Chapter 1: Divine Embryo Precious Blood Talisman of Heaven’s Record

I’m starting the serialization of “Heroes” again. Whether the Lecture Hall can sustain itself will depend on this year. I feel quite ashamed toward the generous support of the investors, but I’ll do my best. Knowing that many readers enjoy this work also brings me comfort. Without further ado, let me begin the serialization of the 550,000th word of “Heroes.”

After bidding farewell to the Khan, Qin Zhonghai and Lord He led their army back to the Central Plains. The group traveled slowly along the way, no longer rushing. On the road, Xue Nu’er brought up Gao Yan, the garrison commander of Yumen Pass, still seething with anger and swearing to kill this man, vowing never to rest until he did. For this reason, both he and Lord He were unwilling to pass through Yumen Pass again, to avoid suffering under Jiang Chong’s subordinates. So everyone decided to take a detour through mountain paths to enter the interior.

As they approached Xiliang, it was already the eleventh day of the first month. Qin Zhonghai said, “Lord He, we agreed with Yang Langzhong to meet at Xiliang on the fifteenth day of the first month, with both groups converging there. If your lordship has pressing official duties, please go ahead first.”

Hearing these words, Lord He knew they had other business, likely targeting Jiang Chong. This man was cunning and calculating. Though he was on good terms with Liu Angtian, he was unwilling to be directly involved in court struggles. He quickly said, “Worthy nephew, whatever important matter you have, just go handle it. This old man will proceed to the capital first to report the details of the marriage alliance to His Majesty.”

Hearing their conversation, Xue Nu’er immediately guessed several parts of their intention. A flash of cold qi crossed his face as he sneered, “Qin Zhonghai, you’re going after Jiang Chong, aren’t you?” Qin Zhonghai chuckled and said, “If Eunuch understands in his heart, there’s no need to say it out loud. Wouldn’t it be better if we all understand each other tacitly?”

That night, Lord He hosted a banquet for Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun to console them for their hardships along the journey. The next morning, Qin Zhonghai divided his forces in half and asked his subordinate Deputy Li to accompany and protect Lord He. At this time, everyone was already within the pass. Presumably, on this return journey to the capital, no one would dare attack the main army. Even if something happened on the road, they could request local prefectures to send troops for assistance, so there was no need to worry about this. After everyone made proper arrangements, they bid farewell.

The main army headed toward Liangzhou. On this day, the troops had already reached the city outskirts. Qin Zhonghai pointed at the yellow sand filling the sky over Xiliang City and laughed to Lu Yun, “Xiliang City has had a famous figure since ancient times. I wonder if brother knows who it is?” He saw that Lu Yun had been melancholy and silent all along the way, seemingly lost in thought. Knowing he was thinking of the princess, he wanted to use idle chat to help him forget about it.

Seeing the rolling yellow sand, Lu Yun suddenly thought of his friend through hardships, Wu Dingyuan, and unexpectedly didn’t respond.

Qin Zhonghai laughed and said, “The Xiliang region has produced heroes and outstanding figures since ancient times. During the founding of the Eastern Han, the famous general Ma Yuan was stationed here. His descendant was General Ma, known as ‘Little Lubu.’ These two heroes were bold and heroic – surely you must have heard of them!”

Lu Yun sighed and shook his head, saying, “Ma Mengqi was handsome and young, a descendant of marquises, but unexpectedly died young. Alas… even emperors, generals, and ministers have their times of dissatisfaction.”

Qin Zhonghai knew he was lamenting the princess being forced into the marriage alliance. He sighed deeply and heavily patted Lu Yun’s shoulder, shouting loudly, “Destroying one person’s happiness but saving the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers – Brother Lu! This business is very worthwhile!”

Lu Yun gazed at the horizon, not knowing how the princess was doing now, or how the Khan was treating her. For a moment, he seemed dazed.

When everyone entered Xiliang City, Prefect Lu Qingzheng hurriedly came to receive them. Qin Zhonghai immediately dismounted, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, “This humble general, Liaodong Ranger Qin Zhonghai, greets your lordship.” Lu Qingzheng knew that Qin Zhonghai and the others had just returned from escorting the princess for the marriage alliance and would surely be promoted in the future. He immediately beamed with smiles and said obsequiously, “General Qin, it’s rare for you to come to Xiliang. Please allow this humble official to fulfill the duties of a host and hold a welcoming banquet for you.”

Qin Zhonghai smiled slightly. He knew Lu Qingzheng had once framed Wu Dingyuan and was one of Jiang Chong’s lackeys – really not a good person. Unwilling to say much to him, he said indifferently, “Lord Lu’s kind intention is appreciated. This humble general only asks that these several thousand soldiers be stationed outside the city. After the fifteenth day, we’ll return to the capital on our own. I dare not trouble your lordship with other matters.”

A flash of terror crossed Lu Qingzheng’s face, deeply fearing that Qin Zhonghai’s trip had some other plot against him. But since Qin Zhonghai had already politely declined, he couldn’t say much more and had to leave resentfully.

Qin Zhonghai led his army to set up camp and rest. He disguised himself with Lu Yun, and when night came, the two entered the city.

At this time, it was during the New Year festival. Though Xiliang was a small city, lanterns and decorations were still hung everywhere, presenting a scene of peaceful prosperity. Qin Zhonghai inquired at various inns about Yang Suguan and the others’ whereabouts. After asking at more than ten establishments, he still hadn’t found anyone. Qin Zhonghai found this strange and found a place with Lu Yun to drink and discuss important matters.

Lu Yun said, “Perhaps Lord Yang and the others haven’t entered the city yet – that’s also possible.” Qin Zhonghai shook his head and said, “They came specifically to investigate Jiang Chong’s treason. How could they not have entered the city yet? Could something have happened on the road?”

As the two were talking, they saw a man walk in, holding a wine pot and asking the shopkeeper to fill it with wine. Qin Zhonghai glanced over and saw this person had a stout build and steady steps, clearly possessing martial arts skills. Looking more carefully, he recognized Wei Zizhuang, the top bodyguard beside Liu Angtian. Delighted in his heart, he knew he had found them.

Qin Zhonghai quietly walked to Wei Zizhuang’s side and coughed softly. Wei Zizhuang was bored when he suddenly saw Qin Zhonghai and was immediately overjoyed, saying, “You’ve finally come! Did everything go smoothly?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed and said, “By fortune! By fortune! It was quite successful overall.” He was about to say more when he noticed Wei Zizhuang’s expression seemed somewhat strange. Wei Zizhuang glanced around, then pulled Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun close and said in a low voice, “This isn’t a place to talk. Follow me.”

Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun followed Wei Zizhuang, passing through several small alleys to arrive at a residential house. Qin Zhonghai asked curiously, “Guard Wei, why aren’t you staying at an inn? Whose house is this?” Wei Zizhuang said, “This is Commissioner Wu’s former residence. The inns have too many people with loose tongues. We didn’t want to attract trouble, so we moved here to stay.”

Qin Zhonghai didn’t see Yang Suguan and the others come out, so he immediately asked, “Where is Yang Langzhong? Why don’t I see him?” Wei Zizhuang was about to answer when a young girl bounced out of the house. Seeing Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun, the girl was quite curious and kept looking them over.

Qin Zhonghai found this strange. Since this was Wu Dingyuan’s former residence, this girl must be his relative. He cupped his hands and said, “Miss Wu, I am Qin Zhonghai, pleased to meet you.” He pointed to Lu Yun and added, “This is my brother Lu Yun. He’s also an old acquaintance of Dingyuan.”

The young girl smiled lightly and, mimicking Qin Zhonghai’s manner, said in a rough voice, “Brother Qin, I’m Juan’er, pleased to meet you.” Then pointing to Wei Zizhuang, she said, “This is… I don’t know whose father he is. He should also be an old acquaintance of Dingyuan.”

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily and said, “Little miss, how mischievous you are! But I wonder how you address Dingyuan?” The girl stuck out her tongue and laughed, “How do I address him? In any case, he doesn’t call me mother, and I don’t call him father.”

Though Lu Yun was melancholy and unhappy, hearing this, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Qin Zhonghai thought to himself, “Where did this crazy girl come from? At such a young age, her condition is quite remarkable.” He smiled lecherously, but in his heart, he cursed her harshly.

Wei Zizhuang quickly said, “This girl is a disciple from Mount Jiuhua, not Dingyuan’s relative. We happened to meet her master’s uncle on the road, but he was harmed by villains along the way. So we brought them to Liangzhou, waiting until this important matter is finished to escort them back to the mountain.”

Qin Zhonghai made an understanding sound and nodded, “Where are Yang Langzhong and the others? Why don’t I see them?” Lu Yun also asked, “Yes! We’ve been talking for so long, but still haven’t seen them?”

Wei Zizhuang sighed and shook his head, “This matter is a long story. Come, let me give you a welcoming drink first, then we’ll talk.” He then instructed Juan’er, “You go play outside first. I have something to discuss with these friends.” Juan’er was quite clever and, seeing their expressions, knew something important had happened. She immediately skipped out of the door in two or three steps.

Wei Zizhuang invited the two to sit down, brought out food and wine, and the three raised their cups together.

After Qin Zhonghai ate a few pieces of beef, he said, “What exactly happened? Guard Wei, tell us quickly.”

Wei Zizhuang sighed and said, “Speaking of it, it’s quite shameful. That day, we had just left Shaolin Temple on Mount Song and had only traveled to Shaanxi when we encountered an ambush by Jiang Chong’s subordinates. The person who came was a woman named Hundred Flowers Fairy…”

Hearing the four words “Hundred Flowers Fairy,” Qin Zhonghai immediately put down his chopsticks and said, “Hundred Flowers Fairy? That would be the demon Hu Mei’er! This woman is vicious in her methods, strange in her actions, and extremely skilled with poisons. If you encountered this woman’s ambush, that was truly terrible.”

Wei Zizhuang sighed and said, “General Qin is quite right. This woman’s actions are indeed very vicious. The young girl you just saw – her master’s uncle Zhang Zhiyue was poisoned to death by this Hundred Flowers Fairy.”

Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun both exclaimed in surprise.

Wei Zizhuang continued, “This Hundred Flowers Fairy is truly like a persistent ghost. After harming Hero Zhang from Mount Jiuhua, she still followed us all the way. One day, when we were resting at an inn, we unexpectedly encountered this woman again. Everyone was careless for a moment and fell into her poisonous trap, causing Dingyuan to be poisoned and injured, falling unconscious.”

Lu Yun exclaimed in alarm, “Brother Wu was poisoned? Where is he now? Has he been properly treated?”

Wei Zizhuang sighed without answering and continued, “That night, because of Dingyuan’s poisoning, we fought fiercely with Hundred Flowers Fairy at a pavilion, forcing her to hand over the antidote. She had also gathered quite a few helpers, and everyone fought chaotically. The scene was extremely confused. Then Zhuo Lingzhao suddenly appeared. His martial arts were superb, and he unexpectedly snatched away the sheepskin.”

Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun both stood up in shock, exclaiming, “The sheepskin was snatched away!”

Wei Zizhuang showed a bitter smile and shook his head, “To protect this sheepskin, Yang Langzhong even invited his sect’s elders. Who knew he’d still suffer such a loss.”

Lu Yun urgently asked, “What about Commissioner Wu? Where is he now?”

Wei Zizhuang sighed, “That night at midnight, there was suddenly an earthquake. After the earth shook and mountains swayed, both Zhuo Lingzhao and Dingyuan disappeared without a trace. That night we searched everywhere, but not only couldn’t we find any trace of Dingyuan, we also lost a female disciple from Mount Jiuhua. Presumably, they were captured by Zhuo Lingzhao.”

Hearing this, Lu Yun was greatly alarmed. Thinking of his friendship with Wu Dingyuan, he couldn’t help but change color and said in a trembling voice, “Dingyuan was poisoned, and now he’s fallen into his enemy’s hands. He’s surely in mortal danger.” He suddenly stood up and shouted, “Let’s go! We’ll go to Mount Kunlun right now to demand Wu’s return from Zhuo Lingzhao!”

Qin Zhonghai nodded, “That’s right. Time is of the essence now. We must go to Mount Kunlun early, or if something happens to Dingyuan, how can we face him?”

Wei Zizhuang quickly said, “Sit down first. Yang Langzhong and his two martial brothers have already rushed to Mount Kunlun.”

Qin Zhonghai asked curiously, “With such a big situation, why didn’t you go along?” Wei Zizhuang looked embarrassed and smiled bitterly, “Yang Langzhong was afraid of missing the appointment and worried that when you entered Xiliang, you wouldn’t find us, so he asked me to wait here.”

Qin Zhonghai made an understanding sound, showing no emotion on his face, but cursing silently in his heart, “So that’s it. Shaolin Temple is too concerned with face.”

Qin Zhonghai was an old hand in the martial world and naturally knew that Shaolin Temple, as the leader of all sects and the hegemon of the martial world, was the number one great sect in the martial arts world. In this confrontation between Shaolin and Mount Kunlun, they naturally wouldn’t want Wei Zizhuang, an outsider, to interfere, lest busybodies in the martial world spread rumors that Shaolin Temple had to rely on Wudang Mountain’s help to oppose Mount Kunlun. If such damaging rumors were to spread, they would certainly damage Shaolin’s thousand-year martial reputation. For this reason, they left such a capable person as Wei Zizhuang unused and set him aside.

Qin Zhonghai was quite experienced and naturally didn’t need to point out such embarrassing matters. He immediately changed the subject and asked, “How long have Lord Yang and the others been gone?” Wei Zizhuang said, “Counting from the end of the twelfth month, they’ve been gone for nearly half a month.”

Qin Zhonghai asked again, “How many helpers does Yang Langzhong have?” Wei Zizhuang replied, “Masters Ling Ding and Ling Zhen from Shaolin Temple are accompanying him.” Qin Zhonghai snorted, “Just the three of them?” Wei Zizhuang nodded, “Exactly.”

After hearing this, Qin Zhonghai shook his head secretly, thinking, “Mount Kunlun has many masters. Though Suguan and the others have good martial arts and broad knowledge, directly attacking Mount Kunlun’s stronghold is like forcibly breaking into a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair – how is that ordinary? The three of them may not get any advantage.” After pondering for a long while, he said, “Although Shaolin Temple has masters like clouds and many capable people, and doesn’t need us outsiders to help, this Zhuo Lingzhao snatched the sheepskin and captured Dingyuan. We can’t just stand by and watch. Let’s kill our way up Mount Kunlun.”

Everyone was delighted to hear this and agreed enthusiastically. Wei Zizhuang was Liu Angtian’s bodyguard. That day when Yang Suguan asked him to stay in Xiliang to wait, though he was unwilling in his heart, considering Liu Angtian’s face, he naturally couldn’t argue with Yang Suguan. Now hearing Qin Zhonghai say this, he said, “That’s good then. We’ll go in separate groups from Yang Langzhong and the others. In the future, the martial world won’t generate any unpleasant talk.”

Qin Zhonghai nodded, “Tonight everyone pack up. We’ll leave tomorrow morning. I’ll bring my two thousand troops along and burn down Zhuo Lingzhao’s stronghold with one fire, to vent this anger for Dingyuan!”

Qin Zhonghai had a straightforward personality and was always fearless. Seeing that his side had already suffered a great defeat, he now couldn’t care about Shaolin Temple’s face and just wanted to go up the mountain to help. Lu Yun, worried about Wu Dingyuan’s safety, was even more filled with righteous indignation and shouted loudly, “Exactly! We’ll leave tomorrow!”

As everyone was talking, they heard a clear voice outside saying, “We appreciate Brother Qin’s kind intention, but please wait a moment, everyone.”

Looking up, they saw a person with a face like a jade crown and handsome appearance standing outside – it was Yang Suguan.

Everyone saw him arrive and stood up, cupping their hands and saying, “We pay our respects to Yang Langzhong.”

Qin Zhonghai, seeing his worried and gloomy expression, laughed and said, “How did it go? Didn’t catch that bastard Zhuo Lingzhao?”

Indeed, Yang Suguan sighed and nodded, “Zhuo Lingzhao wasn’t at Mount Kunlun. We don’t know where he went.” He then walked into the room, and Wei Zizhuang quickly brought over a stool for him to sit on.

Yang Suguan took a wine cup, poured himself wine, and said, “How did escorting the princess for the marriage alliance go along the way?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily, “By fortune! By fortune! The Khan has agreed to make the princess the Princess Consort of Prince Karachi. We’ve finally lived up to His Majesty’s trust.”

Yang Suguan was delighted and said, “That’s wonderful! The Marquis will surely be happy to hear this.”

Qin Zhonghai said, “I’ve already sent a message by carrier pigeon back to the capital. Marquis Liu should know the news in the next few days.”

As they were talking, they heard footsteps. Qin Zhonghai heard the approaching person’s steps were light and slow, with each stride covering a great distance. He surmised the person was definitely a supreme master. His heart tensed, and he glanced over to see two old monks walking in. From their appearance, they should be the two great vajras, Ling Ding and Ling Zhen.

Qin Zhonghai smiled and stood up, cupping his hands and saying, “I am Qin Zhonghai. May I ask the two masters’ names?”

Ling Ding put his palms together and said, “This humble monk is Ling Ding. Greetings, benefactor.”

Lu Yun also rushed forward to pay his respects. As the three were exchanging pleasantries, Ling Zhen had already brazenly sat in Qin Zhonghai’s seat, his manner extremely arrogant and irritating. Seeing this fat monk’s haughty appearance, Qin Zhonghai was also displeased. He squinted his eyes and said, “Is this master’s legs sore? Would you like me to massage them for you?”

That Ling Zhen, unable to find Zhuo Lingzhao, had a belly full of anger with nowhere to vent and was still fuming. Hearing Qin Zhonghai’s sarcastic words, he didn’t even respond and just kept staring at the ceiling, his manner extremely rude.

Qin Zhonghai chuckled dryly, looked him up and down, then coughed up some phlegm and was about to spit it on the ground when Wei Zizhuang saw trouble brewing and quickly pulled him aside, saying, “Master Ling Zhen has always had this temperament. He’s not targeting you. Don’t take it seriously.”

He knew Qin Zhonghai also had a fiery temper, and if they had a disagreement, they might end up fighting. He quickly spoke first to mediate between them.

Yang Suguan said, “During this time, we’ve been searching all over Mount Kunlun, but we couldn’t see the important figures – only a few disciples remained on the mountain to guard. I captured several people and interrogated them under torture, only to learn that Mount Kunlun had mobilized all the masters from their Five Cities and Twelve Towers, escorting my martial brother Lingyin and several other martial world figures to Tianshan.”

Qin Zhonghai said curiously, “This is indeed strange. Zhuo Lingzhao isn’t stupid – he saw you several people at Shenggui Pavilion in Shaanxi. Even if he were ten times dumber, he’d know you would definitely come up the mountain to cause him trouble. How could he not leave skilled defenders? If this spreads in the future, wouldn’t it be a great joke in the martial world?”

Ling Zhen shouted, “That damn boy must be afraid of us, so he ran away completely!”

Qin Zhonghai chuckled and was about to speak mockingly when he saw Wei Zizhuang repeatedly signaling him not to quarrel. He heard Yang Suguan say, “Both martial brother and the general are right, and both are not right.”

Qin Zhonghai thought, “Damn, you pretty boy, whose side are you on?” But he smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Did I say something incorrect?”

Yang Suguan said, “I think Zhuo Lingzhao’s sudden departure from the mountain this time probably has nothing to do with the grudge between Shaolin and Kunlun sects. In my opinion, his reason for traveling a thousand li to snatch the sheepskin was also for the four words ‘Dragon Emperor Moves the World.'”

Lu Yun had been sitting quietly to the side, but hearing the four words “Dragon Emperor Moves the World,” he quickly interjected, “The ‘Dragon Emperor Moves the World’ that Yang Langzhong speaks of – is it derived from those four prophetic lines: ‘In the year of Wuchen’s end, Dragon Emperor moves the world, heavenly secrets are true, gods and ghosts are free’?”

Yang Suguan was surprised and said, “Staff Officer Lu, how did you learn of these lines?”

Lu Yun said, “On the way to escort the emperor, General Qin captured several assassins for interrogation. One of them spoke these lines.” Speaking of this, he thought of the princess again and felt a wave of melancholy.

Yang Suguan said, “So these lines have spread widely – even ordinary martial world figures know them.”

Qin Zhonghai interrupted their conversation and said, “Lord Yang, let’s not talk about these irrelevant matters. Now the sheepskin has disappeared without a trace, and we can’t find Zhuo Lingzhao for the time being. How should we account to the Marquis?”

Yang Suguan sighed and said, “Just thinking about this makes me extremely troubled. The Marquis entrusted this item to us as something of utmost importance. Now it’s lost… I don’t know what high opinion General Qin has?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily. He didn’t want to shoulder this mess and said, “I have no high opinions, but I have some low ones. Actually, that sheepskin is complete nonsense. I never believed in such things from the beginning. If it’s lost, it’s lost – why should everyone be so anxious? As for Dingyuan’s disappearance, that’s what we should worry about finding.”

Yang Suguan sighed, “The sheepskin was snatched away by Zhuo Lingzhao, so I naturally must bear this responsibility. When I return, I’ll accept the Marquis’s punishment.” He spoke gloomily.

Qin Zhonghai said, “Actually, Lord Yang needn’t worry. Think about it – on the second day of the second month, Ning Bufan of Mount Hua’s Jade Purity will retire. This person claims to have the world’s best martial arts. That Zhuo Lingzhao is so arrogant, he’ll definitely go provoke and challenge him. Then we can find him and get clear answers.”

Ling Zhen shouted loudly, “Exactly! I’ve been itching for a fight for a long time. If I don’t beat him to death, I definitely won’t let him off!”

Ling Ding nodded, “Our Shaolin has deep grudges with Kunlun like the sea. Everyone might as well be spectators then and see how our Shaolin disciples perform.”

Qin Zhonghai grinned and exchanged glances with Lu Yun, thinking, “The Luohan Hall seat battling the Sword God – we’ll have a good show to watch!”

The next day, Qin Zhonghai issued orders for his two thousand subordinate troops to search everywhere around Xiliang, hoping to find traces of Zhuo Lingzhao and the others. He and the others went around visiting martial world figures to see if there were any clues. Lu Yun, worried about Wu Dingyuan’s safety, searched even more tirelessly, forgetting to eat and sleep.

However, where could Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun know that wherever they came from, Zhuo Lingzhao went there? At this time, the Kunlun masters weren’t anywhere else – they were right at the foot of Tianshan.

In the deep, quiet night, with all sounds hushed, moonlight scattered on the broken stone path, Wu Dingyuan hummed a little tune as he walked alone on the road. Tonight was a big day for him – after six years as a constable, the prefect had finally given him leave to return home and enjoy family happiness. Thinking of his father’s love for him, Wu Dingyuan’s lips curved in a smile. From childhood, his father had hoped he would become a real man. Today, he had finally secured the top position in Xiliang for catching bandits, deeply respected by all the people. His father would surely be happy to see his achievements. Wu Dingyuan carried a bottle of Maotai in his left hand and some food in his right, thinking, “Tonight we father and son will reunite joyfully – we must drink until we’re thoroughly drunk.” Thinking of this, his lips curved in an even broader smile.

As he walked, his steps gradually quickened. Passing through familiar alleys, Wu Dingyuan’s steps stopped in front of a dilapidated, dirty wooden house. Looking at the door blackened by cooking smoke, he sighed in his heart, “Father is still the same. The silver I send back every month – he probably gambles it all away.” He shook his head, not wanting his mood to be disturbed by these trivial matters. He reached out to knock on the door and called, “Father! Dingyuan has come back to see you!” After calling twice, an aged voice came from inside, shouting, “Dingyuan, is it really you who’s come back?” This voice was excited and joyful – it was his father’s voice.

Wu Dingyuan was even more delighted and answered, “Yes! It’s your son who’s come back!” With a creak, the door opened. Wu Dingyuan, eager to see his father, hurried inside, calling, “Father!”

He saw only pitch darkness inside the door, with no lights in the hall either, looking gloomy and sinister, with no one to be seen. Wu Dingyuan felt slightly puzzled and immediately called, “Father, where are you?” After calling several times, he suddenly heard his father’s voice from the inner hall, saying in a low voice, “Dingyuan, I’m here… I’m here…” Wu Dingyuan was startled. Earlier his father’s voice had been bright and clear, but now why was it so weak? He hurried toward the inner hall. Reaching the center of the hall, he saw a person sitting on the ground with his back to him, constantly gasping for breath. Wu Dingyuan was alarmed and quickly crouched down, calling, “Father, what’s wrong? Is your asthma acting up?”

That person gasped and wheezed, shaking his head, “Not asthma… not asthma…”

Wu Dingyuan quickly reached out to help him up. When his fingers touched the back, suddenly that man turned his head around, staring at him with a sinister expression, “Constable Wu, do you still recognize me?”

Seeing that person’s face, Wu Dingyuan immediately screamed terribly, his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt down. In the darkness, he saw that person’s seven orifices flowing with blood – it was Qi Bochuan, who had died miserably at the Horse King Temple! Seeing this dead person suddenly, Wu Dingyuan was scared out of his wits and screamed, “Help!” He immediately fell to the ground, waving his hands repeatedly, already in a state of complete terror.

Qi Bochuan angrily said, “Didn’t you say you would help me get revenge? How can you not even recognize me? Wu Dingyuan, you don’t keep your word!”

Seeing this ghost, how could Wu Dingyuan not panic? His legs went weak and he couldn’t stand up. Supporting himself on the ground with both hands, he kept retreating backward, mumbling, “I did my best on your case… don’t… don’t come harm me…”

Qi Bochuan angrily said, “What nonsense are you talking? Those thieves from Mount Kunlun are clearly alive and well. How can you say you did your best? Wu Dingyuan, can you face my entire family?”

In his fury, he suddenly stood up. His body had become abnormally thin and appeared extremely eerie in the darkness. Wu Dingyuan looked carefully and saw that Qi Bochuan’s lower body was naked, his feet had disappeared, and he had become a long snake tail. His body was covered with scales – he had transformed into a monster with a human head and snake body! Wu Dingyuan was greatly shocked and trembled all over. Just as he was about to flee, suddenly that monster’s body stretched, and its human head extended right in front of Wu Dingyuan’s face, their foreheads touching. The monster said coldly, “Wu Dingyuan, you sold out friends for personal gain and forgot your duty. Today I will kill you to carry out heaven’s justice.”

Wu Dingyuan was too frightened to speak and just waved his hands wildly. The monster smiled sinisterly, its snake body writhing as it pressed forward step by step, continuously flicking its snake tongue at Wu Dingyuan.

Wu Dingyuan suddenly thought, “Right! I still have my Flying Silver Shuttle!” He reached into his bosom wanting to take out the silver shuttle to defend himself, but suddenly couldn’t find anything. Cold sweat poured down his entire body. Just as he wanted to speak and beg for mercy, suddenly the monster roared “Wu-ah!” and bit down on Wu Dingyuan’s right hand, biting his right arm in two. Wu Dingyuan screamed miserably and fell over, rolling on the ground. Blood from his arm sprayed into the air – the sight was extremely cruel. As Wu Dingyuan was shrieking, in an instant the fresh blood congealed in mid-air, forming several bloody characters: “Divine Embryo Precious Blood Talisman of Heaven’s Record, A True Dragon Born in the Sea.” Wu Dingyuan stared wide-eyed, feeling this was incredibly strange. Suddenly the blood scattered in all directions, splashing on his face. Wu Dingyuan felt the stench was unbearable. Just as he was about to wipe away the blood, he saw the monster lunging toward him again. Seeing it was about to bite his neck, he immediately screamed, “No!”

With a thud, he suddenly felt pain in his body as if he had fallen from somewhere. Wu Dingyuan lay on the ground and opened his eyes to see a bed beside him, while he himself had fallen to the ground – he had actually rolled off the bed.

Wu Dingyuan smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself, “So it was a nightmare. It nearly scared me to death.” He turned his head and saw he was inside a tent. The surroundings were bright – it was already daytime. Wu Dingyuan recalled the nightmare, thinking of that monster with a human head and snake body, and couldn’t help but shudder. He touched his cheek, thinking, “Why did I have this strange dream? Could it be because the Yanling Escort Agency case has never been solved, and I feel I’ve wronged Young Escort Chief Qi, that I had such an unthinkable nightmare?”

Thinking of his father, his heart felt even more pained. His birth father was addicted to gambling and drinking, and had passed away when he was eight years old. Whether Wu Dingyuan became a constable or a commissioner, his father would never see it. Wu Dingyuan sighed, feeling there were still red shadows dancing before his eyes, as if the bloody characters from his dream were still circling before him. He recalled those two lines of bloody characters from his dream and suddenly had a thought, remembering the green stone slab he had seen in Shenggui Pavilion. At that time, his life was in danger and he was confused, but he had seen a stone slab with carved images of human heads and snake bodies, with a line of characters carved on each side – exactly those words “Divine Embryo Precious Blood Talisman of Heaven’s Record, A True Dragon Born in the Sea.” Thinking of this, Wu Dingyuan suddenly understood: “So that’s it! I had already seen these two lines before, no wonder I dreamed of such a terrifying monster…” He breathed a long sigh, squinting at the sunlight outside the tent, thinking, “No matter what, I’ve finally escaped danger. Let me find Yang Langzhong and the others first.”

Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly heard someone laugh, “What a Commissioner Wu, to wake up so quickly! Truly robust health beyond ordinary people!”

Wu Dingyuan turned his head quickly and saw a person with a slight smile walking into the tent. This person was thin with a sickly appearance – it was Qian Lingyi from Mount Kunlun. Seeing this person arrive, Wu Dingyuan was greatly alarmed: “How is this fellow here? Where are Yang Langzhong and the others?”

He was startled and hurriedly jumped up, wanting to run outside. But as soon as his feet moved, he heard a sigh behind him saying, “Constable Wu, your injuries haven’t healed yet. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

Wu Dingyuan found this voice very familiar. He hurriedly turned back and saw the speaker sitting in a corner of the tent, shaking his head and sighing – it was the Mount Kunlun sect leader, “Sword God” Zhuo Lingzhao. Wu Dingyuan cried out in panic, “Yang Langzhong! Guard Wei! Master Ling Ding! Where are you?”

Someone said, “Stop shouting. They’re not here.”

Wu Dingyuan looked up and saw another person walk into the tent. This person looked mature and was about sixty years old – it was Mount Kunlun’s second-in-command, known as “Sword Cold” Jin Lingshuang. Beside him stood another person – “Sword Gu” Tu Lingxin. Wu Dingyuan said in a trembling voice, “Where are Yang Langzhong and the others? Have you captured them too?”

Jin Lingshuang shook his head, “Not at all. On New Year’s Eve of the twelfth month, our sect leader rescued you from Shenggui Pavilion at a critical moment. You’re now with our sect’s masters. Don’t think about Yang Suguan and the others anymore.”

Wu Dingyuan’s face turned deathly pale and he slumped to the ground. With all thirteen swords of Kunlun gathered here, even if he had tremendous abilities, he couldn’t escape from this place. It seemed he was doomed.

Seeing his terrified expression, Zhuo Lingzhao smiled slightly and walked over, crouching beside Wu Dingyuan and saying, “Commissioner Wu, don’t be afraid. I absolutely don’t intend to harm you by bringing you here. You can rest assured.”

Wu Dingyuan’s mind was already in chaos, but hearing him say this, his heart calmed down slightly. His sharp thinking from his constable days began working again. Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao’s kind and affable manner, completely unlike his previous cold demeanor, he thought, “What does this person want to do? Is he still thinking about that sheepskin?”

Wanting to test him, he coughed and said, “Sect Leader Zhuo, to be honest with you, that sheepskin isn’t on me. Capturing me now probably won’t do you any good.”

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled faintly, took out an object from his bosom, and waved it in front of Wu Dingyuan, saying, “Is this the sheepskin Commissioner Wu is talking about?”

Wu Dingyuan was shocked and said in a trembling voice, “This… this sheepskin still fell into your hands…”

Zhuo Lingzhao said, “Heaven doesn’t disappoint those who persevere. This treasure has passed through many hands but ultimately ended up in mine.” His face showed joy and he looked very pleased. Wu Dingyuan stared blankly at the sheepskin in Zhuo Lingzhao’s hand, his expression trembling, slowly changing from surprise to resignation.

Wu Dingyuan sighed toward heaven, thinking of the tragic deaths of everyone at Yanling Escort Agency, and felt all hope was lost. Seeing his dejection, Zhuo Lingzhao smiled and said, “Commissioner Wu, ah Commissioner Wu, you were previously bound by official duties and had no choice but to oppose me, Zhuo. You’re no longer a constable now, and even if that sheepskin were burned to ashes, it wouldn’t concern you. Why are you so stubborn? Let’s be friends?”

Wu Dingyuan thought of Qi Bochuan from his recent dream and suddenly felt sad, thinking, “These people are callous and shameless, only caring about wealth and power. When have they ever valued human life? Killing eighty-three lives means nothing more to him than chicken feathers and garlic skins.”

Wu Dingyuan felt disgusted by this person, but firstly, his injuries were severe and he couldn’t muster the strength to curse; secondly, his life was in their hands and he had to swallow his anger. He could only sigh and shake his head, saying, “Sect Leader Zhuo, you needn’t speak like this. I, Wu Dingyuan, have shallow fortune and don’t dare aspire to your friendship. Since you have the sheepskin, why keep this worthless life of mine? Just kill me quickly.”

Zhuo Lingzhao chuckled softly and said, “Brother Wu, ah Brother Wu, if I wanted to kill you, why would I need to act? With your poison injuries so severe, I only need to stand by and watch – wouldn’t you die anyway?”

Wu Dingyuan’s heart tensed as he remembered he had been poisoned by Hu Mei’er’s deadly poison and hadn’t taken the antidote yet. He immediately said, “What poison injuries? Are you talking about the Hundred Flowers Fairy’s poison?”

Zhuo Lingzhao didn’t respond but just smiled slightly and signaled to a disciple nearby. Qian Lingyi understood and immediately pulled up Wu Dingyuan’s right arm, then pulled down his sleeve with one motion, sneering, “Look at your right hand!”

Wu Dingyuan looked as instructed and immediately his expression changed greatly, his body trembling even more. He saw his right hand had turned deep purple, with the purple qi traveling from his wrist to his shoulder, looking extremely frightening. Several patches of skin had already rotted, with white bones exposed. He was shocked and said in a hoarse voice, “What… what is this?”

At that time, he had been poisoned by Hundred Flowers Fairy’s strange poison and his life was in danger, but his right hand hadn’t looked like this. Could the poison have worsened, causing it to rot into this terrible state? Zhuo Lingzhao said, “This poison has nothing to do with Hundred Flowers Fairy. That night in Shenggui Pavilion, you were bitten on the right hand by a strange snake in the pavilion and became like this. Though Hundred Flowers Fairy’s poison skills are formidable, compared to this strange snake, it’s like comparing a small witch to a great sorcerer.”

Wu Dingyuan recalled that night’s events – there indeed was a snake-like creature that rushed out from under the stone slab and bit his hand. He just hadn’t expected this snake creature to be so venomous as to destroy his right arm to this extent. Looking at his arm, his face became deathly pale. Suddenly a severe pain struck, and heat seemed to rise within his right arm, circling and crashing through the meridians in his arm like thousands of poisonous insects gnawing – truly unbearable. Wu Dingyuan was in extreme pain and immediately rolled on the ground, crying out.

Jin Lingshuang exclaimed, “Oh no! His poison is acting up again!”

As Wu Dingyuan cried out, that heat shot like a flying arrow along his right arm’s meridians toward his heart. Everywhere it passed felt like burning fire. Seeing his pained expression, Jin Lingshuang quickly reached out and pressed on his back, immediately channeling his internal energy. A stream of icy qi poured in from Wu Dingyuan’s back. When that heat was struck by this, it retreated back to the meridians in his right arm. Water vapor rose from Jin Lingshuang’s head as he used his full power. The two streams of qi激汤ed with each other, crashing back and forth in Wu Dingyuan’s right arm as if in battle. Wu Dingyuan felt extreme pain throughout his body and wanted to twist his body but had no strength at all.

Seeing that Jin Lingshuang couldn’t handle this deadly poison, Zhuo Lingzhao said, “Second martial brother, step aside and let me handle it.”

Seeing he wanted to act, Jin Lingshuang stepped aside. Zhuo Lingzhao walked forward and patted Wu Dingyuan’s shoulder, suddenly sending out a stream of true qi. His extremely powerful internal energy rushed into the meridians and instantly suppressed the poison qi, forcibly driving it back into the right arm.

The disciples saw that Zhuo Lingzhao seemed effortless, casually sending out a palm strike with such wonderful effects. His power was countless times higher than their own, and they couldn’t help but praise, “The sect leader’s deep power is admirable!” These words were sincere praise, not mere flattery.

However, Zhuo Lingzhao’s internal energy was too domineering. Though he suppressed the two streams of cold and hot qi, he also caused Wu Dingyuan’s internal organs to churn. Wu Dingyuan’s body went limp and he collapsed on the ground, his heart feeling empty and hollow as if he were dead. Tu Lingxin, seeing Wu Dingyuan lying motionless on the ground, said roughly, “How is it? Can his life be saved?”

Zhuo Lingzhao shook his head and said, “The poison in his body is too fierce. I can only temporarily suppress the toxicity in his body to prevent it from spreading to his internal organs.”

Qian Lingyi frowned and said, “How is this poison so strange? It can’t be forced out or eliminated – I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

Zhuo Lingzhao glanced at Wu Dingyuan’s arm and shook his head, saying, “Actually, he’s quite fortunate. If he hadn’t first been poisoned by Hu Mei’er’s deadly poison, which happens to counteract the snake poison, this strange poison would have killed him on the spot once it entered his body.”

Suddenly Wu Dingyuan groaned and slowly opened his eyes, having regained consciousness.

Qian Lingyi laughed, “This fellow is truly hardy – he’s woken up again.”

Wu Dingyuan felt dizzy and weak. He tried to support himself with both hands on the ground but fell back down. Jin Lingshuang walked over, lifted him up in one motion, and put him back on the bed. Seeing Wu Dingyuan’s pained expression and labored breathing, Zhuo Lingzhao said to his disciples, “You all go out for a while. I have something to discuss with Commissioner Wu.” All the disciples were perceptive – seeing their sect leader wanted to talk privately with Wu Dingyuan, there must be confidential matters to discuss. They all bowed and left.

In the large tent, only Zhuo and Wu remained. It was completely quiet except for the distant sound of wind blowing against the tent.

Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao looking at him with a smile, Wu Dingyuan couldn’t help but sigh and say, “Sect Leader Zhuo, you have the sheepskin and Wu has fallen into your hands. If you want to kill me, then do it quickly.”

Zhuo Lingzhao shook his head, turned his back, and sat on the edge of the bed, saying indifferently, “I have no blood feud with you. Why would I kill you?”

At this moment, his back was facing Wu Dingyuan, less than half a foot away, exposing his vital points to his enemy. Since Wu Dingyuan had taken on the Yanling Escort Agency case, he had never been so close to the murderer. Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao’s back exposed and completely unguarded, his heart suddenly pounded. He thought, “If I attack him now by surprise, even if his martial arts were ten times higher, he couldn’t avoid being severely injured by my palm.” With this thought, he slowly raised his right palm. Zhuo Lingzhao seemed unaware and continued looking ahead.

Wu Dingyuan was greatly delighted. If he could kill Zhuo Lingzhao with one palm, even if he were killed on the spot afterward, it would be worth it. Just as he was about to strike with all his strength, suddenly his arm became hot, then severe pain attacked his heart. All his strength disappeared and he immediately collapsed on the bed, gasping continuously.

Hearing his groans, Zhuo Lingzhao didn’t turn his head but said directly, “Commissioner Wu, save your strength to heal your injuries. I still have countless important matters waiting for you to handle. Don’t die here for no reason!”

His face looked completely relaxed – he clearly knew Wu Dingyuan was severely injured and had no strength to launch a sneak attack, which was why he deliberately tested him. Wu Dingyuan held his arm and gasped, “What… what do you want?”

Zhuo Lingzhao patted his cheek and said, “Let me be frank with you. The poison in your body is too strange. I can only use internal energy to help suppress the toxicity and temporarily preserve your life. Now all the deadly poison in your body has gathered in your right arm. Sooner or later it will spread to your internal organs, and then your whole body will rot and you’ll die a miserable death.”

Hearing him describe it so terrifyingly, Wu Dingyuan couldn’t help but turn pale. Seeing his worried expression, Zhuo Lingzhao smiled and said, “You don’t need to panic. This poison isn’t unsolvable, but… hehe, if you want to completely eliminate the toxicity, it depends on whether you’re willing to be obedient.”

Wu Dingyuan endured the pain and said in a trembling voice, “What… what do you want…” Cold sweat fell from his forehead to his mouth – he was truly in extreme pain and could barely endure it.

Zhuo Lingzhao looked at the ground and suddenly became serious, saying, “Commissioner Wu, if you want to live, you must enter the ‘Shenji Cave’ to comprehend the heavenly secrets within. Otherwise, no one in the world can save you.”

Wu Dingyuan gasped, “Shenji… Cave? What… what is that?” His pain was so severe he could barely speak clearly.

Seeing his lips bleeding from biting them, Zhuo Lingzhao just shook his head and said, “You don’t need to ask so much. These days, just focus on recovering. When we enter Tianshan and find Shenji Cave, everyone will have benefits to share.” He then patted Wu Dingyuan’s shoulder, and as his power reached there, he immediately suppressed the toxicity in his right arm. He continued, “In front of me, Zhuo Lingzhao, don’t try any tricks – it won’t benefit anyone.” He chuckled coldly, stood up, turned around, and walked out of the tent.

After Zhuo Lingzhao’s palm strike, Wu Dingyuan felt warm all over and the pain in his arm was greatly reduced. He slowly sat up but didn’t dare use his right arm again. Wu Dingyuan recalled Zhuo Lingzhao’s words and felt full of questions: “What is Shenji Cave? Why does Zhuo Lingzhao say this place can cure the poison in my body? Did Mount Kunlun travel thousands of li to snatch the sheepskin just to enter Shenji Cave?” Then he thought, “My martial arts are limited and my knowledge can’t compare to these shameless people. Why do they want me to work with them? Could they have some plot?” He shook his head, knowing he had too many unanswered questions, and could only sigh and lie down again. Suddenly the two lines “Divine Embryo Precious Blood Talisman of Heaven’s Record, A True Dragon Born in the Sea” floated into his mind. These two lines were what he had seen in a life-and-death situation – they must contain some secrets.

Wu Dingyuan was meticulous in his thinking and immediately thought, “Right, it must be these two lines! These people are callous and shameless by nature and would never save me for no reason. It’s probably because I know these two lines!” His mind raced as he thought, “If this is true, then these two lines are my protective talisman. I absolutely cannot let slip even a word, or without these two lines to protect me, I’ll surely bring disaster upon myself.”

As he was thinking, he saw Qian Lingyi enter with two disciples, saying coldly, “Wu Dingyuan, we’re leaving. Get up quickly!” Before Wu Dingyuan could speak, those two disciples had already pulled him up and dragged him out, their manner quite rude.

Wu Dingyuan was escorted out, walking dejectedly. Suddenly he saw several disciples crouching on the ground ahead, examining the surface. Wu Dingyuan was curious and also looked down, seeing a crack in the ground about the width of a little finger, with sulfur fumes wafting out that smelled extremely pungent. Wu Dingyuan was startled, thinking, “How is there a crack in the ground here? Could it have appeared during the earthquake a few days ago? What are they looking at?” As he was watching, he suddenly saw the disciples stand up and bow respectfully toward behind him. Wu Dingyuan turned to look and saw Zhuo Lingzhao holding the sheepskin, also walking over. He was looking down at the crack in the ground with a thoughtful expression.

Wu Dingyuan’s heart tensed: “Ah! This crack is related to the sheepskin! I’ve finally found a clue!” His heart was excited, but then he thought that he had fallen into enemy hands. Even if he solved all the mysteries, he would still die here. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but sigh. At this time, the Kunlun disciples had already brought him to the front of a large cart. One disciple pushed his back and shouted, “Get in!” Wu Dingyuan had no strength in his hands to climb up. Suddenly a hand reached out from the cart and pulled him up. Wu Dingyuan looked up and saw a person with a kind face – it was one of the Four Great Vajras of Shaolin, known as the “Compassionate Vajra,” Master Lingyin.