In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 280 With Heaven as Witness and Earth as Medium

Half an hour later, Qin Xiaoyi, who had previously carried the maid away from the dilapidated temple, returned to the temple, soaking wet.

Upon getting closer, Long Xiaoyun immediately asked, "Grandpa Qin, how is it?"

Meeting the gazes of Long Xiaoyun and Lin Shiyin, Qin Xiaoyi shook her head and said, "I took her out and interrogated her, and I can basically conclude that she does not have the antidote on her."

Upon hearing Qin Xiaoyi's words, Long Xiaoyun said anxiously, "Without an antidote, won't Mother be plagued by nightmares from now on?"

Qin Xiaoyi said, "Young Master, there's no need to rush. Master Long is acquainted with one of the remarkable people, the skilled physician Mei Er. We will not return to Madam's ancestral home tomorrow, but will rush back to Baoding Prefecture as soon as possible to invite Mei Er to come and treat her. Mei Er is highly skilled in medicine and has a great understanding of poisons. I think the poison in Madam's body is not a big problem for Mei Er."

After hearing what Qin Xiaoyi said, Lin Shiyin nodded and said, "I will do whatever Master Qin says."

As she spoke, Lin Shiyin looked up and patted Long Xiaoyun's head: "It's just some nightmares, it's nothing serious. But Yun'er, are you still feeling unwell?"

Long Xiaoyun shook her head: "Aside from being a little unaccustomed to the disappearance of my internal energy, I am fine."

Lin Shiyin smiled and said, "That's good. Yun'er must learn from today's events. Moreover, we were in the wrong today. The others have already held back. Remember not to resent them."

Finally, Lin Shiyin said with a hint of regret, "It's all my fault these past years. I only thought about making you happy, but I didn't teach you how to conduct yourself in society, which led to today's disaster."

Long Xiaoyun didn't say anything, but couldn't help glancing at Gu Shaoan.

There was hatred in my heart, but even more so, there was fear.

Looking at the mother and son in front of her, Qin Xiaoyi couldn't help but sigh.

But now things have gotten beyond his control, so Qin Xiaoyi could only step aside and wait.

As if sensing something, Gu Shaoan suddenly looked up and glanced in Long Xiaoyun's direction.

But after just one glance, Gu Shaoan looked away again.

In Gu Shaoan's eyes, the reason why Long Xiaoyun is still alive today is because what Long Xiaoyun did was not so wrong as to warrant death.

But if Long Xiaoyun really wants to die, Gu Shaoan is not an unreasonable person. What harm is there in sending her on her way?

The night was not long, but for Yue Buqun and the other members of the Huashan Qi Sect, this night was perhaps the longest and most agonizing one they had ever endured in their lives.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were alright, as they were both at the post-natal stage and their true energy could barely sustain them through a night of circulation.

However, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan, along with other disciples of the Huashan Qi Sect, had low levels of internal energy cultivation, and their meridians could not withstand the prolonged circulation of internal energy.

Without the suppression of internal energy, Linghu Chong, Yue Lingshan, and the others could only endure the abdominal cramps caused by the toxins in their bodies.

After a night, not to mention the condition of the other members of the Huashan Qi Sect, even Linghu Chong was pale, had dark circles under his eyes, and beads of sweat kept dripping down his cheeks.

Just as the sky began to lighten, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze also felt discomfort in their meridians.

The two realized that this was because their meridians were almost at their limit after circulating their true energy all night.

In response, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze had no choice but to stop circulating their internal energy.

In the instant when their true energy was no longer available to suppress them, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze suddenly felt the pain in their abdomen intensify several times over, causing them to tremble involuntarily.

It took them quite a while to get used to the pain.

After taking a deep breath, Yue Buqun opened his eyes and looked at the corner of the wall.

Where were Gu Shaoan and the other two now?

At this moment, Qin Xiaoyi walked up to Yue Buqun with some dry food and water.

After placing the items in front of Yue Buqun, Qin Xiaoyi said, "Half an hour ago, when the rain had just stopped, I had already arranged for someone to rush to the nearby town. They should be able to bring the medicine back in another hour or so. Please bear with me a little longer."

Hearing Qin Xiaoyi's words, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze's expressions softened slightly, and they nodded in acknowledgment.

At this moment, Qin Xiaoyi asked, "Do you two know the identities of those three people from last night?"

Faced with Qin Xiaoyi's question, Yue Buqun, despite his physical discomfort, replied, "Those three were all wearing veils, how could I possibly know their identities?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoyi said, "Oh? But yesterday, I overheard the conversation between the young lady who started the fight and your sect's disciple, and it seemed like they had known each other for several years."

Upon hearing this, Yue Buqun inwardly sighed at Qin Xiaoyi's keen mind, but his expression remained unchanged.

"If we knew those three, we wouldn't still be suffering from poison. Perhaps Master Qin has misunderstood."

"Oh?"

Qin Xiaoyi chuckled, then glanced at Linghu Chong, who was tense and trying hard to maintain his sitting posture, and said, "I wonder if it would be convenient for me to ask your disciple a few questions?"

Yue Buqun's heart skipped a beat.

Before Yue Buqun could speak, Qin Xiaoyi got up and walked to Linghu Chong's side.

After pondering for a few moments, Qin Xiaoyi placed her hand on Linghu Chong's shoulder, and her true energy quickly surged into Linghu Chong's body to help suppress the poison within him.

With Qin Xiaoyi's help, Linghu Chong felt his discomfort ease considerably. He opened his eyes, looked at Qin Xiaoyi in front of him, and sincerely said, "Thank you, senior."

Qin Xiaoyi smiled and said, "It should be me who thanks you for speaking up for my young master last night, but unfortunately it ended up implicating more than a dozen people from your sect."

As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face.

Looking at Qin Xiaoyi's gentle demeanor, Linghu Chong was momentarily at a loss for words.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Xiaoyi asked, "Last night, I overheard your conversation with the young lady who made the move. It seemed like she knew you. Could you tell me their identities?"

As he spoke, Qin Xiaoyi sighed and said, "This time, I was ordered to escort my wife and young master to our ancestral home to pay respects to our ancestors. I never expected to encounter such a thing. My wife has been poisoned and my young master has had his martial arts crippled. We don't even know who the person who attacked us is. How can I explain this to my master? I hope you can help me, young man."

In response to Qin Xiaoyi's question, Linghu Chong said, "To be honest, Senior Qin, I also felt something was off afterward last night. I thought about it all night and remembered some things. If I'm not mistaken, the three who made the move last night were likely disciples of the Emei Sect."

The moment Linghu Chong uttered these words, both Ning Zhongze and Yue Buqun froze for a second.

At this moment, the two of them had even forgotten the pain caused by the toxins in their bodies.

A few breaths later, Yue Buqun suddenly used his internal energy to transmit a message to Ning Zhongze, saying, "Junior Sister, it seems that our Huashan Qi Sect cannot accommodate this great Buddha."

Upon hearing Yue Buqun's sudden telepathic message, Ning Zhongze immediately understood his meaning and hurriedly replied, "Senior Brother, Chong'er is merely kind-hearted, not wicked. How can we expel Chong'er from Mount Hua for this reason?"

Yue Buqun turned his head and calmly looked at Ning Zhongze, while his voice rang in Ning Zhongze's ears. "The Yitian Sword that the person held yesterday, they didn't recognize it, but I don't believe you, Junior Sister, wouldn't recognize it."

"Look at the way those three conduct themselves, and then look at Chong'er's conduct. Do you really think that someone with Chong'er's personality is suitable to stay in my Huashan Qi Sect?"

"Over the years, you have seen how I have taught him in Huashan. Whether it is the principles of conduct or the rules of travel, I have taught him with all my heart. I have scolded him and punished him, but has it been of any use?"

“What that girl from the Emei Sect said yesterday was right. If things could be changed, Chong’er’s recklessness and rudeness would have been corrected long ago. Why would we be implicated because of him?”

"Look at this beast. He was easily fooled and then he opened his heart and revealed the identity of Young Master Gu."

"They don't even consider the danger that revealing these things will place my Huashan Qi Sect in."

"Do we really have to wait until this beast brings disaster to the Huashan Qi Sect and destroys the foundation of the Huashan Qi Sect that has finally begun to improve over the years before it's enough?"

If at the beginning Yue Buqun still had some reluctance in his heart...

But as he continued speaking, Yue Buqun's resolve gradually hardened.

Huashan Foundation is paramount.

For the sake of the entire Huashan Qi Sect, even Yue Buqun's life is insignificant.

Besides, it's just expelling one disciple from the Huashan Qi Sect.

There's no need to consider which is more important or less important.

Hearing Yue Buqun's words, Ning Zhongze opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say a word.

The pain wasn't just in my abdomen, but also in my chest.

Two days later.

On the banks of the Han River.

Led by Zhou Zhiruo, the three arrived at a grave in the woods.

A stone tablet stands on the grave, its surface also covered with piled stones.

It's clear that it hasn't been around for very long.

What caught Gu Shaoan's attention were the words on the stone tablet.

The Tomb of Zhou Ziwang

The five characters were not carved with an axe or chisel, but rather seemed to be written with powerful finger strokes.

Zhou Zhiruo said, "This stone tablet was carved from a huge rock that Master Zhang found nearby when he buried my father. The words on it were also left by Master Zhang using his finger as a pen."

“When my junior apprentice and I returned a few years ago, we asked a nearby craftsman to rebuild the grave, but the tombstone was not moved.”

Gu Shaoan nodded, and then together with the two women, they arranged the offerings they had bought when they passed through the town.

As Zhou Zhiruo burned paper money, Gu Shaoan knelt with incense in hand.

He took a deep breath and spoke slowly in a clear, deep, and powerful voice.

"My nephew Gu Shaoan pays his respects at the tomb of the Duke of Zhou today."

"I am fortunate to have formed a bond with you, and we will walk together for the rest of our lives."

"Gu Shaoan is here, with incense as his oath, with heaven as his witness, and earth as his witness."

"From this day forward, regardless of good times or bad, I will do everything in my power to protect my senior sister and ensure her lifelong well-being, so that she will be free from worries and suffer no injustice."

"This heart and this promise are witnessed by Heaven and Earth, as bright as the sun and moon, as enduring as mountains and rivers, and will never change. If Duke Zhou knows this in the afterlife, he can rest in peace!"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight, echoing clearly in the silent forest.

After saying this, Gu Shaoan solemnly inserted the three long incense sticks in his hand into the incense burner in front of the tombstone and bowed deeply.

The wisps of smoke rose straight up, swirling around the tomb, as if carrying his vow straight to the heavens.

Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan had already stopped burning paper money and were quietly watching Gu Shaoan kneeling in front of her father's grave, their eyes slightly trembling.

Neither of them had imagined that Gu Shaoan would make such a solemn vow, word by word, to the soul beneath the yellow earth at this grave.

Every word he uttered was not meant to please her, but rather to reveal his true self and sincerely show it to her father.

Those remarks contained no empty words of eternal devotion, only a clear sense of responsibility and commitment as firm as a rock.

Although Gu Shaoan was kneeling on the ground, in the eyes of both Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, his figure gave people a sense of height and stability.

The most beautiful words of love in the world are sometimes not spoken, but rather intertwined with actions.

Gu Shaoan's actions at this moment were more powerful than any sweet words of love to Zhou Zhiruo.

Then, Zhou Zhiruo silently walked to Gu Shaoan's side, knelt down devoutly, and bowed deeply to her father's tombstone.

Seeing Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo kneeling, Yang Yan, unlike her usual carefree self, knelt sincerely beside Gu Shaoan.

A few moments later, the three of them got up and walked to the side, where they began to put the paper money into the copper basin.

Watching the paper money burning in the copper basin, with wisps of smoke rising, and then looking at the tombstone in front of her, Zhou Zhiruo took Gu Shaoan's hand.

"Thank you, junior brother."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan smiled gently, tightened his grip on Zhou Zhiruo's fingers slightly, and replied, "Of course."

A breeze swept through the forest, lifting a few strands of hair from Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan's temples, as well as the hem of Gu Shaoan's clothes, and extinguishing the last embers in the copper basin.

After bowing deeply to the grave once more, the three turned and walked away into the distance.

Zhou Zhiruo's steps, in comparison, were both lighter and more steady.

(End of this chapter)