Chapter 630: If force won’t get things done, use submission (1/2)

Chapter 630: If force won’t get things done, use submission

When Han Yunxi recalled Gu Qishao’s abnormal behavior, then looked at the pretty eyes of the boy in the drawing again, she couldn’t help but suspect him as the missing disciple. He was well known as a fiendish genius in the medical world. At the medical academy, he had been fed medicine growing up, then expelled for reasons unknown from Medical City. If she remembered correctly, Gu Qishao was still young when he left the academy and didn’t immediately establish Pill Fiend Valley.

So where did he go after that? How did he create Pill Fiend Valley in the first place? After all, Medical City was the one that drove him out, so Medicine City wouldn’t have welcomed him, either. Where did he get the wealth and ingredients to create his own property?

“Why did Little Loony leave Medicine Requesting Cave?” Han Yunxi asked.

The old man suddenly grew angry. “Just find the person who matches this picture! As for the rest….hehe, stop minding other people’s business!”

Knowing that his moods were extremely erratic, Han Yunxi stopped arguing and coaxed patiently, “It’s been over 10 years now. Nobody can tell what he’d look like now. Even if he’s standing right in front of you, you might not recognize him. How are we supposed to rely on a single picture to track him down?”

The old man fell into thought while staring at Han Yunxi. Eventually, tears started flowing down his face. “It was all this old man’s fault. I shouldn’t have beat him back then.”

“Why did you beat him?” Han Yunxi was startled. If he left because of that, how severe was the beating in the first place?

“That day, this old man…” Abruptly the man stopped himself. “Stinkin’ lass, it’s not that easy claiming my Medicine Requesting Cave! If you can find the person in this picture, this place is yours!”

Actually, he wanted to tell her more details, but he really had no idea where the child had come from or even his real name, much less his actual age now. Many years ago, he had ran into the boy while picking plants in the back mountains. He thought that it was one of Sun Zhong’s medical novices come to steal his medicinal plants, but upon closer inspection he’d actually seen the child eating the medicine instead as if they were the most delicious things in the world. This was the first time he’d ever met a child who ate medicinal plants as food. He wanted to ask more questions, but the child fled as soon as he noticed him. Somehow he’d managed to find a secret passageway to the pill refining cave and hide.

He was the only one who knew the existence of that passageway, which he used exclusively to leave the cave and pick his plants. He couldn’t figure out how the boy had found it too, because he refused to believe it was mere coincidence. After sealing the exit of the tunnel and trapping the child inside, he stood in a cold war with the boy for three days and three nights before the child surrendered and asked for something to eat. He gave the child some hot food and saw him all but devour it down. It must have been ages since he last ate. After a slew of questions, he discovered to his astonishment that the child had found the passageway by following the scent of pills in the air. The boy could even distinguish the different types and quantities of medicine contained in a single pill. The old man had been both surprised and delighted, because he’d been looking for ages for a successor. He never expected to run into a fiendish genius just by chance. From that day on, he accepted the boy as his disciple and taught him medicine. Once he mastered all the knowledge available to the medical cottage, he was going to teach him how to refine pills as well.

Unfortunately…whatever happened next left the old man in a deep depression. Faintly he demanded, “Stinkin’ lass, I’ll give you a three year deadline. Are you going to find him or not?”

“I will! But we have to list out the terms on paper, in case at that time…”

Before she finished, the old man was already calling out. “Someone come, bring brush and ink!”

When they saw the old man craft out a written agreement, Long Feiye and Gu Beiyue were taken aback as well. Although this man was eccentric and strange, his mind was clear enough. He was neither a lunatic nor a fool.

He’ll give me the Medicine Requesting Cave as long as I find this person for him? Han Yunxi felt like she was being tricked. “You’re certain,” she asked.

“What, can’t the three of you find one single person?” the old man scoffed.

Before Han Yunxi could answer, Long Feiye was already taking the written contract in his hands. “That’s settled, then!”

Why hesitate in the face of such good fortune? If the old man regret his choice, there wouldn’t even be time for Han Yunxi to cry. The terms of the agreement looked lax, but upon second thought it really was quite hard. If Han Yunxi hadn’t passed the first trial, they wouldn’t have met the old man in the first place, much less impress him.

“That’s settled!” the old man echoed without regrets. The one thing he felt remorse over in this life was beating that boy. He was willing to pay any price to get him back. He knew that he had to put out big stakes just to get people like that stinkin’ lass and her cohorts to take it seriously. Three years was still long enough for him to wait.

Before Han Yunxi left, she stopped to ask one more question out of curiosity. “Old senior, how did you learn to pluck fire out of thin air?”

The old man only pretended he didn’t hear and strolled back into the furnace. Han Yunxi figured the mysterious fire had to be related to the constant head powering the pill refining furnace, but she could figure that out after they found their target. This time, they’d not only obtained the Muscle Growing Ointment, but a bonus prize as well. Their journey hadn’t been in vain!

As they retraced their steps, Han Yunxi felt much lighter. When she thought of Gu Beiyue standing up again, she was thrilled! “Doctor Gu, you have hope now!” she said seriously.

Gu Beiyue’s gentle smile was now especially brilliant. “Thanks to esteemed wangfei and Your Highness Duke of Qin!”

“It’s what we should have done, what’s with the thanks?” Han Yunxi laughed.

Long Feiye was still wearing his expressionless face. He quickly changed the topic and asked, “Could that boy…be Gu Qishao?”

“We’ll know after we ask,” Gu Beiyue said.