Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 46 Healing, Heavenly Demon True Qi.

Once Shang Xiuxun's footsteps had completely faded away, only Ouyang Ke and Lu Miaozi remained in the small building. The firebird perched by the table, still pecking at the remaining wine in its cup, completely oblivious to its surroundings.

Lu Miaozi withdrew his gaze and landed on Ouyang Ke. After a moment's thought, he said, "Young friend, may I examine the injuries to your legs first?"

Ouyang Ke nodded: "Thank you for your help, Master Lu."

Lu Miaozi stood up and walked to his side. Without any ceremony, she extended her right hand, placed her palm on Ouyang Ke's knee, and slowly channeled a wisp of gentle true energy into it. Ouyang Ke felt a warm current flowing along the meridians of his leg, unhurried and subtle.

This path of true qi is completely different from his Nine Yang Divine Skill. It is less fierce and more continuous, like a winding stream that explores every tiny corner.

Lu Miaozi closed his eyes and concentrated, his expression gradually changing from focused to surprised.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he withdrew his hand, opened his eyes, and a hint of confusion appeared in his deep, eagle-like eyes.

He pondered for a long time, then shook his head and sighed, "Young friend, your injuries are truly strange. Both your leg bones were clearly crushed by massive boulders; they should have been broken inch by inch, even a god couldn't mend them. But now—the broken bones are showing signs of healing, though still fragile, much better than I expected. Even more strangely, the meridians in your lower body are completely unobstructed, and your blood and qi flow without any hindrance. This—is against all reason."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then continued, "For an ordinary person to suffer such a severe injury, let alone broken leg bones, their meridians would inevitably be blocked. At best, their martial arts would decline; at worst, they would be paralyzed. Yet you seem unaffected. From what I just observed, even without crutches, you could walk like the wind for a short time. What is the reason for this?"

Ouyang Ke smiled slightly and did not hide anything: "Master Lu has a discerning eye. After my legs were broken, I was taught a kind of external exercise by a senior, called the Baiyi Jin Duan Gu Pian. This exercise is designed to strengthen muscles and bones and clear the meridians. I have been practicing it every day without fail, which is why the meridians in my lower body are still unobstructed."

"An external-to-internal dynamic exercise?" A strange light flashed in Lu Miaozi's eyes as he nodded. "No wonder. Since ancient times, there have been countless meditation exercises for cultivating qi, but methods that move from the outside in and enter stillness through movement are as rare as morning stars. It is even more rare to be able to reach your level." He looked at Ouyang Ke, secretly marveling at him.

This young man is so young, yet his internal strength has already reached a state of perfection. The cultivation method he practices is unheard of, and the lineage of his master must be extraordinary.

The firebird finished its drink, looked up, and saw the two men engrossed in conversation, ignoring it. Dissatisfied, it let out a "cluck" and pecked at the table with its beak. Lu Miaozi chuckled, picked up the wine pot, and refilled its cup. The firebird then lowered its head in satisfaction and continued pecking and drinking.

Ouyang Ke watched this scene with a smile on his lips, but did not stop it.

Lu Miaozi withdrew his gaze, his expression turning solemn: "Young friend, to be honest, I'm not entirely confident about the condition of your legs. For them to fully heal, the already healed leg bones must first be broken again and then reattached. But even then, I can't guarantee the extent of recovery. Furthermore, if the process is not handled carefully, your painstakingly preserved meridians may be damaged. At that time—" He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Ouyang Ke remained calm and showed no sign of frustration. Instead, he nodded and said, "What Master Lu said coincides with what I thought."

""

Lu Miaozi was taken aback, then chuckled: "It seems you already know the answer, young friend. Then I'll be frank—this method is feasible, but extremely dangerous. I advise you to think it over carefully."

Ouyang Ke's gaze was calm, but his tone was unusually firm: "Master Lu, rest assured. To be honest, there is a miraculous medicine in my hometown called Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment," which is specifically for treating broken bones. Even old injuries from over a decade ago, where bones are shattered into dust, can be regenerated completely after applying this medicine."

"Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment?" Lu Miaozi exclaimed in surprise, "Such a miraculous medicine exists in the world?"

Ouyang Ke gazed out the window, his gaze distant and serene: "The world is vast and full of wonders. If I hadn't come here, I would never have believed that there was such an extraordinary person as Master Lu, who was knowledgeable in everything."

Upon hearing this, Lu Miaozi frowned slightly and said after a moment, "Since you already have a solution, why do you still need to come to me?"

'

Ouyang Ke looked at him and smiled, "My hometown is far away in the Western Regions, too far from here, so I wanted to see if Master Lu had any other alternative methods. Besides—"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I would also like to witness the demeanor of Master Lu, who was once revered by both Buddhism and Taoism."

Upon hearing Ouyang Ke's laughter, the firebird also let out a "coo," seemingly in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Lu Miaozi shook his head with a sigh, looking deeply moved, and said, "What splendor is there to speak of? Right now, I'm just barely clinging to life, forced to hide in the ranch, indulging in a life of debauchery, and avoiding my old enemies."

Ouyang Ke could tell that Lu Miaozi still hadn't completely let go of the past, so he slowly said, "Master Lu, since you've already examined my legs, why don't you let me see your internal injuries?"

Lu Miaozi stared at him for a while, then sighed, "Young friend, I am now also curious about your purpose in coming here."

Ouyang Ke suddenly smiled and said calmly, "My purpose has never changed. The reason I helped Master Lu is that I feel it would be a great pity for Master Lu, a remarkable person, to die here. Another reason is that I want to use this opportunity to measure how much I am now compared to the Empress of the Underworld back then."

Upon hearing what Ouyang Ke said, Lu Miaozi's simple and honest face gradually became solemn, as if at this moment he saw a shadow of his old friend in Ouyang Ke.

At that time, he and that person became close friends despite their age difference. Before his death, that person entrusted him with the task of hiding the sacred artifact of the Demonic Sect in Yang Gong's Treasury to prevent it from falling into the hands of the four traitorous disciples of the Evil Extreme Sect and harming the common people. He obeyed their instructions.

Little did he expect that this incident would become the beginning of the breakdown in his relationship with Zhu Yuyan. Caught off guard, he was ambushed and seriously injured by Zhu Yuyan, which forced him to fake his death and escape, hiding in the Pegasus Ranch for more than thirty years.

Unfortunately, his old friend, who was both his teacher and friend, was clearly the only "Holy Ruler" in the history of the Demonic Sect, a fact that was undisputed by both Buddhism and Taoism. He was also the person most likely to take that step at the time, but in the end, he died from a qi deviation due to practicing the Evil Extreme Sect's supreme scripture, which no one had ever mastered in the history of the Demonic Sect.

Thinking of this, a hint of complexity flickered in Lu Miaozi's eyes, before he burst into laughter: "Excellent! If a junior like you can be so carefree, how can this old man be so indecisive?"

Ouyang Ke said no more, and gently placed his right hand on Lu Miaozi's shoulder.

The Nine Yang True Qi slowly flowed in. Lu Miaozi felt a warm and mellow power surge into his body, and wherever it passed, the accumulated coldness and stagnation of many years melted away like spring snow meeting the sun. He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

At that moment, his heart stirred slightly, and he guessed from this that Ouyang Ke's internal energy cultivation was extraordinary. At the same time, he was secretly amazed, thinking to himself, when did such a talent emerge from the Western Regions, who could create such a skill?

Before Lu Miaozi could continue to sigh in his heart, his expression changed slightly again.

The surge of pure Yang energy that followed seemed to flow endlessly into his meridians. Instantly, he felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, and his meridians, which had been riddled with holes by the Heavenly Demon Qi, seemed to finally be repaired, giving him a jolt of energy.

Lu Miaozi immediately realized that what Ouyang Ke had said earlier was true. With his powerful and yang true energy, it was indeed possible to remove the demonic true energy from his body. So he held his breath and focused his mind to cooperate fully.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Ouyang Ke used almost all his true energy to examine Lu Miaozi's meridians and finally discovered the Heavenly Demon True Energy hidden in Lu Miaozi's body.

This wisp of demonic energy was extremely well hidden. If it weren't for the fact that Ouyang Ke's Nine Yang Divine Skill was the most yang martial art in the world and the nemesis of any evil martial art, it would probably have been difficult to discover it.

Even so, it still took a full cycle of circulation before this wisp of demonic energy was completely exposed.

The firebird seemed to sense Ouyang Ke's concentration while practicing his internal energy, and quietly squatted by the table, no longer making any noise.

However, once the Heavenly Demon True Qi was discovered, completely eliminating it became a difficult problem.

Lu Miaozi was fully aware of his own situation. Seeing Ouyang Ke frown, he was not disappointed, but instead smiled and said, "More than twenty years ago, I was injured by that vixen Zhu Yuyan, and that wisp of demonic energy still cannot be removed. Over the years, I have tried countless methods, but to no avail. Instead, this demonic energy has invaded my meridians, constantly eroding my vital essence and life force. If I hadn't devoted myself to miscellaneous studies such as mechanical architecture and was not proficient in the art of dietary therapy, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to hold on until today."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke shook his head and said, "Master Lu has been invaded by the Heavenly Demon True Qi for too long, and the Heavenly Demon True Qi has almost merged with Master Lu's true qi. It is naturally difficult to remove it by ordinary methods. However, Master Lu can rest assured that this Heavenly Demon True Qi may be difficult for others, but it cannot be difficult for me."

When he tried to expel it, he discovered that although only a few wisps of the Heavenly Demonic Qi had invaded Lu Miaozi's body, they had been hidden within Lu's body for many years, actually stealing his original Qi. Therefore, no matter how Lu practiced his techniques, he had been unable to eradicate this wisp of Heavenly Demonic Qi for years. It was like a person boxing against themselves; all the punches and kicks consumed their own energy, without ever shaking the wisp of Heavenly Demonic Qi in the slightest, resulting in minimal effect.

Moreover, it must be understood that this Heavenly Demonic Qi is extremely unpredictable, often existing between tangible and intangible forms, constantly shifting. If you try to dispel it with your own Qi, it dissipates into nothingness, leaving you nowhere to find it; if you withdraw your power, it transforms from intangible to tangible again, each transformation stealing a portion of a person's vital energy and life force. If not dispelled in time, the Heavenly Demonic Qi grows stronger, becoming as difficult to resolve as a bone-deep infection. If it weren't for Ouyang Ke's Nine Yang Divine Skill, which is mutually reinforcing and restraining against the Heavenly Demonic Qi, allowing it to have nowhere to hide within the meridians, he too would be helpless.

After understanding how troublesome the Heavenly Demon True Qi was, Ouyang Ke circulated the Nine Yang True Qi and slowly helped Lu Miaozi remove the Heavenly Demon True Qi from his body.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Heavenly Demon Art may be inherently mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining, or perhaps it is because good and evil cannot coexist. Under the infusion of Ouyang Ke's Nine Yang True Qi, the Heavenly Demon True Qi hidden in Lu Miaozi's body was like spring snow meeting the warm sun, melting away in an instant.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lu Miaozi's face regained a lot of color.

After an hour, the two opened their eyes simultaneously. Ouyang Ke shook his head, a hint of weariness in his voice: "This Heavenly Demon True Qi is truly incredible. It's clearly rootless, yet it's still difficult to completely eliminate it in one go."

Upon hearing this, Lu Miaozi shook his head and smiled, "Young friend, you have already helped me remove the residual true energy from my meridians. This is already an unexpected blessing. How could I be greedy?"

Ouyang Ke said, "Unfortunately, there is still one step left. Once we remove the wisp of Heavenly Demon True Qi remaining in Master Lu's dantian, we will be able to complete the task."

It turned out that Ouyang Ke had just used the Nine Yang True Qi to remove the few strands of Heavenly Demon True Qi remaining in Lu Miaozi's eight extraordinary meridians, but the Heavenly Demon True Qi in his dantian was difficult to eradicate in a short time.

This is related to Ouyang Ke's current insufficient cultivation level. Just now, he seemed to have only expelled a few strands of demonic energy from his meridians and acupoints, but it had already cost him a lot of mental energy.

The wisp of demonic energy hidden within his dantian was the most troublesome; to remove it would be tantamount to facing Lu Shi's own internal energy as an opponent. This was naturally difficult for Ouyang Ke, who was currently extremely exhausted.

Of course, if he had already mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, it might only take some effort, but right now he is powerless to do so.

Lu Miaozi shook his head and said, "Young friend, there's no need to blame yourself. What you just did is enough to extend my life by several years."

Although he ultimately succumbed to his illness, it seemed that all of this had already given him some satisfaction.

Ouyang Ke replied, "Master Lu, since I have promised you, I will naturally not go back on my word. My Nine Yang Divine Skill is not yet fully mastered. Once I have mastered it, I will be able to completely help Master Lu eliminate the Heavenly Demon True Qi."

Lu Miaozi shook his head and smiled, "No rush."

Seeing that the two seemed to have finished their business, the firebird flew up from the table and landed back on Ouyang Ke's shoulder, gently pecking at his earlobe with its beak, as if urging him to do something. Ouyang Ke chuckled and reached out to stroke its feathers.

Lu Miaozi watched this scene with a smile on his lips, and said, "Just now I sensed that your true energy was extremely yang and vigorous, seemingly having a significant connection with Buddhist techniques, but also related to Taoism and Confucianism. I wonder if you would be willing to enlighten me?"

He was knowledgeable and had just sensed the strength of the three families from Ouyang Ke's true energy, so he was naturally curious.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke smiled slightly: "As expected of Master Lu. My Nine Yang Divine Skill was originally created by a master who was also a monk, a Taoist, and a Confucian." This matter was not particularly unusual, so he naturally had no need to hide it.

As a fellow expert proficient in all three schools, Lu Miaozi sighed upon hearing this, "So that's how it is. It's a pity I never had the chance to meet this master." With his knowledge, he could naturally see that Ouyang Ke's internal energy technique was exquisite. Even if it couldn't compare to the four legendary martial arts techniques, its profound effects were enough to make it a prized possession of major sects.

Perhaps because most of the demonic energy in his body had been released, Lu Miaozi felt much better after years of pent-up emotions, and immediately invited Ouyang Ke to stay and have a long talk.

The two men and the bird, one old and one young, sat facing each other in their cozy nest, chatting idly. They talked about martial arts, medicine, gardens, military strategy, and the general trend of the world. Lu Miaozi was knowledgeable and erudite, while Ouyang Ke was insightful and could draw inferences from one another. The more they talked, the more they found themselves engrossed, and they forgot the time.

The sun outside the window moved from east to west, then sank behind the mountains. The sound of the waterfall never ceased, like an ancient melody that never ended.

The firebird listened with great interest at first, but gradually became bored. It flew down from Ouyang Ke's shoulder and paced around the building, pecking at this and touching that.

Upon seeing this, Lu Miaozi took out a jade dish from the cabinet, poured some honey, and placed it on the table. The firebird took a sip, cried out with delight, and then squatted by the dish, pecking at it spoonful by spoonful, never moving its nest again.

As Ouyang Ke watched this scene, a thought suddenly came to mind.

If my uncle were here, how delightful it would be to have a chat with Master Lu!

He shook his head, suppressing the thought for the time being.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

In their cozy home, the old man and the young man sat facing each other every day, discussing martial arts, medicine, wine, or scenery. Lu Miaozi seemed to have become a different person; the melancholy on his face had faded considerably, and he smiled more often.

The firebird became a "guest of honor" for the two, and was served a dish of honey and a pot of fine wine every day. It didn't stand on ceremony; after eating and drinking its fill, it would perch on Ouyang Ke's shoulder and doze off, occasionally opening its eyes to look at the two "talkative" people before closing them again to continue sleeping.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west outside the window, and the sound of the waterfall never ceases, day and night.

The small building seemed to come alive because of the encounter between the old man and the young girl.

P.S.: I don't have many drafts left. I also have a design in the Longevity Technique that is different from other people's designs. It will definitely be eye-catching!

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