Old Man Jiang looked through the peep box as they pulled up to the Tower. There were many people sick and dying laying around. Those laying on the ground were covered in cloths like a foul thing and the corpses were ready for an orderly disposal. The City's Central Tower seemed carved by hand, enormous Sculptures were covering the outside of the Tower. Many Many different styles of Statue and Statuettes smothered the exterior.
Macabre and full of the scent of death, many of the sculptures seemed dyed with blood, rusty and grim.
Feeling like he was walking into another world, Zhan carried his Father while following behind Old Man Jiang.
Entering the Tower, they found themselves coming face to face with plague victims. Old Man Jiang quickly produced 3 purification pills and handed them to Zhan. "These will help keep the sickness away but only for a time, let us hurry." Zhan fed the pill to his father and Master Jiang moved it down with some energy.
He increased his barrier's size to include the all of them as they ascended. They needed to get to the 11th floor.
"He's only a third of the way up, lucky for us." Old Man Jiang yelled out when he arrived at the door.
His pounding was rhythmic and then they yelling started, "HEY, Old Master.. Disciple greets Master.. Get your ass out here! I need your help right now, please forgive my urgency!"
"Old Master's Master?" Zhan was confused about some things but when the door finally opened, the man who exited was gray and old. Zhan was quiet while he held his father, both of them were in complete agony.
"Master Granite, please assist me. I have encountered a problem I am unable to fix. Though your invitation is from long ago, I hope you will not turn us away." Old Man Jiang knelt down and prostrated, keeping no face for himself.
Zhan's impression of the old man was already high, when Master Jiang chose to plead in such a way, he felt moved. Regardless of the outcome, Old Man Jiang had earned a greater respect.
"Get up... Get up! You always did these things, all I ever wanted was for you to return. Under these circumstances, I don't think we should discuss old wounds." Master Granite pointed to a table, "Show me, You there.. lay down on the table."
Sitting his Father on the table, Zhan saw the wound that had been open for nearly a week, the flesh was unpleasant, both father and son wreaked of Death. Looking at the blood, Master Granite placed his hand on Zao Ooran's chest.
"Pulling poison from this body will take time, do not disconnect and no not die. Those stones link your lives, when connected you share fate." Master Granite warned Zhan before he proceeded.
The poison slowly retracted and at the moment he started, the changes were evident. He worked as he spoke to Old Man Jiang. "Now that we have a handle on what pains you, lets discuss what pains me. I will not change my treatment, so do not fear. I would not be so vicious as to deny this man his life, as you have denied me my happiness." The look in Master Granite's eyes was grief, though people around him were dying, the pain in his heart was deeper and cut more viciously any plague.
"The Old Master's Master is indeed passionate, forgive me for intruding but what were you denied?" Zhan was trying to keep consciousness, he spoke while being half awake.
"You should ask the 'Old Master' to tell you these things, is not my duty or right. I will tell you that he has denied me my love and little more. Leave it to him to leave you in the dark, as he has left me in the dark in the past as well." Being cryptic yet not, Master Granite was still being coy like a woman, it was hard for the man to not show his feelings about Old Master Jiang.
"Passionate or not, the truth always comes out. This Old Master is the Ex-Lover of Master Granite. Times change and my ass grew fat, I ran from returning because I was unsure of how you would see me when we grew old. Here we are and still you pine over me?" Old Master Jiang continued and winced when Master Granite winked to be sexy, it was clearly not. "Now you know, lets drop the matter until after all this is over. The Venom of the Ancient Cobra King is not a small matter, I will not forget these actions in the face of my long absence."
"That explains a lot.." Zhan commented, he felt like it was the wrong thing to say the moment it came out of his mouth.
Dumbstruck, Old Man Jiang retorted "What's that suppose to mean?"
"We all sort of figured you preferred the company of a Master." A voice came from the corner, a woman stepped out, waved and left the room.
"Thirty Five Years!" Master Granite yet out a long sigh, "I've been waiting for you to come back for 35 YEARS!" He was a little agitated but settled down when he noticed Ooran cringe during the extraction. "Sorry. I will stay quiet until the end, we can discuss this afterward." Giving up the argument there and then, Master Granite shut his mouth.
"35 years.. I've been waiting 35 years for you to shut up.. Ha ha ha.. Thank you Master, You never change." Old Man Jiang sat on the chair beside the table.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
By the end of the evening, the poison was mostly removed and Zhan could finally remove the stone connecting his life force to his Father. The wound on his bicep had long since been healed over to stop the loss of blood, both of the men were filled with vitality but Ooran had a change in his constitution. His body had gained a resistance to poison and toughened him greatly.
With his meridian channels corroded, the healing process allowed them to mend into a larger flow pattern than before, Zao Ooran could feel the energy in his body pulsing like the heart of a beast, a wild beast.
He was coming to his senses and opened his eyes for the first time in days, the light stung. The first thing Ooran saw was a strange and unknown ceiling, then his Eldest Son.
Gladly receiving any sign of his life, Zhan grabbed his Fathers hand. "Father, you're alive... thank the Guardians."
"Somehow I feel like I have you to thank for keeping me alive." He coughed, "So.. I will see my newest family members after all." Struggling but continuing his conversation, Ooran said with a little more conviction,"I heard what you said in the Carriage.. A Grandchild, does your Mother know?"
Hurried, Zhan responded, "No.. not yet, Rachael and I were going to discuss it with the both of you. She wanted the both of you to know at the same time."
"Good girl! You've found a good one there and now your relationship is built on more than you saving her life. Enough of that nonsense, marry the Woman. Give me a lot of Grandchildren." Zao Ooran protested and then laid his head back down. His voice was hoarse and dry so he reached for some water.
"You two catch up, I have some thing to discuss with Master Jiang." Grabbing Old Man Jiang by the waistband, Master Granite pulled him along into another chamber so they could talk in peace.
The Bed Chamber was a dark place and there were soft pillows all around, it had been decorated according to Master Granite's tastes. "Its always a good thing to meet old friends in strange or foreign places but your timing couldn't be worse. We have a plague contaminating our water supply. Water magic isn't working, we've lost so many."
"My power has taken a change.. I have a dual Wood and Healing magic now.. it doesn't work on poisons." Old Man Jiang was uncertain if he would be successful if the plague was caused by unorthodox means but Master Granite had been on the scene for longer and knew more about what he was dealing with.
Poisons were not the same as toxins and healing magic was extremely rare to begin with. Master Jiang's dual abilities with plants gave him a unique chance to purify the water.
"Will that be enough? I can set up purification formations for the water and cast healing on anyone who's ill. Get someone from outside and test it, find someone that's definitely ill and bring me some of the poisoned water."
They tried the combination on the nearest soldier that was showing symptoms. After it was a success, they ran to get more friends and family members.
Guards noticed the traffic quickly and soon the Sovereign caught wind of people being cured. "Guards, Please escort the Royal Family to the 11th floor of the Tower."
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍