Chapter 81: The Promised Treatment

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It is the third time Liu Jin enters Ruan Goutin’s throne room. It is the second time he is left alone with him.

He does not feel any safer.

Ruan Goutin is not in the Emperor Realm. However, it would be the height of foolishness to assume Ruan Goutin is somehow not a threat because of it. After all, Liu Jin is merely a cultivator in the Nascent Realm. The only person he can count on right now is Lei Kong, who is in the True Realm.

Ruan Goutin is in the Heaven Realm and has an army of cultivators at his beck and call.

To kill them, he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger.

Liu Jin approaches Ruan Goutin well aware of those things. His steps are measured, his back straight. The tray in his hands feels heavy even though there is not much on it, just a small cup and a flask. The flask is see-through and made of glass, allowing all who look at it to see the orange concoction steaming inside.

As Liu Jin kneels and places the tray on the floor, Ruan Goutin’s powerful aura presses down on him. The might behind it is fake, yet the menacing intent lacing it is all too real. Ruan Goutin’s presence fills every corner of the room. It is, Liu Jin now realizes, a defense mechanism. Ruan Goutin needs to impress his superiority upon others. He cannot allow it to be questioned. Should his power ever be put in doubt, all he has built could crumble in the blink of an eye.

That is how fragile Ruan Goutin’s position is.

That is why he is so dangerous.

Liu Jin is alive because he is useful. However, that does not guarantee his long-term safety. The moment Ruan Goutin’s fears overcome his common sense, Liu Jin’s life will end. That is how precarious his situation is.

No matter how hard Liu Jin tries, he cannot prepare himself against irrationality.

“You have had three days to prepare. Have you fulfilled your purpose?”

Ruan Goutin snaps his fingers. Liu Jin feels his voice return to him. The sensation of suddenly being able to form words after a week of silence is disconcerting, yet he quickly composes himself.

“My lord, I have done as you asked,” Liu Jin replies, making sure to keep his head bowed. “My servant and I have toiled away for the past three days. The result is this Elixir of Soulful Blessing you see before you.”

“Elixir of Soulful Blessing?” Ruan Goutin echoes. The look he gives the orange potion is at once dismissive and doubtful. “I cannot say I have heard of it. Surely, you are not trying to deceive me, are you?”

He says those words lightly. However, the accusation is a heavy one. A lesser person would have immediately started stuttering out denials. Liu Jin remains calm.

“My lord, to try to deceive you would be to court death. This Liu Jin is not that foolish. Please, consider that I have done all that has been asked of me. Why should this be any different?”

Ruan Goutin does not look convinced.

“And this elixir… you say it will heal me?”

Liu Jin nods. “That is so. Two of the main ingredients of the Elixir of Soulful Blessing are the root of an Eternal Tree and Phoenix Feathers. Because of that, it carries within the properties of vitality and renewal. Considering the characteristics of my lord’s ailment, I believe this is the best treatment possible.”

Ruan Goutin hums and strokes his chin. The ring on his finger catches Liu Jin’s eye. “The characteristics, you say?”

“As my lord knows, the real problem lies in his soul. For a normal person, the soul is an untouchable domain. However, my lord is not among the uninitiated. The days in which my lord was in the Nascent Realm were doubtlessly centuries ago. Others must content themselves with mastery over their bodies. My lord has reached loftier heights and has mastery over both his body and his soul. For him to mend his own soul is not impossible, yet that has not happened. The reason for it, well, I am sure my lord understands it better than anyone.”

Ruan Goutin’s face does not change. His muscles do not tense.

Even so, the weight of his presence doubles. Liu Jin grits his teeth as he feels as if his face is about to be slammed into the floor.

“The reason why my lord’s soul will not heal is because the aura of the one who made that wound still lingers.” Liu Jin quickly forces out. “It is a stain on my lord’s soul, preventing it from healing itself. In that sense, it is much like an infection, and much like an infection, it must be removed before my lord’s soul can be healed.”

Liu Jin is not lying. He might have seen Ruan Goutin’s soul for a fleeting instant, yet that glimpse was enough for him to see it. The wound on Ruan Goutin’s soul, the stain in it, it reeked of the aura of another. It lingered over the injury, giving it permanence and causing it to fester. That person’s power is, without a doubt, greater than Ruan Goutin’s. That is why he cannot force it out.

The level of control required for such a feat… Truly, it boggles the mind.

How sad it is that such a brilliant person is so obviously cruel.

“And you think,” Ruan Goutin begins slowly, making it clear Liu Jin must choose his next words very carefully. “That this elixir will remove the stain?”

It does not take Liu Jin even a second to reply.

Even so, it almost feels like an eternity.

“I do,” he says. “The elixir will gradually increase the strength of my lord’s soul until the foreign Qi is naturally expelled. Once that happens, my lord will be able to restore his soul. This is the best way to return my lord’s strength. In fact, I dare say it might be the only way to do so. If there is a doctor who can do more for my lord, then this one does not know of him.”

Ruan Goutin contemplates Liu Jin’s words in silence. Liu Jin takes it as a good sign that the threatening aura hanging over his head fades away as he does so

“Gradually?”

This time there is no subtle menace in Ruan Goutin’s voice. He sounds genuinely intrigued.

“For the best results, one dose of elixir a day is needed. After ten days, the results will become obvious, though my lord may start feeling his improvement even before then.”

Ruan Goutin drums his fingers against the throne.

“Ten days?”

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“That is so, my lord.”

“Have you made enough elixir for ten days, then?”

“My lord, for the elixir to exhibit the best possible results, it must be freshly made.”

“It has taken you three days to bring this much before me.” Ruan Goutin gestures to the flask Liu Jin has brought. “Am I supposed to believe you can make more tomorrow? It seems to me you just keep making excuses to keep yourself useful.”

“My lord, my life is in your hands. I would not dare deceive you. I have indeed been working with my servant for three days. The process through which the Elixir of Soulful Bliss is made is quite complicated. To make one from beginning to end in a day is impossible. That is why my servant and I have already started preparing the doses for the following days. My lord would just need to visit the accommodations he has graciously allowed us to use to verify this.”

“It is always curious to me how talkative people become when their life is on the line. You justify yourself well, yet that does not change the fundamental problem. You expect me to drink something you have made.”

Liu Jin says nothing. In the end, that is the core problem.

Trust.

One goes to a doctor because one expects to be healed. No one would visit them if they expected to be poisoned instead. There is a certain amount of trust associated with the profession. However, even though Liu Jin has proven his skill numerous times, Ruan Goutin still does not trust him.

“I will not do something as foolish as making you drink your own medicine. You prepared it. Doubtlessly, you have prepared your body against it. I assume the same can be said of your servant. To test it for poison using the two of you would be pointless.”

“My lord, I would not da—”

“Silence.”

Ruan Goutin waves his hand. The symbols around Liu Jin’s throat glow and burn, taking his voice once more. The barrier around the room is dropped.

“Enter.”