Chapter 27: Injuries

“Your mother has overexerted herself. By using her spiritual power to stoke the stove fires for extended periods, her heart and lungs have been damaged by the heat. This has caused her coughing, physical weakness, and difficulty breathing.”

Old Mr. Feng explained the condition to Mohua and continued

“When she was first brought here, she could barely catch her breath. I refined some medicinal pills to provide temporary relief, so there is no need to worry in the short term, but she will need proper recuperation moving forward. She must no longer use spiritual power to stoke the stove fires, and she can no longer work as a kitchen assistant in the dining hall. Otherwise, her heart and lungs will eventually fail, and it will be beyond salvation.”

Hearing this, Mohua felt a sense of dread and could not help but bow deeply again. “Mohua will forever keep Grandpa Feng’s kindness in his heart!”

Old Mr. Feng helped Mohua up, smiled slightly, and said, “Saving lives is simply the duty of an alchemist; there is no need to speak of kindness. Though you are young, you are quite formal. By the time you repay me, I might already be in the ground.”

Mohua breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Grandpa Feng is an alchemist with a benevolent heart; you will surely live for several hundred more years!”

Old Mr. Feng laughed out loud. “You child, you’ve been a smooth talker since you were small.”

“My mother only helps in the kitchen for four hours a day. Everything was fine before; why did her heart and lungs suddenly suffer such severe damage?” Mohua could not help but ask.

Old Mr. Feng replied, “I asked the cook at the dining hall. Starting this year, your mother’s working hours have increased from four hours to six hours a day. Over time, her spiritual power is more easily depleted, and combined with overexertion, the condition naturally became more severe.”

“Was the Fire-Warding Hairpin useless?”

“You mean the hairpin your mother wears?” Old Mr. Feng stroked his beard and nodded in explanation. “That hairpin is indeed useful, but it is merely an ordinary spiritual tool without a formal grade, so its efficacy is limited. However, it is a good thing she had it; otherwise, your mother’s condition would have been even worse. Even if cured, her heart and lungs would have lingering issues.”

Mohua felt a mix of relief and lingering fear. When he asked about the cost of the diagnosis, Old Mr. Feng said, “The manager of the dining hall came by just now. They feel very guilty about your mother’s situation, so they will cover all the costs for the medicinal pills. You don't need to worry about that.”

Old Mr. Feng gave Mohua a subtle wink and whispered, “Since they are willing, I won't be impolite. I will naturally use high-quality medicinal ingredients to refine the pills to ensure your mother is fully cured.”

Relieved, Mohua thanked Old Mr. Feng solemnly once more, then asked in a low voice, “Can I go see my mother?”

Old Mr. Feng nodded. “Go ahead. Your mother just lay down after taking the medicine. Remember to be quiet.”

The side rooms of Xinglin Hall had been connected to accommodate several sickbeds for patients to rest. Though simple, they were clean and tidy, scented with a faint aroma of incense.

When Mohua saw Liu Ruhua, she was lying on an inner bed, sleeping quietly. Her breathing was very light, and her face was pale and somewhat haggard.

Mohua pulled up a small stool and sat quietly beside her, watching her face.

Mohua remembered that when he was first born, his mother was still very young, gentle, and beautiful, with a lovely smile.

Now, ten years had passed without him realizing it.

For cultivators with long lifespans, ten years was actually nothing; for some, their appearance wouldn't change in the slightest over a decade.

But Mohua’s mother had already become somewhat haggard, with even a few strands of white hair at her temples.

Thinking about how he was slowly growing up while his parents were slowly aging without his knowledge—and that by the time he suddenly realized it, they would no longer look the way they did in his memories—Mohua felt a pang of sorrow, and his eyes grew misty.

After an unknown amount of sleep, Liu Ruhua woke to find Mohua leaning by her side with red eyes. She felt both comforted and heartbroken.

Liu Ruhua stroked Mohua’s head. “Why are you here? Shouldn't you be practicing at the sect?”

Mohua looked at her silently. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Liu Ruhua said, “Mother is fine, you don't need to worry.”

“Grandpa Feng said you have to help in the kitchen for six hours every day.”

“Six hours is nothing. Look at your neighbors, the uncles and aunts; their work is sometimes even harder. Your father goes out to hunt demons and sometimes doesn't sleep for days and nights. Everyone is like this...”

Mohua shook his head. “Mother, your health is not good, how can it be the same? Is the family short on spirit stones?”

Liu Ruhua sighed softly. “We aren't short on spirit stones, but aren't you about to start learning cultivation techniques? A mid-grade, low-tier technique should cost over two hundred spirit stones. I wanted to save up more so you could choose a better one when the time comes.”

Mohua was stunned. “I didn't even mention the techniques; how did you know?”

Liu Ruhua stroked his head again. “Silly child, how could Mother not know? You didn't say it because you are sensible, but your parents cannot help but plan for you. We are only Qi Refining stage cultivators and cannot give you the very best, but within our means, we want to give you the best we can.”

Mohua’s nose tingled. He pulled out a storage bag and said, “Mother, I can earn it myself. I’ve already earned one hundred and eighty spirit stones!”

This time, it was Liu Ruhua who was shocked. Her mouth hung open slightly, and it took a long moment before she could speak. “How did you earn so much...”

Mohua’s mood brightened. “I help people draw formations.”

“Is it still that Youyuan Studio on North Street?”

“Yes.”

Mohua said, then froze. “Mother, how do you know about that too?”

Liu Ruhua smiled gently. “Your father told me. That day he saw you take out so many spirit stones, he suspected someone was tricking you with ill intentions, so he followed you to that shop. He asked the manager a few questions and discovered you weren't being cheated—instead, the manager was the one being tricked by you. As a mother, I didn't even know you had a 'big brother' helping you out...”

Mohua’s mouth fell open. He felt like he had kept everything secret, yet nothing had remained hidden. He didn't even know when his father had followed him to the Formation Pavilion...

Liu Ruhua touched Mohua’s face, saying with relief, “When you were little, you were so small and thin that I worried you would be bullied, and I worried about how you would make a living in the future. I didn't expect that at such a young age, you could earn so many spirit stones. Mother can rest easy now.”

“However, you must save these spirit stones yourself. Don't just look at how much you have now; once your cultivation is higher, or when you marry a Dao companion and have children, you will spend a lot. Save them now so you aren't caught short later.”

Mohua shook his head. “Mother, I will definitely earn even more spirit stones in the future, so don't worry about that. The most important thing right now is to recover your health. Don't worry about anything else.”

Liu Ruhua looked at Mohua tenderly. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't help but cough. Mohua wouldn't let her speak further, urging her to rest well.