Chapter 223 - Back to Endow Hill (2/2)
Hua Tuo took them around to the fields where there were herbs growing. He also saw some drying under the strong sunlight in Hua Tuo's small workshop. The house smelled heavily of grass and plants but Ruth thought that it was better than smelling food all the time. Back in the village, Ruth had to remember that he was now able to eat regular food. He still occasionally craved blood and offered to join the hunting team when it got really bad. the smell of medicine here calmed him and Ruth found himself feeling lazy.
”Home sweet home!” Zero declared and immediately got to tidying the place. It had been some time since they were at Half Moon Village. Thankfully the fairies that helped Hua Tuo with the fields did a great job. None of the herbs had withered and some were ready for harvesting.
Hua Tuo left the cleaning up to Zero who insisted that he was the best candidate for the job with his improved cleaning magic. Ruth was then dragged to the fields to help Hua Tuo with harvesting. He worked quickly and mindlessly, cutting through the plants with his sharp nails while Hua Tuo worked with his sickle.
Time passed quickly and after gathering the herbs, Hua Tuo tasked the vampire with hunting for dinner. He chose to work on cleaning the herbs while Zero was made to revise whatever he'd learned previously.
”But I can help with making dinner...”
”No, leave that to Ruth. Those who don't work don't get to eat. Your task is to revise whatever I've taught you a few months ago as well as the basics of surgery as explained a few days before. I will test you before dinner. If you don't get everything right, you can forget about eating tonight.”
Zero gasped in horror when he knew that his teacher was serious.
”No dinner?”
”No dinner.”
”But I'm a growing child!”
Hua Tuo raised a brow. ”Really? I thought that this body was a new vessel created by the Great Gods. No actual growing was involved. You may be bigger now physically but your mental age is still the same.”
”That's not true,” Zero retorted. ”I'm at least four times older than I was... I gained new memories from four Divine Fragments.”
Hua Tuo deadpanned. ”Of the four, two behave like children, one is a jaded old man with a stubborn mentality and the other is a lazy bum. If you insist on being treated like a teenager, I would have you help with breakfast preparations and contributing to your living expenses here.”
Zero thought about it and made a face before slinking back to his digital reader. Truth be told, he didn't slack off from his studies. He still remembered everything Hua Tuo taught him about acupuncture, herbs and how to identify illnesses. He wasn't lazing around in Hell. Baal might have done that but Zero was busy identifying new illnesses to treat. In fact, he learnt a great deal and wanted to talk about it with his teacher.
After ten minutes of reading through what he already knew, Zero decided to peek from his book. ”Master...”
Hua Tuo sighed. He knew that his apprentice wouldn't be convinced to be quiet for too long but to think that Zero's patience was still as short as before made the Sage God wonder if Zero's growth was only in the physical aspect.
”Yes, Zero?”
”You know, the methods of diagnostics you taught me were good with humans. However, it's not very possible to use that when I was in the abyss. Many of them had no pulse or external signs of illnesses. How would you usually treat patients like that?”
Hua Tuo stirred the pot and tasted the soup before adding a little more salt. Ruth still wasn't back so the meat would have to wait.
Cutting the vegetables, Hua Tuo answered him. ”The undead do not fall ill. There is no need to diagnose illnesses in the deceased. Virus and bacteria can only survive in living hosts.”
Zero frowned and put the reader away. He was no cross-legged on the floor and staring at his teacher's back. ”But then I discovered that the plague was still a thing! Miasma poisoning was common and vampires had sun allergies... how can we not diagnose them?”
Hua Tuo put the lid back on. It was a valid question and Zero had a point.
”Firstly, the plague is something that only affected the demons, not the undead. If we looked at demons, there should be similar signs with how it affected the werebeasts. secondly, Miasma Poisoning is not an illness that attacks the immune system. It corrupts those with chakra channels so the traditional medical diagnostics wouldn't work unless the poisoning has taken place. Lastly, I never knew sun allergy was a thing until you discovered it so I cannot tell you the best way to identify it. There are many mysteries in this world and although I am the Sage God of Medicine, I am not well versed with the magical and supernatural side of the world. Those are my limitations, Zero. I'm not almighty. Like how I taught you, the dead cannot be revived once the soul has left the body. Still, with your abilities far exceeding mine, perhaps you will find a way to do so one day.”
Zero looked lost. Hua Tuo shook his head and told Zero to come over. The teen did so and found himself receiving a pat on the head. ”Don't worry about all that. Not everything I teach is necessarily the right answer. You'll need to find your own answers when you travel. Ultimately, know that you are more powerful with Gods. I believe that if you truly want it, there is nothing that is impossible for you to do. We will all be rooting for you so don't be afraid to be yourself.”
Zero smiled shyly. It wasn't very often that Hua Tuo acted like this. Although Hua Tuo was mostly a grumpy old man who was reluctant to try new things, Zero liked him the way he was. He didn't come to this world with a family but that was what made Zero excited about. If the Great Gods were like his older siblings and the Demon Lords his friends, then Hua Tuo felt like his grandfather.
”I'm back!” Ruth called out and Zero leapt to his feet to greet the vampire.
”What did you catch?”
A heavy thud at the front of the door made Zero squeal with delight.
”Roasted Pygmy Boar!”
Hua Tuo shook his head at Zero's infectious excitement. His student ran to the workshop to grab the herbs and spices. Ruth raised a brow as if asking Hua Tuo if it was a common occurrence. He received his answer in the form of a sigh as the old man went back to cooking stir-fried vegetables.
For the first time since coming to Earth, Ruth felt like making a deal with Zero was worse than the devil. never in history has hyper-activity gone well with self-discipline. The vampire knew it was going to be a rough journey as Zero's combat teacher and shut those thoughts away. He needed wine, really really strong ones by the barrels to put up with the troubles Zero will no doubt cause him in the near future.