The cold night air carried the scent of damp earth and blood, the ruined hall bathed in pale moonlight filtering through broken windows.

  Juwon barely had time to process what had just happened.

  Lin Feng was still kneeling beside his sister, his body trembling, his sobs echoing through the desolate space.

  skin was paper-thin, her breath shallow, her very existence hanging by a thread.

  Zhang Yuxian stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning Xiulan's frail body.

  "We need to move now," Zhang Yuxian said, his voice firm. "If we delay, she won't last the night."

  Lin Feng's head snapped up, his eyes wide and desperate.

  "You can save her?"

  Zhang Yuxian nodded. "Wudang's branch in Chenjiapu Village has healers. But her condition is worse than simple Qi depletion."

  Juwon frowned, his jaw tightening. "What do you mean?"

  Yuxian hesitated before speaking. "We need Physician Bai to examine her. He will know more."

  The journey to the Wudang branch was a blur, the urgency in the air palpable.

  Zhang Yuxian led the way, his movements swift and precise.

  The village was eerily silent, the flickering lanterns casting long shadows against the worn stone streets.

  Juwon could feel the eyes of the villagers on them—curious, wary, and reverent toward the presence of a Wudang disciple.

  They reached a modest Daoist temple nestled against the cliffs, its wooden beams weathered by time yet standing resiliently.

  Incense smoke curled through the air, blending with the crisp mountain breeze. A few disciples clad in Wudang robes rushed forward as Zhang Yuxian barked orders.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Summon Physician Bai! Tell him it's urgent!"

  Juwon followed closely as Lin Feng carried Xiulan inside. The temple's inner hall was dimly lit, the glow of lanterns illuminating the intricate carvings along the wooden pillars.

  Within minutes, an elderly man entered, his presence exuding calm authority.

  Physician Bai.

  His face was lined with age, but his movements were precise, his every motion practiced with purpose.

  His sharp eyes swept over Xiulan's frail form before he knelt beside her, pressing his fingers to her wrist.

  The room fell silent.

  After what felt like an eternity, Physician Bai exhaled.

  "This is beyond ordinary Qi depletion. Whoever did this wasn't just harvesting her Qi—they were refining it, twisting its nature into something unrecognizable."

  Juwon's fists clenched, a dark cloud settling over his thoughts. Hei Long…

  "Can she be saved?" Lin Feng whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

  Physician Bai nodded, but his expression remained grim.

  "She needs something strong to stabilize her Qi pathways—Lingzhi, and other powerful medicinal herbs. Without them, her meridians will begin to deteriorate, and she will lose the ability to contain Qi at all."

  Juwon exhaled. "Where can we find them?"

  Bai placed a small pouch of dried herbs before him.

  "These will help her for now, but it won't last long. You need to seek out an herbalist in the village—Lao Chen. He can guide you to the valley deep within the mountains where Lingzhi and other rare medicinal herbs grow."

  Following Bai's advice, Juwon visited the village's herbalist, an elderly man named Lao Chen, whose keen eyes and wealth of knowledge had guided many seekers before him.

  Lao Chen sat across from Juwon in a modest, incense-filled room, scrutinizing him with a gaze that seemed to peel away all pretenses.

  "You seek Lingzhi and the mountain herbs? Hah, you have courage, I'll give you that," the herbalist muttered, stroking his beard. "The valley holds what you need, but it is no place for the faint-hearted.

  The wolves there… they are not what they used to be. Something changed five days ago."

  Juwon leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

  The herbalist sighed.

  "They have grown larger, their eyes burn like embers, and their aggression is unlike anything I've seen in decades.

  The land itself seems to have changed them. You'll have to be swift and careful."

  Juwon processed this information, his mind already planning his approach. "Is there a safer route?"

  The herbalist chuckled, shaking his head. "No path in those mountains is safe, boy.

  But if you move with the wind and keep your Qi hidden, you might just get what you need without becoming a wolf's supper."

  With that knowledge in mind, Juwon departed, unaware of the shadows moving against him.

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