Seeing the Dragon Group arrive now, the energy supporting the Zhu family head and Old Master Xie dissipated, and they both swayed precariously.
“Dad, we’re saved!” Zhu Ling’er quickly grabbed them, her voice full of emotion.
The Zhu family head nodded weakly. He tried to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his qi and blood surged, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, nearly causing Zhu Ling’er to lose her grip.
Zhou Yu also arrived beside them in time. Fortunately, the Qi Wu Zhe's attention was fully occupied by the Dragon Group. Zhou Yu quickly led the group out of the hall. After confirming their safety, Zhou Yu rushed back without a word. Although Leng Xue was formidable, she was not a martial artist. Even with firearms, she was in grave danger.
Zhou Yu instantly appeared beside Leng Xue, blocking a blow from a Qi Wu Zhe for her. “Why did you take so long?” Zhou Yu grumbled.
Leng Xue glanced at Zhou Yu in shock, then pursed her lips and continued fighting the surrounding Qi Wu Zhe. The Dragon Group alone could not possibly contend with so many Qi Wu Zhe. However, the Dragon Group was not the only force present. The martial artists from the Zhu and Xie families were also there. They had been on the verge of defeat, but with the arrival of the Dragon Group, these martial artists' spirits were lifted. They fought with renewed vigor, and soon, the tide of the battle turned.
These Qi Wu Zhe were strong, but they were also mindless. Without the Shi family head's command, they were like frenzied flies, only knowing how to attack. It didn't take long for the Qi Wu Zhe present to fall, with the remaining ones barely clinging to life.
Leng Xue, clutching her injured arm, issued an order: “Capture all survivors!” Immediately, Dragon Group members produced specialized ropes and bound the remaining Qi Wu Zhe. These ropes could suppress the flow of true qi within a martial artist, rendering them immobile.
Once the Qi Wu Zhe were subdued, all eyes turned to the Shi family head. After being injected with Qi, the Shi family head had been sitting cross-legged in a corner, sweating profusely, seemingly resisting the destructive power of Qi. He was at a critical juncture and could not divert his attention to the situation outside.
Seeing the Shi family head’s state, Leng Xue’s brows furrowed. “What happened to him?”
Zhou Yu scoffed and replied, “He intended to inject me with Qi, but I countered him.” In other words, the Shi family head was being transformed by Qi. Leng Xue strode forward and examined the Shi family head. A rare smile flickered across her lips. “Interesting. Take him with us as well.”
With that, Dragon Group members carried the Shi family head onto a stretcher. The Shi family head sensed the commotion outside, but the effects of the Qi were potent, requiring his full concentration. A single misstep could lead to death. Despite knowing something was amiss, he dared not move. Zhou Yu had never seen someone being transformed by Qi, so he took a few more glances before turning his attention away as the Shi family head was carried off.
Leng Xue was taking stock of the numbers and assessing casualties. Zhou Yu walked over, frowning. “Why was the Dragon Group so late?” The Zhu and Xie families had almost been wiped out. Not to mention, the Zhu family head and Old Master Xie were now lying in bed, barely breathing.
“We were delayed by something,” Leng Xue said nonchalantly. She didn’t want to elaborate, only promising Zhou Yu, “We will discuss compensation for the losses incurred by the Zhu and Xie families due to our late arrival.” She then added, “For now, I will take them back for interrogation.”
Seeing Leng Xue’s demeanor, Zhou Yu was speechless. Nevertheless, he handed her the truth serum he had made for Qi Wu Zhe. After Leng Xue left with the Dragon Group, Zhu Ling’er and Xie Shishi approached Zhou Yu.
“Dr. Zhou, please, help my dad, he’s dying!” Zhu Ling’er pleaded, on the verge of collapsing. Zhou Yu knew that the Zhu family head and Old Master Xie had likely suffered severe internal injuries. Without delay, he followed the two women into the room. To facilitate Zhou Yu’s examination, the Zhu family head and Old Master Xie had been placed in the same room. Zhou Yu could sit between the two beds and check both their pulses.
As Zhou Yu placed his fingers on their pulses, his brow furrowed deeply. Zhu Ling’er, Xie Yu, and Xie Shishi stood behind, their hearts in their throats at Zhou Yu’s expression. Besides Old Master Xie and the Zhu family head, who were the most severely injured, the Xie family head was also in a bad state, though not life-threatening. He could still recover.
“Dr. Zhou, how is it?” Zhu Ling’er eagerly asked as Zhou Yu withdrew his fingers. Zhou Yu wrote two prescriptions and handed them to Xie Shishi, asking her to prepare the medicine. Only then did he answer, “There is no life-threatening danger. The Old Master needs a few days of rest to recover. However, the Zhu family head’s internal organs were injured, and he must take Heart Protecting Soup.”
Hearing that there was no danger, Zhu Ling’er and Xie Shishi breathed a sigh of relief. Xie Shishi hurried off to make the medicine. Seeing that the Old Master and the Zhu family head were out of danger, Xie Yu said, “Dr. Zhou, could you please examine my father? He is also unconscious.” Zhou Yu readily agreed. It was no different whether he saw one patient or three. He picked up his medicine box and moved to the adjacent room.
The Xie family head was indeed lying in bed, unconscious. Zhou Yu took his pulse, and a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes. He didn’t even write a prescription but took out acupuncture needles.
“How is it?” Xie Yu asked nervously.
“It’s nothing serious, just an excess of qi and blood, causing him to faint,” Zhou Yu said, waving his hand before beginning to acupuncture the Xie family head. The Xie family head’s condition was not severe; he only needed acupuncture to unblock his blood vessels. In less than a moment, the Xie family head woke up under Zhou Yu’s treatment. He blinked, then looked up, meeting Xie Yu’s concerned gaze.
Suddenly, the Xie family head sat bolt upright and grabbed Xie Yu’s arm, asking, “Old Master… how is Old Master?”
“Dr. Zhou said Grandpa is out of danger,” Xie Yu replied truthfully. The Xie family head’s tense body relaxed. He then asked, “What about the Zhu family head?” Hearing that the Zhu family head was also out of danger, the Xie family head finally breathed a complete sigh of relief.
However, with the heads of both the Zhu and Xie families incapacitated, he, as the head of the Xie family, could not rest. After sitting on the bed for a moment, the Xie family head attempted to stand up. “How many people are left in the family? Let’s assess the losses and then hold a meeting outside the house.” The Qi Wu Zhe had attacked fiercely. Although the losses had not yet been tallied, it could be guessed that the two families had lost a considerable number of martial artists.