Chapter 17: Trust and Choice

Translator: celefoata_ Editor: RegiusProfessor

"Brother Ye, how are my father's injuries?" Tang Yu asked uneasily.

Tang Yu was an amateur who did not have much confidence in his diagnosis. Now that Ye Yuan displayed a standard in the alchemy path that was way above his, he naturally entrusted all of his hopes on Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan furrowed his brows, making Tang Yu's heart sink fiercely at once.

"A Giant Wind Rhinoceros is abnormally strong and extremely fast. Uncle is already considered lucky to have escaped alive from it. His injuries are severe. A lobe of his lung is already in tatters, and his heart is also leaning towards failure; his life is in danger at any moment." Ye Yuan's expression was somber.

Tang Yu's heart gradually hit rock bottom along with Ye Yuan's words. Instead, it was Tang Zonghuai whose face had the serenity of someone who saw past life and death. He was obviously aware of how severe his injuries were, which was why he was so decisive just now. Hearing Ye Yuan's diagnosis only confirmed his speculations.

"Brother Ye, don't tell me . . ." Tang Yu did not dare to complete his sentence. Ye Yuan could feel the despair in his heart just from these few words.

However, Ye Yuan did not answer Tang Yu's question. Instead, he locked his brows together, as if he was pondering on a problem.

For some time, the house was eerily silent. Tang Yu could not tolerate the torture anymore. Plucking up his courage, he asked Ye Yuan, "Brother Ye, I know it's a little presumptuous, but can you request . . . your father to take action?"

Lifting his head up to look at Tang Yu, Ye Yuan looked calm, but he remained silent.

Tang Yu felt a little self-conscious by Ye Yuan's stare and said awkwardly, "Sorry Brother Ye. It's not that I am looking down on you, but . . ."

"I know what you meant by that. Regardless whether you believe it or not, it's useless, even if my father came. Not only that, even if it's Wan Donghai or even Wu Daofeng who came, it wouldn't help," Ye Yuan said firmly.

Wu Daofeng whom Ye Yuan had named was the Chairman of the State of Qin's Alchemists Association. In the entire State of Qin, the one with the highest accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao was neither Wan Donghai nor Ye Hang, much less the Imperial Uncle from the Imperial Family; it was this Lord Chairman Wu Daofeng. Now that Ye Yuan said even he would not do, it was basically the same as sentencing Tang Zonghuai to death.

Except these words had a hint of quibble in Tang Yu's ears. If it were regarding other matters, he naturally would not argue about it. But right now, Ye Yuan was sentencing his father to death right in front of him. How could he not have doubts? Who was Ye Yuan anyway? Merely a silkpants.

"Brother Ye, you . . ."

"Yu-er, let Mister Ye . . . finish his words." Tang Zonghuai interrupted Tang Yu halfway.

Tang Yu was a little stunned. Ye Yuan nodded and said, "I just said that they won't do. But this doesn't mean that Uncle's situation is hopeless."

Tang Yu was elated after hearing this. Grabbing Ye Yuan, he said, "Does Brother Ye has a plan?"

"The plan actually lies with you, Brother Tang."

"Me?" Tang Yu was befuddled by Ye Yuan's words. In reality, Ye Yuan did not know how to initiate his request; which was why he took a very roundabout way.

Nodding his head, Ye Yuan said, "Brother Tang is also aware that my past reputation isn't that great. I wonder if Brother Tang can trust me."

At this moment, Tang Yu came to a realization. As a smart man, if he still could not understand Ye Yuan's intention hidden in his words, then he would be a fool.

"Does Brother Ye mean . . . the Six Leaf Grass?" Tang Yu asked hesitatingly.

"That's right." Ye Yuan did not deny it and directly acknowledged this.

In reality, there were differences in the way the Divine Realm and the Lower Realms ranked their medicines. Although a Tier 1 pill in the Divine Realm was also categorized into levels of high, middle, and low, the so-called high-level pills that the State Of Qin had to offer were merely low-level pills when placed in the Divine Realm. The variety and quality of the pill formulas in the Divine Realm were not something which a Lower Realm's mortal country could compare to.

Logically speaking, it was impossible for Ye Yuan to refine a high-level Tier 1 pill with his strength. His essence energy could not even support the refinement of a high-level Tier 1 pill. The only reason why he could refine it was that he used to be an Alchemy Emperor. He was only able to refine medicines that surpassed his strength with his pitiful amount of essence energy by meticulously controlling the distribution of essence energy to a terrifying degree.

Yet these so-called high-level Tier 1 Pills were merely some unwanted low-level pills in Ye Yuan's eyes.

However, high-level Tier 1 pills from the Lower Realms were no longer sufficient to treat Tang Zonghuai's injuries; middle-level Tier 1 pills from the Divine Realm were necessary. But Ye Yuan's current strength was way too low at the moment, making it impossible to refine pills of such a grade.

Hence, he was giving Tang Yu an option. If Tang Yu chose not to believe in him, then his fate with Tang Yu would end here; there would be nothing he could do for Tang Zonghuai's injuries.

"H-how can I do that? What if . . . What if . . ." Tang Yu became quite flustered.

Subconsciously, Tang Yu felt that Ye Yuan was trustworthy. However, when facing the grim reality, Tang Yu really did not know what he should do. His idea was that if Ye Yuan really could not save his father, then he had the Great Returning Pill as his last hope.

"Brother Ye, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just . . . just . . ." Tang Yu did not know how to word it.

"Yu-er, give it to him," at that moment, the silent Tang Zonghuai said with a weak voice.

Turning over and meeting his father's gaze, Tang Yu and his father exchanged a great deal of information from each other's eyes. Finally, gritting his teeth tightly, Tang Yu passed the box containing the Six Leaf Grass over to Ye Yuan and said, "Brother Ye, please."

Ye Yuan did not decline and received the box calmly. He then said, "Give me a day. I will be here promptly at this time tomorrow. However, Uncle's injuries are not very stable at the moment. If I don't deal with it, it would be hard to endure until tomorrow. Let me carry out a set of needle technique on him to stabilize his condition to prevent it from worsening."

Tang Yu made a welcoming gesture and said, "I will have to trouble Brother Ye then."

Ye Yuan naturally did not carry golden needles on him, so he returned to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to retrieve the needles.

After Ye Yuan left, Tang Yu asked his father uneasily, "Father, I know that Brother Ye is a man of genuine skill and knowledge, but his previous reputation is really dreadful. I still feel that this is a gamble."

After a bout of violent coughing, Tang Zonghuai gave a strained smile and said, "How can I . . . not understand my own injuries? What . . . Brother Ye said . . . was right. Even if . . . Wu Daofeng came . . . it would be futile. Even if . . . it was a gamble, there is . . . nothing that . . . we can't afford to lose."

"Father, is it truly so serious?" Clearly, Tang Yu never thought that his father's injuries had already worsened to such an extent.

Tang Zonghuai simply shook his head and said, "That boy . . . does not belong in a shallow pond. Yu-er . . . no matter . . . the result, in the future . . . get closer . . . to him."

Tang Yu did not expect his father to have such a high evaluation of Ye Yuan. However, his own bias toward Ye Yuan had been cast beyond the ninth layer of clouds ever since stepping into this house. Nodding his head, Tang Yu said, "Father, don't worry. I, your son, am not an ungrateful person. As long as Brother Ye treats Father with all his might, this life of mine can be considered sold to him."