Chapter 56

A good pot of soup can lose its appeal with just a fly in it. When Li Mang saw Cai Cai and Liu Junchi, and learned that they were also going to the Ghost Doctor to take the precious medicine, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly. The excitement and anticipation he had felt earlier turned to coldness.

The tiger python was his catch, but now he had to give it to an enemy with an unresolved grudge, allowing the enemy to advance in cultivation and eventually seek revenge. Anyone would be unhappy, and a surge of inexplicable anger instantly filled Li Mang's heart.

"Liu Junchi has someone backing him up," Yang Fan pressed Li Mang's shoulder and whispered, but to be honest, he was also surprised that Group 8 had chosen Liu Junchi.

"…I understand." Li Mang instantly calmed down, his eyes slightly narrowing, though his inner turmoil was not as calm as his outward appearance. Someone backing him up? A strong sense of crisis instantly enveloped him. Li Mang did not know how high up the "backing" was, but he was sure that if the other party wanted to torment him, it would be very easy.

In the courtyard of the Ghost Doctor, besides Cai Cai and Liu Junchi, there were about a dozen other people standing sparsely, half of whom were young. These young people were either geniuses being intensively cultivated by the Yanhuang Academy or those with "backing," who were more arrogant. They looked at Yang Fan and Li Mang with disdain upon their arrival.

"Can Group 9 come too?" One of the young men, around twenty years old, muttered softly. Though his voice was low, everyone present was a superhuman and could hear it clearly.

"…" Yang Fan raised an eyebrow but did not speak, glancing at the old man behind the young man. This person was from Group 5. The Yanhuang Academy had a total of nine groups, with Groups 1, 2, and 3 being the Heaven Groups, Groups 4 and 5 the Earth Groups, Groups 6 and 7 the Mystic Groups, and Groups 8 and 9 the Yellow Groups. Group 9 was the weakest, and the gap between it and Group 5 was significant. There was no need to start a conflict over a few words.

Li Mang also glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to look at the center of the courtyard. A specially made large cauldron was set up there, with a roaring fire burning beneath it and piles of charcoal on both sides. According to Li Mang's understanding, the precious medicine had been simmering for three days, and a strong medicinal aroma was seeping through the cracks, though it was not particularly enticing, being more medicinal.

The Ghost Doctor was sitting cross-legged in front of the cauldron, the intense heat of the fire seemingly having no effect on him, indicating that he not only had superb medical skills but also formidable strength.

The dozen people stood quietly in the courtyard, patiently waiting, afraid that any noise might disturb the preparation of the precious medicine.

An hour passed, and the Ghost Doctor, who had been motionless, suddenly stretched and then lightly slapped the fire beneath the cauldron. A green mist shot from his palm onto the wood. Immediately, the fire under the cauldron went out, and even the red-hot charcoal was instantly extinguished, turning into a pile of smokeless charcoal without a trace of smoke.

Seeing this move from the Ghost Doctor, not only were the young people stunned, but even the managers' eyes twitched in surprise.

"Bang!" The Ghost Doctor slapped the red-hot cauldron lid, and the heavy lid, weighing several dozen pounds, flew out like a foam.

A strong medicinal aroma instantly filled the air, accompanied by a rich meaty scent, making everyone involuntarily sniff and move closer to the cauldron.

The contents of the cauldron were no longer soup but a thick stew. The tiger python's meat and the herbs had been completely stewed into a light red, thick stew, making one's mouth water just by looking at it.

"Tsk tsk, good stuff!" The Ghost Doctor smacked his lips and filled a bowl for himself without any hesitation, then impatiently said to the people around him, "One bowl each, no more."

"I'll go first!" A white-haired old man with a squinting eye took the ladle and filled a bowl for himself, his face flushed. Next were the managers, followed by the young people.

Li Mang was at the end of the line. Seeing that there was still plenty left in the cauldron, he did not rush to take his turn. It was not that he was being modest or afraid of anyone; as a qualified food lover, he knew that the best part was at the bottom. Why not wait a bit longer?

When it was Li Mang's turn, there were only about three or four bowls left in the cauldron. He did not hesitate to scoop from the bottom, where the color was more vibrant and the consistency thicker.

"Hmm!" As the warm medicinal stew entered his stomach, not only was the taste excellent, but the medicinal properties were also very strong. He could clearly feel the effects spreading throughout his body, warm and comfortable.

One bowl of stew, and the taste was excellent. He quickly drank it all, and everyone looked eagerly at the remaining three bowls. Unfortunately, the Ghost Doctor had already said that each person could only have one bowl, so no one dared to ask for more.

"The ancient tiger python is truly top-notch, and it did not waste my millions of yuan worth of herbs," the Ghost Doctor, ignoring the envious and jealous looks from the others, filled another bowl for himself. He then looked at Li Mang and asked, "Li Mang, can you still eat more?"

Li Mang's stomach could still hold more, but the medicinal properties of the tiger python stew were extremely strong, not just the meat but also the large amount of herbs. Despite only drinking one bowl, Li Mang was already flushed red, as if on fire, and it was uncertain whether he could drink a second bowl.

Hearing the Ghost Doctor's words, before Li Mang could react, the others, except for Yang Fan, changed their expressions and looked at Li Mang with ill will. Especially the young men of the same age, their dissatisfaction was evident. If not for fear of offending the Ghost Doctor, they would have protested immediately. They were the pride of the nation, so why should Li Mang get two bowls?

Li Mang keenly sensed the change in the atmosphere around him and understood the situation. But what did it have to do with him? The tiger python was his catch, and the Ghost Doctor had promised him a bowl of the precious medicine, which he deserved.

"Should be no problem." Despite being flushed red, Li Mang did not want to miss the opportunity to enhance himself. He approached the cauldron and filled a large bowl for himself, leaving only about one bowl left in the cauldron.

Although they had strong objections to Li Mang having two bowls, it was too late to argue, so they could only focus on the last bowl of precious medicine in the cauldron.

Unexpectedly, before they could muster the courage to ask, the Ghost Doctor returned with a plate and scooped out the last few spoonfuls of the precious medicine in front of their eager eyes.

"Your Majesty, this is for you!" The Ghost Doctor placed the plate on the ground.

"…" Watching the dog, "Your Majesty," eat happily, everyone's faces turned green. They silently put down their bowls and left without a word. In the Ghost Doctor's eyes, they were not even as good as a dog, but they could only curse "Your Majesty" in their hearts, hoping he would be bloated to death by the precious medicine, preferably with blood flowing from all seven orifices.

Li Mang naturally could not escape the fate of being cursed in secret. The older people might only be slightly resentful, but the young men had no such tolerance and already secretly hated Li Mang.

"Brat, you should be grateful to have a meal, and you dare to glare!" The Ghost Doctor sneered, not caring about these people. If it were not for the organization's arrangement, he would never share the precious medicine. Thinking of this, the Ghost Doctor could not help but scold Li Mang, "You little brat, next time if you have such good stuff, don't hand it over. Bring it to me to refine the precious medicine and split it, wouldn't that be better?"

"Burp…" Li Mang, feeling satisfied, burped and said to the Ghost Doctor, his body still flushed red, "It's already good to find one, how could there be such luck again?"

"That's not entirely true. There are still many ancient creatures left in remote areas, and the Yanhuang Academy discovers a few every year… Are you okay, kid?" As he spoke, the Ghost Doctor noticed Li Mang's unusual state. Not only was his body flushed red, but he was also trembling, clearly in discomfort due to the strong medicinal properties.

"I'm fine, I'll go train with Senior Cheng!" Li Mang put down his bowl and hurriedly left. He was not unfamiliar with the feeling of the medicinal properties exceeding his body's limits. Through training, he could not only refine the medicinal power but also quickly improve his martial arts. The pain was temporary, but the sweetness would come afterward.

"Huh? This kid is smart!" The Ghost Doctor looked at Li Mang's retreating back in surprise, then took out a few silver needles and treated the dog, "Your Majesty," who had fainted on the ground. The dog, with a lower tolerance than humans, would have died without the Ghost Doctor's help after drinking a bowl of the precious medicine.

In fact, when the Ghost Doctor let Li Mang drink the second bowl, he had intended to help Li Mang, but Li Mang had a better idea.