Chapter 146

"Every word from Odalys was crystal clear to Brandon."

He suddenly looked up, disbelief etched on his face as he muttered, "Isn't that?"

Odalys explained, "What? It's obvious the poison has been in his system for a long time. It just hasn't triggered yet, so no one noticed. Initially, this medicine must have helped his body. Before, when he took it, he felt better, but over time, it only weakened him more. Eventually, his body couldn't take it anymore, and he ended up bedridden. You can keep changing the formula, but all that does is trigger the poison in different ways. It's just a new method of poisoning."

As Odalys spoke, she gave Brandon a penetrating look. "You should be thinking about who gave you the first prescription. After you changed the formula, who gave you that one? Why has he been taking it for all these years and getting worse, almost dying? All the doctors have said there's something wrong with his body. Did you ever question it before you changed the formula?" Odalys gently reminded him.

Brandon began to tremble. He hadn't expected Odalys to guess all of this. No one else knew.

"How did you know?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Odalys simply waved her hand, standing tall as she looked down at Brandon with a knowing smile. "Because I practice traditional medicine. I'm a healer. I understand medicine. One look, and I could tell what was wrong. Do I need to explain more?" she said softly, her voice tinged with a quiet laugh.

Brandon quickly stood up. He walked toward Odalys, standing before her, looking a bit lost like a child. He nervously fiddled with his hands and stared down at the floor.

"Is there anything that can be done? Can you save my son? If you can, I'll do whatever you ask." His voice broke as he spoke, fighting back the grief welling inside him. Right now, he didn't care about anything else. Even if he was being used, as long as it meant saving his son, he would do anything.

"Yes," Odalys answered softly.

Brandon's heart leaped with hope; he couldn't believe his ears. He looked up at her and asked, "What did you say?"

"I can save him," Odalys repeated calmly.

Brandon froze, watching as Odalys took a silver needle from her bag and placed it directly on his son's forehead. In one swift motion, she jabbed the needle in. He tried to step forward to stop her, but then his son's body suddenly jerked a few times. With a cough, blood shot from his son's mouth, splattering onto the bed. Odalys quickly pulled the needle out and gently pressed her fingertips against his son's chest, tapping it a few times. Her movements were so fast that Brandon was dazed. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Odalys had already retracted her hand.

"He just expelled the blood that was blocking his heart. He should wake up soon. By morning, go into the mountains and gather some herbs. Make a decoction for him to drink, and his fever will break," Odalys instructed.

She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a prescription, handing it to him.

Brandon took the prescription, glanced at it, and nodded. "I have these herbs. My son has been ill for years. I keep a stock of many remedies," Brandon explained as he walked over to a nearby cabinet. Inside, the shelves were neatly arranged with various herbs and medicines. He grabbed the herbs according to the prescription and immediately went to prepare the decoction. Odalys didn't leave; she simply sat down and waited.

Before long, Brandon had finished brewing the herbs. Without hesitation, he gave the decoction to his son. Within minutes, the fever began to subside.

"He really broke the fever?" Brandon was shocked, disbelief on his face. He reached out and gently touched his son's forehead. His son, who had been unconscious for so long, suddenly grabbed his wrist and softly called out, "Dad."

"He's awake! He's really awake!" Brandon whispered in disbelief, his voice full of wonder and joy. But he was too weak. After saying a few words, he fell back into unconsciousness. Brandon confirmed that his son was still breathing and that his fever had subsided before turning to Odalys.

Brandon stood before her and suddenly knelt down. "Ms. Stone, please save my son. I swear, if you can save him, I will pay you for the rest of my life," he said, bowing deeply.

Odalys sat still, extending her hand to support Brandon and gently forcing him to rise. Brandon was taken aback, looking at her as she effortlessly helped him stand. It was clear she had a background in martial arts.

Odalys spoke. "His poison has already spread too deeply. He needs to rest, and I'll prescribe medicine for him. You will brew the medicine and let him drink it. Every day, I will come and give him acupuncture. But each time, it will be more painful for him. Clearing the poison from his body is impossible. It's already spread to his heart and lungs, but I can keep him alive for another ten years."

Brandon's eyes nearly sparkled with hope. "Ten years is more than enough," he said, tears streaming down his face. He nodded repeatedly. The thought that his son could live for another decade, no longer bedridden, was better than anything he could hope for.

"Okay, here's the prescription," Odalys said as she slowly stood up. As she did, it seemed like something occurred to her, and she thoughtfully reminded him, "If you don't want him to die, keep tonight's visit between us. Don't let anyone else know, especially the one who gave you the previous prescription. Since he altered the formula and you didn't notice, it's obvious he had an agenda. He wanted your son to die. If others find out you're no longer using that prescription, it will be harmful to both you and your son." Odalys spoke softly but with authority.

Brandon's eyes widened, and he was fully awake. "Yes, I'll still brew the medicine, and the leftovers will be disposed of in the usual place," he whispered.

Odalys didn't say anything further and turned to leave. Brandon watched her go, a little surprised. She hadn't asked for anything and hadn't asked any questions. It seemed she had simply come to treat his son. He had thought she had an ulterior motive when she spoke earlier, but now, she seemed to have wanted nothing in return. His mind was in turmoil, but with all his life experience, he kept his emotions in check.

Chapter 116 (Note: This chapter number is inconsistent with the previous chapter number. There's likely a numbering error.)

Although he had doubts, he didn't show them. Instead, he walked to his son's bedside and looked down at his pale face. Finally, he turned his gaze back to the direction Odalys had left.

By midnight, Odalys returned to her room and lay down. She slept soundly, and by dawn, the sounds of birds chirping outside roused her. Her eyes snapped open instantly.

Freya, still half-asleep, rolled over and snaked her arms around Odalys' waist. Her legs tangled around Odalys, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Hey, what are you touching?" Odalys didn't turn around, simply reaching behind her to poke Freya. Freya, still deep in sleep, instinctively grabbed at Odalys, and only when she heard Odalys' voice did she freeze, her eyes wide open in disbelief. She followed her own hands down to where they were.

This cleaned-up version addresses grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and inconsistent chapter numbering. It also improves the flow and readability of the narrative.