Yun Zhonghe intended to heal Jing Wubian. What pill was he going to refine?

 Penicillin, packaged to look like an elixir.

 In truth, the best drug for urinary tract infections and prostatitis was norfloxacin. Cephalosporin worked just as well.

 But the process of making these drugs was so tricky that it was utterly impossible.

 Yun Zhonghe did understand the manufacturing principle, that using trichlorodifluoroaniline in a complicated procedure, he could produce norfloxacin.

 But given today’s technology, wanting to synthesize trichlorodifluoroaniline was completely fool’s talk.

 Although the use of penicillin was not as effective as norfloxacin in treating urethritis and prostatitis, it was still the most widely used antibiotic, especially as this world had not used antibiotics in the past. So, using these to fight inflammations should work wonders.

 The most crucial thing was that now it was no longer prostatitis and urethritis that endangered Jing Wubian’s life, but rather the complications of acute nephritis.

 That was what was fatal.

 Jing Wubian’s fever was getting increasingly high, and his mental state was declining.

 More than one doctor had diagnosed him as having less than ten days to live.

 However, at this time, penicillin was a life-saving miracle drug. As long as the inflammation was reduced, and his body temperature was lowered, his life would be saved.

 Therefore, administering penicillin to reduce the inflammation could definitely produce an immediate effect that would save Jing Wubian’s life.

 And even when used to treat urethritis and prostatitis, penicillin was quite effective. When combined with traditional Chinese medicine, it should be able to completely cure the disease, albeit temporarily. Though it was possible that a relapse might still occur, at least the treatment was still very effective.

 No matter what angle you looked at it from, penicillin was definitely an elixir for Jing Wubian at that time.

 When compared to any other antibiotics, penicillin was much easier to extract. By finding enough rotten watermelons, scraping the green mold off the top, cultivating it in a corn solution, and then carrying out another round of extraction, penicillin could be obtained.

 For every rotten watermelon with green mold, one could extract 200 units of penicillin per square centimeter.

 Howard Walter Florey, an Australian pathologist, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this development.

 Even though he knew the method, Yun Zhonghe had no problem performing it as well.

 But if they wanted to cure the disease, hundreds of thousands of units of penicillin would have to be used a day.

 With respect to the extraction of penicillin, Yun Zhonghe was running a one-man show. Even if he were to work twenty-four hours a day, he still would not be able to extract much.

 In the beginning, he still slept for two to three hours a day. But as time went on, he went entirely without sleep. He was working all the time and was simply going crazy from work.

 Ever since Jing Wubian fell ill, Yun Zhonghe’s little courtyard, which emitted such an overwhelming stench, was quickly forgotten by everyone.

 The crowd was just waiting for the time to come, where Lady Cold Jade would destroy Yun Zhonghe with one slash.

 Or maybe time would not be up, but Jing Wubian would die. Then Lady Cold Jade would still hack Yun Zhonghe to death with one strike.

 ***

 It was the last three days before the deadline when Yun Zhonghe’s warrant of military order was due.

 On this night, Jing Wubian was experiencing a particularly severe attack of the symptoms of his disease.

 He was feeling dizzy and was even exhibiting epileptic fits.

 And he was waging a desperate struggle against the urge to go on urinating blood. Once again, he was convulsing in pain and breaking out in cold sweat.

 The high fever persisted for days on end.

 More than a dozen doctors came, but none were able to bring his temperature down. They were all completely at their wits’ end.

 “Someone come quickly! Young Master has attempted suicide again, attempted suicide again…”

 As soon as they heard, Lady Torn Gust, Lady Cold Jade, and Blue Immortal rushed to Jing Wubian’s room. They found that his wrist was indeed bleeding profusely, and the wound was bone-deep.

 Blue Immortal hurriedly took out the best medicine for knife wounds and immediately stopped Jing Wubian’s bleeding. Then he bandaged the wound.

 “What are you guys saving me for? Let me die, let me die…” Jing Wubian was screaming at the top of his lungs hysterically, “I’m in so much pain, it hurts so much. Godfather, you have to save me, please save me…”

 1Jing Wubian looked at Blue Immortal with pleading eyes.

 Lady Torn Gust said with a trembling voice, “Blue Immortal, please, you have to save him, save him. Back then, this child was born into this world because of your teacher. The two of you are destined for each other.”

 Back then, Jing E could not give birth to a son, so he went around asking for a prescription. In the end, a necromancer came along and said that he had killed too many people and impaired the Heavenly Harmony, so he would not have a son.

 Therefore, Jing E stopped his expansion for the time being, and as a result, he eventually did become the father of a son.

 The necromancer was none other than the teacher of Blue Immortal, who was standing before him.

 It was precisely this destiny that allowed the Blue Immortal to stay in the residence of the castellan and be entitled to a transcendental position.

 Jing Wubian had also been calling him godfather. He was not only the Jing Wubian’s foremost confidant but also his spiritual sustenance.

 Hearing Jing Wubian’s plea, Blue Immortal took out a bottle of potion that seemed to be incredibly precious and gently poured it into Jing Wubian’s mouth.

 Then, something miraculous happened. Jing Wubian actually gradually stopped hurting. Instead, a sense of fatigue had set in, and he was feeling very comfortable.

 Lady Torn Gust and Jing Wubian’s eyes both filled with admiration and gratitude as they looked towards Blue Immortal.

 He was indeed the great Blue Immortal, and still so out of this world. The divine medicine that he refined actually had such a miraculous effect.

 “Godfather, thank you for saving me again.” Jing Wubian was in a dazed state as he spoke, but his eyes were full of admiration.

 “Silly boy, go to sleep, go to sleep!” Blue Immortal said gently.

 Jing Wubian closed his eyes prettily and fell sweetly asleep.

 But if Yun Zhonghe were there, he would definitely have recognized that what Blue Immortal made Jing Wubian drink was poppy juice and anesthetics.

 This stuff could only relieve pain, and it did not have the slightest therapeutic effect. On the contrary, it would produce terrifying side effects that would bring about massive destruction to the human brain.

 Why was Jing Wubian getting crazier and crazier?

 Blue Immortal’s divine medicine was pretty much the chief culprit.

 And Jing Wubian’s immune system was at the height of its vulnerability. The biggest cause was also Blue Immortal’s so-called divine medicine, which had destroyed Jing Wubian’s immune system so drastically.

 ***

 Inside a small courtyard that was filled with an immortal aura.

 “Master, that Yun AoTian is still using rotten watermelon to refine his pills. He has already become the laughing stock of the entire residence of the castellan, and that courtyard of his reeks with the overpowering stench,” a small Taoist priest said.

 Blue Immortal said indifferently, “Just a buffoon performing his antics.”

 The little priest said, “But Jing Wubian seems to be very close to him, doesn’t he?”

 “They’re both lunatics, of course they would hit it off. But don’t worry, there are only four more days left for this lunatic, Yun AoTian, before he dies,” Blue Immortal said.

 The warrant of military order that Yun Zhonghe had personally signed stated that he had to cure Jing Wubian of his terminal illness within half a month, or he would be tormented to death.

 “I’m just afraid that Jing Wubian is getting so attached and close to him that he’ll be unwilling to kill him,” the small priest said.

 “If Jing Wubian doesn’t kill him, I will kill him. Lady Cold Jade will kill him,” Blue Immortal replied.

 The little priest said, “Teacher, will Jing Wubian pull through this time?”

 “He won’t make it through, I suppose. The high fever is not subsiding, and he is bleeding from head to toe. It’s death for sure,” Blue Immortal said.

 The little priest asked, “Then what should we do? He honors you as his godfather. If he dies, your status in this residence is going to drop.”

 Blue Immortal said with indifference, “It’s not a big deal if he dies. I have already hooked up with a more prominent and influential figure.”

 The little priest said, “Teacher, you’re really old, but still full of vigor. Your charm remains unabated.”

 Blue Immortal closed his eyes and said nothing more.

 Jing Wubian, I really didn’t intend to have you killed, it’s just that only that divine medicine could make you obedient. And as for killing you, that’s also something that can’t be avoided. It’s a good thing that I’ve gotten my foothold, and your death won’t hurt our grand undertaking.

 ***

 Yun Zhonghe was still scrambling for every minute and every second he could get.

 Now, he did not even have time to eat or visit the bathroom.

 He could not help wishing that he could break apart every second of every minute for more time. To produce millions of units of penicillin with just him alone was enough to make anyone collapse.

 He was also in a race against time, a race against death. Every day, he worked tirelessly without rest.

 Jing Wubian absolutely could not die. The moment he died, Yun Zhonghe’s plan would be foiled, and his previous efforts would ultimately be for naught.

 Now, the light of dawn was emerging.

 The very last process was going to be completed soon, and it would probably take a few more hours for the first batch of penicillin to be successfully produced.

 So long as the first batch was out, there would be a steady stream of production for the following ones.

 He was only a step away from success.

 Jing Wubian, don’t you die, don’t you ever die.

 Yun Zhonghe made sure that he did not waste a second, and frantically raced against death.

 However…

 “Bang!”

 His courtyard door slammed open all of a sudden.

 A few warriors suddenly rushed in and arrested him without saying a word.

 “What are you doing? I am in the midst of completing the final step of this great cause and refining this pill, the elixir for saving Master Jing Wubian,” Yun Zhonghe shouted angrily.

 The leader of the warriors sneered disdainfully for a moment, then said indifferently, “You still think you can save Master Jing Wubian simply using a pill refined with these rotten watermelons? What fool’s talk!”

 They completely ignored Yun Zhonghe struggling against them and dragged him out.

 Yun Zhonghe shouted with great anger, “My elixir is only two hours away from completion. Just two more hours and it will be completed. Then Master Jing Wubian will be saved. You are all murderers.”

 The leader of the warriors paid no heed to him at all. He lifted Yun Zhonghe up and headed somewhere else.

 “Where are you taking me?” Yun Zhonghe asked.

 “We’re sending you for your final journey,” the warrior replied.

 ***

 A quarter of an hour later, Yun Zhonghe found himself in a magnificent and splendid ward.

 It turned out that the warriors who had kidnapped Yun Zhonghe and brought him there were Jing Wubian’s trusted warriors. They had brought him there to send Jing Wubian on his final journey.

 It had only been a few days since Yun Zhonghe had last seen Jing Wubian, and yet he actually has fallen into such a miserable state.

 He was puffy and swollen all over, with multiple festering wounds, swollen lymph nodes, and bloodshot eyes, and he was practically heaving more than breathing.

 Because of the high fever, his entire being seemed as though he was a red-hot prawn.

 By now, the total amount of time that he was lucid and awake in a day did not amount to more than an hour.

 “Yun AoTian, I’m about to die.” Jing Wubian said weakly, “I can feel it. I’m dying soon. But I’m not that sad about it. It’s just that it’s a weird feeling. It’s a feeling like I can’t completely clear my bowels after visiting the toilet, empty yet clogged, and it makes me get all panicky.”

 There was really no need to make such a disgusting metaphor at your deathbed.

 “Before I die, I have a very, very important question to ask you,” Jing Wubian said.

 “Please go ahead,” Yun Zhonghe responded.

 Jing Wubian said, “Previously, you boasted that your literary ability allows you to administer state affairs well and ensure national security, while your martial arts ability enables you to treat venereal diseases. At that time, I was very curious, but found it a little awkward to ask.”

 “Could it be that you have contracted a venereal disease?” Yun Zhonghe asked.

 Jing Wubian said, “No. I’m just curious, how could martial arts ability allow you to treat venereal disease? What was the relationship between venereal diseases and martial arts ability? I won’t be able to die a peaceful death if I can’t figure this out.”

 I, holy crap!

 You’re really a psychopath! Even at your deathbed, you still care about such a brainless question.

 Yun Zhonghe explained it to Jing Wubian in a somber tone, saying, “Before this, venereal diseases were incurable. And what I mean by healing, is the cut to eternal cure. Matters that involve the use of a knife, aren’t they related to the martial arts?”

 “Hahaha… I see, I see…” Jing Wubian burst out laughing, but that again brought about a crazy coughing fit, and streaks of blood were forming at the corners of his mouth.

 His lungs had actually become so severely infected in as little as a few days? How could his immune system be this bad? It shouldn’t be like that, right?

 Jing Wubian said, “Cutting it off, could it mean that the disease is curable?”

 “Impossible, but it would at least prevent anyone else from being implicated,” Yun Zhonghe said.

 “I see, I see,” Jing Wubian said. “AoTian, you are still so interesting, and you have such a nice way of speaking. I really hate the fact that we did not meet each other earlier.”

 1With that said, Jing Wubian began to gasp painfully, as though every word said was draining him of his vitality.

 “I’m dying, but I don’t have many regrets. After all, I’ve sought death more than once myself. But the person that I really can’t bear to let go of is you…” Jing Wubian said.

 D*mn it, even if you’re dying, could you not make things sound so ambiguous?

 Yun Zhonghe felt bouts of shuddering. He felt half touched and half awkward. His body felt like it was heating up, and even his eyes felt a little hot.

 Jing Wubian said, “The others, whether my mother, my sister, or Lady Cold Jade, or even godfather, they are all very powerful people. It will never be my turn to worry for them.”

 “Only you, Yun AoTian, someone who has no parents, and a lunatic at that. The only person that a useless man like me can protect is you, this poor, lonely, and helpless lunatic.”

 “After I die, godfather will kill you. Sister Cold Jade will kill you too. So, now that I am still alive, breathing my last, I must give you this final bit of protection. Go, leave!” Jing Wubian said.

 Then, Jing Wubian began coughing very vigorously again. With a trembling voice, he ordered, “Men, take Yun AoTian Away. Out of the residence of the castellan, out of the City of Torn Gust. As far as possible. Go, go, go! You must live, you must live…”

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