Chapter 4: Sanctum Sanctorum

The Mortal World

My name is Qin Sang. I work as an apprentice for a shopkeeper. This time, while out purchasing goods, I was captured by a group of bandits. Yesterday, those bandits encountered their sworn enemies, and I seized the opportunity to escape during the chaos. However, I got lost, and my leg was injured. I could only rely on a wooden raft to drift down a river, but I didn't expect to drift into this great river after falling unconscious. Fortunately, you benefactors came to my rescue...

Qin Sang sat on the deck, surrounded by a circle of burly men, each with a saber or sword at his waist. Wrapped in an old cotton coat, he felt a bit warmer as he softly recounted his story.

The man who had descended to rescue Qin Sang stood before him. This man was around forty years old, with a gaunt face that made him resemble a scholar. Dressed like the other burly men, he wore cloud-patterned boots and a set of green martial attire. A treasured sword hung from his waist. His erect posture gave him an air of great capability.

Despite having walked on water for a long time, the man remained completely dry. Astonishingly, only the soles of his shoes showed any trace of water.

The other burly men showed him great respect, referring to him as Boss Bai. He was likely their leader.

Such a person couldn't possibly be a river bandit from a boat gang. Judging by their tone, they seemed more like private guards from some noble family. Qin Sang felt a little more at ease.

As he recounted his story, Qin Sang subconsciously omitted the part about encountering an immortal. Having calmed down, he realized that although Boss Bai was no ordinary mortal, he was far from being an immortal master who could fly on a sword.

"Meeting in the middle of the river is a matter of destiny, and extending a helping hand is simply the right thing to do. There's no need to mention benefactors!" said Bai Jianglan. "My surname is Bai, and my given name is Jianglan. I'm a few years older than you, Little Brother Qin. If you don't mind, just call me Elder Brother Bai..."

Bai Jianglan's words carried a touch of chivalry. He squatted down, his gaze sweeping over the large bloodstains on Qin Sang's chest. He smiled, "When we saw you, you were lying motionless on the raft. We initially thought it was a corpse, but thankfully you sat up yourself... Come, let me take a look at your leg injury."

As he spoke, Bai Jianglan placed his hand on Qin Sang's calf and gently closed his eyes.

A moment later, Qin Sang suddenly felt a warm current emanate from Bai Jianglan's fingers. It entered his calf, then traveled upward along his blood vessels, eventually spreading throughout his entire body. Under the influence of this warm current, the damp coldness in his body was completely swept away.

The warm current circulated through his body before gathering again at the injured part of his calf. At first, a tingling itch came from the painful spot, and then the pain was reduced by more than half.

Qin Sang exclaimed, "Elder Brother Bai, are you a legendary immortal master? Is my leg healed?"

The surrounding burly men burst into laughter. "Boy, you can even kill bandits, yet you don't know this is true qi? You're lucky to have encountered Boss Bai, who is willing to expend his true qi to heal your wounds. Hurry up and thank Boss Bai!"

Qin Sang's eyes flickered, and he thanked them repeatedly.

Bai Jianglan withdrew his hand, calmed his qi and blood, and opened his eyes. He glanced at Qin Sang and said, "It seems you genuinely don't understand martial arts. I'm just a martial artist, not an immortal master, nor do I possess an immortal master's abilities. This true qi is also called internal energy. While it can help alleviate your pain, it's difficult to completely heal your injury with it. Your leg bone isn't broken, but there are a few hairline fractures. I've already used internal energy to dissipate the bruising at the injury site. You just need to find a physician after we disembark and get a few doses of bone-nourishing herbal medicine. You'll recover completely within a month..."

"Miss Chun Tao is here!"

A soft exclamation interrupted Bai Jianglan.

Everyone fell silent and scattered to the sides. Bai Jianglan also stood up and turned to look.

Qin Sang then realized that their current position was near the stern of the ship. The row of cabins ahead had no lights; only the middle one had been decorated as a parlor, with candles burning inside. Their light shone through the patterned windows, but both the inside and outside of the windows were covered with gauze, making it impossible to see into the parlor.

At this moment, the parlor door was ajar, and a slender figure approached, carrying a lantern. Only when she came closer did they see that it was a young girl, seventeen or eighteen years old.

The young girl wore a thin, excellent quality, water-green garment. It clearly couldn't withstand the late-night river wind, and her hands trembled slightly from the cold.

Those big, burly men seemed quite afraid of her. Seeing the young girl approach, they quickly stepped aside, each respectfully bowing and greeting her, "Greetings, Miss Chun Tao."

'She must be their employer,' Qin Sang thought to himself.

"Commander Bai, Miss ordered me to ask you why the ship is stopped here?"

Chun Tao looked displeased. Frowning, she walked forward. She was shorter than Bai Jianglan, and as she strained to hold the lantern high, she almost shoved it into his face. Her apricot-shaped eyes glared at Bai Jianglan as she questioned him with an unhappy expression.

Bai Jianglan clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Please inform Miss, Miss Chun Tao, that just now we saw a raft in distress in the middle of the river with someone still on it. So we stopped the ship to rescue him. He has been rescued now, so we will set sail immediately."

Hearing this, Chun Tao lowered her head and glanced at Qin Sang. She lowered the lantern, thrusting it into Qin Sang's face.

Qin Sang, being a guest, dared not be negligent. He straightened up and nodded with a foolish smile.

Before he could open his mouth to thank her, Chun Tao scoffed, "Someone, throw him overboard!"

Qin Sang was startled, not expecting this pretty young girl to be so cruel. He quickly looked at Bai Jianglan.

Bai Jianglan's brow furrowed slightly. He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to step back. "Miss Chun Tao, absolutely not..."

Chun Tao's delicate eyebrows suddenly shot up. She pointed at Bai Jianglan's nose and began scolding him angrily, her voice somewhat sharp. "You, Bai! The Prince ordered you to escort Young Miss, and this is how you guard her? This little thief has shifty eyes and is covered in blood; he clearly isn't a good person. How dare you let him board the ship? What if he's an assassin and alarms Young Miss? How many heads do you have?!"

"Miss Chun Tao, please calm your anger," Bai Jianglan explained patiently, neither humbly nor arrogantly. "We have already thoroughly questioned him. This Brother Qin is not skilled in martial arts; he is a pitiful person victimized by bandits who luckily escaped with his life. The blood on him is from fighting for his life. There's no reason not to save him. Furthermore, Brother Qin has a leg injury and walks with difficulty. With our brothers keeping an eye on him, he certainly won't disturb Miss."

Seeing that Bai Jianglan was insistent on saving the man, Chun Tao's eyes darted. "Aren't there two small boats trailing behind this ship?" she snapped. "Give him one and let him get lost!"

Qin Sang gasped. The river surface was wide and boundless, and the autumn tides were strong, making it even more treacherous than the Yangtze River in his previous life. The shores were heavily shadowed by mountains, with no hint of lights. Occasionally, strange cries and beast roars echoed, making it seem like a ghostly realm.

Sending a small boat onto the river would mean he wouldn't even know how he died.

This girl is so vicious!

Bai Jianglan said, "Miss Chun Tao, you might not know this, but we have just entered the Nine-Fold Gorge of the Wuling River. Both banks are lined with high cliffs and treacherous mountains, devoid of human habitation and teeming with ferocious beasts. We can only proceed downstream. However, this Nine-Fold Gorge is where the Wuling River's current is the swiftest and most dangerous. A small boat sent down would surely capsize. How about this: let Brother Qin stay in the aft cabin. We'll set sail now, and by tomorrow morning, we'll have passed the Nine-Fold Gorge. We can then let Brother Qin disembark at Sanwu City. Tonight, I will personally stand guard on the deck to ensure everything is foolproof."