In a remote courtyard of the Jiang mansion, Jiang Li and others waited anxiously outside a room.
"Why isn't she out yet? Father, can't I go in and see Mother?" Jiang Sheng asked, his heart aching as he listened to the whimpers from inside.
"Absolutely not. Only one person can go in at most," Jiang Li replied after taking a deep breath.
He had personally tested Xu Mu's acupuncture technique earlier and found its effects to be extraordinary. His knee pain, which had been bothering him for days due to prolonged kneeling and should have required rest to alleviate, was instantly healed.
"I hope it helps," they all thought silently. Soon, the sounds from inside gradually faded. With a creak, Xu Mu opened the door and emerged.
"Young friend Mu Xu, how is Yue Rong's condition?" Jiang Li asked worriedly as soon as Xu Mu appeared.
"Not good," Xu Mu replied, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. He put the silver needles into his spatial ring and sighed, "Madam Zhu Yue Rong's body is afflicted with a complex poison that has killed many of her cells. Given the current situation, simple detoxification is insufficient; blood replenishment is necessary."
"What do you mean by cells?" everyone asked in unison, confused.
"Well... they are tiny organisms within your body. A single drop of blood contains at least fifty million cells. They are like an army, each with its own function: producing blood, detoxifying, or fending off invaders... there are many types. In Zhu Yue Rong's body, too many cells have been killed by the poison, which is why she is in this state," Xu Mu explained.
"Why are you telling them all this? They won't understand," Charles yawned in Xu Mu's mind, then added, "If it were just dan poison, it wouldn't have brought the woman to this state. After all, she is a cultivator. I suspect she was poisoned by someone."
Xu Mu nodded in agreement, his expression grave. "I suspect the poisoner is no ordinary person, to know how to target microorganisms. If it weren't for your mechanical eye, I would never have detected the problem with her blood."
"This is truly difficult," Xu Mu couldn't help but sigh. If it were a conventional illness, it would be straightforward to detoxify, but how could he reverse the death of cells?
"Is Yue Rong... can she still be saved?" Jiang Li stepped forward, asking nervously. Although he didn't fully understand Xu Mu's words, he could tell that Zhu Yue Rong's condition was extremely critical.
"I have already used silver needles to drain some of her poisoned blood, and most of the toxins in her meridians have been vaporized. The remaining portion needs to be eliminated with medicinal soup," Xu Mu said as he took out a pen and paper to write. He then handed it to Jiang Li. "This is a new prescription. Do not continue with the previous medicinal soup. That medicine only provided temporary support and will worsen her condition if taken excessively."
Jiang Li numbly took the prescription and scanned the listed medicinal ingredients with a bewildered look. Angelica, nightshade, snow lotus... they were all common herbs, with only a few requiring ingredients from stage three or four spirit herbs. Compared to the prescription from Master Gongsun, the cost of these items was practically negligible.
"Just these?" Jiang Sheng snatched the prescription and asked in surprise.
"Yes, just these. The dosages are marked. Brew normally for three hours daily, then dilute with cool water and brew for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Drink one bowl each morning and evening to eliminate the dan poison."
"However, as I mentioned, Madam Zhu Yue Rong's most critical need right now is blood replenishment. The medicinal ingredients required for this are too precious, so I haven't listed them here." Xu Mu pondered for a moment before writing down the necessary spirit herbs—a long list of precious stage five spirit herbs.
"With these ingredients, I will have a chance to truly generate new blood and cells for her. Of course, if you can directly obtain blood coral, the first fourteen ingredients on this list can be omitted," Xu Mu said, cracking his neck. The popping sound coincided with Jiang Li's wry smile.
"Although the Jin Yin Trading Company is selling blood coral, the price is exorbitant. I simply cannot afford it," Jiang Li shook his head and handed Jiang Sheng a storage bag, earnestly instructing him, "Entrust the medicine purchase to you. The money is all here. For anything else that's not enough, I will find a way elsewhere."
"Your mother's life is in your hands!"
"What if I can't buy them? Or if it can't be cured, how long can my mother live?" Jiang Sheng firmly agreed and then turned to Xu Mu with a solemn expression.
"If it cannot be cured, Madam Zhu can only live for a maximum of three months."
"Three months!" Jiang Sheng's heart clenched upon hearing the number. Three months ago, he had just begun his secluded cultivation, and his mother had been a healthy, beautiful woman. Now, she had only three months left.
"That's already very good. Master Gongsun from Medicine King Valley said Yue Rong could live for at most half a month," Jiang Li said, looking at Xu Mu with a peculiar expression. The illness that Master Gongsun, a stage five expert from Medicine King Valley, couldn't cure, this young man could. The master predicted fifteen days of life, yet this person claimed three months. If it were anyone else, he would dismiss them as a quack. However, based on the acupuncture technique he had just witnessed, and the strength shown in defeating Jiang Zhao with a single palm strike, it was difficult for him to believe that this Mu Xu was merely a showman. So, who was he?
"May I ask, honorable sir, where did you study your craft?" Jiang Sheng asked, cupping his fist towards Xu Mu. He was very curious about Xu Mu's identity, as he was both extremely powerful and knowledgeable in medicine. Who was this descendant of a prestigious family?
Xu Mu had anticipated this question. After a moment's thought, he produced a waist token from the Nangong family's spatial ring.
"I am not a member of the Nangong family, but I do have a slight connection with them," Xu Mu said, spreading his palm to reveal a simple, elegant token inlaid with red jade. The token was clearly inscribed with the characters "Huai Tian."
"This... this is a Nangong clan waist token! And it's black wood with red jade – its rank is even higher than that of an elder!" Qian Qian exclaimed in shock, gazing at the token in Xu Mu's hand. Jiang Sheng and Jiang Li were also stunned. Was this Mu Xu's identity so noble?
"Young friend Mu Xu is too modest. A waist token of this caliber is not something one holds with just a 'slight connection'," Jiang Li said, his belief in Xu Mu now complete. He gave Xu Mu a meaningful glance. The Nangong clan ranked seventh among the hundred clans, while his Jiang family was seventy-ninth. The gap between the two families was already immense, and Xu Mu's status was even higher than that of a direct elder of the Nangong family. They, on the other hand, were at the very bottom of the collateral branches of the Jiang family. The disparity was like heaven and earth!
"He said earlier, it was 'a little bit'," Qian Qian said, crossing his arms and looking at Xu Mu with a resigned expression. They had only known each other for half a day, yet the shocks this person had given him were escalating one after another.
"Ahem, it's getting late. Let's prepare the medicine quickly," Xu Mu said, intentionally clearing his throat. He then remembered his task of reconstructing Charles's mechanical body and asked, "Are there any places nearby that sell metal materials?"
"Metal materials?" Jiang Sheng frowned, thought for a moment, and then replied, "There aren't many such places around here. Only the Jin Yin Trading Company should have them."
"Jin Yin Trading Company again." Xu Mu pursed his lips and asked again, "Where is the Jin Yin Trading Company?"
"It's not far from our Jiang mansion. I'll go with you, as I need to buy medicine anyway."
"Alright, let's leave now."
Xu Mu exchanged a smile and a nod with Jiang Li, then turned to look at Qian Qian. "Together?"
"Let's go."