At the village committee office.
While Ma Jinhua was looking for Li Xu, in a room nearby, Sato, the representative from Japan, had stepped out to the doorway for so fresh air and happened to overhear their conversation.
"...Just now, Ma Rui said he wanted to take a bath and even took off his own clothes!"
Each word struck him like a lightning bolt. His pupils contracted, and his breath caught in his throat for a mont.
As a dical representative for Tsumura Pharmaceutical, his dical knowledge was far greater than that of an ordinary person.
He was well aware of the irreversible nature of aconite poisoning—once nerve damage occurred, modern dicine could at best maintain the current condition, never reverse it.
’But Ma Rui can actually bathe on his own now?’
The image of the young man who was always smiling foolishly and playing in the mud flashed through Sato’s mind.
He had heard about the village chief’s son the first ti he ca to Anchi Village three years ago.
At the ti, he had even specifically checked Ma Rui’s dical records, confirming it was permanent nerve damage caused by severe aconitine poisoning.
’How is that possible?’
Sato couldn’t wrap his head around it.
’But Ma Jinhua wouldn’t lie.’
"The Calming Pill..."
Sato recalled what he had heard during the day, lost in thought.
Imdiately, an idea surfaced: ’Get the Calming Pill.’
The more Sato thought about it, the more excited he beca.
Tsumura Pharmaceutical had been deeply involved in the field of Kampo dicine for a hundred years. How could they let so unknown doctor from the Dragon Country possess a technology that even they didn’t have?
If this Calming Pill could truly repair nerve damage, its value would be imasurable.
He listened at the door for a little while longer.
’That doctor is leaving tomorrow?’
’No matter.’
’As long as Ma Rui is still taking the dicine, it will be easy to get my hands on a pill.’
’Then I can take it back, analyze its components, and crack the formula.’
Sato quietly retreated back into his room,
his blood boiling with excitent.
He could almost see the scene: this mysterious formula, acquired by Tsumura Pharmaceutical, turned into a blockbuster drug sold for an exorbitant price worldwide.
...
[Today’s Intelligence: A small patch of wild aconite is growing on the high platform on the south side of Qianyuan Mountain’s Golden Light Canyon. It is extrely effective and extrely toxic. After being processed to remove the poison, it is a miraculous yang-replenishing dicine. Additionally, the representative from Japan, Sato, is attempting to obtain the Calming Pill to take it back to his company for analysis.]
The short ssage actually contained two pieces of intelligence.
The wild aconite on Qianyuan Mountain was one thing, but the key was the second piece of intel. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’those Japanese never change their ways, still trying to steal the Calming Pill.’
Li Xu thought to himself as he washed up.
’Wild aconite is more potent.’
’I have to find a way to get so.’
’Sato won’t be able to get the Calming Pill from , so he must be planning to get it from Ma Rui.’
’I can’t keep an eye on them all the ti.’
’I’ll have to tell Ma Jinhua to guard the dicine carefully.’
He had to return to Feng City today; ti was tight.
He glanced at the ti: 6:10 AM.
He dialed Ma Jinhua’s number.
"Huh?"
Ma Jinhua was completely bewildered. "Dr. Li, you’re going to Qianyuan Mountain?"
"That’s right. It’s not every day I get to co here. It would be a waste not to visit Master Taiyi’s Alchemy Sacred Land, the place where Nezha grew up," Li Xu said, making up a random excuse.
"..."
Ma Jinhua was at a loss for words.
He tried to persuade him, "Your flight is at noon. What if you don’t make it back in ti? How about this: next ti you visit, I’ll personally show you all around Qianyuan Mountain."
Li Xu looked up at the sky. The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and the mountains were shrouded in haze.
"It’s just past six now, so there are more than five hours. Qianyuan Mountain is right next to the village. Two hours is enough to go up and co back down. That leaves another two hours to get to Chengdu. There’s plenty of ti."
Ma Jinhua wanted to argue further, but Li Xu said, "You’d be better off getting breakfast ready so I can leave sooner."
"Alright."
Seeing Li Xu’s firm attitude, Ma Jinhua could only sigh. "Breakfast is ready. I’ll bring it to you right away. Also, I’ll find a guide for you. The paths on the mountain are rough."
"Okay," Li Xu nodded.
A mont later, Ma Jinhua delivered breakfast.
Li Xu looked around, then ushered Ma Jinhua into the room and closed the door. With a serious expression, he said, "Village Chief Ma, I’m only giving you a one-month supply of the Calming Pill, not a single pill more. This dicine is precious and must not get out."
Li Xu pointed to the room next door. "Especially not to the Japanese."
Ma Jinhua’s expression turned grim. Having dealt with the Japanese for several years, he naturally understood what Li Xu ant.
He nodded emphatically. "Don’t worry. I will personally store the dicine and personally feed it to Ma Rui. I absolutely will not let any outsider touch it!"
When it ca to his own son,
Ma Jinhua was 100% committed.
After setting down the breakfast,
Ma Jinhua went back into the village to find a guide.
「Ten minutes later.」
Li Xu quickly finished his breakfast. Ma Jinhua returned, leading a familiar face—it was Elder Ma.
"Uncle Ma used to gather herbs on the mountain all the ti, so he knows Qianyuan Mountain like the back of his hand. He can find a path up even on the steepest cliffs," Ma Jinhua explained. "He’ll save you a lot of ti."
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Ma."
"Dr. Li, you’re too kind. You saved Ma Rui; you’re our village’s benefactor."
Elder Ma’s attitude was much more respectful than when they had first t.
There was no ti to lose.
The two of them gathered their things, left the village, and began to climb the mountain.
"Dr. Li, where are you planning to go? To Golden Light Cave? That’s Master Taiyi’s cultivation site. It has many Daoist stone carvings and even Nezha’s physical tomb."
"There isn’t enough ti. I heard there’s a place called Golden Light Canyon. Do you know it, Uncle Ma?"
"Of course, I do! I know every rock on this mountain!"
"Then please take to Golden Light Canyon. Is it far?"
"It’s not far, but the path is difficult. I know a shortcut, though."
...
The early morning mountain forest was shrouded in mist, and dew soaked their pant legs.
Elder Ma walked ahead, his machete hacking away the overgrown thorns.
"Qianyuan Mountain... this is a place where Immortals practiced alchemy," Elder Ma said as he walked. "There are spiritual herbs in these mountains, but they’re also elusive. Not just anyone can find them."
Li Xu followed behind, carefully observing the vegetation along the path.
The higher they climbed, the sparser the trees beca, replaced by jagged, strange-looking rocks and steep cliffs.
"Golden Light Canyon is just ahead," Elder Ma said, pointing to a fissure in the mountains in the distance. "When the sun hits that place, the rocks give off a golden glow. That’s how it got its na."
Sure enough, as the morning sun pierced through the clouds and shone down, the canyon walls on both sides truly shimred with a faint golden light, like a divine miracle.
"We’re here!" Elder Ma stopped in front of a steep slope. "Do you want to just take a look from here and head back, or do you want to explore sowhere else?"
Li Xu didn’t answer.
Instead, he carefully scanned his surroundings.
The canyon was high and steep,
barren in many places.
But on the southern side, there was a high platform.
A few low shrubs grew there sporadically.
’That should be the place.’
Li Xu thought to himself, then pointed. "Uncle Ma, can we get over there?"
Elder Ma studied it for a mont, then nodded. "We can. It’s a great spot for sightseeing, but there’s a very steep section. We’ll have to climb up higher and lower a rope."
Elder Ma untied a hemp rope from his waist. "This place is treacherous; almost no one cos here. I’ll go up first and secure the rope. You follow behind ."
They walked for a while and reached a higher point.
As agile as a monkey, Elder Ma scrambled up the rock face and tied the hemp rope securely to an old pine tree.
Then they would have to use the rope to descend.
"Uncle Ma, you can wait up here. I’ll go down and take a look by myself," Li Xu said.
"Alright. I’ll watch the rope for you."
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