As dusk settled, the hospital room was dimly lit.
In the silent room, Yu Xiaogang's faint, hoarse murmurs slowly broke the long silence.
"Water... water..."
Lying on the hospital bed, Yu Xiaogang's eyelids were heavy and sticky, and he was unable to open his eyes. His whole body ached and he felt weak. His internal organs seemed to be out of place, and every breath he took was accompanied by excruciating pain.
He remained in a weak, unconscious state following his severe injuries, only able to instinctively crave water to relieve the dryness and burning in his throat.
Tang San, who had been sitting still and silently watching him, instantly showed a perfect mix of grief, indignation, and heartache the moment he heard that weak voice.
Tang San suddenly stood up, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes feigning a surge of overwhelming rage, and his fists clenched silently.
"Teacher, who is so vicious as to dare to seriously injure you like this!"
Tang San lowered his voice and roared angrily, his tone firm and indignant, appearing completely unaware of the truth and indignant at the tragic death of his mentor.
However, if someone were to look closely, they would discover that there was not a trace of real anger deep in Tang San's eyes. Instead, there was a faint, barely suppressed sense of pleasure and smugness hidden within.
Yu Xiaogang's current predicament is entirely his own fault.
If Yu Xiaogang hadn't stubbornly insisted on absorbing the poisonous Mandala Snake Soul Ring, damaging the foundation of his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, how could he have brought about this undeserved disaster?
Tang San sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he put on a superb performance, perfectly portraying the devotion of a disciple who respected his master and stood up for him.
Yu Xiaogang continued to weakly call for water, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang like this, Tang San frowned slightly, snorted coldly, turned around, poured a glass of water, and fed it to Yu Xiaogang.
After drinking the water, Yu Xiaogang's throat bobbed, and he fell asleep again.
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang had fallen asleep again, Tang San crushed the glass in his hand with a loud crack. Thanks to his Mysterious Jade Hand technique, the glass shards did not injure Tang San's palm.
The next day, as dawn broke.
Tang San woke up from the stool, glanced at Yu Xiaogang Tang San was still asleep, then jumped out of the window and onto the roof of the clinic. He sat cross-legged facing east, his eyes fixed on the sky, waiting for the birth of the purple qi to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye.
When Tang San returned with breakfast from outside, Yu Xiaogang was still unconscious, which made Tang San feel irritated.
Tang San's heart was no longer filled with the affection between master and disciple; it was filled with intense killing intent. If it weren't for Tang Hao's warning, Yu Xiaogang would have died from poisoning long ago.
Tang San composed himself, put down the packed breakfast, and quickly walked out of the ward to find the clinic staff to fetch the medicinal herbs and brewing utensils.
The clinic was equipped with a special stove for decocting medicine. Tang San found a seat at the back and watched the medicinal soup bubbling in the clay pot, the rich, bitter aroma of herbs slowly spreading.
After confirming that no one was watching, Tang San's eyes suddenly turned cold. With a slight movement of his fingertips, a trace of almost imperceptible pale black powder quietly fell into the boiling medicinal soup.
" Yu Xiaogang, you destroyed the foundation of my Martial Soul! Dad says we can't kill you yet, but you won't get away with this!"
This is a poison that Tang San specially prepared for Yu Xiaogang this morning. It is mild and will not be fatal, nor will it harm his life, and it will not be detected by the healing methods of Soul Master.
The only effect is that it subtly erodes the body's Qi and blood, depleting its original essence.
Those who are poisoned will only become increasingly tired and weak, listless, and short of breath. All symptoms point to physical weakness, kidney deficiency, and depletion of qi and blood. Anyone who examines them will only conclude that it is a sequela caused by unhealed serious injury and excessive physical depletion.
No one could detect that the drugs had been tampered with. Tang San was quite confident about this; otherwise, he wouldn't be qualified to be called a once-in-a-century genius of the Tang Sect.
The powder dissolves instantly upon entering the soup, blending perfectly with the medicinal herbs without any unpleasant odor.
Tang San picked up the medicine spoon, stirred it gently a few times, his expression softening, and slowly and methodically simmered the medicine until it was completely ready.
A moment later, Tang San poured out the medicine and quickly returned to the ward with the bowl in his hand.
He carefully and gently helped the weak and powerless Yu Xiaogang up, placed a pillow under him, and patiently and meticulously fed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful, his movements gentle and considerate, showing utmost care.
While unconscious, Yu Xiaogang instinctively swallowed the medicine, absorbing it all into his body, completely unaware that he had been given a medical condition.
After feeding him the medicine, Tang San carefully wiped away the remaining medicine stains from the corners of Yu Xiaogang's mouth, covered him with a blanket, and silently sat by the bedside to watch over him, never leaving his side.
For three whole days from that day forward, Tang San came to the clinic on time every day, rain or shine.
Yu Xiaogang's injuries slowly healed, and he transitioned from a deep coma to a semi-conscious state. His consciousness gradually cleared, but he was still weak and sore all over, and felt tired and sleepy all day long.
Every time I open my eyes, what I see is always Tang San's busy figure.
Despite his young age, the boy was meticulous and thoughtful, handling every task with utmost care and never showing the slightest impatience, no matter how tedious the care work was.
As Yu Xiaogang lay in his hospital bed, looking at Tang San, who had always stayed by his side and taken meticulous care of him, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, and his eyes repeatedly reddened and burned.
His life was full of hardships. He was unlucky in love, had no hope of spiritual cultivation, and spent half his life in poverty and destitution, suffering ridicule and contempt from the world.
He spent most of his life stuck at level 29, his theories ridiculed, his family abandoned him, his lover broke off their relationship, and he lived a life of loneliness and hardship, never having felt such pure and sincere warmth.
Although he didn't know why Tang Hao beat him up, seeing Tang San taking such good care of him for three days, Yu Xiaogang's frustration dissipated considerably, and he only dared to curse inwardly.
"You ignorant fool who doesn't respect teachers and elders, once I've trained my Little San to be successful, I'll make you apologize in person, and I'll make you repent for what you've done today."
Yu Xiaogang leaned against the headboard, watching Tang San bustling around, looking obedient and sensible. He was filled with relief and emotion, and tears almost rolled down his cheeks.
I knew I hadn't misjudged him!
Tang San was a born prodigy, with a pure heart, respect for his teachers, exceptional talent, and character that was one in a million.
Even when he was seriously injured and unable to take care of himself, this apprentice remained loyal and devoted to him.
Having such a disciple, I have no regrets in this life!
Yu Xiaogang had long regarded Tang San as his greatest comfort and pride in this life, and secretly made a vow in his heart.
Once my injuries are fully healed, I will dedicate all my knowledge and skills to nurturing Tang San without reservation!
He would spare no resources to pave a smooth road for Tang San to become a Titled Douluo, making up for all the regrets of his life!
Meanwhile, Tang San, who was busy taking care of her and was gentle and obedient, lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing all the emotions in his eyes.
Feeling Yu Xiaogang's increasingly sincere gratitude and trust behind him, Tang San suppressed a cold smile that went unnoticed by anyone.
On the surface, they appear sincere and gentle; on the inside, they are cold and calculating.
He knew it perfectly well.
Yu Xiaogang's increasing fatigue, weakness, and lack of energy were not due to the aftereffects of his serious injury.
Rather, it was the slow, toxic effects accumulated day by day from the three days of herbal medicine that were quietly eroding Yu Xiaogang's vital energy.
From now on, Yu Xiaogang will be chronically weak and lacking in energy, becoming a frail body with deficient qi and blood, and can only become a pawn to be played with by Tang San.
Tang San felt no remorse whatsoever, only indifference.
All of this is Yu Xiaogang's own doing.
He destroyed his own Martial Soul foundation with his own hands, so he deserves to suffer this endless backlash and evil consequences.
Beneath the surface of the warm relationship between master and disciple lies a calculated scheme and an irreparable rift.
Unfortunately, Lu Yu couldn't see this scene!