Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 68 Heart to Heart

The old doctor said, "According to medical theory, when Lord Bai takes drugs, he must be completely focused and single-minded to prevent the evil from invading. His mind was so wandering and his emotions so agitated; no wonder the poison invaded his internal organs! This time it's much more dangerous than Miss Hong's time! Because he couldn't expel the poison from his body!" Upon hearing this, Hong Yueliang was dumbfounded! She secretly beat her chest and stamped her feet, filled with regret: "If only I had known this would happen! I never expected that our heartfelt confession would turn into a final farewell! Is fate unjust, jealous of my talent? We are both fellow sufferers, why should we need to have known each other before? Our fates are both bitter enough! Can't we be together, depend on each other, love each other, and grow old together? Fate is truly cruel!"

"Is there really no way?" the general's wife asked. The old doctor thought for a moment and said, "There is a way, but two methods are difficult to implement. The first is to find the poisoner and get the antidote from him. Because everything in the world is mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining, there is life and death, yin and yang, spear and shield, so the poisoner must have the antidote! The second is for someone with high internal strength to use their powerful internal strength to force the poison out of the body, achieving the miraculous effect of clearing stagnation and detoxifying." Red Moon hurriedly asked, "Then, is there any way to wake up Lord Bai?" The old doctor sighed and said, "There is no way at the moment! Because snake venom is a kind of extremely potent poison that can cause nervous system disorders and gradually blur consciousness. It is extremely toxic and has a rapid killing effect. He will definitely die in five days!" Red Moon suddenly thought of the strange book "Complete Book of Jianghu". Perhaps there is a way to save Bai Shandian.

After everyone left, Hong Yueliang told her parents she wanted to stay and take care of Bai Shandian. Seeing her insistence, Hong Chen and his wife sighed and had no choice but to let her go. Hong Yueliang bolted the door to prevent outsiders from entering, and hurriedly searched Bai Shandian's body for her treasure pouch. She took out the "Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World" and began to read it carefully under the lamplight. Suddenly, she discovered a section describing a method of healing others using internal energy. The method was simple and easy to implement, but it was quite taxing on the healer's internal energy, as most of it had to be transferred into the injured person's physical strength! In this way, the injured person would not only recover from internal injuries but also gain more internal energy, thus gaining a significant advantage over the healer! Therefore, no one would be willing to heal someone in this way without a very close family relationship! Hong Yueliang decided to give it a try!

Following the instructions in the book, she helped Bai Shandian sit on the bed, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed herself. She then sat cross-legged behind him, placing her palms on his Mingmen acupoint, closing her eyes, and focusing her inner energy, allowing it to circulate throughout his body's meridians. She then began to continuously inject this energy into Bai Shandian's body through her palms. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a wisp of steam rose from the top of Hong Yueliang's head, filling the air with a fragrant aroma that was intoxicating. She was exhausted, her face and back drenched in sweat! Yet, she continued to exert her own strength to heal Bai Shandian and remove the poison! Finally, Bai Shandian cried out, spitting out a mouthful of foul blood, and slowly awoke! Hong Yueliang, however, fainted from exhaustion!

When Bai Shandian turned around and saw Hong Yueliang, he was immediately moved by the scene before him. He quickly got out of bed, helped her lie down, and let her rest. Then, he poured her a glass of water to drink when she woke up. Bai Shandian went behind the screen and looked in the mirror. He found that his complexion was much rosier. He quickly circulated his internal energy and not only could he move it freely, but he had also improved a lot. An immense internal force surged through his meridians, like a wild horse that had broken free! It was extremely difficult to control. Bai Shandian went to the bedside and found the open "Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World." When he read the section on healing through internal energy cultivation, he realized that Hong Yueliang had now returned to normal, and all her life's power had been transferred into him!

"How can I help Red Moon recover her strength quickly?" With this thought in mind, Bai Shandian opened the catalog of the strange book, searching line by line. Finally, he found Chapter 152, which described the Phantom Ghost Step—an extremely swift, unpredictable, and agile lightness skill, surpassing even the three great masters of lightness skill! The Shaolin School's One Reed Crossing the River, the Wudang School's Ladder Cloud Leap, and the Swallow Gate's Swallow Skimming the Water are currently unrivaled in the world of lightness skills, holding a leading position! However, compared to the Phantom Ghost Step, their moves seem somewhat simple and lack variation! It is said that the Phantom Ghost Step was created by a reclusive master whose real name is unknown. Because of his secretive actions and clean, decisive strikes, he is known in the martial arts world as the "Strange Way." He founded the Ghost Gang, specializing in assassinations. For money, they will kill whomever they are asked to kill; for the right price, they will even kill the emperor! His Phantom Ghost Steps are not only used to evade enemies and escape, but more importantly, their footwork is unpredictable and ever-changing, leaving enemies bewildered. While the enemy is disoriented, he can strike swiftly and take their head in an instant! The Phantom Ghost Steps consist of eight moves and sixteen steps, each move truly deadly, each step a ghostly shadow. Those who have fought him have never met a good end in the martial arts world; they have either become paralyzed and vegetative or met their demise! This is the versatile and versatile light-footed skill that combines offense and defense—the Phantom Ghost Steps!

"Let Red Moon learn this strange lightness skill. Even if she doesn't have internal energy, she can at least dodge and escape when fighting others! It's a life-saving technique!" Upon checking the aptitude and physical requirements for martial arts practitioners, he found that it perfectly matched Red Moon's current conditions. At this moment, someone patted his shoulder. Turning around, he saw that Red Moon had woken up and was already standing in front of his bed.

"My dear sister, Moon, you poured all your inner strength into me to save me. How can I ever repay such kindness?" Bai Shandian rushed forward and hugged her tightly. Red Moon smiled slightly and said, "Let's not be so polite from now on. If it weren't for your drug addiction, Brother Bai, wouldn't I be long gone?" Bai Shandian loosened his embrace and handed her the "Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World," saying, "There's a set of light-body techniques here that's perfect for you. And according to the book, someone as intelligent as you can master it in less than three days!" Red Moon stared at him wide-eyed, worriedly saying, "His Majesty the Emperor personally instructed you to use every means to retrieve the 'Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World.' Once I learn the martial arts within..." "If His Majesty finds out about your merits, won't he be furious and blame you? Brother Bai!" Bai Shandian's face was very serious. After pondering for a long time, he resolutely said, "Never mind him! Anyway, I can't just watch you wander the world without any skills. It's too dangerous!" Hong Yueliang sighed and said, "You are an official. You must always put the court first! As your beloved, I can't be corrupt and put you in a position of injustice and disloyalty!" Seeing that she was thinking of him in every way, Bai Shandian was moved and couldn't help but hug her tightly again.

Before they knew it, the sky outside the window was turning white, and it was already broad daylight. The Hongchen couple came early to knock on the door to check on the situation. Bai Shandian opened the door, startling the two elderly people. Hongchen exclaimed in surprise, "You... how did you get better?" Bai Shandian, somewhat annoyed, coldly replied, "Does Lord Hong mean... that I shouldn't have gotten better?" Hongchen chuckled awkwardly, "That's not what I meant! I meant, how did you recover so quickly? You looked so frightening last night..." Bai Shandian interrupted him impatiently, "Make arrangements immediately! I need to see the Emperor; I have urgent matters to report!" Hongchen hesitated, stammering, "The Emperor is always elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail. Where am I supposed to find him?" Bai Shandian deliberately kept a cold face and remained silent. Hongyue smiled and said, "Father, don't take it seriously. Shandian is just teasing you!" Hongchen felt awkward seeing his precious daughter had spent most of the night with him and now calling him "Shandian" again. Unconsciously, with a cold face, he said resentfully, "Lord Bai, we are officials of the same court. Although I am of a lower rank than you, you cannot take advantage of your favor and bully the weak!" Bai Shandian sensed the veiled meaning in his words, a barbed insult, and knew he was up to no good! He coldly asked, "Lord Hong, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Why beat around the bush and make me feel aggrieved?" Hong Chen simply tore off the mask of politeness and angrily said, "Lord Bai is a married man, and my daughter is still unmarried. Your ambiguous relationship, spending the night alone together, won't it lead to gossip and slander? It's one thing for you to be a man, but my daughter is a virgin. What is her reputation worth? How will she ever get married? Hmm! Tell me, Lord Bai!" Bai Shandian, facing Hong Yueliang, was speechless for a moment, standing there dumbfounded. Yes, how could he not have thought of these things? The world is going to the dogs these days, and gossip is a fearsome thing!