At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck down right beside the group, blasting a crater into the ground.
"Ah!" The group was terrified, their souls scattering as they tried to flee but couldn't move.
Another bolt of lightning struck down, directly hitting Ling Tianzheng and the others, frightening them so much that they nearly wet themselves. They tried to pass out but couldn't.
Then a torrential downpour began, drenching them from above. At first they could tolerate it since it was summer and warm, but as the rain continued pouring, the icy chill pervaded their bodies. They began to shiver uncontrollably, their minds growing hazy, until finally everything went black as they lost consciousness.
The rain poured ceaselessly through the night. In the crisp morning air lingered the fresh scent of wet earth after the rain.
Lan Ji emerged from his room, stretching lazily. He walked to the courtyard gate, opened it, and saw the four figures lying outside, blinking in puzzlement. "Could it be? They stayed out here all night?" He couldn't help but wonder if Ling Tianzheng and the others had lost their minds - even children knew to seek shelter from the rain, yet these four had let themselves be drenched all night.
Ling Yue came out, casting a dismissive glance at the prone figures on the ground. "Let's go." Today they were headed to the Valley of Divine Doctors.
"What about them?" Lan Ji wasn't concerned that Ling Tianzheng and the others might die, but this was Ling Yue's home after all - it seemed inauspicious for anyone to die here.
"I've already called the Ling family. They'll be here soon."
"Oh!" Lan Ji smiled and nodded, turning to retrieve his luggage before departing with Ling Yue.
Not long after the two left, Qin Lie returned disheveled from his journey. He had intended to find Ling Yue last night, but no sooner had he arrived home than he received an urgent summons to handle a critical task.
Seeing the figures lying at Ling Yue's gate, Qin Lie's gaze flickered with surprise before darkening as he recognized who they were. He had nearly forgotten the Ling family - how they had mistreated his beloved Ling Yue. He would not let them off so easily.
With a wave of his hand, he flung a talisman at the unconscious Ling Tianzheng and the others.
The Ling family soon received word and rushed over, carrying the unresponsive four back to the hospital.
After examination, the doctors found their conditions grave, especially Ling Meng whose existing injuries had only worsened from the drenching rain, causing inflammation in many areas.
After a day and night of emergency care, Ling Tianzheng and the other three finally stabilized, out of mortal danger.
Ling Tianzheng opened his eyes, finding himself in a hospital room. Turning his head, he saw the old patriarch of the Ling family dozing nearby. He tried to speak but the words came out beyond his control: "Hahaha...you old fart...your wife wore the green hat...birthed a bunch of turtles..."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands mockingly.
The old patriarch awoke to the sound, furious as he shook upon hearing Ling Tianzheng's words. He stood and approached, only to be struck in the face by a pillow Ling Tianzheng threw, stumbling backwards and falling down.
Ling Tianzheng tried to control his actions but couldn't, his body moving of its own accord to strike the fallen patriarch again. "Your wife wore the green hat, birthed a bunch of turtles, hahaha..."
The old man, battered and in agony, coughed up blood and passed out.
Across the way, Yang Xiner, Ling Xiaobao, and Ling Meng were in similar states - their minds clear but speech and actions entirely beyond their control, behaving like lunatics.
Hospital staff rushed in, barely able to restrain them.
"Doctor, what's wrong with them?" the old patriarch asked, face bruised and bloodied, after being helped up. Tianzheng was his most promising son - he prayed the boy hadn't lost his mind entirely.
"It seems their fevers have caused brain damage," the doctor replied. The four had arrived with high fevers the previous day.
The patriarch's legs buckled and he fainted dead away. The Ling family was ruined.
In the end, Ling Tianzheng and the other three were committed to an asylum.
Meanwhile, Ling Yue had accompanied Lan Ji to the Valley of Divine Doctors, a remote valley surrounded by treacherous peaks that ordinary folk could never find the entrance to.
Lan Ji produced a jade plaque, approaching a rocky outcrop and placing it into a crevice. Instantly, a single-log bridge appeared before them, spanning a bottomless abyss - a single misstep would mean certain death plummeting into the depths.
A flicker of surprise crossed Ling Yue's eyes. This was an arcane formation.
Seeing Ling Yue's hesitation, Lan Ji extended his hand. "Ling Yue, take my hand. As long as you follow my steps, you won't fall."
Ling Yue recovered with a faint smile. "I can cross on my own."
Lan Ji smiled, retracting his hand. "Then you go first."
"Mm." Ling Yue stepped onto the bridge, making her way across.
"After crossing the bridge and walking a few hundred meters, there's a peach orchard with very complex terrain. One wrong step and you could become lost inside," Lan Ji explained, following behind Ling Yue.
As the two finished crossing the bridge, they spotted a group of people ahead.
"It's Grandfather and Grandmother and the others," Lan Ji said, his handsome face breaking into a radiant smile as he pulled Ling Yue toward the group.
Ling Yue looked up to see an elderly couple at the front, their kindly gazes holding a hint of tenderness and remorse.
