bestfiction Chapter 128 The Strange Old Man
Chapter 128 The Strange Old Man
"I'm sorry, guests, my servant is a little slow on the uptake."
A gaunt old man with a white beard strode out of a maze of dilapidated closets. His movements were clean and efficient, as swift as a young man, and he didn't touch a single one of the scattered mechanical parts.
Even though the "little lion's head" had been turned away, he still wouldn't shut up. "Oh no, my great master, I haven't even had a chance to behold your handsome face today, please don't do this..."
The old man impatiently banged on the "little lion's head" and the whole room immediately became much quieter.
"Alright, let's get down to business. What are your demands?"
"We're here to buy prosthetics."
The official receipt was handed over, and the old man took it, glanced at it, and casually tossed it behind him.
"Okay, which one of you wants the prosthetic leg?"
One is in a wheelchair, and the other has only one arm. Why did they only buy one prosthetic leg? Couldn't they have bought them together so I could earn more?
The old man looked very thin, and the wrinkles on his face were stretched into a very "handsome" style. His mustache originally looked quite handsome, but when the old man turned around, his mustache was shaved clean.
Yue Kaishan stepped forward, intending to perform a martial arts fist salute, but he forgot that he had lost his left arm. He could only cover his left chest with his raised hand and perform an unusual salute, saying loudly, "Senior, my... junior's technique is special, requiring the use of prosthetic limbs with unobstructed meridians. Please grant my request."
"No problem, no problem. Once you've paid, there's no reason for you to lose out. This is a long-term business." The old man looked slovenly, with some kind of black, sticky stuff on his hands, which was quite unpleasant to look at.
After saying that, he put his arm around Yue Kaishan. The burly man, who was a head taller than the old man, didn't know whether to walk or lower his head. He could only bend down slightly and follow the old man's steps.
"Relax, everyone. I'm very easygoing. My surname is Liu, and my Taoist name is Yishou Zhenren. Liu Yishou is a homophone for 'keeping a trick up your sleeve,' meaning I'm tough and live a long life. I've spent my whole life researching prosthetics. Don't worry, becoming my experimental patient will be no problem at all. Everyone has witnessed my skills, otherwise I wouldn't be staying on the fourth floor, right?"
A powerful figure of unknown cultivation patted a junior Qi Refining on the back, laughing as they walked, scaring Yue Kaishan so much that he couldn't even walk properly.
Zhong Ming and the others didn't dare to move around until the old man told them to sit down and wait a moment, at which point they were able to relax.
Um... the seats weren't clean either, but the two grown men didn't care and plopped down on them. They immediately felt a warm current flowing down beneath them, which even had a heating effect.
Chen Dahai sat comfortably in his wheelchair, wondering if he should get one with heating.
"Hey, do you guys think this prosthetic leg is reliable?"
"Being cautious in your speech is the most reliable approach."
"Ah~~" Xuan Jing had just finished answering when a terrifying scream came from the "operating room" separated only by a curtain, making everyone's hearts tremble.
The old man's voice then came: "Does it hurt? If it hurts, that's good. It means my nerve connections are correct. Bear with it. There are still sixty-six connection points. Tell me which one doesn't hurt."
"Ah!!!" A pig-like scream echoed in the dilapidated room.
During the extremely long and agonizing period... during the back-and-forth torture, the members of the three teams sat in constant anxiety.
Was that the sound of a saw just now?
"It doesn't sound like that. Is it the sound of rusted gears being re-polished?"
Zhong Ming felt a chill run down his spine. "I swear on my 'career' over the years, it's definitely not the sound of grinding. Why does it sound like teeth grinding?"
After a while, the screams of pain inside showed no signs of stopping; on the contrary, they seemed to be getting worse.
"Captain, why don't we go? Didn't we agree that while Fellow Daoist Yue is receiving treatment, we'll continue to the treasure vault to purchase materials..."
"Bang!" Suddenly, a wrench struck like lightning, slamming heavily onto the chair back. The steel back of the chair was dented, and the wrench became embedded in the chair.
The inlay was placed 0.01 centimeters away from Xuanjing's ear.
"Um, um... Captain, I think we should wait until Brother Yue finishes his treatment. I believe he would love to see us as soon as he comes out."
Xuanjing then changed the subject, saying that those who cultivate the Tao emphasize following one's heart.
After two restless hours, the noise in the operating room finally stopped.
Master Yi Shou wiped his hands with a dirty rag as he walked out of the operating room, smiling as he said to everyone, "Your young brother is in great shape. He's been shouting for two hours and his voice hasn't gone hoarse. He has the same spirit as I did when I was young."
"Cough cough, how can I compare to you, sir?" Xuan Jing was still thinking.
The old man's gaze kept roaming over Chen Dahai, making him feel uneasy. When people are nervous, they tend to speak first.
"Senior, Brother Yue... when will you be able to come out?"
"three."
"Three hours? Isn't it inappropriate to bother you for so long?"
"two."
"one."
The demon who tore enemies apart has healed his wounds!
The colossal beasts that once fought against heaven and earth have returned to the battlefield!
The rising star of the Yue family has completed the most important transformation in his life.
Outstanding young talents in physical training are about to show their brilliance!
Please welcome the mighty and domineering mechanical arm general (to be confirmed) Yue Kaishan to make his dazzling appearance!
Yue Kaishan's steps were slightly unsteady, but he was extremely excited, his face flushed red... well, it might be from the pain.
Several people immediately surrounded it, looking it over from left to right and circling around to observe it. As long as the sleeve covered it and a glove was worn, it was impossible to tell that it was a prosthetic arm. The size was exactly the same as a real arm.
"Thank you, Immortal Master Liu! I will never forget your great kindness in saving me." Although his teeth were still chattering a little, Yue Kaishan's gratitude to Immortal Yishou was beyond words.
"It's alright. By the way, how about I tell you something?"
"Please speak freely. As long as I can do it, I will not hesitate to go through fire and water or boil oil."
"It's nothing serious. If you need to replace parts in the future, just come to me. Buying them in the military merit warehouse will cost extra military merit points. You can come directly to me and I'll give you a 10% discount. I'll specify what you need, and we can barter."
Although 10,000 military merit points were paid, only a little over 7,000 went into Master Liu's account, because taxes had to be paid.
Go directly to him, it'll be cheaper for both of you, and most importantly... he won't be held responsible if anything goes wrong.
The government collects taxes, but while the government can officially prove the wrongdoings he committed, or the things he did in private, no one can testify for him.
Do you know what my nickname is? It's "Black-Hearted Liu".
Of course, you have to lure newbies in slowly, by giving them a "sweet treat" first.
"The current combat strength of this robotic arm is definitely not a problem for those in the late Qi Refining stage. As long as it doesn't directly block attacks from those in the Foundation Establishment stage, it can definitely defend against them."
Hearing this, everyone took a deep breath.
Isn't this... the absolute defense of the Qi Refining stage?