Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Vol 2 ch 11: The Life-Saving Grace

“What? Boil?” Sun Chengyou stood frozen in place. “Sir, you must be joking!”

“I’m serious. No joke,” Zhang Xuan responded without emotion.

“Th-this...” Sun Chengyou found himself speechless.

“Sir, the water is extremely hot. Even though Father’s cultivation has reached the Organs Easing stage, being submerged could still scald him to death...” Sun Missy couldn’t help but interject.

“No boiling means the toxins embedded in his organs will remain, and even though I brought him back to life, he’ll surely die within three days,” Zhang Xuan said. “Let me make this clear: if you choose this route, I won’t refund the payment.”

Business was about fairness, and Zhang Xuan made it clear so there would be no disputes later.

Sun Missy and Young Master Sun exchanged glances before turning to look at Sun Chengyou.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sun Chengyou bit his lip. “This gentleman revived me and accurately identified my condition and its cause. I trust he wouldn’t harm me for no reason. I’ll do as he says!”

Seeing their father’s resolve, the siblings held back their objections. Sun Missy gave a nod, prompting their servants to hurry into action. Soon, a large cauldron was set up, filled with clear water, and a roaring fire was lit beneath it.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sun Chengyou climbed into the cauldron. The water soon rose to his neck, enveloping him completely. At first, the temperature was comfortable, but it quickly escalated. Despite his cultivation, Sun Chengyou began to struggle with the searing heat.

“Sir, it’s too hot—I can’t take it,” Sun Chengyou said, lifting his head with difficulty.

Zhang Xuan turned to the physician who had been beaten earlier. “Bring your medicinal decoction here.”

The physician flinched and glanced nervously at Young Master Sun. Fearing reprisal, he quickly complied, fetching a bowl of the concoction and handing it over.

“Drink it,” Zhang Xuan commanded.

Sun Chengyou took the bowl and gulped it down. Though he hadn’t thought much of the decoction before, sitting in the cauldron made him feel an immediate, cooling sensation rise from his abdomen, countering the water’s heat.

“Look! The water is changing color!” someone in the crowd exclaimed.

Sun Missy peered into the cauldron and saw the water turning a pale yellow, as if something was being drawn from her father’s body. As the water boiled, the hue deepened.

“Could it be... did he just...?” someone muttered cautiously.

Sun Chengyou’s face darkened. “Nonsense!”

How dare they suggest such a thing!

“Cough, cough!” Scolding the onlooker, Sun Chengyou then looked at Zhang Xuan, bewildered. “Sir, what is happening? Did I actually...?”

Zhang Xuan sighed. “That’s the venom of the Armored Rat-Tailed Beast being expelled by the boiling water.”

If he had soiled himself, he would have felt it!

Sun Chengyou relaxed upon hearing this, grateful he hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of everyone.

With the medicinal power maintaining him, Sun Chengyou managed to endure the boiling water. However, as the water turned a darker yellow and boiled more vigorously, he began to reach his limit.

“It’s burning...” His skin flushed, resembling a boiled shrimp.

“Come out now,” Zhang Xuan instructed.

Relieved, Sun Chengyou leapt out of the cauldron. Despite being boiled for so long, his body felt light and comfortable, as if he had just experienced a rejuvenating steam bath.

Perplexed, Sun Chengyou clenched his fists and channeled his True Energy. His bones emitted a series of cracks, and his body seemed to grow taller, radiating formidable power.

“Is this... the seventh level of the Source Pool Realm, the Jade Bone stage?” His pupils contracted in astonishment.

He had only intended to check if he still had any symptoms but unexpectedly broke through the bottleneck that had held him back for years, elevating him to one of White Roc City’s elites.

“Father, did you fully recover?” Sun Missy, witnessing this, flushed with excitement. Her father’s foundation had long been sufficient for a breakthrough, but his illness had suppressed it. If he succeeded now, did that mean his body was completely healed?

“The pain and discomfort are gone.” Sun Chengyou threw punches into the air, the wind whistling and his strength like that of an ox. The tearing sensation in his organs had vanished.

“The venom from the Armored Rat-Tailed Beast has been entirely expelled, so your body is indeed restored.” Zhang Xuan bowed slightly. “Your illness is cured. I will take the reward and bid you farewell now.”

“Wait!” Sun Chengyou turned hurriedly. “Daughter, quickly prepare a feast. I must host this gentleman!”

“There’s no need for a feast. I have urgent matters to attend to,” Zhang Xuan declined, waving a hand. “My name is Zhang Xuan, a teacher at White Rock Academy. If you feel unwell in the future, come find me. As long as there’s payment, everything else is secondary.”

Sun Chengyou nodded in understanding. “No wonder you possess such skill—a teacher from White Rock Academy makes perfect sense.”

The academy held a prestigious position in White Roc City.

“Teacher Zhang, what exactly happened? My father was dead, yet you revived him. And then boiling him cured his ailment. How?” Sun Missy couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.

Others turned their eyes toward Zhang Xuan, equally puzzled. Even the physician who had administered the false treatment leaned in, eager to hear the explanation.

“As I said earlier, Old Master Sun was poisoned by a mutated Armored Rat-Tailed Beast. The venom, being water-attribute, flared up during the Shen and Zi hours when yin energy intensified, causing excruciating pain,” Zhang Xuan explained, pointing at the physician. “The prescription had many nourishing ingredients, but the inclusion of water-attribute herbs like waterweed and Qingtou Flowers worsened the venom’s effects, triggering the symptoms and rendering him comatose.”

“I expelled the medicine from his abdomen with strikes, bringing him back. The boiling cauldron then leveraged intense heat to draw out the water-attribute venom. Luckily, the treatment worked.”

Sun Missy, though still confused by the details, felt profound awe.

“Farewell.” Zhang Xuan didn’t linger, leaving with Sun Qiang.

Much work awaited him, and he couldn’t waste time.

As Zhang Xuan departed, Sun Chengyou turned to the physician. “Did you understand Teacher Zhang’s method?”

The physician shook his head, eyes wide with astonishment. “He explained it simply, but even if I knew the venom’s attribute, I’d never dare treat it that way... His mastery is beyond comparison.”

Despite his twenty-plus years of practice, the physician couldn’t fathom flipping a patient upside down, pounding their abdomen, then boiling them. The risks were unimaginable.

Yet Zhang Xuan performed the process as if he knew it would work, without a shred of hesitation—demonstrating an unparalleled understanding of medicine that far exceeded the physician’s own.

“Zhang Xuan, White Rock Academy...” Sun Missy fell into contemplation after hearing the physician’s words.

Unaware of the ongoing conversations about him, Zhang Xuan had already mounted his steed with Sun Qiang, galloping swiftly toward the city.

“Who’s next?” Zhang Xuan inquired.

Glancing at the note, Sun Qiang replied, “The owner of Ji Yi Travel has a Luoyu Flower that’s turning yellow. Healing it could earn us a million coins.”

“Alright, to Ji Yi Travel...” Zhang Xuan commanded.

Their horses sped off into the distance.

---

White Rock Academy, Dean’s Office

Having concluded matters regarding the Xuanlong Palm, Lu Mingwei reviewed the copied martial technique with excitement.

A supreme-grade technique! Even within the Hanyuan Dynasty, it would be highly valued. White Roc City had never seen its like. Thanks to Zhang Xuan’s contribution, they now had one.

With dedicated training, Lu Mingwei’s strength would surge. Even without Yu Longqing advancing to the Dharma Aspect stage, surpassing him would be feasible.

“He truly is the academy’s good fortune...” Lu Mingwei couldn’t help but reflect.

Since Zhang Xuan joined, everything from teaching to relations with the city’s major families and the City Lord’s Mansion had improved. Now, with a supreme-grade technique secured, White Rock Academy could soon rise to the top among the surrounding ten cities.

“Dean...” Wu Yunzhou entered hurriedly.

While others might rush to train after acquiring a supreme technique, Zhang Xuan immediately left, indicating pressing matters. Wu Yunzhou had shadowed him to provide backup if needed.

“He, he...” Wu Yunzhou’s eyes widened with disbelief. “He went straight to Sun Chengyou’s residence!”

“Sun Chengyou, the retired court musician whose daughter married the Prince of Pingyuan? Wasn’t he gravely ill, seeking a cure?” Lu Mingwei asked.

Author's Note