“Sister-in-law, how is my senior brother’s condition?”
Chang Wude, who followed in, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that his senior brother Duan Wuyu’s beloved daughter was not present. He immediately asked Yang Jingyi.
Yang Jingyi did not lead him into the room to visit. Instead, she turned to face Chang Wude directly and said expressionlessly, “Junior brother Wude, when I entered the Boundless Taoist Temple, you had already left the sect. Now, forty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Your senior brother is very happy about your return to the sect, and I am also happy for him. I believe it is a good thing for you brothers to be united for so many years!”
This statement made Chang Wude’s old brows furrow. He looked at Yang Jingyi, understanding the meaning behind her words, and said, “Sister-in-law, do you also believe that I, Chang Wude, have returned to the sect to seize the position of abbot from my senior brother?”
Yang Jingyi averted her gaze and paced as she spoke, “I don’t know why you have returned this time, but I truly only hope it is a reunion for you brothers!”
“I understand.”
Chang Wude nodded, understanding her meaning, and asked, “May I go in and see my senior brother?”
Yang Jingyi turned her head to look at him, nodded, and said nothing more. She turned and entered the room, and Chang Wude followed her. He came to the bedside and looked at the sleeping Duan Wuyu lying there. His aged face was devoid of any color, and even his lips had a faint purplish-black hue, giving the impression of being at the end of his rope.
This shocked Chang Wude. He turned and glared at Yang Jingyi, asking sternly, “How did my senior brother become like this? Even if he was previously angered and vomited blood, causing his old ailment to relapse, he shouldn’t have become so severely ill. What exactly is going on?”
Facing his angry gaze, Yang Jingyi did not get angry. She looked at her husband lying on the bed and shook her head slightly, “Junior brother Boyong has been treating him for the past two days, but his condition has not improved. Instead, his old ailment worsens day by day.”
“Damn it, I knew that bastard had no good intentions.”
Now Chang Wude was thoroughly enraged, never expecting Sima Boyong to actually dare to lay a hand on their senior brother.
Yang Jingyi looked directly at him, her brows furrowed, and said, “Junior brother Wude, what grievances do you have with junior brother Boyong? Why do you hate him so much?”
Chang Wude’s old eyes widened, and he said angrily, “Sister-in-law, my senior brother must have mentioned my fellow disciple Gongsun Xiuliang to you, right?”
“Yes, he told me about some things regarding you fellow disciples before, but there are some things I don’t know,” Yang Jingyi nodded and said.
“Not only do you not know, but even I, the senior brother, don’t know.”
Chang Wude turned to look at the lying Duan Wuyu on the bed, hating that he trusted Sima Boyong so much.
Yang Jingyi frowned and said, “So, what you said earlier was true?”
“Of course it…”
“Senior brother Chang, why are you here?”
Suddenly, Sima Boyong appeared with Wei Ping. Seeing Chang Wude and Yang Jingyi in the room, he smiled and said, “I was looking for you everywhere, asking you to go to the scene to watch the juniors spar. I heard you came to see senior brother, so I came to find you. Hmm, what are you talking to Sister-in-law about?”
Seeing this old man appear at this moment, how could Chang Wude not know what he wanted? His old eyes glared at Sima Boyong, “What, are you afraid that Sister-in-law and I will talk about your heinous deeds?”
“Heh heh.”
Sima Boyong chuckled. He now gave off the impression of a smiling tiger. “Senior brother Chang really knows how to joke. Didn’t I say before that senior brother Xiuliang’s matter was not my responsibility? Why do you have to push all the blame onto me? This will make me feel unbearable.”
Chang Wude walked towards him, pointing at him angrily and scolding, “Sima Boyong, you are truly a scoundrel. You framed fellow disciple Xiuliang, causing him to lose everything and barely survive for half his life. Now you want to shirk all responsibility with a few light words. I tell you, I, Chang Wude, will never let you go.”
“Cough cough…”
At this moment, Duan Wuyu on the bed was awakened by his voice. Yang Jingyi immediately sat by the bed and held his withered right hand. Duan Wuyu weakly turned his head and looked at Chang Wude slightly, “Junior brother Chang, you… you are here…”
“Senior brother…”
Chang Wude immediately went over, his old eyes full of concern as he looked at Duan Wuyu, and said softly, “Senior brother, how do you feel now? Where is it uncomfortable?”
Duan Wuyu raised his withered right hand and waved it, smiling weakly, “I’m fine…”
Seeing his senior brother’s pale and weak appearance, Chang Wude immediately stood up and turned, his old eyes glaring at Sima Boyong, and cursed, “You bastard, aren’t you renowned as a divine doctor? Why haven’t you cured senior brother’s old ailment?”
Facing Chang Wude’s stern questioning, Sima Boyong remained unfazed, putting on a helpless expression and sighing, “Senior brother Chang, this is an old injury left by a previous wound that has severely damaged his internal organs. Even if I had immense skill, it would be very difficult to cure his illness immediately.”
“Pfft.”
Chang Wude spat on the ground, looked up at him angrily, and pointed at Sima Boyong’s old nose, further cursing, “I think you clearly don’t want to cure him, just like you harmed fellow disciple Xiuliang to death back then, and now you’re harming senior brother…”
“Junior brother Chang… cough cough…”
Duan Wuyu on the bed heard this, his emotions became agitated again, and he coughed violently.
“Senior brother Chang, look at what you’re saying, you’ve agitated senior brother again.”
Immediately, Sima Boyong pointed at Chang Wude and quickly went to sit by the bed, appeasing Duan Wuyu, “Senior brother, don’t be anxious, take a deep breath slowly, otherwise it will cause your old ailment to become severe and you will vomit blood…”
Chang Wude’s old eyes widened. Seeing this, he said nothing more.
After Duan Wuyu on the bed recovered his breath, he said to him, “Senior brother Chang, senior brother knows you have always had an opinion about Boyong, but we are fellow disciples. Don’t say these things that slander us, cough cough…”
“Alright, alright, senior brother, don’t get anxious, I won’t say it,” Chang Wude said repeatedly, seeing his poor condition.
“Junior brother Wude, junior brother Boyong, you should go and preside over the martial arts competition first. I’ll be fine here,” Yang Jingyi, who was sitting by the bed, said in a cold tone, her face gloomy, without looking at either of them.
“Alright, Sister-in-law. Then you take care of senior brother first.”
Sima Boyong nodded and stood up, then said, “Remember to give senior brother his medicine later.”
Yang Jingyi nodded, said nothing, and didn’t even turn her head to look at them, because she already knew in her heart who was truly good to her husband and who was not!
Chang Wude turned and left the room, walking directly out of the courtyard gate. Then he saw Sima Boyong following out with Wei Ping. Chang Wude, who was walking ahead, immediately stopped and turned around, pointing at Sima Boyong behind him and angrily said, “You bastard, remember this, don’t reveal any flaws, or I will definitely not let you go!”
After speaking, Chang Wude snorted heavily again, then turned and continued walking.
Sima Boyong narrowed his sinister small eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a cold smile. Wei Ping, who was by his side, stepped forward and whispered, “Uncle-master, this Chang Wude, with them around, is always a trouble!”
“I know.”
Sima Boyong nodded and said, “But the most important thing now is to solve your master’s problem!”
Wei Ping’s expression froze, and he immediately understood, “I know what to do!”
Sima Boyong waved his hand and said nothing more, following behind Chang Wude towards the small square on the cliff behind the mountain…
At this time, on the martial arts arena on the small square, the fourth group was already sparring. It was Xu Lingwei against a young disciple from the Kongtong Sect. Both parties were using swords, and their strength was at the late stage of Huajin. Therefore, the two were fighting evenly on the stage.
Below the arena, Wan Yunting and Kang Nuolan stood with Li Zihang, watching Xu Lingwei and the others spar. Suddenly, they saw Chang Wude return with a gloomy face, still muttering curses. Wan Yunting turned to look at him and asked, “Who has made you old man angry again?”
“Who else could it be.”
Chang Wude turned and glared at Sima Boyong, who also returned behind him. Wan Yunting smiled and asked, “How is Abbot Senior Brother?”
Speaking of this, Chang Wude grabbed Wan Yunting and pulled him towards the cliff. Sima Boyong, who had returned, squinted his small eyes again, then sat next to Sect Leader Liu Bing, watching the disciples’ sparring…
“What, Abbot Senior Brother is in critical condition?” Hearing Chang Wude’s words, Wan Yunting’s expression was shocked.
Chang Wude nodded. His old face was solemn, and he said, “Although I don’t understand medicine, I saw that his face was pale, his lips were purplish and black, and his breath was faint, as if he could die at any moment.”
“Therefore, boy, tonight we must find an opportunity for you to personally examine my senior brother’s body and see what the situation is!”
“Understood.”
Wan Yunting nodded and said, “After the competition ends, Sima Boyong should be hosting people from various sects tonight. We will find a way to sneak into the Abbot’s residence and take a look at him then.”
“Okay, that’s settled. Let’s go back, lest that old fox notice.”
Chang Wude looked at Sima Boyong, who was sitting with the sect leaders of the various factions in the distance. He had gone to see his senior brother earlier, and this old fellow had followed. He knew that he had been wary of him all along!