Chapter 18: Grandmaster Bai
Xu Qing didn’t pay attention to the man following him. As he continued through the fog, he fed the white bolus to Sergeant Thunder.
Whether it was because of the pill or the seven-leaf clover, the greenish-black color had stopped spreading across his face. However, there was still too much mutagen within him. Not even the white bolus was enough to reverse its effects.
Because of that, he remained unconscious. What he had experienced in this mission in the forbidden region had been too much for him.
And thus… in the depths of the night, Xu Qing continued through the fog. Along the way, he encountered more scavengers, with whom he traded white boluses in exchange for safe passage out. All they had to do was follow his footsteps.
There were some fools who didn’t cooperate. They became stark examples for the people who agreed to follow Xu Qing. And the respect in the latter group grew. All of them had come to the conclusion that Xu Qing was one of those rare people born with psychic powers; after all, that was the only type of person who could deal with the Fog of Confusion.
Graceful Raptor had told Xu Qing about people like that. When he’d traded for the white boluses, he was also thinking about this, and let the misunderstanding happen so as to conceal his real secrets.
After giving Sergeant Thunder over a dozen white boluses, his complexion had improved. Instead of being greenish-black, it was just greenish. He also seemed to have an easier time breathing.
At the same time, Xu Qing realized that his shadow couldn’t feed power into him for very long.
As he moved onward, he realized that the fog wasn’t as transparent as before. Things started getting hazy until, eventually, he was seeing the same thing as everyone else.
Thankfully, he was already close to leaving the fog.
Despite losing his ability to see clearly, he moved even faster than before. Darkness was fading from the sky, and the morning sun peeked over the distant horizon. As the light of dawn spilled over the lands, Xu Qing finally emerged from the foliage with Sergeant Thunder on his back.
He felt a bit emotional as he sped out into the outside world and left the jungle behind. No longer was he surrounded by sinister coldness. Instead, he felt a gentle breeze and warm sunlight.
In fact, the sun forced him to squint as he stood there, taking in great breaths of fresh air.
Those who had been following him also emerged, and were finally able to see their surroundings clearly. They had all lived through a perilous ordeal in which they almost died. Every member of that disparate group was excited. One old man even dropped onto his hands and knees, and kissed the dirt.
It was only at this point that they were able to see who they had been following. It was young Xu Qing, carrying Sergeant Thunder. Only a few of them recognized the former, but all of them were familiar with the latter. This was a sight they wouldn’t forget, and Xu Qing himself had made a deep impression on them.
“Kid!”
“Sergeant Thunder!”
Then Xu Qing glanced back at them, and they instinctively closed their mouths.
Truth be told, the way Xu Qing had dealt with the evil-hearted scavengers he had encountered left this group of survivors with feelings of awe.
Ignoring the followers, Xu Qing was just about to start running again when he saw two figures racing in their direction.
They were none other than Crucifix and Graceful Raptor. They had not returned to the basecamp, but had instead been waiting anxiously just outside the forbidden region. And they had already decided that if Sergeant Thunder and the rest of the squad members didn’t emerge soon, they would go back in to rescue them.
Then they saw Xu Qing off in the distance, and raced to his side.
When Crucifix laid eyes on Sergeant Thunder, his pupils constricted. Then he looked at Xu Qing, and his gaze softened. Graceful Raptor also looked shocked, and killing intent burned in her eyes as she glared at the people following Xu Qing.
The group shrank back, panting in anxiety.
“They weren’t involved,” Xu Qing said. “In fact, I have them to thank. Without their aid, Sergeant Thunder wouldn’t have made it.”
Graceful Raptor’s killing intent faded, and the followers breathed sighs of relief. Clasping hands and bowing in both respect and thanks, they went their own ways.
After they were gone, Crucifix stepped forward to take Sergeant Thunder off of Xu Qing’s back. Xu Qing stopped him.
“Let him sleep,” he said. “I’m fine.”
“Fine,” Crucifix said. “Let’s get back to the basecamp and get the sarge to the physician.” He took out another white bolus for Sergeant Thunder. Then the three of them raced toward the camp.
Along the way, Graceful Raptor seemed to be working hard to keep her mouth shut. But finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “What about Savage Ghost? Is Squad Bloodshadow still following you?”
Xu Qing took a moment before answering. “Savage Ghost experienced mutation and died in battle.”
Crucifix and Graceful Raptor stopped in place. Though they had been prepared for an answer like this, they couldn’t prevent their eyes from filling with grief. Graceful Raptor looked downright despondent.
However, the next thing that Xu Qing said left them completely astonished.
“Squad Bloodshadow was wiped out.”
“That’s how the sarge got hurt so bad,” Graceful Raptor muttered, “and also why his mutagen levels are so severely high….”
Graceful Raptor seemed content with the explanation. But Crucifix had a dubious expression on his face, as though he suspected there were more to the story. He even gave Xu Qing a deep look. However, he didn’t ask any further questions.
Nor did Xu Qing offer any explanations, or mention the Singing. That was Sergeant Thunder’s secret to keep, and it wasn’t Xu Qing’s place to make decisions about revealing it.
The three of them raced back to the basecamp, immediately heading to the caravan area in the middle, where the famous physician was taking patients.
When Squad Thunderbolt appeared, the others waiting in line could sense their somber and desolate mood. And when they saw the unconscious Sergeant Thunder, they moved out of the way. Thus, Squad Thunderbolt took the first place in line outside the physician’s tent.
It was a big tent that emanated a medicinal aroma. Guards in plate armor stood by in the tent, where the physician was examining a scavenger who had a pained expression on his face.
The physician was a skinny old man wearing a clean gray robe. He had a wrinkled face, but his eyes were lively and full of wisdom. In fact, they sparkled like stars, making it seem like he could see into the heart of whomever he looked at.
He was flanked by a young man and a young woman.
The young man seemed about the same age as Xu Qing. He wore a blue silk garment and his hair was tied with a black jade headband. Hanging at his waist was a piece of fine jade carved into the shape of a dragon, with a golden tassel that spread out on the cushion he sat on. He was handsome and well-kempt, but seemed like he was barely awake. His chin currently rested in his palm, and though he had an alchemy textbook in the other hand, he wasn’t even looking at it. Instead, he kept yawning.
On the other side of the physician was a young woman of about sixteen or seventeen years of age. She wore a long, blue skirt, and had a waterfall of black hair that framed a perfect, oval face. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her facial features were outstandingly beautiful. Her eyes, bright and clear, sparkled like the stars, and when she glanced at her companion and saw him dozing off, she smiled, then returned her attention to the medicinal codex she was studying. When she smiled, her eyes became like crescent moons overflowing with lingering charm. Her facial expression seemed noble, ensuring that anyone who looked at her would marvel at her grace and elegance.
This lovely young pair exuded a purity that scavengers rarely saw. In their presence, Graceful Raptor felt a bit self-conscious, and Crucifix couldn’t hold back from glancing at them repeatedly.
As for Xu Qing, he was mostly interested in the medicinal books they were studying. Upon seeing them, his eyes glinted with envy. Then he forced his eyes away from the books and focused on the physician.
The physician was currently explaining a few things to his scavenger patient. The scavenger offered profuse thanks, then left, whereupon the physician washed his hands in a copper bowl off to the side, then looked at Xu Qing and the others.
His gaze stopped briefly on Xu Qing, and he looked a bit closer at him, then went on to look at Sergeant Thunder.
“Put him down here,” he said.
For some reason, Xu Qing felt nervous when the old physician looked at him. It was the same feeling he remembered when attending class with the scholars back in the slums.
With Crucifix’s help, he set Sergeant Thunder down carefully in front of the physician.
Sergeant Thunder’s eyes flickered open, and he looked around in surprise. Then he saw everyone around him, and was about to struggle into a sitting position.
“Lay still,” the physician said coolly.
Sergeant Thunder looked up at him, and their eyes met. Then Sergeant Thunder continued to struggle up. Crucifix hurried forward and helped him to his feet. When Sergeant Thunder was able, he clasped hands to the physician.
“I got hurt, so they brought me here. I don’t want to cause you any trouble, Grandmaster Bai. I’m fine.”
“You know me?” the old physician asked curiously.
Sergeant Thunder nodded and respectfully said, “A few years ago I had a chance to see you from a distance.”
Grandmaster Bai looked at him deeply for a moment. “Your injury isn’t severe. And the mutagen in you has already been suppressed. But your mental state is an issue. You’ve obviously had some big ups and downs emotionally, and it’s damaged your heart and blood vessels. Combine everything, and it’s troublesome. I can treat you, but… the real issue doesn’t have to do with the recent injuries.
“You sustained internal injuries years ago, didn’t you? Someone crippled your cultivation base, though you managed to rebuild it over the years, which is quite an accomplishment.
“However, when you combine everything that’s happened to you, you can say that you’ve overtaxed your system in a way that common herbs and minerals can’t treat. Not even I have the ability to fix you. I’ll give you some medicine that will help a bit. The rest will be up to luck.
“There’s one thing you need to realize. Going forward, you cannot practice cultivation or do breathing exercises. If you do, the mutagen will cause your old internal injury to flare up. And then… you’ll die beyond the shadow of a doubt.”
Crucifix and Graceful Raptor took in Grandmaster Bai’s words without comment. Clearly, they were aware that Sergeant Thunder’s cultivation base had been crippled in the past. But it was Xu Qing’s first time hearing of the matter. Looking at Sergeant Thunder, he thought back to the Singing, and the blood-colored women’s boots.
“There’s nothing else we can do?” Crucifix asked gloomily.
“There is,” Grandmaster Bai replied. “If you could find a precious material such as a lifespan flower, he might get a new lease on life. A few years ago, I heard that the forbidden region here produced one such flower.”
Crucifix didn’t respond, and Graceful Raptor seemed worried. But when Xu Qing looked at Sergeant Thunder, the man looked calm, and he even gave a faint smile.
“It’s not a big deal,” Sergeant Thunder said, “just an old injury. I’m sorry for bothering you, Grandmaster Bai.” Clasping hands once again, Sergeant Thunder gathered Xu Qing and the others to leave.
After everyone had offered formal thanks, they took the medicine prescribed by Grandmaster Bai and left.
As for Xu Qing, he had the feeling that, when they had clasped hands upon leaving, Grandmaster Bai had been looking closely at him.
After leaving the physician’s tent, the surviving members of Squad Thunderbolt didn’t say anything to each other.
They returned to Sergeant Thunder’s residence, where both Crucifix and Graceful Raptor seemed like they wanted to say something. Sergeant Thunder interrupted and told them to leave.
When they were gone, Sergeant Thunder got some tobacco from his cabin, took a pipe out of his sack, and started smoking. As the smoke drifted about, he sighed and looked at Xu Qing with an expression of concern.
Waving away some of the smoke, he smiled and said, “I couldn’t even think about smoking in the forbidden region, but now we’re back. This feels great. Smoking is much better than any kind of medicine.”
Xu Qing opened his mouth to reply, but Sergeant Thunder cut him off.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll cook. And… we can drink together.”
From what Xu Qing could tell, Sergeant Thunder wasn’t interested in talking about the recent events. After a moment, Xu Qing nodded. “Let’s eat snake.”
Deathblade's Thoughts
Thanks so much for the review, Penguinos! Long live the F5 Sect!!!