997 There Is No Fighting the Times (1/2)
”Come and test it out then.” Miao Xihe took a small wooden pot and put it in front of him. As soon as the lid was opened, poisonous bugs could be seen inside the pot. They were rolling about and tearing each other apart. They made sounds that would have made anyone shiver.
”Don't be afraid.”
”I'm not afraid.” That young man dipped his hand into the pot without any hesitation.
What happened next was nothing short of surreal. The bugs in the wooden pot seemed afraid of the aura surrounding his hand. None dared to even get close. They scuttled about, trying to avoid the hand. The spot where his fingers touched seemed to have made a vacant area.
”That's expected.” Miao Xihe looked pleased when he saw that.
”Give me a knife.” The middle-aged man nearby immediately handed him a sharp, which Miao Xihe rubbed off.
”I'm about to take some of your blood, Xiao He,” he said. ”It's not going to hurt much.”
”Very well, Chief.” The young man showed no signs of fear.
Miao Xihe slit the young man's wrist a little and drained about half a bowl of blood.
”That should do.” He quickly rubbed ointment on the wound, which quickly staunched the bleeding and sealed the wound.
”Be honest with me, Xiao He. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere in your body?”
”No, I feel fine,” the young man said.
”I take it that you're not all that willing to stay in here,” Miao Xihe said.
”Well, I've gotten used to it,” the young man replied.
”Bear with it for a while longer. You'd be able to leave soon enough,” Miao Xihe pulled the young man into his arms to comfort him.
”It's okay, Chief,” the young man said.
”That's good to hear.” Miao Xihe nodded. He looked very pleased with the development of events.
He stayed around and chatted with the young man for a bit.
”Xiao He, let's take a walk outside.”
He led the young man past the middle-aged man to a path deep in the cave. It was extremely perilous. That path was on a cliff. It led to a hole halfway up the mountain's height. It was somewhere difficult to reach by common folks, even if they had ropes available. It was not just the steep cliff that was dangerous. There were many weird, dangerous bugs like centipedes crawling on the cliff. Their ferocious, unforgiving appearance alone suggested that they were very poisonous.
”Come, get on my back.”
”I can do this on my own.”
”Just come on up.”
Miao Xihe carried the young man on his back. He had no problems leaping about on the steep cliff. It was as if he was a nimble monkey. They reached the hole at the mountain and went outside.
The sun was bright outside. The light was rather blinding.
”Xiao He, I'll now recite a passage from a medical book,” Miao Xihe said. ”Commit the passage to memory as best you can.”
”Will do, Chief.”
Miao Xihe began reciting. His voice was not loud. He ready slowly, ensuring every single word was clear. He repeated the passage again and again. He recited the whole thing three times.
”Well, have you managed to remember the whole thing?” he asked.
”I have,” the young man said.
”Is that so?” Miao Xihe asked. ”Well, recite it for me.”
Xiao He immediately started reciting it. He was smooth with his delivery. He did not miss a single word.
”Good, very good. Recall what you've just remembered when you have nothing else to do and ponder its contents. It will do you a lot of good.”
”Will do, Chief,” the young man replied.
The old man and the young man quietly sat at the hole halfway up the mountain's height, looking off into the distance. After sitting around for quite a long time, the young man rose.
”Let's head back, Chief. They will worry if we spend too much time here.”