Chapter 157: Jiang He, Curing Poison
Chapter 157: Jiang He, Curing Poison
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Jiang He felt much better after beating up those two.
Arriving at the front desk of the hotel, he took out his ID and handed it to the clerk, only for her to lower her voice and asked mysteriously, “Sir, our establishment has introduced a new room-sharing service, available if you’re willing to pay for half of the other’ room cost. Would you care to try?”
As she spoke, she whipped out an album, with each page being adorned with the photos of sensual, beautiful ladies and labeled with some data beneath.
“Tang Yun, 23, 173cm tall, weight... Three sizes1?”
Jiang He asked, taken aback. “What does that price back here represent?”
The front-desk clerk flashed him a ‘well, you-know’ look and smiled. “They are all partners available for the room-sharing service, and the price is the halved room cost you have to pay. If you’re interested, sir, you may pick one.”
“...”
Jiang He gaped.
Hotels these days were quite the amusement.
Nonetheless, he shook his head and said, “No need. I’ve already booked a room—please help me take care of the arrangements.”
Then, just as he was taking care of proceedings, there was a sudden uproar as a group of youths and ladies strode outside the hotel. Jiang He could even vaguely hear someone curse, “Damn it, which blind fool actually dare to beat up Young Master Wang?”
Jiang He slid a glance over there.
Yup.
Most of the people there looked familiar. Could they all be his university classmates?
Still, familiarity was all he felt since he did not remember most of their names. In fact, if that “Young Master Wang” person’s girlfriend had not called his name, he would never have remembered what the last name of the person he beat up was.
Moreover, he was not concerned at all.
He reached his room, washed up and took out one of his lunchboxes from his System Backpack.
There were two layers: the bottom was rice, and the dish above was stir-fried Mutated Black Wood Ear over beef.
A fragrant aroma spread over the room once he opened his lunchbox.
It was the reason why Jiang He would rather bring his own food than eat outside food... were the dishes outside as aromatic as the food from his own home? Others notwithstanding, were the Mutated Black Wood Ear that strengthened him physically even now available anywhere else?
Jiang He estimated that if he sold the Mutated Black Wood Ear, it would not be a problem for a dish like this could fetch for a very hefty sum.
After he was done eating, he carelessly threw away the lunchbox and whipped out his phone to send Mu Wanqiu a message, and she called back soon enough.
“Jiang He, have you already arrived at Jiangnan?”
“Shall I reach out to the contact from Sichuan’s Lin clan and tell him to meet you?”
“No need. I happened to want to take a stroll. Just give me his contact and I’ll find him.”
Jiang He did not put on airs.
He prepared his first-aid kit, brought out another portion of stir-fried eggplant over leopard python meat and shredded cucumber coleslaw. Then, when he picked up his phone for a look, he saw that Mu Wanqiu had already sent him the information of the Lin clan’s contact.
“Lin Tianzheng?”
“The eldest son of Elder Lin in Sichuan’s Lin clan. Rank-eight intermediate and adept at swordplay... and the chief of Sichuan’s Martial Arts Department (MAD)?”
Aside from the simple information, there was also a mobile number and a photo attached behind, showing a solemn, square-faced middle-aged man.
Then, Jiang He checked on the mobile number...
It was very familiar.
In fact, it definitely was that person who had hung up on him halfway through their business conversation the other night.
Jiang He dialed the number, and before he could speak when the call connected, Lin Tianzheng said, “Greetings. You must be Mister Jiang, I presume? Miss Mu has already reached out to me, and both my father and I are here at the Caesar Hotel. Where are you, Mister Jiang? I could go to you.”
“The Caesar Hotel?”
Jiang He smiled. “I’m there by coincidence too. What’s your room number? I could have a look at the patient too.”
After all, Elder Lin had accomplished great deeds for the country during wartime, and returned to his quiet life at Old Tai’an when the fighting ended. But despite being almost a hundred years old, he stood up for the people again to fight Ferals.
Such a person was worthy of respect, and going to him personally did not matter much.
Lin Tianzheng then gave him the room number.
“7105?”
Pocketing his room key card, he locked the door and went to the elevator, riding it up to the seventh floor.
Just as the elevator doors opened, the doors of the adjacent elevator opened as well.
Whoosh!
Over a dozen youths stepped out of the elevator. The one in the lead had inch-long hair and was wearing a martial arts uniform—his qi was not too weak, and was almost at rank-three.
He headed straight to Jiang He’s room. Then he dragged a room attendant who happened to be behind him by the collar and barked, “Open this door!”
The attendant stuttered, “Sir, after a guest checks-in, we can’t just...”
Slap!
The attendant was given a palm to the face before he finished as the young martial artist sneered. “Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who Young Master Wang is? His father is a class-B fire-type Awakened and the chief of Jiangnan’s MAD intelligence wing. Are you going to taking responsibility after Young Master Wang was beaten up like that?”
Wang Shaoyu1, who was standing amongst the crowd with his swollen pig face, walked up and seized the room key card from the attendant’s hand and opened Jiang He’s room, breaking inside.
Furious to find Jiang He gone, he stomped his foot and plonked himself down on the couch, smirking, “To think that I, Wang Shaoyu would get beaten up by my own classmate in a reunion I host!”
The young martial artist walked up to him then and said, “Young Master Wang, that Jiang He must have liquid courage and was suicidal. He was always quiet back in university and would never dare to speak loudly, not to mention he was so poor he had to work part-time jobs. He’s just trash!”
“That’s right! We’ll wait here until Jiang He returns!”
Their escorting group began to agree noisily, all of them feeling appearing indignant at the injustice!
Even if some of them were secretly delighted at Wang Shaoyu’s miserable face, they would never show it—times had changed now, and since Wang Shaoyu’s father had both strength and authority, everyone wants to fawn on him.
Soon.
A middle-aged man who carried a searing aura entered the room, barking, “What are you people doing here?”
Wang Shaoyu’s body shuddered, but he quickly went up to the man, saying, “Why are you here, dad?”
The middle-aged man was indeed Wang Gang, Wang Shaoyu’s father and a B-class pinnacle fire-type Awakened, and chief of Jiangnan’s MAD intelligence wing.
His gaze lingered over Wang Shaoyu’s face for heartbeats, a hurt look flashing over his eyes.
Having only gotten a son when he was advanced in years, how could he not feel pain with what’s left of his face now?
“I came here to visit Elder Lin, the head of Sichuan’s Lin clan when I heard from the manager that someone assaulted you... what actually happened?” Being a fire-type Awakened, Wang Gang naturally had quite a temper.
Hence, he took a seat on the sofa and growled, “I would really like to see who has the guts to beat up my son!”
Even if he knew that he held an important role at the MAD and that he had to follow the rules, he could hardly quell his rage when his son was beaten to that state.
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He had arrived outside room 7105.
Lin Tianzheng was wearing a modern Chinese tunic suit and all smiles. He greeted Jiang He, saying, “Good day, Mister Jiang. I’m Lin Tianzheng, and I’ve heard all about your feats from Miss Mu. You are truly the portrait of a young hero.”
In reality, Lin Tianzheng first reaction towards Jiang He’s accomplishment was doubt.
As a rank-five, he turned the tables against a rank-sevens, and against rank-eights at rank-six, slaying the Third Elder and the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult alone. In turn, he wrecked every plan the Sky Demon Cult had towards Lingzhou city, inflicting severe casualties upon them...
Of course, anyone normal would doubt such accomplishments.
Even so, as Sichuan’s MAD chief, Lin Tianzheng had a certain level of clearance. As such, after reaching out and confirming those accomplishments, he felt shock, and even greater delight!
A genius martial artist must have gained some great providence, and he just might have treasures that could cure the Six-eyed Desert Spider’s poison and promote longevity.
Beside Lin Tianzheng was another middle-aged man, and Lin Tianzheng introduced him, “Mister Jiang, this is Qin Fan, chief of Jiangnan city base’s MAD.”
Qin Fan appeared younger than Lin Tianzheng.
The impression he gave was that his qi was not exactly weak, and his martial arts cultivation was an average rank-six. Even so, he carried an intense sword will, and even if he kept it under wraps, it did not fool Jiang He’s senses.
Jiang He and Qin Fan shook hands and shared a few polite greetings before Jiang He smiled, “Could you be a Royal Swordsman, Chief Qin?”
Qin Fan’s expression twitched slightly. “You are just as your reputation suggests, good eye.”
In fact, Qin Fan was very shocked.
He had not released his ability and anyone with lower spirit would never have noticed. And was it not mentioned that Jiang He was merely rank-seven?
Oh?
An idea struck Qin Fan then.
He realized that he could not see through Jiang He, but once he remembered Jiang He’s feats, Qin Fan become relieved... the kid must possess some secret technique that covered his spirit presence and aura.
“Oh, by the way, Chief Lin, we’ve spoken before.” Jiang He said then.
“Hmm?”
Lin Tianzheng appeared perplexed, so Jiang He added, “I once uploaded a post on the Warrior Home forum...”
At that, Lin Tianzheng’s eyes widened and he exclaimed in surprise, “Eggplant? Cucumber?”
“That’s right.”
Jiang He laughed out loud, whereas Qin Fan was completely baffled.
Eggplant?
Cucumber?
What was that supposed to mean?
Jiang He did not bother to explain, however, and smiled, “Alright, let’s have a look at Elder Lin’s condition.”
Once he entered Elder Lin’s room, a vile stench struck the nose.
Jiang He walked to the bed to find a withered elderly man laying on the bed with a pitch-black hue on his face. Even if a strong power was suppressing the toxins within his body, the venom was still spreading all over his body, and some parts of him were already bleeding black pus.
Lin Tianzheng quickly said, “Mister Jiang, you’ve seen my father’s condition. I wonder what antidote you have, and could it cure the poison of the Six-eyed Desert Spider?”
Jiang He shook his head, but said, “I am not a hundred percent certain, but we shall try.”
“Alright!”
Lin Tianzheng was gritting his teeth. “I would give you the Orirocks I promised no matter what happens... by the way, where are your treasures, Mister Jiang?”
Although Lin Tianzheng could see that Jiang He was holding the first aid kit and the plastic bag that carried two lunchboxes, he did not believe that the treasure that could break the Six-eyed Desert Spider’s venom was inside.
The treasures would either be Floral Spirits or some exotic wonder, and most certainly would be placed inside a unique treasure box.
And yet...
Jiang He put down the lunchboxes beside the bed, and then opened the first-aid kit.
There were two tiers in the first-aid kit. The upper tier had fewer spaces, and Jiang He kept over dozens of the Amoxicillin capsules he planted there.
He did not pack them, which was why they were quite scatted.
On the other hand, the bottom tier was the Bezoar Detox Pills, which were likewise unpacked and scattered. There were up to thirty of them, each of them thumb-sized.
Taking out three of those pills and handing it to Lin Tianzheng, Jiang He said, “Bezoar Detox Pills. Clears body heat and detoxes—try feeding Elder Lin for now.”
Then, remembering the usage of the ‘Bezoar Detox Pills’, he instructed, “Remember to wash it down with warm water, and take it three times per day, keeping a four hour-gap between each consumption and take one pill on each occasion.
Lin Tianzheng: “...”