I Have Medicine

Chapter 547 - (Gu Zuo’s Information) The mystery that puzzles the people of Eight Desolations City.

The aide had been joking initially.

He understood well that, while Wu Yingyuan was an exceptional figure in Eight Desolations City, she would not be considered a match for a Ten Ultimates Sect prodigy like Gongyi Tianheng. Moreover, even if they were considered a good match, neither side would be inclined toward marriage. Wu Yingyuan sought to wed a young and powerful cultivator so he could stay in Eight Desolations City and defend it with her. But how could someone like Gongyi Tianheng, a prodigy of his stature, linger in a small frontier city? Fortunately, Gongyi Tianheng showed no interest in competing, sparing Eight Desolations City from an awkward predicament.

The people of Eight Desolations City were all aware of this dynamic. Wu Zhenhuang said, “Enough with the jokes. Yingyuan’s husband will likely come from one of those candidates. Come, watch with me and see what kind of person this Gu Zuo is.”

Following Gongyi Tianheng’s dossier was Gu Zuo’s profile:

[Gu Zuo, Profound-Level pharmacist, personal pharmacist of Gongyi Tianheng. Also from the peripheral regions, initially reclusive and unknown to outsiders. One day, he unexpectedly participated in the Pharmacy King Conference, caught the Pill King’s attention, and developed his own Profound-Level medicine. Only then did his name spread…]

As Wu Zhenhuang continued reading, his eyes widened with shock:

“Gongyi Tianheng was once ambushed and grievously wounded by Royal Realm Yang Hu. In response, his master, Xue Li, issued a bounty to hunt down and kill Yang Hu. At the same time, a mysterious figure offered bounties of flawless Golden-Level and Profound-Level medicines to overthrow the Yang family and force Yang Hu into suicide. This figure, clad in a black cloak, is ranked tenth on the List of of Pill Sinners and Evildoers under the title Pill Slaughterer Profound Shadow. This act appears to have been done on behalf of Gongyi Tianheng. This figure is suspected to be Gu Zuo?”

The dossiers produced by the Dark Tower were renowned for their accuracy and reliability. When they used the term “suspected,” it usually meant an 80-90% certainty. If they suspected Gu Zuo to be the Pill Slaughterer Profound Shadow, then it was likely true.

Reading this, Wu Zhenhuang took a deep breath.

If Gongyi Tianheng merely commanded a sense of caution—after all, even a Ten Ultimates Sect prodigy still needed time to mature—Gu Zuo inspired outright fear.

It was true that, in the early stages, a pharmacist’s influence was limited. But once a pharmacist ascended to the level of an experienced Pill King—especially one capable of refining rare, high-level Earth-Level medicines rather than common ones—their power would become immeasurable.

At that level, countless Cosmic Realm experts would bring their precious spiritual herbs and beg these seasoned Pill Kings to refine medicines for them, solely for the higher success rate.

Thus, the influence of a seasoned Pill King was truly terrifying.

As for this Pill Slaughterer Profound Shadow, his tenth-place ranking on the List of Pill Sinners and Evildoers proved that his threat level far surpassed that of ordinary Pill Kings.

In Eight Desolations City, the highest combat power on the surface was only at the peak of the Ascendant Realm. While their long years of bloody combat meant they could bite off a significant chunk of any Bronze-ranked faction trying to suppress them, they still stood no chance against a Royal Realm expert—not even if everyone fought to the death.

And what about the Pill Slaughterer Profound Shadow?

He wasn’t a seasoned Pill King, yet he surpassed one in influence. He might not be able to command Cosmic Realm experts, but he could undoubtedly attract Royal Realm powerhouses. If he were to go all out and issue another world-wide bounty, the humble Eight Desolations City would be burned to ashes in the inferno of medicine-seeking powerhouses drawn to his offer!

The people of Eight Desolations City exchanged uneasy glances before bitterly smiling.

Wu Zhenhuang shook his head and sighed. “We’ve truly underestimated him.”

It wasn’t that they had disrespected Gu Zuo; they simply never expected that this youthful and seemingly harmless pharmacist could be the same figure ranked so high on the List of Pill Sinners and Evildoers.

Thinking back to Gu Zuo’s earlier mention of experimenting with the corpses of other races, none of them found it strange anymore—anything was plausible when it came to someone on that list.

The others also shook their heads helplessly. “Regardless, since Gu Zuo is indeed the Pill Slaughterer Profound Shadow, we’ll need to exercise far more caution when hosting him in the future.”

One of the aides, still puzzled, asked, “With such abilities, why is Gu Zuo so unwaveringly loyal to Gongyi Tianheng? While the Ten Ultimates Sect prodigy is undoubtedly a supreme talent, Gu Zuo’s aptitude in pharmacy could rival or even surpass his. Yet, he seems utterly devoted to Gongyi Tianheng, even willingly concealing his skills to follow by his side. If not for Gongyi Tianheng being grievously wounded by Yang Hu’s rule-breaking attack, Gu Zuo might still have remained in obscurity. Yesterday, when Gongyi Tianheng arrived at our Eight Ultimates City, Gu Zuo followed closely behind, prioritizing everything around Gongyi Tianheng…”

A deputy commander speculated, “They come from the borderlands. Could it be that Gongyi Tianheng subdued Gu Zuo back then? Perhaps Gongyi Tianheng deceived the young and inexperienced Gu Zuo into following him, or maybe Gu Zuo owes Gongyi Tianheng some great favor, which is why he is so devoted to him?”

Someone else added, “Gu Zuo calls Gongyi Tianheng his brother. Perhaps it’s merely because they hail from the same place and became sworn brothers early on. As the younger brother, Gu Zuo holds deep affection for his elder brother, showing him immense respect and closeness.”

The group began voicing their thoughts one after another:

“Deputy Commander Chen’s reasoning makes sense.”

“Mr. Luo’s perspective, however, seems even more plausible.”

“I would argue that if Gongyi Tianheng truly deceived Gu Zuo in the beginning, Gu Zuo would have noticed something was amiss after arriving in the Central Continent. How could he continue to be fooled? Deputy Commander Chen’s speculation is likely mistaken.”

“Then it must still be Mr. Luo’s theory—that seems more consistent…”

It wasn’t that they deliberately overanalyzed the situation, but the dynamic between Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo felt rather unusual to them.

It was true that pharmacists and martial artists complemented each other. Typically, martial artists recruited pharmacists as their exclusive medicine-makers, while pharmacists sought martial artists as protectors or followers. In most cases, the latter existed to assist or serve the former.

However, a young, formidable Profound-level pharmacist like Gu Zuo was almost unheard of. No matter how talented Gongyi Tianheng was, Gu Zuo didn’t necessarily need to place himself beneath him. He could easily gather a group of ten or twenty followers to ensure his own safety. Maintaining a cordial relationship and friendship with Gongyi Tianheng would have sufficed. Yet Gu Zuo had chosen a different path—becoming Gongyi Tianheng’s exclusive pharmacist, hiding his brilliance beneath the star prodigy’s radiance. He kept such a low profile that it appeared as though he lacked any ambition whatsoever.

This naturally struck them as odd.

Of course, these people had no way of knowing the true relationship between Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng. Nor could they fathom that when Gu Zuo first arrived in Cangyun Empire, he carried a significant secret. At the time, he was under threat of “erasure” by a system and was forced to find a shortcut to survival. Gongyi Tianheng became that shortcut. From the very beginning, Gu Zuo laid everything bare, entrusting his secrets to Gongyi Tianheng. It was this transparency that earned him Gongyi Tianheng’s initial trust and protection, allowing him to grow from his weakest state.

As the two of them spent more time together, their feelings deepened. Gongyi Tianheng, initially using Gu Zuo, began to develop genuine affection and care for him. Gu Zuo, in turn, shifted from being cautious and guarded to respectful admiration for Gongyi Tianheng. Later, they went through several hardships together, which further strengthened their bond. Moreover, Gu Zuo’s simple and straightforward nature made him especially likable to someone as deep-thinking as Gongyi Tianheng. Gu Zuo devoted himself entirely, and Gongyi Tianheng reciprocated in kind.

It seemed like everything fell into place naturally, but in reality, if any part of their relationship had gone wrong—if any key choice had been miscalculated, if Gu Zuo had harbored a bit more selfishness or Gongyi Tianheng a bit more scheming—the outcome would not have been the same.

By the time they knew each other well and pledged their hearts, their feelings had already bound them together.

Gu Zuo couldn’t live without Gongyi Tianheng, and Gongyi Tianheng couldn’t live without Gu Zuo.

Moreover, they wouldn’t know that their relationship was not simply a matter of Gu Zuo being devoted to Gongyi Tianheng; Gongyi Tianheng was also safeguarding Gu Zuo.

At the time, Ling Su, as the system, didn’t elaborate, but the so-called “protector” was not just anyone who could step into that role.

First, just like a martial artist has only one exclusive pharmacist, a pharmacist also has only one protector.

Second, the protector doesn’t need to be incredibly powerful, but their talent must not be inferior to that of the pharmacist. Otherwise, if the pharmacist advances while the protector remains stagnant, the purpose of protection is lost.

Third, the so-called protector is someone who safeguards the pharmacist’s path of alchemy. Simply put, wherever the pharmacist goes, the protector is there, wholeheartedly protecting them, through life and death.

Fourth, there could be many followers, but only the protector could be fully trusted.

Fifth, once the protector’s contract is signed, it is binding for life. However, as the contract upgrades, the bond between the two changes significantly.

Strictly speaking, the protector’s contract should not be signed lightly. Just as the martial artist’s spiritual energy flows freely through their body to “observe” their exclusive pharmacist, the protector represents the pharmacist’s full and unconditional trust.