Liu Rumei was stunned by the scene before her, and in the next second, she couldn’t help but find it both funny and frustrating, as did the middle-aged couple, who were left dumbfounded. The sudden occurrence left them speechless, especially Liu Rumei, who felt a sense of collapse, and couldn’t help but shake her head with a faint smile.

Ye Tianchen, looking like a father, held the three-year-old child, Little Black Bear, in his arms. His eyes, filled with love and sorrow, spoke of hardship. Little Black Bear, at some point, had become slack-jawed and cross-eyed, looking very pitiful. When he stood in front of the middle-aged couple, Ye Tianchen sighed and said:

"We only have this one son; children are a piece of their parents’ hearts, who can bear to part with them? Ever since our little boy fell ill, the two of us have been traveling all over, just hoping to find a way to cure him. However, after traveling all over the country, it has all been in vain, leaving us somewhat disappointed and a bit hopeless. We inadvertently heard someone mention that there is an elderly person here with very special healing methods, so we hold onto this last bit of hope to try. We hope, Uncle and Auntie, that you can take us with you!"

The middle-aged couple, hearing Ye Tianchen’s words, then looked at Little Black Bear in his arms, who indeed seemed very ill, his mouth and eyes a crooked mess, and the child wasn’t lively anymore. Thinking of their own son, the middle-aged couple felt some sympathy, and the woman thought for a moment and said, "Sure, you can come with us to meet the elder. However, whether you can get help, we aren’t sure about that!"

"Rest assured, Uncle and Auntie, you will definitely receive help!" Liu Rumei said earnestly.

"Let’s go, then. Hopefully, we’ll have good luck!" nodded the middle-aged man.

Ye Tianchen, still holding Little Black Bear, walked with Liu Rumei and followed behind the middle-aged couple, descending from the peak of Taiyi Mountain. However, halfway down, the couple chose to take a different little path. The path looked very neglected, and at its entrance, there was a sign clearly warning tourists that there was danger ahead and not to enter!

Since the middle-aged couple went in, it was likely that the sign was deliberately placed by someone. Still, Ye Tianchen didn’t overthink it and continued to hold Little Black Bear, letting Liu Rumei walk ahead while he covered the back. No matter what lay ahead, Ye Tianchen had enough confidence that nothing too dangerous could occur!

By now, the middle-aged couple had led the way for a long distance, and Liu Rumei turned back to glance at Ye Tianchen, asking, "How can you two act so convincingly?"

"Hehe, without this act, how could this middle-aged couple believe us?" Ye Tianchen replied with a mischievous smile.

"But, about the bear child..." Liu Rumei expressed some concern, looking at Little Black Bear who was still slack-jawed and cross-eyed.

"No worries, I just used an acupoint technique from Ancient Martial Arts to temporarily put him in this state; he will be fine soon!" Ye Tianchen smiled, glancing at the motionless Little Black Bear in his arms.

Initially, Ye Tianchen anticipated the middle-aged couple might question Liu Rumei, so he devised this plan. They pretended to be a couple seeking medical treatment for their child, thus earning the couple’s complete trust. To make the scene more sympathetic, Ye Tianchen had Little Black Bear feign serious illness. Of course, Little Black Bear was unwilling, even resistant, but due to Ye Tianchen’s cultivation, a simple rune was enough to render him into this state!

Little Black Bear felt extremely depressed and indignant, blaming his lower cultivation realm compared to Ye Tianchen; otherwise, he wouldn’t need to suffer such humiliation. He was incapable of resisting and was bound by Ye Tianchen’s rune, unable to move, practically turned into a puppet.

Liu Rumei glanced at Ye Tianchen and then at Little Black Bear, saying nothing further, but quickly kept pace with the middle-aged couple. After all, Liu Rumei’s personal bodyguard was once a Yong Chun Tai, a descendant of Yong Chun Fist and a practitioner of Ancient Martial Arts. She had seen some lost skills and naturally trusted Ye Tianchen’s claim of using an acupoint technique to temporarily put Little Black Bear in this state, ensuring no life threats.

Ye Tianchen, carrying Little Black Bear, followed Liu Rumei and the middle-aged couple, winding for a long distance before they stopped. At the ends of the little path, there appeared to be a thatched hut and perhaps a courtyard. Could this be where Yong Chun Tai lived in seclusion?

"Looks like Yong Chun Tai truly knows how to enjoy life," Ye Tianchen said with a laugh.

"Haha, this was always Yong Chun Tai’s wish. If it weren’t for our Liu family’s kindness to her back then, she would have left long ago. So when she said she wanted to leave the bustling city to retreat into the mountains, I agreed!" Liu Rumei replied with a heartfelt smile.

"Indeed, for a master like Yong Chun Tai, urban glitz holds no allure!" Ye Tianchen nodded in agreement.

At this time, the middle-aged couple stood outside the thatched hut, gently knocking on the wooden door, and upon receiving no response, they expressed some disappointment, turning to Ye Tianchen and Liu Rumei to say, "Truth be told, this is our third visit, and it seems the elder is absent from within!"

"Perhaps she went out!" Liu Rumei echoed with some disappointment.

Ye Tianchen cast a glance at the thatched hut, unleashing his powerful Divine Thought. Soon, a smile crept onto his face: "Our luck is quite good; the elder is indeed inside, but she seems to be in seclusion. Let’s go inside; the elder should come out soon!"

"Is...is that true?" the middle-aged couple hesitated to ask.

"Indeed, no issues, trust me!" Ye Tianchen reassured them with a smile.

Upon Ye Tianchen’s insistence, Liu Rumei and the others opened the wooden door and stepped inside. Within the courtyard, there were two thatched huts and an open courtyard, with a few pots of plants growing. When Ye Tianchen saw these plants, he paused, thinking that Yong Chun Tai wasn’t simple either, knowing cultivation methods between Ancient Martial Arts and Martial Arts Divine Skill. Otherwise, she wouldn’t plant flowers and herbs with Spiritual Energy here. But given Ye Tianchen’s vastly superior cultivation realm, the spiritual medicine herbs she planted were rather thin and imperceptible to ordinary people.

"Sit down; I’ll go in and check on the elder!" Ye Tianchen said, gesturing toward the stone table and stools.

Such behavior not only perplexed the middle-aged couple but also surprised Liu Rumei. Nevertheless, observing Ye Tianchen’s casual confidence, Liu Rumei refrained from saying more, having developed a true trust in him, believing from the depths of her heart.

Handing Little Black Bear to Liu Rumei, Ye Tianchen headed toward one of the thatched huts, opened, and entered, then closed the door behind him. Upon entering, he frowned slightly at the sight: in the empty room sat several pots of slightly spiritual flowers and herbs. Sitting cross-legged at their center was Yong Chun Tai. However, her condition was peculiar, sitting cross-legged on the ground, face pale, seeming increasingly weak, her breath nearly vanished!

Buzz!

Ye Tianchen unleashed his Divine Thought, and upon sensing Yong Chun Tai’s state, he was taken aback. She was on the verge of exhaustion, explaining why, despite the couple’s visits and knocking, there was no answer. Yong Chun Tai had been in seclusion here, encountering a critical situation and unable to come to open the door!

Given Ye Tianchen’s current cultivation realm and power, he immediately discerned that Yong Chun Tai was attempting to forcibly absorb the Spiritual Energy of these plants, channeling it to her Dantian. Unfortunately, despite being a descendent of Yong Chun Fist and an Ancient Martial Arts master, to become a Martial Artist and absorb Spiritual Energy as Martial Arts True Power, one must establish the Foundation, opening the Dantian. Most people’s Dantians remain sealed and untapped throughout their lives, unable to harness or utilize it. Yong Chun Tai’s Dantian hadn’t been opened, and her attempts to force it open with mere Spiritual Energy led it to infiltrate her meridians and organs, trapping her in a dilemma, edging her toward death’s door!

Swish!

Ye Tianchen acted, waving his right hand to trace a rune in the air that floated gently over Yong Chun Tai’s head, rotating continuously. Streams of thin Spiritual Energy from her body were absorbed by the rune, and Yong Chun Tai slowly opened her eyes... (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)