Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Dragon-Horse Spirit, and Life and Death Beyond One’s Control

Yang Chan awoke to find the sun already beginning to set in the west.

No one had come looking for him, which was a good thing. It meant nothing major had gone wrong in the infirmary.

Yang Chan stretched, the bones in his body letting out a crisp crack. He felt sluggish, not just from having just woken up, but mostly from staying up all night. Otherwise, he would have been full of vigor.

After waking and quickly washing up, Yang Chan headed straight for the infirmary. Along the way, he overheard that the Court had begun to crack down on the major powers within White Jade City, in some cases seizing their assets and wiping out entire clans.

Forces from the Dali Temple, the Six Gates, the Imperial Army, and the Forbidden Army had all made their move. They drew their blades on anyone who resisted, acting with extreme ruthlessness.

Yang Chan learned all this from the chatter of other Cyan Yuan Sect Disciples. It had all happened while he was asleep.

As far as Yang Chan was concerned, as long as the Cyan Yuan Sect wasn’t affected, it was all good news.

He arrived at the infirmary. The disciples injured last night were in pretty good shape. They weren’t afflicted by that insidious Power, and hearing the good news had strengthened their will to live.

It was worth noting that Cai Kun had also passed the critical period. Another disciple, however, hadn’t been so lucky; he’d died last night.

Xu Gaocen hadn’t shown up yet. He was clearly exhausted and still resting. It was also possible that, upon hearing the good news, he’d decided to reward himself with some extra sleep.

When Yang Chan arrived, he began checking on the injured disciples. Their overall condition was good. Before he and Xu Gaocen had gone to sleep, they had arranged for someone to deliver the brewed Qi Nourishing Soup. They had prepared the medicinal formula themselves and handed it off to others for brewing, providing instructions on the amount of water and the approximate cooking time. They had then left the task to the attendants in the Cyan Yuan Pavilion, who were actually Servant Disciples of the Cyan Yuan Sect.

At times like these, the usefulness of such people became apparent. Though not as good as a Pharmacist’s Assistant, they could still help the two of them with certain tasks.

The people chosen were those the Cyan Yuan Sect trusted, individuals with clean backgrounds. Loyalty was, of course, paramount. Before the medicine was administered, another Cyan Yuan Sect Disciple would inspect it and have someone test it first before giving it to the injured.

The entire process was taken very seriously. After suffering a loss, they naturally knew how to take precautions.

This also saved Yang Chan and Xu Gaocen a great deal of effort.

"Senior Brother Cai, you managed to pull through. According to Elder Ji, you should have some mobility back by the time we leave."

Yang Chan looked at Cai Kun, who was still lying down. After a quick examination, he confirmed there were no major issues. The rest of his physical wounds would depend on his personal recovery ability.

As an External Cultivation Disciple, his recovery ability was naturally strong. With the help of various medicinal supplements, his healing speed would quicken. Even with severe injuries, it wouldn’t take long.

Furthermore, Cai Kun’s greatest injury had been that insidious Power. Now that he had expended it, his recovery would be much faster.

Cai Kun hadn’t lost any limbs; he was only left with a wound on his chest. Once he recovered, his Combat Power wouldn’t be affected. He might even receive a considerable reward, which was also good news.

After all, no one had expected White Jade City to be so dangerous. Most had come to broaden their Experience. Their experience had certainly grown; it was just that some were now dead, and others were crippled with limited future prospects.

Martial Arts Cultivation is difficult enough even for those with able bodies, let alone for someone who is crippled. It truly adds another layer of difficulty.

A crippled body meant that there would be missing sinews and fascia, which would affect the circulation of Power and thus hinder daily Cultivation. This, in turn, would make Cultivation even more difficult.

It wasn’t that no one could cultivate to the level of an Inner Master, but the difficulty was immense, and their Combat Power would be lower than that of a normal Inner Master.

"I must thank Pharmacist Yang for his treatment yesterday. Otherwise, I might have ended up like that other senior brother."

Cai Kun tried to get up to express his thanks, but Yang Chan held him down.

"Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Just rest. It’ll be a hassle if your wounds reopen."

Yang Chan stopped him from getting up. ’The last thing I want is to have to bandage Cai Kun again,’ he thought. ’That would just be creating more work for myself, and that’s no good.’

"Once my injuries have healed, I will be sure to thank Pharmacist Yang properly."

Hearing this, Cai Kun didn’t try to get up again, but he made a promise.

Yesterday, he had truly felt like he was going to die. The feeling of despair was especially strong when he saw Xu Gaocen still treating another injured disciple, leaving him with no choice but to wait.

His life force was slipping away, bit by bit, and there was nothing he could do. It was utterly hopeless.

Then Yang Chan stepped in to treat him, handling his wounds step by step, and then arranging for someone to give him medicine. His will to live returned, and he ultimately pulled through.

This was the first time he had come so close to death. The feeling became even clearer when the other disciple died.

He had faced danger before in Qing State, but never to this extent. As an Elite Disciple of the Cyan Yuan Sect, the dangers he’d encountered had always been within an acceptable range. Even when injured, he’d only suffered minor wounds.

He never expected this outcome from the trip to White Jade City. After all, he had made inquiries beforehand; the disciples who participated on previous occasions had a comfortable and peaceful time.

But his turn was fraught with peril. Thankfully, he had survived.

According to the news from Elder Ji Feng, the danger had passed. This was the best news Cai Kun had heard since he’d recovered.

The situation before had been grim. If the Cyan Yuan Pavilion had fallen, the heavily injured disciples like them would have been doomed, as it would have been impossible to evacuate them.

Even if they were brought along, they would likely have died on the road. With their injuries unhealed, moving them would only have made things worse.

If the situation had deteriorated, there would have been no chance to evacuate them at all. Their lives and deaths would have been out of their hands.

But now things were different. They had a few days to buffer and recover, to regain their mobility. This made things safer. The absence of those chaotic forces made it even safer still.

"Alright. Once you’re better, I’ll be waiting for that thank you."

Yang Chan agreed with a smile. Compared to the others, Cai Kun at least had a bit of kindness in him. After all, during that critical moment, he had gone out of his way to give him a warning. It was a small gesture and didn’t help much, but the thought was what counted.

He was, at the very least, much better than the others, which naturally improved Yang Chan’s impression of him.

Times of crisis are when you can best see a person’s true heart. Faces you can’t normally read become crystal clear in moments of peril.

What Cai Kun had done was more than what most people would have managed.

Naturally, in Yang Chan’s mind, Cai Kun was someone worth befriending, unlike the others.

After finishing his examination of Cai Kun’s injuries, Yang Chan went on to check the other wounded disciples. He had to look over every single one to confirm there were no other issues.