Ye Qiu’s expression was grave.
He hadn’t expected his innate true qi to fail.
Master Longmei’s condition was now critical, hanging by a thread.
What could he do?
Ye Qiu furrowed his brows tightly, racking his brain for a way to save him.
Shuisheng asked anxiously, “Doctor Ye, my Uncle Master…?”
“He could die at any moment,” Ye Qiu replied, not sugarcoating the truth.
“Doctor Ye, you can save him, right?” Shuisheng placed all his hopes on Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu said solemnly, “I can’t save him.”
Shuisheng’s heart trembled. He stared blankly at the unconscious Master Longmei, tears streaming down his face as he spoke, “If it weren’t for Uncle Master, I might have died twenty years ago.”
“He’s not just my saviour—he raised me, too.”
“Uncle Master is the only family I have in this world. For twenty years, he’s loved and protected me, caring for me in every way. To me, he’s more like my real father!”
“Maybe even my biological father couldn’t have treated me as well as he has.”
Choking back sobs, Shuisheng continued, “Now he’s about to die, and I can’t do anything to help. I can’t save him. I feel so awful—I don’t want him to…”
Thud.
Shuisheng suddenly dropped to his knees before Ye Qiu.
“What are you doing?” Ye Qiu asked, startled.
Shuisheng pleaded, “Doctor Ye, I know you’re a miracle healer. No matter what, please save my Uncle Master. I’ll kowtow to you!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Shuisheng frantically began banging his head on the ground.
Ye Qiu quickly pulled him up, saying, “You don’t need to do this. The old man’s my friend—I won’t stand by and let him die.”
“But with my medical skills, I can’t heal the backlash of the Heavenly Dao.”
“I’m just as anxious as you are.”
Shuisheng continued to beg, “Doctor Ye, I’m begging you—you have to save Uncle Master.”
“Enough, stop crying. Let me think of something.”
Ye Qiu felt utterly helpless.
Seeing his good friend on the brink of death, yet being unable to save him, was nothing short of tragic.
“Whether I can save the old man or not, I have to try.”
Ye Qiu took out his golden needles and began acupuncture.
The Nine Needles of Yang Return.
No effect!
The Seven-Star Needle Technique.
No effect!
The Taiyi Divine Needle.
No effect.
The Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate.
No effect!
…
Ye Qiu tried over a dozen long-lost acupuncture techniques in one go, but none managed to rouse Master Longmei.
In desperation, he thought of one last method.
Ye Qiu said, “Shuisheng, I have a way to wake the old man up, but it won’t last long.”
“Doctor Ye, what do you mean?” Shuisheng asked hurriedly.
“Think about what you’d like to say to him once he wakes up,” Ye Qiu instructed. “Because after he comes to, he’ll only have five minutes at most.”
Five minutes!
Shuisheng’s heart jolted. That meant once Master Longmei woke up, he’d have just five minutes left.
“Doctor Ye, if we don’t wake him, how long can he hold on in his current state?” Shuisheng asked.
Ye Qiu’s voice was low. “The old man’s life force is draining fast, and his bodily functions are failing rapidly. At this rate, he might last another twenty minutes.”
Shuisheng’s face turned deathly pale.
Ye Qiu’s words made it painfully clear.
Whether it was five minutes or twenty, Master Longmei’s death was inevitable.
“Doctor Ye, is there… really no hope for Uncle Master?”
“I want to save him, but I can’t.”
Wiping away tears, Shuisheng said, “Doctor Ye, wake him up. Even if we can’t change the outcome, I still want to talk to him.”
“Alright!”
Ye Qiu channelled his inner strength and pressed a finger against Master Longmei’s Tanzhong acupoint.
Then, he tapped another finger on the centre of Master Longmei’s forehead.
Ten seconds later.
Master Longmei slowly opened his eyes.
“Uncle Master, you’re awake?” Shuisheng quickly wiped his tears, trying not to let Master Longmei see his sorrow.
“Shuisheng, help me sit up,” Master Longmei said.
Shuisheng propped him up into a sitting position.
“Little rascal, how much time do I have left?” Master Longmei asked.
“You’ve got five minutes,” Ye Qiu replied. “I’ll find the Heavenly Master’s Sword for you, and Shuisheng can bring it back to Mount Longhu.”
“As for the task you entrusted me with in the capital, I’ll take care of that too.”
“Thank you,” Master Longmei said gratefully to Ye Qiu before turning to Shuisheng with a kind smile. “Shuisheng, Uncle Master’s about to leave. Do you have anything you want to say to me?”
Shuisheng replied earnestly, “Uncle Master, after you pass, I’ll bury you on Great Dragon Mountain. That way, Mount Longhu will give rise to a true dragon emperor.”
“I’ve also planned your funeral. We’ll hold it once we’re back at Mount Longhu.”
“Since your body won’t make it back, I’ll make a straw effigy in your likeness and give you a grand funeral.”
“Oh, and Uncle Master, you liked sneaking peeks at Widow Wang bathing—did you fancy her? How about this: I’ll cut out a paper figure in her likeness, bikini-style, and burn it at your grave.”
“And I’m also planning to…”
Smack!
Master Longmei slapped Shuisheng hard on the forehead, fuming, “You wretched disciple, are you trying to infuriate me to death?”
“What’s wrong, Uncle Master? One Widow Wang isn’t enough for you? Even if I wanted to burn a few more paper figures for you, could an old man like you handle it?”
“Shut up!”
Master Longmei barked, then turned to Ye Qiu. “I went through hell and high water to get here. Now that Great Dragon Mountain is within reach, if I die without seeing the Heavenly Master’s Sword, I won’t rest in peace.”
“The Grandmaster left three trials, and we’ve passed two. Only the final one remains.”
“So, no matter what, I have to find the Heavenly Master’s Sword.”
Ye Qiu sighed. “Old man, we’ll find the Heavenly Master’s Sword eventually. The problem is, you won’t last that long.”
“What if I could?” Master Longmei countered.
Ye Qiu froze, suddenly considering a possibility. Shocked, he asked, “Old man, do you have a way to preserve your life?”
“I don’t have a life-preserving method, but I do have a life-extending talisman.”
With that, Master Longmei rolled up his robe sleeve, revealing a red brocade pouch sewn inside.
He tore it off and pulled out a talisman, saying, “This life-extending talisman was drawn by a predecessor of Mount Longhu. There were originally three, stored at Mount Longhu for centuries, entrusted to each generation’s head.”
“During the Republic era, with warlords carving up the land and society in chaos, two of them were used to protect Mount Longhu’s legacy.”
“This one in my hand is the last.”
“I had intended to save it for the next head, but it seems I’ll have to use it now.”
