Chapter 775: Every Second an Eternity
Bai Xue had been glaring at Xu Meijing, so naturally, she saw every change in Xu Meijing's expression.
Seeing Xu Meijing's face freeze for a moment, she immediately confirmed her suspicion: Yang Haoran's severe injuries were indeed related to Xu Meijing. This only fueled the anger in her heart.
"Hmph! It's all your fault! Our Annihilator Brother suffered such grave injuries because of you, and you still have the audacity to accuse others here!"
Bai Xue's cold sneer was like daggers, plunging directly into Xu Meijing's chest.
"My affairs with him are none of your business, outsider. He was indeed severely injured because of me; I won't deny that. But your sarcastic nonsense earlier delayed his rescue time. Don't you feel any remorse?"
Xu Meijing's words were like a sharp knife, piercing into Bai Xue's chest as well. However, Bai Xue refused to bow her head before Xu Meijing, nor did she want to concede defeat. Judging by the powerful fluctuations of energy emanating from Xu Meijing, she knew her own strength had been far surpassed by the other party. Therefore, in this verbal confrontation, she absolutely could not lose again.
"I'm returning your words to you! My remorse for Annihilator Brother is a matter between him and me. What does it have to do with you, an outsider? If it weren't for you, none of what happened afterward would have occurred!"
The two were arguing incessantly. Xiujuan witnessed it all but did not speak, because she felt her influence was too small. Opening her mouth to mediate would not only fail to stop them but might even worsen the situation. So, she could only watch from the side, fretting anxiously, not daring to say anything or advise either of them.
He knew when to speak, when not to speak, and how to speak when he did. He had a clear understanding of these things.
In the current situation, Xiujuan, considering her status, dared not speak. But Old Master Wu knew he *had* to speak. If he allowed them to continue arguing like this, his earlier mediation would be in vain, and the two would inevitably come to blows due to the unrestrained fury in their hearts!
"Annihilator Xu, please calm down first. Miss Bai Xue, you also say one less word. If you continue to argue, you both know very well what it will eventually escalate into."
Old Master Wu stopped the two, who were still ready to continue quarreling. Xu Meijing and Bai Xue naturally understood the meaning of his words.
The two closed their mouths, ceasing their quarrel, but judging by their still furious expressions, they might just start arguing again in a while.
To prevent this from happening, Old Master Wu decided to exert a bit more pressure, ensuring the two completely abandoned any thoughts of continuing their argument. At the very least, he needed to guarantee they wouldn't find another opportunity or excuse to quarrel while Yang Haoran was undergoing rescue.
"Our Boss's life hangs by a thread right now. What we need to do is wait patiently here. If Xiao Xiao needs anything, we can step in to help immediately. Furthermore, we must also consider whether enemies might attack while our Boss is being rescued. If such a thing happens, we must do our utmost to protect him from disturbance and harm. That is what we should be doing right now."
The possibility of Feng Xiao asking for their help was low; Old Master Wu naturally understood this. His bringing it up was largely to put more pressure on the two.
Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible for Feng Xiao to need their assistance. Their patient wait here was a precaution, being prepared for any eventuality.
As for whether enemies might attack, Old Master Wu actually thought that possibility was quite high. In these chaotic times, Spiritual Masters were rampant; they could show up at any moment. Who could guarantee that no Spiritual Masters would come looking for trouble while Yang Haoran was being rescued?
Furthermore, Xu Meijing was severely injured, and Yang Haoran's life hung by a thread. They hadn't simply stumbled and fallen; they must have engaged in a fierce battle with other powerful experts.
If the powerful experts they fought had already been eliminated, that would be for the best. But if they hadn't been eliminated, and Xu Meijing had fled back here with Yang Haoran, then the enemy would most likely pursue them.
If such a thing happened, their situation would become troublesome indeed.
Old Master Wu dared not ask whether Xu Meijing and Yang Haoran's opponents had been killed. He had already acted with great reluctance to stop Xu Meijing's argument; how could he dare to inquire about that?
However, although he dared not ask, he absolutely had to prepare for such an eventuality.
Old Master Wu's words had a very good effect. Upon hearing him, both Xu Meijing and Bai Xue let out a cold snort, then averted their gazes from each other and looked elsewhere.
Judging by their current reactions, they didn't seem likely to continue arguing. As long as no one deliberately provoked them, they should not quarrel again for a while.
This scene, falling into Old Master Wu and Xiujuan's eyes, caused both of them to let out a sigh of relief.
In the time that followed, the four waited anxiously outside the villa, while also constantly monitoring the situation outside the Mountain River Grand Array, guarding against any sudden attacks.
No one spoke in such circumstances, for all four were deeply worried about Yang Haoran's condition, leaving them no mood for idle chatter.
This kind of waiting, where life and death hung in the balance, was the most tormenting.
Under this agonizing wait, where every second felt like an eternity, the sun set in the west, and the crescent moon rose into the sky, casting a hint of cool, clear light into the dark night. Yet, it failed to illuminate the darkness in the four people's hearts. Instead, that sliver of coolness lingered in their hearts, amplifying itself.
The night passed, and the morning sun spread across the land, dispelling the darkness and bringing light and warmth to the world. However, the coldness in the four people's hearts was not dispelled by the appearance of the sunlight; instead, they found the morning sun glaringly bright.
A long time had passed since Yang Haoran entered the alchemist's room until now. During this long and torturous wait, Feng Xiao had not sent any news. Whether Yang Haoran had been rescued or had already died, they did not know, but they desperately wanted to.
During this period, Xiujuan prepared tea and pastries for the three of them, but none of them touched a thing.
Let alone these ordinary items, even dragon meat would hold no interest for them, for they had no mind for such things.
Xu Meijing and Bai Xue's patience had long since been exhausted by this prolonged waiting. Yet, even so, neither dared to act rashly, because neither wanted their disturbance to lead to the failure of Yang Haoran's rescue.
Apart from Xiujuan, all three of their faces bore clear signs of exhaustion. This was because, unlike the others, she was already a dead person, merely wearing a skin. But Xu Meijing and the other two were different; they were beings of flesh and blood. The mental torment had left all three looking somewhat gaunt, especially Xu Meijing.
Xu Meijing was already severely wounded and had no mind for healing. Coupled with the anxiety and dread in her heart, her condition was terrible, making her the most visibly exhausted of the three.
Watching the three with their haggard faces, Xiujuan gathered her courage, intending to offer words of comfort. However, at that very moment, a figure suddenly dashed out of the villa.
The four were startled and almost simultaneously turned their gazes to the newcomer.
The person who had rushed out of the villa was not the Pharmacist Feng Xiao, but Xiao Kang.
"How is he? What's his condition now?"
Xu Meijing asked anxiously, voicing the question that the other three were also eager to ask.
"I'm not sure, but Sister Xiao Xiao asked me to invite you inside."
Xiao Kang shook his head, responding with an uncertain tone. Although he had remained in the alchemist's room the entire time, it was Feng Xiao who was performing the rescue on Yang Haoran, not him. Therefore, he didn't have a clear understanding of the exact situation and could only guess at Yang Haoran's condition based on some of Feng Xiao's words and facial expressions.
But a guess was still just a guess, and he dared not speak carelessly. That was why his answer now seemed so uncertain.
Without receiving a definitive answer from Xiao Kang, none of the four questioned further. They immediately flashed into the villa.
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