The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. On the mountain near Fulong Cave.
Ye Jingtang hid in the bushes, using a telescope to observe the natural cave entrance over ten zhang high in the mountain depression. Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning were on guard around them.
After learning the approximate location where King Wu was hiding yesterday afternoon, Ye Jingtang rushed back to Baisu Town overnight without stopping. He found the two thousand light cavalry stationed there.
Facing the great achievement of capturing King Wu, the military officer leading the troops didn't even ask him to show the plaque of "Acting on Behalf of the Emperor" to put on an act. He directly broke camp and rushed over to prepare for the siege.
However, King Wu was hiding in the deep mountains and old forests. No matter how fast the large army marched, it couldn't arrive in an instant. He had to act as a scout and come to this area to keep watch first, to prevent King Wu from escaping again.
King Wu's spies were obviously very well-informed. Not long after he arrived, countless figures appeared in the originally deserted Fulong Cave.
Then more than four hundred personal guards and servants emerged, carrying boxes filled with jewels, medicinal herbs, and documents. King Wu, dressed in a python robe, was also among them.
There were more than a hundred prisoners chained up behind them, and they quickly marched towards the depths of Wushan Mountain under the moonlight.
Ye Jingtang carefully searched through the队伍 with the telescope. After looking for a long time, he didn't find the whereabouts of top masters like Bai Siming and Guan Yujia. It was not until King Wu's team had walked several li into the mountains that a group of people appeared in the karst cave again.
There were more than a dozen people in a line, all of whom seemed to be masters. In the lead were Bai Siming in a scholar's robe and Guan Yujia with a bandage.
Behind them were two martial artists wearing black cloaks, each carrying a weapon wrapped in black cloth on their backs.
Further behind were eight people dressed as personal guards of the royal mansion, jointly carrying a shoulder-high brass medicine refining furnace. Judging from its size, it weighed no less than three thousand jin.
There were still flames burning in the fire hole under the medicine furnace. Beside it was a disheveled old man with a medicine box, walking in front with a palm-leaf fan, constantly observing the heat.
Ye Jingtang perked up when he saw this scene. Knowing that the target customers had arrived, he handed the telescope to Third Lady and asked:
"Are the weapons those two men wearing hats are carrying Junshan Knives?"
After taking a close look for a few moments, Pei Xiangjun said: "They look like it, and the build also resembles Yao Wenzhong. It seems that the news from the Three Wonders Immortal Elder is correct. Why are the people from Junshan Terrace not coming to deal with you but walking together with King Wu's men?"
"Maybe it's for the medicine in the furnace."
Luo Ning squinted her eyes and observed, asking in confusion: "Why are they walking separately?"
Ye Jingtang was clear about this and raised his hand to signal:
"King Wu's personal guards all extinguish the lights and march silently to avoid being discovered by the scouts. There is a fire in the medicine furnace, and they must keep a distance. This way, if something happens behind, King Wu can directly run away. If something happens in front, with a distance of several li, the masters behind are more than capable of dropping the medicine furnace and catching up in an instant."
Luo Ning suddenly understood and thought for a moment: "There are four top masters. The three of us definitely can't deal with them. By the time the court troops arrive, they will have already run away. How can we get the prescription?"
Ye Jingtang knew that a frontal attack was courting death. After carefully observing the situation for a few moments, he slightly hooked his hand and leaned close to the ears of the two girls...
——
At the same time, in the valley.
The "Thief Saint of Beiliang" dressed in a night suit quietly hid in the forest, secretly watching a group of people carrying a furnace slowly pass by.
After shaking off that white-clothed enchantress the night before yesterday, her pursuit progress had been much smoother. She no longer had to worry that halfway through the chase, a white figure would suddenly appear and give her a good beating.
But thinking back, the half-year of chasing and escaping between them was not all bad.
Since she left her hometown with a heavy responsibility a few years ago, she had been alone, hiding in the dark and wandering the martial arts world. She had traveled all over Beiliang, and no one knew who she was or what she was doing. Usually, there was no one to talk to. It was as if she was wander outside the world. Over time, she herself had gradually become depressed and slack in such an environment.
The appearance of the white-clothed enchantress was like putting a big wolfhound behind her, chasing and biting her. Although the process was very unpleasant, it had to be said that her movements were much more agile than when she was traveling alone. The original boredom had completely disappeared, and every day's life was about outwitting the enchantress.
Now that the enchantress had really left and she was back to being alone again, she couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Fortunately, she was already close to her goal. As long as she got the prescription for the Tianlang Pearl, she could return to her hometown in glory. After the Xuehuahua bloomed, she could come out of the mountain and settle the score with the enchantress...
The person in black thought secretly like this, maintaining a distance and following the large medicine furnace as it slowly advanced through the forest.
The person in black knew that inside the large medicine furnace was the medicine for the "Tianlang Pearl". Judging from her understanding of the Tianlang Pearl, it had been prepared for at least half a year and had been kept warm with fire. As long as the main medicine, Xuehuahua, was added, the pearl could be formed into medicine immediately.
If this furnace of medicine was wasted, even if King Wu had the medicinal herbs, he wouldn't have half a year to prepare again. So these people needed to take the medicine furnace with them when they fled.
And Zhang Jinglin, who was taking care of it beside the furnace, had a medicine box hanging on his back. Without accident, the "incomplete prescription" of the Tianlang Pearl that he had stolen from the Beiliang Imperial Palace was inside.
She wanted to find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack and get close to snatch the medicine box. But there were four masters beside Zhang Jinglin. She was confident that she could shake them off, but rushing in to snatch the thing was too risky. So she could only maintain a distance and wait quietly for the opportunity.
And this opportunity didn't make her wait for too long...
——
Under the moonlight, eight people were carrying the brass medicine furnace and walking through the forest. The marching speed was not slow.
Bai Siming walked in front to lead the way. While looking around at the surrounding forest, he was also trying to persuade the two from Junshan Terrace beside him:
"The Tianlang Pearl has just been successfully tested, and there is one being prepared in the medicine furnace behind. As long as we take it, it won't be a problem for me and Brother Guan to become Martial Champions on the spot. However, it takes time to boil the medicine. Please follow me to Huangshi Ridge first..."
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong had just arrived, and the officers and soldiers arrived soon after. It was a bit suspicious to say the least.
However, the officers and soldiers had already reached the vicinity of thirty li, indicating that the court had already broken camp and set out at noon.
And at noon, Bai Siming was still trying to persuade Xuan Yuan Hongzhi, and the location was accidentally leaked by Guan Yujia. Therefore, they didn't suspect these two people who might become their lifesavers.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi had never thought of helping King Wu escape from the beginning. The purpose of staying here was similar to that of Jieyun Palace. He wanted to cheat the prescription and then leave.
But Bai Siming was in a desperate situation and had also become more cautious. He would never hand over the prescription without seeing a way out. Instead, he kept boasting about the power of the miraculous medicine in his hand.
It would take at least half a day for the large army of officers and soldiers to march thirty li in the mountains, which was enough time for everyone to transfer. The group was not in a hurry.
But not long after the more than ten people had walked a few li, there was suddenly a commotion from King Wu's silently marching team in the distance:
"Ah—"
"Enemy attack..."
Chua Chua—
The sound of drawing swords was dense.
The faces of several people changed suddenly, and they raised their eyes to look towards the distant mountains.
Because it was already dark and they didn't dare to light torches, they could only see, by the light of the moon, that there were large figures shaking in the personal guard team, as if they were forming a formation.
Bai Siming secretly thought it was bad and wanted to rush back to King Wu's side to provide support. But at this moment, a full-throated voice suddenly came from the nearby forest:
"Master Yao, hold back Bai Siming! In just half a quarter of an hour, Lord Meng can capture King Wu alive..."
!!
The four people at the head of the team were all top masters, and their reactions were even faster than their thoughts.
The moment the voice sounded, Bai Siming's stepping forward foot stopped.
And Guan Yujia, who was injured, was already cautious. Sensing something was wrong, he raised his hand and threw a powerful punch directly at the side face of the man wearing a hat beside him.
Bang—
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi's strength was definitely not weak, but compared with a overlord like Guan Yujia in Wu Prefecture, there was still a gap. Sensing the danger, as soon as his hand touched the handle of the knife behind his waist, he was punched in the face and flew out horizontally, crashing into and breaking two trees as thick as a bowl.
Crash—
Yao Wenzhong was much more steady. When he heard the sound, he knew he had fallen into a trap. Seeing Bai Siming's extremely tricky palm strike coming, he directly took big steps back to create distance:
"Stop! There's a trick!"
But everyone was on edge and wary of each other. Even though they knew it was a trick, the four of them simultaneously leaped into the air and quickly moved away from the copper medicine furnace where they had originally been.
Ye Jingtang was lying in ambush in the forest waiting for the opportunity. Seeing the four top masters retreating and distancing themselves from each other due to mutual suspicion, he immediately leaped up. Like a black lightning bolt, he rushed through the forest and pounced directly on Zhang Jinglin, who was standing in front of the medicine furnace and hadn't reacted yet.
Originally, Ye Jingtang's plan was to kidnap Zhang Jinglin and run away, shift the blame to Junshan Terrace, and let the two groups fight each other.
But to Ye Jingtang's surprise, as he rushed out with the speed of thunder, a figure also rushed out from the forest behind Bai Siming's team at the same time.
The thin figure's speed was incredibly fast. It jumped from a spot thirty zhang behind and made a "bang—" muffled sound. In a flash, it flashed nearby, almost the same as the momentum of True Person Xuanji's surprise attack last time.
Ye Jingtang's face changed slightly when he saw this scene. He kicked a tree in the air and flew back.
And the Thief Saint of Beiliang who rushed out found that Ye Jingtang had the same target as her and that there might be a conflict. She also forced herself to stop in place halfway.
Crash—
The moment Xuan Yuan Hongzhi was punched out and bounced back, the other five people had already maintained a distance and scattered around the medicine furnace.
And the eight loyal servants of the royal mansion who were carrying the medicine furnace finally reacted at this moment. They quickly put down the copper furnace, drew their waist knives, and looked around warily.
After Bai Siming glanced at the two people who suddenly appeared, he looked at the man in black robe and hat on the right, feeling that his figure was somewhat familiar.
Guan Yujia directly said:
"Ye Sishao?! So you're really okay! Doctor Zhang, do you see that? It's him. The medicine is indeed effective, and he's still perfectly fine now..."
Although Yao Wenzhong was surprised that Ye Sishao would suddenly show up, he had no intention of paying attention at this moment. He just frowned and looked at the woman in black behind, feeling that her lightness skill was somewhat astonishing.
Ye Jingtang also didn't expect to encounter someone who was suspected to be one of the Eight Champions. He guessed in his heart that this woman was the fierce person who had knocked True Person Xuanji unconscious.
Since the surprise attack to kidnap someone hadn't succeeded, it would be even more difficult to get close now.
Ye Jingtang had now revealed his official identity and was afraid that he would be attacked by everyone. Therefore, he calmly said:
"Xuan Yuan Hongzhi, long time no see."
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong stood together. Xuan Yuan Hongzhi had been punched in the face, and his hat and face towel had been torn apart. Half of his face was swollen. He stared at Ye Jingtang, who was masked in black, and said:
"It's only been a little over a month since we last met, and Young Master Ye has changed so much that it's really unexpected."
Whoosh—
While the six people present were judging the complex situation, there was suddenly a commotion near the medicine furnace.
Everyone looked out of the corner of their eyes and saw that the disheveled Zhang Jinglin had quietly opened the medicine furnace, opened the medicine box at his waist, flipped open the hidden button at the bottom, and directly poured the contents into the medicine furnace.
Shasha—
Countless white objects were poured out from the interlayer at the bottom of the medicine box, making a fine and soft sound.
At first, everyone didn't understand. After the Thief Saint of Beiliang took a few looks, she recognized what it was and angrily shouted:
"Stop! How can you waste it like this..."
"It's not a waste, not a waste!"
Zhang Jinglin had an excited smile on his face as he poured a whole box of medicine into the medicine furnace:
"I've been researching the Tianlang Pearl for twenty years. Now that the medicine is finally made, I have to prepare a real one. This half a catty of Xuehuahua was hidden in the private treasury of the Beiliang Emperor. It was originally reserved for making the Tianlang Pearl. If it were wasted elsewhere, that would truly be a waste of a precious thing..."
"Xuehuahua?"
"Half a catty?!"
When everyone heard this, including Ye Jingtang, they secretly took a deep breath.
Because Ye Jingtang needed to find a substitute for Xuehuahua, when he left the capital, he asked about the situation of Xuehuahua. He learned that Xuehuahua bloomed once every sixty years, and the yield was extremely low. It took the two major dynasties sixty years to produce it, and it wasn't even enough for the emperor to use alone.
When the Great Wei Dynasty was founded, they got more than a catty of it. Now, only three qian were left, which was only enough to prepare one dose of medicine. Even when the empress was so ill, she was reluctant to use it.
Pouring half a catty of it in one go couldn't even be described as a waste of a precious thing. It was completely crazy.
Bai Siming had supported Zhang Jinglin for nearly three years, and it was the first time he knew that Zhang Jinglin had hidden so much Xuehuahua at the bottom of his medicine box. He angrily said:
"Zhang Jinglin, didn't you say that only one qian of Xuehuahua was needed for one Tianlang Pearl? Why..."
After pouring the Xuehuahua into the medicine furnace, Zhang Jinglin felt at ease. He calmly observed the heat:
"If a miraculous medicine that can make people be reborn and become extraordinary only requires one qian of Xuehuahua, the various tribes in the Western Sea could produce dozens of Martial Champions to sweep across the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Tianlang Pearl is a peerless treasure. It's already considered the effort of an entire country to be able to produce two or three of them every sixty years. How could there be so many in the world?"
"You... How dare you deceive the king?!"
"I stole the Xuehuahua, and I prepared the medicine. But I'm not going to take it. I just want to recreate this thing. You all want a Tianlang Pearl that the Beiliang royal family has been unable to obtain. How can you say that I'm deceiving? After the Xuehuahua is added to the medicine, the pearl can be formed in just a quarter of an hour. At that time, whoever takes it will be the next Fengguancheng. But it's better not to take action now. This is the only chance in your lives. Any little disturbance may ruin the heat of this pot of medicine, and then no one will get any benefits."
"..."
When everyone heard this, they all fell silent.
Although Zhang Jinglin's words about being comparable to Fengguancheng were a bit exaggerated, half a catty of Xuehuahua had already been put into the pot. Even if only an aphrodisiac was refined, it was probably enough to make a person able to "serve a hundred women at night". So it was really not a good idea to act rashly.
The Thief Saint of Beiliang knew that the "Tianlang Pearl" was most likely real, but the old version of the Tianlang Pearl couldn't be used by anyone even if it was prepared. She had no intention of snatching it at all. After thinking for a while, she said:
"I'm also a pharmacist. I don't expect to be reborn. I'm only interested in the prescription. Since you've already prepared the Tianlang Pearl, could you give me the incomplete prescription obtained from the Beiliang Imperial Palace? I'll leave on my own without participating in the scramble after I get it."
Zhang Jinglin was quite surprised when he heard this, but he wasn't stingy either. He rummaged through the medicine box, took