Chapter 32: The Promise of his Life
For doctors, the most important thing was to remain calm, especially when faced with a patient in complex, critical and urgent condition.
The Tribulation Clouds have dissipated, countless stars once again filled the entire sky.
Saving him was a race against time. There was no time for him to agonize…
Yue Wuhuan carefully picked up Song Qingshi. He secretly rushed back to Medicine King’s Valley.
He first took out the Golden Lily Heart Guard Pill from the treasure house’s collection and gave it to Song Qingshi to stabilize his heart and life. Then Song Qingshi was quietly transferred to the secret room he used for closed door cultivation. This closed room was located underground below the bedroom. It was piled with some unfinished ancient books and a small abandoned medicinal spring bath. The medicinal spring has the effect of warming the body.
Song Qingshi used to take a bath here, but later he found the bath to be too small, so he rebuilt a larger bathroom outside his room. He then abandoned this place. Yue Wuhuan accidentally discovered it while helping him clean. Because he hadn’t used it for hundreds of years, no one in the Medicine King’s Valley knew about this secret room.
The Medicine King Xianzun’s injury had implications for the safety of Medicine King’s Valley as well as Song Qingshi’s life. It must be kept secret.
Yue Wuhuan re-drained the medicinal spring, then took the broken clothes off Song Qingshi. He then slowly placed him in the water.
A large expanse of his thin and frail body was covered with burns. Printed against the snow-white skin, it was shocking and terrifying. His left limbs were almost scorched by the lightning. His inner meridians were split. You could just imagine how painful it must have been during that moment when he was injured…
But, he escaped by the skin of his teeth. He never hesitated…
Before he fell into a coma, he even used all his remaining spiritual power to lock the Underworld Ghost Fire in his body, preventing the poisonous fire from spreading and burning the person beside him. Because of this, he could not automatically repair his limbs like other Nascent Soul cultivators.
Yue Wuhuan finished investigating with his mental probe. He looked at the person in the pool, his heart became even sadder. He tried to recall what he had learned in the past, tried his best to keep calm. He tried putting Spirit Rejuvenating Powder and Bone Regrowth Potion in the water, trying his best to stabilize his vitals and secure him from the verge of death…
Fortunately, he studied very earnestly and the medicine began to work.
Song Qingshi’s vital signs began to stabilize. But his Life Artifact had been damaged, his Nascent Soul has been injured and there was no way to wake him up from his coma.
Yue Wuhuan has completed everything and now, he can finally be sad.
He looked at the person floating in the water and for some reason, he suddenly remembered the terrible rumors he had heard about the Medicine King Xianzun; like how the extremely powerful double flame lotuses could burn the entire mountain top, slaughtering an entire sect and wiping them out; like how he can turn any cultivator who displeased him into ashes. But the person in front of him was kind-hearted and gentle, the best in the world. But he was implicated by his fate, suffering Heaven’s punishment, turning him into a porcelain doll full of cracks, so fragile that he could shatter with a touch.
He loathed this filthy world more and more. He hated the injustice of Heaven and hated his powerlessness even more. His heart was bitter and every inch of his body felt pained.
I really want to burn everything down…
His breathing was turning rapid. He was beginning to lose control of his emotions.
But he can’t…
Yue Wuhuan knew that his emotions were beginning to crumble once again. He quickly suppressed his desire for destruction with the Emotion Locking Gu. He took deep breaths and tried as much as possible to think of beautiful things, according to the principles of psychotherapy that Song Qingshi taught him. He suppressed the madness and did his best to throw away all thoughts of suicide.
For some reason, the promise Song Qingshi had made suddenly appeared in his mind.
He was a demon who had crawled out of hell, draped in weak and harmless sheepskin. He wanted to use his contemptible emotions to demand things that he should not ask for. He wanted to use his dirty body to defile the cleanest deity in the world.
He was disgusting…
Yue Wuhuan closed his eyes. He didn’t dare think about it anymore. He slowly knelt by the pool, pulled up Song Qingshi’s still intact right hand in the water and pulled it to his lips, reverently laying a kiss upon it.
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. The Medicine King’s Valley has a lot of medical books, I will do my best to learn…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I will protect the Medicine King’s Valley and prevent it from coming to any harm…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I’ll look after your little white mice…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I won’t give up my life anymore…”
Yue Wuhuan opened his eyes. His heart was crying, but he couldn’t shed tears. His body was aching, but he couldn’t feel it. Blood from his forehead rolled down his cheeks like tears, dripping onto the back of Song Qingshi’s hand, leaving ugly traces.
These red things…so dirty…
He wanted to wipe off these offensive bloodstains but he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to lightly wipe it clean. If he applied heavy pressure, he might disturb his sleep.
He thought for a while. He lowered his head and pressed his hot lips to the cool skin. He gently licked and kissed the back of his hand. He slowly slid down and took each fingers into his mouth one by one. He then reluctantly let it go. He carefully kissed every inch of the skin on his hand. He kissed it clean, firmly locking the taste in his heart. He then stopped here. He would not go beyond this limit even by half a step.
Yue Wuhuan tightly held this hand, this most important hand in his life and made the most important promise in his life:
“Qingshi, I will heal you.”
……
Beichuan, Zhen He City, Can Tong Sect.
Zhen He City was a small remote town. Can Tong Sect was a branch sect of the Acacia Sect. The sect master, Gui Yuan’s cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul level. He ran the brothels and gambling dens in Zhen He City. He had a loose nature and a pair of cunning fox eyes. He always had on a slight smile when dealing with people but he was actually scheming and cruel. He was an existence that no one in the city dared to provoke.
Tonight, Gui Yuan Xianzun couldn’t smile anymore.
Countless terrifying Gu’s covered everything around him. They covered the ground and walls, engulfing the entire Can Tong Sect, killing all the people they encountered.
An Long was seated on a wooden armchair. His lips were pressed tightly. An ominous glint shone in his long, narrow eyes. While playing with a wine glass in his hand, he looked at the scenery in front of him with keen interest. Kneeling beside him was a male pet who climbed down from Gui Yuan Xianzun’s bed. His clothes were disheveled and his legs trembled. He was attentively pouring wine for An Long and he didn’t even dare to look at his former master.
Gui Yuan Xianzun had long been trapped in a pile of Gu’s. He was paralyzed all over, unable to move.
His eyes filled with blood. He wanted to ask why the other party wanted to kill him but a horrible centipede crawled out of his mouth. His tongue was swollen and he couldn’t say anything. He could only issue out a ‘wu-wu’ whine.
An Long saw through his thoughts and smiled. “Do you want to know why I killed you?”
Gui Yuan Xianzun nodded desperately and whinnied.
“That day, did you see what I did on the mountain?” An Long’s smile was terrifying like a devil’s. It was like he was speaking of a matter that was of no significance. “Although there was no grievance or enmity between us and this matter is no longer important now, but… who allowed you to see me lose face?”
All this just because he had lost face? He annihilated his Can Tong Sect just because of this?
Gui Yuan Xianzun’s eyes nearly gushed blood. He had thought about all sorts of reasons why the Western Forest’s Gu King would come to kill him but he never would have thought the other would pit him into a deathtrap over this small matter! He never even took the matter seriously!
The Western Forest’s Gu King, this diabolical wolf, was devoid of normal human emotions. His behavior cannot be inferred by common sense.
He grew up amidst slaughter and lived to eat people.
An Long drank his glass of wine and waved his hand, unamused. The Gu quickly bit Gui Yuan Xianzun’s neck. They then rushed up and submerged the corpse.
The little male pet shuddered and filled with trepidation, filled his glass once again. Remembering the rumors that the Gu King was fond of beauties, he tried to cast seductive looks at him. But he was too scared. No matter how the looks were thrown, they looked more like his eyes were cramping up.
An Long was amused and seeing that he had yet to drink the wine pot empty, was reluctant to leave. So, he grinned, showing his canine teeth. Making idle chatter, he said, “Beauty, what is your name?”
The little male pet forced himself to smile and said, “Si Yao.”
“Oh? That’s a good name,” An Long’s interest was piqued. He glanced at Si Yao’s white hands and asked with interest, “How are you related to medicine?”
Si Yao cautiously replied, “My father is a renowned pharmacist.”
An Long asked another question. “Don’t you want to avenge your old lover?”
Si Yao smiled without even turning his head back, “Xianzun jests. How can that person be considered my lover?”
An Long continued to tease him, “When I came here, I saw you on the bed, shouting out ‘darling’ and ‘baby’. How can that not be considered your lover?”
“This slave belong to South Wind Pavilion,” Si Yao tried his best to calm his mind. Unable to figure out what the person in front of him wanted to hear, he hardened his heart and said frankly, “This slave is but a hireling who’s selling his body. Whoever gives me the money, is this slave’s baby and darling.”
An Long was startled. He laughed loudly, and shouted. “Good, good, good!”
Si Yao continued to fawn over him. “Zunzhu is such a valiant warrior. Zunzhu wouldn’t need to give this slave money for me to treat zunzhu as my darling.”
An Long glanced at the white unlined garment on his frail body. He looked at his delicate face. He casually pulled a strand of long hair and gently twirled it around his finger. As if thinking of something, after a long time, he whispered, “If only he could think the way you do, call me darling so long as I give him money, how good would that be? After all, money is the one thing I have plenty of…”
Si Yao didn’t understand what he meant, so he didn’t dare talk casually.
An Long pulled his hair violently and asked, “Do you think there are many Daoist Companions in this world who do not love each other?”
Si Yao said, enduring the pain, “Plenty.”
An Long asked hesitantly, “Then how did these Daoist companion come to be?”
Si Yao said without hesitation, “For the other party’s money, power, strength or beauty.”
“Well said! I like it like this!” An Long was very pleased. Satisfied, he let go of his long hair and said happily, “Daoist companions, what need is there for emotions for this trifling thing? As long as I can get him to pursue my money and my power, to pursue my strength, pursue my handsomeness, to pursue my goodwill towards him then that will do…”
Si Yao was stunned when he heard it. “Who in the world would not fall in love if given his kind of sincere treatment from Xianzun?”
“He can’t love,” An Long drank the last drop of wine from the pot and finally got a little drunk. He slowly got up and pressed Si Yao’s forehead with a finger. He stared blankly at the similar white and frail figure. There was a trace of despair in his eyes. After a moment, he couldn’t help laughing heartily. Mocking himself, he said, “That person… cultivates the Way of the Heartless…”
Five hundred years ago, he found out that he was laboring under a delusion.
The Heartless Way. Followers of the Way of the Heartless will never let themselves be moved by emotions, will never let themselves fall in love. Once they do, their cultivation will be ruined.
Therefore, he will never get the affection he wants.
Therefore, he will never be able to get that heart.
……
An Long used the Emotion Locking Gu to suppress his almost out of control greed and evil thoughts.
A tiny Gu appeared on his fingertip and it penetrated into Si Yao’s forehead like a pinprick of light. “Because of your name and because your answer pleased me…”
The Gu ate away his memory and Si Yao slowly toppled over.
An Long strode out of the main entrance. The Gu tide slowly receded, and a blood-covered white snake slithered over the corpses on the ground. It crawled up his arms and shoulders contentedly. It wound around him with disdain and then turned its head to ignore him. An Long patted the snake’s head and coaxed,
“Alright, alright. I’ll write to Xiao Qingshi. Please don’t be angry.”
“What interesting things should I send him this time?”
“I heard that the Yunling Secret Realm will soon open. There are some interesting medicinal materials in it. How about we grab them and give them to Qingshi?”
Chapter 32: The Promise of his Life
For doctors, the most important thing was to remain calm, especially when faced with a patient in complex, critical and urgent condition.
The Tribulation Clouds have dissipated, countless stars once again filled the entire sky.
Saving him was a race against time. There was no time for him to agonize…
Yue Wuhuan carefully picked up Song Qingshi. He secretly rushed back to Medicine King’s Valley.
He first took out the Golden Lily Heart Guard Pill from the treasure house’s collection and gave it to Song Qingshi to stabilize his heart and life. Then Song Qingshi was quietly transferred to the secret room he used for closed door cultivation. This closed room was located underground below the bedroom. It was piled with some unfinished ancient books and a small abandoned medicinal spring bath. The medicinal spring has the effect of warming the body.
Song Qingshi used to take a bath here, but later he found the bath to be too small, so he rebuilt a larger bathroom outside his room. He then abandoned this place. Yue Wuhuan accidentally discovered it while helping him clean. Because he hadn’t used it for hundreds of years, no one in the Medicine King’s Valley knew about this secret room.
The Medicine King Xianzun’s injury had implications for the safety of Medicine King’s Valley as well as Song Qingshi’s life. It must be kept secret.
Yue Wuhuan re-drained the medicinal spring, then took the broken clothes off Song Qingshi. He then slowly placed him in the water.
A large expanse of his thin and frail body was covered with burns. Printed against the snow-white skin, it was shocking and terrifying. His left limbs were almost scorched by the lightning. His inner meridians were split. You could just imagine how painful it must have been during that moment when he was injured…
But, he escaped by the skin of his teeth. He never hesitated…
Before he fell into a coma, he even used all his remaining spiritual power to lock the Underworld Ghost Fire in his body, preventing the poisonous fire from spreading and burning the person beside him. Because of this, he could not automatically repair his limbs like other Nascent Soul cultivators.
Yue Wuhuan finished investigating with his mental probe. He looked at the person in the pool, his heart became even sadder. He tried to recall what he had learned in the past, tried his best to keep calm. He tried putting Spirit Rejuvenating Powder and Bone Regrowth Potion in the water, trying his best to stabilize his vitals and secure him from the verge of death…
Fortunately, he studied very earnestly and the medicine began to work.
Song Qingshi’s vital signs began to stabilize. But his Life Artifact had been damaged, his Nascent Soul has been injured and there was no way to wake him up from his coma.
Yue Wuhuan has completed everything and now, he can finally be sad.
He looked at the person floating in the water and for some reason, he suddenly remembered the terrible rumors he had heard about the Medicine King Xianzun; like how the extremely powerful double flame lotuses could burn the entire mountain top, slaughtering an entire sect and wiping them out; like how he can turn any cultivator who displeased him into ashes. But the person in front of him was kind-hearted and gentle, the best in the world. But he was implicated by his fate, suffering Heaven’s punishment, turning him into a porcelain doll full of cracks, so fragile that he could shatter with a touch.
He loathed this filthy world more and more. He hated the injustice of Heaven and hated his powerlessness even more. His heart was bitter and every inch of his body felt pained.
I really want to burn everything down…
His breathing was turning rapid. He was beginning to lose control of his emotions.
But he can’t…
Yue Wuhuan knew that his emotions were beginning to crumble once again. He quickly suppressed his desire for destruction with the Emotion Locking Gu. He took deep breaths and tried as much as possible to think of beautiful things, according to the principles of psychotherapy that Song Qingshi taught him. He suppressed the madness and did his best to throw away all thoughts of suicide.
For some reason, the promise Song Qingshi had made suddenly appeared in his mind.
He was a demon who had crawled out of hell, draped in weak and harmless sheepskin. He wanted to use his contemptible emotions to demand things that he should not ask for. He wanted to use his dirty body to defile the cleanest deity in the world.
He was disgusting…
Yue Wuhuan closed his eyes. He didn’t dare think about it anymore. He slowly knelt by the pool, pulled up Song Qingshi’s still intact right hand in the water and pulled it to his lips, reverently laying a kiss upon it.
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. The Medicine King’s Valley has a lot of medical books, I will do my best to learn…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I will protect the Medicine King’s Valley and prevent it from coming to any harm…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I’ll look after your little white mice…”
“Qingshi, don’t be afraid. I won’t give up my life anymore…”
Yue Wuhuan opened his eyes. His heart was crying, but he couldn’t shed tears. His body was aching, but he couldn’t feel it. Blood from his forehead rolled down his cheeks like tears, dripping onto the back of Song Qingshi’s hand, leaving ugly traces.
These red things…so dirty…
He wanted to wipe off these offensive bloodstains but he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to lightly wipe it clean. If he applied heavy pressure, he might disturb his sleep.
He thought for a while. He lowered his head and pressed his hot lips to the cool skin. He gently licked and kissed the back of his hand. He slowly slid down and took each fingers into his mouth one by one. He then reluctantly let it go. He carefully kissed every inch of the skin on his hand. He kissed it clean, firmly locking the taste in his heart. He then stopped here. He would not go beyond this limit even by half a step.
Yue Wuhuan tightly held this hand, this most important hand in his life and made the most important promise in his life:
“Qingshi, I will heal you.”
……
Beichuan, Zhen He City, Can Tong Sect.
Zhen He City was a small remote town. Can Tong Sect was a branch sect of the Acacia Sect. The sect master, Gui Yuan’s cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul level. He ran the brothels and gambling dens in Zhen He City. He had a loose nature and a pair of cunning fox eyes. He always had on a slight smile when dealing with people but he was actually scheming and cruel. He was an existence that no one in the city dared to provoke.
Tonight, Gui Yuan Xianzun couldn’t smile anymore.
Countless terrifying Gu’s covered everything around him. They covered the ground and walls, engulfing the entire Can Tong Sect, killing all the people they encountered.
An Long was seated on a wooden armchair. His lips were pressed tightly. An ominous glint shone in his long, narrow eyes. While playing with a wine glass in his hand, he looked at the scenery in front of him with keen interest. Kneeling beside him was a male pet who climbed down from Gui Yuan Xianzun’s bed. His clothes were disheveled and his legs trembled. He was attentively pouring wine for An Long and he didn’t even dare to look at his former master.
Gui Yuan Xianzun had long been trapped in a pile of Gu’s. He was paralyzed all over, unable to move.
His eyes filled with blood. He wanted to ask why the other party wanted to kill him but a horrible centipede crawled out of his mouth. His tongue was swollen and he couldn’t say anything. He could only issue out a ‘wu-wu’ whine.
An Long saw through his thoughts and smiled. “Do you want to know why I killed you?”
Gui Yuan Xianzun nodded desperately and whinnied.
“That day, did you see what I did on the mountain?” An Long’s smile was terrifying like a devil’s. It was like he was speaking of a matter that was of no significance. “Although there was no grievance or enmity between us and this matter is no longer important now, but… who allowed you to see me lose face?”
All this just because he had lost face? He annihilated his Can Tong Sect just because of this?
Gui Yuan Xianzun’s eyes nearly gushed blood. He had thought about all sorts of reasons why the Western Forest’s Gu King would come to kill him but he never would have thought the other would pit him into a deathtrap over this small matter! He never even took the matter seriously!
The Western Forest’s Gu King, this diabolical wolf, was devoid of normal human emotions. His behavior cannot be inferred by common sense.
He grew up amidst slaughter and lived to eat people.
An Long drank his glass of wine and waved his hand, unamused. The Gu quickly bit Gui Yuan Xianzun’s neck. They then rushed up and submerged the corpse.
The little male pet shuddered and filled with trepidation, filled his glass once again. Remembering the rumors that the Gu King was fond of beauties, he tried to cast seductive looks at him. But he was too scared. No matter how the looks were thrown, they looked more like his eyes were cramping up.
An Long was amused and seeing that he had yet to drink the wine pot empty, was reluctant to leave. So, he grinned, showing his canine teeth. Making idle chatter, he said, “Beauty, what is your name?”
The little male pet forced himself to smile and said, “Si Yao.”
“Oh? That’s a good name,” An Long’s interest was piqued. He glanced at Si Yao’s white hands and asked with interest, “How are you related to medicine?”
Si Yao cautiously replied, “My father is a renowned pharmacist.”
An Long asked another question. “Don’t you want to avenge your old lover?”
Si Yao smiled without even turning his head back, “Xianzun jests. How can that person be considered my lover?”
An Long continued to tease him, “When I came here, I saw you on the bed, shouting out ‘darling’ and ‘baby’. How can that not be considered your lover?”
“This slave belong to South Wind Pavilion,” Si Yao tried his best to calm his mind. Unable to figure out what the person in front of him wanted to hear, he hardened his heart and said frankly, “This slave is but a hireling who’s selling his body. Whoever gives me the money, is this slave’s baby and darling.”
An Long was startled. He laughed loudly, and shouted. “Good, good, good!”
Si Yao continued to fawn over him. “Zunzhu is such a valiant warrior. Zunzhu wouldn’t need to give this slave money for me to treat zunzhu as my darling.”
An Long glanced at the white unlined garment on his frail body. He looked at his delicate face. He casually pulled a strand of long hair and gently twirled it around his finger. As if thinking of something, after a long time, he whispered, “If only he could think the way you do, call me darling so long as I give him money, how good would that be? After all, money is the one thing I have plenty of…”
Si Yao didn’t understand what he meant, so he didn’t dare talk casually.
An Long pulled his hair violently and asked, “Do you think there are many Daoist Companions in this world who do not love each other?”
Si Yao said, enduring the pain, “Plenty.”
An Long asked hesitantly, “Then how did these Daoist companion come to be?”
Si Yao said without hesitation, “For the other party’s money, power, strength or beauty.”
“Well said! I like it like this!” An Long was very pleased. Satisfied, he let go of his long hair and said happily, “Daoist companions, what need is there for emotions for this trifling thing? As long as I can get him to pursue my money and my power, to pursue my strength, pursue my handsomeness, to pursue my goodwill towards him then that will do…”
Si Yao was stunned when he heard it. “Who in the world would not fall in love if given his kind of sincere treatment from Xianzun?”
“He can’t love,” An Long drank the last drop of wine from the pot and finally got a little drunk. He slowly got up and pressed Si Yao’s forehead with a finger. He stared blankly at the similar white and frail figure. There was a trace of despair in his eyes. After a moment, he couldn’t help laughing heartily. Mocking himself, he said, “That person… cultivates the Way of the Heartless…”
Five hundred years ago, he found out that he was laboring under a delusion.
The Heartless Way. Followers of the Way of the Heartless will never let themselves be moved by emotions, will never let themselves fall in love. Once they do, their cultivation will be ruined.
Therefore, he will never get the affection he wants.
Therefore, he will never be able to get that heart.
……
An Long used the Emotion Locking Gu to suppress his almost out of control greed and evil thoughts.
A tiny Gu appeared on his fingertip and it penetrated into Si Yao’s forehead like a pinprick of light. “Because of your name and because your answer pleased me…”
The Gu ate away his memory and Si Yao slowly toppled over.
An Long strode out of the main entrance. The Gu tide slowly receded, and a blood-covered white snake slithered over the corpses on the ground. It crawled up his arms and shoulders contentedly. It wound around him with disdain and then turned its head to ignore him. An Long patted the snake’s head and coaxed,
“Alright, alright. I’ll write to Xiao Qingshi. Please don’t be angry.”
“What interesting things should I send him this time?”
“I heard that the Yunling Secret Realm will soon open. There are some interesting medicinal materials in it. How about we grab them and give them to Qingshi?”
