Chapter 8 - The Outbreak of a Strange Disease
“Grandfather, I’m sorry.”
As they left the square and arrived at the rock garden pavilion, Nie Donghai’s footsteps gradually came to a stop as Nie Tian softly apologized.
Nie Donghai turned around, drew close to Nie Tian, and smilingly stroke his head as he kindly said, “It doesn’t matter. Grandfather was tired and it was time to rest anyway.”
Nie Tian quietly muttered, “Grandfather, if I hadn’t recklessly fooled around, you still could have…”
“No.” Nie Donghai knew what he wanted to say and shook his head. He warmly explained, “That didn’t have anything to do with you. I’ve been planning to step down for a long time already. During these past few years, I have been blinded by hatred and used too much energy to seek revenge. It’s only a pity that the Nie Family isn’t a strong, extraordinary family - even though I have used the family’s strength, I still couldn’t track that b.a.s.t.a.r.d down.”
After a pause, Nie Donghai heaved a sigh and added, “Even if I had found the guy, it was possible that I wouldn’t even have been able to do anything to him. I understand too well how the Cloud Family treats your aunt; if the Cloud Family was in Black Cloud City, how would I even have the means to act?”
“I’m old now, so my health is steadily deteriorating, day by day. Rather than pointlessly wasting energy, it would be better to be by your side.”
“Grandfather, I will be more sensible in the future. I’ll definitely stop fighting with Nie Hong. Wait for me to become stronger, I will help Aunty receive justice from the Cloud family!” Nie Tian resolutely decided.
Nie Donghai smiled and nodded, before he looked deeply at him. His expression moved as he earnestly said, “Just now, you were clearly on the verge of collapsing. How did you suddenly obtain that extra strength to make Nie Hong suffer a big loss?”
“I also don’t know what exactly happened.” Nie Tian was also quite perplexed. “Just as I was thinking that I was finished, it seemed… as if inside my entire body a violent and unyielding force emerged. When that force emerged, Nie Hong’s residual electric energy in my body was completely wiped clean. Because of this, I had the strength to launch a counterattack.”
Nie Donghai was inwardly moved; he stretched his hand out and placed it on the middle of Nie Tian’s abdomen, attempting to understand the force that Nie Tian was describing.
A faint trace of spirit power, wispy and filmy, drifted within Nie Tian’s body. Nie Donghai carefully probed around, however, he couldn’t find anything.
Yet he did notice that, just as Nie Tian had mentioned, Nie Hong’s permeating lightning electricity had also disappeared. Not even the slightest trail of this residual electric energy was left.
“Strange...” Nie Donghai was unconvinced and full of doubt, so he asked, “After the battle, were you able to sense or rouse this strength again?
“After battling, I tried very hard to sense it, however, not even a trace of it had remained.” Nie Tian thought for a moment and added, “Nonetheless, I am certain that this force is inside my body. Only, it seems that for the time being, I’m simply not able to use it freely; only at the most dangerous moments would this force come out.”
Nie Donghai remained silent, as his eyes showed that he was deep in thought. After quite a while, he slowly spoke, “Do not talk about this matter with others.”
“Ok.” Nie Tian cleverly nodded.
“Let’s leave it at this. Go look for your Aunt. And remember, that starting tomorrow, I’ll no longer be the Nie Family’s housemaster. After today… don’t be too naughty. The next time a family member’s child acts quarrelsome, do not start off too vicious.” Nie Donghai sincerely and earnestly said.
“I know,” Nie Tian replied.
Soon after the incident, Nie Donghai immersed himself in the Nie Family’s book chamber, grabbing many books regarding unfamiliar and unique cultivation practices to read and study, in an attempt to figure out the reason for Nie Tian’s abnormal physical body.
However, after looking through more than a dozen books, he still wasn’t even a single step closer to finding his answers.
That night, Nie Qian’s maidservant Han Yue hurriedly went to Nie Donghai and told him that Nie Tian, without rhyme or reason, had gotten a high fever.
Nie Donghai hastily left the book chamber and with Han Yue, went to Nie Tian’s room. Once he entered, he saw Nie Qian anxiously standing by Nie Tian’s windowsill. She was holding a cloth full of ice against Nie Tian’s forehead, trying to help Nie Tian’s high fever recede.
“Father!”
Seeing Nie Donghai come in, Nie Qian, like a drowning person who had spotted a rescue boat, hastily called, “I don’t understand what has happened! After dinner, Little Tian got a fever and his body temperature rose higher and higher. I’m worried to death! I don’t know what I should do.
“Don’t panic, let me see.” Nie Donghai hurriedly stepped forward, placing his big, rough hands on Nie Tian’s chest.
“Ouch!” Nie Donghai couldn’t help but cry out after touching Nie Tian’s skin. His face changed to a heavier, more serious expression: “This isn’t right. His body temperature is too high! This is really abnormal!”
“Nie Hong definitely had injured him! His cultivation was at the sixth Lianqi level and he had the ability to create an external overflow from his spirit power. Despite everything, he didn’t want face and still bullied Little Tian! It was inevitable that the residual electric energy would badly damage Nie Tian internally. Yet, Second Uncle still had the guts to question Little Tian and evilly making Father give up his high position. Let me go and find those two and settle this debt!” Nie Qian furiously exclaimed. Her biggest wish in the whole world was to go find Nie Beichuan and cause him endless amounts of trouble.
“Stay here!” Nie Donghai shouted.
“Father! They bullied both you and Nie Tian, because they know that you’re at the end of the road. This year, they pushed you little by little. From the start they’d actually not put your position as house master in their eyes and did as they pleased. Today, unexpectedly through the use of small children, they even made you leave your position! They’re too much! I’m so angry! It’s unbearable!” Nie Qian yelled.
“Little Tian’s fever is our current, most important issue that we need to solve!” Nie Donghai glared at her for a second before continuing, “All other matters need to be temporarily set aside. Right now you should leave and go find Black Cloud City’s doctors; I want them to lower Nie Tian’s fever as fast as possible—I currently sense that Nie Tian’s body temperature is still rising!”
“Huh? His body temperature is still rising?” Nie Qian panicked and even stopped insisting on finding Nie Beichuan to settle their dispute. She then hurried replied, “I’ll go right away!”
After she finished speaking, she rushed away from the Nie Family’s residence, while she was burning with anxiety.
An hour later, three of the Black Cloud City’s most reputable doctors were gathered around Nie Tian’s body.
The three reputable doctors, with medicinal concoctions, acupuncture, ice and other means, constantly tried to help bring down Nie Tian’s fever.
However, it soon became midnight, yet Nie Tian’s high fever wouldn’t lessen at all.
The three reputable doctors had already exhausted all of their own means to reduce the fever, yet Nie Tian’s condition didn’t improve in the slightest.
“Trash! You can’t even cure a simple fever. How can you call yourselves reputable doctors!” Nie Donghai fumed, as he cursed in rage.
The next afternoon.
Nie Donghai and Nie Qian, both with bloodshot eyes, watched as yet another Black Cloud City doctor picked up his medicinal supplies and walked out of Nie Tian’s room, as he was unable to do anything.
After not sleeping a wink that night, Nie Donghai, with great heartache, gently stroke Nie Tian’s forehead and discovered that his body temperature was still at an alarmingly dangerous height.
“Pa.s.s on my words! No matter if it’s Black Cloud City’s or any other place’s doctor, if they manage to bring down Nie Tian’s temperature, I’ll heavily reward them!” Nie Donghai shouted.
“Understood!”
One day later.
Every doctor in and around Black Cloud City had come after hearing the news. They had all exhausted their means on Nie Tian to try and bring his temperature down in exchange for the huge reward that Nie Donghai had offered.
However, from morning until midnight, Nie Tian’s high temperature hadn’t gone down at all.
Nie Beichuan and the Nie Family’s inner circle elders all knew that Nie Tian had contracted a strange disease and in succession, had also come to visit. While doing so, in regards to Nie Donghai’s retirement of his position, they had not failed to bully him about it.
Nightfall.
Nie Donghai and Nie Qian, anxiously looked at Nie Tian’s body, which had turned red due to the fever, as their faces were filled with despair.
Nie Qian sobbed, as she fitfully murmured, “My poor little sister, if you knew that I wasn’t even able to take care of Little Tian, you would probably not be able to peacefully rest. Little Tian is only ten years old! If something happens to him, I don’t want to live anymore... At any rate, our family members, those people, also don’t want us to have an easy time. We might just as well kill ourselves...”
“Shut up!” Nie Donghai thundered, “If you dare to say anything else about being unlucky, watch me slap your mouth shut!”
“Grandfather, why don’t you think of something to do!” Nie Qian exclaimed.
“I’m thinking!” Nie Donghai said aggrievedly, “Over the years, I could be considered to have been dedicated to the Lingyun Sect. Now that I am old and have decided to step down, the Lingyun Sect’s old spirits might give me some face and decide to take care of Nie Tian!”
“You should get ready. I’ll bring Nie Tian to the Lingyun Sect. Once there, I’ll kneel in front of their door and beg for their help!”
“Ok! I will immediately arrange this!” Nie Qian’s eyes became filled with hope.
She knew, very clearly, that the Lingyun sect’s warriors, who had reached an advanced realm, possessed a kind of supernatural power. If a powerful Lianqi warrior was willing to use some effort and help them, then Nie Tian may perhaps be saved.
“Master! Master! There’s a doctor that came who claims to be able to save Little Tian!”
The maidservant Han Yue shouted to Nie Donghai, just as the father and daughter pair both were about to leave for the Lingyun sect.
……