I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 195: What Makes Killing Any Different

After Hu Huanhuan left, Duan Rong performed the Calming Needle technique on Shen Ping once more. Seeing Shen Ping fall into a deep sleep, Duan Rong finally went to the courtyard to practice his skills standing.

By evening, Duan Rong observed that Shen Ping’s temperature was normal, and his breathing gradually became stronger.

"Seems like the illness hasn’t relapsed, the remaining dose of medicine should not be taken," Duan Rong muttered after checking Shen Ping’s pulse, tucking Shen Ping’s hand back under the blanket.

The three doses of medicine he had prepared were indeed strong. Since the condition had stabilized, it’s best not to consume more.

The next morning, after getting up, Duan Rong performed the needle technique once more to dispel wind and regulate qi.

By noon, Shen Ping unexpectedly opened his eyes. He stared at Duan Rong for a while, his breath weak, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"

Duan Rong replied, "I am a disciple of Xiao Zongting."

Upon hearing Xiao Zongting’s name, Shen Ping’s eyelids twitched. He immediately struggled to sit up, but his body was evidently too weak, making it impossible to muster the energy.

Duan Rong sighed inwardly. This person sure has a strong will. After such a severe illness, waking up only to attempt to get up.

Duan Rong walked over, placed two pillows at the head of the bed, and helped Shen Ping lean against them. Shen Ping was covered in wounds, and the slightest movement clearly tugged at them, causing him to grimace in pain.

Half-reclining against the headboard, Shen Ping glanced around the room and asked, "Where is this?"

Duan Rong said, "This is a courtyard within the Yuan Shun Escort Agency."

Duan Rong noticed Shen Ping still looked somewhat worried and said, "Rest assured. The cases of Xu Ruhu and Jie Lei have been settled, otherwise, it would have been impossible to release you from the Death Prison."

Shen Ping’s expression changed slightly; he didn’t expect this young man to see through his thoughts so easily.

Feeling somewhat wary, Shen Ping realized he was too weak for his mind to function properly. In the Jianghu, one’s emotions cannot show on their face.

Shen Ping’s lips trembled. Duan Rong poured him a bowl of clear water, and after Shen Ping drank it, his parched throat felt a bit refreshed.

Just then, there was a knocking sound at the entrance of Liu’s House.

Upon hearing the knock, Duan Rong knew it was Hu Huanhuan.

These days, the frequent visitors to Liu’s House were Hu Huanhuan and Xiao Zongting, though their knocking styles were distinctly different.

Duan Rong didn’t need to use his Divine Sense Projection; just by listening to the knock, he knew who it was.

Duan Rong quickly walked over and opened the courtyard door; Hu Huanhuan entered with a smile, and they chatted idly as they walked inside.

Carrying a food box, Hu Huanhuan stepped into the room. Shen Ping, sitting by the bed, turned his head, and their eyes met immediately.

Shen Ping’s lips quivered as if he wanted to say something but swallowed his words.

Hu Huanhuan looked at Shen Ping for a while, emotions flitting through her eyes, before suddenly placing the food box on the cabinet by the door and left without looking back.

From Hu Huanhuan’s retreating figure, Duan Rong could sense her decisiveness.

This was a matter between the two of them, and Duan Rong didn’t feel it appropriate to intervene, so he let Hu Huanhuan leave.

Duan Rong opened the food box left by Hu Huanhuan and found a plate of lion’s head meatballs and a plate of braised fish on the top layer, along with two flatbreads.

This was obviously for him, and Duan Rong took it out.

He opened the lower part of the food box and found a lidded clay pot at the bottom, surprisingly still warm to the touch.

Duan Rong took the clay pot out, placed it on the small table by the bed, and lifted the lid, immediately releasing steam and a tantalizing aroma.

He saw Shen Ping visibly gulp.

The golden chicken soup was dotted with ginseng slices, just the look of it was so tempting.

Duan Rong put a spoon in the clay pot and looked at Shen Ping. "Can you manage to eat it yourself?"

"I can," Shen Ping stubbornly uttered a word and attempted to move, but with wounds all over his body, even the slightest movement caused him great pain.

"Alright. I’ll feed you then."

"No need!"

"You’re a patient! Stop being stubborn!" Duan Rong said coldly, picking up the spoon and holding it to Shen Ping’s mouth.

Shen Ping looked a bit embarrassed, feeling it was shameful to have to be fed for something as simple as drinking soup. Yet, he brought his mouth to the spoon.

Duan Rong tilted the spoon slightly, and Shen Ping slurped down a big spoonful of chicken soup.

"Mmm..." Shen Ping couldn’t help but groan, clearly relishing it.

Duan Rong continued feeding him spoon by spoon until he had almost finished the entire pot of chicken soup. Initially, Shen Ping felt slightly embarrassed, but eventually, he ate heartily. Once the soup was mostly gone, Duan Rong fed him the boiled chicken meat with chopsticks.

After Shen Ping was satiated, Duan Rong went back to the main room to eat his lion’s head and braised fish with flatbread.

As Duan Rong was taking a few bites, he suddenly heard Shen Ping calling out from inside, "Who prescribed this remedy?"

The voice was rather spirited.

Duan Rong sighed inwardly, thinking to himself: Is this the strength from drinking chicken soup?

Holding his flatbread, Duan Rong walked back inside and noticed Shen Ping holding a prescription from Gu Suxiu in his hand from the bedside table.

Seeing Duan Rong come in, Shen Ping glared at him angrily and said, "Is this the prescription I’m taking? What the hell is this, a remedy for health toning and fetal protection?"

No wonder Shen Ping was furious; to him, this prescription concerned his very survival.

"You only took one dose of this prescription," Duan Rong calmly said while taking a bite of his flatbread.

Shen Ping’s gaze wavered, recalling something, and he asked, "So what medicine have I been taking the last two nights?"

Though Shen Ping was in a coma, he occasionally regained awareness and could feel the potent effect of the medicine, which was definitely not the mild concoction he held in his hand.

Duan Rong took a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Ping, saying, "The medicine for the past two nights is this prescription."

Shen Ping received it and asked, "Who wrote this prescription?"

"I did," Duan Rong answered succinctly.

Shen Ping glanced at Duan Rong. In his perspective, medical skills largely depended on experience, and Duan Rong appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old.

Looking down at the prescription in his hand, Shen Ping’s complexion suddenly changed drastically, even worse than when he saw Gu Suxiu’s mild one.

Duan Rong, at this moment, could even detect a flicker of fear in Shen Ping’s eyes...

Trembling, Shen Ping asked Duan Rong, "Do we have any grudges?"

"No."

"Then why are you doing this to me? Such fierce medicine is no different from killing!" Shen Ping’s gaze was as sharp as nails, piercing towards Duan Rong.

Duan Rong sighed. He hadn’t expected Shen Ping to view the prescription in such a way.

"To treat a serious illness, potent medicine is necessary; isn’t that common sense?" Duan Rong retorted, "Am I harming you? Are you dead or crippled now?"

Shen Ping’s eyelid twitched.

Duan Rong continued, "Senior Shen, at that time, you were deeply comatose. But when I checked your pulse, though it was weak as if on the brink, it was still faintly present, showing your strong will and desire to survive. That was one point."

"Despite being wounded all over, locked in the cold and damp Death Prison for many days with a persistent fever, and your organs seemingly withered, internally and externally distressed. However, your body foundation was excellent. Such fierce medicine could completely sweep away the hidden ailment, stimulating the latent vitality. That’s the second point."

"After you drank the decoction, I supplemented it with acupuncture, guiding the medicinal properties, expelling wind, and dispersing qi. The key to this prescription was your robust body foundation that could withstand the initial powerful surge of the medicine, buying me enough time for the acupuncture and dispersal effect. That’s the third point."

"With these three points, this prescription was feasible!"