Chapter 2596 — Highly Effective
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
But he could not defy Old Master Zhao's wishes either; he could only go and invite Old Bi. Yet no sooner had he stepped out the door than he understood. Yes—Old Bi would recover, but with it he would break through his armlet and set foot in the Heaven rank. When that time came, could a Heaven-rank expert still wait upon Old Master Zhao left and right as before?
Obviously not. Having reached the Heaven rank, he would surely want to continue devoting himself to cultivation; even Old Master Zhao could no longer make him do such menial serving tasks. And when that time came, those tasks would fall to Old Mian once more!
At these thoughts, Old Mian brightened again.
Very soon, Zhu the Second and Old Bi had both arrived. Both came in wheelchairs. Though Zhu the Second could already walk about on his own, he was unwilling to, and everyone understood—to fall from a cultivator to a wreck of a man would leave anyone utterly dispirited.
Old Bi was even more so. Though he had awakened by now, his eye sockets were sunken like a man who had gone many days without proper rest; his face was sallow and thin, and there was no vitality in him at all.
Only when he heard that there was a potion that could restore him did an unusual light of joy flicker in his eyes!
Zhu the Second too showed some joy, but since he "knew" himself to be the test subject, anxiety and worry still flashed from time to time in his eyes. These subtle signs did not escape Old Master Zhao's notice. Though he had no suspicions, seeing them only set him further at ease.
"Zhu the Second, the potion is right here. This is the potion your elder brother sought at such great pains—I hope you won't waste it!" As Old Master Zhao spoke, he had Old Mian hand one of the bowls of potion to Zhu the Second.
Zhu the Second drew a deep breath, took the bowl containing the potion, a trace of "resolve" flashing in his eyes, then raised the bowl and drained the potion within at a single gulp...
"Urgh—urgh—urgh—urgh... hoo—hoo—hoo—hoo..." Zhu the Second's hand suddenly convulsed, and the bowl fell to the ground and shattered. His face flushed scarlet in an instant! Though he had long been mentally prepared, knowing that what he drank would surely do him no harm, the agony in his body still made him gasp in cold air...
Zhu the Second's expression of pain fell under the eyes of everyone present, and their faces were each different. Zhu the Leader wore a look of boundless "worry," while Old Master Zhao, the Medicine King, Old Mian, and Old Bi showed something closer to anticipation!
Painful as it was for Zhu the Second, they all knew that repairing meridians was bound to hurt terribly, and breaking through a barrier was bound to be grueling—these were all normal signs. So long as he did not die and could hold on, that was half the battle won.
Very soon, wisps of white vapor rose from Zhu the Second's head, his features contorted, and he gasped in great gulps, "hoo—hoo—hoo—hoo," without end—as agonized as agonized could be.
After struggling for perhaps an hour or more, Zhu the Second suddenly rose to his feet with a wild cry of "Aah!" Then his face gradually turned ruddy and normal again, and his whole person seemed in an instant to have regained much of his vigor!