28: Chapter 28 The Orphan Shen Qingqiu

Wild Wolf Slope, in a cave.

Firelight cast dancing shadows on the stone walls; water droplets seeped from the crevices in the cave ceiling, dripping onto the bluestone with a monotonous "tap, tap" sound.

On the straw mat, Shen Qingqiu's eyes were tightly shut, her face as pale as paper.

Her green robes were soaked through with blood and stuck to her body, outlining her slender frame. The broken jade pendant at her waist was gone, leaving only half a severed cord.

Granny Xue knelt beside her, her fingertips twisting three golden needles. The needle tips trembled slightly, suspended above three major acupuncture points on her chest, yet she hesitated to strike.

"Granny." Lu Zhao crouched down.

"Sir." Granny Xue looked up, her forehead covered in sweat. "There are six strands of Sword Qi rampaging inside her body—three Yin and three Yang, slaughtering each other. I have used golden needles to Seal the twelve acupuncture points around her heart, barely protecting it from shattering, but if the Sword Qi is not cleared, she will last at most until the hour of the Rabbit tomorrow."

Lu Zhao reached out, his two fingers pressing against Shen Qingqiu's wrist pulse.

It was ice-cold to the touch, the pulse weak as a gossamer thread. Yet, lurking beneath this faint pulse were six sharp, violent auras—these were the Sword Qi cultivated from the Canglan Sword Sect's unique technique, the 《Qinglan Sword Manual》!

Three strands of Yin cold, piercing the marrow like ice.

Three strands of scorching heat, burning the internal organs like fire.

The Yin cold and the scorching heat crashed madly within her Meridians; wherever they passed, the Meridians were severed, and her organs were damaged.

If not for the fact that Shen Qingqiu's own cultivation had reached the third level of the Qi Refinement Stage and she had forcefully suppressed it with some secret technique, she would have already exploded and died.

Lu Zhao's brows furrowed tightly.

The 《Qinglan Sword Manual》 was the core Legacy of the Canglan Sword Sect, which could not be practiced by anyone other than an Inner Sect Disciple.

How could Shen Qingqiu, a member of an affiliated Family tasked with "investigating Family matters," be injured by such a technique?

Moreover, these six strands of Sword Qi were refined and condensed; the person who struck must have a cultivation of at least the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage!

"Granny, you said it requires pure Yang True Qi to guide it back to the origin?" He withdrew his hand.

"Yes." Granny Xue nodded. "This Sword Qi is a clash of Yin and Yang, which ordinary True Qi cannot resolve. Only the most Yang and rigid power can forcefully suppress it, and then slowly guide it out with a gentle method. But..."

She paused and looked at Lu Zhao.

"Sir, although you practice a pure Yang Cultivation Technique, your cultivation is still shallow. If you forcefully transfer Qi to guide it, you risk being backlashed by the Sword Qi."

Lu Zhao was silent.

Deep within his spiritual platform, the Martial Seal stone warmed slightly.

A message came through: [Special character in critical condition detected, harboring 'Qinglan Sword Qi · Yin-Yang Reversal'. You may attempt to guide it using the Nine Yang Divine Skill's third stage 'Pure Yang Origin-Return' method. Success rate: 40%. Risk: The guide's cultivation will be damaged, and their Meridians will be scorched.]

Forty percent.

It wasn't high, but it was worth the gamble.

Lu Zhao no longer hesitated; he sat cross-legged and pressed his hands three inches above Shen Qingqiu's Dantian.

"Granny, protect me."

Granny Xue nodded heavily, put away the golden needles, retreated to the cave entrance, and closed her eyes to sense the surroundings.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath.

In his Dantian, that wisp of Beiming True Qi quietly transformed—since the successful deduction of the [Return Flow Style], he could simulate the pure Yang attribute of the Nine Yang Divine Skill with his Beiming True Qi. Although the power was slightly inferior, it was more balanced and peaceful.

At this moment, his True Qi turned entirely into the most Yang.

His palms exhaled slightly, and the warm, pure Yang True Qi flowed into Shen Qingqiu's Dantian like a stream.

As soon as it entered her body, the six dormant strands of Sword Qi suddenly erupted!

Like startled poisonous snakes, the three strands of Yin cold Sword Qi lunged forward, while the three strands of scorching Sword Qi flanked from behind, attempting to slaughter and devour this incoming True Qi.

Lu Zhao's heart tightened, but instead of retreating, he advanced.

Under his control, the True Qi turned into an invisible net; he did not fight hard or tangle with them, but only used soft force to wrap and isolate each of the six strands of Sword Qi.

Then, the net tightened, like a fisherman hauling in his nets, slowly dragging the Sword Qi deep into the Dantian.

This was the "Pure Yang Origin-Return" method recorded in the third stage of the Nine Yang Divine Skill—using one's own pure Yang True Qi as a furnace to Seal the foreign, alien True Qi into the Dantian, and then slowly refine it with gentle heat.

However, Shen Qingqiu's Meridians were already damaged; dragging it forcefully was no different from pulling iron wire through a cracked porcelain pipe.

Her body shook violently, blood foam spilled from the corners of her mouth, and she emitted painful moans from her throat.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Lu Zhao's forehead, but he dared not stop.

The control of True Qi needed to be as precise as embroidery; any slight carelessness would pierce her Meridians and cause her injuries to worsen.

One incense stick of time.

Two incense sticks of time.

The night outside the cave deepened, and the chirping of insects gradually ceased.

Granny Xue stood guard at the cave entrance, her palms covered in sweat.

She could feel the violent fluctuations of Qi inside the cave—at times scorching like a furnace, at times as cold as an ice cellar; that was the Yin and Yang Sword Qi locked in a life-and-death struggle with the pure Yang True Qi.

Finally, when the third incense stick burned out, the fluctuations gradually ceased.

The cave returned to silence.

Lu Zhao slowly withdrew his hands, his face pale, his body swaying slightly. This guidance had exhausted seventy percent of his True Qi, and because of the forceful control, several of his Meridians felt as if they had been branded by a hot iron, stinging with pain.

But he had succeeded.

The six strands of Sword Qi were all sealed deep within Shen Qingqiu's Dantian, with a three-layer Seal formed by pure Yang True Qi, temporarily suppressing them.

Although not eradicated, her life was no longer in danger.

Shen Qingqiu's breathing gradually steadied, and a hint of color returned to her face.

Lu Zhao adjusted his breath for a moment before looking at Granny Xue: "Granny, I leave the rest to you."

Granny Xue stepped forward to check her pulse, and after a long while, she heaved a sigh of relief: "The Sword Qi is sealed, and the internal injuries have stabilized. Next, she only needs to nourish her Meridians and take medicinal soups; she should recover in a month."

She looked at Lu Zhao, hesitating to speak.

"Sir, your injuries..."

"It's nothing." Lu Zhao waved his hand, but stumbled as he stood up, hurriedly steadying himself against the stone wall. "I will be fine after a few days of meditation."

Just then, Shen Qingqiu's eyelashes trembled on the straw mat, and she slowly opened her eyes.

At first, her gaze was unfocused, but moments later, it focused on Lu Zhao's face.

Those eyes were still cold, yet they held a bit more confusion and wariness.

"You..." She started, her voice hoarse and dry.

"Don't move." Lu Zhao pressed down on her body as she tried to rise. "The Sword Qi in your body has just been sealed; moving around will aggravate your injuries."

Shen Qingqiu's eyes narrowed as she looked inward, and sure enough, she detected a layer of pure Yang Seal in her Dantian, with the six strands of Sword Qi lying dormant beneath it. She looked up at Lu Zhao again, her expression complex.

"Did you save me?"

"It was Granny Xue." Lu Zhao pointed to the old woman boiling medicine at the cave entrance. "I only contributed some effort."

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice: "Thank you."

She struggled to sit up, leaning against the stone wall, her gaze sweeping across the cave. Seeing only Lu Zhao and Granny Xue, her expression relaxed slightly, though it remained tense.

"Where is this..."

"An hidden cave in the back mountain of Yangjiao Ravine." Lu Zhao sat down opposite her. "Three days ago, you were found unconscious here by a village youth named A-Fei."

Shen Qingqiu closed her eyes to recall, and fragmented images flashed through her mind—dense forest, pursuit, crisscrossing Sword Qi, blood splattering...

She opened her eyes abruptly, a cold glint flashing in them: "Where is my jade pendant?"

"It's gone." Lu Zhao said truthfully. "When you were found, there was only half a broken cord at your waist."

Shen Qingqiu's face turned pale, and her fingers subconsciously touched the empty space at her waist.

That jade pendant was the last token of her Shen Family, and now it was lost...

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

"How many days have I been unconscious?"

"Three days." Lu Zhao looked at her. "What is going on with those six strands of 《Qinglan Sword Manual》 Sword Qi in your body?"

Shen Qingqiu's pupils shrank.

"You recognize the 《Qinglan Sword Manual》?"

"The core Legacy of the Canglan Sword Sect, where the Sword Qi is divided into Yin and Yang, generating and restraining each other." Lu Zhao said indifferently. "The person who injured you has a cultivation of at least the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage. And these six strands of Sword Qi are perfectly coordinated, appearing to be a combined attack technique—did you provoke someone from the Inner Sect of the Canglan Sword Sect?"

Shen Qingqiu stared at him for a long time before suddenly letting out a miserable laugh.

"It's not that I provoked them." Her voice was hoarse. "It's that my Family was wiped out."

The four words fell into the cave like ice.

Granny Xue's hand, which was boiling medicine, paused.

Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly: "Wiped out?"

"The Shen Family, one of the seven affiliated families of the Canglan Sword Sect, has studied Formations for generations." Shen Qingqiu said slowly, her tone calm, yet every word dripped with blood. "Three months ago, there was an internal conflict in the Sword Sect, and my Shen Family stood on the wrong side. Overnight, all three hundred members of our Family, except for me, were killed."

She paused.

"I was out buying Formation materials and escaped the disaster. When I returned home, I only saw the ancestral hall burned down and corpses everywhere. The last message my mother passed on with her dying breath was only four words—'Sword Sect, seizing the Formation'."

Seizing the Formation.

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat: "Seizing what Formation?"

"The 《Mountain and River Nine Tripod Grand Formation, the ancestral Formation diagram of my Shen Family." Blood appeared in Shen Qingqiu's eyes. "That is a protective mountain Formation left over from ancient times; it is said that once set up, it can trigger the earth's veins and repel enemies from a hundred miles away. Certain people in the Sword Sect have coveted it for a long time."

She laughed miserably.

"It is ridiculous that my Shen Family was loyal for generations, setting up Formations and guarding the mountain for the Sword Sect, only to bring about the disaster of extermination because of this 'loyalty'."

The cave was deathly silent.

Only the firewood crackled.

After a long silence, Lu Zhao said slowly: "So you have been on the run for these three months?"

"Yes." Shen Qingqiu nodded. "I fled from the Canglan Mountain domain to Black Mountain, intending to defect to the Qinglan Sect—the Shen Family had old ties with an Elder of the Qinglan Sect. Who would have thought that as soon as I arrived in Black Mountain City, I would be intercepted. The ones who attacked were Disciples from the Sword Sect's Enforcement Hall."

She closed her eyes.

"The leader was named Lin Xiao, at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, and he has cultivated the 《Qinglan Sword Manual》 to the realm of 'Yin and Yang Mutual Aid'. I fought to break through, was heavily injured, and escaped into the mountains, intending to use the terrain to maneuver, but it triggered my old injuries, and I fell unconscious here."

After speaking, she opened her eyes and looked at Lu Zhao.

"Since you know the 《Qinglan Sword Manual》, you must also know the methods of the Canglan Sword Sect. Saving me means becoming an enemy of the Sword Sect. It's not too late to regret it now."

Lu Zhao, however, laughed.

The smile was very faint, yet it revealed a strange sense of composure.

"Miss Shen, do you know what the situation of Yangjiao Ravine is right now?"

Shen Qingqiu was stunned.

Lu Zhao continued: "The Black Mountain Liu Family wants to swallow our village, the Qinglan Sect has planted flags to supervise us, and the Xuanshuang Sect has issued a decree to demand our lives. There are forty-seven people in the village, mostly old, weak, women, and children, with fewer than twenty able-bodied men. The Liu Family has fifty private soldiers, and Liu Zhenxiong is at the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Stage; there are two supervising Disciples from the Qinglan Sect, and although they are only at the first level of the Qi Refinement Stage, they have the entire Sect behind them; the Xuanshuang Sect's Punishment Hall has issued an order, with a three-month deadline, for fifty Spirit Stones."

He counted them one by one, his tone calm, as if he were talking about someone else's affairs.

"In such a situation, does it make a difference whether there is one more Canglan Sword Sect or one less?"

Shen Qingqiu was speechless.

Lu Zhao looked at her and said slowly: "I saved you not out of kindness, but because I need something from you."

"Need something from me?" Shen Qingqiu frowned.

"Miss Shen is an expert in Formations." Lu Zhao said bluntly. "My village is currently like a turtle in a jar, and the Liu Family, the Qinglan Sect, and the Xuanshuang Sect are all tigers and wolves. If we want to survive, we need the power to protect ourselves. And for this self-preservation power, there are currently only two paths—"

He held up two fingers.

"First, improve our combat power. But martial arts cultivation is not a one-day task, and the Aptitude of the young and strong in the village is uneven, making it difficult to achieve anything in a short time."

"Second, borrow power. Borrow the power of the terrain, borrow the power of Formations, borrow the timing and geographical advantages."

He retracted one finger.

"I don't understand the way of Formations. But Miss Shen does."

He looked straight into Shen Qingqiu's eyes.

"I provide you with shelter, medical treatment, and a place to stand. You set up Formations, defenses, and teach the basics of the Dao of Formations for my village. This is a transaction, a fair transaction."

Shen Qingqiu was silent.

Her gaze lingered on Lu Zhao's face for a long time, as if she were scrutinizing and weighing things.

This young man before her had only the first level of Qi Refinement cultivation and was in a desperate situation, yet he showed no panic, but rather a kind of determination to "go forward even if there are thousands of people."

More importantly—he had saved her.

With a cultivation of the first level of Qi Refinement, he had forcefully guided the Sword Qi left by someone at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage; she knew better than anyone the risks and costs involved.

"Are you not afraid of bringing disaster upon yourself?" She asked softly. "If the Canglan Sword Sect finds out I am here, they will surely send people to hunt me down. By then, your village..."

"I am afraid." Lu Zhao said frankly. "But fear is useless."

He paused.

"Besides, since Miss Shen dared to escape, you must have something to rely on. The Formation classics in your bosom are your foundation, and also my hope."

Shen Qingqiu's pupils shrank.

She subconsciously pressed against her bosom—hidden close to her body was an old leather scroll, which was the ancestral 《Small Five Elements Concealment Array diagram of the Shen Family. Although this array was only a basic one, it could conceal aura and confuse perception, making it an excellent means for fleeing and hiding.

Lu Zhao had actually guessed this too?

She took a deep breath and finally nodded.

"Okay."

Although the voice was soft, it was resolute.

"My life, Shen Qingqiu's life, was saved by you. I can teach you everything I know about the Dao of Formations. But—" She raised her eyes, "If one day the Canglan Sword Sect tracks us here, I will leave on my own and will never drag your village down."

"That is a matter for later." Lu Zhao stood up. "For now, focus on recovering."

He walked to the cave entrance and said to Granny Xue: "Granny, I will leave Miss Shen to you. I will have Qin Wan send over medicine and food every day."

Granny Xue nodded: "Rest assured, Sir."

Lu Zhao looked at Shen Qingqiu again: "This place is secret and can serve as a temporary refuge. Once you have recovered, I will arrange another place for you."

Shen Qingqiu nodded and suddenly said: "Lu Zhao."

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

Lu Zhao waved his hand and turned to leave the cave.

Night had deepened, and the starlight was sparse.

He walked down the mountain along the small path, but his heart felt no lightness.

The appearance of Shen Qingqiu was both an opportunity and a crisis. The pursuit of the Canglan Sword Sect was far more terrifying than the Liu Family, the Qinglan Sect, and the Xuanshuang Sect. That was a truly colossal entity, with more than one Golden Core Cultivator in the Sect.

But—

Deep in his spiritual platform, the Martial Seal stone suddenly vibrated.

[Special talent accepted: Shen Qingqiu (Formation specialty, Potential: Superior)]

[Civilization Points + 50]

[Current Civilization Points: 57]

[Hint: The allegiance of a special talent will accelerate the growth of the spark of civilization. Please place her properly and utilize her expertise.]

Lu Zhao's footsteps paused.

Fifty points.

This was the largest single gain of points so far.

He looked up at the night sky, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

Risk and opportunity have always coexisted.

If the Canglan Sword Sect wants to come, let them come.

This Yangjiao Ravine was already a dead end.

Only in a dead end can the most stubborn flowers bloom.

Three days later, Shen Qingqiu's injuries had slightly improved, and she could walk on the ground.

She took out the old leather scroll she had kept close to her body and slowly unfolded it on the stone table in the cave.

The leather scroll was drawn with complex array patterns, annotated with small ancient Seal script characters. She pointed to the Five Elements positions in the center of the array diagram and said to Lu Zhao: "This is the 《Small Five Elements Concealment Array of my Shen Family. If it can be set up, it can conceal aura fluctuations within a radius of thirty zhang and deceive the surveillance of the Qi Refinement Stage. But setting up the array requires five types of spiritual materials as guides, or..." She paused and looked at Lu Zhao, "sufficiently rich Qi and blood."