Lu Chong was unaware why he felt such dread upon hearing the word 'Immortal', but somehow, he knew it was not his best interest to dabble on such topics.
"I've got to get out here." he said as he decided. It wasn't based on deductions that he wanted to avoid immortals but it was his basic intuition telling him to go and avoid such people. With such little choices in his hand, he got up the bed and stood on his two feet.
But just before he could place his foot over the other, his left foot tripped on his right and he fell to the floor with a thud.
Ouch. A painful sensation stung him.
What was this?
Had I also forgotten how to walk? He questioned his inability comprehend. But he got up again regardless and walked towards the only door in the room.
But just before his hand could reach the door handles, the door abruptly opened and revealed two elderly men on the other side. Both unexpectedly shock to see Lu Chong.
One elderly was wearing an eyepatch over his long scar while his other eye showed the crimson colored horrors of his life.
The other elderly had a face devoid of facial hair but his deep wrinkles told his long age and vast experiences. And the aroma he exuded smells of intoxicating medicine.
It was Xingjian, Lu Chong's master and the other elderly is known as Master Hong. A renowned master of the sect who studies the Dao of Alchemy.
Seeing Lu Chong, who should be lying in the bed instead of standing before them, Xingjian frowned. "Brat, sit your ass down. We need to talk."
"..." Lu Chong was bit speechless of how this elderly was addressing him. But sensing the dormant pressure his instincts sensed, Lu Chong did not disobey and quietly sat on the bed.
Now sitting on his uncertainties, Lu Chong was anxious of what plans do this oldies harbor. Although it seems that the elder with the eyepatch was extremely familiar with him, Lu Chong couldn't remember how he met him. It wasn't because his memories were too foggy, it was because he had no memory of this elder at all.
"How do you feel?" Xingjian asked Lu Chong and made him rack his brain to think.
Think. Why am I here? Who are these people? What do they want from me?
Too many uncertainties had made him too anxious to come up with an answer. Eventually, Lu Chong just answered that he was fine and prayed they won't do any harm.
Xingjian then looked at master Hong by his side and the latter spoke while stroking his chin. "He seems to be fine... For now, at least. But just to be sure that he isn't infected, I might have to inject a surge of TonicQi on his bloodstream through acupuncture. That way, if the PoisonQi hidden in his body were to launch its attack, the TonicQi will immediately do its magic before anything happens to him."
After being explained, Xingjian frowned even more and queried. "But what if the PoisonQi is too strong for the TonicQi to handle? Won't he suffer first and become an infected agent by then?"
Master Hong shook his and answered. "As far as I know, there is probably no strong Poison that can elude our Spiritual Awareness due to how toxic its properties are. And even if there is, I doubt that the poison wouldn't react when I inject the TonicQi by then. At least, your disciple will be cured of Poison. The worst-case scenario, your disciple will die due to the Chemical clashing between the Poison and Tonic. But the death will be very painless."
"Hmph! And this is the best you can do?" Xingjian scoffed as he argued. "Why don't you go back to your little garden and give us a Saint tier herb or a Grade A Poison Nemesis pill. If you can't save a mortal from a cowardly poison hiding in his body, then don't bother killing him!"
What the heck was this?
I came to you with my pride lowered down and pleaded to you to save my disciple. Yet, the only thing you could do was send a surge of TonicQi into him and hope it won't kill him?
That's like telling me you'll accidentally kill my disciple with chemotherapy!
Like hell would I let you touch my disciple.
Having his solution disapproved so rudely, master Hong didn't dare push his weight around him. After all, who is this man before him?
Even though he was old and looked incredibly weak that he a cane to support him, his legend rang throughout the vast regions of the Immortal God Continent, along with wide river branches blood belonging to his enemies.
How could he, a simple Alchemist, dare to rebut the Demonlord?
However, despite his humble background, master Hong wouldn't take kindly of those who looked down on Alchemy, which he spent his entire life studying its essence. Thus, after hearing such wild retort, he couldn't keep his mouth shut and said.
"The matter pertaining Poison is always a delicate subject to discuss. What I explained just then was the best solution I had deduced today. According to my calculations, the chances that your disciple is poisoned are close to 7%. Even though it's a tiny chance, it's still a chance nonetheless. Thus, I could only give this kind of solution to destroy that 7% so that your disciple will be freed from his predicament.
"If you were to feed him a Saint herb, not only will it be ineffective for him, it will even kill him! Saint herbs are rare products that contains a vast variety of medicinal properties condensed into a plant life filled with Spiritual Essence. Considering feeding that to a mortal like him, the effects might possibly affect his already crumbling Life Force and any possible damage will be irreparable! Hence, killing him.
"And also, incentives he's a mortal now, how on earth can he possibly absorb the properties of a Poison Nemesis pill without nourishing himself with his own Qi? And even if he could, the 7% chances of his suspected poisoned condition will rise to 67%! Why? It's because most of the supplementary ingredients of the pill are basically Poisonous herbs! He'll die before he chokes on that pill."
"..." Xingjian went silent as he listened to master Hong's reasons. He didn't back talk or rudely interrupt him as he felt heavy knowing he had unintentionally hurt latter's pride.
Xingjian had also studied the Fundamental logic of Alchemy. But his knowledge couldn't compare to the vast knowledge possessed by master Hong. So, he couldn't stand to speak with him in the same footing. And speaking of which, he was also practically asking the latter to do a miracle.
But still, he was a bit mad that his disciple's death was included as a certainty according to his calculations. After all, who would want to false hope in a middle of quagmire?
"Now, as for my solution involving TonicQi, it is by far the best treatment I can possibly manage. Your disciple's condition is too unstable despite his appearance and you know it as well more than I do. That's why it's crucial that we take this delicately lest the possibility of the poison going berserk in the process. He will die if a mishap were to occur. And TonicQi therapy is widely known to be the safest treatment in the book albeit the chances depended on what kind of poison it is containing."
Master Hong paused here as he sighed deeply. Getting the anxiousness out of his system. And then he said. "Master Xingjian, I don't like making excuses but I also don't like being provoked. I only came to help because you pleaded humbly for my assistance. But if you don't like my kind of treatment, then you should go find another Alchemist to help. It seems that my capabilities here are insufficient."
Master Hong turned around and started walking away. But just before he could leave the room...
"Wait." Xingjian called out to him to which the latter turned back to look.
Master Hong saw Xingjian, the legendary swordsman of vengeance, the man who once served as one of the 12 Zodiac Guardians who defended the humans from the Devil invasion, this uncannily prideful man whose arrogance was equal to his skill, he saw this old man had knelt on the floor before him.