Chapter 275 - [Bonus] Cleaning Magic feat. Hua Tuos Hut (1/2)

Today was the day. Zero was determined to win, there was no room to back down from this as he stared down with Hua Tuo.

The Sage God was also full of passion as he met Zero's determined stare. The fire was almost on his brows and his nostrils flared.

”No.”

”Yes.”

”I said no.”

Zero growled, his eyes narrowed. ”You haven't allowed me to try, how would you know it wouldn't work?”

Hua Tuo grit his teeth stubbornly. It was true that he forbade the use of magic excessively. However, he didn't trust Zero when the boy claimed to be able to clean using magic. The Sage God was a medical expert, not a magic expert. If Merlin's lab was still as dirty as he remembered it to be, there was no way using magic to clean can be so convenient. Anything that is too good to be true usually is the case.

However, Zero was as stubborn as Hua Tuo if not more. He came prepared for this battle. If Hua Tuo's obstinate nature will not be moved by sheer conviction, Zero will bring in facts. As a man of medicine, Hua Tuo surely cannot deny what he sees.

”I've cleaned the lab before using gentle cleaning magic. It became soot free, you saw it too. I can do this.”

Hua Tuo faltered at Zero's statement.his eyes darted from his crumbling wooden hut and back to Zero. The lab's cottage was made of stone. Naturally, it would survive harsher treatments. Hua Tuo's precious hut was made of broken wood that was barely holding itself up after Zero's first attempt to clean it with magic. Neither master nor apprentice were builders so the patchwork was shady at best. The physician wasn't having it.

”No means no.” Hua Tuo was strict this time. The hut wouldn't survive Zero's cleaning.

Stubbornly, Zero followed Hua Tuo everywhere he went and continuously brought up the subject. After six long hours of persistence, Hua Tuo rolled his eyes and agreed on one condition.

”If the hut is destroyed, you will help build a new one.”

Satisfied that he received permission, Zero grinned and hugged his teacher before transferring the dried medicine out. he was going to clean to his heart's content today. Hua Tuo didn't bother helping his apprentice. Instead, he started looking for a temporary place to sleep or the night. Zero was going to collapse the hut, it wasn't a question. The boy wouldn't be satisfied unless he got things done his way. Zero had a habit of needing to learn things the hard way and it made Hua Tuo worried. Sometimes, there are things that cannot be undone in life. Hopefully, his student will grow out of this habit before the time comes.

Zero spent the afternoon shifting everything out of the hut. Once everything was safely packed away, he stared at the structure full of determination. Truth be told, he had questions about the dingy building. He'd already destroyed it once and Zero knew that it was only a matter of time before this place fell apart. he already had back up plans. He wasn't just going to use magic to clean, he was also going to use magic to build.

With a huge blast of water, the hut collapsed with all the wood thoroughly soaked. The only thing standing was the well and the waterwheel behind the hut. Everything else had fallen apart from the floor to the roof. Hua Tuo didn't even bother reacting and walked away. It was a good thing he already had a tent made from some of his old clothes and a spare blanket. His apprentice would have to find his own shelter until he gets the hut fixed. he wasn't going to spoil Zero.

With a huge grin and looking very proud about his work, Zero waved a hand and absorbed all the broken pieces of wood. Hua Tuo must have been so furious that he left. Without his master around, Zero could focus on rebuilding the hut.

Firstly, the kitchen was way too old and small. Hua Tuo was always complaining about the piping issues where they had to do their cooking and washing separately. Zero decided to build the kitchen closer to the waterwheel in the new hut. This way, they could easily wash the dishes and clothes after dinner. Making noodles would be a lot easier as well.

Zero also wanted to create a partition in the hut for two more small rooms. Hua Tuo might not have a lot of belongings but having an extra room for reading and meditation would be good. His teacher always complained about Zero being too distracting in the same space, not that Zero could help it. He was a naturally active person.

Also, the medicine garage and veranda weren't big enough. Hua Tuo often had to migrate his work when experimenting with new pills. Zero decided that expanding it towards the farm would be a good idea. This way, it was easier to grab the required herbs and work on new medicines. Besides, it was closer to the kitchen at the back.

With the help of Mii and the Mind's Eye System, Zero was able to recreate stronger building materials from wood and stone that he absorbed a while ago from the mountain.

”Alright, help me out here,” he told the strawcherry assistant who materialised and told Zero how to mark the areas for building out.

”We need pillars here too, don't forget. The walls can be stone but the flooring must be wood. the roof should be made from stone slabs too so that it is cooler in summer.”

Zero nodded and worked quickly. He didn't need Hua Tuo interfering with his grand plan. It's a gift for his teacher after all and an apology for destroying the original hut. Zero had already perfected cleaning magic but he kept that as a secret for now. Cleaning magic wasn't hard to use. However, it was unsightly because it required ash and water. Also, it gave off a smell when it was used with wood so Zero was still in the process of figuring out how to mask that. He made some potpourris hoping that they will help but he had no idea if that would be enough.

The first pillars were erected and hammered into the ground. Zero had the time of his life jumping using anti-gravity magic and slamming hard onto them with gravity-enhancement magic. The process didn't take long at all but it was loud. From the forest, Hua Tuo wondered what his student was up to this time. He was foraging for dinner when he heard the loud slamming noises. That boy had better not be up to no good again.