Not paying attention to the people following behind him, Xu Qing carried Captain Lei on his back and fed him the White Pill from the leather pouch.
Perhaps it was the effect of the White Pill, or perhaps it was the effect of the Seven Leaf Grass, but Captain Lei's face did not continue to darken.
It was just that the foreign substance in his body was too strong, and Xu Qing's White Pill was not enough to completely suppress it.
Therefore, he was still in a coma. Clearly, everything he experienced in the forbidden zone had a great impact on him.
And so … in the middle of the night, on the way back, Xu Qing once again ran into a few despairing scavengers who were trapped in the fog. At the cost of Bai Dan, Xu Qing allowed them to follow behind him and listen to the sound of his footsteps.
Of course, there were still some ignorant people among them, but these people eventually became the reference for Xu Qing's followers to rejoice in, and also made them revere Xu Qing even more.
Most of them guessed that he should be the kind of person who was born with strong mental strength.
Because only this kind of person could not be restricted in the fog.
Regarding this kind of person, Xu Qing had heard from Luan Ya before, and he had also thought of them when he first saved people with the White Pill. Therefore, with this cover, he was not worried about exposing his secret.
And the total of more than ten White Pills finally allowed Captain Lei's complexion to recover, from the previous dark-green to green, and his breathing was clearly stronger than before.
At the same time, Xu Qing also discovered that the feedback from the shadow could not last for long.
At this moment, as he moved forward, the fog in front of him was no longer as transparent as before, but gradually became blurry. It seemed that it would not be long before it would be similar to what others could see.
Fortunately, this place was not very far from the outside.
Therefore, although his vision began to blur, with Xu Qing's increasing speed, the darkness in the sky slowly dissipated. The moment the sun rose and the first rays of the morning sun shone on the earth, he, who was carrying Captain Lei, finally saw the outside world not far away through the gaps between the branches and leaves.
Xu Qing's mood fluctuated, and his body flashed, directly leaping over the border and walking out of the forest.
The moment he stepped over the cold boundary, the wind outside brought warm sunlight and fell on Xu Qing's body.
Because the light was too bright, he could not help but squint his eyes. Standing there, he took a deep breath of the outside air.
At the same time, the people behind him, as they approached the border, also recovered their vision.
One by one, they rushed out with excitement, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
The moment they stepped into the outside world, they were all extremely excited. There was even an old man who directly knelt on the ground and lightly kissed the earth.
At this moment, they finally saw Xu Qing's appearance and Captain Lei on his back.
Perhaps not many people knew the former, but everyone knew the latter.
Thus, when the appearance of Xu Qing and Captain Lei entered their eyes, their impressions of Xu Qing began to emerge one after another.
"Child!"
"Captain Lei!"
These four or five followers were all shocked, but when Xu Qing's gaze swept over them, they instinctively shut up.
Along the way, Xu Qing's coldness and indifference towards those who harbored evil intentions had already intimidated them.
Ignoring them, Xu Qing retracted his gaze and was just about to head back to the campsite when two figures suddenly appeared in the distance, rapidly closing in on him.
It was precisely Shizi and Luan Ya. They had already returned, but they weren't waiting inside the camp and were instead anxiously waiting outside.
They had also discussed that if Captain Lei and the others did not come out today, they would go in again to search and rescue.
Thus, when they saw Xu Qing's figure from afar, the two of them approached at full speed.
They also noticed Captain Lei on Xu Qing's back. Shizi's eyes suddenly narrowed, but when they fell on Xu Qing, they turned gentle.
Luan Ya's expression also changed. His killing intent spread out and swept towards those who had followed Xu Qing out.
These people were all breathing rapidly and were all on high alert.
"It has nothing to do with them. Fortunately, they are here. Otherwise, Captain Lei wouldn't have been able to hold on."
Xu Qing spoke, causing Luan Ya's killing intent to dissipate. Those who had followed him out all let out a sigh of relief. When they looked at Xu Qing, there was awe and gratitude in their eyes. Thus, they cupped their fists at him and left.
After they left, Shizi wanted to help Captain Lei off Xu Qing, but Xu Qing stopped him.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and said, "Let Captain Lei sleep for a while. I can still do it."
"Okay, let's return to the campsite and take Captain to see the doctor."
Shizi nodded and took out a white pill to feed Captain Lei. He and Luan Ya accompanied him on the left and right. The three of them flew back to the campsite.
On the way, Luan Ya wanted to speak many times, but in the end, he couldn't hold back and asked.
"What about Berserk Ghost?
Is Blood Shadow Squad still chasing after them? "
Xu Qing was silent for a long moment before softly replying.
"Berserk Ghost Mutation, killed in battle."
His words caused Shizi and Luan Ya to stop in their tracks. Their expressions were somber. Although they had been mentally prepared, the grief in their eyes grew stronger. Luan Ya even looked a bit absent-minded.
Xu Qing's second sentence caused both of them to tremble. They looked at Xu Qing with expressions of disbelief.
"Blood Shadow Squad, wiped out."
Xu Qing lowered his head as he continued forward.
"Is that why Captain Lei's injuries are so serious …?"
Luan Ya murmured. He seemed to have an answer, but off to the side, Shizi had a strange expression on his face. He had the feeling that perhaps that wasn't the case. He looked deeply at Xu Qing, but didn't ask any further questions.
Xu Qing didn't explain, nor did he mention the matter of the song. That was Captain Lei's secret, and he couldn't decide whether or not to reveal it.
It was in this way that the three of them sped along. Before long, they were back in the campsite. The first thing they did was head toward one of the caravans, where the famous doctor was.
The appearance of the Thunderbolt Squad caused the people in line to feel the somber aura emanating from them. When they saw the unconscious Captain Lei, the people in the front of the line immediately made way for him.
Soon, the Thunderbolt Squad was the first to enter the tent.
The tent was large, and filled with the aroma of medicinal herbs. Inside, there were armored guards, as well as a scavenger, who looked very ill at ease as he examined a patient.
The person examining him was a thin old man. He wore an ordinary, but very clean gray robe. His face was wrinkled, but his eyes were bright and filled with wisdom. They shone like stars, as if they could see into the hearts of people with a single glance.
On either side of the old man sat a young man and a young woman. The young man was about the same age as Xu Qing. He wore a blue satin robe, and had a black jade headband in his hair. Around his waist hung a jade pendant carved with a dragon. Golden tassels of hair hung down from his head.
The young man was handsome, and his clothes were neat and tidy. However, he did not seem to be fully awake. One of his hands was supporting his chin, and the other was holding a medicinal book. He did not seem to have the energy to read it, and would occasionally yawn.
On the other side was a young woman around sixteen or seventeen years old. She wore a blue robe, and her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. She had a perfect oval face, and her skin was snow-white. Her face was beautiful and refined.
Her eyes were bright and clear, and they shone like stars. When she noticed the young man dozing off beside her, she smiled faintly and lowered her head to look at the medicinal book in her hands.
However, when she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, and it was as if her spirituality was seeping out of her.
Between her frown and her smile, a noble aura was naturally revealed. It made people sigh in admiration at her elegant and refined radiance.
This pair of golden boy and jade girl had a spirituality that almost no scavenger had ever seen before. It made the Phoenix Fang feel a little inferior. Even Ten Crosses took a few more glances at them.
As for Xu Qing, he looked at the medicinal book in their hands, and a look of envy appeared in his eyes. However, he quickly retracted his gaze and focused his attention on the doctor in front of him.
The doctor said a few words to the scavenger who had come to see him. The scavenger gratefully left. The doctor washed his hands in the copper basin next to him, then looked up at Xu Qing and the others.
His gaze swept over them. First, it fell upon Xu Qing. There was a profound look in his eyes. Then he looked at Captain Lei, who was being carried on his back.
"Put him down," he said slowly.
For some reason, Xu Qing felt a bit nervous under the old man's gaze. It was as if he had returned to the slums and was facing a teacher.
With the help of Ten Crosses, the two of them carefully put Captain Lei down in front of the old man.
Captain Lei slowly regained consciousness. When he saw the tent, he stared in shock. He also saw the doctor, Xu Qing, and the others. Just as he was about to get up, the old man said coolly,
"Lie down properly."
The words caused Captain Lei to look at the doctor. Their gazes met, and Captain Lei silently got up. Ten Crosses stepped forward to help him up, then he bowed to the doctor.
"It's just a minor injury, and they brought me here. I won't cause any more trouble, Grandmaster Bai. I'm fine."
"You know me?" asked the doctor, looking at Captain Lei suspiciously.
Captain Lei nodded respectfully. "Many years ago, I caught a glimpse of you from afar, Grandmaster Bai."
Grandmaster Bai looked deeply at Captain Lei for a moment.
"Your recent injuries don't count for much," he said slowly. "The heteroplasm in your body has been suppressed, so it's not a big problem. As for your mental exhaustion, it's obvious that your recent emotional fluctuations have damaged your heart and arteries.
"Adding all of that together, it's a bit troublesome, but it can be treated. However … that's not the main point.
"The main point is your internal injuries from many years ago. You must have had your foundation crippled when you were young. You must have cultivated your Cultivation base from scratch. To be able to cultivate to your current level despite having your foundation crippled is not an easy task.
"However, with all of that combined, you're completely drained. Ordinary medicinal pills won't be able to cure you, and I'm powerless to do anything about it. I'll give you some medicine, and as for how much you'll be healed, that will depend on your fate.
"But remember, from now on, you can't continue cultivating. Otherwise, the heteroplasm will increase and cause your internal injuries to relapse. Then … you'll die without a doubt."
As soon as Grandmaster Bai spoke, Cross and Luan Ya fell silent. They clearly knew that Captain Lei's foundation had been crippled. Xu Qing didn't know. He looked at Captain Lei and suddenly remembered the song in the forbidden zone, as well as the pair of red women's boots.
"Is there no other way?" Cross asked in a low voice.
"There is. If you can find a heavenly treasure like the Destiny Flower, you can naturally extend your life. I heard that one appeared in the nearby forbidden zone many years ago."
Cross was silent. Luan Ya's eyes were filled with anxiety. Xu Qing looked at Captain Lei. Compared to them, Captain Lei's expression was indifferent.
"It's not that serious. It's just an old problem. We won't disturb Grandmaster Bai any longer." Captain Lei bowed to Grandmaster Bai and called for Xu Qing and the others to leave.
Xu Qing and the others bowed to Grandmaster Bai and left with the prescription.
But Xu Qing had something on his mind. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt as if Grandmaster Bai was looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
Along the way, the thunder squad was silent.
When they returned to Captain Lei's residence, Cross and Luan Ya wanted to say something, but Captain Lei sent them away.
When they left, Captain Lei took out some tobacco from the house and an opium pipe from a leather bag. He lit it and took a deep puff.
When he exhaled the smoke, he let out a long sigh. He looked at Xu Qing's concerned expression and waved the opium pipe in his hand.
"I couldn't think of smoking in the forbidden zone. Now that I'm back, it feels so good. This thing is more effective than any medicine."
Xu Qing was about to speak.
"What do you want to eat today? I'll make you a meal … drink with me."
Captain Lei didn't let Xu Qing say it, as if he didn't want to hear it. Xu Qing looked at him silently and nodded after a while.
"Eat snake."
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After reading yesterday's chapter, everyone said that they liked the sixteenth chapter. Thank you for liking it. This made me more motivated and enthusiastic to write.