Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 9 009: The devil may be one foot tall, but the righteous will be ten feet tall.

The prison passage was deep and dark, with oil lamps flickering dimly. It was a melting pot of all sorts of people, and a series of footsteps startled rats scurrying about in the corners.

Zhao Wuji, carrying the order for assisting in diagnosis, came to the prison to provide medical treatment at the invitation of Minister Bu. He followed the prison warden across the stagnant water and arrived at the front of the Jiazi prison.

"Lord Zhao, although the Supreme Sect Protector is critically injured and on the verge of death, you still need to be careful! We will be watching over you while you administer acupuncture, so please rest assured!"

The prison warden, with a goatee, spoke with a forced smile, and knocked on the tightly closed iron gate, which was two zhang wide and two cun thick.

With a "snap!", the iron gate opened, revealing a small iron window about half a foot square.

Two beams of cold light appeared inside the square cave.

Upon seeing that it was the prison warden, he slowly opened the large iron gate. The putrid air that should have filled the semi-sealed space rushed out, making it eerie and terrifying.

Inside the cell, there were guards on duty in shifts. In another cell further inside, a burly man was bound by thick iron chains, his collarbones pierced, his body slung up in a "big" shape, and he was covered in wounds.

Despite his disheveled hair and the tattoos on his face resembling a menacing dragon, Zhao Wuji recognized the burly man at a glance as the same person he had seen that day, and shook his head.

"The person is already beaten to this state, and you still want me to treat them?"

The prison warden smiled faintly, "This person is a master of the Transformation Realm; ordinary flesh and blood cannot harm him."

The main reason for summoning Physician Zhao was to administer acupuncture to expel the cold from his lungs and internal organs; otherwise, this fellow wouldn't have survived two days.

Zhao Wuji stepped forward and examined the purple palm print dented on the burly man's chest, saying, "The Cold Nether Palm."

The prison warden said, "That's right, it is the Cold Nether Palm. This fellow has a strong physique and cultivates both internal and external strength. He has withstood a palm strike from Eunuch Lin and is still holding on until now. His other brother has long since died in the Northwest."

"Open the door."

Zhao Wuji didn't waste any words.

He had glimpsed some of the scene that day through his spiritual travels, and could imagine the fierce battle that took place.

"Click-clack!—"

The door to the inner cell opened, and Zhao Wuji entered under the personal protection of several jailers and the prison warden; the defenses were tight.

However, his extraordinary spiritual senses, granted by his powerful soul, had already detected that there was another expert secretly observing this place, probably a master at the level of a Grandmaster of Returning to Truth.

Without making a sound, he opened the nine-needle bronze box.

Take nine kinds of needles, including zigzag needles, round needles, and tung needles, and burn them before applying the needles.

The burly man breathed evenly as if he were fast asleep, his face covered in dirt, and he didn't even look up as Zhao Wuji administered the acupuncture.

However, his aura was terrifying, like a tiger lurking in the shadows, and even though he was trapped, none of the jailers and the jailer dared to be careless.

After Zhao Wuji applied several needles, he secretly used the Yin Pearl to absorb a significant amount of Yin-cold energy from the other party's body.

The Transformation Master was severely injured, his lungs and internal organs filled with cold, alien energy. His yang energy turned yin, and in just a moment, it provided him with six strands of yin energy.

At that moment, a sound as soft as a mosquito's buzz entered Zhao Wuji's ears.

"Dr. Zhao, it's good to meet you again. Please come and treat me."

Zhao Wuji's hands did not tremble when he applied the needles, which showed that this was a superb skill of gathering qi and transmitting sound.

The jailers, including the powerful jailer, didn't hear what the brute said.

But the Grandmaster Guizhen, who was secretly observing, might not have been unaware of it.

He continued administering acupuncture without responding.

The burly man's voice pierced through my ears again, "Dr. Zhao, I am certain to die now, but I will not harm you; in fact, it will be good for you."

If you can help me pass on a message, before I die, I can tell you about many of the ancient cultivation manuals that I have treasured, which will give you a real chance to embark on the path of immortality.

The Emperor of Xuan Kingdom controls all cultivation manuals and resources so that ordinary people like us cannot access the path to immortality. Are you willing to accept this?

Zhao Wuji applied the needles with a blank expression, unmoved.

"Lord Zhao, you did allow me to live a few more days, so I owe you a favor. Go to the first archway of Xuanwu Bridge and leave a note that reads: 'The sacred site is hidden on the cloud-covered peak, where the beauty of nature is condensed into the jade dome. The scenery is clear and the jade terrace is in the depths of the palace, where the traces of the Dao are hidden.' After you leave the note, someone will give you the ancient cultivation book you want."

"Alright, Physician Zhao, there's no need to treat him too well. I think his injuries are almost healed."

Just then, the prison warden, seemingly alert, looked at the palm print on the burly man's chest that had turned from purple to blue, and said to Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji nodded upon hearing this, removed the needle, and wiped his hands with a handkerchief, saying, "His internal organs have been invaded by the strange cold energy. It was only because of his strong strength that he was able to protect his heart meridian; otherwise, he would have died long ago."

Three more courses of treatment are needed to fully cure him.

"no need."

The prison warden gave him a thumbs up in admiration and said, "Physician Zhao is indeed a divine physician. He was able to cure him even in this condition. However, the Minister had already instructed that there was no need to cure him too well. Just let him hold on until he is executed at the outer city gate in five days."

"it is good!"

Zhao Wuji nodded and said no more.

In just a short while, he had absorbed nine strands of Yin energy, raising the Yin energy of the Yin Pearl to 1180 strands. It was just a pity that he could not absorb any more.

But this also made him realize something was amiss.

With this powerful man's skill, if he had resisted with all his might, he wouldn't have been so quickly invaded by the cold poison and brought to the brink of death.

It seems the other party did this intentionally, betting that the imperial court wouldn't let him die too quickly.

"Did this person plan this all along, deliberately luring me here?"

"It shouldn't be that bad. I was only able to come here because the Minister of Justice invited me; otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

He packed up his tools and prepared to leave.

The reason why the Heavenly Prison insisted on waiting three days until the execution, unwilling to let the Supreme Sect's protector die prematurely, was clearly a scheme to set things up.

Ancient texts on cultivating immortality are indeed very important.

But Zhao Wuji believed that one needed to be born to cultivate immortality.

As long as he continues to accumulate Yin and Yang energies in the Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearl, he can naturally prolong his life and achieve immortality once he finds the Yin and Yang treasures.

Therefore, he has plenty of time to slowly search for ancient books without taking too many risks.

As soon as Zhao Wuji stepped out of the Jiazi prison, the prison warden dismissed his attendants and secretly stopped him.

"Lord Zhao, please wait a moment. I have something to ask you."

"Oh?" Zhao Wuji looked at the prison warden and said, "It seems that you and I are of the same mind. I also have something to tell you."

The prison warden was taken aback and asked, "What does Lord Zhao want to say?"

Zhao Wuji noticed a fluctuation in the aura of the Grandmaster Guizhen who was secretly observing him, and immediately laughed, "Just now, the Supreme Sect Protector secretly transmitted some information to me. Didn't you notice, Lord Prison Master?"

Upon hearing this, the prison warden was surprised, then suddenly grinned and gave a thumbs up, "As expected of Physician Zhao, who was personally recommended by the Minister, he is indeed trustworthy. What did he whisper to you?"

"He told me to leave a note under the Xuanwu Bridge that read, 'The sacred site is hidden in the cloud-covered peak, and the beauty of nature is condensed in the jade sky. The scenery is clear and the jade terrace is in the realm, and the palace is deep and the traces of the Dao are hidden.' He said that after the matter was accomplished, he would give me some cultivation manual."

Zhao Wuji shook his head and laughed, "I think he's treating me like a fool. If he had this cultivation manual, would he have been arrested?"

The prison warden breathed a sigh of relief, nodded and smiled, "Imperial Physician Zhao, you are a wise man. These messages must be kept secret after you leave the prison."

He had actually received a telepathic message from Eunuch Lin, who was secretly observing him, informing him of the relevant information.

Just as I was about to ask, Zhao Wuji took the initiative to confess, proving that he was indeed a trustworthy person on his own.

After a while.

Zhao Wuji left the prison by carriage, and as he recalled the events that had just unfolded, he couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Within the depths of the palace, every step is truly fraught with peril.

If he had pretended to be confused just now, he might have gotten away with it for a while, but he would have been targeted later.

Fortunately, his divine soul was strong, and he had already sensed the hidden master of the Returning to Truth Realm.

Based on his performance just now, he should be considered to have completely passed the final test of that old fox, the Minister of Justice.

"Those who hold high positions in this world, even if they are ordinary people, should not be underestimated."

Zhao Wuji sighed.

The seemingly unnoticed gathering of energy and transmission of sound by Protector Xu of the Supreme Sect was probably all within the calculations of the great master observing in the shadows.

Even his arrival as a royal physician to diagnose and administer acupuncture might have been part of a scheme.

After all, the fact that Protector Xu had sought medical help from him but was refused was already recorded in the police camp through Nantai, and it was no secret.

The Minister of Justice invited him to perform acupuncture, perhaps intending to use him as bait to lure out Protector Xu and extract some information.

The numerous calculations involved are enough to give anyone a headache.

Zhao Wuji was too lazy to figure out the meaning of the message the brute had given him, and didn't want to risk contact with him.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Wuji had a sudden realization that someone was secretly following and observing him. He immediately ordered the coachman to drive the carriage straight to the Imperial Observatory.
(End of this chapter)