Chapter Fifty: Huang Sheng Is in Trouble

Lin Nan's defeat was exceedingly strange; Hu Mo could naturally see this, but it was not yet the time to expose it, so he remained composed. According to his agreement with Huang Sheng, today he had to help treat his illness. If the ailment dragged on any longer, he would feel guilty toward Huang Sheng.

Today was the day for Huang Sheng to take his medicine again. As they had discussed previously, Huang Sheng was to bring the medicine for examination, so they could determine what poison he had been afflicted with and prescribe accordingly.

Hu Yi Hu was still away at the border and had not returned, which was actually fortunate for Huang Sheng. Though Hu Yi Hu's attitude toward him had changed somewhat, the psychological shadow remained too strong; Huang Sheng would avoid him whenever possible.

Hu Mo returned to his small courtyard and watched the craftsmen busy repairing the house. He felt a pang of guilt—last night, the fire of chaos had been too fierce, burning away half a wall. Fortunately, he had contained it quickly; had it continued, the entire house would have been lost.

Of course, he dared not tell Uncle Fu the whole truth, only saying he had accidentally destroyed his bed and wall while practicing at night. Uncle Fu did not press for details, but simply cautioned him to be careful and had the craftsmen begin repairs. Hu Mo sighed quietly to himself; if he didn’t make something of himself, he would truly let down those who silently supported him.

Near noon, Huang Sheng had still not arrived. Huang Sheng had mentioned that he usually took his medicine in the morning and then spent time with his wife. But this time, for the sake of treatment, he would not take the medicine, only bring the decoction directly.

This was also to avoid alerting anyone; Huang Sheng did not ask for the prescription outright, and Hu Mo understood this, so he was waiting for him to take the medicine again.

The herbs for treating the body odor were already prepared; once he obtained the decoction, the treatment would be even more effective.

“What’s going on? Could that fellow not resist and is doing that again? Damn it, I’m waiting here till I’m about to burst, and he still… No, he’s not someone so careless. Could something have happened?” Hu Mo muttered to himself, unconsciously stepping out of the courtyard. Before he reached the gate, he encountered a hurried servant—judging by his attire, obviously a servant from the Huang residence.

“Hu… Young Master Hu, it’s… it’s terrible…” The servant, upon seeing Hu Mo, rushed to him as if seeing a family member, sobbing loudly at his feet.

“What happened? Get up and speak!” Hu Mo urged, a deep sense of foreboding rising in his heart. The servant looked very familiar—he was Zhang Mazi, who attended to Huang Sheng every day. For Zhang Mazi to come at this time, it was clear something had happened to Huang Sheng.

“Young Master Hu, please come quickly to see the young master one last time, he… he’s barely hanging on!” Zhang Mazi stammered, tears streaming down his face.

Despite Huang Sheng’s persistent illness and foul odor, he was always caring toward his servants. Zhang Mazi’s nose had been injured, so he couldn’t smell, which made him especially favored by Huang Sheng, who took extra care of him.

Zhang Mazi was not an ungrateful person; with Huang Sheng suddenly critically ill, he was more anxious than anyone. Hearing Huang Sheng wanted to see Hu Mo, he dared not waste a moment.

Hu Mo’s face changed dramatically, and he rushed into his room, grabbed a silk handkerchief, wrapped up several boxes, and dashed out.

Zhang Mazi felt a gust of wind sweep past him; before he could blink, Hu Mo’s figure had vanished from sight.

Uncle Fu, not far away, was stunned for several seconds before hurriedly dispatching two teams to follow. From Hu Mo’s actions, it was clear something serious had occurred.

Leaving the Hu residence, Hu Mo did not use his Swift Step technique but instead leaped onto a horse and galloped at full speed.

“Huang Sheng, you must not die! I’m coming to save you!” Hu Mo gripped the reins so tightly his palms were sweaty, his expression grim.

Time was life—he had to save Huang Sheng. Once again, he played the role of a reckless rascal, racing madly down the road.

Vendors and pedestrians screamed and dodged, cursing him without mercy, but he dared not slow down. His brother’s life hung by a thread; reputation meant nothing now!

Thankfully, there were few obstacles along the way. Hu Mo reached the gates of the Huang residence at breakneck speed.

What puzzled him was that the gates were wide open, with not a single guard in sight.

He didn’t hesitate, rushing inside. Before he reached Huang Sheng’s room, his stomach churned at the sight of scattered servants—some bent over vomiting, others fleeing with their noses covered.

The stench had reached the limits of human endurance, hundreds of times stronger than Huang Sheng’s usual odor.

“Has the poison fully erupted?” Hu Mo’s heart sank, and he hurried toward the source. The stench was so overwhelming, he had to shut off his sense of smell.

When Hu Mo entered the empty room, his anger flared. There was no doctor—aside from Huang Sheng lying on the bed, not another soul.

Hu Mo rushed over, and with just a glance, his heart clenched. In less than a day, Huang Sheng had changed dramatically.

His face was pale, his body emaciated as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Originally, Huang Sheng was the fattest among the four, but now he was so thin he was barely recognizable, which pained Hu Mo deeply.

“Thank goodness, he’s still breathing.” Hu Mo sighed softly, placing one hand over Huang Sheng’s pulse and swiftly opening the bundle he had brought.

Huang Sheng had fainted, his breath barely detectable—this was Hu Mo’s only comfort.

Feeling Huang Sheng’s faint pulse, Hu Mo frowned and immediately opened a wooden box, taking out a golden ginseng root.

He gripped the ginseng, holding it to Huang Sheng’s lips. With a gentle touch, Huang Sheng’s mouth opened automatically, and Hu Mo applied force, causing drops of golden liquid to trickle into Huang Sheng’s mouth.

If it were any other time, seeing someone do this, he’d want to rush over and beat them up. The Nine Dragons Golden Ginseng was a top-tier alchemical ingredient, now being used as a mere drink—utterly outrageous!

In his previous life, Hu Mo had encountered similar treasures—ginseng or lingzhi over ten million years old. Such herbs could revive the dead and regrow flesh; their value was beyond measure.

Huang Sheng’s life force was fading rapidly, so the most important thing now was to replenish it. The Nine Dragons Golden Ginseng contained an abundance of life energy; just a few drops restored his depleted vitality. Though it continued to diminish, the loss was now slower than its replenishment.

Huang Sheng’s complexion eased, and he slowly opened his eyes, immediately meeting Hu Mo’s intense gaze. At this moment, Huang Sheng’s tears flowed instantly.

He grabbed Hu Mo’s hand, clinging to it like a lifeline. He tried to speak but could not utter a sound, as if a giant hand gripped his throat; the agony was fully reflected in his expression.

“The poison has affected his speech nerves. I have no time to think.” Hu Mo gritted his teeth, feeling the desperate strength in Huang Sheng’s grip, his heart bitter. Huang Sheng didn’t want to die—he was fighting wildly for survival.

Hu Mo’s eyes were red, but he could not cry. In this situation, sorrow was equivalent to giving up. He was alone here—his only reliance was himself.

Hu Mo was furious; in such a moment, Huang Sheng’s father was nowhere to be seen. Even if he didn’t come, he could at least send a doctor. Now, with no one present, it was clear his father had abandoned him completely.

“Huang Sheng, don’t be afraid—even if everyone else gives up on you, I, Hu Mo, will never leave you!” Hu Mo shouted, opening a small cloth bundle from his bag.

Rows of silver needles gleamed brightly from the bundle. Huang Sheng moaned softly and slowly released his grip. His terror faded; hearing Hu Mo’s words, even if he couldn’t be cured, Huang Sheng was already content, without complaint.

Hu Mo, however, was far from calm. His heart was tense—though confident in his medical skills, gambling his brother's life was a burden he could hardly bear.

Huang Sheng could not be treated for body odor now—the chronic poison had invaded his organs, even beginning to erode his brain. In such a state, every move Hu Mo made could have unpredictable consequences.

He straightened Huang Sheng’s body against the wall. Both hands worked simultaneously, quickly inserting over twenty needles into him.

The technique Hu Mo used was one he had learned in his previous life at the Star Sea, originating from the orthodox school of Free Wanderers. The needles, named Life and Death, were extremely potent—either restoring life or taking it.

If Huang Sheng weren’t already on the brink of death, Hu Mo would never dare use this method.

If experts saw Hu Mo’s technique, their jaws would drop. The twenty or so needles were all placed in the body’s death points, and from Hu Mo’s approach, it seemed he intended to stimulate every single death point on Huang Sheng.

Indeed, Hu Mo’s hands moved like magic; thirty-six large needles entered Huang Sheng’s thirty-six death points at lightning speed. At the same time, his hands rose, the fiery aura of the Divine Wood King Cauldron receded, replaced by a gentle, enduring force of wood, continuously channeled through the needles into Huang Sheng.

Huang Sheng’s complexion shifted erratically, at times moaning in comfort, at times groaning in pain. Gradually, his breathing stabilized, becoming much gentler. Hu Mo was delighted and prepared for the next step, when suddenly a cold snort sounded at the door: “Even dead, he stinks so damn much! Someone hurry up and drag that brat’s corpse out to be burned!”