Li Man'er remembered Feng Jue and the half treasure map he possessed, thinking that it was no wonder the Xiao family treated Mr. Feng like an honored guest, only to realize they needed a physician to risk their lives for them.
First Qiu Yixian, then Feng Jue. It seemed that the Wu clan's great tomb was quite something to behold, likely holding many treasures.
Thinking this, Li Man'er couldn't help but look up at Ning Daocheng and ask, "Little Uncle, were you taken captive by them because you refused to cooperate?" It went without saying that his hand and eye were undoubtedly crippled by the Xiao family.
"My eyes were injured by poisonous miasma, and my hands were crippled by the Xiao family," Ning Daocheng replied.
Li Man'er was stunned upon hearing this. "So, you did cooperate after all."
Ning Daocheng nodded. "I come from a wealthy background and do not care about the treasures in the tomb. However, I wish to investigate the truth behind my master's murder, and to do so, I must cooperate with the Xiao family to apprehend the culprit."
In reality, the matter was not so complicated. If Li Man'er were to investigate, it would be incredibly simple. Knowing that the Xiao family was responsible, she would simply bypass the minor players and go directly for the big bosses of the Xiao family, retaliating one by one. How effortless would that be?
Li Man'er's methods were too brutal, while Ning Daocheng still held onto his gentlemanly demeanor, unwilling to harm the innocent. More importantly, the elixir of longevity that Qiu Yixian yearned for had become her fatal flaw. This matter had also become Ning Daocheng's obsession and inner demon. He also intended to search the great tomb for the elixir of longevity, retrieve it, and burn it at his master's grave, thus fulfilling his master's lingering desire.
Upon hearing Ning Daocheng's words, Li Man'er was rendered speechless. She blurted out, "I don't think Qiu Yixian is like your master, but more like your lover."
"Ahem." Ning Daocheng, guilty as a thief, coughed. Although his eyes were blind, his hearing was incredibly sharp. He naturally discerned that Li Man'er had spoken casually, not truly knowing anything.
Despite this, Ning Daocheng still felt a pang of guilt. His face flushed, his ears felt hot, and he spoke with a touch of awkwardness.
Li Man'er sensed something amiss and immediately asked, "Little Uncle, you're not actually falling for Qiu Yixian, are you?"
"No, no, that's not true. Don't talk nonsense, how could that be possible?" Ning Daocheng's hands trembled slightly, and his speech was quite unnatural.
Li Man'er suddenly thought of a problem. She had always assumed Qiu Yixian was a man. Could it be...
"Um, Qiu Yixian is a woman, right? Is she beautiful?"
"Master was a woman, and she was... very beautiful."
Li Man'er felt relieved. At least Ning Daocheng was normal. If Qiu Yixian were a man...
She didn't discriminate against such matters, but even in modern times, many people found it difficult to accept. Moreover, in ancient times, he would likely have to endure much hardship.
"You say you don't like Qiu Yixian, but your face is all red."
"Is it?" Ning Daocheng's hands were not very functional, but he could barely place them on his face to feel its warmth. "I, I didn't, Man'er, don't talk nonsense."
Seeing that his hands could still perform some movements, Li Man'er was extremely curious. If his tendons had truly been severed, he shouldn't be able to make such movements. This meant Ning Daocheng's hands still retained some function. If they were treated with the spring water from the Lingwu Spring, perhaps they could be healed!
Healing injuries was a matter for later.
"How can you say there isn't? I think you just like her."
Ning Daocheng knew there were no outsiders present, so he wasn't afraid of being overheard. He let out a wry smile. "So what if I do? She is my master. Propriety does not allow it. Even if she were still alive, we could only be master and disciple."
"Who said that? It's because you, Little Uncle, don't have enough courage." Li Man'er then told him the story of Great Hero Yang and her aunt. "In the end, they ended up together and even had a daughter."
A look of anxiety appeared on Ning Daocheng's face. "Is that true? Although I am not in the martial world, I have heard tales. I have never heard of these two. Could it be a story written by someone else?"
Indeed, it was a storybook.
"So what if it's a storybook! It means the author also approves of breaking through the constraints of propriety. What they write is meant to tell everyone not to care about status or position. Love and reason are far more important than some damned propriety."
Ning Daocheng murmured, "Is that so?"
"Of course."
"But, I learned it too late."
A throbbing pain spread from Ning Daocheng's chest. Seeing him so sad, Li Man'er quickly said, "Little Uncle, it's my fault. I shouldn't have brought this up."
"How about this, it's too late today. You should rest first, and we can talk another day."
Ning Daocheng truly had no heart to continue. He realized that the problem that had troubled him for nearly a decade was so laughable. If he had been a little braver back then, would he not have missed his chance? Perhaps everything would have been different.
He regretted, he hated, but it was all useless.
Seeing his emotions stir, Li Man'er quickly tapped his forehead. Ning Daocheng closed his eyes, slowly lay down, and fell into a peaceful sleep.
"I'm sorry, here, everyone is treated the same and must sleep." Li Man'er walked outside, glanced at the Lingwu water, and a thought flashed through her mind.
Immediately, the spring water seemed to become invisible, turning transparent, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Fortunately, she had control over everything in the space, saving her a lot of effort. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Li Man'er exited the space and continued to ponder the affairs of the Xiao family in her bed.
The death of Xiao Rufeng was somewhat bizarre. Did he die in the mountains or on the battlefield?
The Xiao family was a dominant force in Mobei. What they said could not be trusted.
Then there was Feng Jue's half treasure map.
Li Man'er casually took the map out of the space and examined it carefully.
There were no markings indicating a great tomb or anything similar. There were few mountains and little water, appearing to be a vast expanse of Gobi Desert.
Strange, could Feng Jue's map have nothing to do with the Wu clan's great tomb that the Xiao family was searching for?
Or perhaps, the main focus was on the other half of the map.
"Huh..." As Li Man'er looked closer, she indeed found a subtle clue.
She hadn't looked closely enough before. She had only thought the map had been divided into two. But now, she realized that although the cut was neat, there should have been more than just two maps.
Could it be three or four parts?
Where were the other treasure maps?
Li Man'er put the map back into the space. "It seems I'll have to find an opportunity to ask Little Uncle again." She closed her eyes, no longer dwelling on these troublesome matters, and fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, after breakfast, Li Man'er went to check Li Shu's pulse.
His complexion had improved significantly. After nourishment, he had even gained some weight. Although he still looked thin, he was much better than before.
"You all go out first. I need to administer acupuncture to my father. Jiaoniang can stay," Li Man'er said, casting a glance at Jiaoniang, who seemed to have something to say but hesitated. She let out a silent snort.