Chapter Forty-Two: Returning the Arrow

An arrow cut through the sky, its momentum fierce and unstoppable.

It was as if this arrow were destined to kill, as if it had instantly locked onto every possible escape route for Bai Yi, leaving her with no way to dodge or evade, no matter how she twisted and turned.

Wang Qianyuan was utterly confident, harboring not the slightest doubt that his arrow would miss its mark.

Among his peers, if his archery was second best, then no one dared claim to be first.

Yet, to his shock, he soon discovered that the white fox across from him showed not the slightest attempt to evade, nor even a hint of fear.

What was going on? An uneasy thought flashed through his mind.

But before he could process it, he saw his arrow—released with such force—begin to slow in midair, as if it had sunk into a mire.

Before it even reached the white fox, two slender, jade-like fingers reached out and pinched it gently.

The arrowhead trembled and buzzed between the fingertips, yet could not advance even the slightest.

The young Daoist held the arrow with a calm manner, as if he had merely plucked an ordinary leaf drifting by on the wind.

Wang Qianyuan almost thought his eyes deceived him. He stared in disbelief at the young Daoist across from him.

“It is only proper to return what is given. You have just shot two arrows at my friend Bai; allow me to return you one in kind,” the young Daoist spoke indifferently, before Wang Qianyuan had time to react.

With a flick of the fingers, the arrow spun around and sped back through the air toward its original owner.

In that instant, alarms blared in Wang Qianyuan’s mind; the shadow of death enveloped him completely.

The cold glint at the arrow’s tip grew ever larger in his vision, his pupils contracting sharply, as if, in all the world, only this flying arrow remained.

He stood frozen for a split second.

Suddenly, a sharp pain bloomed in his lower abdomen.

Looking down, he saw the long arrow had plunged deep into his core, the once-pure white feathers now stained with spots of blood.

With that single arrow, his dantian and qi sea were pierced through—his lifetime of martial cultivation wiped out in an instant.

An abrupt silence fell over the scene.

Lin You still stood quietly beneath the white plum tree, gazing at the crowd as if what had just occurred was the most trivial of matters.

No matter what intentions these people had come with, the moment they dared attack Bai Yi before his eyes, nothing else mattered anymore.

Anyone who dared lay hands on his friend—even a great master—would pay the price.

“You few, you may leave now. Chisong Dao Palace does not welcome ill-mannered guests,” Lin You said coolly, turning to leave with Bai Yi.

At this moment, however, the master from the Medicine Sect had recovered from his shock. Seeing Wang Qianyuan, his disciple, crippled, a surge of fury rose within him.

True essence churned through his body—he wanted to avenge his disciple, yet he stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move.

For that miraculous display of archery just now—he knew, even with his own mastery, he might not withstand it. So he dared not act rashly.

In the end, he spoke warily, “Who are you, sir, to act with such ruthlessness? Just for a mere white fox, you destroyed my disciple’s cultivation? If you do not give us an explanation, our Medicine Sect will not let this rest!”

Lin You shook his head. “You trespassed in the lands of Chisong Dao Palace, stole spirit herbs, harmed my friend—and now you ask who I am?”

So he was a disciple of Chisong Dao Palace! The three felt a sudden sense of reassurance.

The master of Baicao Hall exchanged a glance with the old crone beside him, and both stepped forward to denounce Lin You.

“Oh? So this is how you of Chisong Dao Palace treat your guests?”

“We four sects of medicine have always stood together. How can you act with such cruelty? Where is your abbot, Yu Jing? Let him come out and explain himself!”

Seeing Lin You’s youthful face, they hoped to pressure him with the weight of sectarian propriety.

“That’s right! That’s right! Senior Brother Wang didn’t even know the white fox was your pet, and it wasn’t killed. An apology should suffice—why resort to such severity?”

At this, Ling’er, the junior disciple of the Hundred Flowers Sect, emboldened by her grandmother’s questioning, joined in to challenge Lin You as well.

Lin You halted and glanced back at those clamoring.

His gaze was calm, but it made the three sect masters shudder involuntarily.

A hush fell over the scene.

Even the three great masters stood silent under his gaze, as if gripped by mortal terror.

For their martial intuition told them: if they uttered another word, they would die.

What kind of monster was this youth? He radiated not a trace of true essence, yet to these masters of martial arts, he exuded an overwhelming threat of death.

A chill seeped into the old crone’s heart and those of her companions.

Just as they were preparing to cut their losses and retreat, two figures appeared at the narrow entrance of the gorge.

The old crone’s eyes lit up, and she called out, “Yu Jing Daoist! You’ve come just in time! Is this how Chisong Dao Palace treats its guests?”

The newcomers were indeed Daoist Yu Jing and Daoist Yu Yin.

Upon entering, the strange atmosphere baffled them.

They had just received word from Jiang Liunian that a group of questionable individuals were approaching Chisong Mountain, and that Lin You had gone ahead to investigate.

Fearing for their junior’s safety, they had hurried over.

Upon hearing the old crone’s shout, Yu Jing turned his gaze, and then with some surprise said, “Why, isn’t this Granny Hua and Old Ghost Yao? What are the three of you doing in our Chisong Dao Palace’s medicine fields?”

The three masters felt their cheeks burn with shame.

Earlier, seeing the gorge empty, they had stolen spirit herbs without a care. But now, confronted by Yu Jing, they felt the embarrassment of thieves caught in the act.

Yet, though ashamed, their faces betrayed nothing.

Instead, they twisted the truth, embellishing the story as they told it again.

They had expected Yu Jing, for the sake of the upcoming Grand Medical Gathering, would help them discipline this strange disciple.

Unexpectedly, after listening, Yu Jing only responded with a cold snort:

“My junior’s word is the word of Chisong Dao Palace. If Yu Chen just said you are unwelcome, then you may leave now!”

The old crone could hardly believe it. “You’re telling us to leave?”

Yu Jing nodded. “Was I not clear enough?”

The old crone cried out, “Every year at the Songyuan Gathering, it’s only because our three sects support you that Chisong Dao Palace keeps its dignity. Is this how you treat us now?”

Yu Yin spat disdainfully. “Every year at the gathering, you take all the spoils, and we pay with our spirit herbs—always profiting, never losing. And now you have the nerve to speak so righteously?”

The three were momentarily speechless.

Indeed, in the past, they had taken advantage.

They bullied Chisong Dao Palace for lacking a true master of medicine, sending their own masters to ‘help’ in the competitions, pocketing all the spirit herbs they won.

If they lost? Since they were representing Chisong Dao Palace, naturally it was Chisong who paid the prize.

Thus, Chisong Dao Palace gained nothing but the empty honor of being one of the Four Great Medical Sects, always on the losing end.