Chapter 12: Absolutely Delicious

Like how He Jiaqing despised the international students at his university, He Haiqin despised foreigners, particularly Westerners. In this regard, the father and son were shockingly alike.

He Yuxiu held He Haiqin's hand and tried to persuade him. "Little Brother, listen to me. This doctor is truly skilled. Xiao Zhenggong sent him. Just let him take a look."

He Haiqin shoved his older sister aside. "Get out!"

He Yuxiu turned to Yan Yulin. "Yulin, talk some sense into him!"

Yan Yulin took a deep breath and summoned her courage. "My dear, I've always obeyed you. Just this once, let me make the decision. Sister-in-law, go ahead and bring in the physician!"

He Yuxiu got up to bring the physician into the room. He Haiqin was furious, but he didn't have the strength to stop her.

Soon after, Cedric, a blond-haired, blue-eyed physician with a high-bridged nose, appeared at the door. When he saw the blisters all over He Haiqin's body, he was incredibly shocked.

Yan Yulin quickly explained, "Physician, please don't be afraid. These blisters aren't contagious. Our family has taken care of him for two years, and no one has ever been infected."

"Fucking foreign devil!" He Haiqin shot Cedric a glare. Then he turned to Yan Yulin. "What are you even saying all that for? You think this damn foreign devil can understand you?"

"I can!" Cedric replied in fluent Mandarin. "Not all foreign devils are bad. I'm a good foreign devil. I love Puluo."

He Haiqin forced a smile. "You've got quite the fucking mouth on you."

"It's not just talk," Cedric said as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his hairy chest. Five Chinese characters were tattooed on it. They translated to:

I love Puluo.

Yan Yulin covered her eyes.

He Yuxiu chimed in from the side, "Wow, would you look at that! He's so sincere that he tattooed it right over his heart!"

He Haiqin turned his head away, unwilling to look at Cedric. "My home doesn't have any of that fancy equipment you Westerners use. Just leave."

Cedric shook his head and smiled. "Good sir, there is no need to worry. I don't use that equipment anyway. I am a Medicine Cultivator. I practice Puluo's ancient medical arts. Let me check your pulse first."

Cedric took He Haiqin's pulse earnestly. He Haiqin did his best to suppress his hostility, but he was unwilling to even look at Cedric.

After a few minutes, Cedric appeared to have reached a diagnosis. He picked up his satchel, pulled out a silver needle, and sterilized it over a candle flame. With it, he gently pierced one of He Haiqin's blisters.

Thick green pus oozed out. Cedric dipped a finger into the pus, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it. Then he licked his finger and tasted the pus.

Earlier, Yan Yulin had stressed that the blisters weren't contagious. Even so, watching Cedric put the pus-covered finger tip into his mouth made her retch uncontrollably.

And it wasn't just her. Even He Haiqin, the person whose pus it was, felt nauseated.

He Yuxiu had stronger nerves. Her cheek twitched slightly as she said, "Little Brother, look how dedicated Physician Cedric is! He just put the pus in his mouth! He's even savoring the taste!"

"

Urk!

" He Haiqin threw up.

Gourmandism Cultivators were not supposed to vomit. It was considered a grave insult to the food. However, He Haiqin simply couldn't hold it back.

Cedric's tongue was still moving, carefully savoring the taste of the pus.

A few minutes later, Cedric nodded. "I believe I've found the cause of this illness."

He Yuxiu blinked in surprise. "Let's hear it."

Cedric explained, "This illness does not exist naturally in this world. Someone created it."

He Haiqin was astonished and finally turned to look at Cedric. "You know who did this to me?"

He had long suspected the Lu Family was behind it.

He Yuxiu's eyes widened. "Was it those bastards from the Lu Family?!"

Cedric shook his head. "I don't know who it was, but I can find a cure. Good sir, please grant me a private room so that I may prepare the medicine for you."

He Haiqin's brows furrowed slightly. He wasn't keen on taking some Westerner's mystery drug.

Cedric knew what He Haiqin was worried about. "Please rest assured, good sir. I will remain in your residence until you recover. If anything goes wrong, you may kill me at any time."

He Haiqin glanced at Yan Yulin. She then gave the steward a look, and he left to arrange a private room for Cedric.

Less than half an hour later, Cedric emerged from the private room with a test tube containing a white powder.

"Good sir, please take this medicine. Once you do, you will have a swift recovery."

As He Haiqin stared at the white powder, his cheek twitched. He didn't want to take that medicine. He didn't trust Westerners. But even if he didn't take it, he would only last a few more hours at most in his current state.

Yan Yulin took the test tube. He Haiqin hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded.

Yan Yulin poured the powder into He Haiqin's mouth. The inside of his throat was covered in blisters too, making it extremely difficult for him to swallow. That was why he hadn't been able to eat. Strangely, he managed to swallow the powder without water.

Cedric stood beside the hospital bed, looking upright and honest. He was making it clear he wouldn't leave.

He Haiqin had been on the verge of death, yet an hour later, he was able to sit up slowly. He was sweating profusely, and his blisters had subsided a little.

Yan Yulin's face lit up with joy.

He Yuxiu praised Cedric to the high heavens. "Little Brother, look how incredible Physician Cedric is! Just one dose, and you're already getting better!"

Cedric gave a small smile. "Good sir, do you believe me now?"

He Haiqin snorted coldly. "The medicine of foreign devils is always like this. Treats the symptoms but not the root cause!"

Cedric shook his head. "I will stay in your residence until you've recovered completely."

He Haiqin shot Cedric a sideways glance. "How much did Xiao Zhenggong pay you?"

Cedric held his hands up. "That's something I can't tell you. It's a matter of principle. Boss Xiao insisted I must cure you and said money is not an issue."

He Haiqin frowned. "Just tell me how much. Stop beating around the bush!"

Feeling helpless, Cedric gave in. "Boss Xiao gave me ten thousand silver dollars[1]."

He Haiqin nodded and said to the steward, "Give him ten thousand silver dollars and have him return to his room to rest."

Cedric shook his head. "There's no need to pay me. Boss Xiao already—"

"This is a reward from me! Just go!"

He Haiqin did admire Cedric's medical skill, but that didn't change his dislike for Westerners.

After Cedric left, He Haiqin told his wife, "Yulin, fetch pen and paper. I want to write my will."

"My dear, what are you saying?!" Yan Yulin wanted to cover He Haiqin's mouth to stop him from talking. "You're all better now, yet you're saying such inauspicious things."

"I don't trust that foreign devil. I might just be having a burst of vitality before my death. Quickly, go fetch pen and paper. I'll speak, you'll write. Elder Sister, be my witness."

He Haiqin was so insistent on writing his will that no one dared to oppose the idea. Once Yan Yulin was ready to write, the first thing he declared was to assign He Jiaqing as the new head of the family.

He Yuxiu spoke from the side. "Little Brother, I have to remind you that Jiaqing is still in a coma. We don't even know if he'll wake up."

He Haiqin shook his head. "I heard from Third Brother that Jiaqing's condition isn't that bad."

He Yuxiu snorted. "You're the only one who trusts Third Brother. Do you even have any idea what he's thinking? If something happens to you and Jiaqing, there's no way your wife and I can fight him. The He Family would fall right into his hands. For all we know, he might be the one behind what happened to Jiaqing!"

"Elder Sister, y-y-you—"

He Haiqin suddenly gasped for breath as the blisters on his body burst one after another without pause. Yan Yulin hurried to support him.

"Haiqin, I was just saying nonsense. Don't frighten me like that, Little Brother!"

He Yuxiu was about to run out to find Cedric, but He Haiqin stopped her. "Elder Sister... I'm hungry. Get me something to eat..."

Hungry? Haiqin's hungry!

He Haiqin was a Gourmandism Cultivator, so being able to eat again meant he had survived the ordeal.

He Yuxiu was overjoyed. "Physician Cedric is amazing! Just one dose of his medicine, and you pulled through!"

Was the medicine... effective? No, not at all. It was useless, completely useless! That white powder was no different from the dirt on the ground!

Sitting inside the guest room, Cedric stuck out his tongue in front of a mirror. There was a green blister the size of a pea on his tongue.

The thing that cured He Haiqin wasn't the medicine. The cure was Cedric transferring all of He Haiqin's blisters onto himself.

The moment Cedric licked the pus from the blister, the disease had already begun transferring to him. That was when He Haiqin started to recover, which was why he'd been able to swallow the medicine.

Cedric was not a Medicine Cultivator. He was one of the rarest kinds of cultivators in the world—a Disease Cultivator!

As he stared at his tongue, a smile spread across his face.

What a perfect blister! Who created this? Looks like there's still someone else on the same cultivation path as me.

I have to find him... and kill him!

Cedric let out a maniacal laugh. "

Heheheheheh!

"

He laughed so hard that the blister on his tongue burst.

The thick green pus choked him, sending him into a coughing fit.

"

Cough, cough, cough!

"

After the coughing fit ended, Cedric smacked his lips.

With a loud slurp, he swallowed every drop of the pus and exclaimed in genuine admiration, "Absolutely delicious!"

***

Girdle-Slipping Hollow, Puluo Province.

Train 1160 was still where it had stopped in the wilderness.

From time to time, noises rang out from the train cars. Passengers were screaming and fighting.

Meanwhile, Li Banfeng unzipped his backpack and carefully took inventory of his remaining food, one item at a time.

1. Foreign silver dollar coins (大洋), mainly Spanish, were introduced to China in the 16th century and used as part of everyday money because of global trade. From 1890 onward, China produced its own silver coins, starting with the Silver Dragon coin and then various coins featuring the faces of military leaders, the most one being the Yuan Shikai coin. China eventually phased out the use of silver coins in the 1930s in favour of paper money. | Pretty interesting stuff, but anyway, I assume 10k silver foreign dollars would be an incredibly massive sum of money during that time. ☜