"I was originally thinking we'd have to drag the assistant to the hospital for his broken leg," one of them said. "But now, we don't have to. We can get it fixed right here in this Zhenggu Massage Hall."
As the three of them moved to carry the assistant inside, he protested vehently, "A broken bone takes a hundred days to heal! If I get my leg treated in that massage hall, I'll be out of commission for over a hundred days. I don't want to be separated from the team and left all alone for that long..."
Hearing this, Zhao Rong replied, looking troubled, "Then what should we do? I only know Alchemy, not bone-setting..."
Seeing that Zhao Rong still didn't get it, Miss Lili gently patted his shoulder. "Zhao Rong, you can be so brilliant one mont and so dense the next. Didn't you hear him? He wants you to craft an Elixir to treat his broken leg."
Yu Lan chid in from the side, "Zhao Rong, she's right. You're smart but sotis so oblivious. The assistant's aning is simple: he wants you to make an Elixir that, once he takes it, will heal his leg instantly so he can run around again. He doesn't want to spend a hundred days lying in bed, waiting for his bones and ridians to slowly nd."
Xuelian even gave the assistant a thumbs-up. "I have to admire the way you talk," she praised. "Hinting at what you want without saying it outright. Simply brilliant."
With the two won's hints, Zhao Rong finally understood. He looked at the assistant and smiled. "So that's what you ant. If you wanted to use Alchemy to heal your leg, why not just say so? Why lead on a wild goose chase and make guess? I swear, for a grown man, you're starting to talk more and more like a woman."
Just as Zhao Rong was about to search the alchemy manual for an Elixir to heal the assistant's leg, the Master from inside the Zhenggu Massage Hall heard the commotion and pushed the door open, striding out.
The first thing the Master noticed wasn't the injured assistant, but the three gorgeous won standing before him. His eyes lit up, and he practically drooled as he addressed them. "Beauties, do you have any broken bones that need my treatnt in here?"
The three won looked at the Master's lecherous expression and replied coolly, "The three of us are fine, but this young man's leg is broken. Can you help him?"
The Master looked down and saw the assistant sitting on the ground. Taking a closer look, he confird the leg was broken and imdiately broke into a smile. "Broken legs, broken arms, co to my Zhenggu Massage Hall! I guarantee the fastest bone-setting, fastest recovery, and fastest discharge!"
Hearing the word "fastest," the assistant looked up sharply. "Master, if I get my leg treated here, what's the absolute fastest I can make a full recovery?"
The Master made a show of calculating on his fingers, then said thoughtfully, "Although it normally takes a hundred days for bones and tendons to heal, if you co to my Zhenggu Massage Hall for treatnt, it will only take ninety-nine days! Ninety-nine days, not one more, not one less. I'll have you back in top shape."
Hearing this, the assistant fell into despair. "Damn it, what's the difference between a hundred days and ninety-nine? Isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black? It's only a one-day difference!"
Unimpressed, the Master reminded him, "Young man, don't underestimate a single day. In one day, you can do many things. You can help soone, or you can bully soone. You can eat a bowl of noodles, or you can get a girl pregnant..."
Before the Master could finish, the assistant turned to Zhao Rong and pleaded, "Zhao Rong, please, can you make this guy stop rambling? Just make an Elixir now, heal my leg, and let's get out of here."
When the Master heard the assistant ask Zhao Rong to craft an Elixir that would instantly heal his broken leg, he burst out laughing, mocking them both. "Good heavens! As the chief physician of the Zhenggu Massage Hall, I've treated broken arms and legs my entire life. I have never seen anyone with a broken bone heal instantly after taking an Elixir! That's impossible. Stop dreaming. Just co inside my hall. For ninety-nine days and a fee of ninety-nine thousand, I'll fix that leg of yours."
Hearing the Master mock Zhao Rong, the three won were imdiately displeased.
Miss Lili shot back, "Master, I think you're nothing but a frog in a well. Have you never seen incredible Alchemy before? Let tell you, this young man's na is Zhao Rong, and he is an incredible Alchemist."
Yu Lan stared at the Master reproachfully. "Master, we may respect your title, but please, do not look down on our Zhao Rong, alright? He may not be a doctor, but the Elixirs he creates can not only save the dying and heal the injured, but also cure all sorts of incurable diseases."
Xuelian also stood by Zhao Rong, adding her praise. "Master, you truly fail to recognize greatness when you see it. Let tell you, this young man's dical skills alone could easily put your entire family's to sha. There's no question about it."
Hearing them claim this young man was so capable, the Master laughed again. He looked at Zhao Rong and said, "Young man, are you really as amazing as these three beauties claim?"
Zhao Rong shook his head humbly. "Master, I'm not that amazing. I'm just an ordinary cultivator and Alchemist."
The Master sized up Zhao Rong's slender fra and plain appearance. With that, he pointed a finger at Zhao Rong's nose. "Young man, I can tell your reputation is all just hype from these three won. If you're really so incredible, then I'm challenging you, right here, right now. Do you dare to accept?"
Zhao Rong's initial impression of the Master hadn't been too bad, but seeing how arrogant and dismissive he was, Zhao Rong nodded firmly. "Fine. What's the challenge? I'll accept anything, even a martial arts duel."
Hearing that the young man not only accepted the challenge but was also willing to fight, the Master's mind roared with fury. "Young man," he bellowed, "I forgot to ntion, although I run a bone-setting hall, I am a martial arts expert! Have you heard of the Mantis Fist, a style long lost to the martial world? Well, let tell you, I am the 18th-generation direct successor of the Mantis Fist! Young man, I won't just compete with you in dicine; I'll challenge you in martial arts as well! I'm going to teach you that the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Young people trying to make their way in the world should learn so humility!"
Finishing his speech, the Master let out a wild, booming laugh. As he laughed, several of his apprentices ca out from the hall. They took one look at Zhao Rong's group and started to jeer.
"This guy on the ground with the broken leg looks like a total pushover, the type who gets bullied all the ti."
"And the one standing there, the skinny, plain-looking one who looks a bit slow? He's probably trash, too."
"For people like them to dare challenge our Master at his own Zhenggu Massage Hall? It's like an egg trying to smash a rock, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
"If that kid can beat our Master in dicine, I'll get on my knees, kowtow to him three tis, and eat all the garbage out of that bin over there!"
"Forget eating garbage! If this kid can actually beat the Master in a fight, I'll drink all the sewage from every drain in this neighborhood!"
Hearing the sheer arrogance of the Master and his disciples, Zhao Rong's mind was made up. He declared, "A contest of dicine or a fight, bring it on. I'll take you all on."
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