Blood River

Tang Linghuang raised his head, "What are you laughing at?"

Tang Lingyue lowered his gaze and replied, "A long time ago, the senior brother told me something."

"What was it?" Tang Linghuang frowned deeply.

"When someone threatens his life to coerce me, I should charge forward without hesitation because..." Tang Lingyue leaped into the air, "he never needs me to worry about him!"

Inside the Head Chopping Hall, Tang Linghuang remained seated calmly, still wearing his iron mask and bound by heavy chains. The Tang Sect outside was on the brink of turmoil, yet he seemed utterly unaware. The only sound he noticed was the door opening as someone entered.

The newcomer's footsteps were slow and somewhat feeble. Tang Linghuang turned his head slightly, his muffled voice emerging from behind the iron mask, "Who are you?"

"Quite impressive," the newcomer said with a faint smile.

"What's impressive?" Tang Linghuang's voice was grave.

"An impressive vessel." The newcomer took a few steps forward and flicked his wrist, sending three silver needles flying toward Tang Linghuang's shoulders.

"What do you want?" Tang Linghuang shifted his shoulders slightly, and the three needles were ejected. The newcomer caught them, examining the bloodstains on the needles before shaking his head. "Your martial arts far surpass those so-called Five Heroes of the Tang Clan."

Tang Linghuang asked in confusion, "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm just a passerby, merely stopping by the Tang Sect. I had a deal with some people, but unfortunately, it's about to fall through." The newcomer's tone carried a feigned regret. "I only collaborate with the strongest, but alas, the three most powerful in the Tang Sect are all difficult to work with. So, I had to settle for the next best. But the next best is precisely that—second-rate."

Before Tang Linghuang could respond, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "You're from the Wen family!"

"Why do you say that? Because only the Wen family can poison someone surnamed Tang? You're mistaken. I was born in Medicine King Valley. I am the Ghost Doctor, Ye Ya." Ye Ya stepped forward and hoisted Tang Linghuang, whose consciousness was fading, onto his back.

Outside the Head Chopping Hall, there were no Tang Sect guards—only a handsome young man stood waiting. A jade thumb ring adorned his finger, emitting an eerie blue glow. He turned to Ye Ya and said, "We must leave quickly. From what I've heard, many are on their way to the Tang Sect. If they arrive, we may not escape."

"Oh? So, the ones coming must be quite formidable." Ye Ya remained unfazed, his tone indifferent. "Then let's depart."

The young man was taken aback. "Just like that? Don't we need to take anything else?"

"No need." Ye Ya flicked his wrist, and a white flower appeared in his hand. "Those Medicine Puppets are still incomplete. A truly perfect Medicine Puppet requires a flawless vessel like Tang Linghuang. Let's go."

"Aside from the Medicine Puppets, I heard your senior brother is still within the Tang Sect," the young man murmured.

Ye Ya tilted his head slightly, eyeing the young man. "Are you scheming against my senior brother?"

"Medicine King Xin Baicao would make an excellent bargaining chip," the young man said with a smile. "If we can bring him back to Heaven Revelation City, I believe the young master would be very pleased.""Put away that thought of yours." Ye Ya raised his head to look at the sky. "What kind of person do you think I am in your hearts? Utterly depraved? A heinous villain? Scum?"

The young man merely smiled faintly and remained silent.

"Senior brother has his own path to walk, and I have mine. Let's set off. As you said, even more terrifying people are about to arrive here." Ye Ya turned and left.

The young man touched the jade thumb ring in his hand, then suddenly turned his head to gaze in the southwest direction.

There, lying amidst a pile of broken rocks and grass, was a young man covered in blood—Tang Lian, the chief disciple of the Tang Sect.

As dusk gradually fell, Tang Lian hazily lifted his head and saw what appeared to be stars slowly rising.

Or perhaps it was just a hallucination...

Tang Lian thought silently to himself. He had repelled all his pursuers, but he was utterly exhausted now. Without hesitation, he knew that even an ordinary person could easily finish him off at this moment. And even if no one else came, he likely wouldn't survive the night.

How many wounds did he have?

Seventeen? Or eighteen?

No matter.

Tang Lian slowly closed his eyes.

"Are you from the Tang Sect?" A woman's voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

Tang Lian clenched his fist, mustering the last of his strength to open his eyes. "Who are you?"

A woman dressed in plain white stood there, holding a longsword, with a token hanging at her waist. The token was carved with a lifelike azure dragon. She looked down at Tang Lian on the ground. "Before asking others questions, shouldn't you first answer theirs?"

Tang Lian stared at the azure dragon token and suddenly realized something. He exclaimed in shock, "You're the Azure Dragon Envoy, Li Xinyue—Auntie." Even severely injured and struggling to speak, Tang Lian didn't forget to add "Auntie."

"Auntie?" Li Xinyue was taken aback. "In the Tang Sect, only one person has the right to call me that. That would be Lianyue's disciple, presumably named Tang Lian. I've never met him."

"Auntie, I am Tang Lian," he said with difficulty.

"Do you have proof?" Though still not entirely convinced, Li Xinyue bent down to examine Tang Lian's injuries. "You're gravely wounded, and these wounds all come from the Tang Sect's hidden weapons."

"There's been turmoil in the Tang Sect. Master is trapped," Tang Lian replied.

"Lianyue? Those people in the Tang Sect could trap him?" Li Xinyue pressed several of Tang Lian's vital acupoints, then took out a jade vial and retrieved a pill, placing it in Tang Lian's mouth. "Swallow it. Now, tell me about the Tang Sect's affairs."

"It's the Icy Moon Silkworm!" Tang Lian felt the pain in his body ease significantly after swallowing the pill. He continued, "Master Lianyue must have been caught off guard and ambushed. I tried to save him but ended up being 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 Sect's Head Chopping Hall, so Tang Lingkui must be one of them.""As expected, the thing I've been worrying about has finally happened." Li Xinyue pressed a finger between Tang Lian's eyebrows, channeling a stream of True Qi into his body. "I'm lending you a wisp of True Qi. You'll be able to get up soon—find somewhere to hide."

Tang Lian struggled to rise. "No, I must go save Master too."

"Just as Lianyue said. I believe you're truly Tang Lian now, but you should rest. With your current strength, you won't be able to keep up with me." With a light step, Li Xinyue soared away, racing toward the Tang Sect.