Why do I have so many masters?

Chapter 126 Tragic Theft Case (1/2)

In Shaolin Temple.

Mr. Ying had turned Hong Luoyu into a human stick, and after the desperate struggle of the recent times, he had finally drifted back to Shaolin Temple. Just as he was about to pass over the main peak of Shaoshi Mountain, hovering above the immovable Yuan Ci's head, he commenced his second 'journey'.

Wu Changqing, moved by compassion, lashed out with his long whip and grabbed Luoyu around the waist, forcefully pulling him down.

In the end, the old man's heart softened.

Wu Changqing placed the 'Ying's human stick' on the wooden chair he often sat in, sighed, and, leaning on his cane, went to Shaolin's back kitchen. There were still plenty of the previously acquired medicines left, which, limited by Wang Anfeng's cultivation, contained no rare and aged spiritual materials. Nevertheless, in such a condition, a big dose would've been unbearable.

He just prepared some medicinal meals that nourish the body and replenish Qi to bring over.

Looking at the thief in front of him, Wu Changqing shook his head, not knowing what kind of obstacles Mr. Ying had set up for him on the road. The man who once was a gifted and dashing number one thief in the world now looked like a refugee.

His clothes were tattered as if he had waded through Thunder Pond; such was his disposition that he momentarily lacked the mental energy to speak, his eyes dull and vacant. Because he had lost his limbs, the elderly man had no choice but to feed him personally. After stirring the medicinal porridge, he scooped up a spoonful and brought it over. Hong Luoyu, on instinct, opened his mouth, but what came out was a puff of black smoke.

Wu Changqing's mouth twitched.

By now, he was completely certain that in the days before, this wretched-looking thief likely encountered every sort of natural disaster known from ancient to present times. Knowing Mr. Ying's temperament, it probably wasn't that simple.

Indeed, he'd weathered thunder and fire, gusty winds, and furious lightning all at once.

He sighed softly, feeling a kinship in his heart.

He then spoon-fed the medicinal porridge to the thief.

On this solitary peak, a Scholar's figure appeared. Despite his still stern complexion, one could see a slight sense of clarity and refreshment about him. With a flick of his sleeves and hands clasped behind him, a Jade Tome appeared above Shaolin Temple, then floated in midair, neither falling nor rising. It bore no text, yet it imparted a vast and profound intent.

All the experts present were drawn to this Qi mechanism and unconsciously looked in its direction.

The Scholar, using a mechanical decoy, had ventured into the world without concealing his actions from them, hence they were aware that this object was the cause of the recent string of events.

The so-called remnant chapter of 'Heavenly Inquiry'.

Wu Changqing, looking at the Jade Tome and sensing its divine charm, reveled in amazement. But when he calmed his mind to comprehend it, he discovered that aside from the extraordinary nature of the object, with his insight, he could not perceive much more. Though he was not willing to be mocked by the Scholar, curiosity gnawed heavily at him. After hesitating, he still asked,

"Sir... forgive my ignorance, but what wonders are contained within this 'Heavenly Inquiry' Jade Tome?"

The Scholar, now with a clear and refreshed spirit, said,

"I do not know."

Wu Changqing's expression became blank, asking,

"You do not know?"

"That's right, I do not."

The old man turned his head back to look at the Jade Tome, pausing his hand movements. Hong Luoyu's previously vacant eyes regained their liveliness. He glanced silently at Wu Changqing and opened his mouth wide, aiming for a spoonful of the medicinal porridge. But the old man in front of him was a master of the same caliber, a specialist in hand techniques from Medicine King Valley, and his manual dexterity might not necessarily be inferior to that of the Divine Thieves Sect.

Moreover, without his hands, Luoyu could only open his mouth in an attempt to bite, but he was always unconsciously avoided by the elder. After dodging, the fragrant medicinal porridge returned to its original position just before his nose. Whenever he tried to bite, he caught only air. After several such attempts, he couldn't help but erupt,

"What's there not to understand!"

"Things from Mr. Ying have always been this way. Whether you understand them or not is one matter; as long as he knows something is good, he must get it in his grasp first."

"Once it's in his hands, he will eventually figure it out."

"Not knowing this, how do you even get by in Jianghu, you old thing?"

Wu Changqing turned back, looking at the robust and cursing thief, initially startled and then comprehending everything. It was clear that the latter hadn't suffered much harm at all; the pitiful appearance earlier was just to deceive him.

No wonder Master Yuan Ci had shown no hint of a response.

Hong Luoyu, notorious in Jianghu for his biting tongue and never one to mince words, despite enduring countless losses, never changed. Because Wu Changqing had fed him, he had instinctively spoken with some restraint, avoiding personal attacks on the elder's family and certain sensitive topics.

But Wu Changqing, the renowned number one Divine Doctor, had not ventured in Jianghu for a long time and was a man of great respect. When had he ever been treated so discourteously? He chuckled coldly, tantalizing the thief with the spoonful of medicinal porridge. Seeing that the latter's eyes seemed glued to it, he asked with a smile,

"Do you want to eat it?"

Hong Luoyu nodded vigorously.

The elder smiled, continuing to feed the medicinal porridge to Luoyu. With a bowlful in his stomach, the hunger he had endured for so long was finally alleviated. Hong Luoyu let out a satisfied burp and felt like picking a straw to pick his teeth, perhaps even calling for a beauty to rub his shoulders.

But now, without limbs and among the living, there was only the cool Scholar and the violent monk capable of leveling mountains. He had no choice but to give up, repositioning himself comfortably on the chair, saying,

"You're not bad, old man."

He himself had roamed the Jianghu for no short amount of time.

Although he could never kick his bad habit of running his mouth, he wasn't foolish, and he knew that ordinary people, if treated with harsh words, would not just draw their swords on the spot, fight to the death, but someone as kind as this elder was rare to come by. He couldn't help but develop a significant fondness for the old man from deep within his heart and blurted out confidently,

"Right, who are you again? This lord walking the Jianghu can look after you... "

Wu Changqing's smile grew even warmer as he said,

"This humble old man's surname is Wu, name Changqing, hailing from Medicine King Valley."

Hong Luoyu nodded pretentiously and said,

"Oh, Wu Changqing, that's not a bad name. Coming from Medicine King Valley, that's also not... "

His voice trailed off, then as if struck by lightning, his expression suddenly turned blank, stiffly turning his head to look at the old man, who continued to smile at him cheerfully. Recalling the scholar's contemptuous look as if he were staring at an idiot, his lips quivering, he forced an ugly smile and said,

"Medicine King Valley, Wu Changqing?"

The elder nodded, his smile still gentle,

"Indeed."

"The number one Divine Doctor in the world?"

"Merely the kind regards of friends in the Jianghu."

Hong Luoyu, who had acted like a lord just now, was turning pale, recalling his own behavior from before.

First, he had deceived the world's number one Divine Doctor, and then he was rude to him.

He had eaten the meal personally served by the old man.

That was like an old man courting death by eating arsenic and deliberately seeking trouble...

Hong Luoyu's smile on his face stiffened, and he looked at Wu Changqing earnestly, Experience new stories with My Virtual Library Empire

"Old master, that meal..., "

The old man maintained his warm smile, lifted his left hand, and gestured about the length of a finger segment, then slightly expanded it a bit and said,

"Just added a little extra ingredient."

"Hot in nature, spicy in taste, its function is to break up accumulations and drive out water."

"Abdominal bloating and pain, difficulty in defecation."

The Divine Thief's face turned pale, already realizing the truth. Ordinary medicines wouldn't possibly affect him, but if the world's number one Divine Doctor made a move, it naturally would be different. Before he could speak, a thunderous roaring sound came from his stomach. Summoning his Qinggong, amidst a scream, he flew down the mountain.

"Baldy, where is the toilet paper..."

Ci stuffed two wooden plugs into his ears.

Shortly after, a corner of the forest echoed with earth-shattering wails.

"Damn it – I don't have hands!"

"Wu, you wait..."

"Just you watch, I will—"

"I————"

Wu Changqing's face remained filled with a kind smile, listening to the wails and suddenly feeling refreshed, comprehending the motives behind the actions of the other two. He stroked his beard and noticing Ci's gaze, turned slightly, and said with a smile,

"Don't worry, Master Ci, with the Divine Thief's control over his qi, having hands or not won't make much difference."

"However..."

The old man's mouth corners lifted slightly, and he muttered in a low voice,

"If he knew that the meals up here at Shaolin Temple are managed by me, would he want to take back what he said just now?"

PS: First update...