Chapter 1423 — Yu Xiaoke Is Poisoned; Tianlei Zhu Is Instantly Moved

Actually, General Weiwu had told it earlier that Wei Zhao was a physician too, and a cultivator as well, and that he had obtained Zhang Liju's medical notes — which made him, in a sense, an heir to Zhang Liju's medical art. So it would not be out of the question for Tianlei Zhu to go out with him!

After all, when Zhang Liju lay dying he had instructed Tianlei Zhu that if other physicians ever came upon it, it might go with them and help them practice medicine — that too had been Zhang Liju's wish.

In all his life Zhang Liju had never found a suitable disciple. A good teacher is hard to find, they say — but a disciple of outstanding talent is hardly easier to come by. Zhang Liju was a rigorous man, and by the principle of preferring nothing at all to something second-rate, he ended up never finding a fitting disciple in his whole life, and could only carry all he had learned regretfully into his grave, waiting for some fated person to visit the tomb in the years to come and inherit his life's work.

That was why Zhang Liju's tomb had been designed so strangely and so ingeniously; only after Wei Zhao had worked everything out did he feel such boundless admiration for the man.

First of all, to enter the ancient tomb and carry Tianlei Zhu away, one had to be someone capable of communicating with spirit beasts. Wei Zhao could not yet do so freely, but General Weiwu could — which was why Wei Zhao and the others had made it into the underground palace so smoothly. Otherwise they would have been stopped at the very first gate by that four-not-alike tomb-guarding spirit beast and unable to go a step further.

That was Zhang Liju's first test. If you could communicate with spirit beasts, you might enter the ancient tomb; but if you were not a physician, only an ordinary tomb robber, then the poisonous mist and poisoned arrows that followed would be enough to kill any visitor to the tomb. If you were a physician, of course, you could neutralize the poison yourself — and such a person was precisely the inheritor of his medical art that Zhang Liju sought. As for character and other such matters, those were beyond Zhang Liju's consideration; there was no help for it. Good man or bad, so long as his medical skill was superb and he could speak with spirit beasts, he could just barely count as his successor.

Besides, though Zhang Liju had saved countless lives in his day, he was himself a man of both light and shadow, not so rigidly bound by doctrine. In that respect he was rather like Wei Zhao.

Having gained a benefit even greater than gorging on medicinal herbs, Tianlei Zhu at once came scampering over in delight, dancing and waving its little limbs at Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao was somewhat speechless. This little creature was a bit too much of a snob, wasn't it? Earlier no amount of coaxing would make it leave, and now that he had thrown it a little sweetness, it was fawning on him!

"Little Wei, tell it that if it wants to level up, it should come with me!" Wei Zhao said to General Weiwu, asking him to convey his meaning.

But before General Weiwu could even open his mouth, Tianlei Zhu leaped into the air and latched onto Wei Zhao, refusing to let go — as if afraid Wei Zhao might change his mind and leave it behind!

"Woof, woof..." General Weiwu pointed at Tianlei Zhu, then at Wei Zhao's mouth. His meaning was plain: the little thing could understand what Wei Zhao said.

"Oh?" Wei Zhao was taken aback, but then he nodded. If Zhang Liju had been able to converse with Tianlei Zhu in words, then it followed that Tianlei Zhu could understand human speech. So the creature had understood Wei Zhao all along — which was rather irritating! So all that time he had been having General Weiwu relay his words, this little thing had been laughing at him?

"Dead pig, you can understand what I say?" Wei Zhao glared at Tianlei Zhu and asked.

"Squeak, squeak—" Tianlei Zhu nodded, a little frightened, afraid that if Wei Zhao got angry he would no longer take it away from this place.

"Let's go!" Wei Zhao could not be bothered to squabble with a beast. He peeled Tianlei Zhu off himself and dropped it on the ground. "Walk on your own!"

"Squeak, squeak..." Tianlei Zhu wanted to cling to Wei Zhao again, because to it Wei Zhao's body was like one great spirit vessel, brimming with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; if he let slip even a little of it, it would reap enormous benefit.

Seeing how cute Tianlei Zhu was, Yu Xiaoke could not resist reaching out to stroke it.

Suddenly, Wei Zhao's jade pendant sent out a warning signal. Wei Zhao was startled. Though he did not know what danger was coming, he still cried out instinctively, "Careful!"

"Ah!" Yu Xiaoke had not expected that the instant she reached for Tianlei Zhu, every hair on its body would stand on end and it would turn into a bristling little monster, pricking her hand until it bled. "Why is this little thing like a hedgehog?"

Yu Xiaoke hastily drew back her hand and put her finger in her mouth to suck at it.

"I didn't expect it to have a self-defense ability," Wei Zhao said with a smile and a shake of his head. The little creature had no power to attack, but it did have a power to defend. So the jade pendant's warning had been because Tianlei Zhu was about to prick Yu Xiaoke!

"Exactly. It won't even let me touch it once." Yu Xiaoke was caught between laughter and tears; she had only touched it once, and her hand had been pricked.

With Tianlei Zhu now in the party, Wei Zhao had no intention of going back to Zhang Liju's main burial chamber to disturb the master of this tomb. Everything that ought to be obtained had been obtained; Wei Zhao was not a greedy man, and his purpose in coming to this ancient tomb had been to find the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit.

So when Elder Yu took away one Qi Gathering Pill, Wei Zhao had not felt much heartache, nor would he chase after him and fight to the death to get it back. For something of little use to him, Wei Zhao saw no need to waste his thoughts.

With Tianlei Zhu and General Weiwu in tow, Wei Zhao and Yu Xiaoke quickly withdrew along the passage of the Gate of Death. The way was safe and smooth throughout, and they met no danger at all. It seemed their earlier guess had been right: wherever Tianlei Zhu was, there was no danger.

They had retreated all the way to the exit where the Gate of Death met the Gate of Life when Yu Xiaoke suddenly felt a little dizzy.

"Male Thief... I'm a bit dizzy. Can we rest for a while?" Yu Xiaoke found it odd that she should be dizzy, but to her mind it was most likely because they had been in the tomb so long that she was short of oxygen.

"Oh? Dizzy?" Wei Zhao was startled. "How did that happen?"

The air in the ancient tomb was thinner than outside, true, but for someone like Yu Xiaoke, who often traveled through harsh environments, it should have had no effect. Even Old Hei was under no strain — how could Yu Xiaoke possibly have a problem?

So Wei Zhao was somewhat puzzled by Yu Xiaoke's sudden dizziness. Out of a physician's sensitivity — and especially given how many perils lurked in an ancient tomb — he still asked, a little tensely.

"I don't know either. Maybe it's the thin air in the tomb — a bit of oxygen deprivation?" Yu Xiaoke said, none too certain herself.

Wei Zhao nodded. Though he still had his doubts, for the moment there was no other explanation. After all, along the way, in the passage of the Gate of Death, no danger had appeared; otherwise his jade pendant could not have stayed utterly unresponsive...

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