Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"His cultivation is higher than yours! His target isn't you! Wenlong! Don't give me any more nonsense! If you die here, how am I supposed to live the rest of my life?!"

"You've protected me your whole life, now it's my turn to protect you. Huang Long, Lao Huang, listen to me this once, I promise, I will definitely go back, I promise, okay?"

"Master! The defensive line at the front has been breached!"

"Old Huang! Let's go!"

"You'd better come back alive!"

"Old Huang, it's really nice to be with you under the starlight and watch you roast wild game."

"Old Huang, I'm not done with you yet. You just wait until I'm better."

"Old Huang! Let's go!"

"Old Huang, Old Huang, Old Huang? Hehehe, wake up, you're burnt!" Wenlong, who hadn't seen Old Huang move for a while, smelled a burning smell and couldn't help but go over and wave his hand in front of Old Huang's eyes.

Chapter 1232 Untitled

"You've protected me your whole life, now it's my turn to protect you. Huang Long, Lao Huang, listen to me this once, I promise, I will definitely go back, I promise, okay?"

"Master! The defensive line at the front has been breached!"

"Old Huang! Let's go!"

"You'd better come back alive!"

"Old Huang, it's really nice to be with you under the starlight and watch you roast wild game."

"Old Huang, I'm not done with you yet. You just wait until I'm better."

"Old Huang! Let's go!"

"Old Huang, Old Huang, Old Huang? Hehehe, wake up, you're burnt!" Wenlong, who hadn't seen Old Huang move for a while, smelled a burning smell and couldn't help but go over and wave his hand in front of Old Huang's eyes.

"Ah? Ah. Oh no! It's burnt!" Old Huang finally regained his senses after Wenlong's calls. His eyes were vacant, and he looked blankly at Wenlong, who was waving at him. Old Huang blinked, unsure what was wrong. Suddenly, a burnt smell filled Old Huang's nose. He jumped up with a start, shouting, "It's over! It's burnt!"

"Young Master, let me go hunt another game. This one is burnt to a crisp." Old Huang stared at the nearly charred game in his hand, paused for a moment, and then muttered to Wen Long, before throwing the game aside.

"Hey, wait!" Wenlong rushed forward and snatched the charred game from Lao Huang's hand.

"Look, there's still some that isn't burnt yet, just eat it like this, it'll be fine." As he spoke, Wenlong casually put the wild game to his mouth and took a big bite, chewing and mumbling to Lao Huang. Lao Huang looked at Wenlong's face, which was already smeared with charred black, and couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart. He could tell that Wenlong was having a hard time chewing, but he still grinned and looked at Lao Huang in front of him.

They really look alike, so alike. Old Huang thought to himself as he looked at Wenlong.

"Hey, young master, young master, don't bite the burnt parts, or you'll get an upset stomach tomorrow!" Old Huang hurriedly reminded Wenlong when he saw him about to bite into a piece of meat that was clearly burnt. As he spoke, he ran forward to try and take the game from Wenlong's hand so that he wouldn't eat the burnt meat.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing, I'm in great shape!" Wenlong replied to Lao Huang with a smug look on his face.

"That won't do! Give it to me right now, spit it out!" Old Huang answered him decisively.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Lao Huang, you're really getting old, you're so nagging." Wen Long couldn't help but complain.

"Hahaha, you think I'm nagging? So what if you think I'm nagging? Go ahead and hit me if you dare!" Old Huang suddenly chuckled, revealing a bright and cheerful smile. Following behind Wen Long, the two couldn't help but tease each other in the night.

"Elder, go in peace. There are still your brothers at home, and Wenmou has grown up. Don't worry." After saying this, the Second Elder tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. But the Second Elder's wine cup and posture seemed to be frozen in time, and he did not put it down for a long time. If you look closely, you can only see a tear sliding down the corner of the Second Elder's eye.

After a short while, the Second Elder finally put down his wine cup, turned around resolutely, and walked towards the door.

"Third Uncle, is Uncle Huang alright?" Wenmou, still worried, arrived at his third uncle's courtyard with the help and accompaniment of his uncles. Looking at Old Huang lying on the bed, Wenmou asked the Third Elder, who was treating Old Huang, with concern.

“Old Huang… suffered internal injuries. I really don’t know how he managed to hold on until now. If he had been given to someone else, even if he had escaped, he probably would have died on the way.” Upon hearing Wen Mou’s words, the Third Elder couldn’t help but turn around and look at Old Huang, who was lying on the bed with his face turning deathly pale and bloodless. He sighed softly and shook his head.

"Then Uncle Huang is..." Wenmou was unwilling to say those words, nor did he want to face them. He tentatively asked his third uncle in front of him.

Looking up at Wenmou before him, the Third Elder did not answer for a moment. After pursing his lips and pondering for a while, he finally opened his mouth to answer Wenmou's question.

"The chances are slim, but I will do my best. I've done what I should do, and now it's up to him."

"Then... if he wakes up, will it affect his physical health and cultivation?" Wen Mou didn't want to think about what would happen if Old Huang, who was lying in the house, didn't wake up.

"Well, I can only say I'm not sure, and I'm not entirely confident about this matter either." The Third Elder thought carefully for a moment, looked into Wenmou's eyes, and answered Wenmou's question seriously.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Third Uncle." After receiving the answer, Wenmou glanced past the Third Elder at Old Huang inside the house without saying anything more. He turned around and, supported by his servant, slowly left his Third Uncle's courtyard, heading towards his own. He desperately needed to recuperate. In his current state, he wouldn't be of much help in other matters. He needed to recover his health first before he could help and lead the family.

As time passed, Wenmou's health improved day by day, while Old Huang, who had been lying in the Third Elder's courtyard not far away, remained motionless with his eyes closed. The only noticeable change was that Old Huang's once deathly pale complexion had improved, with a few traces of blood returning to it.

In the past few days, the Wen family announced the death of their patriarch, Wen Long. Various sects and families, large and small, sent envoys or visited in person to express their condolences. Even the imperial family sent envoys to offer their condolences.

Once everyone had arrived, the Wen family announced the new head of the family and made it public. Those who had come to attend the funeral of the former head of the Wen family also offered their blessings. Of course, all the cumbersome procedures for the new head of the family were omitted; the focus remained on the funeral of the former head of the family.

Not long after the funeral of the old patriarch Wenlong was completed, the unconscious Old Huang finally stirred. One night, Old Huang suddenly began to cough violently, startling the maidservant who was attending to him. Then, Old Huang suddenly vomited a large mouthful of blood. It was thick, black, and had a strong bloody smell.

The maid was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to step forward to help Old Huang or do something else; she felt her mind suddenly go blank. But having grown up in the Wen family mansion and seen many things, the maid only hesitated for a short while before coming to her senses.

She immediately turned and left Old Huang's room, running towards the Third Elder's room. Although it was late, and the Third Elder didn't like being disturbed at night, the maid couldn't care less. She threw herself against the Third Elder's door, frantically pounding on it and shouting.

"Elder, Elder! Brother Huang is in trouble! Elder! Wake up! Brother Huang is vomiting blood!"

The Third Elder, who was in meditation, became irritated when he heard someone banging on the door. Just as he was about to teach the unruly person a lesson, he heard the following words. The Third Elder was stunned for a moment, then jumped off the bed and rushed to his door, opening it.

"Elder! Brother Huang..." The maid who was pounding on the door suddenly lost her balance and fell straight forward. The Third Elder quickly caught the maid and looked at her with a serious expression.

"Elder..." The maid lowered her head upon seeing the Third Elder, clutching her clothes with both hands, not daring to say anything more.

But suddenly he remembered something; he had come to see the Third Elder for something. He quickly looked up and saw that the Third Elder was also staring straight at him. The maid lowered her head again, not daring to look the Third Elder in the eye, but continued talking.

"Elder, Brother Huang suddenly started coughing and vomited a lot of blood."

"What color blood?" the Third Elder asked instinctively after hearing the maid's words.

"It's black and looks very sticky." The maid stood still and answered the Third Elder's question.

Upon hearing the maid's reply, the Third Elder's expression changed, and he hurriedly ran towards Old Huang's room. As the maid was about to follow, the Third Elder, without turning his head, instructed her,

"Go and inform the patriarch and the other elders right now, and tell them to hurry!"

After receiving the Third Elder's instructions, the maid shouted in response and then quickly turned and ran towards the direction of the family head's residence.

Before long, the newly appointed head of the family, Wenmou, and the elders received the notification and quickly gathered in the courtyard of the Third Elder. After they greeted each other with nods, they hurried towards Old Huang's house, not daring to linger on the way.

"Third Uncle, how is Uncle Huang? Uncle Huang..." Wen Mou, who was leading the group, rushed in after pushing open the door. He was about to ask the Third Elder about Old Huang's condition when his eyes suddenly widened, and his face was filled with disbelief. He saw that Old Huang had sat up and was leaning against the wall looking at him, and it seemed that he had just been communicating with the Third Elder.

The elders following closely behind Wenmou also stared wide-eyed at the scene before them upon entering. They couldn't believe that Old Huang, who had been lying quietly in bed all day, devoid of any vitality, was now sitting on the bed, watching them calmly as if nothing had happened.

Of course, it would be impossible to say there wasn't a single change. They clearly sensed that Old Huang's previous playful face and gentle, kind smile were gone, replaced by an icy expression and murderous eyes. For a moment, everyone present felt utterly unfamiliar with Old Huang.

"Uncle Huang, how are you feeling now? Is everything alright?" Although he could clearly sense that Old Huang was different, Wenmou was only surprised for a moment and did not say much. Instead, he continued to inquire about Old Huang's physical condition.

"A month from now, give me an empty cave in the back mountain, don't put anything in it." Old Huang's answer was clearly a bit nonsensical. Wenmou was stunned for a moment upon hearing Old Huang's reply, but he quickly realized what he meant and agreed to Old Huang's request, even though Wenmou didn't know what Old Huang wanted to do with it.

"Also, just leave one maid in my courtyard. The rest can be assigned to your courtyards, or give some money to those who want to go home."

"But, Uncle Huang, one maid isn't enough, is it?" Wenmou wanted to keep a few more for Old Huang, since his health wasn't very good and he needed someone to take care of him.

"No need, just promise me you'll take good care of them." Old Huang didn't give Wenmou a chance and directly rejected Wenmou's suggestion.

"Alright then." Wenmou bit his lip, thought for a moment, and slowly nodded in agreement with Lao Huang's decision.

"Alright, you can all leave now. Let him rest for a while." The Third Elder slowly stood up and dismissed everyone present. "You're glad to see he's alright. I just wanted you to know about this. I only found out about it recently and don't know the full details."

The Third Elder smiled, but there seemed to be a hint of bitterness hidden in his smile. However, the other elders and Wen Mou obviously did not notice this hint of bitterness, and simply nodded and turned to leave.

After seeing everyone off to the door and watching them slowly walk away, the Third Elder returned to the room. After dismissing all the maids and servants, he stared intently at Old Huang sitting on the bed, and after a long while, he finally spoke.

"Are you sure it's true that you are that person?"

Chapter 1233 Untitled

"Alright, you can all leave now. Let him rest for a while." The Third Elder slowly stood up and dismissed everyone present. "You're glad to see he's alright. I just wanted you to know about this. I only found out about it recently and don't know the full details."

The Third Elder smiled, but there seemed to be a hint of bitterness hidden in his smile. However, the other elders and Wen Mou obviously did not notice this hint of bitterness, and simply nodded and turned to leave.

After seeing everyone off to the door and watching them slowly walk away, the Third Elder returned to the room. After dismissing all the maids and servants, he stared intently at Old Huang sitting on the bed, and after a long while, he finally spoke.

"Are you sure it's true that you are that person?"

Old Huang nodded slightly to meet the Third Elder's gaze. The Third Elder took a deep breath to calm himself, shifting his gaze from Old Huang to the window. Seeing this, Old Huang didn't say anything, but lowered his head, closed his eyes as if deep in thought, or perhaps simply meditating and recuperating to regulate his body.

After a while, the Third Elder withdrew his gaze and looked back at Old Huang sitting on the bed, nodding gently and saying,

"Alright, you should rest now. I'll be going now. I'll prepare all the medicine you need to take in the next couple of days."

After speaking, the Third Elder, without waiting for Old Huang's reaction, simply turned and walked towards the door. Just before leaving, his foot, which he had just lifted, froze in mid-air, leaving behind a single sentence.

"I'll leave the Wen family to you from now on. Although Mou'er is mature, his cultivation level is not very high yet, so please take good care of him."

As he spoke, the Third Elder slammed his foot down, leaving the room where Old Huang was recuperating without looking back. After the Third Elder left, Old Huang finally opened his eyes and slowly raised his head to look at the doorway. Of course, the doorway was empty. But for some reason, Old Huang's eyes were filled with many complex emotions—reluctance, struggle, and sadness. But soon, Old Huang closed his eyes again, and before he knew it, a tear slowly slid down his cheek.

By dawn the next day, everything was peaceful, except that the Third Elder had stopped coming out of his room, and his meals were being delivered to him by servants. All the elders of the Wen family and Wen Mou were puzzled by this, but when they inquired, they were told to hurry and prepare medicine and tonics for Old Huang. When they asked why they couldn't take it slow, adjusting the medicine day by day, the Third Elder only offered a faint smile.

Although the elders and Wen Mou, unable to fathom the Third Elder's thoughts, found it strange, the Wen family was extremely busy recently due to the passing of the old patriarch and the ascension of Wen Mou as the new patriarch. There were too many matters to handle and too many relationships to clarify. Therefore, the elders and Wen Mou didn't immediately take the Third Elder's strange behavior to heart, simply assuming he was avoiding trouble or preventing any unforeseen circumstances.

Later, the Third Elder gave further instructions: no one should be seen without prior notification, and he even placed a barrier in front of his house to prevent anyone from accidentally entering. Although the other elders and Wenmou didn't understand the Third Elder's actions, considering Old Huang's condition, they figured the Third Elder was probably just worried that someone might accidentally enter and disrupt his medicine-making, so they didn't think much of it and continued with their business.

One day, after a busy day, Wenmou finally had time to sit down and rest. He couldn't help but reflect on the events of the past few days. Thinking of Lao Huang, Wenmou suddenly thought of his third uncle, the Third Elder. Nothing seemed amiss, but the more Wenmou thought about it, the more strange it felt; something felt off. He just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Prepare medicine and supplements for Uncle Huang. Prepare medicine and supplements. Why are you in such a hurry? You can prepare them every day." Wenmou couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling that his third uncle's behavior was a bit abnormal.

"Prepare medicine and tonics for Uncle Huang, prepare medicine and tonics, medicine and tonics..." Wenmou thought and thought, his mind racing. Gradually, Wenmou frowned; he felt that things weren't as simple as his third uncle had said.

"Oh no!" Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, Wenmou jumped out of bed and ran outside while putting on his shoes. Without hesitation, he rushed towards the Third Elder's courtyard. Soon, Wenmou appeared in front of the Third Elder's house.

Clearly, the servant guarding outside the Third Elder's room was surprised to see Wenmou suddenly appear and hurriedly bowed to him. Wenmou waved his hand, his eyes constantly scanning the room past the servant. There was still light inside, indicating that the Third Elder was not yet asleep. Wenmou looked at the servant before him and asked...

"Has the Third Elder come out?"

"Reporting to the master, after delivering lunch to the Third Elder at noon, I have been waiting outside his room for orders. The Third Elder has not come out, nor has he called me." Upon hearing Wenmou's question, the servant dared not delay and quickly answered Wenmou after a moment's thought.