Great Scholar Summons

"Young Master, Young Master, I've bought everything back..." About half an hour later, Xiao Huan came running back clutching a paper bag, a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead.

The little maid panted heavily as she reached Chen Luo, pulling things out of the bag while speaking: "These are the goose feather tubes plucked from Aunt Wang's geese, treated according to your instructions—removed the fluff and scalded with boiling water."

"This is the pig bladder I got from Old Uncle Liu. I washed it myself, scrubbed it inside and out several times. And this is the goose intestine, also cleaned, all soaked in the strongest liquor as you ordered..."

"And this..." Xiao Huan finally pulled out a large jar of clear water. "The finest green salt, mixed as you said—one part salt to a hundred parts water, using boiled water that's already cooled down."

"Good work!" Looking at the exhausted Xiao Huan, Chen Luo nodded.

Xiao Huan's pretty face flushed slightly, tinged with a hint of pride: "It's no trouble. As long as the Young Master makes that stinky monk eat dirt, I'd run three more trips willingly." With that, she turned her head and gave the monk a loud "Hmph!"

The monk didn't bother with Xiao Huan. Instead, he looked at the pile of items beside Chen Luo and asked, "Benefactor, do you intend to use these mundane things to save someone?"

Chen Luo replied flatly, "Just watch and see." He then poured the saline solution into the pig bladder, connecting the goose feather tube, goose intestine, and pig bladder together, thus crafting a simple infusion device.

Earlier, Chen Luo had carefully examined the ragged youth. The boy was physically strong, so Chen Luo estimated that his shock and apparent death were caused by dehydration. As for the lack of energy from not eating for so long, he could probably hold out another two days.

"No helping it. In this era, the best I can give you is some saline solution. Nutritional fluids or glucose are truly out of reach..." Chen Luo thought helplessly. "This saline probably has impurities too, but there's no other choice."

Holding the goose feather tube with one end already sharpened, Chen Luo said to the youth, "My method might save you, or it might harm you. You can still choose now..."

The youth struggled to open his eyes, gave Chen Luo a deep look, and seemed to muster all his remaining strength to utter a single word—

"Do it!"

Chen Luo nodded. "It'll hurt a bit. Bear with it..."

In his past life, Chen Luo had lived alone with his maternal grandmother. Before she passed, he had to give her injections every day, so his technique was fairly practiced.

"Mm—" As the goose feather tube pierced the youth's body, even in his weakened state, he let out a muffled grunt through his nose. Then, as Chen Luo deliberately controlled the infusion speed of the saline, the youth's expression gradually relaxed, and the rise and fall of his chest showed his breathing had steadied.

"Young Master, it worked?" Xiao Huan's face lit up with surprise. Chen Luo carefully checked the youth again and gave Xiao Huan a slight nod.

The onlooking crowd also burst into cheers.

At that moment, the monk's expression turned somewhat strange. He sensed faintly and found that the dying youth's body had indeed regained vitality, causing him to frown slightly.

"Damn it. If he had died under This Seat's 'Silent Meditation,' this spirit child's soul would have become a ghost under my command. When I establish my Buddhist kingdom in the future, he would surely be my reincarnation guardian. And now this brat has ruined it!"

The monk narrowed his eyes slightly. A phantom of a Wrathful Vajra flickered over him and vanished. Then he opened his mouth and unleashed a Buddhist Thunderous Sound: "This method is cheating! This humble monk does not accept it!"

The thunderous sound shook everyone present, leaving them dazed for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, the monk strode forward quickly, intending to take the youth away.

Just then, a ring of light suddenly appeared beneath the monk's feet, trapping him. When the monk tried to move forward, he seemed to hit some obstacle, confined within the circle.

Great Xuan Official Art: Draw Ground as Prison!

The crowd came to their senses only to see a sedan chair approaching—seemingly slow but actually fast—before them. The bearers lowered the sedan, and Cai Tongchen stepped out.

"Greetings, Your Honor!" Everyone bowed, except the monk, who stood in the circle of light, resuming his lofty monk's demeanor.

Cai Tongchen looked at Chen Luo. "Virtuous Nephew, what happened?"

Chen Luo quickly stepped forward and explained the whole story in a few sentences. Cai Tongchen then turned his gaze to the monk, hooked his finger, and the betting slip flew from the monk's robes into Cai Tongchen's hand.

Cai Tongchen examined it carefully, let out a cold laugh, and with a flash of green light in his hand, the betting slip instantly turned into paper shreds.

The monk frowned. "County Magistrate, what is the meaning of this? Is this how the Great Xuan Dynasty treats a covenant of faith and trust?"

Cai Tongchen clasped his hands behind his back and walked up to the monk. "Covenants of faith and trust are naturally protected by our Great Xuan Law. However, the Great Xuan Law clearly states that any covenant of faith and trust must be verified and stamped by the government to be valid. That slip of yours—which of my colleagues verified it, and which government office stamped it?"

"If not, then casting spells and curses on a subject of Great Xuan is a capital offense!"

The monk pressed his palms together and bowed. "This humble monk has not studied the Great Xuan Law deeply enough and nearly made a grave mistake. I will return to the Western Regions Buddhist Kingdom at once. I ask Your Honor for leniency."

Cai Tongchen was about to say more when he suddenly noticed a black lotus mark on the back of the monk's hand. His expression shifted slightly. After a pause, he flicked his sleeve, dispelling the "Draw Ground as Prison," and said, "Release the spell and leave now."

The monk wasted no words. He walked to the youth, chanted a cryptic sutra, and pointed at him. A beam of golden light flew out of the youth's mouth and merged into the monk's body.

The monk gave Chen Luo a deep look, pressed his palms together, and said, "Two benefactors, when this humble monk reaches the Arhat Realm, we shall meet again!"

With that, the monk turned and left. After just a few steps, he transformed into a wisp of green smoke and vanished without a trace.

Chen Luo quickly signaled Xiao Huan to feed the youth the plain congee he had set aside earlier. He himself went to Cai Tongchen, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Uncle, for resolving this..."

Cai Tongchen waved his hand. He studied the simple infusion device Chen Luo had made and asked, "Where did you learn this method?"

Chen Luo's mind buzzed for a moment. Thoughts racing, he stepped forward and said, "Earlier, in the Peach Blossom Forest, the Peach Blossom Immortal was drinking and chatting with me and mentioned this method."

"He said that a person can go many days without food but not many days without water. If someone collapses from lack of water, this method can be used as an emergency measure. But he added that in the Human World, water is often impure and salt is often unclean, so it can only serve as a stopgap."

Cai Tongchen sighed in admiration. "Truly a lofty person! I regret not being able to drink and converse with the Peach Blossom Immortal myself..."

"Uncle, do you have official business to attend to? Would you like to come into the residence for some tea?" Chen Luo quickly changed the subject, afraid that if Cai Tongchen got interested and asked him to recount the entire conversation, he'd be caught out.

"No need. I came specifically to find you." Cai Tongchen finally remembered his main purpose. "Hurry up and tidy yourself. You're coming with me to meet my teacher!"

"Ah? Your teacher? To see me?"

Cai Tongchen nodded. "Go freshen up quickly. Don't be negligent. My teacher is a Great Scholar!"

The north wind rolls the earth, scattering the white grass—without support, what can one do? Begging for collections, begging for recommendations, begging for monthly votes, begging~~~~