The Fat Man Seeking Medicine
The early summer sun scorched the earth, and waves of heat surged at the entrance to Medicine King Valley.
The blue stone steps gleamed with a blinding white light under the blazing sun, winding their way upwards and disappearing into the depths of the misty mountains.
The middle-aged, plump man was dressed in gorgeous silk and satin, his brocade robe embroidered with intricate cloud patterns in gold thread, which shimmered in the sunlight.
His round body was soaked with sweat, and the silk clung tightly to his body, outlining layers of excess flesh.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his shiny forehead, sliding down his cheeks and into his collar.
Beside him, the butler hunched over, clutching a silk handkerchief tightly in his hand, glancing at him with heartache every now and then, hesitant to speak.
Several guards, fully armed and carrying heavy boxes on their backs, looked worriedly at the seemingly endless steps.
The fat man looked up at the steps in front of him, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
He had heard of the rules of Medicine King Valley before, but only when he actually stood in front of these steps did he truly feel how strict these rules were.
The 10,000-meter staircase, requiring him to kneel and kowtow every other step, was undoubtedly a nightmare for this pampered and obese man.
But the thought of his elderly, dying wife lying on her sickbed at home, her eyes filled with hope yet weak, made his heart clench.
His mother loved him dearly all her life. If his life were in danger, only the divine medicine from Medicine King Valley could save him. No matter what, he had to grit his teeth and climb those steps.
He took a deep breath, mustered his courage, lifted his leaden legs, and stepped onto the stairs.
His obese body swayed, nearly losing its balance. The butler and guards reached out to help him, but he waved them off.
With each step he took, he exerted all his strength, and his heavy breathing was particularly clear in the silent valley.
After walking only a few steps, his legs began to weaken, and his fat feet felt as if they were being pricked by countless needles, causing him unbearable pain.
Sweat poured down his face, blurring his vision. He could only wipe it haphazardly with his sleeve and continue his arduous journey.
When he reached the first step, his legs felt as limp and weak as noodles.
The obese body slowly squatted down, his knees slamming heavily against the hard stone steps with a dull thud.
A sharp pain spread from his knee, and he couldn't help but gasp, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
Despite the pain, he knelt down with his hands on the ground and respectfully kowtowed three times.
When he got up, he supported himself on his knees with both hands and struggled to stand up. His legs trembled and he almost fell to his knees again.
The butler looked at him with concern and whispered, "Young Master, why don't we take a break? Your body can't take this."
The fat man gritted his teeth and said in a hoarse voice, "We can't rest. My mother is still waiting for the medicine to save her life."
After saying that, he took another step and continued climbing upwards.
As the number of steps increased, his speed decreased.
The obese body was like a giant steamer in the high temperature. Sweat soaked through his clothes, which were then dried by the sun, leaving patches of white salt stains.
His breathing became rapid and heavy, each inhale feeling like a tangled mess in his chest, his heart pounding wildly as if it were about to burst out of his chest.
My legs had completely lost sensation; I was just moving mechanically, each step feeling like I was enduring immense pain.
When he reached the top of the steps, he could no longer hold on and sat down heavily on the steps, panting heavily.
Sweat dripped incessantly from his face, landing on the scorching stone steps and evaporating instantly.
The guards quickly surrounded him and handed him Water Pouch.
He took it with trembling hands, tilted his head back, and gulped down the water, like a person on the verge of death in the desert.
"Young Master, we really can't go any further. Look how exhausted you are," the butler pleaded, his eyes red with tears.
The fat man wiped the sweat from his face and said with a determined look, "I'm fine. I'll rest for a while and then I'll be back. My wife is still waiting for me, I can't give up."
After resting for a while, he gritted his teeth and, with the help of the butler and guards, struggled to his feet and continued walking up the steps.
One thousand steps, two thousand steps... He would kneel and kowtow every time he climbed a step.
My knees were already red and swollen, with broken skin and bleeding. Every time I knelt down, it felt like rubbing salt into the wound.
His hands were also worn raw and bloody from the stone steps, but he still didn't stop.
Although his eyes were filled with weariness and pain, they also showed determination and perseverance.
When he reached the thousandth step, his consciousness began to blur, his steps became unsteady, and he seemed about to collapse at any moment.
His obese body swayed unsteadily, like a leaf falling in the wind.
The butler and guards stayed close to him, ready to support him at any moment.
His lips were cracked, and his throat felt like it was on fire, making it extremely difficult for him to speak.
"Don't... don't worry about me, keep going..." he said haltingly.
Finally, after many hardships, he saw the outline of the Medicine King Valley's settlement.
At this moment, he had exhausted his last bit of strength. After climbing the last step, he collapsed to his knees with a thud, unable to stand up any longer.
The butler and guards rushed over, and seeing his wounds and exhausted appearance, they couldn't help but shed tears.
The fat man lay on the ground, a relieved smile appearing on his lips.
He knew he had finally reached the end; his father could be saved. In a weak voice, he said, "Quickly... quickly take me to see the Medicine King..."
Suddenly, a chill pierced through the sweltering heat, and white mist, like a living thing, emerged from the cracks in the stone steps, instantly forming a thick barrier in front of the fat man.
The once faintly visible upturned eaves and vermilion gate were completely swallowed up, and even the tinkling of the copper bell at the end of the stone steps came to an abrupt end.
Fei Wuji's obese body trembled violently, his blood-stained fingers gripping the last step tightly, blood seeping from under his fingernails mixed with sweat and dripped onto the bluestone slab.
"Housekeeper!"
His roar was like the strained sound of a broken bellows, and the bulging veins on his neck gleamed with an eerie bluish-purple hue under the white mist.
"Quickly ask them what's going on? Why won't they let us in?"
Before he could finish speaking, a violent cough tore through his throat, and a sweet, metallic taste of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The old steward staggered to the front of the fog barrier, his sleeves embroidered with gold thread already worn to shreds, and his hand clutching the silk handkerchief flailing wildly in the air.
"Immortal Master of Medicine King Valley! My young master went through countless hardships, strictly following your rules, kneeling and kowtowing every 10,000 meters, and walked a full 10,000 meters of steps!"
We humbly request that the immortals open their gates and allow us to enter!
The hoarse shouts echoed through the fog, startling a few crows that flew across the gray sky.
The guards slammed the sandalwood chests filled with gold and silver onto the ground, making the clasps rattle loudly.
"Our young master has spent all his wealth preparing a reward gift. Does Medicine King Valley intend to betray its ancestral precept of never refusing a sincere request for medicine?"
Only an empty echo answered them, and amidst the swirling mist, the faint rustling sound of chains being dragged could be heard.
Fei Wuji to move forward, his fat belly scraping against the rough stone steps, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and the skin at the corners of his eyes had been stretched so much that it had burst. Blood mixed with sweat dripped into the corners of his mouth, tasting salty and metallic.
"Why... why..."
He rammed his head against the fog barrier, and a large, purplish-blue bump instantly swelled up on his forehead.
"My father's life hangs by a thread, am I not even worthy to see the dregs of his medicine?"
His desperate roar startled the birds in the forest, and the flapping of their wings mingled with his sobs, sounding particularly mournful in the silent valley.