He Haiqin loathed Foreigners, much like He Jiaqing detested the foreign students at his school. In this respect, the father and son were strikingly alike.
He Yuxiu grasped He Haiqin’s hand and said, "Brother, listen to your sister. This Physician truly has skills. He was sent by Xiao Zhenggong, so just let him have a try."
"Scram!" He Haiqin pushed his sister away.
He Yuxiu turned to Yan Yulin. "Sister-in-law, won’t you say something?"
Yan Yulin took a deep breath and summoned the courage to say, "My lord, I’ve obeyed you all my life. Just this once, I will make the decision. Sister, please invite the Physician in!"
He Yuxiu rose to summon the Physician while He Haiqin seethed with anger, though he was too weak to stop her.
Soon, Physician Cui Tiq, with golden hair, blue eyes, and a prominent nose, arrived at the window. He was startled upon seeing He Haiqin covered in blisters.
Yan Yulin hurriedly explained, "Physician, please don’t be afraid. These blisters aren’t contagious. Our family has cared for him for two years without anyone catching it."
"Damn Foreign Devils!" He Haiqin shot Cui Tiq a glare and then turned to Yan Yulin. "Why are you saying such pointless things? Can this damn Foreigner even understand?"
"I understand!" Cui Tiq answered with perfect enunciation. "Not all Foreigners are bad people. I am a good Foreigner; I love Puluo State."
He Haiqin managed a weak smile. "You sure have a way with words."
"More than just words," Cui Tiq unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a hairy chest with a tattoo of five large characters: ’I Love Puluo State.’
Yan Yulin covered her eyes.
He Yuxiu said from the side, "Look, look! He’s sincere; it’s tattooed right over his heart."
He Haiqin turned his head away, not wishing to see Cui Tiq. "My family doesn’t have your Foreigners’ devices. You can leave."
Cui Tiq shook his head and said with a smile, "Respected master, don’t worry. I don’t use Foreigner devices. I’m a Medicine Cultivator who uses the ancient medical arts of Puluo State. Let me first check your pulse."
Cui Tiq took He Haiqin’s pulse with utmost seriousness while He Haiqin struggled with disgust, preferring not to look at him.
A few minutes later, Cui Tiq seemed to have made a judgment about the illness. He took out a Silver Needle from his bag, sterilized it in the candle flame, and lightly pierced one of He Haiqin’s blisters.
A thick green liquid flowed out. Cui Tiq dabbed some of it with his hand and brought it to his nose to smell it.
Then he licked the liquid on his fingertip to taste it.
Yan Yulin had earlier emphasized that the blisters were not contagious.
Even so, seeing Cui Tiq put the liquid into his mouth, Yan Yulin couldn’t help but vomit.
It wasn’t just her feeling nauseous; even He Haiqin, the owner of the blisters, felt like vomiting.
He Yuxiu had a stronger tolerance. Her cheeks twitched for a moment as she spoke to He Haiqin, "Brother, look how dedicated Doctor Cui is! He tasted it himself, and he’s still savoring it now!"
"UGH!" He Haiqin threw up.
A Food Cultivator shouldn’t easily vomit; it’s a great disrespect to food.
But He Haiqin couldn’t hold back any longer.
Cui Tiq’s tongue was still meticulously exploring the flavor of the blister.
Minutes later, Cui Tiq nodded. "I think I know the source of the disease."
He Yuxiu was taken aback. "Let’s hear it."
Cui Tiq explained, "This disease should not belong to this world, yet someone has created it."
Upon hearing this, He Haiqin turned his face toward Cui Tiq, looking at him quite surprised. "Do you know who has harmed me?"
He Yuxiu also widened her eyes. "Is it that bunch of bastards from the Lu Family?"
Cui Tiq shook his head. "I don’t know who it is, but I can find a solution. Respected master, please provide me with a separate room so I may prepare the medication."
He Haiqin frowned slightly.
Cui Tiq understood He Haiqin’s worries and said, "Respected master, rest assured. I will remain in your residence until you recover. If there’s any problem during this time, you can kill me anytime."
He Haiqin looked at Yan Yulin, who signaled the butler, and a separate room was arranged for Cui Tiq.
In less than half an hour, Cui Tiq emerged from the room with a test tube filled with white powder.
"Respected master, please swallow this Medicinal Powder, and your disease will soon be cured."
He Haiqin stared at the white Medicinal Powder, his cheeks twitching.
Yan Yulin took the test tube. After a moment’s hesitation, He Haiqin nodded.
Yan Yulin fed the Medicinal Powder into He Haiqin’s mouth.
He Haiqin’s throat was full of blisters. He had severe difficulty swallowing, which was also why he couldn’t eat.
Strangely, despite not being mixed with water, he managed to swallow the dry powder.
Cui Tiq stood resolutely by the bed, indicating he wouldn’t leave.
After about an hour, the previously frail He Haiqin slowly sat up in bed.
He was sweating profusely, and a hint of color returned to his blister-covered skin.
Yan Yulin’s face was filled with joy.
He Yuxiu couldn’t stop praising, "Brother, see how amazing Doctor Cui is! With one dose, you’ve already begun to recover!"
With a humble smile, Cui Tiq asked, "Respected master, do you believe in me now?"
He Haiqin snorted coldly. "This Foreigner medicine, it’s all the same—treats the symptoms but not the root cause!"
Cui Tiq shook his head. "I will stay at your residence until you have fully recovered."
He Haiqin glanced at Cui Tiq. "How much did Xiao Zhenggong pay you?"
Cui Tiq spread his hands. "I can’t tell you that. It’s against my principles. Head Xiao insisted that I must cure you, saying money is not an issue."
He Haiqin frowned. "How much, exactly? Stop beating around the bush!"
Cui Tiq replied helplessly, "Head Xiao gave me 10,000 Ocean Dollars."
He Haiqin nodded to the butler. "Give him 10,000 Ocean Dollars and let him return to the guest room to rest."
Cui Tiq shook his head. "You don’t need to give me money; Head Xiao has already..."
"This is my reward for you! Get going!" He Haiqin deeply appreciated Cui Tiq’s medical skills, but that did not change his distaste for Foreigners.
After Cui Tiq had left, He Haiqin said to his wife, "Yulin, get some paper and a pen. I want to write my will."
"Master, what are you doing!" Yan Yulin cried out, wishing she could cover He Haiqin’s mouth. "You’re getting better, and here you are saying such inauspicious things."
"I don’t trust that Foreign Devil. For all we know, this could just be a brief revival. Hurry and get the paper and pen. I’ll dictate; you write. Big Sister, you’ll be the witness."
He Haiqin was stubborn, and no one dared to contradict him. With paper and pen ready, the first thing He Haiqin arranged was to entrust the He Family to He Jiaqing.
He Yuxiu interjected, "Brother, let me remind you, Jiaqing is still unconscious. Whether he can wake up is uncertain."
He Haiqin shook his head. "I’ve heard from Third Brother that Jiaqing is not in grave danger."
He Yuxiu huffed. "You trust Third Brother? Do you know what he’s scheming? If anything happens to you or Jiaqing, the rest of us won’t be able to contend with him, and the He Family will fall into his hands. Jiaqing’s condition could very well be his doing!"
"Big Sister, you, you, you..." He Haiqin suddenly began to gasp violently. The blisters on his body burst open incessantly.
Yan Yulin quickly supported He Haiqin.
"Haiqin, I was just talking nonsense! Don’t frighten me!" He Yuxiu was about to seek Cui Tiq but was stopped by He Haiqin.
"Big Sister, I am hungry. Get me something to eat..."
He Haiqin was hungry!
If a Food Cultivator could eat, it meant they had survived the ordeal.
He Yuxiu was overjoyed. "This Physician Cui is truly miraculous! Just one dose of his medicine, and you’ve pulled through!"
Sitting in the guest room, Cui Tiq stuck out his tongue toward the mirror.
On his tongue, there was a pea-sized green blister.
It wasn’t the medicine that cured He Haiqin. Cui Tiq had transferred all of He Haiqin’s ailments onto himself.
The moment he first licked the fluid from the blister, the illness had begun to transfer to him.
From that point on, He Haiqin had started to recover. That’s why he could swallow the Medicinal Powder.
Cui Tiq was not a Medicine Cultivator; he was one of the rarest types of Cultivators in the world—a Disease Cultivator!
He stared at his tongue, a smile appearing on his face.
"HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Cui Tiq let out a chilling laugh.
COUGH, COUGH, COUGH.
He laughed too hard, and the blister on his tongue burst.
The thick green fluid choked him and caused a bout of coughing.
After the coughing subsided, he smacked his lips.
With a sly slurp, he swallowed all the fluid and expressed heartfelt appreciation:
"Delicious!"
「...」
「Puluo State, Pants Belt Pit, upon the wilderness.」
Train 1160 remained stationary.
The sounds of fierce arguments and fighting occasionally came from outside the carriage.
Li Banfeng opened his backpack and took stock of the remaining food.
PS: Once again, thanks to Alliance Hierarch Nyasia for the highest support, and to all dear readers, have a pleasant weekend.