Chapter 290: Drool
Chapter 290: Drool
Chapter 290: Drool
Cheyenne and Omari, strangely enough, both conjured up images of a young Iker's embarrassing moments in their minds. The exaggerated laughter could have almost shaken the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Inside the room, Iker's already stern face turned even darker, resembling the bottom of a pot. He had lived for twenty-seven years, and this was the one embarrassing incident in his life.
It happened when he was around six or seven years old, before the Todd family had moved to Akloit. They used to live in a mansion on the outskirts of Onistead.
There was a bamboo grove in the back, along with a small pond that would fill up with rainwater from the nearby village when it rained. The area was populated by children of his age.
During that period, Kai had just married Poppy, and in the bliss of their new marriage, he had little time for Iker. Thalia was busy challenging Poppy, so it was the happiest time of Iker's life.
He disguised himself as a rural child and went up the mountain with a group of friends to look for medicinal herbs, climb trees to pick wild fruits, and swim in the small pond after the rain.
It was during one of these playful moments that he got his foot stuck between rocks. He couldn't remember if old Mr. Edwards was the one who pulled him out because he had fainted from the pain. He woke up back home, and by then, Kai had returned and arranged for his transfer to a prestigious school in the city.
He hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to his friends before disappearing from their lives.
The embarrassing incident, along with the happy childhood memories, became sealed in Iker's past. Later, he joined the military and toughened himself through countless battles, becoming cold and ruthless.
As a person of high status and influence, no one dared to bring up that incident.
He could never have imagined that more than a decade later, old Mr. Edwards would still remember this extremely embarrassing secret.
"Old Mr. Edwards... let's proceed with the herbal bath first," Iker finally managed to say those words, albeit through clenched teeth.
Layne touched his gray beard, laughing so hard that his eyes disappeared from view. He turned his back to Iker while instructing Tanner to move him into the bath.
Once everything was prepared inside, the two of them crouching outside were still suppressing their laughter.
"Alright, Cheyenne, you can come in now," called out Layne.
Upon hearing her grandfather's call, Cheyenne gathered her composure. She reached up to rub her slightly sore cheeks with one delicate, fair hand and then stepped inside.
The water in the bathtub had taken on two distinct colors, a mix of blue and red. In this stark contrast, Iker's skin appeared even more radiant.
His broad, solid shoulders framed a well-defined chest, with sleek muscles and a clear set of six- pack abs partially exposed above the water's surface. Cheyenne had seen her fair share of well- built male models, but Iker didn't fall short in comparison. The only minor imperfection was the several scars around his chest, some dangerously close to his heart.
It was, in fact, those scars that added a touch of rugged charm to his otherwise pristine appearance.
Layne cleared his throat, reminding Cheyenne to focus.
Cheyenne refocused, taking a deep breath. The air was thick with the scent of herbs, and her nose felt slightly damp.
Iker's skin had turned gradually red due to the potent herbs. The effect was becoming more pronounced with each passing moment.
"Stramonium and Acer cordatum may cause a burning sensation when applied to the skin, much like being roasted by a fierce fire. However, they effectively cleanse the toxins from your blood, Master Iker. Please bear with it," Cheyenne explained.
When Cheyenne began to use the silver needles, it marked her taking her work seriously.
Her exquisite face turned slightly, presenting her delicate, upturned nose and a pair of slightly pursed, alluring red lips from Iker's perspective. They glistened like succulent peaches, leaving him momentarily transfixed as he nodded.
"Yeah."
In reality, Cheyenne had understated the sensation.
Iker felt as if he were submerged in scorching lava, the rising temperature causing his honey-hued skin to turn red at a visible pace.
The burning sensation seemed to originate from his very bones, causing his soul to tremble. Several times, he wanted to give up, clenching his fists, intending to rise and escape the molten bath.
But then, in a flash, he recalled the scenes from the previous banquet.
Everyone had mocked him.
The jeers echoed endlessly in his ears.
Emily Davidson, holding a man's hand, looked at him with a haughty yet pitiful expression, as if he were a pathetic worm.
Her gaze was truly bone-chilling.
Worthless!
Handicapped!
Serves you right...
Never before had he been so sober. The voices from his past reverberated in his mind.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, streaming down his prominent nose bridge to his chest.
Finally, they dripped into the bathtub.
"Drip, drop."
Tanner stood by, watching his young master's handsome face distort in agony, his back muscles taut, and the deep scar that ran from his spine to the side of his waist twisted like a convoluted intestine.
In the past, when he saw the young master extracting bullets, he always insisted on not using anesthesia. He watched, eyes unwavering, as the silver forceps delved deep into the tissue to
remove the bullets. Compared to that, it seemed like this light, drifting powder was much more excruciating.
Layne watched as time ticked away, unable to resist reminding her, "Cheyenne, please hurry. The effectiveness of the medicine only lasts for ten minutes."
After ten minutes, if they didn't promptly extract the toxins with the silver needles, the contaminated medicine would turn into a deadly poison, doubling the danger.
Cheyenne nodded, her face pale, and she picked up a triangular needle, used for cold and hot paralysis to treat injuries in the meridians.
The second needle was a scoop needle, piercing Iker's toes and fingers to release pus and accumulated fluids.
The third needle was a sharp needle, long and thick with a slightly rounded tip. This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
The fourth needle was a large needle.
The fifth needle was a round needle...
By the time Cheyenne reached the twelfth needle, her fingers were gripping a three-sided, extremely sharp long needle, which pierced halfway into his knee.
This needle was five-centimeter-long, much deeper than she had dared to go in previous treatments. As she looked at the raised blue veins on the back of Iker's hand, which had turned black, and the densely marked meridians on his skin, it appeared as if he had a terrifying tattoo. Omari felt like he was watching a horror movie, shuddering and swallowing hard.
This was just too scary.
He decided he'd better not let Cheyenne give him acupuncture in the future.
Layne, out of the corner of his eye, kept an eye on the timer in his hand. He also watched Cheyenne's actions, and when he saw her continue to hold the silver needle, cold sweat broke out on his back.
"That's enough, Cheyenne. It's already 3 centimeters. If you keep going, Master Iker might not be able to bear it!"
But if they didn't continue, the stubborn toxins couldn't be completely cleared. When the toxins were left like the weeds in the field, they would continue to grow with each passing day.