After a period of conversation, Ye Cangtian and Elder Long stood up, preparing to leave Medicine King Valley.
Their visit had two primary objectives: first, to address Elder Long's lingering injuries, and second, to invite Medicine King Valley to join the Hidden Group.
With the Medicine Saint opposing their recruitment, the mission was considered complete, and it was time to withdraw. After all, with the traitor still lurking, staying too long might bring trouble to Medicine King Valley.
"Wait!"
As the two were about to leave, the Medicine Saint hesitated for a moment before calling out to them. He then spoke, "Gentlemen, I actually have one matter I wish to request of you."
Hearing this, they paused and looked at him with curious expressions.
Seeing their reaction, the Medicine Saint quickly said, "It's like this, I was separated from my family over twenty years ago. Would you be able to help me find them?"
The Medicine Saint knew that the Hidden Group's influence spanned nearly all of Huaxia's ruins, and with their assistance, there might be a glimmer of hope.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian and Elder Long exchanged glances, their brows furrowing. It wasn't that they were unwilling to help, but rather that after twenty years, the difficulty of finding them would be immense. More importantly, this was Huaxia's ruins, filled with dangers. It was highly probable that the Medicine Saint's family had already met with misfortune.
With this thought, Ye Cangtian slowly spoke, "Senior, we can help you, but whether we can find them in the end will depend on fate. I hope you understand."
"I understand. I'm just taking a chance," the Medicine Saint nodded. He then took out a photo from his Qiankun pouch and handed it to them.
The photo showed four people: an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, a couple in their thirties or forties, and a cute little girl.
Looking at the girl with her pigtails, chubby face, and large eyes, Ye Cangtian was instantly stunned. Immediately, a helpless smile spread across his face.
"Kid, what's wrong?" Elder Long asked, confused by Ye Cangtian's expression, which shifted from dazed to a wry smile.
Ye Cangtian pointed at the girl in the photo and looked at Elder Long teasingly.
"Why are you looking at me?" Elder Long glanced at the girl and frowned. Although the girl was adorable, he was certain he had never seen her before.
"Have you seen my granddaughter?" The Medicine Saint, observing Ye Cangtian's actions, seemed to understand something and quickly inquired.
Ye Cangtian nodded to the Medicine Saint, then turned to Elder Long and said exasperatedly, "Elder Long, your eyesight is truly terrible! Don't you think this little girl resembles someone?"
"Hmm?" Elder Long was startled by this. However, after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't recall anyone and could only look back with confusion.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian shook his head helplessly and asked, "Who healed your injuries?"
"What! You mean this girl is Bao'er?" Elder Long's eyes widened. Looking closer, she did bear some resemblance to Yao Bao'er.
Indeed, this was Yao Bao'er. Ye Cangtian recognized her immediately. When they first met, Yao Bao'er had her hair in pigtails and a chubby face, though she was dirty all over, resembling a little beggar.
"Bao'er! You've really met Bao'er?" Hearing the name 'Bao'er,' the Medicine Saint became instantly excited. He hadn't expected his granddaughter to still be alive and could barely believe his ears.
"You can ask him about that," Elder Long said, pointing at Ye Cangtian.
Sensing the Medicine Saint's eager gaze, Ye Cangtian nodded and said, "Bao'er is currently in Dragon City."
Dragon City? The Medicine Saint frowned. Dragon City was the headquarters of the Hidden Group. If he were to go there rashly now, it might provoke an immediate attack on Medicine King Valley by "that person." He cherished his only remaining relative and couldn't bear to leave her wandering alone. Furthermore, judging by their words, Yao Bao'er had considerable skill in medicine. If he could bring her to his side, she could surely inherit his legacy.
Meanwhile, seeing the Medicine Saint fall silent, Ye Cangtian hesitated for a moment and then spoke, "Senior, please don't worry. Since you don't wish to join the Hidden Group, I will never use Bao'er to threaten you. If Bao'er is willing, you can take her away at any time. However, I hope she can heal Elder Long's injuries before she leaves."
"No, no, I didn't mean that." The Medicine Saint waved his hand. After a moment of silence, he slowly asked, "Kid, I want to know, what is your relationship with Bao'er? Are you lovers?"
"Uh..." Ye Cangtian was slightly taken aback. He then waved his hand and said, "No, we are not lovers, but siblings. She is also one of the core members of the Death God Squad I formed..."
Hearing this, the Medicine Saint nodded understandingly and said, "Can you tell me about Bao'er's experiences over the years?"
"Senior, it's best not to talk about these things. You can ask Bao'er yourself when you have the chance!" Ye Cangtian hesitated for a moment before ultimately refusing. Yao Bao'er's past was closely tied to his own, and revealing it would seem as though he were seeking a favor from the Medicine Saint.
"Very well, then I shall ask her myself in a while," the Medicine Saint said, not forcing the issue. To avoid bringing trouble to Medicine King Valley, he would have to wait for this storm to pass before visiting Yao Bao'er in Dragon City.
"Then, we shall take our leave," Ye Cangtian nodded and walked towards the door with Elder Long.
As they reached the small courtyard, a figure rushed in.
"Report!" A guard from Medicine King Valley approached the Medicine Saint directly and said, "Master Medicine Saint, the people from the Five Poisons Sect have arrived again!"
Hmm? Hearing this, the Medicine Saint's expression turned ice-cold, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. He asked sternly, "How many of them are there, and where?"
"Approximately one to two hundred, at the valley entrance," the guard replied.
The Medicine Saint turned to Elder Long and Ye Cangtian and said, "Elder Long, please stay in Medicine King Valley for now. I will go and see."
"We'll go with you to take a look," Ye Cangtian immediately said. From the Medicine Saint's cold expression, he knew the Five Poisons Sect was not to be trifled with, so he wanted to go and lend a hand.
"No! You wait inside Medicine King Valley and do not go out." The Medicine Saint quickly waved them off, refusing Ye Cangtian's offer. "You may not know, but the Five Poisons Sect is highly skilled in poison. Some of their poisons are even very troublesome for me." He had clashed with the Five Poisons Sect numerous times and had some understanding of them. The experts of the Five Poisons Sect were not much inferior to him in their mastery of poison. Therefore, he dared not let Ye Cangtian take such a risk. If Ye Cangtian were to be poisoned and it couldn't be resolved quickly, he would be in grave danger.
"If they are only skilled in poison, it poses no threat to me," Ye Cangtian said with a faint smile, hearing the Medicine Saint's words. Without further ado, he took the lead and walked towards the valley entrance.
Seeing this, the Medicine Saint frowned. In his opinion, this was sheer recklessness. He quickly looked at Elder Long, hoping he would stop Ye Cangtian. However, Elder Long remained unmoved and also walked towards the valley entrance.
Seeing this, the Medicine Saint gritted his teeth and finally followed. He had no time to delay, as the people from the Five Poisons Sect were at the valley entrance. If he didn't show himself soon, and these people attacked, it would be a disaster!
...
Valley Entrance.
Hundreds of people now stood outside the valley entrance. They were dressed in black, with a lifelike red spider embroidered on their chests. These were the people from the Spider Hall of the Five Poisons Sect.
"Vice Hall Master, that old man Medicine Saint is stubborn. Why waste words? Shouldn't we attack directly?" A subordinate approached the Vice Hall Master and asked.
Hearing this, the Vice Hall Master glared and said impatiently, "This is called 'courtesy before force.' Besides, the people inside the valley won't escape. It doesn't matter when we attack."
"Heh heh, it seems the Vice Hall Master has everything planned. Then this subordinate wishes the Vice Hall Master a swift victory..."
As the subordinate was flattering him, a figure appeared from the direction of the valley entrance. It was a young man. Following his appearance, two elderly men came into view, one of whom was the Medicine Saint.