Chapter 321 After the Detoxification
If You Su was somewhat incredulous and uncertain when Tan Zheng's eyelids twitched, then the moment Tan Zheng truly opened his eyes, You Su instinctively rushed over and hugged Tan Zheng tightly.
"Big brother, you're finally awake! You scared me to death!"
You Su choked out a couple of sobs and then burst into tears, which streamed down his face and dripped intermittently onto Tan Zheng's face.
Tan Zheng opened his mouth, struggled to raise his arm to wipe his face, then wiped away You Su's tears, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Little brother, what are you doing here?"
You Su slapped Tan Zheng on the chest with a crisp sound, but it was actually very weak.
"Brother, how dare you say that! You were poisoned by nine kinds of poisons and you even raised a kind of insect! And you didn't tell me! When I went to find you, I almost thought you were dead! Why didn't you tell me?! Do you know how scared I was during this time? If it weren't for luck and meeting a kind senior, you would be gone! Gone, you know? Gone!!"
Tan Zheng was thoroughly scolded, and in a daze, he finally remembered that he did know he couldn't hold on any longer, so he rushed back, intending to spend a few days with his younger brother before going back to wait for his death.
It wasn't that he didn't want to save himself, but that he knew how bad his situation was.
He has no chance of meeting any alchemists or physicians who could potentially save him. Asking for help from other alchemists would be pointless; it would only be a waste of time. He'd rather spend his remaining time with his younger brother.
Tan Zheng originally intended to leave a will for You Su, but... because he wanted to see his younger brother a few more times, he kept delaying until he was almost unable to hold on any longer before taking his leave. By the time he returned to his private residence, he was already beyond saving.
The deadly poison struck fiercely, causing unbearable pain, to the point that he almost completely lost consciousness—the word "almost" means that he still wanted to live, that he hadn't given his younger brother more instructions, and that he was still worried about him, so he managed to retain a faint, almost imperceptible thought, struggling against the pain.
And so I kept going, just kept going...
But Tan Zheng never expected that he would wake up one day.
·
After regaining his senses, Tan Zheng quickly checked his body and was surprised to find that he had actually recovered.
Before he lost consciousness, he watched helplessly as clusters of ice flowers broke through his skin and emerged, the frigid frost spreading across his body as if freezing his blood.
The single horn that sprouted from the forehead brought a searing pain, but this heat toxin was contained beneath the ice layer. In the alternation of hot and cold, the single horn seemed to melt from the inside out, and then collided with other toxins in the body, making it even more unbearable.
Now, all those feelings have disappeared.
The accumulated, ever-changing, and excruciating poison in his body that had caused him so much pain vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
·
After the antidote was given to Tan Zheng, Zhong Cai continued to observe Tan Zheng's physical reaction.
Wu Shaogan was also somewhat interested—he was quite certain that A Cai could successfully solve the problem.
Sure enough, both of them quickly noticed a series of changes in Tan Zheng.
The antidote perfectly matched Zhong Cai's expectations and all the effects achieved on the replica. Perhaps because the real medicinal materials were refined to better suit the antidote formula, or perhaps because Zhong Cai improved the refining process, the antidote was actually slightly more effective and eliminated toxins a little faster.
But as I looked...
Wu Shaogan suddenly poked Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai turned her head to look at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan didn't speak, but pointed at Tan Zheng again.
Zhong Cai glanced at Tan Zheng again... and her lips twitched slightly.
Tan Zheng! Yes! Naked!
At this moment, all the abnormalities on Tan Zheng's body disappeared, clearly revealing his robust physique...
Oh no! I'm getting a sty! I'm getting a sty!
Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai stared at each other, their thoughts rapidly intertwining.
[A-Cai turns around.]
Turn around, turn around!
You Su and the Liu sisters were still immersed in ecstasy and shock, and did not notice that Tan Zheng's saviors and their husbands had quietly moved away hand in hand at some point.
Moreover, they didn't even look this way again.
After a while, the Liu sisters calmed down a bit and suddenly realized what had happened. They widened their eyes, then quickly closed them again.
·
Overjoyed to find that the toxins had completely disappeared, Tan Zheng excitedly propped himself up and hugged You Su tightly—he had regained a lot of strength, and now he was using so much force that he almost embedded You Su into his own flesh and blood.
You Su returned the hug without hesitation, using all his strength!
He was genuinely terrified and almost wanted to leave with his sworn brother!
Tan Zheng is now holding You Su to express his joy, and You Su can't help but want to hold Tan Zheng to confirm that his sworn brother has really come back to life.
...What a close call!
The two brothers were filled with immense excitement!
However, at this very moment—
Two smiling female voices rang out one after the other:
"I know you brothers have a deep bond, but the rule of not looking at what is improper has put us bystanders in a difficult position."
"It's bad enough that it's difficult for us sisters, but it's also difficult for the two seniors!"
Upon hearing this, both You Su and Tan Zheng were taken aback.
Then the two of them suddenly realized that one of them was dressed in fine clothes, while the other... was completely naked!
Previously, because Tan Zheng had many abnormal conditions all over his body, and his life was hanging by a thread, no one cared whether he was naked or not.
But things are different now.
Now Tan Zheng has not only recovered, but he is also hugging his brother.
This is somewhat unsightly.
The moment You Su realized what was happening, he released his grip as if he had been burned, took a few steps back, and immediately took out a set of clothes from his storage ring and threw them over.
Tan Zheng was extremely embarrassed. He quickly grabbed his clothes and put them on, finishing in a few moments.
It was at this moment that Tan Zheng looked up and saw several people, some familiar and some unfamiliar.
Both the two familiar girls and the two unfamiliar young men had their backs to them.
Clearly, his previous unprotected appearance had offended their eyes.
Tan Zheng's face was flushed.
He had never been so disheveled in his decades of life...
Just then, the two sisters teased:
"Brother Tan is quite robust; we've certainly learned something new."
"It's a pity we can't get close, otherwise we could see it more clearly."
Tan Zheng: "..."
You Su: "..."
The two brothers were speechless for a moment.
You Su was excited and teased, and his skin thickened. He first went over to help his sworn brother, then bypassed the teasing and said solemnly, "Our reunion is all thanks to the help of the two seniors. Brother, quickly search your belongings. While we are sincerely grateful, we should also show enough sincerity."
The two brothers, who were previously immersed in the joy of regaining what they had lost, had not been able to thank their two benefactors immediately. Now they quickly came over and respectfully bowed to the Zhong and Wu couple.
"Thank you both for saving my life."
Tan Zheng has not fully recovered yet. After all, his body has been damaged by toxins for a long time, and he is still a bit weak.
However, he held on, and his voice remained strong.
Tan Zheng took a deep breath and said firmly, "This time I entered an ancient secret vault and obtained some benefits, but I haven't had time to fully inventory them yet. Please wait a day or two, and I will definitely provide you with a reward that will satisfy you."
Unlike You Su's worries and doubts, Tan Zheng seemed very confident.
—You Su felt that he and his sworn brother couldn't produce anything that would impress the seniors, while Tan Zheng was certain that he did.
Clearly, the treasures Tan Zheng received from the secret vault must have been at least level six. Otherwise, how could he guarantee that his benefactor would be satisfied? After all, the Zhong and Wu couple were both level five, and they had used up so many medicinal herbs and spent so much effort in detoxifying him. Treasures of the same level might not have caught their eye.
However, if the treasure is of a higher level than the two people's original level, regardless of its quality, its value will definitely be higher than that of a level five treasure, and it will be something to be proud of.
You Su quickly realized this and felt a slight sense of relief.
This time, his two benefactors had indeed worked too hard; he had seen Master Zhong's exhaustion several times. In his view, even a high-value reward was not enough to compensate for Master Zhong's efforts and depletion.
If his elder brother is confident that he can provide a corresponding reward, that would be wonderful.
·
Zhong Cai only did the antidote because she was interested in it... she also had a little bit of kindness in her heart.
Now that Tan Zhengxin has made a solemn vow and You Su's gratitude is also very sincere, he is in a good mood.
The Liu sisters didn't interrupt, but they were quite expecting their two friends to take the initiative—they knew that, given their friends' personalities, they would never forget to reciprocate.
Otherwise, the two sisters would not have befriended Tan Zheng and You Su in the first place, much less have taken the risk of introducing them to Senior Zhong.
After all, Senior Zhong and Senior Wu are not ordinary people, and they absolutely cannot be offended... No matter how much they care about their friend, they would not risk the Liu family.
·
When Tan Zheng woke up, the two brothers still had a lot to say, and Tan Zheng was also responsible for preparing the payment.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were too lazy to stay there, so they prepared to leave.
You Su quickly urged them to stay, wanting to prepare a banquet first to treat the two seniors to a good meal and express his gratitude.
However, Zhong Cai didn't want to be a third wheel, so she refused and insisted on returning the item to the Liu family with Wu Shaogan.
You Su had no choice but to agree with them that he would visit the Liu family with his sworn brother once the payment was ready.
Zhong Cai readily agreed.
Afterwards, You Su helped Tan Zheng, and the two brothers bravely accompanied the Zhong Wu couple for a while.
The Liu sisters continued to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Zhong, providing them with meticulous hospitality.
The car was ready, and the group boarded it and headed straight for the Liu family's residence.
Upon arrival, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan went straight to the courtyard that the Liu family had specially prepared for them and relaxed leisurely.
·
Inside the ancestral hall.
The head of the Liu family and some of the elders of the Liu family usually hold their meetings here.
In recent days, they have been busy in order to move to the West River Region as soon as possible. They have been dealing with all kinds of matters, big and small, every day, and they have been streamlining many tedious things day by day.
However, the Liu family's higher-ups will always keep an eye on the movements of these two distinguished guests.
So when Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were invited to Tan Zheng's private residence, the Liu family's higher-ups received the news and contacted the Liu sisters.
The Liu sisters did not hide anything from their family and told the whole story in detail.
The Liu family will not interfere with the actions of Mr. and Mrs. Zhong.
Since Master Zhong was interested in Tan Zheng's poison, the Liu family naturally supported him and even gave the Liu sisters the authority to do their best to find the necessary medicinal herbs if Master Zhong lacked them.
I just didn't expect Master Zhong to have such a large reserve of medicinal herbs. This privilege was never used until the antidote was successfully prepared.
During this time, the Liu sisters would also inform their family of any progress they made on the research into the antidote.
The Liu family's higher-ups were far more knowledgeable than the Liu sisters, and through this process, they were astonished to discover just how superb Zhong Danshi's alchemy skills were! Especially the mixed poison that Tan Zheng had been afflicted with—even just hearing about it would send chills down their spines—yet Zhong Danshi hadn't spent much time at all, continuously overcoming each step...
That's amazing.
It was astonishing, unprecedented, and unimaginable.
Therefore, these high-ranking members of the Liu family further increased the already high level of treatment the two had received.
The friendship between the Liu family and the Zhong Danshi couple must be sealed forever!
·
However, the Liu family's higher-ups still didn't expect that Master Zhong would complete the antidote so quickly.
It's getting ridiculously fast.
When the Liu sisters brought the Zhong and Wu couple back to the Liu family, the news spread quickly, and the higher-ups summoned the Liu sisters to get a deeper understanding of the situation.
Liu Jinlan and Liu Jinmian were both meticulous and described things in great detail.
The Liu family's top brass were utterly shocked.
Only now did they realize that Tan Zheng would appear like that after being poisoned, and that the process of detoxification was so thrilling.
All those words ultimately boil down to one sentence—
That's amazing.
Master Zhong Dan is truly amazing!
·
After the Liu sisters reported, they withdrew.
They also had to take turns adjusting their condition, ready to await the instructions of Mr. and Mrs. Zhong at any time.
After the two left, the ancestral hall fell into silence.
The Liu family's top leaders were all trying their best to control their emotions and not be so excited.
After a long while, an elder of the Liu family sighed, "The disciples of the Lingxian Sect are indeed remarkable; their research is so rapid."
Many clan elders echoed this sentiment.
The head of the Liu family and two or three elders seemed to be deep in thought.
After the other elders spoke a few words, they suddenly noticed their difference and couldn't help but look over.
They noticed that these people all looked serious, and immediately knew what they were thinking, so they all fell silent and did not disturb them.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Patriarch Liu spoke up.
"Gentlemen, I have a question."
The other two or three elders, who also had their own guesses, exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
An impatient elder spoke first: "Patriarch, there's no need to keep us in suspense, just say it!"
Patriarch Liu didn't intend to keep them in suspense and immediately said, "I suspect that this Alchemist Zhong... is the Alchemist Zhong Cai, who is ranked tenth on the Sky List."
That alchemist, Zhong Cai, seems to have come from the Lingxian Sect.
Information on alchemists listed on the Sky Ranking is scarce, with no images or even details about their origins. However, the Liu family of the Western River Region is affiliated with the Lingxian Sect, and they would naturally take a close look at the newly recruited top geniuses of the Lingxian Sect. They would also bring this up in negotiations with the Liu family of Xinyu City as leverage to demonstrate the status of their main branch.
That's why Patriarch Liu was able to make the connection so quickly.
The other two or three elders, who had also guessed it, echoed each other and offered their own opinions.
"At such a young age, he can study such complex mixed poisons with such ease. His alchemy skills must be far superior to those of ordinary alchemists. Even ordinary disciples of the Lingxian Sect would not have such abilities."
"Although I have never met any alchemists from the Lingxian Sect, the Tianling Dynasty also has a ninth-level alchemy force, the Wan Dan Pavilion, which is similar to the Lingxian Sect. I have had some dealings with its disciples, and they have not shown such abilities... Even if the disciples of the Lingxian Sect are generally a little stronger in alchemy than the disciples of the Wan Dan Pavilion, the difference must be limited and not so great."
"I once saw that Master Zhong, who ranked tenth on the alchemy list, became famous in one battle by disrupting the enlightenment of an evil alchemist. He suddenly appeared on the list at number ten and is very skilled in researching detoxification methods. His surname and age even match up..."
·
When Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan befriended the Liu sisters, they only mentioned their surnames and did not exchange names.
Occasionally, when Wu Shaogan called out to Zhong Cai, he would mention "A Cai," but the Liu sisters didn't know how many characters were in Zhong Danshi's name, and because of their limited strength, they weren't very familiar with the Sky Ranking, so they didn't make any connections.
Therefore, the entire Liu family only knew the two people's surnames.
It wasn't until Zhong Cai demonstrated increasing strength that the Liu family's higher-ups naturally recalled the information they already knew and made this guess.
·
Patriarch Liu pondered, "If it really is Alchemist Zhong Cai, then his Daoist partner should be Wu Shaogan, the Third Dou King." He paused, "It's only natural that he would use the surname 'Wu' when he's traveling."
Another member of the Liu family raised an objection: "However, the appearance of that young master Wu is different from that of the third Dou Wang, and his temperament is also quite different."
Anyone who can become an elder of such a family must at least be at the Fusion Realm, and naturally they would all be able to see the Sky Ranking.
The Liu family members are almost all martial arts cultivators, so they naturally pay more attention to the Sky Martial Arts Ranking.
They knew all one hundred names on the list by heart, especially the top ten geniuses. They remembered everyone's image clearly and were determined to recognize them the moment they saw them!
Therefore, everyone present remembered Wu Shaogan's face, and also remembered the arrogant and haughty temperament he displayed in the video... quite different from "Senior Wu's" gentleness and focus.
At the same time, the other members of the Liu family thought of something and immediately refuted it.
“If you use an alias when you’re out and about, you can also hide your appearance. With Master Zhong’s abilities, surely he can’t refine some pills that can change your appearance?”
"Of course! So it's normal for Young Master Wu to change his appearance to what it is now."
"As for that aura... what is shown on the Sky Ranking is the image during battle, so what's so strange about it being different from his usual demeanor?"
"Exactly! There must be a difference between facing a Daoist partner and facing an enemy!"
"Moreover, these two prodigies have always been deeply in love, much like the relationship between Alchemist Zhong and Young Master Wu..."
After a few words, all the senior members of the Liu family were quickly persuaded.
Although they are not 100% certain that it is Zhong and Wu, they are quite confident.
The possibility is extremely high.
After exchanging glances and remaining silent for a while...
An elder of the Liu family exclaimed, "It was truly an unexpected turn of events. I never imagined that two of my younger family members would have such good fortune, to be able to associate with such figures. It's truly unbelievable."
The other clan elders also agreed.
really.
The Liu sisters were indeed outstanding juniors, but once they were sent out, they were destined to dedicate themselves to the family, facing countless dangers.
As a result, they not only survived, but were also able to invite the two men to the Liu family home. Simply providing them with a warm welcome might not have deepened their relationship, but through the story of the two sworn brothers, they kept them longer and strengthened their bond.
The Liu family treated their two distinguished guests with great care, and the impression they left on them should at least be positive.
That's enough.
As for more...
The head of the Liu family advised, "There's no need to be overly solicitous."
The other clan elders agreed again.
Who are Zhong Wufu and his wife? We already have a good relationship, so there's no need to overdo it and only cause them dissatisfaction.
Just keep it in mind.
They still let the Liu sisters, who were familiar with them, handle communication and guidance, without having to come up with any more tricks.
The members of the Liu family looked at each other again and smiled with relief.
The decision to move back to the West River Basin this time was the right one.
They not only discovered various treasures, but also gained many other benefits and connections.
Once they reach the Western River Region, even though their branch may not be as prominent as the main branch, it will certainly become a pivotal branch and receive more resources.
That would be perfect.
·
After working so hard for so many days, Zhong Cai naturally wanted to relax a bit.
After closing the door, he pulled Wu Shaogan and rolled into the ancient city, happily venting their emotions on each other.
Afterwards, the two emerged feeling refreshed.
Considering that the sworn brothers might come at any time, they did not stay in the ancient city for long, and only scratched the surface of it.
The two continued as usual, one refining pills and the other cultivating.
As expected, the day after the couple finished their adventures in the ancient city, the Liu sisters brought Tan Zheng and You Su into the Liu family home.
They then informed the couple.
Zhong Cai readily agreed to meet.
After all, they came here to deliver payment.
He was eager to know what kind of reward gave Tan Zheng such strong confidence that he felt that as long as he received it, it would definitely satisfy him and Lao Wu.
Zhong Cai was somewhat curious.
Wu Shaogan was also curious, just like Zhong Cai.
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