Day after day passed. Wine Beggar's body was nearly exhausted, yet he never uttered a single cry. Evan Yang couldn't help but admire his perseverance.
Meanwhile, Wine Beggar kept watching Evan Yang, closely observing his every move.
Evan Yang used one hand to clear away the corroded material, while his other hand held those precious medicinal materials. Miraculously, the materials gradually withered, and a faint green gas could be seen at the tip of the needle.
“Who is this guy, really? He can channel the medicinal power into a single needle.” Wine Beggar was utterly astonished.
Wine Beggar understood that if his body absorbed the medicinal power directly, he'd be crippled or dead. Yet Evan Yang's needle worked wonders—a gentle stream of gas entered his body, expelling the corrosion and simultaneously repairing the old injuries in his joints.
Throughout the entire process, neither spoke a word—they worked together in perfect silence. Besides using Heaven-Chill Qi, Evan Yang also applied flames, though they were extremely fine, directly burning away the old injuries and expelling them from the body.
As for the medicinal power, most of it entered Evan Yang's body, and only a portion was supplied to the needle. Evan was in no rush—he proceeded bit by bit.
At such a meticulous pace, it took an average of three days to treat each joint. With all four joints cleared, twelve days had passed. After finishing, Evan Yang wrapped each joint with cloth to prevent infection, then smiled at the exhausted Wine Beggar and said, "Senior, congratulations."
"Thank you." Wine Beggar knew his old injuries had been cleared. In that instant, he was exhilarated but also exhausted; after speaking, he immediately collapsed into sleep.
Looking at Wine Beggar, Evan Yang sighed, "To endure all this for the sake of family—who knows what kind of person he used to be."
Wine Beggar had no idea what Evan Yang was thinking, but in the shadows, a hidden eye was watching their every move.
“Third Young Master, who is this person? How did you manage to bring in someone so miraculous to treat your injuries?” The owner of that hidden eye muttered; he was the one who had given Wine Beggar the medicinal materials.
Having cared for Wine Beggar since childhood, he naturally knew about this secret place. So when he arrived, he watched from a distance, not wanting to disturb Evan Yang and Wine Beggar, fearing any mishap during the treatment.
But these twelve days showed him something incredible. Even Evan Yang didn't realize someone was hiding in a corner—being able to evade Evan's senses proved how formidable and powerful this person was.
“Now that he's fine, I'll leave. I wonder how the patriarch will react when he finds out.” The owner of the hidden eye watched for a while, confirmed Wine Beggar was safe, and felt a surge of excitement—perhaps even more than Wine Beggar himself. After all, he had witnessed Wine Beggar's entire growth; everything that happened was still vivid in his mind. If possible, he would have helped, but all he could do now was watch in secret.
Soon after, the man left and returned to a secret chamber. Inside, he addressed, "Patriarch."
"It's been over ten days? What, did that brat die?" said the man in the shadows.
The man understood the patriarch's thoughts—he didn't want Wine Beggar to die, which was why he boldly reported everything. So he replied, "He didn't die; in fact, he's been fully healed."
"What? He's healed? Tell me everything!" The patriarch was shocked, and a hint of excitement flashed in his heart, though he hid it well.
"Mm." The man nodded and recounted the entire process.
After hearing the account, the patriarch said with surprise and suspicion, “I never expected such talent to appear on Yang Clan territory. Excellent! Bring him here—I want to reward him handsomely.”
"Uh, Patriarch, I don't think that's wise," the man replied, surprised by how quickly the patriarch made his decision.
"What's unwise about it? If we don't make good use of such talent, wouldn't that be a waste?" said the patriarch, though in truth he was grateful to Evan Yang.
"Patriarch, if we summon him, the Third Young Master will find out. That..." The man said awkwardly.
The patriarch pondered for a moment, then finally said, "You're right. Forget it then. But in the future, if you see someone like him, just make sure he's safe."
"Understood," the man replied.
"Alright, you may go. But that kid's recovery will take at least a few hundred years. During that time, you must ensure his safety," the patriarch said after a moment's thought.
"Yes, I'll go now." With that, the man slipped away.
After he left, the patriarch let out a deep sigh. "Kid, you're finally healed."
Wine Beggar had no idea what had transpired; he only knew he felt comfortable. In the past, whenever he walked or did anything, the pain in his limbs was incomprehensible to others, but he had grown accustomed to it and dismissed it.
Evan Yang admired him as well; before learning about his injuries, he had no idea the man before him had such difficulty moving his limbs.
These qualities moved Evan Yang, prompting him to help—he had nothing to lose, and it confirmed that the man before him was no ordinary person.
In the days that followed, Evan Yang sat nearby, waiting for Wine Beggar to wake, all the while thinking about when he could finally locate the forbidden land.
One day, Wine Beggar finally awoke. Looking at his limbs, then at Evan Yang, he said gratefully, "Thank you."
"I've already said so, Senior," Evan Yang replied with a smile.
"Is that so? Well, saying it again doesn't hurt," Wine Beggar said with a laugh.
"Then I'll accept it. But Senior, you need to rest more—and find a safe place to go into seclusion for a few hundred years. That way, your cultivation will return to its peak," Evan Yang advised.
"Yes, I understand," Wine Beggar replied with a smile.
"Alright then, Senior, focus on your cultivation. I should get back to my own matters," Evan Yang said, rising to his feet.
"You're leaving?" Wine Beggar, hearing that Evan Yang was about to depart, felt a bit reluctant.
"Yes. Although I've lost my memory, there are still things I remember—I want to figure them out," Evan Yang said simply.
"I see. Then be careful. If you run into trouble, you can come here to find me—you know the way," Wine Beggar said to Evan Yang.
"Mm." Evan Yang nodded.
After bidding farewell to Wine Beggar, Evan Yang left via the teleportation array, leaving Wine Beggar behind to sigh quietly, "Truly a remarkable talent."
Composing himself, Wine Beggar prepared to find a place to cultivate, but his expression changed and he frowned. "Come out," he said.
A man emerged, speaking in an aged voice, "It seems the Third Young Master's spiritual sense and perception have fully recovered."
"You've been here all along?" Wine Beggar asked, suspicious.
"That's right," the man replied.
"Damn it, who put you up to this?" Wine Beggar asked angrily.
"No one—I did it of my own accord. I was worried someone might harm the Third Young Master, so I kept watch here," the man explained.
"Who would want to harm me? You're overthinking it," Wine Beggar snorted coldly.
"If that kid wanted to kill you, Third Young Master, it would be easy. I was just preparing for the worst," the man replied.
"You—if you dare lay a finger on him, I'll fight you to the death!" Wine Beggar snapped, thinking the man meant to harm Evan Yang.
"You've misunderstood, Third Young Master. I only meant that if he tried, I would intervene. But instead, he showed me something incredible," the man explained.
Wine Beggar realized the man before him knew everything—perhaps he'd followed him from the very beginning, only noticed once his senses recovered. Otherwise, he wouldn't have discovered him at all. So he said, "This mustn't be known to anyone, especially him. If he finds out, you'll have to deal with it yourself."
"Third Young Master, the patriarch is truly concerned about you," the man said.
"Nonsense! That cold-blooded, heartless man cares about me? Dream on. Don't mention him to me again. And the person you just saw is my friend—wherever you encounter him, treat him well. If I find out anyone mistreats him, you'll answer to me," Wine Beggar said.
"Of course. Rest assured, no one can harm him on Yang Clan territory," the man replied.
"Then why are you still here?" Wine Beggar said.
"But what about you, Third Young Master?" The man remembered that Wine Beggar still needed years to recover and currently had no ability to protect himself.
"Don't worry. This is a secret place—few people know about it. Besides, I'll soon go to an even more hidden spot to cultivate; no one will know," Wine Beggar said.
"Alright, understood. I'll be going now," the man said.
"Remember, don't let him know your identity, or that you're protecting him in secret. And if you can avoid appearing before him, do so," Wine Beggar instructed.
"Understood." The man nodded, then bid farewell to Wine Beggar. He felt a strange mix of emotions, but was glad that Wine Beggar had finally recovered.
Thinking back to the past, the Third Young Master used to give him similar instructions. Ever since that time, the Third Young Master had become despondent, unwilling to see him, even avoiding him and cursing him whenever they met. He never asked him to protect someone else like today.
Remembering all this, the man felt much more at ease.
Evan Yang had no idea someone was secretly protecting him, but the man soon lost track of Evan's whereabouts and had no clue where he had gone.
"Strange—he just left, and now he's vanished from the city," the man muttered, puzzled.
As for Evan Yang, after leaving, he found a place to hide, then searched for a way out. He wanted to catch someone and ask about the situation.
Naturally, he needed to find someone with a high status in the Yang Clan, so he headed to the city wall to look for a captain of the guards or someone similar.
Evan Yang arrived outside the city wall and saw many experts atop it. If he wanted to capture someone, it would be nearly impossible—he could only wait for an opportunity.
By now, night had fallen outside. Torches were lit on the city wall. Evan Yang stood under a large tree nearby, watching the scene and pondering how he might draw them out.