Chapter 137: Prescription

It’s settled.

With just two words, Li Banfeng accepted the deal.

Zuo Wugang, somewhat disbelieving, was about to confirm again when he saw Li Banfeng whisper a few words to Xiaochuan, who then placed a chest of silver dollars on the table.

Li Banfeng said, "The payment is here, but let's be clear first. You are here as hired guards, not as retainers. You must follow orders when there's a task."

Zuo Wugang nodded, "Of course."

Li Banfeng went out briefly and returned with three contracts, handing them to Zuo Wugang. "Please, the three of you, put your handprints on these."

Zuo Wugang quickly scanned the documents. The content was straightforward: Zuo Wugang and the other two were responsible for protecting the master's safety, and the master would pay the corresponding remuneration.

If Zuo Wugang no longer wished to serve as a guard, both parties could amicably part ways after negotiation. However, if during his service, Zuo Wugang disobeyed orders or betrayed the master, he would be subject to the master's punishment.

Having worked as a guard their entire lives, they had naturally signed similar contracts before. Zuo Wugang and the other two pressed their handprints without hesitation, thereby becoming Li Banfeng and Ma Wu's hired guards.

Could these three be trusted?

Honestly, no.

Given Li Banfeng and Ma Wu's current strength, hiring a powerful Level 6 guard was risky, and the risk was significant.

If Zuo Wugang and his group had other intentions, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu had few countermeasures.

But "few" doesn't mean "none."

Regarding Zuo Wugang, Li Banfeng had channels to investigate his background.

As for Li Banfeng, Zuo Wugang knew almost nothing.

Just now, the contract they signed was crafted from a special paper refined by the Bronze Lotus, and the auxiliary material used for the paper was Li Banfeng's Rust Pill.

If Zuo Wugang violated the contract, he would turn into a pile of rusty slag.

After a couple of drinks, Zuo Wugang said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, could we perhaps meet Young Master Ma? He and you are both our masters, and as guards, we shouldn't be unable to meet our masters."

It was a reasonable request, and Li Banfeng agreed.

Xiaochuan led Zuo Wugang to Ma Wu's bedside. Seeing Ma Wu almost motionless except for breathing and occasional blinking, Zuo Wugang pondered for a moment and asked, "Is this 'wind paralysis disease'?"

"What wind paralysis disease!" Xiaochuan glared at Zuo Wugang.

Li Banfeng asked, "Does 'wind paralysis disease' refer to leprosy?"

"Not leprosy," Zuo Wugang waved his hand. "'Wind paralysis disease' is when one's body becomes numb and unable to move due to exposure to harsh winds. I have a very effective folk remedy; one dose is enough."

Xiaochuan frowned, "Master Zuo, you are a man of standing. Treating illnesses is no joke. The wind paralysis disease you mentioned, I've seen it, and it's completely different from what our young master has."

Zuo Wugang scratched his scalp. "Are they? The symptoms look quite similar to me. My folk remedy is truly effective; more than one person has attested to it."

Li Banfeng looked at Zuo Wugang, sensing a hidden meaning in his words.

He invited Zuo Wugang to the living room and asked about the origin of the folk remedy. Zuo Wugang took a sip of tea and said, "Don't ask about its origin. In short, this decoction is truly effective for 'wind paralysis disease,' especially for those who travel extensively: it works against cold winds, warm winds, and even sudden collapses!"

Li Banfeng understood.

Those who "travel extensively" referred to itinerant cultivators.

The effectiveness of this formula proved it had once worked for Lu Dongliang.

Had Lu Dongliang experienced symptoms similar to Ma Wu's?

He must have, inevitably.

At his age and with Level 9 cultivation, it was impossible for him not to have taken elixirs, and elixir poisoning must have been a common occurrence.

As the foremost wealthy family in Purozhou, Lu Dongliang should have possessed some methods to neutralize elixir poisoning.

Although elixirs produced by different families varied in nature, and no single formula could neutralize the elixir poisoning from various types of elixirs, elixirs refined by the Red Lotus were of extremely high purity, and the Gold Yuan Pill was also of a very high level. Such elixirs should share certain commonalities. The commonality of the Gold Yuan Pill should be general body numbness, which was its fundamental toxicity.

Besides this fundamental toxicity, Gold Yuan Pills obtained through other channels possessed different characteristic elixir poisons. These were extremely difficult to neutralize, requiring specific treatments for each distinct toxicity. A universal antidote was impossible, which is why there was no single cure for elixir poisoning.

Zuo Wugang had a method to neutralize the fundamental toxicity. This was of limited use to Lu Dongliang, but for Li Banfeng, its value was significant.

The elixirs refined by the Red Lotus likely only had this fundamental toxicity.

Since Zuo Wugang had brought it up, Li Banfeng naturally couldn't miss the opportunity.

"This folk remedy must be very valuable," Li Banfeng said, waiting for Zuo Wugang to name a price.

Zuo Wugang shook his head slightly. "I don't recall the formula, but I do have a few prepared doses."

He didn't want to reveal the formula.

That was reasonable.

This was a method he had painstakingly learned himself. Regardless of its origin, it was already difficult for him to mention it in this context, and there was no reason for him to disclose the formula to Li Banfeng.

"Prepared medicine is fine too," Li Banfeng nodded. "Name your price."

"You are the master, and I am a guard; I shouldn't set a price with you." Zuo Wugang produced the prepared medicine as a sign of his sincerity.

Li Banfeng tilted his head slightly. Beneath the shadows and his beard, his face was completely obscured, yet it seemed to convey a simple message.

He didn't want to hear riddles.

Zuo Wugang had some understanding of the Seventh Master's temperament, so he spoke frankly: "I made a mistake at the Lu family, my reputation is ruined, and no one wanted me. Seventh Master, you took me in without hesitation, and I am deeply grateful. The first dose of medicine is on me. To thank Seventh Master for your kindness, if you or Young Master Ma need it again in the future, just give me the cost of the raw materials."

Li Banfeng appreciated Zuo Wugang's character. Zuo Wugang went to Ma Wu's side, took out a small bottle of powdered medicine, and administered it to Ma Wu.

After more than an hour, Ma Wu's fingertips could move slightly.

Xiaochuan exclaimed, "Master Zuo, your remedy is truly effective!"

Zuo Wugang laughed, "Yes, it's effective for all 'wind paralysis diseases,' but only for them. If it's another illness, it's hard to say. You should still advise Young Master Ma to be more restrained."

"What illness are you talking about?" Xiaochuan was displeased, thinking he was implying their young master had a shameful disease.

Zuo Wugang remained silent, glancing at the Seventh Master from the corner of his eye.

Li Banfeng understood that Zuo Wugang was hinting at something, and this statement also confirmed Li Banfeng's previous conjecture.

This medicine could treat the body numbness caused by the Gold Yuan Pill, but Zuo Wugang had no way to neutralize other symptoms of elixir poisoning.

After waiting for another half-day, Ma Wu could eat and even get out of bed to walk around.

Ma Wu was very grateful to Zuo Wugang and instructed Xiaochuan to arrange lodging for him. As soon as Zuo Wugang left, Ma Wu worked his jaw and squeezed out a small clump of powdered medicine from between his teeth.

Li Banfeng was startled. "You managed to save some of that?"

"This is good stuff, truly good stuff! I'll first analyze its medicinal properties; I've already identified a few of the ingredients by taste."

Ma Wu was eager to reverse-engineer the formula and stayed awake all night.

By the next morning, Ma Wu's eyes were bloodshot from staying up, but he hadn't figured out the formula.

"There are dozens of ingredients in this small amount of powder. I can roughly identify some, but others are impossible to distinguish..." Ma Wu wanted to go back to the Ma family's old residence to look for books on medicinal ingredients in the library, but he was worried his father wouldn't let him in.

"Should I find a medicinal cultivator to try?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "That won't do."

Ma Wu sighed softly; he knew it wasn't appropriate either.

This was the powdered medicine Zuo Wugang had provided to save Ma Wu. If they found a medicinal cultivator to decipher the formula, it would be equivalent to spreading the formula, which would obviously be unkind to Old Zuo.

"Brother Ma, you rest first. I'll keep this powder." Li Banfeng took the powdered medicine back to his Portable Abode and stared at the Bronze Lotus for a long time.

The Bronze Lotus could refine all things, but Li Banfeng didn't intend to refine the powder itself. He was wondering if the Bronze Lotus could extract the formula from it.

This didn't seem to align with the Bronze Lotus's function. What if the powder was consumed, and nothing was refined in the end? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

After a long hesitation, Li Banfeng still fed the powdered medicine to the Red Lotus.

Zuo Wugang was still around, so the source of the powder wasn't cut off. Even if this batch was lost, he could just ask Zuo Wugang for another prepared dose.

The Red Lotus swallowed the powder, and for a long time, there was no reaction.

Li Banfeng sighed, intending to give up, when suddenly he saw the Red Lotus open its petals again. A lotus seed that had been inside matured.

This lotus seed was formed from Liu Liangyi's body. Logically, the elixir should have been ready long ago, but the Bronze Lotus seemed to have deliberately slowed down the process.

The Red Lotus was indeed deliberate; she was afraid that if the elixirs were refined too quickly, Li Banfeng would get an itch and have impulsive ideas again.

Li Banfeng was indeed a bit impulsive. Liu Liangyi had Level 4 cultivation; the exact duration wasn't known, but by Li Banfeng's estimation, it should yield sixteen to twenty Profound Radiance Pills.

However, the result was unexpected: the lotus seed produced three Gold Yuan Pills.

This was equivalent to thirty Profound Radiance Pills.

A profit!

A huge profit!

As Li Banfeng was secretly delighted, he suddenly noticed that one of the elixirs had an unusual color.

The other two elixirs were perfectly round and full, shining with dazzling golden light under candlelight.

This one, however, was very dim, as if a layer of gold paint had been applied to a golden bean.

Why was there such a difference?

Was this elixir under-dosed or impure?

As Li Banfeng observed carefully, he suddenly heard the phonograph hum: "Oh, my dear husband, why are you staring at that elixir? Are you going crazy again and thinking of eating it?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I suffered a great loss last time; I've learned my lesson this time. I won't eat it again."

"My husband knows the bitterness of it. Since you can't eat it, quickly sell it to get some money for groceries."

"My lady, the dishes you eat cannot be bought with money. Besides, you ate so many ghost servants before; are you saying you're hungry again so soon?"

Whoosh!

The phonograph let out a coquettish huff. "My husband, this servant's body is not what it used to be; my appetite has naturally grown."

Li Banfeng asked, surprised, "Are you pregnant?"

Whoosh whoosh...

The phonograph sobbed continuously, "My husband, you mock this servant again, knowing well that this body cannot bear your child."

"Whether you can conceive depends on combat strength, technique, strategy, and sincerity. My lady, let's first consummate our marriage..."

A puff of steam pushed Li Banfeng back, and the wife's voice, now dignified, said, "Clothes are not easy to wash, husband, please be more careful. You slept for one night, your cultivation should be enough, so go buy groceries quickly."

Li Banfeng left the Portable Abode. The phonograph suddenly called out to the outer room, "Sister Honglian, didn't one of those elixirs just now seem to have an odd color?"

The Red Lotus replied, "Anyway, they're all for sale. Wouldn't it be good if that madman sold them for more money?"

"It would be fine if he really sold them for money, but I'm worried he'll go crazy and eat the elixirs again. Don't you poison him!"

The Red Lotus sneered, "Why, do you care for him so much?"

Whoosh whoosh...

The sound of steam spraying suddenly slowed, and the voice, word by word, became chilling:

"Whether I care for him or not is none of your business. Don't do anything behind my back, or there will be no end to this between us."

Steam slowly puffed out.

The Bronze Lotus was covered in dew.

Li Banfeng sat in the wooden house, holding the elixir, still pondering its unusual color.

After observing it for a long time in his hand, Li Banfeng suddenly noticed cracks on the elixir.

What material was this, exactly?

Li Banfeng carefully traced the cracks, peeling off the elixir's outer layer piece by piece, just like disassembling an interlocking ball as a child.

The elixir was hollow. On the inner wall of its outer layer, Li Banfeng saw three characters: "Blueleaf Poplar."