Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 171 Who's Gone Mad?

"Taoist?"

"The Heavenly Sect has long been in seclusion and never participates in worldly struggles. Is Master Qingxu sure he wants to get involved in this matter?"

The State of Chu, Jinghu Medical Clinic.

A young boy was confronting a man in black armor. Upon hearing the man's words, the boy's eyes flickered slightly.

The Luo Wang organization, which operates across seven kingdoms, primarily focuses on espionage, assassination, and sowing discord within the courts of six kingdoms, inciting them to fight amongst themselves.

The new Sword Master of Yanri is also a Grandmaster-level combatant. Logically speaking, it is not necessary to deploy such a level of combatant to deal with a small matter like the Medical Manor, since the two women in the Medical Manor are not even at the Innate Realm.

"I'm curious why you came here?"

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's words, Yan Ri's eyes flickered slightly, and a strange look appeared in his icy gaze.

Which of these states of mind is simple: to become a grandmaster, or to become a grandmaster at this age?
Han Fei once said that some people can know the whole of autumn just by looking at a single leaf, that is, to know autumn by observing a single leaf.

Most of them, who are at the Grandmaster level, possess this ability.

"No comment."

The next moment, Yan Ri flashed over, raising his long sword and unleashing a powerful, piercing thrust that seemed intent on piercing the person before him through.

Xiu Yuan shook his head. Although he didn't get the answer he wanted from the other person, from another perspective, he did get the answer he wanted.

"Is it another power struggle in the imperial court?"

Xiu Yuan sighed inwardly. He had dealt with the Luo Wang organization more than once or twice. Whether in Xinzheng or Handan, the people of the Luo Wang organization never deliberately targeted a Jianghu force.

Unless this martial arts force has a great connection with the imperial court, like Zilanxuan, which is just a brothel in Xinzheng, it is not worth Luo Wang sending two top-level combatants. However, in the end, it still sent two top-level combatants, Yan Ri and Xuan Jian.

Their aim was not simply to deal with Zilanxuan, but to dismantle the emerging forces of Han and kill Qin King Ying Zheng, who had come to Han.

The person before us was probably already in the State of Chu before, and today's actions may have been a coincidence, or they may have had other purposes.

He didn't know much about the current Chu court, but he had heard some things from passersby on his way to the medical clinic. The current Prime Minister of Chu was a man named Li Yuan. The Prime Minister of Chu was of a similar status to the prime minister of other countries, and the Grand General was Xiang Yan of the Xiang clan.

The current king is named Mi Han, and is known as King You of Chu.

Of course, the passersby also mentioned two other names: Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu.

He had almost no memory of those two people.

Suddenly, Yan Ri's figure swayed, and his moves changed abruptly, with a surge of violent sword energy rushing towards him.

However, his target was not Xiu Yuan himself, but Duanmu Rong behind him.

"That's definitely the style of the Luo Wang organization."

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly.

The newcomer didn't answer. As a grandmaster-level expert, he naturally had no face to say anything about attacking a girl who wasn't even at the acquired level.

Just as Xiu Yuan was pulling the girl to dodge, Yan Ri, who was in mid-air, suddenly turned and plunged into the lake, where it remained motionless.

Seeing this, Xiu Yuan was taken aback.

A grandmaster-level expert, feinting with a spear, just to escape?
They haven't actually faced each other in a real sense yet.

Duanmu Rong, standing next to Xiu Yuan, was also stunned by this scene. Just now, the opponent's frenzied attack seemed to leave no room for mercy, but what was going on with the opponent's reaction now?
"An assassin's intuition?"

Standing on the shore, Xiu Yuan gently pinched his chin, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Rong subconsciously looked over. The dozen or so sword energies just now were enough to show that the person who made the move was no ordinary person. Now, this young man from the Heavenly Sect had not even made a move, yet the other party had fled without a fight. Wasn't that too strange?

"But can they escape?"

Looking at the lake surface that had been shattered, Xiu Yuan gently raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

Before Duanmu Rong's incredulous eyes, a huge whirlpool suddenly appeared in Mirror Lake, dozens of feet in size, like a gaping maw of an abyss appearing in the night, about to devour everything in front of it.

Before long, the black-armored man who had dived into the water was pulled back by the enormous suction force.

At this moment, heaven and earth were separated.

She and the boy beside her were on the shore watching the person in the lake, while the person in the lake was in the water watching the person on the shore.

"This is impossible!!"

Upon hearing these furious words, Duanmu Rong looked at the boy with a strange expression.

They were about to escape, but were forcibly pulled back. I doubt anyone could accept that.

Of course, she was more shocked than anything else. This young man hadn't made a move often, but each time he did, he had a significant impact on her.

"This is the autumn waters of ten thousand rivers!!"

As if he had thought of something, the man in black armor lowered his voice.

The Taoist Tianzong sect has a technique that is extremely effective, allowing one to control water flow remotely using internal energy. However, in the hands of this young man, this technique seems to be exceptionally powerful.

"Ten thousand rivers and autumn waters?"

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Rong's heart stirred. This seemed to be the name of a martial arts technique, though she had never heard of it before. However, judging from the current situation, this technique must be quite powerful.

"Good taste."

"You are not a Grandmaster."

Yan Ri urged his inner strength, trying to escape from the rapids. But at that moment, through the swirling current, he sensed an immense fluctuation of inner strength, and a sense of horror rose in his heart.

Then, his gaze toward the young man on the shore became more incredulous.

A grandmaster of such an age?

Is he crazy, or is the world crazy?
Xiu Yuan did not answer this question. He was now certain that this theory of realms did not seem to apply to him.

"The Heavenly Sect, huh?"

"A bunch of freaks~~"

Yan Ri chuckled, but there was a hint of helplessness in his laughter.

“Let’s do it!!”

Upon hearing this, the young man standing on the shore had a flicker in his eyes. Grandmaster-level combat power was not common in the martial arts world, but he had encountered quite a few. Right now, there was no life-or-death enmity between him and the other party, and he intended to subdue this second Yan Ri.

Then he flicked his finger, and another burst of energy was sent into the other person's body.

Yan Ri was taken aback at first, then his gaze suddenly darkened.

An aura locked his heart meridian completely, and he had a feeling that his life or death was only in the hands of the young man in front of him.

"Come up!"

Xiu Yuan then withdrew the internal energy of Wan Chuan Qiu Shui, and the huge whirlpool on the lake surface gradually dissipated. Hearing the boy's words, the girl standing to the side raised an eyebrow, and then her gaze began to wander.

She seemed to have guessed the boy's plan, but she didn't say anything at the moment.

After a while, Yan Ri climbed out of the lake, looked at the boy beside him, and asked in a deep voice, "What do you want to do?"

Xiu Yuan didn't look at him, but instead looked at the Mirror Lake in front of her.

Why did you come here?

A moment later, Yan Ri's voice came over.

"Intercept and kill Nian Duan, the Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake."

"What's the reason?"

"Li Yuan, the Prime Minister of Chu, has sent people to invite Nian Duan to come out of seclusion and go to the capital to treat Empress Dowager Li Huan. Some people do not want to see this happen, so we have come."

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Rong, who was standing to the side, clenched her fists. The reason why the other party could so casually intercept and kill her was because someone wanted to ask her master to save someone.

Xiu Yuan had said before that saving people can sometimes be a mistake, and this time it was completely proven true.

However, Xiu Yuan did not completely believe these words. Yan Ri was ranked first among the Heavenly Ones. With this status and strength, he could be considered second only to one person and above ten thousand others in the Luo Wang. Far away in the Chu Kingdom, he did not believe that anyone else could command him.

"Is there anyone in the State of Chu who can command you?"

Yan Ri was speechless. This matter was indeed not orchestrated by those important figures in the State of Chu, but rather arranged by Luo Wang to come to the State of Chu with his own mission.

At this point, Xiu Yuan fell silent.

He had previously stated that he was not particularly interested in matters of the court, but given the current situation, he had no choice but to get involved.

Just then, Nian Duan seemed to have discovered something. She slowly walked out and looked at the seven corpses on the ground. Her expression changed.

"Rong'er, are you alright?"

When Duanmu Rong saw Nian Duan coming over, she stepped over and walked over.
"Master, what brings you here?"

To be honest, this girl didn't want her master to see this scene.

Nian Duan patted Duanmu Rong's little hand, then looked up at her.

Besides her and her disciple, there were two other people by the lake: a boy and a man in black armor.

"Master Qingxu, and who is this gentleman?"

Nian Duan thought for a moment and then asked.

"assassin."

Xiu Yuan sighed softly and uttered two words.

Nian Duan was taken aback. Assassins were not benevolent figures in the martial arts world; they were more like rats in the street, hated by everyone.

Then the medical master couldn't help but look at the man in black.

"You've come for me, sir?"

The boy and girl had only just arrived, and given their exceptional skills, she didn't believe these people were after the two children. After considering all possibilities, only the people from the medical manor remained.

There were only two people at Jinghu Medical Clinic: herself and her disciple. Between herself and Duanmu Rong, she felt that she had a better chance.

"I have met Mr. Nianduan."

With Xiu Yuan present, Yan Ri dared not harbor any other thoughts. Hearing Nian Duan's words, he greeted him softly. "The Prime Minister Li Yuan has already sent an envoy to request that you go to the capital to treat the Empress Dowager. The situation in the court is not as stable as it appears to outsiders, and many people do not wish for the Empress Dowager to recover."

Yan Ri shook his head; some things were beyond his control alone.

The greatest evil in this world is human nature, and in this matter, he was merely going with the flow.

Upon hearing this, Nian Duan frowned.

As a native of Chu, she naturally knew what the Ling Yin represented. The current Ling Yin, Li Yuan, wielded immense power, and if he sent someone to invite her, she really wouldn't be able to refuse.

She also knew some things about this person; Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie, had three thousand retainers back then, and this person was one of them.

There are also rumors that the current King of Chu is Huang Xie's illegitimate son, but these are all rumors and have not been confirmed to this day.

However, Lord Chunshen died because of this incident; the person who reported him was none other than Li Yuan, the future Prime Minister.

As for Empress Dowager Li Huan, she was Li Yuan's younger sister.

It's not hard to understand why Li Huan wanted to save people; similarly, it's understandable why some people didn't want the Empress Dowager's condition to improve.

There were many voices in the Chu state regarding this King of Chu whose identity was questionable, and there were quite a few people in the royal family who were eager to cause trouble.

In her view, this kind of power struggle in the imperial court was far more terrifying than the sword fights in the martial arts world.

"And which faction do you represent?"

Nian Duan asked again.

This time, however, Yan Ri did not answer. He looked up at the boy standing to the side, as if listening to what the other had to say.

"If you don't want to go, Master, I have a solution."

A cold glint flashed in Xiu Yuan's eyes. There are many ways to refuse someone, and refusing someone upon meeting them is just one of them. There is a better way.

What if the people sent by Li Yuan can't find Nian Duan? What if they never find Nian Duan? Can the magistrate still pin the blame on the medical clinic?

The answer is not hard to guess.

Nian Duan looked somewhat dazed. Refuse? Could she really refuse?
What does "Master Qingxu" mean?

Xiu Yuan put his hands behind his back and his voice deepened.

"What if those messengers never get to see you, sir? Surely Li Yuan won't blame the medical clinic for the mistake?"

Nian Duan was taken aback upon hearing this.

She couldn't see him, and she still couldn't see him. He was hiding from her. The Prime Minister wasn't stupid. How could he not guess? She didn't think the other party was really that magnanimous.

However, the man in black armor, who was standing to the side, understood another meaning, and a bitter look flashed across his eyes.

He said that if the other party spared his life, nothing good could come of it. If Nian Duan really agreed to the proposal, then he would probably be very busy in the future.

The reason why the young man in front of them could not be seen was not because Nian Duan was avoiding them, but because those people could not come to the medical manor.

What he needed to do was to shift the blame eastward and kill all the messengers who had been sent there.

"Master Qingxu meant that the messengers could not come to the medical clinic, not that Mr. Nianduan was hiding from them."

Yan Ri spoke again, but upon hearing this, Nian Duan's expression immediately changed.

Although the other party's tone was very calm, the murderous intent in it sent a chill down one's spine.

Duanmu Rong, who was standing to the side, also guessed what the other person meant: if they couldn't reach the medical manor, it meant that those people would die on the way.

“He is right. If Mr. Nian Duan has this intention, this method can keep Jinghu Medical Clinic out of the mess.”

The boy did not deny his plans, but Nian Duan, who came from a medical family, clearly could not accept such an outcome.

But to be honest, she only wanted to save people and didn't want to get involved in the court's strife.

"Master Qingxu, this method..."

Seemingly sensing Nian Duan's hesitation, Xiu Yuan gently shook his head.

"To be honest, I don't care much about the Empress Dowager's life or death. Whether she lives or dies, it has no impact on me whatsoever."

"But whether my junior sister can wake up is of utmost importance to me, so even if Mr. Nian Duan wants to go and save her, I will not let the master leave."

At this point, the young man's tone carried a rare hint of domineering arrogance.

"you"

Upon hearing this, the girl standing nearby paused, at a loss for words. She had a good impression of the other person in their previous interactions, but she never expected him to be so assertive in this matter.

Nian Duan sighed softly in her heart.

She could understand the other party's behavior. After all, to this young man, the little girl was the one he was close to, while the Chu Queen Dowager, whom he had never met, was just an outsider.

Choosing one's own people over outsiders is a perfectly normal choice.

"With Master Qingxu being so devoted, I have no fear that I will not do my utmost."

The boy turned around, looked at the woman in front of him, and sighed softly.

"If it were anyone else, I might have some doubts, but I have absolutely no such thoughts about Mr. Nian Duan. If the Medical Manor gets involved in the vortex of the court, it will probably be torn to pieces. Not only will Mr. Nian Duan's life be in danger, but Miss Rong may also be implicated."

"In the end, the thing you can't get over is the hurdle in your own heart. If someone has to play the villain in this matter, then I will absolutely not refuse."

Listening to the other person's words, Nian Duan shook his head, feeling both amused and exasperated. What kind of twisted logic was this?
Hearing this, Duanmu Rong felt even more confused.

The principle is sound, but some principles change once they are spoken. Just like this boy, she suddenly couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Although from the other party's perspective it was for their own private matter, their choice was actually a better one for the medical clinic and for their master.

Between Nian Duan and the Empress Dowager she had never met, she would only choose her own master, not the Empress Dowager.

Her complex thoughts were too complicated for her to explain in a short time, but she was no longer angry with Xiu Yuan for his actions.

The other party's seemingly unreasonable behavior actually stemmed from their knowledge of their master's temperament and character, and they took all the blame upon themselves. Of course, perhaps from their perspective, this mistake wasn't necessarily a mistake.

The principles of medicine and Taoism are different. From a Taoist perspective, choosing a direction that is more beneficial to oneself is not wrong at all.

“Actually, Master Qingxu, there’s no need for that. Traveling to the capital of Chu is not something that can be done overnight. The envoys sent here will also need more than half a month to get here from the capital. Overall, there is enough time.”

After a while, Nian Duan spoke again.

Xiu Yuan looked at the person in front of him and sighed inwardly.

The Confucian school has a saying: "To do something even when you know it is impossible is a matter of righteousness." But how many people can actually persevere in doing so?

But this woman, driven by her sense of righteousness, resolutely plunged into the darkness.

Physicians are compassionate and merciful, dedicated to saving lives.

Sometimes, when faced with a group of not-so-bright people, even a smart person like him doesn't know how to refute them. After all, they already know the consequences, but they still make the same choice.

"If you can awaken my junior sister, then you can do whatever you want after that."

Xiu Yuan didn't say anything more. After leaving a sentence, he disappeared from the spot in a flash. Then, another voice rang in the heart of Hei Jia Yan Ri.

"I have removed the trap that Luo Wang left in your heart. Now, you shall work for me!"

Yan Ri was taken aback upon hearing this.

How could the other party know the methods by which the Net controlled them? However, when he felt that the backup plan on his heart meridian had disappeared, a look of horror flashed in his eyes.

Such terrifying methods are truly shocking.

"I don't want to see the royal envoys yet, before Nian Duan awakens my junior sister."

Yan Ri nodded.

He then turned and left.

"Rong'er, I don't know if it was right or wrong of us to keep them with us that night."

Watching the black-armored man's departing figure, Nian Duan suddenly spoke.

Even if the other person didn't say anything, she could guess what they were doing.
Duanmu Rong gently shook her head.

“Even if we had to do it all over again, Master would make the same choice. Just like Master said before, even if the capital is a treacherous vortex, Master would go there without hesitation.”

"Actually, this was destined from the very beginning."

Meanwhile, Mu Rong murmured to herself, "Although this has just happened, the outcome seems to have already been predetermined."

Inside the room, Xiu Yuan came to the bedside and looked at the little girl who was still fast asleep, his expression inscrutable.

"Junior sister, it seems a new game of chess is about to begin. If you don't wake up soon, you might miss it."

Outside the window, the moonlight was hazy, and fireflies, seemingly appearing from nowhere, slowly flew into the air, like twinkling stars, adorning the place as if in a dream.

The capital of the Chu Kingdom was Shouying.

In an extremely luxurious mansion, an elderly man with graying temples frowned as he looked at the intelligence report in his hand.

"Who has the State of Wei offended this time?"

"Even the moat has been breached; the Great Liang has suffered heavy losses. This is truly a time of great turmoil!"

Just then, a servant stepped in and respectfully reported, "Lord Magistrate, the messenger sent back intelligence that they are almost at their destination and will be able to meet the Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake in seven days at most."

Upon hearing this, the man nodded slightly.

"How is the situation on the King's side?"

"His Majesty is showing no signs of illness; he eats and sleeps as usual."

Upon hearing this, the man couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"The current situation is chaotic, and even the court is unstable. We should make plans as soon as possible. If the Empress Dowager's condition does not improve, then we will focus all our efforts on the King."

Several people were standing nearby, and they all nodded in agreement upon hearing the old man's words.

"Lord Lingyin is right. Rather than looking back and forth, it's better to take precautions. However, the king is still young and infatuated with women. What should we do?"

"In my opinion, it's better to guide than to block. Several more courtesans have come to the Drunken Dream Pavilion."

(End of this chapter)