As Leroy was finishing up on what happened to him, the eggs were "disposed" of by a member of the Hamlet. Orders came from the Clear Tang Family that anyone infected from the Nest directly would have stronger rapid-growth eggs inside themselves.
They had to make sure to dispose of them as instructed.
Tessi, not wanting to gain their ire took only one of the eggs that Leroy removed first. Assuming that the specific egg had not gained enough yet and would still be in the early stages.
It was a risky move as the others were placing the eggs into Storage Bags after counting them and marking them down. Starving out the Demon Plant Eggs by doing this, the pouches were to be shipped to the Clear Tang Family.
Swallowing the egg and handing the rest off to the disposal squad that arrived kept him in the clear. Enough that Tessi made it to his hut and cultivated diligently while holding one of the "Chlorine" soaked rags on his lap.
"Ugh!" The plant egg was still viable and starving to stay alive. "I can do this!"
The moment it entered his gut it tried to grow. But the Hamlet members were not that high in nourishment or in Qi. Especially one only in the Body Tempering Realm.
With the Rapid Growth Seed unable to gather enough nourishment as it needed, it was breaking down faster than it grew. Oddly enough releasing spores that made nutrient absorption very high for Tessi.
'I.. did it..!' Letting out a joy as he felt the pain from the Qi draining disappear, the Hamlet member worked on several exercises to solidify his strength with some hot water and a steam room. "Work out then get checked out by a Healer later!"
Tossing a few stones onto the fire pit, he doused it with a little water to get the steam nice and toasty. Going through the motions to push Body Tempering to the next level.
Unaware a tiny minuscule Blue-white Flame circled his insides slowly. Changing... mutating his body slightly towards a different physique.
That was a problem for later.
Nighttime came quickly.
Leroy and the Old Tiger moved through the Hamlet in the dead of night. Several people were to tired to even notice someone passing through. Let alone any of the warriors to keep them safe.
Making it to one of the Corpse Pits, Leroy started searching through them looking for anyone still alive. His eyes were wide and almost manic with desire.
"They all have been dead for more than a day... I can't use dead tissue at this level inside myself!" Frustrated, he had to swallow some blood just to keep it inside. "I..don't want to die due to some plants!"
Carving into the corpses the method he used to burn longevity before for future cultivation, Leroy continued to push himself as his body was tearing apart in the inside. The Sucking Plant remnants from the mutated one started to try and nurture by using every part of his body.
"Come on!" Carving another symbol in a daze, he had to activate it now before it was to late. "Just enough to heal this gut wound!" Hoping beyond hope that his organs could be saved, he would worry about cultivation later.
Exhaustion claimed Leroy however, the moment it lit up and started working. Collapsing onto the corpses, the Old Tiger watched from a distance as Blue and White flames left the wounds of Leroy.
The flames washed outward and mixed into the Burning away the bodies and pushing his healing capacities further. Leroy shot up to the Body Tempering IX Stage briefly as the breakthroughs healed his body of the various wounds.
'Hmm?' The Old Tiger's eyes narrowed as something ripped out of Leroy's back and shot off into the distance. 'Too fast for these old bones! I will have to warn the Streak of this!' Snatching up Leroy from the now empty hole, it shot back towards the Hamlet reluctantly.
On the way, Leroy had to heal from the Demon Plant that left his body. It took enough of his Qi and dropped him back down in cultivation to the Body Tempering VII Rank. But not to far from the VIII with everything he had already grown to.
*Fwish!* Leroy sort of came to as he refined himself with the use of the unfinished method. His eyes lit aflame in blue and white. He had no idea why the Old Tiger was carrying him but he still had to refine himself before it was too late.
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Unaware that he had broken through and healed up mostly. The flames that left his body entered into the Old Tiger. Which improved the wounds of old and the new ones from the nest.
'This human is really valuable but his cultivation is too low and haphazard! I must find a way to convince the Streak to invest!' Speeding up through the area its ears twitched as it listened. 'The Demon Plant born from his back survived the... pesticides so it most be variant! What it knows is more important than the benefits he brings right no!'
As fast as a blur, the Old Tiger reluctantly left Leroy in his hut but put a memento on his back to cover over the cuts, and the back burst. Healed that he maybe but someone looking closely at a higher Cultivation may find something.
A tiger paw print was on his back with claw marks having dug in. At least that is what the area looked like. No real damage to his body and no other purpose but to carry a smell on him as if he was a member of the Blacktiger local Streak.
Of course, there was still the piece of the Demon Beast inside him.
.
Change-
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Several members of the Clear Tang Family, Hamlet Leader Votley, and Teacher Matsui wanted Leroy to go to the Akademy. Even though he was pass the good age for joining and cultivating they insisted with his medical knowledge and strong willpower he would be able to break into the Qi Refining Realm and start his Cultivation journey at least.
A few centuries of someone like that as a medical cultivator would go a long way. After his assistance and the pressgang methods used before, enough clout was gathered to keep Leroy from being forcibly put in their camps.
Also, they had to contend with Teacher Matsui who was very grateful of the one who saved him personally and the one who developed the Pesticides to harm the Demon Plants.
The Tang Family really wanted him because of his help with the method that allowed them to save several of their members and earn a profit from it. Of course, a few already made arrangements and payoffs to the Hamlet Leader Votley to back that they were the ones who pioneered the treatment method.
Of course, Matsui already found out before they could suppress it and had more leverage to keep them from taking Leroy forcefully. Honorable he may be, but Teacher Matsui wanted to know what else Leroy knew how to do. So a contract was formed between Tang Anusui of the Clear Tang Family, Teacher Matsui of the Akademy, and the now Town Leader Votley.
Only resisting for show, Leroy gave in after they offered to give him some clothes and some herbs he was looking for. All of it was not expensive and even the Hamlet Leader Votley could pay for it himself. But the other two insisted they all do so.
Teacher Matsui would escort the group to the Akademy since he was going there to report. But that was not until tomorrow. Right now they were all exchanging ideas for medicine and treating poisons. Of course, Leroy ended up benefiting greatly since they were able to fill in gaps of plants, salves, and tonics that did what he needed equivalent of modern medicine.
Excusing himself the moment they finished, Leroy wondered if he would really return back to the Hamlet.. no Town in the future. What happened with Votley had not been forgotten and the Hamlet was changing into a Town with the help of the Clear Tang Family officially. That meant they would be around the area a lot more and have greater influence over it.
They even purchased it from the Black Tiger-fire Family to make it better for themselves and what they planned on doing. Leroy caught on that Votley was more or less one of their people now.
As Leroy was exchanging some products in the neighboring town, he ran into Tang Ansui. The man was quite happy the other was doing ok and even happier when he asked how his patients were doing from before.
When he was pressured into staying and treating then overseeing the situation at the encampment.
Tang Ansui was perfectly fine and followed what was suggested for treatment correctly. In fact, his temperament had improved getting away from the overuse of fragrance and oils that the Family Head Tang Ro asked for Ansui to deliver a gift to the doctor who did it.
"Are you sure you want to gift me these?" Leroy looked at the custom needles closely.
He could read a few engraved words on them and was really hoping this was not some type of rich piece that would cause people to hunt him down for it later. He really didn't have time for that.
"Of course, it was finished just yesterday and I was going to have my daughter give it to you at the Akademy but this works too. Also hear you go."
He passed over a Book on Acupuncture. It was a standard one that could be bought anywhere, this made Leroy sigh in relief.
"In the future, I hope you remember my Clear Tang Family and give us help."
"That goes without saying, I have both patients and friends there so I will definitely not forget everything with them. Are there any other members of the Clear Tang Family you wish for me to treat when I got to the Academy?" Leroy gave the typical Doctor smile that was used on patients and the Chief of medicine at his last Hospital. "A helping friend goes a long way."
Of course, he did not for a moment forget about those in the Clear Tang Family that helped put him in that situation not to mention the level of power they wielded. Currently, they were below the might of the Black Tiger-fire Family, which looked to be changing by the way they were acting.
"You sure?" Thinking it over he could tell the other was far from normal and despite his cultivation level was able to survive long enough to get help. "I know some of the family have done you wrong but several are very grateful."
The information shared by the Elders gave hints something more was going on but nothing to be done about that now. Tang Ansui had to protect his branch after all. If not for the number of his branch guards surviving he would have fewer bargaining chips.
"I don't see why not and it will give me a chance to practice some techniques. Of course, if it requires herbs and stuff I will definitely request for them to pay for it themselves or to provide the material."
"Haha, as you should. My Clear Tang Family are not monsters in the end!" Tang Ansui laughed happily. "Come, let's talk over a meal my friend!"
This was both a bit of help to let those know Leroy was a friend of the Family but also his honest help hand in regards to finding out the other's stance on everything that took place.