Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 66 Dugu Qiubai

Su Yan carefully picked up the unconscious Su Ye and with a light step, retreated from the heart of the valley, completely disregarding the snake blood and mud that covered his body.

He ran to a relatively flat bluestone at the mouth of the valley and carefully laid Su Ye down. His fingertips quickly ran over the wound on her ankle. Two black teeth marks were clearly visible, and the surrounding flesh was already black and swollen. The poison was spreading rapidly along her blood vessels.

Su Yan dared not delay for a moment. Remembering the phrase "block the poisonous veins and prevent it from attacking the heart" from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, he grabbed a tough wild vine from beside him and quickly tied it around Su Ye's calf, using just the right amount of force.

He then took out a silver needle pouch from his bag, flicked several fine needles from his fingertips, and, using the dim light of the forest, precisely pricked around the teeth marks in a plum blossom pattern. This was the "plum blossom needling" method recorded in Sun Simiao's *Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold*, with needles inserted at eight different points.

The Kunlun acupoints can help to expel toxins.

As the needle pierced her skin, he gently twisted his wrist, channeling his inner energy to slowly expel the accumulated poisonous blood. Dark, foul-smelling blood gushed out from the needle hole until it gradually turned red. Only then did he remove the needle and press on the wound, using his powerful internal energy to travel along the meridians, suppressing the remaining toxins layer by layer and firmly protecting her heart and dantian.

After doing all this, his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and his self-reproach was not diminished at all. If he had not insisted on splitting up to search, and if he had not been negligent in his actions, Su Ye would never have fallen into such a dangerous situation.

Just as he was about to pick up Su Ye and find another safe place, the eagle beside him suddenly let out a low cry. This giant eagle had broad wings and sparse feathers. It looked strong, but in fact, it could no longer fly. It strides forward with its two thick, pillar-like legs, its hooves firmly and powerfully treading the ground. Every now and then, it turns back to look at the two of them, its wide-open eyes showing an urgent, human-like eagerness, clearly wanting to lead the way for them.

Su Yan's heart stirred, and he picked up Su Ye and followed closely behind.

Although the Divine Eagle could not fly, it used its strong, long legs to traverse the dense forest and cliffs with incredible speed, passing through layers of branches and vines, and around steep and dangerous mountain walls, finally stopping in front of a hidden cave that was completely covered by green vines and leaves.

Pushing aside the vines and entering the cave, the passage was narrow but dry. After walking several dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a naturally formed stone chamber.

The stone chamber wasn't large, but it was quite tidy. It had a stone bed, a stone table, and stone benches. The stone walls were polished smooth and flat. At the innermost part stood a mound of earth. There was no tombstone in front of the mound, but it exuded a sense of loneliness and desolation.

On the stone wall directly opposite the cave entrance, several lines of vigorous and powerful characters are deeply engraved, with sharp strokes like swords, revealing an arrogance that looks down on the world and endless loneliness. It is the calligraphy left behind by Dugu Qiubai.

"Having roamed the martial world for over thirty years, slaying all my enemies and defeating all heroes, I am now utterly helpless. With no other choice, I retreat to a secluded valley, taking eagles as my companions. Alas, I have sought a worthy opponent in my entire life but have found none. My loneliness is truly unbearable. Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai."

Su Yan stood before the stone wall, her heart pounding, unable to recover for a long time.

He knew the legend of Dugu Qiubai in his previous life. In this life, he came to Xishan to search for the Sword Demon's remains, but he never expected to actually find the Sword Demon's burial place.

Looking at the words on the stone wall, he seemed to see the invincible sword demon who once roamed the world, now living in seclusion in a deep valley in his later years, accompanied by eagles, seeking defeat but never finding it.

He slowly looked around the stone chamber. On the stone table were rusted bronze cups and broken bowls and chopsticks. In the corner was an old iron pot with rotten food scraps inside. Everywhere showed the marks of time.

This stone chamber was the residence where Dugu Qiubai lived in seclusion in his later years, and that earthen mound was the final resting place of this peerless swordsman.

Calming himself, Su Yan didn't dare to delay. He immediately carried Su Ye to the stone bed and laid her flat. He then took out the silver needles again and performed acupuncture to remove the poison from her.

He placed his fingertips on her wrist, intently examining her pulse. After a moment, he felt somewhat relieved. Su Ye had been poisoned by the deadly venom of the five-step snake. Although the venom was potent, fortunately, he had provided timely treatment, and the poison had not penetrated deep into her internal organs. With proper care, she could slowly recover.

After the acupuncture was completed, Su Ye's pale complexion gradually faded, regaining some color. Her body temperature also slowly decreased, and her breathing became steady and long. Su Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and walked out of the stone chamber. He found some clean spring water nearby, gathered some dry firewood to start a fire, and simply boiled some water. He then ate the dry rations from his bag to barely satisfy his hunger.

After leading the two to the stone chamber, the Divine Eagle stood guard at the entrance for a while. Seeing that Su Yan was settled, it let out a soft cry, then flapped its giant wings and quietly left, leaving the two to rest quietly in the stone chamber.

Night gradually enveloped the mountains and forests, and only the flickering light of the campfire illuminated the stone chamber, casting its glow on the stone walls. Su Yan sat by the stone bed, quietly watching over the unconscious Su Ye, with no intention of meditating or cultivating. The old Taoist's words from yesterday echoed in his ears, and his mind was filled with turmoil, struggle, and helplessness.

Su Yan lightly pinched his fingertips, silently making hand seals to divine, seemingly having foreseen something. Gazing at Su Ye's peaceful sleeping face, he sighed softly, his brows furrowed with worry.

In the chaos of the world, he could protect her and teach her martial arts, but he didn't know how to resolve the obsession in her heart. He could only take it one step at a time, first protecting her as she grew up safely, and then slowly guiding her out of her shackles.

Just then, Su Ye on the stone bed suddenly frowned, a fragile unease and fear appearing on her small face. She mumbled incoherently, her voice as weak as drifting catkins in the forest, yet each word struck Su Yan's heart clearly.

"Brother Yan, you eat—"

"I'm not hungry, you can have it all—"

"Don't go—don't leave me—"

These fragmented words, etched into his very bones, were expressions of longing and dependence, instantly stirring up Su Yan's long-buried memories. He remembered clearly that this was an old story from four years ago, on their journey to Zhongnan Mountain.

At that time, the two were traveling through the desolate mountains and forests. Their dry food had long been exhausted. The little girl, who was only nine years old, was pale and thin, but she unhesitatingly stuffed the last half of the life-saving wheat cake in her arms into his hand. She turned around and picked up a handful of rough leaves and dry bark, and said with a smile that she had eaten these leaves before and that they tasted the best among all the leaves she had ever eaten.

If he hadn't later hunted a pheasant with his skills and roasted some meat for her to eat, this girl would probably have had to rely on tree leaves and grass roots to survive.

The desperate reliance they shared four years ago has become the deepest imprint in Su Ye's heart. Even when she was unconscious and babbling, all she could think about was how to feed him and how she was afraid of being abandoned by him.

Hearing this, Su Yan's heart softened instantly. All the struggles, frustrations, self-blame, and worries of the past few days turned into an overwhelming pity and heartache.

He reached out, his fingertips gently brushing against the messy bangs on Su Ye's forehead, then slowly stroking the top of her soft hair. His movements were so gentle that he was afraid of disturbing her, and he whispered comforting words in her ear.

"I'm here, I won't leave, I'll always be with you, and I'll never abandon you."

As if soothed by the calming voice, Su Ye's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a faint, reassuring smile spread across her face before she drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

But the little hand gripping Su Yanyi's hem tightened even more, her knuckles turning slightly white, as if if she let go, the person in front of her would disappear.

Su Yan gently withdrew his hand and sat quietly beside the stone bed. The flickering light of the campfire illuminated his profile, revealing a complex and unreadable expression.

This unexpected encounter in the deep mountains led them to the discovery of the Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai's remains, fulfilling their wish.

But it also forced him to confront Su Ye's deep-seated obsession. The old man's words still echoed in his ears: the entanglements in a chaotic world...

The delicate balance between master and disciple, the pity and concerns in his heart, all intertwined, leaving him with a troubled mind. It truly was a case of gains and losses.

Outside the stone chamber, the mountains and forests were silent in the dead of night, with only the whistling of the cold wind through the leaves, desolate and lonely; inside the stone chamber, the campfire was warm, one person sat quietly guarding, and another slept peacefully.

Time in this secluded mountain cave seems to stretch on endlessly.