ã€ŠDao of Healingã€‹


 Chapter 1

    I stood in front of the tall mirror, running my hands across the unfamiliar face that looked back at me. Sword-like brows, a pointed jaw, and an imperious gaze turned sinister by the heavy-set bags under my eyes. A name came to my mind¡ªZhao Dan. It wasn''t my name, but it might as well be now.

    Scratching my chin, I frowned at the smooth sensation. Letting out a deep sigh I sat back down on the wooden chair, shifting positions so the pointed backrest wasn¡¯t digging into my spine.

    A few hours earlier I had woken up in this unfamiliar room, greeted by the metallic tang of dried blood and a foul, lingering odour left by this body¡¯s previous owner. Even though I had scrubbed the stone tiles until my hands were raw, I hadn¡¯t been able to remove all the stubborn traces of blood and vomit. But that was the least of my problems.

    I lifted up a spherical red pill, rolling it between my fingers and wondering what I would have done in Zhao Dan¡¯s situation. I believed I had a strong will, having experienced unimaginable trauma in the worst warzones on Earth.

    Torn limbs, drone strikes, children watching their parents die, and even parents holding their dead kids. That was my daily routine for the last decade, working as a doctor on the frontlines.

    Originally I¡¯d studied medicine to please my strict parents, but I¡¯d come to love the rigorous science behind it. And eventually I also found great joy in healing others, though the brutality of war tainted that somewhat.

    Even with those awful experiences under my belt, some of the memories from this young cultivator¡¯s life made those horrors seem tame. One in particular stood out to me, a memory so evil that I wished I could erase it from my mind.

    When Zhao Dan was just three years old, his father forced him to execute a mortal servant for the simple crime of forgetting to wash one of his robes. From a young age, he¡¯d been steeped in brutal violence and forced to crush any compassion in his heart.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine what being raised by such a tyrant would do to my own psyche. My parents were heavy handed, but the worst punishment I could expect was a spanking for a poor grade at school.

    In my case, their forceful drive had led me to become one of Earth¡¯s most decorated surgeons. It instilled ambition and a sense of purpose greater than my own existence. In Zhao Dan''s case, it had forced him to become a cultivator, to gather heaven''s energy and chase immortality.

    He hadn''t been very successful at it. If he had been, I wouldn''t be here right now.

    Our lives were vastly different, but I could understand the overwhelming feeling of injustice and unfairness that weighed down on him. In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear it and took his own life, giving a way for my soul to take over his body. At least that was my hypothesis.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to the original Zhao Dan, but I had inherited his body. I couldn¡¯t continue using my old name and habits, or I risked becoming an outcast.

    Then again, I had already been kicked out of the Cloudy Falls Sect¡ªsomething I learned reading the final page of Zhao Dan¡¯s diary¡ªso in many ways I already was one.

    At least, it hadn''t been due to some sort of a crime. He had simply been kicked due to coming last in the annual outer disciple tournament, having been stuck at fifth-star body refinement realm for three years now.

    Accepting this reality was a bitter pill to swallow. My parents died years before me, though I did have an on and off relationship with one of my colleagues, Esme. I wondered if she would miss me. I missed the nights we spent together, sharing our troubles and joys.

    Sighing, I got up from the uncomfortable chair and picked up the small bag which contained all of Zhao Dan¡¯s possessions. It didn¡¯t amount to much¡ªa jade carving of a scholar, half a spirit stone and a few gold coins, plus his diary and cultivation notes¡ªbut leaving it behind felt like an insult to the man whose life I had stolen.

    In this world, people believed in the cycle of reincarnation¡ª that when you died, your soul would enter the six paths and be reborn anew. I whispered a silent prayer for the former Zhao Dan, hoping his next life was filled with joy, instead of the chain of suffering and torment that had led him to commit suicide in this one.

    Wrapping my head around that idea was difficult. I hadn¡¯t been religious on Earth, but then again it was hard to believe in a higher power when there¡¯d been little evidence that one existed. It was far easier to believe in one here.

    In this place, the Celestial Jade Empire, there were cultivators who could shatter mountains with a punch and walk in the sky.

    When faced with the evidence, clear as day, something as trivial as reincarnation became easier to accept. I myself had transmigrated, my soul leaving Earth and arriving in this place. It would take much longer than four hours to come to terms with that, but I would have to do so elsewhere.

    ****

    Despite my confusing situation, I hadn''t been able to stay in my room for long. An outer disciple had soon come to remind me that I had to meet one of the elders by the front gate at sunrise, to be escorted to the nearby Three River City after handing in his sect token and robes.

    Knowing that the sun was already out there, I had walked out of the little wooden house after collecting whatever little belongings Zhao Dan had.

    As I walked, I watched the sun at its zenith, blazing down on the towering mountain peak that housed the sect. Even in this world, the sun was the same, maybe a little bigger. However, there were twin moons.

    Thinking of it made a bubble of unease pop into me. I sighed, realising it was becoming a habit.

    To distract myself, I tried to look through the torrent of memories to understand the culture of the Celestial Jade Empire, but it was all tinted with the depressing lens of Zhao Dan¡¯s outlook on life.

    A few steps into my journey, I felt a hand clapping me on the shoulder. Often, that meant one of the nastier disciples was about to torment Zhao Dan, but when I turned around to face the new arrival, all the tension deflated from my shoulders.

    Standing at almost two metres tall, a muscular fellow stood in front of me. He wore bright red robes unlike the white ones I wore, implying that his status was of an inner disciple. His name was Wang Ren, one of the few people that treated Zhao Dan right and a friend who had started in the sect at the same time as him.

    Wang Ren¡¯s robes stood out in a sea of white on the outer sect peak. There were many memories involving this guy in Zhao Dan¡¯s mind.

    Relegated to a servant due to his poor cultivation talent, he often missed meals due to incomplete chores and barely slept five hours a night. Wang Ren would often sneak him extra food from his own portions and help him finish tasks when no one was looking.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wang Ren, what are you doing here?¡± I asked, offering the big man a shallow bow.

    ¡°Well, knowing how lazy and incompetent you are, I knew you would miss the Elder at sunrise. So, I came to make sure you at least got on the road before the sun sets,¡± he chuckled, slapping me over and over on the shoulders.

    My body quivered under the big man¡¯s strength. Not only was he taller and more muscular than Zhao Dan, but had cultivated to the first star of the Qi Gathering realm, making him a cultivator in truth. Despite him controlling his strength, the sheer difference in physique still meant each strike left a bruise.

    I coughed, and he relented, striding off down the mountain with purpose in his steps. Hurrying to catch up, I looked around at the other disciples going about their day.

    Some sneered at me, a final opportunity to mock the useless disciple who¡¯d been kicked out. Most remained indifferent, giving the pair of us a wide berth.

    We walked for a few minutes, with me listening and nodding as Wang Ren regaled me with tales of his adventures in the inner sect. He¡¯d only joined a few months back, but it seemed like the level of treatment was worlds apart.

    Everything in this world stemmed from one¡¯s cultivation. Without strength, you couldn¡¯t achieve anything. Perhaps that was why so many went to such vicious lengths to obtain resources and opportunities, killing friends and foes alike in their quest for immortality.

    Wang Ren looked a little hesitant, glancing my way every now and then. Eventually he seemed to make a decision and asked me a question. ¡°Junior Brother, what do you plan to do after being kicked out? You¡¯re still a cultivator after all.¡±

    Actually, I hadn¡¯t spared much thought to my goals. I¡¯d only been in this world for half a day. Most of that time was spent acclimating to the sudden change and my new identity.

    The best way of describing it would be culture shock. In one moment I had been taken from what I was used to and thrust into a completely alien world, with new customs. Even the fundamental laws of the world were different!

    Pondering the question, I knew at the very least I didn¡¯t want to become one of those savages; indifferent to the harsh suffering I inflicted on those around me while only caring about the next step of my cultivation. A memory from college surfaced, making me smile.

    If there was one thing I wanted to bring into this new life from my life on Earth, it would be my compassion for other humans. Perhaps I could try to become a doctor once more? However, I knew that cultivators relied on pills and Qi healing and doctors weren¡¯t a common sight.

    Then again, I always was an ambitious guy. Founding a new school of cultivation might be the kind of goal I needed to keep myself grounded while I adjusted to my new life.

    ¡°There was a story in my hometown,¡± I replied, smiling. ¡°About a wandering healer who held himself to a strict code of conduct. An oath of sorts, to never do harm and heal the sick. He would appear on the worst battlefields and treat everyone without prejudice. People called him a coward due to his peaceful nature, but with a dagger in their chest they wished he would appear and save them.¡±

    My eyes shined as I wove the invented tale of this healer. I was pulling inspiration from my own career on Earth and adding some lies into the mix for drama. ¡°Unlike most kids who dream of becoming ruthless cultivators, I truly admired that healer,¡± I finished to a speechless Wang Ren.

    After a period of silent contemplation, he eventually collected his thoughts. ¡°It takes a strong willpower to stick to such an oath,¡± he replied. ¡°Perhaps you share that healer¡¯s peaceful nature, Junior Brother. You were always more interested in pill refinement during our classes. Though you are far from talented,¡± he added with a teasing smile.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Could you tell me that oath? I am curious,¡± he asked.

    Recalling the college lecture where we were taught the doctor¡¯s oath, I answered him. ¡°I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgement; I will abstain from harming or wronging any man by it,¡± I declared and as soon as I said so, a loud rumble erupted.

    My face turned red as I looked towards Wang Ren, who had wide eyes that quickly returned to normal as he burst into laughter.

    ¡°Ah, Junior Brother Zhao, I apologise. I forgot what it was like to be a Low Body Tempering disciple and still need to eat every day. We should grab some breakfast on the way,¡± he said, scratching his temple.

    Looking at Wang Ren with a sheepish expression I nodded. Some breakfast would be wonderful.

    ¡°But, Junior Brother. You should be careful saying such things out loud. For a moment I almost thought that rumble was the heavens sealing a qi oath,¡± he warned.

    ¡°A qi oath? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re fairly common, but most of the time they¡¯re just used to seal agreements and make sure allies don¡¯t betray each other. That kind of thing,¡± he explained, waving a hand in dismissal.

    That seemed simple enough, but with how shocked he¡¯d seemed initially I knew there was more to it. After a few seconds he continued.

    ¡°Then again, I¡¯ve heard stories of absurdly powerful oaths some cultivators have taken. Swearing revenge after nine generations of their clan was slaughtered, committing to overthrow a lord¡ªthat kind of thing,¡± he said with a serious expression.

    He bit his lip, seemingly conflicted but then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that some of the old monsters took qi oaths that granted them better cultivation talent or mysterious physiques, but that has to be nothing more than rumours¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t expected something like that. It reminded me a little of a certain anime I¡¯d watched¡­

    Then again the way he spoke of those oaths told me they weren¡¯t everyday occurrences. It seemed that most people just used them as a kind of contract with the heavens as a guarantor.

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve gone off track. I want to know what your goals are,¡± he repeated his question with a smile.

    I wasn¡¯t really sure. At my core, I was a doctor. I didn¡¯t think I could give that up just because I¡¯d died and started a second life in a new world, even if that world was vastly different to Earth.

    This bulky senior brother of mine was quite the philosopher. But he was right. Achieving your goals is impossible without first knowing what they are.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how I could be a doctor in a world where anyone with enough control over their qi could heal brutal wounds in moments; where alchemists could brew pills that restored all ailments in a few days¡ªbut figuring that out would be half the fun

    I was in a strange world, possessing an unfamiliar body, and without the support of a sect. And yet I was filled with confidence.

    Hearing about qi oaths had me thinking. This new body of mine wasn¡¯t talented in cultivation and most of my old knowledge of healing and medicine wouldn¡¯t apply here.

    Of course I could fill the gaps by reading as much as possible¡ªthis was perhaps one thing I wished I had more time in the sect to do, given the size of the library here¡ªbut that wouldn¡¯t be enough to let me compete with cultivators.

    Perhaps I could take an oath of my own. Not a paltry one like the hippocratic oath. Even that was something of a joke back on Earth¡ªdoctors weren¡¯t actually required to take it but we learned about it regardless.

    Besides, to do no harm was a tall order. I wasn¡¯t a cruel man, but having lived at war for almost a decade I knew there were times that violence was necessary, even if the guilt and disgust became phantoms that haunted my dreams.

    Following Wang Ren, we moved down a slope, reaching into one of the lower peaks. The whole sect had different buildings at different places with the sect leader abode at the very top.

    We changed directions, moving off the path that led to the sect gates. A brief detour to the culinary pavilion brought bad memories of Zhao Dan¡¯s floating to the surface.

    It was a prime spot for bullies to pick on the weak, when they were at their most vulnerable. However, with Wang Ren there most of my former tormentors only glared mockingly at the sect reject and didn¡¯t dare make a move.

    After grabbing two bowls filled to the brim with spirit rice and steamed vegetables, we resumed our journey.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t need to eat, Senior Brother Wang?¡± I asked as the youth lifted a towering spoonful of rice and vegetables to his lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he replied with a smile, eyes never leaving the golden grains of rice. ¡°Well, for the most part. I eat about once a month to keep my body going, but when I reach Mid Stage Qi Gathering that will be a thing of the past. No, this is just a bit of nostalgia,¡± he finished, shoving the spoonful into his mouth and closing his eyes in appreciation as he chewed.

    I joined him and dug into the simple breakfast. Zhao Dan had tasted this same bowl of rice and vegetables hundreds of times.

    Despite those memories now being mine there was something to be said about experiencing the warmth and nourishment of that first spoonful with my own senses. It was wonderful.

    As we walked, I saw that we were moving through the training grounds. Most of them were empty, but I couldn''t help my eyes from lingering on the various types of weapons on wooden racks.

    Due to my attention split, I didn''t realise Wang Ren had stopped and ran right into his outstretched arm. Rubbing my forehead, I looked at him with a questioning gaze.

    He nodded towards the path ahead, where two girls were facing off against each other with swords drawn on one of the platforms.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we pass them by?¡± I asked.

    Wang Ren shook his head and sighed. ¡°No, we should stay. We are already late and it''s been a long time since I last saw a fight between outer disciples. It looks like they have a feud. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡±

    A crowd of disciples had gathered around them, laughing and pointing. I even saw a few spirit stones changing hands. On the left was a short girl with hair as white as snow and a derisive expression on her face.

    She glared at her opponent and yelled, ¡°Song Fen, you dared to flirt with Senior Brother Shen Ming and steal his carefully saved spirit stones. Kowtow before me ten times and return them with twenty percent interest, or I¡¯ll make sure to scar your face so bad no man will ever look your way again!¡±

    I almost laughed, but knew that Wang Ren might grow suspicious of my behaviour and restrained myself. This was so cliche it hurt.

    Still, with the memories from Zhao Dan, I knew that such squabbles were commonplace and the end result was far from a joke.

    The other girl¡¯s face twisted in fury and she lunged forwards, swinging her sword in a graceful arc. Song Fen moved so fast the first girl wasn¡¯t able to react. Perhaps she expected a reply to her taunt.

    As the sword fell towards her face, her eyes widened and she leapt sideways.

    She was too slow. A scarlet mist sprayed into the air as Song Fen¡¯s blade cut through her arm, biting deep into her shoulder. The white-haired girl screamed out and fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder and staring in wide-eyed horror at the exposed bone.

    Song Fen flicked her sword, spraying the excess blood onto the path. Sheathing her blade, she gazed at the sobbing girl on the ground with indifference. ¡°Next time you should focus on your cultivation instead of your looks, Wei Hui,¡± she sneered.

    My hands had begun to shake at some point during the exchange and I clasped them together to steady myself. How could such one-sided savagery be considered a fight?

    Looking at the girl on the floor, my heart ached for her. Remembering the times Zhao Dan had witnessed similar scenes was one thing, but being immersed in such cruelty with my own senses left a bitter aftertaste.

    All of a sudden, I stumbled forwards, feeling a cold grip in my stomach and an invisible hand drawing me towards Wei Hui.

    Before I could move, Wang Ren had already rushed off, his scarlet robes billowing in the wind. The crowd parted ways seeing his status.

    With one hand he made a seal, while the other raised the limp arm with delicate ease. Placing the severed muscle fibres together, he pushed down on the cut with two fingers and closed his eyes.

    I saw a strange blue light emerge from his core, travelling down his arm and through his fingers into Wei Hui¡¯s shoulder. He held his fingers against the wound for ten seconds or so, before removing them and opening his eyes.

    He whispered something to her and she nodded weakly before wiggling her fingers. My jaw fell open, not quite believing what had happened.

    Healing such a wound back on Earth would take a surgeon hours, not to mention the weeks of recovery the patient would need after. Yet Wang Ren had completed the most complex part¡ªthe ¡®surgery¡¯¡ªin moments.

    The pull on me weakened, the icy grip receding into the depths of my dantian, but I still felt a soft tug towards the girl. I surmised that this was the effects of my oath¡ª demanding I heal the woman who¡¯d been savagely wounded before my eyes.

    Wang Ren returned to my side and waved for us to keep walking. It took me a few seconds to gather my courage, unsure if my question would offend him.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, what was it you just did? How did you heal her arm with such ease?¡± I asked, measuring my words.

    ¡°Oh, nothing too complex. Any cultivator at Qi Gathering or above can do the same. Qi is vitality itself, so injecting it into the wound helps to stem the bleeding and regenerate the body. It won¡¯t cure all her problems, but a pill or two can handle the rest,¡± he replied, waving an arm as if such a feat was truly nothing to him.

    On the other hand, I was still quivering. Goosebumps ran up and down my arms. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be terrified or excited at this discovery.

    At least it made a little more sense now why these people were so reckless with their own lives and indifferent to that of others. If you knew most of your injuries could be fixed with some qi and pills, then why fear your opponent¡¯s blade?

    Wang Ren¡¯s answer had only created more questions for me. To start, that blue light I had seen¡­ It had to be his qi. However, cultivators weren¡¯t able to sense qi until they reached the Qi Gathering realm, which was a long way off for me.

    I wondered why I was able to see qi while only in the Body Tempering Realm, but after going through a dozen possible answers in my head I couldn¡¯t find one that felt right. Perhaps the answer would reveal itself in time.

    ****

    Standing under the towering gates, I was struck with a wave of nostalgia. A younger Zhao Dan had stood on the other side of these gates, filled with hope and eager to begin life in the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    I turned to Wang Ren. He¡¯d done far more than he needed to for Zhao Dan¡ªa truly compassionate Senior Brother. I bowed down to my waist and gave him a heartfelt smile.

    All of a sudden, I felt a pressure I hadn¡¯t known was there lift from my heart. Was that the lingering will of Zhao Dan? I was glad I could at least do this much for the pitiful boy.

    ¡°Farewell Zhao Dan. If the heavens will it, perhaps we will meet again. Good luck,¡± Wang Ren said, a glint in his eye the only slip in his otherwise impassive gaze.

    ¡°Thank you for your care these few years, Senior Brother Wang,¡± I replied. We¡¯d said all that needed to be said. Further pleasantries would only spoil the moment.

    He took my empty rice bowl to return to the culinary pavilion, both bowls licked clean of the scrumptious spirit rice.

    An Elder of the sect stood by the gate, hands outstretched. I took out the jade slip that marked me as an outer disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect and handed it to her.

    She took a small booklet from her pocket and handed it to me in exchange. Opening it to the first page, I realised it was a map of the Celestial Jade Empire.

    I thanked the Elder. She replied with a curt nod, stowing my token and standing to the side. With a final nod to Wang Ren, I stepped through the gates of the sect and began my journey into the world below.

    At the base of the mountain that housed the sect, there was a sprawling forest. If Zhao Dan had woken up on time, one of the sect¡¯s Elders would have flown him to Three River City, but instead I had to walk.

    It was better this way. Experiencing the world with my own two eyes, feeling the bark of the trees with my own hands¡ª that was far better than relying on Zhao Dan¡¯s jumbled memories.

    The trees closest to the sect were huge, towering dozens of metres into the sky with enormous, verdant canopies. The forest floor was littered with flowers and fungi of all kinds and I even spotted a few curious animals watching from the branches as I walked down the path.

    For half an hour I wandered, admiring the natural beauty of the Celestial Jade Empire. More than once I stopped and gasped, entranced by magnificent flowers, odd fungi, or unfamiliar beasts.

    In those thirty minutes I saw more species of plants, mushrooms, and moss than I believed could exist. I brushed my fingers against the petals of a gorgeous lilac flower, sighing in content, when I heard a blood curdling scream tear through the forest.

    Without a second thought I rushed towards the sound, leaving the path behind and going deeper into the trees. The scream had been high pitched, likely a woman or a child.

    My breath caught when I burst into a clearing, catching sight of a young girl, thirteen or fourteen, lying on the ground and clutching a wounded leg.

    A huge wolf loomed over her, almost my height with midnight black fur and razor sharp fangs that dripped saliva onto the mossy ground.

    Its eyes flickered in my direction for a moment and my arrival seemed to force its hand. It howled at the sky and raised its claws, preparing to pounce.

 Chapter 2

    I recognised the creature from Zhao Dan¡¯s memories¡ªa midnight direwolf. This was a low level spirit beast that was commonly found in the nearby forests.

    Zhao Dan was poor, so he had no weapons. But he at least had his meagre cultivation of fifth star Body Tempering. I moved without thinking, rushing at the beast as it jumped on the girl.

    All the muscles in my right arm tensed in one instant. I crossed the distance of a few metres with two striding steps, arriving between the girl and the wolf.

    Smashing down my fist, I caught the beast on its jaw. Caught in the momentum of its charge it couldn¡¯t dodge my punch.

    Despite the beast being almost as big as me, it went flying. A crack rang through the clearing as it slammed into a tree and crumpled.

    Spirit beasts were stronger than cultivators at the same star, but midnight direwolves most commonly were in the second to third star of Body Tempering. It had no chance.

    Freezing, I stared at my bloody fist. I wasn¡¯t a stranger to violence, but being the perpetrator was a new feeling. My body had moved on instinct.

    A low growl came from the direction of the beast. Turning to it, I saw that the wolf was still clinging to life by a thread. This was fate.

    Something deep within me urged me onwards, clamouring for blood. I believed I had rid myself of Zhao Dan¡¯s lingering will, but it seems I was mistaken.

    Perhaps it would help me acclimate to this world if I experienced the act of killing. Better a spirit beast than another person. Striding towards the helpless wolf I raised my fist to deliver the finishing blow.

    But as I moved to end its life, I stopped myself at the last moment before my fist struck its head. I wasn¡¯t a killer.

    Zhao Dan¡¯s old instincts, the desire of a cultivator to crush everything in their path to advance, had taken the wheel mid-fight. I¡¯d almost done something I would regret.

    This wolf was only following its own instincts, hunting to survive. I wasn¡¯t sorry for defending the girl and wounding it, but whether it survived now was up to fate.

    I stood up and unclenched my fist, walking over to the girl. Bending down, I reached out a hand to place on the girl¡¯s head and comfort her. She whimpered, still clutching her leg.

    ¡°Can I have a look?¡± I asked, moving towards her leg. While I wasn¡¯t versed in any healing techniques¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure they even existed, browsing Zhao Dan¡¯s memories¡ªI knew how to treat mortal wounds.

    The girl nodded, but her hands were still clinging onto her bleeding calf. The fear of the wolf lingered in her mind and she was trembling even after I¡¯d beaten it down.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. It can barely move, it won¡¯t hurt you anymore,¡± I comforted her as I gently lifted her hand from the wound. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    I winced internally, but my face remained calm and still as I inspected the savage cut. It seemed the wolf had torn out chunks of her flesh as it chased her to this clearing.

    ¡°Xiao¡­¡± she mumbled, covering her mouth. ¡°Xiao Cui.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, little Cui. I¡¯m going to treat your leg, okay? Take some deep breaths and relax. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I reassured her.

    First I needed to stem the bleeding. Well, really I should clean the wound, but that was difficult in the middle of a forest.

    Tearing off a strip of my robe, I used it to dab away the dirt. Uncaring for my clothes, I ripped off another piece and wrapped it around the cut.

    She winced as I pulled it tight, but I needed to make sure she would make it to the nearest town so I could treat her properly. Luckily, the wolf had missed her veins and arteries and while she would need time to recover, there was nothing permanently damaged. Or was there?

    As I tied off the bandage, I observed to make sure it didn¡¯t leak. Thankfully I was wearing a black robe Zhao Dan owned, rather than the white robes of the sect¡ªit would¡¯ve been a shame to ruin them.

    Even through the dark material, I saw red specks appear. Wait, how could there be red stains on black cloth?

    Confused, I peered closer and my eyes widened in surprise. Flickering sparks of red energy popped up every few seconds inside Xiao Cui¡¯s leg, pooling into a swirl of red. As I watched, I felt something inside me resonate with the sparks and my chest started to tingle.

    I recognised this phenomenon¡­ It was the same when Wang Ren had healed that girl¡¯s arm back in the Cloudy Falls Sect. Except his qi had been blue and this energy was red.

    Additionally, Xiao Cui was a mortal who hadn¡¯t cultivated a day in her life. Even I didn¡¯t possess a speck of qi, so how could she? This had to be something else¡­

    Oh! The Elder had taken my copy of the sect¡¯s Three Peaks Six Falls Art¡ªthe basic cultivation method given to all disciples¡ªbut I remembered enough to figure out what this was. In the Body Tempering Realm, cultivators used their blood essence to refine their bodies and prepare them to accept spiritual energy.

    Blood essence was something that all mortals possessed, even if they had no talent for cultivation. Before, I believed that perhaps transmigrating had given me the ability to sense qi early.

    Now, I was starting to suspect that was only the surface. If I could also see blood essence, perhaps I would be able to sense other types of energy, too?

    I had read in a few novels that transmigrators were often able to sense things like qi and blood better than natives of their new world, because their senses were experiencing these energies for the first time. Was that what was going on here?

    While that thought was exciting, it wasn¡¯t helpful at the moment. However, being able to see Xiao Cui¡¯s blood essence healing her leg was extremely useful to me.

    The tingling in my chest had intensified, becoming a hot itch. Turning my gaze inwards I saw an erratic cloud of red sparks whizzing about my body.

    Unlike Xiao Cui¡¯s well behaved blood essence, mine seemed like an angry mob. With a grunt, I tried to suppress the raging sparks.

    They resisted, refusing to obey my will. Was this the effect of taking over Zhao Dan¡¯s body or simply a lack of talent?

    Eventually I managed to quell the fiery itch, but my blood essence refused to settle. Curious, I moved my hand towards Xiao Cui¡¯s wounded leg¡­

    As soon as I did that a searing flame shot down my arm, a torrid stream of energy clamouring for escape. I yanked my hand back and coughed as the unruly essence raged inside me.

    Wang Ren had told me that qi was vitality itself¡ªa force of healing when applied to wounds. Would blood essence work in a similar manner?

    I didn¡¯t think that cultivators in this world could sense blood essence the way they sensed qi. None of the memories I had suggested otherwise. I smirked a little, happy that I had at least one unique talent.

    While I was grateful to Zhao Dan for his body, it was far from an optimal specimen. Just enough spirit roots to cultivate, low talent, and not a whiff of a unique physique.

    Nevertheless, I had always been determined and hard-working. I wanted to figure this out, but I didn¡¯t want to risk hurting Xiao Cui if my theory was wrong.

    Luckily, I had a perfect test subject lying half-dead on the edge of the clearing. ¡°I¡¯ve stopped the bleeding for now, just give me a moment,¡± I assured her as I walked over to the wolf.

    She seemed nervous as I left her side, but there wasn¡¯t much more I could say or do to comfort her in the moment. The ragged breaths of the wolf greeted me as I approached.

    Blood pooled on the mossy ground, leaking from its mouth. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d punched it that hard, but I guess a two-star difference in cultivation was hard to overcome.

    I crouched down, staying on the balls of my feet in case it decided to lash out. It had a hateful glare in its eyes and feebly swiped at me with its claws.

    Swatting the pathetic attempt away, I clamped one hand over its jaw, sealing it shut, while placing the other against its chest.

    As soon as my hand touched the black fur, I felt my blood essence vibrating faster than ever. The itch was unbearable, so instead of holding it back I simply let go.

    However, nothing happened. My blood essence simply continued rampaging around my fist, despite my finger making contact with the injured wolf. I guess it was silly to expect to be able to copy Wang Ren¡¯s feat of qi healing after a single observation.

    And I didn¡¯t even possess a drop of qi yet¡­

    But that didn¡¯t dissuade me. What if there was a way to adapt the technique for my use? All of these cultivators were battle maniacs, leaving fields of corpses in their wake as they advanced.

    I hated the idea of following in their footsteps, betraying allies and slaughtering the innocent just to take a single step forwards. What if there was another way?

    Thinking back to that morning, I remembered my conversation with Wang Ren, where I learned about qi oaths. He said that there were rumours that certain powerful cultivators had traded some of their freedom for power¡­

    What if I could make a trade with the heavens? A trade that gave up some of my martial talents in exchange for healing techniques. Arts, a physique, knowledge¡ªI would be satisfied with anything that might let me heal the wolf. And then Xiao Cui.

    I knew that my shoddy attempt at fixing her leg might let us return to her village, but it wouldn¡¯t last long. If nothing was done it might get infected, or simply heal badly and leave her with a permanent injury.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Clenching my fists I knew what had to be done. I wasn¡¯t even sure it would work; if the heavens would listen to my plea. But I had to try.

    Standing up from the dying spirit wolf, I took a step back and raised my gaze to the sky. I was sure the heavens would hear my words whether I stared upwards or not, but it felt like the right thing to do.

    I still had a hard time accepting the ¡®heavens¡¯ as an actual entity, something with quasi-sentience. On Earth they were just a pretty backdrop to life, science¡¯d down from something mystical to a few thin layers of gas and the universe beyond.

    Even so, I closed my eyes and tried to find the right words to make my request. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly I was giving up or what I might receive in return¡ªonly vague ideas.

    For a while I stood there in silence, considering my future in this world and what I hoped to achieve. I knew that despite my aversion to casual cruelty and wanton violence, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it entirely.

    Sometimes it was necessary to raise one¡¯s fists in order to defend the innocent. ¡®Healing¡¯ the wounds of the world required an iron will and a sturdy heart.

    I felt the hippocratic oath was lacking, but I took some inspiration from it, knowing that the words I spoke weren¡¯t perfect, but good enough.

    ¡°Heavens, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s a proper way to make an oath and I don¡¯t care to put on airs. I¡¯m just here to make a request. I don¡¯t need to cut down thousands of foes or clamber over the battered bodies of my fellow humans to advance my own power.

    ¡°All I need is the strength to heal those who need it; the power to defend the innocent from cruelty and evil; and the means to become the greatest doctor this world has ever seen!¡± I declared, every word pouring from my mouth filled with my determination.

    Silence fell over the clearing.

    I felt like an idiot and my cheeks flushed red. Standing there shouting at the sky I was sure that Xiao Cui thought me crazy.

    My oath had failed, the wolf would die from its wounds, and little Cui would live life as a cripple. Perhaps I would become a doctor in the future, but by then it would be too late.

    I¡¯d already lived one life full of mistakes. I didn¡¯t want to do the same thing again now that I¡¯d been granted a second chance.

    All of a sudden I heard a deep rumbling, like the banging of a thousand war drums. The world flashed white, then I heard a deafening clap of thunder.

    A millions spears of ice dug into my skin and tore through my body. That was the last thing I felt before I passed out.

    ****

    ¡°Hello, are you alive? Wake up, damn it¡­ Oh, your eye moved! What in the heaven''s name was that?¡± cried Xiao Cui, shaking my body and sending waves of burning agony through every muscle.

    It felt as though I¡¯d been kneaded by a veteran baker and then baked for a year. Opening my eyes, a spike of pain dug into my head as the light blinded me.

    When I¡¯d finally recovered enough to sit up, I looked down at my body and gasped.

    It was in perfect condition¡­ No, more than that¡ªit was better than perfect. My skin was smooth and even my tattered robes had been mended.

    They were now white like jade, with emerald green details running along the trim. For a moment I had forgotten who, what, and where I was. Then everything came rushing back as I looked into Xiao Cui¡¯s eyes.

    The oath!

    There was only one explanation for what had happened to me. But other than fresh robes and smooth skin, nothing felt different to before¡­

    Oh fuck.

    The moment I turned my gaze inwards, focusing on my body, I realised what had happened. My spirit roots, as few as they were, had shattered.

    Damn heavens, this wasn¡¯t what I asked for! I didn¡¯t want to be a bloodthirsty battle maniac, but making me a cripple? Too far!

    However, that wasn¡¯t quite right either. Despite my broken spirit roots, I realised that my cultivation remained unchanged. I was still at the fifth star of the Body Tempering Realm.

    Flexing and unflexing my bicep, then clenching and unclenching my fist, I tried to find any difference in my body from before making the oath.

    I couldn¡¯t find one.

    But that didn¡¯t mean nothing had changed. There was one thing I had to try. The heavens had taken something valuable from me, so surely they had given me something in return.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, little Cui. I¡¯m absolutely fine,¡± I told her, waving away her hands as she fussed over me. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    Turning to the wolf, I saw it was on death¡¯s door. It had a minute at most before it took its final breath. There was still time.

    Bending down over its body, it whined weakly and tried to raise a paw, but it didn¡¯t have the strength. I felt my blood essence stir as I drew closer.

    It wasn¡¯t as aggressive as before, but I could still feel its excitement. My fist surged with power and I extended two fingers, touching them to the wolf¡¯s chest.

    Blood essence flooded into the wolf¡¯s body like a raging river. At first I was happy, relieved of the painful itch. Then I-

    I was on the ground and lights danced in my eyes. For a moment the world was fuzzy and I could hear a ringing in my ears.

    The burning pain returned, two sharp points in my forearm. I jumped to my feet, ripping my arm out of the wolf¡¯s mouth.

    What on earth!? Seconds earlier it had been knocking on death¡¯s door, but now it had the strength to bounce around and snarl at me like a murderous chihuahua.

    Two thin streams of blood trickled from the holes in my arm where it had bitten me. ¡°Ungrateful mutt, that¡¯s no way to thank me for saving your life,¡± I cursed.

    No good deed goes unpunished as they say. But despite the throbbing bite, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling.

    The oath had worked!

    I had paid a heavy price, but it seemed like I¡¯d been granted something equally valuable. I wasn¡¯t yet in the Qi Gathering Realm, but I¡¯d still managed to replicate the healing technique.

    And that wasn¡¯t all. I felt it stirring within me. My blood essence had multiplied and my cultivation had somehow advanced, even though my spirit roots were shattered.

    According to everything Zhao Dan knew about cultivation that should¡¯ve been impossible. And yet I couldn¡¯t deny the reality of my situation.

    I had a dozen variations I wanted to test. I needed to experiment, figure out what else I could do after taking this qi oath.

    But my questions could wait. Right now I needed to beat some sense into this damn dog¡­ For the second time.

    Glaring at the spirit beast, I took a step forward. My leg moved like lightning, striking at the wolf¡¯s torso.

    I felt a crunch as my foot snapped a rib. What a waste of my blood essence. Well, not quite¡ªI knew the technique worked now, so I could try it on Xiao Cui.

    Why was the beast so insistent on throwing its life away? Couldn¡¯t it tell I was far stronger¡­

    Then again, finding a meal was difficult in the wild. Perhaps Xiao Cui and I were the first prey it had found in days.

    Even though it was an annoying bastard, I still had little desire to end its life. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if you can understand me, but if you keep this up I will be forced to do something I really don¡¯t want to,¡± I warned him.

    I blinked. The wolf pounced at me. My fist moved instinctually, a killing blow aimed at its neck.

    And missed.

    I felt a sting as the wolf¡¯s claws sliced through my bicep. Xiao Cui screamed and I saw the wolf turn and ignore me in favour of the easy prey.

    For a brief moment I was frozen in shock, barely registering the pain. Nothing had gone wrong, so why did my attack miss the mark?

    Focusing on my body, the problem was immediately clear. My laughter rang through the clearing as I wiped tears from my eyes.

    For two years, Zhao Dan had been stuck at the bottom of five-star Body Tempering. This body was so used to moving with that level of strength that any minor change meant a loss of balance.

    Healing the wolf had skyrocketed my cultivation, close to the peak of the fifth star. With the extra speed and strength I¡¯d gained, I couldn¡¯t move in quite the same way.

    I also suspected that my light-headedness played a part. In my eagerness to test my newfound ability I had let loose and used up all of my blood essence.

    My speed was even greater than before and I kicked off the ground, standing between Xiao Cui and the wolf. I glared menacingly towards it, daring it to take another step.

    This time it seemed to get the hint and backed up while growling and baring its fangs at me. Once it reached the edge of the clearing it vanished, sprinting into the forest.

    Strangely, I was grateful to that wolf. Even though it¡¯d torn up my new robes and bloodied my fists I¡¯d learnt something important and had the chance to test a new technique. One that I could now use to heal Xiao Cui.

    I turned to the shaking girl and bent down. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t I tell you it would be fine. Why¡¯d you go and scare the little puppy away with your screaming?¡± I teased her.

    Xiao Cui giggled, then winced when she shifted onto her injured leg. Grabbing her shoulders, I lifted her and placed her against one of the trees.

    The gnarled bark wasn¡¯t much comfort, but it was far better than lying on the ground. When she saw me untying the bandage her eyes widened and she grabbed my hands to stop me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded, voice quivering.

    ¡°Relax, little Cui. I figured out a technique back there, so I want to try and heal your wound properly. That way I won¡¯t need to carry you back home,¡± I answered with a smile.

    That seemed to ease the tension. I wasn¡¯t used to this world of immortals, spirit beasts, and violence. But I knew how to keep my patients smiling, even as I cut them open or snapped their bones.

    This time I only needed to pump some of my essence inside her. How hard could it be to stop myself from letting it all explode out in one burst?

    As it turns out, it was really hard.

    The moment my arm came close to her leg, I felt the hot rush of my blood essence surging towards her. The wolf healed enough to attack me, but there was no guarantee I hadn¡¯t left internal wounds behind in my hasty attempt.

    When it came to my first human patient, I wanted to take extra care and get my technique right. Additionally, I needed to observe my own cultivation at the same time to see what exactly was making it surge upwards.

    Eventually I tamed the raging essence so that only a few sparks at the tip of my finger. I pressed it against the wound and they raced towards Xiao Cui¡¯s swirling blood essence.

    A spike of pain dug into my head. It felt like I was splitting my brain in two by restraining my essence while focusing on the wound.

    The sparks joined the swirling mass inside her leg. Her blood essence had been gathering in the wound for a while. Every now and then a few sparks would break off from the swirl and float towards her skin.

    When that happened, I noticed that the bleeding slowed and the wound shrank by a tiny margin. This was the natural healing process of a human in this world.

    Fascinated, I almost missed what happened when my own blood essence joined Xiao Cui¡¯s. I saw a flash of red as the first spark touched the swirling mass.

    When her own essence joined the swirl it simply grew a little larger, but mine had a completely different effect. The swirl condensed, shrinking in size but starting to spin faster.

    The effect was greater the more of my blood essence entered the wound. She cried out in pain, breaking my concentration.

    Realising I had been pushing too much of my blood essence into her, I forced the agitated sparks to remain inside my arm. Just as too much medicine was poison, it seemed there was a limit to the beneficial impact of using my blood essence like this.

    ¡°Sorry, I got a little excited,¡± I apologised. ¡°The healing should be over soon, little Cui.¡±

    She nodded with a grimace, clenching her jaw. Unlike cultivators who could shrug off such a minor wound, mortals were quite fragile.

    The swirl reached a limit. It was tiny now, about the size of my fingertip. However, it was spinning so fast that following it made me dizzy. And that wasn¡¯t the only change.

    Before, the swirl released the healing sparks every ten seconds or so. Now they were being blasted at the wound multiple times each second like some kind of healing machine gun.

    The three claw wounds on her leg were now closing at a visible rate. This was fascinating to me, who had never witnessed such miraculous healing techniques.

    Soon the blood was gone and her leg was smooth and shiny like nothing had ever happened. But it wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    Spinning faster and faster, the condensed swirl reached a breaking point and exploded into countless red sparks. Xiao Cui didn¡¯t react, so I had to assume she didn¡¯t feel this.

    After that, the seemingly endless sparks of blood essence rushed towards the point where my finger was touching her leg. I gasped as the torrent of energy surged into me.

    It rushed up my arm and into my chest, before diffusing across my entire body. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the quantity of blood essence that entered my body was around fifty percent greater than the quantity I injected into her wound!

    Satisfied with my discovery and the success of the healing technique, I prepared to lift Xiao Cui to her feet. At that moment, a wave of heat burst outwards from my core and I cried in pain as my muscles, tendons, and skin were torn apart.

 Chapter 3

    Nothing could have prepared me for the agonising pain that I felt. What the hell was going on?

    Was this the backlash for spending too much blood essence or a side effect of brute forcing a technique meant for those at the Qi Gathering realm? Actually, the pain of my body ripping itself apart was just the beginning.

    When patients are healing from severe wounds, they often report extreme agony from the affected area even after they¡¯ve been treated. The healing process itself can be more painful than the original injury!

    What followed my body being torn to pieces was a full reconstruction. From my toes to my scalp, iron-like bones reforged from dust, tendons like bow strings snapped into place, and densely packed muscles twisted together.

    As this happened I was barely able to maintain consciousness. My mind went blank and I couldn¡¯t form a single thought.

    Slowly I felt the pain receding. Focusing inwards, I saw that as the transformation ended, the red sparks of my blood essence exploded out from my core and raced around my body. Wherever they went was rejuvenated and I felt a sensation of extreme relief.

    My ordeal was over. Now that I was more coherent, I was able to figure out what had happened. I had broken through to six-star Body Tempering.

    Letting out a chuckle, I turned my gaze towards the heavens. This world was truly unfair. Zhao Dan had struggled for 2 years without making a single iota of progress in his cultivation, yet I managed to break through in a single day after my transmigration!

    However, something was strange about this breakthrough. Looking through my memories, none of his previous breakthroughs had been so severe.

    They had been similar, as the Body Tempering Realm involved the destruction and reformation of one¡¯s body, but nowhere near as intense. There were two possible answers.

    The first was that my strange blood essence had played a part in the agonising breakthrough. Zhao Dan had never been able to sense his own blood essence with such precision and it had never behaved in the way mine did.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad thing that my breakthrough was more intense than before. The greater level of agony had paved the way for a sturdier foundation. I knew that I would be tougher than cultivators at the same star as me.

    But there was also the possibility that none of that was true. This led to the second possibility¡ªmy use of my blood essence to heal Xiao Cui and the wolf.

    After each use of the technique, the quantity of my blood essence had skyrocketed. There were no free meals in this world; any powerful technique should have an equally potent drawback.

    Perhaps my rapid advancement came with a price¡ªevery breakthrough made using this method would be many times more brutal than the last. The only way to discover which answer was right was to test each theory.

    Whatever the oath had granted me, I knew that I was only scratching the surface. Giving up my spirit roots was a phenomenal sacrifice. Even as stingy as the heavens seemed to be, given how few cultivators there were compared to mortals, it couldn¡¯t have given me a single measly technique in exchange.

    Coincidentally, I had already decided to become a doctor once more. At first I had been wondering how I would acquire healing arts or techniques in this battle-obsessed world.

    The idea of creating my own from the ground up based on my knowledge and experience crossed my mind a couple times. However, that would be a monumental task.

    From what I had managed to find out, creating a new technique from scratch was typically something that only Core Formation ancestors could accomplish. Reaching such a level was more of a dream than a real ambition for the previous Zhao Dan.

    I doubted I would reach such heights. My temperament didn¡¯t suit this brutal world. However, now that I¡¯d discovered my own unique method of advancing, there was a sliver of a chance that I might make it there one day.

    For now, I would need to take some time to stabilise my new cultivation as well as plan my next steps. The journey back to Xiao Cui¡¯s home was a perfect opportunity to do so.

    Even though I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what my future held, I knew I would face it with my head held high. I¡¯d made my oath and I would do my best to stick to it while figuring out the powers it had granted me.

    Turning towards the young girl, I saw that her face was pale and she stared at me with horror. At first I was confused and looked around the clearing, thinking she¡¯d seen another spirit beast.

    However, we were alone in this part of the forest. Then it hit me. She¡¯d just been witness to my body tearing apart from the inside and then rebuilding itself.

    For cultivators, such a sight was still gory, but a part of their daily lives. To a mortal, such a scene must¡¯ve left a sickening impact.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little Cui. While that may have looked vicious, it was a good thing for me. I¡¯ve reached a new level in my cultivation,¡± I assured her. Unfortunately my words had little effect.

    Knowing there was no instant fix for the minor trauma, I simply lifted her onto my back and started to run through the forest. ¡°Where do you live?¡± I asked.

    She yelped as I swept her off her feet and struggled for a moment, but then her eyes seemed to glaze over and she went still. I wasn¡¯t happy that a girl I¡¯d saved viewed me with such fear, but perhaps I would need to get used to it.

    Mortals and cultivators existed in different worlds. What seemed as natural as breathing to us was a world-shaking experience to them. Eventually she seemed to register my question.

    ¡°Oh, um¡­ I live with my parents in Nine Paddy Village. It¡¯s near Three River City,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I can show you the way when we get close to the city,¡± she quickly added.

    I nodded and increased my speed, kicking at the ground until the passing trees became a blur. I¡¯d wanted to explore the forest a little more on my way to Three River City, but getting Xiao Cui home safe was my priority.

    ****

    While we walked through the forest, I noticed Xiao Cui glancing in my direction every now and then, but she didn¡¯t muster up the courage to speak her thoughts. That suited me just fine.

    I had a lot to think about. I knew I wanted to continue being a doctor¡ªor whatever equivalent this world had¡ªbut this was the first time I¡¯d healed someone without relying on years of study and modern technology.

    The sheer thrill of fixing an injury with nothing but the power contained within my body was unmatched. Even completing a twelve-hour surgery had never felt so¡­ vivid.

    Perhaps that was because the achievement was accompanied by the surge in my cultivation; that addicting growth that all cultivators in this world chased endlessly. Suddenly the trees seemed to vanish as glittering evening sunbeams danced through the empty air. I gazed out across the endless lush plains and rolling hills that lay around the Cloudy Falls Sect. The breathtaking view cleared away all worries and let me walk in unbothered peace for a little while.

    ****

    Frowning, I looked at the beautiful sunset. The map given to me by the Elder at the gates severely understated the distance between the Cloudy Falls Sect and Three River City.

    Even with my increased speed after the breakthrough, we¡¯d only covered half the distance to the city since leaving the forest behind. Travelling at night was too dangerous¡ªspirit beasts grew more restless in the dark.

    I would¡¯ve preferred to set up camp and wait until morning to continue our journey, but Zhao Dan hadn¡¯t owned a tent. Xiao Cui was lying on the side of the road, half asleep.

    Shaking her awake gently, I asked, ¡°Do you know if there are any inns along the road to your village? We can¡¯t travel in the dark.¡±

    It took her a second to fully wake up. Her eyes went wide when she saw me and she jumped back a little. I sighed. This mental trauma of hers was going to be a problem.

    ¡°You know, I really won¡¯t hurt you. Do you think I would¡¯ve bothered healing your leg if I had bad intentions?¡± I asked, shaking my head.

    Xiao Cui looked into my eyes for a few seconds, then seemed to come to a realisation. Getting onto her knees, she bowed until her head touched the dirt path.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life, honoured cultivator,¡± she declared. ¡°I¡­ your body¡­ it was so scary,¡± she started to stutter.

    This was good progress. There was no need for such an over the top thanks, but I knew the customs of this world were ingrained in her mind.

    ¡°It was no problem,¡± I replied with a wave of my hand. ¡°And truly, I am fine. This process is normal for us cultivators.¡±

    She didn¡¯t need to know my little lie. While some pain was necessary for a breakthrough in the Body Tempering Realm, what I had experienced was far from normal.

    ¡°So, about the inn¡­¡± I said, looking at her with expectation.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Yes! There is one, but I¡¯m not sure we will make it there before nightfall,¡± she sighed, looking back at the forest with fear.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have another option,¡± I replied, holding out my hand for her. Taking it, I lifted her to her feet and then onto my back once more.

    ****

    Xiao Cui told me the inn was only a little further, but she¡¯d fallen asleep since then. Even with my cultivation I was beginning to grow tired. Running at full speed for a whole day had taken its toll.

    At that moment I reached the top of the small hill we were climbing. Looking across the valley I smiled. The inn was a little further along from the base of the hill.

    Darkness had taken hold of the world, but there was a half moon tonight and the sky was clear. Pale light illuminated the valley. For a moment I stood still, admiring the natural beauty of this place.

    However, I didn¡¯t dawdle for too long. There was still the danger of running into more dangerous spirit beasts now that night had fallen. We soon reached the inn.

    I¡¯d half expected to be ambushed by spirit beasts along the way, but an eerie silence was all that followed us on our journey. With a final glance I turned from the path. The inn was two floors tall and made of sturdy wood.

    Two lanterns hung from the front wall, lighting up the surrounding area in an orange glow. I could see a stable nearby with a few horses sleeping soundly.

    Everything seemed in order, so I was happy to spend the night. Even if it was a little dodgy we wouldn¡¯t have another choice.

    I didn¡¯t bother to wake Xiao Cui, simply stepping into the reception and greeting the owner with a nod. ¡°Evening, owner. How much for a night¡¯s stay and a hot meal?¡±

    The wrinkled old man held up three fingers without looking up from his book. ¡°Three coppers each for the night, including dinner. My granddaughter will bring it to your rooms,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°Four each if you want breakfast,¡± he added, turning the page.

    Some guests might have taken offence at his casual manner, but I liked people who got straight to business. Reaching into my coin purse, I realised I had a problem.

    Stepping up to the counter, I placed a gold coin on the desk and coughed once to get the old man¡¯s attention. ¡°Would you have change for a gold coin, by any chance?¡± I asked.

    For the first time since I entered the inn, the man lifted his head from his book. He slammed it shut and jumped to his feet.

    When he saw the glint of gold his eyes widened in shock and he reached out a hand to grab the coin, before pulling it back. He offered me a shallow bow. ¡°Surely you jest, honoured customer,¡± he said with a cough.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a gold coin in my life! How could I possibly have that much money on me?¡± he said with hesitation.

    This was the problem with cultivators. They were so wrapped up in their bubble of chasing the heavens that they forgot little things like this. Couldn¡¯t Zhao Dan have at least had a few silver coins lying around¡­

    Silver coins were worth 10 coppers, while gold coins were worth 100 silvers. If I had one, this old man would¡¯ve had change for me. I wasn¡¯t that attached to money, but I wasn¡¯t sure how far my small fortune would take me now that I no longer had the support of a sect.

    At that moment there was a cry from behind. I felt something slam into the back of my head, but it was far from hard enough to hurt me.

    Xiao Cui slipped from my back and I turned to catch her arm just in time. There was a red mark on her forehead that was swelling rapidly. I stifled a laugh, realising she¡¯d headbutted me as she awoke.

    ¡°Careful, at this rate you¡¯ll need healing once a day,¡± I chuckled.

    Her face went bright red and she mumbled an apology. Turning back to the owner, I tried to figure out a solution.

    Taking back my gold coin, I saw a flash of greed in his eyes but he quickly suppressed it. Anyone who openly carried gold was either a cultivator or mortal lord. An elderly man had no hope of stealing their money without losing his life.

    To my surprise, Xiao Cui stepped up to the desk and took out a silver coin, handing it to the old owner without blinking. When he took out two coppers to hand back to her, she waved a hand and said, ¡°Keep it. Just make sure my bed is extra comfy and my dinner is extra tasty.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure of the value of mortal money in this world. Sure, I could make a guess based on the prices of the inn, but that didn¡¯t give me an idea about the average income. Nor did it tell me whether it was normal for a village girl to casually toss silver coins around.

    Frankly, I didn¡¯t care. Looking at it this way, I had saved Xiao Cui¡¯s life and was escorting her back to her village. In the first place, a little girl wandering this far from home was asking for trouble.

    If this was her way of repaying that life debt, then I wouldn¡¯t do something insensitive like try to pay her back. That could be seen as an insult to her kindness.

    A young girl around Xiao Cui¡¯s age came from the back when the old man rang a bell. She was plain but pretty with brown hair and brown eyes. With a smile she showed us to our rooms on the top floor.

    The old man must¡¯ve said something to his granddaughter because the beds were far bigger than even Zhao Dan¡¯s back in the sect. After showing us the rooms she told us she would be back soon with our dinner.

    Xiao Cui leapt onto her bed and giggled as she sunk into the soft bedding. After rolling a few times and hugging the pillow a few times she gave me an embarrassed look. I continued to stand in the doorway.

    After an awkward few seconds of silence, she coughed. ¡°Ahem, saviour,¡± she muttered. Then, her eyes went wide and she yelled, ¡°Ah! I never asked for your name.¡±

    Covering her face in her hands she buried herself under the blankets. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her antics. I remembered being that young. Every little misstep felt like the end of the world.

    Embarrassment was worse than death for a teenager. ¡°My name is Zhao Dan,¡± I replied to her unasked question.

    ¡°Zhao Dan,¡± she repeated, chewing on the syllables. ¡°Thank you again for saving my life, Cultivator Zhao. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but if you could give me some privacy¡­¡± she said, glancing towards the bathtub.

    I swallowed as I realised I¡¯d just been standing there, staring at her for a few minutes. With a cough I shut the door and retreated to my own room.

    Looking in the mirror, I sighed. Gone was the muscular, tanned, and scarred body that used to greet me. It wasn¡¯t all bad. Zhao Dan, for all his flaws, had been handsome even by the standards of cultivators.

    A little paler than I liked, but there was a certain charm to it. Had being in this youthful body influenced me? Because my mind hadn¡¯t changed much, I didn¡¯t really process that I was now two decades younger.

    Then again, something like age was less of a pressure in this world. Every time one¡¯s cultivation increased, so would their lifespan.

    The Supreme Ancestor of the Cloudy Falls Sect was rumoured to have lived over a thousand years. Even as a six-star body tempering cultivator I would live almost 150 years. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    Cultivators aged slower, so I could expect to retain my youth and strength for the better part of my lifespan. I wanted to become a doctor again, but much of my knowledge¡ªhow to treat diseases, gunshot wounds, and heavy burns¡ªwas useless here.

    Then again, there was no reason I only had to heal cultivators. Mortals were everywhere. If I was going to walk a path that few others had tread before me, starting from the bottom seemed like a good plan.

    A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. Opening it, I was greeted by the smiling girl from earlier carrying a steaming bowl of meat, rice, and vegetables.

    Thanking her, I sat down to eat. She seemed flustered as she delivered the food, blushing as she passed it over and running away in a hurry.

    Perhaps being a handsome youth wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all. Taking a bite of the meat, I moaned in appreciation. This was the first meal I¡¯d had since my transmigration and I sorely needed it.

    Tender and juicy, the spiced meat melted in my mouth. Crunchy stir-fried vegetables and rice complemented it perfectly.

    The food vanished in less than a minute as I devoured it. Placing the dirty bowl and chopsticks on the table, I considered asking for seconds but decided against it.

    After bathing in the simple wooden tub, I changed out of my dirty clothes. Using the leftover water I scrubbed them clean and hung them out to dry.

    Lying down on the bed, I realised why Xiao Cui had been so excited. It was luxuriously soft. The moment my head touched the pillow I grew drowsy and soon I fell fast asleep.

    ****

    Sipping tea, I watched Xiao Cui enthusiastically sample the various fruits and pastries prepared for breakfast. I wasn¡¯t hungry, so I just had a single apple before letting her go wild.

    A loud crash broke the tranquillity of my tea drinking. Frowning, I turned to the source of the disturbance. A group of four muscular brutes sat across the room.

    They were shouting and jeering as they ate, throwing food everywhere and spilling their drinks¡ªwhich were alcoholic¡­ at breakfast. Given the swords and spears they carried, I guessed they were mercenaries. Or bandits.

    Ignoring the fuss, I returned to sipping my tea and considering my future. I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to go straight to Three River City. Perhaps after dropping Xiao Cui home I would just wander the nearby wilderness and see what I found.

    Testing my new technique on spirit beasts seemed like an effective way to quickly figure out its limits. And there was the added benefit of improving my cultivation, though I would need to work out if the rapid progress resulted in instability before rushing into things.

    A wooden cup flew across the room and hit my teacup, shattering it. Hot tea spilled across my lap and the shards of porcelain ruined little Cui¡¯s breakfast. I stared at the broken handle between my fingers with a deep frown.

    With a sigh I stood up from my chair and brushed the shards from my robe. The tea hadn¡¯t burned me¡ªmy skin was too tough¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t forgive them for ruining Xiao Cui¡¯s breakfast.

    She¡¯d paid for it with her silver coin, after all. I walked over to the table of brutes after picking up the cup they¡¯d thrown.

    I placed it down on the table. Not slamming it, but hard enough that they suddenly stopped their jeering and stared at me. ¡°I believe this belongs to you, fellow customers,¡± I coldly announced.

    ¡°Now, I understand that accidents can happen to anyone. The polite thing to do when you make a mistake is apologise and in this case, I think you should buy my companion a fresh breakfast,¡± I said, keeping my expression neutral.

    The owner¡¯s granddaughter hurried over and bowed. ¡°Honoured guest, don¡¯t worry. I will bring her more pastries, free of charge,¡± she said, rushing to grab a brush and clean up the mess.

    I wasn¡¯t happy about letting them off, but getting into a fight right now would be a mistake. For one, we¡¯d end up trashing the inn. I¡¯d feel bad for the old grandpa and his kind granddaughter.

    Secondly, I sensed that the leader of the group was a six-star Body Tempering cultivator like me. With his underlings backing him up, I might not emerge victorious if we went all-out.

    I sat back down at my table and picked up the fresh cup of tea. Taking a sip, I almost shattered the cup myself when the man let out a booming laugh and yelled, ¡°Hmph! Making demands is the right of the strong. How can you be so arrogant while so weak?¡±

    I really wanted to punch him. However, I believed I had a decent level of self control. Words were just that¡ªwords. The man could say what he liked¡ªit didn¡¯t bother me.

    Annoying bastards like this were everywhere. All bark and no bite. Xiao Cui grinned as a fresh platter of pastries and fruit was placed in front of her and dug in with gusto.

    I heard a few more shouts from the other table, but chose to ignore them. Then I saw the four men get up to leave.

    Thankfully we would get to enjoy the rest of our meal in peace. However, as they walked past our table, I felt a hand clasping my shoulder as the leader walked behind Xiao Cui.

    He grabbed her chin and lifted it to face him. ¡°Such a pretty girl doesn¡¯t belong with such a coward. From today onwards, you¡¯ll be my companion. Let me show you how a real man does things,¡± he declared with a booming laugh.

    While he did that I clenched my fist. This had gone far enough. I¡¯d been content to let them leave even when they¡¯d insulted me, but the moment they threatened little Cui they¡¯d sealed their fate.

    I was about to stand up when I felt a cold blade pressed against my throat.

 Chapter 4

    There was one thing these guys were mistaken on. They called me a coward because I didn¡¯t immediately threaten them for ruining our breakfast.

    But I wasn¡¯t a coward. I didn¡¯t avoid fights because I was scared I would lose, I avoided them because I knew what it took to win¡­

    Apart from their leader none of them could match me in strength. However, even a four-star cultivator could kill me with a knife against my throat.

    This was a tricky situation and I needed to step carefully. If it was just my own life at risk, I would¡¯ve turned to violence in a heartbeat. Thugs who threatened little girls deserved none of my compassion.

    However, the lead bandit had Xiao Cui¡¯s life in his hands right now. Luckily, his despicable lust worked in my favour¡ªhe wouldn''t harm her just yet.

    I inhaled, letting the air fill my lungs. As soon as they were full, I exhaled sharply and in the same moment grabbed at the bandit¡¯s wrist.

    He was caught off guard, not expecting such a decisive strike. With a jerk of my arm I snapped his wrist and the dagger fell from his hand.

    Catching it with my free hand, I whirled on the spot and stabbed towards where I thought his neck would be. Unfortunately, he had dropped to his knees while clutching his broken wrist.

    My strike went over his head. His eyes snapped open when he realised the danger he was in and he kicked out, catching me in the shin.

    I felt a little burst of pain, but my body was far tougher than his. Now that he was disarmed, the threat he posed was minimal.

    Grabbing his head with one hand I smacked my knee into his face. Blood splattered across the room as his nose exploded and I stabbed the dagger into his heart. He dropped to the ground, dead.

    I stared at the blood rapidly leaking from his body. His eyes had glazed over. My stomach churned. I forced down the bile that leaked into my throat.

    He deserved to die, but that didn¡¯t make killing him easier.

    The pain wasn¡¯t harsh enough to completely stop my momentum. The other thugs stared at their dead comrade with shock in their eyes. Their leader froze and let go of Xiao Cui momentarily.

    However, I didn¡¯t have time to wallow in my feelings. The bandits were shocked now, but they were already recovering, reaching for weapons.

    In that instant, I struck. I felt the stone tiles break beneath me as I kicked off the ground and shot past the table.

    Grabbing Xiao Cui under the shoulders, I lifted her from the chair and then rushed towards the bar. Then, I dumped her behind the counter as softly as I could manage.

    ¡°Stay here and cover your ears. This won¡¯t take long,¡± I said, turning back to face my opponents. There were now three remaining, but only the six-star leader was a real threat.

    The shock had twisted into fury on their ugly faces and the two weaklings charged towards me. One held a dagger like his dead friend while the other wielded a chipped Jian.

    I had no weapons of my own but against this trash my body was more than enough. My face was a mask of cold indifference as I surged forwards.

    My body felt a little stiff. Zhao Dan hadn¡¯t been very motivated to cultivate or exercise in the year leading up to his suicide, so the constant exertion was taking a toll. Even so, I felt amazing.

    The dagger wielder was first to reach me. He was barely a three-star body temperer and his movements were clumsy, like a child using a blade for the first time.

    I sidestepped his thrust with ease and then grabbed hold of his wrist. With my other hand I smashed against his elbow. There was a satisfying crunch as his arm bent backwards and broke.

    Following that, I ripped the dagger from his hands and grabbed him by the neck. His friend arrived at that moment.

    The bandit roared at me and raised his jian high above his head before swinging it at me. For a four-star his movements were surprisingly fast and I didn¡¯t have time to dodge.

    Tossing away the dagger I raised the limp bandit in my hands to block. The other man had no time to halt his attack and instead of striking me, he sliced off his friend¡¯s head.

    The bandit screamed in anguish. His eyes were burning with rage and hatred towards me, but I didn¡¯t care. These men would get no sympathy from me.

    Blood dripped from his blade onto the tiles. I spotted a blur of movement in the corner of my eye and ducked just as a meaty fist whirled through the air. The boss had joined the fight.

    This was where things got difficult. Zhao Dan only had a few basic martial techniques in his memory. A lowly outer disciple who¡¯d been reduced to little more than a servant wasn¡¯t given the privilege of seeing the more powerful techniques of the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    However, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯d always been a doctor, but being in warzones for most of my life had forced me to practise more than one martial art. Combining my own knowledge with the body of a cultivator might bring both forms to a new level.

    The boss wasn¡¯t one to waste time. Instead of waiting around yelling like his incompetent subordinates, he was already throwing another punch at my face.

    And he was wearing vicious spiked gauntlets made of leather and iron. There were dark red spots on the metal spikes¡ªdry blood from old foes.

    I stepped backward and shifted my head to the side to escape his punch, but he quickly fired off another. I raised my left knee and smacked his forearm to parry the blow, but the moment he saw me on one leg he grinned.

    He opened a fist and slapped it down onto my left shoulder. With my foot raised I stumbled hard and almost fell to the floor.

    Luckily I was able to catch my balance but that gave him a chance to strike. A spiked fist smashed into my temple and my vision went black.

    I felt something hard slam into my spine and realised I¡¯d been flung through a table. Staggering to my feet I saw stars dancing in my eyes.

    Before I had a moment to recover the underling was in front of me, swinging his jian. Even with my balance thrown off his clumsy slash wasn¡¯t difficult to avoid.

    Ducking low, I went under his blade and then exploded upwards, punching him right in the chin. The combined force of jumping and punching flung his body into the ceiling.

    His head crunched into a wooden beam and his neck snapped sideways at an awkward angle. When his body smashed into the tiles it stayed there. I felt a stinging pain from my shoulder and realised he¡¯d sliced into my flesh as I¡¯d struck.

    As I was rolling my shoulder, checking the damage, the boss stood up. He¡¯d recovered fast and threw himself at me. His arms blurred as he threw out dozens of forceful punches.

    I did my best to block, parry, and dodge them but I was slowly losing ground. I¡¯d only recently broken through to the sixth star while this man¡¯s cultivation was higher. He had a stable foundation and it showed in the ease of his movements.

    Not only that, but the sharp spikes on his gloves punctured my skin with every blow I didn¡¯t block. My clothes were dripping with blood and I knew if this continued I would surely lose. For Xiao Cui¡¯s sake I couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    But how was I supposed to take down a man whose life revolved around violence, one armed with a brutal weapon who held the upper hand against me? I racked my brain for answers as I continued to block his strikes.

    With every punch more holes appeared in my arms. It wasn¡¯t completely one-sided. I was also damaging the bandit with each counter punch I threw, but it wasn¡¯t enough.

    Suddenly I stumbled and lost my footing. It wasn¡¯t my fault but I¡¯d lost so much blood that my muscles were beginning to fail.

    The bandit leader grinned and spat out a bloody tooth. Then he rocked his arm back and sent a devastating punch right at my face. As the metal spikes raced towards my eyes I hurried to think of a solution.

    I¡¯m such an idiot¡­ How on earth didn¡¯t I think of this sooner? This was a basic mantra that was true on Earth and in this new world.

    Too much medicine is poison. My physical strength didn¡¯t match up to this guy, but I had a much more potent weapon in my hands.

    My hand shot out and I grabbed hold of his wrist, stopping his punch right before it hit my face. He frowned, but then let out a nasty chuckle.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use resisting. I can see that you¡¯ve lost your strength. Look, your arm is shaking,¡± he jeered, pushing against me.

    Even as he began to break through my hold my hand worked to slip underneath his sleeve. It was difficult as he was wearing many layers of leather armour, but eventually I felt something soft on the tip of my finger.

    Finally! A defiant grin crossed my face and the bandit paused briefly when he saw my expression. At that moment I pulled on the blood essence in my body.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The red sparks raced up my arm and blasted into the bandit¡¯s wrist. His cheeks flushed red and I saw the cuts and bruises on his body healing. His face crumpled and I saw him struggle to figure out what was happening.

    Using that moment I shot to my feet and blasted as much blood essence into his body as possible before jumping backwards. He suddenly yelled and pulled back his sleeve.

    Looking at his wrist I saw that it was starting to swell, with misshapen lumps forming under his skin. The growth stopped after a few seconds but from his clenched jaw I knew it was painful.

    ¡°What the hell did you do to me, you bastard?¡± he roared, before charging at me again. It seemed that the only language this man knew was violence.

    That was fine. I wasn¡¯t fluent, but I could hold a conversation. The situation was grim before, but with this new discovery I had a powerful weapon to use against him.

    There was still plenty of blood essence gathered in my body. I¡¯d barely had time to inject it into the bandit before he broke the connection.

    He threw a wild punch at my gut. Instead of blocking or dodging I allowed him to land the blow. I tensed my abs and stepped back slightly to weaken the impact and the moment it landed I grabbed hold of his arm with both hands.

    The blood essence had been gathering in my chest and it was going wild without an outlet. As soon as I willed it to enter the bandit¡¯s body it exploded outwards and shot through my arm.

    My arm burned as so much of my energy passed through it, but I could handle a little pain if it meant securing my victory. As the essence raced into the bandit, I watched the mesmerising red sparks.

    When I¡¯d healed Xiao Cui, her own blood essence had already begun the process and the addition of mine only served to accelerate it. This time, I was adding my essence to a perfectly healthy body.

    There was one affliction more deadly than any other back on Earth, a severe disease that had claimed millions of lives and was almost impossible to cure without severe backlash¡ªcancer.

    Put simply, cancer was the result of healthy cells mutating and multiplying to form tumours that could damage people¡¯s organs and eventually kill them. I guessed the effect of my healing technique on a healthy person would be similar from the result of using it on his wrist.

    My blood essence clumped together in his arm. Instead of a whirling spiral like in Xiao Cui¡¯s leg, it formed a kind of spiral helix up his arm. Some sparks even shot into his chest and neck.

    The spiral started to spin, slowly at first but quickly gaining momentum. Once it was whizzing I saw clumps of energy being fired outwards. At first I could only see because of my ability to sense the blood essence, but then I saw his arm swelling.

    His robes and leather armour burst as his face twisted in pain and he started to scream. ¡°What the hell? You¡¯re a monster, what did you do to me¨C aargh!¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if my technique would be enough to kill him, even as I saw his whole arm and shoulder become a disgusting, misshapen lump. I rushed forwards and grabbed his neck in a chokehold.

    He struggled, clawing at my hands but wasn¡¯t able to move his disfigured arms much. About ten seconds later his head slumped. I felt a hot surge as my blood essence returned to me, the quantity greater than before.

    Even using it like this caused it to multiply? In the hands of an evil man, this kind of ability would be terrifying. The world was lucky that someone like me had been gifted it.

    Then again, it hadn¡¯t been easy to obtain. I doubted any other cultivator would be willing to pay the same price.

    Letting the bandit¡¯s body drop to the ground, I took a few seconds to stabilise my energy and slightly increased cultivation. Then I walked back to the bar to check on little Cui.

    She was crouched down with her hands pressed firmly against her ears. She didn¡¯t notice me at first, but when my shadow passed over her she yelled and fell on her backside.

    I chuckled while lifting her to her feet. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt you anymore, or anyone else for that matter.¡±

    Xiao Cui was a little young to be immersed in death, but this world was different to Earth. I needed to get used to that. Her expression remained neutral, but I saw her kick the bandit leader''s corpse a few times.

    Well, as long as she was okay I didn¡¯t mind. I searched through their pockets, looking for any valuables or coins. I felt a little gross robbing the dead, but I was broke and they deserved it¡­

    However, it seemed these bandits had also fallen on hard times as all I got was a few silver and copper coins. I just gave them to the owner so he could pay for the repairs as it didn¡¯t make a change to my finances.

    I¡¯d discovered another use for my new technique. A terrifying one.

    It wasn¡¯t something I would use often¡ªat least I hoped not¡ªbut it was comforting to know I had something deadly to use as a trump card in these kinds of situations.

    Already the ramifications of being able to cause cancer made me consider other possible ways to use my technique, but that was a scary line of thought. My purpose was healing, not harm.

    As we left I threw a final glance at the four bandits. They were the first people I¡¯d killed in this world. That damn soldier lied to me when he said it would get easier every time¡­

    Instead of wallowing in self loathing I decided to just enjoy the crisp morning air and the beautiful sunshine.

    ****

    I stared down the dirt path at the village. Xiao Cui had told me a little about her home on the way but it was even more run-down than I expected.

    Houses made from rotting wood, cracked stone bricks, and with dishevelled straw roofs were all over the place. Only a few seemed to have been repaired recently. They were the larger houses, so I guessed that the wealthiest farmers and the village head occupied them.

    As we walked through the village, the reactions were mixed. Many people who were going about their daily business stopped to smile and wave at Xiao Cui, with a couple of nosy aunties even starting to gossip about the latest goings on in the village.

    I learned that Feng Mai, a farmer¡¯s wife, had slept with the village blacksmith the other day and Feng Bao had caught them in his bed. The two had fought ferociously until the village head broke it up and now everyone was gossiping about the affair.

    Xiao Cui smiled and nodded along but after we left the nosy aunties behind she frowned. ¡°This place is exactly the same as I left it,¡± she sighed.

    I could see she was having trouble being back. Looking at the events surrounding our meeting, I guessed she had probably run away from home. Many rebellious kids did the same, although most ran home once they realised how cruel and unforgiving the world was.

    In this harsh world of cultivation, danger lurked around every corner. Spirit beasts, bandits, and even young masters were a few of the major threats.

    You could make an innocent mistake and end up paying with your life if you offended the wrong person¡­ In Xiao Cui¡¯s case, she¡¯d adventured into the forest and almost died to a spirit beast.

    We soon arrived at a house with a well-kept roof but faded stone bricks and splintered wood beams. Her parents clearly put a lot of effort into maintaining it but lacked the wealth of those other families with beautiful houses.

    She knocked on the door and we waited with bated breath. A few seconds later it swung open and a plump woman wearing an apron smiled at us. That warm smile grew even larger and she rushed forwards when she saw Xiao Cui.

    Her mother lifted her into a tight hug and the young girl protested at first but soon returned her mother¡¯s embrace. I smiled at the scene.

    ¡°Thank the heavens you came back in one piece,¡± cried her mother, patting her body all over and kissing her forehead. ¡°Your father and I were worried sick, Cui¡¯er. Don¡¯t you dare run away like that again,¡± she added, pulling the girl inside and moving to close the door.

    Suddenly she realised they weren¡¯t alone, spotting me standing to the side awkwardly. Her face turned into a frown and she narrowed her eyes at me.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you loitering outside our house?¡± she asked, jabbing at me with the wooden spoon in her hand.

    Xiao Cui tugged at her mother¡¯s arm. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t embarrass me! He saved my life from a spirit beast,¡± she moaned.

    ¡°What!?¡± the woman exclaimed, eyes widening as she turned to her daughter. ¡°What the hell were you doing to get caught up in such a situation?¡± Turning to me she bowed and said, ¡°Sir, thank you for saving my daughter and bringing her home. I apologise for accusing you earlier.¡±

    I waved my hand and lifted her up. ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities. Saving your daughter was the right thing to do. I¡¯m sure anyone in my situation would¡¯ve done the same,¡± I replied with a smile.

    The woman seemed conflicted at my response, but quickly smiled again. ¡°Come inside. I won¡¯t let my daughter¡¯s saviour go without a hot meal,¡± she said, pulling Xiao Cui into the house and waving for me to follow.

    With nothing else to do at the moment, I decided to enter. At the very least I wanted to make sure little Cui was settled before I left.

    ****

    The sun was setting in the distance and a purple hue settled over the village. I was wandering through the dirty streets and inspecting the situation.

    What I saw was far from ideal. Zhao Dan¡¯s room in the sect had been pretty cramped. Even that was like a palace compared to some of the houses here. The situation for mortals in the Celestial Jade Empire was awful.

    Searching through my memories I realised that it was the same everywhere. All the villages and towns Zhao Dan had visited were similar.

    Cultivators would protect mortals from major threats like spirit beast surges or natural disasters, but beyond that they were basically treated like livestock. I was pretty sure the only reason the cultivators even bothered to do that little was so they could gather more talented disciples when they appeared.

    After all, cultivators seemed to give birth to way less children so mortals were the best source of new talent. It was twisted, but this system had been in place for thousands of years and it wouldn¡¯t change just because I didn¡¯t like it.

    The village was quite peaceful otherwise. I saw children playing in the streets with happy smiles. They were a little skinny but not sickly. Men and women talked and laughed with each other, only starting to head inside now that the day was ending.

    I heard a cough and turned to see the door of a nearby house hanging open. Curious, I wandered inside the house.

    ¡°Excuse me, is everything okay?¡± I asked as I entered. Walking into someone¡¯s home unannounced was bad manners.

    When I received no response I frowned. Another round of coughing came from a bed in the back. Walking towards the bed I saw a withered old woman lying under layers of blankets.

    She was so wrinkled and thin I could¡¯ve mistaken her for a corpse. Her eyes were milky and I don¡¯t think she even realised there was another person in the room.

    ¡°Excuse me, granny,¡± I said, ¡°Are you sick? Where is your family? Is no one taking care of you?¡± I asked, bending down and placing a hand on her forehead.

    Hot. She was suffering from a fever. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± she cried. ¡°I¡¯m just a penniless old woman with nothing valuable to steal.¡±

    Sighing, I realised her life must be really crap for this to be her first reaction. ¡°Granny, I¡¯m a doctor,¡± I said. ¡°If you like I can take a look at your body and try to heal you.¡±

    ¡°Shoo,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t need no charlatans bothering me now. I¡¯m already as good as dead. Even if you healed this fever some other damn problem would kill me. I¡¯m too old,¡± she complained, weakly waving a hand to send me away.

    ¡°I¡¯m no charlatan,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of little Cui¡ªXiao Cui. Do you know her? I helped her too. You can trust me,¡± I reassured the granny, reaching out to grab her wrist.

    Her pulse was weak. She pulled her hand back and started coughing again. There was a jug of water and a cup on the bedside table, so I poured her a glass and tipped some into her mouth.

    ¡°Thank you, young man,¡± she spluttered. ¡°So you helped Xiao Cui. Good. I can tell you have a kind heart, but it¡¯s useless. I¡¯m already at death¡¯s door. Don¡¯t waste your efforts on my old bones. Scram.¡±

    With a deep sigh I stood up and walked out of the house, sparing one last glance at the sick old granny. She was sort of right. Even if I cured her fever she might die soon after due to other issues. Old age was harsh.

    However, it still didn¡¯t sit right with me just leaving her like that. Ultimately though, I had to respect her wishes. If I went around forcibly curing people I would be no better than a bandit.

    Well, maybe a little better, but it was still poor conduct. Having the consent of your patient was a key step in any treatment process.

    Lost in thought as I continued my journey through the village, my silent contemplation was broken by hurried steps and Xiao Cui¡¯s shouts.

    ¡°Cultivator Zhao! Please, you have to help me,¡± she cried, tears flowing from her eyes.

 Chapter 5

    I grabbed hold of her shoulders until she stopped gibbering and shaking. Once Xiao Cui had calmed down she managed to explain the problem.

    ¡°It¡¯s my mother. She¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened but one moment we were eating dinner and the next she was coughing and coughing. You have to help her!¡± she shouted, pulling me as she walked back the way she came.

    ¡°Alright, calm down little Cui. Of course I will help your mother¡ªif I can. First I need to have a look at her condition,¡± I replied.

    What had happened in the short time between me dropping Xiao Cui home and going for a walk around the village to make her mother fall ill so suddenly?

    I thought back to the sick granny. Was it the same illness or just a coincidence? To figure that out I would first need to have a look at Xiao Cui¡¯s mother.

    ****

    Once more I found myself inside little Cui¡¯s home. This time her father was there, having returned from work out in the rice paddies. The majority of the village worked as farmers since it was the most plentiful work available.

    He was sitting beside the bed where her mother lay. Her cheeks were bright red. Unlike the warmth they¡¯d had upon greeting me earlier that day, this was the burning heat of fever.

    The moment we entered she tried to sit up and greet me, but was hit by a coughing fit that made her spray mucus across the sheets. Xiao Cui¡¯s father immediately lay her down and grabbed a cup of water, giving her a drink.

    I was seriously confused. How had a woman gone from perfect health to immobile and wracked with fever in a single afternoon?

    Were even the germs in this crazy world more powerful? I was broken from my thoughts by Xiao Cui tugging on my sleeve.

    ¡°Big brother Zhao, can you help her like you helped me?¡± she asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

    I didn¡¯t want to give her false hope. ¡°I can check her condition, but I can¡¯t make any guarantees of healing her,¡± I said while shaking my head.

    She let go of my sleeve, moving to the corner to sit in a ball. There wasn¡¯t much I could do in this situation except what I knew best. Moving to the bedside, I greeted her father and reached out to grab her mother¡¯s wrist.

    Her pulse was weak, barely enough to keep her alive. Looking at her face I saw that her lips were dry and cracked and her eyes were milky.

    The symptoms were almost identical to the old granny I¡¯d met earlier. However, I wouldn¡¯t jump to any conclusions yet.

    Once is chance, twice is a coincidence. Only when something happens three times can it be said to be a pattern.

    I also wasn¡¯t sure about carelessly using my healing technique on her. Thus far I¡¯d only tested it on physical injuries like cuts and bruises.

    When I used it on someone who was healthy, it caused tumours and cancerous growths that disfigured his body. There was a chance my blood essence would have no effect on the germs and just hurt Xiao Cui¡¯s mother.

    That was a chance I couldn¡¯t take. Removing my hand, I sighed and shook my head. ¡°It seems to be an intense fever. I can¡¯t cure her with my technique, little Cui. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologised. ¡°However, don¡¯t be disheartened. Usually this type of fever passes on its own. Just give her plenty of water and keep a cool cloth on her forehead.¡±

    Xiao Cui jumped up and pouted before rushing out of the house. I frowned and started to follow her, but her father stopped me.

    ¡°Brother Zhao¡ªcan I call you that?¡± he started to say. I nodded and he continued. ¡°Brother Zhao, just leave her be for now. Thank you for trying to help my wife. Cui''er will be fine, she¡¯s just very close with her mother and can¡¯t bear to see her like this. I will make sure to follow your advice and let you know if her condition changes,¡± he said with a stoic visage.

    I nodded and gently slapped his arm before walking out of the house. Right before I left through the door he shouted after me. ¡°And thank you for bringing her home!¡±

    ****

    For the first few nights after that I slept in a stable. Xiao Cui¡¯s family had offered me their home but I felt awkward being there while the mother was suffering with a fever I couldn¡¯t cure.

    However, I now knew that this was more than just a few cases of fever as the world headed into winter. Almost half the village had fallen ill in just a few days.

    All displayed the same symptoms, going from perfectly healthy and energetic to bed-ridden and overheating in a matter of hours. I was seriously confused as I¡¯d never seen any illness like this before.

    This morning I visited the old granny once again, but her condition had worsened and she didn¡¯t even realise I was there. She didn¡¯t react when I took her pulse, wiped the sweat from her forehead, or gave her some water to drink.

    I estimated she would die within the next few days if nothing was done. While she seemed to have made peace with that, I couldn¡¯t accept it. I had to figure out if my healing technique would work on this disease before it was too late.

    A soft meow sounded in my ear and I startled, turning towards the roof of a nearby house. A black cat was stretching. It lay down on the roof and turned to me, its tail swaying from side to side.

    This was the first domesticated animal I¡¯d seen since waking up as Zhao Dan. ¡°Here kitty kitty. Pspsps,¡± I called out, uncaring if anyone saw me.

    The cat looked at me with disdain while preening its claws. Unfazed, I decided to use my hidden ace.

    Bending my legs, I leapt the entire height of the house and landed gently on the roof right in front of the cat. It jumped to all fours and hissed at me.

    Reaching down, I tried to grab the cat but it nimbly evaded my clumsy attempt, dashing through my legs instead. Grunting in annoyance I turned to chase after it.

    We raced along rooftops, darted between houses, and even ran through a neat garden at one point. However, I was steadily gaining ground.

    The cat grew slower with every moment and then suddenly it fell on its side. Within a few steps I caught up and bent down to inspect it. When I realised what had happened I was shocked.

    This cat had caught the same illness as the rest of the village¡­ Already its breathing was ragged and placing a hand against its head I felt the heat spreading to my palm.

    The first thing I did was to take off my outer robe and wrap it around the cat, while lifting it into my arms. I didn¡¯t want the chilly autumn air to make its condition worse.

    Rather than burden Xiao Cui¡¯s parents with another unfortunate soul I decided to bring the cat and go to the old granny¡¯s place. I¡¯d taken to visiting her every day and there was always a fire going.

    It was the perfect place to leave this poor creature. I entered, noticing an eerie quiet in the air.

    I hurriedly placed the cat beside the fire. Not too close and not too far¡ªI wanted it to keep warm but not overheat. That was a common way of dying when people had a fever.

    Then I rushed over to the old woman, fearing the worst. Her chest was still and her eyes shut. Grabbing her wrist, I felt no pulse. Damn it!

    You can¡¯t die on me, granny. I was about to risk it all and try my healing technique when she suddenly coughed and her eyes shot open.

    Turning to me, she saw I had her wrist in my hands and frowned. ¡°Stupid boy, I told you not to go messing with my wrinkled bones,¡± she scolded me, pulling her hand back.

    I could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Standing up, I smiled and replied, ¡°You¡¯re much too old to be my type, granny. I was just making sure you hadn¡¯t died without writing me into your will.¡±

    She cackled but started coughing halfway through. I helped her to drink some water before turning back to the cat.

    ¡°What are you doing over there, damn thief?¡± she called out.

    ¡°I¡¯m choosing which of your possessions to take after you croak,¡± I quipped. We¡¯d taken to this light hearted bantering in place of heavier topics during my visits.

    Lifting the cat into my lap, I made up my mind. If I stood by and did nothing, then most of the villagers who had fallen sick would die.

    I wasn¡¯t the type of man who could stand by and watch that happen, knowing I had the power to potentially cure them. The life of a cat was still valuable and I would do my best not to hurt it, but I needed to figure out if my healing technique worked against the virus.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    It purred weakly as I lifted its head, but had no strength to slip from my embrace. I reached into my body and pulled on the blood essence gathered there.

    A cat¡¯s body was tiny compared with a human¡¯s, so I made sure to restrain the unruly energy as much as possible while separating a tiny portion. My secondary goal was also to improve my control over my blood essence so I wouldn¡¯t accidentally hurt my patients.

    Sweat rolled down my forehead as I focused, but I was succeeding. A few red sparks travelled towards my finger and I brought it closer to the cat¡¯s chest.

    I guessed that the lungs would be the best place to target since that was where fevers usually hit hardest. However, this was a totally new illness and I was making shots in the dark here.

    The moment my fingers touched the black fur, I lost control of my blood essence. The few sparks already at my fingertips raced into the cat¡¯s body and I could feel the rest of it rushing down my arm.

    I hurriedly pulled my arm away, hoping that the little essence I¡¯d managed to inject into the cat would work its magic. At first the sparks seemed aimless, just travelling further into the cat without purpose.

    Seeing the stark difference between this and the almost immediate effect when I treated Xiao Cui, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Perhaps this experiment was doomed to fail.

    It was upsetting since I¡¯d had fun chasing this cat through the village. I almost felt bad for it¡ªperhaps our game had caused the fever to accelerate.

    There were a total of four little sparks inside the cat¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t difficult to keep track of all of them. For now they just floated about and I continued to watch just in case something unexpected happened.

    Even without the technique I still had my medicinal knowledge and could relieve the animal¡¯s suffering that way. One of the sparks suddenly fizzled out and disappeared when it entered the cat¡¯s leg.

    For a few seconds I kept a keen focus on the spot where it had vanished, but nothing happened. Letting out a disappointed sigh, I realised that my technique may not be effective on something like a virus.

    However, I hadn¡¯t lost all hope yet. There were still three energetic sparks of my blood essence floating around inside the cat.

    One was lingering around its chest, darting between two fixed points and slowly accelerating. Another was winding around its stomach, with no fixed pattern.

    The third entered its head, but then moments later fizzled out in similar fashion to the first. Worse, no essence had surged back into me when those two sparks vanished, making me worry that this was a permanent loss.

    While I wouldn¡¯t regret trying to save the cat even if that was the case, I had to pay attention to my body. If I ended up regressing my cultivation it would cause major instability in my body¡ªperhaps even permanent damage in severe cases.

    Then, the red spark in its stomach started to fizz and shake. After a moment of madness it disappeared like the first two.

    My frown deepened as I stared at the cat, which was no longer shivering thanks to the heat of the fire. Was this poor creature doomed to an early death, claimed by this mysterious illness?

    I wanted to find a cure, not just for the cat and the old granny, but for Xiao Cui¡¯s mother and everyone else in the village who was bound to fall sick. I¡¯d made a vow after all, so what use was I as a doctor if I couldn¡¯t cure one measly fever?

    All my hopes were pinned on the final spark, lingering in the animal¡¯s lungs and passing between them. Suddenly it started to fizzle and I felt my heart catch in my throat, fearing the worst.

    I almost choked on the thick tension lingering in the air. The spark burnt faster, disappointment and guilt building in my chest.

    Suddenly, the spark flashed brightly and I leaned in, hoping against the odds that my efforts might bear fruit. Unfortunately, the spark burst like the others, dissipating into¡­

    My eyes widened and I leaned so close to the cat¡¯s chest I was almost kissing the silky fur. How had I missed this?

    Even straining my sight to the limit, I struggled to make them out¡ªtiny motes of blood essence diffused throughout the cat¡¯s body. Specifically, its lungs, brain, and stomach. Those were three of the places the larger parts of my blood essence had vanished¡ªor so I believed.

    There were two foundations to my healing technique. They were my strange blood essence and my mysterious ability to see the flow of qi and blood in other people.

    After seeing Wang Ren perform the qi healing art, I¡¯d just copied what I saw without thinking much about what I was really doing, inflating my ego after a few successes.

    I¡¯d not taken the time to stop and observe the process, to figure out what was going on at the molecular level. Perhaps it was the influence of this new world¡ªthis new body and old memories.

    I¡¯d already forgotten the scientific process. At the core, most doctors were scientists. We observe illness and plague, the human condition, and then we do our best to treat our fellow humans.

    However, I wasn¡¯t wholly to blame. Even straining my sight as I was now, the miniscule particles of blood essence were ridiculously difficult to see. My eyes started to burn and a tear rolled down my cheek, forcing me to blink and sit up once more.

    Though once I¡¯d managed to wipe some of the pain away, I smiled at what I saw. Tiny clumps of the cat¡¯s own blood essence were beginning to form through its body, swirling in a familiar pattern.

    My technique had kickstarted the process of fighting off the strange fever, but now the cat¡¯s body was joining the battle. Soon, I hoped it would be healthy enough to run across the rooftops once more.

    However, just when I thought the situation had been resolved, the cat screeched and started convulsing. Had I made a mistake? Pushed too far with the technique and inadvertently worsened the creature¡¯s condition?

    A similar thing had happened with Xiao Cui, when I was still getting used to my new technique. My control hadn¡¯t improved much, but I believed I hadn¡¯t overdone it here.

    Perhaps I was wrong.

    Panicking, I reached out towards the cat, thinking I might be able to pull some of the chaotic sparks out and ease the pain. But, when I drew near and had another look inside, I realised I had once again let my emotions get the better of me.

    There is something that all doctors know well and would constantly fight with their patients about back on Earth. Many illnesses¡ªespecially fevers such as this¡ªwould seem to get worse during treatment.

    Patients would run to us and complain that the medicine isn¡¯t working, we had lied to them, and other protests. However, the body is not invincible. Fighting off sickness takes a lot of energy and it often leaves us weak.

    However, this is not a sign that the illness is getting worse but instead proof that the treatment is effective. There is always a storm before a rainbow.

    Despite the cat¡¯s convulsions and the pain I knew it felt, I saw my blood essence raging, fueling the growing swirls within the cat¡¯s body. A minute later, they started to fire off bolts of blood, consuming the microscopic sparks with every strike.

    From my point of view, the technique was like a raging storm that vanquished all sickness. I placed the back of my hand against the cat¡¯s forehead, feeling the searing heat that still consumed the poor beast.

    However, it soon began to fade. The whirlpools of blood essence were raging torrents now, having burned almost all of the essence I¡¯d provided. The technique was reaching its climax. Then, all four exploded in a shower of vital sparks, sending a river of life raging through the cat.

    ****

    The old granny¡¯s breathing was shallow. Without focusing, one could mistake the shrivelled woman for a corpse. I sat beside her, lifting a jug of water to her cracked lips and wiping away the splashes that leaked from her mouth.

    She was a cantankerous old bat, who would greet me with an insult more often than a smile. However, I liked her upfront style. I¡¯d take an honest bastard over a silver-tongued schemer any day.

    The cat was curled up under the blankets, purring softly in the warm bed she¡¯d built for herself. The mischievous feline was still weak, but my technique had purged whatever pathogen was causing the sudden fever.

    Once again, my cultivation had grown after my success. I wasn¡¯t able to distinguish the exact progress, but I felt that I was around two-thirds of the way towards seven-star Body Tempering. Zhao Dan would¡¯ve been jealous at the rate I was progressing.

    Then again, I was using his identity, so this could be considered a continuation of his legacy. I hoped that would bring his soul some measure of satisfaction, wherever it had ended up.

    I no longer felt like a complete stranger in my own skin. Every time my blood essence flowed through me I became more accustomed to this strange power.

    My success with the cat had motivated me. I wasn¡¯t sure my control had progressed by much, but at the very least I knew the haphazard technique I¡¯d created was effective against the strange illness.

    Knowing I wasn¡¯t just firing shots in the dark built my confidence. I watched over the granny as she spent her final hours alone, withering away in a village that seemed indifferent to her suffering.

    She¡¯d made me promise not to treat her, but how could I stand by and watch someone die, knowing I had the ability to save their life. I was sure her defiance was a product of her loneliness, seemingly left to her own devices by the rest of the village.

    In my last life I had died alone, powerless to change my own fate or make even the tiniest difference on a global scale. Here, I had real power, crackling at my fingertips and begging to be used.

    For now I was weak, only a six-star Body Tempering disciple¡ªformer disciple¡ªnot even considered a true cultivator in the eyes of those lofty masters who could wield qi like an extension of their own body.

    No, I would not let myself tread the same path. I had been given a second chance and I would be damned if I let anyone else tell me how to use it.

    Placing the jug back on the table, I leaned forwards until my hands were hovering over the old granny¡¯s stomach. ¡°Someone has to look after this mischievous little girl when I¡¯m gone,¡± I joked, stroking the cat gently. ¡°Even if you hate me for the rest of your life, I¡¯ll happily bear that grudge.¡±

    She mumbled something, then snorted through her nose. I almost leapt out of the chair in surprise, but she soon returned to her near-comatose state.

    ¡°Ha! Even at death¡¯s door you¡¯re still not going to make things easy?¡±

    With the cat, I¡¯d done my utmost to hold back my essence, fearing that even a drop too much would hurt it. The sickness had progressed too far in the old woman¡¯s case. She¡¯d been the first case¡ªthat I knew of¡ªand I guessed the fever had claimed most of her body.

    Aggressive illnesses required aggressive treatment. I wasn¡¯t going to go wild and flood her with raging sparks, the way I¡¯d done with the bandit¡ªI didn¡¯t want to kill her, after all. However, I would not be gentle.

    So, placing two palms against her skin, I turned my focus inwards and drew on the raging essence. It was still energetic, bursting out of every cell after my recent growth, so the moment I gave it an outlet, the sparks raced to escape.

    One, two, four, ten¡­ the number of sparks that flooded into her body rapidly grew. In the end, I drained almost half of my reserves before putting an end to the flow.

    Now usually this would be the point where I removed my hands, leaving the treatment to the instinctive expertise of my essence. However, my goal was to improve my control and take a more scientific approach to my treatment.

    So, keeping contact with her skin I narrowed my focus and attempted to direct the erratic sparks to the worst affected parts of her body, the areas where fevers festered¡ªmostly the lungs and stomach.

    At first nothing happened. I wasn¡¯t dissuaded, expecting such a result on my first try. After a few seconds I was able to make a single spark change its path, though it still missed the mark.

    Unrelenting, I continued to clamp down, forcing my will on the sparks. This was my blood essence and I would not be ignored.

    The moment I did that, all hell broke loose.

 Chapter 6

    The very act of trying to impose order on the inherently chaotic blood essence seemed to cause a devastating domino effect. Not only had my own essence¡ªmy self-created technique¡ªrefused to follow my commands, but it had also begun to do the opposite in an infuriating act of defiance.

    I knew blood essence was not sentient¡ªthousands of years of rich cultivation history proved that¡ªbut right now I couldn¡¯t help but think the frustrating little sparks were doing this to spite me. When I¡¯d tried to direct them towards the worst affected areas, they instead exploded away from my very touch.

    While I was annoyed, I refused to let a single failure stop me. I¡¯d decided to treat the old granny and improve my control, so I would do it no matter how long it took.

    Even though the sparks weren¡¯t obeying my commands, they were still doing their job. A few had already exploded into a mist of tiny red droplets. Since the slight improvement in my cultivation I could see the microscopic motes without straining too much.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t worried that my treatment would fail. It worked perfectly on the cat. It was only my lack of understanding that had caused me to worry when the sparks behaved differently to before.

    In fact, the only thing that could possibly go wrong was the old woman¡¯s body being unable to keep up with the fierce treatment and giving out before it could heal. However, with me on hand that wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    Along with my new magic cultivation powers, I was armed with decades worth of mortal medical knowledge. I knew almost everything that could go wrong during this kind of treatment and how to counter it.

    The technique worked much faster this time. There were many reasons why that could be: the fever had more time to multiply giving the essence more targets; I¡¯d used more essence this time around; pure chance.

    I didn¡¯t discount the last one, knowing how strong a grip the workings of fate and destiny had in a world like this. I¡¯d only felt the touch of the heavens once, when they chained me with this oath, but that brief moment was enough to know they were alive.

    Perhaps not in a way I understood, but I knew the world itself functioned like a living entity with a purpose beyond my understanding. It was governed by rigid laws, but ones I had yet to discover.

    That thought excited me more than any other, because if there was one love I had lost in my years of working side by side with death and destruction, it was the sheer thrill of research and discovery.

    All these thoughts raced through my mind as I continued to observe the chaotic clouds of essence raging in the old woman¡¯s body. If the other treatments I¡¯d performed were like focused blasts, this one was like a tsunami.

    The essence had clumped up, the smaller sparks joining together into larger ones and then forming a wider cloud with the others, creating a lattice of chaos through the granny¡¯s entire body.

    Only a few had burst into a shower of mist, emulating the process that had occurred inside the cat. I wanted to know why, so I strained myself to keep watch.

    There were just a few sparks left unconnected to the grand tapestry, but they were soon dragged in. The instant the final spark joined the web, dozens of them exploded.

    That began a chain reaction that caused all of the accumulated blood essence to burst in a torrential rain of vitality. And then I felt her heart stop.

    ****

    I chugged the remainder of the water from the jug, not bothering to wipe away the sweat that rolled down my temple¡ªmy whole body was soaked anyway. I wasn¡¯t worried about the fever contaminating the jug, since my cultivation would prevent most mortal illnesses taking hold.

    When the old bat¡¯s heart had given out I was consumed by guilt, thinking I¡¯d inadvertently hastened her death through my unwanted treatment. But, a cloud of essence had rushed to fill the withered heart and after what looked like a medicinal cluster bombing, it began to beat anew with even more vigour.

    After that, the treatment had proceeded in a similar fashion to how the cat had recovered. I could see the pain it caused the old woman, having her body be the site of a fierce battle between the insidious fever and violent medicine, but it was a necessary sacrifice.

    When the final whirling torrent of essence¡ªformed from my own and the scraps that remained in the granny¡¯s withered body¡ªfaded, her breathing was steadier and her face which had twisted and grimaced during the treatment was the picture of serenity.

    After watching over the cat and the granny for another hour to make sure there were no complications, I left the run-down hut. I didn¡¯t want to stick around to see how furious she was to still be alive when she woke up.

    My cultivation had skyrocketed once again. In fact, the overwhelming torrent of blood essence that had flown into me after the fever had been vanquished almost knocked me out.

    It hadn¡¯t been quite enough to push me over the edge of the seventh star, but I felt like the tiniest push would do the trick. While that would be cause for celebration for most cultivators, it worried me.

    There wasn¡¯t a single recollection of a cultivator advancing this fast in Zhao Dan¡¯s memories. And the disciple who came closest¡ªa girl called Guo Chun¡ªwas discovered to be using a forbidden demonic technique that caused her flesh to rot and eventually drove her insane.

    That story had ended with an Elder of the Cloudy Falls Sect putting her down like a rabid dog. Of course, fast progression didn¡¯t spell certain doom, but I was acutely aware of the importance of laying a sturdy foundation.

    Cultivation was a marathon, not a sprint. The necessity of taking one¡¯s time to acclimate each time they advanced to a new star was emphasised many times in the sect¡¯s beginner cultivation method which I¡¯d memorised.

    Even without spirit roots I was still able to progress my cultivation, so keeping those lessons in mind was important.

    Ultimately, there wasn¡¯t much use in worrying about it. I wasn¡¯t going to stop healing those who needed my help, even if it caused a few imperfections in my cultivation.

    At its core, cultivation was a rebellion against the will of the heavens. If I had been afraid of taking risks to expand my horizons, I never would have left the safety of my country to become a doctor on the front lines.

    My walk through the village had brought me back to Xiao Cui¡¯s house. Her mother lay sick within and now that I knew my method was effective it was time to treat the next patient.

    As I entered I saw Xiao Cui at the stove, tossing herbs into a boiling pot. I recognised a few, but there were some that eluded my knowledge. ¡°Brewing medicine?¡± I asked with a smile, making her drop the knife and rush over.

    ¡°Saviour Zhao! You¡¯re back,¡± she cried, hugging my legs and beginning to sob. ¡°I just want to make the pain go away. Mother keeps coughing and growing weaker by the hour. She used to make this tea for me when I was sick, so I wanted to do the same¡­¡±

    Tousling her hair, I pried the girl from my legs and strode towards the bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little Cui. Now that I¡¯m here everything will be okay,¡± I assured her with a thumbs up.

    ¡°Really? Are you going to cure her?¡± she said, sniffling and wiping away a mix of tears and snot.

    Despite how gross I found it, I couldn¡¯t fault her. I would¡¯ve felt the same if I had to watch one of my parents slowly dying. ¡°Of course. Did you ever doubt me?¡± I quipped, making her huff. However, when I entered the bedroom and greeted her father she rushed after me.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Sitting beside the stoic man, I saw the pain hidden behind his stern expression. I looked at him expectantly with a hand held in the air over his wife and he nodded. It was time to get to work.

    ****

    Over the course of the week I went around the village, treating everyone who had caught the mysterious fever. I slowly gained a reputation as a miracle healer, with every villager who met me in the streets rushing to strike up a conversation and shower me in thanks.

    The gratitude warmed my heart, but I felt awkward. I¡¯d never been a social fellow and having to constantly engage in gossip about which man¡¯s wife was having an affair or which baker cut their loaves with sawdust was exhausting.

    You¡¯d think a village suffering from an epidemic wouldn¡¯t have time for such idle nonsense, but if anything the rivalries grew more heated during that time. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing that intensified.

    My cultivation had finally shattered the bottleneck, carrying me to seven-star Body Tempering. It had happened between treatments and the village head had almost bitten my head off with anger when I suddenly left his sick daughter lying on the bed to find a secluded spot to break through.

    He¡¯d forgiven me and apologised profusely when I returned and nursed her to health, an act that shored up my newly advanced cultivation. With the fever seemingly defeated, I was left with little to do but explore the surroundings, chatting with Xiao Cui whenever she ambushed me and occasionally playing with the cat now that it had returned to its mischievous, agile self.

    I had yet to visit the old granny since treating her, though the fact the cat wasn¡¯t starving led me to believe she had recovered. I wasn¡¯t scared of her, but I was a little guilty about ignoring her request.

    If anything, I wasn¡¯t so worried about the short term impact of my cultivation advancing so quickly. I just feared that this momentum wouldn¡¯t last¡ªthat there was a heavy price I would end up paying down the line.

    I wouldn¡¯t find the answer by overthinking. I barely knew the questions to ask. Instead, I ran through Zhao Dan¡¯s memories, trying to find any clues about my strange blood essence and mysterious ability to see qi and blood.

    Discovering why my abilities worked the way they did would surely give me more insight into using them to the fullest. Of my twin goals¡ªimproving my control and learning more about my healing technique¡ªI¡¯d made more progress with the latter.

    My control was still poor, though I had refined it a little as I treated the countless villagers who fell sick. Now, I was able to somewhat direct the erratic sparks even after they¡¯d left my body.

    However, I noticed that when I tried to control the process, it often ended up being less effective than when my blood essence was left to its own devices. I would change that, but only through relentless practice.

    When it came to learning about my technique I¡¯d made great strides. Discovering that it not only worked on physical injuries but also infections was vital knowledge. It was my hope that it might also work on more insidious afflictions like poison and perhaps even more ephemeral ones like mental trauma.

    That last one was just a fleeting idea, but it would be groundbreaking if I could figure it out. Though I was rather hesitant to start messing with people¡¯s minds. That was the realm of mad scientists and far more talented surgeons.

    I¡¯d never had the skill to even consider the path of a brain surgeon, but perhaps now I might have the opportunity. With how often cultivators seemed to come to blows, I was sure plenty of them suffered concussions and perhaps even permanent brain damage.

    It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, given how ridiculously short their fuses were and how often they ended up in large scale wars over the most minor disagreements. That last thought brought a smile to my face.

    I had been exploring a nearby forest, observing the behaviour of the local wildlife as winter took hold. The first layer of snow had already fallen and many had begun to hibernate. I worried for the villagers.

    They were already weakened after the strange illness and now they would need to survive the harsh cold. However, I knew they¡¯d done it for hundreds of years before I arrived and would continue to do so long after my death. Humans were tough bastards.

    As I walked through the outskirts, I noticed there was almost no one outside. Usually the farmers would be watching over the paddies, but I couldn¡¯t see a single soul.

    I rushed to Xiao Cui¡¯s house, but found it empty. However, I soon realised everyone was gathered in the village centre, listening to a rather well-dressed man reading from a bamboo slip.

    Curious, I slipped into the crowd and made my way towards the front to listen to what he was saying. I wasn¡¯t sure who he was but the way everyone watched with strained faces made me nervous.

    ¡°And so, according to the decree of the Three River City Lord Teng Shi, the tax rate this year will be increased by five percent. The ferocity of the beasts grows every year and maintaining the defences of the surrounding lands is an expensive endeavour. Any village who fails to meet this increase will be left to fend for themselves,¡± he declared, closing the slip with a thunderous clap.

    ****

    After the arrival of the City Lord¡¯s messenger, the village was in an uproar. However, none of them dared make a move on a man with such backing.

    To defy Teng Shi was to defy the heavens, at least for the mortals who lived under the protection of Three River City. While they couldn¡¯t complain, I was under no such obligation.

    Even as an expelled disciple, I was still a cultivator. The City Lord was far above me, but at the very least my status would warrant me a better explanation than the one given to the villagers.

    I¡¯d pulled him aside once the crowd dispersed, grumbling and moaning about how they would survive the winter. At first he¡¯d been offended by my familiar manner, but once I told him who I was he warmed up a little.

    However, even after I was able to loosen his lips the man couldn¡¯t tell me much more than he¡¯d told the villagers. He explained the real reason for the increased tax was that the City Lord needed to pay a tithe to the Cloudy Falls Sect¡ªa fact he was surprised I didn¡¯t already know.

    I did know, once I found a vague memory of Zhao Dan overhearing two Elders gossiping, but it hadn¡¯t been something I¡¯d cared to discover while trawling through the countless memories I¡¯d inherited from my predecessor. It seemed this world was much the same as Earth.

    There was always a bigger dog. The villages paid the City Lord to protect them from the wild beasts and bandits that roamed the wilderness and the City Lord paid the sect to guard him from greater threats¡ªor perhaps just for the mere act of existing in their shadow.

    Cultivators were an arrogant lot and thought of mortals like ants beneath their feet. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they only demanded the tax so they didn¡¯t forget who their masters were.

    In any case, there was nothing I could do. I thanked the man for his help and resumed my idle pacing around the village. One thing was clear¡ªI was outgrowing this place.

    The sudden onset of the illness had given me a goal and a way to progress my technique. Now that I had defeated my elusive foe there were few reasons to stay in a backwater village like this.

    Xiao Cui was one of those reasons, but despite my fondness for the girl I¡¯d saved, I wasn''t going to stay just to gossip with her every few days. I still had a burning desire to explore this majestic world and discover the limits of my technique; to stretch the boundaries of medicine in a world that seemed to shun it.

    I decided to remain in Nine Paddy Village until the end of the winter and then make my way onwards. My original destination had been Three River City but I was content to just start walking and see where my journey took me.

    ****

    Fierce winds whipped shards of ice at me and even with my cultivator¡¯s constitution I could feel the bite of winter. According to the villagers, this year¡¯s winter was the harshest in a decade.

    Food stores were dwindling and some of the elderly and weak had perished to the cold. Thanks to my presence, illness wasn¡¯t as much of a threat this year, but there was only so much I could do. I didn¡¯t want them to grow reliant on me when I was planning to leave the village behind.

    I did accompany the village chief and a few of the stronger men on a hunt. With my help and their local knowledge we were able to secure quite a few fresh beasts to feed the hungry villagers. It would be enough to last the rest of winter with proper rationing.

    My days were spent mostly with the old granny. She still hadn¡¯t forgiven me for healing her, but treated me like a lost son all the same. I preferred to avoid the main streets of the village.

    The way the villagers treated me now was reverent, almost like a deity. It made me uncomfortable and almost pushed me to cut my stay even shorter than planned.

    However, I wanted to make sure Xiao Cui was settled and not liable to make another stupid decision like running away from home before I left. While I couldn¡¯t change her personality, I could see the tension between her and her parents was mostly gone.

    While walking near the forest, a sprawling mass of empty trunks with the occasional hardy evergreen dotted about, I found a solitary rose. The blood red petals that stood in defiance of the harsh cold touched my heart¡ªI was inspired by its strength.

    I bent down to admire it, considering plucking it and bringing it back for the granny. At least I could leave her with a gift she didn¡¯t hate, I mused with a smile.

    The shadows flickered, three sharp spikes breaking through the icy winter sun. Without hesitation I threw my body to the side right as a paw bearing razor-sharp claws tore through the air.

    Turning, I came face to face with the silent assassin. A hulking bear with shaggy brown fur, bloody and matted in places with a green hue, towered over me. One look was all I needed to tell this monstrosity far outclassed me, an eight-star spirit beast at the very least.

 Chapter 7

    Spirit beasts tended to be more powerful than cultivators at the same star. When encountering a spirit beast an entire star ahead¡ªa little more, in this case¡ªthe general consensus was to run with your tail between your legs.

    It was all I could do to duck and weave under its agile claws, tearing through the icy air like a blizzard. Each of its bestial roars sent the nearby snow billowing into the air, giving the spirit beast cover to launch a fresh assault while I shook myself out of a daze.

    Perhaps if I¡¯d been more aware of my surroundings instead of caught up admiring the beauty of a lone flower, I could¡¯ve escaped. No, escape had never been an option, I realised. Running away would mean leaving the defenceless villagers to the mercy of the rabid bear.

    And rabid it was. The sharp battle instinct it displayed could be mistaken for intelligence, but it was just a by-product of the beast¡¯s power far outclassing my own. However, the bear¡¯s eyes were cloudy and bloodshot while its mouth spewed drool across the snow.

    This monster had been driven to madness and I was just unfortunate enough to cross its path. I misstepped, the thick coat of snow making me miss my footing, and the bear¡¯s claws raked across my forearm.

    Three deep valleys were carved into my flesh, burning and freezing simultaneously. The snowstorm was a blessing in this instance, slowing the flow of my blood so that the vicious wound was less deadly.

    However, that didn¡¯t make it painless. Wincing from the blow I stumbled back. I was no stranger to pain, but being savaged by a wild beast was new to me. The sudden tearing burn knocked me off balance and the bear pounced with mad fury.

    Even with the surge in my cultivation bringing me around halfway through the seventh star, I was near powerless. If the spirit beast wasn¡¯t in this mindless rage, there may have been a chance to drive it away, but as things stood I was stuck fighting for my life.

    A gaping jaw burst through a wall of powdered snow, the bear intent on snapping my head off in a single bite. I grit my teeth, searching for a way out.

    Right now it wasn¡¯t focusing, convinced it was about to snag an easy snack. I kicked off the snowy grass as hard as I could, narrowly avoiding the bear¡¯s teeth snapping shut right where my head had been.

    As I dodged the near fatal attack, I spotted a festering wound on the bear¡¯s underbelly. I¡¯d seen the greenish hue of its fur before and thought little of it, but the evidence was plain as day. Tainted blood laced with poisonous sludge dripped from the wound, burning the snow where it touched.

    In fact, I should¡¯ve guessed from the moment I saw it was a bear attacking me that something odd was at play. Right now it was the heart of winter¡ªeven spirit beasts hibernated through the cold season.

    However, there was no time to wonder why the bear was attacking me. It had already recovered from the miss and was tearing towards me once more. If I could survive this encounter, then and only then would I think about what had caused it.

    Each time I dodged a swipe of its claws I lashed out with precise counter-attacks. However, my blows seemed ineffective.

    I wasn¡¯t making progress like this. If I continued to fight all that would happen is my eventual death.

    Another glimpse of the festering wound confirmed my suspicions. The bear had almost certainly been struck with a potent venom, the likely cause of its current madness.

    Knowing what I knew about the behaviour of bears¡ªwhich admittedly, was based on their cousins from another world¡ªI suspected that treating the wound might clear the beast¡¯s head and force it back into hibernation.

    Then again, it might just slaughter me as thanks and then take a few of the villagers as crunchy treats for its winter sleep. But, I wouldn¡¯t know until I tried.

    My healing technique was undoubtedly the most potent weapon at my disposal. I¡¯d proven how lethal it could be when I killed the bandit leader back at the inn, but now I was going to do something utterly insane.

    I planned to heal my enemy in the middle of our battle. There are many who would call me insane, but I knew my limits and this fight would only end in my death if I continued to struggle. This was the only option available to me.

    If all else failed, I still had the option to run away, though that route seemed doomed to failure. Even with the superhuman speed of a seven-star Body Tempering cultivator I wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun the spirit bear.

    Having decided how I would win this battle¡ªor at least give myself the slimmest hope at victory¡ªI faced another problem. My technique required prolonged physical contact with the patient.

    I felt as though every new encounter was forcing me to rethink my application of the technique. The scientist in me was rejoicing at the constant need for experimentation, but the doctor cringed at the instability it brought.

    Neither of them were as important as my monkey survival brain, which was telling me to cling to anything that would let me survive the battle with the bear. So, even though I couldn¡¯t see a way to make contact with the bear I started drawing on my blood essence.

    It was rather peaceful when resting in my body, bar the occasional spark lancing down one of my limbs as I dodged or parried the monster¡¯s strikes. As soon as they felt my call, the sparks vibrated with glee, eager to escape the prison of my vessel and work their magic.

    I directed almost half of my blood essence into my left hand. I would¡¯ve preferred to use my right, but since the bear¡¯s wound was on my left I would have to make do with my weaker arm.

    My skin took on a shade of red from the sheer quantity of essence stored within and I felt a burning itch. Every second I held back, the sparks vibrated faster until my hand was home to a raging storm of blood.

    The entire time this was happening I just about managed to avoid the bear¡¯s razor sharp claws and in its anger it had decided to try and bite my foot off. Prey that couldn¡¯t move was an easy meal.

    Once again, the change in tactics gave me a window of opportunity. As the bear shot forward I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding its slobbering jaws.

    Putting all my faith into this working out, I dove forwards at the festering wound that gaped on the bear¡¯s underbelly. I winced as a line of fire was carved into my calf by an errant claw, but couldn¡¯t withdraw my focus from my target.

    Forming a hasty seal with two fingers, not exactly a necessity but it helped me focus, I jammed it into the wound and let my essence loose. My fingers sunk into the soft and sticky cocktail of flesh and corrupted blood.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    It was far from the worst injury I¡¯d seen, but the smell nearly made me gag. I was used to wearing a mask while working, which tended to save my delicate nostrils from the worst of the awful aromas that came as part of the job.

    It had barely been a second since I struck, but already I could see my blood essence exploding like fireworks on the fourth of July. Perhaps the severity of the wound and size of the beast were accelerating the process?

    Unfortunately, my target had no idea of my good intentions. The moment I¡¯d struck the wound it roared in agony and fury, turning its bloodshot eyes on me and lifting its front leg to strike away the nuisance.

    I couldn¡¯t let it hit me this close. Even an accidental cut from those claws had nearly crippled my calf. All of them striking in concert would carve me into ribbons.

    Luckily, my essence made the decision for me. Right when I was thinking how best to disengage, I felt an overwhelming torrent of energy blasting up my arm. The sheer force of it almost made me pull away, but that would cost me everything I¡¯d risked my life to earn.

    I saw a silver flash as the bear¡¯s claws caught the winter sun at the peak of its stretch, before it swung them down with the force of a speeding truck. The surge of blood essence had slowed and I knew there was only a little left, so I was committed to a narrow escape.

    While waiting, I lifted myself so that both feet were firmly planted against the bear¡¯s stomach and the moment I felt the stream of energy stop I leapt with every ounce of strength I could muster.

    A sense of foreboding dread crept over me and an icy sting lanced down my forearm as I sailed through the air. I smiled as I saw the bear¡¯s claws pass harmlessly underneath it, my glee growing when I noticed the wound already looking less like a mouldy swamp.

    My backside planted itself in the soft powdery snow. The bear was already snarling at me, taking slow steps in my direction. I did notice it throw a few puzzled glances at its belly and even shake itself a little.

    I wasn¡¯t close enough to tell, but I would¡¯ve bet my life that the glassy glaze in its eyes had faded. However, my help had only infuriated it further and the spirit bear now seemed determined to devour me.

    One added benefit of my risky gambit was that my cultivation had skyrocketed, the multiplication of my blood essence bringing me right to the cusp of breaking through to the eighth star. While still far from a match for the muscular beast I would at least be able hold my own as I attempted to finish what I¡¯d started. The wound was still not treated yet.

    Just then, another burning spear of energy cut through my arm, reaching all the way to my shoulder. I looked down at my hand, eyes widening as I saw the sickly green colour it had taken on.

    Immediately I realised what had happened. For the first time since I began using the technique, I¡¯d discovered a drawback¡ªone that might prove fatal.

    Along with the massively increased quantity of blood essence I¡¯d received after treating the bear¡¯s wound, the foul toxin which had been eating away at the spirit beast had infected my essence itself and passed into my body.

    I let out a booming laugh, that made the bear halt for a moment. Seeing I was still a rather unthreatening, yet frustrating meal it continued to stalk forward.

    By healing the bear I had brought its affliction unto myself and was now infected with the same potent venom that had driven the spirit beast to madness. I felt the sickly tendrils of energy worming their way up my arm.

    Ironically, my decision to use my left hand might end up killing me faster since the venom would have an easier route to my heart. I raced through memories, trying to recall what I knew about treating venomous wounds.

    However, everything I¡¯d been taught regarding the corrupting creatures of Earth fell flat of addressing this rather more mystical venom. I¡¯d never learned how to treat an energy toxin¡ªand neither had Zhao Dan.

    I clutched at my burning arm and fell to one knee as the pain consumed me, not realising my enemy was just metres away. Close enough to strike.

    The bear let out a roar, its anger the only warning I had before two sets of claws descended from above, caging me in its razor-sharp assault. I had been given just enough time to roll out of the way thanks to its roar, but three claws still raked down my back, carving valleys of severed flesh and flowing blood into my skin.

    I lay there on the ground, unmoving as rivers of my blood painted the surrounding snow a beautiful crimson. Looking towards the bear, I saw that instead of jumping to finish me off, it was pawing at its half-healed wound.

    At that moment an explosion of fire consumed my shoulder and focusing my gaze inwards I saw that my blood essence was furiously battling the invading toxins, both sides consuming the other endlessly. All I could do was watch and cheer myself on, hoping my raging essence would outlast the vile venom.

    I couldn¡¯t help but tear my gaze away to snatch a look at the bear, but to my relief it was still prodding at the wound, throwing puzzled glances my way every so often. Despite that, I didn¡¯t believe the beast would give up on eating me, knowing I was basically crippled.

    Devouring a cultivator at the zenith of seven-star Body Tempering would propel the beast¡¯s own cultivation. Spirit beasts advanced by devouring other beasts and absorbing their cores, or through consuming cultivators like myself.

    I¡¯m so glad that humans can¡¯t advance their cultivation in the same way, I thought to myself, because I¡¯m one hundred percent sure some psychopath would resort to cannibalism to achieve a breakthrough or two.

    To my great relief, my raging blood essence had started to win the war. The venom was cut off from its source and unable to multiply while my own essence had the home field advantage.

    The corrupting energy was being pushed back down my arm, though a few patches of festering skin remained. I would need to heal myself the traditional way even after I was clear of this ordeal.

    Healing my own injuries to progress my cultivation would¡¯ve been an incredible cheat, but even when I screamed at my blood essence to heal the damage as it forced the venom back, it refused.

    About halfway down my forearm the battle reached a tipping point. The venom had been putting up a grand resistance until now but it suddenly collapsed and my blood essence surged forth, the hungry sparks racing to devour what remained.

    Once the final drop of venom had vanished, my body shivered and I noticed that my own blood essence had adopted an extremely faint green hue. I chuckled, noticing that the red and green combo looked rather festive for the winter season.

    What did this mean for my technique? Would I no longer be able to heal others without also infecting them with venom, or would I have an easier time curing toxic wounds?

    There was no time to figure it out because the bear had decided that despite me partially healing its underbelly it still wanted to eat me. I clambered to my feet just in time to step out of the way of a wild slash, before lashing out with a kick of my own.

    I felt my toes tremble as they smashed into a wall of solid muscle, but I actually managed to knock the bear¡¯s arm backwards! The increase in my cultivation was showing already and I knew my chances of survival were now much greater.

    There was only one path left for me¡ªfinishing what I¡¯d started. Gathering my newly upgraded essence in my fingers once more as I traded countless blows with the beast, I kept my eyes peeled for an opportunity.

    I needed to find one soon, because the blood loss was making me light headed and there¡¯d been a few times I mistimed a dodge or block and the bear had torn even more chunks of flesh from my arms. In fact, I nearly missed the perfect chance to strike.

    The bear had struck across my chest, but I deftly stumbled backwards to avoid the blow, leaving its underbelly ripe for healing. I fell forwards, slapping my hand against the half-healed flesh and felt my eager essence racing into the wound.

    Apparently the bear was as shocked as I that I¡¯d managed to pull this insanity off twice in a single battle, because for a moment it just stared at its paw, wondering why it had struck empty air.

    I saw my essence beginning to swirl and merge with the bear¡¯s own. In fact, the festering corruption seemed to be getting erased even faster than before, proving that devouring the toxins had in fact improved my technique.

    However, I still needed more time to completely heal the wound. Time I wasn¡¯t going to get, because the bear had opted for a new strategy. It roared and reared up on its hind legs, tearing me from the ground as I clung onto the hole in its stomach for dear life.

    It reached the peak of its stretch, standing almost ten feet tall as it roared its fury at the icy sun. I felt the blizzard tearing at my skin as I was exposed to the elements, before my stomach dropped as the bear threw itself back down.

 Chapter 8

    Air whipped my skin, the tiny flakes of ice burning into me as the bear fell towards the snow with me along for the ride. I couldn¡¯t just throw myself off or I would lose all the blood essence I¡¯d poured into the beast¡¯s belly¡ªwhich was most of it.

    I might even fall back to the sixth star if I did that, not quite sure what the ramifications of a failed healing would cost me as I¡¯d not needed to cancel the technique mid-way until now. So, I hurried to think of a solution, seconds from being turned into a squashed snack for the bear.

    In the end there was no genius answer. I just clung to the bear, shifting my body away from its underbelly so that all that remained was my hand clutching its healing flesh. Sensation in my fingers vanished as the hulking beast slammed into the snow, sending a giant powdery cloud into the sky.

    My vision went white and all I knew was that I may never recover my left hand. I hoped it was still inside the bear, because then my sacrifice would have been slightly worth it.

    As the snow settled I felt myself being pulled upwards as the bear jumped to its feet. I didn¡¯t feel anything except a gentle strain on my shoulder, having lost all feeling in my arm and hand. However, looking at the wound I saw a dozen swirls spinning faster than I could track, blasting away the venom as the flesh knitted together at a visible rate.

    I was tossed and turned as the bear shook itself free of snow, my bones rattling as I was struck against the ground over and over. Each time I felt the gaping wounds on my back peel further open and drench the snow in my blood. I was barely conscious, but forced my eyes to remain open.

    Everything hinged on the result of me healing the bear. I hoped that once cured of the foul corruption it might realise that it should be hibernating and return to the forest, but with a free meal in its paws it might decide to drag me along for the ride¡ªprobably after snapping my neck.

    All I could see through the slits of my eyes was the raging blizzard and the matted fur of the bear. My head was blasted with a wave of hot air as the spirit beast roared at me. When I saw the descending claws, I resigned myself to my fate.

    Suddenly, I felt a burning explosion in my left hand. The same hand which had been crushed under the bear and hung uselessly, stuck to the creature only by sheer tenacity.

    A monstrous wave of blood essence roared down my arm, signalling the completion of my technique. I tried to laugh, only to spray blood at the descending paw. Not only did I fail to escape, but I healed the bear and gave it a meal¡­ I chuckled inwardly at the irony.

    But as the essence surged into my chest, the venomous green hue a little denser than before, I felt as though my body was going to burst. It swelled and swelled as more essence poured into me until finally it could take no more.

    An aura of pure power exploded from me and the bear stumbled backwards, abandoning its strike. The claws still raked across my gut, carving another brutal wound into my flesh.

    However, that was the least of my worries. I knew exactly what that explosion heralded¡ªI was breaking through to eight-star Body Tempering¡ªin the middle of a battle, no less. Zhao Dan had heard tales of such breakthroughs, but only by geniuses and prodigies.

    I supposed that with a technique like mine that caused unrestrained growth of essence, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Though this was not the first time I cursed my rapid growth.

    It was one thing to worry about shaky foundations and another to be completely immobilised as my body destroyed itself from within while facing a hungry spirit beast. Though if I somehow survived, my slim chance of escape might actually become more tangible.

    Matching the bear¡¯s cultivation would mean I might be able to put up enough of a fight to scare it back into the forest, now that it was no longer consumed with venomous madness. I wasn¡¯t really able to focus on my surroundings though, only keeping myself awake as my organs, then muscles, then bones were torn asunder.

    The process was actually more bearable now than it had been the last few times. Whether that was because I¡¯d grown used to the agonising sensation of my own body ripping itself apart or because I only had about half of the required quantity of blood flowing through me I didn¡¯t know.

    I tried to keep a closer eye on the process this time. I needed to know more about my body. I knew something was different about it and knowing exactly what would perhaps help me to control my techniques¡ªand unruly blood essence.

    I noticed that it was my essence that led the reforging of my body, the process unfolding similarly to how my technique worked to heal wounds. Additionally, my bones and muscles had adopted a similar green hue to my blood essence, which I hoped wasn¡¯t going to be a problem in the future.

    A doctor with a poison-based physique and techniques seemed like a rather poor combination. However, just as too much medicine was poisonous, the reverse could also be true¡ªmany treatments involved poisons or other types of damage to drive out infection.

    My eyes snapped open as my skin was renewed, the only part of my body that hadn¡¯t adopted a green tinge. For that I was grateful, since I didn¡¯t want to be wandering around looking sick when I was supposed to be a healer¡­

    I was greeted by the sight of a confused spirit bear pawing at a patch of fur-less skin on its underbelly. Its eyes were no longer cloudy and bloodshot and its movements seemed sluggish.

    Standing up and brushing the snow from my blood-stained robe, I realised that most of the wounds on my body had healed after breaking through. Not all of them¡ªthe three vicious gashes on my back still throbbed faintly¡ªbut enough that I no longer felt as though I would pass out from a single movement.

    The bear reassessed me, no longer a weak seven-star snack but an eight-star Body Tempering cultivator who could pose something of a threat to it. And now that it was no longer intoxicated with madness, I hoped it would make the smart decision and return to the forest.

    Now that I had a clear head I decided to try something. Spirit beasts were supposed to be intelligent¡ªeven approaching human levels as they drew close to the Qi Gathering Realm.

    So, while the bear was still dazed and debating whether or not to continue attacking me I shouted over the raging blizzard. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you! Return to the forest,¡± I cried, pointing at the forest and taking a step backwards in the hope that my gestures might drive the message home.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    At first the bear wasn¡¯t having any of it, plodding towards me while still seeming rather confused at the whole situation. I wasn¡¯t sure to what extent the venomous infection had warped its mind but I imagine I¡¯d be pretty baffled too if I woke up from a murderous rage in the middle of a blizzard with a guy yelling at me.

    ¡°Listen,¡± I cried, throwing my hands up in surrender and taking a step back. ¡°I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. FIGHT,¡± I punctuated every word with another wave of my hands towards the forest.

    Truth be told, beating the bear black and blue might¡¯ve helped relieve my frustration at being clawed and beaten, but ultimately I couldn¡¯t blame the creature for acting in its nature. I could, however, blame the bastard who¡¯d wounded it.

    The heavens hadn¡¯t favoured me much in this new world, but by a stroke of luck¡ªand a little bit of quick thinking¡ªthe bear actually snorted before turning and retreating into the forest. I watched it plod through the powdery snow, sighing and falling onto my ass when it finally disappeared from view.

    And these crazy cultivators actually get a kick out of fighting non-stop? Absolute insanity. Funnily enough, I was barely wounded despite the hell I¡¯d been through.

    My breakthrough had healed most of the damage to my body, only leaving three nasty scars running down my back. A reminder of my struggles wasn¡¯t a bad thing and every badass had a collection of awe-inspiring scars.

    Though I wasn¡¯t sure how awe-inspiring my battle had been, given that I didn¡¯t actually defeat the spirit beast and instead healed its wounds before begging it to leave. Regardless, I was just glad that I¡¯d made it out alive and perhaps saved Nine Paddy Village from a tragic fate.

    I stared into the forest, wondering what had been able to wound such a powerful beast. Surely, I couldn¡¯t just leave the village with such deadly threats lurking nearby?

    Shaking my head, I turned away and started to walk back towards the village. I¡¯d just about survived one encounter with a spirit beast and while I thought of myself as a little heroic, I wasn¡¯t suicidal.

    ****

    The bear roared, spittle flying across the snow as I hastily retreated into the trees, leaving it to plod back towards wherever it made its home for the winter. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why I¡¯d decided to chase after it, but something told me I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if I didn¡¯t at least try to find out what was going on. Leaving the village in danger wouldn''t sit right with me.

    Perhaps breaking through in my cultivation had given me the confidence. The spirit bear was still undoubtedly stronger than me, but I wouldn¡¯t be a powerless ragdoll if we fought once more.

    Even so, I retreated to a safer distance so that the bear wouldn¡¯t be able to sense me tracking it. Usually it would be near impossible to follow after a spirit beast, but after our battle and given it was the middle of winter, the bear wasn¡¯t that aware of its surroundings.

    Though it was aware enough to utterly savage a few wolves who tried to pick it off on the way. I grimaced as I stepped over their brutalised corpses. I wasn¡¯t sure what I hoped to find at the end of this journey, but my curiosity wouldn¡¯t be sated until I at least found something.

    I noticed the further we went, the hotter and thicker the air grew. Which was strange, given it was the dead of winter. The snow beneath my feet was sludgier, almost liquid.

    As I travelled, I noticed insects hovering in the air. One tried to bite me, but I caught it with a slap that squished it against my skin. No magic xianxia malaria for me! I chuckled inwardly.

    The bear¡¯s steps were slower and it was far more aware of its surroundings now, head on a swivel as it went deeper and deeper. The environment was more like a jungle than a forest, but I noticed that the trees seemed¡­ twisted?

    As for our destination, I no longer believed the bear was leading me to a hibernation cave. No, I knew what this was.

    After healing from any devastating wound, an intelligent beast would only have one target in mind¡ªthe foe who¡¯d injured it in the first place. Revenge was a dish best served cold and they were in the middle of a raging blizzard.

    Unfortunately, following the bear on its quest meant I was caught in an seemingly endless battle with the determined insects. One slap after another rang out as I deftly parried their attacks.

    This continued for half an hour and the battle became so intense I struggled to keep half an eye on the bear. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cried as one of the bastard biters slipped through my defences and pierced the back of my neck.

    It was quickly crushed under my palm, but that distraction let two more slip through. I slapped one into the nine hells, but the other managed to make off with a spark of my damn blood essence.

    It seemed like the magic mosquitoes weren¡¯t content with regular refreshments like their mortal cousins¡­ However, I had the last laugh.

    The now bulging insect managed to fly just a metre before it suddenly stopped and fell from the air. Inspecting its corpse, I saw it was festering with rot just seconds after its death.

    That didn¡¯t bode well for my healing technique. I winced, wondering how this new aspect of my blood essence would interact with a patient. Then again, it had been stolen essence, so perhaps that¡¯s why it crippled the insect?

    The raging behaviour of my blood essence until now made it seem semi-sentient, so perhaps acting in self-defence wasn¡¯t outside of the realm of possibility. I could only find out more through testing.

    Just then, I was interrupted by a bestial roar that shook the forest, scaring a few birds from the trees and blasting the insects away. I¡¯d have to thank my new bear-st friend for that. Okay, you¡¯re better than that, Zhao Dan, I cringed.

    Looking ahead, I saw that the bear had entered a clearing in the forest¡ªjungle?¡ªthat contained a pool of greenish sludge that bubbled ominously.

    Its roar made the surface tremble, sending small waves rolling to the other side, where they splashed against tree roots and dissolved the green-ish wood.

    Letting out an involuntary shiver, I ducked behind the nearest tree trunk and watched as the bear stood still at the edge of the bubbling swamp. Not a moment later, the surface of the swamp broke and a scaled head burst through.

    A thick neck followed, winding its way out of the corrosive green waters. When it continued to unwind, I realised it wasn¡¯t a neck but the body of a snake. Yellow slit-eyes blinked as they gazed down imperiously on the bear, towering over it by a good two feet.

    This damned viper was huge and almost certainly the culprit behind the bear¡¯s previous wound. However, I was a little baffled.

    The spirit snake was only at the peak of the seventh star, below the bear and now even me after my recent breakthrough. Yet somehow, when I looked at that beast I felt primal dread crawling down my spine.

    Even the ferocious bear which had tossed me about like a rag doll seemed to shrink under the serpentine gaze.

    Moments later, I knew exactly why.

    The snake hissed and spat a glob of green venom at the bear, which deftly dodged to the side. The ground where it splattered immediately dissolved, leaving a small crater.

    Another shiver ran down my spine. Nope! I decided to get the hell out of there, turning to run back to the village.

    I felt sorry for the bear. Even without the influence of the snake¡¯s mind-altering, corrosive venom, it seemed to lack brains.

    Otherwise, why would it have gone back to challenge a creature that had soundly defeated it and driven it to madness the moment it was healed? I wasn¡¯t so foolish.

    I took two steps across the sludgy snow, picking up speed as I committed to my escape. I heard a vicious hiss from behind, then yelped in shock as a glob of green blasted the snow ahead of me.

 Chapter 9

    Raising my arms to guard my face, the acidic spit splashed against them and burned. The pain was searing, but after my agonising breakthroughs I wasn¡¯t fazed.

    In fact, when I lowered my arms I saw there was barely any damage where the spit had sprayed against them. Another side effect of absorbing the venomous essence?

    The viper had noticed me despite my cunning and stealth. That was a bear faced lie. I hadn¡¯t even been able to escape my furry friend¡¯s detection.

    I turned to see its slit-eyes staring right into my own, hateful venom lacing its gaze. This snake really needed a massage. Or perhaps a mate¡­

    Seeing as my cover had been exposed, I had little choice but to join the battle. It had proven it could strike me at a distance so running wasn¡¯t an option, but how could I fight back?

    The snake refused to leave its bubbling swamp, the bear helpless to attack no matter how furiously it tried to. All it needed to do was sit back and spit venom at us until we succumbed to its toxins or fatigue.

    Despite that I still moved to close the distance. I was useless this far away and at least up close I¡¯d have a better chance of spotting a weakness.

    The bear didn¡¯t seem to notice my approach, but I figured it was more enraged with the viper right now and wouldn¡¯t bother me anyway. As I ran, the viper spat more globules of its vile venom at me, aiming for my face.

    Most were easy to dodge. They flew fast but each time it spat, its neck would bulge, telegraphing the strike before it happened.

    The worst part of the spit though, was that even when I dodged it splashed against my legs and arms, burning through my robe and skin. Finally I reached the edge of the swamp, jumping backwards to avoid a huge spray of toxic sludge the snake flicked my way.

    I hadn¡¯t expected the sudden shift in tactics. I could only curse my tendency to tunnel vision as the sludge soaked my left arm.

    The poor hand was taking a beating today¡ªfirst crushed under the weight of an eight-star spirit bear, then after being healed it was about to get dissolved.

    The bear growled in my direction, but I only saw pity and rage in its eyes. It held no malice towards me, only the viper which had turned it rabid.

    In that moment we came to a silent understanding, a shared bond of hatred and a disdain for venom that I hoped would let us work together to slay the snake.

    Unfortunately for both of us, working together still didn¡¯t solve the problem of the snake¡¯s terrain advantage. It hissed at me as I grit my teeth through the pain of my skin rotting, unable to strike back.

    The pain faded fast and looking down I saw only a little of my flesh had been consumed by the potent venom. Again? But my blood essence is still dormant¡­ I wondered why my body was so tough even while the aggressive sparks remained unaffected.

    They¡¯d rushed to devour that venomous energy before, so what had changed? Was it my body itself, rather than the blood essence that filled it, which made me tough against toxins?

    I had these questions and more racing through my mind, but right now I had to focus on the battle at hand. I saw the bear¡¯s rage reaching a boiling point and its legs tensed.

    Did this dumb beast seriously think jumping into the swamp would end well? So much for the fabled intelligence of spirit beasts¡­ Given the two I¡¯d met I was starting to think such tales were massively exaggerated or just straight up lies.

    On second thought however, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be so suicidal for the bear to take the fight to the viper¡¯s swamp? It wasn¡¯t fighting alone after all.

    And if there was one thing I was confident in, it was my ability to heal wounds. I¡¯d already proven I could cleanse the venomous corruption and my blood essence had even evolved since then, taking the vile energy and making it my own.

    Then again, just because the spirit bear had left me alive once, that didn¡¯t make us friends. It had proven its intelligence wasn¡¯t the greatest. It roared in defiance and the snake turned its attention towards the furry beast.

    Right now, I had a window of opportunity. I could make a run for it. I knew the venom wasn¡¯t deadly to me, at least not in small doses.

    I took a single step back, then another. No. I wasn¡¯t a coward. I scolded myself, halting my retreat.

    A faint murmur of icy dread faded from my core. It seemed my oath wouldn¡¯t have allowed me to run anyway, at least not without suffering a backlash.

    Even though the bear got itself into this mess, it was still suffering and in need of my help. I clenched my fists. The bear narrowly dodged a ball of corrosive spit.

    It roared and I saw it bend down on its hind legs. It was now or never. I raced forward, leaping into the air at the same moment as the bear.

    We collided mid flight, though I managed to grab hold of its fur and awkwardly straddle its back as we flew towards the viper. The snake seemed shocked that we would dare challenge it in its foul domain.

    I noticed the bear had sustained more corrupting wounds and immediately poured my blood essence into them. It glanced back at me, a puzzled expression on its face, but didn¡¯t have time to question my actions.

    We slammed into the snake.

    A roar and a whirlwind of claws erupted, the snake spewing its venom as fast as it could while snapping with its jaws, vicious fangs dripping with corrosive bile. The fight in the air lasted a few seconds at most, but the snake sported deep cuts down its neck. Perhaps we could win after all.

    That thought was crushed mercilessly when we landed in the swamp. The bear screeched in pain as the potent toxins began eating away at its paws.

    I intensified my efforts, forcing as much of my blood essence into its wounds as I could. I wondered if using my technique continuously like this would have any unexpected side effects, though I soon had no time to think at all.

    The bear was able to stand up in the swamp, barely. The sludge coated it up to its midsection and the more vicious bubbles sprayed me in acidic slime, burning at my skin. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    Now that we were well and truly stuck, the snake let out a series of hissing sounds. I could¡¯ve sworn it was laughing. It reared up before diving under the water, vanishing in a spray of sludge.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Shit.

    If we couldn¡¯t see our opponent how were we supposed to fight it? The bear seemed to share my thoughts, but it was far from intelligent.

    It roared and seemed prepared to dive into the deep end of the swamp, to chase after its prey. I took the liberty of grabbing the scruff of its neck and pulling back, making it growl at me and bare its fangs.

    ¡°Listen, bear. I think you can understand me a little. If you jump in there, we¡¯re both dead. We need to let the snake think it has the upper hand, then drag it out of the swamp. You get it?¡± I asked, gesticulating wildly with my hands in the hope the visual cues might drive the point home.

    For all my efforts, the bear just tilted its head and let out a softer growl. Despite the fact its legs were the battleground between the burning swamp and my rejuvenating blood essence, it still wanted to dive in.

    However, my wild shouts seemed to have gotten through its thick skull. It remained in place, with me perched atop its back. Suddenly, I saw the swamp bubbling more than usual right beside us.

    ¡°Right there, get ready!¡± I cried, pointing at the swamp to grab the bear¡¯s focus.

    Two fangs broke the surface, followed immediately by the biggest ball of spit I¡¯d ever seen. The bear reared up on its hind legs with a roar and I grabbed onto its fur tightly.

    My legs flung outwards, but I held on. And then the beasts clashed in a spray of blood and venom.

    A surge of power raced up my arm, causing me to almost let go of the bear. My blood essence returned, stronger and more numerous than before.

    Which was odd, because I hadn¡¯t ceased the technique since leaping onto the bear and making it my mount. In fact, that wasn¡¯t the only change in my technique.

    I realised that not only could I see the chaotic battle between my blood essence and the viper¡¯s venomous energy, but I could feel every clash. Every explosion of blood and venom.

    Faintly, but still. This was a miraculous change. I drooled thinking of the future possibilities.

    Would my healing technique reach a point where I could use my blood essence to sense where a patient needed healing; to pinpoint the source of their pain in an instant?

    Such an ability was unheard of on Earth, but doctors would¡¯ve killed for it. Well, perhaps only wounded¡ªdeath was bad for business, after all.

    I nearly fell once again as the viper struck, biting deep into the bear¡¯s neck. My companion roared in agony, but it was not going to be outdone.

    It swung its paws, rending the viper¡¯s flesh with its razor-sharp claws. Purplish-red blood seeped from the wounds and the spirit snake hissed in fury.

    But my companion wasn¡¯t finished.

    The bear unleashed a furious barrage of strikes, slashing at every scale it could see. A few were torn off and others carved in two.

    We were finally turning the tides. However, just then I felt the swamp tremble. I cried out, ¡°Bear, dodge!¡± But it was too late.

    The snake¡¯s tail smashed into the bear¡¯s torso and sent us both flying. It roared out, catching the tail with an errant swipe of its claws.

    At least we¡¯d done some damage back. However, the snake wasn¡¯t satisfied with a single strike.

    It pounced from the swamp, darting straight at the bear. The spirit beast raised its claws to guard its exposed neck as the snake closed in.

    But at the last moment it switched directions and sailed right past the bear¡¯s head. I realised too late that I was its target.

    A final burst of essence exploded up my arm right as two venomous spears pierced my shoulder. I cried out as the snake bit down and felt my body jerk to the side.

    The bear roared out, but it was powerless to save me. The viper ripped me from my perch and dragged me into the bubbling swamp below.

    Not willing to die like this, I writhed and fought against the iron clamp that was the snake¡¯s jaw. It had locked it shut like a vice around my shoulder, refusing to release its prey now that it had been caught.

    My punches and kicks made it tremble, its slit-eyes burning through me with a venomous glare. However, its fangs didn¡¯t budge.

    All the while, I felt a hundred spears of cold corruption bleeding into my chest through the viper¡¯s fangs. The same energy I¡¯d once devoured, but ten times more potent.

    My blood essence stirred, eager for another battle. However, I was weak right now. I¡¯d not had time to finish my healing technique on the bear.

    How could I? I¡¯d been constantly renewing it, once again doing something unheard of with the technique.

    Most of the applications felt that way. I¡¯d never received proper guidance on the qi healing technique, since Zhao Dan had never reached that level before his unfortunate suicide.

    I could only go off my brief observation of Wang Ren¡¯s use of the technique, my instincts and past knowledge, and the desires of my blood essence. It was far from enough.

    Missing a large quantity of my blood essence, I was barely able to fight the venom to a standstill. And worse, with the snake¡¯s jaws buried deep inside, they were able to pump a constant stream of corrupting energy into my chest.

    It was a repeat of when I¡¯d devoured the toxic energy, but the roles were reversed. This time I was on the losing side.

    The air was suddenly knocked from my lungs as the snake smashed me against the surface of the swamp. I coughed and spluttered, but all that did was make me inhale foul sludge.

    My chest burned as the combined attack of the venomous snake and the corrosive swamp water ate away at my insides. After all my struggles and triumphs, was this the end of my second life.

    I¡¯d accomplished more than Zhao Dan ever had; ever expected to. And yet to me, this was just the beginning of a life, despite having all the memories of an unfamiliar childhood.

    I refused to go out without a fight.

    Anything would do. I clawed and kicked, screamed and scratched, punched and pulled at the snake. I wanted¡ªno, I needed¡ªto tear its fangs out.

    Rip its head from its neck and feed it to the bear. However, for all my valiant efforts and vengeful fury, I accomplished little.

    The snake hissed in anger, one eye swollen and half shut while bleeding from a dozen wounds. I grinned, seeing that my dying desperation hadn¡¯t been entirely futile.

    However, the corrosive cold was spreading through my chest. My blood essence was losing the battle, slowly but surely.

    The snake dragged me under the surface and my entire body began to burn and blister as the corrosive swamp went to work. It was agonising, even with my body¡¯s resistance to toxins.

    In fact, that strange ability of mine made this worse. Instead of a quick death, the torture dragged on, the snake refusing to release its prey.

    My movements grew sluggish as the venom took hold, petrifying my muscles in place. Even wiggling a finger became hard, though that didn¡¯t stop me from clawing desperately at the viper¡¯s jaws.

    Eventually I wasn¡¯t able to even close my eyes, every muscle in my body locked in place. My furious blood essence still fought on, trying its utmost to devour the venom and restore me to health. However, it was futile.

    The spirit snake¡¯s venom continued to surge into my chest, constantly renewing whatever I was able to absorb. Finally, I could truly resist no more.

    Instead of devouring me then and there, the snake released me at last, letting my body fall towards the swamp¡¯s depths. But it was too late.

    Even without more venom surging into my veins, the swamp water was working from the outside, burning through my skin. The outer layer was almost flayed off entirely and I was almost glad my eyes were frozen, stopping me from watching the gruesome process unfold.

    All I could do as my mind slowly shut down was cheer on the final valiant dregs of my blood essence as they raged against the odds. They¡¯d taken on a deeper green hue now, stuffed full of venomous energy.

    I noticed how effectively they were dissolving the viper¡¯s venom, but there was simply too much of it.

    My thoughts went out to the bear. It still had plenty of my blood essence. Perhaps it had healed enough to take down the snake.

    At least then my soul could rest easy, knowing I hadn¡¯t died in vain. Though I wasn¡¯t too confident in my rather dumb ally.

    So cold¡­

    I moaned, but I couldn¡¯t even shiver. Turning my gaze inwards, I watched as the venom and swamp sludge ate through my body.

    The morbid curiosity of a doctor let me appreciate the process with an almost sterile detachment. My mind was so foggy¡­

    Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to fall asleep right now. I needed a good rest after all the crap I¡¯d been through. A faint part of me protested, but I was powerless to resist.

 Chapter 10

    I snapped awake. My eyes remained shut, but my consciousness rallied against the overwhelming drowsiness that threatened to consume it.

    This venom is vicious, I thought as I struggled to stay awake. Efficient though. Making sure your food couldn¡¯t escape was rather useful, I had to admit.

    The problem with being conscious once more was that I could feel the burning venom as it dissolved my body from within. The sludgy swamp was eating through the last layer of skin, a million biting fangs of acid burrowing into me every instant.

    This¡­ maybe dying wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    No, don¡¯t give in. Don¡¯t be a coward. There has to be a way out. You¡¯re a doctor, for fuck¡¯s sake! I argued with myself, wondering if the venom had driven me to madness just like the bear.

    Despite my protests there wasn¡¯t much I could do. I couldn¡¯t even move my body. What was left of it, anyway.

    My blood essence had been beaten back and now only a few brave sparks remained. I wondered what would happen if I lost it all.

    Would my cultivation regress back to seven-stars? Perhaps it would be permanently broken. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t find out, but even that slim hope was fading fast.

    Ah, that¡¯s what it feels like.

    The venom destroyed the last spark of my blood essence and instead of the devastating loss I expected, there was only a feeling of emptiness. Like I was a beautiful vase, devoid of flowers.

    My cultivation was still there, I could faintly feel it. However, without blood essence I couldn¡¯t grasp it. I couldn¡¯t exert a fraction of my power.

    I was an empty vessel.

    Though fast filling up with venom and acid. Just then, the swamp water burnt through my ribcage and the first drops splashed against my exposed lungs.

    If I could move my mouth I would scream. It burned like the flames of hell, dissolving the first of my vital organs.

    This was worse than death. That fucking snake would pay if I somehow made it through this ordeal.

    Another drop splashed against my lungs, but this time it felt¡­ cold? That was odd. A rib broke as the water ate through it and a surge of corrosive sludge raced to fill my chest.

    I grimaced, expecting an inferno of agony.

    Until now I¡¯d tried to hold my breath but I could no longer resist. Coughing, I let my lungs deflate and the swampy sludge raced to fill the gaps.

    Instead of the burning pain, I shivered. It was like my lungs had been submerged in an ice bath. That helped ease my suffering, but it was far from comfortable.

    No longer able to hold myself back, I inhaled. Corrosive acid and vile venom rushed to fill my lungs and I grit my teeth, expecting the wave of agony.

    It never came.

    A deep, slumbering hunger rose within me. I realised that most of the venom and sludge I¡¯d inhaled was gone.

    My lungs weren¡¯t burning, breaking down under the corrosive onslaught. Instead they seemed to be glowing with vitality.

    I focused inwards, struggling against the fog clouding my mind. The torrent of sludge splashed against my lungs and instead of dissolving the vulnerable flesh, it was absorbed!

    But my blood essence is gone¡­ I wondered how I was still absorbing the corruption. Suddenly my head exploded with information, struck like lightning.

    At that moment, I understood.

    Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique.

    This was the name whispered in my ears, the secret behind my strange body and mysterious sight.

    It could¡¯ve been dormant since Zhao Dan¡¯s birth, but I suspected that wasn¡¯t the case. This had to be the oath. I knew that a single technique wasn¡¯t all I¡¯d been granted in exchange for my crippled spirit roots.

    While all its mysteries had not been revealed to me, I¡¯d been granted enough to know it was my one chance to make it through this ordeal alive.

    Like the name suggested, this physique involved five layers that one would need to progressively cultivate. To begin with, I would need to refine my internal organs by absorbing various medicines¡ªor poisons.

    This would not only increase my body¡¯s resistance to such things, but also grant me greater regeneration and wholly twist my blood essence¡ªand eventually qi¡ªto have healing properties.

    If Zhao Dan had possessed this physique all along, it made complete sense why he¡¯d struggled to advance using the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s cultivation method. Those who possessed the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique had powerful healing techniques, but the drawback was they were unable to cultivate in the usual manner.

    All along, my explosive growth had been driven by my use of my hastily created healing technique.

    I hadn¡¯t realised it back then, but I¡¯d accidentally stumbled onto the right path. Most cultivators in this world were cruel and violent, stomping their rivals and leaving a trail of blood and death as they climbed towards the peak.

    However, I could only progress by doing the opposite. Cultivation through healing. It suited me well, but to be honest knowing this didn¡¯t change much.

    It was just a confirmation that I had made the right choice. At the time I was frustrated with the heavens for being so stingy, but it had inadvertently led me to this discovery.

    I exhaled, bubbles escaping my mouth and racing to the surface of the swamp.

    I inhaled, greedily sucking in the sludge and the viper¡¯s venom.

    My lungs had begun the process of refinement. The first layer of my physique was to cultivate the internal organs.

    I continued to breathe, each time hungrily devouring more of the corruption that tainted my body.

    The venom seemed to tremble, realising it was no longer the apex predator in this environment. This was my body and I refused to give it up.

    Every breath restored more movement to me and cleared away the fog that clouded my mind. My finger twitched.

    Looking down, I winced at the state of my body. Most of my skin had been dissolved, exposing muscle and bone.

    However, as I continued to breathe and absorb the foul venom, I noticed that with every exhale, wisps of green energy were released into the swamp.

    On my next breath, instead of letting that energy escape, I trapped it. I sucked it back in and it didn¡¯t resist much.

    The green energy splashed against my throat and I gasped, watching as the flesh was restored through its power.

    Converting poison to medicine. This was the most basic technique of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique, besides my crude healing art.

    After that realisation, I refused to let any more of the precious energy escape. Every wisp my lungs released was trapped and guided through my body, slowly healing me.

    ****

    I exhaled, directing the final green wisp to heal the hairline fracture in my rib. Restoring my whole body had taken too long.

    Was the bear still fighting, struggling against the vile viper? It had to be, or the snake would¡¯ve returned to devour its prey. The swamp sludge was thick and dark, blocking my vision.

    That wasn¡¯t going to be a problem much longer. I wasn¡¯t content with just healing myself.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Now that I knew the strength of my physique, I would put it to full use. My body felt weak, still lacking blood essence.

    I was unable to use my cultivation, but that would soon change. Letting out the final remnants of sludge in my lungs, I inhaled.

    And continued to inhale, even when it felt like my lungs would burst. Even when I felt a mounting pressure building in my chest.

    The top of my head was blasted with a wave of hot air. I wanted to smile, but that would¡¯ve been too much to handle. Truly, my whole body felt swollen.

    My lungs were doing their utmost to refine the disgusting sludge and with every portion they cleansed, shone a little more. Soon the level of the swamp had dropped enough that I could see my surroundings.

    My brow furrowed and I squinted, wondering if the lingering venom was making me hallucinate. We¡¯d been in the middle of the forest, so where were the trees?

    I stood up, my muscles stiff from underuse. Even with my lungs refining and cleansing the corruption in my body I wouldn¡¯t be free from such things until I broke through to the Qi Gathering Realm and shed the chains of a mortal body.

    Taking a better look around, I realised that all the trees near the swamp had been smashed apart, the trunks lying scattered. There was no sign of the bear or the snake, but it was clear their battle had been fierce.

    Not wasting time, I began searching for their tracks. I couldn¡¯t leave the bear to die after all that effort. And my reasoning wasn¡¯t purely altruistic¡­

    My damn blood essence was inside the spirit bear. If I wasn¡¯t able to find it in time, there was a chance I¡¯d have to start cultivating again from scratch, crawling from one-star Body Tempering back to my peak.

    Soon I found splattered venom and trails of blood, all leading in a single direction. That was a good sign.

    That the fight had been steered away from the swamp meant the bear had managed to draw the snake away from its lair, where it no longer reigned supreme. Though the amount of blood and clumps of fur I spotted were worrying.

    Enemies that fought with venom and poisons were tricky, since they only needed to strike once and wait for their foul creations to weaken you. The bear had been healing through my technique, but I didn¡¯t expect it to last forever.

    Suddenly, a tree exploded on my left and I threw myself backwards as a blur of brown sailed past, crashing through two more trees and then stopping. I heard a pained growl and winced at the sorry state of the bear.

    Fur was missing, ripped from its skin all over the spirit beast¡¯s body. Cuts tinged with venom, rotting and festering, covered its body and I could see the telltale signs of madness creeping in.

    ¡°Damn bear, I already cured you once. The only person allowed to kill you is me,¡± I yelled, snapping it out of its stupor.

    I ducked under a swipe of its claws, but it seemed to recognise me and let out a weak grunt. Finally, I¡¯d returned to the fight.

    Placing a hand against the bear, I gasped at the colossal wave of essence that slammed into me.

    It was like trying to force a raging river into a drainpipe. My body strained, but I was starved of essence and needed this like a man stranded in the desert needed water.

    I felt the weakness leave my body as more blood essence surged in. One-star, two-star, three-star.

    The amount of strength I was able to wield rapidly grew until I¡¯d reached my peak once more. But it didn¡¯t stop there.

    The essence continued to flow, carrying me through eight-star Body Tempering. It only stopped when I was about two-thirds of the way towards the ninth star.

    Clenching and unclenching my fist, I relished in the feeling of my cultivation returning. With my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique and my raw strength, I would finish this once and for all.

    Something splashed against my back. I felt a soft sting as the snake¡¯s venom started corroding my skin, but no sooner had it started did a single breath suck it in, refining the venom into medicinal energy that restored my skin.

    That wasn¡¯t all I had at my disposal. My blood essence, after healing so much of the toxic wounds for the bear, had grown more potent.

    A deep green hue shimmered around each red spark. Unlike the soft, gentle green of the energy my lungs released, it was a dark, venomous green. Despite their similarities, my blood essence and lungs didn¡¯t react or work together.

    They were separate sources of strength. Now that I knew the snake wasn¡¯t much of a threat, I had nothing left to lose.

    Pumping half of my blood essence back into the bear to heal its wounds, I motioned for it to stay down when it roared and tried to join me.

    ¡°Just lie there, you dumb furry beast,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Let me have some fun.¡±

    The snake hissed and spat more venom at me. I rushed forward, not caring if the corrosive spit splashed me or not.

    It wasn¡¯t painless, the venom burned my skin where it landed, but I figured the quicker I finished the job the better. The snake panicked when I drew close, but it was too late.

    I reached out and grabbed hold of its body, wrapping my arms around and digging my fingers under its scales. Blood trickled out and it hissed in pain.

    The snake opened its jaws, revealing those venomous fangs that had caused me so much pain. I would never let myself be tortured like that again; be powerless to control my own fate.

    The sludge from the swamp had gone a long way to letting me refine my lungs, but the first layer of my physique was far from complete. I needed more.

    Luckily there was a gigantic source of venom within my grasp. The snake hissed and struck, biting down on the same shoulder as before.

    I barely flinched.

    Instead I smiled right into its yellow slit-eyes as it pumped my chest full of venom once more. My chest rose and fell, a single breath.

    The snake seemed confused as to how I was still standing and pumped more venom from its fangs. That was a mistake.

    Looking at the state of the surrounding forest and the wounded bear, I had no doubt that leaving this spirit snake alive would only spell disaster for everything that lived here.

    That included the people of Nine Paddy Village. I refused to leave such an infection to fester so close to Xiao Cui¡¯s home.

    Finally my fingers broke through the snake¡¯s tough skin. The moment they made contact I started to devour the beast¡¯s poisonous energy.

    Instead of fighting back, it was too focused on trying to inject its venom into my chest. Foolish.

    Once it did realise what was happening it immediately reared its head, ripping its fangs from my shoulder in a spray of blood. However, it was far too late to stop me.

    I¡¯d drained a third of the energy in its body and my lungs were working overtime to purify it, constantly healing my own wounds. There was so much that a lot of it was wasted, expelled into the surroundings.

    By now the snake had lost the strength to fight back and could only hiss in rage. It struggled, smashing its tail against me as I continued to drain its venomous energy.

    Once it was too weak to do even that, I put it out of its misery, snapping its neck. It hadn¡¯t been so kind to me, but I was no torturer.

    I continued absorbing energy until the snake was just a shrivelled sack of scaly skin, letting the corpse fall to the forest floor. I wondered if I could bring it back to the village and make use of the spirit beast parts, but the moment I tried to gather the corpse I heard a growl.

    The bear was snarling at me, bearing its fangs despite the battle we¡¯d just fought together. Was this my reward for healing it? Betrayal?

    However, the spirit bear didn¡¯t move to attack, just continued to growl. I looked down at the snake corpse in my hand, then back to the bear.

    ¡°You want this?¡± I asked, puzzled.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t even sure if the villagers would be able to use the materials, so there was no harm in letting the bear take it. I threw the body towards the creature and it stopped snarling.

    The moment it caught the body it tore it apart, ripping through the papery scales with ease. I frowned at the excessive waste but the bear soon stopped, pulling a red marble from inside the snake and crushing it between its teeth.

    I saw a stream of blood essence flowing down its neck. It seemed like the bear only wanted the snake¡¯s beast core. That was how spirit beasts advanced their cultivation.

    After devouring the core, the bear seemed sluggish. I placed a hand against its fur and let my blood essence flow back to me.

    My temporary ally was healed and its enmity had been resolved. There was still a month of winter left, so it would likely head into hibernation once more.

    Gazing into its eyes I felt the bear¡¯s gratitude. I felt the same way. I¡¯d nearly died in this forest, but that torturous tribulation had been worth it to discover the secrets of my physique.

    I was pleased with my gains. All this because of my curiosity¡­ Now though, it was time to return to Nine Paddy Village.

    Sniffing myself I recoiled in disgust. I was covered in blood and dirt, still cursed to suffer from body odour.

    I needed a bath.

    ****

    In the end, I headed straight for the old granny¡¯s house. She raised an eyebrow after seeing my condition, but didn¡¯t say much.

    There was a wooden bathtub in one of the spare rooms which I filled with water heated over the fire. It was quite an ordeal collecting it, but well worth the trouble.

    Letting myself sink into the steamy water, I felt the tension lift from my sore muscles. Moments like this made life worth living.

    I looked back at the events since being expelled from the Cloudy Falls Sect. I¡¯d come a long way in just a few months.

    Certainly, the speed my cultivation had grown was the most outstanding part of the journey by far. Only the most talented geniuses of the sect might be able to boast a similar rate of improvement.

    However, I knew it wouldn¡¯t last forever. I¡¯d noticed during the battle but the more I healed the bear¡¯s wounds the less my blood essence seemed to multiply.

    Either healing the same patient over and over again became increasingly less effective or I would need to seek out patients with higher realms of cultivation.

    I suspected it was the latter, because the actual potency of my healing hadn¡¯t dropped one bit. Though I would need to do more tests to make sure.

    All my adventures and encounters had led me to consider my purpose here. I hadn¡¯t chosen this new life, but I was determined to make the most of it. The day I¡¯d left the sect I¡¯d boasted to Wang Ren about becoming the world¡¯s first medicine immortal.

    At the time it was easy to say. Without knowing much of this world, its culture, or how absurdly difficult it was to cultivate to that realm, I¡¯d simply believed it a continuation of my career as a doctor.

    Now that I had more experience, my perspective had shifted. But my goals hadn¡¯t changed one bit.

    I still wanted to reach the pinnacle of medicine in the Celestial Jade Empire. And then perhaps, the entire world.

    To accomplish my goals I would need to come up with a better way of practicing my techniques than stumbling into lucky encounters with the wounded. To that end, I decided to mix a little knowledge from Earth with the customs of this world.

    As the population of Earth grew, treating the ailments of countless humans became trickier, so we dedicated whole buildings to it¡ªhospitals. I hadn¡¯t seen anything similar here, save for the odd room reserved for recovery after ingesting a pill.

    The problem was, I didn¡¯t think I could just set up shop in Three River City without arousing suspicion from the locals. So instead of calling it a hospital, I borrowed some inspiration from my new world.

    I was going to found the Celestial Jade Empire¡¯s very first medicine sect.

 Chapter 11

    The next morning I made sure to check on the old granny and the cat before heading out into the snow. The sun was shining today and the raging blizzard had passed.

    Nine Paddy Village was rather picturesque on days like this and I would¡¯ve loved to spend my time walking idly, admiring its idyllic beauty. However, I had a goal to accomplish.

    I was itching to leave, but there wasn¡¯t long left until winter¡¯s end. I promised Xiao Cui I would at least stay that long and so I would.

    Walking to her house didn¡¯t take long. I knew the route like the back of my hand by now and with my speed it only took a few minutes, even though the old granny lived on the outskirts.

    When I knocked, her mother greeted me. She was much healthier now, with a rosy glow on her cheeks. ¡°Cultivator Zhao!¡± she exclaimed upon seeing me, ¡°Come in, come in. You¡¯re just in time for breakfast.¡±

    As it turned out, Xiao Cui wasn¡¯t home. I declined her offers to feed me at first¡ªI barely needed to eat anymore¡ªbut Xiao Ai was a persistent woman.

    The stew did smell good, so I relented and joined the married couple as they ate breakfast. I needed to wait for Xiao Cui to return anyway, so I might as well do it with a full belly.

    It wasn¡¯t until two hours later that the girl finally returned home, cheeks red from the cold. She lit up when she spotted me.

    ¡°Big brother Zhao, where have you been?¡± she cried, rushing towards me with eager eyes.

    ¡°Just for a stroll in the forest,¡± I replied with a smile.

    ¡°Boring,¡± she sighed, deflating visibly. ¡°Why did you visit?¡±

    ¡°I came to tell you that I¡¯ll be leaving as soon as the frost thaws. I have had a wonderful stay in your village, but I need to move on.¡±

    ¡°What?! You can¡¯t leave¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± Xiao Cui stuttered, going red in the face. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡±

    Now it was my turn to be confused. What did this little girl think she was going to accomplish by following me?

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d enjoyed our short time together¡ªI saw her like the little sister I¡¯d never had, in some ways. However, I was on the path of cultivation and she was just a mortal. Our fates did not align.

    ¡°Look, Xiao Cui. That¡¯s not going to be possible. I am a cultivator. You¡¯re a wonderful girl, but it would not be safe for you to accompany me,¡± I told her.

    It was better to be honest, even if that sometimes meant hurting people¡¯s feelings. I saw her cheeks get redder and her brow crease. Then she stormed back out of the house.

    I sighed, watching her leave. There was still a month until I had to depart. I was sure she would come around eventually.

    After thanking Xiao Ai for the meal I left their house and went for a walk to clear my head. I needed to figure out how I was going to set up my hospital¡ªahem, sect¡ªand where.

    ****

    A cacophony of shouts and cries of rage woke me from my nap. I¡¯d only been asleep for a few hours¡ªmy body didn¡¯t seem to need as much these days¡ªbut already something else demanded my attention.

    I didn¡¯t have to go, of course, but I was a curious bastard. The type of person who would curse themselves for a month if they didn¡¯t check out every little mystery they passed by.

    That was part of why I loved medical research so much, often more than the actual doctoring. The relentless pursuit of discovery was addictive.

    Although I suspected whatever was happening in Nine Paddy Village today would be far from thrilling, I decided to check it out anyway. There was little else to do after all and since I only had a week left here I wanted to make the most of my time.

    I found the whole village gathered in the central area. The village head was standing alone in front of the crowd, talking to a familiar man dressed in expensive robes¡ªand a chestplate.

    I wondered why the tax collector had felt the need to return with a cohort of soldiers, given that Nine Paddy Village was a tiny collection of maybe fourty or fifty houses.

    From what I knew, even if they were annoyed about it the people here would never refuse to pay the tax. They couldn¡¯t risk it¡ªlosing the protection of Three River City¡¯s City Lord would spell doom for them.

    Bandits and spirit beasts ran rampant in the lawless areas and the moment the army was withdrawn the village would become a juicy target ripe for the picking. So as I drew closer I strained my ears to try and catch what the pair was saying.

    ¡°This is ridiculous! We gathered the amount you asked for before winter, yet you claim we are short by ten percent?! I know that feeding an army is expensive but how are we supposed to live? This is daylight robbery and you know it, Administrator Gao,¡± the village head exclaimed.

    I admired his guts. Taking a stand against the City Lord¡¯s advisor when he¡¯d brought soldiers as back up was no easy thing.

    However, I saw Administrator Gao¡¯s face twist in fury and the soldiers behind him took a step forward at the man¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°Head Wei, are you refusing a direct order from the City Lord?¡± he sneered, tapping a rolled up scroll hung from a sash around his waist. ¡°You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The village head took a step back, face paling. ¡°Of course not, Administrator Gao! How could this lowly one dare? I only mean to say that we need to survive in order to produce the food for the army. This amount, it¡¯s just-¡±

    A slap rang through the crisp morning air.

    I watched the village head stumble backwards, clutching his face. Blood trickled from his nose and his face was already swelling where the administrator had struck him.

    ¡°Are you refusing to obey the City Lord¡¯s order?¡± Gao roared. ¡°Just a lowly mortal and yet so bold. There are hundreds of villages around Three River City, the lord won¡¯t miss one.¡±

    With a wave of his hand the soldiers stepped forward in unison, reaching for their halberds. I took a step forward, preparing to intervene, when something completely unexpected happened.

    The old granny walked out from the crowd, looking healthier than a woman ten years her junior. She stood in front of the village head and grabbed him by the chin.

    ¡°Little Wei, are you a man? Stop crying about a little slap,¡± she scolded him, before giving him a gentle slap on his swollen face.

    Head Wei let out a gentle cry when her wrinkled hand made contact but didn¡¯t resist. I stayed where I was, blending in with the crowd, to watch what this crazy old granny was about to do.

    She called the village head ¡®Little Wei¡¯ so I could only assume she was his senior and given that he didn¡¯t talk back when she scolded him she clearly held a lot of sway in the village. Had she tricked me with her weak old woman act or was my healing just that potent?

    ¡°Administrator Gao, forgive my foolish son,¡± she said, fixing the man with a sharp gaze. ¡°We¡¯ve had a difficult winter and he is only thinking of his people. Of course, gathering the extra ten percent won¡¯t be a problem. We just need a few days.¡±

    The man harrumphed. ¡°You think I¡¯ll forget an insult to the city lord with a few flowery words from you, woman? A few days is too long. You have until sunset. I will return. Make sure the full amount is gathered.¡±

    With that, he waved his arm and the soldiers stopped their advance. Swishing his robe he turned around with his chin raised high and mounted his horse before departing.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Of everything that had happened, what surprised me the most was discovering that the old granny was the village head¡¯s mother! Why did she live alone at the edge of the village?

    I¡¯d find out soon enough, but for now I wanted to see what I could do to help. I didn¡¯t want to leave the village only for it to be razed to the ground.

    ****

    Darkness fell over the valley as the sun bid the day farewell. I¡¯d been out in the fields for eight hours, helping the farmers harvest whatever was ready.

    The extra ten percent was a knife to the gut for the already strained village. They should be able to survive the spring, given that they could hunt in addition to using what little food they had stored, but it would be tough.

    I¡¯d seen firsthand just how hardy these mortals could be when it came down to it, so I wasn¡¯t worried about them. Everyone had gathered in the centre of the village once more in preparation for Administrator Gao¡¯s arrival.

    If anything went wrong I could intervene, but that would only make the problem worse. I couldn¡¯t just keep beating up whoever the City Lord sent and besides, the man himself was rumoured to be a late-stage Qi Gathering cultivator¡ªif I kicked up enough of a fuss he might decide to just snuff out the problem himself.

    No, it was best for the village and its people if they solved this problem themselves. I¡¯d helped out as much as I could and now I would have to watch things play out.

    Of course, I would step in if I had to. I wasn¡¯t the type of coward who would watch while innocent people were hurt, but I knew my limits.

    I noticed the village head approaching me, wringing his hands. His forehead had been creased all day and his face was still red and swollen from the administrator¡¯s vicious slap.

    ¡°Head Wei, what can I do for you?¡± I asked with a smile that seemed to put the man at ease.

    ¡°Cultivator Zhao, I wanted to ask if there was any way you could help us out? If your esteemed self was to speak up against the administrator-¡±

    I raised a hand to cut him off before he could start rambling. ¡°Head Wei, do I look like your father? I¡¯ve spent the winter here, cured a deadly fever, and even helped out in the fields today. I can¡¯t solve everything for you,¡± I answered with a shake of my head.

    ¡°Besides, even if I wanted to help, what can I do? I¡¯m just a vagabond,¡± I chuckled.

    He sighed, dropping his head and returning to the crowd of villagers. I noticed the old granny was absent, having not shown her face since stepping up to defend the village.

    Perhaps the little stroll had taken more effort than she let on. Given how bad her health had been I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was the case.

    Finally, the administrator arrived. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken he¡¯d brought along a few more soldiers than before and the villagers all looked terrified.

    ¡°Head Wei,¡± he called out as if greeting an old friend. There was a smile on his face, but it was sickening. ¡°I sure hope you aren¡¯t going to go back on your word.¡±

    ¡°Of course not Administrator, how could this lowly one dare to defy the magnanimous City Lord?¡± he replied, lathering on the praise like butter.

    ¡°Hmph. We¡¯ll see. Show me,¡± he demanded with a wave of his hand.

    A few of the villagers dragged two carts laden with bags of rice over to the administrator. He barely glanced at the amount before frowning, his face twisting into a scowl.

    ¡°You dare defy this Administrator?!¡± he cried. ¡°I said ten percent, what is this paltry offering? Are you hiding food that could be feeding our loyal soldiers?¡±

    ¡°This lowly one wouldn¡¯t dare! I assure you the full amount is here, we even spent the entire day harvesting extra rice to meet the City Lord¡¯s quota,¡± Head Wei cried.

    ¡°Enough! Men, search the village and find out where these greedy villagers are hiding the City Lord¡¯s tax,¡± Administrator Gao ordered, glaring at the village head.

    I¡¯d counted those sacks myself. The villagers definitely harvested enough. Something strange was going on¡­

    The soldiers stepped forward in unison, one in particular who wore a much shinier chestplate than the rest started barking orders and pointing around the village.

    They broke into smaller groups of two and started making their way towards the houses. The villagers started yelling and crying.

    I had been content to stand by earlier, but this was blatant trickery. This Administrator Gao had seemed like a reasonable fellow when we last spoke, but he was clearly a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.

    Stepping forward I prepared to speak up for the villagers. I will never forget what happened next.

    The fastest of the soldiers kicked open the door to the nearest house. A woman rushed towards him and grabbed his arm. He shoved her to the ground making her husband shout in rage.

    A ferocious roar cut through the noise and everyone froze for a moment. But that roar was only the beginning.

    Three silver lines sliced through the air followed by a titanic mass of brown fur. A severed head flew through the sky and landed at the village head¡¯s feet.

    He stared down at the bloodstained grass in horror, before turning to his savage saviour. I recognised the new arrival too.

    It was a nine-star spirit bear.

    Letting out a hearty chuckle, I stayed where I was to watch the chaos unfold. It seemed my friend had grown over the winter.

    And most importantly, the bear hadn¡¯t forgotten what I¡¯d asked of it. Just when the village was in need of a protector, it arrived.

    Though I had to wonder about its safety. The City Lord may send even more soldiers to put down a spirit beast that had gone wild, but ultimately I would have to leave it in the bear¡¯s hands.

    I had goals of my own to achieve.

    It didn¡¯t take the bear long to slaughter all of the soldiers. While a few of them were in the Body Tempering Realm, the strongest of them was only three-star.

    Against the bear it was like cattle to the slaughter.

    The villagers were panicking too, screaming and running for their lives. However, the bear didn¡¯t make a move against them even once.

    I had to give Head Wei credit. He was able to remain standing despite a three-ton spirit bear rampaging beside him.

    Though I believed that was out of terror rather than bravery. His eyes were still locked on Administrator Gao¡¯s severed head.

    In the end, the bear had left after going on a rampage. It didn¡¯t damage a single plank of the villager¡¯s houses or touch a hair on their heads.

    Only the administrator and his unfortunate soldiers had met their demise at my furry friend¡¯s claws. They brought it upon themselves, letting their greed blind them.

    I hadn¡¯t even arrived at Three River City and I already thought the City Lord was a scumbag. Even if this wasn¡¯t done directly on his orders, the fact his subordinates behave in such a manner was telling enough.

    Now that I knew Nine Paddy Village was in safe paws, I figured there was no better time to leave and make my way to the city. First though, I needed to say goodbye to a few people.

    ****

    ¡°You¡¯re finally leaving me in peace then, brat?¡± wheezed the old granny.

    The cat was curled up in her lap, the pair of them wrapped under a blanket by the fire. I¡¯d come here first, knowing it would be the easiest farewell.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too comfortable without me here to bother you. I might just get bored in the city and decide to stay here permanently,¡± I quipped.

    ¡°Bah! You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she exclaimed, bursting into a fit of harsh coughs.

    The cat meowed in complaint when she stopped stroking it. I wondered if it would grow bored without someone to chase it around the village.

    Maybe it could wander into the forest and make friends with the bear. If it didn¡¯t decide to eat it first¡­

    There wasn¡¯t much left to say, so I stood up to leave. As I was closing the door behind me I heard her shout after me.

    ¡°Thank you, Zhao Dan. For everything you¡¯ve done for this village.¡±

    With a smile on my face I made my way to Xiao Cui¡¯s house. It seemed the old hag had a heart, after all.

    Once again Xiao Cui was nowhere to be found. I waited a while, her mother insisting on feeding me as usual. However, even after a few hours the girl didn¡¯t return home.

    I was disappointed not to be able to say goodbye but I wasn¡¯t going to bow to the whims of a teenage girl. I¡¯d end up spending my whole life telling her stories if I did.

    I made a short stop at the village head¡¯s place, just to thank him for his general kindness and to make sure he was recovering from the earlier incident. He seemed rather shaken, but after he realised a spirit beast protector meant no more taxes, he cheered up.

    Money made the world go round. Even the honourable disciples and masters of the sects would kill for another spirit stone to further their cultivation.

    The rest of the journey to Three River City was rather simple. The road went all the way there and it was maintained by the City Lord¡¯s men.

    Whether they would continue to do that after today¡¯s events was questionable. But it wasn¡¯t my problem. With a spring in my step, I thought about the best way to advertise a hospital as I walked.

    The sun continued to climb to its zenith, the gentle warmth of spring rejuvenating my body. It had been a tough winter, but I emerged stronger for it.

    Alongside setting up my hospital I needed to experiment with my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. So far I¡¯d only absorbed toxins to refine the first layer. My lungs were not fully refined either, so discovering suitable materials was a priority.

    My thoughts were consumed by these questions for the rest of the day and I covered a vast distance thanks to my speed. I stopped to take a break as dusk fell, sitting on a boulder by the side of the road and sipping some water from a gourd.

    ¡°Now, I wonder if there¡¯s an inn nearby or if I will end up sleeping rough?¡± I asked aloud.

    The grass rustled in the wind.

    I chuckled. My old habit of talking to myself was making a comeback. I used to do this when I had a difficult research problem to crack.

    ¡°Umm¡­ there¡¯s an inn about three li down the road,¡± mumbled a familiar voice.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, thank you. That¡¯s very kind,¡± I replied without thinking.

    Then I leapt to my feet, spilling water as I whipped my head around to face the newcomer. How hadn¡¯t I heard them approach?

    When I saw who it was I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.