Chapter 896 — Life Is Full of Chance Encounters

"Yes. I've found that the energy passing through my body isn't entirely useless after all — a very small part of it stays behind and slowly repairs my injured body!" Wei Zhao said excitedly. "The area it heals is tiny, but I can still feel it."

"Mm... so that's what you mean..." Jiao Yazi stroked his chin. He truly could not bear to discourage Wei Zhao, but after a moment's hesitation he decided that some things still had to be said. "You're not wrong. Since you're practicing the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, the process is one of absorbing and converting energy. Your meridians are damaged, yes, but they haven't lost their function entirely, so they can still convert a very small amount of energy. Only, compared with what came before, it's a single hair off nine oxen..."

"Oh? So that means that if I keep cultivating like this, there's a chance I can recover my strength?" Wei Zhao was overjoyed at Jiao Yazi's words. He had not caught the implication behind them.

"Yes, there is that possibility!" Jiao Yazi nodded. "In about a hundred years, you will have repaired a third of your meridians!"

"Ga?" Wei Zhao was startled badly by those words. "A hundred years? Just to repair a third?"

"Mm. If you cultivate day and night without rest, then in roughly thirty thousand days you will have repaired a third; in about a hundred thousand days you will have restored one complete meridian, and after that you will be able to repair all the rest of them very quickly..." Jiao Yazi counted it out on his fingers for Wei Zhao.

"..." Wei Zhao was momentarily speechless. "But it doesn't feel that slow to me. Judging by how fast my body's wounds are healing, a few days should be enough to heal all the physical injuries I have..."

"That's right, of course!" Jiao Yazi nodded as though it were only natural. "Outer-style masters train the body; inner-style masters train the meridians. You don't have an outer-style master's body — yours is only a little tougher than an ordinary man's — so naturally it heals quickly. But meridians..."

Wei Zhao understood all at once. So that was the reason. Which meant that his joy a moment ago had been entirely wasted!

"Hah—" Somewhat dejected, Wei Zhao gave up trying and sat down on the ground inside the jade pendant's space. "Elder Jiao, is there really no other way?"

"If I were not merely a spirit shadow, I might be able to try something. And if the master were here, he could help you as well..." Jiao Yazi said.

"Everything you're saying is unrealistic. Isn't there anything a little more practical?" Wei Zhao asked with a bitter smile.

"There is. The practical option is for you to train in an outer style," Jiao Yazi said. "Look at that Ma Zhu — an outer-style man, and a total badass to boot. If you hadn't had that sure-kill energy bomb, you would have died for certain."

"Uh..." Wei Zhao blinked. "You're telling me to go practice the Golden Bell Shield?"

"It is the easiest road I can think of for you to recover your strength!" Jiao Yazi nodded.

Wei Zhao said nothing. He brooded for a long while, then finally nodded. "Maybe you're right. It's the only way."

"It's good that you can take it philosophically. All roads lead to Rome, after all — who knows, when you open the second stone door of that cave, you may make some unexpected gain!" Jiao Yazi said.

"Yes... why didn't I think of that?" Wei Zhao's eyes lit up. His path of cultivation was different from outer styles, and not quite the same as that of ordinary inner-style masters either: what he practiced was the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, a very rare art indeed. If behind that second stone door there was a way to repair his meridians, who could say?

"Life is always full of chance encounters. When the cart reaches the mountain, a road will be found; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out!" Jiao Yazi said. "Just when you have given up all hope, you may round the bend and find a whole new village in the sunlight."

Wei Zhao nodded. "In that case, I still need to heal the wounds on my body well before I worry about anything else..."

…………………………

"Xiaoshu, can't you be a bit steadier? How are you carrying him? If you keep jostling like that, your Brother Arrow-Brand is going to be shaken to death." Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were carrying Wei Zhao down the mountain.

The two girls had finished treating Wei Zhao's wounds and did not dare linger on the mountain any longer, for fear that Zhen Yingjun's men would come back — and if they did, not only Wei Zhao but they themselves would be in mortal danger.

The phone had been taken by Zhen Yingjun's men, and when Gu Mengyao dug Wei Zhao's phone out of his pocket, she found it blasted to bits. It was completely unusable; half of the flip cover was nowhere to be found.

They could not call for help, and they feared for Wei Zhao's wounds, so they carried him down the mountain, one on each side. Gu Mengyao had originally intended to carry him on her back, but she discovered that the mountain path was simply too steep; after nearly flinging Wei Zhao off, she abandoned that plan and asked Xiaoshu to help carry him instead.

And so Gu Mengyao held Wei Zhao's feet, lifting his legs, in front, while Shen Yushu supported him under the arms, lifting his upper body, behind.

The two of them, one in front and one behind, made their way cautiously down the mountain. Even descending this steep range empty-handed was dangerous, and it was very easy to fall — let alone when two people were carrying a wounded man.

"Oh, okay!" It was Shen Yushu's first time carrying anyone as well; she could only grope her way toward a method, so how could she get the knack all at once? As she spoke, she tightened her grip again, pressing Wei Zhao's head against her belly and trying her best to keep him from swaying.

"Are you trying to smother him? Your chest is so big you're covering his whole head!" Gu Mengyao glared at Shen Yushu, momentarily speechless.

"Ah... then what am I supposed to do? It's grown this big — I can't very well cut it off, that would hurt like hell!" Shen Yushu wanted to move Wei Zhao's head out from under her chest, but she was afraid of dropping him. Somewhat helplessly, she said, "Sister Yaoyao, how about you carry him from behind instead? Your chest is small, you won't smother him!"

"!!!!" Shen Yushu's words nearly made Gu Mengyao explode with rage. What do you mean, my chest is small? Mine is exactly the right size! Who's like you, a great big milk cow? Gu Mengyao gave a humph and shot back, "You just keep carrying him. You're too short, that's all — you're not suited to walking in front!"

Shen Yushu was not annoyed. She knew she was not as tall as Gu Mengyao, and said with a grin, "Okay."

"Ah—" Gu Mengyao took two steps, her foot slipped, and she staggered. Her whole body pitched forward, but afraid of dropping Wei Zhao, she did not dare let go of him to grab at the branches beside the path. Instead she instinctively threw both hands up, and with a "thud," Gu Mengyao went down on her knees on the ground.

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