Tang Lingqi raised his head: “What are you laughing at?”

Tang Lianyue lowered his head: “First Senior Brother told me something long ago.”

“What was it?” Tang Lingqi’s brows furrowed.

“When someone tries to threaten me with his life, don’t worry about anything—just charge forward, because…” Tang Lianyue leaped up, “he never needs me to worry about him!”

In the Execution Hall, Tang Linghuang sat calmly, still wearing the iron mask and bound by heavy chains. Though storms were brewing in the Tang Clan outside, he remained unaware until he heard someone open the door and enter.

The newcomer’s footsteps were light and slow, even somewhat weak. Tang Linghuang slowly turned his head, his muffled voice emerging from behind the iron mask: “Who are you?”

“How excellent,” the visitor smiled slightly.

“What’s excellent?” Tang Linghuang asked gravely.

“An excellent vessel.” The visitor stepped forward, lightly waving their hand to send three silver needles into Tang Linghuang’s shoulder.

“What are you trying to do?” Tang Linghuang’s shoulder twitched slightly, ejecting the three needles. The visitor caught them, examining the blood stains before shaking their head: “Your martial arts far exceed those so-called Five Champions of the Tang Clan.”

Tang Linghuang asked in confusion: “Who exactly are you?”

“I’m just a passerby, merely passing through the Tang Clan. I had made a deal with those people, but unfortunately, that deal is about to fall through.” The visitor’s tone carried artificial regret. “I typically only cooperate with the strongest, but sadly, the three strongest in the Tang Clan are quite difficult to work with. So I had to settle for second best, but there’s a reason why second best is just that—second best.”

As Tang Linghuang was about to speak, he suddenly felt dizzy. He gritted his teeth: “You’re from the Wen family!”

“Why do you say that? Because only the Wen family can poison someone named Tang? You’re wrong. I was born in Medicine King Valley. I am the Ghost Doctor, Night Crow.” Night Crow stepped forward and lifted the gradually unconscious Tang Linghuang onto his back.

Outside the Execution Hall, there were no Tang Clan guards, only a handsome young man standing there. He wore a jade ring on his finger that emanated a faint blue light. He turned to Night Crow: “We must leave quickly. From what I know, many people are on their way to the Tang Clan. If they arrive, I fear we won’t be able to leave.”

“Oh? Then it seems those coming are quite formidable.” Yet Night Crow continued smiling casually, seemingly unconcerned. “Well then, let’s depart.”

The young man was stunned: “We can leave just like this? Don’t we need to take anything else?”

“No need.” Night Crow’s hand flickered, producing a white flower. “Those medicine men were always incomplete. A truly complete medicine man requires a perfect vessel like Tang Linghuang. Let’s go.”

“Besides the medicine men, I heard your senior brother is also still in the Tang Clan,” the young man said softly.

Night Crow turned slightly to look at him: “You’re thinking of targeting my senior brother?”

“Medicine King Xin Baicao would be a valuable bargaining chip,” the young man smiled. “If we could bring him back to Tianqi City, I believe the Young Master would be very pleased.”

“Abandon that thought,” Night Crow looked up at the sky. “In your minds, what kind of person am I? Pure evil? Thoroughly corrupt? Scum?”

The young man merely smiled faintly, saying nothing.

“Senior Brother has his path to walk, and I have mine. Let’s depart—as you said, more fearsome people are coming,” Night Crow turned to leave.

The young man touched his jade ring, suddenly turning to look southwest.

There, a young man lay among broken rocks and grass, covered in blood—it was the Tang Clan’s senior disciple, Tang Lian.

The sky had gradually darkened. Tang Lian hazily raised his head, seeing what seemed to be stars slowly rising.

Perhaps it was just an illusion…

Tang Lian thought silently. He had fought off all his pursuers but was now completely exhausted. He knew without doubt that even an ordinary person could easily finish him off now, and even if no one else appeared, he probably wouldn’t survive the night.

How many wounds had he sustained?

Seventeen? Or eighteen?

Never mind.

Tang Lian slowly closed his eyes.

“Are you from the Tang Clan?” A woman’s voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

Tang Lian clenched his fist, using his last strength to open his eyes: “Who are you?”

A woman in plain white clothes stood there, holding a long sword with a token hanging at her waist. The token was carved with a lifelike azure dragon. She looked down at Tang Lian: “Shouldn’t you answer someone’s question before asking your own?”

Tang Lian looked at the azure dragon token and suddenly recalled something. He exclaimed: “You’re the Azure Dragon Envoy, Li Xinyue—Aunt.” Even gravely wounded and struggling to speak, Tang Lian didn’t forget to add the word “Aunt.”

“Aunt?” Li Xinyue was startled. “In the Tang Clan, only one person has the right to call me that. That would be Lianyue’s disciple, Tang Lian, I believe. I’ve never met him.”

“Aunt, I am Tang Lian,” Tang Lian said with difficulty.

“Do you have proof?” Though Li Xinyue hadn’t fully believed Tang Lian, she bent down to examine his wounds. “You’re severely injured, and these wounds all come from Tang Clan’s hidden weapons.”

“There’s turmoil in the Tang Clan. Master has been trapped,” Tang Lian replied.

“Lianyue? Those Tang Clan people could trap him?” Li Xinyue pressed several of Tang Lian’s major acupoints, then took out a jade porcelain bottle and removed a pill, placing it in Tang Lian’s mouth. “Swallow it. Now tell me about the Tang Clan situation.”

“It’s the Ice Moon Silkworm!” After swallowing the pill, Tang Lian felt his pain ease considerably. He continued, “Master Lianyue was probably caught off guard and ambushed. I tried to rescue him but was then hunted down.”

“Who harmed him?” Li Xinyue asked.

Tang Lian shook his head: “I don’t know, but many of my pursuers were from the Tang Clan’s Execution Hall, so Tang Lingkui must be one of them.”

“Indeed, what I’ve worried about for so long has finally happened.” Li Xinyue pressed a finger to Tang Lian’s brow, injecting a stream of true qi. “I’m lending you a thread of true qi. You’ll be able to stand soon. Find a place to hide.”

Tang Lian struggled to rise: “No, I must help rescue Master.”

“Just as Lianyue said—now I believe you truly are Tang Lian. But you should rest well. With your current strength, you couldn’t keep up with me anyway.” Li Xinyue leaped forth, rushing toward the Tang Clan.