As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Qiangzi's eyes, and he continued his story.
Half a month ago, the Su family had offended Luo Jiangwen. The souls of everyone in the family were scattered, leaving only their physical bodies. Su Qing had also fallen into a coma. By the time Zhang Xiaoqiang arrived, Su Qing's soul was already on the verge of dissipating.
Upon hearing the name Luo Jiangwen, Yu Daochen raised an eyebrow. Luo Jiangwen, ranked thirty-first on the Heavenly Rankings, was an extremely wicked individual, known for his ruthless methods. He was spoken of in the same breath as the Executioner Li and the Ghost Calculator, collectively known as the Three Evils of the Jianghu.
Luo Jiangwen specialized in soul-related dark arts, rumored to have ties with the Soul Guiding Sect. Su Qing's condition indeed pointed to Luo Jiangwen's involvement.
However, Yu Daochen was more curious about how Qiangzi had managed to obtain the Soul Protecting Bronze Charm and the Vitality Pill from two major sects.
The two felt a chill in the room and decided to step out. Qiangzi gently closed the door, sat on the sofa, pulled a cigarette from his pack, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled, continuing his narrative.
Upon discovering Su Qing's state, Zhang Xiaoqiang was utterly panicked. He sought help from his master, Daoist Lingze, but his master could find no solution after searching through countless books. Just as Zhang Xiaoqiang was at a loss, the Yan Shu Sect approached him, offering a way to save Su Qing. Their condition was that Zhang Xiaoqiang must join the Yan Shu Sect.
Zhang Xiaoqiang was initially skeptical, but with even a sliver of hope, he was willing to try anything. Thus, Zhang Xiaoqiang joined the Yan Shu Sect.
The Yan Shu Sect's method was to first use the Vitality Pill to nourish Su Qing's body, then use the Soul Protecting Bronze Charm to preserve Su Qing's last trace of soul from dissipating, and finally, to prevent Su Qing's consciousness from fading using the soul itself, before finding a spiritual spring to nourish the soul.
For ordinary people, if their soul leaves their body for three to four days, as long as the vital fire within their body hasn't extinguished, there's no issue. However, if the soul remains out for one to two months, the body truly becomes a corpse.
Within a person's Dantian, there is a vital fire, which is the crucial link between the body and the soul. At a certain point, this vital fire will extinguish, signifying that the person has died, and the soul will be expelled from the body.
Those who practice this art can control this vital fire, allowing their souls to leave their bodies for about ten days. It is rumored that the Yin Walking Sect has methods to cultivate this vital fire, enabling souls to remain out of their bodies for one to two months without issue.
Yu Daochen listened to Qiangzi's explanation and pondered the method. The Vitality Pill indeed possessed the effect of preventing the vital fire within the body from extinguishing.
Ten years ago, it was heard that an alchemy master could refine Vitality Pills, but he had passed away long ago. Currently, the only known source of a Vitality Pill in the Jianghu was the Yan Shu Sect.
As for the Soul Protecting Bronze Charm, it had the effect of preventing the soul from dissipating. This was something he had heard of. However, the claim that this spiritual bead could prevent consciousness from fading was entirely new to him.
As the saying goes, a person has three souls and seven spirits. Once the soul leaves the body for too long, the soul that governs consciousness will slowly dissipate, turning the person into a true wandering ghost.
If the Yan Shu Sect's claim that the spiritual bead could prevent consciousness from fading were true, then this method was indeed viable.
Following this, the Yan Shu Sect gifted the Vitality Pill to Zhang Xiaoqiang for free and helped him infiltrate the Zhen Bao Sect to steal the Soul Protecting Bronze Charm. Although the Soul Protecting Bronze Charm was obtained, Qiangzi was severely injured while escaping.
"Are you planning to hide like this now?" Yu Daochen asked.
Qiangzi shook his head. "I don't know. The Zhen Bao Sect is still hunting me, so I can only hide here for now."
Yu Daochen sighed. "What did Daoist Lingze say?"
Qiangzi lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before speaking. "When I joined the Yan Shu Sect, I was expelled from the Heavenly Master's Mansion. Master didn't stop me that day; instead, he instructed me that even if I were expelled from the Heavenly Master's Mansion, he would still be my master, and I should seek him out if I encountered any difficulties. My coming here was arranged by Master."
Yu Daochen nodded. Daoist Lingze was famously protective of his disciples. If not for Daoist Lingze's backing, given Qiangzi's personality, he would have died countless times over.
"You should know that this poison has already entered your bones. You could die at any moment."
Yu Daochen looked at the scar on Qiangzi's face. Seeing Qiangzi's condition, he would surely die within a few days.
Qiangzi showed a smile. "That's why I invited Master Yu. If I die one day, I entrust Su Qing to your care."
Yu Daochen quickly waved his hand. "No, no, no. Take care of your own wife."
Qiangzi shook his head and touched the scar on his face. "This poison has already entered my bones. Master Yu should also know that few people in the Jianghu can cure the poisons of the Zhen Bao Sect."
Yu Daochen looked at Qiangzi's expression of helplessness, surprised that this fellow could also show such a demeanor.
He took out his phone, scrolled to a number, and dialed. Although few in the Jianghu could cure the Zhen Bao Sect's poison, by chance, he knew someone who could.
Ring, ring.
The call was answered after two rings.
"Hello, who is it?" an old man's voice came from the other end of the phone.
Yu Daochen smiled. "Elder Hua, it's your little Yu."
The voice from the other end chuckled. "What can I do for an old man like me?"
Yu Daochen did not conceal anything and explained his poisoning. The voice on the other end was silent for a few seconds before saying, "If it's the Zhen Bao Sect's poison, I can indeed cure it. You can come over."
After a few more casual remarks, Yu Daochen hung up the phone and looked at the worried Qiangzi. "How about that? Am I reliable, young master?"
Qiangzi's face returned to its usual smile. "Thank you, Master Yu. I owe you this favor and will repay you handsomely another day."
Qiangzi became more and more excited, almost to the point of kissing Yu Daochen. Yu Daochen quickly stopped him. "Stop, stop, stop. Let's go out to eat first. I haven't eaten yet."
Qiangzi nodded and led Yu Daochen out to eat.
Wandering through the Lijiang Ancient Town, Yu Daochen admired the ancient-style architecture around him, acknowledging its beauty.
Qiangzi led Yu Daochen to a small restaurant, and they found a seat. Qiangzi looked at Yu Daochen and smiled. "I'll let Master Yu taste some Yunnan Dai cuisine."
After speaking, he called a waiter and ordered, "A table of insect feast!"
Yu Daochen's eyebrows rose. He had heard of people eating insects in Yunnan and had seen them on his phone, but he had never eaten them before.