“Chief Attendant Zhao is truly courteous.”
“Mister Xu really is as that person said—not an ordinary man. To be able to joke and laugh under these circumstances… with your depth of experience and composure, being merely a Doctor… isn’t that a bit too unfair to you?”
That person!?
Those two words sent a sudden shock through Xu Ping’an’s heart.
It was clear that this old eunuch was not the mastermind behind this; he was most likely just a pawn.
“Heh~ Chief Attendant Zhao flatters me. As they say, family knows family affairs. I have no ambitions, no great talents—I just want to guard my own little One Mu Three Fen of Land and live out my days as a Doctor.”
“Your words are false humility, Mister.”
Chief Attendant Zhao smiled cheerfully and stepped forward.
But the moment he moved, Han Wujin behind Xu Ping’an suddenly took a step forward as well.
Seeing Han Wujin’s movement, Chief Attendant Zhao’s expression darkened, and he stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Xu Ping’an.
“Truly unexpected… a reclusive Doctor having ties with the cold Sword Cultivator Han Wujin. The rumors were not false.”
“Chief Attendant Zhao, may I ask from whom you learned about me? This has always been a mystery to me. I hope you can enlighten me.”
Without a doubt, the man before him was remarkably well-informed about Xu Ping’an, and his words implied that someone else had leaked this information.
Now, Xu Ping’an did not particularly care about this old eunuch.
Han Wujin claimed he could kill him, and that meant he definitely could.
Even if he couldn’t, Xu Ping’an was not someone easily manipulated.
But the problem was, if they killed him now, they would lose track of the person behind this.
That was what made Xu Ping’an uneasy.
“I’m afraid the question you ask is difficult for this household to answer,” Chief Attendant Zhao said, “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I once made a vow not to reveal that person’s identity. Please understand, Mister.”
Hearing this, Xu Ping’an’s face darkened slightly.
“Not even a hint?”
“This matter is difficult. But Mister need not worry—after all, you will die here today!”
As soon as the words fell, the old eunuch’s figure flashed forward.
His long robe sliced through the air, and in an instant, he was right in front of Xu Ping’an.
His hand, delicate like a woman’s, flipped over and struck directly at Xu Ping’an’s forehead.
Clearly, this was meant to be a lethal blow.
But the next moment, a flash of silver light streaked past, and a clear sword hum cut through the wind.
‘Seng—!’
The sound of metal scraping rang in the ear. At the same time, the palm that had been about to land on Xu Ping’an’s forehead swiftly retracted. Only half a sleeve remained suspended in midair before fluttering down.
The old eunuch retreated rapidly, but a sword light chased after him, even faster than his backward retreat.
Cornered with no escape, the old eunuch gritted his teeth and flipped his palm.
A feminine Yin internal force flowed within him as he suddenly raised his hand to strike the sword.
‘Clang!’
The clash between palm and sword spine rang out crisply, like metal striking metal.
He had hoped to deflect the sword’s path, but to his surprise, the sword followed the flow of his Yin energy, suddenly spinning and attacking upward again!
The old eunuch’s pupils contracted sharply; he braced his waist and back with force.
The sword grazed almost along his chest as it passed.
Only after retreating beyond the sword’s reach did the old eunuch see a strand of white hair fall lightly to the ground.
“Han~ Wu~ Jin!”
He bit out those words through clenched teeth, glancing at his torn collar soaked with blood seeping into the white lining.
Although the sword hadn’t struck a vital point, the evasion was perilously close.
He had used every technique to survive, leaving behind half a sleeve and a lock of white hair—and his chest bore a sword cut.
The outcome of this brief exchange was clear!
Even among experts of the same realm, the Sword Cultivator held an overwhelming advantage in battle.
“A common Martial Artist with such extraordinary talent, able to reach the Heaven-Man Realm—that’s one in a million. Do you truly want to ruin your future and go against the tide of the world?”
Facing the old eunuch’s reproach, Han Wujin remained expressionless, his sword unwavering.
The old eunuch’s face darkened.
“So, you’re determined to protect him today?”
“Yes.”
Han Wujin’s voice was still calm, but his eyes, sharp as sword lightning, never left the old eunuch.
If the old eunuch made a single reckless move, the next second his sword would fall upon him.
One dared not move rashly, the other calmly waited for a flaw to appear.
For a time, the standoff remained frozen.
In the small courtyard of the east wing, even the wind seemed to sense the tension and ceased to blow.
Yet, amid this intense standoff, Xu Ping’an completely ignored the two and moved to the soldier lying on the ground.
This soldier was somewhat familiar to Xu Ping’an—one of the soldiers in the Prince’s Residence.
He lifted the soldier’s wrist to check his pulse; none. He touched the soldier’s neck—no heartbeat either.
Finally, using the Observing Qi Technique, he examined the man’s body. The glow around him had already begun to dissipate.
This proved his life force was almost extinguished.
For an ordinary Doctor, there would be no need to look further—just move him away.
But this time, the man was fortunate to have met Xu Ping’an.
Without hesitation, Xu Ping’an took a Silver Needle from his Medicine Box and swiftly plunged it into the soldier’s head and chest.
Though the needles appeared soft, under Xu Ping’an’s lightning-fast fingers, they pierced through layers of iron armor with ease.
He then took out a Small Medicine Bottle and poured a pill from it.
“Wujin, cut it up.”
Xu Ping’an tossed the tiny pill into the air. Han Wujin made no hesitation; his sword flashed like a dragon, instantly slicing the pill into dozens of uneven fragments.
Just as Han Wujin struck, the old eunuch seemed to seize an opportunity.
He leapt onto the nearby wall, light as the wind, quickly closing in on Xu Ping’an’s position.
Han Wujin’s sword spun in his hand as he gathered his internal strength, swinging his long sword rapidly.
‘Seng—!’
The rushing wind sound echoed in the courtyard. The grass beneath seemed to be cut by an invisible sword blade, breaking apart inch by inch toward the old eunuch.
Seeing this, the old eunuch’s eyes flashed with panic but he dared not hesitate.
He gathered all his internal power and let out a strangled, gender-ambiguous roar.
“Falling Yin Spinning Palm!”
The next second, the sound of flesh tearing accompanied the old eunuch’s harsh cry.
“Damn pain!!!”
Blood splattered on the ground.
The old eunuch clutched his shoulder, blood dripping from his weakened right hand. He glared furiously at Han Wujin.
“Sword Qi without Shadow… such a despicable move!”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Han Wujin’s two words angered the old eunuch so much that he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yet the next second, the old eunuch used his blood as a hidden weapon against Han Wujin.
Han Wujin raised his sword to block, intending to cut through the blood. But unexpectedly… the old eunuch’s strike was a feint, a false move concealing an Arrow.
With a flick of his sleeve, three arrows shot straight toward Xu Ping’an.
The tips of the arrows glowed with an eerie blue light—clearly poisoned. One hit would be fatal.
“No!”
Han Wujin was too slow to stop it and could only watch as the arrows pierced the soldier’s chest.
‘Puchi.’
The three arrows embedded fully.
The old eunuch on the wall froze, as did Han Wujin preparing to rush forward.
Even the soldier, recently revived and still dazed, looked down at the arrow shafts lodged in his chest in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Xu Ping’an crouched behind the soldier, holding his back and pushing him upright.
“Phew~ luckily, they didn’t hit me.”
Looking at the soldier’s back, nearly penetrated with three glowing blue arrowheads, Xu Ping’an let out a long breath.
The old eunuch’s face twisted in fury. Han Wujin’s eye twitched.
The soldier looked blankly at the old eunuch on the wall and at Han Wujin beside him, before finally shifting his gaze to Xu Ping’an behind him.
“You’re… truly not human!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, both the old eunuch and Han Wujin silently nodded in agreement.
Indeed, this was not something a normal person would do.
“Sorry, I just saved your life and now I’m asking you to die again. But it’s okay—I’m a Doctor. You can close your eyes without worry. As long as I’m here, even the Yama King can’t take you!”
The soldier glanced at Xu Ping’an’s profile, then at the arrows in his chest. His eyes rolled back, and he died again.
Xu Ping’an smiled apologetically.
“There’s no other way. If I got poisoned, no one could save you. Anyway, you’ve died once already—what’s another time?”
He took out Silver Needles and quickly inserted them into the soldier’s back, then pressed his palm forcefully against the soldier’s chest.
‘Clang clang clang.’
The sound of metal striking echoed as the three arrows were dislodged.
Xu Ping’an peeled away the soldier’s rotted armor to examine closely and nodded.
“You’re either lucky or unlucky. The first time someone shattered your internal organs, I saved your heart with a Great Restoration Pill. The second time, poisoned arrows pierced you, but thankfully missed your vital points. You’ve lost a lot of blood, but that’s not a problem. I’ll wake you up now.”
Xu Ping’an took a Silver Needle and stabbed it directly into the soldier’s Baihui point.
That prick was like breathing life into the seemingly lifeless soldier.
The soldier gasped sharply, trembled, and opened his eyes.
Witnessing Xu Ping’an revive someone twice, even those who had heard of his miraculous medical skills were struck with awe and trembling fear.
Some even began to pity the soldier, though all his wounds were caused by them.
The soldier’s mind was full of questions. Aside from the pain, he wondered—was he really alive again?
“You’re awake? Don’t worry, with me here, you won’t die.”