Xie Fanhua was thrown dozens of zhang away by that sword strike. He planted his twin blades in the ground to stop his retreat, then stood up to speak, but instead coughed up a mouthful of blood. He smiled bitterly, “As expected of the Great Elder.”

“Get out!” An angry roar came from within the carriage.

“We’re leaving!” Xie Fanhua waved his hand, and everyone retreated without hesitation.

Chouniu quickly turned, wanting to lift the curtain: “Great Elder…”

“The Great Elder is fine!” Bai Hehuai grabbed the curtain, “Chouniu, find four people to carry the carriage into the courtyard!”

Chouniu paused, then nodded: “Alright!”

Bai Hehuai let out a light breath, then turned to look at the Great Elder. The Sleeping Dragon Sword had returned to its scabbard, the dragon on its hilt once again closing its eyes. The Great Elder’s face was deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly: “Xie Fanhua couldn’t have obtained the Soul-Drawing Incense on his own. The Mu family must have given it to him.”

Bai Hehuai froze. She recalled the Great Elder telling her about originally being from the Mu family, but she hadn’t expected the Mu family’s shadow to be lurking behind this assassination attempt. She flicked her silver needle, inserting it into the Great Elder’s brow: “Soul-Drawing Incense isn’t a difficult poison to counter, but Great Elder, don’t use your internal energy!”

The Great Elder exhaled deeply, then extended a finger. A purple vapor flowed from her fingertip, releasing a strange fragrance within the carriage.

Bai Hehuai quickly pulled out a medicine bottle from her robes, swallowing one pill herself before tossing another into the Great Elder’s mouth. She exclaimed in amazement: “Great Elder’s internal energy is so powerful, to be able to force out the Soul-Drawing Incense’s poison.”

“I’m from the Mu family. I’m familiar with Soul-Drawing Incense, so forcing it out isn’t difficult. However, I won’t be able to use my energy for twelve hours. Perhaps this was the Mu family’s goal,” the Great Elder’s complexion improved slightly as she leaned against the chair.

Outside the carriage, Chouniu surveyed the surroundings. After confirming the assassins had left, he approached the courtyard gate, knocking three times heavily, then three times lightly, and finally one heavy knock. The gate slowly opened, revealing a hunched elderly man with a wrinkled face who looked at Chouniu and asked deeply: “The key?”

The Sleeping Dragon Sword flew out from the carriage and embedded itself in the gate.

The hunched elder startled slightly, stepping back: “Enter. Once inside, maintain silence.”

“Understood!” Chouniu nodded, then waved his hand. Four Spider Shadow members simultaneously lifted the carriage from its corners and slowly proceeded into the courtyard.

The hunched elder leaped up, pulled the Sleeping Dragon Sword from the gate, and held it up respectfully.

“A Luo, how many years have you been here?” The Great Elder’s voice came from within the carriage.

The hunched elder lowered his head, emotion evident in his voice: “Thirty years now. I never thought I’d live to see the Great Elder visit personally. I can die without regrets.”

“You should have been enjoying your retirement here. My coming has brought you trouble,” the Great Elder extended a hand to receive the sword from outside the carriage. “My apologies.”

“People like us, what right do we have to speak of retirement?” The hunched elder stepped aside to clear the path.

“Silence!” Chouniu commanded in a low voice, and everyone fell quiet. Even the four Spider Shadow members carrying the carriage employed mysterious techniques that made their footsteps instantly inaudible. Only after they had carried the carriage through a massive courtyard and reached the main residence did the hunched elder slowly say: “You may speak now.”

Everyone exhaled deeply, their backs drenched in cold sweat. Looking back, they saw a sparrow flying through the courtyard. Merely for the sound of its beating wings, an arrow shot out from a corner, piercing straight through the bird.

“This is the Formation of Silence,” Chouniu said gravely.

“Yes. This is the Formation of Silence.” The Great Elder stepped down from the carriage, with Bai Hehuai standing beside her carrying a medicine box, curiously examining the courtyard.

“Great Elder!” Everyone bowed their heads.

The hunched elder stepped forward: “Great Elder, let me first show you to your room to rest.”

The Great Elder nodded and walked forward slowly. Apart from Bai Hehuai, the others remained where they were, not following.

“This young lady is…?” The hunched elder glanced at Bai Hehuai as they walked.

“I’m Bai Hehuai,” she replied. “If you had met me fifty years earlier, I could have cured your hunched back.”

“This young lady is a Divine Physician from Medicine King Valley,” the Great Elder smiled. “Her words might not be mere boasting.”

“It’s not boasting at all. Your condition isn’t congenital—someone poisoned you, softening your bones until you become like this. If the poison had been removed in time, combined with some bone-setting techniques, it wouldn’t have come to this. Unfortunately, too much time has passed,” Bai Hehuai shook her head.

The hunched elder’s eyes brightened briefly before lowering again: “Thank you, Divine Physician, but this old one has grown accustomed to this state.”

“It’s not that it can’t be treated, it’s just that the… price would be rather high.” Bai Hehuai rubbed three fingers together.

“How high?” the Great Elder asked.

“Give me this residence,” Bai Hehuai said with a grin.

The hunched elder narrowed his eyes, his tone turning cold: “The Divine Physician jests.”

“Hahahaha!” The Great Elder suddenly laughed. “The Divine Physician is quite greedy indeed.”

“That’s why I left Medicine King Valley,” Bai Hehuai stopped mentioning the treatment and began whistling casually.

As they chatted, the hunched elder led them to a room in the deepest part of the residence: “If there’s any problem, Divine Physician, release the wooden bird above the door, and I’ll come as quickly as possible.”

“Wooden bird?” Bai Hehuai looked up to see a yellow wooden bird perched above the door, attached to a wooden rope.

“Pull that rope, and I will appear.” The hunched elder stepped back, and his figure vanished.

Once the hunched elder left, the Great Elder’s strength finally gave out. She thrust the Sleeping Dragon Sword heavily into the ground, quickly walked to the bed, and collapsed.

“Such a stubborn old woman,” Bai Hehuai sighed lightly, going over to support her and check her pulse.

The Great Elder spoke with difficulty: “I haven’t fainted yet, Divine Physician. No need to mock me so soon.”

“I just think that old gentleman is loyal to you, Great Elder. Why did you need to maintain such a strong facade in front of him?” Bai Hehuai shook her head.

“If you had seen him when he kills, you would understand,” the Great Elder smiled coldly. “I do trust him, but after all, we haven’t seen each other for thirty years.”