Chapter 558: Chapter 565: Not Eating or Drinking for 5 Days and 5 Nights! (Second Update)
Is this still a person?
On the bed in front of him lay an elderly man, at death’s door, without a single area on his body that looked like flesh. He seemed like a skeleton wrapped in a layer of gray skin.
If it weren’t for the faint hint of life he could still feel from this ‘corpse,’ Yang Zhen almost drew out the Great Missing Sword to slay this monster.
“This…this is Elder Feng?”
Yang Zhen looked at the pitiful old man in disbelief. He had not expected his sword strike to break through the shackles of the heavens and earth and reduce an old man to such a miserable state.
Tears welled up in Feng Jingtu’s eyes. The strong, burly man was openly crying. Even the usually sarcastic cat kept its mouth shut, looking solemnly at Elder Feng, who lay silent on the bed.
“This is my grandfather; he is only hanging on by a thread. If he doesn’t receive treatment soon, the consequences are unimaginable.”
Wiping away a tear, Feng Jingtu forced a smile for Yang Zhen, his face full of fear and anticipation as he asked like a child. “Can he be saved?”
Yang Zhen took a deep breath, shook his head, and slowly sat down by the bed. He wanted to put his hand on Elder Feng’s body, but hesitated, not daring to do so.
Given the state of his body, it probably couldn’t withstand even a bit of True Essence. If Yang Zhen were to rashly probe, he risked producing the opposite effect he was hoping for.
This left Yang Zhen feeling quite helpless.
“Yang friend, you’re here!”
A deep voice suddenly rang in Yang Zhen’s mind, startling him. He looked with disbelief at the man lying in front of him, his face expressionless, his eyes barely open.
The old man seemed to smile without a sound, saying, “Given my condition, it’s not surprising you’re startled. But I am well aware that my body is beyond salvation… however…”
“‘However’ what?” Yang Zhen asked curiously.
The old man was able to communicate telepathically, a psychic ability that even Yang Zhen wasn’t actively capable of. Of course, Yang Zhen could force his consciousness into someone else’s mind by brute force, but he couldn’t do it as effortlessly as Elder Feng.
Yang Zhen had only ever felt this from the Evil Shadow Black Glutton. It was something he could only do after refining the Great Missing Sword and transforming the Evil Shadow Black Glutton into the spirit of the sword.
Hearing Yang Zhen’s question, Elder Feng replied in a peculiar tone: “For some reason, I sense an illusion of surviving beyond my natural lifespan recently, and it’s growing stronger.”
“Maybe it’s not an illusion!” Yang Zhen smiled, “I need to study the state of your body. Your body is severely damaged.”
Seeing Yang Zhen talking to himself, the expressions on the faces of Feng Jingtu and the others changed constantly. Then, as if understanding something, they all stared at Yang Zhen in disbelief.
Feng Jingtu quickly grabbed Yang Zhen in excitement, “Is my grandfather, my grandfather communicating with you?”
Yang Zhen was startled. He initially thought Feng Jingtu was excitedly calling him ‘grandfather.’ After hearing Feng Jingtu’s words, he nodded. “Hasn’t Elder Feng been communicating with you recently?”
Given Elder Feng’s state, telepathic communication should have been exhausting. If he had not been communicating with Feng Jingtu and the others, then his condition was perhaps even more severe than Yang Zhen had imagined.
Feng Jingtu shook his head, but his face showed ever-increasing ecstasy. Although Yang Zhen didn’t give a clear answer, they all knew the truth—Elder Feng was indeed communicating with Yang Zhen.
“My grandfather hasn’t communicated with us for a long time. We already have an idea of his condition…so, is there any way to help him?”
Feng Jingtu looked at Yang Zhen with high hopes, his eyes brimming with expectation.
Yang Zhen shook his head once more. He had no clue at all and claimed to have confidence would be fooling himself.
“I need some time to observe. During this time, none of you should disturb me,” he said.
Upon hearing Yang Zhen’s words, Feng Jingtu didn’t hesitate at all, he quickly responded, “No problem at all, if you need anything, just let the cat tell me. No matter what it is, I will do everything in my power to get it for you.”
Yang Zhen nodded, “Alright, please leave for now.”
After Feng Jingtu and the others left, Elder Feng did not talk to Yang Zhen again. Likewise, Yang Zhen made no attempts to examine Elder Feng’s condition. He just calmly sat by the bed, silent all day.
That day, Elder Feng did not send any messages. Yang Zhen remained silent, as if he were in cultivation.
If one looked carefully, a layer of invisible threads surrounded Yang Zhen. Each one, thinner than a hair strand, formed from condensed runes. They circled around him, attempting to touch Elder Feng.
This touch was very dangerous. If not controlled properly, it could damage Elder Feng’s body.
Elder Feng’s body was already broken to such an extent that further damage would be irreparable. Even if Yang Zhen could cure his injuries, unless Elder Feng reached the Circulation Phase and could travel around the limitless universe effectively separated from his physical body, he would only be able to find a new body to reap to continue living. Otherwise, he could only inhabit this ruined body, or become a spirit cultivator.
This was not what Yang Zhen wanted, and certainly not what Elder Feng wanted.
Yang Zhen’s probing lasted for five days. During these days, he didn’t eat or drink anything, as if he had simply vanished from the Feng family’s residence.
Feng Jingtu had stood guard outside the room for five days; he almost couldn’t bear the hunger anymore. He called for someone to bring food and, as he ate heartily, he mumbled words he had just learned from the cat.
“Impressive, really impressive. Five days without eating or drinking, what sort of monstrous talent is this kid,” he muttered to himself.
In five days, almost everyone in the Mountain and River City knew that Yang Zhen was trying to cure Elder Feng. Various practitioners visited the Feng’s household for news. After one group left, another arrived; it was like a flood, with countless practitioners coming to visit Elder Feng. Even quite a few Mahayana Phase powerhouses, over a dozen of them, came to visit. Furthermore, two of them even stayed with the Feng family.
The Feng family treated the two Mahayana Phase powerhouses with the utmost reverence and respect. They were Elder Feng’s close friends and naturally couldn’t be neglected. Feng Jingtu also temporarily left his retreat to entertain the two Mahayana Phase powerhouses.
In the Feng family’s hall, the two elderly men had an aura as profound and calm as the ocean. They were both among the most powerful existences in Northern Island. Their cultivation was incredibly high, even surpassing Master Tie.
One of them, a short and chubby elder exuding Earthly essence from head to toe, furrowed his brows. He seemed somewhat irritable and quickly stood up after slamming his hand on the table. “Why haven’t we heard anything? This Yang Zhen, is he as unreliable as the rumors suggest?”
Upon hearing this question, the members of Feng family couldn’t hide their discomfort. Feng Jingtu’s eyes loomed with displeasure.
Regardless of Yang Zhen’s credibility, him staying beside Elder Feng without eating or drinking was already beyond what most members of the Feng family would do, and that included Feng Jingtu himself, Elder Feng’s favorite grandson.
The short, chubby elder’s doubtful remarks about Yang Zhen made some of the Feng family members feel upset, though they didn’t dare to voice anything.
At that moment, another elderly man dressed in a purple robe chuckled, “Old Man Meng, calm down your volatile temper. You’re already one foot in the grave but you’re still so impatient.”
“Hmph!” The rotund elder sniffed. “I’m just worried about Elder Feng!”
Saying this, the short, chubby old man sighed. “But, to be fair, is it really true that Yang Zhen hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for five days and five nights? Hmm, this is certainly interesting. Regardless of whether he can save Elder Feng or not, I’ve taken a liking to this young friend. Who dares to speak ill of him, I’ll be the first to object!”