HAGLTP Chapter 38

Xiao Lu was happily eating a sweet, soft, and juicy peach.

However, while he was eating the peach, he also had to study the medicinal beads and the “Hundred Mistakes Score,” which made it difficult for him to spare a hand. Therefore, he first tossed the medicinal beads into the box of the “Hundred Mistakes Score.”

The carriage jolted, and the medicinal beads rolled around in the box.

As Xiao Lu was eating, he noticed that the sound coming from the box was off; the beads rolling in different places produced different sounds, as if one of them was made of a material that didn’t match the others.

After a moment.

A seemingly ordinary stone token was pulled out from a hidden compartment at the bottom of the box. It bore the same pattern as the medicinal beads, and there was a suspicious indentation on the back, perfectly sized to fit the medicinal bead.

Thinking of it, Xiao Lu picked up the medicinal bead and placed it into the groove, and indeed, it fit perfectly.

In the next moment, a faint blue light emerged from the back of the token, outlining a simple map.

“This is…”

Xiao Lu summoned Ivan to compare what the map depicted.

Since he had long prepared to leave, Xiao Lu had specifically purchased many atlases, all of which Ivan had scanned. At this moment, Ivan was like a portable navigation system.

“Beep—Searching.”

【The location on the map is in the northwestern desert, where the Mukeler River has been dry for 80 years, making precise location impossible.】

“Northwestern desert.”

The northwestern part of this world consists of vast deserts and towering snow-capped mountains, where human habitation is sparse, and even flora and fauna struggle to survive. Only some ferocious beasts, highly adapted to extreme environments, dwell there.

However, contrary to the dangerous situation, the northwestern desert has always been a holy land for tomb raiders and treasure seekers.

It is rumored that it is the hiding place of treasures belonging to the last royal family of a certain dynasty from a thousand years ago.

There are always those who are not afraid of death willing to risk their lives to bring treasures out of this dead end, and generations of desperate people have entered the northwestern desert. Some either die without a burial place or return with immense wealth, living the rest of their lives without worry.

Now it seems that what is hidden behind it is likely far more mysterious than the royal treasure trove.

·

The carriage continued on its way and arrived at the nearest small town outside the Liuli Medicine King Valley.

Mo Xue stopped the carriage, intending to buy some supplies for the journey.

The young man, tall and slender, held a list and strolled leisurely between the various shops. There were many cheerful aunties who, seeing the handsome young man, generously gifted him extra items, adding quite a few unexpected goods to his hands.

Sitting in a teahouse, eating snacks while watching Mo Xue skillfully purchase supplies, Xiao Lu felt quite emotional, even wanting to award him a sign that read “Touched by the Medicine King Valley’s Good Disciple.”

This cheap disciple was indeed worth it.

However, it was unknown what Mo Xue thought of this lazy cheap master.

“Disciple.” A warm voice caught Xiao Lu’s attention.

He turned around and saw a familiar face: “Third Master?”

Meeting Third Master Gu Qingzhou here surprised him. In the original owner’s memories, this master had grown up in the Liuli Medicine King Valley and rarely left the valley.

Third Master lifted his robe and sat across from Xiao Lu, not minding that he had come uninvited.

Xiao Lu smiled and said, “It is my honor that Third Master has graced us with your presence.”

Third Master said gently, “Speaking of which, this is our first time drinking tea together at the same table. In the past, I always had many concerns and could not visit you in Chunxin Valley. I thought I had taken good care of you, but I did not realize I had misjudged people, causing you to suffer more grievances.”

At this point, he couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic.

“To be remembered by a mentor is already a comforting thing,” Xiao Lu said.

“Your ability to think this way is quite open-minded.” Third Master raised his teacup and drank it all in one go, then suddenly changed the subject, “Aren’t you curious why I left the valley?”

Xiao Lu nodded, waiting for him to continue.

Third Master said, “I have spent my whole life in the Liuli Medicine King Valley, believing that all the rules in the valley represent the entirety of the world. Such thinking is no different from that of a frog at the bottom of a well.”

“I thought I had seen through my disciples, but I did not expect to be deceived by a villain. I firmly believed that Second Senior Brother had never gone astray, yet I have always been unable to prove his innocence.”

Hearing him mention his master, Xiao Lu instinctively looked over, only to meet the other’s eyes, which held a hint of pain.

Third Master observed the surroundings and, seeing that there were no others nearby, lowered his voice and said, “There was something strange about the incident with Second Senior Brother. The disciple who accused him of stealing the prescription mysteriously fell off a cliff shortly after.”

“And before I left the valley, I received news that Ah Ying… Nian Ying committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment.”

Xiao Lu frowned. Looking at these two events separately, one was an accident, and the other was a suicide out of fear of punishment, which seemed reasonable.

But what if both of them had accused their fellow disciples of stealing their prescriptions before their deaths? What initially seemed like reasonable deaths suddenly became murky.

Third Master sighed, as if wanting to vent his unwillingness, and spoke again: “After the great competition, when Second Senior Brother was expelled from the valley, the one who took the first place was the eldest senior brother, He Lun.”

The eldest senior brother was dignified and composed, with the demeanor of a noble family. Gu Qingzhou had always believed he could set an example for the sect, but now he could no longer trust his own judgment.

“In any case, if you wish to wander the martial world, be careful.”

On the small road outside the town.

Third Master rode a white horse, carrying a bundle on his back, bidding farewell to Xiao Lu: “Since you plan to head northwest, I will go east. The world is vast, and I should take a look.”

“The martial world is broad; may we meet again by fate.”

Waving goodbye to Third Master’s carefree figure, Xiao Lu mounted the carriage.

This Third Master was quite an interesting person. In the original plot, he was merely a passerby mentioned a few times and had never thought of leaving the Medicine King Valley, yet this time he left so decisively.

Before leaving, Third Master also stuffed a small wooden box into his hands.

The wooden box looked unremarkable, without even a pattern.

When Xiao Lu opened the box, he found several silver notes, specifically exchanged for smaller denominations, two sets of dark outer garments, one large and one small, made of sturdy fabric, suitable for shielding against the wind.

There were also some labeled bottles and jars, one for treating headaches and fevers, another for muscle soreness, and some for dispelling wind and relieving exterior ailments, even for exorcising evil and detoxifying, all very well prepared.

In the corner of the box, there was also a paper bag. Upon opening it, he found round, cute red candy balls that sparkled like gems in the sunlight.

Though these items were not particularly precious, they exuded a warmth of care, and this was the first time Xiao Lu felt the concern of an elder.

He pinched a candy ball and put it in his mouth, unable to help but smile.

Mo Xue was still driving the carriage ahead.

At that moment, someone called him from the back of the carriage: “Disciple.”

Not knowing what his lazy master was planning to do again, Mo Xue sighed inwardly and turned around.

To his surprise, he saw Xiao Lu’s smiling face up close. The wind from the moving carriage lifted Xiao Lu’s long hair, and a stray strand playfully brushed against Mo Xue’s cheek, tickling him.

At the same time, a warm fingertip touched his lips, a bit scorching.

Mo Xue was momentarily stunned.

Just then, a hard sphere unexpectedly slipped into his mouth.

After the shock, Mo Xue finally tasted a hint of sweetness between his lips and teeth.

“Is it good? It was given by Third Master.”

The carriage traveled through the forest, with dappled light and shadow falling, decorating Xiao Lu’s smile at that moment.

Mo Xue’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“Mm.” Not knowing what to say, he could only lower his gaze and answer hurriedly.

A hand ruthlessly ruffled his hair: “Don’t be so perfunctory. Don’t you like candy?”

“No.”

“Then why aren’t you happy?”

“I’m not unhappy.”

“Is it because you think one candy is too little? But this is from Third Master; being able to share one with you is already a great mercy from me.”

Mo Xue turned his head away, not looking at him, pulling his hat down to cover his face, and said softly, “No one wants to fight you for candy… childish…”

“Mm? Rebellious disciple, what did you say?”

“Nothing…”

·

At night, the two stayed at a rural inn.

The innkeeper was round and plump, resembling the biological father of Huang San Sheng from another world, with an apologetic smile: “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but due to the busy trade routes recently, we only have one room left.”

“Wow~” Xiao Lu immediately laughed, not expecting to personally experience this classic scenario from martial arts films.

Unfortunately, the characters present were not the mutually affectionate male and female leads or the main character’s love interests, but rather this pair of cheap master and disciple.

Mo Xue looked at his master’s inexplicably cheerful expression and awkwardly averted his gaze. Did his master feel this happy about sharing a bed with him?

But soon, Mo Xue realized things were not that simple.

“Good disciple, come and help organize the luggage.”

“Good disciple, make the bed.”

“Ah Xue, I’m thirsty; bring me some tea.”

“Rebellious disciple, come and peel some fruit; let me see if your skills have improved since this morning.”

After experiencing serving supper, opening windows for ventilation, and assisting with washing up… Mo Xue finally recognized the reality.

His cheap master was happy because he could torment his disciple up close, right?!

This guy was simply getting more and more demanding!

But there was no way; he had chosen this identity and had to play along, even if it meant kneeling.

Due to physical reasons, Mo Xue’s internal strength was shallow, and his constitution was not as robust as ordinary people. After a day of traveling, he was already very tired.

By the time he finally lay down beside Xiao Lu, he felt extremely exhausted, unable to think of anything extra, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Xiao Lu propped his head up with one hand, looking down at the sleeping figure beside him.

He quietly reached out and flicked the young man’s forehead, feeling a kind of indescribable joy at the crisp sound.

·

In the deep of night, a small hole was quietly poked through the paper window.

A bamboo tube was inserted into the room, and blue smoke wafted out.

Two shadows slipped into the room, confirming that the two sleeping figures on the bed were indeed sound asleep. One of them carried the other and jumped out of the window.

The two men in black had excellent lightness skills, swiftly carrying two living people across the eaves, disappearing into the night after a few leaps.

·

In a secluded small courtyard in the mountains.

A figure draped in a black cloak quietly arrived outside the courtyard. The courtyard was silent, with only a faint candlelight visible through the window of the main house. This was the prearranged signal; once the task was accomplished, it would be signaled with candlelight.

At this moment, the light was on, indicating that what he sought had been achieved.

What he wanted to do was extremely secretive, and he could not let his clan members or close disciples know, so he could only spend a fortune to hire a martial arts organization. Fortunately, they did not disappoint him.

After confirming that no one was around, he pushed open the courtyard door and strode toward the main house.

The light was dim, and the room was very dark.

On the bed in the main house, the red-clad, black-haired pharmacist was sleeping soundly, breathing steadily, seemingly unaware of everything around him.

Not far away on the ground, the accompanying disciple was carelessly tossed in a corner. The night wind was cold, and the young man’s thin body had a slightly pale complexion. Although he was still in a deep sleep, he instinctively curled up.

After casually glancing at the boy on the ground, the figure in the black cloak withdrew his gaze and walked straight to the bed.

He reached into his robe and took out an inconspicuous white porcelain bottle, from which he extracted a peculiar greenish-blue pill.

The figure in the black cloak smiled slightly, extending his hand toward the sleeping person, and stuffed the pill into his mouth.

Then, he pressed several key acupoints on the other’s body with his fingertips.

“Mm…” Xiao Lu groaned softly, slowly waking up, “This… is…”

“Disciple, we meet again.” The figure in black spoke with a smile, removing his cloak.

Beneath the cloak was a serious face, with a unique nobility and composure typical of a prominent family. It was a familiar face, the same one that had sternly denounced Nian Ying for attempting to frame Xiao Lu during the recent competition.

“Grand Elder?” Xiao Lu’s eyes still held a hint of confusion, as if he did not understand the current situation.

“Perhaps you should try to circulate your energy first,” He Lun said meaningfully.

He leisurely watched the person before him close his eyes to circulate his energy, then suddenly frowned, looking at him with an expression of disbelief.

“Disciple, you have been poisoned by my unique Seven-Day Powder. If you do not have my antidote, you will die from severed meridians in seven days.”

The red-clad pharmacist’s eyes flickered, unable to hide his shock: “What does the Elder mean by this?”

“Naturally, I have a request of you, disciple.” The Grand Elder elegantly lifted his robe and sat at the edge of the bed, satisfied as he watched the disciple’s complexion visibly pale, even instinctively tightening his fingers as if forcing himself to calm down.

Such a reaction pleased him.

“Hand over the inheritance that Ji Wuan obtained back then,” He Lun said.

“What is the Grand Elder talking about? I don’t understand your meaning.” Xiao Lu lowered his head.

“Why pretend to be foolish, disciple? Your master saved an unnamed martial artist during his travels, but unfortunately, that person was not skilled enough and ultimately died from his injuries, leaving behind a set of inheritance. It was after that that he gradually rose from an ordinary inner disciple to surpass everyone, gaining the title of genius.”

“But that inheritance did not belong to him.” He Lun’s gaze was sharp enough to pierce the heart.

“I… I… cough cough, I never heard my master mention it…” Xiao Lu clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

“Don’t try to deceive me.” He Lun’s eyes turned dangerous as he spoke astonishing words: “The prescription you used in the competition was derived from the inheritance he obtained back then.”

“Don’t you want to know why Nian Ying was able to learn of your prescription in advance? Your master had hidden that inheritance secretly, but there is no wall that does not let the wind through. How could the brothers who spent every day together not notice his abnormalities? I have seen quite a few of the prescriptions he secretly pondered over.”

“The events of that year were your doing!” The red-clad pharmacist’s eyes burned with anger.

“Indeed.” He Lun readily admitted, “He thought that closing the door would block outsiders’ prying, which was truly foolish. I only needed to use a little trick to know what he was researching.”

“Since you know everything, why ask me?”

Mentioning this, He Lun’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant: “This is also the most puzzling part for me. He was unexpectedly expelled from the valley, and while packing, I had my people watching him, yet I never discovered where he hid that inheritance.”

“I even once thought he had destroyed it.”

His sinister gaze fixed on Xiao Lu: “But now, you have produced a prescription similar to that of the past, indicating that the inheritance has reached your hands. Tell me! Where is it hidden?!”

Xiao Lu lowered his head, remaining silent, as if resisting without a sound.

“Disciple, I advise you not to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. With my poison, your life is in my hands. If you do not cooperate, I will make you wish you were dead.”

“Over the years, I have researched quite a few methods to pry open people’s mouths. Would you like to try them one by one?”

“Your disciple has been with you for a long time; why not let me practice on him first?” He Lun’s tone was like that of a venomous snake.

“So it turns out the Grand Elder disturbed our dreams at night for this.” The originally quiet Xiao Lu suddenly raised his head, a glimmer flashing in the moonlight, resembling a nocturnal predator.

That gaze was too sharp, and He Lun felt something was wrong, wanting to distance himself from the other.

But he suddenly felt a chill behind him, a cold pain exploding from his lower back, as something pierced into his body.

He tried to gently turn his eyes, glancing back, only to see the previously unconscious young man had quietly approached him from behind.

From his angle, he could not see what the young man was holding.

But the pain in his waist told him that the other had definitely done something.

“Don’t move.” The young man warned in a low voice, his tone as sharp as frost.

Cold sweat trickled down.

In front, Xiao Lu had already sat up calmly, his movements so neat that he showed no signs of being poisoned at all.

“You…” The prey had turned into the hunter, and He Lun instinctively felt something was wrong.

“I guessed that the Grand Elder would visit late at night, so I made some preparations in advance. I hope the Grand Elder can forgive us for not being a good host.” Xiao Lu adjusted his collar lightly.

“Oh, by the way, Grand Elder, it would be best not to act rashly. You are also poisoned, but unfortunately, this poison has no name. I hope the Grand Elder won’t mind.”

At this moment, He Lun already felt a bone-chilling cold spreading through his veins, like an ancient ice block flowing freely in his blood. Soon, he felt the circulation of his true energy slow down, his blood thickening, and even his breathing becoming labored.

“What… do you want?” He Lun forced himself to calm down, his gaze fixed on Xiao Lu, “All I seek is the inheritance. I can… offer a high price to buy your inheritance.”

“I can even write you a recommendation letter, recommending you… to various sects in the martial world as a guest elder, so that you… will no longer have nowhere to settle.”

Xiao Lu remained silent, as if contemplating something.

He Lun added, “If the He family supports you… in the future, when you walk in the martial world, everyone will give you a bit more respect.”

He did not believe he was in a desperate situation at this moment.

He was the Grand Elder of the Liuli Medicine King Valley, backed by the powerful He family, with many connections in the martial world. Any one of these resources was beyond the reach of this disciple living in a secluded valley, enough to ensure his survival.

“Thank you for your kindness, Grand Elder.” Xiao Lu smiled.

He Lun’s heart relaxed slightly, but he then heard the other say, “However, there is no need for the Grand Elder to worry. I feel that someone who wants my life—”

A gust of wind blew, causing the already weak candlelight to flicker, casting dappled shadows on the red-clad figure’s face. His long black hair spread out, deepening the shadows, making him look like a vengeful spirit emerging from hell.

“Is better off dead.”

The last image in He Lun’s mind was of the crimson sleeves rising, a pale palm approaching…

In the next moment, he heard a crisp cracking sound, and the world fell into eternal darkness and silence.

In the quiet mountains, a secluded small house ignited sparks, the flames slowly spreading in the night wind, silently turning the small house into scorched earth.

The moonlight flowed quietly, and the shadows of the trees became green algae in the water, two figures walking side by side, as if wading through water.

“Good disciple, I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless. I’m truly scared.”

“It’s the master who taught well; compared to the master, what are my little skills worth?”

“Disciple, don’t belittle yourself.”

“Master need not be overly modest.”