Chapter 60: Yao the Elder

Li Banfeng asked for an IOU, leaving Qin Xiaopang, Yu Nan, and the attendant stunned.

What was he talking about?

Li Banfeng was completely serious. He wanted an IOU, and it had to be a complete one: "If you're going to repay me in your next life, you'll need to tell me your name, where you live, what your profession is, what Daoist sect you belong to, and your cultivation level. All of it must be clearly stated."

"But... how could I possibly know all that?" Xiaopang was bewildered.

"If you can't be clear, how can you ever repay the debt?" Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang intently. A simple question illuminated a simple truth.

All promises about the next life, no matter how touching, were utterly nonsensical.

Yu Nan looked at Xiaopang. "Boss Qin, Seventh Master doesn't want you to take your own life."

Xiaopang looked at Li Banfeng, his eyes slightly red.

Li Banfeng was a good person.

But where would he get 200,000 yuan?

Even if Qin Xiaopang mortgaged everything he owned, he couldn't come up with 100,000 yuan.

Li Banfeng said to the attendant, "Brother, please go find Mr. Yao again. Tell him I've given the 200,000 yuan, and ask him to prepare to come over as soon as possible."

The attendant acknowledged and immediately left.

Qin Xiaopang asked, dumbfounded, "Brother Li, where did you get so much money?"

Li Banfeng replied expressionlessly, "Is that something you should be asking?"

Tears welled up in Qin Xiaopang's eyes. "Seventh Brother, how can I ever repay this kindness! From now on, whatever you say, I'll do it without hesitation!"

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat down. "First, tell me why you ended up like this."

Qin Xiaopang glanced at Yu Nan but didn't answer.

There were some things he didn't want to discuss in front of an outsider.

Yu Nan understood and left Xiaopang's room, returning to the main house to tidy up her own quarters.

With only Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang left in the room, Qin Xiaopang could no longer hold back and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Seventh Brother, I'm just a useless person. I have no real abilities, yet I had so many grandiose ideas. When you sold the Snake Mark Pills to Shopkeeper Feng, I even said you didn't know how to do business. I said that stuff should be sold to the rich and powerful. I'm such a fool! I should have taken a good look at myself. What am I, to think the rich and powerful would even notice me?"

Xiaopang recounted the incident, still weeping.

From a young age, Qin Xiaopang had always believed he was destined for great things. Whenever he encountered an important person, he would try to forge connections.

In reality, he didn't encounter truly important figures. He had previously befriended a Young Master Jia, named Jia Quansheng, who claimed noble origins. However, by the standards of Yaowanggou, his family was only modestly wealthy.

Young Master Jia had a group of questionable friends who enjoyed gathering for drinks and meals. One day, Xiaopang happened to run into them, and they insisted he treat them. Xiaopang saw it as an opportunity and agreed.

Young Master Jia was a scholarly cultivator, though not yet advanced. He had to read a book daily to maintain his basic cultivation.

At the dinner table, Young Master Jia complained about the hardships of scholarly cultivation. Someone suggested he take a pill.

Taking a Snake Mark Pill would eliminate the need to read for a day. When Young Master Jia inquired about it, Xiaopang, who was looking to sell pills, took one out and gave it to him to try.

Young Master Jia, having consumed Snake Mark Pills before, knew their efficacy. He was delighted upon receiving the pill and immediately started calling Xiaopang "brother." Xiaopang felt his path was widening, falling under the illusion that he had found an influential connection.

Two days later, Young Master Jia sent someone to find Xiaopang, requesting two more pills.

Such precious pills couldn't be given away for free anymore. Xiaopang set a price of eight thousand per pill, which was still considerably lower than the market rate.

He had expected Young Master Jia to appreciate the gesture. To his surprise, mentioning money infuriated Young Master Jia.

Young Master Jia found people to teach Xiaopang a lesson. Xiaopang, however, refused to take the abuse and fought them off.

Even more enraged, Young Master Jia reported the incident to his cousin, Geng Zhiwei.

Geng Zhiwei, the eldest son of the Geng Family Pharmacy, immediately sent people to find Qin Xiaopang upon hearing the news, telling Xiaopang he wanted to buy ten Snake Mark Pills for two hundred yuan each.

Two hundred yuan per pill was an insult to Xiaopang.

Naturally, Xiaopang couldn't tolerate it and fought with Geng Zhiwei's subordinates.

This time, however, he was defeated. He was captured, his pills were confiscated, and he was brought before Geng Zhiwei and Jia Quansheng, forced to kowtow and apologize.

Xiaopang refused to kowtow and, risking his life, landed a punch on Geng Zhiwei.

Geng Zhiwei's nose and mouth bled from the blow. In a fit of rage, he bought a talisman from the Jiangxiang Gang and cast a spell on Xiaopang, forcing him to kneel in Tail Alley until he starved to death.

After hearing the full account, Li Banfeng found an opportunity to leave the residence. He went to Suishenju and retrieved 300,000 in cash, dividing it into two separate stashes.

Old Mr. Yao had quoted 200,000 yuan, so Li Banfeng prepared an extra 100,000 yuan for any additional needs.

Before long, the attendant brought Mr. Yao, and Yu Nan personally greeted him at the entrance.

Mr. Yao had indeed arrived quickly. It had only been about half an hour since the attendant left and returned, suggesting he lived nearby.

Li Banfeng assumed Mr. Yao was a renowned physician in Baixiang Village.

A renowned physician should have a fitting appearance. In Li Banfeng's imagination, this doctor would be an elder carrying a medicine box, wearing thick glasses, and exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom.

However, when he actually met Mr. Yao, Li Banfeng found his expectations were slightly off.

He didn't wear glasses, nor did he carry a medicine box.

He was indeed an elder, but "otherworldly wisdom"... that depended on the definition.

Before the old man even entered, Li Banfeng caught a strong whiff of alcohol.

Mixed with the alcohol was a smoky, greasy scent, somewhat similar to the barbecue shops Li Banfeng was familiar with.

Had the old man just been to a barbecue?

Mr. Yao swayed unsteadily into the room, took a long swig from his wine gourd, blew his nose, wiped it on the wall without a second thought, and then felt Xiaopang's forehead.

"This child has a bit of a fever, is it a cold?" Mr. Yao asked.

Xiaopang was speechless.

Li Banfeng looked at Mr. Yao. He saw his tattered clothes, his worn-out, hole-ridden hat. Then he noticed his flushed cheeks and his liquor-reddened nose, even redder than his cheeks.

Li Banfeng asked, "Sir, are you sure you're in the right place?"

Mr. Yao let out a burp, spraying Li Banfeng's face. "Who said I'm in the wrong place? Didn't you call for me?"

Li Banfeng gauged the strength of the burp. "You've had at least a pound of liquor, haven't you?"

Mr. Yao shook his head, holding up three fingers. "Five and a half pounds. Half a pound left in the gourd. I'm telling you, you can't be wrong about this."

Fearing Li Banfeng's concern, Yu Nan whispered, "Seventh Master, don't worry. Mr. Yao truly has real abilities."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I think Old Mr. Yao is quite alright."

Mr. Yao approached Qin Xiaopang and asked, "What's your name?"

Qin Xiaopang frowned. "Didn't we meet at noon? My surname is Qin."

"Surname Qin? Did we meet?" Mr. Yao scratched his scalp, thought for a moment, then said, "Well, let's just say we did."

After that, Old Mr. Yao blew his nose again. Finding nowhere to wipe it, he simply smeared it on his own pants.

His pants even had moss growing on them. Wait, it didn't seem to be moss...

The old man first took Xiaopang's pulse. After a moment, he asked, "Miss Qin, how many months pregnant are you?"

Qin Xiaopang looked at Mr. Yao. "I'm a food cultivator, and I'm a man!"

Mr. Yao burped again, frowning. "Who says all food cultivators are men? I've known female food cultivators. That woman could eat half a cow in one sitting!"

Xiaopang shook his head. "We're not talking about the same thing. I'm not pregnant, I'm under a spell. Didn't you see me at noon?"

"Saw you? Let me see again! If you're not pregnant, why is your belly so big?"

"This isn't my belly..."

Qin Xiaopang's lower body was curled up under the quilt, and from the outside, it indeed looked like a big belly.

Old Mr. Yao pulled back the quilt, fumbled around Xiaopang's legs for a bit, and asked, "What's wrong with your hand?"

"These are my legs!" Although he had already experienced this once at noon, Xiaopang couldn't help but feel annoyed seeing Mr. Yao again.

Mr. Yao meticulously felt Xiaopang's legs for a long time, and his usually lax expression suddenly became focused.

"I've seen you. I saw you at noon."

Xiaopang felt a surge of joy. "You remember!"

Old Mr. Yao said in a serious tone, "If we delay another day, you won't be able to bear children."

Qin Xiaopang retorted angrily, "I'm a man!"

Old Mr. Yao said, "Do men not need to procreate? You'll soon become a useless person."

Qin Xiaopang fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Old Mr. Yao continued, "If you're not cured after tonight, you'll become impotent. By this time tomorrow, he won't be able to walk anymore. If he's still not cured after three more days, you should buy him a coffin and prepare for his funeral."

Qin Xiaopang looked at Li Banfeng; he was his last hope.

Li Banfeng nodded to Old Mr. Yao. "Please, I trouble you to save his life."

Old Yao took a swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "The price we agreed on earlier today is 200,000 yuan, not a single cent less."

Li Banfeng pulled out a sack and poured out twenty stacks of Huanguo currency. "200,000 yuan, every last cent, it's all here!"

"Excellent!" Old Mr. Yao exclaimed with admiration, picked up the sack, and started walking towards the door.

Everyone was taken aback. Li Banfeng shouted, "Wait! You haven't even treated him yet!"

Old Mr. Yao put down the sack, came over to Li Banfeng, and smiled guilelessly. "I almost forgot about that. You lie down first."

Li Banfeng lay down.

Old Yao asked Li Banfeng, "Which leg can't move?"

"Which leg was it?" Li Banfeng thought carefully.

Qin Xiaopang exclaimed angrily, "It's my legs!"

Old Mr. Yao went over to Yu Nan, chuckling. "Young lady, give me a cigarette!"

Yu Nan quickly offered a cigarette to the old man and then pulled out matches to light it for him.

Gulping it down, the old man emptied his wine gourd. He then approached Xiaopang, took a drag from his cigarette, and with a "poof," exhaled a ball of flame!

Qin Xiaopang cried out in alarm as his entire body burst into flames.

Li Banfeng was somewhat surprised. "Old man, will this really cure him?"

Old Mr. Yao looked at Xiaopang, who was engulfed in flames, with a bewildered expression. "What's wrong with him? Is he sick? I just burped, why is he on fire?"

PS: Dear readers, on this beautiful Saturday, please leave a comment for Sala.