"Can you really cure me?" Ding Bojing spoke for the first time since Kong Xiang walked in.
Having been ill since birth, Ding Bojing's temperament was calm and gentle. However, all his life, he had been stuck in bed unable to perform the simplest activities to avoid over tasking his already weak body. The possibility of recovery was way too tempting to remain calm at this point.
"I can try, can't I?" Ding Bojing nodded. Even if it was a tiny ray of hope, he would take it.
Yuan Meng curiously stepped to the side and allowed Kong Xiang examine the young master. As for his earlier pride and anger, it was long forgotten. In front of a master of medicine, he knew quite well he still had a lot to learn. Given the huge medical knowledge displayed by this little kid, he thought that the backing behind him was probably terrifying.
Kong Xiang examined Ding Bojing's vitals and placed a few hands on some acupoints, his expression lighting up afterwards.
"Luckily, it's the easiest type of Gu to deal with"
"What is it?"
"A vitality robbing poison spirit body" He explained. "This poison spirit doesn't do any other thing than to absorb the vitality present in its host. As the name implies, it is a spirit body freely able to transition between spirit and physical forms. This unique ability enables it to avoid detection and remain stealthy"
Ding Xiaolong's mom asked hurriedly, "How do we get rid of it?"
Kong Xiang requested for some materials and discussed his plan, which was accepted due to it not being dangerous or anything.
He calmed his breathing and started funneling nature energy to Ding Bojing's body. Ding Bojing's felt so much comfort from this infusion, but almost immediately, a subtle suction force started absorbing this energy from within him. His eyes widened with realization. Normally, this energy stealing would be extremely subtle, but it seems the attraction for this energy was greater than its cautious nature, so it absorbed with less restraint. Kong Xiang continued channeling, simultaneously absorbing the provided materials to convert to more nature qi.
A few hours passed.. Kong Xiang looked extremely pale. Ding Bojing looked healthier, as some of the nature energy escaped the Gu's absorption and worked on his body. The Gu had absorbed way too much to absorb in such little time, so its movement was slower. Kong Xiang turned to Ding Peng and nodded.
Ding Peng erupted with a soul crushing aura that pressed upon his son's body. Due to him completely fixing his perception to search for the most obscure anomalies, his cultivation base at the Half Step Soul Embryo realm instantly helped him identify a foreign body and he immobilized it immediately with his soul energy. Kong Xiang sent a thread of nature energy and wrapped it around the Gu, dragging out the bloated bug. Ding Xiaolong and her mom gave startled screams, while Yuan Meng looked at Kong Xiang in admiration.
The one most impacted was Ding Bojing. He was practically in tears as his lifelong nightmare was expelled from his body.
"I trust you can easily restore his body since the parasite is gone" A weary Kong Xiang said to Yuan Meng. Yuan Meng replied in the affirmative.
As for the poison spirit body trapped in his ball of nature energy, Kong Xiang could sense that he could instantly eliminate it from inside out by blowing up the undigested nature qi it absorbed, but upon sensing the infinite vitality it had absorbed for the past 16 years, a crazy idea started to form in his head.
"Kong Xiang, are you alright?" Ding Xiaolong came to him and asked. He turned to her with a glint in his eyes.
"The Golden Bars Pavilion sells everything, don't they?"
She answered with some pride. "Of course" Their conversation did not escape Ding Peng's senses who joined them and asked. "Could it be that you need something?"
"Yes, I need some poisonous materials"
"Poison" Confusion was written all over his face. "To do what?"
"To temper my body"