Meng Xiuyuan turned around and looked around, only to see a middle-aged man with good looks and good demeanor approaching, which was somewhat inconsistent with the comical "Hu Qingniu" image in Meng Xiuyuan's impression.
It seems that when selecting actors for the TV series, they took into account the image of a "wife doting maniac" and "eccentric character", so they deliberately selected actors who can show comedy effects.
However, Meng Xiuyuan did not think deeply about this matter, but immediately smiled and said:
"Wudang Meng Xiuyuan met the medical immortal Mr. Hu.
Thank you, sir, for taking care of my nephew Wuji these past two years.
For the time being, on behalf of my fifth senior brother, I would like to express my gratitude to you for your kindness in treating illnesses and injuries."
Hu Qingniu couldn't help being stunned when he heard Meng Xiuyuan's words.
He didn't expect that despite his bad attitude at the beginning, Meng Xiuyuan, the so-called "decent young hero", could still be so polite to him.
You know, he had just heard in the house that the purpose of Meng Xiuyuan's trip was to take Zhang Wuji away. In other words, Meng Xiuyuan was not asking for anything from him at this moment, so he was being hypocritical and flattering.
As a member of the Ming Cult, I have always been accustomed to the contempt and hostility of various major sects in the Central Plains. When I suddenly saw such a normal person, I couldn't help but look at Meng Xiu with a distant look.
However, when the words came to my mouth, I still had a habit of being a little bit weird:
"There's no need to say these polite words, I didn't save this kid just to thank you.
I, Hu Qingniu, am nicknamed "Seeing Death Without Saving". Except for my brothers from the Ming Cult who came to me for help, the rest of them thanked me profusely and tried to please me in every possible way, but I would not give them a second glance.
The reason why I saved Zhang Wuji was because his uncle King Yin Ye came to see him. I thought he was the grandson of the White-browed Eagle King, so I took action.
The Eagle King was originally one of the four great protectors of our Ming Cult. Later he founded the Sky Eagle Sect. It was just that he was at odds with his brothers in the sect, but he did not rebel against the Ming Cult. He was considered a branch of the Ming Cult.
The Yin Ye King promised me that he would immediately let him join the Sky Eagle Sect as soon as I cured him of his cold poison.
So, if I save my own brother in my religion, what does that have to do with you people who claim to be from a distinguished family?"
After saying that, Hu Qingniu also touched his beard, looking proud.
Seeing this, Meng Xiuyuan was not angry, but looked at Zhang Wuji beside him with some surprise:
"Did your uncle really say that he wanted you to join the Sky Eagle Cult?"
Zhang Wuji was very flustered for a while. Facing Meng Xiuyuan, he hesitated and didn't know how to explain it. It took him a long time to hold back the words:
"This is indeed the case, young master uncle. I have already mentioned it in my letter to dad."
Meng Xiuyuan nodded when he heard this and did not blame Zhang Wuji. Because even after careful consideration, he felt that this was indeed the best method at the time.
If Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu are not dead, then both parties are still a family, so it doesn't matter which sect they join.
At that time, in order to get Hu Qingniu to agree to heal Zhang Wuji, it was understandable that King Yin Ye said such things.
Besides...
"King Yin Ye said that if you cure Wuji, he will be allowed to join the Sky Eagle Cult.
Then I would like to ask Mr. Hu, have you cured Wuji's cold poison?" Meng Xiuyuan looked at Hu Qingniu with a slight smile.
"This..." Hu Qingniu was speechless for a moment after hearing this.
He boasted that his medical skills were unparalleled in the world, but he had tried hard to treat Zhang Wuji for two years, but it was still difficult to remove the cold poison from his body.
To be more specific, after clearing away the cold poison in Wuji's internal organs, Hu Qingniu thought hard and used many ingenious methods, but he was still unable to force out the evil poison that had entered the triple burner in Zhang Wuji's body.
It is true that the cold poison has entered the body too deeply, and it has reached the point where the medicine and stone are ineffective.
Of course, Hu Qingniu would not tell Meng Xiuyuan such detailed reasons. As the "Diegu Medical Immortal", Hu Qingniu had his own pride and would not blame his failure on objective reasons.
So when he spoke again, although he was still tough, his momentum was a little weaker:
"Hmph, don't blame me for not reminding you, if this kid stays with me, I can still keep him alive for five or six years.
But if you want to take him away now, I'm afraid he won't be able to survive a year.
Meng Shaoxia, please think about it, is the face of your Wudang sect more important, or is this kid’s life more important?
It’s not that I pity this boy, but if he dies too quickly, I’m afraid my reputation as the ‘Butterfly Valley Medical Immortal’ will be ruined.”
As he spoke, Hu Qingniu pretended to be casual and put his hand on Zhang Wuji's shoulder, secretly stimulating the acupuncture points on the Taiyin Lung Meridian in his hand, causing Zhang Wuji to cough repeatedly, showing a sickly look.
This was obviously because he was afraid that Meng Xiuyuan would not know the importance of the situation and would insist on taking Zhang Wuji away, thereby harming his life, so he did this intentionally.
Meng Xiu saw that he clearly cared about Zhang Wuji but insisted on speaking harshly. He felt that although this man had a strange personality, he was actually quite interesting and couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing this, Hu Qingniu couldn't help but misunderstood Meng Xiuyuan's meaning. He thought that Meng Xiuyuan was laughing at him for talking nonsense and didn't trust him, so he became more and more anxious:
"I'm telling you all this because this guy is half a member of our Ming Cult.
Otherwise, even if you come to me with money to beg me, I won’t say another word to you..."
Unexpectedly, just as he was halfway through his words, Meng Xiuyuan suddenly slapped him in the face without any warning.
Although Hu Qingniu knew some kung fu, he couldn't stand up to Meng Xiuyuan at all.
In an instant, before he had time to react, he felt his eyes go dark, and a hot and violent Qi rushed towards his face, covering his whole body.
Although Hu Qingniu still wanted to say something, he was forced by the Zhiyang Qi, but he only felt that his mouth was dry and his chest was tight, and he could not utter another word.
The next moment, just when Hu Qingniu had already admitted that there was no life for him, and was reluctant to say goodbye to his beloved wife in his heart, the oncoming Zhiyang Qi suddenly began to weaken.
He opened his eyes slightly panicked and saw Meng Xiuyuan still looking at him with a faint smile on his face.
"Mr. Hu, how angry am I?"
After hearing what Meng Xiuyuan said, Hu Qingniu immediately reacted and understood what Meng Xiuyuan meant.
When he spoke again, he was no longer as arrogant as before, and just nodded seriously:
"Yes, this true energy is so strong that it may really be able to relieve the cold poison in Zhang Wuji's body.
I have heard from him since I came here that there is a young martial uncle who is extremely skilled in martial arts and is searching for the "Nine Yang Magic" all over the world to heal his injuries.
I thought I was bragging at first, but I didn’t expect that when I met today, I found out that it was indeed the case.”
After seeing Meng Xiuyuan's kung fu, Hu Qingniu's attitude improved a lot.
Respecting the strong is an unspoken rule in this world. There is no real grudge between the two sides, it is just a difference in stance and a bit of "arrogance" by nature, which is why Hu Qingniu has been making sarcastic remarks to Meng Xiuyuan.
Now that he had personally experienced Meng Xiuyuan's strength and recalled Meng Xiuyuan's kind attitude towards him before, Hu Qingniu's impression of Meng Xiuyuan immediately improved a lot.
And this is exactly the effect Meng Xiuyuan wanted. The reason why he took this action was mainly to elicit the following words:
"Mr. Hu, when I interact with people, I only look at their character and not their sect.
Although you are a member of the Ming Cult, you also have the nickname of ‘seeking death without saving’, but I have never seen you actively harming anyone, so I have no reason to be your enemy.
On the contrary, I admire your medical skills very much.
So, I have a deal, Mr. Hu, are you interested?"
When Hu Qingniu heard Meng Xiuyuan's words, he thought for a moment and understood what Meng Xiuyuan meant. He frowned slightly and said:
"The deal you are talking about, Meng Shaoxia, is that you are willing to help me deal with the enemy who came to attack me, right?
As for me, apart from this medical skill, I have no other skills. If I talk about trading chips, it must also come from this.
Am I right?"
Meng Xiuyuan nodded and said with a smile: "It's exactly what Mr. Hu said."
Zhang Wuji on the side lit up after hearing the conversation between the two, and quickly took Hu Qingniu's hand and said:
"Mr. Hu, please promise my little uncle now.
Although I don't know what kind of danger you have encountered, but now I think about it, you have been worried and angry these days. I guess it must be because the enemy is so powerful that it is difficult for you to deal with it yourself.
My uncle, my martial arts master, is very powerful. On Wudang Mountain, he single-handedly defeated the evil people who came to threaten my parents. Masters from Shaolin, Kongtong, and Kunlun sects were all defeated by him.
Moreover, at that time, I was kidnapped by the two evil men who knew the Xuanming Divine Palm, and it was my junior uncle who rescued me.
Although I was injured and uncomfortable at the time, I could see clearly that the two villains were beaten and fled in a hurry without being able to withstand the slap of Junior Master Uncle.
Mr. Hu, didn’t you tell me when you were treating my injury that Xuanming Divine Palm is the top martial arts in the world. Those two villains who know Xuanming Divine Palm can’t defeat my junior uncle, what kind of enemy are you?
, then he is no longer his match..."
Zhang Wuji held Hu Qingniu's hand and spoke at length, obviously very worried about his safety.
Presumably due to the change in status, Zhang Wuji and Hu Qingniu were closer than Meng Xiuyuan had imagined.
However, when Hu Qingniu heard this, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and in the end he couldn't help but interrupt:
"Okay, no need to say more.
I know your junior uncle is very good at martial arts, but that is his business and has nothing to do with me."
With that said, Hu Qingniu ignored Zhang Wuji, threw his hand away, and turned to look at Meng Xiuyuan:
"Meng Shaoxia, I thank you for your kindness, but it's better to let this matter go.
What you asked me to do must be to treat patients who are not members of the Ming Cult.
I can't do this, so I won't bother you to help me.
Since you have found the magical power to cure Zhang Wuji, there is no need for him to stay with me.
I haven't been able to cure him in more than two years. It's because I'm not good at medicine, and I can't talk about care or kindness. We don't owe each other anything.
You two please do as you please."
After saying that, Hu Qingniu ignored everyone present, turned around and went back to the house.
"Mr. Hu!" Zhang Wuji was very anxious when he saw this, and wanted to step forward and grab Hu Qingniu to persuade him, but Meng Xiuyuan pulled him back.
"Wuji, since Mr. Hu refuses, I don't have to worry about it. Let's go back to Wudang."
There was no trace of disappointment on Meng Xiuyuan's face, he just said to Zhang Wuji calmly as usual.
"But Mr. Hu is very dangerous..."
Zhang Wuji was still unwilling to give up, and wanted to speak and persuade Meng Xiuyuan in turn. But just as he was mid-sentence, Meng Xiuyuan pointed at an acupuncture point on his chest, and he froze in place, unable to make any more sound.
"Meng Shaoxia, what are you..."
The three Yin Wufus who had been silent and standing next to them like wax statues finally couldn't help but speak when they saw Meng Xiuyuan suddenly touching Zhang Wuji.
Meng Xiuyuan shook his head and did not explain. He just asked the three of them:
"Steward Yin, I want to take Wuji back to Wudang Mountain, do you still have to follow me as a guard along the way?"
The Yin Wufu and the other three were stunned when they heard the sound, but they quickly reacted, exchanged looks, and then respectfully replied to Meng Xiuyuan:
"Young Master Meng has extraordinary skills. With you looking after Young Master Gu Wuji, there is no need for us three servants to cause trouble.
The three of me are here to send you off and wish you a safe journey, Young Master Meng."
Meng Xiuyuan nodded, raised his hands to the three of them, lifted Zhang Wuji, whose acupuncture points were pressed, and carried it on his shoulders, turned around and floated away outside the Butterfly Valley.
…
Zhang Wuji, who was being held on his shoulders, could only hear the howling wind in his ears, and the familiar thatched cottage in his sight became farther and farther away, and soon disappeared among the mountain paths.
Worried about Hu Qingniu's safety, Zhang Wuji became increasingly anxious, but he couldn't speak because of the acupuncture points being tapped.
Originally, on the Ice and Fire Island, his adoptive father Xie Xun had taught him the method of moving acupuncture points with luck. This was exactly the way to deal with the situation where the acupoints were blocked by someone and could not move. He could secretly use his true energy to unlock the acupoints.
Zhang Wuji has learned that method very well and has tried it repeatedly, but for some reason today, he failed to succeed even after trying it several times.
After a while, he was so tired that his energy was almost exhausted, but the acupuncture point that was pressed was still as solid as a rock and did not loosen at all. At this time, he had no choice but to give up, and his heart felt dark.
Unexpectedly, just when Zhang Wuji was close to despair, a turning point suddenly came.
Not long after leaving Butterfly Valley, in a hidden dense forest, Meng Xiuyuan put Zhang Wuji down without warning and casually opened his acupuncture points.
Although he didn't know what the young uncle meant, Zhang Wuji knew that the opportunity was rare, so he immediately ignored it and knelt down on the ground with a "pop":
"Uncle Master, you have worked thousands of miles to find the magical power to cure cold poison for me. I am very grateful.
Originally, Wuji didn't dare to disobey what you said.
But Wuji still wants to beg you, let me stay in this Butterfly Valley for a while, is that okay?"
"Oh? Why, you haven't lived here enough in two years?" Meng Xiuyuan looked at Zhang Wuji who was kneeling on the ground, and did not help him, but deliberately asked.
"No, I just want to protect Mr. Hu." Zhang Wuji said seriously:
"I thought about it, since Mr. Hu said that the enemy was coming for him, why did that person bother to spread the news about my healing in Butterfly Valley?
Obviously, that person's actual purpose was not to let those who were greedy for the dragon-slaying knife kill me, but because he was afraid of my parents' identity, he wanted to use this to force me away so that he could deal with Mr. Hu who stayed alone.
.
As long as I don't leave, Mr. Hu's enemies will definitely not dare to show up.
In this way, Mr. Hu will naturally be safe."
Meng Xiuyuan was delighted when he heard this, and secretly sighed that this boy was quite smart, and he analyzed things very clearly.
However, he did not agree to Zhang Wuji's request, but instead said:
"Actually, it doesn't matter whether you return to Wudang or not, but this "Nine Yang Divine Art" is of great importance. Before you can practice it, I cannot allow you to be in a dangerous situation.
This is not only a matter of your safety, but also whether this magical skill will be leaked from now on and fall into the wrong hands.
So I can't let you stay in Butterfly Valley, because I don't have time to look after you here, do you understand?"
Zhang Wuji was stunned when he heard this, and naturally understood that what Meng Xiuyuan said was very reasonable. However, because he really couldn't trust Hu Qingniu, after hesitating for a moment, he resolutely said:
"Then I won't learn the "Nine Yang Magic Skills" for the time being. Anyway, I still have a few good years to live, so I'm not in a hurry.
Even if there is a cold poison coming, it will pass if you endure it.
Mr. Hu has taken great care of me over the past two years, healing my injuries and teaching me medical skills.
Seeing him in trouble now, I can't sit back and ignore it..."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this, he couldn't help but nodded secretly in his heart.
Although because of his young age, he was not very thoughtful in what he said and did, Meng Xiuyuan still felt Zhang Wuji's rare benevolence and righteousness.
He is indeed a good boy.
So Meng Xiuyuan simply didn't want to use the words "You only care about Hu Qingniu, and you haven't thought about how much effort we, the masters and elders, have put in for you" and "Do you know how many people's hard work will be in vain with just one word?"
Come and ask him vulgar words.
Then, Meng Xiuyuan reached out to help Zhang Wuji, patted his little head, and comforted him in a warm voice:
"Don't worry, my uncle has his own plan.
That Hu Qingniu has superb medical skills and will be of great use if you keep him. I won't let him die."