“A plan for what?” Huxian asked.
“I want you and Lei Jiang to eat your heart’s content,” Cha Ming said.
Huxian eyes brightened instantly.
Wang Jun burst out laughing when he heard the news. He rang for Elder Bai, who was brought to tears at the thought of the two little miscreants eating through the crown prince’s hard-earned coin.
“And here I was wondering which guardian angel was doing my dirty work for me,” Wang Jun said. “There’s no need to stop them. Anything is fine if they don’t get caught.”
“I was thinking more in terms of which buildings you wanted to prioritize, and which ones you wanted relatively undamaged,” Cha Ming said. “For example, I’d hate to have them eat away the foundations of a building you’re planning on buying.”
“Fair enough,” Wang Jun said, quickly scribbling down three lists. “The buildings on the first list should be damaged in any way possible. I want the damage to be so severe so that fixing it will cost the crown prince a fortune.
“The second list contains buildings that should be damaged superficially but should be fully functioning,” Wang Jun said. “I want the damages easy to fix. They are there for the sole purpose of undermining the geomancer’s reputation and reducing the value of the properties in case their owners want to sell them at a discount.
“Finally, those on the third list should be damaged discreetly. I want their foundations destroyed and their walls weakened. It would be best if we could topple them over with a flick of our wrist. They should sustain some superficial damage to avoid suspicion but nothing serious enough to cause the geomancer to inspect them. These buildings are most likely to be used in city warfare, should the situation devolve to that level.”
“Noted,” Cha Ming said as he stowed away the list. “I’ll instruct them as soon as possible.”
“Run, sister, run!” Wang Jun suddenly shouted.
Both Cha Ming and Elder Bai looked toward him.
“There’s seriously something wrong with you,” Cha Ming said. “That’s the second time I’ve seen you blurt out strange things. This time you said, ‘run, sister, run.’”
“Nonsense,” Wang Jun said. “Elder Bai, did I say anything?”
“I’m afraid you did,” Elder Bai said. “And it’s not the first time. I think you should get some sleep.”
Wang Jun frowned. “I’m afraid I can’t. There’s too much going on. Speaking of which, how is your progress on the Gold Slaughtering Formation?” Wang Jun asked.
“I’ve finished the prototype,” Cha Ming said slowly. “As long as I have sufficient materials, I should be able set it up without much difficulty. The formation is eighty-five-percent efficient. I project being able to expand each grand formation to cover a square mile without any loss in efficiency. However, the materials required will scale with the surface area being covered.”
Wang Jun nodded. “I’ll give you supplies and a list tomorrow. Soon I’ll be owing you money instead of the other way around.”
“I’m not doing this for money,” Cha Ming said. “I’m doing it so there isn’t another Fairweather.”
A few brief pulses suddenly interrupted their conversation. Wang Jun pulled out a core-formation jade, which he activated. Prince Lei’s projection appeared on the corner of Wang Jun’s desk.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Wang Jun said.
“There are complications to the original plan,” Prince Lei said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to come clean.”
“What for?” Wang Jun asked. “Did the doctors detect something?”
“It was my sister,” Prince Lei said. “I overheard her yelling at the doctors and asking for an explanation on father’s sudden improvement in condition. When the doctor said he hadn’t done anything differently, she brought up the wound you inflicted to circulate the blood. When he said he knew nothing about it, she swore she wouldn’t leave father’s side until she got an explanation from them.”
“So we can’t continue our treatments until we clarify the situation,” Wang Jun said.
“Exactly,” Prince Lei said. “But we’re in a much better position than before. The doctors might scoff at Dr. Li’s lack of credentials, but my sister will only care about the results. Therefore, I confessed the situation, and the royal uncles corroborated our story. She wasn’t happy about our taking actions behind her back, and she was quite annoyed at the royal uncles for not telling her, but she said she’d like to meet the doctor who’s succeeded where others have failed.”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Wang Jun said. He turned to Cha Ming. “Can you speak with Dr. Li on this matter?”
“I’ll explain it on the way,” Cha Ming replied. “He’s very good with stressful situations, but he’ll lose his mind if anyone interrupts him during his research.”
Cha Ming, Wang Jun, Li Yin, and Prince Lei walked into the king’s chambers. This time, they walked through the front door. Princess Guo stood beside her father’s bed with an annoyed expression. The chief physician was there as well, and judging by the embarrassed look on his face, the princess had brow-beaten him the entire time they waited.
“Dearest sister,” Prince Lei said, “thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I realize you’ve been terribly busy of late, and—”
“Cut the crap,” Princess Guo said coldly.
The prince shrank back, leaving Cha Ming, Wang Jun, and Li Yin at her mercy. She turned to them. “I understand that you’ve been treating my father in secret. Normally this would be a grave offense worthy of execution. However, my father’s condition has noticeably improved. Therefore I wish to thank whoever has been treating him and ask him to continue his work under my supervision. I take it that you are Dr. Li?” Princess Guo said with a smile.
“Doctor is too noble a title for this lowly one,” Li Yin replied. “I am just a medical researcher who happens to know quite a bit about treating people without qi. I am unable to cultivate, but I haven’t been able to leave people dying by the wayside. Which is much more than can be said for the people bearing the title of doctor.”
“That’s a little unfair,” the chief physician interjected. “We often treat people free of charge, but it’s simply too difficult to balance the needs of the masses with the needs of the rich and affluent.”
“You may speak when you’re spoken to,” Princess Guo said to the doctor. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re useless, while this medical researcher isn’t. I hope I won’t have to repeat myself.”
The chief physician gulped. “Understood.” He stood at attention next to the king’s bed and awaited his judgment.
“Please continue with your efforts,” Princess Guo said. “All I ask is that I be allowed to stand by while you do your work. I am greatly worried about my father’s health.”
“Very well,” Li Yin said. “We’ve just been cleaning his blood while the Quicksilver Alchemists Association tries to find a cure to the qi-binding poison that is restraining his cultivation.”
“A qi-restraining poison?” the chief physician exclaimed. “No wonder none of my healing or analysis techniques worked!”
“It’s also why Zhou Bei from the Quicksilver Alchemists Association couldn’t identify the poison,” Cha Ming said.
“Wait, how is the Zhou family suddenly involved?” Princess Guo interjected.
“Zhou Bei is not on friendly terms with the Zhou family, and he is the foremost expert on poisons on the continent,” Cha Ming said. “When the chief physician suspected poison, he had initially sent a vial of blood to Zhou Bei. Is that correct?”
“Exactly so,” the chief physician said. “That’s why I concluded it wasn’t poison. If it was a poison, that man would surely have found and identified it.”
“I don’t want to interrupt,” Li Yin said. “But we’re already late for the treatment. Would you be so kind?”
The princess and the physician quickly backed off while Cha Ming and Li Yin performed their treatment
.
Chapter 17: Complications
“That was simply amazing!” the chief physician exclaimed as Cha Ming purged the blood cleansing apparatus. “Might I keep it for study?”
Cha Ming looked to Li Yin, who nodded. He cleansed the apparatus with water qi before offering it to the man.
“Make sure not to use it on anyone, as it’s not sterile,” Cha Ming said.
“Of course, of course,” the chief physician said. “It seems like the king’s blood is now quite clean. What might Dr. Li’s next plan be?”
The man had given up all pretenses of superiority. Instead, he had relegated himself to the role of an inferior student.
“This is where it gets tricky,” Dr. Li said. The princess and the chief physician were listening in rapt attention. “We’ve cleaned his blood, which has allowed him to regain some vigor. Nutrition is not an issue, since the chief physician has been injecting him with a nutrition serum daily.”
“Please, call me Dr. Dong,” the chief physician said.
“Very well, Dr. Dong,” Dr. Li said before continuing. “Then the next logical step is replacing his blood. His Majesty’s blood cells are extremely unhealthy, and it seems like his body is incapable of producing healthy ones.”
Dr. Dong frowned but didn’t interrupt. The princess, seeing his expression, couldn’t help but speak up.
“Is there are problem with changing out a person’s blood?” Princes Guo asked. “I’ve taken dozens of blood multiplication potions with no ill effect.”
“It’s complicated because we can’t use such potions,” Dr. Dong said. “The only way we could proceed is to replace His Majesty’s blood with another person’s. However, this is a taboo in the medical community since we normally possess alternative means. It is forbidden because of the many complications that can arise.”
“Such as?” Princess Guo said.
“For one, diseases can be passed through blood,” Li Yin explained. “Some potentially deadly diseases cannot be passed on any other way. More importantly, there is a phenomenon called the principle of blood rejection.”
“Different people’s blood tends to be rejected by the one receiving the infusion,” Dr. Dong clarified. “The medical community studied it at some point but eventually gave up since blood multiplication potions were far too easy and cheap to make.”
“Then how could we possibly risk this with my royal father?” Princess Guo asked.
“We’ll do it in two steps,” Dr. Li said. “I’ve determined through preliminary research that incompatible bloods agglutinate, though I’m not sure of the exact mechanism. Blood tends to be most compatible within a family, so I’ll need a sample of the king’s blood, your blood, and your two brothers’ blood. We can look externally after that.”
The princess instantly retrieved her hair pin and pricked her finger, allowing blood to rapidly trickle into a crystal vial. “Is this amount sufficient?”
“More than sufficient, but could you please secure the vial, Cha Ming?” Dr. Li asked.
Cha Ming grabbed the vial and placed a special lid on it. Then he opened a plug and whisked away the remaining air in the vial. “Exposure to air degrades the blood. The blood must also be kept at a low temperature to prevent rotting.”
“Disinfecting the blood shouldn’t be difficult,” Dr. Dong said. “It hasn’t been contaminated with qi-binding venom, greatly simplifying the process. My only concern is proof of concept.”
“I’m willing to personally undergo this trial,” Li Yin said. “We can start gathering random blood samples in the Jade Bamboo Auction House for compatibility testing. Once I’ve found a suitable blood type, I’ll receive a transfusion for proof of concept.”
No one spoke out against this. The king’s life and the kingdom were at stake. After saying their goodbyes, Cha Ming and company left the palace in high spirits. They had obtained a blood sample from Princess Guo and Prince Lei. Only Prince Tian’s blood sample remained.
The wooden door to Prince Tian’s study creaked opened to reveal a court eunuch. He stood as Prince Tian finished a discussion with his guest.
“What is it?” Prince Tian said, looking over.
“Your humble servant is here to inform you that Dr. Dong has requested an audience,” the eunuch said. “He wishes to secure a vial of your blood to be used in finding a treatment for your royal father. What are your instructions?”
“Bring him in,” Prince Tian said.
The eunuch scurried out the door, leaving only him and Zhou Li in the study. “Should I tamper with the blood?” he asked.
Zhou Li snorted. “That seems like a very easy way to expose yourself and your past misdeeds.”
“Misdeeds that were committed under your instruction and coercion,” Prince Tian added. “Regardless, I’m committed to this course of action. I must do this for the sake of the kingdom.”
“Removing the king from the equation was the only way to tide us through these difficult times,” Zhou Li said. “War will soon envelop the entire continent. Whose side do you wish the kingdom to stand with? The winning one or the losing one? In any case, it doesn’t matter if they treat him. It’s virtually impossible for them to find the true cause of the king’s malaise. By the time they’ve figured it out, it will be too late.” Zhou Li moved toward a bookshelf, where he revealed a secret exit.
“Is it really necessary for my father to suffer so much?” Prince Tian asked before the black-cloaked man slipped away.
“Timing is everything, my prince,” Zhou Li said. “Each and every step of the process is necessary. In a sense, it’s not a bad thing that the third prince is scrambling to treat your father. At least his suffering will be eased considerably before his eventual demise.” He then walked out of the room.
The chief physician appeared shortly after. The prince dutifully gave him a vial of his blood and expressed his best wishes. How could he not hope for their success? The man was his father, and he hated every second of his slow and painful death.
Cha Ming returned from an appointment with a smile on his face. The Jing family, one of the most adamant neutral camps in the city, had finally given in for the high price of two mid-grade gold-gathering formations and a Gold Slaughtering Grand Formation. Unlike most families, they did not possess significant assets in the center of the city. Therefore they were less concerned with collateral damage from powerful cultivators; they were more worried about the possibility of ransacking and pillaging by local ruffians.
A middle-foundation-establishment elder could only do so much to safeguard his family. However, with a Gold Slaughtering Formation, he could easily crush anyone below core formation who dared enter his home. The deterrence alone would provide his family with a substantial degree of protection.
Cha Ming passed several Jade Bamboo office workers on his way to Li Yin’s study. Each one looked haggard and sleep-deprived. Elder Bai was no different. As a foundation-establishment expert, his ability to keep working through fatigue was surpassed only by the young master himself, who was rumored to never sleep.
He soon found his way into a stone-walled laboratory, which was situated right next to a budding alchemist workshop. Li Yin was busy examining several blood-filled test tubes with a minor healing formation Cha Ming had set up before leaving. The older man shook his head as he examined each test tube with a grim expression.
“All failures,” Li Yin said. “My own compatibility tests are failures as well.”
“Can you show me?” Cha Ming asked as he walked closer to the magnified projection of one of the vials.
“You see this blood clumping?” Li Yin asked Cha Ming. “Incompatible blood agglutinates in this fashion. Only in rare cases of compatibility will this not happen.”
“What do you think causes it?” Cha Ming asked, carefully choosing his words. “It must be something outside the blood cells that makes this happen.”
“I speculate it has to do with the plasma fluid,” Li Yin said. “However, the blood will be
transfused into the recipient’s bloodstream. There is no way to prevent interaction with blood plasma.”
“Could the donor and the recipient’s plasma be different?” Cha Ming asked. “What if they were separated, and we only tested with the donor’s blood cells?”
“Brilliant!” Li Yin exclaimed. “Quickly, separate a portion of this blood for me.”
Cha Ming hurriedly used his resplendent force to separate the thick red blood cells from the clear plasma. He repeated the process with a portion of blood from Prince Tian and Prince Lei. The doctor then dropped a portion of each blood into samples of the king’s blood. Two vials agglutinated, while another didn’t.
“Success!” Li Yin exclaimed, barely containing his excitement. He then had Cha Ming repeat the process for the dozens of blood samples on his desk. It was no problem for him to find a few compatible bloods. “I’ll be testing the blood transfusion on myself tonight. With any luck, we’ll be able to proceed with the king’s transfusion tomorrow. Please tell Wang Jun to secure four cups of Prince Tian’s blood. He’s a core-formation cultivator, so he can handle it.” The doctor then rushed off to secure his own blood specimens.
“Should I even tell him about blood types?” Cha Ming muttered. With his intelligence, he’d figure it out in a day or two. Plus, who knew if the blood types here are the same as Earth’s?
Wang Jun was hard at work when a soft knocking sound, followed by the click of his door opening, revealed Elder Bai’s reassuring figure. “What is it this time?” he said, sighing as the man walked over with a bundle of paper.
“Yet another round of loans being called,” Elder Bai said. “At this rate, any loan that can be called will be called. Which makes no sense, given our superior financial situation.”
“It’s like they’re out to get us, Brother Jun. What will we do?” his sister asked.
“What was that?” Wang Jun asked.
“I said it’s like they’re out to get us,” Elder Bai repeated. “Are you sure you’re all right? It seems you’ve been having difficulty hearing lately.”
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