Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 281 Prince Zhong's Request

The illusory and intense red and blue flames, reaching to the heavens and the earth, swirled and flowed, while the black mist that gathered within them grew thicker and thicker, gradually transforming from a thin wisp of smoke into a dense cloud of mist.

In the increasingly intense and bright flames, the misty clouds were forged and tempered by the red and blue flames, the clouds surging and billowing like black waves of ink that had been stirred up, rippling on the blue stone platform.

As Lü Qian stepped on the blazing flames of the Double-Handed Sword, golden light flickered as he turned his wrist, and the peach wood sword landed in his hand, emitting an immortal and sharp sword light.

"cut!"

As he watched the black mist churning and swirling in the flames, Lü Qian's expression grew increasingly cold. With a shout, golden light burst forth from the three-foot wooden sword in his hand, which was emitting sword light.

The sword light unleashed by the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique slashed fiercely at the black mist, striking the seemingly illusory black mist and leaving a crack that emitted a radiant glow.

"what!"

Within the crack, a true spiritual light shone, and the surging black mist instantly froze, revealing a beautiful woman.

Amidst the flames ignited by the dual-wielding sword, the woman seemed to be constantly tempered and revealed, no longer able to hide. Brilliant sword light burst forth from her body, and hideous cracks appeared all over her.

"That's... Duanmu Ying!"

"It really is her. I never thought that the Double-Handed Technique would actually integrate her into the Lü family bloodline."

"No, that's not right. She can't be called Duanmu Ying in this state. Has she split herself in two?"

……

The younger guests looked at the woman who seemed to be undergoing torture and felt completely unfamiliar with her, but the elderly people on the platform stared at the woman with wide eyes, recognized her face, and then shook their heads.

Just as Lü Ci said before, people become more cunning as they get older.

They were all centenarians who had cultivated for centuries, so their eyesight and experience were naturally very sharp. They could sense something was wrong the moment they saw the woman, but they still couldn't be sure about her condition.

"Xing Tong, release Old Master Wang Zizhong."

Below the platform, Feng Zhenghao, sitting with the middle-aged generation, had a glint in his eyes and instructed his youngest son, Feng Xingtong, who was sitting among the younger generation, "Hurry up, this may be the last chance for Old Master Wang Zizhong to fulfill his last wish."

"Ah, oh, oh, I'm coming! Grandpa Zizhong, please come out!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Xingtong dared not delay and activated [Spirit Binding and Commanding]. In the blink of his eyes, a dazzling white light engulfed them, and then wisps of black mist emerged from his body, coalescing into the appearance of an old man.

The old man looked kind and gentle, but was rather thin. His body, formed from black mist, was hunched over and floated behind Feng Xingtong.

He was Wang Zizhong, a renowned physician known as a master healer. This old doctor possessed superb medical skills and saved countless lives. He was also the husband of Duanmu Ying, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves.

When the Jia Shen Rebellion broke out, Duanmu Ying disappeared without a trace. Prince Zhong waited for his wife his whole life. On his deathbed, he asked the Feng family to use the "Spirit Binding and General Dispatch" technique to capture his three souls, hoping to prolong his time in the mortal world.

He survives in the world as a spirit, just to gamble on a possibility—the possibility of meeting his wife, Duanmu Ying.

The soul that had been drifting behind Feng Xingtong opened its eyes, its bright pupils looking at Feng Xingtong with loving kindness, and asked gently, "Oh, it's Little Star. Did you encounter some difficulty in calling your grandpa out?"

"Grandpa Zizhong, look over there."

Feng Xingtong anxiously pointed to the burning red and blue flames below, directing Wang Zizhong's gaze towards the black mist woman who was being scorched by the flames and disintegrated by the sword light.

"That's... Ah Ying?"

In his soul form, Prince Zhong looked down at the woman below. His pupil-less, luminous eyes trembled slightly before he spoke with a mixture of regret and relief.

"That's not her, but it is her, yet ultimately it's not her."

As he spoke, his soul dimmed slightly and became somewhat transparent. Just as he was looking down, hesitant to move forward, a voice suddenly came from above.

"Lu Qian, don't rush to eliminate that scourge. Let this great master Wang take a closer look."

Lu Ci, sitting high above, looked at Wang Zizhong, who was now only a soul, nodded in the distance, and then said to Lu Qian below, "Let your senior recognize him and put an end to his obsession."

Wang Zizhong looked at Lü Ci, who was dressed in a bright red robe, and then his gaze swept around the high platform, where he found that all the old friends from back then had gathered here.

"In that case, thank you for your kind consideration, Young Master Lü."

Prince Zhong smiled at the old acquaintances on the high platform, then transformed into a wisp of black energy and floated down.

Amidst the blazing flames and radiant light, Lü Qian grasped the woman in black mist with his left hand while his right hand spun the wooden sword. The red and blue flames and the dazzling sword light transformed into a cage, imprisoning the woman within.

"Is this Ah Ying's work from back then?"

The black energy circled the red and blue flames that had ignited the entire bluestone platform a few times before stopping in front of the woman and reappearing as Prince Zhong.

He nodded in agreement, saying, "As a doctor, she truly did what she wanted to do."

After speaking, Wang Zizhong turned to look at the woman whose collapse had temporarily slowed down. Through the barrier of red and blue flames and sword light, he carefully discerned her features, as if she were corresponding to someone deep in his memory.

"You're not her? Does that mean she's really dead?"

Despite knowing the features so well that they were etched into his very soul, Wang Zizhong sighed in disappointment. The nostalgia in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a serious scrutiny.

After examining it for a moment, he shook his head again, denying his previous statement, but his expression became increasingly dejected.

"No, you are not dead. You are neither alive nor dead. Your life is split apart. Every fragment is you, but not the whole you."

"Ah Ying, you lived in someone else's body, and you lived between life and death, becoming a demon and a monster."

Composing himself, Wang Zizhong turned to look at Lü Qian with a serious expression, a hint of pleading appearing in his bright eyes.

"Child, could you please do me a favor?"

"Please speak, Senior Wang Zizhong. If I can do it, I will naturally do it."

Looking at Wang Zizhong in his current three-soul state, Lü Qian nodded and replied earnestly, "This junior also greatly admires your lifelong deeds of saving lives and caring for your wife."

Wang Zizhong shook his head, his expression becoming increasingly serious and solemn. He looked into Lü Qian's eyes and said, "Due to circumstances, I cannot and do not have the ability to inquire into the cause and effect between the Lü family and Duanmu Ying."

"But I would like to ask you for a favor in return for my life's medical skills. This favor is something you are also required to do."

"I would like to ask you to completely free Duanmu Ying and help her break free from her flawed state."

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Chapter Two!