Chapter 621: Admitting defeat is the solution (2/2)

“Gu Beiyue!” Long Feiye fumed before he continued to channel more true qi. Unfortunately, the doctor didn’t wake. “Useless!” he snapped in irritation.

Han Yunxi quickly went to take Gu Beiyue’s pulse, but found nothing. Aside from his usual weakness, she didn’t sense anything unusual. She checked her own pulse, then Long Feiye’s next, but came up with the same results.

“We were perfectly fine, so how could we have gotten sick?” Long Feiye didn’t understand. He might not be a doctor, but even he knew that it was either illness or poison that made a body behave abnormally. Han Yunxi hadn’t identified any poisons, so there was a 90 percent chance that this was related to some sort of disease. As soon as he finished speaking, he coughed a few more times.

“When we stepped past the second checkpoint, we must have breathed something in. That’s why we started coughing uncontrollably. There are things called viruses that infect you as soon as you get in contact with them,” Han Yunxi’s explanation, however, was far from professional since she wasn’t an expert.

Indeed, many viruses existed, but direct contact didn’t necessarily lead to direct infection. That depended on how contagious the virus was, and how much resistance the human body had against its attacks. To explain it in detail would require a deep understanding of diseases, so this was as much as she could offer Long Feiye. Although he had no idea what viruses were, he could understand her general idea.

“In other words,” he said, “We were sneak attacked by a virus.”

The description was too apt, so Han Yunxi nodded in agreement. “Yes, exactly right!” Only airborne viruses could have silently sneak attacked an expert like Long Feiye. Gu Beiyue had the severest coughing fit, so he probably had the lowest immunity amongst them. As they talked, a round of applause came from the darkness. Following that, an old man slowly tottered out. He was dressed in the same robes as the little novice from before, another guard of the Medicine Requesting Cave.

“It’s no wonder that Pill King’s got you in his sight. How interesting,” the old man looked at Han Yunxi in admiration.

In this setting, most people assumed that crooked ways and dishonest means were at work for sudden bouts of illnesses. Perhaps a person had been cursed or possessed. But here was a young girl would could calmly and coldly figure out the reasons behind the cause, making her different from the rest.

“Stop purposely mystifying things. What are the details of the second trial?” Long Feiye said coldly.

The old man was in no rush. He slowly approached them and stroked his beard a few times before he replied, “Young man, you’ve already passed the second trial. It’s just that you’ll have no fate to face the third one.”

He really was a slow and steady sort, enough to drive Han Yunxi and Long Feiye mad. He even took the time to examine Long Feiye from head to toe before adding, “Young man, there’s no use even if you give him true qi. His body is weak, which is why the illness developed so quickly in his system. All of you will die within an hour from the coughing affliction no matter how healthy you are.”

So that was it!

Enraged, Han Yunxi cursed, “What kind of blackhearted bastard set standards like these? We’re just here to ask for some medicine, but it can still take our lives?!”

Naturally, the ancestor of the medical cottage had put down these rules. Although many people had huge objections to these guidelines, no one had even dared to voice them out loud, much less curse at them outright. The old man’s mouth twitched before he explained, “Don’t get anxious, don’t get anxious. There are still ways to pass the test.”

“What kind of ways?” Han Yunxi demanded coldly.

“Admit defeat. As long as you do that, this old man will present the medicine and make sure all three of you are cured,” he chuckled.

“Is this very funny?” Han Yunxi’s face was completely black. Long Feiye simply went for his sword and pointed it at the old man.

“Hand over the medicine, or else your lordship will kill you here first!”

The old man shook and retreated a step. “Young man, don’t be impulsive. Even if you kill me, you won’t be able to get the medicine. Then we’ll…all die.”

“Your lordship will kill you first before searching for the medicine afterwards!” Long Feiye was really going to do it, but Han Yunxi managed to stop him in time.

“It’s not worth it,” she murmured under her breath.

Countless patients had entered these caves for medicine in the past. They had to have ample reasons for setting these terms. Even if they got the cure after murdering this man here, there was no way they could make their way back out. The best way to get past the trial wans’t to admit defeat, but treat their disease. For that, they’d have to rely on Gu Beiyue.

With Han Yunxi’s coaxing, Long Feiye set down his sword and the old man exhaled in relief. He quickly ducked away and cried, “Young man, the two of you only have one hour remaining. Think it over carefully!”

Hidden in another patch of darkness was Pill King, who was already smiling from ear to ear. Han Yunxi and the rest had been afflicted with Halfday Cough. If it wasn’t treated within half a day, the effects would most certainly be fatal. But even the head elder of the medical academy was helpless before it. He refused to believe that Han Yunxi would be the one to defy the fates today!