The revelation hit Daniel like a bolt of lightning.
The soap… it had been the ginseng all along.
He stood in the quiet vault, the half-ginseng in his hand pulsing with a gentle warmth, and everything finally clicked into place.
The cryptic advice from Old Man Hemlock, the forced baths, the strange, almost magical recovery he felt each morning, was all part of a single, grand plan.
The old master had been preparing his body, using the external application of the ginseng to temper his skin and muscles, getting him ready for this final, crucial step.
A wave of profound gratitude washed over him, so strong it almost brought him to his knees.
He had thought he was enduring a trial of humiliation.
In reality, he had been receiving the personal guidance of a hidden master, a gift of unimaginable value.
"Thank you, old man," he whispered to the empty vault, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't waste it."
