Chapter 96 Training 5 (1/2)

A month passed in a blink of an eye. Right now, Zero was concentrating hard. The sun was hot but he tried his best to ignore it. He had a task at hand that required everything he had.

He couldn't decide which batch of pills he made was the best. After tasting sixty-nine different batches of pills, Zero stared at almost seventy small pill bottles. They were made using different methods and ingredients but Zero only wanted the best. The honey ones were great tasting but they were not good for fast effects. The fast effects weren't long-lasting and had a quick expiry date. The long expiry-date pills lacked freshness and those that had all of the above wasn't practical to produce in quantity.

Zero only wanted the best because it was going to be a gift for his best friend who was working hard in some place far away. Zero wanted to give Truen a gift but couldn't decide which batch of pills were the best. His skills were definitely improving and his pills looked good. Zero even tried making chewable pills look like little animals. Hua Tuo was amused when Zero made a pill that resembled the Great Gods. They were too small for any details but the main characteristics were there. Sedna had a tail, Zeus was half naked, Hades wore a cloak, Freya had red hair - yes, Zero used some food colouring for it, Isis had her signature sharp eyes and Gaia looked like a tree lady. Buddha and En received some too. The Sage God was pleased to see his peaceful expression and bead-like hair. King Yama was touched even though he wasn't sure if he looked as scary as he did. Still, they enjoyed the gifts immensely.

”Why don't you make character pills for Truen as well?” Hua Tuo suggested. His apprentice had been mulling over the matter for two hours now. Normally, he wouldn't tolerate time wasting. However, today was an off-day so it was fine. Zero didn't skimp on morning exercises or tending to the fields so Hua Tuo closed one eye.

Zero sighed. ”I couldn't make nice looking character pills... it's difficult to make Truen shaped pills...”

The physician had to stifle a chuckle. He'd taken a peek at Zero's work in progress. Truen pills were indeed harsher than King Yama pills. While King Yama looked like a menacing child, Truen looked like a child-eating monster. Zero was right about that but Hua Tuo couldn't blame him. After all, it was hard to replicate green eyes and elf years with dark skin without making it look like a creature from hell.

Zero sighed once more. He didn't know what to do after exhausting all his options. He didn't want to give his best friend a failed product but at this rate, he might just have to. Over the call with Isis, the goddess let it slip that Truen was often mana exhausted. Although Zero learnt how to make different pills for various illnesses like cough, fever and digestion related issues, he felt compelled to master the art of mana replenishing pills.

Zero flopped onto the ground, not minding the heat and dirt. The pills laid spread out on a sheet under the sun, taunting Zero about his failures. The boy gave a groan and slammed his head against the rock beside him. Zero wasn't hurt by that action but Hua Tuo swore he heard the rock crack a little.

Coughing to get his apprentice's attention, Hua Tuo suggested that they try to make the pills together.

”You will help me?”

Hua Tuo grinned. ”On one condition.”

Zero immediately became wary. The physician has been pestering him about holding knives and needles but Zero refused. He didn't want to hurt innocent animals. Hua Tuo claimed that acupuncture and surgery will make them better but Zero highly doubted that. You couldn't make someone feel better by hurting them.

The doctor sighed. ”You won't hurt them, I promise. I can prove that to you, I'll stick needles in my own arm.”

Zero hesitated. Although he didn't want animals to get injured, it didn't mean he wanted to see Hua Tuo get hurt because of him. ”No, I'll do it. You can stick needles in my arm instead. If it really is true, I'll learn how to do acupuncture and surgery.”

Hua Tuo did a mental leap of victory. ”Alright, let's get started then. Bring out the grinding stone.”

”Yes, sir!” Zero cheered and ran to the workroom.

***