Chapter 16

“To think Brother Ye is so well-read, to have such a level of attainment towards the alchemy path. Tang Yu carelessly believed the rumors and as a result, affronted Brother Ye. I am ashamed.” With just Ye Yuan’s words, Tang Yu realized this person definitely had an undeserved reputation, and he quickly apologized.

Ye Yuan silently praised him. This Tang Yu came from a poor background, yet he was frank and forthright; a friend worth making.

On the way here, Tang Yu recounted about his household. Only then did Ye Yuan know this Tang Yu was actually a student from the Dan Wu Academy. No wonder Tang Yu knew he was at the last place in the ranking.

With a smile, Ye Yuan said, “No need for that, Brother Tang. My previous reputation was indeed horrendous, so Brother Tang can’t be blamed. As for my attainments in the Alchemy Path, it isn’t really that high. It’s just that when I was young, my father forced me to learn some of these medicinal herbs, so I ended up recognizing a few of them.”

At this point, Tang Yu no longer dared to underestimate Ye Yuan. He quickly said, “Brother Ye is too humble. Please, come in.”

As Tang Yu led Ye Yuan into the house, a series of faint and weak coughing sound came from someone lying on a bed. Needless to say, the person was Tang Yu’s father, Tang Zonghuai.

“Yu-er . . . cough . . . Are you . . . cough  . . . back?” Tang Zonghuai’s condition did not seem to be very optimistic; coughing so severely just by saying something, and even struggling just to sit up straight.

Tang Yu looked at this scene and quickly went up to support Tang Zonghuai. “Father, I already told you not to move about.”

“Hahaha . . . cough . . . This time around . . . cough . . . Father probably isn’t going to make it. In the . . . In the future, you have to . . . cough . . . take good care of yourself.” Clearly, Tang Zonghuai already harbored the intention to die.

Tang Yu’s tears immediately spilled out, and he said with a choking voice, “Father, don’t speak anymore. I . . . I will definitely cure you! I already brought back the Six Leaf Grass. I will go and refine the Great Returning Pill right away.”

Tang Yu was about to get up when he was grabbed by Tang Zonghuai. “No . . . No need . . . cough . . . It is useless.”

It was not that the Great Returning Pill was actually useless, but rather, Tang Zonghuai knew that it was not possible for his son to refine the Great Returning Pill. Instead of wasting the medicinal herbs, he might as well leave it for his son.

“Cough cough . . . Yu-er, to . . . cough . . . to think there’s a guest. Why . . . Why didn’t you invite him in to have a seat?” Only now did Tang Zonghuai notice someone else was standing at the entrance of the room.

Upon mentioning Ye Yuan, Tang Yu immediately perked up and turned to Ye Yuan. “Brother Ye, I beg of you. Please save my father! As long as you can cure him, I would be willing to slog like a horse for you throughout my lifetime.”

Even though Tang Yu’s background was not that good, it was clear that he was a person with an air of pride. To be able to say such words showed how deep the relationship between the father and son pair was.

Judging others by oneself, even the most delicate string lying within the deepest parts of Ye Yuan’s heart was strummed.

“You and I can be considered to have hit it off as brothers. Why did you have to say something like toiling for me akin to a horse? Quickly, let Uncle lie down, I will do a diagnosis.” Tang Yu made space for Ye Yuan who did not bother with courteousness and sat directly on the bed.

Right when Ye Yuan was about to grab Tang Zonghuai’s wrists, who knew the latter would pull away. “No need for it . . . This Little Brother . . . Thank you.”

“Father!” Seeing his father like this immediately made Tang Yu anxious.

Ye Yuan knew that Tang Zonghuai wanted to avoid causing trouble for his son. Hence, he was bent on dying. Of course, a part of the reason was that Ye Yuan was too young; he did not believe Ye Yuan can do anything.

Ye Yuan did not get angry. Signaling with his hands to stop Tang Yu, he asked, “Uncle, if I didn’t guess it wrong, you were injured by a Giant Wind Rhinoceros right?

Hearing that, Tang Yu instantly became agitated. “What a great judgment, Brother Ye, to have guessed it at a glance.”

Tang Zonghuai remained unmoved. Coughing several times, he said disjointedly, “It’s . . . Yu-er who . . . told you right? Don’t . . . bother.”

“Father, I really did not tell Brother Ye. He figured it out on his own.” Looking at how his father was bent on dying, Tang Yu’s heart was torn with anxiety.

Looking at this situation, Ye Yuan started frowning. To treat a person, firstly, he had to address the patient’s heart. Tang Zonghuai himself did not want to live anymore. Even if he let Tang Zonghuai ate a miraculous panacea, it might not be able to save him.

With Ye Yuan’s eyesight, he could indeed see that Tang Zonghuai was heavily injured, and most likely he would not outlive the night to see the next day. If things continued delaying like this, then even if he became an Alchemy Emperor once more, he would not be able to save Tang Zonghuai. Even his current condition was not something that a Great Returning Pill could treat.

Ye Yuan decided to give a dose of fierce medicine. “Forget it, Brother Tang. What’s the point of saving such a heartless person? Since he wants to die, then let him die.”

Tang Yu could not catch on of Ye Yuan’s real intention. But seeing Ye Yuan demeaned his father like that, he suddenly was in a rage. “Ye Yuan, what are you saying? My father got injured all because for my sake. How can you called him a heartless person?”

“Cough . . . Such an immature . . . goading technique . . . is useless.” Tang Yu might not be able to realize it, but how could an experienced old man like Tang Zonghuai not tell.

Ye Yuan naturally did not think that it would succeed so easily. With a cold smile, he then said, “Is that so? Then just treat it as a goading technique. In the future when Brother Tang dies on the streets and goes to the Underworld to blame you, let’s see how you respond then.”

A ripple finally appeared in Tang Zonghuai’s placid emotions. Turning around, he said, “What do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you said it’s a goading technique? Why bother asking so much then? I was taking into account of Brother Tang’s filial piety, that’s why I agreed to save you. But to think that his filial piety wasn’t appreciated at all. It’s fine to not save you then. Farewell.” After saying this, Ye Yuan then just turned around and walked away.

“Hold on!” Tang Zonghuai and Tang Yu called out in unison.

“Is there anything else, Uncle?” Ye Yuan ignored Tang Yu and asked Tang Zonghuai coldly.

“I would like to know . . . what did Little Brother . . . meant by . . . what you said just now.” Saying how Tang Yu would die on the streets really triggered him.

“You are just someone who’s about to die, what’s the point of knowing so much? To not even care about your own son’s life and death, only caring about your own death; if you aren’t heartless, then what are you?” Ye Yuan smiled coldly.

“As . . . As long as . . . this Little Brother clarifies things . . . I . . . I’m willing to be treated.” Seemingly speaking too much, Tang Zonghuai’s coughing became even more intense.

Yet Ye Yuan maintained that look of disdain. Smiling coldly, he said, “Do you think that after Tang Yu enters the Dan Wu Academy, his future would be boundless?”

“Isn’t . . . isn’t that the case?” Tang Zonghuai asked doubtfully.

“Of course not! The Dan Wu Academy is not the holy land you imagined; on the contrary, it’s an abnormally cruel place. Of course, I believe Brother Tang has never mentioned this to you before, am I right?” Ye Yuan questioned him while looking towards Tang Yu.

Tang Yu revealed an embarrassed expression, yet he still nodded his head, which was considered tacitly agreeing. Tang Zonghuai was quite familiar with his own son, so he naturally knew that he was not lying; his heart could not help but tighten.

Ye Yuan continued saying, “The Dan Wu Academy is indeed a place where geniuses congregate, but it’s also where the competition is the most intense; possibly it is even crueler than the outside world! The birth of a genius often requires stepping on the bones of other geniuses. Although Brother Tang’s talent isn’t bad, it isn’t exceedingly good. Furthermore, he is just a commoner. Without the support of massive resources, he is destined to be the stepping stone for other people. In the future when he’s eliminated, even if he survived, he can at most make a living by becoming a demonic beast hunter. There are no small numbers of people like that within the Dan Wu Academy. How many demonic beast hunters do you think could possibly lead a safe and secure life?”

As a demonic beast hunter himself, Tang Zonghuai naturally understood the circumstances of demonic beast hunters. Thinking of how his own son would possibly follow in his footsteps, Tang Zonghuai felt like even if he died, he would not have died peacefully.

“Li-Little Brother, just now . . . cough . . . was my fault. Can I trouble . . . you to treat my injuries? I . . . I’m willing to . . . pay any price.” Initially, Tang Zonghuai was not willing to cause any trouble for his son. However, after discovering that his son might get into even more trouble after he passed away, this meant that no matter what, he cannot die.