allendalepharm Chapter 1141 Lu Jin and Zheng Zibu
Chapter 1141 Lu Jin and Zheng Zibu
As night deepened, only a kerosene lamp was lit in the simple inn room.
Duanmu Ying lay on the hard bed against the wall, covered with a thin blanket.
After saying that, Lü Ci didn't say anything more. He just sat on the stool with a swagger, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting, but actually using his Ruyi Jin to probe the surrounding movements.
Like ripples on water, the Ruyi Force spread and radiated outwards from him to the surrounding area of the inn and even within a radius of several miles.
In fact, in a relatively remote town inn, this level of reconnaissance doesn't need to be conducted so frequently.
But he dared not stop.
He found that once he was idle and stopped this "working state", he felt helpless and very uncomfortable.
Instead of doing that, it's better to keep yourself busy.
Yeah, even if you're not busy, you have to pretend you are.
Duanmu Ying was lying in bed, not sleepy at all. She stared at the mottled ceiling, various images flashing through her mind.
There were carefree and joyful times in the Duanmu family's mansion when I was a child.
There were the tedious days of learning from a master at Jishetang, identifying pharmacological properties day after day.
There are novel worlds to see when studying abroad.
There is also the heroic spirit of the thirty-six sworn brothers in the Tongtian Valley of the Twenty-Four Sections of the Qinling Mountains.
She still remembers that night by the campfire, Zhang Huaiyi was drunk and dozing off against the stone wall, while Feng Tianyang boasted that he would make all the spirits in the world work for him in the future, and Dou Hong stroked his beard and laughed and cursed, "A bunch of little brats."
Next is what they did last in Tongtian Valley, and the girl they lost.
How could I have lost her?
Where did she go?
She'll be alright, right?
Definitely not. Someone as fortunate as her shouldn't be harmed by anyone. Instead of worrying about her, you should worry about yourself.
Then, Duanmu Ying recalled the scene of the bustling dock that afternoon.
"Why don't you stay? I'll take care of you!"
Those words, those words, were like a pebble thrown into the lake of her heart, rippling out in circles, and the ripples have not subsided to this day.
In fact, women are far more sensitive than men. Even though Duanmu Ying was a straightforward woman and not particularly sensitive, she could still sense Lü Ci's feelings.
In fact, back in the field hospital in northwestern Shanxi, she had vaguely sensed that this "little mad dog" in the eyes of outsiders, who killed without blinking an eye on the battlefield and never flinched in the face of various battlefield situations, was a little shy in front of her.
But at that time she only vaguely sensed it and didn't pay much attention to it, and even teased him a little.
Today, at the dock, in that scene, this "little mad dog" was really crazy enough that he actually shouted it out.
But what's going on now? Why has he lost his previous spirit and is now just standing there like a block of wood?
Duanmu Ying turned her head slightly and glanced at Lü Ci. She smiled to herself. Even a mad dog isn't crazy in every situation; he's a bit unseemly in this regard.
Duanmu Ying smiled to herself.
If it weren't for the fact that she was exhausted from the past few days and was currently on the run, she would have definitely teased and mocked Lü Ci.
However, I really don't have that in mind right now.
"Lüjia Village..."
Duanmu Ying silently murmured the name in her heart.
Based on Lü Ci's current performance, she didn't think there would be any danger in going to Lü Family Village. Moreover, the Lü Family, one of the four major families, was considered a reputable and righteous sect.
But she still felt a deep sense of bewilderment. Even though she had gained the ability to treat both hands, fulfilling her greatest wish as a doctor that there was no disease in the world that she could not cure, she felt no satisfaction at having achieved her long-cherished wish. Instead, she felt a deep emptiness, as if she were a piece of duckweed drifting with the current. In this vast world, where was her true home?
Can Lüjia Village protect her?
Even if you can protect someone for a while, can you protect them forever?
"Let's hide for a few more years... until Senior Brother Zhang comes out of seclusion..."
As she recalled what Lü Ci had said, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
She and the young Taoist priest are not related, so will she help her?
I don't want to think about it anymore, sigh! I don't want to think about it anymore.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to think about these things.
But my brain wouldn't cooperate and kept turning.
She remembered what Lü Ci had said.
She was a rebellious and fearless person since childhood, but after hearing those words, she couldn't help but shed tears.
Duanmu Ying turned over and faced Lü Ci.
"hedgehog."
"Ok?"
Lu Ci opened her eyes and looked at her: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask you, are you sleepy?" Duanmu Ying asked.
"Not sleepy."
"Really?"
“Really, I can go without sleep for days and nights and be fine,” Lu Ci said.
The candlelight flickered inside the room.
There's a huge mouth in the shadows complaining that there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names; Erbi is truly an idiot.
Duanmu Ying stared at Lü Ci for a long while.
Lu Ci felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and dared not meet her eyes. He looked out the window and said:
"Go to sleep early, you have to travel tomorrow."
"Aren't you cold sitting there?"
“It’s not cold.” Lü Ci shook his head decisively.
Duanmu Ying sat up in bed, folded the quilt, placed it in the middle of the bed, and then pointed to the other side of the bed.
"You lie over there, and we'll each have half of the blanket."
Lu Ci glanced at the bed, then at Duanmu Ying, and shook his head.
"I can just sit."
“I can’t sleep when you’re sitting here. You’re standing there like a statue, and I don’t feel at ease,” Duanmu Ying said.
Lu Ci remained silent for a moment, then stood up, walked to the bedside, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He sat very close to the edge, half of his body dangling outside, like a cat ready to escape at any moment.
The candlelight continued to flicker.
An unseen mouth seemed to be complaining: Even I, who was secretly observing, felt awkward about this scene.
Seeing Lü Ci's expression, Duanmu Ying couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, just sit here." She lay back down and pulled the blanket over herself. "Don't fall off."
"No." The room fell silent.
With her eyes closed, Duanmu Ying listened to Lü Ci's breathing and suddenly felt less confused.
At least for this moment, there was someone sitting next to her, someone who was willing to stay up all night just so that she could get a good night's sleep.
But she still couldn't sleep, and she said, "Hedgehog."
"Ah."
"What is Lüjia Village like?"
Lu Ci thought for a moment and said, "It's just a village. There are mountains, water, and fields where rice and vegetables are grown."
Are there many people?
"Dozens of households. They're all from the same clan."
"Will they... not welcome me? Everyone outside says we're the Thirty-Six Thieves," Duanmu Ying said softly.
Lu Ci was silent for a moment, then said, "No, you are the best doctor. We would welcome you if you could."
He paused, then added, "In our Lüjia Village, doctors are the most respected people."
Duanmu Ying smiled and said, "Hedgehog."
"Mm," Lü Ci responded.
"I've gone to Lüjia Village, what will I do next?" Duanmu Ying asked again.
“I’ll protect you from now on. Let’s stay in Lüjia Village for a while. After this storm passes, we can go to Northwest Shanxi. You can be the doctor, and I’ll be the soldier!” Lü Ci said. In fact, he quite enjoyed the military life in Northwest Shanxi.
“Okay!” Duanmu Ying said with a smile.
Lu Ci continued, “Once we get to Lu Family Village, you can continue your medical studies. Didn’t you say you wanted to go overseas to learn new things? If you can’t go overseas, you can study at home. Lu Family Village has a large collection of books. If you need any books, I can ask Fatty Wang to get them for you from abroad.”
"With the help of Senior Brother Zhang's name, he also wields considerable influence overseas!"
"By the way, didn't you ask before where the military got their penicillin?"
"Actually, it was him who came up with it. He brought back a set of penicillin production equipment from overseas, which could be used for small-scale production. In recent years, he has brought back a few more sets, and the production scale has become larger and larger."
"By the way, with your current abilities, you probably look down on penicillin."
Lu Ci had been holding back a fart for a long time, but now he suddenly started talking non-stop.
But in reality, this talkative mode is also a form of escapism; it's a way of avoiding putting oneself in an awkward situation through constant chatter.
……
Duanmu Ying looked at Lü Ci, who was talking to himself, and sighed softly, saying:
"Alright, I understand. Go to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."
Lü Ci nodded, sat up straight again, and straightened his back.
Duanmu Ying closed her eyes; this time, sleepiness truly came.
She vaguely dreamt of what life was like in Lüjia Village: mountains, water, and fields. They grew rice and vegetables; it felt like home.
The candlelight flickered, and the unseen mouth was too exhausted to utter a word!
Erbi is an old woman!
You're not tired of sitting, but I'm tired of watching.
With a thought, he shifted his focus.
Lu Mang's figure appeared in their sight.
……
……
After leaving Shanxi, Lu Jin first returned to the Lu family in Jiangnan and met with his father, Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan was sitting in his armchair, sipping tea, and looking his son up and down: "You want to get involved in the Thirty-Six Thieves' affair?"
"I don't care about any of the Thirty-Six Thieves or anything like that."
Lu Jin looked at her father with a resolute gaze and said, "I only want to find Zheng Zibu. He is my good friend, and I cannot stand by and watch him suffer."
Lu Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Zheng Zibu... is that the one from the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan? I remember you two have known each other for many years."
“Yes, I’ve known him since we were teenagers. Although he’s competitive, he’s not a bad person. He was implicated by Wugensheng in this matter, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Lu Jin said.
Lu Xuan sighed. He hadn't wanted to get involved in this mess. Everyone should mind their own business when it comes to the Thirty-Six Thieves; none of the Lu family members were involved, so they could have stayed out of it. But he knew his son well; the boy was loyal and stubborn, and once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.
"What do you want to do?" Lu Xuan asked.
“I need to find him and protect him,” Lu Jin said, “just like Fatty Wang protected Feng Tianyang.”
Lu Xuan picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, pondered for a long time, and said, "Go and bring him back. Our Lu family still has some influence in the martial arts world. If we discuss it with his sect, we should be able to save him."
"Thank you, Father!" Lu Jin was overjoyed.
"Don't thank me." Lu Xuan waved his hand. "I only have one request: don't get yourself involved."
Lu Jin nodded, turned around and strode out of the main hall. He began to mobilize the Lu family's resources to find Zheng Zibu's whereabouts. Worried that his own resources might not be enough, Lu Jin also used Yin-Yang paper to contact Wang Ai and asked him to help make arrangements.
With the resources of the Tiantong Church and the Wang family at his disposal, the three major forces searched together and found Zheng Zibu's whereabouts in less than half a day.
It turns out that Zheng Zibu had appeared near Maoshan. Judging from his appearance, he was probably on his way to the sect.
The Lu family was not far from Maoshan, so Lu Jin immediately led several members of the Lu family there.
At this moment, Zheng Zibu was walking on a mountain path, heading towards Maoshan.
His Taoist robe was torn in several places and stained with blood, some of it his own, but mostly other people's.
Along the way, he had already fought off many waves of pursuers from various forces. Faced with the temptation of the extraordinary techniques in his hands, even some prestigious sects could not sit still.
"If we continue along this road and cross that mountain, we'll reach Maoshan. I need to bring this technique back to the sect. If the sect can obtain the Tongtian Talisman, they might be able to make further progress, perhaps even surpassing the Celestial Master's Mansion, the head of the three talisman sects. At least in the field of talismans, they might be able to surpass them," Zheng Zibu muttered to himself.
Although Zheng Zibu was a high-ranking master of the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan, he was different from many of his fellow disciples.
Most of the other Shangqing disciples are pure of heart and have few desires. Compared to studying talismanic arts, they prefer to devote themselves to studying various Taoist classics and rituals. They also do not like to travel the world or compete for power. The great reputation of Maoshan Taoists is actually mostly made by people from the wild Maoshan.
But Zheng Zibu was different. He was somewhat similar to Zhang Huaiyi, possessing an inherently competitive and sharp spirit.
Back when he first met Zhang Huaiyi in the Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley, he wanted to test his skills against Zhang Huaiyi. However, Zhang Huaiyi refused to fight him. In fact, if Zhang Zhiwei hadn't been standing so high, seemingly reaching the top, he would have wanted to give Zhang Zhiwei a try.
Along the way, Zheng Zibu encountered many ambushes, and none of the people who ambushed him were from his own sect.
In fact, the Shangqing Sect did not like to meddle in worldly affairs. When the list of the Thirty-Six Thieves was leaked, they did not pursue him very hard, which is why he was able to reach the Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley.
After his acquisition of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques was exposed, the sect still didn't send anyone to hunt him down, nor did they send anyone to rescue him. So, he was fighting alone all the time.
Just as he was about to reach Maoshan, Zheng Zibu passed by a village and suddenly stopped. It was his hometown.
An ordinary village, with a few dozen households and mud-brick walls, everything was just as he had left it.
Looking at the familiar village entrance, he was suddenly overcome with a strong sense of homesickness.
He suddenly wanted to go home and take one last look. After all, the future was uncertain, and whether he would live or die was hard to predict. He wanted to see his family one more time.
After hesitating for a moment, he started walking towards the village, just one look, that's all. (End of Chapter)