Chapter 318: The Way of the Evil Cultivator, Poisonous Fog Mark_2
I was on duty at the city gate at the time, and later a child suddenly handed me a letter.
Still, the Qi Family's people found something suspicious.
I had just returned home and finished reading the letter when Qi Wenzheng burst in with his men.
It's strange to say, I had been very careful, and I don't know where I slipped up.
While many Innate Realm experts were heading to the Qi Family's residence, Lu Qing and the others were also going towards the city gate.
Along the way, Old Hu told Lu Qing about what had happened before they arrived.
After taking the medicine prepared by the elder doctor, his injuries had mostly healed, and he was mostly unimpeded.
"Poisonous Fog..." Lu Qing fell into thought.
After a while, he said, "The Qi Family's people discovering something suspicious might not be related to you. The problem is probably with that letter."
"Letter?" Old Hu was puzzled.
"Exactly. If the Third Young Master Ji really contracted the Poisonous Fog mark, anything he touched would carry a hint of poisonous fog.
Even though it's faint, if the Qi Family has the corresponding Magic Artifact or Cultivation Technique, and they were close enough, they should have been able to detect it."
"Magic Artifact?" Old Hu was even more confused.
"You can think of it as some sort of object with special powers, but that Magic Artifact probably isn't very strong. Otherwise, the Qi Family's people would have used it earlier."
Lu Qing briefly explained, but he also began to ponder.
According to Old Hu, the situation of the Third Young Master Ji seemed quite dire.
A Poisonous Fog mark is not a simple matter.
Only Evil Cultivators who have cultivated the Evil Path successfully can create such marks.
Previously, from the information scribbled by the Boss of Qi Family, he had learned about the Qi Family creating a plague in Fengzhou.
But he didn't know specifically what methods they used.
Now, hearing what Old Hu said, he immediately sensed something was amiss.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shout, "Ma Gu, stop the carriage for a moment."
Ma Gu stopped the carriage.
"Ah Qing, what's the matter?" asked the elder doctor.
"Master, if Third Young Master Ji is marked by the Poisonous Fog, the situation might not be that simple," Lu Qing said gravely.
"This Poisonous Fog mark can only be cultivated by a real Evil Cultivator.
Such Evil Cultivators often signify disaster and misfortune. Wherever they go, causing deaths is common.
In severe cases, living creatures suffer immensely, and plagues are entirely normal."
"You're saying it's an Evil Cultivator!"
The elder doctor's complexion changed as well.
He had seen the Jade Scroll engraved with information that Lu Qing had given him, which contained simple information on many ancient cultivation schools, including about Evil Cultivators.
Therefore, he knew just how terrifying a real Evil Cultivator could be.
"Ah Qing, are you suggesting that this Evil Cultivator is within the Qi Family?"
The elder doctor's expression was rather troubled.
If that were the case, an Evil Cultivator hiding in a densely populated city would be a tremendous crisis for the citizens of Azure Dragon City.
"It shouldn't be here. If there were an Evil Cultivator hiding in the city, he couldn't have escaped my detection," Lu Qing shook his head.
He was quite confident about this.
Upon stepping into the Innate Realm and after the transformation of Divine Soul Talisman into a Yang Talisman,
Lu Qing's Divine Soul Power had become strong enough that all Innate Realm cultivators looked up to him.
If there were an Evil Cultivator in the city, they couldn't hide so perfectly that even he couldn't detect a trace.
Moreover, an Evil Cultivator who cultivates the poisonous fog bears the presence of misfortune.
They can't stay long in crowded places; otherwise, if their aura leaks and spreads plague, it's too easily noticed.
With so many Innate Realm Experts in the city, their identity would be easily exposed.
Therefore, it was unlikely that the Evil Cultivator was hiding in the city.
The most probable place would be somewhere outside the city, concealing and cultivating.
With this in mind, Lu Qing suddenly said, "Uncle Hu, do you still remember where Third Young Master Ji was hiding?"
Old Hu was startled: "Of course, I remember. However, I've already informed the Ji Family Master about that place."
"There's no time, we have to go find him right away. If we delay further, I'm afraid Third Young Master Ji's life will be in danger."
"Then let's rush over!"
Old Hu hurriedly replied when he heard the words.
He was indeed concerned about the safety of Third Young Master Ji.
After all, they had once stood guard at the city gate together for a long time.
Although Third Young Master Ji had gone to experience life, the friendship between the two had been formed.
"Just after exiting the city gate, you can directly indicate the direction."
Lu Qing immediately instructed Ma Gu to start the carriage, and after exiting the city gate, Old Hu pointed out the direction.
A breeze appeared, and the carriage transformed into a stream of azure light, speeding forward at an extreme pace.
Old Hu had never seen such a spectacle before.
Looking at the blurry scenery flashing past the carriage window, his face turned pale.
He could hardly imagine the speed of the carriage.
Under the extreme speed of the Magic Array Car, it did not take long for Lu Qing and his companions to reach the place described by Old Hu.
It was a small mountain village, very desolate, filled with broken walls and ruins, looking as if it had been abandoned for a long time.
When everyone got out of the carriage, Old Hu looked dazed.
It must be known that the place he mentioned was dozens of miles away from Azure Dragon City.
But just now, they had only just left Azure Dragon City, and it was not even a quarter of an hour before they had already arrived here.
This speed was terrifying.
"Uncle Hu, is this the place you were talking about?" Lu Qing asked.
Old Hu came back to his senses and quickly nodded, "That's right, this was once a village plagued by disease, where leprosy had broken out and many people died.
I once came here with the city guard lord."
Lu Qing nodded, he had already sensed some faint life forces in the village.
Clearly, there were people hiding and living inside.
Among the life forces, one was particularly vigorous, much stronger than ordinary people, obviously a martial artist.
Moreover, the life force seemed familiar—it was Third Young Master Ji's life force.
However, the condition of this life force was not good.
It fluctuated strongly and weakly, and the life force was very faint, as if he had contracted a serious illness.
He immediately said, "I have already sensed the life force of Third Young Master Ji, let's go inside."
The small village was filled with broken walls and ruins, making it difficult for the carriage to navigate.
Thus, Ma Gu and Wei Zian stayed behind to guard the carriage while Lu Qing and his companions entered the village.
Walking through the village, Lu Qing and his companions felt people peering at them from the dilapidated houses.
However, when they looked back, those gazes quickly hid away.
Lu Qing did not pay attention to these and walked straight towards the direction of Third Young Master Ji's life force.
It was a dilapidated thatched house. When Lu Qing pushed the door open, a surprised cry came out, but it was the voice of a rather young girl.
"Little sister, don't be afraid, we are here to save this gentleman."
The light inside the thatched house was dim, but for Lu Qing, who had night vision, it posed no obstacle.
He immediately saw clearly that inside the house was a teenage girl, holding a wooden stick and looking very defensive.
And behind her on a wooden bed, a figure was lying down.
However, although Lu Qing spoke gently, the girl clearly did not believe him.
She still tightly held the wooden stick in her hand, staring unwaveringly at them.
Just then, the sound of rustling footsteps came from outside.
It was a group of ragged villagers, holding wooden sticks and iron forks, slowly surrounding Lu Qing and his group.
Lu Qing naturally did not take these frail-bodied villagers seriously.
But he made no further action and instead shouted inside, "Third Young Master Ji, are you awake? We are here to help you."
At this moment, Old Hu also shouted, "Third Young Master Ji, it's Old Hu! I've brought people to rescue you!"
Hearing Old Hu's voice, the person lying inside finally showed some movement.
A weak voice responded, "Xiao Rou, don't be afraid, step back, they are my friends and are here to help us."
Hearing this voice, Xiao Rou slowly moved back to the side of the wooden bed.
The group of ragged villagers outside also stopped their approach.
Only then did Lu Qing and his companions manage to enter the house.
And when they finally saw the state of Third Young Master Ji, they all involuntarily shuddered.