Chapter 444 Chance to Survive
The Bennett family was in a tight spot, and Paisley had picked up on Cody's unspoken message: they were planning to ditch Larry.
Paisley had an idea.
She suggested that Cody show the Artwork of Moonlit and the meridian map to the other three families. At the same time, she proposed that the other families also bring out their guarded maps, so they could piece together all four.
This would not only dispel the other families' suspicions about the Bennett family but also allow her to see the other three maps. Maybe then, they could unlock the secret of the four maps.
Cody shook his head.
First of all, the Powell family's map had been stolen. Even if the other two families had their maps, they wouldn't bring them out. They had guarded these maps for a thousand years; if they were willing to share, they would have done so long ago.
People are selfish, and Cody was no exception. He didn't want outsiders to see the meridian map.
"Go tell Larry he has to leave in two days," Cody said before walking away.
Paisley frowned slightly, glanced at the secret room behind her, and then quickly left to get some food from the kitchen.
Larry was meditating in the underground chamber.
Soon, Paisley returned with a tray of food.
"Larry, it's time to eat."
Larry stopped and took the bowl to start eating.
"By the way, there's been some trouble outside."
"Hmm?" Larry looked at her, puzzled.
Paisley explained the situation outside.
Larry's expression grew serious. "So, the Bennett family is going to abandon me?"
Paisley replied, "Grandpa has no choice. The other three families have united, and the Bennett family can't fight them. I gave him a suggestion, but he didn't accept it. He probably doesn't want the four maps to come together, or he doesn't want outsiders to see them together. I suspect that the four families will definitely clash over the maps, maybe even fight."
Larry's expression remained grave. He knew how powerful the four families were. Just the Powell family alone had a servant he couldn't defeat. If the Powell family was determined to kill him, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"Paisley, you're smart. I'm at a dead end. What do you think I should do to survive among these powerful families?" Larry asked, looking at Paisley.
Paisley fell into deep thought. After a while, she said, "The Powell family suspects the Bennett family because they believe the Bennett family has deciphered the secret of the Artwork of Moonlit and wants the other three maps. That's why they caused this trouble."
"The Powell family allied with the other two families for self-preservation."
"And the other two families might also suspect that the Bennett family has unlocked the secret of the map and have their own agendas. Now, Larry, there's only one way for you to survive."
Larry looked at her, waiting for her answer.
Paisley said slowly, "You need to truly unlock the secret of the Artwork of Moonlit. As long as you hold this secret, the other three families, and even the Bennett family, won't kill you. They might even praise you."
Larry's face showed bitterness. "Unlock it? That's easier said than done. Cody is an expert, and he hasn't been able to decipher it after all this time. How can I?"
Paisley spread her hands. "That's the only way I can think of. If you don't do this, I can't see any other way for you to survive. The other three families are definitely watching the Bennett family closely. If you leave, you'll be in danger."
"Two days, just two days..."
Larry sighed deeply. In the next two days, he couldn't even recover his strength, let alone unlock the secret.
"There's another way..." Paisley suddenly had an idea.
"Hmm?" Larry looked at her, curiosity piqued.
Paisley leaned in, her voice low. "Steal the Artwork of Moonlit and the ancient scroll, then quietly leave the Bennett family. If you fall into the hands of another family, you can use the Artwork of Moonlit and the scroll to save your life."
Larry gave a bitter smile. "If I steal them, the Bennett family will come after me too."
Paisley nodded. "True, but then you'd only have to deal with the Bennett family's revenge. If you don't, you'll face the pursuit of the other three families. And since you're a descendant of the Bennett family, Grandpa probably won't kill you before he gets the map back. As for what happens after, that's up to you."
Larry shook his head. This path seemed impossible. The key issue was that he was too weak and had been dragged into this conflict. If he hadn't killed Alistair, he might have stayed out of it.
Larry buried his head in his food and didn't speak again. He finished quickly.
Paisley stood up with the dishes and leftover food. "You have two days. Think it over."
With that, she left.
Larry sat cross-legged on the ground. He thought Paisley's second idea was unworkable, but the first one, though difficult, was possible. Unlocking the secret of the Artwork of Moonlit in two days was nearly impossible.
However, he could fake it.
Larry began to think. If he could recover his strength in two days, he could claim to have unlocked the secret of the Artwork of Moonlit, which would explain his recovery. The other families would be envious and might capture him to force the secret out of him. But as long as he didn't reveal it, he could stay alive.
If he didn't do this, he had no value in the eyes of the other families. Once he left the Bennett family, he would be dead.
"The Artwork of Moonlit is out of the question. I have to rely on the medical scripture and the Against Heaven 81 Needles."
Larry murmured softly. The only way to recover his strength in two days was to use the Against Heaven 81 Needles.
He sat cross-legged and began to practice the methods recorded in the medical scripture, trying to forcibly gather Qi.
Boom!
Forcing the Qi, his meridians screamed in pain. It felt like being pierced by thousands of swords, his insides tearing apart. The pain made him collapse to the ground, rolling in agony.
His meridians had been forcibly reconnected by Cody's powerful Qi, but they weren't fully healed. Paisley had also treated him twice with needles, but she hadn't fully reactivated his scattered Qi. Now, as he tried to gather the remaining Qi, it flowed through his meridians, which couldn't withstand the forceful Qi and instantly broke.
His injuries worsened immediately.
He collapsed on the ground, his face pale, sweat dripping from his forehead.
He struggled to sit up, looking weakly at the meridian map in front of him.
"What is the secret of this meridian map? Do you really need two to practice, or just one? And what is hidden in the Artwork of Moonlit?"
Larry stared intently at the meridian map, focusing on the first map.
His meridians had already broken in several places. He couldn't worry about that now. He forced himself to gather a thread of Qi.
He followed the first meridian map to circulate the Qi.
A thread of Qi flowed through his body, breaking the fragile meridians as it went. Blood seeped from his skin, and in a short moment, he became a bloodied figure.
Larry let out a cry of pain.
But he forced himself to complete the circulation of the first meridian map.
Afterward, many of his meridians were completely severed.
"Do I have to break my meridians completely to practice the meridian map?"
At that moment, a crazy and bold idea popped into Larry's mind.
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