Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1873: 1405: Worth It (2)
Previously on Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan...
Thus, silent thanks welled up in their hearts. A blank Divine Tablet was erected since the identity of their savior remained a mystery.
…
“Get out of the way! Hurry and clear the path!”
Near the city entrance, the thunder of charging hooves erupted, mixed with urgent and terrified cries.
The lined-up residents noticed the disturbance and sensed the rider's high standing; none dared to challenge it. They hastily parted to the sides, opening a route for the speeding horseman.
The mounted figure appeared massive and robust, his features radiating wicked aura, hands probably drenched in countless deaths, yet the figure he cradled drew even greater focus.
The once-pristine silk garment was soaked in deep crimson from heavy bleeding, with fresh drops still falling steadily.
“Clear the way at once—allow them straight into the city!” The guard captain urgently ordered his men.
Da da da—
The horse thundered by the sentries without halting, maintaining its pace even after passing through the gates.
“Captain, why permit direct entry like that?”
Pa!
A sharp slap struck the questioner, and the captain muttered irritably under his breath, “Can't you see? He was carrying someone drenched in blood.”
“If I'm right, that's Xie Family's heir, Xie Yaozhi!”
He had crossed paths with the rider several times before and recognized him as the chief protector for the Xie heir!
Only the young master could stir such desperation in this guard.
“Stay cautious for now, all of you—keep your heads down and avoid crossing the Xie Family, or you'll invite disaster!” the captain warned the group earnestly.
A cold shiver ran through everyone, their frames stiffening. They now grasped why the captain had stood aside and allowed the entry—it stemmed not from indifference, but from fear!
The Xie Family dominated the region as the mightiest clan!
The patriarch had once served as a second-grade official, and the family's power endured after his withdrawal, bolstered by his three sons thriving in bureaucracy as aides or protectors.
Furthermore, the Xie disciples and past aides wielded substantial influence across Daqian!
To the Xie Family, these seemingly important guards were mere insects.
Meanwhile, certain townsfolk identified the pair and began whispering among themselves.
“Quiet down! Stay silent and queue properly for entry! Any further uproar,” the captain spotted the brewing issue and bellowed.
Such topics weren't for public chatter. He worried about drawing harm to bystanders later.
…
Elsewhere.
The frantic guard at last reached the Xie residence.
Those brief instants dragged on eternally and painfully, as he felt the vital essence of his charge ebbing rapidly, breaths turning faint.
“Hurry! Summon the patriarch and Doctor Jiang—the young master is gravely hurt!” Still approaching the entrance, the guard yelled to shave off precious moments.
With no one in charge, the gate attendants panicked at the news. Luckily, a few sharp ones bolted off to various mansion sections.
Before long, uproar swept through the Xie Mansion. Tension hung thick, servants fretting over potential reprimands.
Doctor Jiang rushed over and, seeing Xie Yaozhi bloodied and breathing shallowly, paled instantly. He swiftly locked the life force to stave off death for at least fifteen minutes, then started examining.
“Doctor Jiang, how fares my dear Yao’er? Will he pull through?” The elderly Xie patriarch inquired anxiously.
Though Xie Yaozhi carried the flaws of a spoiled youth, he shone as the brightest and wittiest among the grandchildren, tasked with upholding the Xie legacy.
His loss would leave the other heirs too ordinary to sustain the clan's prestige, forcing the three sons to sire more children or bring in kin from branches.
Who, if they could help it, would relinquish hard-earned fortune, assets, and ties to outsiders beyond their bloodline?
“Sigh—”
Doctor Jiang heaved a deep breath, his expression grim as he stated solemnly, “Patriarch, my healing arts fall short—I truly can't save the young master. At best, I've stabilized his life force to delay the end briefly.”
“What?” The patriarch reeled in shock. This doctor was his personal choice, from a reputable lineage, trained by a former imperial healer.
Even he lacked assurance in rescuing Xie Yaozhi?
If he failed, who else might succeed?
Plenty boasted superior skills to Doctor Jiang, but the issue lay in whether Xie Yaozhi could endure until such experts arrived.
“Please, Doctor Jiang, sustain my grandson's life as long as possible. I'll beseech a true master, even at the cost of dignity, to come here.”
“Of course.” Doctor Jiang assented with a nod.
The Xie patriarch stepped out slowly and confronted the prostrated guard. “Xie Ping! What occurred?”
“To the patriarch: The day began normally, with the young master guiding us to hunt at the Three-Headed Mountain beyond the walls. Spotting a deer, the young master veered away alone in pursuit.”
“Yet, concealed in the woods lurked a Black Bear Devil! Taken by surprise, the young master suffered a direct assault from the Bear Devil.”
“A Bear Devil? You're sure? Such a Devil Beast emerged near the city hills?”
“Positive—upon my return, the Black Bear Devil was encircled and, in all likelihood, subdued by now.”
The Black Bear Devil's cultivation level was low; its severe wound on Xie Yaozhi arose from sheer chance and a sudden strike.
“It has to be that Daoist sorcerer hexing the young master—why else would a Devil Beast like a Black Bear pop up during a hunt in the forest?” Xie Ping recalled abruptly and blurted out.
“Who was that individual!” The patriarch's gaze sharpened icily as he demanded.
“Unclear who he was—that day…” He summarized the day's happenings broadly.
Upon listening, much of the patriarch's anger ebbed— the wandering cultivator likely hadn't cursed anyone; rather, as described, it was Xie Yaozhi's own fault.
He was intimately aware of his grandson's history.
Why hadn't he intervened? To him, those were minor indiscretions. As long as the boy could uphold the family banner, details paled.
Yet this incident imparted a harsh lesson to the patriarch.
“Patriarch, shall we dispatch men to pursue that Daoist?” Xie Ping seethed, missing the root of the matter.
The patriarch dismissed it feebly with a wave. “Unnecessary—we lack even a name for that person; how to track him in this vast crowd?”
His thoughts centered on rallying renowned healers and peak physicians from afar to Guan Province for his grandson's treatment.
…
At the same time, in another place.
With his survey of Guan Province nearly complete, Li Zhirui readied himself for the capital journey, oblivious that his offhand comment from days prior had twisted into accusations of a Daoist sorcerer's malediction.
Yet it meant nothing to him—what harm could idle talk inflict?
Moreover, he remained ignorant of the affair, or more likely, had dismissed it entirely from memory.
As the capital lay inside Guan Province, encircled by its territories, the journey proved short. Li Zhirui reached it with little exertion.
En route, he came upon a band of youngsters frolicking happily.
A nearer look revealed them as offspring from the household he'd aided with provisions, bringing a grin to his lips.
Witnessing these kids thriving eased Li Zhirui's mind, enhancing his Mental State ever so slightly in that instant!
The gain was small, but given his outlay of just a thousand taels of silver and a couple of days, it proved highly efficient and truly valuable.