The three of them arrived at Liao Ya's private cultivation quiet room. Inside, in addition to the young girl's delicate fragrance, there was also a faint medicinal herb scent.
A clay pot was bubbling away, and Liao Qe took out three bowls, pouring the medicinal juice into them.
Liao Ya's portion was the most, a full bowl; Liao Qe's own was next in line; Lu Yao's was the least, just a single mouthful.
She explained, "Young Master Lu, it's not that I'm stingy. Your body is so frail that you can't handle much nourishment, the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup, I dare only give you so much."
Lu Yao curiously sniffed it, the strong medicine scent carried a unique aura.
Organ failure had long since killed his appetite, but now, subconsciously, his saliva was secreting—his body was instinctively craving this Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup!
He quickly drank it, feeling a stream of warmth entering his stomach from the esophagus, spreading throughout his body, cozy and incredibly comfortable.
Previously, after acupuncture, his body was barely able to move; now, he already felt somewhat stronger!
It was like a person with a 39-degree fever cooling down to 38 degrees, the relief was more than just a little.
Lu Yao moved his limbs and couldn't help exclaiming, "Such immediate effects, it's miraculous!"
Liao Qe proudly said, "This is an ancestral recipe from the Liao Family, brewed from 10 expensive and rare medicinal ingredients! It's excellent for nourishing one's vital energy, greatly benefiting martial artists' cultivation. The recipe was created by 'Master Bin Hu' himself."
Master Bin Hu was Li Shizhen, the one who said that brain damage could not be cured with medicine.
Lu Yao stood in solemn respect, "I have long admired the reputation, indeed it's miraculously effective!"
Then he asked Liao Ya, "Master Liao, with this incredible medicine, I felt much better after just one small sip. If paired with your acupuncture, could it cure my illness?"
Liao Ya, who had drank her own share and was adjusting her breathing, opened her eyes upon hearing this and said,
"The tonic only temporarily provides a bit of vitality; your body is like a leaking sieve, it's eventually going to burn out."
The girl bluntly spoke the harsh truth, and Lu Yao felt somewhat downcast, but not giving up, he continued to ask, "Isn't there any hope at all?"
Liao Ya thought for a moment and then honestly said, "Advancing in martial arts to the 'Blood-Exchange Realm' can cure all diseases without the need for medicine. But your body... is completely incapable of martial arts."
The Martial Path is divided into nine realms, and the first five are Sinew-Strengthening, Bone-Tempering, Organ Refining, Marrow-Cleansing, and Blood-Exchange.
Liao Ya, who had been cultivating hard since childhood, was only at the level of Organ Refining.
For Lu Yao, a patient in the late stages of cancer, dreaming of reaching the Blood-Exchange Realm was as absurd as a 3-year-old child taking college entrance exams and getting into top universities like Tsinghua or Peking.
After a long silence,
Lu Yao suddenly looked up, his sallow and haggard face filled with resolve, "If... I drink the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup every day, to fullness! Could I then practice martial arts?"
"Drink it every day... to fullness!?" Liao Ya was startled upon hearing this.
Liao Qe's eyes widened in disbelief, exclaiming, "That's impossible, you're dreaming! Even my sister can only take it once a week."
"Why is that? Is the medicine very expensive? I have money!"
Liao Qe answered, "It's not just about the money! The main ingredients for the tonic are precious and scarce, extremely difficult to gather; moreover, the brewing process is quite intricate, depending on the correct sequence of adding the herbs, constantly adjusting the firewood, and attending to the fire. One careless mistake, and the whole pot of medicine could be ruined."
A gleam of insight flashed in Lu Yao's eyes! Having suffered cancer, he had had his share of traditional Chinese medicines and knew a bit about this industry. The issues with the lack of ingredients and brewing difficulties, he found, were actually solvable for him!
He then asked, "Could you tell me which ingredients are missing, as well as the brewing method? If it's convenient, I'd like to buy the recipe."
"Ah, this..." Liao Qe glanced at her sister, hesitant to make a decision on her own.
Liao Ya nodded and said, "The more than ten silvers Young Master Lu gave before are more than enough to buy a recipe. However, I can't guarantee anything."
Lu Yao clenched his fists tightly and declared loudly, "I'm just trying to clutch at life from the jaws of death; I have to try to be content!"
~~~~~~~~~
After obtaining the complete recipe, Lu Yao eagerly pulled Liao Qe to the pharmacy to get the medicines. At this moment, he was extremely excited!
It had only been a few days since he, a person who could barely crawl and was on the brink of death, was now able to walk briskly!
No matter what, he had to quickly produce the "Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup"!
Soon, the two reached the pharmacy near the boxing gym—Jinshou Hall.
The medicine shop had been open for years, its old brick walls spotted and streaked, with a few slender wild grasses huddling in the cracks. Stepping inside, rows of Chinese medicine cabinets filled with labels lined the space, the scent of herbs pervading the room.
The shopkeeper was a lively old man who, upon seeing Liao Qe, greeted her with a bow, "Second Sister Liao from the Liao family, didn't you just come by yesterday?"
Liao Qe replied, "Shopkeeper He, recently your shop is always short of this or that, so I'm buying extra to have on hand."
Helpless, Shopkeeper He said, "I can't help it, the world's in chaos, and many herbs are out of stock."
While speaking, he got up and went to the medicine cabinets, skillfully drawing out herbs from various small drawers.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Yao moved forward for a closer look and after studying carefully, he chatted with the shopkeeper for a bit and confirmed that the herbs in both worlds were exactly the same!
At that moment, Shopkeeper He, with an apologetic face, said, "I'm sorry, we're out of Dijin Grass again, causing you extra trouble."
Lu Yao didn't mind, for this visit had already provided him with the information he wanted; he could buy the missing herbs back on Blue Star.
Liao Qe grumbled, "Out again... You're quite the figure at the Yunzhou Pharmacy, how come you can never have full stock?"
With a sigh, Shopkeeper He lamented, "Times are hard! Daily battles not only exhaust the supplies but also cause grain prices to triple in just one day, alas."
Another customer chimed in, "Be grateful for what you have. Yunzhou at least has the foreign concessions to keep it peaceful. Look at the places suffering from military disasters, they're in complete turmoil."
"Neither the Rebel Armies nor the Government Forces dare to offend the foreigners. Now, all the rich and powerful are fleeing into the concessions."
People seized the moment to air their grievances about the mighty struggles of living.
Yunzhou, known as the "Hub of Five Provinces," was situated at the critical juncture of land and water transportation, with docks and ports aplenty, truly a gem in the Shun Dynasty if not for the foreign concessions scattered everywhere.
Lu Yao also recalled the humiliating history he had learned in his history classes and sighed deeply.
Unable to secure his own future, he had no energy to care about others. After settling the bill and collecting the herbs, he left the pharmacy with Liao Qe.
~~~~~~~~
On the way back, Lu Yao struck up a casual conversation.
"Martial arts training costs a lot of money, doesn't it? I remember you mentioning that Master Liao wants to ascend to the Marrow-Cleansing Realm, but doesn't have enough funds?"
Liao Qe nodded vigorously, looking pained, "There's a saying 'the poor study, the rich practice martial arts,' and it's a bottomless pit when it comes to spending! You saw how quickly the 4,000 copper coins disappeared just now, and that's without even buying the Dijin Grass."
Lu Yao, with high emotional intelligence, heartily agreed, "Right? It's outrageously expensive!"
But in truth, he didn't find it expensive at all. He had bought a whole bunch of herbs, including pricey items like Ginseng and Lingzhi, for only 100 bucks! How was that expensive?
Liao Qe went on, "Martial arts are so costly, that's why I'm working hard to make money. And then my silly sister beats me up all the time—so annoying."
"You're truly the pillar of the Liao household! Master Liao will be grateful to you someday."
"Ha, as he should! With the way my sister acts, she'd even help count the money if she were sold!"
Lu Yao flattered the young girl to the point she was brimming with joy.
After her silly laugh, Liao Qe's face grew serious as she whispered, "If you practiced martial arts, you would train to death."
Lu Yao smiled and said, "I know. But... there's a bit of hope in training, and without it, I'm doomed. I'm not content to give up without a fight."
Liao Qe bowed her head, speaking softly, "Who wants to die... After getting home, I'll ask my sister if she can help you. You're quite interesting; I don't want to see you die."
"That's right, if I died, you'd lose your source of income, little money-grubber."
"No way, I genuinely don't want to see you, the Young Master, pass away young~"
They laughed and joked, breaking the somber mood as they passed by a stall selling accessories.
Liao Qe, at the age of loving to dress up, immediately ran over and excitedly tried on several pieces, her smile blooming.
Lu Yao was about to pay for them, but the girl stopped him, "No, taking things from a man so casually, especially jewelry, my sister would kill me."
With that, she quickly put down the accessories and pulled Lu Yao away.
Glancing at the crudely made trinkets, Lu Yao didn't insist. Instead, he said:
"Liao Qe, I'm heading back home. I might not be around tonight, so there's no need to worry. I'll bring you a big surprise when I return!"