~~~

Liu Jin looks at his master with great care and great worry. It does not take long for the feelings so clearly reflected on his face to be vocalized.

“Master, are you sure you are okay?”

For about the tenth time that morning.

“Disciple, what do your eyes tell you?”

“I…”

“You are a doctor, are you not? You have learned from your father, and you have learned from this Old Jiang. So tell me, what do your eyes tell you? Or are you perhaps implying your teachers have been substandard?”

“Never!” Liu Jin immediately replies. “Master, I’d never be so disrespectful!”

“If respectfulness is your intent, you’ll have no problem doing what I tell you.”

Liu Jin’s frown deepens, but he does as ordered.

“Master’s skin has a healthier color than usual.” Which isn’t to say his master looks well. His skin is still pale, just less so than during previous days. “Master is also moving with greater ease today. This disciple has yet to see a single faltering movement from Master even though we have been walking for an hour.”

Of course, that might just as easily be his master stubbornly hiding his weakness, but if he is good enough to do that, that too can be considered a sign of health.

“And my breathing and heartbeat?

“Within normal parameters.”

Which, considering how much they have walked, is yet another sign of his Master’s health. That isn’t to say he’s on his way to recovery or anything like that. Such a thought is too naive.

It merely means today is a good day.

All sick people have them until they don’t.

“And going by your findings, what would you say is your diagnosis, disciple?”

Liu Jin looks away and grumbles something.

“What was that?”

“I said that Master’s condition is good enough to go for a walk,” Liu Jin says, resigned.

“If you knew that from the start, then why bother being so difficult?” Old Jiang reprimands him. “You are a doctor. Do not doubt your diagnosis out of petty sentimentality. Emotions have their time and place. Your concern for my person, however touching, is simply a hindrance to the both of us right now.”

As expected, his master is harsh.

Not wrong, though.

“Even so,” Liu Jin says, crossing his arms, his face showing no small amount of petulance. “Master, I still don’t think it is necessary for us to go to Poison Fang Canyon.”

Old Jiang had surprised Liu Jin by waking him up early in the morning and announcing they were to go to Poison Fang Canyon. Liu Jin had, of course, raised several objections to this, all of them related to his master’s health, but Old Jiang easily brushed them aside.

Whether it is the art of words, medicine, or cultivation, Old Jiang is Liu Jin’s superior by far.

“You do not think, because there are still many things you do not know. All understanding begins from ignorance.”

Poison Fang Canyon and its poisonous mists are already in sight, yet Liu Jin and Old Jiang show no fear. For them, the canyon has no mysteries.

“You are the disciple, and I, your master. It is up to me to make you less ignorant so that you may gain understanding, daunting though the task may be.”

Without a doubt, Master’s tongue is as sharp as ever. That part of him is not sick in the slightest.

It is the rest of him that Liu Jin worries about.

It is true that his master is healthy enough to go to Poison Fang Canyon. Old Jiang is, after all, a cultivator in the Emperor Realm. Now that Nine-Headed Snake God is gone, nothing there represents a threat to him.

However, that is all there is.

Liu Jin doesn’t miss that it takes them twice as long as usual to reach the canyon.

He also doesn’t miss the slight quiver that runs through his master’s body once they enter the poisonous mists. Managing the poison, a task that should have been as easy as breathing for his master, almost interfered with his sense of balance.

“Are we collecting ingredients, Master?”

Liu Jin doesn’t think they are. Back home, he had been about to get the basket when Old Jiang told him to leave it behind. They wouldn’t need it this time.

“Nothing of the sort,” Old Jiang says as they walk deeper into the canyon. He does not use his Qi to scare away the creatures living in the area as he has done in the past. That tells Liu Jin that his master probably plans to make him fight something.

Either that or he’s too weakened to flare his Qi, but that possibility is not one Liu Jin wants to consider right now.

“For now, you are merely to defend me as we walk.”

It does not take long for Liu Jin to find himself doing just that. A Red-Scaled Centipede is the first of the canyon’s inhabitants to attack. It is not the first time Liu Jin has to fight one, and now, he is faster and stronger than the last time he did so.

The knife Meng Yue gave him flashes as he takes it out of his sheath. The Red-Scaled Centipede falls in pieces a breath later.

That is the first of the attacks, but it is not the last.

A Five-Legged Toad.

A group of Poisonous Flame Salamanders.

A Gold-Tipped Scorpion.

One after another, they come. One after another, Liu Jin kills them. Meng Yue’s knife slashes through flesh and organs time after time. Liu Jin attacks with viciousness that is uncharacteristic of him, but he simply cannot leave anything to chance while guarding his master.

All creatures that get close to them must die.

Still...

“Master, are you doing something to attract them?” Liu Jin asks as he beheads some sort of giant praying mantis. The exact name of the Spirit Beast escapes him.

Liu Jin’s question is not without merit. While it is not unusual to be attacked by Spirit Beasts while inside the canyon, Liu Jin can scarcely recall a time when they have been quite this persistent. Additionally, instead of heading towards the center of the canyon, his master is making them walk in circles.

It is as if the constant attacks are the purpose of this outing rather than an inconvenience.

“I have no need to. Predators know vulnerable prey when they see it. Of course, they greatly overestimate their ability and vastly underestimate mine. I could say that it is only to be expected of mindless beasts, but you’d be surprised by how many so-called wise men have died for similar reasons. Nevertheless, this serves our purposes.”

As soon as Old Jiang says that, a new creature steps out of the darkness.

It stands on four legs and is covered by light, purplish fur with dark stripes running through its body. It bears its long fangs at them, growling and snarling.

A Five Poison Tiger.

“This one will do. Kill it, but leave the body as intact as possible.”

In other words, Liu Jin cannot use the blade.

Very well.

Liu Jin dashes in, not giving the Spirit Beast a chance to attack his master. The Spirit Beast takes a swipe at him, long claws whistling through the air with enough force to fell trees.

The first needle goes in, right beneath the beast’s shoulder.

It stumbles, suddenly unable to use one of its legs, but it quickly builds back its momentum, turning to attack. Its sharp, long canines seek to tear Liu Jin’s flesh asunder.

The second needle goes in.

A roar. Another stumble.

The third needle goes in.

A weak swipe. A feeble attack.

The fourth needle goes in.

The fifth needle goes in.

Liu Jin allows himself to take a deep breath as the beast goes down for good. He hadn’t been sure if that was going to work.

“Not bad.” Old Jiang’s Qi flares up for the first time since they enter the canyon, ensuring they will not be attacked again. He then tosses a jar at Liu Jin. “Drain its blood and harvest its core. Be warned, the Five Poison Tiger has acidic blood. Do not allow it to make contact with your skin.”

Liu Jin stares at the jar Old Jiang has just tossed at him. There are a number of talismans wrapped on it. His eyes immediately identify their uses. Reinforcement. Preservation. Space. His master certainly came prepared.

The same cannot be said of Liu Jin, who lacks any of the proper tools required to drain the Spirit Beast’s body, yet is expected to perform the task without getting any blood on his body.

Liu Jin sighs.

“As you wish, Master.”

Liu Jin kneels down next to the dead beast and starts his job. Even without the right tools, the steps and motions have been long since drilled into his body.

“Master?”

“What is it?”

“I talked with my father about his past the other day.”

It is not something he planned on asking his master about today, yet if not now, then when? They are the only people in Poison Fang Canyon right now. All the beasts have been scared away by his master’s Qi, meaning there will be no interruptions. Liu Jin doubts he’ll ever have a better chance to talk with his master about this subject.

“There is little need for you to tell me that. Even if I hadn’t realized your father’s intentions right away, your behavior speaks for itself. You two have been even more solemn than usual lately, a feat I did not believe possible.”

Liu Jin flinches at his master’s words. Still, his hands do not make a single mistake as he cuts the beast’s flesh.

It is not that the words Liu Jin said to his father the other night were a lie. However, it may be true that, perhaps, there has been some awkwardness between father and son since Liu Jianguo revealed the truth to Liu Jin. It is only natural. In one night, Liu Jin learned a number of unimaginable things, and Liu Jianguo exposed his darkest secrets to his son.

In fact, that things are only awkward between them says a lot about the strength of their bond as father and son.

“I learned about things from my father’s perspective, but…”

“But you wish to hear my perspective,” Old Jiang finishes for him.

Liu Jin nods.

“What are you hoping to hear me say, disciple? That your father lied? That he wasn’t as terrible as he said he was?”

“No, nothing of the sort.” Liu Jin shakes his head. “I just want to better understand the sort of person my honored father was. That is all.”

“He was an idiot,” his master says bluntly and without a shred of doubt. “He still is, but back then, he was an even bigger idiot. After he lost everything to his brother, he followed me around for years, begging me to make him my disciple. It was like watching a lamb offering itself to a tiger.”

Even though Old Jiang’s words are harsh, there is no denying the smile on his face.

“He was not completely without talent, which made him better than most of the fools who sought my knowledge. However, he was no good. Rage can be a powerful thing if properly harnessed. Properly tamed, anger becomes passion, but such a thing was impossible for your father.”

“Yet, Master took him as his disciple.”

“I allowed petty sentimentality to interfere with my diagnosis,” Old Jiang admits, stroking his long beard. “I made him swear not to use the arts I taught him for anything other than their intended purpose as a precaution. I told him I would kill him with my own hands if he did.”

Yet he hadn’t.

“I was busy attending other matters while your father tore the Storm Dragon Empire apart. By the time I hunted him down, the disciple I had come to punish was long dead.” Old Jiang frowns. “No, perhaps that was just an excuse I used to avoid having to kill him. Back then, I was angrier at what he had done to himself rather than at what he had done to his country. How laughable.”

“It is done,” Liu Jin says. The blood is in the jar, and the core of the tiger is now in his hands.

“Good. Now burn the body using this.”

Old Jiang gives him another talisman. With it, the corpse catches fire and turns into ashes in a matter of seconds.

“You have performed well enough. I guess we can consider this a success.”

“I still cannot say I understand the point of the exercise, Master.”

Old Jiang sighs.

“I have three months.”

For Liu Jin, it is as if the entire world has gone silent. It is as if his master’s words have left behind a void through which no sound can travel.

“Two at worst. Three at best. No more than that,” his master continues. “When the day comes, I will call you. You will take me here, just as we have done today, and you will do as you have just done. You will drain my blood, harvest my core, and burn my body and organs.”

“T-That’s…”

Preposterous.

Unthinkable.

Vile!

Even though Old Jiang calls it a core, it is not as if he is speaking about a Spirit Beast’s core. Though sometimes called the same, the “core” of a cultivator is fundamentally different. Spirit Beasts are creatures born with a core that allows them to cultivate. Humans have no such thing in their bodies. Instead, humans move Qi through their dantian and meridians to refine their bodies. As one grows in cultivation, they become able to, through internal alchemy, create a special elixir inside their dantian.

This elixir, often called elixir of immortality, is what extends the life of a cultivator. As a cultivator keeps growing, he becomes able to further refine this elixir, which increases his lifespan even more.

That is a human’s core.

To take it. To harvest it.

There is no higher taboo. No greater disrespect.

“How can you ask me to do something like that?” Liu Jin asks, horrified.

“I expect you to do it because of what will happen if you fail,” Old Jiang tells him. “You already know why I am dying. Right now, it is my skill that keeps the poison inside of me at bay. What do you think will happen once I lack the ability to do so?”

Liu Jin’s mind goes back to the first time he met Old Jiang, his body burning in the middle of nowhere. Back then, he had no idea how much of a danger it represented, but if that fire had gone out of control...

Poison strong enough to kill someone in the Emperor Realm…

If such a power were allowed to run wild, then the city… No, it wouldn’t be just the city. Even if Old Jiang left and travelled hundreds of miles away, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Make no mistake, the worst of the poison will vanish when my soul does,” Old Jiang continues. “However, what is left will still be enough to cause untold damage. That is why you must do this. As your master, it ashames me that I must ask this of you, yet no one other than you can do this.”

No one else could?

Liu Jin wants to deny it. He opens his mouth, his brain scrambling to think of someone who could do this other than him! Anyone at all!

There is no one.

There is also no point wondering if his master is telling the truth or not. There is no way he would ever lie about something like this.

That means... that means...

“As your disciple… As your disciple… this Liu Jin will fulfill your will, Master.”

~~~