The Spring of Life

Hundred Stars Village!

Granny Liu's son, Chen Tian, had come knocking early that morning to ask for help. Granny Liu's old illness had flared up again. Her breathing was faint, and she had fallen unconscious!

The physician, Xiao Changlin, was away, so Xiao Feng and Ke'er took the medicine chest and went to help. Ye Fan and his mother went with them! By the time they reached Granny Liu's home, several villagers had already gathered there. They stepped into the courtyard and hurried to Granny Liu's bedside.

Auntie Chen was sitting beside the bed, gently patting Granny Liu's chest to help her breathe!

Chen Tian dropped to his knees and held Granny Liu's arm. "Mother, Physician Xiao is here. Open your eyes and look!"

"Brother Chen Tian, don't panic. Let me take Auntie Liu's pulse first!"

Ye Fan's mother tugged at Chen Tian. "Chen Tian, get up first and let Little Feng take a look at Granny Liu."

Chen Tian retreated to the side in tears, and Auntie Chen also stood up to make room. Xiao Feng crouched down and placed his hand on Granny Liu's wrist to examine her! Xiao Ke'er opened the medicine chest, ready in case it was needed!

Granny Liu's face was sallow, her eye sockets sunken and her lips purplish blue. She was terribly thin, as withered as a dried branch.

How could it be this serious?

A troubled look appeared on Xiao Feng's face. Her time had nearly come...

Unless there was some miraculous pill or medicine, it would be hard to keep her alive!

"Little Feng, how is my mother?..." Chen Tian reached out through his tears and tugged at the hem of Xiao Feng's clothes. The honest man was beside himself!

"Little Tian, let Little Feng examine her carefully. Don't disturb him," Ye Fan's mother said, cutting Chen Tian off!

Ye Fan hurried forward and pulled Chen Tian aside!

"Ke'er, the silver needles."

Xiao Ke'er had already prepared them! At his words, she immediately opened the cloth pouch of silver needles and spread it out beside the bed, then lit an oil lamp!

Xiao Feng took a silver needle and held it over the flame to sterilize it. He began inserting the needles...

This technique was called the "Nine-Star Soul-Returning Needle"! By inserting needles into nine major acupoints, it stimulated the recipient's own life potential and prolonged the patient's life! How long it could prolong that life, however, depended on the patient's own condition!

In Granny Liu's case, her vitality was already exhausted! Without replenishment from an external source, she could only last three days! Once those three days passed, if there was still no way to prolong her life, her soul could only return to the mountains!

The needling was complete. Now all they could do was wait; it took time for her vitality to stir back to life! It was like gathering all the energy in the body into one place, abandoning the other parts and preserving only the important ones!

Everyone waited anxiously! Though Ye Fan held Chen Tian back, he kept pleading with them to save his mother! Xiao Ke'er half-crouched beside the bed, assisting her elder brother! Ye Fan's mother stood behind Xiao Ke'er, watching to see if she could help.

Before long, Granny Liu's eyelids twitched, as though she were trying to open her eyes. She had woken up; this was already the best possible outcome!

After a little more time, Granny Liu regained some of her spirits! Though still weak, she could speak! The silver needles could now be removed. Xiao Feng took out the nine needles one by one and placed them on the cloth pouch. Then he put his hand on Granny Liu's wrist again.

Sure enough, although her pulse was strong, she was still at the end of her tether. Three days was her limit!

Xiao Feng rose and stepped away from the bed, giving Chen Tian his place! Xiao Ke'er hurriedly packed up the cloth pouch of silver needles, put out the oil lamp, and placed them in the medicine chest!

Chen Tian knelt and leaned over the bed, gently stroking Granny Liu's forehead and smoothing her hair. "Mother, how are you feeling?"

"Little Tian... go... thank... thank Physician Xiao."

Chen Tian turned around and kowtowed heavily to the Xiao siblings!

"Brother Tian, get up! We all grew up in the same village. How can you do this?"

The siblings and Ye Fan's mother hurried to pull Chen Tian to his feet! The mother and son made Ye Fan's mother feel terrible!

Xiao Feng carried the medicine chest out into the small courtyard, a troubled look on his face! Ye Fan followed close behind! When the villagers watching outside learned that Granny Liu had woken up, they hurried into the house to visit her! They carried wild fruit, fine grains they had traded for, and unknown medicinal herbs...

"Brother Feng, how is Granny Liu? Can she recover?"

"Unless there are heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or miraculous pills and precious medicines to prolong her life, her time will come in three days!"

Heavenly materials and earthly treasures? The Spring of Life should work!

After exchanging a few words with Granny Liu, Ke'er and Ye Fan's mother also came out into the courtyard. Neither spoke. Ke'er was, after all, Physician Xiao's daughter, and she knew Granny Liu's condition! Ye Fan's mother had seen much over the years and also knew that Granny Liu had little time left!

"Ke'er, go back to the pharmacy and prepare medicine for Granny Liu. No matter what, we'll do what we should."

"Mm, all right, big brother."

"I'll go too!" Ye Fan volunteered to accompany them!

Ye Fan's mother stayed in the courtyard. If Granny Liu needed anything, it would be inconvenient for Chen Tian to attend to her!

At the Xiao family pharmacy, Xiao Feng measured out the herbs while Xiao Ke'er prepared to light the fire and brew the medicine. Ye Fan stepped forward to help and volunteered to take over brewing it, letting Ke'er direct him from the side!

They lit the clay stove, poured in mountain spring water, and added a few base ingredients. Then they waited quietly~

Before long, steam rose in clouds as the water in the medicine pot came to a boil. They opened the lid, gradually added the medicinal herbs, and poured in fresh water when needed!

Ye Fan fed the fire with more wood. When the moment was right, he opened the New World inside the medicine pot. The fingernail-sized Gate of the World was inside the pot, which had its lid on. With a thought, Ye Fan drew out a small amount from the Spring of Life!

Before long, the potful of medicine had been boiled down to a single bowl! Ye Fan and Ke'er hurried to deliver it to Granny Liu.

Xiao Feng continued measuring out herbs, preparing several more doses and bringing the medicine pot along as well! He could brew it there and save them the trouble of going back and forth! He could also keep watch over Granny Liu's condition!

At Granny Liu's home, Ye Fan's mother and Auntie Chen were both still there, while the other villagers had gone home! The room was too small to hold so many people!

Auntie Chen lifted Granny Liu up, and Ye Fan's mother hurriedly placed pillows and bedding behind her so she could recline and take her medicine!

Ye Fan's mother held the bowl of medicine in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other! She fed Granny Liu spoonful by spoonful!

Ye Fan watched closely. This was the first time the Spring of Life had been used to save someone. How well would it work?

"Cough, cough." Weak and feeble, Granny Liu choked on a mouthful of medicine! She could not even drink it!

"Granny Liu, once you drink this medicine, your body will recover! Physician Xiao said there's nothing seriously wrong with you! You only need to get some rest!"

Granny Liu waved a feeble hand. "This... old woman... knows... her own... condition... Sorry... to trouble you all... to go to such trouble..."

Auntie Chen hurriedly patted her chest!! "Save your breath. Drink the medicine, and you'll get better!"

Granny Liu shook her head slightly, a smile on her lips!

"Tian'er... I'll have to... ask you all... to look after Tian'er... This child... means no harm... he's just... clumsy..."

"Brother Tian isn't clumsy at all!" Xiao Ke'er said from the side, her eyes red!

"Hehe, Ke'er really is... a good girl... What a pity... what a pity... cough, cough..."

"Mother, let me feed her the medicine!" Ye Fan walked over to the bed and took the medicine from his mother, carefully bringing it to Granny Liu's lips. At the same time, he secretly opened the New World at his fingertip. The black hole was the size of a millet grain and would not be noticed. Earth Spiritual Qi quietly flowed from his fingertip, entering Granny Liu's body as she breathed.

"Whew." The effect was immediate! Granny Liu's breathing actually grew stronger. Though still very faint, it was indeed different from before. Ye Fan fed her the medicine very slowly, first to let Granny Liu absorb the Earth Spiritual Qi from his fingertip, and second because she was still too weak to swallow. He could only let it trickle down the corner of her mouth a little at a time!

After he had fed her a little less than half the bowl, Granny Liu's breathing was noticeably stronger. Her complexion was no longer as sallow as before.

"Could this be her final burst of vitality?" Auntie Chen was right behind Granny Liu, supporting her, so she could see the change most clearly.

"The medicine is working!" Chen Tian said excitedly, watching color gradually return to his mother's face!

Tears filled Ye Fan's mother's eyes. She too felt this was a final burst of vitality!

At that moment, Ye Fan alone knew best: the Spring of Life and Earth Spiritual Qi were effective. They really could bring someone back from the brink of death and prolong their life!

By the time she had finished the bowl of medicine, Granny Liu's breathing was even, and a healthy color had returned to her face. Though she was still too weak to get up, that was enough!

Granny Liu was a mortal of flesh and blood. After exhausting herself year after year, her body's oil had run dry and its lamp was flickering out. It was already a miracle that the Spring of Life could pull her back from death's door.

"Mother, how are you feeling?"

"Auntie Liu, how do you feel?"

Granny Liu moved a little. Hmm? Was her body responding to her again? She squeezed her son's hand, and there was strength in her grip too!

Granny Liu could hardly believe it! "This medicine?..."

"This medicine was brewed for you by Physician Xiao's son, Xiao Feng. Our Hundred Stars Village has produced a divine physician!!!" Auntie Chen watched Granny Liu recover bit by bit, astonished beyond words!

As Granny Liu slowly recovered, everyone's heavy spirits lifted, and they let out long sighs of relief!

"Little Feng, you're a divine physician!" The weight finally lifted from Ye Fan's mother's heart, and she agreed wholeheartedly with Auntie Chen!

???

Word of Xiao Feng's skill as a divine physician quietly spread! Everyone was happy for him; only he himself was utterly bewildered!

???

For the next few days, Ke'er and Ye Fan continued to handle the medicine brewing. Ye Fan also added a little more from the Spring of Life as appropriate. Mm-hmm, a little more. Granny Liu's body should be able to handle it now!

The old village chief and his party finally reached Sunset City! The inspection at the city gates, however, was extremely strict. Everyone entering or leaving had to be checked.

There was only one reason: the city lord had gone missing!