Had the whereabouts of the Heavenly Master Sword been found so quickly?
Ye Qiu found it strange.
Dragon Tiger Mountain had searched for centuries without locating the Heavenly Master Sword. How could Master Changmei have found it so soon after returning?
Moreover, when they were in the capital, Ye Qiu had checked Master Changmei’s condition. Given his state at the time, he should have been able to hold on for a few more months. How could he deteriorate so rapidly?
At that moment, Shuisheng spoke, “Uncle-Master used the Secret Art of Heavenly Divination multiple times to locate the Heavenly Master Sword, which worsened his injuries.”
So that was it.
Ye Qiu immediately said, “Shuisheng, send me your location. I’ll come to you right away.”
“Alright, Dr. Ye.”
The call ended.
Ten seconds later, Ye Qiu received the location.
He opened the map and checked it, realising that Lingshan County was in the south of the country, known in ancient times as the Land of Baiyue. It was 1,500 kilometres away from Jiangzhou.
Driving there would take nearly twenty hours.
Ye Qiu hurried back to the beauty salon, intending to inform Lin Jingzhi before leaving. However, the salon was in the middle of its press conference, with Lin Jingzhi, Qin Wan, and Tang Tang all seated on stage.
Ye Qiu instructed Xiao Zhan, “Keep a close eye on things here. Don’t let your guard down.”
“After the conference ends, have Han Long escort Tang Tang back to her hotel. Until she leaves Jiangzhou, she needs round-the-clock protection.”
“Also, apologise to Tang Tang for me. Tell her I can’t stay with her.”
“Boss, where are you off to?” Xiao Zhan asked hurriedly.
Ye Qiu replied, “I’ve got something critical to deal with. Xiao Zhan, I’m entrusting Jiangzhou to you and Han Long. Don’t let me down.”
“Don’t worry, Boss. I won’t disappoint you,” Xiao Zhan said, thumping his chest in assurance.
Ye Qiu glanced up at the three women on stage, then turned and headed home. He retrieved the Emperor Sword Chixiao and set off for Lingshan County.
…
It was 3 a.m. when Ye Qiu arrived in Lingshan County.
The journey had been exhausting—first a flight, then a train, and finally a bumpy bus ride to reach the county.
As soon as Ye Qiu stepped out of the bus station, a middle-aged woman intercepted him. She held a white sign with the words “Accommodation and Meals” written in red.
Ye Qiu instantly understood her intent and said, “I don’t need a place to stay.”
“You don’t have to stay, but you can eat. At this hour, my restaurant’s the only one still open. Everywhere else won’t open until morning,” the woman replied.
“I’m not hungry,” Ye Qiu said, starting to walk away.
The woman blocked him again, saying, “Handsome, how about internet? Six hundred for the night.”
“Six hundred?”
Ye Qiu thought he’d misheard. As far as he knew, even in first-tier cities, internet access didn’t cost that much.
And Lingshan County was just a small, eighteenth-tier town.
“Isn’t that a bit steep?” Ye Qiu remarked.
“Not at all,” the woman said, waving her hand dismissively. She lowered her voice and added mysteriously, “The computers at my place are top-notch—great performance, amazing experience. Guaranteed to satisfy you.”
Her words sounded odd. Ye Qiu said, “Are you talking about computers? It doesn’t sound like it.”
“Are you really that clueless, or just pretending?” The woman grew impatient. “Fine, I’ll be blunt. I’ve got girls.”
“One fifty for a quickie, six hundred for the night.”
“So, interested? Come with me if you are.”
Bloody hell, with my looks, do I look like I’m short of women?
You’re insulting my charm, aren’t you?
“Do you know what I do?” Ye Qiu’s face darkened. “I’m a police officer.”
“What?”
The woman’s expression changed drastically, and she turned and bolted.
“Bad luck!” Ye Qiu muttered, then opened his phone and followed the navigation, walking straight along the street.
Fifteen minutes later, he arrived beneath the county guesthouse.
Ye Qiu called Master Changmei’s number, and Shuisheng answered. “I’m here, downstairs at the guesthouse.”
“Dr. Ye, wait a moment. I’ll come down to get you.”
Three minutes later, a clean-cut young man opened the guesthouse door and stepped out.
The young man’s attire was peculiar. He wore a Taoist robe, but his feet sported a pair of Li-Ning Wudao sneakers. His head was completely bald, not a single hair in sight.
Without the robe, he’d look more like a little monk.
Was this the old man’s nephew-disciple, Shuisheng?
The bald youth approached Ye Qiu and asked, “Are you Dr. Ye Qiu?”
“That’s me,” Ye Qiu replied. “Where’s the old man?”
“Uncle-Master’s in the room, still unconscious. Dr. Ye, come with me quickly.” Shuisheng led Ye Qiu into the guesthouse.
Built in the ‘90s, the guesthouse had a concrete floor and was in severe disrepair. It was filthy, with melon seed shells and cigarette butts littering the corridors, and a foul stench hung in the air.
Second floor.
The room at the far end.
“This is where Uncle-Master and I are staying,” Shuisheng said as he pushed open the door.
Ye Qiu stood at the doorway and peered inside, immediately spotting Master Changmei.
The old man lay on the bed, covered with a quilt, eyes tightly shut. His snow-white hair was dull and brittle, like weeds battered by harsh frost.
Ye Qiu also noticed that Master Changmei’s face was ashen, his wrinkles piled up like crumpled wastepaper, layer upon layer, revealing his advanced age.
A pang of sorrow struck Ye Qiu, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Shuisheng said urgently, “Dr. Ye, I’ve heard from Uncle-Master that your medical skills are incredible. Please take a look at him—I beg you.”
Ye Qiu sat by the bedside and took Master Changmei’s pulse.
The next second, his expression changed.
“When did the old man fall unconscious?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Uncle-Master fainted three times during the day and twice at night. The last time was an hour ago, and he spat blood each time,” Shuisheng said. “The first time he fainted, I carried him to the hospital, but they wouldn’t take him. They said they couldn’t treat him.”
“Dr. Ye, can you save Uncle-Master?”
Ye Qiu shook his head. “A backlash injury—I can’t cure it.”
“So, does that mean Uncle-Master only has a dead end ahead?”
Tears streamed down Shuisheng’s face as he spoke through sobs, “After Master died, Uncle-Master was the closest person I had left in this world. He treated me so well. Every time he came back from a trip down the mountain, he’d bring me food, clothes, and things to use. These shoes on my feet—he brought them back for me from the capital this time.”
“Dr. Ye, how much longer can Uncle-Master hold on? I want to take him back to Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
Ye Qiu’s face was etched with grief as he said solemnly, “Based on the old man’s pulse, he has no more than… three hours left!”
