Chapter 7: Mind-Calming Pill
"As I said before," Ling Xiao stated, his gaze fixed on Bruce, a serious expression on his face, "what you need to do now is to enhance your Mental Energy and control your emotions. Don't let the Hulk appear on this world again."
"That's precisely why I came to you," Bruce Banner said, raising his head to look directly at Ling Xiao. After talking for so long, the two had finally reached the crux of the issue.
Ling Xiao exhaled softly, stood up, and retrieved a clean jade bottle from the safe behind him. He then brought it to Bruce Banner and said in a deep voice, "This contains three Mind-Calming Pills. Whenever you feel yourself losing control, take one. It will ensure your mind remains calm for a month, preventing random outbursts of anger. However, if your emotions exceed a certain limit, the Hulk will still appear; this is for your own safety."
Bruce Banner nodded gently. Ling Xiao was right; he was currently being hunted worldwide and indeed needed some means of self-preservation.
"Additionally, I hope you can study yoga and Buddhist culture, as this will help you control your emotions." Ling Xiao looked at the jade bottle on the table and said in a deep voice, "I hope this bottle of Mind-Calming Pills can help you last for half a year without the Hulk appearing."
"I understand!" Bruce Banner understood Ling Xiao's meaning. He did not want to become dependent on medication, otherwise, no matter how effective the medicine, once resistance developed, its efficacy would be greatly diminished.
"I know your rules here, so, here!" Bruce Banner said, taking a black cloth pouch from his person and tossing it in front of Ling Xiao. He then added in a deep voice, "I got this cash from some bandits I encountered on the road, so you don't need to worry about its origins."
Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow, reached for the black cloth pouch, and poured out its contents. Five crystal-clear diamonds fell onto the coffee table. Ling Xiao's gaze swept over them, and he knew that their clarity was above normal standards, and this batch of items was worth around one hundred thousand dollars.
"Good!" Ling Xiao pulled out five light-blue talismans from his person and said to Bruce Banner in a deep voice, "These are a few Heart-Cleansing Talismans. Before taking a Mind-Calming Pill, burn one and put it into clean water; it can help boost the Medicinal Pill's potency by thirty percent. If you don't have time to use it before taking the pill, then use an extra one afterward. After you've used all three Mind-Calming Pills, have someone send me a message, and I will send you the next batch of medicine."
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Ling Xiao!" Bruce Banner put away the talismans and the Medicinal Pills. Although he wasn't particularly fond of Eastern talismanic arts, he decided to do as Ling Xiao said. After all, he had paid for it.
In America, no one shied away from talking about money. While Bruce Banner's situation was sympathetic and he was introduced by an acquaintance, he still had to pay what was due. This was a transaction, and there was nothing to be discreet about.
"Then I'll take my leave, Mr. Ling Xiao!" Bruce Banner stood up and politely bid farewell, as everything he came for today had been accomplished, there was no reason to stay any longer.
"Alright, Doctor, I'll see you out." Ling Xiao stood up and escorted Bruce Banner to the first floor. Just as he was about to open the door, Ling Xiao's hand suddenly paused. He turned around, frowned at Bruce Banner, and asked in a low voice, "Doctor, did you come here alone today?"
"Yes?" Bruce Banner's questioning tone paused, and he looked at Ling Xiao with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing!" Ling Xiao shook his head gently and walked back to the counter. He wrote the following line on a piece of paper: Sour jujube seed, arborvitae seed, polygala, albizia bark, fleeceflower vine, poria, broomcorn millet, etc.
After grabbing a packet of medicine from the counter, Ling Xiao handed the paper and the medicine to Bruce Banner, saying, "This is a calming Medicinal Pill prescription. Brew it according to the medical instructions. Once the medicine is finished, you can buy more at any local Chinese Pharmacy. While this prescription's effects aren't immediately obvious, over time, it will have a certain effect. Also, if anyone asks, just say you bought a calming Medicinal Pill here."
"Mr. Ling Xiao, are you saying I'm being followed?" Hearing Ling Xiao's words, combined with his actions, Bruce Banner immediately realized that Ling Xiao was doing this to throw people off. Without a doubt, he knew he was being followed.
"This might not be a bad thing," Ling Xiao said, shaking his head gently and glancing outside the door. He then added in a deep voice, "The purpose of these people might not be the same as those who had a conflict with you before. Their goal might just be to ensure you quietly leave American territory. Otherwise, if you had been followed for so long, something would have probably happened already."
Since the birth of the Hulk and the series of events that followed, Bruce Banner was no longer the naive scientist he once was. His experiences were now quite extensive, and he had some idea of who was outside. He also understood Ling Xiao's cautious actions.
Taking the Chinese medicine and prescription that Ling Xiao placed on the counter, Bruce Banner looked at him deeply. After a moment of thought, Bruce Banner took a glass bottle from his person and handed it to Ling Xiao.
The glass bottle was filled with dark red blood. Ling Xiao frowned and said, "Could this be..."
"Mm," Bruce Banner nodded and said, "This is a blood sample I took from myself. I hope you can conduct some research on it. After all, the plan we discussed earlier was too outlandish. With this sample, perhaps there can be some progress."
What Ling Xiao and Bruce Banner had discussed earlier were merely theoretical ideas; there were no detailed steps or plans whatsoever. Without Ling Xiao's support, this plan would have been nothing more than a castle in the air.
Now that Bruce Banner had produced this blood sample, it indicated that he was beginning to trust Ling Xiao. With this blood sample, their previous discussion now had a basis for execution.
Ling Xiao, of course, could see Bruce Banner's intentions. He looked deeply at Bruce Banner, rubbing the glass bottle on the table, and said in a deep voice, "Bruce, you need to think this through. This item could very well be a source of disaster. Can you really trust me with it?"
Bruce Banner smiled faintly, his face calm, and said, "The fact that you would say something like that shows you will handle this sample very carefully. Besides, if you truly had other intentions, just one sample like this wouldn't be enough."
"Alright, I'll take it," Ling Xiao chuckled, and with a flick of his hand, he put away the blood sample Bruce Banner had given him. He said, "If there's any progress, I'll inform you immediately."
"Good!" Bruce Banner didn't ask how Ling Xiao would find him. If Ling Xiao was truly as capable as others claimed, he would surely have a way to locate him at any time.
"Goodbye, Mr. Ling Xiao!" Bruce Banner didn't say anything more. He nodded at Ling Xiao and walked to the rolling shutter door.
Ling Xiao opened the rolling shutter door to let Bruce Banner out. Watching him disappear from sight, Ling Xiao then casually glanced at the black car across the street before turning around and returning to the Pharmacy, pulling down the rolling shutter door once more.
Ling Xiao's actions did not escape Coulson and Melinda May in the car. Melinda May frowned and said, "Coulson, did he spot us?"
"Of course, he definitely spotted us!" Phil Coulson nodded affirmatively and said, "This person doesn't seem as simple as he appears on the surface. Let's go, we have other things to do. We'll deal with this Ling Xiao later!"
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