White-Robed Chief

As they watched Lu Yurong, they could see that her face was as pale as white jade, her eyes as cool as frosty starlight.

The maids knew that it was already too late to stop so all they could do was to watch her perform her secret technique.

Lu Yurong stretched out her pasty fingers and tapped twice on Chu Li’s chest but immediately stopped and scowled. As her finger force entered his body, it felt as if it was entering a wooden log, Chu Li’s body was like dead wood, completely devoid of any acupuncture point.

She took a deep breath and continued pressing on his acupuncture points, tapping on thirty-six points in one go. After that, she made a mudra with her hands as the luster surrounding her slowly faded away.

When the warm glow left her body, she spat another mouthful of blood.

“Lady Lu, the Master is here!” Xiao Mei called out from afar.

High Duke Lu was clothed in a green tunic, and with an air of grace and elegance, he strode to the gazebo.

As he caught sight of Lu Yurong’s ghastly face and frantic look, he muttered. “Nonsense!”

Then, he struck her back with his palm and sent a rich force of inner energy into her.

Lu Yurong immediately felt a sense of refreshment as a glow returned to her eyes. “Dad!”

“Don’t worry, Head Chief Chu can’t die in our residence!” High Duke Lu huffed and checked Chu Li’s wrist. However, after checking on his precordium, he retracted his hands with a tight frown on his forehead and a regretful shake of his head. “It’s too late!”

He turned his head and asked, “Has he taken the Adversity Surpassing Pill?”

“Yes.” Xiao Mei nodded anxiously.

High Duke Lu searched Chu Li’s inner pockets and took out a jade bottle from which he poured out five dark green pills. “These are the Spirit Blessing Pills from the Yi Public House!”

Putting one of the Spirit Blessing Pills into Chu Li’s mouth, he explained. “Logically speaking, the Spirit Blessing Pill can save anyone within six hours of the person’s death and retain his last breath… But if he can’t regain consciousness even after consuming the Adversity Surpassing Pill, then this could very well be his fate, not even Buddha save him!”

“Dad…!” Lu Yurong chided.

High Duke Lu advised. “Lassie, life and death are decreed by fate, rank and riches determined by heaven. When the fate of our own lives is not within our control, what more can we do about the lives of others!”

He was resigned to the inevitable fact of life and death, his tone on the matter relaxed, it was as if dying was as insignificant as an ant.

Lu Yurong glared at him in dissatisfaction.

“Why, have you fallen for this boy?” High Duke froze.

Lu Yurong scoffed. “He’s in this state to save me, if it was not for me, he wouldn’t have gotten injured, much less lose his life!”

High Duke Lu nodded. “Saving a damsel in distress… He’s a real man!”

Lu Yurong questioned, “So can he be saved?”

She had faith in Chu Li, she knew deep down that Chu Li was a survivor, the type to stay alive even when others had all fallen to their deaths. Although she had witnessed Chu Li die of asphyxiation, she had a feeling that Chu Li was not dead yet and that it was all just a big fat joke.

High Duke Lu shook his head. “It’s over.”

“Impossible!” Lu Yurong denied.

High Duke Lu checked on Chu Li’s breathing and touched his precordium once more, then shook his head regretfully. “No pulse, no breathing and with his body starting to harden, there’s no doubt that he’s really dead!”

“It’s not possible!” Lu Yurong was unconvinced, she stepped forward and touched Chu Li’s wrist.

The corners of her mouth were slightly bleeding as her injuries had gotten worse after using her secret skill.

As she pressed down on him with her finger, there was no more violent force rebuffing her touch and as her inner energy went in further, she found his body as stiff as a log, completely devoid of life.

Lu Yurong gritted her teeth and shook her head. “He cannot die!”

Chu Li’s smile flashed right before her eyes as she stared at the corpse in front of her, she could not believe that the man with such a bright smile was the same person as this lifeless body, in denial of the tragedy that befell Chu Li.

“Anyone can die.” High Duke Lu patted her shoulder and sighed.

When his daughter had finally fallen for a man, she was faced with the pain of losing him. With this, it was entirely possible that she could end up shutting the doors to her heart and spending the rest of her life lonely and bitter!

However, Chu Li’s death did not affect him as much, many talented young men were dying every year and Chu Li was just one of them.

How was it that others could die and not Chu Li?

He reasoned carefully. “Burial brings peace to the deceased, let’s quickly lay him to rest. It’s just death, it’s not a big deal.”

Lu Yurong insisted stubbornly. “He’d never die! Never! Never!”

“Oh, you…” High Duke Lu observed her headstrong expression and figured to give up reasoning as he started tenderly. “Let’s get your wounds healed first unless you want to follow in his footsteps. What would this dad of yours do then?”

Lu Yurong turned and looked at him. “Don’t worry, I’m fine!”

Then, she breathed deeply and uttered calmly. “I haven’t taken my revenge yet!”

“Exactly!” High Duke Lu let out a breath of relief and supported gently. “We’ll talk after we have our revenge!”

After a period of pain, most sorrows would fade away, time could take a toll on even the strongest emotions.

…

Fu Mengshan and Xu Huande were glaring at the three dejected Ning Brothers.

“You lost him?” Fu Mengshan stroked his jaw and asked mildly, “How did you guys lose him when the Ning’s tracking skills are the best!”

Ning Boyuan answered, “Gu Qi vanished after a huge battle. Commander, we suspect that a master took him away. This person’s Light Body Technique is incredibly superior, we could not keep up.”

Fu Mengshan frowned and lifted his gaze to Ning Boyuan. “So Gu Qi isn’t dead? If he isn’t, we are doomed!”

Ning Boyuan replied, “Gu Qi is definitely wounded, the bloodstain left on site was his.”

Ning Zhongyuan suggested. “Perhaps he’s already dead. Why isn’t anybody else’s blood on the scene then?”

Shaking his head, Ning Boyuan dismissed the idea. “It’s more likely that Gu Qi wasn’t dead and was brought away by a martial art master.”

“…What about Young Chu?” Fu Mengshan turned to Xu Huande. “Elder Xu, it seems like we still need Young Chu on this case, his tracking skills are far superior!”

Xu Huande shook his head. “He can’t be found. He probably ignored us and went on a secret hunt.”

A smile crept onto Fu Mengshan’s face. “That’s good. As expected, Young Chu can’t tolerate unjust things!”

Ning Boyuan’s eyebrows knotted together. “Since the centurion had already taken action, the fight might have been between Centurion Chu and the master escorting Gu Qi! There was no one other than Centurion Chu who could have caught up to Gu Qi before we did.”

“Mmm.” Ning Zhongyuan agreed.

Ning Jiyuan remained silent.

“Young Chu isn’t back yet, so I’m afraid he might have failed.” Fu Mengshan sighed. “The Holy Church of Light definitely wouldn’t repeat their mistakes and let him kill Gu Qi easily, maybe Young Chu is in danger.”

Their previous reluctance in allowing Chu Li to hunt Gu Qi was due to such concern.

Surely, the Holy Church of Light could not stand to lose twice, they must have sent out a top-notch master, one who could teach Chu Li a good lesson.

“Chu Li is extremely smart, he won’t die so easily.” Xu Huande reassured.

Fu Mengshan nodded. “Alright then, we’ll just wait for good news from Little Chu!”

After going their own ways, all they could do was wait for news from Chu Li. There was nothing the Secret Guardian Hall could do, they needed to track down and kill Gu Qi, but how could they kill him when they could not even chase him?

As days went by, the pressure on the Secret Guardian Hall was increasing.

Five days passed, but there was no sign of Chu Li. With his unrivaled Light Body Technique, he could have returned within a day and made several roundtrips within five days, but his disappearance, something bad must have happened!

The next day, Xiao Shi sent someone over to inquire about Chu Li.

No matter how busy or held up by business he was, Chu Li would normally use his God’s Limbs to meet up with her, just as how he had persistently came to greet her every day even when he was burdened with the Crouching Bull Mountain case.

Xiao Shi knew something was off, Chu Li might be in grave danger.