Illness

The Imperial Guards roared their acknowledgment. Over a hundred armored warriors drew their sabers in pursuit, while the rest nocked arrows to their bows, aiming at the two fleeing silhouettes. The Zhao Shun bringing up the rear suddenly spun around, flung his arms wide, and slammed his palms together before his chest. Smack! Amidst the crisp, resounding clap, two water dragons surged once more from the distant artificial lake. Their target was not the Imperial Guard, but the two fleeing figures. The water dragons soared gracefully through the air, colliding above the two tyrannical monarchs and dissolving into a torrential downpour. The curtain of rain obscured their vision. Some archers relaxed their bowstrings, while those who persisted in firing possessed no accuracy to speak of under the dual hindrance of night and rain. Zhang Yuanqing and Beauty Wan seized the chance to dart through one luxurious pavilion after another, scaling rockeries and bounding over white marble balustrades. In the vast imperial palace, they engaged in a sprint of parkour, fleeing toward the southern gate. Whoosh! An arrow dipped in kerosene, blazing furiously, shot from afar. As it neared Zhang Yuanqing and his companion, the flames suddenly swelled— Consort Wan turned her head and spat a water arrow, dousing the burgeoning fire. In the distance, the flames that had just ignited across the Level 6 Fire Demon's body abruptly snuffed out. Fire Traveling failed. Whoosh, whoosh... Piercing whistles split the air again. Under the cover of night, two three-inch flying swords pierced the back of Consort Wan's heart, splashing a spray of water, and shot straight toward Zhang Yuanqing. The stout Consort Wan grunted. A splitting headache tore through her, as though a needle had been driven into her crown. Though the water spirit technique she practiced allowed her to ignore physical harm, she knew that swordsmen renowned throughout the martial world could condense sword intent to sever both flesh and primordial spirit alike. Stumbling in her stride beneath the agonizing headache, she still reached out desperately to intercept the flying swords and prevent them from striking His Majesty. Even she could barely endure it, let alone His Majesty! Yet with her speed, how could she outpace flying swords? She could only watch helplessly as His Majesty fell into mortal peril. At the critical moment, Zhang Yuanqing dove to the side and vanished without a trace. The two three-inch flying swords wheeled rapidly in midair, having lost their target. Seeing this, Beauty Wan breathed a sigh of relief. Halting her retreat, she turned to confront the swordsman flying toward her atop his sword. From her sleeve, she whipped out a black supple whip, swinging her arm to lash it at the lightly armored swordsman with a loud crack, but he dodged it easily using his Insight technique. Beauty Wan flicked her wrist gently, and the whip instantly branched out—one into two, two into four, four into eight... In a flash, thirty-two whips manifested, lashing wildly across the sky. Crack, crack, crack! The sharp snapping never ceased. Flying on a sword was ultimately less nimble than maneuvering on the ground. Struck by a lash, the middle-aged swordsman's flesh immediately tore open. Snagged and dragged by the whip, he tumbled from the sky. Beauty Wan thudded forward in a wild charge, barreling toward the middle-aged swordsman like a war chariot. Black light swirled around her like a vortex, frantically siphoning moisture from the air. With less than ten meters between them, the middle-aged swordsman's mouth instantly parched. The skin on his cheeks wrinkled, the flesh on his arms withered, and within mere seconds, sixty percent of the moisture in his body was stripped away. The middle-aged swordsman's face darkened as he clashed sword against whip with Beauty Wan. Yet the sword qi and close-quarters combat prowess in which swordsmen took pride were utterly meaningless before a Water Ghost's passive ability. In the cycle of the five elements, Metal generates Water; between the two spiritual energies, Water trumped Metal. Thus, a Swordsman possessed virtually no advantage when fighting a Plague God. While not completely countered, victory was out of the question. Fortunately, the Fire Demon who had just failed in his Fire Traveling arrived. He possessed a full beard, a square face, and tiger-like eyes, with an indelible restlessness etched between his brows. Charging forward, the Fire Demon conjured a fireball radiating blistering heat in his palm and hurled it fiercely at Consort Wan. Boom! The fireball exploded. The expanding blaze lit up the darkness, blasting Consort Wan backward through the air. The Fire Demon general sprinted forward, his refined-iron saber sweeping up ribbons of flame to become a blazing fiery blade that cleaved downward with all his might. Consort Wan dodged to the side, brushing past the blade as the flames bursting from the refined-iron saber splashed across the ground. Seizing the moment while the woman was pinned down, the middle-aged swordsman once again took flight upon his sword. Hovering in midair, he looked down, two beams of pale light shining from his eye sockets to sweep the surroundings. The next second, the two flying swords circling wildly seemed to lock onto something, curving around and streaking into the distance. Slash! Water splashed where the two flying swords tore through, and a figure tumbled into sight, clutching his head and stumbling. It was Zhang Yuanqing. Fuck... Zhang Yuanqing's face twitched in pain. Although the Water Ghost abilities granted by the Yin-Yang Robe avoided physical attacks, the Fiend Queller force imbued in the flying swords still stung his spiritual body. At Level 6, a Swordsman's passive skill Fiend Queller underwent a substantial leap, allowing it to blend into weapons like sword qi and inflict considerable damage on the target's soul. Fortunately, although he was only in the Transcendent stage, both Night Walkers and Illusionists were renowned for powerful spiritual bodies, enabling him to withstand it. Any other Transcendent class would have suffered severe damage to their primordial spirit and fallen unconscious. The middle-aged swordsman let out a soft exclamation of surprise. "Who would have thought that a dissolute emperor could possess such cultivation?" Guided by sword qi, the two flying swords wheeled around and shot toward him once more. In that instant, Zhang Yuanqing scanned through all the Transcendent-stage items in his inventory and guild warehouse, only to realize sorrowfully that after giving away the Red Dancing Shoes, not a single Transcendent-stage item could help him evade a Level 6 combatant. The gap in levels was simply too vast. Just as a Level 6 Swordsman's Insight technique could easily see through Night Roaming, it was purely due to the difference in rank; at an equal level, Insight could never spot a concealed Night Walker. A Swordsman possessed Unyielding Will, making illusions, charm arts, and seduction useless. As for hard crowd control, expecting a Transcendent-stage item to lock down a Level 6 Swordsman was pure fantasy... Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, and he quickly pulled out two Earth Monster items: a clay figurine and a yellow clay shield. At the same time, he threw back his head and let out a high-pitched howl into the night. From the pitch-black sky, a bright, clear beam of moonlight descended, illuminating his figure. Howl at the Moon! He unleashed the Night Walker exclusive power-up skill that had sat idle for so long, doubling all his attributes. Bang! Bang! The spherical barrier formed by the clay figurine shattered. The yellow clay shield shattered. Yet Zhang Yuanqing exhibited supernatural agility and reflexes, narrowly dodging the two lightning-fast flying swords. Empowered by Howl at the Moon, Zhang Yuanqing's strength surged, but he still had no intention of fighting. Just as he prepared to activate Night Roaming to escape, his forehead suddenly flared with fever, his breath grew scorching, his limbs turned limp, and he began to cough violently. Damn it... it's pathogens... Zhang Yuanqing looked around, but caught no sight of the Plague God spreading the illness. Instead, the middle-aged swordsman guided his flying swords to strike again. "Your Majesty..." Consort Wan cried out in alarm. Taking a direct slash from the Fire Demon, she disengaged from combat and lashed her supple whip with all her might. With two crisp cracks, the flying swords were swatted away. Consort Wan thudded over in a frenzy, flailing her arms and snapping her whip in an attempt to entangle the dehydrated swordsman. But the same trick did not work twice on him; the middle-aged swordsman immediately ascended on his sword, effortlessly eluding the whip's coils. Taking advantage of the lingering effects of Howl at the Moon, Zhang Yuanqing activated Night Roaming once more, cloaking his form. He then wheeled around, retracing his steps toward the Summer Palace. The Fire Demon general glanced up at the elevated swordsman, turned his head, and bellowed, "Water Monkey, bring the rain!" Rain would outline the concealed Night Walker. Hearing this, a look of resolute determination flashed in Consort Wan's bell-like eyes. She launched herself at the Fire Demon general in a suicidal charge. The latter immediately set his refined-iron saber ablaze, slashing at her. Consort Wan tilted her head to dodge the edge of the blade, letting it cleave into her body, which hissed and billowed dense steam. She reached back and locked onto the Fire Demon general's arm, black radiance rolling around her as she voraciously sucked away all surrounding moisture. No rain fell, as doing so would only grant a continuous influx of water-spirit empowerment to the tyrannical monarch's loyal death warrior. The Plague God known as Water Monkey and the airborne swordsman sped off in hot pursuit toward the palace gates. The Fire Demon general looked back with ease and gave a harsh chuckle. Magma-like liquid oozed from his pores, and his facial features and flesh dissolved into molten lava, like a monster crawling forth from a volcano. The Fire Demon passive skill: Lava Body. Lava Body allowed a Fire Demon to temporarily assume a non-human form, granting greater pyrokinesis and fire resistance, primarily used for fighting within seas of fire and magma. In this form, virtually no moisture existed, flawlessly neutralizing a Plague God's Moisture Deprivation. Transforming into a magma monster, the Fire Demon gripped Consort Wan in return and barked, "Form formation!" By then, a hundred armored soldiers had caught up. A squad of heavy-armored guards stepped forth, dropped to one knee, and pressed their palms to the ground. Rumble! The bluestone pavers cracked open as rammed-earth walls rose from the earth, sealing Consort Wan and the Fire Demon general within. The next instant, roaring flames engulfed the cramped confines of the earth walls. Crimson jets of fire spewed through the cracks like high-pressure flamethrowers. In the distance, Zhang Yuanqing abruptly halted his footsteps and turned toward the rammed-earth walls. Fire and earth countered a Plague God's passive abilities. Consort Wan could not escape; she would be boiled dry by the flames. "Y-Your Majesty, that question you asked me..." Consort Wan's agonizing cries filtered through the cracks in the walls. "Chancellor Zheng was behind it... It was Chancellor Zheng! Your... your humble servant is going to join the Empress Dowager..." Her voice stopped abruptly. In the end, she had referred to herself as "your humble servant," not "your concubine." Zhang Yuanqing retracted his gaze and sprinted on toward the Summer Palace, his face devoid of any expression, cold as ice, while flames seemed to burn deep within his dark eyes. He tore forward, brushing past Imperial Guards, leaping over white marble balustrades, and bounding past lavish pavilions. Before long, he returned to the ruined Summer Palace and plunged headfirst into the lake. Clad in the Yin-Yang Robe, he shot through the water like a torpedo, trailing dense bubbles as he dove toward the lakebed. Sensing the undercurrents, he located an underground river passage less than half a meter wide amid the accumulated silt. Zhang Yuanqing's body liquefied into water, slipping right into the conduit. *** In the south of the capital, a ten-foot-wide river flowed quietly. Along its banks stood row upon row of residences with white walls and black tiles, interspersed with delicate brick-and-timber houses. A moss-covered stone arch bridge stood silently beneath the moonlight. Across the calm waters, a sudden splash broke the silence as a figure emerged. Dressed in bright yellow robes, his long hair dangled soaked and disheveled. His face was as pale as paper as he struggled toward the riverbank. A mere meter or two took him ages to swim before he managed to haul himself onto a stone washing platform used by the local women. As though his strength were utterly spent, he sprawled out flat on his back, gasping heavily and coughing at intervals. Trembling, he pulled a porcelain vial from the void, uncorked it, and swallowed the pill inside in one gulp. His pale face finally regained a trace of color. Zhang Yuanqing was in terrible shape. The backlash from Howl at the Moon and the invasion of pathogens were gnawing away at his life. Though the pill he ingested could treat illnesses, it was only of Transcendent-stage quality; it could merely alleviate the Level 6 Plague God's pathogens, not cure them. "Sect Master?" A joyful call came from the riverbank, and two dark silhouettes, one tall and one short, rushed toward him. It was Jiang Jingwei and Queen, who had also escaped the palace through the subterranean river. They had traversed the underground river for a long time. Upon surfacing, they realized they had exited the imperial palace and reached this area, after which they had stayed hidden in an alley waiting for Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing turned his head toward the two on the bank and grumbled with a smirk, "Come carry me, I'm out of strength." Queen volunteered, running down the stone steps. First, she inspected Zhang Yuanqing's body thoroughly. Finding no fatal injuries, she let out a slight breath of relief. Scooping him up in a bridal carry, she asked, "Sect Master, what happened to you?" "Infected by a Plague God's pathogens..." Zhang Yuanqing gave a wry smile. "Take medicine! Take medicine!" Jiang Jingwei urged anxiously. "Transcendent-grade pills are useless against this," Queen said as she carried Zhang Yuanqing, walking briskly along the stone-paved riverside path, ducking into alleys and darting across streets. Fifteen minutes later, they picked a house with a courtyard skywell and slipped inside. Using a hypnosis item Zhang Yuanqing had given her, Queen hypnotized the homeowner, making the middle-aged couple genuinely believe that the three youths were their nephew and nieces who had traveled to the capital to seek refuge with them. The nephew and nieces had journeyed from afar, exhausted and famished, and needed a hot meal before sleeping. After putting them up in the guest room, the homeowner urged his wife to hurry to the kitchen and cook. Soon, the woman carried three bowls of rice, a dish of vegetables, and a dish of cured pork into the room. "Auntie, go to bed first. We'll clean up after we eat," Queen said, taking the bowls and chopsticks with a sweet smile. "Our oldest nephew's illness looks rather severe. Tomorrow, I'll have my husband take him to the Celestial Pharmacy to get checked out. The Imperial Preceptor's medicine can cure a hundred ailments," the woman said, her voice brimming with the pride of a capital resident and deep reverence for the Celestial Pharmacy. "Celestial Pharmacy?" Jiang Jingwei's mouth worked faster than her brain. "You mean the medicine shop run by the big boss?" Hearing that, the woman looked utterly bewildered. "What is 'Da Bosi'?" Queen put on a sorrowful expression. "Er Ya is having an episode again. Pay her no mind; she has been simple since childhood and often babbles nonsense." Deeply influenced by the hypnosis, the woman sighed. "What a pitiful child she is."