Chapter 2365 - 2175: Are You Here for a Consultation?
Chapter 2365: Chapter 2175: Are You Here for a Consultation?
During the day, Song Xiaodong practiced alchemy, and at night, he discussed philosophy with Li Wenxin.
"How is Mr. Song today?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
"The heat was too much," Song Xiaodong replied.
"Do not rush for success, do not underestimate yourself, do not aim too high, and do not let your hands outpace your eyes," Li Wenxin advised Song Xiaodong again.
"Your guidance is right, elder," Song Xiaodong nodded thoughtfully.
"I ask you, after two days of refining elixirs, what taste have you achieved?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
Indeed, as a reclusive master, a simple question left Song Xiaodong speechless.
Song Xiaodong, in his alchemy, only thought about creating effective medicine. Every time he produced a batch, he tested the properties himself. Yet, over these two days, after countless batches, he couldn’t remember the taste of his own elixirs.
Seeing Song Xiaodong in a daze, Li Wenxin couldn’t help but laugh.
"Hehehehe, Mr. Song, alchemy is like cultivating the heart; cultivating the heart is like being human. Whatever taste a person has, that’s the taste of the elixir," Li Wendao said to Song Xiaodong again.
Song Xiaodong nodded thoughtfully.
"Then what taste is your elixir?" Li Wendao asked Song Xiaodong.
Li Wendao was not asking about the elixir’s taste but rather the taste of Song Xiaodong’s life.
Song Xiaodong looked up at the ceiling, recalling his life briefly, filled with ups and downs, splendid and dramatic. No matter how one saw it, it was a life of significance.
Yet Song Xiaodong said, "Master, my elixir tastes bitter."
"Hmm..." Li Wendao nodded in satisfaction.
Two thousand years ago, the Buddha was born into a royal family, noble as the Crown Prince, favored by his father, never knowing suffering. Upon aging, he saw birth, aging, illness, death, and sighed at life’s omnipresent bitterness. Under the Bodhi tree, upon the Diamond Throne, he achieved enlightenment.
Though Song Xiaodong was not noble as the Crown Prince, he grew under the protection of Dragon Gate from a young age, possessing unique skills, becoming a legendary lord, never enduring life’s hardships.
Yet, Song Xiaodong claimed his elixir was bitter.
"Mr. Song, I’ve cultivated my whole life, burdened by this Taoist temple, stagnant at the peak, seeking a successor. In your view, can my junior brother handle this great responsibility?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
Li Wenxin referred to his junior brother, Li Wendao, who repeatedly tried to drive Song Xiaodong away.
"Master Wendao upholds strict disciplines, adheres to rules, and will certainly be a qualified Taoist priest in the future," Song Xiaodong said.
Li Wenxin smiled faintly and prompted, "But?"
Song Xiaodong also smiled and said to Li Wenxin, "Master Wendao will indeed be a qualified Taoist priest, but might not be a qualified Taoist."
"What makes you say that, Mr. Song?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
"The path of cultivation is long; only a solid Taoist heart can achieve it. Yet, in Master Wendao’s mind, this temple weighs heavier than the ultimate truths. Attachment to external things makes the Taoist heart fragile; this temple becomes a prison instead," Song Xiaodong said.
"Hmm..." Li Wenxin nodded in satisfaction again.
"Then, does Mr. Song think my junior brother can heal Miss Zhang’s illness?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
"In the late autumn, when harvest and storage are exchanged, it’s a time for transition. Elder, you’ve paved the way for Master Wendao. I believe the illness can be cured," Song Xiaodong said to Li Wenxin.
"The illness isn’t with Miss Zhang, but with human nature, Mr. Song. Shall we make a bet?" Li Wenxin asked Song Xiaodong.
"Sure, what does elder wish to wager?" Song Xiaodong asked.
"If I lose and my junior brother actually heals Miss Zhang, I’ll give you a treasure," Li Wenxin said to Song Xiaodong.
"Great, if I lose and Master Wendao doesn’t heal Miss Zhang, I’ll give you a batch of elixirs," Song Xiaodong replied.
"Deal!"
"Deal!"
The next morning, everyone gathered in Miss Zhang’s bedroom. She was bedridden, pale, weakly breathing, her body cold, gaze blank.
"Master, Miss is getting worse by the day. What shall we do? If anything happens to Jiajia, I won’t live either!" Zhou Mei cried, kneeling by Zhang Jiajia’s bed, talking and sobbing.
Li Wendao said to Zhang Guojian, "Mr. Zhang, my medical skill is poor, my cultivation shallow, powerless to help."
Having said this, Li Wendao turned and gave Li Wenxin a meaningful look.
Li Wenxin’s gaze on Li Wendao was filled with disappointment.
Listening to Li Wendao, Zhang Guojian stood despondently, unable to speak, his eyes red, motionless for a while.
Fang Xiaoyu comforted the nearly breathless Zhou Mei, and Sun Hailong stood beside the bed, silently shedding tears.
"If there’s still time, I can recommend a place for Miss, which is Lingxu Temple at Qixia Mountain, to find my uncle Hang Yunzi and Wendao’s brother," Li Wendao said to Zhang Guojian.
"Taoist, I appreciate your kindness, but in Miss’s current condition, there’s no time left!" Zhang Guojian said to Li Wendao.
Chapter 2179: Fire Essence Pill
"Indeed..." Zhou Mei echoed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Song Xiaodong glanced at Li Wenxin, whose brows were tightly furrowed, and stepped forward to speak to Zhang Guojian, "Mr. Zhang, I know a little of medical skills; since both Taoists are helpless, perhaps I could give it a try."