Chapter 1211: Seizing Someone’s Life BackTranslator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
“No, she didn’t accidentally cut her wrist but rather did it on purpose to feed her own blood essence to her mother.” Tang Xiu shook his head. “Otherwise, given the speed of her treatment, it would have taken several months for her mother to recover.”
“What did you say?”
Hu Shaokun’s hand trembled and he nearly drove the car to the roadside. After calming himself down, he hurriedly asked, “But why would she do that? Isn’t she… doesn’t she know she’s gonna die doing that?”
“I know that she’s very filial to her mother, but she did it in the wrong way.” Tang Xiu forced a smile. “Feeding her mother with her own blood essence can indeed make her mother recover faster, but it’s harmful to herself and even greatly reduces her lifespan. Given her current condition, I’m afraid she only has a month left. There’s a chance that she only has 10 or 15 days left if she is not treated in time. Her mother may have recovered at this time, but it would only be temporary and she can’t live long after Li Cai dies.”
Hu Shaokun didn’t understand the reason, but Tang Xiu’s explanation was clear to him that Li Cai had fed her mother with her blood essence. She wanted her mother to recover fast, yet what she did was harmful to herself and once she died, Auntie Zhuang also wouldn’t die a natural death.
“What a silly girl.” Hu Shaokun spoke with a regretful and self-blaming tone.
“She’s a silly girl indeed. Even though I’ve seen countless girls who were filial like her, one like her is very rare.” Tang Xiu nodded. “Anyways, care to answer me a question?”
After stabilizing his emotions, Hu Shaokun replied, “Tang Xiu, no… Divine Doctor Tang, I was quite restless before, so please forgive me for addressing you with your name directly. Please ask me anything, I’ll answer it as long as it is within my knowledge.”
Tang Xiu didn’t bother about how he addressed him and asked, “I just want to know something. Do you treat Li Cai as your sister or have you secretly fallen for her?”
“About this…”
Hu Shaokun hesitated and countless thoughts filled his mind. He delayed his answer and drove the car for several kilometers before he finally let out a forced smile and said, “I won’t hide anything from you, Divine Doctor Tang. I might have seen her purely as my little sister in the past, but after we went through so many things, only then did I realize that I like her. Her strength, kindness, filial piety, pureness…”
“If so, are you willing to give up your life for her?” asked Tang Xiu again. “Please answer truthfully. How long she can live in the future will depend on your answer.”
Hu Shaokun was shaken inwardly and categorically replied, “If she can live on, I’m willing to pay the price with my life.”
“If so, then prepare yourself mentally.” Tang Xiu said, “I may be able to alleviate the danger to her life, but it’ll be at the exchange with your lifespan for her treatment.”
Having said that, Tang Xiu turned to look outside through the car’s windows. His handsome face wore a slightly annoyed expression when he muttered to himself in a low voice, “c.r.a.p! Grabbing a life from the King of h.e.l.l will weaken me for at least half a month.”
Hu Shaokun keenly heard Tang Xiu’s mutterings and a complicated expression appeared on his face. He had been wary of Tang Xiu before due to his official ident.i.ty, his magical and mysterious medical skills, his ident.i.ty as the owner of Magnificent Tang Corporation, and his status as a scion of Beijing’s House Tang.
But now, all his wariness towards him vanished. He could tell that Tang Xiu had no other thoughts and was purely moved by Li Cai, so he went to all lengths to help her and Auntie Zhuang out.
At the Blue Starfish Mansion.
Tang Xiu followed Hu Shaokun and finally saw Li Cai, who was lying in a coma on the bed and her mother squatted at the bedside, looking slightly paled and eyes welled up with tears. Tang Xiu sighed inwardly as he came to her and said, “Please stretch out your hand.”
Aunt Zhuang stared blankly for a moment and wiped away the tears in the corner of her eyes. She looked at Hu Shaokun first and asked, “This person is…”
“He’s Divine Doctor Tang Xiu, Auntie Zhuang,” replied Hu Shaokun hurriedly.
After hearing the answer, the woman immediately knelt and begged Tang Xiu. “I’ve heard of your name for a long time, Divine Doctor Tang. Thank you for treating my illness. But now my daughter is sick again and I hope you can save her too. I’m willing to pay any price as long as you can save her.”
Tang Xiu didn’t reply and reached out to hold her wrist and quietly checked her pulse. Afterward, he pulled her up from the floor and then said, “Treating and saving a patient is my duty even though the situations with you—mother and daughter—are rather… special. The condition of your physique is okay, but you need to remember one thing. From today onward, the lives of you, your daughter, and Hu Shaokun will be tightly tied together. If any of the three of you dies, the other two will also die.”
Eyes staring wide, Aunt Zhuang incredulously asked, “What do you mean by that, Divine Doctor Tang?”
“Originally, I didn’t want to treat you since your illness wasn’t caused by any ordinary disease but retribution from Heaven.” Tang Xiu faintly said, “I have no idea why you reincarnated here, but I can tell you that your daughter would’ve never been so miserable if it wasn’t for your sake.”
The woman was as though losing her soul after hearing Tang Xiu’s explanation and murmured, “Retribution? This is the retribution given to me by Heaven? Meaning… all the things I see in my dreams… are… true?”
“Yes. All of them are real,” confirmed Tang Xiu.
BAM…
Aunt Zhuang slumped to the floor. She stared fixedly at Tang Xiu and suddenly blurted, “Then… I was a demon in my past life? A female devil who ma.s.sacred millions of lives?”
“Yes!” Tang Xiu nodded again.
She abruptly jumped up and opened her palm. A cloud of black mist suddenly appeared and overflowed from her fingers as her other hand then quickly and powerfully hit her own chest. As she sprayed out a mouthful of blood mist into the black fog, she fiercely shouted, “I’ll bear all the sins myself! My daughter has nothing to do with everything I did. If the G.o.ds want my life, then just take mine…”
Tang Xiu’s expression drastically changed since he didn’t expect that this woman was able to unleash magic power. The magic power she just unleashed may be weaker than the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but she would be very likely to meet her end here in a short time if she was allowed to use it.
Tang Xiu punched the back of her neck to knock her out and then put her down on the sofa nearby. Afterward, he shook his head and sighed. “Like mother, like daughter. You both are very filial which is quite a pity.”
Hu Shaokun was shaken inwardly. He could only watch helplessly as the virtuous Aunt Zhuang unexpectedly unleashed black mist and spurted out a mouthful of blood. Disbelief was all over his face after witnessing the scene. He never once believed the existence of immortals nor demons before, but witnessing such a scene forced him to believe it.
“Hu Shaokun! Immediately order someone to find a rooster, a black dog, a fox flower cat, and a turtle!” Tang Xiu said, “Additionally, order someone to buy incense burners and spices. It’s best to buy a willow sword too!”
Hu Shaokun nodded without hesitation and quickly left. About an hour later, he had provided everything Tang Xiu requested.
Afterward, the animals were butchered and Tang Xiu arranged the Four Spirit Beast Array as quickly as he could. Then, he spoke in a deep voice, “Ignore everything you see or hear, whatever it is. No one, not even ghosts can hurt you. I’ll seize back the lives from the hands of King of h.e.l.l, as well as cutting off the fate of you, Li Cai and her mother, so you all will be fateless people.”
Hu Shaokun sat cross-legged on the floor and then tilted up his head to ask Tang Xiu, “What do you mean, a fateless person?”
“Being a fateless person means that your destiny will disappear from this world and will no longer be regulated by the Six Paths of Samsara of this plane.” Tang Xiu explained, “You will have to live like a rat and lay low while reducing contact with others to save your life by avoiding the regulation of Heavenly Dao.”
“I don’t understand.” Hu Shaokun shook his head.
“Shortly put, you are born, live and die normally here, but your destiny is no longer in this world, which means you’ll truly disappear and never be born again if you die,” said Tang Xiu. “Additionally, you’ll also suffer a karmic backlash if you come into contact with others too much. The regulation of Heavenly Dao will find you should you do so and you’ll be ruthlessly erased.”
“How do we go on living if we can’t communicate with others, then?” asked Hu Shaokun in horror.
Tang Xiu took a deep breath and faintly asked him, “Do you want to be a cultivator to change this fate and destiny? Of course, you still have time to regret your choice, but once you regret it, Li Cai and her mother are likely unsavable anymore.”
Hu Shaokun solemnly replied, “No. The lives of Li Cai and Aunt Zhuang must be preserved. Could you explain more how can I change this fate, like you said, becoming a cultivator?”
Tang Xiu nodded. “Become a cultivator and reach the Spirit Formation Stage as quickly as possible and then wait until you leave this world for a higher plane. You’ll never be under the law of this plane anymore once you leave this world, then three of you can live worry-free and safely in another world.”
“Can you really help me?” asked Hu Shaokun hurriedly.
“I can help you, but you must cut off all relations.h.i.+ps with your family members and sever any karmic ties you have with this world. Only then can I give you this chance.” Tang Xiu said, “As long as you seize this chance, you can join my sect and become a true cultivator.”
Hu Shaokun glanced at the unconscious Li Cai lying on the bed. He then s.h.i.+fted to Aunt Zhuang, who was knocked out on the sofa. After hesitating for a long while, he made up his mind and nodded. “Divine Doctor Tang, I’ve made up my mind. But I need you to perform a play for me later.”
Helping Hu Shaokun out to devise ostensible reason was fine to Tang Xiu, so he immediately activated the array to perform the secret art. s.n.a.t.c.hing lives back from the King of h.e.l.l was a very dangerous method, but the blessing of the Four Spirit Beast Array, plus his considerable power, made it quite safe.