The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

On the Floating Continent, in the northern Changhe River basin of the Wu Kingdom, near Fengliu Village, Shawo Town.

Qi Yuan sat under the eaves, watching the rain fall incessantly.

Liu Changqing came to say goodbye the day before yesterday and should be leaving for Beijing today to report on his work.

The Tang Kingdom's alliance partner was Shijiazhuang in Western Wu. The emperor of Eastern Wu became nervous and summoned his deputy generals from various regions to the capital. Qi Yuan couldn't understand what the Wu emperor was up to, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

Now only Qi Yuan is left here. Not long ago, Song Han set off to return to the Tang Kingdom.

Bili also set off for Freedom City. He wanted to go home to let the Ji family know he was safe, deliver a letter to them, and also report to the city lord that his daughter had settled down on An Island.

The Shi family army has withdrawn, and Free City has returned to a state of freedom.

Bili no longer needed to worry about the assassins chasing Qi Yuan, so he set off alone.

Looking at the rain before him and counting the days, Bili should have already left the territory of Wu and arrived in the old lands of Yan.

The rain grew heavier, reminding Qi Yuan of the rain that fell when he first entered the martial arts world.

That rain led him to his master and marked the beginning of his life in the martial arts world.

Now, he is no longer the naive young man he once was, but a seasoned and capable veteran of the martial arts world.

But that rain remained in his memory, reminding him that the journey through the martial world is long and arduous, and one must not be careless.

But now, with one leg injured, he can only sit in this wheelchair, and it's unknown whether he has any chance of recovery.

Qi Yuan sighed, shook his head, and stopped thinking about it.

He turned and went back inside, picked up a book, and began to read.

Despite his physical injuries, his spirit remained high.

He knew that only by continuously improving his own strength could he better protect himself and those around him.

The rain gradually stopped, and Qi Yuan put down his book and went out of the house.

He looked at the distant mountains and fields, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.

He knew that the road ahead in the martial world was long, and he still had many things to do.

But no matter how many difficulties and challenges lie ahead, he will forge ahead and keep moving forward.

Because he believed that as long as he had faith in his heart, nothing could stop him from moving forward.

Just then, there was the sound of horse hooves in the distance.

Qi Yuan frowned, wondering who had arrived.

He turned and went back into the house, took out his longsword, and stood warily at the door.

Soon, the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and a figure appeared in Qi Yuan's line of sight.

Qi Yuan stared intently, then froze.

The person who came was actually Bi Li!

"Bili? Why are you back?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.

“On my way back, I met a traveling healer named Huo Qubing. I’ll take you to him,” Bili said urgently.

"A traveling healer? He can cure my leg?" Qi Yuan asked in disbelief.

“I’m not sure either, but he’s a legendary doctor who’s said to be able to cure all sorts of difficult and complicated diseases. When I met him, he was setting the bones of a wandering swordsman with a missing arm. His technique was very skilled. I think he might be able to cure your leg,” Bi Li explained.

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope surged in Qi Yuan's heart. He had been searching for a skilled healer who could cure his legs, but to no avail. If this Huo Qubing could truly heal his legs, it would be his chance to be reborn.

“Okay, let’s go find him!” Qi Yuan decided.

The two immediately set off for Huo Qubing's location. After several days of travel, they finally found the itinerant doctor.

Huo Qubing was a middle-aged man with a kind and approachable face, giving people a sense of warmth. After listening to Qi Yuan's illness, he carefully examined Qi Yuan's legs.

"Your leg injury is indeed quite serious, but it's not incurable," Huo Qubing said. "It just requires some rare medicinal herbs and a long period of recuperation."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan was overjoyed. He knew he had finally found hope for curing his legs.

"What medicinal herbs do you need? I'll go find them as soon as possible," Qi Yuan asked anxiously.

“One of the medicinal herbs is a thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, which is extremely rare. But I know that it might exist in a deep mountain within the territory of Wu. I can take you there to find it. The last time I went was more than two months ago, when I took a young man surnamed Shen there to look for someone,” Huo Qubing said.

"Shen Lixi," Qi Yuan said subconsciously.

"What? You know each other?" Huo Qubing asked.

“I don’t know him. I have a friend named Luo Yifei who has been looking for him, but now Brother Luo has also disappeared without a trace,” Qi Yuan said.

"This young man named Shen Lixi came to me precisely because he was looking for a friend named Luo Yifei. I introduced him to Wuchen. Perhaps you've already found Brother Luo."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew that Luo Yifei had been searching for Shen Lixi, and if Shen Lixi had already found Wuchen, then Luo Yifei should have already learned the news. Thinking this, Qi Yuan said to Huo Qubing, "That's wonderful, thank you for informing me, Brother Huo. Let's set off now to find the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum."

Huo Qubing nodded and led Qi Yuan and Bi Li to the deep mountains within the territory of Wu. The group trekked through mountains and rivers, enduring countless hardships, and finally arrived at the entrance to the deep mountains.

"This mountain is called Cuiyun Peak. It is said that a thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum is hidden in a cave on the top of the mountain," Huo Qubing said, pointing to the peak in front of him.

Qi Yuan looked up and saw the mountain peaks soaring into the clouds, shrouded in mist, like a stairway to heaven. He knew that to obtain the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, he had to climb this mountain.

And so they began their arduous climb. The mountain path was rugged and covered in thorns, but they did not give up. They supported and encouraged each other, advancing step by step toward the summit.

After several days of arduous climbing, they finally arrived at the cave at the top of the mountain. The cave was pitch black, like a bottomless abyss.

"This is where the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum is located," Huo Qubing said. "But the cave is fraught with danger, and we need to proceed with caution."

Qi Yuan nodded, drew his longsword, and prepared to enter the cave. He knew this was their last hope, and he had to fight with all his might to secure it.

They entered the cave cautiously, taking each step with extreme care. The cave was dark and damp, filled with an indescribable eeriness.

Suddenly, a foul stench filled the air, and a gigantic python leaped out of the darkness, lunging straight at Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan reacted swiftly, swinging his sword and cleaving the python in two.

But this was just the beginning; they encountered even greater dangers. There were ferocious beasts, venomous snakes and insects, and treacherous traps. With their extraordinary courage and wisdom, they overcame each perilous situation.

Finally, they reached the depths of the cave. There, they saw a lingzhi mushroom emitting a faint glow. It was indeed a thousand-year-old lingzhi!

Qi Yuan excitedly stepped forward and carefully picked the Ganoderma lucidum. He knew he had waited far too long for this moment.

"There's a cave on the main peak where Wuchen lives. Should we go and ask about your friend's whereabouts?" Huo Qubing asked.