Against the Gods - Volume 08 - Cloud's End Mirage

by Mars Gravity

  “Thank you, Auntie.” Ripples of warmth surged within Su Ling’er’s heart.

  “Che’er, this senior is?” Yun Qinghong’s gaze turned towards Yun Gu. This white-haired elderly man had a sage-like demeanor and he carried an aura that could deeply impress people. Furthermore, he had noticed that the eyes Yun Che was looking at him with, carried deep respect… And when it came to people whom he would display such a respectful attitude to, other than his elders, there was seemingly no one else.

  Yun Che hurriedly said, “This person is Senior Medical Saint and similarly carries the surname Yun. His medical techniques can be said to be the best in both ancient and modern times and from now on, he will be residing in our Illusory Demon Realm.”

  Yun Qinghong’s heart shook immensely. Yun Che’s medical techniques were already at the miraculous level, yet the words “best in both ancient and modern times” were personally spoken by him. How could this possibly be a small matter!?

  He hurriedly bowed and said, “So it’s Senior Medical Saint! To have a miracle man such as Senior Medical Saint here, it’s truly a blessing for our Illusory Demon Realm.”

  “This old man is just a regular doctor, I’m definitely not worthy of such praise from Patriarch Yun.” Yun Gu hurriedly returned his greetings but his gaze had instead landed on the Little Demon Empress after that. Then, he immediately spoke. “I wonder how I should address this little lady?”

  The Little Demon Empress’s brows slightly twitched as she turned around. Yun Che hurriedly introduced. “Senior Medical Saint, this is the Little Demon Empress, the ruler of the continent of the Illusory Demon Realm.”

  “I see.” Yun Gu lightly nodded and there were not any huge changes to the emotions on his face. As a doctor, he had seemingly never been moved by the identities of his patients. He continued to inspect the Little Demon Empress and when he thought of the crowd present at the sides, in the end, he kept his words to himself.

  Yun Che’s heart fiercely shook. When it came to the Little Demon Empress’s condition, other than Yun Qinghong who had sensed it, only he and the Little Demon Empress knew about it. Furthermore, the Little Demon Empress’s condition was not evidently exposed. If he had not known about it beforehand, even with his own judgment, he definitely would not have realized that she had any anomalies.

  However, looking at Yun Gu’s expression… He had clearly seen through it at first glance!

  Yun Che’s heart began to tremble from excitement… How could I have missed such an important detail? I’m unable to save Caiyi but Master might have a way… Because he’s my master who has surpassed all in the way of the medicine, be it in the present or ancient times!

  “Father! I have to trouble you to prepare a quiet place!” Yun Che suddenly said and then pulled the Little Demon Empress. “Senior Medical Saint, mind if I trouble you to first… check on the Little Demon Empress’s pulse?”

  Little Demon Empress: “…?”

  Yun Gu lightly nodded, “This old man shall do his best.”

  Only then did Yun Qinghong react and hurriedly said, “Free up the main hall quickly. Everyone must withdraw a kilometer away from the main hall and unless personally permitted by this patriarch. No one is allowed to approach!”

  Chapter 897: Hope (2)

  The central area of the Yun household was completely quiet. Because of Yun Qinghong’s worry, he had even erected an enormous isolation barrier, as if the entire Yun Family was about to face a strong enemy.

  The Little Demon Empress, Yun Che, and Yun Gu were the only ones in the main hall.

  “Senior Medical Saint, she…”

  “No need for words.” Yun Gu however smiled, preventing Yun Che from explaining the Little Demon Empress’s condition as he stretched out his pair of slightly pale arms. “Allow this old one to first check her pulse. Little Demon Empress, please be at ease. This old one has always examined a woman’s pulse through the air, all you need to do is calm your breathing.”

  “I will have to trouble you,” The Little Demon Empress glanced at Yun Che and said quietly. Looking at her expression, evidently, she did not harbor even the slightest bit of hope. Because, the issue of her having only three years of life left was personally spoken by the Golden Crow Spirit.

  How could the consequences, which even the Golden Crow Spirit said were impossible to heal or suspend, possibly be averted by a mere mortal?

  Yun Gu did not speak any further. Gently closing his old eyes, he kneaded his fingers into a strange gesture and a warm profound energy instantly flowed into the Little Demon Empress’ channels.

  Yun Che held his breath at the side. His entire body was still, as if it was nailed into the ground, afraid of making even the slightest of noise.

  Unexpectedly, the pulse examination was considerably short. In just a short few dozens of breaths, Yun Gu’s eyes slowly opened and his hands were put down right after.

  “Senior… How is she?” Yun Che hurriedly asked.

  “…” Yun Gu was silent for a moment, before he slowly spoke. “After persistently chasing after immense power which her profound veins could not possibly endure, she was left with no choice but to integrate her life vein as a joint vessel. Presently, nearly half of her lifeline has already withered and if this situation persists, in two years, it will definitely wither completely.”

  “…” Yun Gu’s words had finally stirred the light in the Little Demon Empress’s eyes because this was a secret which only she and Yun Che knew of. Furthermore, this was a secret that encroached on the secrets of the power of the divine way. This elderly man with only the physique of a mortal was actually able to see through it without the slightest discrepancy in just a few short breaths of pulse examination.

  “That’s right, that’s exactly the case.” Yun Che hurriedly nodded. “Because of special reasons, during that period of time, in order to quickly obtain powerful profound energy, she forcefully took in power that her profound veins could not endure. The consequence for that, was her lifespan being reduced to just three years or so… Senior Medical Saint, do you have any way to save her?”

  “If we compare the life’s vitality left of the lifeline to a candle, then a regular person’s candle will slowly melt as the wick burns. Her candle, however, due to forcefully integrating her lifeline as a vessel of energy, is as if it had been thrown into a sea of fire, her life’s vitality quickly being burned away. It concerns her lifeline and also concerns her life’s vitality as well… Difficult, it’s really difficult.” Yun Gu heavily sighed.

  “…Could it be that even Senior has no way either?” Yun Che said with a heavy heart.

  Yun Gu shook his head and instead revealed a light smile. “This old one simply said it was difficult but I did not say it was incurable.”

  Yun Gu’s words were undoubtedly celestial music of the heavens in Yun Che’s ears. He instantly fell onto his knees in front of Yun Gu and said with great excitement. “Senior, you… you’re saying… you’re saying you can save her?”

  The Little Demon Empress who had been sitting quietly slowly stood up as well. Though she was still wearing a domineering look on her tender face, there was clearly something stirring in the depths of her eyes.

  Yun Gu’s expression was solemn. He stood up and slowly walked a few steps, presenting a state of deep thought. Yun Che who was like an extremely evil god in front of others, was presently like an obedient child, pacing behind Yun Gu and listening to his explanation. “Using one’s life as price to greatly raise one’s profound strength is not something rare. Though the methods are different, the logic behind them is greatly similar. Some heavily damage their profound veins as price, some heavily damage their blood essence. There are even some who speed up the consumption of their life’s vitality as the price through altering the energy connection and mechanism between their profound veins and life vein, allowing their lifeline and profound veins to act as one vessel to hold power that their profound veins alone could not withstand.”

  Yun Ch
e nodded continuously, the Little Demon Empress belonged to the third group. Though she knew of the consequences, in order to exact revenge and in order to retrieve the authority and respect of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, she had not hesitated in the slightest.

  “However, the Little Demon Empress’s condition is countless times more extreme than any case this old one has seen in his lifetime,” Yun Gu sighed.

  “Though the lifeline and profound veins have always been connected in the first place, they are merely connected in form and they have their respective energy mechanisms. However, the respective energy mechanisms of the Little Demon Empress’s lifeline and profound veins, have actually merged completely into one entity. It seems like the power she forced herself to hold back then must have been immense. If it was just a small connection, it’s possible to save one’s life through the crippling of one’s profound strength. However, her lifeline and profound veins have completely merged into one entity. Even if all her profound energy was crippled, she would simply live for a few months more.”

  Yun Che nodded again. If crippling her profound strength could have stopped the Little Demon Empress’s life’s vitality from flowing away, how could Yun Che have worried over it until now? With him around, so what if the Little Demon Empress were to become a cripple?

  Yun Gu looked at Yun Che and smiled. “Little brother, it seems like you have long known about everything this old one has just said.”

  Yun Che nodded and said. “This junior is a little proficient in medical knowledge as well and this junior has always understood her condition better than anyone else. In this junior’s humble opinion, in order to save her, the only way I can think of is to desperately increase her lifespan. However, no matter how hard we try, even if we expend all the usable resources in the Illusory Demon Realm, it would merely be a drop in the bucket.”

  When he asked Jasmine back then, Jasmine informed him of two methods. One, he could forcefully increase the Little Demon Empress’s lifespan after reaching sufficient heights in the Great Way of the Buddha. Two, he could search for the Primordial Seal of Life and Death and allow the Little Demon Empress to possess a limitless, inexhaustible lifespan. These were all within Yun Che’s scope.

  Yun Gu’s footsteps then stopped and he said with a smile. “Then have you thought of another way? And that is to first guide out all of her profound energy and then re-separate the energy mechanisms of her lifeline and profound veins.”

  Yun Che was stunned for a moment and then replied. “If the energy mechanisms of the lifeline and profound veins can be re-separated, then it will naturally be the most perfect method to solving this problem but… but that’s basically impossible. The entirety of her lifeline and profound veins have connected and they have even connected completely into a single entity. If we were to try to forcefully separate the energy mechanisms a strand at a time, not only would it be as hard as stepping into the heavens, if even the slightest of mistake is made, it will mess up the energy mechanisms greatly… and she will instantly lose her life.”

  “Could it be…” Yun Che’s spirit suddenly shook. “Senior, you know of a way to re-separate the lifeline and profound veins?”

  Yun Gu did not nod and neither did he shake his head either. Instead, he continued, “The physique of a human can be seen as a unique and complete small world. Since it is complete and unique, then there’s no logic behind it being impossible to escape from the cycle of karma. If it is a smooth flow, then it can definitely be bent. If they can be merged, then they can definitely be separated. This is the foundation behind the medicine scripture this old one studies.”

  This was also the same exact basics of medical knowledge which Yun Che learned from Yun Gu. As it described, there were no illness in the world that could not be treated and even if there was, it would only mean that the method to cure it had still yet to be found.

  “If it was a few months ago, this old one would definitely be unable to forcefully separate the merged energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins as well. Just three months ago, this old one had finally comprehended a scripture which this old one had doubts about for several dozens of years…”

  Yun Gu seemed to have already been absorbed in his own explanation of medical knowledge, as he unconsciously recited. “The beginning of life, void led by circulation, regulation of the seal, the paradox of life and death, are of yin and yang, of yang and yin…”

  “Unique since the beginning, cluster leads to prosperity, the breath of humans surpasses the heavenly circulation…” As he listened to Yun Gu’s soft recitation, Yun Che’s consciousness gradually turned hazy and the scene of his master teaching him to recite the 《Heavenly Medicine Manual》 gradually surfaced before his eyes. Unconsciously, he began to recite softly with him.

  When Yun Gu had stopped, Yun Che was still absentmindedly continuing with his recitation. “Blossom and tranquility, chaos and turbidity, the birth of yin and the richness of yang…”

  When he finally regained his senses, Yun Gu’s face had already completely lost its calm, as he looked at Yun Che shockingly. “Little brother, you… How do you know of the Heavenly Medicine Manual?”

  “…” Yun Che opened his mouth and had no choice but to force out an explanation. “When this junior… was practicing the medicinal arts back then, what I studied was the Heavenly Medicine Manual. Could it be that Senior studies the Heavenly Medicine Manual as well? Then that truly is a coincidence, as expected, this junior shares a deep fate with Senior. It seems like there isn’t only a single Heavenly Medicine Manual in this world. However, this junior has shallow cultivation in the way of medicine. Though this junior is familiar with the Heavenly Medicine Manual, there are many scriptures which this junior fails to comprehend. The set of scriptures which senior has recited just now, is something this junior is even more so unable to understand at all. Could it be that Senior has already attained mastery of it?”

  Not just him, even his Master Yun Gu was unable to understand this set of scriptures either. Even till his passing, he was never able to comprehend it.

  Could it be that in this lifetime, he had actually comprehended it?

  “I see.” Though Yun Gu was still shocked, he did not continue to probe and instead continued, “These set of scriptures contain the logic behind the source of countless energies within a human body. This old one has studied it for half a lifetime and had only just comprehended the key behind it. The key actually lies behind ‘of yin and yang, of yang and yin’. If the logic behind it is understood, then, separating the energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins, though the process may be long and arduous, is definitely not something unachievable.”

  Though he completely could not understand the true medical logic behind that set of scriptures, since Yun Gu was able to say such words, then it proved that the Little Demon Empress could truly be saved.

  Yun Che looked over with great joy and excitedly said, “I request for Senior to put his skills save the Little Demon Empress.”

  Yun Gu however slightly shook his head. “This old one is after all, a man. Though I understand the logic, I am unable to apply it. I can merely impart this knowledge to someone.”

  Yun Che hurriedly knelt on a single knee and bowed, as he heavily spoke his every word. “Junior Yun Che is willing to have Senior as master, I hope Senior can fulfill this request.”

  “This… Hohoho.” Yun Gu however said with a light smile. “Little brother, stand up for now. When this old one mentioned that I am unable to apply my knowledge, it is not because of the relationship between a man of a woman but because of another reason. In regards to taking me as your master, that absolutely cannot do. Your eyes are clear and your heart contains no evil will but your body carries a heavily fierce and bloody aura. In the future, you may become a hero of a lifetime but you’re definitely not suitable in cultivating in the way of the medicine.”

  “…” Yun Che stood up with a dejected look and shame filled his heart. That
’s right. He was no longer able to return to the state of mind which he had back then when he was traveling the world with his master… He was no longer able to return to it for all eternity.

  Back then, Yun Che wholeheartedly pursued the way of medicine and his biggest wish was to surpass his master with his medical techniques, to be praised by his master, and to save even more people… Compared to the present Yun Che, they were two people that belonged to completely different worlds.

  The him now, indeed could not expect that Yun Gu would once again take him as his disciple.

  ___________

  Author’s Note:

  【Faints,I merely wanted to randomly throw some twisted logic in but I ended up with a full chapter already?】

  【Nevermind, let’s leave it like this then…】

  Chapter 898: Ling’er Pays Respects to Her Master

  “The matter regarding the Little Demon Empress can no longer be delayed. This old one already has an inkling of an idea and I will definitely put in my best effort, it’s just that… everything will be up to destiny after this.”

  Yun Gu said a spiel of things that Yun Che did not really understand before suddenly speaking, “Little brother, could I trouble you regarding one thing?”

  Yun Che hurriedly replied, “Just let me know what you need Senior. Oh… this junior requests that Senior just calls me Yun Che from now on.”

  “Hoho, that is fine as well,” Yun Gu said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Yun Che, can you call Miss Ling’er to this place.”

  “Ling’er? Okay!”

  Yun Che did not ask for the details; he immediately rushed out of the hall and flew back with Su Ling’er in his arms a short while after he left.

  “Senior Medical Saint?” Su Ling’er asked with an apprehensive and puzzled expression on her face, “Is there something you need to instruct Ling’er to do?”

  Yun Gu gave a light shake of his head. He measured Su Ling’er up and down with his eyes and his gaze lingered on her eyes for an especially long time. After that, he nodded his head repeatedly, his expression becoming rather excited, “From ten years ago, this old one had begun the task of looking for the person who could inherit the medical skills that I have refined all my life. But for the entire ten years, my search has borne no fruit. After all is said and done, this world is one that is ruled by profound strength. Everyone chases after profound strength. Everyone chases after power and influence. They are people who belong to this vulgar world, so how many of them can be expected to be unsullied by the vulgar desires that move this world and truly bury their hearts into the way of medicine?”