Chapter 17 Trust and Choice

"Brother Ye, how is my father's injury?" Tang Yu asked nervously.

Tang Yu was a half-baked practitioner and had little confidence in his own diagnosis. Ye Yuan's skill in the Way of Alchemy far surpassed his, so he placed all his hopes on Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan frowned, making Tang Yu's heart sink.

"The Giant Wind Rhinoceros is incredibly strong and fast. It's already fortunate that your uncle escaped with his life. His injuries are severe—his lungs are shattered, and his heart meridian is on the verge of collapse. He is in critical condition at any moment." Ye Yuan's expression was also grave.

As Ye Yuan spoke, Tang Yu's mood gradually sank to the bottom. Tang Zonghuai, however, had a calmness that came from seeing through life and death. He knew how serious his injuries were, which was why he had been so resolute earlier. Hearing Ye Yuan's diagnosis only confirmed his suspicions.

"Brother Ye, could it be..." Tang Yu dared not finish his sentence. Just those few words conveyed his despair to Ye Yuan.

But Ye Yuan did not answer Tang Yu's question. Instead, he frowned deeply, as if lost in thought.

An eerie silence fell over the room. Unable to bear the torment, Tang Yu mustered his courage and said, "Brother Ye, I know this is presumptuous, but could I ask... your father to step in?"

Ye Yuan looked up at Tang Yu, his face calm, but he still did not speak.

Tang Yu felt uncomfortable under Ye Yuan's gaze and said awkwardly, "Sorry, Brother Ye, I didn't mean to look down on you, it's just..."

"I know what you mean. Believe it or not, it would be useless even if my father came. Not just my father, but even Wan Donghai or Wu Daofeng wouldn't be able to help." Ye Yuan said firmly.

Wu Daofeng, whom Ye Yuan mentioned, was the president of the Qin Kingdom Alchemist Association. In the entire Qin Kingdom, the highest level in the Way of Alchemy was not Wan Donghai, nor Ye Hang, nor the royal uncle, but President Wu. When Ye Yuan said even he couldn't help, it was essentially a death sentence for Tang Zonghuai.

But to Tang Yu, these words sounded like excuses. Ye Yuan had indeed shown some skill, but did he think that made him surpass the foremost alchemist in Qin Kingdom?

Ye Yuan's evasiveness finally stirred a hint of resentment in Tang Yu. If it were anything else, he wouldn't mind, but now Ye Yuan was pronouncing his father's death sentence to his face. How could he not have misgivings? Who was Ye Yuan? Just a wastrel!

"Brother Ye, you..."

"Yu'er, let Young Master Ye... finish speaking." Tang Yu was cut off mid-sentence by Tang Zonghuai.

Tang Yu was taken aback, but Ye Yuan nodded and said, "I said they can't help, but that doesn't mean your uncle's injuries are completely hopeless."

Overjoyed, Tang Yu forgot to blame Ye Yuan for his long-windedness and asked, "What hope does Brother Ye speak of?"

"The hope I speak of lies with you, Brother Tang."

"Me?" Tang Yu was utterly confused. In truth, Ye Yuan didn't know how to broach the subject, which was why he had taken such a roundabout way.

Ye Yuan nodded and said, "Brother Tang knows that my reputation hasn't been good in the past. Do you trust me?"

Tang Yu was beginning to catch on. He was a clever person; if he couldn't read between the lines, he would be a fool.

"Brother Ye, do you mean... the Six-Leaf Grass?" Tang Yu hesitated.

"Correct." Ye Yuan did not deny it and admitted directly.

In fact, the classification of pills in the lower realm differs from that in the Divine Realm. Although first-grade pills in the Divine Realm are also divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, what the Qin Kingdom calls upper-grade pills are merely lower-grade pills in the Divine Realm. The variety and quality of pill formulas in the Divine Realm are beyond comparison with a mortal kingdom in the lower realm.

Under normal circumstances, Ye Yuan's strength was far from sufficient to refine a first-grade upper-grade pill; his yuan power could not support such a refinement. The reason he could do it was that he had once been a Pill Emperor, and his allocation of yuan power during alchemy was so meticulously precise that he could refine pills beyond his level with his meager yuan power.

And these so-called first-grade upper-grade pills were, in Ye Yuan's eyes, nothing more than inferior lower-grade pills.

But to treat Tang Zonghuai's injuries, first-grade upper-grade pills were insufficient. He would need a first-grade middle-grade pill from the Divine Realm. However, Ye Yuan's current strength was too weak to refine such a pill.

So, he was giving Tang Yu a choice. If Tang Yu chose not to trust him, then their connection would end there, and he could do nothing for Tang Zonghuai's injuries.

"This... how can this be? What if... what if..." Tang Yu was in a state of turmoil.

Subconsciously, Tang Yu felt that Ye Yuan was trustworthy. But faced with such a harsh reality, he didn't know how to decide. His concern was that if Ye Yuan really couldn't save his father, the Great Return Pill would be his last hope.

"Brother Ye, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just... it's just..." Tang Yu didn't know how to phrase it.

"Yu'er, give it to him." Just then, the silent Tang Zonghuai spoke weakly.

Tang Yu turned and exchanged a glance with his father, reading many things in his eyes. Finally, gritting his teeth, he handed the box containing the Six-Leaf Grass to Ye Yuan and said, "Brother Ye, I'm counting on you."

Ye Yuan did not refuse and calmly took the box. He said, "Give me one day. I will return at this time tomorrow. However, your uncle's condition is very unstable now. Without treatment, he won't last until tomorrow. I'll first perform a set of acupuncture to stabilize his injuries and prevent further deterioration."

Tang Yu bowed to Ye Yuan and said, "I trouble Brother Ye."

Ye Yuan naturally hadn't brought any golden needles with him, so he returned to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to fetch them.

After Ye Yuan left, Tang Yu said uneasily to his father, "Father, I know Brother Ye has real talent, but his past reputation is too poor. I feel like this is a gamble."

After a violent fit of coughing, Tang Zonghuai smiled bitterly and said, "Do you think I don't know the severity of my own injuries? Young Master Ye... is right. Even if... Wu Daofeng came... it would be useless. Even if... it's a gamble, we... have nothing left... to lose."

"Father, is it really that serious?" Tang Yu hadn't expected his father's injuries to have deteriorated to such an extent.

Tang Zonghuai just shook his head and said, "This young man... is no ordinary person. Yu'er... no matter... the outcome, you should... get closer to him... in the future."

Tang Yu hadn't expected his father to think so highly of Ye Yuan. But his prejudice against Ye Yuan had already been cast aside from the moment he entered this room. He nodded and replied, "Father, rest assured. I am not an ungrateful person. As long as Brother Ye does his utmost to treat you, I will dedicate my life to him."