Super Combat Soldier
Chapter 224 - 223: [The Elixir of Life]

Chapter 224: Chapter 223: [The Elixir of Life]

Xiao Ya nodded, not speaking, but watched with some tension as Zhang Yide took her mother’s pulse. Regarding Ye Tianchen, Xiao Ya’s heart was also a bit complicated. There was pure friendship as well as adversity-shared affection. It was impossible for her not to have a fondness for Ye Tianchen. A strong and charming man, with a dual nature of a rogue and Death God, he naturally carried a certain attraction toward the opposite sex—a rare woman would not be fascinated by him.

About ten minutes later, Zhang Yide finished taking Xiao Ya’s mother’s pulse. His expression was serious as he picked up the medical box beside him, much like the manner of an old-time Chinese physician. Both Xiao Ya and Ye Tianchen felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. Xiao Ya’s worry was naturally about her mother’s illness, while Ye Tianchen was concerned that Zhang Yide might not follow through with their previous agreement.

Who was Zhang Yide? The Divine Doctor Ghost Hand. It was likely that in this world, if he wasn’t considered the most skilled in medicine, he was at least close. It was impossible to hide Xiao Ya’s mother’s condition from him. While taking her pulse, he used the energy unique to Healing type superpower users to investigate her illness clear as day. The conclusion was the same as those of the advanced equipment and some expert scholars at Kyoto Hospital, even more detailed. Xiao Ya’s mother would live at most another half a year.

"Grandpa Zhang, how is my mom’s illness?" Xiao Ya, seeing that Zhang Yide was silent, asked anxiously.

"Cancer, but her current condition is good. If we stick to conservative treatment, she could live at least another five years. With the best medicine and most advanced technology during this period, she could live for over ten years more!" Zhang Yide said seriously, after giving Xiao Ya a look.

"Hmm..." Xiao Ya was somewhat silent. Even though she knew her mother still had some time left, the thought of her mother leaving her in five or ten years couldn’t help but make her feel very sad.

"Thank you, Master Zhang. Yaer, don’t be sad. Being able to live another five years, Mom is already satisfied. By then, I can see you get married and find a good home, fulfilling my heart’s desire!" Xiao Ya’s mother said with a smile, very optimistically.

"Mom, what are you talking about? You will definitely live a long and healthy life!" Xiao Ya walked firmly to her mother’s side, smiling and holding her mother’s hand.

"You child... go see off Grandpa Zhang and Tianchen..." Xiao Ya’s mother, seeing that Ye Tianchen and Zhang Yide were about to leave, hurriedly said.

Zhang Yide looked at Xiao Ya and her mother. He was also moved by the deep affection between the mother and daughter. Especially Xiao Ya, who was as well-behaved and sensible as his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong, it inevitably touched Zhang Yide, no stranger to life and death. From his medical box, he took out a small box and handed it to Xiao Ya, saying, "Child, here are three pills. Each time your mother’s life is in danger, take one to ensure her safety for three instances!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Zhang!" Xiao Ya took the small box handed over by Zhang Yide, expressing her gratitude.

Afterward, Zhang Yide and Ye Tianchen stepped out of the hospital room. Once outside, Ye Tianchen let out a long breath and said to Zhang Yide, "I say, old man, you really scared me just now. Were you really planning to tell the truth?"

"Of course I was prepared to tell the truth. A doctor’s heart is a parent’s heart, but every patient has a right to know about their condition. Deceiving her like this is irresponsible towards her illness. Xiao Ya’s mother is at the late stage of cancer, and she only has a little over three months to live, not as long as half a year. Deceiving her like this does her no good!" Zhang Yide shook his head and said to Ye Tianchen.

"Sometimes, a well-intentioned lie can give people hope. Why shouldn’t we do it?" Ye Tianchen suddenly sighed.

Hearing what Ye Tianchen said, Zhang Yide understood. He was the Divine Doctor Ghost Hand and a Gold Element superpower expert, having lived a hundred years, and had witnessed many things modern people had not, especially concerning life and death.

"Don’t worry. That young lady’s mother can hold on for at least one more year," Zhang Yide said.

"It seems that those three pills are not fake and do have the effect of prolonging life!" Ye Tianchen nodded and said.

Initially, Ye Tianchen thought that the small pillbox Zhang Yide gave to Xiao Ya was just a lie to deepen goodwill, giving her the greatest hope. Now it seems that Zhang Yide was not deceiving her but had truly given Xiao Ya three pills capable of extending a person’s lifespan.

If such pills were studied by modern science, they would absolutely shake the whole world, and would definitely baffle many scientists. Of course, the most likely scenario is that they would be treated as national secrets and hidden away, not to be known by the ordinary people in the outside world. There’s nothing unusual about this. Take the real society we live in; how could people like us who live among fame and at the bottom level ever know about some situations related to the development of the country, or even the survival of mankind? What’s known is just the tip of an iceberg, and some may not even grasp that much.

"That year, extending the lifespan of the founding leader by twenty years was not empty talk. I exhausted all my lifelong knowledge and used all the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures I had acquired in my life to refine a pill that could extend a person’s life by twenty years!" Zhang Yide seemed to be recalling the situation back then - that stormy night when he had prolonged the life of the founding leader, after which he disappeared, because there was no other way for him to live any longer. These are deep secrets; even if told, people wouldn’t believe them, including some of the top leaders of the country who do not know of such an affair since it’s of national importance.

Ye Tianchen’s heart was also shocked upon hearing Zhang Yide’s words. Extending someone’s life by twenty years sounded like a fairy tale. Even though he had once been an apocalypse Superpower User with the ability to shatter mountains and rivers with his fist, it was still rare to find such Divine Medicine that could prolong the life of those on the brink of death. Such pills did exist in the apocalypse, but they were so precious that even Emperor Level Experts might not possess them.

Zhang Yide, who was a Healing type Superpower User, was already an incredible and mysterious old man. It was particularly shocking that despite being a hundred years old, he had the strength of his youth, the ability to leap as light as a sparrow, and the strength to move mountains. Regardless of who it was, at the moment of death or pinnacle of power, their understanding and urgency for ’Eternal Life’ become more profound. If there truly was a way to become Immortal, many would abandon fame and wealth and tirelessly pursue it. This is why in the apocalypse, a world as bizarre as the days of old, mingled with modern civilization and Mutants both human and beast, those who sought Eternal Life were called Cultivators, or even Cultivators of truth. Hence, during the apocalypse, whether it was Mutants, high individuals of Ancient Martial Sects, or Superpower Experts, they could all be called Cultivators, with their ultimate goal being to strengthen themselves, survive in that brutal world, and to take seeking the path of Eternal Life as their lifelong direction.

"Modern society, except for some Original Forests, has been destroyed by modern technology and architecture, yet you’ve still managed to find the materials to refine life-extending pills. That’s truly miraculous!" Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but nod and say.

Refining pills, in fact, hasn’t ceased throughout the 5000 years of Chinese civilization, including today where some old Chinese medicine practitioners and some well-established pharmacies are still refining them. It’s just that the pills refined nowadays, most of which are referred to as medicinal pills, are quite ordinary and cannot be called ’Pills’ in the true sense.

"The three small pills I gave that young girl were actually remnants of the pills I refined to prolong the founding leader’s life, known as Dragon Marrow Pills. It’s a pity that only a small part of their potency remains, otherwise they could have allowed her mother to live a few more years!" Zhang Yide said as he continued to walk ahead.

"Dragon Marrow Pills, are they made by refining the liquid of Dragon Marrow Grass found within the veins of the earth?" Ye Tianchen suddenly stopped short and couldn’t help asking.

"I didn’t expect you to know quite a bit, my boy. Yes, back then I accidentally acquired a Dragon Marrow Grass. After several refinements, I managed to create the Dragon Marrow Pill. The founding leader of China made significant contributions to the people of the entire nation and deserved such life-prolongation, so I administered the Dragon Marrow Pill to him, prolonging his life by twenty years!" Zhang Yide looked at Ye Tianchen curiously as he spoke.

Dragon Marrow Grass, something Ye Tianchen had heard of in the apocalypse from the older generation, was a very miraculous herbal medicine. The Earth’s veins, also known as Dragon Veins, were crucial to the growth of everything in nature, containing powerful energy that allowed a planet’s flora and fauna to proliferate continually – attesting to its strength. And Dragon Marrow Grass, a Divine Medicine growing close to Dragon Veins by absorbing their essence, was imaginable in its enormous value – resuscitation from death was not an impossible feat for it.

However, acquiring Dragon Marrow Grass was extremely difficult. Even when Ye Tianchen was at a Divine Level and extremely powerful, he had sought Dragon Marrow Grass for future needs, but even he did not encounter such great fortune. The veins deep within the earth were constantly shifting, difficult to be grasped by anyone, and the sentient Dragon Marrow Grass, of course, would not allow itself to be easily found. There were many experts searching for Dragon Marrow Grass, along with an even greater secret: they hoped to find the Dragon Veins and use them to strengthen themselves, to break through to the most powerful realm.

"I also read about it once in ancient texts; I never imagined such a herb really existed in the world!" Ye Tianchen pretended to be surprised as he spoke.

"Nature has changed. If it had been during the prehistoric, mythical, or ancient eras, I believe the world would be much more incredible. Not like it is now, so lifeless!" Zhang Yide glanced up at the sky, as if thinking about something. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)