Xu Qu had woken up before Wang Sheng arrived.
As soon as he woke up, he realized he had been saved, which made him marvel at his own luck for surviving after being thrown into the river.
Moreover, the people in the village seemed decent enough to have brought him to a doctor.
Later, several children went to fetch someone, and he assumed they were looking for someone with better medical skills. Unexpectedly, in such a small village, there were two doctors.
Not long after, he heard a young voice.
He actually didn't trust the young doctor, since, in most cases, older age usually meant stronger medical skills.
However, given his current situation, he should be satisfied to have anyone treating him.
He was a Martial Artist; ordinary doctors would only treat superficial wounds, and it wouldn't matter much who came.
Yet, just as he was pondering what kind of methods the two "doctors" would use to treat him,
he overheard a horrifying conversation.
Normally, after saving someone, wouldn't one think about how to keep the person alive, and wouldn't the doctor have a beautiful granddaughter?
That's how it's always written in stories!
But what he heard was how to throw him back into the river and how to properly transport him. They even deliberately sent away the village children to avoid affecting them.
They were so kind, but unfortunately not to him.
The old doctor called someone only because he was afraid that Xu Qu would wake up while being thrown back and he wouldn't be able to restrain him.
But just because you call someone over, do you think you can restrain me, Xu Qu?
Didn't you already figure out that I am a Martial Artist? Do you think I'm easy to bully because I'm injured?
An injured Martial Artist is still a Martial Artist!
Xu Qu felt it was necessary to wake up.
However, just as he opened his eyes, he heard the young man say, "Oh, not pretending anymore?"
Wang Sheng was also a Martial Artist and, recently entering the stage of Flipping Illness, was extremely sensitive. How could he not feel that the Martial Artist lying on the bed was pretending to sleep?
Old man Ji was almost the same; with so many years as a doctor, how could he not distinguish between real and fake unconsciousness?
That's why there was that conversation just now.
Of course, whether throwing this person back into the river was true or false, only they would know.
Xu Qu realized he had already been exposed, so he simply stopped pretending, opened his eyes, and tried to prop himself up to speak.
But Wang Sheng did not give him a chance at all, pressing one hand on his chest, he asked, "Tell us about your situation. Name, background, and the troubles you've encountered!"
These had to be clarified to facilitate handling of subsequent issues.
Xu Qu felt that he shouldn't be pinned down by an ordinary person.
But no matter how hard he tried, his body didn't move at all, as if a mountain was pressed upon him.
He looked at the relaxed, handsome young man sitting next to him and finally realized something was wrong.
Even if he was injured, his strength was not something an ordinary person could match.
This person was restraining him so effortlessly, it indicated that they were probably the same kind of people.
The young man was also a Martial Artist, and his strength wasn't weak.
Xu Qu finally understood, the old man's words were true—this young man really could throw him back into the river.
So—
"Xu Qu, from Salt City, Shuzhou, a lucky one who became a Martial Artist by accident!"
He conceded. There was a strong Martial Artist in this village.
He couldn't resist anymore. If his injuries weren't dealt with and he was thrown back into the river, even with his special abilities, he would die.
Wang Sheng nodded at the answer, then asked, "Speak in Shuzhou dialect!"
Xu Qu complied.
Authentic Shuzhou dialect.
"You're a Martial Artist. What's your strength?"
"Third Grade Martial Artist!"
"What caused the injuries on your body?"
"I was being pursued!"
"By whom?"
"By King Yong Nian's men!"
Hearing this, Wang Sheng fell silent, then spoke, "Old man Ji, bring the sack over. I think throwing it back to where it came from is no longer safe. Better to just dump it in the mountains and tell those who know to never speak of this matter again."
King Yong Nian, Zhou Wutong, was indeed one of the top Great Grandmasters in the world, capable of splitting mountains and severing rivers effortlessly.
Being pursued by King Yong Nian's men was something he could not afford.
Old man Ji was also shocked. Why did they go to Qingshan Village?
Wasn't it because of the war between King Yong Nian and River King?
And now, here was someone being pursued by King Yong Nian; if not disposed of, what's the use?
Xu Qu hadn't expected to still be discarded after being interrogated like a criminal. He instantly grew anxious.
He felt his brain had never worked as hard as it did today, desperately thinking of a way to break out of this situation.
Why were these people discarding him? Had he done something wrong?
Just as Old man Ji brought the sack, he finally figured it out!
"Save me, and I won't cause trouble. I was thrown into the Yellow Dragon River as a corpse, and only ended up here because I was washed ashore. The stab wounds on my body were inflicted by King Yong Nian's men, who stabbed me over twenty times. In the eyes of King Yong Nian's men, I am beyond dead!"
Xu Qu spoke of his situation with the fastest speed he had ever used in his life, relaxing slightly only upon seeing Old man Ji put down the sack.
Wang Sheng picked up on another point and asked, "How did you survive after being stabbed over twenty times and thrown as a corpse?"
It couldn't be that King Yong Nian's men had avoided vital spots with every thrust, could it?
"As ordinary people who become Martial Artists, we always have something special about us. My peculiarity is that as long as I am not decapitated, I have a chance to survive. This time I was lucky, and I survived."
Ideally, such things should not be spoken of lightly, but to save his own life, he had to reveal it.
"Extraordinary self-healing ability?"
"Something like that!"
Xu Qu nodded.
Wang Sheng glanced at Old man Ji, who caught on quickly and soon brought a knife.
Words alone could not be trusted, so a test was necessary.
He handed the knife to Xu Qu, saying, "Will you do it yourself or should I?"
Xu Qu's eyebrows twitched. Was this caution really necessary?
He sighed internally and responded, "I will do it myself."
Wang Sheng let go of his hand pressed against Xu Qu's chest, signaling him to proceed.
Without hesitation, Xu Qu cut open his own palm in front of Wang Sheng and Old man Ji, and blood flowed out instantly.
However, within seconds, the wound began to heal, and within half a minute, it had completely recovered.
Such an ability indeed provided a chance to survive being stabbed over twenty times.
Wang Sheng nodded in acknowledgment, then moved on to the next question.
"Why were you being pursued?"
"Because I had discovered a secret, one that could shock the entire Great Zhou!"
As Xu Qu mentioned this, his eyes revealed a trace of fear.
He never imagined that Zhou Wutong, in his quest to seize Shuzhou, would go to such extremes.
Soon, everyone in the world would fear for their own safety!
Noticing the change in Xu Qu's mood, Wang Sheng probed further.
Xu Qu then came to his senses and revealed what he had discovered.
"King Yong Nian is spreading a plague among the Martial Artists of Shuzhou!"