278: Xuan Qingzi's hatred

The Imperial Guards guarding outside the tent heard the commotion and rushed in. Seeing Master Qing Xuan in such a wretched state, they were all pale with horror.

"State Preceptor! State Preceptor, what's wrong?!"

An Imperial Guard sub-lieutenant rushed forward, wanting to help Master Qing Xuan up, his voice trembling slightly with urgency.

"Quick! Bring healing Medicinal Pills! Go and get the best Golden Sore Ointment from the army!"

Another soldier reacted, turning to run out in an attempt to find healing medicine as quickly as possible.

Master Qing Xuan was deaf to the shouts around him, as if he hadn't heard them, simply staring blankly at the top of the tent.

The tent top, made of coarse cloth, gave off a dim luster under the oil lamp, and was stained with a bit of dust that had drifted in from outside.

His pale lips trembled as he repeatedly muttered the same sentence, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet filled with a resentment and unwillingness that reached deep into his bones:

"Find him... I must find you... tear you into a thousand pieces... scatter your ashes... only then can the hatred in my heart be appeased! Thief... how dare you play with me..."

His gaze was empty yet revealed a streak of paranoid madness, as if he could pierce through the tent walls to see that 'thief' far away in the direction of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion, wishing to devour him alive.

But anyone could see that this State Preceptor, who had once been high-spirited and had guarded the Dynasty for decades, was now severely wounded; both his body and Divine Soul were ravaged and riddled with holes.

It was the despair of a collapsed faith, the humiliation of pride being crushed.

He had spent his life studying profound calculations and believed he could glimpse the secrets of heaven, but this time, he had fallen so completely and so miserably.

The trip to the Southern Border was no longer a simple task of profound calculation for Master Qing Xuan, but an utter joke, a nightmare that had caused him to fall from the clouds into the mire.

And the root of all this pointed to that mysterious 'Luck Suppressor' whose Luck had surged inexplicably.

The other party not only suppressed the national Luck of the Tianqi Dynasty but even showed signs of replacing it in secret—that anomalous star that outshone the Emperor Star was the best proof.

The Imperial Guards in the tent were in a frenzy; some ran out to get Medicinal Pills, some cautiously tried to help Master Cao Xuan up while fearing they would further injure his damaged body, and others stood at the tent entrance, watching the outside alertly, worried that enemies might take the opportunity to sneak an attack.

Every person's face was filled with worry; after all, Master Qing Xuan was the State Preceptor of Tianqi. If an accident happened to him in the Southern Border, these guards could not possibly bear the Ruler's wrath.

At this moment, Situ Jun had just finished handling the affairs of the refugees.

Last night's union with Widow Ya not only allowed him to break through the Realm Bottleneck he had been stuck at for a long time, but also inadvertently broke Master Qing Xuan's divination technique and even triggered a backlash.

Master Qing Xuan lay on the cold ground, his consciousness repeatedly pulling between intense pain and grogginess.

Sometimes he could clearly feel the tearing pain from his chest, and sometimes he would fall into a brief trance, with that brilliant anomalous star from the hexagram appearing before his eyes and the entrustment of Ruler Li Xuan echoing in his ears.

Outside the tent, the shouts and footsteps of the Imperial Guards felt as if they were separated by a thick layer of cotton, blurred and unclear. Only the tearing pain in his chest and the residual waves of the backlash deep in his Divine Soul constantly reminded him of that subversive defeat in his profound calculation.

"State... State Preceptor, the healing Medicinal Pills are here!"

An Imperial Guard holding an exquisite jade bottle rushed in and knelt on one knee beside Master Qing Xuan, his voice trembling slightly with urgency.

The jade bottle was made of high-quality warm jade, giving off a gentle luster in the dim light, and a rich medicinal fragrance could be faintly smelled at the mouth of the bottle.

Two nearby soldiers also hurried forward, wanting to help Master Qing Xuan sit up to make it easier for him to take the Medicinal Pill.

But just as their hands were about to touch Master Qing Xuan's arms, Master Qing Xuan's withered hand abruptly swung them away; though the movement was weak, it carried an unquestionable determination.

He struggled to prop up his upper body, his pale cheeks flushing with an abnormal redness from the effort, as if experiencing a final burst of energy. The blood foam overflowing from the corner of his mouth dripped down his chin, spreading into a deeper dark stain on his lapel.

"No need to help..."

He spoke hoarsely, each word sounding as if it were being ground out from deep in his throat, carrying an undisguisable pain yet also revealing a sense of stubbornness.

His gaze fell on the jade bottle in the Imperial Guard's hand as he slowly said:

"Inside my Storage Pouch... the white bottle... give me the Medicinal Pill inside."

The Imperial Guard was stunned for a moment, then reacted, quickly putting down the jade bottle and walking to Master Qing Xuan's Daoist robe to carefully open the Storage Pouch hanging at his waist.

The Storage Pouch was made of Yao Beast fur and carved with simple storage runes; inside were several Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pill bottles placed neatly.

He soon found the white jade bottle. It was smaller than the one he had just brought but more exquisite, with fine cloud patterns carved on the bottle, showing at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

The Imperial Guard held the white jade bottle and respectfully handed it to Master Qing Xuan.

Master Qing Xuan reached out with a trembling hand, his fingertips spasming slightly from weakness; it took him a while to grasp the jade bottle.

He unscrewed the stopper, and an extremely rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air. It was several times more mellow than the fragrance of the previous Medicinal Pill; just one sniff made the surrounding Imperial Guards feel their spirits lift.

This was the 'Spirit-Nourishing Restoration Pill' kept in the treasury of the Tianqi Dynasty's royal family. It could not only repair damaged Meridians but also nourish the Divine Soul. Ordinary Cultivators would never even see it; even royal relatives could only receive one when heavily injured.

Master Qing Xuan did not hesitate at all, tilting the jade bottle and pouring out three snow-white Medicinal Pills.

The Medicinal Pills were about the size of soybeans, perfectly round and giving off a faint spiritual light. As they landed in his palm, they gave off a gentle warmth.

He directly stuffed the Medicinal Pills into his mouth. They melted instantly, and a gentle yet powerful medicinal force slid down his throat, rapidly spreading to his four limbs and hundred bones like a trickling stream.

Wherever the medicinal force passed, his damaged Meridians felt a comfortable warmth, as if parched earth had received the nourishment of rain. His originally chaotic spiritual power also gradually became more stable, the sharp pain in his chest eased slightly, and the stinging deep in his Divine Soul felt as if it were wrapped in a soft barrier, no longer so unbearable.

Master Qing Xuan closed his eyes and slowly sat cross-legged, attempting to guide this medicinal force through his body to repair his damaged Foundation and Divine Soul.

But as soon as he tried to circulate his spiritual power, a piercing pain came from his chest. The chaotic spiritual power that had been calmed by the medicinal force instantly became like a runaway horse, crashing through his Meridians as if to completely tear apart his already fragile Meridians.

He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, a layer of fine cold sweat instantly seeping out on his forehead, and his face became even paler.

"Pfft!"

Another mouthful of blood was coughed out, but this time, the color of the blood had changed from the previous dark gold to dark red. Although it was still shocking, it was much better than before.

"The Foundation damage is too severe... the Medicinal Pill can only delay it; it cannot cure it fundamentally."

Master Qing Xuan smiled bitterly in his heart. When he opened his eyes, the vacancy in his gaze had faded, replaced by a nearly insane paranoid obsession.

He knew he had no time to rest and recover—that 'Luck Suppressor' currently had surging Luck. If he didn't find a trace while the other party was still near the Nether Crow Cave Mansion, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven to lock onto them later.

More importantly, he could not tolerate his own failure, nor could he tolerate that 'thief' being able to peacefully enjoy the benefits of surging Luck after playing with him!

He had spent his life calculating the secrets of heaven and had never made such a huge error. He had to personally reclaim the humiliation of this time!

He stood up abruptly, his body swaying, nearly falling again.

The nearby Imperial Guards hurriedly reached out to help, but were once again waved away by him.

He leaned against the nearby table, took a deep breath, and barely steadied himself.

His originally transcendent Daoist robe was now stained with blood and dust, looking wretched. But in those sunken eye sockets, a raging fire was rekindled—a fire mixed with hatred, unwillingness, and paranoid obsession.

"Prepare a horse!"

Master Qing Xuan shouted toward the outside of the tent. Though his voice was still hoarse, it carried an unquestionable authority.

"Follow me to the Nether Crow Cave Mansion immediately!"

The Imperial Guards outside the tent were all stunned, and the two soldiers at the tent entrance looked at each other, clearly not expecting the State Preceptor to depart immediately before his injuries had healed.

Soon, the sub-lieutenant from before walked quickly into the tent. With a difficult expression, he bowed and advised:

"State Preceptor, your injuries have not healed, and your Divine Soul is also damaged. You even coughed up blood after taking the Spirit-Nourishing Restoration Pill. You need at least three days of rest before you can move. Going to the Nether Crow Cave Mansion now will be a bumpy journey; if your injuries worsen..."

"Enough nonsense!"

Master Qing Xuan interrupted him sharply, his withered finger pointing outside the tent. The ferocity in his eyes made the sub-lieutenant instinctively take a step back.

"I have made up my mind! If the opportunity is missed and the Ruler's great affairs are delayed, can you bear the responsibility?!"

The sub-lieutenant shrank back, frightened by the ferocity in his eyes. Not daring to advise further, he hurriedly bowed and replied:

"Yes! This general will go prepare the horse now!"

After speaking, he turned and walked quickly out of the tent, his voice urgent as he ordered the soldiers to prepare a carriage.

Master Qing Xuan walked to the tent entrance, stopped, and looked back at the dim, lusterless divination array on the ground and the scattered, crack-filled xuantian tortoise shell.

Those tortoise shell fragments still held the spiritual power he had injected during his previous deduction, but now they were as dull as dead ashes, as if silently mocking his failure.

His fists clenched tightly, his nails sinking deep into his palms, yet he was completely unaware of the blood seeping out.

"Thief... do you think that with surging Luck, you can escape my pursuit?"

He murmured in a low voice, his tone full of venom.

"Nether Crow Cave Mansion... I want to see exactly where you are hiding! Once I find you, I will make you taste every most painful punishment in the world, to let you know the consequences of playing with me!"

Before long, the sound of horse hooves and soldiers' footsteps came from outside the tent.

An Imperial Guard arrived driving a carriage.

Master Qing Xuan took a deep breath, endured the intense pain in his body, and bowed as he boarded the carriage. The movement pulled at his wounds, making his face turn pale again, yet he still kept his back straight.

"Depart! Target: Nether Crow Cave Mansion!"

Master Qing Xuan said deeply to the Imperial Guards outside the carriage, his voice weak but carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Yes!"

The Imperial Guards responded in unison, their voices loud and echoing across the silent Southern Border wilderness.

More than ten Imperial Guards mounted their horses, surrounding the carriage to form a protective circle.

The sub-lieutenant pulled the reins, looked toward the carriage, and then swung his whip. The horse let out a neigh and began to move forward.

Inside the carriage, Master Qing Xuan leaned against a soft cushion with his eyes closed, his hands forming a seal as he tried to guide the medicinal force in his body to continue repairing his Meridians.

The medicinal force of the Spirit-Nourishing Restoration Pill was still being slowly released, gently nourishing his damaged Divine Soul, but the breaks in his Meridians were still painfully unbearable. Whenever his spiritual power circulated there, it would always become sluggish, as if encountering an impassable chasm.

He opened his eyes and looked at the forest outside the carriage where the morning mist was gradually dissipating, his gaze becoming paranoid once more.

"Thief... wait for me..."

He murmured in a low voice, his brow furrowed slightly as if he were calculating something.

This time, he would not only reclaim his dignity, but also eliminate this greatest threat for the Tianqi Dynasty.

The carriage continued forward, the sound of horse hooves constantly echoing on the wilderness, approaching the direction of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion step by step.

(I've been sick lately, and plus there's no traffic so I only make a bit over a yuan a day. Writing is exhausting, so I've started slacking off.)