When Yu Chi Feng regained consciousness, he felt as if his head were filled with water, heavy, swollen, and aching.
He endured the pain and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a white, chubby worm that was almost touching his face and squirming.
"Ah!" Yu Chi Feng screamed in fright. Just as he was about to get up, a hand forcefully pushed him back onto the bed.
"Don't move! Bear with it!" The person holding the worm was Yu Ji. He pressed Yu Chi Feng's shoulder with one hand and placed the chubby worm on his forehead with the other.
Yu Chi Feng's already unpleasant complexion turned even paler.
The chubby worm wiggled its bottom and burrowed into Yu Chi Feng's head. Yu Chi Feng felt his entire body's flesh and skin going numb, and he dared not move.
Yu Ji took out a bone flute and played a strange melody.
In an instant, Yu Chi Feng could almost feel the worm moving inside his head, as if it were searching for some prey. After a while, the worm emerged from the same place it had entered.
Yu Ji picked up the worm with a handkerchief, placed it in his palm, and showed it to Yu Chi Feng.
The originally white and chubby worm had turned dark red, and its already plump body had become even more swollen. It squirmed and fluttered twice in Yu Ji's palm, and suddenly spewed a thick stream of blood, staining the handkerchief.
"What is this..."
"The blood stasis in your head has improved after the stimulation. This Gu worm is used to help you remove the stasis and promote blood circulation. It seems that the recovery is quite good. Now there are not many symptoms left in your head, and it's only a matter of time before you fully regain your memory." Yu Ji threw the Gu worm into a small jar and put it into the medicine chest.
"But..." Yu Chi Feng rubbed his temples, recalling the vague memory fragments that had appeared before his eyes, "I haven't remembered anything..."
Yu Ji looked into his eyes, observed for a while, and seemed to come to a conclusion.
"It doesn't matter. Take it slow. Lie down and rest for a while. Don't get out of bed. I'm leaving." Yu Ji picked up the medicine chest and stood up. Suddenly, he thought of something, turned back, and showed a mysterious smile, "By the way, I heard that Young Master Feng couldn't even put on his shoes before he came looking for me. It seems that he attaches quite some importance to you."
This sentence shocked Yu Chi Feng even more than the Gu worm.
Yu Ji's skirt fluttered as he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Yu Chi Feng alone to ponder over that sentence.
Only then did Yu Chi Feng realize that the bed he was lying on was Feng Ting Liu's, and Feng Ting Liu was not in the room.
According to Yu Ji's instructions, Yu Chi Feng dared not move and could only stare blankly at the ceiling, with an involuntary smirk on his lips.
Yu Ji walked into the courtyard and saw Feng Ting Liu leaning against the chair in the pavilion, holding a white jade smoking pipe and puffing smoke. He walked over, smelled the tobacco, and felt something was amiss. He moved his nose and sniffed carefully.
"That's not right. You're not smoking the medicinal tobacco I gave you, but ordinary tobacco!" Yu Ji was shocked.
Feng Ting Liu gave him a casual glance and then turned his head to take another puff from the pipe. The spicy taste of the tobacco rolled in his mouth, which calmed his mind.
"How is Yu Chi Feng's condition?" Feng Ting Liu did not respond to his words but instead asked in return.
"The blood stasis has been cleared, and there are no symptoms. But don't worry, I didn't let him regain his memory." Yu Ji waved his hand, his tone calm as if he were just talking about what he had for breakfast.
"Um." Feng Ting Liu responded softly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the gold ornament on the smoking pipe, revealing a hint of anxiety.
Yu Ji narrowed his eyes and sized him up. His curiosity piqued, he plopped down next to him and nudged him with his elbow, "I say, are you planning to keep him in Liudu City like this? Aren't you afraid that he'll suddenly regain his memory?"
"If he regains his memory, he will definitely leave. I'm not forcing him to stay." Feng Ting Liu's response was indifferent, but his clenched hand on the smoking pipe betrayed him.
"Not forcing him to stay? Then why did you ask me to use the Gu on him to prevent him from regaining his memory? If it weren't for my Gu, he would have fully regained his memory a month ago."
Just as Yu Ji said, Yu Chi Feng's amnesia was partly due to a head injury. However, it was also because of Yu Ji's Gu that he had not regained his memory.
And all of this was done under Feng Ting Liu's orders.
"It's just a means. He will soon discover that there is a problem with the medicinal soup you gave him. At that time, I won't be able to keep him either." Feng Ting Liu paused, took a deep puff from the pipe, and exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, "By then, I won't be able to keep him."
Yu Ji narrowed his eyes. He had never seen Feng Ting Liu like this before, looking like a lovesick maiden in the midst of spring.
"Why, is the great City Lord Feng afraid that his dog will leave?"
This statement seemed to have hit Feng Ting Liu's sore spot.
Suddenly, Feng Ting Liu turned the smoking pipe in his hand, and the smoking bowl pressed against Yu Ji's Adam's apple. The heat from the bowl was not burning, but it still left a red mark on Yu Ji's neck.
Yu Ji's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at Feng Ting Liu, directly facing a pair of angry red eyes.
Yu Ji believed that if Feng Ting Liu wished, the internal energy he could unleash through the smoking pipe would be enough to take his life.
"Uh, okay, okay, I won't say anymore. How could the great City Lord Feng have anything to be afraid of." Yu Ji raised his hands in surrender.
Feng Ting Liu snorted, withdrew the smoking pipe, tapped it a few times on the railing edge, and took another puff.
Yu Ji touched his scalded neck and heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn't beat Feng Ting Liu. Probably before his worms could even reach Feng Ting Liu, he would already be a dead body.
But Yu Ji was still curious. He quietly sat a bit farther away from Feng Ting Liu and asked again, "Then why did you go to the extent of making him lose his memory just to keep him in Liudu City? What is it for?"
This time, Feng Ting Liu was not angry. Instead, he turned his gaze to the sky.
The originally blue sky was now obscured by dark clouds, and its original appearance could no longer be seen.
"To fill an unbridgeable chasm." He said.
Two years ago.
Outside Beiji City.
A once peaceful and quiet village was disturbed by the Evil Cult. Feathers were scattered everywhere, and dogs barked non-stop.
Adults carried their children and fled in all directions, creating a chaotic scene of crying and shouting.
No one knew why the Evil Cult had come to this small village to burn, kill, and plunder. Nor did anyone know the relationship between the old and new factions of the Evil Cult. But the world had long regarded the Evil Cult as monsters that skinned people and drank human blood, and thus were filled with fear.
At that time, Feng Ting Liu was still young and energetic. It was a time when the reputation of Liudu City was soaring, and he had not yet been attacked by the Gu. After receiving the news from Feng Che, he led his men to this place to chase and kill the old faction of the Evil Cult.
"City Lord, there are approximately fifty members of the Evil Cult causing chaos." The scout who had arrived earlier reported.
"Fifty? Huh, no matter how many come, we'll kill them all!"
Feng Ting Liu drew his long sword and led a group of newcomers to Liudu City, engaging in a bloody battle with the old faction of the Evil Cult.
The boiling hot blood splashed onto the dry haystack, precisely landing on the face of a little girl hiding in the haystack. The little girl had never witnessed a killing scene before. Her eyes widened, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Naturally, Feng Ting Liu noticed the hidden little girl, but he only gave her a cold glance before turning and leaving.
At this moment, the scout came running with an urgent report: "City Lord! There is an unknown force fighting with the old faction of the Evil Cult in the west, precisely blocking their escape route!"
"Huh?" Feng Ting Liu heard this, shook off the blood on his sword, narrowed his eyes.
"Looking at the flag, it seems to be the people from the Beilong Hall of the Zhu Xie Association."
Feng Ting Liu paused, suddenly sneered, "I thought the cowards of the righteous faction wouldn't come. Let's go, let's go and meet them."
The people of Liudu City headed west, killing the fleeing single Evil Cult members. Amid the grateful yet fearful gazes of the villagers, they confronted the troops of the Beilong Hall of the Zhu Xie Association.
The leader of the Zhu Xie Association was a tall and sturdy man. His deep features had an exotic bloodline, making him appear even more imposing. His serious wolf-like eyes commanded respect even when facing the enemy. There was a token of the Beilong Hall hanging from his waist, clearly indicating his identity as the Hall Master.
When Feng Ting Liu saw the man, he raised an eyebrow with interest, then brandished his long sword and charged into the battle, catching the old faction of the Evil Cult off guard.
The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall naturally noticed the arrival of the Liudu City troops and also saw Feng Ting Liu's strange red eyes. Amidst his vigilance and surprise, he discovered that their target was also the Evil Cult, so he ordered the others to cooperate with them.
Coincidentally, the reinforcements of the old faction of the Evil Cult came from the west, surrounding the people of the Beilong Hall and Liudu City in the middle.
At some point, Feng Ting Liu and the Hall Master of the Beilong Hall found themselves back to back, facing the enemy. Both were covered in blood and sweat, and their eyes were filled with unquenchable killing intent and fighting spirit.
"Your martial arts are excellent. May I ask which great hero has come to assist?" The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall took a moment's break and shouted to Feng Ting Liu.
Feng Ting Liu laughed heartily, swept his long sword horizontally, repelling the approaching enemies, and responding to him amidst the deafening sounds of battle: "The City Lord of Liudu City, Feng Ting Liu!"
The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall was stunned upon hearing this. He turned his long sword towards Feng Ting Liu, but it was to strike the Evil Cult member who was about to attack him from behind.
And Feng Ting Liu seemed to know that he would come to his aid. Without dodging or evading, he instead had a smile on his lips.
Their hair intertwined in the wind and separated in an instant.
"So it's City Lord Feng. I've heard a lot about you." The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall bowed to Feng Ting Liu and continued to fight the enemy, "With City Lord Feng's martial arts skills, if my Zhu Xie Association can gain such assistance, I believe defeating the Evil Cult will be no problem."
Feng Ting Liu glanced at the special long sword in his hand. With just one glance, he knew that the sword had a unique structure and was heavier than an ordinary sword blade.
"Oh? You know me, but you're not afraid of me?" Feng Ting Liu laughed, swept his long leg, and kicked the Evil Cult member behind him away, "Are you being too naive to think of cooperating with me?"
"But now that you and I have the same goal, why not join forces?" The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall stood behind Feng Ting Liu, guarding his back from the enemies.
With their backs touching, Feng Ting Liu's pair of crimson eyes suddenly ignited with excitement.
"Then I'll assist you in this battle!"
The slaughter did not stop, and the flames of war did not cease.
The old faction of the Evil Cult seemed to have known they were coming and had laid an ambush for a long time.
However, what the old faction of the Evil Cult did not expect was that there would be two forces opposing them in this battle. In the end, they suffered heavy losses and fled in a disheveled manner.
Feng Ting Liu and the Hall Master of the Beilong Hall stood in the middle of the corpses. Seeing each other covered in blood and dirt, they both smiled, full of vigor and spirit.
"What does City Lord Feng plan to do? Will you return to the city after the victory?" The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall stood in front of Feng Ting Liu and asked with a smile.
"The sudden attack by the Evil Cult is suspicious. Although they attacked a small village outside Beiji City, their ultimate goal can only be Beiji City. I'm going to the city to check the situation." Feng Ting Liu sheathed his long sword and turned to look at him.
Their gazes met, like flintstones colliding, sparking a burning flame.
"Well, in that case, we still need to help the villagers clean up this mess..." Before the Hall Master of the Beilong Hall could finish his words, a burst of crying was heard from the side. He turned his head and saw a little girl emerging from the haystack, crying loudly in fear.
It seemed that she had been so frightened earlier that she couldn't even cry. Now that she was safe, she let out a loud cry.
The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall raised his hand to apologize to Feng Ting Liu, then walked to the haystack, picked up the little girl, and gently stroked her back.
"Be good, we're saved. No one will come to bully you anymore."
Feng Ting Liu looked in his direction, watching him patiently comforting the little girl, and was momentarily lost in thought.
He had seen that little girl earlier, but he had never had the habit of conveniently saving others. Even though the little girl hiding in the dark made him think of himself.
It was precisely because he remembered watching his parents being killed with his own eyes that he was unwilling to save her. He believed that if one wanted to survive until the end, they could only rely on their own two hands, not on the assistance of others.
But that man had saved her.
That was the help and comfort that Feng Ting Liu had never received and also scorned.
The earlier teamwork in the battle had become a thing of the past. Now, what Feng Ting Liu cared more about was the extremely obvious chasm between him and the Hall Master of the Beilong Hall.
It was an unbridgeable chasm between cruelty and kindness.
"Let's go." Feng Ting Liu turned around, summoned the people of Liudu City, and left this place.
The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall noticed his sudden departure, turned around, and stared at his receding figure for a long time.
After Feng Ting Liu led his troops to clean up the aftermath, he brought a few subordinates to Beiji City. He found a tavern, sat down, and ordered some food and drinks toReward (reward or treat) his subordinates.
Before the food and drinks were served, a person wearing a bamboo hat sat opposite him.
Feng Ting Liu was immediately displeased. The long sword at his waist was unsheathed in an instant, ready to drink the impolite person's blood.
But before Feng Ting Liu could make a move, the person on the opposite side lifted the bamboo hat and showed him a smile. That familiar face was clearly the Hall Master of the Beilong Hall whom he had just met.
"City Lord Feng, it's me."
Feng Ting Liu's sword returned to its sheath with a clear sound. He leaned back on the chair and examined the man, asking indifferently, "Why did you follow me?"
"I want to get to know City Lord Feng. How about that?"
"If you want to recruit me into your group, I advise you to give up on such naive ideas." Feng Ting Liu sneered.
"What if I say that it's in my personal capacity that I want to befriend you?" The Hall Master of the Beilong Hall's eyes were sincere, and his gentle smile remained unchanged. There was no trace of the heroic and fierce appearance he had when killing the enemies earlier.
It seemed that to emphasize his sincerity, he deliberately lowered his body and looked up at Feng Ting Liu.
"Oh?"
"Let's get to know each other again. I'm Yu Chi Feng."