Chapter 4

The three arrived at Liao Ya's private training room. Inside, apart from the girl's fragrance, there was a faint herbal scent.

A clay pot was bubbling, and Liao Qi took out three bowls, pouring the medicinal liquid into them.

Liao Ya's portion was the largest, a full bowl; Liao Qi's was second; and Lu Yao's was the smallest, just a sip.

She explained, "Mr. Lu, it's not that I'm stingy. Your body is too weak to handle the nourishment. I dare only give you this much of the Ten-Ingredient Great Tonic."

Lu Yao curiously sniffed it, and the strong herbal scent was filled with a unique aroma.

His organs were failing, and he hadn't had an appetite for a long time, but now he subconsciously salivated, his body instinctively craving the Ten-Ingredient Great Tonic!

He quickly drank it, feeling a warm current flow from his esophagus into his stomach, then spread throughout his body, making him feel warm and extremely comfortable.

Previously, his body could barely move after acupuncture; now, he had some strength!

It was like someone with a fever of 39 degrees cooling down to 38 degrees, feeling much better.

Lu Yao moved his limbs and couldn't help but exclaim, "Such an immediate effect, it's amazing!"

Liao Qi proudly said, "This is a family recipe passed down in our Liao family, made with 10 expensive and rare herbs! It nourishes the body and greatly benefits martial artists' cultivation. The formula was created by Mr. Binhu."

Mr. Binhu is Li Shizhen, the one who said that brain damage is incurable.

Lu Yao was deeply impressed, "I have long admired your name, and indeed, it is effective!"

He then asked Liao Ya, "Master Liao, this medicine is so miraculous. I feel much better after just a sip. If combined with your acupuncture, can it cure my illness?"

Liao Ya, who had just drunk her portion and was meditating, opened her eyes and said, "The tonic only provides a brief boost of vitality. Your body is like a sieve, and it will eventually run out of energy."

The girl spoke bluntly, and Lu Yao's mood sank. He asked hopefully, "Is there no hope at all?"

Liao Ya thought for a moment and frankly said, "If you advance to the Blood Replacement stage in martial arts, any illness can be cured without medicine. But your body... is incapable of practicing martial arts."

There are nine levels in martial arts, the first five being—tendon training, bone strengthening, organ refining, marrow washing, and blood replacement.

Liao Ya, who had trained hard since childhood, had only reached the organ refining stage.

For Lu Yao, a terminal cancer patient, to reach the blood replacement stage was like a dream! The difficulty was no less than a 3-year-old taking the college entrance exam and getting into Tsinghua or Peking University.

After a long silence.

Lu Yao suddenly looked up, his withered and haggard face full of determination, "If... I drink the Ten-Ingredient Great Tonic every day until I'm full, can I practice martial arts?"

"Drink... drink... until you're full!?" Liao Ya was immediately surprised.

Liao Qi's almond eyes widened, and she shouted, "Impossible, you're dreaming! Even my sister can only have it once a week."

"Why is that? Is the medicine very expensive? I have money!"

Liao Qi explained, "It's not just about money! The main ingredients for the great tonic are all precious and rare, making it extremely difficult to gather them all. Moreover, the preparation is quite complicated. The order in which the herbs are added, and the constant adjustment of the fire, must be carefully managed. One mistake, and the whole pot of medicine is ruined."

Lu Yao's eyes sparkled! He had taken many Chinese medicines for his cancer and had some knowledge of the field. The lack of materials and the difficulty of preparation were not problems for him!

He asked, "Can you tell me which herbs are missing and the preparation method? If possible, I would like to buy the formula."

"Ah, this..." Liao Qi glanced at her sister, not daring to make a decision on her own.

Liao Ya nodded, "The more than ten taels of silver Mr. Lu gave us is more than enough to buy the formula. However, I cannot guarantee anything."

Lu Yao clenched his fists and said loudly, "I must try to live, I can't give up without a fight!"

~~~~~~~~~

After obtaining the complete formula, Lu Yao eagerly pulled Liao Qi to the pharmacy. At this moment, he was very excited!

It had only been a few days, and he, who could barely move, was now walking briskly!

No matter what, he had to get the "Ten-Ingredient Great Tonic" as soon as possible!

Soon, the two arrived at the pharmacy near the boxing gym—Jinshou Hall.

The pharmacy had been open for many years, with old brick walls and patches of wild grass in the cracks. Inside, there were rows of cabinets filled with Chinese herbs, and the room was filled with the scent of medicine.

The shopkeeper was a vigorous old man who, upon seeing Liao Qi, greeted her with a bow, "Second Miss Liao, weren't you just here yesterday?"

Liao Qi replied, "Shopkeeper He, you're always short of this and that. Buy more to stock up."

Shopkeeper He said helplessly, "I have no choice. The world is in chaos, and many herbs are out of stock."

As he spoke, he got up and went to the cabinets, skillfully taking out the herbs from the small drawers.

Lu Yao took the opportunity to check, carefully identifying the herbs and chatting with the shopkeeper, confirming that the herbs in both worlds were identical!

At this moment, Shopkeeper He said apologetically, "I'm sorry, we're out of ground-ivy. You'll have to make another trip."

Lu Yao didn't mind; he had already obtained the information he needed. The missing herbs could be bought back on Blue Star.

Liao Qi grumbled, "Out of stock again... You're a big shot in the Yunzhou pharmacy industry, how can you not have everything in stock?"

Shopkeeper He sighed, "It's hard! There are constant wars, and not only are the herbs gone, but the price of grain is rising every day. Sigh."

Another customer interjected, "You should be grateful. At least Yunzhou is near the foreign concessions, so it's relatively peaceful. Look at the places with military unrest; they're in a mess."

"Whether it's the rebels or the government troops, none of them dare to offend the foreigners. Now, the rich and powerful are all moving into the concessions."

The crowd seized the opportunity to complain about the current situation, lamenting the difficulty of making a living.

Yunzhou, known as the "hub of five provinces," is located at a key transportation point, with docks and ports, making it a rare treasure in the Shun Dynasty, unfortunately filled with foreign concessions.

Lu Yao also recalled the humiliating history he learned in history class and sighed.

In his current state, he couldn't afford to worry about other things. After paying and getting the herbs, he left the pharmacy with Liao Qi.

~~~~~~~~~

On the way back, looking at the dilapidated and desolate streets, Lu Yao said, "Tell me about martial arts."

Liao Qi, full of energy, skipped as she walked and said in a sweet voice,

"Martial arts are just killing techniques and daily training, which are truly hard, tiring, and painful. Only the rest and recuperation part is a bit better, but it's also very boring."

Lu Yao listened carefully and said, "Does practicing martial arts cost a lot of money? I remember you said that Master Liao needs more money to advance to the marrow washing stage?"

Liao Qi nodded vigorously and sighed, "As the saying goes, 'poor scholars, rich martial artists.' Practicing martial arts is a bottomless pit of expenses! You saw how much the herbs cost just now, 4,000 copper coins, and we didn't even get the ground-ivy."

The little money lover looked pained, and Lu Yao tactfully agreed, "Yes, yes~ It's so expensive~"

Actually, he didn't think it was expensive. He bought a large amount of herbs, including ginseng and lingzhi, which are extremely expensive, for only 100 yuan! Where was the expense?

Liao Qi continued, "The expenses for practicing martial arts are so high, so I work hard to earn money. But this silly sister of mine always beats me. Isn't that frustrating?"

"You are truly the pillar of the family! Master Liao will thank you one day."

"Ha ha, of course! My sister is so foolish, she would even help count the money after being sold."

Lu Yao flattered the little girl, making her smile.

After a moment of silly laughter, Liao Qi's face turned serious, and she said in a low voice, "If you practice martial arts, you will die."

Lu Yao smiled, "I know. But... there's a bit of hope if I practice, and I'm definitely dead if I don't. I'm not giving up, I want to give it a try."

Liao Qi lowered her head and said softly, "Who wants to die... After we get home, ask my sister if she can help you. You're an interesting person, and I don't want you to die."

"Of course, if I die, you won't make any money, little money lover."

"Of course not, I really don't want you to die young, Mr. Lu."

The two laughed and joked, breaking the sad atmosphere. At this moment, they passed a stall selling accessories.

Liao Qi, being at the age where she loves to dress up, immediately ran over, enthusiastically trying on a bunch of accessories, her face beaming with joy.

Lu Yao was about to pay, but the little girl stopped him, "No, taking things from men, especially accessories, will get me beaten by my sister."

She quickly put down the accessories and pulled Lu Yao away.

Looking at these crudely made trinkets, Lu Yao didn't insist, just saying,

"Liao Qi, I'm going home. I might not be around tonight, no need to worry. I'll give you a big surprise when I come back!"