Free Web NovelChapter 124: Chapter 124: The Clerk
Bu Huan looked over the refugees present.
The refugees left until the very end, the ones nobody chose, were undoubtedly those most deeply afflicted by the corpse poison.
Aside from the few among them who were knowledgeable and capable, it was no surprise that the rest were ignored.
"That group of rebels promised them that if they offered up a certain amount of corpse qi, they would be set free and allowed to leave as they please."
"And yet, to extract more corpse qi, taking the Corpse God Pill was unavoidable."
Once you take too many Corpse God Pills, you can’t live without them.
The change in their constitution would only make them reject worldly food, making them crave the Corpse God Pill instead.
"Many of these people died. The Corpse God Pills were distributed in fixed amounts. If they wanted more, they had to work desperately to gather qi until the Corpse Dragon’s toxic qi entered their bodies and their lives were extinguished..."
"These kinds of people will never make it to Xianlin," Bu Huan said calmly.
"The remaining ones are the quiet and docile types. They aren’t impulsive and can accept that kind of life."
"They eat fixed meals, work as scheduled every day, and the corpse poison enters their bodies a bit more slowly."
However, in the end, the outcome for both groups was no different.
If the sect hadn’t intervened, their bodies would have also ended up in the burial ground, becoming nutrients to nourish the Corpse Dragon.
"Junior Brother Bai, in your opinion, what method could remove the corpse poison from these people?" Bu Huan asked.
"You’re making it sound too easy, Senior Brother," Bai Mo said, mercilessly pouring cold water on the idea.
If this matter were easy, there wouldn’t be so many refugees left behind.
"Unless they take fire-attribute, yang-natured substances long-term, they can rely on the countervailing properties to slowly neutralize the corpse poison."
"But the value of such substances is by no means low..."
The Fire Marrow Pill from Bai Mo’s shop was one extremely suitable Pill.
To put it bluntly, even a capable man like Lanshan, who was good at earning money, would have to hesitate for a moment before buying a single one.
Bu Huan just said, "I’m not looking for an instantaneous cure, just a long-term method to neutralize or slow the corpse poison."
"These refugees are all down-to-earth people. If we give them a way forward, they’ll be able to live on with peace of mind..."
Bai Mo couldn’t help but praise, "Senior Brother, you really do care!"
Bu Huan shook his head.
"Peace in the world is beneficial to the sect’s development. Our ability to absorb benefits from all places won’t be cut off..."
Bai Mo thought for a moment.
"It’s not that there isn’t a way. In fact, it’s quite simple."
CLINK!
It was the sound of stones striking each other.
Bai Mo turned his head and saw a young boy among the refugees striking a flint, trying to ignite the tinder below.
But sparks were slow to appear, and the boy could only try again and again.
Pointing toward him, Bai Mo said:
"Just have them warm themselves by the fire often and avoid cold food. It treats both the symptoms and the root cause."
"Coincidentally, people with corpse poison often feel an icy chill, so this should suppress it to some degree."
Bu Huan was stunned.
"It’s that simple!?"
Bai Mo explained:
"This is a process that takes decades. It’s a long, grinding effort of watching one’s diet and nourishing the body to neutralize the corpse poison."
"Although it takes a long time, it can also suppress the spread of the corpse poison. It’s a safe and reliable method."
"I suppose it’s the only way," Bu Huan said with a helpless sigh.
He turned to look at two fellow sect members with tense faces who were guarding the area, beckoning them over.
It was these two who, a moment ago, had seen a refugee go mad for some unknown reason, rushing about frantically before fleeing in a panic.
Fearing the person would cause trouble, they had given chase.
As a result, they didn’t get back in time, and the Demon Hunting Team and the servants of the great families found an opportunity to start a huge fight, causing chaos.
Bu Huan said to Bai Mo, "I’ll assign them some tasks."
"Junior Brother Bai, are you heading back now?"
But Bai Mo said, "I’ll look around a bit more."
With that, he walked off alone.
The young boy finally got his fire started.
He placed a bamboo tube full of water on it, then carefully tucked the flint into his chest pocket, the weight of it pulling his clothes down.
Seeing Bai Mo approach, a look of fear flashed across his face.
"What is it, Immortal Elder?"
His face showed no desire to be chosen, only simple fear.
Bai Mo smiled, looking at his weak appearance.
"I saw some activity over here, so I came to take a look."
The cut on the bamboo tube was very smooth and a bit blackened.
"Where did you get the bamboo tube?"
"I saw an Immortal Elder drop it on the road, so I picked it up."
Bai Mo pointed to a few green leaves floating inside.
"Who taught you to brew it like this?"
Hearing this, the boy’s voice grew a little louder.
"My teacher taught me! He was moved by the sincerity of my tuition gift and specially passed it down to me!"
"It’s the best medicinal recipe for when you’re tired from traveling. It can prevent illness!"
There was a faint hint of pride on his face.
Bai Mo said, "Oh."
"What’s your name?"
"Wei An! The ’An’ for ’peace’!"
Bai Mo then said, "Wei An, your teacher taught you wrong."
"You have, all told, six medicinal ingredients here. Three of them have conflicting properties. It’s impossible for it to have any illness-preventing effects."
Seeing Wei An’s frozen expression, Bai Mo continued before the boy could show his indignation:
"Lately, have you been feeling constant shifts between hot and cold, and general discomfort all over?"
"That’s not because of the corpse poison in your body. It’s because you’ve been using the wrong medicinal ingredients."
Hearing this, Wei An was startled. His expression changed rapidly, and he looked a bit helpless.
But a wave of defiance rose in his heart, and he desperately wanted to argue.
Bai Mo watched him calmly, his serene gaze immediately suppressing the boy’s defiance.
"This recipe... traveling countryside doctors sometimes use it. If they’re lucky, the patient’s body heats up for a while, they sweat a bit, and they get better."
"In the end, it all comes down to fate."
Bai Mo held up five fingers and waggled them in front of Wei An.
"For this exact recipe, those doctors usually charge five wen."
"Wei An, your teacher is a fraud. He tricked you!"
A soft chuckle came from a nearby refugee. It vanished in an instant, but Wei An still heard it clearly.
Wei An had recommended this recipe to many people. Hearing this now, he felt as if something inside him had shattered.
His face and ears burned with heat.
’This Immortal Elder before me wouldn’t lie to me,’ he thought. ’After all, what would he gain?’
Seeing the changing expressions on the boy’s face, Bai Mo found it interesting and waited for a moment.
But Wei An suddenly grabbed the bamboo tube and was about to put it to his lips.
Bai Mo grabbed his hand to stop him.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"I’m going to taste it again!"
Bai Mo shook his head and snatched the bamboo tube away.
’If this kid keeps drinking this concoction, he’ll completely ruin his body.’
"Matters of medicinal herbs aren’t something you can be stubborn about."
"When you know you’re wrong, you must correct it, admit it, and reflect on it..."
Bai Mo said, "This isn’t a matter of pride. A person’s life could be at stake."
"This is the Dao. It doesn’t change according to a person’s will."
Seeing that Bai Mo had said so much to him, Wei An finally realized something.
’Even an Immortal Elder with nothing better to do wouldn’t go out of his way to talk to me for so long.’
"What... what do you really want?"
Bai Mo said softly, "My shop is still short an errand boy to watch the front and do odd jobs."
"Do you have anywhere else to go?"
Wei An’s body trembled.
"Of course not."
Bai Mo stood up and patted the hem of his clothes.
"Then come with me."
Wei An’s parents, friends, and relatives were nowhere to be found; their whereabouts were unknown.
Amidst the tide of disaster, he himself didn’t hold out much hope.
’In a situation like this, it’s easy enough to take someone with you. Just offering a meal is enough.’
"Junior Brother Bai, you found someone you like?"
Bu Huan saw Bai Mo choosing someone and called out to ask.
"Mhm, the shop needs a helper," Bai Mo replied with a smile.
"Heh, the city’s schools are full of bright, clever children whose backgrounds are known. Why are you only looking for someone now?"
Bai Mo thought for a moment.
"It was convenient. I saw someone with a stubborn streak, so I figured I might as well take him back with me."
"When you’re dealing with Pills and medicinal herbs, you absolutely need a personality that can persevere and endure tedium..."
