said, “I didn’t even notice when he took the medicine bottle.”

She felt her pocket and pulled out the small bottle Mo Sigui had first given her. Surprised by its weight, she remembered it had only contained a few pills.

An Jiu immediately opened it to find it full!

“I poured all the pills into this bottle,” Chu Dingjiang explained. “The other bottle’s strong medicinal scent was better for deceiving people.”

“Wei Yunshan is facing off against twenty martial artists. Won’t the victor, whoever it is, still come for the medicine?” Mo Sigui asked dissatisfied. “If you’re playing tricks, why leave loose ends?”

“There is a loose end,” Chu Dingjiang calculated the time in his mind. “I’ll go back to tie it up.”

“I’m coming with you,” An Jiu grasped his arm. “Wei Yunshan can manipulate objects with his mental energy, a thousand times stronger than Wei Yuzi.”

At Piaomiao Manor, An Jiu had casually tossed an arrow at Wei Yunshan, believing mental energy was explosive but unsustainable. Even with a blade, she thought he couldn’t cut through the cage. But the old man had far exceeded her expectations.

Her mental energy couldn’t yet manipulate objects, but it allowed her to hold her own against eighth and ninth-rank martial artists. Wei Yunshan’s abilities were truly terrifying in comparison.

Chu Dingjiang patted her hand, intending to refuse. But seeing her expression, he changed his mind. “Alright.”

An Jiu tossed the medicine bottle to Mo Sigui. “Keep this safe.”

Mo Sigui watched them leave, pondered briefly, and then tucked the bottle into his robes.

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu returned to the scene.

The battle was just ending. Wei Yunshan had single-handedly killed twenty martial artists ranging from fifth to ninth rank but suffered severe injuries himself.

His white beard stained with blood, he sat trembling in the grass clutching the medicine bottle, appearing to have aged over a decade.

After catching his breath, he uncorked the bottle and took out a reddish-brown pill. He sniffed it carefully, a smile crossing his face, before putting it in his mouth.

The medicine dissolved instantly, flowing down his throat.

Wei Yunshan sat cross-legged to circulate his energy. After just one cycle, he felt seven or eight-tenths of his injuries heal, filling him with joy.

“I can’t linger here,” Wei Yunshan thought, getting up and heading southeast.

After a while, he sensed someone following. Looking back, he saw only moonlight shrouded in mist and vast wilderness all around.

Pausing briefly, Wei Yunshan resumed his journey.

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu followed, quickening their pace when they began losing track of Wei Yunshan’s aura.

Overusing mental energy causes extreme fatigue, like staying awake for days and thinking intensely. Wei Yunshan was in this state, having fought beyond his limits while constantly watching for pursuers. Exhausted, he only noticed Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu when they were within thirty zhang.

In all his years dominating the martial arts world, he had never felt as wretched as today, not even when betrayed by his adopted son.

Wei Yunshan knew Chu Dingjiang was a transcendent master. Though his foundation wasn’t solid, he wasn’t someone Wei Yunshan could easily handle in his current state. He had to find a way to evade them.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

Chu Dingjiang’s lightness skill far exceeded his expectations.

In the blink of an eye, he was within ten zhang. At such a short distance, turning his back would likely mean certain death.

Wei Yunshan was forced to stop.

Chu Dingjiang gave him no chance to catch his breath. After setting An Jiu down, he flew forward with a sword attack.

An Jiu immediately drew her Subduing Dragon Bow, releasing an arrow of mental energy from the empty string.

The invisible arrow flew faster than Chu Dingjiang.

Wei Yunshan, excelling in mental energy, sensed the immense threat as An Jiu’s arrow approached within three chi.

The dual-threat awakened even greater potential in him. His form vanished from sight, reappearing ten zhang away. His speed was so great that even An Jiu’s keen eyes could only see an afterimage.

Chu Dingjiang didn’t press the attack further.

“It’s you, little girl!” Wei Yunshan recognized An Jiu’s bow, recalling how he had nearly died from exhaustion from using mental energy to grind away at the cage with an arrowhead for over a month.

“I wasn’t mistaken,” An Jiu said.

Wei Yunshan thought she was praising his ability to escape using just a small arrow, and snorted coldly with pride.

However, she continued, “You are a scoundrel.”

The tense atmosphere shifted subtly for a moment.

“Killing me won’t be easy for just the two of you,” Wei Yunshan said. “I can share half the medicine with you.”

Chu Dingjiang replied, “If I can get it all, why settle for half?”

“So you’re determined to be my enemy?” Wei Yunshan’s tone was calm, but internally he was shocked and furious. If Chu Dingjiang truly fought to the death for medicine, he had almost no chance of winning.

What to do? Abandoning the medicine was worse than death.

Wei Yunshan sighed deeply. “I never imagined that after defeating countless masters in my life, I’d stumble twice in such lowly circumstances.”

The first time was at Wei Yuzi’s hands, and now today.

Chu Dingjiang’s brilliance lay in setting traps that were obvious yet impossible to avoid.

“At least let me die with some understanding,” Wei Yunshan said bitterly. “I never verified the authenticity of the entire bottle of medicine. How did you know I would certainly fall for the trick?”

“You’re willing to serve Liao, likely because you’re desperate for this medicine,” Chu Dingjiang explained calmly. The drain on mental energy wasn’t like internal energy; it couldn’t be recovered quickly. “I saw in your eyes a desire unbefitting a transcendent master.”

Generally, those who reach transcendence in mental energy aren’t easily swayed by emotions.

Mental energy differs from internal energy. Martial arts techniques developed through internal energy might become chaotic due to intense emotions, leading to qi deviation, but they won’t weaken. Mental energy, however, fluctuates with emotional changes.

This is why martial artists must cultivate their minds first.

“Why do you need this medicine? To restore your internal energy?” Chu Dingjiang asked.

Wei Yunshan replied, “I fainted from overusing my mental energy. When I awoke, my body had been enhanced by drugs.” He raised his hand, his sleeve falling back to reveal a strong, muscular arm vibrant with life, undiminished by his age. “I have medical knowledge. I know that at this rate, I’ll die from my body rupturing within three months.”

Chu Dingjiang’s brow furrowed slightly.

His understanding of Wei Yunshan came from Controlling Crane Army records and jianghu legends. Both sources described Wei Yunshan as an aloof individual, yet the old man before him clung desperately to life, consumed by desire.

Chu Dingjiang considered many things before making his decision. Killing intent suddenly arose around him as he transformed into a dark shadow, streaking towards Wei Yunshan trailing glimmers of cold light.

Wei Yunshan had remained vigilant throughout their conversation. As the attack came, instead of fleeing, he raised his sword to meet it.