However, the seed of potential had been planted. The Automated System may not have been actively nurturing it, and Lu Sheng had no clue, but the seed had been planted. His skin still burned hot, feeling as though thousands of pins were trying to enter his skin.
He felt no strength left in him to stand up and return to his bed from the soothing cool stone floor. He stayed on the floor, feeling relaxed as he didn't care about anything, not even the precious glowing marble-like bead. Sleep took over him.
Deep in the middle of the night, a few shadowy figures approached the gate of Physician Hall.
"Why are we doing this?" one of them whispered. "We can do this in the daytime too."
"Are you an idiot?" replied a familiar voice, It was Lu Zhan, his voice dripping with venomous rage as he clenched his fists. "That fat fool is now the Senior Brother of these Physician Hall snobs. Do you really think he'll come out of his shell? Do you think he will ever leave these walls? We'll never get our chance for revenge if we wait around. This is our only way."
Seeing that there was no way to convince Lu Zhan, they stayed silent. With practiced ease, they slunk closer to the main gate, under the cover of shadows.
Two guards, not from the Physician Hall but from the Lu Clan itself, stood watch at the entrance. Their postures spoke of boredom rather than vigilance.
*Whistle*
Lu Zhan let out a slow whistle, attracting the guards' attention. Both guards snapped to attention, their eyes darting towards the source of the sound.
A silent exchange passed between them with a curt nod as one of them approached. No words were exchanged, only a small pouch tossed through the air.
The guard snatched it reflexively, the clink of coins a melody to his ears. He didn't question the identity of the giver, nor did he bother to peek inside.
He weighed the pouch with a practiced hand, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face.
"Nature calls," he mumbled to the other guard, feigning a full bladder. The other guard, his eyes already half-closed, waved him off with a disinterested grunt, sinking deeper into his slumber.
Lu Zhan smiled, satisfied that his bribe had worked, as he and his lackeys crawled into the Physician Hall, bypassing the main entrance gate. Darkness was in their favor as they entered the main courtyard.
"Which way?" they asked, realizing none of them knew the interior of the Physician Hall.
"Someone will be here to guide us," Lu Zhan whispered with a smirk. Before they could wait any longer, two cloaked figures came forward inside the dark corridor of the Physician Hall, one shorter than the other. A quick glance confirmed the shorter figure was female, the taller male.
"You're late," the woman hissed, her voice barely a whisper.
"I am quick as thoughts," Lu Zhan replied, revealing a secret phrase to confirm their authenticity.
"Name?" the woman pressed, her voice devoid of emotion.
Lu Zhan spat the name, his voice tight with rage.
"Follow," the woman said, turning on her heel and leading the way deeper into the darkness.
Lu Zhan trailed behind the cloaked figures, a prickle of unease crawling up his spine. His lackeys, simple thugs, were completely lost by the situation, their eyes wide with confusion. But they had no choice; they followed like ducklings behind their mother.
Moments ticked by as they navigated the shadowed pathways. Finally, they arrived at a solitary hut, its walls tall and silent in the darkness.
The female and her companion slipped through the entrance like phantoms. Lu Zhan hesitated at the door, a knot of suspicion tightening in his gut. Something didn't feel right.
"What wrong Brother?" His lackeys caught up and quickly asked.
Lu Zhan, unwilling to admit his growing suspicion after coming this far, brushed it off. "Nothing. Let's just get this over with." He forced a confident tone, pushing the door open and leading his men inside.
As they entered, they saw both the female and the male cloaked figures waiting for them, but there was a third person on his knees, clad in a green robe, beaten and panting in pain. He was not Lu Sheng.
Lu Zhan narrowed his eyes. "What is going on here? Where is Lu Sheng?"
The female removed her face cloth, revealing her face. Lu Zhan lost his breath upon seeing the person. "Ming Mei?" He took a step back, then with all his force, jolted backward to run away.
SWISH
Several silver needles shot toward Lu Zhan and his lackeys. "Argh!!" None of them even got a chance to yell out as the needles, laced with numbing solution, stole away their strength. Lu Zhan stumbled due to his own momentum and crashed into the wall.
"Let me go, or else you will have to answer to the Lu Clan," Lu Zhan whimpered, his voice laced with desperation despite the numbness creeping through his limbs.
A few of the needles found their mark on his shoulders, the paralyzing solution working with chilling efficiency. He willed himself to move, to fight back, but his body refused to obey.
Ming Mei remained motionless, her face an unreadable mask. Two cloaked figures entered the courtyard of this walled hut from the outside, their movements swift and silent.
Entering the hut, they grabbed Lu Zhan with practiced ease and dragged him back into the room. With a rough efficiency, they secured him to a sturdy wooden beam at the center.
Lu Zhan, hanging from the beam, found the numbness so effective that he felt no pain at all in his arms. A flicker of hope sparked - perhaps these Physician Hall quacks lacked the stomach for true brutality, but his smile vanished when he saw those cloaked figures drawing blood from his juniors, filling up bottles.
His mind wasn't sure if he had stumbled upon an evil method practiced inside the Physician Hall or not. This meant either they were very stupid or they were doing this on purpose because they weren't going to let anyone alive leave this place. His hair stood on end as he understood the severity of the situation.