Chapter 145: The Weakling Among the Titans

Once Wen Mubai offered his excuse, both Elder Tang and his wife fell silent. They knew this boy hadn't put much heart into coming up with it. However, the elderly couple had always believed that children and grandchildren have their own paths and fortunes, so they only asked one question: "Does Zai-zai know?"

"I will return as soon as possible," Wen Mubai replied, the implication being that it was better not to let his wife know.

"Go, then," the old man said with a wave of his hand, adding a final piece of advice: "Stay safe."

Wen Mubai bowed to the two elders, turned, and strode out of the courtyard. Behind him, the couple watched his retreating figure with complex expressions.

Elder Tang’s wife fiddled with some medicinal herbs. "I don't know if Banxia marrying him is a blessing or a curse." She was well aware of Su Nan’s status, and because of this, Banxia had never truly enjoyed much maternal love growing up. Even though she and her husband doted on her, the place of a birth mother could never be replaced. Now that she had finally grown up and started her own little family, her husband’s background was still one that could not be brought into the light. Thinking of this, the old woman felt a pang of heartache for her granddaughter. "Should we..."

The old man glanced at her. "Don't even think about it. With Zai-zai’s temperament, do you think she’d let you meddle?" This old woman was always dreaming of unrealistic things.

She shot him a glare. "When did I say I wanted to meddle? I just want her to be happy."

The old man sat back in his reclining chair, rocking slowly. "How do you know she isn't happy?" In his view, Zai-zai was likely very content. Both of his granddaughters were strong-willed; it was just that Xinyi’s strength was on the surface, while Zai-zai’s strength was deep in her bones. With a temperament like that, she knew exactly what she wanted.

The old woman snorted, picked up her basket of herbs, and headed back to the pharmacy. There was no point in talking to this stubborn old man!

Meanwhile, not long after Wen Mubai arrived in the capital, he boarded a train to head back, while on the other side, Tang Banxia was making progress of her own.

Since arriving at the secret village, Tang Banxia’s daily routine had become remarkably disciplined. She woke up at five in the morning, spent an hour eating and washing, and then headed up the mountain, where she would remain for the entire day. Her lunch was brought to the laboratory by Liu Yuan, her assistant—the same man who had driven her up the mountain. She would stay until ten at night, then head back down to the village to eat a late-night snack brought by Xu Sheng before going to sleep.

It took her two days after arriving to realize how eerily quiet the village was; one rarely saw anyone. Yet, every house was full. The few people she occasionally encountered were always in a rush, clearly preoccupied. Tang Banxia was no different; apart from eating, sleeping, and using the restroom, she spent every waking moment in the laboratory.

After being there for a while, she gained a general understanding of the lab. The group was divided into three sections: toxins, medicine, and viruses. Tang Banxia, humble as she was, had been assigned to the toxin section. Everyone in that lab had unique insights into medicinal materials, but their expertise lay in toxins—or, to put it more responsibly, in methods of constraining enemies through chemical agents. It wasn't anything as malicious as "crane-top red" or "gut-wrenching powder," but unlike the medicine section, which focused on substances beneficial to the human body, her work was different. Because the Mengjin Powder she had created was designed purely for combat and offered little to human development, she had been placed with the toxin team. As for the virus laboratory, it was filled with heavyweights in biology, and their research was entirely different from theirs.

The daily life in the lab was monotonous. Every day, Tang Banxia analyzed blood samples from poisoned individuals, studying the components and the changes within the blood. She would then prepare various agents and mix them with the blood to observe the reactions. Strictly speaking, she hadn't undergone systematic training; most of her skills were rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, and her forte was compounding. Analyzing blood was more in the realm of Western medicine. However, the place was filled with masters of both Chinese and Western medicine, as well as experts in integrative medicine.

Every day after dinner, they would set aside time to exchange ideas. As the only young person in the toxin lab, Tang Banxia was well-cared for by the senior experts. In a short time, she had benefited immensely and felt her knowledge base becoming much more solid. At the same time, she learned the basics of Western medicine; while she hadn't mastered it deeply, she could at least handle fundamental tasks like blood analysis.

Several masters of Chinese medicine, upon learning that Tang Banxia’s primary focus was in their field, were even kinder to her, sometimes taking her along to observe the work in their own labs. Chinese medicine was divided into many schools—some focused on acupuncture, some on medicated diets, others on decoctions. Tang Banxia was self-taught and knew a little of everything but wasn't truly refined in any. Watching one experiment conducted by a master taught her more than three years of her own research. In the lab, she was like a sponge, tirelessly absorbing knowledge to fill the gaps in her understanding.

Furthermore, every three days, the three laboratories would gather to discuss their progress and share information, aiming to develop an antidote for "Zero" as soon as possible. Because of this, Tang Banxia met another young face named Bai Yanli. His parents were both practitioners of Chinese medicine, and though he had grown up immersed in it, he had become a Western medicine specialist. He focused on human anatomy, studying the various structures of the body, and worked in the medicine lab, so he was on a different frequency than Tang Banxia.

Nevertheless, this didn't stop them from becoming good friends. Bai Yanli was an unremarkable-looking man—the type you wouldn't notice in a crowd—but he had a kind and gentle personality. When Tang Banxia spoke with him, she could feel the confidence radiating from within him.

On the eighth day at the laboratory, Tang Banxia attended her second exchange meeting. It was held in the afternoon. The villagers gathered together, with tea and sunflower seeds set out on the tables. People huddled in small groups, debating intensely with flushed faces or animated gestures, while others scribbled notes on paper.

"Comrade Banxia, over here!" Bai Yanli waved at her from a corner.

Tang Banxia grabbed a handful of seeds, stuffed them into her pocket, and walked over. "Why are you hiding here?" With such a great opportunity, shouldn't she be learning and observing more?

Bai Yanli pulled out a chair for her. "I just finished going through a genetic chain; I’m dizzy and need a rest."

"I admire you," Tang Banxia said, giving him a thumbs-up as she sat down.

The exchange meeting was lively and served as a much-needed break; otherwise, the authorities feared that being cooped up in the lab day after day would take a toll on their health. Although everyone present was a doctor, the more accomplished the physician, the more fanatical they were about overcoming difficult problems. The characteristics of "Zero" were unheard of, and its destructive power on the human body was unlike anything they had ever seen; it was a constant challenge to their nerves. They loved medicine so deeply that once they threw themselves into their work, they easily forgot to eat or sleep. Thus, the exchange meetings were organized not only to facilitate communication but also to allow these masters to rest and to provide young people like Tang Banxia with a chance to learn from them.

After finishing her small handful of seeds, Tang Banxia stood up. She still had many questions she didn't understand and was waiting to ask the senior experts; she didn't have time to zone out with Bai Yanli. She took out her small notebook, spotted a master, and approached him with a humble request for guidance. The master was generous and answered her questions as thoroughly as possible.

By the end of the meeting, most of Tang Banxia’s accumulated questions had been resolved, though her throat was parched from all the talking. She found a nearby table, sat down, and quietly poured herself a cup of tea.