Lu Qing walked step by step to the spot where the plague gourd had fallen.
At this moment, the plague gourd lay quietly half-reclined in the pit it had created.
No more gray smoke rose from it, revealing its dusty, gray body.
However, Lu Qing did not get too close, maintaining a safe distance.
In his field of vision, the Plague Gourd was emitting a faint purple glow.
【Plague Gourd: A heretical magical artifact, a damaged low-grade spiritual weapon.】
【The natal magic weapon of the Plague Elder, a powerful heretical cultivator from the ancient era of cultivation.】
【It contains the aura of plague, capable of eroding the soul and body, spreading disease; it is extremely evil.】
【This magical artifact suffered severe damage, greatly diminishing its spiritual power, and has not yet recovered.】
【As the ancient era of cultivation came to an end, the Plague Elder, to avoid the calamity of the Five Signs of Decay of Heaven and Man, abandoned his physical body, devoted himself to his natal magic weapon, and seized its spirit to prolong his remaining life.】
...
A strange look appeared in Lu Qing's eyes.
The note that appeared on the plague gourd contained a considerable amount of information.
First, there was the Heavenly Tribulation of the Five Decays of Man, which was the first time Lu Qing had seen this description.
It seems that the end of the era of cultivation was not simply due to the depletion of spiritual energy, but something even more terrifying happened that caused cultivators to disappear, leaving behind very few legacies.
Secondly, there was the so-called plague elder.
Abandoning the physical body, seizing the spirit of the artifact...
So, is this plague-ridden old man still alive inside the gourd?
Lu Qing stared quietly at the plague gourd.
After a long time, there was still no sign of it.
It was as if, after the death of the fourth son of the Qi family, it lost its controller and became an inanimate object.
However, Lu Qing would not be so rash.
The fourth son of the Qi family was only at the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm. Logically speaking, he should not have the ability to freely control magical artifacts.
Even with Lu Qing's current strength, it would be extremely difficult for him to borrow even a little bit of the power of the Qiankun Qi Bag.
If you said there wasn't something fishy going on, Lu Qing would never believe it even if you beat him to death.
Now that the Plague Gourd is feigning death, Lu Qing will not be so easily fooled.
He thought for a moment, and suddenly a cloth bag appeared in his hand. With a thought, the bag suddenly swelled up and swallowed the plague gourd, which was half a person tall.
The moment the bag expanded, an unbelievable surge of energy emanated from within the gourd: "A bag of unified energy! How is this possible? Wait..."
However, before the fluctuation could finish speaking, the Qiankun Qi Bag had already swallowed the Plague Gourd, cutting off its next words.
After swallowing the Plague Gourd, the Qiankun Qi Bag shrank back to the size of a palm and fell into Lu Qing's hands.
A cold smile appeared on his face: "Trying to negotiate now? Too late."
He knew that the old plague demon had definitely not disappeared.
Otherwise, even with the damage to the Plague Gourd, Qi Jia's fourth son's cultivation level alone would not have been able to control it so flexibly.
There must be someone else secretly helping him.
He even suspected that the fourth son of the Qi family had not actually refined the Plague Gourd, and that it was all just the old Plague ghost inside the gourd misleading him.
Faced with this cunning old ghost who survived tens of thousands of years ago, Lu Qing naturally did not want to listen to him say more.
He will only feel at ease once he has it completely under control.
As for what to do with that old ghost afterward, that's entirely up to him.
After carefully storing the Qiankun Qi Bag, Lu Qing returned to the village.
The Ji family head and others greeted him with awe.
Having witnessed firsthand Lu Qing's many extraordinary abilities and the terrifying power unleashed by that arrow just now.
The Ji family head and the others finally understood why the Azure Dragon City Lord had said that even the Holy Mountain was unwilling to provoke this young man.
This is because his strength is beyond the comprehension of those in the Innate Realm; he is on a completely different level.
"Young Master Lu, is the fourth son of the Qi family dead?" the Ji family head asked cautiously.
"Dead." Lu Qing nodded.
The head of the Ji family immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he witnessed it with his own eyes, Qi Changfeng was blown to pieces by Lu Qing's arrow.
However, the various methods Qi Changfeng had previously used were all too bizarre.
So before Lu Qing confirmed it, he really couldn't be sure that the other party was really dead.
"By the way, Young Master Lu, how is my son doing now?"
"I have removed the miasma mark from the Third Young Master's body. Now his body is fine. As long as he rests for a period of time, he should be able to fully recover."
He is now asleep. If you are worried, you may go and check on him.
Lu Qing waved his hand gently, removing the array light barrier that enveloped Young Master Ji.
Upon seeing this, the Ji family head felt even greater awe. He bowed respectfully to Lu Qing before heading towards his son.
Lu Qing then looked at the old doctor: "Master, how is your health?"
The old doctor, who had finished regulating his breathing, smiled and said, "I'm fine now. With your talisman, that bit of gray energy won't have much of an impact on me."
"Then this matter is settled, Master. Let's continue our journey."
"Alright then." The old doctor did not object.
"Young Master Lu, Senior Chen, are you leaving?"
After checking on his youngest son's condition, the head of the Ji family was about to come over to express his gratitude when he overheard their conversation and was taken aback.
“That’s right, Patriarch Ji. The people in this village have been protecting your son before we arrived.”
The girl who stayed by his side, in particular, took care of him without leaving his side for a moment.
Please, Patriarch Ji, do not mistreat them.
Upon hearing this, the Ji family head's expression immediately turned solemn: "Of course, how could I, Ji, be such an ungrateful person?"
"Young Master Lu, please rest assured, the Ji family will take good care of the villagers in this village."
“Master Ji, these villagers used to suffer from leprosy. Although they have recovered, they still have lingering ailments.”
I will leave a prescription behind. Patriarch Ji can have someone knowledgeable in medicine prepare the medicine according to the prescription and make some ointment.
Applying this ointment to these villagers should, after some time, at least allow them to recover to a state similar to that of a normal person, even if it doesn't completely cure their ailments.
After your son recovers, this remedy can also be used to remove the sores and scars on his face and body.
At this moment, the old doctor said.
"Then I thank you on behalf of my son and these villagers, senior," the Ji family head said respectfully.
He dared not be negligent in front of the senior doctor.
He still felt shocked when he recalled the sword energy domain that this person had previously unleashed.
As fellow practitioners of swordsmanship, he felt that his own swordsmanship was nothing compared to his opponent's, like a baby learning to walk, completely incomparable.
So the old doctor went to the carriage, took out his pen and ink, wrote a prescription, and handed it to the head of the Ji family.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Qing decided to leave a prescription as well and give it to the other party.
"Patriarch Ji, this is a prescription. Take it back and use the methods on the prescription to treat the Third Young Master. In less than half a month, his body should be fully recovered."
"Thank you both. I will remember this kindness and never forget it in the slightest."
The head of the Ji family respectfully accepted the prescription.
At the same time, I felt a little happy.
He had just seen his youngest son; he was extremely weak, and the sores on the left side of his body and face were quite shocking.
These two recipes are like a godsend, they came at the perfect time.
After finishing these tasks, Lu Qing and his group were finally ready to set off.
"Master Ji, it's fate that we'll meet again."
After everyone boarded the carriage, Lu Qing nodded slightly and climbed inside.
Ma Gu flicked his whip, and the carriage slowly started moving. Then, a stream of blue energy emerged, transforming into a streak of light, and it sped away into the distance.
The Ji family head and others stood at the village entrance, respectfully watching the carriage depart.
Only after the carriage disappeared from sight did everyone turn their attention away.
"Master, this young master Lu is truly a god-like figure. No wonder the city lord is so respectful of him and dares not offend him in the slightest."
One of the Ji family's innate talents couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Indeed, and that senior is also extraordinary. His sword energy was like a dragon earlier, which is the realm that we sword practitioners dream of."
Another person at the Innate Realm also sighed in agreement.
"Not only that, but the fourth son of the Qi family has also become terrifyingly strong. I wonder where he got that gourd from. It has such magical and strange power. I wonder what kind of treasure it is."
Upon hearing this, the Ji family's innate masters fell silent for a moment.
Indeed, they were just as curious about this matter.
They knew very well about the background of the fourth son of the Qi family.
In the past, he was not only not powerful, but even his strength was inferior to theirs.
However, previously, relying on that strange gourd, he not only reached the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm, but was also able to unleash such terrifying power.
Even the old master who had comprehended the realm of sword energy was unable to do anything to him.
It goes without saying that the gourd must be an unimaginable treasure.
Unfortunately, with Young Master Lu around, that gourd is definitely not something they can get their hands on.
"It seems that the world has really changed after the spiritual energy revival. All sorts of unbelievable things are emerging one after another. In the future, this world may no longer be in the hands of us innate realm cultivators."
After a long silence, one of the Innate Realm experts sighed.
"Alright, stop lamenting. The resurgence of spiritual energy has certainly made the world more mysterious and difficult to understand, but this may also be our destiny."
You should have noticed that your recent practice has been much easier than before.
As long as we diligently continue our studies in the days to come, we may very well one day possess the great power of Young Master Lu.
Seeing that the members of the Ji family who were at the Innate Realm seemed dejected, the Ji family head spoke up.
Upon hearing this, several members of the Ji family's innate level were startled.
A look of clarity flashed in his eyes, and a look of shame appeared on his face.
"The patriarch is right to reprimand us; it is we who have lacked ambition."
The Ji family head shook his head. In truth, after witnessing the power Lu Qing displayed, he was also deeply shaken.
But as the head of the family, he could not allow this sense of dejection to spread.
After glancing in the direction the carriage had gone, the Ji family head walked into the village with mixed feelings.
He was pondering how to resettle the villagers in the village.
Having promised to take good care of the villagers here, he naturally wouldn't go back on his word.
...
Lu Qing was naturally unaware of the conversation that took place between the Ji family and others after they left.
However, he was not worried that the Ji family would break their promise.
Not to mention that given the nature of the Third Young Master Ji, he would not have done such a thing.
Even the head of the Ji family doesn't seem like someone who would be so clueless.
As the head of a clan, he should know very well what the consequences of deceiving himself would be.
Inside the carriage, Hu Laosan was questioning Hu Zezhi.
"Xiao Lian, where did you go after you left the city that day?"
Your uncle later wrote to say that you did not attend the Xuanxin Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony at all.
And what about Brother Zheng and Miss Wang?
Like you, they disappeared without a trace after leaving the town.
Qinglongcheng hasn't returned either. I've been to their residence several times, but no one is there.
Hu Laosan recalled the panic he felt when he received the letter from Hu Zezhi's uncle.
If one did not know that the Central Plains were so vast, finding someone would be as difficult as climbing to heaven; staying in Azure Dragon City would be the best way to gather information.
He even considered leaving Qinglong City to search for his daughter.
“Father, you don’t know this, but Wang, Zheng and the others didn’t intend to escort me to the Xuanxin Sect at all. They had their eyes on the Xuanxin Token on me all along...”
"...If it weren't for Young Master Lu and the others saving me, I'm afraid I would never have seen you again in my life."
Hu Zezhi finally had the opportunity to tell her father about the grievances in her heart.
These words filled Hu Laosan with extreme shock and anger.
"Those villains surnamed Zheng are such beasts in human form."
I had once considered them close friends and helped them settle down in the city.
I was absolutely blind!
Old Hu never imagined that the person he entrusted with his care would almost plunge his children into an abyss of despair.
I was filled with shock, anger, and lingering fear.
Suddenly, Hu Laosan knelt down in the carriage and kowtowed to Lu Qing and the old doctor.
"Thank you so much, young master and senior, for saving my daughter's life. Otherwise, I, Hu Laosan, would not know how I would live the rest of my life."
"Uncle Hu, there's no need for that. We were just there by chance that day. It's all thanks to Miss Hu's good fortune that she turned misfortune into good luck."
Lu Qing reached out and gently helped Hu Laosan up, smiling.
“Young Master Lu, since the child’s mother passed away, Xiao Lian has been my only concern in this life.”
I simply cannot imagine what life would be like without her.
In short, I, Hu Laosan, will never forget your immense kindness and will repay you even if it means serving you like a slave in the future.
Old Hu refused to kneel down, but the gratitude on his face did not diminish in the slightest.
"Uncle Hu, you flatter me."
Lu Qing then comforted Hu Laosan with a few more words.
Suddenly, his expression changed, and he called out softly, "Master Ma, let's find a place to rest for a while at noon."
Then, with a somewhat serious expression, he looked at the old doctor and said, "Master, after we park the car, I need to go into seclusion for a while."
"Is there something wrong with that gourd? Do you need my help?"
The old doctor noticed Lu Qing's expression and said with some concern.
He naturally witnessed Lu Qing collecting the plague gourd.
In fact, the old doctor had long been aware that Lu Qing possessed a magical treasure that could collect items.
After all, Lu Qing had never really tried to hide this matter.
Recalling the strangeness of the gray gourd from before, the old doctor felt somewhat worried.
"It's alright, I can handle it. Master can just help protect me later," Lu Qing said with a faint smile.
