To a person on the verge of death, life itself was the most precious thing. Everything else was nothing more than drifting clouds. Seeing that Jiang Chen was going to set conditions, He Hongshu didn't even furrow his brow: "Just name your terms, Pill King Zhen. Whatever conditions there are, as long as old He here can manage it, I won't so much as blink."
Right now, the only thing old He wouldn't part with was his own life or his son's. Anything else, he'd give up without a second thought.
It was only when death loomed that one truly understood how precious life was. Everything else, every worldly possession, could be surrendered without hesitation.
"I don't want any reward from you. Just a map, a detailed account of your experience, and finally, a promise," Jiang Chen said seriously.
He Hongshu was taken aback. "Pill King Zhen, you're looking for that Soul-Soothing Wood?"
Jiang Chen didn't deny it, giving a slight nod.
He Hongshu grew anxious: "Pill King Zhen, I have not the slightest doubt about your alchemical talent. But that place — I truly advise you not to go. The Soul-Soothing Wood may be wonderful, but that place is steeped in strangeness at every turn. To me, it felt like a living hell. It's hard enough for any living person to get out alive."
"But you got out, didn't you?" Pill King Lu Feng suddenly interjected.
"I may have come out alive, but I'm half dead as it is — and about to die at that!"
"Nonsense! My master is right here. Even if you wanted to die, you couldn't."
He Hongshu looked at Jiang Chen with pleading eyes and repeated earnestly: "Pill King Zhen, I'm not saying this just because you're saving my life. Old He is genuinely advising you. That place is far too dangerous. For any human martial artist, it's nothing short of a nightmare realm."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I appreciate your good intentions, old He. But these are my conditions for saving you. Think it over yourself."
He wasn't going to force the issue or try to persuade He Hongshu.
Seeing Jiang Chen's calm demeanor, He Hongshu sighed in resignation: "Pill King Zhen, you're a master of great skill and bold spirit. Since you're old Lu's master, giving you the map would be putting you in harm's way."
"And not giving it to me would be harming yourself," Jiang Chen replied with a faint smile. "If I can cure you, then I can handle whatever dangers you've described. But without the Soul-Soothing Wood, the most important person in my life won't survive. Old He, put yourself in my shoes — what would you choose?"
He Hongshu froze. Yes — if it were his beloved son in danger, requiring the Soul-Soothing Wood to be saved... would he still go?
Even knowing it was a nightmare realm, old He wouldn't hesitate for a single moment.
With that thought, He Hongshu realized there was nothing more he could say. He nodded: "Pill King Zhen, I'll give you the map. I'll also write out the full details of my experience. But I'll say it again — that place is too terrifying. Even if you must go, you'd best invite as many helpers as you can and make every preparation before venturing in."
Jiang Chen nodded. "I'll take that into account."
"Good. You asked for a promise, which means you want old He here to keep the Soul-Soothing Wood a secret from everyone else. Rest assured — I swear on Heaven and Earth that apart from the three of us present today, I will never reveal the existence of the Soul-Soothing Wood to anyone, including my own son. Should I break this oath, may I be struck down by Heaven and Earth."
An oath sworn before Heaven and Earth was more binding than anything else.
After old He had sworn the oath, Pill King Lu Feng looked at Jiang Chen with eager anticipation, clearly hoping the young master would get to work right away.
"Old Lu, bring me paper and brush. I'll write down a list of spiritual medicine ingredients — get them ready as quickly as possible. Also, find a spacious area. I need to set up a formation. This treatment is no ordinary matter. The slightest carelessness could lead to consequences that would haunt us forever."
"Consequences that haunt us forever?" Pill King Lu Feng was startled. "What do you mean?"
Jiang Chen's tone turned grave: "Old He's blood vessels are crawling with invisible gu worms. If these worms break free from the body and scatter in every direction, the resulting plague will spread without end."
"Gu worms?" Pill King Lu Feng's facial muscles twitched violently. "There really are gu worms?"
"These are no ordinary gu worms. With ordinary parasites, if you kill the host, they have nowhere to breed and simply die. These gu worms are invisible, and they parasitize the bloodstream — so small that the naked eye can't see them. In reality, their numbers are as countless as the hairs on an ox. Each one is smaller than a grain of sand. But once their growth cycle matures, each one produces ten, each ten produces a hundred, and they multiply endlessly. The original worms continuously absorb the essence of their offspring to become the mother worm. Once the mother worm evolves, its reproductive capacity will increase by thousands or even tens of thousands of times. When that happens, the consequences are simply unimaginable..."
This explanation left both Pill King Lu Feng and He Hongshu utterly horrified.
It was that terrifying?
"The horror of these gu worms lies not only in their reproductive ability but also in their capacity for concealment. They parasitize the bloodstream, and ordinary people simply cannot detect them. Even when all the blood's essence has been drained and the person dies, no one would suspect that gu worms were at work. And the worms keep growing stronger, seeking out new hosts, spreading the catastrophe ever further."
If not for his experience in his previous life, Jiang Chen would have had no way of knowing about this.
He had encountered references to this type of gu worm in certain ancient texts in his former life, and every one of its symptoms had manifested in He Hongshu's condition.
Pill King Lu Feng was thoroughly creeped out and stammered: "Master, if what you say is true, once these gu worms erupt, won't they be nearly impossible to control?"
"Exactly. Many human powers that once flourished were reduced to ghost towns within months. Such things are recorded in the ancient texts."