Chapter 555: Two Treatment Options

Zhang Jie made no comment on the matter between Xu Xiang and Feng Baobao.

Outsiders think Xu Xiang died from exhaustion, but perhaps he enjoyed it?

As Mencius said, “You are not a fish—how can you know the joy of a fish?”

For Xu Xiang, nothing in the world was more important than protecting Feng Baobao.

“I’ll go get that old ginseng right away!”

Xu Si shook his head, set aside his thoughts, and moved with decisive speed to act.

“Go quickly and return quickly.”

Xu San gave a reminder.

“Mm.”

Xu Si nodded.

“Ah Jie, Chu Lan, sit down and rest for a while.”

Xu San invited Zhang Jie and the others to sit, and poured tea for them.

“Thank you, Third Brother.”

Zhang Jie thanked him and accepted the tea without hesitation.

“Ah Jie, how are your parents doing?”

Xu Xiang’s spirit had revived slightly, and he grew talkative.

“They’re all fine…”

During this time, Zhang Jie’s adoptive parents in this life had been on a business trip,

and though he hadn’t met the old leader Xu Xiang, as a son he naturally kept in touch with them.

…

“I’ve brought it!”

Time passed as Zhang Jie and Xu Xiang chatted idly,

and Xu Si moved swiftly—he returned from hospital to home within an hour.

“Ah Jie, it’s yours.”

Breathless, Xu Si handed Zhang Jie a small box made of sandalwood.

Clearly, the considerable distance had not been without effort.

Zhang Jie took the box, opened it, and inside, lined with yellow silk, lay a single ginseng root.

Its body was spindle-shaped, splitting at the bottom into two branches, resembling a human’s two legs.

Numerous fine, elongated rootlets spread out from the two branches.

The gray-yellow body bore dense, deep transverse markings, indicating the ginseng was extremely old.

At the fork of the two branches was a clear cut mark—the ginseng had once had three branches,

likely the third having been used by Xu San and the others to test its efficacy, leaving behind this scar.

“I thought this ginseng would grow into a human shape.”

Zhang Chulan, peering over, looked disappointed.

“To take on the legendary form of a ginseng child, one would need a celestial ginseng thousands of years old.

This one’s age is not short, but only a few hundred years—it’s far from achieving human form.”

Xu Xiang smiled as he explained.

Human-shaped ginseng, even throughout history, were rare beyond imagining,

appearing only faintly in legends of immortals who consumed elixirs and rare herbs and ascended.

In today’s environment, such ginseng must have vanished long ago.

Even if it existed, such a divine artifact could never have come into his hands.

Zhang Jie, however, ignored the conversation around him—he picked up the ginseng and examined it carefully with true Qi.

Streams of translucent, golden light radiated from it, astonishingly mystical.

After a long while, Zhang Jie set it down.

“Ah Jie, what do you think?”

Xu San and Xu Si asked urgently.

Even Xu Xiang listened closely to Zhang Jie’s answer.

Though he had made peace with his fate, who would refuse a little more time to live?

More time meant more time to stay with Ah Wu…

“It can be done.”

Zhang Jie nodded slowly.

This ginseng lived up to its name as a treasure herb—its life force was abundant,

and if refined, it could easily extend Xu Xiang’s life for some time.

“Good!”

The heavy stone in Xu San and Xu Si’s hearts finally lifted.

“But now is the time to choose a treatment plan.”

Zhang Jie continued.

“What treatment plans?”

Feng Baobao reverted to her vacant stare.

“Jie Ge mentioned the two plans he brought up with the treasure herb.”

Zhang Chulan whispered a reminder.

“Oh.”

Feng Baobao gave a dazed, innocent “Oh.”

“Ah Jie, what are the two treatment plans?”

Xu San and Xu Si exchanged glances; finally, the steady Xu San spoke.

“The first is to channel all the medicinal power into sustaining life,

combined with modern medical equipment—it should allow Uncle Xu to live another six months or so.”

Zhang Jie toyed with the ginseng as he explained.

“Ah Jie, is this similar to what I had before?”

Xu Xiang asked.

“Yes.”

Zhang Jie nodded: “This plan maximizes life extension, but sacrifices other aspects.”

“I choose the second!”

Xu Xiang declared firmly.

“Father!”

Xu San and Xu Si wanted to say more.

“Hmm?”

A single glance from Xu Xiang silenced their words.

“I knew Uncle Xu wouldn’t choose the first plan.”

Zhang Jie smiled slightly and continued:

“The second plan channels part of the life-sustaining medicinal power into vitality,

to support Uncle Xu’s free movement—but this would reduce the lifespan by roughly half.”

Xu Xiang’s face broke into a smile: “This plan is better!”

He had long grown tired of this room filled with medical devices and the smell of disinfectant.

“Alright, I’ll begin treatment for Uncle Xu.”

Zhang Jie flipped his hand, and a richer golden light surged from his palm, enveloping the entire ginseng.

“Ah, my 24K titanium alloy eyes!”

Zhang Chulan, squinting to steal a glimpse, felt as if a flash grenade had exploded before him.

Zhang Jie ignored Zhang Chulan’s antics,

sat cross-legged, and focused all his attention on the glowing orb in his hands.

Under his peerless power, the ginseng’s life force was extracted and stirred, becoming lively and responsive.

“Breathe!”

Zhang Chulan drew a deep breath and felt refreshed and invigorated,

as if he were no longer in a steel-and-concrete jungle,

but in a vibrant forest full of birdsong and floral fragrance.

“So comfortable.”

Feng Baobao, with her innocent, childlike heart, was utterly entranced.

In the end, what remained in Zhang Jie’s hands was a glowing orb radiating dense life force.

The ginseng had withered and decayed into powder, trickling through the gaps in Zhang Jie’s palm.

“Gul.”

Xu San and Xu Si simultaneously swallowed their saliva.

Their instincts told them that if they could swallow the green light orb in Zhang Jie’s hand,

they would gain immense benefits, and further advancement in ability would be child’s play.

Yet their feelings for their father, Xu Xiang, still compelled them to suppress this greed.

“Uncle Xu, I’m about to begin.”

Zhang Jie approached Xu Xiang and placed the orb above his Baihui point.

“Ah Jie, do as you please!” Xu Xiang smiled carefreely.

Zhang Jie gently pressed down with his palm; the orb dissolved into nothingness and slowly sank into Xu Xiang’s body through his Baihui point.