Chapter 24

After becoming official Taoist priests, the lives of the穿越者们 (time travelers) did not change much. They still accumulated materials in the morning and practiced martial arts in the afternoon. The only change was that on the first day of the eighth month, Fuyaozi, who had been sleeping for nearly two months, woke up. After testing everyone's basic skills, he decided to teach them a set of internal cultivation techniques he had created. This technique, the Wuji Gong, was the result of years of dedicated research based on the principles of the *I Ching* and Taoist cultivation methods. In the original timeline of the time travelers, this technique was further developed over the years and eventually perfected by the renowned Taoist master Zhang Sanfeng, leading to the creation of the well-known Tai Chi martial arts. Chen Tuan created this technique primarily for the purpose of cultivating the inner elixir, but he taught it to the time travelers mainly to use the first stage of the technique to gather and control the abundant but chaotic true qi in their bodies, allowing them to use it freely. This would help them make significant progress in martial arts when combined with the Heavenly Sword Technique, thus better protecting themselves. Of course, if any of his disciples showed exceptional insight and reached a higher stage of Wuji Gong, Fuyaozi would naturally be even more pleased.

After learning this technique, the lives of the time travelers changed. Their previous habit of accumulating materials in the morning and practicing martial arts in the afternoon was replaced by practicing the technique three times a day—morning, noon, and night—while continuing to accumulate materials at other times. Starting from the second day of the eighth month, the time travelers who were learning martial arts ended their days of sleeping until dawn. They had to get up at six in the morning to practice the technique, which involved using the Wuji Gong to guide the true qi in their bodies to the dantian, typically taking about an hour for one small cycle. In addition to the morning session, they had to practice again at noon and midnight. The training of basic skills continued, and the work of accumulating materials could not be stopped. As a result, the twenty people initially complained bitterly. However, as the days of practicing the technique increased, the feeling of hardship gradually diminished. After a few months, even sleeping only one or two hours a day did not feel tiring, likely due to the effects of the technique. This is a story for later, but let's set it aside for now.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th of the eighth month approached, one of the most important festivals in ancient times, the people of Yuxu Palace naturally had to prepare carefully to celebrate the festival. On the 11th of the eighth month, Yuxu Zi found Wang Xiaojun and asked him to arrange suitable people to go to Liangxiang County with Qingchen to purchase all the necessary items for the festival. After discussing with the other committee members, Wang Xiaojun decided that he and Xu Shaoran would lead the team, taking You Yuan, Liu Wendong, Qian Yuanshan, Fan Wucheng, Hong Yan, Lin Xiaoyu, and Zeng Zhilin. For safety, Xu Shaoran and Zeng Zhilin would carry pistols, and Qian Yuanshan would carry a 95-type automatic rifle. Zeng Zhilin and Qian Yuanshan each carried an improved walkie-talkie by Lu Yue, who had managed to connect the hands-free earphones from a mobile phone to the walkie-talkie for more discreet communication. Lin Xiaoyu brought a medical kit to deal with any unexpected situations, similar to the previous attack.

The next morning, the steward of the Zhong family, Zhong Fu, arrived with a carriage and horses to pick everyone up, and Miss Zhong Ziqi naturally came along. However, upon hearing that Wang Feng was not arranged to go into the city, she immediately changed her mind and decided not to go to Liangxiang County, preferring to stay behind and accompany Wang Feng for a "walk" in the back mountain. The others did not interfere with her decision and simply arranged the order of who would ride in the carriage or on horseback. With a shout from Zhong Fu, everyone set off in a grand procession.

The journey went smoothly, and by noon, they had entered Liangxiang City. After resting at a pre-arranged inn and having lunch, everyone went out to act separately. Qingchen, You Yuan, and Fan Wucheng, who had been to the city multiple times, were responsible for the actual purchasing, with Zeng Zhilin in charge of security. Wang Xiaojun and Xu Shaoran had been to the city once before, last month, to check out the Tianfu Building, which was selected as the auction site. Qian Yuanshan, Liu Wendong, Lin Xiaoyu, and Hong Yan, who had never been to the city, had been confined in Yuxu Palace for nearly four months and were eager to get out and breathe some fresh air. Although the city was not large, it was much more lively than Yuxu Palace. Wang Xiaojun and Xu Shaoran naturally did not want to disappoint them and asked Zhong Fu to lead the way. The seven of them, carrying some silver (borrowed from Yuxu Zi before they left), set out from the inn.

Wang, Xu, and the other seven people wandered around the city and eventually arrived at the temple fair in front of the City God Temple. As it was close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, many people were visiting the temple fair. Various performances, such as martial arts demonstrations and plays, were surrounded by dense crowds. Although the people from the modern era were not particularly interested in these, in an era with limited entertainment options, watching them was better than nothing.

They struggled to squeeze into a martial arts demonstration area where two young men were practicing single saber techniques. Although their skills were not exceptional, their movements were graceful, and they worked well together, drawing applause from the audience. After the two young men finished, another young man came up to practice the flower spear. This new young man seemed to have been practicing for a shorter time, and the flower spear, being a more demanding weapon, made his performance somewhat clumsy, far less fluid than the previous saber demonstration.

As the young man performed a move called "Pointing the Way of the Immortal," he was supposed to thrust the flower spear forward with his right hand grabbing the end. However, there was a small stone on the ground, and his right foot, which was supporting him, slipped on it. He stumbled and almost fell, and the flower spear, which should have been caught by his right hand, slipped out and flew toward the crowd. The people who were watching, focused on the performance, were startled and tried to dodge. However, with so many people pushing and shoving, the situation became chaotic. Some people, who were weaker, could not move, including Hong Yan, who was dressed as a Taoist nun. She was not standing in the front row and was still trying to see over the crowd when the flower spear slipped. She was complaining about her short stature when she suddenly found herself in an empty space, with the people in front of her gone. Before she could react, she saw a long, black object with a gleaming tip flying straight at her. Instinctively, she tried to dodge, but she could not push the people around her away. As the flower spear was about to hit her, she screamed in fear and covered her head with her hands.

At that moment, she felt something blocking the flower spear. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that a person was standing in front of her, none other than Liu Wendong, who often talked to her and encouraged her to face the new environment bravely. She was about to thank him when she noticed his body swaying and he slowly fell forward. Hong Yan was startled and tried to support him, but she could not hold the tall Liu Wendong, and they both fell to the ground, with Liu Wendong's body almost completely covering her. Their faces were almost touching, with only a few millimeters between their noses. At that moment, Hong Yan felt both embarrassed and angry. While she had a good impression of Liu Wendong and they could potentially become a couple, his sudden action was too abrupt. In her embarrassment, she tried to push him off. After much effort, she managed to push Liu Wendong's body away. As she sat up, ready to scold him, she noticed a flower spear embedded in his right shoulder, the spear shaft trembling as his body moved. Blood was gushing from the wound, soaking a large part of his gray-blue Taoist robe.

The surrounding crowd also saw this and fell silent for a moment before someone shouted, "Someone is injured!" The crowd quickly scattered, leaving a large empty space where they had been standing. Hong Yan realized that Liu Wendong had blocked the flower spear for her. She rushed over, gently turned his body, and found him unconscious, his eyes closed and his face pale, unresponsive to her calls.

The others also came to their senses. Xu Shaoran, who had been protecting Lin Xiaoyu, drew his sword and rushed to the side of the young man who had caused the accident, pressing his sword against the neck of the kneeling performer. Qian Yuanshan, who had been a bit farther from Lin Xiaoyu and had not managed to protect her in time, felt a bit frustrated but did not have time to dwell on it. Seeing Liu Wendong lying motionless and unresponsive, he assumed the worst and quickly took out his 95-type rifle, ready to shoot if the performer made any dangerous moves or tried to escape.

Wang Xiaojun also rushed to Liu Wendong's side, shaking his body and calling out, "Wendong, Wendong." Seeing no response, he checked his breathing and pulse, finding that he was still alive. He turned to Lin Xiaoyu, who was still a bit flustered but had a slight blush on her cheeks, and shouted, "Doctor Lin, come and take a look. Wendong still has a pulse." Lin Xiaoyu, snapped out of her daze, quickly came over and carefully examined Liu Wendong's condition. She then said worriedly, "Wendong is still breathing and has a heartbeat, but the spear has penetrated deeply. If it has injured his lungs, it could be serious. Even if it hasn't hit any vital organs, we need to stop the bleeding quickly. He could die from excessive blood loss."

At this moment, Zhong Fu came over and reminded Wang Xiaojun, "Leader Wang, I see that the red-faced middle-aged man over there seems to be the leader of this group. His subordinate's performance mistake has injured someone, and he cannot escape responsibility. You should keep an eye on him and not let him run away. After treating Daoist Liu, you must take this man to the authorities." Wang Xiaojun nodded, considering all the time travelers to be precious in this era and not allowing anyone to harm them easily.

As they were talking, a short but sturdy red-faced middle-aged man with a scar on his left cheek quickly approached. He was the master of the young man who had caused the accident and the leader of the performance group. He was genuinely frightened when his disciple accidentally injured someone. For traveling performers, the last thing they wanted was to get into trouble. At best, they would have to pay a large sum of money, and at worst, they could be arrested by the authorities, with no guarantee of survival. He considered escaping in the chaos but ultimately decided against it. As a skilled martial artist, he could see that these Taoists, while not necessarily proficient in martial arts techniques, had deep internal cultivation. If they fought, his disciples, except for himself, would not stand a chance. After much deliberation, he decided to face the situation head-on, calm the Taoists, and negotiate to avoid involving the authorities. Fortunately, the female Taoist with medical skills had said that the injured man could be saved, so he hoped that paying a large sum of money would resolve the issue.

The middle-aged man had only taken a few steps when he was stopped by Qian Yuanshan. Qian Yuanshan, holding the 95-type rifle in his right hand, raised the gun and pointed it at the middle-aged man, asking vigilantly, "Who are you, and what do you want?" The middle-aged man was initially startled by the bag pointed at him but then felt uneasy. He could see that the Taoist's hand was in the bag, possibly holding something dangerous. With his experience, he judged that the bag might contain a hand crossbow or another deadly weapon. If he did not comply or answered incorrectly, the Taoist might shoot him. At such close range, he could not avoid it. So, he quickly bowed and said, "Master, please don't misunderstand. I am Ding Yuchang, the leader of this group. My disciple accidentally injured this Taoist, and I will take full responsibility. I will cover all the costs for treatment and recovery. However, the injured Taoist looks seriously hurt and needs immediate medical attention. I know there is a clinic called Huichun Hall on Yushu Street nearby, where Doctor Xue is a highly skilled physician. It is urgent to save this Taoist, and I am willing to accompany you to the clinic for treatment."

Qian Yuanshan lowered his gun slightly, looked at Xu Shaoran, who nodded slightly. He then turned to Wang Xiaojun, who did not respond but looked at Lin Xiaoyu, seeking her opinion. Lin Xiaoyu shook her head and said, "Wendong's injury is serious, and it's best not to move him."

Wang Xiaojun thought for a moment, stood up, and asked Zhong Fu, "Do you know where Huichun Hall is, Steward Zhong?"

Zhong Fu quickly replied, "Yes, it's not far from here. I can lead you there, Leader Wang."

Wang Xiaojun nodded and said to Ding Yuchang, "My friend knows where Huichun Hall is, so there's no need for you to arrange the doctor. We will discuss other matters after I bring the doctor to see my junior." He then leaned close to Qian Yuanshan, who was closely watching Ding Yuchang, and whispered, "I'll go find the doctor. Contact Da Zhi and ask them to come and help quickly." He then called Zhong Fu and squeezed through the crowd toward Huichun Hall.

Qian Yuanshan switched the gun to his left hand, discreetly took out the hands-free earphone from his robe, and pressed the communication button on the walkie-talkie, calling softly, "Group B calling Group A, Group B calling Group A. Respond, respond."

Soon, Zeng Zhilin's voice came through the earphone, "Group A received, Group A received. Speak, speak."

"Group B is in an emergency at the City God Temple fair. Someone is injured, come and assist quickly. Group B is in an emergency at the City God Temple fair. Someone is injured, come and assist quickly."

"Group A understands, Group A understands."

As Qian Yuanshan switched the bag to his left hand and reached into his robe, Ding Yuchang's nerves tightened. He clenched his fists and braced himself, fearing that Qian Yuanshan might pull out another weapon. After all, the Taoist who went to find the doctor had not sounded friendly, and he had whispered something to the Taoist with the weapon before leaving. Ding Yuchang had to be cautious. Later, seeing that the Taoist had only taken out a small device and was speaking into it, he gradually relaxed, though he did not understand what he was doing.

Soon, they heard a loud voice from outside the crowd, "Everyone, please move aside, move aside." Qian Yuanshan and Xu Shaoran looked over and saw several more Taoists entering, led by Zeng Zhilin. He rushed over to the crowd, saw Liu Wendong lying on the ground, and asked, "How is Wendong? What happened?" Lin Xiaoyu, who was squatting beside him, explained the situation to Zeng Zhilin and the others. They were relieved to hear that Liu Wendong could be saved.

Lin Xiaoyu, seeing the reinforcements, said to Zeng Zhilin, "I'm not sure about Doctor Xue's skills. For safety, I want to go back to the inn and get my medical kit. Some modern medicines might be useful."

Zeng Zhilin nodded, walked over to Qian Yuanshan, and whispered a few words. Qian Yuanshan handed the bag with the 95-type rifle to Zeng Zhilin, took the pistol from him, and went with Lin Xiaoyu to the inn to get the medical kit.

After waiting for a while, they heard more shouting from outside the crowd, but this time the tone was less polite. A loud voice called out, "Move aside, move aside. The authorities are investigating, all bystanders must clear the area." The crowd, hearing that the authorities had arrived, scattered quickly. The people in the circle looked up and saw several officials holding whips, iron rods, and single-edged swords, walking in arrogantly. Behind them were Wang Xiaojun and Zhong Fu, a middle-aged man in a long robe, and two young men carrying a soft bed.

Fan Wucheng and Qingchen recognized the leading official as Zheng Boming, the chief constable who had handled the Shi Feihu robbery case on the Liangxiang road. Although they did not know why he was there, his presence made the situation easier to handle.

Ding Yuchang, seeing the officials, knew things were not looking good. He silently criticized the Taoist for being unreasonable, calling the authorities without proper negotiation, and began to think of ways to minimize the impact and resolve the issue.

;