Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 101 Born Without Seeing the Sun
When Chu Tianshu and his group went, they all rode light horses at high speed.

On the return trip, the large caravan inevitably slowed things down considerably.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the group returned to the royal city.

The steward of the Zheng family seemed to have been waiting for them. He rushed over as soon as they entered the city and whispered to Zheng Hui.

However, his method of lowering his voice was meaningless to Chu Tianshu, who was only three zhang away.

"Sir, someone has come looking for you with the token you gave to General Wei."

Zheng Hui took a piece of paper from the butler's hand.

It was a small piece of paper with gold foil stamping, containing only one line of poetry.

Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you?

Zheng Hui touched the paper with his fingertip and knew that it was indeed a set of small notes he had made by hand years ago, and the handwriting on it was also written by his left hand.

Unless it was personally given to him by General Wei Gao, the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan.

Otherwise, even if someone else obtains this small piece of paper, they won't know that it's a token from Zheng Hui of Nanzhao.

"Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you..."

Zheng Hui murmured something.

The situation in Nanzhao has become increasingly tense recently, with important figures such as a delegation from the Tang Dynasty and a high priest from Tibet having just died.

At this moment, having obtained the token from back then, Zheng Hui's face remained expressionless, but his back involuntarily straightened slightly.

After entering the city, everyone slowed down their horses because of the bustling crowds on the streets.

Zheng Hui put the paper into his sleeve, remaining calm and composed, and led the entire procession towards the Zheng residence.

Upon reaching the gate, Zheng Hui dismounted and entered, his pace suddenly quickening.

As soon as Chu Tianshu stepped into the mansion, he could smell a medicinal aroma.

The source of the medicinal smell was in the back hall.

The upper half of the large hall was filled with billowing white steam.

It's like cooking in an old-fashioned kitchen in winter, where steam rises and accumulates, lingering and hard to dissipate.

However, the climate in Nanzhao was warm.

To create such a scene, it would probably take at least four or five earthenware pots of water to boil and evaporate in a short period of time.

Sure enough, there were several empty earthenware jars on the ground, filled with dregs of medicine, but no stove was visible.

A guest, dressed in a black cloth and a red robe, sat on a large pear wood chair, holding a clay pot in his hands.

A bubbling sound came from the earthenware pot, and steam was rising from it.

Judging from the appearance, it seems that this person used both hands to accelerate the boiling of the medicine in the earthenware pot, concentrating the medicinal juice in a short time.

He must have already drunk what was cooked in those earthenware pots.

"Is that Lord Hai, the Right Commander of the Inner Guard?"

Although Zheng Hui had some guesses, he still couldn't help but pull out a small note from his sleeve, "This token, was it obtained from General Wei?"

Hai Donglai replied, "Yes."

He answered two questions with a single word.

When the Tang army defeated the combined forces of Tibet and Nanzhao, Zheng Hui heard that the Imperial Guard had been vying for credit with the army.

During that war, Hai Donglai and Wei Gao, prominent figures on both sides, were also at odds in the court.

However, this hidden token must have been taken out by Wei Gao on his own initiative.

It seems the rumors are untrue.

Zheng Hui nodded and said, "Lord Hai must have come about the Jie Tuan matter. As for how their route was leaked, I have no clue."

"Please stay here and recover, Lord Hai. I will discuss this further with the King after I have met with him."

Hai Donglai glanced up and surveyed the group of people in front of him.

Aside from the butler and guards, Chu Tianshu and the blind man's attire was clearly different from that of the others in the Zheng household.

But the fact that they were here shows that Zheng Hui truly trusts them.

"It seems you have already seen the bodies of the delegation."

Hai Donglai said, "I didn't know the delegation's route at first. I only came to Nanzhao to investigate the Inner Guard."

"Unexpectedly, someone has attacked and killed our Tang Dynasty envoy!"

Hai Donglai's voice deepened, "Those monks are no simpletons, especially the old one."

"Compared to those who once claimed to be the leaders among the wandering knights of Chang'an, this old monk is even better, and so is his weapon..."

"What a remarkable person! He must have been a high priest of Tibet."

Zheng Hui nodded, his expression grave.

Chu Tianshu was picking up the earthenware pot from the ground to examine the dregs inside.

"Scutellaria baicalensis, Forsythia suspensa, Houttuynia cordata, Viola yedoensis, Paeonia suffruticosa..."

Upon closer inspection, Chu Tianshu discovered that almost all of the ingredients inside were anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs.

There are also several particularly precious medicinal herbs.

Judging from the growth rings on the medicinal herbs, they must be rare items, most likely from the Zheng family's collection.

"The herbs are all of good quality, but the proportions are just too outrageous. Do you think the more herbs the better?"

Chu Tianshu walked over and sat down next to Hai Donglai, extending his hand and saying, "I'm a doctor, how about you take a look at me?"

Even with the strong smell of medicine filling the room, Chu Tianshu could still smell the strong stench of blood on Hai Donglai as soon as he sat down next to him.

To be honest, he was very curious about Hai Donglai's current physical condition.

What changes occur in the bodily functions of a martial arts master in a severely injured state, and how does he cope with them?

Chu Tianshu could make some inferences based on boxing manuals and medical principles, but he had never seen any examples.

Commander Xu, for example, would have been a very good subject of study.

Unfortunately, his character was too rotten, and the situation forced him to be killed outright, which was quite a pity. With the experience of diagnosing such a master, if Chu Tianshu himself were seriously injured in the future, or if his stamina was depleted to a certain extent, he might still want to continue the fight.

By having a better grasp of one's own situation and how to stimulate it in all aspects, one can be more confident.

Hai Donglai poured the medicinal liquid from the earthenware pot into a porcelain bowl next to him. After pouring out more than half a bowl, he let it cool, put the earthenware pot aside, and stretched out his hand.

"Then it's your turn, Your Excellency."

Despite being rumored to be arrogant and bloodthirsty, this person was actually quite polite.

Chu Tianshu noticed that his hands were bound with many thin white strips of cloth, all stained with blood, so he first rolled up his sleeves a little.

To everyone's surprise, these strips of cloth, which were tied all the way up to his forearm, had already turned slightly yellow.

"This strip of cloth has been here for a while. Were you already injured before you fought the Tibetans?"

Hai Donglai calmly said, "It's not an injury, it's an illness."

With Chu Tianshu's keen sense of force, he could feel the pulse even through the strip of cloth.

He placed his fingers on Hai Donglai's wrist, lost in thought and remained silent.

Zheng Hui and the others also sat down and waited quietly.

"I've never seen this kind of pulse before in my life."

Chu Tianshu frowned. "When did you get this illness? Are there any other symptoms?"

Hai Donglai said, "When I was a child, I heard from the elders that I had a congenital condition that prevented me from being exposed to light."

"When children are in the sun, they will develop red spots in less than half an hour. The spots are more severe in summer and less severe in winter."

"After the age of ten, if exposed to sunlight for even a moment, the dense red spots will merge together, break open, and bleed."

"Later it got even worse, the onset became more rapid, the ulcers became deeper, and it got worse year by year."

Everyone in the hall was startled.

I've never heard of such a strange disease before. It sounds like some kind of evil spirit or ghost that's been harmed by sunlight. It doesn't seem like a living person at all.

Zheng Hui then realized that this was a major flaw in Hai Donglai's character.

Even if the people inside the hall don't reveal it, given Hai Donglai's martial arts skills, very few people in the world could exploit this weakness.

But Hai Donglai casually exposed this flaw in front of everyone, which shows his unusual mentality.

Unless, of course, he felt that he didn't have much time left.

Zheng Hui's heart sank slightly, but his eyes held a hopeful look as he looked at Chu Tianshu.

For a master, a serious injury may heal itself, but when serious injuries and serious illnesses pile up, only medical skills can help.

As Chu Tianshu listened to these symptoms, he recalled the vampire porphyria he had read about in a medical journal.

This is a rare disease worldwide, and mild cases may have a near-normal lifespan through strict avoidance of light and treatment.

However, most patients with severe congenital porphyria, even with strict avoidance of light, will die in childhood due to various complications.

Hai Donglai should have some understanding of his illness, but he only knew to take anti-inflammatory medicines that were not entirely effective. This shows that none of the people who had treated him before had offered a good treatment plan.

He relied on rigorous training to develop a strong physique, which allowed him to withstand the illness and live for so many more years.

However, those born with this condition will find practicing qigong much more difficult than ordinary people.

"To have survived in this vicious cycle for so many years and developed martial arts skills that are renowned throughout the world, you truly have an iron will!"

Chu Tianshu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Doctors are always moved by patients with such a strong will to live, especially when they are both martial artists.

Born unable to see the light of day, yet their fame shines as brightly as the sun.

At the same time, Chu Tianshu couldn't help but think of the Blazing Sun Wheel.

This Hai Donglai is really unlucky.

He was born with this disease, and the powerful enemy he encountered was wielding the blazing sun.

If that old monk had been a soldier spirit, Hai Donglai's injuries probably wouldn't have been this severe.

So heavy that... he could die at any moment.

Hai Donglai may seem to be able to move around and talk now, but he could probably only manage a few moves in a fight.

However, this serious injury has already triggered and caused his complications to erupt.

Given the severity of this inflammation, if it were sent to a place with hospital equipment...

The test results will definitely make the doctor think either the instrument is broken or he's dreaming.

This is beyond the scope of treatment by medication.

If, in the next moment, Hai Donglai's cerebral blood vessels were to be affected even more severely, he would truly die here.

Unfortunately, precisely because the condition was so severe, Chu Tianshu's most proficient acupuncture techniques were not suitable for him.

“Even before you were injured, with this level of condition, you should have been resting at home. How dare you run around like this…”

"Wait, you're already so badly injured, it's one thing if you can walk slowly, but how did you manage to get to the capital today? You weren't riding a horse, were you?"

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up. He activated his psychic vision and carefully observed Hai Donglai, his gaze lingering on Hai Donglai's heart.

"Your military spirit resides within you!"

Hai Donglai had anticipated the severity of his injuries, and with only a slight sense of desolation and regret, he nodded and said, "My umbrella is destroyed, so my soldier spirit can only temporarily reside in my body."

When a soldier's spirit is cultivated to a high level and becomes intimately connected with its master, it can indeed temporarily reside within the master's body.

In this way, even if the original weapon is not made of good enough material and is destroyed in battle, the weapon's spirit can be transferred to a new weapon.

But the reason why the spirit of a soldier can easily display its wondrous power is because it is purer than that of a human.

If it remains in the body for too long, it will be corrupted by the body's emotions, causing its abilities to decline or even dissipate.

"I forgot that the Soul of the Soldier has this characteristic."

Chu Tianshu's brows relaxed, and his expression brightened.

"Alright, alright, then you might still be saved!"

(End of this chapter)