The Beacon of Kyushu

Guangji didn't believe what the old man said was true, and raised his hand to hit him. Baoen quickly pulled him back, "Guangji, my Buddha said, 'What is the joy of life, and what is death.' If your master is destined to die here, it is also the cause and effect of this life and the destiny of the previous life. How can you hit someone for your master? This will not only bring shame to our Shaolin, but also make you and your master commit sins for nothing. It's really a waste of my daily teachings!"

"Master, I know I was wrong!" Guangji said, reluctantly letting go of the old man, and said worriedly: "Master, you are poisoned. If you don't ask a doctor to cure it for you, what will you do if it attacks again? Now this old donor is unwilling to treat you, where can we find a good doctor?"

Bao En smiled slightly, his voice became soft, as if he didn't care about his own life at all, "Amitabha, the incident is nothing but the combination of cause and effect. If the Buddha wants me to go to the West earlier and hear the true meaning of my teachings, it is also a good thing. Let's go, don't stand here and delay the donor from saving others."

Guangqing was the youngest among the three. When he heard what his master said, his eyes suddenly became moist. "Master, please don't be in any trouble. Otherwise, if you are gone, what will happen to us brothers? What will happen to Shaolin? Master, you are a great martial artist and have done so many good things in your life. You will definitely be fine, right!"

Seeing the three people in such a dilemma, the old man thought for a long time before whispering, "Master, there is something I shouldn't tell you, but doctors are kind-hearted and I'm afraid I will feel guilty for the rest of my life if I don't tell you."

Bao En asked, "Amitabha, what do you want to say?"

The old gentleman lowered his voice even more, and then he boldly said: "Master, it seems that you have been poisoned by the Thousand Poisons and Heartbreak Powder secretly made by Zhang Mani, an important official of our dynasty. There is no antidote for this poison except Zhang Mani himself. If you really want to detoxify, you have to find Zhang Mani. Otherwise, even if you travel to the ends of the earth, you may not be able to find a miracle person to detoxify this poison. This is my, Qu Yue's, confidential matter. I am speaking out today out of my duty as a doctor. I hope that Master will not spread it to others."

Bao En nodded and said, "Thank you very much, benefactor. I will never let you take any risks."

If Bao En followed his advice, he would have insisted on leading his disciples back to Shaolin Temple. He would have no regrets even if he died in a foreign land. But Guangji and Guangqing refused to follow his advice. They insisted on trying their best and went from clinic to clinic. Bao En could not bear to disobey his disciples' filial piety, so he had to agree. Unexpectedly, after the doctors in the city had examined the patient's pulse, they were so scared that they avoided him like a tiger, saying that they could not cure him. Some even drove the three out and then closed their doors, not daring to do business anymore.

Bao En saw this, smiled and sighed, "Alas, it seems that this is God's will. Never mind, never mind. Although I failed to persuade Lord Li to forever be friends with our Song Dynasty during my trip to Qu Yue, at least I rejected his evil ambitions, which is worthy of Shaolin's century-old reputation. My death is enough."

Guangji and Guangqing looked at their master who was poisoned. No one knew whether their master could survive to Shaolin or whether he would die of the poison one day. They were anxious and afraid, and they all shed tears. Baoen glanced at his two disciples, his expression still calm, and then he went to the inn without saying a word. Guangji and Guangqing wiped the tears from their eyes and followed their master to find the inn.

The three walked for a while, but still couldn't find the inn, but saw a familiar figure in the crowd. The man was wearing a Taoist robe, holding a whisk, not very tall, and looked young, but could not hide his handsomeness. Guangqing pointed at the figure and said to Guangji: "Brother, do you think that Taoist priest is the Little Heavenly Master?"

Guangji looked in the direction he pointed and said affirmatively: "Yes, it's him!"

When Guangqing heard his senior brother say this, he quickly squeezed into the crowd and came behind Zhang Xubai with great effort, "Amitabha, Little Heavenly Master, please stay!"

Zhang Xubai heard someone calling him and turned around timidly. Seeing that it was the three people who were paying their respects, he heaved a sigh of relief and bowed his head hurriedly, saying, "Blessings and infinite heavenly master, great... master, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Bao En was startled when he heard the voice and turned around to see that the person who called him was not someone else but Zhang Xubai whom he had not seen for a few days. Zhang Xubai looked the same as usual, but when he spoke, a wisp of flower fragrance wafted from his lips and teeth from time to time, which surprised the three of them. "Amitabha, didn't the little Tianshi leave Hualu a day earlier than me? Why are you here too?"

Zhang Xubai scratched his head uncomfortably and smiled, "Uh... I had a drink in this city when I was there, and the taste is still unforgettable, so... hehe..."

Bao En nodded and said, "So that's how it is. It seems that this poor monk and the Heavenly Master are destined to be together."

Zhang Xubai nodded and asked worriedly, "Master, did Lord Li harm you?"

Bao En shook his head and thought, "Amitabha, the donor just said that only Zhang Mani can cure this poison. If I tell him the truth, I am afraid that the little Taoist priest will be angry and go to Hualu to ask for the antidote, putting him to death. If so, I will be committing a great sin!"

Guangji and Guangqing did not understand the master's intention, and said anxiously: "Amitabha, our master has been poisoned by Zhang Mani, a senior official of Quyue, and is in a very dangerous situation. When we were in Shaolin, we heard that the little master is proficient in medicine. I hope you can save the master no matter what!"

The two put their hands together and were about to bow to Zhang Xubai. Zhang Xubai was so scared that he quickly hid aside, "Don't... don't do this, I can't bear it!" Zhang Xubai stretched out his right hand and touched Bao En's pulse. In a moment, a panic appeared on his face, "Oh no, this poison is difficult to cure, I'm afraid..."

Bao En smiled without any concern and said, "Little Heavenly Master, it would be best if this poison can be cured. If not, don't bother."

Zhang Xubai hesitated and said, "The one who tied the bell must be the one who can untie it. If you really want to detoxify, you have to go find Zhang Mani."

Guangqing rubbed his hands anxiously and said, "Little Heavenly Master, what you said is true, but how can we get the antidote from Zhang Mani?" Guangji stamped his feet and said, "Amitabha, we Shaolin disciples are not easy to bully! This Zhang Mani is so cunning that he dared to attack Master. I will go to him to argue. If he dares not to give it to me, I will punch him a few times to knock him unconscious, and then tie him up and bring him over to me, but I will definitely get the antidote for Master!"

Zhang Xubai hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, no, this is too rude."

Guangji said: "So what? Master's life is more important. I can't care about etiquette or not!"

Zhang Xubai looked at Guangji worriedly and said, "You... can you defeat so many of Hualu's personal troops?"

Guangji was ready to go, and just when he was about to say yes, a group of people suddenly came from the direction of the city gate. Roughly speaking, there were at least a hundred people. On the first three horses, there sat a white-robed general, an elegant young man, and a sloppy beggar. Behind the three, there were many imperial guards of the Song Dynasty, all wearing shiny helmets and armor, looking very impressive. Zhang Xubai saw that the sloppy beggar was none other than Wan Jianfeng, whom he had met once before, and subconsciously wanted to slip away.

Wan Jianfeng spotted the four people right away and shouted with a smile, "Hey, little Taoist priest, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Are you planning to greet me with your butt? If you really dare to turn around, I will kick your butt like a ball!"

Zhang Xubai smiled awkwardly, unable to slip away, so he could only say, "May you be blessed with infinite blessings, and hello, Young Master Wan..."

Wan Jianfeng jumped off his horse and walked towards the four people, teasing Zhang Xubai, "Little Heavenly Master, didn't you tell me before that you were going to Hualu to perform a ritual for that Li? How come it's been so long and you're still here? Are you attracted to that girl selling wine?"

When Zhang Xubai heard him mention Hua Luoying, his cheeks suddenly turned red. He lowered his head and fiddled with his whisk, saying, "Don't... don't talk nonsense. I can't reach your level."

Wan Jianfeng had walked to Zhang Xubai at this moment, patted his shoulder and said, "You are a great little master, the future leader of the Taoist sect, the head of the martial arts world. If anyone is marrying up, it is she who is marrying up to you, but how come you are marrying up to her? Okay, I am tired today, why don't we go to her place and have a drink together." He looked at the three people who came to repay their gratitude and said, "By the way, the master saved my life, would you be willing to do me a favor and go to Yuying Manor with me?"

Bao En shook his head slightly and said, "Amitabha, I am a monk, so it is inconvenient for me to drink with you. If we are destined to meet again in Shaolin, I will do my best to be the host and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Shaolin with you."

After saying that, he put his hands together and was about to leave. Wan Jianfeng quickly grabbed Guangji and said, "Hey, what happened to your master? Are you guys in trouble? Although I don't want to bother with other people's business, you three have done me a favor. If you have anything to say, just tell me."

Upon hearing this, Guangji didn't care whether his master agreed or not, and told the whole story of how Bao En was poisoned and all the clinics were helpless. Wan Jianfeng frowned and said, "Damn it, there is such a thing! It would be fine if I didn't know about it, but since I just happened to encounter it, I will risk my life for my benefactor! It just so happens that we are going to Hualu, so we can't delay our business!"

Zhang Xubai looked at Wan Jianfeng worriedly and said, "Wan... Young Master Wan, can you do it alone?"

Wan Jianfeng was confused by what he said, and pointed at the people behind him and said, "Who said that I am alone?"

Zhang Xubai said: "I'm afraid it's not appropriate to mobilize the army for this matter."

Wan Jianfeng nodded and said, "That's right. It's really inappropriate for two armies to fight against each other just for a bottle of antidote."

Zhang Xubai added: "Guangji and Guangqing, as disciples, it is best for you to stay here and accompany the master."

Wan Jianfeng smiled and said, "Well, I think it would be better to let them stay at Yuying Manor for a few days. Miss Hua is kind and beautiful, and she will definitely take good care of Master Baoen. I'm just worried that this gentleman will be reluctant to let them go."

Zhang Xubai lowered his head in embarrassment and continued, "That's why the Taoist said that Young Master Wan is a person."

Wan Jianfeng shook his head, grabbed Zhang Xubai's shoulder, and said with a smile: "No, no, don't we still have you?"

(End of this chapter)