Page 29 of Cruel Devotion

Duck cleared his throat.

Master Wu placed the tray on a small wooden table beside us.

The mysterious black liquid continued to bubble.

Drawing a deep breath, I slowly sat up. “Seriously, what’s in there?”

Seemingly anticipating my reluctance, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Mountain Master Lei, your position comes with many duties, some pleasant, some not.”

I let out a long breath.

Wu pointed to the glass. “Consuming remedies prepared by the head healer is one of them.”

I gritted my teeth. “What is in there?”

“Your drinking the medicine ensures your well-being, and, by extension, the well-being of the entire mountain community.”

“Yet, you are not answering my question.”

Duck chuckled softly beside me. “Just drink it, Lei. It can’t be worse than that root brew with cobra venom that we had last winter.”

I shot him an annoyed glance but turned my attention back to Wu. “Can you at least tell me what’s in it? Perhaps knowing the ingredients will make it more. . .palatable.”

Wu contemplated for a moment, then began listing, “It contains fermented wild berries and water from the mountain spring—”

“That doesn’t smell like just berries and spring water. What else is in there?”

“Crushed cockroaches—”

“No. I’m not drinking it.” I shook my head. “What is wrong with you? Just give me a damn Tylenol and call it a day—”

“Tylenol doesn’t have the beneficial properties that cockroaches have—”

“I beg to differ—”

“Studies have found that cockroaches produce secretions with antibacterial properties that inhibit the growth of various bacteria—”

“I don’t care if they are the holy grail of immortality. I’m not drinking them.”

“We have already applied ground cockroaches to your wounds—”

“Good God.” I stared down at my bandages. “What is wrong with you all? I have asked over and over—”

“Also, their antioxidant activities will help combat oxidative stress in the body.”

“I am not drinking this.”

Duck cleared his throat. “I have a question.”

We turned to him.

Duck sat up and gestured at the glasses. “Is that the main reason why the liquid smells so bad? It can’t just be roaches in there. Right?”

I looked back at Wu. “Well? What else did your sick mind come up with?”

Wu smiled. “You will not appreciate the next ingredient.”

“Why not?”

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