Chapter 32: The master woke up

"Teacher!" 

Tang San exclaimed, reacting instinctively to the sound of coughing.

However, the master hadn't fully woken up and seemed to be in a very confused state.

"The teacher should be recovering now. Brother Feng, can you help me find some celery grass?" Tang San asked Qin Feng.

The teacher was now at a critical moment of recuperation. This period, transitioning from a deep coma to waking up, is called the rejuvenation phase. Despite its brief duration, this phase is crucial. During this time, a person's subconscious can take control, which could lead to accidental death if not carefully monitored.

Although Brother Feng could take care of the teacher, Tang San knew he needed to be extra cautious. Therefore, sending Qin Feng to find celery grass was the best choice. Celery grass is a meditation and nourishing herb. Crushing it to extract the juice and then administering it by mouth and smearing it on the forehead would help safely guide the teacher through the rejuvenation period. This was a method from the Tangmen.

"Xiaofeng, why didn't you listen to my advice and insist on absorbing a soul ring that's thousands of years old?" the master suddenly sat up and slapped Tang San, then seemed ready to grab a hammer in his confusion.

"Teacher, please calm down," Tang San said soothingly, trying to prevent any further confusion or harm.

Fortunately, Tang San managed to prevent the teacher from causing any harm before he escaped. It was clear that the teacher's subconscious wanted to fight Qin Feng. The teacher was upset because Qin Feng had ignored his advice and insisted on absorbing a soul ring that was thousands of years old. In the teacher's eyes, absorbing such a powerful soul ring was extremely dangerous, potentially fatal, but Qin Feng had forcibly absorbed it anyway, leaving the teacher helpless.

Back then, the teacher had suppressed his frustration, but now, as he was regaining his mind, his subconscious was acting out. This subconscious behavior is like a hidden demon within a person. It makes people do things they wouldn't dare to do consciously. This phenomenon is often seen in dreams, where the subconscious takes over and performs actions that the conscious mind wouldn't.

In essence, the teacher was currently in a state akin to sleepwalking.

"Master, what's wrong?" Qin Feng asked as he ran back, a puzzled look in his eyes.

"Brother Feng, if I told you the teacher is trying to hammer you right now, would you believe it?" Tang San said, struggling to hold back the master's hands and feet. The master was still thrashing about, waving his fists as if dissatisfied with someone.

"This... shouldn't be happening," Qin Feng replied with a bitter smile, realizing that the master was indeed sleepwalking.

"Brother Feng, what about the celery grass you brought?" Tang San asked urgently. Now was not the time for explanations; they needed to calm the teacher down first.

"Here it is," Qin Feng replied, handing over a large bundle of celery grass. This plant could be found almost anywhere along riverbanks, so he had gathered plenty.

"Brother Feng, you need to crush this into pieces. It's best if you do it in this bowl," Tang San instructed, producing another bowl from the soul guide.

"Got it," Qin Feng said. He quickly fashioned a small wooden stick to mash the celery grass. The blue juice flowed into the bowl, and Qin Feng poured it into the teacher's mouth, then smeared the remaining juice on the teacher's head.

In just a minute or two, the teacher gradually calmed down.

"Alright, we can finally have dinner," Tang San said with relief. With the celery grass administered, he felt reassured.

The two of them each took a bowl and started eating . After they finished, they also fed the master some soup, as solid food was out of the question for him.

Three days passed quickly. During this time, Qin Feng and Tang San returned to their normal states, and their food quality improved significantly. They ate meat almost every night.

The master was able to drink a little broth now. Having been in a coma for so many days, even as the Great Soul Master, he couldn't endure hunger indefinitely. It was important to get some nourishment into his stomach.

"Today I'll go hunting. Brother Feng, take good care of the teacher," Tang San said, clearly worried about Qin Feng's caregiving abilities.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Qin Feng replied confidently. He then lay down on the grass, singing songs with his legs crossed.

He didn't know how long he had been lying there when he felt someone kicking him. Startled, he woke up suddenly, realizing he had fallen asleep.

"Xiaofeng, I told you not to absorb the Millennium Soul Ring, but now look at what's happened!" a cold voice said.

Qin Feng looked up to see the master standing over him.

"Master, you're awake!" Qin Feng exclaimed, surprised but quickly turning to excitement. The master's awakening meant they could leave this place and no longer be stuck in this ghostly forest. They had been here for too long, and it was starting to wear on them.

"You're still laughing? I nearly died, and you would have been left alone here with me!" the master scolded, though there was a hint of relief in his voice.

The master expressed deep regret and apologized to Tang San and Tang Hao. Before being poisoned, he had known he wouldn't survive. His intention was to let the two children live, but Qin Feng insisted on following him and absorbing the Millennium Soul Ring, which ultimately led to their demise in his eyes.

"Master, I think you must have misunderstood. Actually, you're not dead yet, and I'm not dead..." Qin Feng tried to explain, but the master waved his hand dismissively, refusing to entertain any discussion. In his mind, he and Qin Feng were both dead.

"Teacher, you're awake!" Just as Qin Feng was resigning himself to the master's conviction, Tang San's voice rang out from a distance. He was approaching, carrying a few hares he had hunted.

"Little... little San?!" The master was surprised to see Tang San approaching. Had he been wrong? Had the Soul Master's first soul ring limit been exceeded? But he had dedicated most of his life to studying such data; surely, he couldn't have made a mistake.

"Teacher, what are you looking at?" Tang San sensed the master's strange gaze directed at him.

"Xiao San, why are you dead too?" the master asked Tang San with a hint of doubt in his tone.

Tang San glanced at Qin Feng, who just rolled his eyes in response.

"I can't argue with your teacher. You should explain why we died," Qin Feng said with a helpless shrug. Despite his attempts to explain earlier, the master remained unconvinced.

Tang San sighed and tried to explain the situation to his teacher. "Uh... Teacher, we're not dead," he said, feeling somewhat helpless given the circumstances.

"How is that possible? But with the black mandala snake venom in me, I'm afraid even the people of the Wuhun Temple couldn't save me," the master said decisively, convinced of his impending demise.