Volume Three — The Fox Immortal Tomb Chapter Three — Old Xu

When Li Kun saw those two huge water vats, he turned to the old man beside him and asked, “Senior, could it be that these vats are meant for something?”

Old Mr. Xu nodded. “That’s right. Those two vats are for the two of them.” Then he looked at Li Kun and asked, “Young man, you didn’t come down with the corpse poison, did you?”

Li Kun shook his head. “When that black mist came out, I knew something was wrong. I held my breath at once, and that’s why I didn’t get infected.”

Old Mr. Xu nodded again, reached out, and pulled the car door open. He said to Xu Jianguo and Li Kun, “You two take off their clothes and put them into those vats. Let them soak for an hour first. Remember to keep the water heated, or the two of them will freeze to death.”

After hearing this, Li Kun could not help grimacing. In his heart he thought that soaking outdoors in the dead of winter, with the water not even hot enough, would not turn them into ice blocks the moment they got in?

And that thought was by no means unfounded. The temperature in northeastern China was around minus thirty-five degrees at the time, and there is a saying in the Northeast: in winter, even when you go to the toilet and relieve yourself, you have to take a wooden stick with you, or else it can freeze together before you know it.

Seeing Li Kun’s expression, Old Mr. Xu guessed what he was thinking and said, “Do you think they’ll freeze to death soaking outside?”

Li Kun stared at him in surprise, wondering how this old man knew what was on his mind, but he still replied, “To tell you the truth, Senior, I do have that question. In weather this cold, if they soak outside, won’t the water in those vats freeze over? Wouldn’t that mean...”

Old Mr. Xu waved his hand. “Even if I meant to harm your friend, would I ever harm my own grandson? Rest assured. They are both poisoned by corpse toxin now, and the poison is already a mess inside them, but I’ve put plenty of medicinal herbs in the vats. With those herbs and the fire beneath the vats, it will be enough to keep their body temperature normal.”

“And the reason they must soak outdoors rather than indoors is that they need to breathe the air outside. In the mountains, the air is richer. If they were inside and the air did not circulate, they would be left with lingering illness. Every winter after that, their hearts would begin to spasm.”

Only after hearing this did Li Kun finally understand. Old Mr. Xu waved him on again and said, “Hurry and put your brother into the vat. If you delay any longer, the corpse poison will reach his heart. Even if immortals came, they would not be able to save him.”

With that, Old Mr. Xu turned and went to sit in the recliner beneath the big tree.

Li Kun stripped me bare, leaving only my underwear. After I learned about this later, I still gave him a thumbs-up in my heart and thought that Li Kun was a true brother.

But Li Kun’s thoughts at the time were not at all like what I thought afterward. At that moment, he truly did want to strip me naked, but since Old Mr. Xu and Xu Jianguo were both right there, he had no choice but to suppress his little scheme.

For the next half hour, Li Kun kept watching my face. From the first moment, when my complexion had turned sallow and my lips blackened, to the end, when my face had regained its color and returned to normal, he saw it all, and the more he watched, the more he admired Old Mr. Xu.

After about half an hour, Old Mr. Xu finally sat up and said to Xu Jianguo and Xu Tian, “That should do it. You two carry them into the house. They should wake up in a little while.”

Li Kun and Xu Jianguo nodded, then lifted Xu Tian and me out of the vats one by one and carried us into Old Mr. Xu’s tile-roofed house. After laying us on the heated brick bed, they covered us with blankets.

Li Kun turned to Old Mr. Xu and asked, “Senior, when will the two of them wake up?”

Old Mr. Xu smiled. “Don’t be anxious. They ought to wake up in a bit.”

Then he sat down in the chair on the floor and began drinking tea. He waved at Li Kun. “Come over and have some tea too. Calm yourself. The two of them will be fine. In a little while they’ll be full of life again. Those herbs of mine are all fine things. They strengthen the body and build up the constitution. I’d wager that even getting sick in the future will be difficult for them.”

Hearing this, Li Kun’s eyes went wide. “There’s such a good thing? Senior, do you still have those herbs? I want to soak in them too.”

Looking at Li Kun’s broad frame and solid muscles, Old Mr. Xu laughed. “Your body is already in excellent shape. You don’t need those medicines. If the two clash, your body won’t be able to handle it.”

By then, Xu Tian had already opened his eyes. Seeing that he was in his grandfather’s house, he looked a little puzzled. He touched his head and sat up.

Because the corpse poison in Xu Tian’s body had already been mostly cleared by me at that time, and because he had been soaked in those medicinal herbs, it was not strange for him to wake up then.

After seeing Xu Tian awake, Old Mr. Xu asked with concern, “Xiao Tian, how are you feeling now?”

One hand on his head, Xu Tian asked, “Grandpa? How did I end up here?”

At that moment Li Kun walked over to Xu Tian and said, “Old Xu, you’re all right now. That’s great. You nearly scared Old Liu and me to death just now. We thought you were done for.”

Xu Tian looked at Li Kun. “Old Li, weren’t we in my shop just now? What happened?” As he spoke, he began to think back, and one by one the memories from before flooded into his mind.

He turned to Li Kun and asked, “What happened to me just now?”

Li Kun told him everything from beginning to end. After he finished speaking about me as well, Xu Tian felt his nose sting with emotion. He patted Li Kun on the shoulder, then turned to look at me, still unconscious, and said, “Old Liu was like this because he saved me?”

At that, Old Mr. Xu said, “Xiao Tian, Xiao Liu is a good man. You should have more to do with him in the future. And remember this: our Xu family must never forget our roots.”

Xu Tian nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I understand.” Satisfied, Old Mr. Xu nodded and went on drinking his tea as though nothing had happened.

Xu Tian and Li Kun talked a while longer about what had happened earlier, and only then did they learn that it was all thanks to my short blade. As for the rest, they would have to wait until I woke up before asking Old Mr. Xu again.

Time passed second by second. Li Kun and Xu Tian sat on the chairs on the floor, drinking tea with Old Mr. Xu. Xu Tian kept glancing at me from time to time. Fortunately, I had not woken up yet, or else with the way Xu Tian was looking at me, I would have thought he had some improper intentions toward me.

At that moment, I only felt my head swimming. My fingers moved faintly, and I realized my entire body was weak and limp. I raised a hand to touch my head and found that even lifting my arm was far more difficult than before.

Xu Tian’s condition was very different from mine. His wound had been infected by corpse poison, which then slowly spread through his body, and the process moved upward through his arm. That was why he had been able to wake up with little trouble.

But I was not nearly so fortunate. I had swallowed the corpse poison directly into my body, and it had spread from within. Trying to expel it from the outside with glutinous rice or the like was nothing but wishful thinking, because there was no wound on the outside at all. The corpse poison could only be drawn out little by little through medicinal herbs and soaking in water.

That helpless feeling tormented me terribly. There was still some pain left in my body as well. The moment I tried to lift my arm, a sharp ache shot through my chest, and I could not help letting out a soft groan.

When the three people on the floor heard me, they knew I had finally awakened. Xu Tian and Li Kun both stood up and came over to my side. Li Kun asked anxiously, “Old Liu, how do you feel? Is something wrong somewhere?”

I looked at their two large faces looming over me and said, “Nothing serious. I just feel weak all over, and my chest hurts a little.”

At that moment Old Mr. Xu stood up and said, “That is normal. Come, drink this cup of water and you’ll be fine.”

I raised my head slightly and, seeing that it was an old man, felt a little puzzled. I did not know this elder. Who was he?

Li Kun understood my confusion and whispered in my ear, “This is Xu Tian’s grandfather. He’s the one who saved the two of you.”

I nodded faintly. Li Kun then took the water cup from Old Mr. Xu’s hand and held it to my lips, and I drank the entire cup.

After the water went down, I immediately felt the pain in my chest ease considerably, and the strength in my body gradually began to return.

Sensing my condition, I was astonished. The old man’s cultivation was probably second only to the Daoist Ghost Lantern. With just that one move, he had actually restored my injuries so quickly.

Feeling the changes within my body, I planted both hands on either side of me and was about to sit up. Seeing that I was getting up, Xu Tian quickly held me back and said, “Old Liu, you don’t need to get up. This is my grandfather. We’re all family here.”

Hearing that, I was even more stunned. How had I suddenly become family with Xu Tian?

Though I thought that in my heart, I did not show it on my face. I waved a hand to indicate that I was fine.

After sitting up, I cupped my hands toward Old Mr. Xu and said, “Many thanks, Senior, for saving my life.”

Old Mr. Xu smiled and nodded. “No need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you. If you had not saved our Xiao Tian, the Xu family would have been cut off in my generation.”

Hearing this, Li Kun and I could not help glancing at Xu Tian. We had not expected Xu Tian to be an only son.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside. When I saw a muscular man of about forty enter, I could tell at once that he must be, or once have been, a soldier.

Soldiers always carry a certain bearing. Every movement is steady and restrained, the result of long years of training. Li Kun and I both had that same quality in our own way.

Xu Tian nodded at the man and said, “Dad, we’re all right now.”

Only then did the man let out a breath of relief. He walked over to me, raised a hand, and patted my shoulder. “Young man, well done. I admire you.”

With that, the man turned and walked back out again.