Born Never to See the Sun

When Chu Tianshu and his group went, they all rode light horses at high speed.

On the return trip, the large caravan inevitably slowed things down considerably.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the group returned to the royal city.

The steward of the Zheng family seemed to have been waiting for them. He rushed over as soon as they entered the city and whispered something to Zheng Hui.

However, his method of lowering his voice was meaningless to Chu Tianshu, who was only three zhang away.

"Sir, someone has come looking for you with the token you gave to General Wei."

Zheng Hui took a piece of paper from the butler.

It was a small piece of paper with gold lettering, containing only one line of poetry.

Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you?

Zheng Hui touched the paper with his fingertip and knew that it was indeed a set of small notes he had made by hand years ago, and the handwriting on it was also written by his left hand.

Unless it was personally given to him by General Wei Gao, the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan.

Otherwise, even if someone else obtains this small piece of paper, they wouldn't know that it's a token from Zheng Hui of Nanzhao.

"Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you..."

Zheng Hui murmured something.

The situation in Kingdom of Nanzhao has become increasingly tense recently, with important figures such as a delegation from the Great Tang Dynasty and a high priest from Tubo having just died.

At this moment, having obtained the token from years ago, Zheng Hui's face remained expressionless, but his back involuntarily straightened slightly.

After entering the city, the group slowed down their horses due to the bustling crowds on the streets.

Zheng Hui tucked the paper into his sleeve, remaining calm and composed, and led the entire procession toward the Zheng residence.

Upon reaching the gate, Zheng Hui dismounted and entered, his pace suddenly quickening.

As soon as Chu Tianshu stepped into the mansion, he could smell a medicinal aroma.

The smell of medicine was coming from the back room.

The upper half of the large hall was filled with billowing white steam.

It's like cooking in an old-fashioned kitchen in winter, where steam rises and accumulates, lingering and hard to dissipate.

However, the climate of Nanzhao was warm.

To create such a scene, at least four or five earthenware pots of water would probably have to boil and evaporate in a short period of time.

Sure enough, there were several empty earthenware jars on the ground, filled with dregs of medicine, but no stove was visible.

A guest, draped in black cloth and wearing a red robe, sat on a large pear wood chair, holding a clay pot in both hands.

A bubbling sound came from the earthenware pot, and steam was rising from it.

Judging from the appearance, it seems that this person used both hands to accelerate the boiling of the medicine in the earthenware pot, concentrating the medicinal juice in a short time.

He must have already drunk what was cooked in those earthenware pots.

"Is that Inner Guard Right Division?"

Although Zheng Hui had some suspicions, he still couldn't help but pull out a small note from his sleeve, "This token, was it obtained from General Wei?"

Hai Donglai, "Yes."

He answered two questions with a single word.

When the Tang army defeated the combined forces of Tubo and Nanzhao, Zheng Hui heard that the Inner Guard had been vying for credit with the army.

During that war, Hai Donglai and Wei Gao, prominent figures on both sides, were also at odds in the court.

However, this hidden token must have been taken out by Wei Gao on his own initiative.

It seems the rumors are untrue.

Zheng Hui nodded and said, "Lord Hai must have come about the Jie Tuan matter, but I have no clue how their route was leaked."

"Please rest and recover here, Lord Hai. I will discuss this further with the King after my audience with him."

Hai Donglai glanced up and surveyed the group of people in front of him.

Aside from the butler and guards, Chu Tianshu and the Blind Cheng's attire was clearly different from that of the others in the Zheng household.

But the fact that they were here shows that Zheng Hui truly trusts them.

"It seems you have already seen the bodies of the delegation."

Hai Donglai, "I didn't know the delegation's route originally; I only came to Nanzhao to investigate the Inner Guard."

"Unexpectedly, someone has attacked and tried to kill our Great Tang envoy!"

Hai Donglai's voice deepened, "Those monks are no simpletons, especially the old one."

"Compared to those once-renowned figures among the chivalrous wanderers of Chang'an, this old monk is even more formidable, and so is his weapon..."

"What a remarkable person! He must be a high priest of Tubo."

Zheng Hui nodded, his expression grave.

Chu Tianshu was picking up the earthenware pot from the ground to examine the dregs inside.

"Scutellaria baicalensis, Forsythia suspensa, Houttuynia cordata, Viola yedoensis, Paeonia suffruticosa..."

Upon closer inspection, Chu Tianshu discovered that the contents were almost entirely composed of anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs.

There are also several particularly precious medicinal herbs.

Judging from the growth rings on the medicinal herbs, they must be rare and likely part of the Zheng family's collection.

"The herbs are all good, but the proportions are just too much. Do you think the more herbs the better?"

Chu Tianshu sat down next to Hai Donglai and held out his hand, saying, "I'm a doctor, how about you take a look at me?"

Even with the strong smell of medicine filling the room, Chu Tianshu could still smell the strong stench of blood on Hai Donglai as soon as he sat down next to him.

To be honest, he was very curious about Hai Donglai's current physical condition.

What changes occur in the bodily functions of a martial arts master in a severely injured state, and how do they cope with it?

Chu Tianshu could make some inferences based on boxing manuals and medical principles, but he had never seen any actual examples.

Commander Xu, for example, would have been a very good subject of study.

Unfortunately, his character was too bad, and the situation forced us to kill him outright, which is quite a pity.

Having gained experience in diagnosing such experts, if Chu Tianshu himself were to suffer serious injuries or exhaust himself to a certain extent in the future, he might still want to continue the fight.

By having a thorough understanding and assessment of one's own situation, one can be more confident in taking action.

Hai Donglai poured the medicinal liquid from the earthenware pot into a porcelain bowl next to him. After pouring out more than half a bowl, he let it cool, then placed the earthenware pot aside and stretched out his hand.

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

Despite being rumored to be arrogant and bloodthirsty, this person was actually quite polite.

Chu Tianshu noticed that his hands were bound with many thin white strips of cloth, all stained with blood, so he first rolled up his sleeves a little.

To everyone's surprise, these strips of cloth, which were tied all the way up to his forearm, had already turned slightly yellow.

"This strip of cloth has been here for a while. Were you already injured before you fought the Tubo?"

Hai Donglai calmly said, "It's not an injury, it's an illness."

With Chu Tianshu's keen sense of force, he could feel the pulse even through the strip of cloth.

He placed his fingers on Hai Donglai's wrist, remaining silent in thought.

Zheng Hui and the others also sat down and waited quietly.

"I've never seen this kind of pulse before in my life."

Chu Tianshu frowned. "When did you get this illness? Are there any other symptoms?"

Hai Donglai, "When I was a child, I heard from the elders that I had a congenital condition that prevented me from being exposed to light."

"When children are exposed to sunlight, red spots will appear on their bodies within half an hour; these spots are more pronounced in summer and less so in winter."

"After the age of ten, even a short exposure to sunlight would cause countless red spots to merge into a patch, eventually breaking and bleeding."

"Later it got even worse; the onset became more rapid, the ulcers deepened, and it got worse year by year."

Everyone in the hall was startled.

I've never heard of such a strange illness before. It sounds like some kind of evil spirit or ghost that's been harmed by sunlight. It doesn't seem like a living person at all.

Zheng Hui then realized that this was a major flaw in Hai Donglai's character.

Even if the people inside the hall don't reveal it, given Hai Donglai's martial arts skills, very few people in the world could exploit this weakness.

But Hai Donglai casually exposed this flaw in front of everyone, which shows his unusual mentality.

Unless, of course, he felt that he didn't have much time left.

Zheng Hui's heart sank slightly, but his eyes held a glimmer of hope as he looked at Chu Tianshu.

For a skilled fighter, a serious injury may heal itself, but when serious injuries and serious illnesses pile up, only medical expertise can save the day.

As Chu Tianshu listened to these symptoms, he recalled the vampire porphyria he had read about in a medical journal.

This is a rare disease worldwide, and mild cases may have a near-normal lifespan through strict light avoidance and treatment.

However, most patients with severe congenital porphyria, even with strict avoidance of light, will die in childhood due to various complications.

Hai Donglai should have some understanding of his illness, but he only knew to take anti-inflammatory medicines that weren't entirely effective. This shows that none of the people who had treated him before had offered a good treatment plan.

He relied on rigorous training to develop a strong physique, which allowed him to withstand the illness and live for so many more years.

However, those born with this condition will find practicing qigong much more difficult than ordinary people.

"To have endured this vicious cycle for so many years and developed martial arts skills that are renowned throughout the world, you truly have an iron will!"

Chu Tianshu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Doctors are always moved by patients with such a strong will to live, especially when they are both martial artists.

Born unable to see the light of day, yet their fame shines as brightly as the sun.

At the same time, Chu Tianshu couldn't help but think of the Blazing Sun Wheel.

This Hai Donglai is really unlucky.

He was born with this disease, and the formidable enemy he encountered was wielding the Blazing Sun Wheel.

If that old monk had been Weapon Soul, Hai Donglai's injuries probably wouldn't have been this severe.

So heavy... that he could die at any moment.

Hai Donglai may seem to be able to move around and talk now, but he could probably only manage a few moves in a fight.

However, this serious injury has already triggered and caused his complications to erupt.

Given the severity of this inflammation, if it were sent to a place equipped with hospital facilities...

The test results will likely make the doctor think either the equipment is broken or he's dreaming.

This is beyond the scope of treatment by medication.

If, in the next moment, Hai Donglai's cerebral blood vessels were to be affected even more severely, he would truly die here.

Unfortunately, precisely because the condition was so severe, Chu Tianshu's most proficient acupuncture techniques were not suitable for him.

"Even before you were injured, with this level of condition, you should have been resting at home. How dare you run around like this..."

"Wait, you're already so badly injured. It's one thing if you can walk slowly, but how did you manage to get to the capital today? You weren't riding a horse, were you?"

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up. He activated his Spirit Communication Vision and carefully observed Hai Donglai, his gaze lingering on Hai Donglai's heart.

"Your Weapon Soul resides within you!"

Hai Donglai anticipated the severity of his injuries, and with only a hint of melancholy and regret, he nodded and said, "My umbrella is destroyed, so my Weapon Soul can only temporarily reside in my body."

When Weapon Soul is cultivated to a high level and their hearts are in perfect harmony, it can indeed temporarily reside within the master's body.

In this way, even if the original weapon is not made of good enough material and is destroyed in battle, the Weapon Soul can be transferred to a new weapon.

But the reason why the Weapon Soul can easily display its wondrous power is because it is purer than that of a human.

If it remains in the body for too long, it will be corrupted by the body's emotions, causing its abilities to decline or even dissipate.

"I forgot, the Weapon Soul has this trait."

Chu Tianshu's brows relaxed, and his expression brightened.

"Okay, okay, then you might still be saved!"

(End of this chapter)