Horse
"Master, the celestial phenomenon last nightâthis young master Lu must know the reason behind it. Why didn't you ask him about it?" the seemingly honest but puzzled eldest disciple asked.
"I did ask, but unfortunately, young master Lu wasnât willing to explain," Doctor Zhao sighed.
"When did you ask him, Master?"
The eldest disciple was taken aback. He had been listening from inside all along but hadnât heard his master inquire about last nightâs events.
"I asked young master Lu earlier how he slept last night. He replied that he slept wellâthat was already his answer."
Seeing the eldest disciple still confused, Doctor Zhao sighed again.
It was frustrating how someone elseâs disciple could be so sharp, yet his own was so dull. He had no choice but to patiently explain, "Some things donât need to be spelled out. We saw young master Lu displaying miraculous abilities on the innâs rooftop last night. But when I asked him how he slept, he didnât mention it at all, clearly indicating he didnât want to discuss it further. Obviously, this young master Lu is no ordinary person. Since he doesnât want to talk about it, why should we push and embarrass ourselves?"
The eldest disciple finally seemed to understand.
Meanwhile, the junior apprentice, who had been listening nearby, was utterly confused. "Master, senior brother, what are you talking about? I donât understand a thing."
Doctor Zhao, feeling even more exhausted at the sight of the less intelligent junior disciple, replied expressionlessly, "Nothing important. Just remember not to sleep like a log next timeâbe more alert so you donât miss whatâs happening around you."
"Oh."
...
"This Doctor Zhao is quite interesting," Lu Qing remarked with a slight smile as he left the Benevolent Heart Clinic.
He had naturally picked up on Doctor Zhaoâs probing in their conversation earlier. However, since they didnât know each other well, he wasnât about to casually reveal any secrets of heaven and earth. Moreover, since Doctor Zhao couldnât even sense the celestial sound, he clearly wasnât destined to know. Even if he did, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.
Returning to the inn with the medicinal herbs, Lu Qing found that the others were already up.
After a quick breakfast, they prepared to depart.
"Ah Qing, are these our two horses?"
Everyone was shocked when they saw the drastically transformed Dragonblood Horses.
Even the old doctor was momentarily stunned. The innkeeper and his assistant were left gaping.
The change was too dramaticâthe two horses had become so majestic that they resembled the legendary celestial horses. Anyone who saw them would be awestruck by their appearance.
"I fed them a bit of Moon Essence last night, and they turned out like this," Lu Qing said as he loaded the luggage onto the carriage.
"Get on board. These two horses have undergone a bloodline transformation, so they should be much faster. Perhaps weâll reach the Sacred Mountain sooner than expected."
Hearing this, the others were startled. Their carriage had already been fastâif it could go even faster, it might truly seem like they were flying.
With this thought in mind, everyone began boarding the carriage.
"Master Ma, weâre ready."
Once everyone was seated, Lu Qing said.
Mago immediately flicked the reins, and the two Dragonblood Horses started to move, pulling the carriage gently forward.
The sound of hoofbeats echoed along the townâs streets as the two proud and majestic Dragonblood Horses strode forward. Passersby who saw them couldnât help but gape in astonishment.
It was still early, so the streets werenât crowded. Otherwise, both sides would have been filled with onlookers.
Even so, as Lu Qing and the others were about to leave the town, quite a few curious people had gathered to watch.
"It seems we should avoid entering cities and inns from now on," the old doctor remarked, hearing the commotion outside.
"Thatâs not a problem, Master. We can do as we did beforeâstay in the wild or find a small village," Lu Qing replied, understanding his masterâs concern.
The Dragonblood Horses were too extraordinary and easily drew attention. In a small town like Yunlai, it was manageable, but in a larger city, they might attract unwanted trouble.
"Master, youâre rightâyoung master Lu is indeed not an ordinary person."
At a street corner, Doctor Zhao and his eldest disciple stood watching.
The eldest disciple was struck with awe at the sight of the two Dragonblood Horses pulling the carriage.
Such magnificent and unusual horsesâhe had never seen anything like them before.
"Itâs a pity we didnât get to meet the master who taught young master Lu and ask him for some medical advice," Doctor Zhao said regretfully.
Lu Qingâs medical skills were already impressive enough to astonish people. The one who had taught him must be an extraordinary figure.
Doctor Zhao was filled with curiosity but ultimately felt disappointed that he hadnât met Lu Qingâs master.
"Brother Lu, be mindfulâIâm about to speed up."
As soon as they left the town, Mago cracked the whip.
At the sound of the whip, the two Dragonblood Horses became excited.
With their bloodline transformed, they felt immense power surging through them and had been itching to run.
Now that they had the chance, they exerted their strength, forcefully kicking off the ground and charging forward.
Simultaneously, a whirlwind arose, with a greenish airflow surrounding both the horses and the carriage.
Whoosh!
With the arrayâs power and the greatly enhanced strength of the Dragonblood Horses, the carriageâs speed instantly soared to an extreme, much faster than their previous top speed.
"Wow!"
Even though Mago had been prepared, he was still startled by the sudden acceleration of the carriage. If he hadnât reacted quickly, he might have lost hold of the reins and been thrown off the carriage.
Inside the carriage, however, Lu Qing and the others were well-protected by the array, so they didnât encounter any problems.
"Such speed!" the old doctor exclaimed in surprise as the carriage zoomed down the road like a green flash of light.
"Master, it seems weâll reach the Sacred Mountain ahead of schedule," Lu Qing said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Wei Zian and Hu Zezhi, staring out the window at the rapidly passing scenery, were left speechless.
The two Dragonblood Horses grew more excited as they ran, their speed increasing to the point where it seemed they might actually take flight.
Mago had no choice but to order them to slow down, or else the speed would have become unmanageable, and he would lose control of the carriage.
Thus, under this rapid pace, the carriage continued its journey toward the Sacred Mountain.
By the time they stopped at dusk, Lu Qing and the others checked the map and found that they had traveled five thousand miles from Yunlai Town.
And this was after Mago had deliberately restrained their speed. If they had maintained their maximum speed, they might have been ten thousand miles away from Yunlai Town by now.
"Excellent. At this rate, we should reach the Sacred Mountain in just three days," Lu Qing said with satisfaction after reviewing the map.
What pleased him even more was that despite running all day, the two Dragonblood Horses showed no signs of fatigue and still seemed full of energy.
It had been worth giving them so much Moon Essence.
"Letâs rest here for the night. Iâll see what we can cook up for dinner," Lu Qing suggested.
They had stopped in a forest, where setting up a few tents would suffice for the night.
While Mago and the others set up the tents, Lu Qing took Xiao Li for a walk around the area, returning with a few fat rabbits.
"Rabbits!" Xiao Yanâs eyes lit up when she saw the fat rabbits Lu Qing had caught. "Brother, are we having roast rabbit tonight?"
"Yes, itâs been a while since I last made roasted meat for you. Weâre in luckâthese rabbits will make a good meal."
"Roasted meat tonight..."
Hearing this, Mago and Wei Zian couldnât help but swallow in anticipation.
Even the old doctor seemed tempted.
Hu Zezhi, who had still been in shock over their five-thousand-mile journey, was curious after witnessing this scene.
Wei Zian was nearby, so when Lu Qing went to prepare and clean the rabbits, she softly asked, "Young Master Wei, is Lu Qingâs roasted rabbit really that good? You all seem to be looking forward to it."
"Of course!" Wei Zian answered without hesitation. "Lu Qingâs roasted meat is the best! Actually, everything he cooks is the best!"
"Is he really that good?"
Hu Zezhiâs curiosity grew, and she couldnât help but look forward to the roast rabbit that everyone was praising.
It wasnât long before Hu Zezhiâs curiosity was satisfied.
"Sister Hu, this is from my brother," Xiao Yan said, placing a plate in front of Hu Zezhi.
On the plate was a freshly cut piece of roast rabbit.
Looking at the golden, leg-shaped piece of roast rabbit in front of her, and inhaling the incredible aroma wafting from it, Hu Zezhi couldnât help but swallow.
The scent was just too enticing.
"Thank you, Xiao Yan."
Hu Zezhi took the plate and noticed that Mago and the others had already started eating.
The aroma was so overwhelming that she couldnât hold back any longer. She took a small bite.
The moment she bit into the rabbit, Hu Zezhiâs eyes widened.
The skin was crispy, the meat tender, and the inside was juicyâthis was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.
No wonder Wei Zian and the others had been so
eager at the mention of roast meat.
It turned out that Lu Qingâs cooking skills were indeed that impressive.
Hu Zezhi glanced over at Lu Qing, who was still grilling more meat, and suddenly understood.
The long-awaited roast rabbit made Mago and the others eat with great relish.
After dinner, Lu Qing, taking advantage of the remaining daylight, opened the large bag of medicinal herbs he had bought at the Benevolent Heart Clinic and began preparing medicine.
"Ah Qing, what medicine are you making?" the old doctor asked.
"Iâm making some Muscle and Bone Regeneration Ointment. Miss Huâs leg injury is quite severe, and ordinary healing ointment is too slow."
Lu Qing skillfully prepared the medicine and then took out a pot to start brewing it.
To maximize the ointmentâs effectiveness, he even added some spiritual liquid that he and his master had previously concocted.
Hu Zezhi felt deeply grateful when she heard that Lu Qing was making the ointment for her.
At the same time, Lu Qingâs image in her mind became even more mysterious and grand.
He was an expert in medicine, possessed unfathomable cultivation, and even his cooking skills could win everyone over.
She couldnât imagine what there was that Lu Qing couldnât do.
It took over an hour for Lu Qing to finish brewing the Muscle and Bone Regeneration Ointment.
Once the ointment had cooled, he scooped it into a small ceramic jar and handed it to Hu Zezhi.
"Miss Hu, apply this ointment to your wound every night before bed. I believe that by the time this small jar is used up, your wound will be fully healed, and there wonât be any scars."
"Thank you, young master Lu."
Hu Zezhi accepted the jar, holding it tightly as she gratefully thanked him.
She had thought the scar on her leg would stay with her for life.
Now, hearing that it could heal completely, she was filled with joy.
That night, Hu Zezhi applied the ointment to her wound in her tent.
She had expected it to sting, like regular healing ointment, but instead, the Muscle and Bone Regeneration Ointment felt soothing as it touched the wound, reducing the pain considerably.
That night, free from the discomfort in her leg, Hu Zezhi slept soundly.
When she awoke the next morning and examined her wound, she found that it had almost completely healed.
Even her leg bones had mostly mended.
As for the pain, it was barely noticeable.
If she didnât know that her leg bone still hadnât fully healed, she might have doubted she had ever suffered such a severe injury.
Hu Zezhi now understood just how precious the ointment Lu Qing had made for her was.
To heal such a serious injury in just one nightâthis ointment was nothing short of miraculous.
She hadnât heard of any such medicine in Azure Dragon City.
"Sister Hu, are you awake?"
As Hu Zezhi stood there in a daze, Xiao Yanâs voice came from outside the tent.
"Uh, yes, Iâm awake," Hu Zezhi quickly replied.
"Then hurry up and get ready. My brother says weâll leave after breakfast."
"Okay, Iâll be right out."
Hu Zezhi hurriedly dressed and stepped out of the tent, noticing that everyone was already up, even Xiao Li, who was perched on Lu Qingâs shoulder. Her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I think I overslept."
"No worries, we havenât been up for long," Lu Qing said with a smile. "Did the ointment work well?"
"It worked wonders. I feel like my leg is almost fully healed. Young master Lu, this ointment is incredibleâif it were sold in the city, people would go crazy for it," Hu Zezhi marveled.
"Iâm glad it worked."
Lu Qing looked at Hu Zezhiâs expression and suddenly frowned slightly.
At the same time, the old doctor seemed to sense something and looked at Lu Qing.
The master and disciple exchanged a glance but said nothing.
Finally, Lu Qing spoke, "Alright, letâs have breakfast and get moving."
Everyone quickly finished their meal, packed their belongings, and set off.
As the carriage sped forward once again, the old doctor quietly transmitted his voice to Lu Qing.
"Ah Qing, did you notice anything earlier?"
Table of content