Hearing the noise, he looked up, a hint of displeasure flashing in his cloudy eyes, but when he saw that it was Xiao Feng, he suppressed it.
"What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?" The old man's voice was hoarse, tinged with weariness.
Xiao Feng, too lazy to waste words with him, cut to the chase and asked, "What kind of poison did Miss Zhao suffer from? What did you mean by exchanging lives before? Explain clearly!"
His tone was urgent, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
The old man put down his medical book, rubbed his temples, and sighed.
I have already made it very clear before.
The poison that Miss Zhao was afflicted with is called 'Bone-Corroding Cold Venom,' an extremely insidious and rare poison with no antidote.
"No cure?!" Xiao Feng's voice suddenly rose, his eyes sharp as knives: "Then what do you mean by exchanging lives? Don't play games with me!"
The old man felt a chill run down his spine from the look he received and shrank back, saying with a wry smile, "Protector Xiao, please calm down. The so-called life-exchange is not really about exchanging one life for another, but rather a method of... a method of fighting poison with poison, or rather, a method of transferring evil energy."
"Explain yourself clearly!" Xiao Feng's patience was almost exhausted.
"The bone-corroding cold evil, as the name suggests, is poisonous because it erodes the bone marrow and attracts extremely yin and cold evil energy."
The old man explained, "This malevolent energy will continue to accumulate, eventually freezing the poisoned person to death, destroying both their soul and spirit. The only way is to find someone with extremely strong and yang energy before the malevolent energy completely erupts, and transfer this malevolent energy... to that person."
"Transfer?" Xiao Feng frowned.
“Yes, transfer.” The old man nodded. “But this is not without its price. The person who bears this malevolent energy is essentially taking the brunt of this bone-chilling poison for Miss Zhao. Although the extremely yang and strong energy can temporarily suppress the malevolent energy, it cannot be eradicated. The bearer will suffer the torment of the chilling poison day and night, their cultivation will be greatly damaged, their lifespan will be drastically reduced… and even…”
"Even what?" Xiao Feng pressed.
The old man hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "They might even... be devoured by the evil energy and end up like the poisoned ones."
Xiao Feng's heart sank, and a chilling coldness spread down his spine.
He understood that the so-called "exchanging lives" meant finding a scapegoat.
"Then... what kind of person can withstand this malevolent energy?" Xiao Feng's voice was somewhat hoarse.
The old man glanced at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Throughout the world, those who possess the most yang and masculine energy are extremely rare. Moreover... to withstand such intense, bone-chilling cold, this person's yang energy must... must reach an astonishing level. Looking at the entire Ming Cult, even the entire martial arts world... I'm afraid there are only..."
The old man didn't finish his sentence, but his gaze had already fallen on Xiao Feng, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Xiao Feng fell silent. The only sounds in the room were the crackling of the oil lamp and the old man's heavy breathing.
He finally understood why Zhao Yuwei refused to speak, and he also understood the despair in her eyes.
Should he trade his life for hers?
A sharp, piercing pain spread from my heart, more intense than any knife wound.
But he hardly hesitated.
"How do we do it?" Xiao Feng raised his head, his eyes eerily calm, as if he were talking about something trivial.
The old man was stunned. A hint of shock flashed in his cloudy eyes, which then turned into deep admiration and regret: "You...you've thought this through? This...this is no joke!"
"I'm asking you, what do you do?" Xiao Feng repeated, his tone resolute and leaving no room for argument.
Looking into his determined eyes, the old man knew that further words were useless, and could only sigh.
"We need to prepare some things... and... this method is extremely dangerous. If we're not careful during the procedure, we'll both perish... and even if we succeed, you will..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Xiao Feng interrupted him: "What do you need? I'll prepare it. When can we begin?"
In his mind, Zhao Yuwei's pale and desperate face, and her tearful eyes, appeared.
As long as she can live, what does it matter what price she has to pay?
Seeing the determination in Xiao Feng's eyes, a complex light flashed in the old doctor's cloudy eyes. He stroked his white beard and said in a deep voice, "Have you thought this through? This is no child's play; it's a technique to defy fate. The slightest mistake could result in the deaths of both of you! Moreover..."
The old doctor paused, lowering his voice even further: "This method is extremely dangerous. During the procedure, the toxins travel in reverse, and the pain is beyond what ordinary people can endure. That bone-corroding, heart-burning pain is enough to turn even the toughest man into a soft, yielding one. Even if you are lucky enough to succeed and the toxins are transferred to you, with your current cultivation level, I'm afraid... you won't be able to last long."
"I'm not afraid!"
Xiao Feng slammed his hand on the table, making the bottles and jars rattle. His eyes were bloodshot, like a cornered beast, and his voice was hoarse but firm and unwavering. "I'll hold on as long as I can! As long as she can live one more day, what does it matter if I lose my life? Don't give me any of that nonsense, just tell me, are you in or not!"
He took a step forward, almost pressing in front of the old doctor, his eyes sharp as knives, staring intently at him: "Old sir, I know you have a kind heart as a doctor, but this is not the time to talk about rules and cherish life! Yuwei, she... she is still so young, she still has unfulfilled wishes! I can't just watch her die like this!"
Xiao Feng's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, a testament to his suppressed anguish: "Please! I'll do anything to save her! Even kneel down and beg you..."
As he spoke, Xiao Feng's knees actually bent slightly, as if he were about to kneel down.
"Oh! No! No, you mustn't!" The old doctor quickly reached out to help him up, his face full of helplessness and struggle. "How can you kneel down so easily! Why are you doing this to yourself..."
The old doctor was filled with mixed emotions as he looked at Xiao Feng's desperate attitude.
Throughout his life as a doctor, he had witnessed countless partings and deaths, and seen many lovesick men and women. But he had never seen anyone like Xiao Feng, who, knowing that it was a matter of life and death, or even certain death, still chose to draw poison to prolong the life of his beloved.
He sighed, but didn't loosen his grip on Xiao Feng's hand. He said in a heavy tone, "Young Xiao, I can agree to your request. But you must be fully aware of the risks involved. Once you begin, there's no turning back. Are you... really ready?"
"I'm ready!" Xiao Feng declared decisively, without the slightest hesitation, his eyes flashing with an almost manic light. "I've been ready for a long time! From the moment I learned she was poisoned, I was ready!"
"Alright..." The old doctor seemed to be infected by his resoluteness, and also seemed to have made up his mind. He nodded, "Since you have made up your mind, I will risk my life to accompany you and perform this Poison-Drawing Technique for you!"
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