Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

Xu Fu carefully put away the jade whistle, not daring to rest for even a moment. Although he had temporarily escaped danger, he dared not be careless in the slightest. The immortal herb was of great importance and had to be sent to the capital to be presented to the emperor as soon as possible.

As they were marching, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound, and a cold arrow aimed straight for their backs. Xu Fu was startled but remained calm, dodging to the side.

"Who ambushed me? Show yourself!" Xu Fu shouted sternly, while protecting the immortal herb in front of his chest.

A rustling sound filled the forest, and in the blink of an eye, several assassins appeared and surrounded the herb. Their eyes were fixed on the immortal herb, their greed evident.

"Hand over the immortal herb, and we'll leave you with a whole corpse," the lead assassin threatened coldly.

Xu Fu knew that a battle was inevitable, so he held the immortal herb tightly and waited with focused concentration.

In the critical moment, he suddenly remembered the jade whistle that Bailu had given him. He immediately took it out and blew it with all his might.

A clear, melodious whistle echoed through the forest, seemingly imbued with a mysterious power. The assassins were all startled upon hearing it, puzzled.

Xu Fu anxiously awaited Bai Lu's appearance. This was his only chance of survival; if he received timely assistance, he might be able to turn the tide.

The whistle faded, but there was no movement in the forest. Xu Fu couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering if Bailu would hear the whistle and come to his aid.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, and a white figure gracefully arrived—it was White Dew!
"Miss Bailu!" Xu Fu exclaimed with delight.

Bai Lu swept her gaze across the assassin, her eyes turning cold: "How dare you harm those I protect! You've courted death!"

Before the words were even finished, a flash of sword light appeared. The sword energy crisscrossed, forcing the assassin to retreat repeatedly.

The assassins, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of reinforcements, were thrown into disarray. However, being well-trained, they quickly regrouped and engaged Bai Lu in battle.

Xu Fu watched the battle from the sidelines, filled with gratitude. If it weren't for Bai Lu's timely rescue, he might have met with certain death. He secretly vowed to repay this kindness handsomely.

Under Bai Lu's fierce offensive, the assassins gradually began to falter. Despite their numerical advantage, they were unable to break through the defenses and were instead forced into a retreat.

Finally, Bai Lu found an opening and pierced the heart of one of the assassins with a single sword strike. The rest of the group were horrified and retreated hastily.

"Want to fight again?" Bai Lu glared at her coldly. "If you don't want to die here, retreat now! Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless with my sword!"

The assassins exchanged glances, clearly intimidated. The woman before them possessed exceptional martial arts skills; continuing the fight would likely be disadvantageous.

However, the allure of the immortal herb was too tempting to resist. One of the assassins gritted his teeth and shouted, "We are all here, why should we fear a lone woman? Charge! Take back the immortal herb!"

Just as they were about to charge forward, a mournful wolf howl suddenly echoed through the mountains and forests, startling the fallen leaves into a flurry.

The assassins stopped abruptly, looking around in terror. From within the shadows of the trees, they saw flickering green lights; the wolf pack had surrounded them.

"It's a pack of wolves!" one of the assassins exclaimed in shock.

Everyone knows that wolf packs are dangerous, and if surrounded and attacked, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Xu Fu was also alarmed by the sight of the wolf pack, but the wolves showed no intention of attacking, as if they were waiting for instructions.

Bai Lu's lips curled slightly: "You think you can act recklessly just because you have many people? This is not a place for you to be so presumptuous! If you retreat now, you may still live. Once the wolf pack attacks, you won't be able to escape even if you want to!"

The assassins, terrified, exchanged a glance and both knew that staying meant certain death. Without hesitation, they hastily fled into the dense forest.

Xu Fu watched the assassins disappear into the distance, then let out a long sigh. He bowed deeply to Bai Lu, saying, "You saved my life again, young lady. I will never forget this kindness." Bai Lu smiled calmly, "Since I was ordered by my master to protect you, it is my duty. Now that the crisis has passed, please continue on your way."

Xu Fu nodded: "The immortal herb must indeed be delivered to the capital as soon as possible. What are your plans, young lady? Would you be willing to accompany me?"

Bai Lu shook her head: "I have important matters to attend to and cannot travel with you. But don't worry, I will protect you secretly. As long as you act cautiously, there should be no major problems."

Xu Fu was warmed by her words. He knew that Bai Lu meant what she said and would keep her promise to protect him. So he said no more, carefully put away the immortal herb, and continued on his way.

Bai Lu watched Xu Fu depart, letting out a soft sigh. Knowing her mission was unfinished, she knew she had to secretly protect the herb until it safely reached the capital. She then disappeared into the forest.
Under Bai Lu's secret protection, Xu Fu safely traversed the many dangers of Zhou Mountain. However, just as he reached the border of Zhou Mountain, he was suddenly blocked by a group of assassins dressed in black.

Xu Fu's heart tightened, and he immediately protected the immortal herb, watching the approaching figure warily. Knowing that another fierce battle was about to begin, he heard a familiar wolf howl.

Turning his head, he saw a pack of wolves emerge from the woods and pounce on the man in black. It was the same pack that had been secretly following him earlier.

The man in black was terrified, not expecting a pack of wolves to suddenly appear. While fending off the wolves' fierce attack, he tried to approach Xu Fu.

However, the wolf pack attacked fiercely, making it difficult for the man in black to escape with their bites and pounces.

While Xu Fu was observing the battle, he suddenly noticed a special white wolf among the wolf pack, its fur as white as snow, unlike any other wolf.

"It's you!" Xu Fu exclaimed in surprise. He recognized the wolf as the white deer that had appeared by the shallow stream earlier.

The white wolf seemed to recognize Xu Fu as well, and slowly approached, his gaze gentle. But when he turned to look at the man in black, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The men in black were relentlessly attacked by the pack of wolves and the white deer, finding themselves with nowhere to escape. They stared in panic at their predicament, completely bewildered and unsure how to proceed…

Just then, a dark figure suddenly descended from the sky, landing steadily among the men in black. It was a man dressed in black with a cold expression, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, icy light.

"Get back!" the man coldly commanded. The men in black, as if granted a pardon, hurriedly hid behind him.

The man glanced at Xu Fu and the white deer wolf, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected to encounter such formidable opponents here. But he didn't show any fear; instead, he stepped forward and said coldly, "Hand over the immortal herb, and I might spare your corpses."

Xu Fu's heart tightened, realizing this man was no ordinary opponent. He gripped the immortal herb tightly, watching his opponent warily. But at that moment, the white deer wolf suddenly let out a deep roar and pounced on the man.

Caught off guard, the man hadn't expected the wolf to attack first. He swiftly dodged the pounce and thrust his sword straight at the white deer wolf.

The white deer wolf nimbly dodged the sword tip and bit the man's wrist. The man cried out in pain and tried to shake his arm free from the wolf's teeth. However, the white deer wolf's teeth were like cast iron, and no matter how hard he shook them, they wouldn't loosen.

Seeing an opportunity, Xu Fu immediately launched an attack on the man. Although his swordsmanship was not as exquisite as Bai Lu's, it still had its unique aspects. He thrust his sword towards the man's heart, intending to kill him with a single blow.

But the man was a skilled fighter after all. In the critical moment, he suddenly exerted his strength to shake off the white deer and wolf, and dodged Xu Fu's thrust. He then turned and stabbed Xu Fu with his sword, intending to take his life.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, a clear whistle rang out, and a white figure descended from the sky, landing gracefully beside Xu Fu. It was Bai Lu! Holding a long sword, she blocked the man's attack and coldly said, "Your opponent is me!"

Before she could finish speaking, she was already locked in fierce combat with the man. Both were masters of swordsmanship, and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand. Xu Fu and the white deer wolf retreated to the side, watching the fierce battle with bated breath…

Suddenly, another commotion arose from the depths of the forest, as if more creatures had been drawn to the fighting.

Xu Fu's heart sank; he couldn't guess what unexpected events would unfold next. (End of Chapter)