Chapter 655: Truly a Professional
“Yes, I did. The Li family has been plucking herbs for generations and my brothers have been cultivating since they were young. Only I focused more on scholarly studies since my bodily const.i.tution wasn’t good since I was young. With the cultivation level of my brothers, if it was not for them encountering that Shocking Thunder Beast, how would they have gained such severe injuries?” asked Li Shaoqiu.
The middle-aged man’s expression turned into one of delight. Since he was also making a living trading his finds from Silver Ancient Mountain Range all year round, living out his days as if he were licking blood from the edge of a blade. Injuries and dislocated bones were common matters and they had to worry about their lives at every moment. If this G.o.dly doctor Jiang’s medicinal pills were really as amazing as advertised, then having them would be like having an extra amulet to protect themselves with. Whose opinion wouldn’t be moved by this?
However, since he was being careful, he still did not dare to fully believe this as the absolute truth.
“G.o.dly doctor Jiang! It’s you! It really is you! My benefactor, to think that I would actually meet you here.” Just as the middle-aged man was still being hesitant in his heart, an old man came along, dragging with him another middle-aged man and a shy looking young lady through the packed crowd as they squeezed their way over to greet Jiang Wuhen.
‘Another accomplice?’ Ling Chuxi looked at the middle-aged man who was being dragged along with her eyes popped open and her mouth agape. If this accomplice were any other person, perhaps she wouldn’t think too much of it. But it was Zhou Zhidong—a dignified expert whose cultivation was in the realm of Great Fulfilment, Nan Xia army’s famed general. Why would he actually follow these two cheats to do this kind of improper work? It truly left one unable to imagine why.
Taking a closer look at him, Ling Chuxi noticed that Zhou Zhidong did not look too good. His face was a waxy yellow color, and both of his eyes were cloudy. Occasionally he would frown and cough, and there would even be traces of blood left behind. It was obvious that he had been badly injured.
“Who are you, old uncle?” asked Jiang Wuhen as he went to support the old man, acting as if he did not know him.
“G.o.dly doctor Jiang, you have forgotten me. I am Zhang from Xi Bo Village. My son had a cold and gloomy kidney deficiency syndrome since he was in my wife’s womb. Due to his condition, although he had been married for over ten plus years, he and his wife still had not been able to bear me a grandchild. But ever since he took the medicinal pill you gave him, his condition got better and better each day until finally…” trailed off the old man as he rubbed his hands together as though in honest prayer and his old face turned more cheerful before he bashfully continued, “My daughter-in-law is finally with child. And a fortune teller has told me that it is a male child. It is all thanks to your wondrous hand of rejuvenation that the Zhang family finally has a descendant.”
“G.o.dly doctor Jiang, as you are also aware of the Zhang family’s state, we indeed can’t give you anything much to thank you by. It was not easy for us to come and meet you, but we felt we must. Please allow me, Old Man Zhang, to kowtow to you. In my next lifetime, even if I became a cow or a horse, I will be sure to come and repay your great grace,” said the old man as he started to kneel. As he did, he even tugged Zhou Zhidong and the young lady with them to kneel alongside him.
Who knew where this young lady was brought back and with how much money? She happily knelt, but even though Zhou Zhidong’s waxy yellow face was so stifled, it still managed to turn red and no matter what, his legs were frozen in place, unwilling to kneel.
‘You two b*stard mongrels. Forget that you are asking me to be your accomplice in cheating others, but you’re actually going around saying that I have weak kidneys. You two little b*stards are the ones with weak kidneys. Even all eighteen generations of your ancestors had weak kidneys!’ Since this matter was related to his reputation, Great General Zhou was very aggrieved by it. If it were not for the injuries he had on his body, and if it was not for the situation they were in being dangerous, he really wanted to punch these two little cheats on the spot till they had weak kidneys.
‘His acting is a little weak,’ surmised Ling Chuxi as she shook her head. It must also be truly difficult for Great General Zhou, a dignified and famed general of a generation to actually have to come over here and do this kind of improper job.
“Old uncle, please. Please get up quickly. It was just a small matter. Please don’t shorten my life over such a small matter, (1)” said Jiang Wuhen. Upon seeing Zhou Zhidong’s unfriendly expression, he felt guilty and immediately went forward to help the old man to his feet.
“No, let me do this. Your great grace cannot go unrepaid. No matter what, I have to give you eight kowtows,” said the old man, insisting on remaining on the ground and kowtowing a total of eight times before getting to his feet.
Ling Chuxi really exclaimed to herself as she watched this scene play out. This old man was truly a professional.
(1) It is a superst.i.tious belief that if an older person were to kowtow to someone like this, it will shorten the lifespan of the recipient.