Chapter 194: Medicine of Tigers and Wolves

Hu Huanhuan walked into the Inner Room with measured steps; the moment she saw Shen Ping lying unconscious on the bed, the sorrow on her face could no longer be concealed.

She placed the food box on the side table next to the bed, and with a desolate expression, took out a bowl of soup and a bowl of congee, lowering her head as she said, "I cooked ginseng soup and congee; I will feed him some..."

Hu Huanhuan's voice was low, hoarse, and choked with sobs, as if she were telling Duan Rong, or perhaps talking to herself.

Duan Rong said, "He cannot eat ginseng soup right now. You can try feeding him some congee."

"This is old mountain ginseng; can he not eat it?" Hu Huanhuan looked up, her eyes filled with suspicion as she looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong was young after all, and in Hu Huanhuan's view, he was not a physician, so how could he be so certain?

Duan Rong noticed the doubt in Hu Huanhuan's eyes and said, "He is running a fever, and his internal state is parched and hot; how could he handle ginseng soup? Although he is severely injured, his physical foundation is excellent, and his pulse still shows vitality; this is absolutely not the time for tonics."

Although what Duan Rong said made sense, Hu Huanhuan did not quite understand it; she held the soup bowl, still hesitating.

Seeing Hu Huanhuan still hesitating, Duan Rong sighed in his heart and changed his approach, saying, "Old mountain ginseng is also a medicine; it is not something just anyone can take at random. The prescription written by Physician Gu is right there on the table; you can take a look—is there any tonic herb in it?"

Hu Huanhuan indeed saw a prescription placed against the wall on the side table, but she did not go to pick it up.

The moment she glanced at the prescription, she suddenly realized that she had been too anxious about Shen Ping's life just now and had been somewhat stubborn.

Hu Huanhuan immediately set down the soup bowl, looked at Duan Rong, and smiled bitterly: "Huanhuan was a bit muddled just now; many thanks to Mr. Duan for the reminder."

Duan Rong nodded and did not speak.

Duan Rong understood Hu Huanhuan; that moment just now was a bit of a stress reaction. At this time, her complexion was no longer as sorrowful as before, and the body that had been tense the moment she entered the Inner Room finally relaxed a little.

It seemed that this Shen Ping was likely an extremely important person in Hu Huanhuan's heart.

At this moment, Hu Huanhuan carried the food box to Duan Rong and said, "In this food box, there are still a few dishes that I brought for Mr. Duan."

Duan Rong took the food box, thanked her, and walked to the main room, leaving Hu Huanhuan alone inside.

Duan Rong sat down at the table in the main room and took out the dishes from the food box: a plate of lion's head meatballs, a plate of red-braised pork, a plate of side dishes, and two steamed buns.

Duan Rong was already hungry; he sat at the table and poked at the lion's head meatball with his chopsticks. Once it entered his mouth, it was surprisingly delicious.

Duan Rong immediately began to feast.

Inside the Inner Room, Hu Huanhuan used a pillow to prop up Shen Ping's head, then fed a spoonful of congee into Shen Ping's mouth. The prescription written by Gu Suxiu had a sedative effect, and Shen Ping was even more lethargic than before; most of the congee flowed out from the corner of his mouth.

As Hu Huanhuan fed him, she kept wiping the corner of his mouth; more than half of the small bowl of congee ended up being spilled.

Hu Huanhuan stood up and lifted the blanket covering Shen Ping.

Looking at Shen Ping covered in bandages, a sharp pain pierced her heart. Hu Huanhuan loosened the bandages on Shen Ping's chest, and seeing the large patch of rotting flesh there, she could no longer endure it, and tears gushed out.

Hu Huanhuan stood by the bed and watched Shen Ping for a long time before she finally managed to stop her tears, murmuring, "Old thing! You must hold on... If you die just like this... I won't let you go even in the eighteenth level of hell..."

After Duan Rong finished his meal, he sat in the grand armchair in the main room to rest.

Hu Huanhuan carried the food box and walked out with measured steps. Duan Rong raised his eyes and saw that Hu Huanhuan's eyes were already swollen from crying, and the makeup on her face was smudged.

Hu Huanhuan performed a curtsy to Duan Rong and prepared to take her leave.

"Chief Hu," Duan Rong suddenly called out to her.

Hu Huanhuan turned to look at Duan Rong, thinking he had something to say, but Duan Rong said, "Chief Hu, you might as well wash your face before you go."

Hu Huanhuan was momentarily confused and looked at Duan Rong with puzzled eyes.

Duan Rong pointed at his eyes with his finger.

Hu Huanhuan suddenly realized; she had been crying silently for a while just now, so her eyes must be swollen and her makeup ruined, but she had been so focused on Shen Ping's condition that she hadn't paid any attention to these minor details.

If she went back like this, she didn't know how the gossips at Huaying Pavilion would mock her.

In the pavilion in the courtyard, Hu Huanhuan washed her entire face with the clear water in a wooden basin.

Hu Huanhuan walked down from the pavilion. Duan Rong glanced at her; the Hu Huanhuan who had washed away her makeup—though her skin lacked luster and her wrinkles were more visible—possessed a unique charm refined by the years.

It was a feminine radiance tempered by time!

Hu Huanhuan walked down from the pavilion, looked at Duan Rong, and asked, "Can that guy still live?"

Duan Rong looked at Hu Huanhuan and remained silent.

Hu Huanhuan seemed to understand Duan Rong's meaning; she thanked him and turned to leave.

After Hu Huanhuan left, Duan Rong entered the Inner Room, touched Shen Ping's forehead, and checked his pulse again. Based on the pulse, Duan Rong felt that this guy should be able to survive.

Sometimes, between life and death, it also depends on a person's inner will.

Some people are born with a strong and genuine desire to survive; it is a kind of unwillingness, a desire to continue living in this chaotic world.

And some people, between life and death, will develop a tendency toward despondency and self-destruction...

Duan Rong left the Inner Room and began practicing the Hunyuan Stance in the courtyard.

While performing the Standing Stake, Duan Rong inspected the circulation of his Internal Breath through internal vision, and he could not help but feel secretly annoyed.

After a period of cultivation, he discovered that when practicing the Internal Breath Fourth Layer, the issue of drug penetration had a greater impact on his cultivation progress than he had anticipated.

Just then, a light suddenly dawned in Duan Rong's heart.

He remembered one thing.

This wicked physician Shen Ping was not only a master of making poisons, but he should also be an expert in treating illnesses; otherwise, when Xiao Baijiao was critically ill, Xiao Zongting would not have invited him.

Therefore, this person must be proficient in all kinds of medicinal properties and medical arts.

More importantly, he was also a Martial Artist at the True Qi Realm First Stage.

That meant this person was a practitioner of Medicine and Martial Arts Dual Cultivation!?

Unfortunately, Shen Ping was naturally unconventional and had nothing on his person; when Duan Rong washed his body, he discovered that he was completely bare.

Otherwise, while he was unconscious, Duan Rong could have swallowed the Spirit Tool of any Artifact on his body, which might have immediately solved the drug penetration problem that was troubling him.

Duan Rong suddenly dispersed his energy and stopped the Standing Stake.

At this moment, his expression was solemn; just now, he had decided to use every means possible to save Shen Ping.

Because he felt that saving Shen Ping was the key to solving his drug penetration problem.

Duan Rong walked back into the Inner Room, moved a folding stool, sat in front of the bed, and carefully checked Shen Ping's pulse.

This time, he spent a quarter of an hour just checking the pulse, and then Duan Rong sat upright at the table, preparing to write out a new prescription—not just adjusting one herb based on Gu Suxiu's prescription.

Instead, he had to tear it all down and start over!

Countless individual medicinal principles crossed and converged within Duan Rong's mind...

Although he had far surpassed Gu Suxiu in medical attainment by relying on the Devouring Artifact Spirit, this was, after all, his first time truly setting out to write a prescription to save someone.

Duan Rong pondered for a long time; he felt that for Shen Ping's condition, he had to take some risks.

Once Duan Rong had finished thinking it through, he immediately set to work and wrote out a prescription, which contained at least two ingredients that could be called harsh, potent medicines.

After Duan Rong finished writing, he looked it over once more; he repeatedly reasoned and considered it, concluding that this path was viable.

Duan Rong then stood up and, while the sky had not yet turned dark, went to the Raw Medicine Shop on West Street to fetch three doses of medicine, and he also bought a Needle Pouch for acupuncture at the Raw Medicine Shop.

Upon returning to Liu Lu, Duan Rong immediately decocted one dose of medicine, and after it cooled to a warm temperature, he first performed acupuncture, drawing three Silver Needles from the Needle Pouch and inserting them into three acupoints on the top of Shen Ping's head.

Duan Rong inserted needles into these three acupoints to make Shen Ping a bit more conscious, so he could force the decoction down his throat.

(End of this chapter)