Chapter 47
As soon as the One-Horned Mountain Demon caught a whiff of the distinct scent emanating from the youth, its eyes gleamed, and it started to salivate. The next second, it ferociously lunged at Cheng Xuyuan, its claw-like hand glimmering with a chilling light, much like a blade.
Cheng Xuyuan threw a punch, landing it ruthlessly on the Mountain Demon's abdomen.
Just by this impact alone, he couldn't cause any harm to the unusually sturdy Mountain Demon.
Therefore, at the moment Cheng Xuyuan's fist connected with the Mountain Demon, he exerted his strength suddenly, focusing the energy of the thunder magic onto his fist, and unleashed a Thunder Strike.
"Bam!"
The Mountain Demon was knocked onto the ground, tumbling over several pieces of furniture. As it clumsily got up from the floor, it murmured in surprise, "This... this Tai Sui... can summon thunder?!"
However, just from this one move, the One-Horned Mountain Demon realized that it couldn't defeat this Tai Sui, who had three thousand years' worth of cultivation experience.
"If that's the case..." The Mountain Demon's eyes emitted a green glow in the darkness. Its pupils spun, turning to look at the frail young man lying on the bed, "Eating a human doesn't sound so bad."
As soon as it finished speaking, it dashed towards Tang Yunxian's bed.
Cheng Xuyuan, startled, was just about to intervene and rescue Tang Yunxian, but then he witnessed the golden aura emanating from Tang Yunxian's body rapidly coalescing to form a radiant protective shield.
The next second, the Mountain Demon was rebuffed with great force.
This force also sent Cheng Xuyuan flying a good few meters, knocking over the easel by the window.
The emperor's aura filled the room, its oppressive presence making it hard for Cheng Xuyuan to catch his breath.
This aura left the One-Horned Mountain Demon trembling, completely overwhelmed. "Could this be... could this be... the reincarnation of an emperor...?" it asked in disbelief.
Just as it tried to escape, the dominating aura intensified into an invisible, vibrant beam shaped like a dragon, brutally assaulting the demon and vaporizing it, leaving no remainder.
Cheng Xuyuan was stunned.
By all accounts, even though Tai Sui was a demon, it was not an evil entity. Nonetheless, if it angered the emperor's aura, it would be mercilessly eliminated without hesitation.
However, following the disappearance of the One-Horned Mountain Demon, this emperor's aura didn't bear down on Tai Sui. Instead, it rapidly withdrew into Tang Yunxian's body.
Instinctively looking towards the person on the bed, Cheng Xuyuan saw the unconscious Tang Yunxian under the moonlight, stricken pale and almost drained of life.
Tang Yunxian's body was not capable of withstanding an aura as fierce as the emperor's. The moment the aura coalesced, he passed out.
"Damn it!" Cheng Xuyuan quickly scrambled up from the floor, rushing to Tang Yunxian's bedside. He held his finger under Tang Yunxian's nose, "He's barely breathing, we need to call an ambulance!"
Suddenly, the system interjected, "You better go wake up Li Heng, he's more reliable than an ambulance."
Without a second thought, Cheng Xuyuan dashed out of the room upon hearing this and quickly located Li Heng's room with the aid of the system, pounding hard on the door.
Li Heng woke from his slumber, questioning hesitantly, "...Young master?"
A young, unfamiliar voice replied, "Save his life."
Li Heng shivered, rapidly getting out of bed and switching on the light. Upon opening the door, however, no one was in sight.
A bad premonition washed over him. He swallowed hard, panic gripping him as he dashed upstairs into his master's room.
"Young master!" Li Heng turned on the light, horrified at the chaotic scene and the color-drained Tang Yunxian on the bed, "What happened?!"
Fortunately, Li Heng had previously dealt with numerous unexpected incidents. He urgently instructed the driver to prepare the sports car, carried Tang Yunxian downstairs, and swiftly drove to the best nearby hospital.
Tang Yunxian's condition was severe, he was immediately taken to the emergency room. The medical team worked frantically, drenched in perspiration, to rescue him. It wasn't until dawn when his life was finally stable.
Tang Long, upon hearing the news, rushed to the hospital without a moment's rest, his face deathly pale.
"What happened?" Tang Long shuddered, querying Li Heng, "Wasn't he fine this morning?"
Li Heng was drenched in cold sweat, he replied with difficulty, "I... I don't know, it was like a haunting in the middle of the night..."
Tang Long frowned, "Haunting? Li Heng, since when did you start believing in these superstitious things?!"
"Master, I swear I'm not being superstitious!" Li Heng, whose heart was still pounding even now, explained, "I went to bed early last night, but in the middle of the night, somebody knocked on my door asking for help. When I got to the young master's room, it was in a state of disarray, like after a typhoon, and the young master was unconscious on bed..."
Tang Long, taken aback, was about to probe further when a doctor emerged from the emergency room, sharing with the people outside, "The patient is now out of immediate danger."
Both Tang Long and Li Heng sighed in relief.
"However..." the doctor's words reignited their anxiety, "The patient is still unconscious, and we are unsure of the exact cause."
Tang Long felt his strength draining away, his voice trembling, "Doctor, you must save my son. He is my only child. If anything should happen to him... "
The doctor quickly replied, "His life isn't in danger for now. He should be transferred to the ICU for further observation."
Tang Long wiped the sweat from his forehead, consoling himself internally, placing faith in his son's ability to pull through.
Once Tang Yunxian was promptly moved to the ICU, Tang Long cancelled numerous meetings to personally sit by his side. Li Heng also stayed vigilantly nearby.
Despite the doctor's thorough analysis, the cause of Tang Yunxian's unconscious state remained unknown. The tense atmosphere in the hospital ward was palpable, making it hard for Tang Long to breathe.
When Tang Yunxian's mother, Yu Xinya, residing in the United States heard the news, she was on the verge of rushing back home. Tang Long implored her, "Please, try to seek more doctors over there and show them Yunxian's medical records. Maybe you can find a reliable doctor..."
Yu Xinya's eyes reddened upon seeing her son's unconscious state in the video call, "Over the past decades, we have done many charitable deeds, spending money like water. Why should our son be the one to suffer..."
Tang Long heaved a sigh, a look of worry evident on his face. Gazing at Tang Yunxian, he wished he could shoulder some of the pain, willing to shorten his life if it meant aiding his son.
The hospital staff, aware of Tang's influential status, took special care of Tang Yunxian in the following days, ensuring he was provided with the best equipment and medication.
The nurse, fearing that Tang Long and Li Heng might be bored, occasionally brought them newspapers to help pass the time and reassured them, "Young Master Tang was fortunate to survive this ordeal, better times are surely ahead. Please don't worry."
Tang Long was not in the mood to read, while Li Heng leafed through the papers during his free time, mostly sticking to the financial section.
One day, after having breakfast, Li Heng, as usual, came to the hospital ward. Tang Long was asleep at the bedside. Li Heng took out a shirt, covered Tang Long, and sat down to read the newspaper.
This newspaper seemed a bit old, like it was published a month ago.
Li Heng checked the date, confirming it was a newspaper from the beginning of the previous month.
Just as he was about to toss the newspaper aside, something caught his eye.
"Terminal lung cancer patient makes miraculous recovery? Wife claims it was due to drinking Lingzhi soup!"
Li Heng's fingers trembled violently.
Not because of the headline.
Nor its content.
But due to the accompanying image in the news article.
It was a sandalwood box, containing a large and extraordinary lingzhi mushroom.
This Lingzhi mushroom resembled the one he had bought from Zhao Xintong just a few days prior.
Li Heng's heart raced as he skimmed through the entire article, his heartbeat quickening, almost as if it was about to leap from his throat.
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Two hours later.
Tang Long was abruptly awakened in the chilly hospital room. With a furrowed brow, he switched off the air conditioning. He looked around and not seeing Li Heng, he muttered, "Where could that kid be?"
Just when he thought Li Heng was probably slacking off somewhere, the door to the hospital room flung open, and a flustered Li Heng rushed in.
"Master, master, there's hope for the young master!"
Tang Long whipped his head around to look at him. In his hand, Li Heng held a sandalwood box.
"What is this...?" Tang Long asked in a trembling voice. "Did you buy medicinal herbs?"
Li Heng nodded. He walked up to Tang Long, opened the box and revealed a flawless lingzhi mushroom.
Tang Long was suddenly furious, "Li Heng, are you here to play a prank on me?! If this stuff could save lives, the young master would have already recovered!"
The Tang family had purchased countless expensive lingzhi, but none of them had helped improve Tang Yunxian's health.
"Master, please don't get upset." Li Heng had anticipated this reaction. "Look at this."
As he said that, he handed a newspaper to Tang Long. It was the same report he had seen earlier.
Tang Long skimmed over the news with a skeptical expression, "Isn't this a trick? Cancer, of all things, can't be cured by mythical ingredients like lingzhi."
"I did some checking." Li Heng looked at Tang Long earnestly. "The person named Zhao Chao was cured of cancer recently, which caused quite a stir in his local community. His daughter, Zhao Xintong, was the one who sold me this lingzhi."
Tang Long remained skeptical, "This whole thing seems fishy to me. What if there are any unforeseen consequences after consuming it..."
"I did my research," Li Heng looked at Tang Long seriously. "The patient's name is Zhao Chao, who recently saw his cancer cured, causing quite a stir in the local community. His daughter, Zhao Xintong, is the one who sold me the lingzhi."
Tang Long was still apprehensive, "This whole thing seems uncertain. What if there are any adverse effects after taking it?"
"Master, I was genuinely skeptical as well," Li Heng stated solemnly, "But when I returned to the young master's room just now, all the miscellaneous boxes were scattered around, except for this one. This box, it was placed neatly in the center of the table, as if it were destined to be there!"
Tang Long widened his eyes, "Could something be this miraculous?!"
"Master, we have no other options!" Li Heng cast a glance at the still unconscious Tang Yunxian, "If this continues, young master will end up in a vegetative state!"
Tang Yunxian had been unconscious for five days already. During this period, Tang Long hadn't managed to get a good night's sleep.
Tang Long took the box, looking at the shiny golden lingzhi. He said tremblingly, "But what if... what if this stuff is poisonous...”
"I've already had it tested," Li Heng said, "It's completely natural and doesn't contain any harmful substances."
"But I still feel..."
"Master!" Li Heng was getting frantic, "Even if you think it's risky, it's worth a try. You know the saying, 'One has to take risks to gain wealth and honor.'"
To gain wealth and honor, one must take risks.
Tang Long closed his eyes, worn out and worried. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said to Li Heng, "I don't seek wealth or honor, but I hope my son can become an ordinary person. Li Heng, take this lingzhi and make some soup."
Li Heng was waiting for these words from Tang Long. Without another word, he took the lingzhi to cook the soup.
Thus, the lingzhi had a strangely refreshing hot water bath.
Immersed in boiling hot water, the lingzhi didn't soften at all; instead, it seemed more vigorous. The fine red threads on it appeared as if they were about to come alive, which startled Li Heng.
One hour later.
Li Heng poured the soup into a thermos, and took out and stored the lingzhi.
Oddly, once it left the water, the lingzhi became dry and seemed brand new, not at all as if it had been just cooked in a soup.
This reinforced Li Heng's inner thoughts.
He brought both the soup and the lingzhi to the critical care unit, and had Tang Long feed it to Tang Yunxian himself.
After half an hour.
Looking at the unresponsive Tang Yunxian, Tang Long sighed, "It's no use. Throw away the lingzhi."
Li Heng's eyes dimmed. He was just about to leave the room when he heard Tang Long exclaiming, "Wait—"
Li Heng turned his head back in surprise.
The next second, both he and Tang Long were astounded together.
Tang Yunxian's right hand slowly raised, his fingertips pointing straight at the box in Li Heng's hand. The box in Li Heng's hand, as if responding, began to tremble slightly.
"What is happening?" Tang Yunxian asked this in his sleep.
He had been in this dream for a long time, knowing he was asleep but unable to awaken.
The dream was like a cage, firmly locked by a golden chain.
In his dream, Tang Yunxian had continuously searched for an exit, but like a headless fly, met walls everywhere.
Just when he was about to give up, a light mixed of platinum and gold appeared in his dreamscape, just like what he saw that night.
Gradually, the light faded.
Appearing in front of Tang Yunxian was a young man, his worldly dust washed away.
The young man, donned in white with golden patterns, was breathtakingly handsome. His eyes, resembling priceless obsidian, emanated a terrifyingly impressive light.
Tang Yunxian stared blankly at the young man, suddenly saying, "Have we... have we..."
"Have we met somewhere before?"
The young man froze for an instant, then his beautiful eyes saw Tang Yunxian directly.
His thin lips slightly opened, his voice clear and ethereal.
"Don't believe in feudal superstition."
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Author's Note:
This story involves Buddhist influences and themes of past and present lives. Speaking of which, which male lead do you hope Chengcheng ends up with?
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