Chapter 64: Mountain, Sea Vi: Baize (1/2)

It was only when she was dragging me out that I realized that I was unable to move my body.

Despite the negligible force Pu Lao had exerted earlier, my limbs were broken.

The wind fox brought me down to a single room in the bas.e.m.e.nt and threw me onto the bed.

The adrenaline started to wear off and I felt pain returning to my body.

”I can't. I need the hospital,” I groaned out.

”Hospital? Do you really think you can leave this place?” the fox sneered.

The pain was becoming unbearable. ”It hurts so much! I'm going to die!”

The wind fox let out a groan like I was the one being unreasonable before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

Only my brain was active.

I looked around the room.

It was plain and simple.

I tried moving a hand and discovered that I had no strength to do so.

Pu Lao had merely pushed me onto the ground.

I experienced a whole new level of fear as I imagined how easily he could've killed me.

I recalled his words. Pa.s.s his test and I'll be safe.

Fail and I'll be put on display for the rest of my life.

I was curious, however, about what animal he would turn me into.

But of course, it was ideal that I do not become a part of this fake zoo.

It was brilliant of him, though. There were wild dogs all around town.

This fake zoo attracted a high volume of tourists and it was clearly a profitable business. It was no wonder Pu Lao had such a large influence.

What he said about dragons possessing a certain att.i.tude... does he really regard me as a dragon?

Tao Tie did offer me a piece of his soul. Could that be the reason?

Something else came to mind.

Previously, as the wind fox was about to attack me, I had heard a frail old voice advising me.

And the wind fox was indeed afraid of my roar.

Perhaps that roar contained some dragon breath that could subdue demons?

I started roaring.

Nothing in the room changed.

All I heard was a voice coming from outside: ”Why are you howling? It's so noisy!”

I turned my head slowly toward the door as an ancient doctor-like young fellow walked in.

He had white hair and he was dressed in a white gown. He put his medicine box down.

”Who are you?” I asked anxiously.

”Looks like you're enduring the pain well. You, youngsters, are st.u.r.dy, indeed. I should've eaten before coming since it looked like an hour's wait wouldn't kill you, anyway.”

”Youngster? You look much younger than me. Do you think you're all that great just because you're dressed like Ning Caichen? Get lost! Go find your little lover!” I yelled in anger.

”Ning Caichen? A long time ago, when I was treating him, he did ask if he could write me into a book,” he mused.

Pu Songling? The writer of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio? Treating?

I calmed down instantly, figuring out that those working for Pu Lao weren't normal humans.

Which era was Pu Songling from? And what about this young man?

”Are you going to treat me, brother? Hurry, please.” I was suffering beyond belief and I really couldn't care less about his treating methods right now.

”What an att.i.tude, young man! Don't you know that even that old fellow, Pu Lao, won't utter a word even if you die under my care?”

Pu Lao can't do anything to this fellow?

I thought about probing. This young doctor was definitely an old demon.

Treating patients? Treated Pu Songling?

The most powerful ancient doctor? The Legend of the Divine Farmer?

”Hey, do you know the Divine Farmer?” I asked.

The doctor rolled out a white cloth with all kinds of needles placed neatly on top.

”Divine Farmer?”

”Yeah, him.”

Water filled his eyes immediately and tears started rolling down his face.

I was stunned.

”Do you know who wrote the first-ever book about herbs and medicine?” he managed as endless tears continued flowing down.

”You're talking about Yellow Emperor's Internal Canon and Divine Farmer's Compendium of Materia Medica?” I clarified. Thankfully, I had been exposed to medical books back in the temple.

”They were written by the same person,” he explained before wiping his tears with his sleeves.

The Yellow Emperor is also the Divine Farmer?

”You're saying they're the same person?”

”No. Divine Farmer is a group of people.”

” Divine Farmer is a group of people?” I repeated.

”The Legend of the Divine Farmer? Do you really think you humans can test so many species of plants for poison and not die? There are 25 of them who sacrificed their lives to compile a record. Only three survived after the list was sufficient for publis.h.i.+ng,” he explained.

The words that I was about to say turned into a high-pitched screech.

He had just stuck a needle right into my inner thigh.

”You're telling me that Divine Farmer is made up of 25 individuals and that both books were written by one person? But weren't there 25?” I asked between breaks because it hurt so badly.

”Because they're accepting orders from one person,” he answered, his tears still continuing to flow.

”Yellow Emperor?”

It seemed as though the mere mention of the Yellow Emperor would open the floodgates.

Who was this Yellow Emperor, exactly?

He injected the second needle into my right arm. By now, I had little needles all over my body.

A tear fell onto my body. As I felt the warmth of it, he started reciting an ancient poem:

The Emperor patrols the East Ocean and ascends Soapberry Mountain to reach  the sh.o.r.e where the white marsh beast resides.

He asks about all supernatural things of the world, but  as the white marsh beast tells simply,  ancient energy essence has turned into matter a nd wandering spirits into infinite mutations.

The beast then urges him to share it  with the world with imagery and words,  which he does, through this song.

I eyed the young doctor up and down and exclaimed in shock, ”You're White Marsh, Baize!”

”You've made me recall a lot, young man. I was good friends with Yellow Emperor. A pity he was human and had to depart from this world when his time was up.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeves once again.

My body was now covered with needles and I was still unable to move.

Baize bent down and took out a bottle from his medicine box.

There was a puff of black smoke squirming within.

”What is that?” I shouted.

”This is good stuff. A piece of Pu Lao's soul. I've been wanting to exchange something for it but to no avail, yet he's giving it to you for free.”

”What are you trying to do?” I asked nervously.

”This has been in his body all along, and because his body is abnormally strong, it is not something ordinary monsters could swallow. It will be harder for you since you're half human,” he said, ignoring my question.

”Are you really going to put this in my body?”