ã€ŠDao of Healing [Transmigration Healer Xianxia]ã€‹


 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 my sect token and robes, along with any arts I''d taken from the library.

    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.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°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''s 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.

    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.

    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.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    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.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°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 leaving the sect 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 duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    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.Stolen novel; please report.

    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.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    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.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    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.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    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.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    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.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    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.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report 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.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°How-?¡± I exclaimed, staring at the terrified Xiao Cui standing behind the boulder. ¡°Never mind. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I left earlier in the day,¡± she said, eyes glued to the floor. ¡°I knew you¡¯d have to travel this way to reach Three River City. You wouldn¡¯t let me come otherwise.¡±

    ¡°And your incredible solution was to run away from home again, leaving your parents panicking as to your whereabouts? What will you do if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Refuse? Why would you do that? I¡¯m here now. You have to bring me along,¡± she replied, frowning in genuine confusion.

    I burst into laughter, not stopping until I almost stumbled onto the rock. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t even consider the possibility I could say no¡­ What a foolish girl you are, little Cui.¡±

    Xiao Cui at least had the decency to look severely embarrassed, her gaze still firmly stuck to her feet. I sighed, looking at the rebellious girl.

    I could take her back to her parents, but given her personality it was almost inevitable that she¡¯d either run away again or get herself into some kind of trouble. At least if I took her with me I could look out for her safety myself.

    Which in a world where a random cultivator might pass by and slap a city out of existence, wasn¡¯t much comfort. However, it was better than no protection at all.

    I supposed I could make her help with menial tasks and such to keep her busy. If I ended up starting a hospital I certainly wouldn¡¯t say no to some extra help.

    ¡°Stop looking like a kicked puppy,¡± I said, turning to resume my journey towards Three River City. ¡°What are you waiting for? There¡¯s still a day or two of travel ahead of us,¡± I added when she didn¡¯t move.

    That night we found an inn that looked remarkably similar to the previous one we¡¯d stayed in. I hoped that we wouldn¡¯t encounter similar patrons as before¡­

    ****

    Luckily my second stay in a roadside inn with Xiao Cui was much less eventful than the first. A soft bed, two warm meals, and a glaring lack of lusty bandits rejuvenated me for the final leg of the journey.

    Nothing eventful happened on the road, which I was grateful for after the chaotic events that had followed me since leaving the sect. Instead I was able to take in the breathtaking beauty of the Celestial Jade Empire¡¯s countryside.

    Rolling green fields, towering mountains in the distance, and most magnificent were the myriad of animals that were all completely different and yet startlingly similar to those from Earth.

    As we drew nearer to Three River City, the roads grew wider and at a certain point the packed dirt paths gave way to thick slabs of stone. Merchant caravans, farmers, and all kinds of travellers joined us in our pilgrimage.

    Occasionally I stopped for a brief conversation with those we passed, but other than tidbits of gossip that I had no context for or the odd bit of advice for someone new to the city, these conversations were of little importance. Yet I still savoured each of them, a glimpse into the ordinary lives of mortals in this new world.

    Having already seen the majesty of the Cloudy Falls Sect, Three River City fell short in my mind. However, that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t impressive in its own right.

    Even compared to some cities on Earth it was a sprawling metropolis. Towering walls almost fifty feet high ran the full circumference and beyond that there was a wide moat that fed a colossal river.

    On the river¡¯s surface I could see countless barges and rafts travelling in both directions. This river was the reason for Three River City¡¯s prosperity and status as a major trading hub in the Celestial Jade Empire.

    It was fed by three slightly smaller rivers that flowed into the city from the opposite side. We couldn¡¯t see the tributaries from here, but I had no doubt I would visit them during my stay.

    In some ways this place reminded me of London¡ªa vast trade centre with a colossal river splitting it down the middle. Except in this case it was three rivers.

    There was a winding queue to enter the city, with every single person requiring a check and approval from the city guards. For most it was a formality¡ªif they¡¯d visited the city before the guards simply glanced at their papers and gave their goods a cursory check before waving them through. After they paid the entrance fee, of course.

    Luckily my meagre funds covered the two silver required to pay for Xiao Cui and I to enter.

    I was entranced by the unique architecture of the city. Unlike the sect, where almost everything was built in harmony with nature even if it was the hovel of an outer disciple, the city was sheer chaos.

    Buildings were stacked against each other and in many cases packed so close it was as though they were trying to devour their neighbours. I was shoved constantly, the endless crowds surging and swelling as they rushed from one task to the next.

    It was a hive of productivity. With that came the deafening clamour of the crowds, the overpowering stench of mortals¡ªwhich was made worse by my improved senses¡ªand the endless array of vibrant colours the city was painted in.

    Suddenly I felt something brush against my waist. With a smile I whipped my arm out and grabbed the little thief by his wrist.

    The boy¡¯s eyes widened in shock but he was tenacious. He kicked out at my knee and pulled his arm simultaneously, but instead of the cunning escape he expected, his foot met steel.

    He cried in pain as his ankle twisted unnaturally and his wrist popped from its socket. My coin purse fell into my palm and I tucked it safely inside my robes.

    Instead of shock he was staring at me in resolute terror, crying from the pain of his injuries. Though he had done this to himself, trying to rob a Body Tempering cultivator, I wasn¡¯t heartless.

    A quick pulse of my healing technique was enough to cure his wounds, though the miniscule rush of essence I received in return was a trickle compared to the torrents I¡¯d grown used to. Perhaps my rapid gains so far had spoiled me.

    Even this trickle was more than Zhao Dan had managed to accumulate in over a year of desperate struggle. Though I now knew it wasn¡¯t a lack of talent but rather a mismatched technique that had held him back.

    After healing the boy I released him. He vanished into the crowd without a whisper, eager to escape my clutches. I watched him go with a chuckle, before realising my other hand was being held in a closing vice.

    Xiao Cui looked terrified, sporting a pale face while grasping my hand tight enough to make her knuckles white.

    ¡°Relax, little Cui. No one can hurt you while I¡¯m here and you¡¯re going to hurt yourself if you hold my hand any harder,¡± I assured her. Her face gained a little colour and her grip loosened, but I saw she was still uncomfortable.

    That didn¡¯t surprise me. Most of her life had been spent in a tiny village where she knew the names and faces of every single person.

    Nine Paddy Village could fit inside this single street and there were more people in every restaurant and pavilion dotting the pavements than the whole population of her home.

    I¡¯d allowed her to stay with me on the condition that she became my assistant and worked for her keep. As things stood there wasn¡¯t much for her to assist me with.

    My first order of business was to have a look around Three River City and figure out what the locals did for healing or medicine. If I wanted to stand out from the competition I needed to find the right angle.

    Mortals were wary enough of cultivators to begin with and I doubted they would easily accept the idea that one was willing to exert their strength to heal mere mortals. Before that however, I needed to get out of this crowd.

    ****

    After what seemed like an endless series of barging, petty arguments, and attempted thievery, we made our way out of the throng of people surging into Three River City and found a more secluded district. The streets here were paved with darker stone and the buildings no longer melded into one another.

    I figured it was one of the classier areas of the city, whereas the spot right by the gates housed the less fortunate alongside enterprising businesses trying to capitalise on the extra footfall. Though how anyone could read a sign or hear someone hawking their wares over the infernal racket was a mystery.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Xiao Cui was tired and hungry and I wanted information, so we stopped at the first teahouse we saw. The patrons threw her a few disgruntled looks but upon noticing my robes, tattered as they were, most turned away and pretended they hadn¡¯t seen anything.

    A cute waitress soon arrived at our table, a beaming smile and shining eyes lighting up the room. The conversations picked up once more and she led us to a booth.

    It wasn¡¯t so secluded that we were hidden from the other customers, but it afforded us a little privacy. I think Xiao Cui appreciated the break from people.

    ¡°Is every city like this? I think¡­ I should¡¯ve stayed in the village,¡± she sighed in exasperation, taking slow sips of water.

    ¡°You made your choice, little Cui. I¡¯m going to work you to death and you can¡¯t change your mind,¡± I replied with a malicious smirk. ¡°Perhaps you should¡¯ve thought about what it meant to follow me before you decided to run away from home¡­ again.¡±

    I was only half serious, of course, but she didn¡¯t know that. The sooner she understood what her decision entailed the better it was for both of us.

    When I told her she¡¯d be my assistant it wasn¡¯t just an empty title. I truly couldn¡¯t do this alone and having someone to do the small tasks I couldn¡¯t focus on while building my hospital would make a world of difference.

    Well, I hadn¡¯t told her the extent of my plans yet but just my cold gaze seemed to do the trick. She swallowed the mouthful of water and shrank in her seat.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°I just¡­ don''t want to stay in that tiny village for the rest of my life. I know there¡¯s more to life than farming and barely surviving through the winter each year.¡±

    ¡°Of course there is. Far more. But not everything life has to offer is good for you. And not everyone you meet has your best interests at heart.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± she sniffed, balling her fists. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. But isn¡¯t it better to be hurt while experiencing everything the world has to offer than to hide away in my tiny, idyllic corner of it?¡±

    My gaze softened and I let a hint of a smile creep onto my face. I didn¡¯t expect to hear such profound wisdom from Xiao Cui. It seemed she was more mature than I gave her credit for.

    Though she hadn¡¯t exactly cultivated a stellar image with the various tantrums she threw¡­

    With her reply I was confident she had the mindset necessary to follow me. Even putting aside the fact I was a cultivator through and through, approaching the Qi Gathering Realm and bound to seek out bloody conflict in my journey to expand the art of healing, mortal medicine could be a gruesome affair.

    Surgery, sickness, violence¡ªall these and more were just another part of my daily routine. Perhaps even more so since arriving in this world.

    The waitress returned with impeccable timing and we ended up ordering braised pork buns in soup along with a pot of Three River Tea, a local specialty.

    It arrived quickly, the buns steaming and the soup scalding my mouth. However, I didn¡¯t care. The pork was soft and melted in my mouth, the spices in the soup elevating it to a new dimension.

    The tea was a perfect compliment, floral and delicate. A single sip was enough to cleanse my palette after the fatty meal.

    I baulked at the price. 3 silvers and 4 copper coins for a single meal!

    City life wasn¡¯t for the faint of heart¡­ or slim of wallet. My plan to acquire startup capital for my medicine sect was even more of a priority. I wasn¡¯t even sure I had enough money left to afford our stay at an inn that evening.

    ****

    I¡¯d been exaggerating. In the end I found a reasonably priced inn not too far from the teahouse. It came highly recommended by our waitress, though the smirk she wore as she waved us goodbye told me she and the owner of the inn had likely cut a deal on the side.

    I wasn¡¯t fussed if she received a cut, because the food was good and the beds soft. They even had a self heating bath, which was a luxury I could get used to.

    The next morning I woke before the sunrise, hoping to get out and start researching my competition. And I still needed a way to make money.

    My best bet was to lean on my healing technique, but commoners were too poor to afford a luxury like that. So either I had to undervalue my services or seek wealthier clients.

    The latter was probably a better option, but I didn¡¯t want to get the attention of anyone remotely close to the city lord until the recent incident at Nine Paddy Village wasn¡¯t fresh in his mind.

    I doubted they knew the full details yet, given that there were no survivors, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So I figured I¡¯d keep my head down and get to work.

    Leaving a note for Xiao Cui, instructing her to look for anywhere that sold medicinal or toxic herbs, pills, and the like so I could continue refining the first layer of my physique, I made my way into the heart of Three River City.

    Wandering aimlessly I soon found my way into a market buzzing with activity. Merchants competed to see who could shout the loudest, most exaggerated slogan while thousands of people weaved their way through the stalls in search of culinary or artistic delight.

    For a while I only observed, but soon I found myself drawn into one of the stands. The middle aged man was selling spiked red fruits that looked dangerous to eat, but the queue spoke for itself.

    After waiting for a while I found myself at the front and purchased one. When he saw my struggle he laughed and showed me how to peel it so the spikes didn¡¯t cut my mouth as I bit into the soft white flesh.

    It was deliciously sweet, reminding me of a plum. Plus, it only cost two coppers. Expensive for a single fruit, but a bargain compared to yesterday¡¯s meal.

    After my distraction I stood in the centre of the market and came to a realisation. The purpose of setting up a hospital was to have my patients come to me. Until I could afford a permanent place to set up shop, why not sell my services in the market?

    ****

    As it turns out, setting up a market stall wasn¡¯t as easy as choosing a spot and setting up a sign. There were dozens of bureaucratic hoops to jump through.

    After asking the fruit seller for a little help, which he was more than happy to provide¡ªafter I bought two more fruits¡ªI knew where to go and which officials to speak to. Unfortunately for my dwindling fortunes, getting a stall as quickly as possible would require me to grease a few palms.

    So, five meetings with viciously corrupt officials who knew how to tear me apart with a single sentence later, I was two gold poorer and exhausted.

    But, I was now the proud owner of a market pitch!

    I could only hope that I could drum up enough business to earn back the money. Frankly, I wasn¡¯t too hopeful but the first days of a new business were always the toughest.

    Once people knew that what I offered was the real deal, they would flock to get a taste of my essence. Though I had no doubt the alchemists and healers of this city¡ªif there were any¡ªwouldn¡¯t take too kindly to me undercutting their services.

    I had just five copper coins left. The small fortune I¡¯d left the sect with had rapidly dwindled and I¡¯d only been in the city for a single day.

    I ended up spending three of those coppers on a few planks of wood to construct my sign. And the final two went on a brush and some ink.

    Now, I was well and truly broke. I¡¯d staked everything on this little venture of mine. I had great faith it would succeed.

    Even if it didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t too bothered. The life of a vagabond wasn¡¯t the worst. Though I also had Xiao Cui to think of.

    Speaking of little Cui, she¡¯d been hard at work while I was struggling through excruciating meetings.

    ¡°How could you!?¡± she exclaimed upon seeing me walk through the door of the inn.

    ¡°What are you talking about? What have I done now¡­¡± I sighed.

    ¡°You- You heartless bastard. I woke up and you were gone and I panicked and almost broke down until I saw your note,¡± she spluttered, tripping over her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m not a servant!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not waking you up, but I wanted to get a lead on making money.¡±

    I took the empty coin purse out and shook it.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re flat broke. Did you at least spend it on something important?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s probably going to buy some lazy bastards a trip to a broth¡ªinn,¡± I coughed, catching myself. I didn¡¯t want to be the one to poison her mind.

    She raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment.

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s eat. I need to tell you what I discovered.¡±

    We sat down and I waved to the innkeeper, who nodded and ducked into the kitchen. There wasn¡¯t a menu here, just whatever they had that day. But it was quality food, so I didn¡¯t mind the lack of choice.

    ¡°So, what did you discover? Are there a lot of healers here? What about alchemists?¡± I asked eagerly. The outcome of my venture could hinge on what she¡¯d discovered.

    ¡°Healers? A few¡­ but they mostly serve the wealthiest merchants and the city lord¡¯s cronies. There¡¯s nothing for the commoners except hope and shoddy family recipes-¡±

    ¡°And the alchemists?¡± I interrupted, already excited.

    ¡°Again, a few. Similar story, though there were one or two shops selling cheaper herbal remedies and foraged ingredients. Not sure how reliable they were but the old ladies running them seemed nice enough.¡±

    This was the best case scenario. Other than praying to the heavens or spending their meagre savings on a homebrew remedy, commoners had no choice when it came to healing.

    Which meant a cheap alternative that guaranteed results might be exactly what I needed to take the city by storm. Once word got out, I might be able to lure in some wealthier clients. And then¡­ the sky was the limit.

    ¡°You look creepy,¡± Xiao Cui giggled.

    Realising I¡¯d been smiling to myself I schooled my expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to your master,¡± I scolded her.

    ¡°Master? Since when?!¡±

    ¡°Since you decided to sell yourself into my services. Now, listen closely. Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. I¡¯ve secured a market pitch to sell my healing. Your job will be to drum up business¡­¡±

    ****

    Our strategy set, Xiao Cui and I made our way to the market nice and early. I¡¯d painted a simple sign¡ª¡¯Cultivator Zhao¡¯s Miracle Medicine¡¯.

    It was cheesy. Really cheesy. But it would get the job done. All I needed was one patient. Once people saw that my technique truly was as miraculous as advertised, they would flock to me like sheep.

    While I sat cross-legged on the ground, trying my best to look as scholarly as possible, Xiao Cui rushed around the market spreading rumours about the new miracle healer. Rather than directly draw customers, it was best to let the buzz spread organically and wait to see who took the bait.

    Plenty of market-goers wandered past and almost all of them raised a brow or widened their eyes at the sign, but none took my offer. The morning went by without a single customer.

    I hadn¡¯t even spoken to another human since leaving the inn.

    Fuck. Realising the problem, I cursed my stupidity. Markets were amazing for a new business¡ªhigh footfall and lots of visibility. However, my target audience were those wounded or sick.

    What wounded or sick person was wandering around a market in the middle of the day!? Then again, many mortals didn¡¯t have the luxury of skipping a day¡¯s work just because they¡¯d caught a little fever.

    So, despite my horrible realisation I was still hopeful that my venture would work out. And eventually it did, but not in the way I expected.

 Chapter 13

    An old geezer with a walking stick and a nasty cough stopped in front of me. He stood still for a few minutes, reading my sign with squinted eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re a damn fraud,¡± he eventually wheezed, waving his cane at me.

    Here we go¡­

    ¡°Oh? What makes you say that, uncle?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s obvious!¡± he spat, legs shaking as he had to put the stick down to keep his balance. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a cultivator and there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be here with us dirty commoners if you really were some kind of miracle worker.¡±

    ¡°How do you know what a cultivator looks like?¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Well, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be wearing such shitty robes. And you¡¯re not very handsome. Also, you don¡¯t have any tools! Even the worst frauds would put on a better show than you,¡± he yelled, bombarding me with insult after insult.

    I let him rage on. His words didn¡¯t bother me. I had thick skin. Besides, the more complaints he tossed out the better my plan would work.

    Looking down at my tattered robes, I frowned. That had stung a little. Perhaps I should¡¯ve saved some of my coins to get some new clothes.

    Eventually he stopped raging, only to burst into a fit of wheezing coughs.

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re suffering from some kind of infection, uncle. Why don¡¯t you let me have a look? There¡¯s no harm in giving it a try,¡± I answered with a smile, gritting my teeth.

    I wanted to tease him a little but messing with a potential customer wouldn¡¯t leave a good impression on the quickly gathering crowd. My only task here was to show people that my healing worked as advertised.

    ¡°Bah! What infection? I¡¯m just old,¡± he cried, shaking his stick so close it almost smacked my nose.

    Plenty of passersby had stopped to watch the unfolding argument, though many just scoffed at the old man¡¯s behaviour. This clearly wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d heckled a new stall owner.

    This geezer was a tough nut to crack, but luckily I wasn¡¯t alone. It was time to unveil my secret weapon.

    Before he could say another word, a young girl appeared from the crowd and grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t waste this opportunity to regain your youth!¡± she cried.

    He was so shocked he almost dropped his cane. Turning to the new arrival he seemed ready to bombard her with a stream of insults but his steely gaze softened upon seeing Xiao Cui¡¯s innocent look.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in giving it a go,¡± she continued, gently pushing him towards me. ¡°If he is a fraud like you say, then all you¡¯ve done is save someone else from getting tricked out of their hard earned money. But what if he¡¯s telling the truth?¡±

    She grabbed his walking stick and thrust him into my hands before he could utter a word of complaint. ¡°Imagine being able to stroll through the market the same way you did as a young man, without needing this old stick?¡± she cried, snapping the cane in two over her leg.

    The final blow had been struck.

    To be honest, breaking his walking stick was a little over the top. I felt bad for the geezer when the crack of wood rang out through the market. A few onlookers gasped, but none of them turned away.

    This was far too entertaining.

    But that was just fine by me. The bigger my audience, the quicker word would spread once I healed this geezer¡¯s cough.

    I grabbed his wrist, not hard enough to hurt him but powerful enough that he couldn¡¯t slip from my grasp. ¡°Grandpa, what the girl says is right. Why not let me try?¡±

    ¡°You! Bastard¡­ I bet that girl¡­ never mind,¡± he started muttering random phrases before sighing. ¡°Hmph. Why not? When you fail I¡¯ll be able to sleep easy knowing I dealt with another trickster.¡±

    ¡°And you, girl!¡± he shouted at Xiao Cui, pointing at her with a shaking finger. ¡°You¡¯ll be paying for my walking stick.¡±

    She only smiled and waved at him, not acknowledging the complaint whatsoever. Now that I had his consent, I could begin.

    I let a little bit of my blood essence flow into his arm, watching as it raced through his body. Small streams broke off everywhere, but most of it settled around his lungs and right leg.

    This geezer was getting a bargain. Not only was I healing his cough, but most of the minor injuries he¡¯d picked up during his long life including whatever made him need the walking stick in the first place.

    For a moment everything was going well, but then he grew red in the face and shouted, ¡°What the hell are you doing to me, you bastard-¡± he began to cough and splutter partway through his complaints.

    I knew nothing had gone wrong. A little discomfort was simply the side effect of my healing technique, but he didn¡¯t know that.

    And neither did the spectators.

    However, now that he was committed there was nothing to do but finish the job. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, a little discomfort is normal. You¡¯ve all had medicine before, remember how bitter it tastes?¡±

    A few of them seemed placated by his statement but not all. They would change their minds after seeing the results.

    I felt a burst of energy racing up my arms and smiled. Letting go of the old man¡¯s wrist I took a step back, letting him stand on his own two feet.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m crippled you can¡¯t-¡±

    He began to shout at me as I released his arm. His brow furrowed and then his eyes widened in shock as he realised he was standing just fine on his own.

    Many of the spectators gasped, but his healed leg was just the beginning. Colour filled his cheeks and his eyes sparkled with vitality.

    ¡°Well, how does it feel to be healthy again geezer? Now you can wander the market for another decade, heckling us traders,¡± I joked.

    That earned a few laughs from the onlookers. The old man looked a little sheepish but soon composed himself.

    ¡°Well, I have to admit that in this case I was mistaken. I don¡¯t know how you did it but you¡¯ve truly healed this blasted leg of mine,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°And I can breathe again¡­ the air is so refreshing. I apologise, young man.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, uncle,¡± I said with a wave of my hand. ¡°The past is the past. All is forgiven. I hope you can forgive little Cui for breaking your cane, but I doubt you need it anymore.¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± he exclaimed, turning to Xiao Cui with a fierce glare. ¡°I¡¯ll let it go this time. But you shouldn¡¯t go around breaking strangers¡¯ property, young miss.¡±

    ¡°Many apologies, uncle. I only wanted you to grab this opportunity with both hands. My heart ached, thinking of all those years you¡¯d suffered,¡± she said, putting her puppy eyes to full use.

    It seemed we¡¯d discovered little Cui¡¯s natural calling. She was a born saleswoman.

    Eventually the geezer left, continuing his walk through the market with a spring in his step.

    I could see the crowd was excited, whispering and shouting amongst themselves. A few people left, but even those would talk about what they¡¯d seen and spread the word.

    ¡°Big Brother Zhao, you forgot to take a payment from that geezer,¡± Xiao Cui said, tapping me on the shoulder.

    Crap.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied. ¡°A few coins won¡¯t make a difference in the long run. And he more than paid for his treatment by being my guinea pig. Call it a trade for his broken cane.¡±

    She coughed and turned away. ¡°That makes sense.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I turned back to face the crowd. ¡°You all saw me heal that uncle. I assure you it was no fluke. My prices are low enough that any of you can afford my services, but it will depend on what ails you. Don¡¯t be shy, step up and be cured!¡±

    As the first person took a step from the crowd I smiled at her. ¡°Come auntie, tell me what¡¯s bothering you,¡± I called out, ushering her closer.

    ¡°My back is sore from standing at the counter all day, but I can¡¯t afford two silver coins for the medicine to treat it. Can you fix it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course auntie, come closer. I just need to take your hand to perform the treatment. All it will cost is five coppers. And you don¡¯t even need to pay until you¡¯ve been cured!¡±

    My compelling pitch worked and she began walking towards me. However, when she was just halfway I heard a familiar voice ring out across the market.

    ¡°What is a talentless reject doing here in the city?¡± A man wearing the robes of the Cloudy Falls Sect sneered at me.

    It took me a moment to place the man¡¯s face. I had never met him before, but Zhao Dan had been on the receiving end of his bullying more than once. He was one of the older outer sect disciples, close to advancing to the inner sect.

    His status was high, given that he had been taken in by one of the inner sect elders. But now that I had been expelled from the sect, there was no need to respect that difference in status.

    Now, I was just a wandering cultivator and he was a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect. Whatever trouble he was trying to cause now I would do my best to avoid it, but I wasn¡¯t above teaching him a lesson if he interfered with my business.

    ¡°Fellow cultivator, there¡¯s no need to waste your time with me. I¡¯m just a healer offering my services to those in need,¡± I replied gracefully, plastering a warm smile on my face.

    Somewhere deep inside I felt a need to punch the bastard, but I knew that was some lingering will from Zhao Dan. Perhaps just the influence of his memories. I¡¯d never liked bullies.

    The man continued to advance towards me, the crowd retreating to give him a wide berth. Everyone in Three River City recognised the robes of their overlords; the sect who stood above City Lord Teng.

    ¡°Now, Junior Brother¡ªno, former Junior Brother Zhao¡ªthat¡¯s no way to speak to a senior,¡± he said, kissing his teeth. ¡°Then again, now that you¡¯re not even a part of the sect I think you might even need to call me something like Honoured Senior Cultivator. Yes, I like the sound of that.¡±

    He stopped just five paces away from me. My eyes narrowed as I stared at the arrogant bastard. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail and hung to the small of his back. He had sharp brown eyes and a hooked nose like an eagle.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find there isn¡¯t much difference between us now, Cultivator Mu. It was nice to see an old friend in this city, but I really must continue with my business,¡± I said, waving a hand at the sign. A final warning.

    I didn¡¯t miss the way his mouth curled into a sneer as he snorted. I¡¯d really tried to handle this amicably, but it seems that cultivators couldn¡¯t resist flexing their strength. There was just one problem.

    I couldn¡¯t exactly go around beating up anyone who caused me problems while trying to market myself as a generous healer¡­ Though I had no doubt the people of the city wouldn¡¯t blame me for defending myself.

    All I needed to do was let Mu Shan strike the first blow. From what I remembered, he was in nine-star Body Tempering. Far above the old Zhao Dan, but just a step above me.

    The difference between eight and nine-star Body Tempering was a big leap, but I suspected he wasn¡¯t at the very peak of the stage. I would be able to keep up.

    I tensed my body, preparing for his strike. I would allow him to hit me, but only once. After that I would give him what he deserved.

    But the blow I was expecting never came.

    All of a sudden, Mu Shan rushed forward and I readied myself to block, but he went right past me. I heard a high pitched yelp and turned to see Xiao Cui held firmly in his grasp.

    He held her arm with a tight grip, the other hand clasping the back of her neck. I sighed deeply.

    If he¡¯d attacked me, I would¡¯ve been fine to let him off with a light beating and a warning to never mess with me again. But the idiot had to go and threaten little Cui.

    The last men to do that were buried in unmarked graves.

    Unfortunately, I doubted I would be able to get away with murder in the middle of Three River City. Especially not the murder of a Cloudy Falls Sect disciple.

    ¡°Now, kowtow three times and apologise to your senior and I¡¯ll consider letting this brat go,¡± Mu Shan sneered.

    I saw the nearby citizens take a few steps back. Fights between cultivators never ended well for any mortals in the vicinity.

    Gritting my teeth, I wondered if I should just swallow my pride and apologise. I didn¡¯t want more trouble than necessary.

    No. That wasn¡¯t an option.

    I¡¯d told myself no cowardice. And with these kinds of bullies, bowing to their whims would only show weakness and let them know you were an easy target.

    There was no guarantee he would actually release Xiao Cui, even if I obeyed him and kowtowed. But I couldn¡¯t attack recklessly while he had her in his clutches.

    I knew what I needed to do.

    Walking forwards, I smiled and raised my hands in surrender. I saw Mu Shan¡¯s shoulders relax, thinking he¡¯d won. I continued to step towards him, but when I was around three paces away he frowned.

    ¡°Stop there. Kowtow or this girl will pay the price.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t close enough to strike. Not without risking any harm coming to little Cui. But that was fine, I could drop his guard further. All it would take was swallowing my pride and losing a little face.

    Kneeling, I placed my hands on the stone tiles in front of me and lowered my head. I heard Mu Shan snort as I did so. Glancing upwards, I saw him release Xiao Cui¡¯s neck, but he still held her arm firmly.

    I lowered my head until it touched the ground, holding it there for a second. ¡°Good good. I am glad that you still know your place, Zhao Dan, even after being kicked out of the sect. Never forget that you¡¯re a talentless reject. No matter how far you run you will never escape your fate,¡± Mu Shan taunted me, but the words fell flat.

    How many times had I heard the same lines from men¡ªand women¡ªwho thought themselves better than everyone else. Even in a new world the same shit happened.

    I¡¯d pledged to become a healer once more. Sometimes healing the world meant cutting out tumours before they could spread. Mu Shan was just another tumour, corrupting everything around him.

    My essence grew agitated and I gathered it in my fist. As I raised my head from the ground, I saw him laugh and look away from Xiao Cui for just a moment.

    That moment was all I needed.

    I pushed off the ground and darted forwards. Before Mu Shan could even blink I¡¯d ripped his hand off little Cui¡¯s arm and thrown her away.

    Silently apologising to her for the rough treatment, I stepped backwards as the man¡¯s wild punch sailed towards me.

    ¡°You dare!? Zhao Dan, you insolent worm. If I don¡¯t teach you the meaning of respect today then I, Mu Shan, shall write my name backwards for the rest of time,¡± he roared.

    His fist struck empty air and his eyes widened in shock. Stepping past his arm I jabbed two fingers into his armpit and he buckled.

    But that wasn¡¯t just a simple strike.

    The moment I made contact with him, my blood essence flowed into Mu Shan¡¯s shoulder and began to go wild. Perhaps it was a little cruel to use the same vicious technique on him as I¡¯d done with the bandits, but as I¡¯d reminded myself then¡ªmen who threatened little girls deserve no mercy.

    Striking fast and hard was necessary. He was a star above me and I needed to make sure the fight was won before he could leverage his advantage.

    Mu Shan staggered back from my strike, clutching his shoulder. But the worst was yet to come.

    He glared daggers at me and opened his mouth to say something, but then gasped and doubled over as my blood essence began to twist and mutate his flesh. It had begun.

    I lamented the fact that I¡¯d been doing more fighting than healing with my technique as of late, but I hoped that wouldn¡¯t be the case for much longer. After this I doubted anyone else from the sect would try and mess with me.

    Unlike those pathetic bandits, Mu Shan wasn¡¯t helpless. He made a seal with his hands and then jabbed three points on his bicep, shoulder and chest. Suddenly his flesh stopped swelling, the cancerous mutation limited to the point I¡¯d struck.

    ¡°Damn bastard, what the hell is that demonic technique? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve sunk that low so soon after being expelled! Or perhaps that is why the elders decided to kick you out in the first place?¡± he cried.

    ¡°Mu Shan, don¡¯t spout such nonsense,¡± I calmly replied. ¡°Do you really think the elders would have let me leave if I had been using demonic techniques? I¡¯m not the weak disciple you used to bully. If you leave now I can forget this ever happened.¡±

    While I wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless, seeing that he could mitigate the effects of my technique was worrying. I was no longer sure of an easy victory.

    If the man decided to drop it here we could both go our separate ways and I wouldn¡¯t need to cause a scene in the market. I planned to live in Three River City for a while and fighting publicly in my first week wasn¡¯t a good look.

    ¡°Bastard Zhao, if you think I¡¯ll let you go after making me lose this much face then you¡¯re even more delusional than I thought. I won¡¯t be satisfied until you¡¯re broken at my feet,¡± he hissed, sending spittle flying.

    At this point he was just throwing a tantrum. He¡¯d been the one to start this fight and yet he refused to let it end even after knowing we were evenly matched.

    ¡°Mu Shan, perhaps if I teach you a lesson today, I might save those poor disciples back at the sect from your wrath. Don¡¯t forget I gave you a chance to leave with some of your dignity intact,¡± I declared, making sure the gathered spectators heard.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± he snorted, rushing towards me.

    I recognised the moves of the Cloudy Falls Sect techniques. Zhao Dan had learned the same movements, but hadn¡¯t reached the same level of mastery as Mu Shan.

    For lethal effectiveness, the best martial art was Krav Maga. I¡¯d practiced it for six years before my death. Combining it with Zhao Dan¡¯s knowledge, I let my instincts take over.

    We traded blow after blow. His fists were heavy, his cultivation suppressing mine as the battle dragged on.

    However, I seemed to have the upper hand when it came to technique and every single strike of mine had the intent to maim. And when I spotted an opening I wasn¡¯t shy about unleashing my blood essence, disfiguring his flesh.

    Each time I did so, Mu Shan would need to quickly jab the surrounding acupoints to slow the spread. That gave me the opportunity to press the attack and the tides soon turned in my favour.

    He lashed out and caught my chin with a lightning fast kick and I tasted blood. But even as I was knocked back by the blow I returned a devastating kick of my own, feeling the crunch of breaking bone as my foot connected with his knee.

    He dropped to the ground, blood dripping from his nose. I raised a fist to deliver the finishing blow, when I heard a sharp whistle and caught a flash of silver in the corner of my eye.

    I jumped backwards right as a spear blasted between us, burying itself in the cobbles.

 Chapter 14

    The shaft of the spear vibrated, twanging as I looked towards the direction from which it had been thrown. A tall man stood on top of one of the nearby buildings, wearing a white robe with three rivers embroidered on his breast.

    He jumped down and within a few steps appeared beside us. Another man and a woman wearing similar robes appeared a few moments later, panting but keeping a stern visage.

    ¡°Who dares cause chaos in Three River City?¡± the tall fellow said, his voice booming. The farmers outside the walls probably heard him.

    I wasn¡¯t sure who these new arrivals were, but I could tell with a single glance that the man in front was far stronger than I. He was in the Qi Gathering Realm.

    Mu Shan coughed, blood splattering the ground. I watched as he looked up at the three arrivals and his eyes widened.

    ¡°Ah, Captain Kang, perfect timing. This bastard dared to attack a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect in the open. He clearly doesn¡¯t respect the City Lord¡¯s authority,¡± he blatantly lied, getting to his feet.

    My eyes narrowed as I stared at him, but I waited to see what this Captain Kang¡¯s reply would be before I spoke. I didn¡¯t know what the connection between the two men was but based on how Mu Shan had brought up the city lord, I suspected the three were members of the city guard¡ªor perhaps the city lord¡¯s personal army.

    Captain Kang stared at the wounded Mu Shan, then at me. His gaze lingered on me a little longer and I couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on behind those intense emerald eyes.

    He stepped forward, placing himself between us. Then, with a grunt he ripped his spear from the stone and flicked the dirt from its tip.

    Stepping back, he held the spear against his shoulder. ¡°I agree that causing such disruption to the citizen¡¯s day is equivalent to not showing Lord Teng any face,¡± he announced, turning to Mu Shan. ¡°However, just because you are a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect doesn¡¯t mean you can lie to a member of the city guard, Disciple Mu Shan.¡±

    He shrank under the withering glare of the captain. The other two guards remained still as statues behind their leader, their presence seemingly only to provide extra intimidation.

    Not that it was needed. Captain Kang was terrifying all by himself. He had to be at least six foot three and even his damn muscles had muscles.

    Just then Xiao Cui stepped in front of me and held out her hands. ¡°Honourable Captain, don¡¯t listen to this bastard¡¯s lies,¡± she pleaded. ¡°He attacked first, taking me hostage and forcing Big Brother Zhao to bow to him. He was only fighting to defend me.¡±

    Captain Kang frowned, staring down at little Cui. She wasn¡¯t deterred and began to step forwards and continue her passionate speech.

    However, he held up a hand to silence her. ¡°Girl, don¡¯t try to lecture me. I¡¯ve been a guard in Three River City my entire life. I¡¯ve seen it all. I don¡¯t need some brat to tell me how to do my job.¡±

    Xiao Cui stepped back towards me and I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. I appreciated her attempt to defend me but the best thing to do now was wait and see how the guard captain planned to handle the situation.

    ¡°This offence cannot go unpunished. Regardless of the reasons, fighting in public is forbidden and putting the citizens at risk is a great transgression,¡± he said, looking first at Mu Shan and then at me. ¡°I am sure that Disciple Mu Shan had a good reason for his actions and he will have a chance to explain himself, but you,¡± he emphasised the last word, gazing into my very soul, ¡°are another matter.¡±

    Here we go. Even though it seemed like he was punishing both of us, there was a hidden meaning to his words.

    Mu Shan would be let off, due to his connection with the Cloudy Falls Sect. On the other hand, I as the unknown would face the brunt of the punishment.

    ¡°Indeed, Captain Kang. This disciple is deeply sorry for any disrespect he may have inadvertently shown the city lord and the citizens of Three River City,¡± Mu Shan said, bowing and wearing a solemn expression.

    What a snivelling bootlicker. This was like a scripted play, something they probably went through every time some vicious bastard like Mu Shan decided to pick on a weaker cultivator.

    I wouldn¡¯t let them continue this charade. Even though I would likely have to face some kind of reprimand, it would be on my terms.

    ¡°Captain Kang, are you saying that there is ever a good reason to take an innocent girl hostage? Everyone saw exactly what happened. I admit that my use of violence was perhaps excessive and for that I am sorry, but I believe anyone in my position would¡¯ve done their best to protect their daughter, niece, or friend,¡± I said, looking around the market.

    A few of the onlookers started muttering and one even shouted out, ¡°He¡¯s right! That cultivator grabbed her by the neck.¡±

    At that point the female guard leaned forward and whispered something in the captain¡¯s ear. He nodded and then banged the butt of his spear against the ground. Everyone fell silent.

    ¡°This situation is becoming far too complex. I shall simplify it. Both of you are to pay a fine of five gold to the City Treasury to make up for your crimes. You can pay on the spot or you can visit the Guard Pavilion within the week. If you fail to pay this fine you will be imprisoned and face the justice of the courts,¡± Captain Kang declared.

    I winced. Five gold was a lot of money. If I hadn¡¯t spent all my savings I might¡¯ve been able to afford the fine but as things stood I had no chance of doing so in just one week.

    Mu Shan¡¯s mouth fell open and he looked as though he wanted to complain, but held back. He took a pouch from his belt and started to rummage through when a sharp voice cut through the silence.

    ¡°Disciple Mu, put that damn coin purse away,¡± the man snapped, suddenly appearing in front of Mu Shan and slapping his face.

    The sound echoed throughout the square and a few of the citizens gasped in surprise. Mu Shan looked annoyed but didn¡¯t utter a word of complaint.

    After putting the pouch away, he actually smiled and looked at me with a smug expression. What kind of sadistic freak was happy after being slapped in public?

    However, what happened next made me realise why he was so ecstatic.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Captain Kang, I believe I can handle the discipline of my own disciple. Thank you for keeping the peace,¡± the man wearing the dark blue and gold robes of a Cloudy Falls Sect inner elder said.

    The captain froze for a moment and gave the elder a long stare. His eye twitched once but he didn¡¯t utter a word of complaint.

    ¡°As you say, Elder Fei. I shall leave the disciple in your care and hope to never see him causing trouble in Three River City again,¡± Captain Kang said with a shallow bow.

    He went to grab my arm and drag me away from the pair but the elder waved him off. His eye twitched again but he said nothing and walked towards the city centre, his two subordinates following after.

    I glanced at Xiao Cui. She had a worried look on her face and drew a little nearer to me. Out of the frying pan and into the fire¡­

    Mu Shan sneered at me. ¡°Hmph. Even the City Lord¡¯s men cannot touch a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect. Now that Master Fei is here, your only choices are to submit or die!¡±

    Another crisp slap rang out across the market. Mu Shan doubled over, clutching his face.

    When he stood up he looked towards his master with shock in his eyes. He seemed betrayed. ¡°Master, but why? This scum dares to insult a disciple of the sect even after getting expelled! Why punish me for delivering justice?¡± he cried.

    Elder Fei frowned at the snivelling youth. ¡°Disciple Mu, does the Cloudy Falls Sect gain anything by beating up a Body Tempering brat? Who are you as an outer disciple to say what affects the sect¡¯s reputation?

    ¡°Instead of doing as I asked and buying the list of herbs, you¡¯re wasting time fighting random cultivators?! Fool. You¡¯ll spend six months in isolated cultivation when we return to Black Cloud Peak,¡± he scolded his disciple fiercely and sent him packing with another slap.

    Mu Shan went off, pulling a jade slip from his robes and looking it up and down. Presumably the list of herbs he needed to purchase.

    I let out a sigh of relief. I guess there were still some in the Cloudy Falls Sect with honour left. Though it was odd that this upright Elder Fei had taken in a disciple like Mu Shan.

    Then again, the talented were rare and it was only right for the elders to snap up any disciple who showed the potential to reach great heights. Even if their personality was a little messed up.

    Right then, Elder Fei turned to me and took a step forward. His gaze was stern and he looked Xiao Cui up and down. Then he turned to me, eyes narrowing.

    I shivered as a cold sensation washed over me. Had the elder done something? He stroked his beard a few times.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! Damn brat,¡± he suddenly exclaimed, slapping a fist against his palm and almost making me jump. ¡°I had to wait at the sect gates for four hours because the sect master told me I needed to escort an expelled disciple to the city, but you never showed up! The disciples'' behaviour gets worse and worse with every cohort¡­¡±

    I coughed, feeling a lump in my throat. What the hell? Don¡¯t scare me like that geezer, I thought you were about to kill me for daring to attack your disciple.

    ¡°Even after deciding to kick you out of the sect, the sect master still showed you such preferential treatment. And yet you still dared make this Elder wait around like a servant! Hmph,¡± he continued to rant. ¡°You sure have some guts, Zhao Dan.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to react. So I took the easy way out. Despite his complaints, Elder Fei seemed a lot more reasonable than his arrogant disciple.

    ¡°Honourable Elder, this former disciple apologises for making you wait. I have no excuse,¡± I apologised, bowing towards him.

    When I glanced up I saw him stroking his beard once more. ¡°Bah, at least you have some manners,¡± he said, waving his hand. ¡°And I see you have managed to improve your cultivation since leaving¡­ Why hide your talent all this time? You might not have been expelled, fool.¡±

    I stood back up and frowned. How could I explain that I wasn¡¯t the old Zhao Dan, the talentless youth who struggled in the fourth-star for over a year¡­

    ¡°Honourable Elder, I managed to stumble upon a fortunate encounter on my way to Three River City. Perhaps it was fate that I missed you that morning,¡± I lied, using the first excuse I could think of.

    Wasn¡¯t that how those novel protagonists always explained away their heaven defying cheats? I¡¯d paid a lot for my gains, sacrificing my spirit roots, but he didn¡¯t need to know that.

    Elder Fei grew a little red in the face and he seemed ready to say something, but then he simply sighed and waved a hand in the air. ¡°Indeed, the heavens have a plan for us all. At least you are not dishonouring the sect. Despite being kicked out, you were still one of us once. Remember that, Zhao Dan,¡± he said, before walking after Mu Shan.

    The moment he turned the corner and was no longer visible I relaxed, letting out a breath I¡¯d been holding as my shoulders dropped. ¡°That was terrifying,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Xiao Cui asked. ¡°Do you know that grandpa?¡±

    I choked, clamping a hand over her mouth and looking in the direction the elder had vanished. Who knew if he was still listening? Those old geezers were scary.

    From what I remembered, all of the inner elders of the Cloudy Falls Sect were middle stage Foundation Building Realm at the very least. Two large realms above me¡­

    Elder Fei could squash me like a bug if he so wished. And no one would do anything about it.

    I was a little frustrated I hadn¡¯t been able to handle Mu Shan myself, but I couldn¡¯t deny it was satisfying watching his master¡¯s crisp slaps to his face. I just hoped I never had to see him again.

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time I told you about my past, little Cui,¡± I replied, motioning for her to sit next to me.

    However, as soon as the commotion was over, I saw plenty of the spectators who¡¯d been too wary to approach drawing near. They hadn¡¯t forgotten my earlier display and it seemed many were eager to try my services.

    ¡°Though that will have to wait for later. It seems our little marketing ploy worked wonders. Get ready to collect their coins,¡± I told her.

    ****

    I fell into the soft bed back at the inn, exhausted and bursting with energy at the same time. I¡¯d spent the rest of the day healing people of random afflictions after my run-in with Mu Shan and the city guard.

    The constant complaints of the citizens about their problems was tiring, but I didn¡¯t begrudge them for it. I was glad to be able to help.

    And to earn some of my money back.

    ¡°How did we do?¡± I asked Xiao Cui, who¡¯d sat on the floor to count our earnings.

    I heard the clink of coins. ¡°Fifty-one silver and seven copper coins,¡± she replied with barely contained glee.

    Not bad for a day¡¯s work. Far from the gold I¡¯d spent to secure our market stall and get supplies, but if we kept earning at this rate we¡¯d easily earn it back in a week or two.

    And the gains in my cultivation weren''t bad either. While far from the explosive growth I had during my battles with the bear and the viper, I was approaching the peak of eight-star Body Tempering.

    Now that I had a somewhat steady source of income to rely on, I could finally start making progress on my plans. From what I¡¯d seen of Three River City, it might be a good place to open my first hospital.

    There were plenty of people in need of healing and despite being a little heavy handed, the guards here seemed like upstanding cultivators. Captain Kang would¡¯ve only given me a fine as punishment for that scrap if Elder Fei hadn¡¯t turned up.

    Which was still a little unfair given that Mu Shan started the fight, but not that bad when I considered the brutal punishments often handed out in this world. Zhao Dan¡¯s father had ordered plenty of clans to have their nine generations exterminated and other such horrors.

    And they were only a minor clan out on the edges of the Cloudy Falls Sects¡¯ territory. I shuddered to think what the true powers of this world got up to with no one to hold them in check¡­

    I held out my hand and Xiao Cui tossed the coin pouch to me. I took a few of the silver coins out, letting them fall back in with a jingle. Smiling, I withdrew three and tossed them back to her.

    ¡°These are yours.¡±

    ¡°What? No, you earned all of this with your healing arts, Big Brother Zhao. I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she exclaimed, fumbling to catch them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. How could I have earned a single silver without your help goading that old geezer into letting me heal him? Just take the money.¡±

    She grumbled something under her breath but I didn¡¯t catch it. Rolling over, I placed the coin purse on the bedside table and closed my eyes. I hoped I would make even more money tomorrow, but only time would tell.

 Chapter 15

    The next day I¡¯d made sure to arrive in the market early¡ªjust after sunrise. Even though I¡¯d done my best to beat the crowds, I was shocked to discover there was already a line of people besides my sign!

    Clearly the events of the previous day had done wonders to spread the word about the new healer in Three River City. I spent the entire day working with only a short break to let Xiao Cui eat lunch.

    The rest of the week passed in a similar manner and the number of patients wanting to receive my healing continued to grow. On the second day we earned seventy-one silver.

    On day three we earned ninety-four silver, just shy of a gold coin. We were also close to earning back all the money I spent on bribes and supplies.

    I still had that half of a spirit stone, but I wasn¡¯t counting it towards my personal funds. I had no idea whether it would be useful to me without spirit roots but I was loath to spend it in this city.

    Besides, most mortals didn¡¯t even accept them as payment given how rare and valuable they were. Only cultivators used them as currency.

    By the fourth day I reached a limit to the number of patients I could reasonably treat in a single day. It got to the point that I even had to turn away a few of those at the end of the line and promise to treat them first thing in the morning tomorrow.

    After one week had passed, we¡¯d earned a tidy sum¡ªa little over five gold. That wasn¡¯t quite enough to purchase a building in a good location of the city but it was certainly enough that I could start looking.

    The morning of my second week in Three River City I told Xiao Cui to head down to the market and let the gathered patients know that I would be starting a little late this morning. They might be upset but once I had a proper building to work from it would make things even more efficient.

    I could also feel that I was right on the cusp of breaking through to nine-star Body Tempering. It was an unbelievable feeling, knowing I was approaching the limits of what a mortal body could do.

    Though without spirit roots I had no idea what would happen when the time came to attempt my breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Realm¡­ would I simply fail?

    Or perhaps it would cause catastrophic damage to my body.

    I had no way of knowing, but since that was still in the future I wouldn¡¯t worry about it until the time came. Right now I was on the hunt for property.

    Because I¡¯d spent most of my time in the city healing and sleeping, I hadn¡¯t really had a chance to explore. Today I was going to change that, but first I needed some help.

    With nowhere else to turn I had asked the innkeeper if he knew anyone that could help me find a nice building to purchase. He didn¡¯t have any contacts but had told me to come to this district and look around. Apparently it was renowned for having a lot of construction companies.

    Walking down the main street I noticed how unnaturally perfect everything seemed here. From the street tiles to the walls and gates of the huge manors, not a single stone was out of place.

    I saw a few signs as I walked. ¡°Wen Tao¡¯s Wonderful Works¡±. ¡°Shan Huo¡¯s Perfect Pavilions¡±. All the companies seemed to follow the same naming structure¡­

    None of them appealed to me and given the luxury on display in their manors I wasn¡¯t even sure I could afford their services. I reached the end of the main street feeling rather disgruntled.

    Turning to head back to the inn, I suddenly noticed a rotten sign swinging in the wind. The hinges were rusty and their creaking had alerted me.

    Walking down the alleyway I arrived outside an iron gate covered in rust. The walls around it were overgrown with ivy and the bricks cracked with age. As I read the sign I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Grandpa Guan¡¯s Property¡±.

    It had taken me a few tries to piece that together, given that half the letters were worn away from weather damage and the rotting wood. The simplicity drew me in and I found myself knocking on the gate.

    However, it swung open after two hits. The hinges screamed, desperately in need of some oil.

    It was a little impolite to enter without asking, but I figured if it was open then the owner wanted customers to feel welcomed.

    ¡°Hello, is anyone here? I¡¯m looking to buy a building in the city centre,¡± I shouted out, hoping to attract the attention of this Grandpa Guan, or whoever was on duty.

    There was no answer.

    Looking around, I saw an overgrown garden that hadn¡¯t been tended in years. A pond covered in lily pads and algae lay hidden behind towering grass. I could just about make out the tiled path, though even that was almost buried under the layer of vegetation.

    Walking down the path towards the house, I saw it was in disrepair like the rest of the courtyard. Honestly it didn¡¯t fill me with confidence given that this was supposed to be a business selling property, but as long as the places they had to sell weren¡¯t this rundown it was fine.

    I didn¡¯t see anyone in the garden and the door to the house swung open when I tried. Walking inside I almost burst into laughter.

    Sitting on a chair behind a wooden desk was an old man, who was so wrinkled I thought he could be over a hundred years old. He was fast asleep and snoring loudly.

    I didn¡¯t want to wake him up, but I also didn¡¯t want to keep my patients waiting. ¡°Ahem, are you Grandpa Guan?¡± I asked with a cough, knocking on the desk.

    He spluttered and I thought I¡¯d woken him up, but after he finished coughing he went right back to snoring¡­

    I slapped my hand on the desk loud enough that the neighbours probably heard it. He leapt to his feet, waving his fists in the air.

    ¡°Damn bandits, you¡¯ll never take my money!¡± he cried, throwing an erratic punch.

    I avoided his fist and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. ¡°Excuse me, are you Grandpa Guan? I¡¯m no bandit, just a customer looking for a property,¡± I said warmly.

    The moment he heard the word customer he snapped to attention, a sly glint in his eyes as he leaned over the desk and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°A customer? Why didn¡¯t you say so, boy,¡± he chuckled, slapping me on the back hard enough to make me miss a breath. ¡°What kind of property are you looking for? I guarantee that I, Grandpa Guan, will not disappoint.¡±

    The sudden change in demeanour took me by surprise, but I was glad to hear he actually had some property for sale. It meant I hadn¡¯t been mistaken when I walked in here.

    Provided he wasn¡¯t some kind of scammer with derelict, rundown buildings he was trying to offload, I might be able to get somewhere nice to build the hospital for a cheap price.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I need somewhere to run a healing business. Relaxing surroundings, plenty of space for patients to relax, and not too difficult to find,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Ho? Healing you say¡­ that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t heard in a while,¡± he muttered to himself, bending down under the desk and looking for something. ¡°Aha!¡± he suddenly cried, then I heard a loud bang.

    ¡°Blasted desk, I thought I told that mischievous brat to do something about it,¡± he cursed. ¡°Where did she go?¡±

    There was no one else in this place, as far as I was aware. I was starting to suspect this geezer was a little crazy.

    He lifted a huge, dusty tome that looked hundreds of years old from under the desk and slammed it onto the wood. The bang made my ears hurt and the cloud of dust it sent up made me burst into a coughing fit.

    Given that I was almost a peak body tempering cultivator, that was quite a feat. Just how long had that book been sitting there to accumulate that much dust?

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look here,¡± he said, opening the book and flipping through the crinkled pages.

    After a few minutes of silent reading he finally looked up. ¡°I¡¯ve got just the place for you, boy! What do you think?¡± he asked, turning the huge book around so I could see what was written.

    A beautiful watercolour painting of a mountain, featuring a waterfall, verdant forest, and endless flowers was in the middle of the page. Above it was written ¡®Million Flowers Celestial Peak¡¯.

    It was a beautiful painting, but I was a little confused¡­ I asked for a building in the city and this geezer was offering me a mountain?

    ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s this? I haven¡¯t seen any mountains near Three River City. Is this a joke?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? Not a fan of the waterfall? Don¡¯t you know this place was once the home of a renowned master of the healing arts. The flowers are a giant formation that increases the spiritual energy in the air. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not convinced?¡± he began to pitch the mountain to me.

    The next few minutes was a back and forth of the old geezer showing me a bunch of random places that he had for sale, none of which seemed to be anywhere near Three River City¡­

    ¡°Verdant Jade Valley! A Core Formation princess once shed so many tears here that she carved this valley out of the mountain range!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Serene Mist Peak! A battle between Nascent Soul elders caused a permanent cloud of mist to settle above the severed peak, offering insights into various Daos!¡±

    ¡°Bastard grandpa, I just want a building in the city! Stop messing around or I¡¯ll take my gold and go,¡± I exclaimed, exhausted.

    The moment I threatened to leave he instantly slammed the book shut, sending another cloud of dust into the air. ¡°Why did the heavens send this unruly brat my way,¡± he muttered.

    Turning to me, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Fine, have it your way. I offered you all of these majestic places but you want to be boring. Take this, it¡¯s the deed to a place in the centre of Three River City. If you don¡¯t like it you can find someone else to sell you a building,¡± he said, tossing a scroll at me.

    I was a little confused, but frankly at this point I¡¯d take anything as long as it was in working condition. Now came the hard part. ¡°How much?¡±

    He looked confused for a moment. ¡°Oh! Money,¡± he exclaimed, then began scratching his beard. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t need any. Just don¡¯t ruin my building,¡± he said, dismissing me with a wave of his arm.

    I was stunned. After all that he was just going to give me the place for free? I was about to turn and walk out with the property deed but I felt bad, so I took the five gold out of my coin purse and left them on the desk.

    Grandpa Guan had already fallen asleep when I turned back around. I scoffed and walked back out the overgrown garden. This time as I made my way through the tall grass I spotted a white cat with blue eyes strutting along the top of the wall.

    It perched above the gate and watched me as I made my way back out onto the main street. Its gaze burning into my back felt uncomfortable and I was glad to have left the rundown place behind.

    However, I¡¯d managed to achieve exactly what I set out to do. I¡¯d acquired a property in the centre of Three River City to turn into a hospital¡ªahem, medicine sect¡ªand for the exceptionally low price of five gold.

    While I¡¯d been a little confused during the entire process, I was satisfied. Now I just needed to take a look at this place.

    That was when I realised I¡¯d forgotten to ask where it was¡­

    However, before rushing back and facing the scary cat again, I picked up the scroll and unrolled it. Luckily, it had a section detailing whereabouts in the city it could be found.

    Sighing in relief I made my way towards the city centre.

    ****

    ¡°That damn old man!¡± was all I could think to say when I saw my new building.

    Seeing the towering building constructed from varnished hardwood, nestled between the equally opulent ¡®Myriad Treasures Emporium¡¯ and ¡®Three Rivers Golden Casino¡¯, I was in shock. In fact, given how magnificent this place was I was starting to believe that geezer actually owned all those mystical places he tried to sell me.

    It was three floors up and about twenty metres wide. The windows were made of pristine glass, polished to sparkle. I observed my reflection as I walked towards the door. I was a bit of a mess.

    I actually felt a little out of place now that I was here, but with how much money we were earning I could probably splash out on some new robes. The door swung open without a sound and I entered a beautiful marbled reception area.

    The white marble didn¡¯t have a speck of dust and neither did the wooden desk, which I checked by running a finger along it.

    Smiling, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh. My fortunes had changed at last. I wasn¡¯t sure what had drawn me to that decrepit manor, but I was grateful.

    Perhaps the heavens had taken a greater interest in me since my oath? Then again, the interest of the heavens wasn¡¯t always a good thing¡­

    For now though I wasn¡¯t going to bite the hand that fed me. I checked out the other floors just to make sure everything was in order, but they were perfect.

    There wasn¡¯t much furniture and I would need to adjust some things in order to suit a hospital layout, but it was far more than I hoped for when I set out that morning in search of a building.

    Xiao Cui was going to be ecstatic. Until now she¡¯d been a glorified chore-girl, doing all the tasks I couldn¡¯t while I was healing people. With this shiny new building she could perhaps get a promotion to receptionist.

    Or maybe it was time I tried to teach her some of what I knew? She would make a good nurse, or even a mortal doctor.

    I had to look after her and if my intention was to found a medicine sect then it would make sense to take a disciple. Even though it was only a cover to prevent suspicion, the idea of passing on my knowledge was one that drew my interest the more I considered it.

    While I wasn¡¯t sure anyone else could replicate the strange healing techniques I was learning and discovering, all of my previous medical knowledge along with the mortal healing arts I was picking up here could be passed down. Maybe I should write a book?

    Satisfied that the building was in good condition, I made my way back downstairs and made sure the scroll was securely tucked inside my robes. If I lost it I would have no way of proving I owned this place.

    Though I did wonder why Grandpa Guan was living in that rundown manor if he owned such a magnificent building right in the centre of Three River City? There were a lot of strange things about that geezer. I¡¯d have to ask next time I saw him.

    I made sure to pull the door shut tightly, wondering who I could ask to install some locks on the door. That would be necessary before we opened for business.

    With my building sorted, I planned to head back to the market so I could begin healing patients today. Just because I¡¯d obtained a property didn¡¯t mean I should stop making money.

    Especially now that I¡¯d gone and spent almost everything we¡¯d earned over the last week¡­

    The sun was approaching its zenith, almost midday. My stomach rumbled and I realised I hadn¡¯t eaten anything in almost four days.

    That was happening more and more often as I continued to improve my cultivation. Even though my body didn¡¯t require food or sleep as much, it made me feel human to eat and rest.

    While the miraculous powers and strength granted by cultivation felt incredible, it was still a little unsettling at times. I was sure I would eventually get used to it, but for now I¡¯d stick to my rituals.

    I¡¯d barely taken a few steps along the street when I heard dozens of footsteps behind me and turned to see a bunch of the city guard rushing in my direction.

    I wondered if something happened nearby?

    However, as they drew nearer I realised all of the guards'' eyes were fixed on me and a few of them pointed at me, shouting to each other. What was going on? I thought Elder Fei handled the situation with Captain Kang.

    Just then a spear whistled past my shoulder and buried itself in the street. The guards caught up and surrounded me in a circle.

    The circle parted and the man I least expected to see strode through, stopping right in front of me. Captain Kang towered over me, blocking out the sun.

    ¡°Zhao Dan! You¡¯re under arrest for defying the city lord¡¯s authority. You will accompany me to the palace to face justice.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Captain Kang had a firm grip on my arm, digging into my flesh just hard enough to cause a little pain. I thought it was over the top, given that he¡¯d also clapped me in chains, but I figured he needed to put on a show for the city lord.

    The guards at the palace gate waved us through without any hassle. The place was ridiculous, bigger than any building I¡¯d seen save for the larger pavilions and halls back at the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    I didn¡¯t get much time to admire the palace. Captain Kang dragged me through the hallways quickly, not letting us stop.

    It was rough treatment and I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened in just a week to make the city lord want me arrested. As far as I knew we hadn¡¯t done anything after the run-in with Mu Shan and Elder Fei.

    If there was something that the city lord might want me arrested for it would be¡­ what happened in Nine Paddy Village. But it was so soon after the events that unfolded and there had been no survivors to report our appearances, so how could we possibly be connected to it?

    Unless¡­

    The only way was if there was an unseen member of the administrator¡¯s group who had watched everything that happened after the spirit bear slaughtered the soldiers and reported back to Three River City. To escape my detection they would¡¯ve had to be extremely skilled in stealth arts or a higher level of cultivation.

    Which was definitely possible. I wasn¡¯t exactly a master of stealth and had no idea what kinds of mysterious arts were out there. And after seeing Captain Kang I was sure there were at least a few other Qi Gathering cultivators working for City Lord Teng.

    We stopped suddenly. Captain Kang barked some orders and two guards dispersed to push open a set of towering doors made of gold.

    While admiring the display of obscene wealth, I felt myself being dragged forward as soon as the doors opened enough to let us through. They didn¡¯t need to open them all the way, even a sliver was plenty for a few grown adults to pass through the gap.

    As we walked I realised this was the throne room. There were stands along each side with rows of benches. I assumed that was where the other civil servants and lords in the city would sit when Teng Shi held meetings.

    Today they were empty. The only people in the room other than the guards and I were a man sitting on a silver throne who I assumed was City Lord Teng, a boy who looked similar to Teng Shi standing next to the throne¡ªprobably his son¡ªand another man who looked really familiar standing on his other side.

    The city lord was sitting straight, perfect posture as he glowered at me with barely restrained fury. I¡¯d never met him before, so why did he seem to hate me already?

    It wasn¡¯t a good start to my life in Three River City, I had to say. Hopefully I could find out what was going on here and resolve it so I could continue healing people, making money, and start setting up my hospital.

    Captain Kang dragged me down the length of the throne room. I refused to let him break my spirit even with the rough treatment and held my head high. The two men stared at me with hatred but I noticed the city lord¡¯s son seemed quite indifferent to everything going on.

    We reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the dais the throne was resting on. Suddenly Captain Kang kicked the back of my knees and pushed me down to the ground.

    I couldn¡¯t resist him. He was far stronger than me. Even though the difference was just a few stars, there was an insurmountable gap between nine-star Body Tempering and an early Qi Gathering Realm cultivator.

    I was sure he wasn¡¯t in middle stage Qi Gathering, beyond the third star, because otherwise that would make him even stronger than the city lord. And in this world where power dictated everything, the strong serving the weak wouldn¡¯t make sense.

    However, I couldn¡¯t tell the exact level of his cultivation. It didn¡¯t matter, because I wasn¡¯t in any position to break free right now. I stared defiantly at the city lord anyway, not letting the man know he had the upper hand.

    ¡°Insolent!¡± cried the man on the city lord¡¯s right. ¡°How dare you look at Lord Teng with such violent eyes. Captain, show our prisoner what it means to defy the lord¡¯s authority,¡± he ordered.

    Captain Kang didn¡¯t move a muscle, ignoring the man¡¯s outburst and looking to the city lord for instructions.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Teng Shi snorted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Councillor Gao. I¡¯m not so insecure that I need a prisoner to show me face. Especially a treasonous bastard like this.¡±

    Captain Kang took a step towards me and slammed his palm into my back. I tried to resist but couldn¡¯t. My brain rattled as my forehead slammed into the cold marble floor.

    ¡°When you hold a position such as this, you can get face with the snap of your fingers,¡± the city lord taunted. ¡°Now, Zhao Dan, I believe your name was? Did Captain Kang tell you why you are here?¡± he snarled, rage creeping into his voice.

    I tried to look up but felt Captain Kang¡¯s boot on my head, pressing my face into the floor. So much for the righteous captain¡­ I cursed inwardly. I¡¯d actually thought the captain was a decent guy until now.

    The city lord chuckled as he watched Captain Kang restrain me. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to want to talk, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he sneered.

    ¡°You and some irrelevant ants decided to challenge my authority. To kill men collecting taxes under MY. ORDERS!¡± he roared, loud enough that I winced.

    Fuck. It really was about that¡­ I had no idea how he found out so quickly but now that he knew there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it.

    The villagers would probably be safe with the spirit bear protecting them unless the city lord himself or Captain Kang went out to subjugate it, but I had no such luxury. I was stuck in a room with both of them.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°And then,¡± he said softly, catching me by surprise. ¡°AND THEN YOU DARED TO START FLAUNTING YOUR FRAUDULENT SERVICES IN MY CITY?!¡±

    I winced, not because I was scared of the man, but because he had spat on my head during his ranting. Why were all cultivators like this¡­

    In the first place it was his greed that had led to the situation at Nine Paddy Village. If he¡¯d just kept the taxes at a reasonable rate the village head would¡¯ve paid them and everyone would be happy.

    Instead he decided to try and squeeze them for everything they had and his men ended up dying. And now I was here facing a grown man throwing a tantrum like a brat.

    ¡°So, because you dared to challenge my authority, I must make an example of you,¡± he sighed. ¡°But first there¡¯s someone else who needs to understand their place.¡±

    I heard footsteps behind me and then muffled shouting. A few moments later someone was thrown onto the ground beside me.

    Even under Captain Kang¡¯s boot I was able to turn my head just enough to see them and when I saw who it was I burned with rage. They had chained up Xiao Cui and she had bruises on her neck and arms.

    She met my gaze and I could see she was angry and confused. I tried to soften my eyes to let her know I would do my best to fix this but it was difficult to communicate while restrained.

    A guard planted his foot on her back and I grit my teeth, promising vengeance on the bastard. I heard Councillor Gao snorting. Even the name was familiar¡­ Where had I heard that before?

    ¡°I¡¯m bored of this already. There¡¯s no satisfaction to be had in taunting a stubborn fool like you,¡± the city lord muttered. ¡°Captain, throw them in the prison cells. They will be executed in three days'' time in front of the citizens as an example of what happens when you dare to defy me.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Lord Teng,¡± replied the captain, before grabbing me by the neck and hauling me to my feet.

    I glared daggers at the city lord but he just smiled. The guard handling Xiao Cui was rough and I saw her wincing when he lifted her up. I made sure to remember his face clearly.

    Looking towards the throne, I saw the annoying guy, Councillor Gao, seemed to be even angrier than the city lord¡ªas though I¡¯d personally insulted him. At that moment, the city lord¡¯s son started coughing.

    City Lord Teng suddenly looked worried and reached out to grab his son¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you okay, Sheng¡¯er?¡± he asked.

    I was almost too far away to see them, but as I looked at the boy I saw something that made my eyes widen in shock. A few purple strands of energy flickered in his body, looking almost like my blood essence.

    I couldn¡¯t see much more than that because Captain Kang dragged me through the huge golden doors. However, I couldn¡¯t help but grin. I knew how to get us out of this mess.

    First I needed to find out if I was correct in assuming that the boy was the city lord¡¯s son. ¡°Captain-¡± I started to speak but Captain Kang slapped me.

    ¡°Silence. Prisoners don¡¯t talk.¡±

    This motherf¡­

    I was dragged down three flights of stairs and the air grew colder and staler. I knew we were underground by now.

    The city lord had his own private prison underneath the palace. I wondered if all criminals were held here or only the ones sentenced to death like us.

    Then again, in this violent world I was sure most crimes were punishable by death, even the minor ones. A guard stood by a studded iron door and he struggled to pull it open.

    Perhaps it was because it was thicker than his head!

    Captain Kang nodded to the man as we walked in. The first thing to hit me was the stench.

    Rotten food, a lingering scent of blood, and¡­ excrement. Clearly the concept of prisoner¡¯s rights hadn¡¯t made it to the Celestial Jade Empire yet.

    I could handle whatever they threw at me. I¡¯d been a prisoner more than once in my life and it was a shitty experience, but often quite boring.

    However, if they continued to hurt Xiao Cui there would be hell to pay when we were free. And we would be freed, of that I was sure.

    The guard behind us stopped and unlocked one of the cells, tossing little Cui inside. She tried to call out to me but he smacked her and she cried in pain. Gritting my teeth, I increased the severity of the revenge I was going to deal out in my mind.

    Captain Kang led me down another flight of stairs, going deeper into the prison. Keeping us separated was just another form of mental torture.

    He led me to the end of the corridor and only then did he unlock a cell, throwing me inside. I noticed the door of this one was thicker and there was just a single horizontal slit, through which they could watch me.

    This must be a cell for holding cultivators. There wasn¡¯t as much need to feed and water a cultivator kept in chains.

    ¡°You know, when I saw that you were offering healing to the citizens without extorting their money, I thought you were an upstanding fellow,¡± Captain Kang said with a frown. ¡°I was disappointed to discover you were a lesser man than I believed.¡±

    I stared back at his melancholy gaze. Inwardly I sneered at his hypocrisy, but I didn¡¯t let him have the satisfaction of seeing that. ¡°I feel the same way, Captain.¡±

    He shook his head and turned to walk away. Before he left I tried to ask the same question I¡¯d attempted earlier before he slapped me into silence.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, who was the boy standing beside the city lord?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking such a thing now?¡± he replied, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you-¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± I exclaimed, realising what he was thinking. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those disgusting perverts. I just happened to notice that the boy seemed quite ill. Perhaps I could have a look to see if I am able to treat him,¡± I suggested.

    ¡°You, how could you possibly¡­¡± he muttered, seemingly surprised. ¡°Maybe you are as talented as you seemed to be. It is not my place to share such things. The only fate that awaits you is death. Repent and pray the heavens are kinder to you in the next life.¡±

    With that he slammed the door shut and I heard the clinking of a key in the lock, followed by his retreating footsteps. I sighed. I¡¯d given it my best shot.

    I supposed I would just have to spend the next three days trying to punch my way out of the cells, though I doubted I would have the strength if these cells were built to hold cultivators even more powerful than I.

    For the first time since arriving in this world I felt my faith in the oath I¡¯d made wavering. I had the power to heal the boy¡ªat least I hoped so. Unless his problem was one beyond my means to treat, which was possible given that I knew so little of this world.

    However, a small, vengeful part of me felt that even if I was given the chance to heal him I shouldn¡¯t, just to spite the city lord. And yet I would have to heal him if I could, since that was the only chance I had to free Xiao Cui and myself.

    There was also the possibility that the boy wasn¡¯t as much of an arrogant asshole like his father. Though they did have that saying¡ªa tiger father will not beget a dog son.

    With nothing to do but wait, I decided now was a good time to try and study my body and my techniques.

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to practice much or refine my lungs without any resources, but I could at least attempt to figure out more of the mysteries behind them.

    So I meditated in silence, my gaze focused inwards as I pondered the profundity of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique and my strange blood essence. I wasn¡¯t sure how long the trance lasted, but I hadn¡¯t managed to achieve much despite my intense focus.

    My physique was simply that mysterious. Other than the basic knowledge I had obtained upon awakening it for the first time, nothing else was revealing itself to me.

    Eventually I was interrupted by the clicking of the lock and the scratching sound of the cell door swinging open.

 Chapter 17

    I watched the door swing open with interest, wondering who had interrupted my meditation. When it opened all the way I saw Captain Kang standing there, staring at me with his face pulled taut.

    ¡°The lord wishes to see you, Prisoner Zhao. When I mentioned you guessed his son was ill, he seemed interested in speaking with you,¡± he said, seemingly confused that his master had summoned me.

    It seemed my one shot had paid off. All I had to do now was figure out what was actually wrong with the boy and see if I could cure it.

    Which was the most difficult part of the plan, but I was confident. So far I hadn¡¯t encountered anything my healing technique couldn¡¯t heal and while I doubted that would last forever I was sure there was nothing in Three River City beyond my ability to cure.

    Before following the captain I stretched my stiff muscles, making sure to take my time. Captain Kang¡¯s eye twitched when he saw my antics. Too easy.

    As I walked past him out of the cell, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. ¡°I believe you are a somewhat talented healer, but if you dare to trick Lord Teng I will ensure your death is as painful as possible,¡± he warned.

    ¡°How could I possibly trick the lord while under your watchful gaze, Captain? I am no fraudster,¡± I replied with a smile.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± he snorted. ¡°We shall see.¡±

    After that he grabbed my arm and led me through the prison, back up the stairs and past the cell where Xiao Cui had been dumped. I tried to look inside but it was difficult given the speed he was dragging me.

    Given that it had only been a few hours I had to assume she was still fine, but I made sure to throw a fierce glare at the guard standing at the end of the corridor, recognising him as the bastard who¡¯d dared to hurt her.

    The man kissed his teeth as we passed.

    It didn¡¯t take long to arrive in front of those massive golden doors once more and after the guards present pushed them open, we walked into the throne room.

    I got a powerful feeling of deja vu, walking in to see almost the exact same scene as before. The city lord sat on his throne with Councillor Gao and his son on either side.

    What had changed was the expressions each of them wore and the way they looked at me compared to last time. Well, except for the councillor.

    He still seemed as though he wanted to kill me himself without waiting for the public execution. However, the city lord now appraised me with curious eyes, concealing a glimmer of hope.

    And his son did the same, but he also seemed tired. Like this same scene had played out before him a thousand times.

    I imagined Lord Teng had brought countless healers in front of the boy, all of them trying to find a cure to his sickness. I¡¯d heard the same story countless times and this was no different.

    Except for the fact that I was no ordinary healer.

    Though I would need to prove that to the pair of them in order to have a bargaining chip to secure freedom for Xiao Cui and myself.

    I grunted as Captain Kang kicked me to my knees. At least he didn¡¯t stomp my face into the floor this time¡­

    ¡°Captain Kang tells me you know my son is sick. How?¡± Lord Teng demanded.

    ¡°He¡¯s a trickster, Lord Teng. He must have looked into you before arriving in the city. Don¡¯t trust a word out of his mouth!¡± The angry councillor exclaimed.

    The city lord glared at him and the man shut his mouth instantly. When he turned back to me I tried to think of an answer that wouldn¡¯t give away too much.

    I wasn¡¯t sure quite how rare something like my healing technique was when compared with the entire Celestial Jade Empire. Sometimes possessing a jade without the strength to guard it was a crime and I didn¡¯t need even more enemies than I¡¯d already made.

    ¡°As you may know, Lord Teng, I am a healer,¡± I said, speaking slowly and watching for a reaction. ¡°A rather skilled one too, If I might be so daring.¡±

    ¡°So I have heard,¡± he said dryly. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how you were able to determine that my son was sick with just a brief glance from a distance.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have a particularly¡­ unique healing art. I would say that I am more able than most healers to judge whether someone is suffering and subsequently treat them,¡± I replied.

    Being intentionally vague was a good start, to figure out how much the city lord wanted to know from me. This seemed to be some kind of test, rather than genuine curiosity.

    Ultimately he probably doubted my ability to cure his son, but just the fact I¡¯d been summoned told me that he valued the boy highly.

    ¡°So. What is wrong with my son then, uniquely talented healer?¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied confidently.

    He slapped the armrest of the throne, face twisting into a scowl. ¡°Insolent bastard! Are you mocking me?¡± he snarled.

    I felt Captain Kang¡¯s foot pushing down on my back, but resisted the pressure. I wasn¡¯t going to go down so easily this time. Besides, I¡¯d told the truth.

    Did the city lord really expect me to know what was wrong with his son without even giving him a check up? All I knew was that he was sick, not the exact cause of his suffering¡­

    ¡°Of course not, Lord Teng. Only, how can I know the exact cause of your son¡¯s sickness without first checking him? I only had a single glance last time I was here and from that I managed to tell he was suffering, but not the cause,¡± I said without pause. ¡°I doubt any other healer would accomplish such a thing.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Captain Kang coughed and I felt the pressure on my back lessen. ¡°My lord, it seems it might be wise to let Zhao Dan inspect Young Master Sheng. At the very least if he is able to determine the root of the young master¡¯s sickness it will be a better outcome than in the past.¡±

    Despite the conversation between the lord and the captain, I was focused on neither of them. I wasn¡¯t even focused on the boy.

    Instead I was smiling at Councillor Gao while the man tried to murder me with his eyes. He really was familiar¡­ but why did he hate me so much?

    The city lord coughed and I turned back to him. ¡°Captain Kang is right. Despite your crimes, for which you will still be executed, I believe it is worth letting you attempt to diagnose Sheng¡¯er,¡± he said, resting his chin on his fist.

    Then he stood up, clapping his hands. ¡°If,¡± he announced, ¡°And only if¡­ you are able to cure my son, we will consider a stay of execution. But first you must prove yourself worthy to exist. Come.¡±

    He strode down the stairs from his dais, waving for his son to follow. The boy rushed after his father obediently, stumbling on the final step. His breathing was shallow and he seemed pale.

    Given that City Lord Teng was in the Qi Gathering Realm, I would¡¯ve expected his son to at least have been two or three-star Body Tempering. And yet the boy was a mortal¡ªa weak one at that.

    Whatever was wrong with him had to be severe. I started wanting to cure him not just to secure our freedom, but because I felt sorry for the kid.

    No matter how much of a bastard their parents were, no child deserved to suffer like that. Then again, I would need to find out what kind of man the young city lord was shaping up to be. He might be just as much of an arrogant fool as his father.

    Captain Kang grabbed my arm and pulled me after the pair. Councillor Gao did not follow us, but I felt his gaze burning a hole into my back as we left the throne room.

    When we had left the throne room, the golden doors closed behind us and I dug my feet into the marble, refusing to move. ¡°I will not diagnose your son without first seeing that Xiao Cui is safe.¡±

    The city lord stared at me for a few seconds then sighed. ¡°Captain, have one of your men bring the girl to meet us,¡± he ordered, before continuing to walk.

    Captain Kang waved at a nearby guard who sprinted off towards the prison. That was easier than I¡¯d expected.

    I finally got to have a better look at the palace as we left the main building behind, winding our way through manicured gardens towards a smaller wooden gate.

    Walking through, I gasped at the sheer beauty of the garden that lay beyond. An azure pond lay in the centre, ringed by perfectly spherical stones with a single lily pad floating on the surface.

    Flowers were arranged in swirling patterns throughout the garden and there was one tree on either side of the garden. The left tree was a cherry blossom in full bloom and the other was an ash tree with verdant green leaves.

    I felt a soothing sensation pass through me as I stepped into the garden and paused, taking a deep breath. Even the air felt¡­ cleaner.

    I took another step and had to stop myself from gasping so as not to alert the others. The progress towards fully refining my lungs had increased by a small amount!

    Not letting the glee I felt creep onto my face was extremely difficult. I was going to delay this diagnosis as much as possible so I could spend more time in this garden and perhaps fully-

    No.

    I would not disrespect a patient like that. I cursed myself, realising I was already falling into the trap that all other cultivators seemed to¡ªeven though I had taken an oath that crippled my spirit roots!

    Truly the greatest danger on the path of cultivation seemed to be how addicting it was. The desire to throw aside all else simply to obtain another breakthrough was immense, but I was better than that.

    The city lord hadn¡¯t faltered and neither had his son. Captain Kang had allowed me the moment of admiration this time, but seeing that the others were getting away from us he shoved me gently. I resumed walking, breathing deeply and looking at the magnificent twin trees as I did.

    Lord Teng pushed open a set of wooden doors, leading to a simple, unfurnished room. Inside there were only some bamboo mats on the ground and a shrine with two sticks of incense.

    He motioned for his son to sit, then for me to sit opposite. Captain Kang shut the door behind us and remained standing, seemingly unbothered by what was happening.

    The city lord took a seat near the two of us and rested his chin on his palm, elbow on his knee. ¡°So, get on with it. If it turns out you were lying, I don¡¯t mind bringing your execution forward by a few days,¡± he ordered with a wave. Then, his mouth curled upwards into a sneer. ¡°Or perhaps I¡¯ll just kill that girl first and see your expression.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Threatening Xiao Cui isn¡¯t exactly going to motivate me to cure your son. And I said I wouldn¡¯t begin until I see that she is unharmed,¡± I replied, unfazed by his taunts.

    His eye twitched. ¡°My guards are bringing the girl, don¡¯t worry about that. I can guarantee she won¡¯t be harmed,¡± he sighed. ¡°At least until the day of your execution. Just begin, you will see her soon enough.¡±

    Frowning, I rubbed my temple. He was annoying, but right. Diagnosing the boy and figuring out what was wrong with him shouldn¡¯t take too long and I would still be able to refuse to treat him if it turned out something had happened to little Cui.

    Not that I was a fan of using the kid¡¯s health as a bargaining chip, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Turning to the boy, Teng Sheng, I looked him up and down.

    Despite his weak body and frail health he wasn¡¯t timid. He met my gaze, a proud confidence in his eyes. Good.

    Treating a patient who had given up was far more difficult than one who still had some fight in them. I stood up and walked behind him. ¡°Sit still, this will only take a moment,¡± I told him.

    I said that, but to be honest I wasn¡¯t sure if my physique or healing arts came with a diagnosis manual. I knew how to recognise mortal afflictions¡ªones from Earth, anyway¡ªbut telling apart a qi toxin from an overflow of pill residue wasn¡¯t my forte.

    When I had some free time¡ªand I wasn¡¯t a prisoner to the city lord¡ªI planned to visit a library and brush up on the medicinal knowledge of the Celestial Jade Empire. Though I wasn¡¯t sure how freely it would be shared outside the walls of the sects and clans¡­

    Regardless, I would do my best. Even if I only had a vague idea of what was wrong, my technique didn¡¯t require a diagnosis to work. It just seemed to brute force its way past any afflictions or wounds.

    As long as I could come up with an answer that satisfied the city lord enough that he would allow me to treat his son, that was fine. I placed my palm near his back, not quite touching it out of fear my blood essence might inadvertently kickstart the healing process too early.

    What I was actually doing while waving my hand around and pretending to inspect the boy was searching for signs of that purple energy I¡¯d seen last time. It took a while, but suddenly I saw a stream of it appear in his chest, then vanish just as fast.

    However, when it appeared the boy started coughing violently. ¡°Sheng¡¯er,¡± cried the city lord. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Then, turning to me with rage in his eyes he demanded, ¡°What the hell are you doing to him?¡±

    ¡°Relax, Lord Teng. That was not my doing. It is simply Young Master Sheng¡¯s illness acting up. I have an idea what might be causing this to happen,¡± I replied, bullshitting with ease.

    I was about to continue when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Captain Kang opened it a crack and then slipped outside.

    A moment later he came back in, his face a little pale with a frown on his face. ¡°Ahem,¡± he coughed. ¡°It seems there was a slight problem with your friend. Everything should be fine, but it may be a while until you can see her.¡±

    I snapped my fist shut, closing my eyes for a second to restrain my fury. Standing up, much to the city lord¡¯s dismay, I snarled, ¡°What the hell happened? You promised she would be unharmed.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Captain Kang stood there, not sure how to respond to my outburst. He looked to the city lord for support but found little. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Out with it, Captain,¡± the city lord demanded.

    ¡°She feigned illness and when one of my men went in to check on her she attacked him, biting and kicking. He was forced to defend himself and may have used a little too much force,¡± he explained, not meeting my gaze.

    I didn¡¯t respond immediately. If I did, my response might¡¯ve been to try and kill the man, instead of rage at him with my words.

    The captain looked to the city lord for assurance, but to his surprise he only found cold fury. Despite the terrible circumstances, I was glad to see Teng Shi¡¯s reaction.

    That he was angry at what had happened to Xiao Cui told me just how much he loved his son. It told me that he needed me, as long as I could hold up my end of the bargain and heal Teng Sheng.

    Now that I knew the stakes and the cards I had to play, I interrupted. ¡°So, the city lord¡¯s word¡ªand the captain¡¯s command of his men¡ªis worth less than nothing. I do not believe I can go ahead with the treatment without receiving some assurances.¡±

    Captain Kang grew enraged, reaching for his sword and taking a step towards me. ¡°You dare?¡± he cried, but flinched like a beaten dog when the city lord leapt to his feet and stared daggers at him.

    ¡°Silence, Captain,¡± the lord snarled. ¡°You know what Sheng¡¯er means to me. To risk losing a chance at healing him¡­¡±

    The city lord glanced at me. He was a smart man. He could¡¯ve attempted to force my hand and make me heal his son by threatening Xiao Cui¡¯s life¡ªor worse.

    In fact, many other cultivators in this world would have done exactly that. Of that I was sure. Yet, he had no idea how my healing technique worked. Or whether I would be willing to throw away little Cui¡¯s life.

    So he was taking the cautious route.

    Though, that had already almost failed. Xiao Cui being hospitalised with wounds from one of the guards made sure of it.

    I would not lift a finger to help his son until I knew she was fine and no longer at risk of being harmed. And I wanted to see the bastard who did it punished for his crimes.

    However, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to get the latter part until I was either freed, or more powerful than the city lord. Cultivating that far might even be impossible, with my shattered spirit roots, or it might take a few years. Or a decade.

    But I was a patient man, even if irrational at times.

    Despite cutting my diagnosis short early, I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with the city lord¡¯s son. I would need to actually use my technique in order to confirm my hypothesis, but I was confident I could cure him.

    ¡°It is a shame you were not able to keep your half of the bargain, Lord Teng,¡± I sighed, making sure to look at his son when he turned to me.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± he asked, narrowing his eyes and taking a step forward.

    I felt a heavy pressure in the air, one that pushed me into the ground with enough force to almost drop to my knees. This was the power of a Qi Gathering cultivator.

    Even though he had reprimanded Captain Kang, I knew he had not forgiven me for my crimes. His need to cure his son did not erase our previous bad blood, but it gave me leverage to use against him.

    ¡°Well, before this unfortunate incident¡­ I managed to complete my diagnosis of Young Master Sheng,¡± I answered, watching the lord¡¯s reaction.

    His eyes widened and the pressure vanished. I raised my shoulders, no longer feeling as though I was being pressed into the ground by an invisible hand above.

    ¡°Truly? You managed to find the cause of my son¡¯s illness? I promise that no further harm will come to the girl and you will both be freed if you are able to cure him. And she will receive the greatest pills from my treasury to aid her recovery,¡± he started to exclaim, rushing over his words in his desperation to get them out.

    I could almost laugh, if not for worrying about little Cui. With that outburst, I knew I had the city lord wrapped around my finger.

    I spared a sideways glance at Captain Kang. Despite fucking up and not controlling his men properly, the man was still going to be a big thorn in my side.

    The city lord had put him in charge of his soldiers for a reason. He¡¯d been treating me like crap since my arrest and I wouldn¡¯t forget that.

    ¡°Indeed. I know what happened to your son to make him like this and not only can I cure his sickness, but it is possible that he may be able to cultivate afterwards,¡± I said, letting my salesman persona creep out.

    If that last part didn¡¯t make the man jump to do what I wanted then I was doomed. I made sure not to say he could definitely cultivate again.

    I¡¯d managed to determine that something was blocking the boy¡¯s spirit roots. Something artificial. When I cured that, he would have the opportunity to begin cultivating, but whether or not he actually made the first step was down to his own talent.

    So I didn¡¯t make a definite promise. The city lord might chase me down to punish me again if I promised something that was impossible.

    At that, even the young Teng Sheng reacted for the first time. Until now he¡¯d been silent and seemed borderline depressed, barely reacting to anything going on around him.

    He turned to me with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. The city lord had been about to reply but he saw his son¡¯s actions and held back.

    ¡°Really?!¡± the boy exclaimed, standing up and grabbing my hand. ¡°I will be able to cultivate?¡±

    I gently removed his hand from mine and saw his smile falter. ¡°I make no promises. Just a hunch of mine based on what is wrong with your body. However, I refuse to treat you,¡± I announced, making Captain Kang jump forwards once more and the city lord¡¯s face contort in rage.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    The city lord held him back with a clenched fist. He grit his teeth and turned to me with a cold gaze. ¡°Choose your next words wisely, prisoner. Why do you refuse to treat my son?¡±

    Not budging an inch I met the city lord¡¯s gaze with my own unbothered stare. ¡°You broke your word. I will not treat the young master until I have seen Xiao Cui with my own eyes. I no longer trust you. Only once I am confident she will be okay and remain unharmed will I begin the treatment,¡± I told him.

    Lord Teng nodded once, lowering his raised fist and visibly relaxing. His gaze was still simmering with cold anger but he understood the situation well.

    ¡°Take us to the girl, Captain,¡± he ordered.

    ****

    I looked at the lifeless figure covered by a thin blanket, her breathing shallow and the bruises on her neck and arms purple and raw. My knuckles went white from how hard I was clenching my fist.

    If the bastard who did this was in the room with us not even the two Qi Gathering masters could stop me from beating him to death. Luckily for everyone, he was elsewhere¡­

    I doubted it would go well for me if I killed one of the city lord¡¯s guards. Though if he wasn¡¯t punished for his actions whatsoever, I would remember that.

    Taking a step towards Xiao Cui, I cursed myself. What would her parents think of me, knowing that it was my responsibility to care for their daughter¡ªalbeit without my permission, at first¡ªand yet letting this happen in our first month in the city.

    She may have been a rebellious girl, running away from home and not always listening to my instructions, but she didn¡¯t deserve this. I unclenched my fist, staring at my open palm where I¡¯d drawn blood from my nails stabbing into it.

    ¡°Would you mind giving us some privacy? I wish to try and talk with her and check the extent of her injuries,¡± I asked, turning to the city lord and the captain.

    Captain Kang frowned but the city lord nodded and motioned for them to leave. ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°You offered pills earlier,¡± I said, making the city lord halt. ¡°Could they be brought here? I wish to heal her myself but your aid would be gratefully accepted.¡±

    Lord Teng coughed and raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was greedy of me to ask for something from the man holding me prisoner, but I had an ulterior motive.

    I didn¡¯t actually need pills to heal Xiao Cui. Her injuries were bad, but nothing I couldn¡¯t handle with my technique.

    I wanted the pills so that I could start experimenting with my physique.

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t go back on my word,¡± he replied, before coughing once more as he looked at the unconscious Xiao Cui. ¡°Not on purpose, anyway.¡±

    As they left he grabbed Captain Kang¡¯s arm and whispered something in his ear. The city lord¡¯s footsteps receded into the distance, but the captain remained a little longer.

    ¡°One of my men will remain outside to make sure nothing happens, but you will be given the privacy you demand. The lord may be bowing to your requests on account of his son, but make no mistake¡ªyou are a criminal through and through,¡± he snarled. ¡°I will never forget that, even if you obtain your freedom.¡±

    Sheesh, that guy was a hardass. Even now he was still putting on this righteous front, even when he had corrupt guards working for him. Men that would beat a girl who was their prisoner.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°As long as he stays outside and doesn¡¯t interrupt the healing process.¡±

    He nodded and left, a scowl upon his face.

    Now that we had some privacy I approached Xiao Cui¡¯s bed and pulled a chair from the corner of the room until it was beside it. Up close the bruises seemed even more vicious¡ªpurplish-red and covering her arms and neck.

    There was no way the story the captain had fed me was the truth. Maybe little Cui had attacked a guard, but this wasn¡¯t the result of a man fighting back in self-defense.

    It was done with cruel intent.

    ¡°Xiao Cui, can you hear me,¡± I whispered.

    I had faster ways of waking a patient up, but they were often disorienting. I didn¡¯t want to use them just yet.

    She didn¡¯t respond. Her breathing was shallow, the rising and falling of her chest barely making the blankets move.

    Without her consent, I didn¡¯t want to check the extent of her injuries. And I was barely containing my anger now¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure if I could keep it in check if I discovered it was worse than I already thought.

    Gently tapping her arm, I raised my voice a little and repeated myself. ¡°Xiao Cui, wake up, it¡¯s your big brother Zhao.¡±

    This time she stirred, groaning and shifting in her semi-conscious state. I smiled as she grabbed the blanket and pulled it towards her head.

    ¡°Not a chance.¡± I took hold of it and pulled it gently back down to where it had been before.

    ¡°Just five more minutes, mum,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Little Cui, if you don¡¯t wake up I will be forced to resort to drastic measures,¡± I chuckled.

    Something changed and she seemed to register who was talking. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up, immediately yelping in pain and lying back down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, those bruises look nasty.¡±

    She turned to me and I saw tears forming in her eyes. ¡°Big Brother Zhao, that guy, he¡­¡± her voice trailed off as she spoke.

    My eyes narrowed. I knew that the captain was covering for his men. Bastard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me the details of what that bastard did to you. Just tell me this,¡± I said, my voice trembling as I suppressed my rage. ¡°He didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°He just beat the crap out of me,¡± she said, close to sobbing. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    That was all I needed to hear. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t as bad as I¡¯d thought, which was good for me and the cruel idiot who¡¯d done this. He would get a quick and somewhat painless death when the time came.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll just heal you up again, like in the woods. Only this time I¡¯m a lot more skilled with the technique,¡± I said with a chuckle, filled with mirth.

    Back then I¡¯d only just invented the technique after making my oath with the heavens. It was a haphazard experiment that somehow worked out, but it had led to so much more.

    Xiao Cui nodded and held out her arm, knowing I needed to make contact in order for the technique to work. ¡°Alright, on the count of three,¡± I said, reaching out towards her wrist. ¡°One¡­¡±

    ¡°Two!¡± I grabbed her arm and my blood essence flooded her body, though I kept a tight rein on the amount. Too much would cause unnecessary damage.

    She had a look of shocked betrayal on her face. I couldn¡¯t resist using the classic doctor¡¯s trick. Usually that one was reserved for injections¡ªthe prick of the needle hurt less when you weren¡¯t expecting it.

    It was a lot easier to heal physical injuries with the technique compared to the strange infection in Nine Paddy Village. Seeing the bruises recede and vanish was proof of the technique working.

    My blood essence swirled and sparked inside her body, joined by her own as they regenerated cells and fixed the internal damage. She coughed a few times and winced once, but once it was done she looked far healthier and happier than before.

    ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Zhao,¡± she said, her head slumping back onto the pillow. ¡°What are we going to do? He knows what happened in the village so we don¡¯t have a way out of this,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little Cui. As always, I have a plan,¡± I lied blatantly. I often found myself falling headfirst into things without a plan, but I definitely had a long term strategy for my goals.

    However, comforting her was more important than telling the truth. And the trick to confidence was to always pretend you knew what you were doing, even when you had no idea.

    Then again, I did have a plan. I just wasn¡¯t sure whether it would work out as I expected. Even if I was able to heal the city lord¡¯s son and he recovered, there was always the chance that he went back on his word and refused to release us.

    I would be powerless to resist.

    The strong ruled over the weak in the Celestial Jade Empire and City Lord Teng was the strongest man in Three River City. I would need some contingencies¡­

    All of a sudden I felt the rush of my blood essence returning to me as the final bits of the healing completed. Smiling, I realised I was getting close to-

    ¡°Zhao Dan! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Cui exclaimed, right as my body erupted in a wave of fiery agony.

 Chapter 19

    The pain of the muscles in my arm bursting apart, followed by my skin splitting open, and then my bones shattering, was unmatched. This was even worse than any of the previous breakthroughs.

    I grunted and stood up from the chair, kicking it over in the process. ¡°Zhao Dan, are you alright?¡± Xiao Cui asked once more, worry evident on her face.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I grunted, managing to raise an arm to stop her getting out of bed. The arm burst in a bloody shower right after I did so, which gave her the opposite message I¡¯d intended.

    Not that it was my fault. This breakthrough was happening whether I liked it or not. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wasn¡¯t annoyed about advancing to nine-star Body Tempering, but it was awful timing.

    As my legs broke and the muscles turned to jelly, I collapsed into a heap on the ground. I hoped Xiao Cui knew what was happening, since she¡¯d seen me breakthrough once before.

    Unlike the previous breakthroughs in the Body Tempering realm, this one didn¡¯t stop even after my bones shattered. It felt as though my organs were being ground to a pulp. And then a fire erupted in my gut.

    Just above and behind my stomach, where my spirit roots were situated. They were broken, showing no signs of mending. Yet this was the feeling that was supposed to accompany the formation of a cultivator¡¯s dantian.

    It said so in Zhao Dan¡¯s notes. I¡¯d given them a brief read every now and then, hoping to glean some insights about how to best advance despite veering from the traditional path.

    Unfortunately they held little of value. Nothing in the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s methods was applicable to my own cultivation. It wasn¡¯t unusual for this pain to occur when advancing to nine-star Body Tempering¡ªthe entire point of this realm was to prepare one¡¯s body to accept qi and begin cultivating in truth.

    I just wasn¡¯t sure why it was happening when I had no spirit roots. But I wouldn¡¯t let myself grow worried until something bad happened.

    All I needed to do was grit my teeth through the agony of my body reforging itself, better, stronger, and more perfect than before. Which was much easier said than done.

    I didn¡¯t mind a little pain as long as I continued to advance. Having a greater cultivation meant my healing should be more effective. As always, it was better to advance in leaps and bounds than small steps.

    Provided you didn¡¯t leave shaky foundations in your wake. However, despite my rapid speed of cultivation thus far, I hadn¡¯t noticed anything wrong with my body.

    In fact, I almost found the opposite to be true. Comparing myself with other cultivators in a similar realm I was sturdier, stronger, and able to regenerate quicker.

    Perhaps I was a little slower, based on spars Zhao Dan had witnessed, but everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses. A dragon was not a phoenix, but one was not necessarily stronger than the other.

    All I could feel was burning agony and a distant sensation of grinding. Xiao Cui shouted something, but I couldn¡¯t tell whether she was talking to me or what she said.

    My previous breakthroughs had been painful, but nothing compared to this. I was hovering between life and death. I knew that if I let my consciousness waver for even a single breath of time I might die.

    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that I realised just how true it was when the elders said that cultivation was a rebellion against the heavens. Each consecutive breakthrough was far more difficult than the last.

    Achieving immortality, or even a greater mortal existence, was a struggle. Only geniuses and prodigies could ascend to the heavens in a single step.

    For me, who was still somewhat clueless about this world and how it worked, I was satisfied with my steady progress. I wasn¡¯t even that concerned with reaching the heavens, only advancing my knowledge of healing.

    But the longer I spent in this world, the further I advanced, and the more I saw; I realised that I would need to keep breaking through the realms of cultivation in order to reach the pinnacle of my path.

    I had been naive to think that I could simply ignore the existence of cultivators; ignore their bloodthirsty methods of advancement. I didn¡¯t have to be like them, but in order to protect the people I cared about and myself, chasing strength was a necessity.

    Even now, Xiao Cui and I were held prisoner by Lord Teng. I hadn¡¯t even been involved in the killing of his men and neither had Xiao Cui. And yet simply by virtue of association and the fact that the city lord was stronger than the both of us, he was able to imprison us without trial or due process.

    That was the truth of this world. The truth of the Celestial Jade Empire.

    I didn¡¯t need to stop being a doctor or shun the path of healing. This world needed it. However, I would need to be a little more decisive and ruthless when it came to dealing with my enemies and the corrupt cultivators in power.

    And I could only do that by becoming more powerful myself.

    At that moment something resonated inside me and I felt a wave of soothing cold pass through my body. Looking inwards I saw a hollow shell in my centre, where my dantian would eventually be¡ªif I was able to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm.

    My spirit roots were still broken, but I believed that didn¡¯t matter with my unique method of cultivation. Only time would tell.

    My organs no longer felt as though they were being crushed and a faintly metallic shimmer appeared on their surface. Bones reformed, hard as diamond and flexible as rubber.

    Tendons twanged into place, tough as a spirit beast¡¯s and my muscle fibres multiplied and grew denser. I was far stronger than any bodybuilder back on Earth, but as slim as a marathon runner.

    My skin was perfect, unblemished and smooth as silk. It shimmered faintly like jade, which I confirmed by taking out the horse Zhao Dan¡¯s sister had gifted him and holding it beside my arm.

    I noticed Xiao Cui looking at me strangely when I did that. I couldn¡¯t blame her, but I¡¯d read a few xianxia novels and wanted to confirm they weren¡¯t just speaking out of their ass when they rambled on about jade-like beauties.

    Was I the jade-like beauty now?

    Damn, I needed a mirror. Not the time. Exhaling, even my breath released a cloud of dirty air from my lungs. The final advancement in the Body Tempering realm was over. And I was absolutely filthy.

    ¡°Eww! What the hell is that brown gunk?¡± Xiao Cui exclaimed, pinching her nose and waving her hand in front of her face.

    ¡°Erm, I¡¯m not quite sure,¡± I replied, looking down to see my body was covered in brown gunk that looked like¡­

    Gross.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I hadn¡¯t experienced the famous expelling of impurities yet, so I had naively assumed this wasn¡¯t one of those worlds. How wrong I had been.

    The powerful stench wasn¡¯t even the worst part. There was no way to hide my breakthrough from the city lord and Captain Kang with the mess I¡¯d made of the room. Unless¡­

    ¡°The guard tried to come in while you were breaking through,¡± little Cui said, her voice whiny as she was still pinching her nose. ¡°I just shouted out some nonsense about not coming in and giving us privacy, but I¡¯m not sure how long that will last.¡±

    I nodded, standing up and grimacing at the filth I was covered in. This room was pretty big, so surely they had a bath or a basin for cleaning patients lying around somewhere.

    After trailing muck across the entire room, staining the wooden floorboards, I found a small basin with some water in it. It took ten minutes and a lot of scrubbing, but eventually I cleaned myself off.

    Unfortunately the same couldn¡¯t be said for the floor or my robes. I could explain away the stains on the ground as Xiao Cui¡¯s healing. Actually, I could probably just use healing her as an excuse for my change of clothes, too.

    Luckily, there was one last set of clean robes in my belongings. Donning it, I realised that if we managed to obtain our freedom, the first thing I needed to do was go clothes shopping.

    That was something I never thought I would say¡­

    I was getting distracted. Soon enough the room was clean enough that only an extremely detailed inspection would reveal that someone had broken through there. At a glance it would just seem like a rather messy healing process had occurred.

    Which was great, because at that moment there was a knock on the door. ¡°Prisoner Zhao, open up,¡± shouted Captain Kang.

    This bastard¡­ What if I¡¯d still been in the midst of healing Xiao Cui? I asked them for privacy, but I guessed I shouldn¡¯t have expected respect from people like this.

    I inhaled and pushed the annoyance down. I was feeling good right now and I wouldn¡¯t let him spoil it.

    After that last breakthrough I felt like I had a much better idea of the path I was treading and the steps I needed to take to achieve what I wanted in this second life. Unfortunately I was still not powerful enough to challenge even Captain Kang, let alone City Lord Teng.

    As long as the city lord was true to his word and I was able to obtain freedom for little Cui and I by healing his son, I would have plenty of time to grow in secret while healing people and advancing my techniques.

    When the time came, I could have a little revenge. I wouldn¡¯t go as far as the wild, bloodthirsty cultivators of this world did. Exterminating nine generations seemed a bit intense. Punishing those who deserved it, like the bastard who hurt Xiao Cui, was good enough for me.

    I reached out for the door handle, intending to open it, when I suddenly realised something terrible.

    I¡¯d forgotten to wash the impurities from my hair!

    I turned to rush for the basin, but Captain Kang banged on the door once more, even louder than before. So I did the only thing I could think of at that moment.

    There was a knife on a nearby table, presumably left there for surgical purposes, so I grabbed it and in a single clean stroke, shaved off all my hair. Xiao Cui gawked at me, hiding her shock behind a cough.

    Captain Kang threw open the door. I managed to brush the hair under the table with my foot just in time.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer me?¡± he demanded, glowering at me.

    ¡°As I said before, Captain, I required privacy to treat Xiao Cui. Do you not respect patients in the city lord¡¯s manor?¡± I replied coldly.

    He spluttered. ¡°Of course we do! But my man reported hearing shouting and screaming, as well as strange noises coming from within. And some kind of foul smell. Can you explain all of that?¡±

    ¡°Do you believe that healing a wounded person is a simple process, Captain Kang?¡± I said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Of course there will be weird noises and smells. That is par for the course. You should know this, being a cultivator.¡±

    He stared at me with fiery intensity. I didn¡¯t shrink under his gaze, but I felt the pressure from him wasn¡¯t as hard to deal with compared to before my breakthrough.

    ¡°Indeed, you are correct. I am just doing my duty as the city lord¡¯s chief guard. I could never forgive myself if something awful happened in the palace,¡± he harrumphed, flicking his sleeve and bringing out a small wooden box.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you requested these if you were able to heal the girl without them, but inside this medicine box are three mortal-grade healing pills,¡± he said, handing me the box.

    I coughed nervously. ¡°Ahem, of course they are necessary for Xiao Cui to recover. My healing technique is fairly advanced but even then it is not a perfect cure. These pills should help her return to full health in no time,¡± I lied, opening the lid to peek inside.

    A powerful medicinal aroma struck me instantly and I clamped the lid shut. I didn¡¯t want the pills to lose their potency. I did manage to glimpse at their appearance briefly.

    They were white and spherical, with faint streaks of green running through the surface.

    What had the captain called them? Mortal-grade. I assumed that was the lowest grade of pill, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Neither the previous Zhao Dan nor I knew anything about alchemy.

    Though given how my physique worked and the fact I was hoping to become a master of the healing arts, it would do me a lot of good to begin learning. I sort of wished I¡¯d not been kicked out of the sect now.

    However, it was too late. I was sure they would just laugh in my face if I climbed back up the mountain and asked to join the Cloudy Falls Sect once more. Not that I actually wanted to do that¡­

    It was simply the case that the sects seemed to have the greatest collections of knowledge. They hoarded it.

    Well, it was time to see how my physique worked when it was being overloaded by toxins. Opening the box once more, I pulled one of the pills out before closing the lid.

    Then, without any delay, I tossed the pill into my mouth and swallowed it. An almost minty taste blossomed on my tongue, right as Captain Kang leapt forward and grabbed my arm.

    ¡°Zhao Dan, you dare!? Those pills were for the girl, not you! Taking the city lord for a fool,¡± he exclaimed, raising a fist.

    I swallowed the pill, the chunky sphere almost getting stuck on the way down. Coughing, I managed to splutter, ¡°Relax, Captain.¡±

    He seemed to get even angrier, eyes smouldering and his grip tightening as he gnashed his teeth.

    ¡°I can hardly give one of these pills to little Cui without testing them first, can I?¡± I finally said, once I could breathe again. ¡°Would you feed the city lord a pill without knowing it wasn¡¯t poisoned first?¡±

    He released my arm and his face scrunched up, before relaxing. ¡°No, I suppose I wouldn¡¯t. But you¡¯re on thin ice. Behave yourself and remember that you are a prisoner. You have no idea how much worse your confinement could be,¡± he warned.

    ¡°Of course, Captain. I shall be on my best behaviour. Like a prized chicken,¡± I replied. ¡°You may tell Lord Teng that I am now prepared to cure his son, provided Xiao Cui is given a better place to rest and that bast¡­ guard who injured her is kept away.¡±

    He nodded, turning to leave. Suddenly he pivoted to face me once more and stared at me intensely. ¡°Why the hell are you bald?¡±

    I coughed, almost choking. He¡¯d caught me by surprise. I almost thought he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°Just a side effect of the healing,¡± I said, waving my arm as though it was nothing unusual. ¡°My technique is a little¡­ unique.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes, but didn¡¯t say anything. Through the open door, I spotted his second-in-command in the distance. The man¡¯s gaze quickly turned away when he saw me looking in his direction and he rushed to meet the captain. Strange¡­

    Closing the door behind me, I lifted the chair from the ground and took a seat beside Xiao Cui once more. I reached up to run my fingers through my hair.

    I sighed, realising I was bald. That would take a long time to get used to. I bet I looked like an idiot.

    You needed more muscles to pull off the bald look. Despite my many breakthroughs and superhuman strength, I was still quite slim. I was sure it didn¡¯t work for me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that bad,¡± said Xiao Cui, hand covering her mouth.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even say that with a straight face, lying witch,¡± I replied, nudging her with my elbow.

    ¡°I¡¯m just so taken aback by how handsome you look with your shiny, bald head!¡±

    ¡°Just stop there, you¡¯re making it worse,¡± I groaned.

    She giggled. I sighed, leaning against the backrest and rubbing my forehead. I was fairly confident that I would be able to heal Teng Sheng, but if something went wrong, it wasn¡¯t just my life on the line.

    I¡¯d wanted some contingencies, but I knew too little about this place to come up with a good plan. It was looking like I would need to stake it all on one throw of the dice.

    ¡°Xiao Cui, keep a close eye on the guards while I¡¯m gone. Try to find out some more information about the captain¡¯s second-in-command especially. Or that Councillor Gao. Something about them is suspicious,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Do you want me to try and ask them questions?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do anything that might put you in danger. We¡¯re in the heart of the tiger¡¯s den after all. Just keep an ear out for any gossip.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied with a nod.

    Suddenly, there was an explosion of ice in my gut and I doubled over in pain, clutching my stomach.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Zhao Dan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± little Cui exclaimed.

    I had a sense of deja vu. Hadn¡¯t this exact scene happened just a short while ago? Another wave of cold burst forth. Unlike the first, this was soothing.

    Oh! The healing pill. I¡¯d completely forgotten I¡¯d taken it after Captain Kang commented on my baldness.

    I guess with nothing to heal, it would have little effect. However, I wasn¡¯t sure the pill was supposed to be painful while it was taking effect. I didn¡¯t know enough.

    I certainly wouldn¡¯t let Xiao Cui have one of these until I was sure. Though I hadn¡¯t actually requested them for her in the first place, it was good for her to have a way of healing when I wasn¡¯t by her side.

    Just then, I felt a shiver in my chest and my lungs absorbed all of the medicinal energy and cold pain from my stomach. It didn¡¯t have much effect, but I could see noticeable gains towards refining them.

    Soon I might complete the first stage of the first layer of my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    After my lungs had absorbed the energy, I felt a small burst of knowledge entering my mind. The composition of the mortal-grade healing pill.

    I knew what ingredients had been used to refine the pill, their age, and their quality. And there was something else.

    ¡°Scheming snake-like bastards!¡± I suddenly exclaimed, scaring Xiao Cui.

    Alongside the information about the pill, there was information about one other substance.

    Mortal-grade iceflower poison.

    Honestly, I¡¯d not expected my white lie to the captain to actually contain a grain of truth. Someone had truly attempted to poison Xiao Cui via the healing pills.

    Was it Captain Kang acting on his own, outside of the city lord¡¯s command? Was the city lord not quite as amicable as he was pretending?

    Or perhaps it was neither of the two men and someone else had managed to intercept the pills before they found their way to the captain. There were too many possibilities and I had little to no information to work with.

    It was a good thing it was me who had consumed the poisoned pills. Other than that brief spike of pain, all the toxin did was allow me to further refine my lungs through my physique.

    I had also discovered that both medicinal and poisonous ingredients could be used. Obtaining the recipes for both the healing pill and the iceflower poison pill were a boon.

    I¡¯d even learnt what the iceflower poison did¡ªit blocked one¡¯s meridians and interfered with the flow of blood essence. To a cultivator, that meant being crippled until they could purge the poison. To a mortal, it could mean death, depending on the dosage.

    They also made me wonder if there was even more to my physique than I¡¯d first believed. Deconstructing recipes would be unnecessary if the ingredients were simply fuel for refining the five layers. I would need to delve into alchemy sooner than I¡¯d thought, if only to find the answers I sought.

    For now, I would have to make sure to tread carefully until I figured out exactly who was after mine and Xiao Cui¡¯s lives. Other than the obvious suspects, of course¡­

    The city lord wanted us dead, but was willing to offer freedom in exchange for his son¡¯s health. I doubted he would stoop this low. If he wanted to kill me he would simply wait for the given execution date.

    He could betray me, but doing so before I healed his son¡¯s sickness would be pure foolishness on his part. I didn¡¯t believe this was Teng Shi¡¯s doing.

    Which left Captain Kang, that suspicious second-in-command of his, and the oddly antagonistic Councillor Gao as my prime suspects. Or some hidden fourth party I was yet to become aware of.

    The latter was the worst possible answer, but there was no way of knowing right now so I discarded it as an option. Captain Kang was too loyal to the city lord to go against his wishes¡ªdespite the man¡¯s hatred for me, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d poisoned the pills either.

    Honestly my money would be on Councillor Gao doing this. I wasn¡¯t sure why as I¡¯d never met the man before my arrest, but he seemed to have it out for me.

    I¡¯d need to learn more about him. And why he looked so damn familiar. I felt like I was missing something obvious.

    ¡°Xiao Cui, make sure to take care of yourself while I¡¯m treating the city lord¡¯s son. Don¡¯t eat or drink anything if you can help it,¡± I warned her with a stern expression. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be gone too long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty now though,¡± she moaned.

    There was a jug on the table beside her bed. I poured some of the water into my mouth and swallowed, waiting a while.

    There was no reaction from my body, so I assumed it was safe to drink. ¡°Here,¡± I said, passing the jug to her.

    She drank deeply, taking gulps as some spilled down her neck.

    ¡°Relax, you aren¡¯t going to die of dehydration in a couple of hours,¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Easy for you to say, Mr. Cultivator,¡± she shot back with a cheeky grin. ¡°Us mortals lead difficult lives.¡±

    ¡°Pah, you literally just saw my body tearing itself apart and then rebuilding itself and you think my life is easy?¡± I exclaimed, gently shoving her.

    ¡°Well, how much stronger are you now than before that? How much longer are you going to live because of that one moment of agony? I would give anything to have enough spirit roots to cultivate,¡± she said, a sadness appearing on her face as the tone grew heavy.

    ¡°Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I¡­¡± I stopped, unsure if I should share one of my biggest secrets with her.

    We¡¯d been together for a while now, but I didn¡¯t know how unusual my situation was and what kind of reaction it would get. Then again, the heavens seemed to work in mysterious ways. They¡¯d brought us together and it seemed like I was stuck with little Cui for the time being.

    I trusted her, so why shouldn¡¯t I share my secrets? I didn¡¯t have to tell her everything, but maybe there was hope for her after all. If I could cultivate without spirit roots, why couldn¡¯t someone with only a few do the same thing?

    Perhaps after some more experimenting with my physique and my cultivation I could find a way to allow her to follow in my footsteps.

    ¡°My spirit roots are shattered,¡± I eventually said. She didn¡¯t register what I¡¯d told her at first, a single teardrop glistening in her eye. ¡°And I am still a cultivator. Don¡¯t let anyone tell you what you can¡¯t do. Not even the damn heavens,¡± I said with more intensity.

    She froze for a breath¡¯s time, then wiped away the teardrop. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to make me feel better,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m telling the truth, little Cui. I¡¯ve always been talentless and recently even my few spirit roots shattered. And yet not only am I still a cultivator, but I¡¯m almost in the Qi Gathering realm,¡± I said, with more vigour now that I had her attention.

    Her eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps she hadn¡¯t realised my exact strength until now.

    ¡°In all of Three River City, how many can claim the same? Only the city lord and Captain Kang that we know of. Perhaps a few others hidden in the shadows. You can accomplish anything with enough effort. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,¡± I was raring with passion now.

    Perhaps I was jaded from my own experiences, but too many times in my life I¡¯d been told to give up; that I wasn¡¯t talented or skilled enough to achieve my goals. I wouldn¡¯t let her believe the same, even if her goals seemed impossible.

    Borrowing a saying from Zhao Dan¡¯s memory, I finished my speech. ¡°You and I, we¡¯re frogs in a well, little Cui. We¡¯ve only seen a tiny corner of this vast world. Who knows what wonders exist out there? Perhaps there is a way that you, too, can cultivate. Even with just a few spirit roots.¡±

    At some point, Xiao Cui had started to cry once more. However, there was only happiness in her eyes. She leaned forward and hugged me tightly, her tears staining my clean robe.

    I didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°Big Brother Zhao¡ªno, Saviour Zhao¡ªI have a selfish request,¡± she announced, pulling away from my embrace. Her eyes were blazing with confidence and passion.

    I nodded.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Take me as your disciple! I wish to follow you to the ends of the Celestial Jade Empire. You aren¡¯t like other cultivators. I¡¯ve seen them. Teach me how to be like you,¡± she said, kneeling before me and clasping her hands together, eyes full of expectation and¡­ reverence.

    Sighing, I lifted her to her feet. I didn¡¯t need to be worshipped. That wasn¡¯t why I ever pursued this path. ¡°I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s much I can teach you. My path of cultivation is¡­ unique. I doubt anyone else can tread the same path to reach the peak. I¡¯m not very talented, little Cui.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not talented, then what does that make me? Or anyone else for that matter!¡± she cried. ¡°I may not know much, but I know that the number of breakthroughs you¡¯ve had since I met you is a ridiculous amount. If you won¡¯t take me as your disciple, then I¡¯ll¡­¡± she paused, looking around the room. She raced past me and grabbed the knife I¡¯d dropped. ¡°I¡¯ll take my own-¡±

    I grabbed her wrist before she could do something stupid. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt fate,¡± I scolded her with cold eyes. ¡°And don¡¯t try to threaten me.¡±

    The knife clattered to the ground. She looked defeated and upset. ¡°Are you refusing to take me as a disciple because I¡¯m not talented enough?¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± I replied, exasperated. ¡°Were you listening to me earlier? I would be happy to take you as a disciple, but,¡± I held up a hand to stop her before she could explode with excitement. ¡°I won¡¯t do it for the wrong reasons.¡±

    ¡°Understand that until now, everything we¡¯ve been through is barely a drop of water in the ocean compared to how harsh the world can be. There are people beyond people and heavens beyond the heavens. This world is cruel and vicious, filled with many evildoers. Even those who believe themselves righteous often leave mountains of corpses in their wake as they climb to the peak of cultivation; the summit of this world,¡± I declared, not holding anything back from the girl.

    She was still young enough to turn away from her misguided ambitions. I wouldn¡¯t tell her she couldn¡¯t accomplish her dreams and become a cultivator, but neither would I sugarcoat the truth.

    ¡°I¡­¡± she mumbled, then paused. Her expression was conflicted. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I want to follow you wherever it takes me, Master Zhao,¡± she replied, gaze firm.

    There was nothing more to say. I knew there was a procedure to follow. In this world, one had to respect the deep bond between a master and disciple.

    It felt a little rigid to me, archaic and ancient. However, it also felt important. In the same way my oath had resonated deep within my soul.

    ¡°Kowtow three times and accept me as your master. You shall be my first disciple, Xiao Cui,¡± I said, standing tall in front of her.

    She hopped from one foot to the other, her face rapidly switching between serious and giddy. She went down to her knees once more, settling on the serious expression.

    Once, twice.

    She kowtowed three times, then lifted her head to face me.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, holding out my hand. She took it and I lifted her to her feet. ¡°Now, my first act as your master is to order you to do ten thousand pushups as punishment for being a foolish brat.¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡±

    ¡°No complaints. Next time, don¡¯t dare to do something so stupid in front of me as try to take your own life. Dumb disciple,¡± I scolded her. ¡°And make sure to keep an ear out for information like I told you!¡±

    Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Captain Kang had returned.

    ****

    ¡°Councillor Gao seems to believe I am a fool for trusting you to treat my son,¡± Teng Shi said, watching my reaction from his throne atop the dais.

    The man in question stared at me with hatred. It finally clicked. The administrator from the village! They were both called Gao¡­ brothers?

    No wonder he hated me so much. He thought it was my fault his brother was dead. I doubted either of them would let me off the hook if I explained the spirit bear had acted on its own¡­

    That realisation was actually refreshing. I was now certain that Councillor Gao was the one who¡¯d attempted to poison Xiao Cui.

    It made perfect sense. We would obtain freedom if I was able to cure the city lord¡¯s son and he wouldn¡¯t be able to have his vengeance.

    No wonder he was furious. I imagined he was trying to dissuade the city lord just so my execution would go on.

    ¡°And what do you believe, Lord Teng?¡± I asked, ignoring the raging councillor.

    ¡°I think you are not lying about your abilities. After consulting over a hundred physicians, alchemists, and so-called healers, none were able to diagnose my son¡¯s ailment. All wasted days of my time and the money in my coffers. You took a few minutes to figure it out.¡±

    He stood up, staring directly into my eyes as he took steady steps down from the dais. He stopped just a few paces from me, standing a little taller. ¡°Unless of course, you were lying,¡± he added, observing my face.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. You aren¡¯t a fool. Impudent perhaps, but not foolish. No. I trust you to treat Sheng¡¯er. If you succeed, I will keep my word and the pair of you shall be free to go. Come,¡± he declared, clapping his hands twice and striding out of the throne room.

    The councillor did not follow after us.

    ****

    I sat in the same wooden room as the last time. Teng Sheng sat opposite me. His father was pacing nervously behind us.

    ¡°Lord Teng, I appreciate your concern for your son, but this would be far easier if we could have some privacy. I will not harm any patient under my care, rest assured,¡± I said, a little nervous about his reaction.

    He clenched his fist and stared at me for a long while. Eventually he exhaled and his shoulders dropped. ¡°As you say, Prisoner Zhao. I will be outside, along with Captain Kang,¡± he said, opening the door and leaving with a flick of his sleeve.

    Finally, I was alone with the young master. I chuckled to myself. Teng Sheng was the first real ¡®young master¡¯ I¡¯d encountered in this world.

    He didn¡¯t really live up to the stereotypes. Though he was a cripple, in the eyes of cultivators at least. Perhaps if he¡¯d been able to cultivate he might be as arrogant as his father or one of the spoiled young master types.

    I thought it was better this way. He might be able to cultivate after I healed him, but I hoped his years as a mortal might temper his arrogance. Who knows.

    He wouldn¡¯t be my problem after this.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t do my utmost to cure him. Once I¡¯d accepted a patient they didn¡¯t leave my side unless they died or were healed. Preferably the latter.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked him, sitting down opposite the boy.

    He fidgeted with the hem of his robe. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve been through this same scene too many times to hold much hope,¡± he sighed, then his eyes widened as he looked at my raised eyebrow. ¡°Not that I doubt your skills of course,¡± he hastily added, holding his hands up.

    I chuckled. ¡°Relax. I don¡¯t blame you. I am pretty confident though, so it¡¯s okay to be a little hopeful. I can tell how much it would mean to you and your father if you were healthy once more.¡±

    What I left unsaid was the expectation that he might be able to cultivate. That would be dangling too much in front of the sick boy. And I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be possible.

    He nodded. ¡°Do you need me to lie down or¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t really think there were any limitations to my technique. Perhaps I needed to test how it worked in different positions? Not now though. ¡°Just come and sit in front of me, facing towards the door.¡±

    He did so, then began to take off his robe.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I exclaimed, a little panic creeping into my voice. The last thing I needed was the city lord to walk in on a scene like this.

    ¡°Do you not need to make contact with my skin, or insert acupuncture needles? That¡¯s what most of the other physicians did,¡± he said, cocking his head to one side.

    I sighed, relaxing immediately. That¡¯s what it was. Well, technically I did need skin contact, but I could just place a finger on his neck for that. There was no need for the boy to get undressed.

    ¡°My technique is a little¡­ different. I need skin contact, but I can just use the back of your neck. Keep your clothes on,¡± I told him.

    He almost frowned, but did as I asked. I was sure he¡¯d seen his fair share of strange healing methods and one that let him keep his modesty was probably better for the both of us.

    Once he¡¯d relaxed, sitting cross-legged while facing the door, I raised an arm. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of my blood essence to use.

    I¡¯d start with a trickle and inject more as needed, I eventually decided. Gathering a few sparks in my arm, I placed my finger against his neck. He shivered at my touch, but only once. A normal reaction. Instinctive.

    My essence was excited, bouncing around in my hand and racing to enter his body the moment my finger made contact.

    Teng Sheng shivered once more as the first spark of my essence drove into his spine. It raced downwards towards his chest, followed by a few more.

    I stopped the flow after ten or so sparks. I wished I had a better way of measuring the quantity, other than the visible motes of blood essence I could see.

    Since my breakthrough, each individual clump of my blood essence seemed denser and more potent, but that was just a gut feeling, rather than anything I could prove. The sparks didn¡¯t race outwards haphazardly, instead all ten settled around his centre, between his lungs and stomach.

    If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, that was where his spirit roots were. I¡¯d been onto something with my hastily invented diagnosis earlier. I should trust my gut more often.

    Nothing unusual happened at first. The sparks behaved erratically, but that was how they¡¯d always behaved once let loose inside a patient.

    I soon saw a few motes of the boy¡¯s own blood essence joining mine, forming swirls of red that began blasting away. A few strands of that same purple energy I¡¯d seen before flashed briefly into view, but faded just as fast.

    My blood essence went rabid every time that happened, firing clumps at the strands until they were destroyed. It was as I¡¯d feared.

    Teng Sheng had been poisoned.

    He winced occasionally, mostly when the strands of purple energy appeared. I felt bad for him, but there was little I could do.

    The treatment may be uncomfortable but it was undoubtedly worth enduring, to become healthy and have a shot at cultivating. I realised the purple energy looked familiar. It was similar to the time I¡¯d seen Wang Ren¡¯s qi as he healed that girl¡¯s arm.

    I wondered how he was doing, back at the sect, then shook my head and refocused. Now was not the time for idle thoughts.

    As the process continued, my blood essence started to spread outwards, expanding into more of the boy¡¯s body. That was a good sign. Clearly it was working its way through the toxin.

    One of the swirls suddenly fizzled out, followed by another. I didn¡¯t panic, simply injecting more of my blood essence to replace it.

    However, I didn¡¯t yet receive any multiplied essence. I would need to complete the treatment for that to happen.

    That didn¡¯t always seem to be the case, making me wonder what the difference was to the times I¡¯d received a small return part-way through the healing process. The type of injury, perhaps?

    Everything was proceeding smoothly and I finally relaxed. Until now I hadn¡¯t been entirely sure the treatment would go well, it being the first time I¡¯d attempted to cure another human of poison.

    My blood essence continued to spread through Teng Sheng¡¯s body, but I noticed the purple energy appearing more frequently. Then, my essence roared in defiance, sending out dozens of blasts and quelling the toxin.

    I believed I¡¯d pushed through the worst of it, as my blood essence reached the tips of his extremities.

    Suddenly, the young master cried out in pain and coughed blood.

 Chapter 21

    I prepared to inject more blood essence when suddenly a huge swirl of purple energy burst forth from his spirit roots, crushing every spark of essence in his body.

    The door was flung open and the city lord rushed inside, a mix of anger and fear on his face. Captain Kang was hot on his heels, sword in hand.

    They seemed ready to slaughter me, a feeling which only intensified when they saw the blood on the ground and on the young master¡¯s chin.

    ¡°What are you doing to my son!¡± Teng Shi cried. ¡°You dare attempt murder in my palace, prisoner!?¡±

    Captain Kang stepped past the city lord and levelled his sword at my throat. He didn¡¯t kill me yet. I had to assume they believed I was holding the boy hostage.

    ¡°Please lower your sword, Captain. The young master is in no danger, I have just encountered something unexpected,¡± I said through gritted teeth.

    That was an understatement, as I was currently battling against the raging poison inside his body, but I needed them to stay calm. I couldn¡¯t exactly focus with a sword against my neck.

    ¡°You expect us to believe that while he is coughing blood?¡± the captain inquired, narrowing his eyes at me.

    ¡°Did you think curing poison would be painless? We are in the most vital step of the treatment. If you stop me now then there is a chance he will die,¡± I wheezed, feeling more and more of my blood essence leaving my body.

    This toxin was the most powerful I¡¯d ever seen, in either world. Far more potent than the venom of that nine-star spirit snake. Which could only mean one thing.

    It had to have been created by a Qi Gathering cultivator.

    I glanced at the captain, then the city lord. No, I¡¯d already written them off as suspects for good reason. Honestly, my money would be on Councillor Gao once again.

    He didn¡¯t seem to have any animosity with the city lord, but in this world, power was king. Men would do anything to obtain another scrap.

    Who knew what lengths a power-hungry councillor would go to in order to overcome the limitations of his status? Poisoning his master¡¯s heir was a drop in the bucket when I thought of some of the atrocities I¡¯d witnessed and Zhao Dan could remember.

    However, those were just suspicions. Right now, it was more important to focus on treating the poison and ensuring that the boy lived, rather than figuring out who had poisoned him in the first place.

    Despite the seemingly endless torrent of essence that I was pouring into his body to fight against the virulent toxin, it seemed to have no effect. In fact, the purple energy was growing in intensity and volume, spreading outwards from his spirit roots.

    My essence was draining fast and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could keep this up. Using my healing technique alone, I believed there was a chance I would fail and the boy would die.

    That would be an unacceptable outcome. Not only because it would place my life¡ªand more importantly, my newly accepted disciple¡¯s life¡ªin danger, but because I refused to let a patient die on me.

    It had happened more times than I wanted to admit, but here in this new world I had the power to change that. I didn¡¯t need to rely on technology and hope. I had power crackling at my fingertips.

    Bursting from every cell in my body. I only had to use it.

    This was a risk, but a calculated one. I was once again staking everything on a throw of the dice.

    My healing technique wasn¡¯t the only tool I had at my disposal. Plus, if everything worked out, I might end up gaining more than just a little bit of blood essence from this.

    So, before I could change my mind, I placed another hand against the boy¡¯s body, this time right against his core. Rather than injecting more blood essence, I did the opposite.

    The purple energy seemed thrilled to have another target to consume, at least a third of the strands splitting off from the ranging bundle in his core to enter my body. My skin turned purple, rotting immediately as the potent toxin entered my flesh.

    The pain was awful, but compared to my breakthrough I could handle it with willpower alone. The poison continued to travel down my arm and towards the rest of my body.

    It exploded outwards, reaching towards my neck, stomach, and chest in a single move. I wouldn¡¯t give it the chance.

    Closing my eyes, I tried to direct all of my blood essence into Teng Sheng¡¯s body while simultaneously forcing the poison to enter mine. As it reached my shoulder and tried to corrupt the rest of my body, it met a wall.

    With every deep, slow breath I took, the poison was drawn into my lungs, where it was forced to battle against the devouring might of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique.

    In a way, I was turning myself into a bellows, using the poison as fuel to power the forge that was my body. With every strand of poisonous energy that I drew out of the young master, his complexion grew less pale and his breathing became more regular.

    My blood essence was no longer destroyed on contact and a few sparks were clumping together, pushing back the toxin. I¡¯d managed to contain the outbreak for now, but I remembered how overwhelming it had been back in that swamp.

    Facing an even deadlier poison, albeit in much smaller quantities, would be my greatest treatment yet. And my hardest challenge.

    At first I was able to refine all the poison that was entering my body, but soon it became impossible. The excess spilled into my stomach, liver, and heart, sending icy spears of pain lancing through my body.

    I could only grit my teeth through the pain. If I could endure this I would emerge stronger, one step closer to the heavens. Closer to my ambitions.

    All of a sudden, footsteps from outside drew close and Councillor Gao rushed into the room, eyes wide. He pointed at me and grabbed the city lord¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°My Lord! This bastard has dared to deceive you, claiming he can heal your son,¡± he cried, gesticulating wildly. ¡°I¡¯ve found evidence that he plans to kill your son. He was sent by¡­¡± at that point he leaned in close to Teng Shi¡¯s ear and whispered quietly enough that I couldn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°What!?¡± the city lord suddenly exclaimed, anger filling his eyes as his face twisted in fury. ¡°Insolent dog, slipping into our midst through such treacherous schemes. Captain, slaughter this lowly wretch, then make sure the girl follows him shortly after. For their misdeeds, they will surely be reborn into the realm of ghosts and devils!¡±

    What the hell had that weaselly bastard Gao told the city lord to make him so furious all of a sudden? This was the worst possible timing.

    There was no hope for the boy to survive if the treatment stopped now, but I couldn¡¯t even worry about my patient when my own life was on the line! What could I say to stop the captain ending my life here?

    I could only think of a single solution, but it might place my life in even more danger. Without another option, I took the risk.

    With a grunt I injected almost all of my blood essence into Teng Sheng¡¯s body and forced every single drop of poison out. With only one path of escape, the poison flooded into me and I was unable to contain it.

    ¡°Lord Teng,¡± I wheezed, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of my mouth. ¡°If you stop the treatment now, your son will surely die. At least let me live a few moments longer and you will see the truth. A lion doesn¡¯t concern himself with the opinions of sheep.¡±

    I could say no more, the final strand of poison piercing my rotting arm. The skin and muscles were black, nearly eaten away entirely from the contagion.

    I struggled to keep contact with the young master¡¯s body, my finger pressed against his neck as I waited for confirmation that my technique had worked. It took a few more moments, but I suddenly felt a surge of strength rushing up my other arm.

    A little strength returned to me as my raging blood essence, a little more powerful from absorbing a portion of the toxin, clashed with the poison inside my body. However, it was only delaying the inevitable.

    I coughed blood, spraying the furniture and the ground with purplish-red liquid.

    My vision went dark and I collapsed to the ground. I didn¡¯t want to lose consciousness given how precarious the situation had been, but I had no other option.

    A fierce battle was raging inside my body between a deadly toxin and my blood essence. Every breath I took drew some of the toxin away and further refined my lungs, but it was slow progress.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Sheng¡¯er!¡± the city lord cried, rushing to his son¡¯s side as I passed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said, Lord Teng. This black-bellied bastard has killed your son!¡± Councillor Gao exclaimed, waving his sleeve and pointing at me.

    The city lord ignored the frantic yelling of the man, only having eyes for his son. Teng Shen coughed twice and slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Sheng¡¯er, you¡¯re awake! How are you feeling?¡± Teng Shi frantically asked, panic evident in his expression and shaky movements.

    The boy didn¡¯t reply straight away. He looked down at his hands, turning them over a few times. Then he rolled his shoulders and inhaled deeply. When he exhaled, he let out a loud, sharp laugh.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± he exclaimed, eyes shining as a massive smile crossed his face. ¡°He really did it.¡±

    Captain Kang watched the unfolding scene with a narrowed gaze. He was confused by the events. All this time he¡¯d been quite suspicious of Zhao Dan, believing the man to be a decently skilled healer but not at a level where he would be able to cure the young master.

    He had only been looking out for Lord Teng by trying to dissuade his master from going through with this procedure. In the end he hadn¡¯t been able to stop him.

    When Councillor Gao had burst in, yelling about the prisoner being a traitor sent to kill Young Master Sheng, Captain Kang had believed him for a moment. That belief was reinforced when his second-in-command, Wang Bao, had rushed in after the councillor.

    Despite what had happened to the girl, he trusted every single one of his men. He¡¯d selected a lot of them himself and overseen all of their training. He¡¯d even directed the cultivation of the talented few who showed the potential to reach Qi Gathering one day and possibly overtake him.

    And yet now, it was clear as day that the young master was fine. More than fine. He was over the moon, his sickness cured. Zhao Dan had been telling the truth about his abilities.

    Captain Kang ignored the wheezing prisoner on the floor. Surely the healer would be fine. He must just be tired after using such a strenuous technique.

    Stepping towards his master, he knelt down beside the pair. ¡°Young Master Sheng, this servant offers his congratulations on your recovery,¡± he said with a slight bow.

    The moment he bowed he felt a gust of wind behind him. The young master cried out in shock and even the city lord mumbled something.

    ¡°Watch out, Captain! That bastard-¡± he heard Wang Bao yell out.

    Instantly, Lord Teng vanished from where he was sitting. He reappeared between Wang Bao and Zhao Dan, clasping the blade of Wang Bao¡¯s jian between two fingers.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± he demanded, glaring at the guard.

    ¡°Lord Teng, he had a weapon! He was going to-¡±

    ¡°Fool! Does it look like the prisoner is in any state to attack someone? You dare kill my son¡¯s saviour in front of this Lord!?¡±

    Things had taken a strange turn and Captain Kang wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of the events. He first looked towards Councillor Gao. He might¡¯ve been imagining things, but he could¡¯ve sworn he saw the man lift a finger right before Wang Bao charged.

    He wouldn¡¯t act on suspicions or possibilities however. Lord Teng had intervened before anything happened, so they would leave it here before it escalated to a point that no one could turn back from.

    Wang Bao dropped to his knees, releasing his grip on the jian and kowtowing before the city lord. ¡°This lowly servant begs for your forgiveness, Lord Teng!¡± he cried.

    ¡°There was no harm done in the end, Guard Wang. Rise,¡± the lord said, handing the man back his jian.

    He took it and retreated, not towards the captain but instead to the doorway. He sheathed his jian and stood near the councillor. They glanced at each other briefly, but the captain had already turned his back.

    Suddenly Zhao Dan coughed blood once more, the colour dark purple and rotten. His body started to convulse and the city lord and the young master¡¯s expressions darkened.

    ¡°Is he going to be okay? Did something happen during the treatment?¡± Teng Sheng asked with a worried look.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see,¡± his father replied.

    The others in the room also shook their heads. Councillor Gao¡¯s interruption had come at a bad time, distracting everyone during the final moments of the young master¡¯s treatment.

    ¡°Take him to a private room to recover. Have one of the servants watch over him and inform us of any changes,¡± the city lord ordered.

    Councillor Gao nodded. He threw a final, spiteful glance at the man convulsing on the floor before rushing off to find some servants.

    Wang Bao also departed, though in the opposite direction. He had his duties to attend to. All of Captain Kang¡¯s men were well disciplined.

    Moments later, two servants scurried in and lifted the unconscious and shivering Zhao Dan onto a stretcher before carrying him away.

    ¡°I wish to speak with my son. You may leave us, Captain,¡± the city lord said, glancing in his direction.

    ¡°As you wish, Lord Teng,¡± the captain replied with a shallow bow, closing the doors behind him as he left.

    ****

    ¡°Killing an unconscious prisoner should be as simple as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood!¡± Gao Deng Luo hissed, keeping his voice low to avoid anyone hearing him, but unable to keep the venom from his voice. ¡°How did you fail to kill that insect Zhao!?¡±

    Wang Bao didn¡¯t flinch at the councillor¡¯s rebuke. ¡°Do you think I''m invincible?¡± he snarled. ¡°The city lord is a four-star Qi Gathering cultivator while I am just a nine-star Body Tempering practitioner. That is an insurmountable gap. I won¡¯t throw away my life for your petty vengeance.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how much I paid you? How much we both stand to gain if our plan succeeds? Don¡¯t act like this is some petty grudge. He murdered my brother!¡± the councillor roared, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke.

    As soon as the words left his mouth his eyes darted around the garden. He relaxed when he spotted no wandering servants, hidden or otherwise. One could never be too careful in the city lord¡¯s palace. Even the walls had ears.

    The guard vice captain harrumphed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that we missed one opportunity. He is unconscious, guarded by a mortal servant. Killing Zhao Dan now is as easy as turning my hand,¡± he said with a flick of his sleeve. Have some patience, Councillor.¡±

    ¡°Lord Teng will be suspicious if he is discovered in bed with a knife in his chest,¡± the councillor replied, composing himself as the pair walked through the manicured garden.

    ¡°Do not worry about my methods. Let me handle your grudge while you sort the rest. Soon, Three River City will belong to us,¡± Wang Bao said with a devilish grin.

    ¡°Indeed. Teng Shi has become too selfish, forgetting favours and violating justice. He would free a prisoner simply because he claims he can treat his treasured son! Not just any prisoner, but a heinous criminal who violated his command and slaughtered his soldiers. Slaughtered my brother!¡±

    Gao Deng Luo coughed, red in the face. ¡°Enough is enough. I was happy to overlook his actions when he spent a little too much of the city¡¯s treasury on finding a physician to cure the boy¡¯s condition. But this is one step too far. I will lay the foundations on my side, make sure you accomplish your task tonight, Vice Captain Wang.¡±

    After that, the two men parted ways, leaving the garden separately as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.

    ****

    I struggled against the raging torrent of poisonous qi inside my body. This was far worse than I¡¯d anticipated.

    Whoever created this poison had to be at least a middle stage Qi Gathering cultivator, possibly even higher. Having successfully treated Teng Sheng I was almost at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm thanks to my increased blood essence, but it was far from enough.

    My physique and my blood essence were putting up a valiant effort against the poison but until now it had been a losing battle. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to survive this ordeal.

    Perhaps it had been foolish of me to save the city lord¡¯s son instead of myself. No, that wasn¡¯t the right way to look at the situation.

    Everything had been going well until that bastard Gao arrived. His words were like adding oil to a fire, turning a calm situation into a volatile mess.

    If I¡¯d decided to abandon the treatment and let Teng Sheng die, I would¡¯ve survived¡­ for a few seconds longer, until City Lord Teng cut me down in rage.

    Then, Xiao Cui¡¯s life would¡¯ve been in mortal danger. I had made the correct¡ªthe only possible¡ªdecision by absorbing the poison qi into my own body.

    Unfortunately, it was simply the case of a mantis trying to stop a chariot. I lacked the strength to fight a poison of this calibre.

    And I really was being influenced by Zhao Dan¡¯s memories¡­ Where were all these idioms coming from?

    I chuckled, regretting it immediately as another wave of agony sparked through my chest. The only positive outcome of this situation was that I was able to further refine my lungs with each breath I took.

    Wait! That was it. If I could completely refine my lungs before I succumbed to the poison, then I might have a chance of surviving this ordeal.

    It wasn¡¯t just a dying man clutching at straws. With my potent blood essence, resistant to toxins after all my ordeals, combined with my physique, there was some time left until my inevitable demise.

    Now that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel I was no longer so demoralised. Even while convulsing, drenched in cold sweat, I steadied myself and regulated my breathing.

    Long, deep inhale. Hold. Allow my lungs to absorb, refine, and purify the toxins.

    Exhale. A small stream of healing energy would spread through my body and allow me to fight a little longer.

    And I repeated that process, noticing the rate at which I was refining my lungs had increased by almost fifty percent! If I could emerge from this ordeal not only would I have the city lord in my debt, but I would also be far stronger.

    A smile crossed my face at that thought, but then I coughed blood. The acrid taste of iron and rot was vile, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to move in order to clean myself.

    I continued my steady breathing, watching as my blood essence hungrily devoured the toxin, only to be consumed and rotted in return. My focus drifted from my surroundings, wholly engaged with what was occurring inside my body.

    The seconds seemed to meld together into one endless lump of time. I had no idea what was going on around me. All I cared about was focusing on the flow of poison through my lungs.

    I noticed that when I inhaled, only the nearby poisonous qi was drawn in. That wasn¡¯t enough. So, I tried to take a more active approach.

    My blood essence was one aspect I could control. Right now it was waging a chaotic battle against the poison, with no real goals other than devouring each other endlessly.

    That wasn¡¯t ideal. Instead, I forced my blood essence to push the poisonous qi towards my lungs. It was slow progress, but I soon saw the concentration of poison in my chest increasing.

    Once I¡¯d done that, I noticed more poison was inhaled with each breath, the greenish shimmer over my lungs becoming more resplendent every time. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    With that improvement, the amount of medicinal energy expelled with every exhale had grown and my body was no longer slowly succumbing to the poison, but instead had reached an equilibrium.

    Even my blood essence was improving once again. As it devoured the potent qi gathering toxin, it went from a slightly green-tinted red to an almost grassy green, dark and ominous.

    That also allowed it to devour the poison more effectively. Everything was going smoothly. I felt that if things continued this way I would be able to cure myself of the poison within a few hours.

    However, right when I thought I¡¯d taken control of the situation I heard a splintering crack.

 Chapter 22

    I gasped as my body started to convulse once more. It had stopped after I¡¯d taken a more guiding hand in the healing process, but right after the loud cracking noise it seemed to go wild.

    My worst fears had come true. Until now I¡¯d been slowly refining my lungs while devouring the poison, but that had woken the sleeping dragon.

    Toxic purple qi rampaged through my body as my lungs splintered, cracks running along their surface. I¡¯d apparently been working them too hard and now they were destroyed.

    Had all my hard work refining them been lost? I hoped not, but then again I would likely not survive much longer so it didn¡¯t really make a difference.

    For the first time in a while, my focus left my own body. I¡¯d heard a thud outside, closer than was comfortable.

    I attempted to open my eyes, grimacing as they peeled apart, dried blood and mucus cracking. My first thought was that it was a little cold¡ªmore so than it should¡¯ve been even for a man fighting a lethal poison.

    The reason for that was one of the doors had been smashed apart. A servant lay slumped over beside it, a dagger through his heart and his robe soaked in blood.

    His head was caved in on one side.

    A floorboard creaked and my gaze snapped upwards. A man was standing right beside my bed, staring down at me with surprise in his eyes.

    Those eyes were all I could see as he was concealed by a hooded robe and a mask. But I felt like they were familiar.

    He was obviously here to kill me. If my lungs weren¡¯t shattered I might¡¯ve laughed¡ªthis would be the second time I died to an assassin. The first by a silent bullet and now, a descending blade.

    Another dagger was held in his hand, poised to strike before I¡¯d opened my eyes. However, his hesitation was only momentary.

    The next instant he stabbed me in the chest.

    I barely had time to shift my body a fraction before the cold steel pierced my skin and slipped between my ribs. Another gasp left my body as rotten blood spurted from the wound.

    The moment he stabbed me, the masked assassin released the dagger and rushed out of the room. I saw him toss a paper talisman out as he vanished into the night. I must have been out for quite some time.

    I¡¯d at least avoided instant death with my last minute movement. His dagger had been aimed at my heart, but thanks to my effort it had entered my chest just above it instead.

    I choked my final breaths. The combination of broken lungs and a knife in my chest was fatal. As my vision went dark, my final hope was that the city lord would at least keep his word and release Xiao Cui.

    Everything went black.

    In the darkness, a metallic sound of shattering glass rang out. Two lungs inflated, now a dark green colour and shiny like polished steel.

    As they inflated, every last drop of poison qi was sucked inside, like a whale swallowing the oceans. Any remnant specks that remained were set upon by the man¡¯s blood essence like a pack of ravenous wolves.

    For a brief moment, nothing happened.

    The lungs continued to inflate, purple poison qi swirling inside them but slowly being devoured as the shimmering surface of the organs became even more lustrous. For all intents and purposes, Zhao Dan was dead.

    But his body hadn¡¯t quite given up yet. A strange phenomenon caused by his Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. A forge didn¡¯t go out until the final coal went cold, after all.

    The lungs reached their limit, reaching a swollen size a little larger than they¡¯d been before.

    Zhao Dan¡¯s heart was not beating, his blood still, his brain silent. But at that moment, he exhaled.

    Green healing energy burst outwards from his lungs, filling every inch of his body. His bones, muscles, and organs which had been corroded by the poison were being restored at a visible rate.

    First the bones, then muscles, and finally his heart. A purplish-black mist of impurities rose from his mouth and there was a thump as Zhao Dan¡¯s heart began to beat once more.

    My eyes snapped open and I immediately knew three things, information flooding my mind as my brain cleared away the fog that had consumed it. But first I was overwhelmed by the shocking realisation that I was somehow still alive.

    Not only alive, but even stronger than before. I could sense it. To begin with, I had reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

    My healing of Young Master Teng, followed by the furious clash with the potent poison, had allowed my blood essence to flourish and in turn reinforce my body to the limits of mortality. The next step was to absorb a drop of qi from my surroundings and transform my spirit roots into a dantian.

    Except¡­ I had no spirit roots. They had shattered and broken. The path ahead was unclear.

    For now though, I was satisfied to have reached this level. The previous Zhao Dan would never have even dreamed of achieving such heights in his lifetime after becoming stagnant.

    Reaching the peak of this realm was just the start.

    The last two pieces of information had come together, at the instant I had reawoken. Earlier, the shattering noise had not been my lungs breaking or the refinement process failing, but instead a sign of it reaching completion.

    The Qi Gathering poison had been enough fuel to bring the first step of the first layer of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique to completion. I had refined my lungs and achieving that had granted me a potent ability.

    That ability was the same as before¡ªconverting medicinal and toxic materials into healing energy¡ªbut it was far more potent after refining my lungs. The proof of this was that it had quite literally brought me back from the brink of death.

    And that wasn¡¯t all I¡¯d gained. The instant I completely refined the poisonous qi I had learned the name of the poison which had been used on Young Master Teng.

    Blood lotus puppet poison.

    This was even more potent than the iceflower poison which someone had attempted to use on little Cui. I¡¯d been calling it a Qi Gathering poison, but that wasn¡¯t quite accurate.

    My physique gave me the knowledge. It was a martial-grade poison, a step above mortal-grade. Certainly, no one in Three River City should have the means to produce such a toxin.

    So how had it ended up in the young master¡¯s body? That was yet another mystery I needed to solve, but right now I had other concerns on my mind.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Should I chase after my assassin? I could possibly catch him and take my revenge or gain the information I needed.

    However, he was likely long gone. Instead of chasing after him like a rabid dog I decided to first make sure Xiao Cui was unharmed.

    If they¡¯d targeted me, it was possible they¡¯d gone after her as well. As I stood up from the bed, I realised that instead of feeling drained after my ordeal I instead was brimming with vitality and energy.

    All the wounds in my body had been healed, even some I hadn¡¯t realised were there! I gained a new level of appreciation for my physique. Along with that, I was reminded of my oath to the heavens which had allowed me to earn it in the first place.

    To heal those who needed it and to protect the innocent from cruelty.

    Right now, there was one innocent boy who clearly needed a lot of protection from forces far beyond him. I¡¯d already healed Teng Sheng, but the fact he¡¯d been poisoned with something so potent spoke to a sinister underlying plot¡ªone that went beyond even the city lord.

    But that was something way above my pay grade. I¡¯d only barely survived this time. I had no desire to court death once more.

    It didn¡¯t take me long to reach the place I¡¯d left Xiao Cui. Finding my way through the palace was actually quite simple now that I¡¯d roughly memorised the layout.

    The door was still closed and it was dark inside. A positive sign. Sliding open the wooden door as quietly as possible, I slipped inside and shut it behind me.

    Everything was peaceful. On one of the beds, there was a lump in the blankets. It rose and fell gently. Approaching, I saw Xiao Cui fast asleep and unharmed. Exactly as she¡¯d been when I left to treat the city lord¡¯s son.

    I let out a sigh of relief. My worst fear was that the assassins would have gone after both of us at the same time. While I could defend myself¡ªor in this instance, survive through sheer luck and the will of the heavens¡ªlittle Cui was just a mortal girl.

    Not wanting to take any risks, I decided to spend the rest of the night watching over her. I wasn¡¯t tired. With my current cultivation I barely needed to sleep¡ªperhaps a few hours a week at most.

    While watching over her, I tried to figure out the mess that was my path of cultivation. Until now, my broken spirit roots hadn¡¯t posed an issue to my advance.

    Body Tempering did typically require one to possess spirit roots, but because I¡¯d already begun cultivating, or perhaps because of my physique, I had been able to continue until now.

    However, lacking spirit roots was a true blockade when it came to breaking through to the next major realm. The difference between Body Tempering and Qi Gathering was incomparable to the difference between eight and nine-star Body Tempering.

    How could I overcome that?

    I¡¯d read Zhao Dan¡¯s notes on cultivation. The standard method of breaking through once a practitioner reached the peak of Body Tempering was to learn how to sense the spiritual energy of the world, then absorb it into their body through their spirit roots, converting it into qi of their own.

    The moment that first drop formed, it would trigger the formation of the dantian from the spirit roots. A simple process.

    But I had no spirit roots.

    So how was I going to achieve the breakthrough? There were many hints. Small bits of knowledge I could use to try and forge my own path ahead as I¡¯d been doing until now.

    However, there was a massive difference between going through the Body Tempering realm and the Qi Gathering realm outside of the standard methods.

    Body Tempering was a pretty varied thing. Even a regular mortal could achieve one-star in the realm if they had a fortunate encounter, provided they had enough spirit roots.

    So it wasn¡¯t that unusual for a practitioner to reach the peak of Body Tempering even when deviating from the accepted methods practiced by the larger sects. However, for all but the most ridiculous outliers, that wasn¡¯t possible once one entered the Qi Gathering realm.

    Every cultivator had to first learn to sense spiritual energy. Then they had to figure out how to absorb it into their spirit roots, forming a dantian. After that it was just a matter of adhering to your sect or clan¡¯s chosen cultivation method.

    Sensing spiritual energy was simple. In fact, I could already sense qi. I¡¯d done so when Wang Ren had displayed the qi healing technique to me back in the Cloudy Falls Sect. So actually I had a headstart on most cultivators.

    But that''s where I came to a crashing halt. I had broken spirit roots and no way to absorb spiritual energy into them. There was that hollow shell in my core, which had appeared during my breakthrough to nine-star Body Tempering. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was actually my dantian or something else entirely.

    Ultimately I couldn¡¯t find the answer even after a few hours of struggling. That was fine. Cultivation wasn¡¯t a sprint, it was a marathon.

    I¡¯d already been making rapid progress until now and I should be satisfied. But I wasn¡¯t.

    This world was far too dangerous.

    The people I¡¯d grown to care about were constantly being put in danger. So I needed to become stronger in order to protect them. To heal the corruption in the Celestial Jade Empire.

    ****

    I felt as though this same scene was repeating itself far too often.

    I was standing at the base of a stone dais, looking up at the city lord as he lounged on his throne. Councillor Gao stood to one side and his son on the other.

    When I¡¯d entered, Xiao Cui in tow, after being summoned by Captain Kang that morning, the councillor had been shocked.

    He¡¯d quickly hidden it, but it hadn¡¯t escaped my attention. He must have had something to do with last night¡¯s failed assassination attempt.

    Captain Kang had sent a few guards to scour the palace for me after finding my room empty and blood everywhere. I¡¯d explained the situation and tried to calm him down, but learning that assassins had infiltrated the palace only made him more furious.

    He¡¯d personally escorted the pair of us while ordering his men to scour every inch of the palace grounds and search for anything out of the ordinary. Even more strangely, when Wang Bao had seen me his eyes had widened for a moment. Just like the councillor¡¯s.

    Worse, the moment I locked eyes with him I instantly recognised the gaze. Those same eyes had been staring down at me from behind a mask the night before. He was the assassin.

    Anger bubbled up within me and I¡¯d wanted to strike out there and then. However, I held back my fury. Truly, Three River City was a nest of vipers.

    The captain would never believe me if I accused his vice-captain of being the assassin and doing so would only draw more suspicion back onto me. For now, I would bide my time. When I was able, I would return to have my vengeance on the bastards who¡¯d hurt Xiao Cui and tried to take my life.

    Needless cruelty was not something I ever wished to indulge in, but sometimes a little violence was necessary. It was often best to fight poison with poison, as I''d recently learned.

    ¡°Zhao Dan, you have my utmost gratitude,¡± the city lord said with genuine happiness visible on his face. ¡°I never believed my son¡¯s sickness could be cured, but you have achieved the impossible.¡±

    I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

    ¡°You are not forgiven for your treasonous misdeeds, but I made a promise. You and the girl shall go free,¡± he declared with a regal wave. ¡°But make no mistake. Step one foot out of line in my city and you will be back here and facing death once more.¡±

    Captain Kang stared daggers at me along with Councillor Gao as their master said this. I suppressed my chuckle and kept a straight face.

    Bowing once I replied, ¡°Of course, Lord Teng. This humble healer will not cause any trouble in Three River City from this day onwards.¡±

    He scoffed and dismissed us. Captain Kang led little Cui and I to the palace gates. ¡°I will be keeping a close watch on you, Zhao Dan,¡± he said with a sour expression.

    ¡°As is your duty, Captain,¡± I replied with a smirk.

    He looked as though he¡¯d sucked a lemon. The moment he turned back to the palace I grabbed Xiao Cui and began making our way back into the city as fast as possible.

    I had no desire to stay there any longer than necessary. The first thing I wanted to do was get our belongings from the inn. Then, it was time to go shopping!

    To be honest, I did think the city lord seemed a little¡­ lenient for a man who¡¯d been enraged at our treasonous actions, but perhaps Councillor Gao had been influencing him.

    Or he simply loved his son that much. I wasn¡¯t going to delve into it, I was just glad to finally be free.

    ****

    An ancient looking figure¡¯s eyes slowly opened. Their bones creaked and dust fell from their body as they stretched. With a wave of their hand, the huge stone rolled away from the cave entrance and sunlight streamed into the darkness.

    ¡°A strand of my will has been destroyed¡­¡± they murmured as they walked out of the cave.

    A tall man cloaked in shadows was waiting outside the cave, falling to his knees as the ancient figure exited. ¡°Disciple greets master,¡± he said with reverence. ¡°How was your secluded cultivation this time, master?¡±

    ¡°I should not have awoken this early, but one of the gifts I left with the clan has been destroyed,¡± the figure replied, closing their eyes for a breath¡¯s time.

    They opened their eyes. ¡°Three River City. Find out what happened,¡± they ordered.

    The man cloaked in shadows stood up and waved his arm. Five more shadowy figures darted outwards, heading towards Three River City. ¡°As you command, master. The Gao Clan celebrates the return of the Patriarch,¡± he declared before following after the others.

 Chapter 23

    The fatty running the inn seemed sad to see us leave, but that was more likely to be because he was losing income than anything to do with us. But now that we had a place of our own, there was no need to stay in an inn.

    It would be safer to stay inside the building I¡¯d obtained from Grandpa Guan. That way I could keep a closer eye on Xiao Cui while continuing my healing business.

    We had to first make a detour. I was in dire need of some new robes and Xiao Cui¡¯s clothes looked a little worse for wear. There wasn¡¯t much money left between us but it would be enough.

    A few hours later we walked out of a shop called Madam Feng¡¯s Fine Silks, no longer looking like we¡¯d been chased through a forest by spirit beasts. I had a verdant green robe that was extraordinarily comfortable and Xiao Cui picked up a white, form fitting robe that suited her features well.

    After a walk through the city which took longer than it needed to thanks to little Cui dragging me to every shop or stall she found interesting, we arrived at the place where I was going to set up business. I believed she just wanted to show off her new clothes, but she insisted it was just to explore the city since we¡¯d not had the chance.

    I had to admit I felt extremely relaxed afterwards, without a care in the world. I¡¯d handled myself well in the city lord¡¯s palace but the truth was that being a prisoner was non-stop stress and anxiety.

    It hadn¡¯t been good for my psyche, even if I¡¯d made tremendous gains by fishing in the troubled waters of Three River City¡¯s upper echelon. I knew something strange was going on between Councillor Gao, Wang Bao, and the city lord, but to be honest I didn¡¯t care right now.

    When the time was right, I would return and deliver a little justice to certain individuals for daring to steal more of little Cui¡¯s childlike sparkle, but until then it was important to focus on my healing practice and developing this budding sect into something of value.

    Speaking of the sect¡ªI now had a disciple! I¡¯d almost forgotten after the assassin nearly took my life, but Xiao Cui had begged and I had relented, which meant I now officially had to not just take care of her, but try and teach her stuff.

    What was I going to teach her? Perhaps medicine, but without the advantages I had such as my physique and cultivation I wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to use my knowledge to the same effect. I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.

    ¡°It¡¯s so big!¡± Xiao Cui exclaimed.

    I chuckled, watching as the village girl walked up and down the street while staring at our new home-slash-place of business. After three laps of the immediate area she rushed up to the door and pushed it open, finding it locked.

    She turned around and stared at me expectantly. I pretended to be confused for a few moments at which point she began pouting.

    After my little self indulging teasing I headed over and unlocked the door using the token Grandpa Guan had given me. I found it strange that they¡¯d not bothered taking my possessions while I was imprisoned, but I guess the city lord cared more for earning back face than looting some random Body Tempering whelp.

    The inside was exactly as I¡¯d left it, though much dustier. Xiao Cui danced around the marble reception area, eyes wide as saucers as she discovered every new, more resplendent feature.

    Seeing it for the second time I had to admit that Grandpa Guan had given me a ridiculous bargain. I should visit the old geezer with a gift soon as thanks.

    ¡°This is all ours?¡± she asked, walking up the stairs.

    ¡°Every last tile,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Though most of it will be for the patients. I picked out a few rooms on the top floor for us to live in, but I will need to get some new furniture once we earn some money back.¡±

    I sighed and glanced inside my coin purse, seeing just a lonely silver coin and a few coppers. Once again, I was broke.

    Well, unless you counted the half a spirit stone.

    Which I did, but it was worth far too much to use in any daily transactions and until I knew whether I had any personal use for it I was loath to spend it. Actually¡­

    After the gains I¡¯d received from the poison qi and the healing pill¡ªI still had two more of those¡ªI was excited to see what other herbs or poisonous reagents I might be able to ingest to continue refining my body.

    There was also the added bonus of the knowledge about each ingredient I gained after refining it. Until now, I¡¯d learned about iceflower poison, blood lotus puppet poison, and mortal-grade healing pills.

    That was a drop in the ocean when it came to alchemy and once I had a bit of free time I needed to look for a skilled alchemist in Three River City so I could try to learn from them. First though, it was time to make some money!

    ¡°Xiao Cui, head down to the market and start spreading the fact that we have a permanent place to stay. I want to see customers by the afternoon!¡± I shouted, hoping she would hear me upstairs.

    ****

    While little Cui was out in the market, redirecting all my patients here, I needed to go shopping once more. With my meagre wealth I couldn¡¯t afford much, but at the very least I wanted to have a proper treatment room set up.

    We could just repurpose the sign from the market for now¡ªit seemed to be working, so why change it?¡ªbut after a few days of healing and earning money I would need to consider how to set up the whole ¡®medicine sect¡¯ business.

    It was just a front for the hospital, using the familiar customs of this world to drop their guard and slowly spread the brilliance of the healing arts to the masses. However, since becoming master to my first disciple I felt an unfamiliar drive to create something lasting.

    What every hospital needed was a well thought-out system of triage. A way of prioritising those who were most in need of treatment.

    That would be wholly unfamiliar here. For the mortals at least. Cultivators had some level of brotherhood between them and wouldn¡¯t just watch an ally die, unless there was some ridiculous treasure to be snatched. Whereas the mortals were left to suffer and die if they were lacking wealth or power.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    In the end, I managed to find a comfortable wooden chair with a fur-lined seat and back which I could use to rest on while performing my technique, as well as a comfortable bed for my patients.

    It would be enough for now.

    I just about managed to return in time. As I turned the corner into the street I saw Xiao Cui at the other end, leading a huge group of people towards the building. I raced inside, carrying the bed and chair with me.

    When I got into the small room which I¡¯d decided would be the first treatment room¡ªmy office, so to speak¡ªI didn¡¯t think much about the layout. I simply threw the bed against the wall and then placed my chair nearby.

    The moment I¡¯d done that I heard the door open and the loud chatter of people in the lobby. I allowed myself a smile. Challenges like healing the blood lotus puppet poison were enjoyable, but straining myself that much had taken its toll.

    I was looking forward to some more mundane healing. Part of the reason I¡¯d become a doctor was that I enjoyed hearing people¡¯s stories, listening to idle chatter while I worked.

    People tended to let slip some rather absurd stories when they were in the doctor¡¯s chair. Maybe it was the nerves that lowered their walls? I wasn¡¯t sure, but all I knew was that it had led to me meeting some interesting people in the past.

    That was something I looked forward to here. Additionally, it would have the benefit of allowing me to learn more about this new world and the culture in the Celestial Jade Empire.

    By now I¡¯d become somewhat accustomed to them and could pass as a native for the most part, but there were some intricacies that you couldn¡¯t pick up in just a few months.

    With all that said, I reached the bottom of the stairs. Little Cui turned to me, grinning ear to ear. ¡°I managed to find a few custo¡ªahem, patients,¡± she called out to me.

    ¡°Indeed, well done little disciple,¡± I replied, patting her on the head. She squirmed out of it, but I saw her smile.

    Turning to the group of people I swept my gaze over them, trying to see what I was dealing with. Anyone with severe and obvious injuries would get priority.

    The citizens seemed to shrink under my gaze, a little fear in their eyes. It was to be expected. Most cultivators treated mortals like dirt, so even after I¡¯d proven my healing technique and somewhat benevolent nature they weren¡¯t fully convinced.

    I noticed one young man clutching his arm at an awkward angle. On a closer inspection I realised his shirt was stained with dried blood. It was dark, as though it hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a few days.

    ¡°You, you¡¯re first,¡± I said, pointing at him and beckoning him closer. I heard a few grumbles but Xiao Cui stepped up and silenced the crowd as the man walked through.

    ¡°Relax, Heavenly Healer Zhao is simply treating the most wounded first. You will all get your turn,¡± she said in a soothing voice with a warm smile. It worked wonders. ¡°Just make sure to have your payment ready,¡± she added with a slight smirk.

    Well, it was important for any business to have the generous, hard workers like myself as well as the fiendish salespeople. I¡¯d just leave that to her as she seemed confident and we¡¯d been earning plenty of money before our untimely imprisonment.

    The guy hobbled out in front of the crowd and I realised his injury was far worse than it seemed. I looked at the elbow of his shirt, which was ripped. Something was¡­

    His bone was poking out of his elbow.

    I grabbed him and whisked him upstairs, not waiting another moment. He exclaimed in shock but was powerless to resist the strength of a nine-star Body Tempering cultivator.

    When I planted him on the bed, he gasped. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°What do you think, you damn fool? How long have you been walking around with your bone sticking out of your arm? You¡¯re lucky you haven¡¯t died from an infection¡­¡± I muttered, grabbing his shirt and tearing the arm off.

    ¡°My shirt! That cost me 3 coppers, you know,¡± he complained.

    ¡°Well, better 3 coppers than your life,¡± I replied, grabbing hold of his arm and already reaching for my blood essence.

    Even when the guy¡¯s arm started to knit itself back together and I was able to snap the bone back in place, the constipated look never left his face. Stingy bastard. Hopefully the other patients weren¡¯t going to complain this much¡­

    ****

    In the end, only a few of my patients were difficult to deal with. I actually realised the young man had been rather docile when one granny actually started beating me with her walking stick.

    And that was after I¡¯d just cured her of a limp she¡¯d had for fifteen years! Damn old people these days, so ungrateful¡­

    But it was worth it. For the most part, my patients left with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step. And a few coins poorer.

    Then again, you can¡¯t put a price on good health.

    Well, I could¡ªit was 63 silver and 4 copper¡ªbut life was better lived without the wear and tear of time and labour. I think most of the people who left the building that day would agree.

    I stretched, feeling a little tired. My body was fine, but the endless socialising with the patients had left me drained.

    ¡°Little disciple, I think it¡¯s about time I taught you your first lesson,¡± I said, waving Xiao Cui over.

    She seemed excited, a glint in her eye. To be honest I wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d left her home village to follow me.

    Sure, the thrill of adventure and the allure of a powerful cultivator were hard to resist, but I hadn¡¯t personally shown anything that might be of interest to her. Had she done it because she felt indebted to me after I saved her life?

    That didn¡¯t seem like her. So why?

    My only guess was that she actually found what I did interesting. She¡¯d told me as much when she asked to be my disciple¡ªthat I was different from other cultivators. I knew that, but it was mostly because I was from another world!

    More to the point, I believed what she would find most interesting about me and want to learn was my healing arts. While anything to do with my physique or techniques that required one to be a cultivator were off limits, there was still a lot I could teach her.

    I was armed with a myriad of knowledge from two worlds and if all she wanted to do was learn how to heal mortals, then it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to help her take the first steps on that path.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know that much about your goals in this life, little Cui. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to, but I think I have a good idea anyway,¡± I told her. Her eyes widened a little and she nodded.

    ¡°Would you like to learn how to be a healer?¡± I asked, giving her a while to think about her answer.

    She took the time, scrunching up her face at first then going through the seven emotions and six desires in record time. It was like an emotion speedrun.

    Eventually she nodded three times and replied, ¡°Yes master!¡±

    I smiled and nodded back, preparing to answer when she suddenly frowned.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not a cultivator, so how can I be a healer like you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I replied, realising she¡¯d been struggling with this fear for a while. ¡°You can¡¯t be a healer exactly like me, but you can certainly still be a healer.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡±

    ¡°Of course, now come, let me teach you some basics about the human body,¡± I said, motioning for her to follow me up the stairs.

    She took a step then suddenly screeched as a loud bang shook the lobby. I rushed back down and saw the front door wide open, a man standing in the entrance.

    He took a step towards little Cui and she yelled, sprinting towards me. I rushed past her and raised my fist, ready to strike down this intruder.

    As I got a closer look at the bastard I was so shocked it was like I was struck by lightning.

 Chapter 24

    I was just one step away from the man who¡¯d forced his way into our building when he suddenly groaned and collapsed to the ground. At that moment I realised he was covered in bloody wounds and barely breathing.

    Rather than an intruder, it was more likely that this guy was a patient. It was the middle of the night, but I wouldn¡¯t turn away a fellow man in need.

    After shutting the door to stop the cold wind blowing into the lobby, I called Xiao Cui back over. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s here to hurt us. See how injured he is,¡± I said, waving at him.

    Then, I knelt down beside him and tried to inspect the damage. Little Cui went to grab him and lift him up but I stopped her.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to move someone when you aren''t sure what¡¯s wrong with them. First make sure to inspect their airways and visual responses. Those tell you if their life is in immediate danger,¡± I explained while waving a hand in front of his eyes.

    When I realised his breathing was okay, just weak, and he didn¡¯t seem to have any brain damage, I concluded it was safe to roll him over. We did so with some effort.

    The moment his face was revealed, Xiao Cui let out a gasp of shock, which I couldn¡¯t help but mirror.

    ¡°Chief!¡± she cried, shaking the man.

    ¡°Calm down, you don¡¯t want to hurt him,¡± I replied, despite being just as surprised as her to see the head of Nine Paddy Village here in Three River City.

    He stirred, groaning once more. Apart from the cuts and bruises all across his body he seemed to be okay.

    I placed a finger against his skin and within ten seconds or so he was already looking much better as my technique worked to heal him. Soon after that he seemed lucid and sat up.

    ¡°Xiao¡­ Cui?¡± he asked, then when he realised who it was his face suddenly dropped. ¡°Xiao Cui, Cultivator Zhao! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive,¡± he cried as tears began streaming down his face.

    ¡°Calm down old man, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I replied, helping him stand up. ¡°Did something happen in the village?¡±

    I barely reacted to the tiny bit of blood essence streaming back into my body. I wasn¡¯t even sure it helped improve my cultivation anymore since I¡¯d already reached the pinnacle of the Body Tempering realm, but I supposed that it couldn¡¯t be a bad thing.

    ¡°They-¡± he choked, unable to continue. We gave him time to compose himself. ¡°They came in the middle of the night. It was a slaughter. Even the children¡­¡± he sobbed, breaking down as he began to tell us how he¡¯d come to the city.

    When he finished telling his tale I had to stop myself from rushing out the door then and there. I knew the city lord had let us go free too easily¡­

    ¡°What are you talking about, chief?¡± Xiao Cui¡¯s face was pale, her eyes wide as she tried to come to terms with what had happened. ¡°Then, my parents¡­ are dead?¡±

    The chief tried to speak but suddenly coughed. I wasn¡¯t sure why. My technique should¡¯ve healed all his wounds. Perhaps it was something deeper¡­

    Often emotional and subconscious pain can cause real damage to people. There were even cases of that back on Earth; people who died of grief after losing a partner, for example.

    Knowing what had happened, I didn¡¯t blame him. My thoughts went to the old granny and that black cat. Had the city lord¡¯s men not even spared her, sleeping in her bed?

    My fist clenched, shaking as my knuckles went white. I gnashed my teeth. Burning rage filled me but eventually I was forced to push it down inside. There was nothing I could do.

    Yet.

    I¡¯d wanted to spend more time researching and getting acquainted with my physique before trying anything drastic, but I could no longer hold myself back. Getting revenge on these sick bastards was now my only priority.

    I placed a hand on little Cui¡¯s shoulder, squeezing it gently. ¡°Disciple, I know how you must be feeling right now but make sure not to do anything rash,¡± I told her with a stern face.

    She turned to me with tears in her eyes and nodded. I pulled her into a hug and she squeezed tighter than I expected. I let her stay like that for a few moments before continuing.

    ¡°Look after the chief and stay out of the busy parts of the city. I need to leave for a while,¡± I said.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re going to leave now after everything we¡¯ve just heard?¡± she said, wiping her eyes. ¡°Heartless master!¡±

    I scoffed. This little girl had a sharp tongue and it was getting deadlier by the day. This was proof that big cities were bad for your mind. I wasn¡¯t angry though, she could¡¯ve attacked me right now and I would let it happen.

    Losing one¡¯s parents was¡­ not something I¡¯d experienced, but I imagined it would be awful. When my grandfather died I¡¯d not left my house for a week, secluding myself from friends and society.

    At least little Cui still had the chief¡­ I shook my head, dispelling such thoughts. It was harsh but I couldn¡¯t afford to dwell on the awful massacre the city lord had ordered. I needed to become strong enough to take him down.

    Which meant doing something I really didn¡¯t want to do.

    ****

    I stared out at the treacherous path leading into the mountains. A narrow gorge was walled in on both sides by craggy cliffs covered in sharp rocks and precariously balanced boulders that could fall at any moment.

    This mountain range was about fifty li from Three River City, but with my speed it had only taken me twenty minutes to get here. The reason I was in this dangerous area, which typically anyone below Qi Gathering should avoid, was because of a rumour I¡¯d heard.

    That and I had a cruel idea of how to improve my cultivation in the shortest time possible. For most cultivators that would be a foolhardy idea, rushing ahead and leaving unstable foundations in their wake.

    However, I¡¯d not yet experienced any downsides to my rapid pace of advancement and decided to take an informed risk.

    My cultivation improved by healing others and until now I¡¯d only used my techniques offensively twice¡ªonce on those bandits and the other time on the spirit snake. I¡¯d waited for injured people to appear in front of me and not taken much initiative to seek them out, reaping the harvest without sowing the seeds.

    Today I was going to take a more brutal approach. One that I didn¡¯t want to use on other humans, hence the location. The Jagged Sword Mountains were famous for the number of violent spirit beasts that resided here.

    I figured that if there was nothing powerful enough for me to heal in order to continue advancing, then I would just need to change that. Find some nine-star spirit beasts, beat the crap out of them and then heal them up.

    A simple plan.

    When I encountered the first beast I¡¯d seen since that nine-star spirit bear, I wasn¡¯t too anxious. It seemed weaker than that bear. A boar with large tusks growing from its snout, so large they seemed to weigh it down.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It was almost as tall as me, but its size worked against it as I dodged its opening charge with a simple sidestep. Based on the strength it displayed I estimated it to be around six or seven-star Body Tempering.

    Usually when hunting spirit beasts, that would be the point where the more powerful cultivator would act decisively to slaughter their prey. Instead, I was going to keep my prey alive.

    Which in many ways could be considered even more cruel than simply slaughtering it, but at the end of this it would walk away alive. So really it was better to encounter me than another cultivator who would just tear it apart for resources like its beast core and body parts.

    At least that was my thought as I began to methodically beat up and then heal the various beasts I encountered. For some reason they all seemed terrified even after I brought them back to full health, often even stronger than they were before.

    People were often ungrateful to their doctors¡­ Even back on Earth you could have situations where a team of surgeons worked their asses off for almost a full 24 hours to save someone from near death and then they would wake up¡­

    ¡­Only to say some bullcrap like ¡°Thank God I¡¯m alive¡± or ¡°God is great¡±. Not that he thought religion was stupid. He thought it was nice to have something to believe in and a sense of community.

    It just hadn¡¯t been for him. And he thought that even if you were a devout worshipper of one god or another, it would be a pretty nice gesture to say ¡°Thanks¡± to the group of people who¡¯d actually saved your life.

    But none of that mattered anymore. The only god in this new world was the heavens. And the only measure of success was the strength of your fists.

    But he was determined to change that. Even if he died trying.

    ****

    At the same time as Zhao Dan had steeled his resolve to step on the true path of cultivation, though with some deviation from the rest of his peers, a group of disciples from the Cloudy Falls Sect was making their way through the Jagged Sword Mountains. Among this group was a youth that Zhao Dan would recognise instantly¡ªWang Ren.

    Most of the disciples were in the early stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, Wang Ren included. Though he had progressed from one-star to two-star in the time since he¡¯d said goodbye to his Junior Brother Zhao Dan.

    In fact, advancing one star in a few months was considered a prodigious speed of cultivation for most and it had earned him even more favour among the inner sect disciples and Elders. He had tried not to let it inflate his ego, but some things were unavoidable. It was human nature to strive for more success after all.

    Perhaps if he knew that untalented junior of his had managed to leap through five minor steps since they¡¯d parted he might think differently. That whelp had soared from a measly four-star Body Tempering brat to a peak nine-star practitioner on the cusp of breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm. Wang Ren would be so surprised he might cough up blood and faint on the spot.

    Unfortunately, there was not much chance that he would meet Zhao Dan again. As a four-star practitioner he would live a little longer than most mortals and retain his health far longer in life, but even then he would succumb to the clutches of old age.

    As for Wang Ren, breaking the limits of mortality and stepping into the Qi Gathering Realm had granted him a massive increase in vitality. Even a one-star Qi Gatherer lived for almost four hundred years, double the lifespan of a peak Body Temperer.

    These were thoughts that had run through his mind a couple times during the last few months. Most of the outer disciples were forgettable to him, easy to ignore until they proved themselves.

    But not Zhao Dan.

    That guy had always been annoying as hell. A thorn in his side and one that he often had to stop getting bullied by his peers¡­ As for why he did that, he still wasn¡¯t sure, but the guy had seemed enthusiastic when he¡¯d left the sect. He hoped he was enjoying life.

    Maybe he would settle down and marry some cute farmer¡¯s daughter, have a bunch of kids and live out the rest of his days in peace.

    Suddenly the leader of their group, a handsome guy with perfect features except for a nasty scar over one eye, stopped and raised his hand. ¡°Spirit beast ahead, just eight-star Body Tempering,¡± he said calmly, killing intent filling his gaze.

    A second later he disappeared from view and then reappeared, holding a small red marble in his hands. A beast core.

    ¡°If you see any beasts that are easy to kill, feel free to claim them for yourself. Just don¡¯t get into any arguments. I don¡¯t want anything to slow us down while we¡¯re on the way to the place the Elder mentioned,¡± he ordered.

    The rest of the group nodded. A few extra beast cores would be nice to have, but compared to the natural treasure they were on their way to claim it was a drop in the ocean.

    Besides, apart from one particularly talented outer disciple who¡¯d been sent along with them, everyone in the group was at least one or two-star Qi Gathering. Body Tempering beast cores didn¡¯t have much use to them anymore.

    And most of all, none of them dared to defy the command of their group¡¯s leader. Sun Deng was the prized disciple of First Elder Sun, a man second only to the sect leader.

    He was a five-star Qi Gathering cultivator and one of the strongest inner disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect. Challenging him was foolish, since no one wanted to risk the wrath of the first elder.

    With the order, the group picked up their pace as they made their way towards the centre of the Jagged Sword Mountains. In a few days, a natural treasure that only made its appearance every couple thousand years was due to bloom.

    The recordings of the sect rumoured that one petal of this flower, the Ten Ascensions Lily, would let a cultivator advance an entire star in the Qi Gathering Realm. Naturally, all of them were eager for a chance at such a potent treasure.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones vying for this chance.

    And among all the groups looking to claim the natural treasure, there was one man who was completely unaware of the convergence of fate around him. Near the outer regions of the mountain range, a man dressed in green robes with rather handsome features was currently chasing down an eight-star spirit monkey.

    That monkey had a terrified expression on its face as it sprinted for dear life. Over the course of the past hour it had been beaten until it saw the warm embrace of King Yama reaching out, the six paths beckoning, only for it to be suddenly healed. And then the cycle would repeat.

    It had thought the Qi Gathering beasts in the inner mountain range were scary, but this insane cultivator was far worse¡­

    ****

    I sighed as I watched the spirit monkey sprinting off into the distance, clambering up the razor sharp cliffs with ease. I¡¯d thought that this would be easier.

    However, since I was unable to climb those cliffs without carving my hands into ribbons I was forced to fight the beasts down in the gorge. Until now I¡¯d only encountered one nine-star spirit beast, another monkey.

    That had been a decent fight and when I¡¯d healed it after I noticed my blood essence increasing noticeably for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, that did nothing to change the sensation that I¡¯d hit an unbreakable wall.

    It was a disappointing realisation. I somehow knew that no matter how much more blood essence I obtained I would never reach the Qi Gathering Realm. After a certain point the benefit of a larger quantity of blood essence became negligible.

    A large swarm of bugs could take on a weaker beast, but even the aura of a powerful awakened beast¡ªone that had reached Qi Gathering¡ªcould cause those same ants to drop dead.

    It was the same for cultivators. Perhaps I could fight to a standstill against a one-star Qi Gathering cultivator, but against even the weakest two-star I would be beaten one-sidedly.

    Then again, I had a secret weapon that I wasn¡¯t sure any cultivator in this world would expect. My ability to induce cancer-like growth in their cells. However I didn¡¯t know if it would work on cultivators much stronger than me. I needed to test it.

    Which meant finding stronger beasts. My gaze turned towards the inner region of the Jagged Sword Mountains. I¡¯d avoided getting closer until now, staying in the outer regions, but it seemed I would have to take drastic steps to achieve the strength I needed to claim revenge.

    Not just for my own wounded pride, but for Xiao Cui¡¯s family and all of Nine Paddy Village. Teng Shi would suffer, but right now I couldn¡¯t even damage a fingernail of his, let alone bring him to his knees.

    So I let the monkey go and took the first step further into the Jagged Sword Mountains. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, lighting up the stone and sparse shrubbery in a golden glow.

    I wouldn¡¯t return until I¡¯d broken through to Qi Gathering. Or at least figured out if it was even possible for a cultivator with shattered spirit roots to do so¡­

    The gorge started sloping upwards, taking me further and further into the mountains. At the end of the valley I would approach one of the larger mountains, a tall, craggy summit that resembled the fang of a beast.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what awaited me on that mountain, but I was eager to take on the challenge. Lost in thought, I hadn¡¯t noticed a pair of yellow eyes gazing at me from within a crevice.

    As I took another step forwards I felt a sharp pain slice across my shoulder and just about managed to dodge the second stone spike that had been aimed at my neck.

    I turned in the direction the spikes had come and saw another monkey hanging from the cliff. This one had dark grey skin and fur, almost the colour and texture of the stone around us.

    As I watched, it raised its tail and pointed it towards me, the end looking sharp and jagged just like the stones I¡¯d just been hit with. That wasn¡¯t all.

    Trying to get a read on the spirit beast, I realised it was perhaps even stronger than myself. Not quite in Qi Gathering, but perhaps almost there. A half-step away from breaking through.

    Instead of feeling nervous or scared, I had a different emotion coursing through my veins.

    Excitement.

 Chapter 25

    The monkey launched the spike at me faster than I expected and I barely dodged it. I was forced to roll to the side, which gave it the opportunity to close the distance.

    Even though it had a potent long-range weapon it didn¡¯t seem to mind getting close and brawling with our fists. The first punch made a few bones in my hand break as we collided.

    Not only was its skin the colour of stone, but seemingly made of it too. It really made me regret not finding a weapon of some kind.

    Even a simple one might¡¯ve made these fights easier. Then again, I was a healer not a warrior. I knew some martial arts but had never trained with weapons.

    In fact the only blade I knew how to wield was a scalpel.

    Wait¡­ maybe that could work? I¡¯d need to find a talented blacksmith to forge a suitable one but there was some merit to having a high quality scalpel.

    Both for my healing arts and perhaps fighting. For now though I had to put those thoughts to one side as the monkey grew enraged and threw dozens of punches and kicks at me.

    I blocked most of them but a few slipped through my guard, not quite breaking bones but leaving nasty bruises and making me stumble. However, I wasn¡¯t so easily beaten.

    Since I¡¯d fully refined my lungs, my body healed at a much faster rate which meant these surface level wounds didn¡¯t bother me too much. At least from a beast at a similar level to myself.

    I had to restrict myself from using my tumour touch since that would probably kill the monkey faster than I could heal it. If I could even heal it at all after using that technique.

    Also, I really needed a better name for that. Currently it made me sound like some kind of psychopath. Almost like a cultivator, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to myself.

    The monkey punched me again but this time instead of blocking I let it make contact. Tensing my shoulder muscles made the blow a little easier to withstand.

    I grabbed hold of its arm and it sensed something was wrong, but it was too late.

    My open palm smashed into its elbow as I pulled its wrist back towards me. I felt a lot of resistance from its tough skin, its stony fur lacerating the skin on my palm, but my move was destructive.

    A sickening crunch sounded out as the monkey¡¯s elbow snapped and its arm bent the wrong way from my strike. Following that I didn¡¯t let up and delivered a punch to its throat.

    The monkey gasped for breath and clutched at its neck with its one good arm, but that just gave me the space I needed to finish it off. I unleashed a rapid torrent of strikes that broke almost every bone in its body and left it bruised and bloody in a matter of moments.

    It feebly raised its tail, pointing the jagged spike towards me, but it flopped to the ground soon after. It had no strength left, walking the line between life and death. Only a few breaths kept it from the afterlife.

    But not for long.

    Blood essence sparked in my fingers and I thrust them against the monkey¡¯s neck. Almost immediately it took a sharp breath and started twitching. It took a lot longer to heal than the other beasts.

    Unlike the other beasts which had seemed quite scared of me afterwards and tried to run away, the monkey stared at me with fury and screeched loud enough that I almost let go.

    Then right as I felt the feeling of blood surging into me, it punched me in the face. Blood promptly spurted back out of my nose and I staggered backwards.

    However, there was a grin on my face. This was more like it. A punching bag that didn¡¯t escape after just one round. Which was great, because I¡¯d actually felt a noticeable difference in strength from the amount my blood essence had increased.

    Strange, given that I still felt like I was blocked from advancing further. For now though I wouldn¡¯t question it.

    I knew that the answer to whether I could break through lay in these mountains, I would just need to beat my way through the endless spirit beasts to find it.

    ****

    Li Feng sighed as he tried to focus his qi towards healing his wounds. His respite was short-lived however, as the damnable bastard Huo Ze Qiang soon approached him.

    ¡°Junior Brother Li, get off your ass and go harvest more beast cores. I won¡¯t let Sun Deng¡¯s group beat us to the Ten Ascensions Lily,¡± he ordered, releasing his qi and making Li Feng shiver.

    Huo Ze Qiang had been assigned to lead their group by Elder Jin, an act of blatant nepotism. However, the guy was the strongest there by far and none of the others dared to stand up to his tyranny.

    The entire day they¡¯d been forced to fight every spirit beast they came across to harvest their cores, only for Huo Ze Qiang to keep them all for himself. Stingy bastard, Li Feng cursed.

    In total, five groups of inner disciples from the Cloudy Falls Sect had been sent out to compete for the Ten Ascensions Lily. No doubt some groups from the Soaring Sword Sect had also snuck into the mountain range to try and snatch the rare treasure for themselves.

    Of the five disciples chosen to lead the groups, Li Feng cursed his luck for ending up with Huo Ze Qiang. Even Sun Deng, their leader¡¯s eternal rival, wasn¡¯t this despotic.

    Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t have the strength to complain. For now he would simply bide his time and wait until the opportune moment came. The moment he could snatch the Ten Ascensions Lily from that bastard Huo Ze Qiang and overtake him, reaching the heavens in a single leap.

    Well, maybe just the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm, but to most inner disciples that was as close as it got to heaven. Only the Elders and talented core disciples were able to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm and they were few in number.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Suddenly, a small rock slide occurred and nearly buried him alive. He managed to jump back just in time to avoid the falling stones when a nine-star spirit monkey suddenly rushed at him.

    As a one-star cultivator, he could fight evenly with such a beast in the right circumstances but as he was now the beast would get the opening strike and claim the momentum.

    He raised his arms to guard his vitals, but the blow he was expecting never came. Opening his eyes and lowering his guard he saw the monkey sprint past him, an expression of pure terror on its face. What in the heavens is going on? he wondered to himself as he observed the spirit beast¡¯s odd behaviour.

    A second later another stone fell to the ground beside him and he tensed up, expecting another attack.

    Instead, a streak of green raced past him in pursuit of the spirit monkey. He just about made out the features of a handsome man with sword-like brows and a majestic¡­ hold on Li Feng, you don¡¯t swing that way, he caught himself. It wasn¡¯t his fault, the guy was just that handsome.

    Even stranger, he didn¡¯t recognise the robes the man was wearing at all. No one in the Cloudy Falls Sect wore green robes and he was fairly certain that none of the disciples from the Soaring Sword Sect should be wearing robes of that colour either.

    So just who was the strange cultivator?

    He decided to forget about it. The expression on the monkey¡¯s face, the terror of facing a deadly predator, told him everything he needed to know.

    A man who could make a nine-star Body Tempering beast scared enough to run for its life was a man he didn¡¯t want to mess with. So, Li Feng just continued searching for weaker beasts to hunt as his group made their way to the centre of the Jagged Sword Mountains.

    When he rejoined the group, he didn¡¯t tell anyone what he¡¯d seen. Hopefully they didn¡¯t encounter that scary cultivator again.

    And if they did, he would just try to throw Huo Ze Qiang in the way and run for his life, just like that monkey.

    ****

    I began to wonder if all spirit beasts were cowards or if it was only those in the Body Tempering Realm. This spirit monkey had shown great promise when it defiantly struck me after I¡¯d healed it.

    However, after the third round of being beaten and healed, instead of getting back up to fight it instead sprinted in the other direction. I wasn¡¯t going to let my source of free blood essence escape so of course I had chased after it.

    At one point I thought I saw another person in the valley as I chased the monkey over a small cliff, causing a minor landslide, but it might¡¯ve just been my imagination. Then again, just because the Jagged Sword Mountains were dangerous didn¡¯t mean everyone avoided it.

    It was a great place to find spirit herbs and harvest beast cores for cultivators. I knew plenty of inner disciples from the Cloudy Falls Sect would come here on expeditions.

    I put it out of my mind. Even if that guy was a disciple of my former sect it wasn¡¯t like I needed to stop and make friends with him.

    I had a goal to accomplish and the only way to do that was by hunting spirit beasts and then healing them. Or so I¡¯d thought when I first started this mission of mine.

    Now after repeating the same actions without much change, I was starting to feel like a hamster in a wheel. Stubborn determination hadn¡¯t failed me before though, so at least for now I would keep doing what I set out to do.

    After a while I realised I was never going to be able to catch up with the spirit monkey. Especially not in this terrain. The monkeys, which were clearly the most plentiful spirit beast around, had adapted to live on the sharp, rocky cliffs and mountains.

    My speed was pretty ridiculous when I compared it to a mortal¡¯s, but I was used to moving on easier terrain. I couldn¡¯t keep up here, even at nine-star Body Tempering.

    So I let another monkey escape my clutches.

    I didn¡¯t mind though because I knew there would be plenty more unsuspecting beasts ahead of me to battle, heal, and then repeat until I had grasped some semblance of an answer about my path.

    ****

    Another six monkeys later, four of which had fled, one I was currently healing, and one which I accidentally killed while battling it when I forgot to control my strength. Despite the effects being massively reduced at the peak of nine-star, I had actually improved quite a lot with my practice, going beyond the limits.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how to describe my cultivation. Often those who were at the peak of a certain realm, on the cusp of breaking through to the next but missing one key insight, were known as half-step cultivators of the next realm.

    However, I didn¡¯t think that describing myself as a half-step Qi Gathering cultivator was accurate. Because I wasn¡¯t just one insight away from breaking through¡ªI was entirely barred from advance, because of my shattered spirit roots.

    Yet my strength continued to increase.

    And my knowledge of my healing technique and blood essence with it. I heard a crack as the final bone of the nine-star spirit monkey snapped back into place and I was flooded with blood essence shortly after.

    I stumbled backwards and coughed blood, my body suddenly feeling like it was going to burst, the sheer quantity of energy within too much to handle. Had I broken through some kind of safe limit before advancing to Qi Gathering?

    I was not going to be outdone by my own body. Perhaps cultivators were not supposed to possess this much blood essence or perhaps it was due to my lack of spirit roots I was starting to experience instability in my cultivation.

    I didn¡¯t care. I clenched my teeth and focused inwards, forcing my will on my erratic blood essence until it calmed down. I still felt swollen, like a balloon about to burst, but it was manageable.

    Looking down at the monkey, I saw it opening its eyes. This was the third time I¡¯d beaten and healed this one and I figured it was about to run for its life.

    If I really wanted to I could keep it down and refuse to let it have a fair fight, but that would feel too much like torture. I wasn¡¯t that kind of man.

    With a sigh I released it from my grip and stood up. I had reached the end of the narrow valley and the cliffs were less steep now. The path had opened up to reveal a towering mountain, the entrance to the heart of the Jagged Sword Mountains.

    With a few more steps I left the valley behind and approached a thick forest, one that seemed to cover the side of the mountain almost to the peak. I hoped I would find more powerful beasts inside, perhaps even ones that had broken through to the Qi Gathering realm.

    I suspected that in order to break through¡ªif it was even possible¡ªI would need to heal someone, or something, that was already in the Qi Gathering realm. Blood essence was used to temper the body, the hallmark of my current realm.

    It was effective at doing that, but it was far from enough to gain the spark of inspiration needed to claim the spiritual energy of the world and form a dantian. Qi was an energy far more mysterious and powerful.

    As I entered the forest I felt a light breeze brushing against my face. It relaxed me, a single breath rejuvenating me and filling me with strength. Within the wind there was an almost familiar scent.

    I took another breath, inhaling through my nose and realised what it was. A potent herb lay within the mountain range.

    Originally, I¡¯d only come to the Jagged Sword Mountains to seek a spark of inspiration for my next breakthrough; to obtain the strength I needed to claim revenge on the city lord and those who dared to harm my friends and allies.

    Now though I was tempted to chase another goal. Since I was already here, why not keep travelling further in and see what had released such a potent aroma?

    I wasn¡¯t sure how much further I would need to travel but at the moment the spirit beasts were still not too powerful to handle. So I continued.

    Five minutes passed and suddenly I heard a rustle in the trees and felt something in the air shift. I froze.

    I ducked, my instincts warning me against an unseen attack. Right as I did, a thick stone spike ripped through the air where my head had been a moment before.

    Screeching and snapping branches could be heard nearby and I looked up. Three spirit monkeys, all half-step Qi Gathering beasts, were hanging from the trees. They stared at me with mocking glares, tails raised to strike once more.

 Chapter 26

    The spirit monkey convulsed on the ground, its shoulder and neck misshapen and swollen. It had rushed ahead of its companions and I¡¯d panicked, using my blood essence to cause the tumorous growths inside its body.

    I hoped I could finish off the other two fast and then heal it, but I wasn¡¯t sure. They screeched, making me stumble as two stone spikes blasted towards me.

    Dodging to the side, I avoided the first but felt a spike of pain in my side as the second pierced my gut. They screeched and I heard them jumping from the trees.

    One landed on the ground next to the fallen monkey while the other remained in the canopy, already preparing another strike from afar. I wasted no time in pulling the spike out, letting my refined lungs get to work healing the wound.

    I lacked medicinal energy, so I quickly took out one of the two healing pills I had left and swallowed it. I found it funny that it was more effective for me to break down the ingredients within and refine them, letting my lungs heal me, rather than simply allowing the pill to do so.

    The monkey on the ground observed the convulsing monkey for a moment, then turned to me with hate filled eyes. It screeched louder than before and my eardrums rattled as it bared its fangs.

    The air whistled and I dodged to the side, avoiding another stone spike. The screeching monkey pounced, unleashing a whirlwind of punches and kicks that I had trouble keeping up with.

    I sensed these two beasts had almost grasped the nature of spiritual energy. Every attack was heavy, almost breaking through my skin and bones and striking something deep inside me.

    For now it was manageable, but I wasn¡¯t sure how I would handle myself against a true awakened beast in the Qi Gathering realm. One step at a time.

    While I blocked its blows I searched for an opening in the monkey¡¯s defences. If there was one thing I was confident in it was my perceptive sight.

    As a doctor it was essential to pay excruciatingly close attention to detail when assessing patients and during surgeries and of course that skill translated quite well to martial arts. I¡¯d always had a talent for finding weird gaps in my opponent¡¯s defences.

    Sparring partners often complained that even though they had perfect technique I could still break through. I figured that if there was a gap to exploit, your technique wasn¡¯t perfect¡­

    My arms were bruised from the constant attacks of the spirit monkey, but I was returning a few strikes of my own. There!

    I suddenly spotted a gap. It had just kicked me and it was slightly off balance. I lashed out with my leg, my foot catching the beast in the ankle and it toppled. Its arms waved wildly as it tried to stay upright and I used that distraction to break through its guard.

    I struck with precision, every punch hitting a vital point on the monkey. Within a few strikes it was downed, but I wasn¡¯t done.

    It was still conscious, so I delivered a final blow to its temple, knocking it out. Just as I did that I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder and looked down to see a stone spike jutting out of my arm, blood dripping from the wound.

    I leapt up and rolled to the side to avoid a second spike. The final monkey had made its move. Its eyes were bloodshot and it shrieked at me, gone mad with rage.

    It crossed the remaining distance between us in a single leap and began throwing wild strikes that I barely managed to block. We exchanged dozens of blows in just a few seconds.

    A strange feeling welled up inside me. I had chosen to continue my path of healing and medicine in this world and had only ended up in a few fights. Back on Earth, despite my career, martial arts had been the only way I could take my mind off my troubles.

    I often threw myself into training with an almost fanatic vigour. Once more I felt that same passion, that excitement of dedicating yourself to a single goal.

    This was a dangerous feeling. I knew that this was likely how most cultivators became so obsessed with reaching the peak that they would throw all else aside, leaving nothing but a mountain of corpses in their wake as they ascended the steps to heaven.

    But I was not that weak. I punched a specific spot on the monkey¡¯s elbow and was rewarded with a crunch and the arm falling to its side. It seemed shocked but its rage pushed it onwards, continuing the battle.

    With one less limb however, it was futile. A few moments later it joined its defeated buddies on the ground.

    I rushed towards the first monkey I¡¯d defeated. The monkey was almost unrecognisable as its entire arm, chest, and neck were swollen like balloons that could burst at any moment.

    I¡¯d not yet attempted to heal the damage from my own technique yet. I hadn¡¯t needed to. Of course I hadn¡¯t wanted to heal the bandits I¡¯d killed with it, so that meant this monkey would be the first time.

    It wasn¡¯t that different from healing any other affliction. I injected blood essence and it quelled the raging energy within. But there was a problem.

    I wasn¡¯t just fighting against some infection or flesh wound, I was attempting to battle against my own energy. The monkey yelled in pain as the two differing techniques clashed within its body.

    At first the tumours started to swell and grow and I worried that I had made things worse, but a few moments later the clashes subsided and its body slowly returned to normal. However, there was something strange.

    When it was fully healed, my blood essence returned to me, but it had not grown whatsoever. Unlike when I healed other patients, there were no gains to be had here.

    That made sense. While my qi oath had been potent and the rewards equally powerful, it would¡¯ve been ridiculous if I could create a self-fulfilling cycle that propelled me through the cultivation realms. Inflicting heinous wounds such as this and then healing them.

    I assumed it didn¡¯t stop me from progressing when I healed physical wounds I¡¯d afflicted because that was still a greater challenge. I had to use strength that wasn¡¯t part of the oath to crush the beasts and so I was still rewarded for healing them.

    Satisfied with learning some more about my mysterious techniques, I turned to the other two monkeys. If I was being honest, I was a little worried about healing them.

    My body was already full of blood essence. It felt as though even a little more would push me over some kind of limit; one that I didn¡¯t necessarily want to pass. However, I decided to heal them anyway.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Until now I still hadn¡¯t gained much insight as to how I would progress my cultivation further than the Body Tempering Realm. This was the only hint I had and so I would continue to explore it, even if that held potentially painful consequences.

    When I healed the first monkey, nothing happened except the strange feeling of being full grew even more intense. It weighed down on me with every step, something within my body but not physically present.

    Despite that feeling I didn¡¯t hesitate as I began to heal the third and final spirit monkey. My blood entered its body as normal and I watched as it went to work, setting broken bones and knitting torn muscles back together.

    It finished in record time, my healing technique growing more effective the higher my cultivation grew. When the blood essence surged back into me, I prepared to keep a tight hold on it, prepared for the uncomfortable swelling.

    However, I soon realised something was seriously wrong. I continued to swell as the blood essence flowed into my body, but I soon felt a familiar feeling. One that I hadn¡¯t expected to feel until I¡¯d grasped insight into the workings of qi.

    ****

    Wang Ren exhaled, flicking his arm to remove the blood of the spirit monkey from his glaive. That had been one of the most challenging fights he¡¯d had to date.

    A three-star awakened beast, a spirit beast that could typically fight on even ground against four-star Qi Gathering cultivators. He was still only a two-star Qi Gatherer but he¡¯d managed to bring it down through a combination of intelligence and the technique his master had handed down to him.

    Upon reaching two-star one of the inner Elders of the sect had taken notice of his talents and offered to take him as a disciple. Of course he¡¯d accepted. Elder Bang was renowned for his prowess with the glaive and also his eccentric nature.

    A few other disciples had warned him against becoming a disciple of the reclusive elder, but Wang Ren came from a common background. Without the benefit of connections or the heritage of a clan he had to claim every scrap he could.

    That was how he¡¯d worked his way through the outer sect and he wouldn¡¯t stop now. Despite being one of the most talented disciples in his generation he refused to sit back and allow his progress to stagnate.

    He would rather be an ant that dared to ascend to the summit of a mountain than remain a frog trapped in a well, simply because he was afraid of an Elder being a little strange. Besides, he realised the rumours were mostly nonsense after a few weeks of training under his new master.

    Most of them, anyway.

    Elder Bang had provided him with just one technique to date. It was the first in a series of techniques that formed a self created glaive art¡ªShattering Earth Carving Heavens Glaive.

    It was a mighty and imposing technique, as one would expect from the name. Elder Bang was one of the top elders in the sect, a three-star Foundation Building expert. He had created this glaive art upon breaking through to the Foundation Building Realm, right after winning a vicious battle against the Fang Demon Cult and a nine-star awakened beast at the same time.

    To receive his legacy was a great honour, one that Wang Ren didn¡¯t intend to waste. Even with just the first technique of the art, Heavy Earth Slash, he was able to rebuke the limits of heaven and cross stars to fight against beasts and other foes with greater cultivation than his own.

    Yet he still felt that if he tried to challenge Sun Deng, he would lose. It would not be an easy loss and he could certainly put up a fight against the other man, but he would lose without a doubt.

    Despite knowing that, he would still do his best to claim at least one or two petals of the Ten Ascensions Lily. Surely Sun Deng was not so tyrannical as to claim the entire flower for himself?

    Returning to the group, Wang Ren saw that they had all gathered. Sun Deng nodded towards him and he returned a nod of his own out of politeness.

    As the two strongest members of their group, they shared a certain understanding. Sun Deng raised an arm to silence the conversations.

    ¡°Beyond the forest lies the heart of the Jagged Sword Mountains. The Jagged Sword Peak itself, where the verdant spirit pond lies. That pond is a natural treasure in and of itself, with a single mouthful said to provide inspiration to those in the Qi Gathering Realm,¡± he explained, even though they all knew this already.

    ¡°Our goal is not the pond, but the flower that will blossom in the centre. From this point on we may encounter other groups and more dangerous awakened beasts that you may not be able to handle alone. Stick together and with me and we will emerge triumphant. I promise to share the petals of the flower with those who contribute to our success!¡± he exclaimed, the rest of the disciples shouting once in affirmation.

    Wang Ren wasn¡¯t so inclined to believe him, but he wouldn¡¯t dare act out of turn. He wasn¡¯t so arrogant as to believe he could reach the verdant spirit pond alone. So he followed after the group as they left the forest behind.

    As he stepped out from under the canopy, he suddenly felt a faint release of energy from behind, far in the distance. Not qi or spiritual energy, but something less and yet more.

    He frowned, but there was no time to investigate or worry about it for now. He would simply continue doing as he needed and trying to honour himself and his master. He looked at his glaive, the weapon also of the king grade, the same as his master¡¯s art.

    The edge was sharp and the shaft heavy, yet plain. No decoration was needed to kill your foes. Only determination and strength.

    A coward could never reach the heavens, even if a saint grade technique fell from the heavens like a meat pie and landed in their lap. His path was clear and he would not falter, even if he had to challenge Sun Deng and risk death.

    ****

    I realised the moment my skin began to tear, blood pouring from the endless lacerations across my body, that something had gone seriously wrong. I had no time to consider what though, because all my focus was required to stop myself from collapsing under the pressure as my body ripped itself apart.

    This made no sense. Nine-star was supposed to be the limit of the Body Tempering Realm, yet I was making another breakthrough despite reaching the peak.

    Compared to the previous breakthroughs I¡¯d experienced and even the ones I could remember from before I took over this body¡­ it was far beyond them.

    Somehow I felt that this wasn¡¯t a breakthrough to the next realm. I had yet to grasp the mysteries of qi and I still hadn¡¯t really figured out how to turn my shattered spirit roots into a working dantian.

    So I was doing something completely unprecedented. Another wave of agony struck as my internal organs turned to mush. I noticed that my lungs retained their shape more than the rest, clearly a result of the refining through my physique.

    That was all I could notice. My mind became occupied with just one single thing¡ªsurviving this ordeal.

    Failing to breakthrough from one star to the next in most realms meant losing your progress and having to cultivate from the beginning of that small stage once more. Here, I knew that failure meant death.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why I knew that, but I did. So I pushed away all outside thoughts, my consciousness the only thing present in the misshapen pile of flesh that was currently my body.

    After a while, I inhaled.

    Then, I exhaled and with that breath came a green healing mist. My bones were the first to reforge themselves, my skeleton now flexible and sturdy like the trunk of an ancient tree.

    Around those unshakeable bones, my muscles and tendons regrew, knitting themselves together. My muscles were now like bundles of iron cables, nigh unbreakable and capable of unleashing devastatingly powerful and lightning fast strikes. My tendons were like the sinews of a dragon, nothing able to snap them.

    My organs reforged themselves anew, cleansed of impurities. Finally, my skin stretched across my body, smooth and unblemished like the finest jade and yet impossible to pierce for any below the Qi Gathering Realm.

    As I fully awakened, I understood I had achieved the impossible. I had broken through to ten-star Body Tempering.

    It was a stage no one before me had ever reached, because it shouldn¡¯t have existed. Then again, the world was vast and unknowable so perhaps I wasn¡¯t the first. However, I had never heard of it in any of the sect¡¯s records or through any of Zhao Dan¡¯s memories.

    I smiled, my level of strength far beyond any other Body Tempering practitioner. Perhaps I could even match a cultivator at one-star Qi Gathering, but it would be a tough battle.

    Before I could test my new strength however, there was something far more important to attend to.

 Chapter 27

    My body was covered in black goo. Impurities. I wouldn¡¯t have minded, since they were a mark of my prowess. A reminder that I had achieved the impossible and defied the heavens.

    The problem was they stank like crap. As though someone had found a pool of rotten sewage and excrement, fermented it further and then mixed it with the juices of a skunk.

    My quest to defeat the spirit beasts of the Jagged Sword Mountains would have to be put on hold while I looked for a river or lake in which to bathe. My only priority was now to find a way to clean myself.

    Like a man injected with chicken blood I raced into the distance, filled with energy and determination. I started to scour the forest in search of water. Anything would do.

    Even a puddle, provided it was sufficiently large to let me have a bath. Unfortunately, even after searching for fifteen minutes I was unable to find somewhere to wash myself.

    Cursing this forest, I turned my gaze towards the centre of the mountain range. I hadn¡¯t seen any bodies of water outside so my only hope of bathing was to search deeper inside.

    I didn¡¯t mind heading further in, since that suited my goal of finding more powerful awakened beasts to beat down and then heal. However, I was a little worried I might run into other people while in this disgusting state.

    I remembered seeing that guy while chasing the spirit monkey. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d only imagined it, but I knew this was a training ground for disciples of my old sect so it wasn¡¯t impossible that there were some here right now.

    Even so, I wasn¡¯t going to abandon my only hope of a wash out of fear of meeting someone. Cultivators knew what breaking through was like anyway so I¡¯m sure they would understand my pain.

    With my mind made up I sprinted through the forest, determined to reach the Jagged Sword Mountain and find a lake or river.

    ****

    Despite my earlier ambition, I was still stuck in the forest. It was far larger than I¡¯d first believed, though I¡¯d only seen it from a distance.

    The Jagged Sword Mountain was simply that enormous. I suspected it was easily twice as tall as Everest back on Earth. Yet from Zhao Dan¡¯s memories I knew it was far from the largest mountain in the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s territory, let alone the Celestial Jade Empire.

    Just when I was beginning to think my journey through the forest would never end, I heard the sound of snapping branches. A second later I was forced to duck as something flew at my head.

    I heard a crunch and the sound of cracking bark. When I turned around I realised what had flown at me wasn¡¯t an object, but a person.

    More precisely, it was a girl wearing familiar robes. The bright red robes of an inner disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    She coughed and blood sprayed across the forest floor. Almost immediately after, she attempted to stand up. However, she coughed blood again and fell to the ground.

    My first instinct was to look in the direction she¡¯d flown from. There was no way that had been a natural occurrence¡ªa fight was happening nearby.

    A rather vicious one judging from the state of the girl. Her robes were torn and bloody, her once bright skin now marred with a plethora of cuts and bruises.

    Then again, perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a vicious battle. Even the so-called friendly spar between fellow disciples I¡¯d witnessed the day I left the sect had been bloodier than this.

    Even so, I was inclined to help the girl. Not just because my qi oath compelled me, but because I had no reason not to.

    Zhao Dan¡¯s hatred and resentment towards his former sect was not mine. Other than those bastards who tormented him personally¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure how I would react to meeting them¡ªI had no conflicts with disciples of the sect.

    When I stepped towards her she immediately opened her eyes. She flinched and raised her hands, but then lowered them slightly when saw me¡­ and then immediately threw them up again after realising I was not wearing the sect robes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, coughing blood once more. ¡°You dare interfere with the affairs of the Cloudy Falls Sect?¡±

    ¡®Seriously?¡¯ was the only thought I had when I saw her reaction to my arrival.

    Instead of simply asking me my identity and purpose she¡¯d chosen the classic cultivator approach of acting high and mighty. Throwing around the power of her sect instead of being a normal person and having a conversation.

    I understood her a little. In this brutal world it was rare to encounter someone who wasn¡¯t selfishly chasing the peak of cultivation. When you were injured and someone appeared before you, more often than not they only wanted to steal your treasures and leave you for dead.

    Luckily for this girl, I wasn¡¯t one of those selfish bastards. No, I was here with the purehearted intentions of healing her and saving her from death.

    The fact I would see massive gains in my own cultivation afterwards had nothing to do with it whatsoever. Definitely not.

    Actually, I was a little excited. My heart was beating louder in my chest as I took tentative steps towards the girl.

    Having the opportunity to heal a cultivator in the Qi Gathering realm might give me the insight I needed to break through myself. I raised my hands, palms facing outwards, to show that I wasn¡¯t a threat.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I am simply in these mountains to train, just like you,¡± I said calmly. ¡°As far as I am aware the Cloudy Falls Sect does not restrict other cultivators who live in these lands from entering the Jagged Sword Mountains.¡±

    She seemed to relax a little, but from the wary gaze in her eyes and the way her hand never left her hip¡ªwhere she likely hid a weapon¡ªI knew she was still on guard against me. That was fine. She would soon change her mind.

    Unfortunately I had forgotten one crucial detail. As I grew closer I saw her sniff the air a few times and then scrunch her face in disgust.

    Taking a closer look at me, she seemed to have only just realised I was covered head to toe in impurities and smelled worse than a horse fart. ¡°Bastard, what the hell are you doing running around like that!?¡± she exclaimed, gaining a second wind as she leapt back to escape the stench.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    I looked down at my stained robes and body. I¡¯d done my best to scrape off most of the black goo, but plenty remained. It was almost impossible to cleanse without water.

    Sighing, I raised my eyes to her once more. ¡°Look, I just had a breakthrough in the middle of the mountains and there isn¡¯t exactly somewhere close by to wash,¡± I explained, continuing to walk forward. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move around so much with those injuries,¡± I added.

    Her eyes widened. I was sure she knew I¡¯d broken through. That was almost always the reason for a cultivator¡¯s body to expel impurities. I just wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d been that focused given the extent of her wounds.

    However, instead of calming down and letting me approach she suddenly smacked her fist against the ground. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Did water leak in your brain or something!? Had a damn breakthrou-¡± she suddenly coughed blood two more times but didn¡¯t even stop her ranting¡­ ¡°-gh and staying in the mountains! One isn¡¯t enough for you, greedy bastard? Go home and have a bath!¡± she hissed, crawling away from me.

    Blood leaked from her wounds onto the ground and she coughed again. She was literally killing herself just so she wouldn¡¯t have to be close to me and smell the stench I was giving off.

    She was a Qi Gathering cultivator. I could tell that much from simply observing the qi in her body going wild as her injuries ravaged her body. This foolish woman was going to die because of her pride.

    Well, and perhaps her nose¡­ but it truly wasn¡¯t my fault I¡¯d managed to utterly defy the heavens and break through to a stage of Body Tempering that hadn¡¯t previously existed!

    There was only one option left to me. Sometimes being a doctor meant making hard decisions. Right now this woman was refusing to see sense.

    I inhaled¡­ and then closed the distance between us in just two steps. She gasped in surprise. I clamped my hand around her arm.

    ¡°You- you softshell turtle! Don¡¯t touch-¡± her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and she passed out.

    I think I accidentally used a little too much blood essence¡­

    However, I made sure to focus very carefully on what happened. This was my first time healing a cultivator in the Qi Gathering realm. I wasn¡¯t actually sure the technique would work, but I had to try anyway.

    Just as they usually did, sparks of my essence rushed into her body. They had no particular destination, simply racing for the closest injury they found.

    The typical process of the technique involved my own blood essence combining with the person I was healing¡¯s blood essence. In mortals it was quite difficult to detect as they often possessed barely any essence, but with cultivators it was different.

    Until now I¡¯d only healed Body Tempering practitioners and what usually happened was their own blood essence would join with mine, forming swirls that would then disperse healing sparks until the damage was repaired. Or the sickness was pulled up by the roots, whichever was necessary.

    So in my head there were two possibilities now that I was attempting to heal a one-star Qi Gatherer; either the same thing would happen, just with her qi instead of blood essence, or my technique would fail because I didn¡¯t possess any qi.

    At first everything seemed to be fine. My blood essence spread throughout the girl¡¯s body¡ªI realised now I¡¯d never asked her name¡ªand I saw it beginning to swirl and shake. So far, so good.

    Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Her wounds began to heal all across her body. Bruises faded and cuts began to seal as my blood essence went to work.

    Halfway through the process, I saw strands of her qi joining the swirls of blood essence. That was new.

    The qi didn¡¯t mix smoothly with my essence, however. It was like oil and water. Two fluids that violently rejected each other and refused to cooperate.

    Yet that didn¡¯t impede the healing process. In fact, the opposite seemed to happen. As her qi and my blood clashed, the swirls sped up rapidly, spinning faster than I¡¯d ever seen before.

    The clumps of qi and blood they spewed out hastened the healing process and before long the girl was in perfect condition. I was a little surprised at what had happened, but it wasn¡¯t beyond the realms of my expectation.

    Instead, I was more interested in what would happen next. This was the part where my blood essence would return to me, having multiplied and ready to improve my cultivation.

    There were two problems with that. Quite major problems.

    The first was that I had not only reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, but I had even surpassed it and entered ten-star Body Tempering¡ªa previously unknown stage. Despite the breakthrough I still felt as though my body was swollen and full to the limit with blood essence.

    If I received even more, what would happen? Surely I wouldn¡¯t keep doing the impossible, defying the heavens and breaking through to more unknown stages of Body Tempering. Ten-star was one thing, but for there to be an eleventh star would be absurd¡­

    That wasn¡¯t even taking into account the second problem. One which was perhaps even bigger than the first.

    What would the impact of qi on my blood essence and technique be? I hoped that it would do something beneficial and thus provide me some insight into how I might approach the wall to my own cultivation, but it could also do the opposite.

    There was every chance something terrible would happen to my technique because I¡¯d tried to reach beyond my limits. Either way, I would soon find out. My endless musings were rather pointless, but they did help to further my own understanding of the world and myself.

    I felt a rush as the first drops of my blood returned. Immediately I noticed that they were not the same as before I¡¯d used the technique. I tried to figure out what had changed, but my understanding was limited.

    Previously, my blood essence had transformed by absorbing various potent toxins, giving me greater resistance to poisons while also letting my technique fight against toxins more effectively. Perhaps something similar had happened with the girl¡¯s qi?

    I quickly realised that my technique had worked as intended. Far more blood essence returned to me than I¡¯d used to heal her.

    That was a big problem. Once more I felt my body swell beyond its limits, like a dam about to burst.

    For a brief moment, less than a breath¡¯s worth of time, I was scared I would face another unexpected breakthrough. However, the rush of energy soon subsided. The shattering of my limits that I feared never came.

    I still felt uncomfortable, far too much blood essence than a Body Tempering cultivator should ever have racing through my body, but there was nothing I could do except clench my jaw and bear it.

    The girl was still unconscious. I propped her up against a nearby tree and wondered what to do next.

    I wanted to focus on my blood essence and see what changes had taken place. I felt that was the best way to approach enlightenment; to discover the steps I needed to take in order to reach the Qi Gathering Realm.

    However, there was a more pressing issue. Now that I was not so focused on healing her, I realised the sounds of battle rang in my ears.

    In the first place she had been wounded and flown in my direction because of a fight. That fight was bringing itself to me whether I wanted to join or not.

    Which¡­ wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. If I played my cards right I could just watch the battle unfold and then heal whoever required it afterwards.

    Not only would I be doing a good deed, I would also be improving my own strength and perhaps gaining more opportunities to observe my technique in action on Qi Gathering cultivators or awakened beasts.

    Assuming that was who was battling. There was the chance it was two groups of cultivators, but I wasn¡¯t experienced enough to tell the difference between cuts from claws and the slashes of a sword.

    The answer revealed itself to me a few seconds later. A man jumped backwards through the trees, landing nearby and sliding through the dirt.

    Blood dripped from wounds across his body, but his eyes burned with determination and he gripped his sword firmly in two hands. He also wore the robes of an inner disciple.

    His eyes swivelled around and when he saw me, then the unconscious girl, they widened and I saw his brow furrowing in confusion. However, he quickly turned his gaze back to the direction he¡¯d come from just as a tree in front of us exploded.

    I threw my arms up to guard my face as the shower of splinters and bark cascaded over us. Thanks to my recent breakthrough my body was perhaps even sturdier than that of a one-star Qi Gatherer, so I suffered little damage.

    What came next was far more dangerous.

 Chapter 28

    I saw something flicker through my arms and the shower of shattered wood. It lasted less than a second but it made me duck.

    Right on time too, as not a moment later the tip of a spear sliced through the air where my head had been. Unfortunately for the other cultivator, he was not so quick to react.

    The spearhead struck him in the side of the chest and pierced his skin. I heard a crack and saw him blown backwards in an explosion of flame.

    Faint strands of flickering orange faded as the spear vibrated in place. Fire qi? I felt bad for the guy, but as long as he survived I could always heal him up.

    More importantly I needed to make sure the new arrival knew I wasn¡¯t their enemy. I¡¯d also managed to confirm that this was a battle between cultivators and not between cultivators and beasts.

    Beasts didn¡¯t use spears.

    The dust cleared and the attacker was revealed. It was a tall man with a willowy figure. He looked like he hadn¡¯t eaten anything for months. Which actually could be the case, given that Qi Gathering cultivators didn¡¯t really need mortal sustenance.

    His long black hair was tied into a ponytail and his eyes were a bright orange, the same colour as the flames of his spear. Rather unique, but this was a new world after all. Who was to say the genetics of humans in the Celestial Jade Empire were the same as on Earth.

    There was also all kinds of cultivator bullshit to factor in, such as physiques, arts, and bloodlines. I myself had already experienced the kind of changes a physique could bring to the human body after refining my lungs.

    So I didn¡¯t linger on the fact that his eyes were bright orange for long¡­ Well, at least not that long. He stared at the cultivator he¡¯d struck, a hint of annoyance appearing on his face.

    That was when I realised the newcomer was also wearing the bright red robes of the Cloudy Falls Sect. What was going on?

    It wasn¡¯t unusual for disciples of the same sect to compete. I¡¯d not only seen such an example myself but also had plenty of memories from the previous Zhao Dan where his own sect mates would mercilessly beat him using the excuse of sharing pointers or other nonsense.

    However, that previous spear strike had felt deadly. As though the one attacking had the intent to kill his opponent. That was¡­ also not entirely uncommon.

    This was a brutal world where only a handful of individuals would reach the peak of cultivation, a step before challenging the heavens to reach true immortality. It was just unfortunate that I happened to land in the middle of this particular fight to the death.

    I doubted the aggressor would want to leave any witnesses alive, which meant I might be forced to kill in order to defend myself. That was if I was even strong enough to defeat this guy.

    Which I doubted. He was definitely in the Qi Gathering Realm and perhaps even three or four-star based on the feel of his qi and the strength of his previous strike.

    Also, the fact his spear strike was infused with fire qi was a dead giveaway that he was not an early Qi Gathering cultivator. Zhao Dan¡¯s notes had informed me that wielding qi and imbuing it with an element like flame or lightning required an understanding of one¡¯s own qi and the element you wanted to use.

    In order to obtain that understanding you would need to be in the Qi Gathering Realm for a while, hence my deduction that this man was in middle Qi Gathering. My final deduction was¡­ I was fucked.

    ¡°Fellow cultivator,¡± I said, raising my hands and taking a step backwards. ¡°As you can see, I am in dire need of a bath. There is no bad blood between us, so perhaps you could allow me to leave?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The cultivator flicked the blood from his spear and drew it back to his body, planting the shaft in the soil. He stared at me with his orange eyes, his gaze burning into me.

    He looked¡­ familiar. Something about his features resonated with my memories but I couldn¡¯t quite place him.

    ¡°Truly, the heavens were not smiling on you when you left your home this morning, wandering cultivator,¡± he replied with a smirk. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t happened upon this battle you might¡¯ve been able to live to see tomorrow, but unfortunately I cannot allow any witnesses to escape. If you wish to blame someone, then blame your mother for giving birth to you on an inauspicious day.¡±

    Was this guy serious¡­ I thought I was slowly acclimating to the culture of the Celestial Jade Empire but that insult made me rethink my entire existence. What was I supposed to feel?

    Insulted? On my behalf, or my mother¡¯s? Since it had come to this, there was no chance of escape. Despite the odds being stacked against me I would simply have to fight and give it my all.

    There was a sliver of a chance at victory. I had my cancer touch, which might even allow me to cross realms and defeat this man.

    I also couldn¡¯t forget the fact that I wasn¡¯t alone. The injured disciple would hopefully join forces with me against the spear wielder, given that we now shared an enemy.

    However, I wouldn¡¯t place my life in his hands. Based on his cultivation and the fact his ally had already been defeated by the fire spear cultivator, they might not be much help.

    ¡°Well, me and the heavens already have a pre-existing deal going on. I¡¯d be rather annoyed if they suddenly decided to fuck with me,¡± I replied with a smirk.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the man said, cocking his head to one side with confusion evident on his face.

    I thought I¡¯d bought some time with my remark. Unfortunately, this guy wasn¡¯t the patient type. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward, vanishing from view.

    He reappeared before I had time to breathe, my only warning the faint flickering of qi to my right. The next thing I knew a flaming spear cut through the air as I jumped backwards.

    The heat singed a few of my eyebrow hairs off as I dodged. ¡°Impressive reactions,¡± the man said with a nod. ¡°But it won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I watched his hands and feet. They would move before he did, telling me how to act. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if the same tells would apply to cultivators as mortal martial artists.

    Regardless I had to try. There! His left foot shifted slightly and I spun to the left, narrowly avoiding it as he swung the spear in a wide arc intended to slice open my belly.

    I saw his eyes widening a little when I dodged but it didn¡¯t slow him in the slightest. There was even less of a delay between the second and third strikes. The time for talking was over.

    I used every ounce of focus I had to try and estimate where his strikes were coming from. It worked¡­ at first.

    With every failed attack the man¡¯s thrusts and slashes grew faster, the flames burning on the tip of his spear intensifying. The grass around us started to wither and then simply burned away as the heat grew.

    I wanted to observe the fiery orange qi in action, hoping to gain some insights to use for my own breakthrough. However, he gave me no opportunity.

    I was drenched in sweat by now, using all of my strength and focus simply to stay alive. Throughout this entire exchange I¡¯d barely managed to counter his blows. Yet I wasn¡¯t too worried.

    There was a vast gulf that existed between us. The separation of major realms. He was a three or perhaps even four-star Qi Gathering cultivator, while I was just a humble¡­ ten-star Body Tempering practitioner.

    Admittedly a unique existence, but still far from a match for the inner disciple. However, I had a secret technique that could change the course of the battle in my favour. And all I needed to use it was a single touch.

    Even so, the man wasn¡¯t going to let me get that touch. His efforts finally paid off. My muscles burned and as I kicked off the ground to dodge, my foot caught a rock at an awkward angle.

    I stumbled to the side and instantly felt a searing pain as the burning spear pierced through my thigh. That strike was like the first domino falling, setting off a chain reaction.

    Even the heavens couldn¡¯t save me from what came next.

    He ripped the spear tip out of my thigh, barely any emotion on his face as he then kicked me in the side of the knee. I grunted in pain as he shattered it, knocking me to the ground.

    ¡°For a Body Tempering whelp, you fought well. I pray the six paths are kind and grant you better talent and fate in the next life,¡± he said, closing his eyes as he stabbed his spear into my forehead.

    I sighed, knowing there was nothing I could do to save myself. It was a shame to die like this. I had hoped to at least claim a little revenge for Xiao Cui and myself, but it seemed like that little girl would be left all alone in the world.

    Damn it.

    I felt my hair catch fire as the spear descended and all I could do was accept my fate.

 Chapter 29

    The air around the spear seemed to distort from the searing heat of the flames. I took a breath¡ªpotentially my last¡ªthough even that near scorched my windpipe. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the tip of the spear approached my forehead.

    I¡¯d fought admirably, but in the end hadn¡¯t achieved much. While I¡¯d managed to make a breakthrough, in the end I was still going to die a dog¡¯s death to some random disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    Yet there was nothing I could do here. Even so, I refused to give in until the final moment. I lifted both hands to block the spear and grunted loudly as it pierced straight through them, cooking the flesh.

    All that my struggle achieved was to delay the inevitable. The disciple continued to push and I wasn¡¯t able to resist the spear¡¯s advance. However, I¡¯d forgotten something important.

    I was not fighting alone.

    Suddenly another explosion of qi from the side made both me and the spear user turn our heads. The other injured disciple from before had not been idle during my battle and had dealt with his injuries somewhat.

    He¡¯d pulled a sword out and thrust it straight at the spear cultivator, who was forced to abandon his attack on me in order to block. I winced as he ripped the weapon out of my hands.

    Gingerly, I reached up and touched the centre of my forehead. There was a single drop of blood there, from where his spear had made contact.

    I¡¯d been one thrust from death. That had a funny way of putting things in perspective. Rather than an interesting puzzle to solve¡ªnamely, finding a way to break through to Qi Gathering without spirit roots¡ªit had become an obligation. If I didn¡¯t have the strength to defend myself, I would be leaving Xiao Cui defenseless in a nest of vipers.

    Not only that, but my own life was not in my hands. Admittedly, that would remain true until one was unmatched under the heavens, but at least reaching a new realm would reduce the number of threats significantly.

    I couldn¡¯t stay on my knees pondering the fragility of mortal life for long. The other disciple had come to my aid but he too was outmatched. Even the fiercest dog can¡¯t kill a tiger, but perhaps two could.

    Besides, with the spear cultivator now having to focus on attacks from two enemies, the chance of me being able to make contact was far higher. Things weren¡¯t looking so dire anymore.

    The only drawback of this method of fighting was that I would gain less by healing them after the battle. However, survival was the most important.

    Minor gains were far preferable to death.

    Even now that the battle was more even, the spear cultivator still came out on top. He seemed to be a natural talent when it came to fighting. The kind to chop nails and sever iron without a second thought.

    Every strike was aimed at a vital point of mine or the other disciple¡¯s bodies and there was no delay between his attacks and defensive moves. He would transition from a lightning fast thrust to a graceful parry with barely any effort.

    Though I noticed that the movements of his qi were far more erratic and the intensity of the flames on his spear was not as great compared to the start of the battle. Our slow efforts were paying off.

    But he wasn¡¯t going to stand by while we wore him down. Suddenly the man¡¯s qi exploded out to every facet of his body and I jumped backwards before he could finish his technique.

    Unfortunately the other disciple was not as perceptive and was caught as a wave of fire burst outwards from the spear cultivator¡¯s body. It was like a moving wall that incinerated everything in its path and I had to run about twenty-five metres backwards to escape it.

    The ground was scorched in its wake, trees incinerated and left as little more than charcoal. The same was true for my ally of convenience, though he at least was still standing.

    His flesh was scorched and bloody and he took a single step forwards, still holding his sword, before falling to the ground. A perfect opportunity for our opponent to strike.

    Yet I saw our enemy didn¡¯t move. He was still standing in the same spot and a second later he even stumbled backwards, but kept himself upright at the last moment.

    I realised why when I saw that his qi was now little more than a flicker. Whatever that insane fire technique was, it had taken a lot out of him to use. Even as I observed him however, he gripped his spear and began walking towards my downed ally. I didn¡¯t have much time.

    I rushed forwards, my first steps slow but gradually increasing in speed as I realised there was no danger from the scorched earth, except it being a little hot. All I needed was a single touch.

    When I was just a few steps away he noticed me, but his focus was on killing the other cultivator so he failed to react appropriately. It was to be expected. Most cultivators couldn¡¯t cause lethal damage with a touch.

    In less than a breath¡¯s time, he crossed the distance to my ally and an explosion of flame wreathed the tip of his spear as he thrust it into the disciple¡¯s chest. At the same time, I closed the gap between us and kicked out at his knee while thrusting two fingers towards a rip in his robe, near his torso.

    The disciple who¡¯d been hit with the spear strike screamed and fell backwards, clutching a burnt hole in his chest. I had no time to focus on him for now, but I hoped he would survive until the end of the battle.

    To heal him of course. The fact that it could lead to enlightenment regarding my path had nothing to do with it.

    Before the spear cultivator had even finished his strike I started pouring blood essence into his body with the sole intention of corrupting his flesh. I wasn¡¯t sure how effective my technique¡ªI really needed to come up with a better name than tumour touch¡ªwould be on a middle stage Qi Gathering cultivator, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me from trying.

    At first nothing happened and I feared the worst, but then I saw the spear guy¡¯s eyes widen in shock. He leapt backwards from me, brandishing his spear outwards to keep me at a distance.

    ¡°What the hell did you-¡± he began to exclaim then suddenly yelled in pain, cutting himself off.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    I saw the side of his chest swell as lumps formed and his body began to twitch. The technique had worked. His grip on the spear did not waver however, proving he had trained himself to the extremes.

    Despite that I still rushed forwards. There was no better time to strike than now, before he found a way to resist my technique.

    He stepped towards me but suddenly twitched as another lump exploded from the side of his chest. That small movement allowed me to parry his spear to the side.

    It still burned my hand, the tip of the spear constantly red hot from the fire qi that circulated his body and weapon, but he was running low. As long as the fight went on long enough I was confident in at least surviving.

    I swung my foot in a narrow arc, aiming to knock my opponent off his feet. Taking the fight to the ground would shift the battle in my favour against an opponent used to using a weapon.

    As a middle Qi Gatherer I was sure he still had the advantage over me in strength, but perhaps my ridiculously durable body would allow me to claim victory regardless of the gap. I had reached ten-star Body Tempering after all, something no other cultivator had achieved¡ªto my knowledge.

    That gave me an absolute advantage when it came to raw physical strength. At least against opponents who weren¡¯t specialised body cultivators or just so far ahead of me on the road of cultivation that they could ignore my superiority.

    Even while struggling with my technique he shifted his foot to the side, avoiding my swipe. I pivoted instantly and struck towards his chest but he even managed to block that punch, responding by slicing towards my neck with his spear.

    I narrowly avoided it, feeling the air against my scalp as it passed. The swelling in his chest continued to grow and he was forced to strike an acupoint on his body while guarding against me.

    That gave me an opening to finally kick his knee. His bones were tough. Against a weaker opponent that strike would have snapped their leg but his only bent a little.

    Even so, it was enough for me. As his hands dropped I dropped under his spear strike and elbowed upwards into his jaw with lightning speed. His head snapped backwards and for the first time he truly lost balance.

    I pressed my advantage, unwilling to waste the fruits of my effort. One more jab into his stomach, pushing as much blood essence as I could into his body.

    He doubled over instantly as his flesh burst outwards. Tumours rapidly multiplied as whatever technique he¡¯d used to suppress the first application was unable to handle a second.

    ¡°What is this demonic technique!?¡± the man roared, defaulting to rage when he found himself unable to win in strength.

    I just smirked in response. Demonic? Maybe from his perspective. Even on Earth, there were many who might view cancer in the same way. To me though, it was now just another tool in my arsenal.

    He shouldn¡¯t complain. If I won the battle I¡¯d end up healing him anyway, so what was the problem?

    I increased the speed of my attacks, barraging him with punches and kicks. He blocked a few and even managed to cut me with his spear a few times but the momentum of battle had shifted heavily in my favour.

    Even with the huge gap in cultivation that existed between us he was unable to overcome my technique. He coughed blood as I delivered a swift jab to his jaw.

    I saw his eyes rolling back in his head and he collapsed to the ground. I stepped back and started to turn around when suddenly his hand twitched.

    A few bits of jade dust fell from his palm and I saw a stream of qi rapidly escape into the sky. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I didn¡¯t even know what he¡¯d done.

    Perhaps he¡¯d sent a message to someone? If the Cloudy Falls Sect believed a talented inner disciple had been slain by a demonic cultivator, this region might get a little chaotic.

    I¡¯d need to keep a low profile from now on. First though, I had to heal my ally. If he was still alive.

    Even while knocked out, the fire cultivator still clutched his spear tightly. From the quality I guessed it was a spirit weapon, perhaps even martial grade.

    He¡¯d been an impressive opponent. I could respect his grit and tenacity, even if I disapproved of him trying to kill his fellow disciples.

    I rushed over to the cultivator with the burning hole in his chest, increasing my speed when I saw he was barely moving. When I was next to him I realised his condition was even worse than I¡¯d thought.

    A few of his ribs were protruding from the wound, the ends charred and the flesh around it still burning. I saw faint orange sparks, the lingering remnants of the other cultivator¡¯s qi.

    I wasn¡¯t even sure if my healing technique would dispel the qi, but it had worked on the potent Qi Gathering poison before so I was quite confident. I didn¡¯t wait or inspect his body further.

    My technique didn¡¯t necessarily rely on understanding what the patient was suffering from, only that I had a close enough cultivation and enough blood essence to heal them. Healing a Core Forging Master would be like overturning the heavens.

    I didn¡¯t worry about such things as I used my technique. I made sure to focus on what happened inside the disciple¡¯s body as I healed him. This guy was in the Qi Gathering realm and I believed that healing those in the realm above mine was the key to advancing my own path.

    It was at times like this that I couldn¡¯t help but curse the heavens and my luck. All those novel protagonists transmigrated with overpowered cultivation methods, systems, or grandpas in a ring.

    All I got was shattered spirit roots and a magic finger¡­

    When I really thought about it I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Then again I couldn¡¯t exactly complain¡ªmost people didn¡¯t even get the chance to have a second life.

    I was getting distracted again. Focusing on my patient I saw my blood essence rushing into his body, most of it settling around the horrific hole in his chest.

    The fire qi was fierce, burning away my essence as it made contact. At first I was worried. The gap between a Body Tempering cultivator¡ªeven a peak ten-star one such as myself¡ªand a four-star Qi Gathering cultivator was vast.

    It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if my blood essence wasn¡¯t potent enough to overcome the gap. Such was the law of the world. A law that I overturned through mule-like stubbornness. A trait that my blood essence had inherited.

    The fire qi was far more powerful but my blood essence attempted to overcome the gap through sheer quantity. Like an army of chickens suddenly gaining the courage to fight a tiger, my essence swarmed the wound and the lingering qi in order to dispel it and initiate the healing process.

    This only worked because of the faintly toxic properties my blood essence had acquired over the past few months. My encounter with the nine-star spirit snake and then the poison in Young Master Teng¡¯s body had been devoured by my essence and absorbed.

    Every time the fire qi burned one of the reddish-green sparks, it grew fainter. A few seconds later the first mote of fire qi disappeared.

    At the same time I watched as the flesh around that area started to heal. The burnt muscles and charred ribs regained their luster and new skin formed. I was making progress.

    This continued for a while. I grew tired, my blood essence reserves draining. Healing a wound inflicted by a cultivator this far ahead of me was tough. I was getting half the results for twice the effort.

    Despite this, I persevered. I knew that once I was able to heal this guy I might get an opportunity to glean some insight into the workings of qi and perhaps even figure out how to take the first steps towards the Qi Gathering realm myself.

    Or maybe¡­ No, I didn¡¯t even want to consider that ridiculous possibility.

    It was an uphill battle but one that I was slowly winning. Most of the fire qi was destroyed and the wound was slowly closing.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I¡¯d come to find powerful spirit beasts and awakened beasts to battle in order to advance but ended up crossing paths with my old sect. The will of the heavens was strange.

    I had never been one to believe in fate much, but some things were just too coincidental to be random occurrences. I suddenly chuckled out loud. ¡°Surely that senior brother Wang Ren isn¡¯t here in this mountain too¡­¡±

    At that moment I suddenly felt a cold sensation running down my spine. Had the technique finished already?

    ¡°What are you doing to Brother Meng!? You¡¯re courting death!¡± a feminine voice accused me.

 Chapter 30

    I was actually relieved that the cold sensation on the back of my neck was the disciple¡¯s blade and not my technique completing. I hadn¡¯t quite been prepared for that.

    Even so, this was a rather precarious situation. The female disciple was a Qi Gathering cultivator after all and could end my life with a single slash of her sword.

    I coughed lightly, making sure not to let my neck jerk backwards into the tip of the blade. ¡°Fellow cultivator, I believe this is just a misunderstand-¡±

    ¡°Silence, dog. Are you claiming that you didn¡¯t kill these disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect?! My senior brother lies at your feet, the evidence clear as day,¡± she snarled, tone laced with venom.

    ¡°Dead?¡± I asked. ¡°What makes you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Was your father a pig? You can see the hole in his chest and there is no trace of his qi remaining,¡± she exclaimed, pushing the blade slightly into his skin and drawing a drop of blood. ¡°What other conclusion can I draw?¡±

    ¡°If you think he is already dead, why not let me finish? It won¡¯t change the outcome. Your senior brother is not dead, but he will be if you don¡¯t let me heal him,¡± I told the girl.

    ¡°Do you take me for a fool? Reviving one who is hovering between life and death is impossible except for a nascent soul sage,¡± she sneered, her blade pushing a little deeper. ¡°Which you are most certainly not.¡±

    My eyes darted towards the guy¡¯s chest as a sudden spark of qi blossomed within it. I watched as the faint stream of qi merged with the swirling blood essence and expelled the final remnants of the fire qi.

    As that happened, the hole in his chest started to heal from the outside in. The burnt flesh cracked and turned to dust as new flesh formed, the rate of healing visible to every present.

    ¡°What the-¡± the female disciple exclaimed, the pressure of her sword disappearing from my neck as she rushed to the man¡¯s side.

    I sighed in relief, glad that had happened at such a good time and that I wouldn¡¯t have to keep attempting to convince this headstrong disciple that I hadn¡¯t killed her Senior Brother¡­ and disrespected my former sect.

    Not that she knew I was once a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect. I couldn¡¯t expect every random person I bumped into who was a part of it to recognize me, even though Zhao Dan had been quite famous¡­ for being an utterly talentless sack of chicken dung.

    Well, I was not the same man. In most ways at least. Retaining his memories and having to live in this new world, one could argue that I had allowed a large part of the former occupant of this body to merge with myself.

    Nevertheless, I truly believed that I was still me, just operating with a slightly different set of circumstances. The healing process accelerated once the fire qi had been wholly destroyed and the visible damage was almost healed entirely.

    Anyway, back to the female disciple. Her face had gone through a journey of myriad emotions as she watched me heal her fellow disciple. Shock, confusion, suspicion, elation, and then finally acceptance¡­ or perhaps relief? I wasn¡¯t sure.

    She turned to look at me. ¡°How is this possible? Qi healing?¡± she asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question than her truly seeking an answer. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. You¡­ you¡¯re just a mere Body Tempering practitioner! What technique can you possibly possess that would allow for this? Yet¡­¡±

    I simply smiled at her as she tried to come to terms with reality. Honestly I was rather taken aback myself. The city lord and his men had been surprised that someone of my cultivation could heal his son, but that had been different to now.

    Removing a poison that they¡¯d assumed couldn¡¯t be that potent was vastly different to bringing a Qi Gathering cultivator back from the brink of death. In some ways it was more surprising that the woman wasn¡¯t accusing me of using demonic techniques or something similar.

    I looked up as a flash of silver carved through the air. The female disciple had levelled her sword between my eyes, though it was quivering due to her shaking hand.

    ¡°You must be a practitioner of demonic arts,¡± she declared, confusion and rage in her eyes.

    Damn it. I was joking, why did this cliche scene actually happen? I wasn¡¯t sure how I could dispel her doubts, except to allow my healing technique to finish.

    Whether she would allow that to happen or not was another matter¡­ I guess I would have to resort to an ancient art that has long been passed down in one particular country back on Earth.

    A land of prideful warriors with strict personal codes of conduct, who were skilled in the art of battle as well as being educated thoroughly. This art was known as¡­ Bullshido.

    I twisted my face into a mocking sneer, levering a severe gaze on the female disciple. ¡°I feared this might happen during my venture outside the cult¡­¡± I complained, my expression only half faked as I realised something terrible¡ª I¡¯d used a reference from the wrong damn culture!

    This was a cultivation world, not a samurai one¡­ Nevertheless I was committed to my tactic. The girl clearly hadn¡¯t expected me to just come out and admit it, which had taken her by surprise.

    Her blade lowered just a little and I relaxed. Right up until she clenched her fist and then shoved the sword back between my eyes.

    ¡°Foul demon, you court death! Your filthy presence pollutes these lands of the Cloudy Falls Sect. Unhand Senior Brother this instant,¡± she demanded, determined in her actions.

    ¡°Damn, I was joking,¡± I retorted, expression returning to normal. ¡°Why are you so serious, did a snake bite your ass? I told you, I¡¯m healing your fellow disciple. Just watch.¡±

    ¡°Lies! In the name of the Cloudy Falls Sect I shall exterminate you, demonic bastard,¡± she cried, raising her sword into the air.

    Oh dear¡­

    I hadn¡¯t expected her to act so decisively. Then again, maybe my little prank had gone too far. Perhaps acting as though the idea of being a demonic cultivator repulsed me would¡¯ve been a better delaying tactic.

    The sword fell towards my neck and I had to seriously decide whether I should abandon the man I was healing. It was an impossible decision to make.

    If I chose to stop my technique early without healing him, I had no idea what would happen. He wouldn¡¯t be in a good condition and there was even the possibility all my efforts would be for naught as his blood flowed in reverse.

    His condition would be poor and that would give the female disciple further reason to kill me. Yet if I tried to finish healing him, I would be leaving myself exposed to death by her sword.

    At that moment a cough came from below, making both of us freeze. I exhaled, my breath shuddering as I looked down at the sword against my neck.

    When the cultivator removed it, there was a faint red line running across my skin. That was far too close for comfort.

    Looking beyond the blade, I saw that my patient was stirring. The hole in his chest was completely healed and looking beyond the surface I saw that my blood essence had been joined by multiple streams of qi, both energies working in tandem to heal his body.

    ¡°Senior Brother Shen!¡± the girl exclaimed, dropping her sword and rushing to his side.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I cried as she drew close. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him yet or you may interrupt the healing technique.¡±

    She froze, regarding me with caution and a whole complicated mix of emotions on her face. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think and clearly neither was she.

    All I knew was that I¡¯d never experienced my healing technique being interrupted or the interference of a third party. Which meant I had no idea what would happen if the female disciple touched him before the technique was complete.

    She seemed extremely conflicted now. All her earlier ranting about demonic cultivators and evil was forgotten. Honestly I wasn¡¯t surprised that even in a world of cultivators and beasts, teenage girls were still prone to mood swings.

    Then again, I wasn¡¯t much better. I¡¯d literally abandoned my disciple just days after accepting her and rushed off to seek enlightenment in a mountain range.

    Also I was still covered in smelly gunk from my breakthrough, which left me looking rather dishevelled. Not the image I wanted to project to the world, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers.

    Thankfully the girl had listened to my advice and taken a step back. Just in time, because I suddenly felt a rush of energy as my blood essence returned.

    Alongside that, I briefly saw the man¡¯s eyes open as he coughed once more. Then I felt it¡­

    ¡°Not again,¡± I groaned aloud, garnering the female disciple¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked nervously, eyes darting to her senior brother. ¡°Did your technique go wrong? Will he be-¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear the rest of her questions because all I could focus on was the excruciating pain of my body bursting apart. I guess I really was going to do the impossible¡­ for the second time.

    ****

    Xia Caihong stared in shock at the strange cultivator as his skin burst and he showered the ground in blood. Her senior brother was also caught in the spray, his face twisting in confusion as he hauled himself into a sitting position.

    ¡°What in the heavens is happening?¡± he mused aloud, looking around until his gaze landed on her. ¡°Junior Sister, you¡¯re awake?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think that stinky- that strange cultivator healed us. I thought he was from some demonic cult but perhaps not¡­ I am glad to see you alive, Senior Brother Shen. Where is-¡±

    She was interrupted by a nearby tree exploding, broken branches and a torrent of leaves blasting towards them. Despite being freshly healed, her senior brother moved like the wind.

    He appeared beside her and carved all the debris into fragments that fell harmlessly to the side. Peeking around his stoic figure, her face fell.

    The first of the newcomers was a muscular man wearing unfamiliar robes with the sleeves ripped off. Caihong had never seen robes of that colour in the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    Yet the other male and female with him both wore the same robes. Finally her eyes landed on a symbol embroidered on the breast of each robe¡ªa sword. Her brow raised in shocked realisation.

    ¡°Soaring Sword Sect! You aren¡¯t allowed to be here, the Jagged Sword Mountains belong to the Cloudy Falls Sect,¡± she cried out, pointing at the bulky cultivator with poor fashion sense.

    He scoffed and stared at her with disdain. ¡°A weak and cowardly woman, hiding behind her fellow disciple. You aren¡¯t worth my time. The time has come for the Soaring Sword Sect to claim what is rightfully ours. These are the Jagged Sword Mountains, are they not?¡±

    ¡°Is this all the famed disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect can do? Your words are sharp indeed,¡± chuckled Shen Zhu. ¡°However, you will soon regret your decision to come here. Let this grandfather show you the error of your ways,¡± he said, stepping forward and drawing his weapon.

    The disciple of the sword sect glanced beyond Shen Zhu. ¡°Trying to stall for time while your comrade breaks through? Admirable, but let us see if your words are more than simple bragging.¡±

    Without any further conversation, the muscular cultivator took a step forward, a long sword appearing in his hand as though from thin air. Despite his brutish appearance, his every movement was fluid and graceful.

    Shen Zhu seemed surprised at this turn of events, but took it in stride as he raised his own sword to block. The sound of steel striking steel rang through the forest as their battle began in earnest.

    The other two disciples from the sword sect did not simply watch either, but drew their blades as they rushed in. One moved to strike at the female disciple while the other split off and headed towards Zhao Dan.

    As he was currently breaking through he was utterly immobile, with no means to defend himself. Taking his life would be easier than killing a chicken.

    Xia Caihong found herself in an extremely difficult position. Her senior brother was facing a powerful disciple of the Soaring Sword Sect and she desperately wanted to assist him.

    However, she was far too weak to get involved in that battle. That brutish-yet-graceful swordsman not only had a higher cultivation than her but also was far more talented with his weapon.

    She might die if she tried to step in. And that was only the beginning of her problems.

    One of the other disciples was heading her way, also wielding a sword and clearly intending on killing her outright. Then again it wasn¡¯t that surprising that a disciple of the soaring sword sect was using a sword¡­

    As a cultivator, Xia Caihong was used to bloody battles and putting her life on the line constantly to achieve even a single step of progress towards the next stage or realm of cultivation. It had been that way since she was a mortal who hadn¡¯t even entered the Body Tempering Realm and it would continue to be so until she died or reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm and achieved quasi-immortality.

    Of course that was a long term goal. One that she aimed for with full confidence¡ªall cultivators did¡ªbut knew was not going to happen for at least a few thousand years. If she made it that far.

    Which is why usually it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem for her to be facing an opponent in a life or death battle. Except for the fact that a man who she owed a life debt to was in the midst of a breakthrough and another enemy was about to kill him.

    In that moment Xia Caihong made an extremely uncharacteristic decision. Even if she died due to the consequences of that decision, she would not regret it. Luckily for her, the heavens tended to smile on those who honoured oaths and debts.

    So ignoring her first opponent for now, Caihong used the one technique she had managed to reach Average accomplishment in. A heritage art of the Cloudy Falls Sect¡ªDrifting Cloud Steps.

    It was called Average, but the truth was that most cultivators would pick up various techniques throughout their lives and would rarely dedicate enough time to one to gain enough understanding to draw out its true power. Simply learning a technique enough to use it granted Minor accomplishment.

    However, in order to reach the next step¡ªAverage¡ªneeded the user to actually understand some of the concepts behind the technique. Needless to say this was a difficult task.

    A difficult task that Caihong had accomplished after almost a decade of painstaking effort. While geniuses and prodigies could advance in leaps and bounds without much sweat and blood, ordinary cultivators like her needed to spend twice the effort for half the results.

    Eventually she had achieved her goal, with her master being extremely satisfied with her progress. It had allowed her to surprise some opponents at the sect tournament which happened every three years and receive a Refined-grade Spirit Sword as a reward from the sect treasury.

    While she was under no illusions as to her level of skill with a sword¡ªCaihong knew her technique would be inferior to those from the Soaring Sword Sect¡ªshe believed in her movement art and the quality of her weapon.

    After all, she did not need to win the battle outright, only delay long enough for her saviour to finish his breakthrough. She also believed her Senior Brother Shen would achieve victory against his opponent.

    Taking a deep breath, Caihong began the first movement of the Drifting Cloud Steps. As the name suggested, the movement technique was all about embodying the state of a cloud drifting through the skies.

    Allowing yourself to be carried forwards rather than fighting against the world to gain momentum. At Master accomplishment, one could literally become light as a cloud. At her current level, Caihong was far from that.

    But she easily sidestepped the clumsy slash of the sword disciple. She could¡¯ve counter attacked, but that would¡¯ve dragged her into a battle she didn¡¯t need. Instead Caihong continued forwards, but she feared she would still be too slow.

    The distance between the other swordsman and the wandering cultivator was rapidly closing. And all the man needed was a single slash. Snuffing out his life right now would be easier than smashing a plank of rotten wood.

    She pushed herself harder than she¡¯d ever done before, exerting all the qi remaining in her dantian to empower her movement technique. Despite that, Caihong knew it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The disciple had already begun to swing their sword and she was still a few steps away, not close enough to draw her own. To close the gap I would need to be as fast as the wind, Caihong cursed her own weakness.

    Wait¡­ fast as the wind? The Drifting Cloud Steps has elements of wind, so what if¡­?

    Enlightenment often strikes when you least expect it. Yet while it can seem like a sudden realisation it often builds on existing knowledge. Like the ten years of practice and study Caihong had put into the Drifting Cloud Steps.

    The disciple of the sword sect had utter confidence in killing the cultivator who was currently experiencing a breakthrough. He had been shocked that his fellow disciple had allowed her target to slip past her, but the female disciple was too slow to reach him in time.

    He swung his sword at the mass of flesh that was sort of human-shaped and allowed himself a smile at a job well done. With this out of the way, taking down the female disciple would be easy in a two versus one battle.

    Right before his blade could cut into the cultivator however, something entirely unexpected happened.

 Chapter 31

    The male disciple of the Soaring Sword Sect felt a gentle gust of wind on his cheek and came to a halt as his blade met another with a metallic clang. Looking up, his eyes met the gaze of the female Cloudy Falls Sect disciple. They were both equally shocked.

    Xia Caihong had done the impossible. Well, not really. Though what she had managed to achieve was something very few cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm would be able to repeat.

    She had managed to comprehend a miniscule portion of the Dao of Wind. An extremely miniscule portion that would be equivalent to a single drop of water compared to an ocean when looking at the Dao of Wind as a whole, but it was still an extraordinary accomplishment nonetheless.

    Time and time again, Caihong had been told that attempting to grasp the Dao before Middle-stage Foundation Building was not only impossible, but dangerous to one¡¯s path. It could lead to cultivation deviation or even death if one tried to glimpse concepts beyond mortal understanding.

    The Dao was simply too ephemeral; too vast for those without sufficient intellect and experience to attempt to ponder. Yet she had managed to do that, integrating that sliver of comprehension into her Drifting Cloud Steps.

    While the core of the technique allowed one to act like clouds drifting in the sky, there were many facets of this and as cultivators advanced through the realms and their paths diverged, their own understanding and usage of the technique would shift. In Caihong¡¯s case, she¡¯d taken inspiration from an idle afternoon studying the clouds while struggling to progress in her cultivation.

    Clouds didn¡¯t simply drift through the sky under their own impetus. No, they were driven by an external force¡ªthe wind.

    When faced with an impossible gap that she had no hope of closing, Caihong had thrown out all thoughts and followed her instincts. Instincts that had altered her technique and allowed her to momentarily increase her speed¡ªthe same way clouds could catch a sudden updraft and zoom through the skies.

    All of this took quite a while to understand but in reality it happened in a single moment as her mind and body experienced enlightenment.

    Needless to say, this also meant she¡¯d achieved Polished accomplishment in the technique, but she could celebrate that later. Because while she¡¯d succeeded in stopping her enemy¡¯s first attack, the battle was far from over.

    While he was shocked that she¡¯d actually managed to block his attack, it didn¡¯t make him falter. Ultimately, a dragon did not care if one of its claws was blocked. It knew that nothing would survive the second.

    In this instance, he was the dragon. A two-star Qi Gathering cultivator with superior sword skills facing down against a one-star disciple who¡¯d barely blocked his first strike.

    He withdrew his blade but at the same time stepped forwards, entering her range.

    It was one fluid motion that caught her by surprise. Her footing was still shaky and she was out of her depth.

    There was a vast gulf between heaven and earth. A single moment of enlightenment might be enough to block one strike, but it was far from enough to win against superior talent and experience.

    He knew that and he was rewarded for his boldness. His first strike smashed her sword aside and he immediately went for a second, drawing blood but not quite severing her sword-hand as she deftly dodged.

    Xia Caihong even managed to return with a slash of her own, but the sword cultivator easily parried it to the side and struck back. The pressure grew and she was pushed back, every step bringing the battle closer to the man currently undergoing a breakthrough.

    Caihong couldn¡¯t help throwing nervous glances his way. There was something very odd about this breakthrough. It didn¡¯t feel anything like the breakthroughs she¡¯d experienced in the Body Tempering Realm, but far more complex.

    However, she didn¡¯t have much time to watch the strange breakthrough. All of her focus was on the fluid sword movements of her opponent. She just about managed to block his most recent slash, only to be forced onto the backfoot once more as a second sword almost severed her head.

    The female sword cultivator had joined the fray.

    Caihong had barely been holding her own against one sword cultivator, but against two it was impossible. She managed to block or parry the first few strikes from the pair but they soon broke down her guard.

    It didn¡¯t help that her intrinsic skills with the sword were far from a match for the two. Almost all the disciples from the Soaring Sword Sect were sword cultivators because¡­ well obviously. It was in the name. That meant they spent practically all their time obsessively meditating about the true meaning of swordsmanship and practising with their blades, with the goal of becoming one with the sword and forming tangible Sword Intent.

    For the true masters of the sword, going beyond and forming a Sword Heart was the pinnacle of their path. Neither of these two disciples had even achieved the first step of intent, but nonetheless they were giving Caihong a hard time.

    The male disciple jumped forward as the female one deflected her sword to the side and slashed a deep wound across her thigh. Blood poured onto the dirt as she was forced to retreat, but still suffered another wound on her arm as she did.

    She struggled, wondering how if she could possibly integrate her recent enlightenment into her sword style, but it was futile. One could not eat soup with chopsticks; her brief insight into the Dao of Wind was meant for her Drifting Cloud Steps alone.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Hence she found herself standing just two steps in front of her saviour. He had clearly progressed in his breakthrough. Less than thirty seconds had passed but already his body looked more¡­ human shaped.

    Despite that, Caihong knew she needed to buy even more time. Unfortunately she wasn¡¯t sure if she had the strength to do so. Looking in the direction of her senior brother, she hoped for a miracle.

    Alas, he was still battling the strongest of the three sword cultivators and it even seemed as though he was losing. She sighed, allowing her frustrations to fade away.

    Whatever the outcome, she would put everything on the line. One final slash to determine both their fates.

    Even if the heavens saw fit to end her life here, King Yama couldn¡¯t judge her as a woman who hadn¡¯t tried her utmost. Even if she couldn¡¯t use her insights to improve the essence of her sword technique, she could still combine Drifting Cloud Steps with a sword strike.

    The two sword cultivators rapidly closed in on her as she held her blade out horizontally, preparing to unleash the greatest sword slash of her life. It might be her last, so Caihong would make it her best.

    There wasn¡¯t actually much swinging involved. She only held out the blade of the sword, edge facing her enemies, as she initiated the third movement of the Drifting Cloud Steps, one that she still didn¡¯t understand that well¡ªStormcloud Step.

    It involved putting a great deal of qi into a single step in order to cross a distance near instantaneously. It would work perfectly as the foundation of her slash.

    Xia Caihong opened her eyes and in the same instant kicked against the ground. A faint clap reminiscent of thunder echoed across the forest as her figure blurred.

    What happened next was too fast for mortal eyes to see. Caihong closed the gap between her and the male disciple in an instant and her sword carved down from shoulder to hip.

    His eyes opened wide in shock as he realised what had happened but it was too late. He coughed blood as the top half of his body slipped off his legs. Caihong grinned seeing that her gambit had been successful, but then she also coughed out a large amount of blood.

    She looked down to see a sword poking out of her chest. While her attack had been devastating¡ªa near instantaneous strike capable of taking even stronger foes by surprise¡ªit effectively surrendered all defensive movements to achieve that singular purpose.

    Which had left her vulnerable to her second opponent. The female sword cultivator had struck from behind and pierced her through the lung. She wasn¡¯t dead yet, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before she took her last breath.

    She collapsed to the ground as the woman pulled out her sword, blood leaking from her chest. Her vision blurred and she felt herself dancing between life and death. Her final action was to turn her head to see if she¡¯d bought enough time for her saviour to finish his breakthrough.

    Xia Caihong lost consciousness right after seeing that his body was still bloody and damaged, the female cultivator about to slice it in two.

    She had failed.

    ****

    Wen Ai flicked her sword, the blood of the female disciple spraying the earth. Losing one of their group to a mere one-star Qi Gatherer was rather pathetic, but she had displayed exceptional skill beyond her cultivation.

    As a sword cultivator she had to commend that final slash of hers, despite it being a weird fusion of a movement technique and a pure sword slash. Nonetheless, her senior brother would soon finish off the other disciple and she only needed one cut to end the life of this unfortunate guy.

    Then again, he could only blame himself. What kind of idiot decided to break through in the middle of a battle, especially in a place as dangerous as the Jagged Sword Mountains middle peaks.

    On the other hand, enlightenment and opportunities for advancement came rarely for cultivators. Grasping them when they arrived was an essential attribute for any cultivator who wished to reach the peak.

    So she couldn¡¯t blame this poor Body Tempering practitioner for his decision. However, that didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t still end his path here.

    Luck was also an essential aspect of any successful cultivator and clearly this guy didn¡¯t have much. Wen Ai raised her sword and slashed downwards, no expression on her face.

    Right before the edge of her blade sliced through the disfigured body a loud THUMP echoed through the clearing.

    ****

    I couldn¡¯t really see¡ªor sense, I guess¡ªwhat was happening around me as I broke through to¡­ eleven-star Body Tempering. Honestly I wanted to bite my tongue just thinking about it.

    How was such a bullshit path of progression even possible? Instead of the usual way of advancement, breaking through from nine-star Body Tempering to one-star Qi Gathering by melting my spirit roots and forming a dantian, I was breaking through to a stage never before seen in the world. For the second time.

    I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be complaining. With how much excess blood essence had built up in my body the other alternative would be death.

    And there was another small benefit to these excessive breakthroughs. My body was becoming far stronger, tougher, and better able to withstand spiritual energy than any other cultivator in the world. Including those elusive Nascent Soul Sages.

    Now that wasn¡¯t to say I was tougher than a Nascent Soul cultivator. Far from it. Even a peak Qi Gathering cultivator could squash me like a bug with a single finger, but when it came to the quality of my vessel? No one came close.

    Well, except those with ridiculously powerful or rare physiques. Or those with a pinnacle bloodline. Or heavenly beasts¡­ Okay, so there were probably plenty who could match me, but compared to average cultivators I was far superior.

    Regardless, my focus was mostly on making sure my body didn¡¯t collapse. Even though I was used to it by now, the pain was extreme. More agonising than anything else I¡¯d ever experienced.

    It took almost all of my conscious effort just to stop my body from collapsing into a puddle of blood and flesh. Actually, right before the breakthrough I had the presence of mind to swallow the final healing pill I¡¯d received from City Lord Teng.

    Contrary to expectations, it did absolutely nothing to aid my body in reforging itself after the breakthrough, but that wasn¡¯t why I¡¯d eaten it. Perhaps trying to split my focus during a breakthrough was incredibly risky, but I hadn¡¯t become one of the greatest war doctors on Earth by being a coward.

    At the same time as breaking through I was also using the medicinal energies from breaking down the healing pill to begin refining the second organ with my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique¡ªmy stomach.

    The energy in the pill was barely enough to refine five percent of my stomach, but it was still a nice distraction from the agonising pain of the breakthrough. Suddenly I heard my heart beat loudly, making me realise the process was almost complete.

    After all, there was no way I could hear that without my ears which meant they must have been reformed. Unfortunately when I opened my eyes the first thing I saw was a sword descending towards my neck.

 Chapter 32

    The typical reaction to waking up and seeing someone swinging a sword with the intent to decapitate you was probably to panic and then¡­ well, die as your head was sliced off.

    Unfortunately for my would-be killer I had just broken through and was filled with energy. Usually, breaking through to the peak of Body Tempering would help little against the attack of a one-star Qi Gathering cultivator.

    However, the usual peak of Body Tempering was nine-star¡­ I was an eleven-star Body Tempering practitioner. Which meant I was far faster and stronger than my opponent expected me to be.

    In fact I don¡¯t think she even expected me to have finished my breakthrough before her slash connected, judging from her slack jaw and wide eyes. That worked in my favour.

    I didn¡¯t have a weapon, but I didn¡¯t need one. After experiencing eleven breakthroughs in the Body Tempering Realm, my body itself was the weapon.

    My fist smashed into her jaw and I felt it shattering before I even heard her scream. It was quickly silenced as I punched her throat and then followed up by sweeping her legs from under her and then stomping on her head.

    Brutal, but effective. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste time here. I knew that the fire guy and the three-star sword cultivator were the key to figuring out how to break through into the Qi Gathering Realm.

    Despite just breaking through I was far from satisfied. If anything I was even more frustrated. Achieving eleven-star Body Tempering would probably be considered an incredible feat by most, given it was literally the first time it had happened.

    To me though it was just a reminder of my continued failure to comprehend the mysteries of qi. That would soon change, or so I hoped.

    The only other people in the clearing apart from me¡ªaside from those unconscious or dead¡ªwere the guy I¡¯d healed earlier and a newcomer in robes I didn¡¯t recognise. The two cultivators were dueling, though the Cloudy Falls Sect disciple was clearly losing.

    His body was covered in deep cuts and his movements were sluggish. He missed half of his strikes and failed to block the vast majority of his opponent¡¯s slashes.

    If I stood back and allowed the battle to continue like this it would end in his defeat. I wasn¡¯t exactly on his side, but it was just common sense to gang up on the stronger guy first.

    Ultimately my goal here was to heal as many Qi Gathering cultivators as possible. In order to do that I first had to beat them up. So, once I thought I had a good grasp of the battle¡¯s tempo I decided to intervene.

    The Cloudy Falls Sect disciple made an ambitious sword strike, aiming to disembowel his foe. Unfortunately he misjudged the timing. Even then a regular opponent would have been hard pressed to take advantage of the opening, but just from my brief observation I knew this new sword cultivator was far from ordinary.

    In a move that I would never replicate even if I trained with a sword for the next one hundred years, his arm seemed to blur and shift through space as his blade parried the attack and then curled around his body to slash at the cloudy falls disciple. All of this happened in the time it took to inhale.

    If that attack landed it would likely end the battle in a decisive manner. I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. I needed my patients alive in order to benefit from them, after all.

    Needless to say that after my recent breakthrough I was fast. Like a damn tiger with wings. I would even go as far as to say I could match or even beat some early Qi Gathering cultivators in speed.

    I raced to close the gap, only focusing on the arc of the sword and the hand of the one wielding it. I almost tripped over a root due to my narrow focus and not being used to my new speed, but made it just in time.

    I made a strange fist with one knuckle poking out and smacked it against the centre of the sword¡¯s blade, with the intention to try and shatter the metal. Call it vanity, but now that I possessed superhuman strength I wanted to at least do something flashy and cool like breaking metal with my bare hands.

    Unfortunately reality was not as impressive as my imagination. In less than a second a few things happened.

    Halfway to the duel, both cultivators seemed to notice my presence and threw me a quick gaze. The newcomer seemed unbothered, immediately returning his focus to killing his foe, while the one I¡¯d healed let his eyes linger before also focusing on defending.

    Underestimating my speed was a mistake on the sword cultivator¡¯s part. I closed the gap in just a few steps and smacked my fist into the middle of his sword, but I was later than I¡¯d hoped.

    The sword was knocked away and I heard a loud metallic ring, but unfortunately it didn¡¯t shatter as I¡¯d hoped. It had to be a spirit weapon¡­ definitely. There was no other reason why I wouldn¡¯t be able to break it.

    Regardless I had still saved the life of the cultivator I¡¯d previously healed. However due to being late the sword had still cut into his neck and it was currently bleeding.

    I placed a hand on his arm, making him flinch but not in time to escape my healing technique. When he realised his neck was now healed a few seconds later he nodded in gratitude and understanding.

    The sword cultivator gathered himself and held his sword in a neutral guard. ¡°Very interesting. You managed to succeed in your breakthrough, defeat my juniors and even block this young master¡¯s sword strike,¡± he said while circling the two of us.

    ¡°Yet I cannot sense a single drop of qi in your body. Still a Body Tempering practitioner and already so strong¡­ Impressive, but your path ends here. Challenging this grandfather was a mistake,¡± he sneered.

    I frowned and the guy next to me looked furious. ¡°Ignoring me now that a new victim has appeared, Mao Feng? Take this seriously. You won¡¯t get away with attacking the disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect in these mountains. I¡¯ve already contacted the others and an Elder is on their way,¡± he snarled.

    At least I now had a name for the vicious sword cultivator who looked more like a gangster than a young master. Then again, I wasn¡¯t sure what the exact qualification was to be a young master.

    Arrogance and a desperate desire for attention, perhaps?

    I chuckled inwardly then stopped myself. Now wasn¡¯t the time for jokes. Even against two opponents, this Mao Feng fellow still seemed confident.

    Then again, to most people I only seemed like a mere Body Tempering practitioner; hardly a threat. I would try to win this fight without my cursed touch technique¡ªthe gains of healing him after the battle would be better without it.

    ¡°Even if all of you weaklings from the Cloudy Droplets Sect ganged up on me I would still win,¡± Mao Feng boasted. ¡°And if you somehow managed to kill me, Senior Brother would simply wave a hand and slaughter you all. Your Elders will be too late to save you and stop us from claiming the Ten Ascensions Lily.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I was starting to get really confused. What in the heavens were these two talking about? Ten Ascensions Lily? Some kind of flower, obviously, but why were they fighting to the death over it?

    Like any sensible cultivator who wanted to keep his head intact, I decided that once I got out of this battle alive I would return to the city and digest my gains. Even if I hadn¡¯t quite managed to discover how to progress to Qi Gathering.

    It was simply too risky to be here right now. Clearly some kind of plot was unfolding between these two sects and I had no desire to be caught in the middle of it.

    Mao Feng continued to circle us, waiting for an opening. Suddenly the guy beside me grunted and lunged forwards, swinging his sword in a reckless attack. ¡°Die, bastard!¡± he roared as he flashed across the clearing.

    Our opponent smirked as he saw the wild strike and deftly dodged to the left. The moment he moved his confident expression suddenly vanished and I saw his qi racing towards his sword arm.

    And not a moment too soon, because as soon as he¡¯d dodged my ally¡¯s body twisted in a completely inhuman manner, his torso spinning almost one hundred and eighty degrees. His attack was no longer like the charge of a reckless boar and had become the graceful personification of a flowing river.

    What followed was a rapid clash of swords that I struggled to follow with my eyes, Mao Feng now on the backfoot as he attempted to block or deflect the elegant attacks of my ally¡ªI really needed to figure out his name.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how to contribute. My initial attack hadn¡¯t gone as planned, my strength far from enough to accomplish what I¡¯d attempted. Now my speed and techniques were lacking.

    I suddenly smacked myself on the side of the head. Why was I worrying about my combat prowess lacking? I was a damn doctor¡­

    Ultimately the fight continuing like this worked in my favour, since all I needed was for them to tire each other out. In fact, I had a much better idea than trying to intervene in a fight I wasn¡¯t qualified to.

    Hopefully I wasn¡¯t too late¡­

    Looking around the clearing I almost couldn¡¯t find the defeated fire cultivator. The reason for that was because the progression of my technique had turned his body into a misshapen clump of flesh that no longer looked human.

    I raced over, not wanting to waste another second. As long as his heart still beat and he had breath in his lungs there was a chance to save him.

    My technique could be reversed but I¡¯d never tried to do so when it was this far advanced. However, constant challenge was the best way to progress and right now progress was exactly what I needed.

    The moment I reached the fire cultivator I knelt down beside him and placed two fingers against the swollen flesh that I assumed was his wrist. It took a few seconds but eventually I felt a faint pulse.

    I placed my ear against his body and eventually managed to discern a faint wheeze. He was still alive, but not for long.

    Healing the tumours caused by my technique was a little different to healing other wounds, in the sense that I actually had to focus and direct my blood essence during the process. Whereas when I usually used the technique I simply inserted essence and then withdrew an increased amount.

    Sort of like¡­ trading but with mystical cultivation energies. Was I one of those crypto bros now?

    I shuddered at the thought, but quickly turned my mind back to the task at hand. There was nothing wrong with bitcoin, but making it your whole personality was over the top¡­

    Honestly I was a little concerned about whether I would receive any meaningful gains by healing this guy, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me from trying. Even though he had been trying to kill his own sect members, he would be a great help against these new invaders.

    It was the same as the spirit beasts and awakened beasts here in the mountains. They would constantly fight each other for territory, but the moment an outsider appeared they would band together to fight them off.

    Now that I thought about it¡­ humans weren¡¯t much better either. Always killing each other over petty squabbles and material gains. Though in this world the gains were far more tangible.

    Who could resist the temptation of being able to walk on clouds or carve mountains in two with a single slash?

    After a few seconds, the disfigured pile of flesh was beginning to look a lot more human and I could make out the fire guy¡¯s facial features once more. My technique hadn¡¯t been kind.

    Hopefully he had a charming personality, or finding a wife might be difficult in future. A really charming personality.

    The clashing of swords could still be heard behind me, which was a relief. The moment that battle ended I would be in danger.

    Not to be too harsh on my ally, but it was clear that he was out of his depth against that ridiculously talented young master.

    I turned back to my patient when I heard a cough, seeing that the swirls of blood essence inside his body were glowing with fire as his qi blended with it. Now was the time to focus on what was happening in an attempt to understand what I was missing.

    I knew that qi was a refined form of spiritual energy¡ªthe energy of heaven and earth that was in all things¡ªbut I needed to understand what the difference was between qi and blood essence.

    That difference was the key to understanding why one needed spirit roots to reach the Qi Gathering Realm. Actually, being able to witness a breakthrough from Body Tempering to Qi Gathering would be the most useful source, but what were the chances of that happening in my vicinity any time soon? I wasn¡¯t some heaven gifted prodigy.

    No, I¡¯d struck a shady deal with the heavens for my talents¡­ The superior option.

    I¡¯d also worked damn hard and leaned on my preexisting knowledge of medicine, but somehow one¡¯s own effort seemed to pale in comparison to bragging about backing and fate.

    I really needed to work on my tendency to let my thoughts run wild while I was healing people. It helped me focus but wasn¡¯t healthy for my mental state.

    Suddenly I saw something that made me narrow my eyes. A faint flicker of energy from the ground that vanished as soon as it had appeared.

    A few moments later I watched as a new stream of fiery qi emerged from the guy¡¯s dantian and joined my blood essence as it finished healing his body. What the hell was that?

    I think I just witnessed him taking in spiritual energy and refining it into qi¡­ but how? I felt like a medical student again, watching my teachers perform a particular surgery for the first time with no clue what they had done, grasping to understand.

    In fact the only difference I could see was¡­ the cultivator himself. Nothing else seemed to separate the different energies. I needed more insight, so I kept watching.

    The same thing happened a couple more times before I finished healing him, but I wasn¡¯t able to glean much insight. The workings of qi remained elusive and I grew more frustrated.

    Had my qi oath truly severed my path to the peak? What was the purpose? What did the heavens intend when giving me a powerful physique while also cutting off my cultivation?

    The lack of answers was the true reason for my anger and confusion. Even though things looked bleak I refused to give in. Heaven¡¯s will might be enigmatic, but medicine was rooted in logic; in systematic repetition and understanding of the human condition.

    I would figure this out through sheer stubbornness if I had to.

    A sharp inhale brought my focus back to the outside world as the fire cultivator awoke. A tiny rush of blood essence entered my body at the same time, far less than I would normally receive from healing one at this realm due to the use of my tumour-inducing technique.

    However, this was no ordinary blood essence. A quick inspection was all I needed to see that faint remnants of the fire qi had also entered my body.

    Whether that would be positive for me or not was unknown, but I would soon find out. The inside of my arm began to heat up rapidly as the fire qi travelled through it.

    It was only one or two drops but even that was enough to cause some damage. If my body wasn¡¯t so sturdy or my energy wasn¡¯t medicinal in nature perhaps I would¡¯ve even risked losing use of the arm for a while.

    The health of my limbs was secondary to being able to understand qi. I could always heal my flesh, but I couldn¡¯t get access to qi easily. In fact this was one of the few times I¡¯d had more than a momentary glimpse, so I wanted to make the most of it.

    Alas, a pig ally is worse than a devious enemy. My own blood essence recognised the fire qi as dangerous and before it could even reach my chest it was devoured, no trace remaining.

    Though I did notice faint flecks of orange appear on the motes of essence which had so valiantly defended me against the invading qi. Perhaps I could make use of them for further study.

    At that moment I realised something was very wrong. It was too¡­ silent. Acting on instinct I threw myself to the side, making the newly awoken fire cultivator exclaim ¡°You!¡± in surprise as I flew over his body.

    Just in time too, as a shimmering sword carved through the space I¡¯d just occupied, leaving sharp lines of qi floating in the air like wounds in the fabric of reality.

 Chapter 33

    Now that was an impressive technique! It almost seemed like his slash had cut through the air itself, his qi lingering in the wake of the cut.

    He didn¡¯t seem impressed that I¡¯d managed to dodge, his face showing hints of frustration. Earlier he¡¯d claimed that defeating us would be a simple matter, but perhaps that was him trying to break our morale?

    Looking over the sword cultivator¡¯s shoulder I saw the limp body of the cloudy falls sect disciple who¡¯d been fighting him. Hopefully the guy was still alive.

    I doubted healing the same person twice would give me the same gains, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to try. I also didn¡¯t want to see him lose his life when he¡¯d been gaining time for me.

    Honestly? I was a little angry.

    Angry at the heavens for giving me such poisoned gifts. Angry at these damned cultivators for being so violent and illogical.

    And most of all, angry at myself for not realising it sooner. It had quite literally been staring me in the face this whole time¡ªI¡¯d even realised it myself without grasping the importance.

    The difference between qi and blood essence was¡­ well it was obvious. Blood essence came from within, used as fuel to refine our bodies as vessels to accept spiritual energy.

    Qi originated from the world itself, spiritual energy that was stolen and then twisted to whatever form a cultivator required to become qi. Once refined it forever became a part of a cultivator, but that didn¡¯t change the fact it originated from elsewhere.

    This whole time I¡¯d been looking inwards for inspiration when the key to advancing further on my path was everywhere around me. It was like someone wearing sunglasses inside and wondering why it was so dark¡­

    This was quite a weighty insight, but it had all come to me in a single moment as I stood there staring at the aftermath of the arrogant young master¡¯s beautiful sword strike. Yet I was still furious.

    Why? Because even now that I could comprehend the nature of qi a little better, my path was still severed. My spirit roots were shattered, the crucible of my breakthrough forever lost.

    Fucking heavens and their shitty oath. I should¡¯ve just settled down and become a spirit farmer or something¡­ I heard about one guy who did pretty well for himself that way. Then again, I couldn¡¯t see myself owning chickens.

    Luckily for me I had a perfect target to let my rage out on. Clenching my fists I faced down the sword cultivator and smiled.

    ¡°Young Master? More like feeble servant. You can¡¯t even land a single slash on this mere Body Tempering whelp. Imagine how much face you will lose when I strike you down,¡± I jeered.

    Taunting my opponent to make his focus waver and follow up with a decisive opening strike. It was a perfect plan with no faults.

    I was already leaping forwards to punch him in the gut when he suddenly laughed out loud. Not a positive sign, but it was too late to change my course of action.

    My fist made contact with his stomach and I even felt him staggering backwards from the force of the blow, but there was too little resistance. It had been too easy.

    I glanced upwards, meeting his gaze. His eyes sparkled with glee as he slashed down, his sword flashing towards my shoulder.

    ¡°You should pick your battles more wisely,¡± he sneered. ¡°Let this Young Master teach you the error of your judgement.¡±

    He moved much faster than I¡¯d expected, which left me in an awkward position. I knew I could not escape injury, but sometimes you had to make sacrifices to come out on top.

    So I took another step forward and punched the sword cultivator in his stomach. Once, twice, three times until he doubled over and staggered backwards.

    However, I didn¡¯t escape unharmed. His sword slash had struck just below my shoulder and carved a deep wound from the top of my arm down to my elbow.

    Blood flowed like rivers to the ground, putting me on a timer. Perhaps I had as long as it took to burn a stick of incense to end the battle?

    Nonetheless my opponent wasn¡¯t in a better condition. My savage assault had left him reeling and he was barely clinging to his sword, coughing blood.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad,¡± he said, trying to look imposing but failing when he coughed blood again. ¡°This grandfather commends your skills, but it won¡¯t be enough to defeat me. See if you can handle the inherited lineage technique of my Heavy Sword Peak!¡±

    I almost cringed at his cliche shouts but I had to start taking him seriously when his qi rippled and began to gather around his raised sword. Seeming to shrug off the damage from my punches, the sword cultivator had a strained face as he prepared to unleash this mysterious technique.

    I figured that waiting and letting him use this overpowered technique he¡¯d inherited was probably a bad idea. So I decided not to let him finish.

    His flashy and loud manner of activating his sword technique reminded me of a certain anime protagonist from a show about ninjas¡­ In a way, wasn¡¯t I doing him a favour?

    Teaching this arrogant young master to be more decisive about activating his skills would help him in future. One could say I was healing his stupidity.

    I nodded, satisfied in my decision as I rushed towards him. His eyes widened in surprise when I moved. Had he expected me to stand still and take his technique head on? Foolish.

    He seemed to realise he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to utilise his technique, but apparently he didn¡¯t need to. One step away from him he grunted and the flowing qi coalesced around the tip of his sword.

    Suddenly I felt heavy, as though the weight of ten thousand jin of steel was upon my shoulders. My movement grew slow as though trying to walk through water and I couldn¡¯t land my strike.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I couldn¡¯t follow what happened next either. One moment his sword was raised to the heavens and the moment his qi condensed into a single point at the tip, it appeared above my shoulder.

    A desperate attempt to twist my body and dodge failed due to the strange thickness of the air, slowing my movements. I was able to avoid a fatal blow but not the strike itself.

    His blade carved through my shoulder, slicing through the bone like soft noodles. I winced at the agonising pain, though it was less than I expected. Perhaps due to it being such a clean cut.

    My vision went white for a breath¡¯s time, but I soon recovered. Losing an arm was tragic, but if I stopped here I would surely lose the battle. I had to make the most of this opening.

    His sword was almost glued to the ground, his arm with it. His whole body was lopsided, the weight of his blade apparently much harder to bear after his technique.

    While he expected me to be crippled from losing a limb¡ªwhich I was, but repeated excruciating breakthroughs had numbed me to this sort of pain¡ªI instead took advantage of his weakness to strike.

    ¡°Ha! The Thousand Jin Blade technique is impossible to dodge at this range. How will you fight with just one arm, crippled bast-¡± he started taunting me before realising I wasn¡¯t actually defeated.

    I cut him off by punching him in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. My next blow caught him on the jaw and sent his head rocking backwards.

    To his credit, his sturdy muscles seemed to absorb the blows well but I was only just beginning. Even with one arm my speed was rapid and I continued to punch him over and over.

    He refused to let go of his sword even as I pounded the life out of him, the blade itself still buried in the ground as though made of impossibly heavy lead. Not that I was complaining about the advantage.

    I was missing an arm, but right now so was he. My attacks continued until blood poured from his nose and mouth, his body covered in bruises.

    ¡°Bastard, do you have no face?! Cowardly turtle, attacking in the middle of this young master¡¯s tech-¡±

    I cut him off again by planting my fist in the middle of his face, squashing his nose flat. He coughed blood and I delivered a roundhouse kick to his stomach which made him collapse to the ground, finally releasing his hold on the sword.

    ¡°Can face help me breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Realm?¡± I asked the sword cultivator as he lay defeated on the ground. ¡°Can it help defeat my enemies?¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. He was covered in blood and barely moving. I didn¡¯t see a reason to injure him further, as it would be needlessly cruel and likely go against my oath.

    Self defense was one thing, but torture was another matter entirely. Besides, I could heal him from this state and possibly gain further insights into the workings of qi.

    I¡¯d made some realisations but still needed more in order to feel ready to break through into one-star Qi Gathering. This would give me that opportunity.

    I clutched my bleeding shoulder, now only a stump where there had once been an arm. That was a big problem.

    I¡¯d seen Wang Ren perform the qi healing technique and reattach an almost severed limb, but this was a step beyond that. I had reattached fingers and toes in my past life, but this would be the greatest feat of healing I had ever attempted.

    At the very least, I was glad to have been struck so decisively by a sword cultivator. My severed arm was on the ground nearby and still in¡­ well, not good condition but as healthy as a severed arm could be.

    One might assume that my first priority would be reattaching my arm, but I hesitated to rush into such a complex task. I wasn¡¯t sure such a feat could even be accomplished with only blood essence.

    That would be overturning the laws of the world; such a thing could not be done. That was only my theory of course. I¡¯m sure some genius or prodigy existed somewhere who could prove me wrong.

    In fact, I might even be able to accomplish it myself, but there was a lingering doubt in my mind. When I was on the cusp of both enlightenment regarding the next realm and such a difficult task I felt it best to trust my instincts.

    So the first thing I did after making sure to collect my arm was propping the two disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect against a nearby tree. They were heavily injured, bleeding and bruised.

    It looked as though a tiger had attacked them. However, it was nothing I couldn¡¯t heal. I was short on time so I took a risk, attempting to heal them both at the same time.

    After all, I had blood essence to spare. It flowed from my chest in rivers and streams, the sparks racing to fix the myriad injuries.

    It didn¡¯t take long to heal them. Despite the severity of the wounds it was only flesh and blood, nothing I hadn¡¯t handled before.

    I noticed that the quantity of blood essence I received in return was lower than expected. Either I was beginning to hit some kind of limit due to my cultivation or it was due to the fact I¡¯d already healed them once before.

    After all, it would be utterly ridiculous if I could break through in the Body Tempering Realm for a third time¡­ No, I needed to stop tempting the heavens.

    They¡¯d already proven a willingness to treat me like the butt of some celestial joke. Best to simply make do with what I had and continue seeking enlightenment regarding qi.

    Next up were the three disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect. I turned around to collect the first one and suddenly realised I¡¯d forgotten something.

    A flaming spear was pointed at my head, held by an imperious looking cultivator from my old sect. ¡°What kind of demonic technique is that?¡± he demanded.

    ¡°It should be impossible for a mere practitioner to heal those kinds of injuries. And that twisted technique you used on me before resembled the cursed mutations of the Hunger Demon Sect. For the good of the Celestial Jade Empire I will purge you from this world!¡± he roared, preparing to thrust his spear through my brain.

    I hurriedly jumped back and held up my hands in surrender, yelling ¡°Wait, I can explain!¡± as I did.

    He froze momentarily, glancing at his fellow disciples with a conflicted expression. ¡°Tch. This whole mess has become too complicated. I should just burn everything to a crisp and tell Master it was the Soaring Sword Sect,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Damn fraud,¡± I shouted. ¡°You call me a demon after trying to kill your own Junior Brother and Sister, while working with a rival sect?! Have some self respect, you aren¡¯t a rat.¡±

    He actually physically stumbled backwards at my words, clutching a hand to his heart with shock on his face. ¡°You dare?!¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°Yes, I dare. And what¡¯s more, all this preening about face is ridiculous. Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to insult some arrogant cultivator who starts waving his spear in my face. I don¡¯t swing that way,¡± I replied, scolding the man.

    ¡°Wha- I¡¯m not¡­¡± he mumbled, looking embarrassed.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m not from that Hungry Demon Sect you mentioned. My technique is just¡­ unique,¡± I continued, ignoring his protests. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t really know what was going on between all of you and to be honest I don¡¯t care. I just want to heal everyone and get on with my day.¡±

    I took a step towards the nearest sword cultivator and continued when I saw he didn¡¯t make a move. Then I dragged the three disciples against a tree while the spear cultivator watched, still figuring out how to react.

    My strategy of stunning him into silence was working wonders, but he would soon start shouting about face and demonic sects again. What a nuisance.

    Can¡¯t a healer use an awful mutation technique without getting accused of being a demon these days? I stumbled suddenly and my vision blurred.

    Oh yes, I was still missing an arm. I really had to hurry up. Making a split second decision, I ignored the two weaker disciples and knelt in front of the one who looked more like a gangster than a young master.

    ¡°Stop, demon! I won¡¯t let you use your foul techniques on another innocent cultivator, even if he is my rival. The face of the righteous sects demands I cleanse you from this world. The six paths will see you reborn into a less corrupted existence!¡± the fiery spear cultivator shouted from behind.

 Chapter 34

    I sighed. How could I stop this guy from going on a rampage? I was far from strong enough to defeat him even if I had both of my arms. As I was now he could kill me in a single strike of his flaming spear.

    Worse, I only now realised that there were heavy motes of sword qi lingering in the wound. My blood essence had been fighting it all this time and I¡¯d somehow missed it.

    Must be the blood loss. On the plus side, more qi to devour and observe would help me in the long run, but only if I could survive.

    I clenched a fist and turned back to face the spear cultivator. I still didn¡¯t know his name, but it would be quite awkward to ask now.

    ¡°Look, an Elder from the Cloudy Falls Sect is already on their way here. I don¡¯t know what you intended to do in the first place but it surely won¡¯t be beneficial for you or your master if you are caught killing other disciples. Why not head for that Ten Ascensions Lily like the others?¡± I offered, trying to swap the stick for a carrot.

    He paused, considering my words. For a moment I thought I had managed to persuade him to back off, but then he stepped forwards, still holding his spear towards me.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it just means I need to finish this before the Elder arrives. No matter what, I¡¯m sure they can¡¯t influence Master Wudeng. I can simply frame the arrogant sword bastard for everything,¡± he said, his mouth twisting into a smirk.

    ¡°Yes, that sounds like a great plan. I can even claim extra merit with the sect for cleansing the world of a demonic cultivator,¡± he chuckled, now close enough to strike me with the spear.

    I cursed inwardly. What was with these cultivators? Every single one of them was arrogant, violent, and refused to obey normal logic.

    Not that this was a surprise. The moment I¡¯d arrived in this world I knew this was true thanks to the previous Zhao Dan¡¯s depressing memories.

    That still didn¡¯t make it less annoying to deal with them. Especially these young master types. They seemed to believe the world existed only to serve their whims and desires; that nothing mattered except their own path.

    I didn¡¯t really want to do this, but there was only one way I could keep my head on my shoulders. In fact, this plan might even end with me making more gains than expected.

    However, it would involve risking my life. I was prepared for that. What cultivator didn¡¯t risk their life for the sake of advancing on their path?

    At least I wasn¡¯t trampling on the lives of others like dirt as I struggled to break the chains of mortality. I steeled my resolve.

    I raised two fingers, grabbing hold of his spear and taking him by surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t move or I¡¯ll use my Gluttonous Demon Finger technique again,¡± I warned.

    Actually that was a pretty cool name for the technique I¡¯d been calling cancer touch¡­ Was it better to be seen as a demonic cultivator or know that I was inflicting one of the world¡¯s greatest evils on a whim? Neither sounded great but at least the made up name had stopped the cultivator in his tracks.

    He clenched his jaw and I felt the spear quivering. However, that was only for a breath¡¯s time. The disciple soon found his resolve and the spear steadied, gripped between my fingers.

    ¡°No matter! I will risk my life to wipe you out, damn demonic cultivator. Those hideous injuries will help my case when the Elder arrives,¡± he retorted with a stoic expression.

    I wanted to scream at this guy. Why was he so stubborn? Or perhaps he¡¯d seen through my trickery. I couldn¡¯t actually use the technique without skin contact, after all.

    No, I had to commit.

    ¡°The last time I only used the first ritual of the Gluttonous Demon Finger, but this time I won¡¯t hesitate to use the second ritual,¡± I fired back, not wanting to have a spear thrust through my head. ¡°The second ritual is called the Bloated Flesh Feast Ritual, twice as powerful as the first ritual of the technique. You won¡¯t survive five seconds.¡±

    Honestly I was impressed at how far my bullshido technique had progressed. This nonsense was coming naturally to me, the same way a fish could swim from the day it was born.

    He hesitated again, this time for longer. His spear wavered and I knew he was on the edge¡ªit was time to chop nails and sever iron.

    I delivered the final blow.

    ¡°In fact, there¡¯s a secret component to the Gluttonous Demon Finger not known outside of my Master¡¯s lineage; even the other zealots of the cult do not know this secret,¡± I said.

    His eyes widened in surprise, but I wasn¡¯t done yet.

    ¡°When the second ritual is used on a target who has already experienced the first ritual, it offers twice the results with half the effort. The technique activates faster and spreads almost three times as fast! You surely won¡¯t survive more than a second!¡± I exclaimed, taking a step forward.

    He suddenly yanked his spear out of my grip. That was my signal to move. I had very little time left before he realised I was lying through my teeth.

    I was gambling everything on this one throw of the dice; life, face, and my cultivation.

    I rushed towards the body of the brawny sword cultivator, grabbing him under the shoulders as soon as I reached him. Less than a breath¡¯s time had passed.

    My hands had barely touched his bare biceps before I let every scrap of blood essence I had rush into his body. My healing technique had begun, but I was on a timer.

    Forget an incense stick, I probably had less than ten seconds to succeed.

    Which meant I had to move fast. Right now what I needed wasn¡¯t necessarily the extra blood essence from the finished healing technique, but the chance to watch how the sword cultivator¡¯s qi travelled through his body and interacted with my blood.

    These insights were invaluable fragments of knowledge, every single moment deepening my comprehension of the Qi Gathering Realm and qi itself. Overall my insights were like a drop compared to the ocean of knowledge a true sage possessed, but over time enough drops can fill an ocean.

    Or perhaps¡­ a dantian.

    Though I would have to figure out how to form one first. That was the major blockage impeding my path forward.

    I¡¯d understood the relationship between qi and the world; between qi and blood; all that remained was to connect that minor understanding with a method of forming my dantian without intact spirit roots.

    Every step I took on this path had to come from within. I had no predecessors to look up to; no master guiding my path.

    I clenched my teeth, sparing a glance towards the spear cultivator. He was still in the same spot I¡¯d left him, but the hesitation was gone from his face and he glared at me like a hungry spirit beast.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    There wasn¡¯t much time left.

    Tearing my eyes away from the cultivator intent on claiming my life was difficult but necessary. I focused everything on the unfolding healing technique.

    Unlike the fire cultivator, the sword cultivator¡¯s qi was regular qi, yet to take on an affinity. This was normal from what I understood¡ªit wasn¡¯t until the Foundation Establishment Realm that one might begin to gain insights into a dao and merge it with their qi.

    Although I had made some minor insights into healing in this world and the path I wished to follow, it was still muddled and unclear like a dirty pond. Even now I struggled to stick to my principles. And that was with an oath enforcing them¡­

    Then again I hadn¡¯t done evil; no one had died by my hand. Only suffered. In the end I healed all those who fell to my fists, like a merciful war buddha.

    Wait¡­

    No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. Not only did the whole severing worldly desires thing not mix with my own beliefs, but I actually realised from Zhao Dan¡¯s memories that daoist and buddhist cultivators seemed to be opposed.

    Not always, but there wasn¡¯t much unity between them. Except when it came to fighting off demonic sects; demons were one thing all those who believed themselves righteous would fight to eradicate.

    Honestly I didn¡¯t see why. I¡¯d been accused of demonic techniques and while I doubted I would ever go down that path, wasn¡¯t it hypocritical to claim that one side was righteous and the other evil.

    Plenty of the righteous cultivators I¡¯d met were arrogant, violent, and downright cruel. I hadn¡¯t met any demonic cultivators yet but I could imagine they might be exactly the same as these arrogant young masters¡­

    I¡¯d been observing the flow of the sword cultivator¡¯s qi while having these thoughts. At the same time the fire cultivator had begun running towards me with his spear outstretched. All this took a while to think through but happened in a few breaths of time.

    At the final moment when my life was hanging on a thread, a fatal strike heading my way as I tried to finish healing the sword cultivator, I was struck by divine providence. No, to call it providence was wrong.

    This was a moment of comprehension born from my own efforts and accumulated insights. All this time my path had been something I cobbled together from other techniques and arts, but ultimately came from my own understanding of the world and a jumbled collection of memories; both inherited and my own.

    All this boiled down to one simple realisation.

    My path came from within.

    At this moment I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. It had been staring me in the face all this time. While I cursed the heavens for their poisoned oath, I¡¯d been the one ignoring the gift they granted me.

    I realised how much of an ungrateful wretch I¡¯d been as my enemy¡¯s spear was thrust towards my heart. Truly a frog in a well.

    The Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique was beyond even my comprehension; at its pinnacle it gave one the power to overturn the heavens and split the earth.

    An immortal capable of turning the spiritual energy of the world to their own purposes, be it for benevolence or corruption. I was far from that realm, but I had all the tools I needed already.

    Spirit roots? Melting one¡¯s spirit roots to form the dantian was just a trick, a way to make the process easier and require no thought on the cultivator¡¯s part. I realised that through observing the medicinal energy produced by my refined lungs.

    A dantian existed in the metaphysical plane, a part of one¡¯s body and yet also not. Spirit roots provided an anchor between the two planes during the break through. Thus came my second epiphany.

    My strange ability to ¡®see¡¯ qi and blood essence, even when I¡¯d been a mere four-star practitioner. I¡¯d had theories about why I possessed this ability, but one stood out among the rest.

    I¡¯d transmigrated to this world as nothing but a soul. If travelling through dimensions as a soul wasn¡¯t enough to give me a connection to the metaphysical, then I don¡¯t know who was better qualified.

    A spirit perhaps? Maybe a ghost¡­

    Nonetheless, I felt confident in my ability to form the anchor myself. I still had spirit roots after all, they were just out of order.

    Then came the final fragment of comprehension. The knowledge that tied it all together and would allow me to break free from my mortal fetters.

    Blood essence was an innate energy that one nurtured through a cultivation method, growing and developing it while forging and refining the body to withstand spiritual energy. Nothing needed to be said there¡­

    I¡¯d gone above and beyond when it came to the Body Tempering Realm.

    I had all the knowledge I needed to attempt the breakthrough. It was well past the time for me to attempt it. I was an eleven-star Body Tempering practitioner for heaven¡¯s sake¡­

    There was only one obstacle barring my path. A sharp, flaming spear that was about to penetrate my chest and burn my heart to ashes.

    This part of the plan was why I said I was risking my life. Healing the sword cultivator was to give me more insight into the workings of qi and perhaps let me absorb another few strands to study.

    The inevitable moment the spear cultivator snapped out of his daze and moved to kill me? This was where I was putting everything on the line.

    Dying was not an option. Not after I¡¯d come this far. Throwing away my second chance at life was something I refused to do.

    Leaving little Cui behind to fend for herself was something I would never forgive myself for. So, all I had to do was survive this one spear strike.

    ****

    Huo Ze Qiang was frustrated, but more than that he was confused. How had his Master¡¯s scheme gone so wrong?

    All he¡¯d been supposed to do was work with a few disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect to wipe out some fools who had tried to overturn the heavens. In this case, the heavens were his Master and the fools were disciples who were overdue on their loans¡­

    Usually he would¡¯ve refused such a mundane request. He was the prized son of the Huo Clan, one of the most talented inner disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect; such things were beneath him.

    In fact he was only a disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect due to his father wanting to expand the clan¡¯s influence. Otherwise he would¡¯ve preferred to join the Rumbling Mountain Sect, where he could study their endless collection of fire techniques to deepen his comprehension of his own flames.

    Not only had the two disciples proven more annoying to kill than Master had suggested, but some strange demonic cultivator had appeared from nowhere like a shadow. His presence had turned the battlefield into a realm of chaos.

    For a moment the demon trickster had almost fooled Ze Qiang with his words. He still remembered the sensation of his own flesh swelling and killing itself¡ªthat technique was insidious.

    However, he reckoned it was a bluff. Throughout the entire battle he hadn¡¯t sensed a single drop of qi from the demonic cultivator.

    Instead he had actually realised that the demon was a mere Body Tempering practitioner! Such a brazen fool had dared intervene in a battle of his superiors.

    Maybe that strange technique had given him confidence he otherwise wouldn¡¯t have possessed? Ze Qiang didn¡¯t know what the idiot was thinking.

    What he did know was that he would lose all face if he allowed himself to be scared of someone at least four stars below him in cultivation. So he¡¯d steeled his resolve and struck.

    He didn¡¯t have much qi left after being forced to use the life saving treasure from his grandfather to heal, but he had enough to kill this demonic trash. What was the fool even attempting to do?

    After his lies, Ze Qiang expected the man to flee. Instead he had raced towards the body of the sword cultivator and was doing something strange.

    Another mysterious demonic technique? No matter, it wouldn¡¯t stop his spear.

    Flames licked the shaft as he gathered and infused his qi into the ornate spear. Another gift from his grandfather.

    He¡¯d aimed for the demonic cultivator¡¯s heart. He had to give the bastard some credit, because he didn¡¯t even flinch when the spear pierced his chest.

    A warrior¡¯s death was a fitting end. At the very least the man had pride in death where he¡¯d seemingly had none in life.

    Huo Ze Qiang closed his eyes and said a small prayer for the man¡¯s life, hoping for him to reincarnate into a righteous path. He observed as every last drop of blood essence faded, the demon¡¯s eyes glazing over.

    When he was sure the man was dead he ripped out his spear, the flames burning away the blood. They soon faded and he stumbled a little.

    Qi exhaustion.

    He glanced around the clearing at the other victims of the battle. Most were alive, but not all. His gaze landed on the two disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect his master wanted dead.

    Ze Qiang kissed his teeth. He needed to recover in order to have a chance of claiming the Ten Ascensions Lily.

    Screw his master. The man was treating him, the heir of the Huo Clan, like some errand boy?

    He turned his back on the scene of the battle and began walking towards the peak of the mountain. His priority was his own cultivation.

    In his self centred retreat he failed to realise that the spiritual energy in the clearing was subtly gathering in a single place. Around the fallen cultivator.

 Chapter 35

    I cracked open one of my eyes, risking a glance around the clearing once I believed the spear cultivator had left. Fiery pain lanced outwards from my chest.

    His final spear strike was aimed at my heart but at the last moment I¡¯d subtly shifted my body and it instead pierced my lung. I wasn¡¯t sure if he noticed or not, but that wasn¡¯t all I¡¯d done to trick him.

    In the final moments before my supposed death I had figured out how to break through. Qi Gathering cultivators never possessed any blood essence, which I¡¯d always found strange.

    That meant there was something happening during the breakthrough from Body Tempering to one-star Qi Gathering that removed the blood essence. Or, transformed it.

    What I¡¯d done after his spear pierced my chest was exactly that. I¡¯d begun my first attempt to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm.

    That first step was to gather my blood essence into a single point. Usually I guessed that point would be the spirit roots, but I instead gathered it all into my lungs.

    The same pair of lungs which had been refined through my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. The spear thrust, empowered with the flaming qi, had actually done less damage than I thought.

    The heat cauterised the wound instantly. It was still a devastating technique; certainly intended to deliver killing blows. Fire qi still lingered in the wound, burning away at my flesh.

    Without my blood essence my regeneration and ability to fight the qi was almost non existent. The natural regeneration of a Body Tempering practitioner was far from enough to deal with a four-star Qi Gathering cultivator¡¯s strike.

    Even if said practitioner was eleven-star¡­

    However, even though the wound would soon kill me I wasn¡¯t worried. I had actually known this would happen from the beginning and factored it into my strategy.

    As the great Sun Tzu said, all warfare is based on deception. Defeating the spear cultivator wasn¡¯t possible at that point, but making him believe he¡¯d won was as easy as turning my hand.

    I coughed blood as the fire qi continued to worm its way through my chest. My time was limited and even though I believed I had discovered a path forward, there was still a chance of failure.

    Without witnessing a breakthrough myself I couldn¡¯t be sure, but I guessed that the usual method involved gathering one¡¯s blood essence in the spirit roots and using it to ¡®imprint¡¯ onto the spiritual energy of the world, thus forming the dantian and the first drop of qi.

    Then again I could be making this all up. Either way it didn¡¯t change what I planned to do.

    I had this physique, so I was going to make use of it and cheat my way past the bottleneck. Who needs spirit roots anyway?

    My refined lungs produced faint trickles of that potent medicinal energy as I breathed. When I¡¯d eaten the healing pills it had been far more effective, but unfortunately I had no spirit herbs to hand, so I would make do.

    This process was very similar to how the spirit roots should aid in the breakthrough. My path was that of a healer, so it actually made more sense to try this unprecedented method than to blindly follow in other cultivator¡¯s footsteps.

    I slowly fed his blood essence into his lungs. Every breath hurt, but I persevered. Slow and steady wins the race. Embody the tortoise, not the tiger.

    The next step was forming my dantian. This part stumped me a little. Usually one¡¯s spirit roots would merge with the spiritual energy in this step.

    Actually I had a little insight into this stage. Zhao Dan had once witnessed one of his cousins breaking through to Qi Gathering and the girl had explained a little to him when he was a child.

    Those memories would help here. From what I understood the dantian already existed in the metaphysical plane, but in order to break through one needed to provide an anchor in the physical body that would let qi flow through the dantian and meridians.

    Honestly it was all rather complex. I¡¯d likened it to feeling like a medical student again and that held true here. While I tended to veer towards the scientific; trial and error over reckless experimentation; I actually decided to trust my instincts for once.

    Rather than trying to force a method that might not work, I would let my body and the spiritual energy of the world guide me. I continued to feed my blood essence through my lungs, but nothing was emerging yet.

    I wasn¡¯t worried. It felt right.

    Next came the riskiest part of the process. I¡¯d already put my life on the line when I took the spear strike, but this moment would mean life or death.

    Advancing to Qi Gathering and taking the first step towards immortality or dying as a mortal. I raised my hand in front of my face and let my eyes wander over my fingers.

    These hands had saved so many lives. They had taken some too, but every one of those was a hollow memory.

    My path was to heal. To bring protection and rejuvenation. I wanted to bring healing and peace to the Celestial Jade Empire, but to attempt that without power was the foolish dream of an idiot.

    In order to enforce peace, you needed to wield the sharpest blade. War had taught me that. A few short months in this world proved it once more.

    This was a world where the strong ruled over the weak. If the weak lived in peace it was only because the strong deemed it so. To show this world that the path of healing was not a foolish one, I would first have to trample on those who stood in my way.

    Even if the one in my way was the heavens itself.

    I closed my eyes and thrust my hand into my stomach. I clenched my teeth as I broke the skin, reaching for my shattered spirit roots.

    The heavens had crippled me in exchange for its gifts, but it hadn¡¯t even done that properly. I was going to finish the job.

    I grasped my spirit roots. It was a strange sensation. The actual physical part of the spirit roots felt sort of slimy. Not quite how organs usually felt¡ªI would know after hundreds of surgeries.

    At the same time as I grabbed them I felt an icy shock hit my body. It was as though the world itself was telling me not to do this.

    So of course I did the sensible thing and squeezed as hard as I could. My spirit roots truly shattered once and for all. Now if my hypothesis was correct this should provide a connection and allow me to absorb the spiritual energy of the world to form my dantian.

    At first everything progressed smoothly. A new kind of energy trickled out from the empty hole in my stomach that the spirit roots had occupied.

    It was fierce yet stable, pulsing with more power than I had ever seen. This energy was even more potent than the qi I¡¯d seen in other cultivators. Perfect.

    I took a breath, exhaling and allowing medicinal energy to trickle from my lungs towards my hollow dantian. However, the moment that energy made contact with the strange energy in my core, everything went wrong.

    It was like a nuclear bomb went off inside my body, chaotic energies running rampant throughout. I tried to stay focused and maintain my consciousness but I barely understood what was happening.

    Shit¡­

    Where had I gone wrong? Had I miscalculated? This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. I suppose this was the price I had to pay for my hubris.

    Going against the will of the heavens rarely ended well unless you were the protagonist. I most certainly wasn¡¯t.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Even while my body disintegrated from the inside, my flesh burning in the chaotic storm of qi and blood, I managed to force a small spark of the combined energy towards my dantian. I forced it into the rough shape of a sphere and then hurried to push the rest of my blood essence through my lungs.

    If there was one thing that might save me now it was that potent medicinal energy. However, the rampaging energy was too much for me to handle. I¡¯d reached my limit.

    As I passed out I tried to guide the healing energy around my body but it was futile. I¡¯d failed to break through.

    ****

    Far above the lower realms, an ancient being stirred from slumber. The simple act of sitting up sent ripples across the endless realm it was in.

    Millions of lives extinguished in an instant. Only to be replaced by new life that writhed and twisted, growing from seeds and infants to towering trees and ancient sages in a breath¡¯s time.

    The entity opened its eyes, revealing endless abyssal orbs that seemed to hold entire universes and the secrets of creation within. Vibrant green mist swirled around its body as its gaze pierced through endless worlds.

    ¡°So, an inheritor has awoken. How long has it been since the last? How many eras have passed while I slept? Let me see if they are worthy,¡± it mused, its voice deep and rumbling.

    The mere soundwaves from a few sentences caused nearby planets to explode and stars to extinguish. Yet when it breathed out, new ones were born in their place.

    Every simple action of this entity contained the mysteries of life and death, of creation and destruction. It found its gaze going far deeper than it expected.

    ¡°A surprise indeed¡­ for this one¡¯s inheritance to end up in one of the lower realms is¡­ almost insulting,¡± it sighed. ¡°Though I suppose I am long past such childish attachments such as origins and birth. How many prodigies and nobles have died throughout the endless eras, while I have persisted.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this¡­ a new path, at least to this tiny realm. Using the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique in this manner¡­ how crude,¡± it muttered while watching the foolish actions of a particular mortal.

    What happened next managed to surprise even the ancient entity. One had to remember this being had lived almost as long as creation itself, seeing the infinite possibilities of life and death across thousands of universes and realms.

    To surprise the entity took incredible effort. Yet this mortal had managed to do just that. How?

    ¡°Releasing his innate vital qi¡­ what a fool. However, I commend the attempt. Since you managed to wake me from my nap I shall help you, but just this once. We do share a physique, after all.¡±

    The entity raised a single finger and a tiny piece of the swirling green mist split off from the cloud, passing through endless realms towards the lower realm it was watching. After that, the entity lowered itself down once more.

    ¡°Whether or not you can break free from your broken realm remains to be seen¡­¡± it mused aloud.

    ¡°However, that struggle is yours alone. If you can¡¯t even overcome some greedy ants from a middle realm harvesting your realm¡¯s opportunities, then you aren¡¯t worthy of this one¡¯s attention. An interesting era approaches. Perhaps this next nap will be my last before the prophesied time.¡±

    Having said that, it returned to sleep. With every rise and fall of its chest billions of lives ran their course, endless plants were born and died. Each breath was a cycle of creation itself, containing infinite energy of creation.

    ****

    I coughed and snapped awake. What the hell? How was I still alive¡­

    The last thing I remembered was breaking my spirit roots and unleashing chaos inside my body. Turning my gaze inwards there was no evidence of the explosion except a few chipped bones and torn muscles which were rapidly healing.

    The first thing I checked was where I¡¯d broken my spirit roots. Instead of the empty hole I was expecting to find, there was some kind of void. I prodded it with my mind but received nothing¡­

    That was worrying and mysterious but it was better than being dead. What I saw next shocked me.

    Somehow my dantian had formed while I was knocked out, with the empty void in the centre. However, it was empty. I coughed and a bit of blood sprayed out.

    The wound in my chest was still there, the fire qi burning away at my lungs. I was confused but grateful.

    I felt a faint sense of resonance with the empty void in my dantian but left it alone for now. Best not to mess with things I didn¡¯t understand. That hadn¡¯t gone so well last time.

    Inspecting my body, I came up with a quick checklist of things to do. I was in a strange state of existence right now; no longer in the Body Tempering Realm but not quite a Qi Gathering cultivator yet.

    The reason for that being I didn¡¯t possess a single drop of qi. It was time to finish what I¡¯d started.

    Some of my theories had missed the mark but trusting in my physique was not a mistake. I continued to refine my blood essence and soon it was all used up. After the massive quantity of blood essence was used, I had a single stream of vibrant green medicinal energy, similar to qi but missing something essential.

    I guided it towards my dantian, where hopefully I could absorb some spiritual energy from my surroundings to finish the final step. However, the moment the energy entered my dantian I felt a pull I couldn¡¯t resist.

    I tried to maintain my control but it was like a tug of war between Xuanwu and an ant; the result was inevitable. My energy slipped from my grasp and was greedily devoured by the strange void.

    I panicked. That was the only energy I had! All of the blood essence I¡¯d carefully gathered from my healing technique up to eleven-star Body Tempering was contained in that strand of energy¡­

    Was this the end of my path? Another cruel trick by the heavens: keep me alive but make me mortal once more.

    However, as I was complaining a loud thump like a heartbeat echoed through my body. A million new sensations assaulted me and I keeled over in shock. The breath of the trees, the mycelium talking beneath the soil, the whispers of the air, and the dazzling caress of the sun throughout.

    I was seeing the world in a new light. Most of all I felt the endless, infinite energy that was present in everything. The spiritual energy of the world which now rushed towards my dantian.

    The void hungrily absorbed spiritual energy for a few seconds until the entire forest clearing was drained. Then a short moment later, a single drop of verdant green energy was squeezed from the void, splashing against the bottom of my dantian.

    A smile crossed my face as I double checked just to make sure, but there was no mistake; that was a drop of qi. Not ordinary qi either, but qi containing potent medicinal properties and other mysterious qualities.

    I couldn¡¯t even figure most of it out myself. Whatever that strange void had done boosted the potency of my medicinal energy by a ridiculous amount.

    However, it was too early to get complacent.

    There was still one more step to complete before I could claim to have achieved the Qi Gathering Realm. Simply having a dantian with a drop of qi splashing around wasn¡¯t enough.

    What allowed cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm to actually use their qi to perform techniques and arts was the meridians that let it flow. To stabilise my breakthrough and reach one-star Qi Gathering I needed to open the first of eight meridians.

    I closed my eyes and tried to feel within my body, searching for the meridian. At first I had little success but I soon found it.

    It felt like a knot, blocking the flow of qi from my dantian. First I simply took the drop of qi and smashed it against the knot, but that had no effect.

    I facepalmed as I realised my error. I was no brute. My path was not that of a warrior, but a healer. One should not judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree.

    Taking hold of the qi once more I tried to shape it, but it was difficult. After dozens of tries my control improved and I was able to find an appropriate form.

    I settled on a short, blade-like shape. A scalpel. Taking the scalpel of qi I thrust it into the knot and then slashed.

    It carved through the blockage like paper, the qi exploding apart and rushing to fill the meridian. There were many smaller knots and bumps inside¡ªimpurities. However, my medicinal qi burned them away.

    It was almost like¡­ corrosion. The toxic properties of my blood essence seemed to remain even after going through a metamorphosis.

    Once I had cleared the entire meridian my qi rushed through, forming a complete cycle which it flowed through a few more times under my guidance. Every revolution seemed to absorb more spiritual energy from my surroundings, but there wasn¡¯t much left so I stopped after a while.

    Without realising, the wound in my chest had healed. In fact, every part of my body felt better than ever. My muscles had become quite large during the Body Tempering Realm but after the breakthrough they had condensed.

    I would need a mirror or some water to see the full extent of the changes but so far I liked what I saw. My skin was smooth and unblemished, seeming to sparkle in the sunlight.

    Next I went around the clearing making sure to heal all of the injured disciples before tying them to a nearby tree. There was supposedly an Elder on the way and I didn¡¯t want to be here when they arrived.

    My original goal was accomplished. I had reached one-star Qi Gathering. There were many parts which I was confused about and the mysteries I needed to unravel had only multiplied, becoming more enigmatic.

    On the other hand I had solidified my path. The largest bottleneck was overcome; my broken spirit roots. The only thing standing in the way of my advance now was my own lack of comprehension and resources.

    I¡¯d planned to return to Three River City at this point, but that would be giving up on the opportunity of a lifetime. My gaze turned towards Jagged Sword Peak.

    At the top there was a potent spirit spring. Within that pond the Ten Ascensions Lily was going to bloom, a treasure whose every petal could allow a cultivator to advance one star in the Qi Gathering Realm.

    I¡¯d been naive when I first transmigrated here, trying to avoid all bloodshed in the hopes of living a peaceful life. I wasn¡¯t going to change my mind and search for fights, but I did need to become more powerful if I wanted those around me to have the freedom to enjoy a peaceful existence.

    My mind was set and I left the clearing behind. For some reason I felt like a colossal weight had been lifted from my shoulders and my steps were light as I made my way towards the peak.

    I was now a cultivator in truth, prepared for whatever heaven and earth could throw my way. I was excited to see what was waiting at the peak.

 Chapter 36

    Wang Ren¡¯s glaive flashed like lightning, his movements as fluid as a river as he clashed with two disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect at once.

    His body was covered in cuts but he was holding his own despite the unfavourable odds. The same couldn¡¯t be said for all of his allies, as the brutal battle ran its course at the summit of Jagged Sword Peak. Three groups of cultivators were fighting each other at the same time, all for a chance at claiming the Ten Ascensions Lily.

    Wang Ren expected a measure of betrayal during this outing from the sect. Even among fellow disciples, competition was fierce.

    They wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to stab their fellow martial brothers and sisters in the back for a chance to break through a single star, let alone for a treasure as valuable as the Ten Ascensions Lily. A single petal could allow a Qi Gathering cultivator to advance by one star and the entire flower supposedly bloomed with five petals.

    If one claimed the entire lily for themselves, they would soar through the Qi Gathering Realm in a single swoop.

    Such a thing was almost unheard of in the Celestial Jade Empire. Typically cultivators struggled for dozens of years to reach the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm, with many never achieving it at all.

    What had shocked him was the utter disregard for their fellow disciples¡¯ lives the leaders of the expedition had shown. Wang Ren was only valued for his strength and talent, but Sun Deng had literally thrown the weakest in their group¡ªa one-star inner disciple without any backing¡ªin the path of a sword slash directed at him.

    Right now he couldn¡¯t even consider trying to claim the Ten Ascensions Lily. He continued to guide his qi through complex flows, employing the Drifting Cloud Steps while his glaive danced around him like a whirlwind.

    His weapon was well suited to this style of fighting, two hands manipulating the heavy polearm as he deflected and parried the sword strikes of his opponents. A few broke through here and there, leaving shallow cuts on his skin.

    Fighting with his focus split on two enemies and two techniques at the same time was draining. He knew he wouldn¡¯t last forever, which meant he had to take a risk.

    The Ten Ascensions Lily hadn¡¯t shown any sign of blooming yet. He¡¯d wanted to save his strength for the real battle; where the elites present would clash to claim the treasure.

    He sighed. Perhaps he had been a little arrogant. He was still only a two-star cultivator after all, while many of those present were four or five-star Qi Gathering cultivators.

    Nonetheless, he would persevere. He would try to claim at least one petal for himself. If that failed he could just resort to assisting Sun Deng and pray the bastard shared.

    Turning his focus back to the battle, he suddenly stopped moving. The two sword cultivators were caught by surprise, but their movements were fluid and they didn¡¯t stumble. In fact, they didn¡¯t delay at all as they resumed their joint attack.

    Wang Ren had a breath¡¯s worth of time before their blades reached his body. That was plenty.

    His qi flowed like a raging river, rushing back to fill his dantian as he stopped using Drifting Cloud Steps and swinging his glaive. What came next required little thought.

    The Shattering Earth, Carving Heavens Glaive was imprinted in his muscles and meridians, the qi flows and movements second nature after intensive training.

    Elder Bang was a ruthless master who was hard on his disciple, but Wang Ren did not resent him. Not only had his training allowed his cultivation and martial prowess to soar, but Elder Bang was even harsher on himself than others.

    It was hard to hate a man so dedicated to his path.

    Wang Ren still hadn¡¯t mastered the first technique of his master¡¯s glaive arts. That meant every time he used Shattering Earth, Carving Heavens Glaive it damaged his body.

    He could accept that tradeoff. Better to be injured than dead.

    Right before the first sword reached him, Wang Ren let out a qi-infused war cry that shook the earth and stopped the two cultivators in their tracks for a brief moment. That instant of hesitation was when he struck.

    Qi condensed on the edge of his glaive as he swung it down with enough force to break boulders. He wasn¡¯t quite at the level of ¡®shattering earth¡¯ just yet, but it was enough to defeat those at a similar cultivation.

    The first sword cultivator recovered from his shout and raised his blade to block. The glaive smashed it aside like dry reeds and carved the man in half from shoulder to waist.

    But it didn¡¯t stop there.

    The strike had plenty of momentum left. Wang Ren was impassive to the destruction he wrought as his swing continued. The second disciple had more time to react and she actually shifted the course of his blow to the left.

    Her actions allowed her to avoid death, but he still delivered a deep wound from her thigh to her calf. Crimson blood dripped to the floor in rivers and she glared in defiance.

    ¡°How dare you kill Junior Brother! Bastard, prepare to witness the might of my Whirlwind Sword Dance,¡± she cried, tossing a pill into her mouth and rushing at Wang Ren.

    The cut on her leg slowly closed as she ran, but her movements were a little unsteady. He was breathing heavily, the taste of blood in his mouth. A few of his smaller spirit veins had burst while the flow of his qi was still erratic.

    It seems as though I may need to rely on Sun Deng after all¡­ he sighed inwardly.

    Similar scenes were playing out around the spirit spring, with disciples of the two sects split into hastily created factions and killing indiscriminately.

    For the most part, the disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect did not fight each other, focusing on killing those from the Cloudy Falls Sect. The same could not be said for the latter group.

    The Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s disciples were in chaos. Different groups competing for the Ten Ascensions Lily were fighting off the sword cultivators, but also slaughtering each other in the treasure hunting frenzy.

    It was impossible to tell which group would emerge on top. All of them were led by Middle Qi Gathering cultivators, four or five-star elites of their respective sects.

    Blood sprayed everywhere, plenty of it splashing into the once pristine spirit pond. What none of the cultivators present noticed however, was how the streams of blood subtly flowed towards the sealed lilypad in the centre of the pond.

    ****

    I raced up the mountain paths, unhindered by any obstacles. I thought I was fast at eleven-star body tempering, but breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm had increased it exponentially.

    Boulders and twisting roots proved no obstacle at all, my steps light as I kicked against the ground. I pushed my body further, trying to reach my goal as fast as possible.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The reason I was in such a rush was the same reason as before; I was coated in stinky, black gunk. The foul smelling impurities had once more been expelled from my body after my breakthrough and my urgent need for a bath had only increased.

    The spirit pond at the summit of Jagged Sword Peak was calling to me, the blessed waters that would finally bring an end to this cursed existence of filth.

    I was a little surprised at how easy the journey was. I¡¯d expected to see a few awakened beasts at least or perhaps some other cultivators, but instead it was just me and the quiet whispers of the wind as it meandered through the mountains.

    A sense of unease crept into my mind, but I suddenly realised why it would be so empty. Everyone here was probably fighting over the Ten Ascensions Lily.

    Perhaps even the awakened beasts would try to claim it? Could beasts even use natural treasures? They probably could, otherwise human cultivators would have a crazy advantage over them.

    Though beasts were a lot sturdier and could cultivate simply through consuming beast cores and just¡­ staying alive for a long time. The heavens were fair to all.

    Except geniuses and prodigies, who seemed to get ridiculous advantages over ordinary cultivators. And mortals, who lived a miserable existence due to their weakness and the constant threat of violence.

    You might not wake up one morning because a passing cultivator was in a bad mood and decided to take their frustrations out on your village. Or if you were a woman, perhaps they took a liking to your appearance and stole you away to be in their harem.

    I shuddered at the thought. I thought back to Earth¡­ it was emotionally demanding enough to be entangled with one woman, why would you seek out more?

    Rant about horny cultivators over, I continued onwards. After a while strange noises came from above.

    Screams and shouts. The clashing of blades and the roars of beasts. More than the sound, I felt a pull deep inside, urging me towards the summit.

    For the first time I felt the effects of my oath beyond my physique or broken spirit roots. There were people to be healed and perhaps if I played my cards right, a treasure to claim.

    With renewed vigour I leapt up the mountainside. The sounds of battle grew louder with every passing moment and soon I detected the rampaging qi.

    I saw the explosion of colour before I felt its effects, all kinds of qi present. There was a narrow pathway between two boulders and I squeezed myself through as I reached the top of the mountain.

    The clash of swords and the scent of blood in the air was overpowering, but it wasn¡¯t able to overcome the foul stench of impurities that had clung to me all this time. What I saw when I emerged from the narrow pathway reminded me of my previous life.

    The hell on earth that was war.

    I¡¯d experienced the brutality of cultivators firsthand but this was the first time I was seeing a large-scale battle in this world. It was truly horrifying, the casual ease with which they slaughtered one another.

    I couldn¡¯t blame the beasts; they were simply following their instincts and acting as nature demanded. However, the humans were another matter.

    More than the corpses strewn everywhere and the dizzying array of techniques on display, my gaze was drawn to a sparkling pond in the centre of the rocky bowl.

    The waters were polluted with blood, the liquid seemingly alive as it rushed towards a solitary lilypad in the middle of the spirit pond. The flower itself was still hidden, but it seemed to swell with every passing moment.

    I lamented the awful behaviour of these cultivators. How dare they!? I¡¯d struggled and fought all in the hopes of reaching this hallowed ground and claiming my true prize.

    Yet now that I was here, I found the promised bath unusable. I clenched my fist, restraining my fury. I would not resort to violence over this, no matter how unforgivable it was.

    Amongst the endless clashes I spotted a familiar face. It was the same fire cultivator who¡¯d almost killed me once before.

    I should try my best to avoid him, unless I wanted to reach an early grave. Instead of worrying about the state of my hygiene or treasures, I instead decided to do what I¡¯d originally come here for.

    While many of the bodies on the ground were devoid of life, there were plenty of badly injured cultivators and beasts who had yet to draw their last breath; hovering between life and death.

    I was curious about whether my techniques would still work now that I no longer had any blood essence. Then again, the original used qi so it should be fine.

    In fact, my breakthrough had unlocked a world of possibilities. The toxic properties of my blood essence remained, giving me ideas for new cures and deadly techniques alike.

    Too much medicine was poison, while poison could also be used to cure. Such was the way of the world.

    There was more insight to be gained from that simple concept, but comprehension escaped me. I would need more time and perhaps some secluded cultivation.

    I¡¯d been thrown from one event to the next ever since my arrival in this world without any time to rest. As I made my way through the Qi Gathering Realm, I would need to consider the dao.

    For me it might be easier than most¡ªI already knew the path I wished to tread. It was just a case of discovering where I would stop along the way.

    First, returning to the basics. I descended into the rocky basin as stealthily as I could manage.

    Which was to say, I was quite conspicuous. Nonetheless I managed to reach my first patient without being spotted by a nearby cultivator. They were all too focused on killing each other to notice my arrival.

    I knelt down beside the female sword cultivator, her blade lying useless on the ground beside her. I couldn¡¯t tell which was more bloodstained¡ªher blue robes or the sword. Clearly she hadn¡¯t gone down without a fight.

    This was a perfect candidate to test my healing technique with qi for the first time. Without my help she would soon succumb to her wounds, so I was sure she wouldn¡¯t complain about being healed¡ªeven if it was a bumpy ride.

    That was assuming something went wrong of course. I felt the qi in my dantian, still just a single drop but brimming with more power than all of my blood essence combined.

    Truly a qualitative difference. No wonder all these cultivators were obsessed with advancing on their path. Becoming drunk on one¡¯s power was easy. Restraint took a strong will.

    My qi was not as excitable as the blood essence had been. Where before I barely had to guide the technique, I now had to focus my intent.

    The qi swirled in my dantian before rushing through my first meridian. I guided it towards my outstretched fingers and towards the unconscious woman.

    I still remembered Wang Ren using the qi healing technique, the image of his qi flowing through his hands and sealing the disciple¡¯s severed arm with ease imprinted in my memory. Another benefit of the breakthrough was a noticeable increase in my mind¡¯s processing speed and memory recall, which worked wonders here.

    Frowning, I realised I¡¯d forgotten one crucial aspect. Wang Ren had made a hand seal when he cast the technique, but I¡¯d never needed to due to my blood essence¡¯s eagerness to work with me.

    However, it seemed not to be an issue. Despite being less erratic, my qi was medicinal in nature and combined with my intent to heal the female disciple it smoothly entered her body.

    The first thing I noticed was how much smoother the process was. With blood essence, the sparks seemed blind and needed to travel through my patient''s body to discover the injuries, even when I could see their condition from outside.

    Qi was better in every way. Perhaps it was the intent behind the technique, but the drop of qi flowed like a raging river as it travelled from one wound to the next.

    The female disciple had been covered in cuts, with one of her hands severed entirely. In a few seconds almost all of the external wounds had vanished. A stream of green qi swirled around her chest, joined by the woman¡¯s own qi in a potent whirlpool.

    Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my temple and winced, but managed to maintain skin contact. The pain dissipated but a lingering ache clung to my skull.

    My gaze darted around but there was no one looking my way; no enemies nearby who might have struck from the shadows. Perhaps I had over exerted myself in my excitement?

    Thankfully, my technique had almost run its course. The disciple coughed and then began breathing regularly once more. A strand of qi raced into my arm, a few remnants of foreign qi still clinging on.

    Before she could wake up and attack me I moved on. While walking towards the next injured cultivator, I inspected my qi as it returned to my dantian.

    Something strange occurred as the drop of qi passed out of my first meridian and into my dantian. The single drop of green qi splashed against the bottom, but all the lingering remnants of the woman¡¯s qi were sucked into the void in my dantian.

    A few seconds later, a second drop of green qi dripped from the empty void and splashed against the first. A wave of relaxation spread through my body and the headache was washed away.

    I circulated both drops through my meridian and smiled. My cultivation may have improved, but some things never change.

    Before I could reach my second patient I was forced to stop in order to dodge a three pronged dagger that flashed in front of my eyes. When it crashed into the rocks a small explosion occurred, sending sharp shards in all directions.

    I threw up my arms to guard my face and spread my senses outwards. A smart decision that paid off immediately as I felt something to my left.

    A graceful step later I found myself face to face with a scowling woman, wearing the red robes of a Cloudy Falls Sect inner disciple. ¡°Any chance we could talk this out, fellow cultivator?¡± I offered, plastering a friendly smile on my face.

    Her reply was to raise two daggers identical to the one that had nearly exploded my head.

 Chapter 37

    I danced around corpses and the bodies of barely breathing cultivators as I tried to evade her rapid strikes. The female disciple was fast as the wind and every time I dodged one slash I found another arcing towards me.

    My meagre knowledge of Earth¡¯s martial arts had allowed me to contend with practitioners in the Body Tempering Realm, but I found myself severely outmatched by this woman. She was two-star from what I could tell, only a single minor realm between us, but her techniques were a step above my own.

    Which wasn¡¯t difficult, given that I had no combat techniques whatsoever. The previous Zhao Dan had only obtained one opportunity to select a technique from the sect library and he¡¯d chosen a defensive one.

    However, his hastily scrawled notes on it were far from enough for me to utilise it properly. Thus I was at a disadvantage, only made worse when I stumbled and one of her daggers carved three crimson valleys in my side.

    The side of her mouth curled upwards and she pressed harder, the speed of her attacks increasing even further. The next slash was so fast I heard the whoosh of wind as she went for the kill.

    I managed to step out of the way just in time, but the next strike was already at my neck. I felt the cold grip of death closing around my throat.

    But right before her strike landed I felt the earth rumble and the female disciple threw herself to the side. All I saw was a flash of silver as the glaive descended.

    The ground where my opponent had stood an instant before was shattered, an ornate glaive buried in the stone. Looking up, I cracked a smile as I saw the face of my saviour.

    ¡°Junior Brother Zhao! What a coincidence this is,¡± chuckled Wang Ren before I could speak.

    ¡°Ha! A coincidence, he says. I came to the mountains for a bit of training and to seek enlightenment, but end up getting tangled in this bloodthirsty chase for a potent treasure,¡± I replied, standing up and clasping his arm. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you well, Senior Brother Wang. I hope those arrogant young masters and geniuses in the inner sect haven¡¯t been too much to handle.¡±

    ¡°Pah! What geniuses? Everyone is a genius somewhere, but most are just noisy chickens and pigs when the time for action arrives. The heavens are equal in their judgment,¡± he said with mirth. ¡°I am surprised to see you here. I am shocked to see your cultivation has progressed so rapidly, but pleased for you.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the sect was simply the wrong environment required to advance my path. I have experienced much since my expulsion and it has led to some meagre insights,¡± I replied, glancing over his shoulder as the female disciple¡¯s sword shot towards his neck.

    However, before I could even warn him, the ground beneath his feet cracked as Wang Ren stomped his feet. The shudder knocked the girl off balance and her blade swung wide.

    His glaive was carving through the air like a diving hawk the next moment. His opponent managed to escape the brunt of the strike, but screamed as the edge of the blade caught her wrist.

    Blood sprayed the earth as her hand was severed, falling against the ground. Wang Ren was merciless, already striking a second time before she¡¯d comprehended her fate.

    His glaive buried itself in her heart and her arms dropped to her side. With a grunt he flicked her body from his weapon and deftly removed the blood in a single graceful movement.

    A cough caught in my throat. This was the first time I¡¯d seen Wang Ren fight with his life on the line and it was a far cry from the kind senior brother I knew from my memories and the first day awakening in this world.

    Then again, even the gentlest of cultivators was still that¡ªa cultivator; one who would seek to advance by any means necessary. That was something I still hadn¡¯t fully grasped.

    To me, the Ten Ascensions Lily was merely a bonus on my journey to the mountains, but to everyone else here it represented far more. The opportunity to advance in leaps and bounds represented status, power, and a longer life.

    Coming from a world where everyone was equal in death and still not even fifty years old, I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it yet. Maybe my perspective would shift when I lived beyond a century.

    Though I would have to get there first. With how often I was finding my life threatened in recent days, that was not a guarantee.

    ¡°You know, it would help me a lot if you could try to leave them alive,¡± I said as Wang Ren returned to my side.

    ¡°Oh? Why are you showing care towards these intruders of the Soaring Sword Sect?¡± Wang Ren asked, raising a brow. ¡°I know being expelled had to bite deep, but surely you haven¡¯t betrayed your former home so fast?¡±

    ¡°Nothing of the sort,¡± I dismissed his accusation with a wave. ¡°My cultivation method is a little unique. I¡¯m not quite sure of the specifics, but mostly I condense qi through healing others.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is strange. I have never heard of such a method. Is this some strange art you picked up during your time in the world below?¡±

    ¡°Something like that¡­¡±

    I suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation of dread. My breath hitched in my lungs and my heart felt as though it was being grasped by icy tendrils of darkness.

    A cold sensation brushed against my neck, followed by a sharp clang of steel. Less than a breath¡¯s time had passed and I wasn¡¯t quite sure what had happened, but I now found myself staring into a pair of obsidian eyes with a gaze reminiscent of a snake¡¯s.

    ¡°Wang Ren, you dare impede this sovereign¡¯s blade?¡± he snarled, gaze turning towards my former Senior Brother.

    A sword was pressed against my neck, a single drop of blood running down the blade from where it had ever so slightly broken my skin. I would have lost my head if not for the ornate glaive currently pushing against it.

    Wang Ren had saved my life, but as I glanced down and saw the bright red robes of my would-be assassin, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brow in confusion. This entire situation continued to grow more confusing.

    Furthermore, I saw sweat glistening on Wang Ren¡¯s brow and heard his heavy breaths as he continued resisting the force of the sword. Even now the man was still attempting to kill me. And as a five-star Qi Gathering cultivator, I would be utterly unable to stop him.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Senior Brother Sun, forgive my actions¡ªI mean no disrespect. This cultivator is an acquaintance of mine; a former member of our Cloudy Falls Sect. I cannot stand by and watch you take his life,¡± he wheezed through a clenched jaw.

    ¡°Former disciple you say?¡± he said, appraising me anew. ¡°Do you mean that former disciple¡­ Junior Brother Wang, you really should keep better company if you intend to continue advancing through the ranks of the sect. Talentless trash who couldn¡¯t survive in the outer sect are not worthy of your attention,¡± he spat.

    I felt like now wouldn¡¯t be the best time to point out that since leaving, my rate of cultivation far surpassed the majority of disciples in the Cloudy Falls Sect. Or for that matter, the entire Celestial Jade Empire.

    Luckily, my ever reliable Senior Brother Wang was there to ensure I didn¡¯t lose face. Or my head.

    ¡°Rumours are just that. You of all people should know better than to believe the ramblings of the masses, Senior Brother Sun. If all stories spread through the sect are to be believed, you only obtained your position through nepotism-¡± Wang Ren had to hold up a hand to forestall the other man¡¯s complaint.

    ¡°I do not say this to insult you. I have experienced your skill with the sword and the force of your techniques myself. I know that you deserve your position in the inner sect, regardless of your Master¡¯s status. I simply mean to say that you shouldn¡¯t believe everything you hear.¡±

    The man narrowed his eyes, staring at Wang Ren as though he was deciding whether to kill him on the spot or embrace him for his praise. In the end he removed his sword from my neck and flicked the drop of blood from the tip.

    ¡°Hmph. Your choices are your own to make. As are your mistakes. This is the last time you will block my blade, unless you wish to enter the six paths anew, Junior Brother Wang,¡± he harrumphed, flicking his sleeves as he turned back to the battle.

    He pointed a finger at me without looking back. ¡°You, make yourself useful. Wang Ren cannot save you twice. Perhaps if you contribute enough here, a portion of the rewards will find their way to your pockets,¡± he declared.

    Wang Ren chuckled and turned back to me, raising his huge glaive with a single hand as though it were a child¡¯s toy. ¡°Well, it seems as though Sun Deng won¡¯t kill you for now. Unfortunately we are fighting against not just the Soaring Sword Sect, but other disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect. A vicious battle, but such is the way of heaven and earth. Beasts die for food; men die for wealth,¡± he said with an expression reminiscent of a wise elder. ¡°I suppose this time the beasts are dying for wealth, too,¡± he added with a laugh.

    ¡°That look doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± I remarked. ¡°Stick to swinging that big thing around.¡±

    He scoffed. ¡°Give some face here, I¡¯m supposed to be the senior brother.¡±

    ¡°As you say, Senior Brother Wang. Lead the way.¡±

    I was a bit frustrated that my efforts had been thwarted. Nothing was stopping me from continuing to heal the wounded, but somehow I doubted that this Sun Deng fellow would consider that meritorious contribution.

    Reconsidering my hasty approach to situations was definitely in order. If I¡¯d returned back to Three River City instead of allowing my greed to lure me here, I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.

    Then again, if I hadn¡¯t come to the summit of Jagged Sword Peak I wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to make such gains in my cultivation. If I managed to survive in this bloody battlefield reminiscent of hell, my cultivation could soar beyond a mere one-star Qi Gathering.

    Again I worried about unstable foundations and rushing through the realms, but thus far it hadn¡¯t seemed to cause any issues. However, the Body Tempering Realm was the lowest of them all, involving no spiritual energy, qi, or even much enlightenment; I knew each step ahead of me now would be more difficult than the last.

    I looked out over the carnage. It was as though heaven and earth had been upturned, leaving cultivators and beasts slaughtering one another. How many of them would genuinely have a chance to claim the Ten Ascensions Lily?

    It didn¡¯t matter in the end. What determined the outcome was whether they believed they had a chance or not. While I was here, I would try to ensure that these foolish battle maniacs wouldn¡¯t die a dog¡¯s death.

    Wang Ren was confident as he returned to the melee, his glaive whirling around his body in fluid arcs as he charged at the nearest person in the robes of the Soaring Sword Sect. I followed after him, wondering how I could even begin to assist in a battle of this calibre.

    I ended up not needing to do much. Like the unfortunate female disciple who¡¯d been attacking me, he dispatched this next opponent with ease. He¡¯d always been talented, but the memories of him I had didn¡¯t quite match the indomitable warrior I saw before me.

    He was like Guan Yu, carving his way through the battlefield. Every now and then I would stop and kneel beside an injured victim; whether they were cultivator or beast. My qi didn¡¯t discriminate.

    All under the heavens were worthy of healing. What happened after that was their business. In most cases anyway¡ªsome people did not deserve a scrap of kindness.

    I was absent-mindedly circulating my qi while watching Wang Ren¡¯s back, when it suddenly struck me. My qi had faint toxic properties, absorbed during the Body Tempering Realm.

    My only combat technique until now had been the rather sadistic cancer touch, which I felt should be saved as a last resort and not unleashed wantonly on whoever I fought. Poison was still viewed in a rather negative light, but as I knew, it was just another form of medicine. Two sides of the same coin.

    It was only a hypothesis, but I felt that I was on the right path. There was a sense of resonance from within, urging me onwards.

    I gathered my qi¡ªof which I had now four droplets¡ªswirling it around my meridian and back to my dantian. Focusing on its medicinal energies, I tried to shift it towards corruption rather than restoration.

    At first it was futile. Nothing happened and I even coughed blood when my practice was interrupted by a sudden heavy impact to the chest. Looking up I realised I¡¯d been struck by a stone monkey.

    If I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d say it was laughing while pointing its tail at me. Vicious bastard. The awakened beast was far larger than any of the stone monkeys I¡¯d fought on the way up the mountain and from the feel of its qi I¡¯d put it somewhere in two-star Qi Gathering.

    About two small realms stronger than me, which left me in danger. Wang Ren was currently occupied clashing blades with a skilled sword cultivator who refused to go down as easily as his sectmates had.

    Today this mountain range was earning its name. It had become a mountain of blades atop seas of fire as blood streamed into the once pristine spirit pond.

    While the monkey was stronger than me, I had the knowledge gained from dozens of battles against its kin. I felt I had a solid grasp of its strengths and weaknesses.

    To quote the great Sun Tzu; if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

    I was still working on the whole know myself part, but I certainly knew about these monkeys. When its tail shivered I knew what was coming.

    My movements were like floating clouds as I avoided the stone spikes, but they were far faster than I¡¯d expected. The last of the three spikes scratched against my cheek, drawing blood.

    The wound burned faintly, the first sting of battle. This annoying beast had interrupted me right on the verge of an epiphany, but perhaps I could learn through action instead.

    One teaching I¡¯d retained from Zhao Dan¡¯s memories had been administered on the first day he joined the sect. The sect leader himself had made an appearance¡ªthe only time Zhao Dan had ever seen him in person was that day¡ªand offered the new disciples sage words of wisdom.

    ¡°Cultivation is the eternal refining of one¡¯s vessel towards immortality. Through the spiritual energy of the world we achieve physical purity; through meditation we may glean insight into the Dao; but it is only in the crucible of struggle that one¡¯s comprehension may become tangible progress.¡±

    The language was a little flowery, but the core message behind his words was that you couldn¡¯t reach the pinnacle of cultivation just by sitting around and meditating. It was similar to medicine, in a way.

    I studied for seven years at university, but I wasn¡¯t allowed to practise as a doctor until I¡¯d done a few years shadowing senior doctors on the job. All this was a long way of saying that instead of trying to figure things out without context, I needed a suitable opponent to test my theories on.

    I ducked under another round of stone spikes, but the awakened monkey beast was far from done. I was forced to throw my arms up to guard against a heavy punch.

    My whole body shook from the impact and I was pushed backwards. My arms ached and I found myself more than willing to use the monkey as a test subject for my first attempt at a qi poison.

 Chapter 38

    I was forced to resort to regular martial arts as the battle between the awakened monkey beast and myself unfolded. My attempts to manipulate my qi were unsuccessful; whatever toxic properties existed before adamantly refused to emerge.

    That didn¡¯t mean I was losing the battle. Qi was a potent energy and my every strike was devastating under its influence. Despite that, the monkey beast continued to pound me with a relentless barrage of blows.

    Apart from being a spike launcher, its tail was able to smash into me from awkward angles. Fighting with one less limb than your opponent was quite the disadvantage and I fast found myself covered in cuts and bruises.

    I tried everything while exchanging blows with the awakened monkey beast. Urging my qi to change had little effect. Physically trying to squeeze the venom from it as I infused my strikes with it only threw me off balance.

    After dozens of failed attempts I was losing hope that my idea held merit. Perhaps the toxins my blood essence devoured had been lost during my breakthrough.

    With how effectively my physique seemed to refine materials into medicinal energy I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, but it would be a disappointment. I winced as the monkey¡¯s sharp tail pierced all the way through my forearm, sending hot lances of pain down the limb.

    I tried to pull back but it suddenly grabbed hold of my arm, locking us in place. I felt a shiver run down its tail and into my arm. Knowing what was coming I panicked as I stared into the stone spike about to get blasted through my head.

    In that moment as I walked the line between life and death, inspiration struck me like a bolt of lightning from the heavens.

    The way my blood essence had gained toxic properties during the Body Tempering Realm was by devouring the essence of the spirit snake and during my submersion in the toxic sludge pool. Devouring.

    I didn¡¯t know all the secrets behind my body or my cultivation and I wasn¡¯t going to pretend a single moment of inspiration had changed that, but I felt as though I was onto something momentous.

    For now, a small glimpse of understanding was enough. My qi needed to devour; I couldn¡¯t just force it to shift without an impetus.

    The shiver ran down the monkey¡¯s tail, fast approaching where it was embedded in my forearm. At the same moment, it fired a stone spike directly at my head and I flooded it with qi.

    It had my arm in a vice grip and I couldn¡¯t escape the spike. Instead, I kicked against its legs and managed to nudge my shoulder upwards to absorb the strike.

    The razor-point of the spike buried itself deep in my flesh, searing pain radiating from the entry wound. The monkey beast screeched in satisfaction, planting a hardened foot in my stomach as it disengaged.

    I doubled over and coughed blood, vision blurring. However, I couldn¡¯t stop a radiant smile forming on my face. I¡¯d done it.

    Four droplets of qi raced along the monkey¡¯s tail. Inside my dantian they were usually a bright green colour that reminded me of pharmacy signs or prairie grass.

    That had changed as I created a new technique in the moment, shifting to a darker, more malevolent green. The kind of green that a really cliche bottle of poison might be in a cartoon.

    If all I¡¯d accomplished was altering the colour of my qi, it would be a disappointing failure. Trading the integrity of my shoulder for that would be a shitty deal.

    Truth be told I wouldn¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯d done until the technique ran its course, but I was watching with rapt attention as the monkey started screeching in pain and confusion.

    Dark green veins appeared on its tail and the flesh towards the tip began to rot as necrosis took hold. I let out a deep sigh of exasperation.

    I wanted to be a healer, but so far I only seemed able to create disturbingly violent techniques. Well, there was my surgically efficient healing technique, but it lacked creativity.

    And I¡¯d sort of copied it from the existing qi healing technique. The only real difference was how it helped me cultivate; which for all I knew might have more to do with my physique than the technique itself.

    I stood there observing the monkey screech in confusion and hop around as the poison qi weaved its way towards the base of its spine. By now half of its tail had rotted and crumbled away.

    Considering the difference in cultivation between the awakened beast and myself I was pleased with the potency. Unfortunately I had been preoccupied with the giant stone spike blasting into my shoulder to notice how I¡¯d pulled off the transformation.

    Trial and error seemed to be necessary. A huge pulse of qi was expelled out of the monkey¡¯s tail and the poison was eradicated. Less than a second later I realised I¡¯d made a grave miscalculation.

    My qi hadn¡¯t returned, my dantian now dry and parched like a desert. I¡¯d grown so used to techniques which restored my blood essence and often increased it that subconsciously I¡¯d integrated that into my combat style.

    Now that I¡¯d used a technique which consumed qi with no equivalent reward. I¡¯d thrown myself into the net. A loud screech broke me from my thoughts as the monkey threw itself at me, now even more enraged.

    Its strikes were weaker than before, which was perhaps the only reason it didn¡¯t squash me like an ant instantly. I assumed that was due to it using most of its qi to expel the poison.

    Nonetheless I was still suffering under the heavy strikes of a three-star awakened beast. My bones groaned under the force and I was being overpowered.

    It was times like this that I wished I cultivated a normal method¡­ Maybe then I could breathe to restore my-

    I was an idiot.

    Zhao Dan¡¯s notes had a passage about absorbing ambient spiritual energy through breathing. He¡¯d never needed to use that knowledge though, given that he got stuck at four-star Body Tempering.

    I wanted to try it out, but it was difficult to enter a focused state akin to meditation while being beaten bloody by a rampaging awakened beast. Then again, did I need to follow the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s methods exactly?

    I remembered my refined lungs produced energy when I breathed, but at a very low rate. Far too low to restore my qi, unfortunately.

    What I needed was some kind of medicinal materials to refine into energy. My gaze darted around the basin, only to land on the bloody spirit pond.

    Risky¡­

    Jumping into a pond of liquid spiritual energy would devastate my body. As a lowly one-star, my vessel didn¡¯t have the capacity to handle that much raw energy.

    Then again, the only other alternative was a painful death at the hands of the angry monkey beast. If I was a gambling man, I knew where I¡¯d put my spirit stones¡­

    I timed a dodge to the monkey¡¯s next punch, not avoiding it fully but letting it clip me in the side of the chest. That gave me extra momentum as I rolled backwards and gracefully stood up in a single fluid movement.

    The agility granted me by breaking through to the Qi Gathering realm was put to full use as I proceeded to dart across the battlefield, dodging corpses, flying weapons, and the erratic misfire of spiritual techniques.

    I looked at the few badly injured, but still breathing, cultivators on the ground. If I hadn¡¯t used all my qi in a single moment, I could¡¯ve tried healing them quickly to replenish my reserves.

    Hindsight is omniscient after all. The rice had been cooked and now I had to eat my fill. I reached the edge of the spirit pond, at which point I felt a few powerful auras slam into me as the four and five-star cultivators across the basin took notice of my actions.

    Unfortunately for them, it was too late to stop me. I threw myself over the edge, soaring through the air for a brief moment before I slammed into the ice-cold spiritual water.

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    Immediately I felt the sting as a thousand tendrils of spiritual energy attempted to burrow into my body through my skin. It was agonising, though at first I resisted.

    Perhaps there were some advantages to reaching eleven-star Body Tempering¡­

    That didn¡¯t last long though. Soon the first strand of energy pierced my skin and dug into my flesh like a sentient needle of ice.

    I clenched my jaw through the pain. I gasped as my head broke the surface and I wiped a mixture of blood and spirit water from my eyes.

    Before my reckless leap, the battlefield had been disjointed and chaotic. Now, I watched as disciples of opposing sects and awakened beasts who¡¯d been slaughtering each other moments before rushed towards the spirit pond with singular purpose.

    All of them were glaring at me with undisguised hatred and anger. They thought I was trying to get the jump on them and steal the Ten Ascensions Lily while everyone was distracted¡­

    I¡¯d only wanted to save myself from the damn spirit monkey. I heard a screech followed by a splash. Looking down I saw the monkey in question had thrown itself in after me and was swimming towards me at a rapid pace.

    Its technique was horrid, but it was gaining ground¡ªwater?¡ªfast. I followed suit, swimming towards the centre of the pond to escape.

    About five seconds later I felt a powerful wave of herbal energy wash over me. Powerful currents swirled to life and thick streams of blood slicked over my skin as I fought against the pull.

    Surfacing briefly, I saw that the flower bud on top of the lilypad was unfurling, faster and faster as more of the blood was absorbed into the plant. My mouth suddenly filled with water as I was yanked back into the spirit pond.

    Bubbles erupted from my mouth as I cursed in pain. My ankle had been crushed by the unrelenting grip of the stone monkey, the awakened beast unwilling to let me escape once more.

    The brief loss of control also allowed the endless tendrils of spiritual energy trying to pierce my skin to make rapid progress. Icy burns took hold all over my body as the potent natural treasure began to devour my flesh.

    I coughed blood as a heavy fist smashed into my stomach. My vision was dark, but I couldn¡¯t tell if that was just being underwater or my consciousness genuinely fading.

    The monkey¡¯s grip loosened and then vanished entirely as a pillar of flame erupted nearby, catching the tips of its right arm and leg in the explosive technique. I wondered how a pillar of fire could burn underwater. Cultivator bullshit no doubt.

    Actually that had a lot of merit. This was spiritual water after all, so it was sort of like throwing water on an oil fire. The flames spread like a nasty virus and the monkey was forced to release me as it scrambled to put them out.

    I only had one good leg, but I swam like a fish from a shark as I raced towards the centre of the pond. I wasn¡¯t sure what I hoped to accomplish. I doubted I could steal the Ten Ascensions Lily with so many powerful cultivators and beasts surrounding me, but what other choice did I have?

    Glancing back to see the monkey, I noticed it had managed to put out the flames. Its right limbs were both crippled in the process but it had wasted no time in racing after me.

    Its other limbs flailed in the water and somehow it was gaining on me. The benefit of its higher cultivation or the fact beasts had more muscles, perhaps.

    I¡¯d come this far so there was only one way out. I would claim the Ten Ascensions Lily as it bloomed or die trying.

    The most likely outcome was my death at the hands of Sun Deng or one of the other powerful disciples present. However, there was a sliver of hope that burned within me. A tiny chance I might succeed.

    Unfortunately the rampaging monkey didn¡¯t share my hope. I felt a heavy hand grasp my calf and pull me away from my goal when I was almost touching the edge of the lily pad.

    Spiritual energy burned into my flesh as the beast dragged me back. I felt something splash inside my dantian and chuckled inwardly.

    The heavens were cruel indeed. I¡¯d recovered a single drop of qi due to the sheer quantity of spiritual energy entering my body; exactly as I¡¯d hoped when I leapt into the spirit pond.

    Unfortunately it came a moment too late. I stared into the monkey beast¡¯s bloodshot eyes as it raised its fist sluggishly, the water slowing its movements. Even so it still had the strength to end my life in a few blows. Or maybe just one.

    I felt like giving up. Giving the beast the satisfaction of vengeance. Consider it reparations for all the other monkey beasts I¡¯d beaten within an inch of death during my visit to the Jagged Sword Mountains.

    Honestly I¡¯d been doing more of the punching and less of the healing than I¡¯d intended. This world forced me onto a path I wasn¡¯t sure I liked. Even so, it felt right in more ways than one.

    I knew I was just being pessimistic as the shadow of death hung over me once more. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to stubbornly stick to healing¡­ Oh.

    I had a reckless idea, but when one is on the line between life and death, any ideas are worth exploring. Maybe a bit of healing would be enough of a shock to the monkey that it would let me slip away.

    All I needed was a few seconds to reach the Ten Ascensions Lily, assuming none of the other cultivators killed me first. I turned my focus inwards, gathering the single drop of qi that splashed around in my dantian.

    I knew my healing technique still functioned in the Qi Gathering Realm¡ªeven more effectively than it had before, albeit with less cultivation gains. The monkey had a firm grip on my leg, so I tried something I hadn¡¯t done before.

    Rather than use my hand, I figured if all I needed was skin contact to perform the technique, it should work just as well through any part of my body. Luckily my hypothesis proved correct when the drop of qi seamlessly flowed into the monkey¡¯s wrist.

    At the last moment before I activated the technique I had another miniscule flash of inspiration, remembering how I¡¯d performed the poison qi technique. I really needed proper names for these techniques; it was getting hard to remember them all.

    My qi seemed disposed to devouring other forms of energy, so why not infuse that intent into my healing technique as well? If it aimed to devour afflictions rather than simply cure them, it might be even more potent.

    The effect was explosive.

    The drop of healing qi was lethargic at first, meandering down the monkey¡¯s arm. However, the moment it reached the first wound it swirled and increased in speed, the wound closing at a visible rate as the qi split into two and continued into the rest of its body.

    Despite the healing being rather beneficial to the awakened beast, it was blinded by rage and acted without thinking. I saw a wave of qi explode from where I assumed its core was, the same method it had used to expel my poison.

    Apparently even awakened beasts were still just that. Beasts. The sliver of intent I¡¯d infused into my technique at the last moment showed its worth as the pulse of qi smashed into my swirling medicinal qi.

    However, instead of my qi being extinguished, it was like throwing more fuel on the fire. The pulse of qi crashed into my own and the swirling green qi seemed to dance around it, growing in size and speed as the two energies clashed like raging waves and roaring thunder.

    My initial plan had been to unleash the healing technique and immediately make a break for the lotus, sacrificing the qi and any potential gains to ensure my survival. But I found myself entranced by the mysterious technique I¡¯d given birth to, even going so far as to grab hold of the monkey¡¯s arms while it was struck by confusion.

    Suddenly I felt woozy, my vision blurring for a breath¡¯s time as a mystical sensation took hold of my mind. Flower petals danced in the corners of my eyes and I heard the tinkling of wind chimes in my ears.

    I broke free from the illusion a moment later, noticing that the monkey¡¯s eyes were still glazed over. My healing technique had yet to run its course. There was only one thing that could¡¯ve caused such a phenomenon.

    Without surfacing I would have no way to know for sure, but if I wasn¡¯t right about this then the heavens had turned upside down; the Ten Ascensions Lily had bloomed.

    My mind was torn between two enticing options. Watching my healing technique to completion would grant me more insight into how it worked and perhaps allow me to increase my comprehension of my own physique and path. However, that might mean giving up the opportunity to claim the Ten Ascensions Lily for myself.

    The part of my brain that loved the learning process wanted me to stay, not wasting the precious drop of qi and discovering the outcome of my technique. However, I had to be rational. The lily wouldn¡¯t quite allow me to ascend to the heavens in a single leap, but it would go a long way towards improving my cultivation.

    I also suspected that the potent herbal treasure would possibly benefit my physique as well, perhaps allowing me to further refine my stomach. I was curious to see how my abilities progressed if I accomplished the full refinement of a second organ.

    All this deliberation happened in a single moment as I was torn by indecision. In the end the choice was stolen from me by the monkey beast.

    It was already wild with fury before the illusion of the lily, but not suicidal. So I was shocked when I felt a rampaging storm of qi from within the monkey¡¯s core. I had no basis for my suspicions but with my qi inside its body I felt what was coming.

    The beast had decided to detonate its core, taking us both down in an act of suicidal desperation. I wasn¡¯t sure my healing technique was potent enough to overcome that¡­

    With only one choice left to me, I kicked the monkey¡¯s wrist hard enough to free my calf for just enough time to swim away. I struggled through the viscous spirit water, pulling myself towards the Ten Ascensions Lily.

    Somehow I reached the edge of the lily pad at the same time as I breached the surface. I felt a dozen gazes and even more presences lock onto me at the same time. The pressure was suffocating.

    Even knowing it could spell my early death¡ªfor a second time¡ªI had no other choice. The Ten Ascensions Lily was breathtaking; purplish-pink in colour with every petal sparkling like starlight.

    Even a single whiff of its scent soothed my body and I felt a primal hunger from within; the void in my dantian urging me to claim this natural treasure for myself. Right before I could reach the lily, I felt a blistering wave of heat slam into my back from beneath the pond.

    The monkey had detonated its core and I felt my consciousness slipping as the skin on my back was burnt away. Consuming the lily whole was reckless.

    The energies contained within a single petal allowed Qi Gathering cultivations to ascend a single star in one go, but the entire flower at once could just as easily burst one¡¯s dantian.

    But I had no other choice. I felt cultivators and beasts across the basin launch spiritual techniques, weapons, and curses at me as the explosion began to incinerate my flesh.

    I grasped hold of the Ten Ascensions Lily, plucking it from the lily pad in a single fluid motion. My vision went dark as I tossed it into my mouth and swallowed it whole.

 Chapter 39

    The mystical herbal energies exploded outwards as soon as the Ten Ascensions Lily entered my body. I realised immediately that I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the sheer quantity of energy.

    It was like feeding a whole cow to a kid and expecting them not to burst. Even so, there was no other choice.

    I was uniquely suited to this task and hoped that my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique might help me to survive this ordeal and perhaps come out the other side with some substantial gains. I¡¯d be happy to simply survive.

    My consciousness faded in and out. I only remembered flashes. Searing heat of the explosion melting my flesh and blood, only for it to be immediately restored by the boundless medicinal energy.

    My lungs flooded with power, medicinal qi expelled with every choked breath. I felt as though I was consuming more energy than I¡¯d done all the way until this point with every second, but the Ten Ascensions Lily showed no signs of diminishing.

    I passed out again, waking up to find a sword buried in my stomach. I heard the clash of steel and felt the tremors in the world as spiritual techniques were unleashed one after the other.

    The roars of beasts and the shouts of cultivators were like an orchestra of asuras playing out in hell as I struggled. The constant pain of the spiritual water trying to burrow into my flesh was another agony, but of all the pains it was the least of my concern.

    I felt a familiar feeling. The void within my dantian awakened and for the first time I felt the energy of the Ten Ascensions Lily take a noticeable dive as it was absorbed by the void. A single petal withered away, the remainder of its herbal energy being absorbed by my lungs.

    As I exhaled, the energy was infused into my stomach and I took control, directing the refining process for the first layer of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. And then another burst of herbal energy exploded from the lily, knocking me out once more.

    ****

    Sun Deng had been one of many Middle Qi Gathering cultivators to sense the blooming of the Ten Ascensions Lily. He¡¯d been one of the first to notice Wang Ren¡¯s acquaintance right beside it.

    A one-star, clawing to rise above his station by stealing the treasure from under their noses. He could respect the ambition, but would not allow the bastard to achieve his goals.

    He was joined by many others as he launched a series of techniques at the flailing cultivator, but all were disrupted by a sudden explosion from under the surface of the spirit pond. The detonation of a beast¡¯s core.

    He was forced to watch as the explosion consumed everything in its path. Spiritual techniques, weapons, and even the arrogant one-star cultivator weren¡¯t safe from the detonation.

    A conflicting mess of emotions threatened to consume him. His rage at having the opportunity of a lifetime stolen from his grasp clashed with the satisfaction of seeing the whelp fail in his attempted theft.

    Wang Ren would be upset, but he was only a genius; they were as common as the clouds. Finding another talented disciple to draw to his side wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    Natural Treasures such as the Ten Ascensions Lily were sturdy and it was possible the detonation of the beast¡¯s core hadn¡¯t destroyed it entirely, but it was too risky to check now.

    Besides, there were still gains to be made on a battlefield. The Soaring Sword Sect had sent plenty of elites to try and steal the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s opportunity and Sun Deng had no qualms alleviating them of their treasures.

    It might be a good opportunity to remove a few obstacles in his own sect if the chance arose. For now though he would cooperate with anyone wearing the red robes that marked the inner disciples of his sect.

    As the explosion cleared, he stood up and wiped the ash and sweat from his brow. He frowned when he looked towards the spirit pond, seeing that the Ten Ascensions Lily was nowhere to be found.

    He hoped it had only sunk into the depths of the spirit pond, but even he knew that was a naive hope. His gaze turned to the disciple who¡¯d approached him from the left.

    ¡°That one-star tried to steal my lily,¡± he said, an icy sharp edge to his tone that made Wang Ren pause. ¡°Your¡­ Junior Brother, was it?¡±

    Wang Ren had burns down one side of his body, nasty seeping blisters and charred skin that somehow made him look more heroic than before. They would soon heal, the vitality of a cultivator as potent as it was, but for now he had the ferocious presence of a cornered tiger.

    ¡°It was my fault, Senior Brother Sun. I failed to protect him and it seems his desperation led to a rather foolish decision,¡± he replied, watching the man¡¯s gaze for a hint of his true feelings. ¡°Nonetheless, we can still make some meagre gains by claiming the treasures of these bastard sword cultivators.¡±

    ¡°Among other things, I am a sword cultivator, Wang Ren,¡± Sun Deng snapped, turning a cold glare on the man that made his spine tingle. ¡°However, I was thinking the very same thing. The heavens always provide a path to enlightenment, even when they slam another door in your face. You are not forgiven, but I will spare you for now.¡±

    Wang Ren felt like punching the older disciple in the face almost every time they spoke. He was self-important to a fault, but then again he couldn¡¯t blame him for his upbringing.

    Being the prized descendant of one of the sect¡¯s more influential Elders instilled a measure of pride that meant he valued face and strength above all else. At least he was a useful way of climbing the ladder of the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    ¡°I will endeavour to regain your favour, Senior Brother Sun. Starting with their heads,¡± he replied, pointing his glaive at a pair of cultivators in blue robes who were clashing with a wounded awakened beast.

    Sun Deng didn¡¯t answer as the man rushed off to begin fighting once more. He looked towards the spirit pond as he felt the fluctuation of the ambient spiritual energy¡ªa breakthrough. ¡°It is not you who needs to seek my forgiveness, Wang Ren. If I can¡¯t have the Ten Ascensions Lily, no one can,¡± he sneered.

    When they had been waiting for the Ten Ascensions Lily to bloom, there had been a standoff between the strongest cultivators present. Held back by the other elites, they couldn¡¯t make a move on the natural treasure without preparation.

    None of them dared to act first, lest they find the others joining hands to strike them down. One couldn¡¯t reap the harvest they¡¯d sown if they weren¡¯t alive to do so.

    Now however, with the lily gone, the only reward left to claim was the glory of killing their rivals and claiming their treasures. Instead of having to be wary of a dozen opponents, each of the elites now focused on the enemies nearest to them.

    Sun Deng¡¯s eyes finished taking in the entirety of the rocky basin and landed on a small outcropping nearby, where another inner disciple of the Cloudy Falls Sect stood tall, his robes fluttering in the wind.

    Huo Ze Qiang leaned lazily on his spear as he locked eyes with Sun Deng, both men narrowing their eyes as a flicker of hatred bubbled up and was squashed in an instant. Their rivalry was as old as their time in the sect, but now was not the moment to settle it.

    Neither wanted to be the first to break the staring contest, their gazes simultaneously falling to a point beneath them. A six-star gorilla beast was beating its chest after turning a disciple into a bloody pulp, the woman¡¯s mangled remains trampled underfoot as it roared and rushed towards another terrified disciple.

    The beasts of the Jagged Sword Mountains were going all out. They too had been after the Ten Ascensions Lily. Without a goal to unify them, the most powerful awakened beasts were going on a bloody rampage.

    A six-star beast was a troubling opponent. Sun Deng wanted nothing more than to slice Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s throat, but if they didn¡¯t cooperate the beast would tear them apart.

    Sun Deng drew his sword as he darted down the sloped rocks, Huo Ze Qiang twirling his spear theatrically as he did the same, flames dancing around him like miniature stars. The two men attacked in unison, qi empowering blade and spear as they engaged the savage beast in battle.

    ****

    A heavy object crashing into me broke me from unconsciousness, but my focus was instantly drawn inwards. The faint metallic scent of blood mixed with the burn of the spiritual water, but I ignored it in favour of the chaos unfolding inside my body.

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    Since it had greedily devoured a portion of the Ten Ascensions Lily¡¯s energy, it had been dormant¡ªas far as I could tell anyway, given I¡¯d been unconscious. Eight drops of vibrant qi splashed around in my dantian, uncontrolled and running rampant.

    I¡¯d heard cultivation described as pursuing inner purity, but I had to wonder whether that particular fellow had actually cultivated himself. This was nothing of the sort!

    My body seemed to have managed not to implode under the assault of the lily¡¯s seemingly endless abundance of spiritual energy but it was not benefiting me. Like a beautiful garden required a guiding hand, so too would I need to take control of the situation to make any gains.

    It was hard to ignore my surroundings when a dead body had fallen on my head, but leaving the spirit pond now wouldn¡¯t be safe. Any of the elite cultivators could reap my life with the ease of a farmer harvesting cabbages.

    First, I guided one stream of spiritual energy from the lily towards my lungs. I tried to ensure a constant flow at the limit of what my lungs could convert to medicinal energy.

    I briefly wondered what the difference between that energy from my lungs and my qi was, but there was little time for distraction. There was every chance I would discover such a thing naturally as I progressed, so I wasn¡¯t dismayed by my current lack of knowledge.

    Once I had stabilised that flow, my body felt more intact. The combination of spiritual water burrowing in from the outside and the rampant energies of the lily inside had been tearing my body apart like a pack of starving hyenas, but now the medicinal energies kept the damage at bay.

    It didn¡¯t prevent it entirely but it would delay it long enough for me to focus on what came next. I gathered the eight droplets of qi in my dantian, forcing them into my control.

    It took me a few tries but eventually I had a singular stream of qi that swirled around my dantian like a kite dancing in the wind. It was a strange feeling. I felt so powerless and weak compared to those around me, but every single drop of qi in my dantian had enough power to eradicate a mortal in moments.

    The scale of power in this world was skewed to a ridiculous degree. I took the time to remind myself that my accomplishments were worthy of admiration, even though I had a long way to go before I would have the luxury to feel safe.

    I circulated the stream of qi through my first meridian, my body humming with power as I did. The concept of the meridians still intrigued me; eastern medicine on Earth had similar concepts but here it was far more tangible.

    The typical path of progression through the Qi Gathering Realm required one to open eight meridians. The quantity of qi required to do this was actually standardised, which surprised me given the huge variation in methods and techniques used by the various cultivators and sects.

    However, outliers were commonplace too. Mostly it was the talented cultivators with unusual methods who deviated from the standard path, sailing past bottlenecks that other cultivators would struggle with for decades in a matter of months or even weeks.

    From Zhao Dan¡¯s notes I knew that the second meridian could usually be opened once a cultivator had gathered 9 droplets of qi. A pleasant flowery scent wafted out from the void in my dantian.

    Not a second later a ninth drop of qi splashed out from the empty abyss into the base of my dantian. As the stream of qi finished circulating my meridian I guided it to gather the new droplet.

    It joined the stream seamlessly and I probed my second meridian with my mind, feeling the blockage for weakness. It felt similar to the first, like a drainpipe clogged with leaves and dirt for decades.

    I knew the most efficient method for opening it already, having experimented the first time around. That didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t try to optimise it further, but I had a better starting point than before.

    Imposing my will on nine drops of qi was more strenuous than doing the same with a single droplet, but I soon transformed the fluid stream of qi into the shape of a surgical scalpel. I almost began cutting away the blockage immediately, but something held me back.

    With my new perspective I already saw improvements I could make to the process. With one drop of qi I¡¯d been limited, but with nine at my disposal my method could be refined further. It was the same with any surgery; the first time you performed it was nerve wracking, while each additional iteration was smoother and more efficient.

    Three drops of qi formed the handle of the scalpel, ensuring it was stable and easy to control. Four droplets seamlessly fused into a razor sharp blade, able to slice through any blockage and clear the second meridian with ease.

    The final two droplets, I attempted to infuse with the devouring toxic intent and coated the blade, hoping my idea would work. They turned a darker shade of green and clung to the blade, making me satisfied with my work.

    All that came next was to break through. I guided the scalpel towards the clogged meridian and in a single fluid motion, sliced through the opening.

    The impurities offered little resistance to my qi, falling apart and then being expelled out of my dantian. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    My experiment worked well, the devouring qi coating the blade burning away large swathes of impurities at a time. That single stroke opened almost a third of the meridian in one go.

    A few seconds later I had unblocked the entire thing, except for a few stubborn clumps that refused to budge. The scalpel having done its job, I let it fall apart. Before the nine drops of qi could escape my grasp I reformed the flowing stream as a tenth droplet fell from the dark void.

    Quickly scooping it up, I merged it together as I circulated my qi through the second meridian. The remaining impurities burned away under the onslaught and I soon completed a full circulation.

    Next I cycled my qi through both the first and second meridians before returning it to my dantian. A wave of rejuvenating energy washed over my body, healing my injuries and purging the spiritual water from under my skin.

    It lasted a short moment, but that brief respite was like rain falling from the heavens while stranded in a desert. More drops of qi began falling from the void, as I continued to absorb and refine the energies of the Ten Ascensions Lotus.

    After my breakthrough the intensity increased, but so did the rate at which I could absorb the spiritual energy contained in the treasure. I felt more objects striking my body from outside, but it was mostly corpses and falling weapons¡ªnothing to worry about yet.

    The drops coalesced in my dantian and I gathered them up as they splashed against it. Twelve drops, then thirteen. Fifteen. Twenty.

    All this time I hadn¡¯t neglected to continue refining my stomach and I suddenly felt a metallic clang alongside a rising heat. The Ten Ascensions Lily suddenly released another burst of its alluring aroma, then tried to escape my stomach!

    However, my stomach suddenly flared with heat and green chains burst forth to seal the lily. I marvelled at the development, but it wasn¡¯t over yet.

    Under the pressure and heat, the energies of the lily were being absorbed even faster and the second petal withered before my eyes. Truly, it lived up to the name of Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. Even potent natural treasures such as this were unable to escape.

    With this increased speed, I had to focus more intently. The amount of energy surging in my dantian grew and even the void seemed indignant at the development of my physique, suddenly devouring more energy as a third petal withered.

    The number of qi droplets coalescing in my dantian was now a torrential downpour. The twenty seventh droplet appeared and I immediately went to work as my dantian swelled, smashing through another bottleneck as I broke through to three-star Qi Gathering.

    The third meridian was open and after a few circulations of qi I felt far more powerful, like I could decide the life and death of anyone below peak Body Tempering with a wave of my hand. Still though, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    After the stomach, the third step of the first layer of my physique was to refine the liver. I suspected that would give me some kind of ability to resist or more efficiently absorb toxins, but I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    I split the spiritual energy from the lily between refining my liver and continuing to gather qi, multiple forms of energy clashing and winding through my body. However, like a skilled conductor I was orchestrating the vast majority of this controlled chaos.

    Qi was condensing so fast that a mortal mind would lose track, but my thoughts had gained more clarity with each breakthrough. It was as though I had been trudging through mist and darkness all my life and only now entered the sun.

    With the speed of my thoughts I had no issues keeping track. Once I had gathered fifty-four drops of qi I wasted no time in clearing the fourth meridian, my body brimming with power as I entered the middle stage of the Qi Gathering Realm by breaking through to four-star.

    There were still two petals left on the Ten Ascensions Lily. Each petal represented another breakthrough, putting me at six-star Qi Gathering. I had no reason to stop, as there was no threat to my life.

    The chaos of the battle had hopefully drawn attention away from me, but with my consecutive breakthroughs I wasn¡¯t sure how long that would last. I continued refining the energy as the fourth petal withered away.

    I waited for eighty-one droplets to condense so that I could open the fifth meridian, but as the eightieth splashed into what was now a small lake of qi, a tingle ran down my spine as my senses exploded with danger.

    My eyes snapped open, but the lily was restrained by my refined stomach and it didn¡¯t break free of my control. My gaze darted around until it landed on a rapidly approaching awakened beast; a huge five-star bear. Unfortunately this one didn¡¯t seem as friendly as the last bear I¡¯d encountered.

    I clenched my fist. Absorbing the rest of the energies would have to wait, but with the lily restrained for now that wasn¡¯t a problem. Besides, I¡¯d just broken through three consecutive times, now a four-star Qi Gathering cultivator.

    I was eager to test my new strength and this beast gave me a perfect opportunity. I had been contemplating my path while meditating at the bottom of the pond and had come to a realisation.

    Healing was about taking control of other people¡¯s fate. You had their life and death in your hands while guiding them back to health. Thus, as a man who had decided to step on the path of healing, how could I allow others to decide my fate.

    I¡¯d been forced into the schemes of others all this time, but I refused to continue in this manner. While I was still far from the peak of this world, I at least had the strength to contend with those gathered here.

    The water vibrated and I dodged to the left as a blade of ice shot past my cheek. Above me, a female disciple of the Soaring Sword Sect had entered the pond and was also racing towards me, her sword glowing with frost as she prepared to use her technique once more.

    Clenching my fists, I stood up in the thick water. It offered less resistance to me now. Where there was carnage, there was opportunity to heal.

    In my case, that meant gains to be made. I couldn¡¯t help but shiver in anticipation of the coming battle as the awakened beast and the female disciple rushed towards me.

 Chapter 40

    Right now I had plenty of techniques at my disposal to deal with the female sword cultivator and the five-star awakened bear beast. That wasn¡¯t mentioning regular combat, which had been raised to a whole new level after my consecutive breakthroughs.

    I let out a chuckle, the bubbles rising slowly through the viscous spiritual water. I¡¯d run to the Jagged Sword Mountains in search of inspiration to bring me to the Qi Gathering Realm and well¡­ I¡¯d certainly gone above and beyond.

    Though that was proving to be nothing special when it came to this second life of mine. Perhaps I was actually favoured by the heavens? No, that was a dangerous line of thought.

    Either way, I¡¯d had enough of being disrespected and disregarded for my lack of strength and my techniques. I was a healer and I no longer cared what others thought of my techniques.

    The bear beast swam fast, which was no surprise. It would reach me first. I already had experience fighting against bears, so I knew a few weaknesses of this furry giant.

    I¡¯d encountered my first bear beast while it was poisoned and it had been sluggish and blinded by pain. It just so happened I had a poison technique I needed to test.

    The bear swiped at me with its huge, razor-sharp claws but I found its movements rather slow and its strikes easy to avoid. My perception of energy flows had improved with my breakthroughs and I could see where its qi gathered and intensified. That knowledge told me when it would strike, making dodging as simple as waving a hand.

    With dozens of qi droplets at my disposal I no longer had to be so stingy with my techniques, able to spare plenty to test the poison technique again. The key seemed to be my intent and unique attributes of my qi from my physique.

    I was still figuring out what exactly that unique attribute was but trial and error was the best way to refine any technique. I weaved around the bear¡¯s claws, the beast growing frustrated as I continued to evade.

    It roared, revealing yellow fangs and spewing a torrent of bubbles outwards, impairing visibility. That only served to hinder the beast itself as I had no problem sensing its qi through the torrent.

    I jabbed my fist into its thick fur, my strike shifting its massive bulk as a stream of qi was injected into its body, shifting from vibrant green to dark, toxic green as it travelled. I pressed the full weight of my mind onto the qi as it left my body, willing it to devour and spread.

    The effect was immediate. The bear clawed at the wound, swiping its claws erratically. I was already gone, preparing to defend against the female sword cultivator.

    She had been using her ice blades sporadically, launching them towards us while we battled. Most missed but a few hit the bear, which ended up helping me. Now though, she had reached me in truth and I was put on the back foot.

    Even with a cultivator¡¯s strength and durable body, it was difficult to fight an opponent with a suitably sharp blade. The disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect were renowned for their skill and the quality of their blades.

    Her ice technique froze the ground and even the spiritual water itself, creating dangerous obstacles as I avoided her truly lethal slashes and thrusts. We fell into a steady rhythm, neither of us making progress.

    She couldn¡¯t cut me but I was also hesitant to strike the first blow. In the end the bear broke the stalemate with a savage roar. Its jaws snapped shut on the sword while it slashed at me with its claws in a vicious attack.

    Its internal qi flows were disrupted. My poison qi was rapidly spreading from the entry wound and its fur and flesh were black and rotten on its stomach. Even against a beast one-star above me, the technique was potent.

    For a brief moment the sword cultivator struggled against the bear¡¯s iron jaws as they squeezed the blade of the sword. Unlike the bear, the sword cultivator was only four-star Qi Gathering, the same small realm as I now was.

    Her sword was a Martial grade treasure, but against the powerful awakened beast it was like a china teapot. It shattered into dozens of shards and all the shards of ice in the water melted.

    It seemed as though her technique was connected with her blade, giving me a perfect opportunity to strike. I didn¡¯t need poison to finish her off.

    The stone bottom of the pond cracked as I kicked against it, a burst of speed carrying me through the water towards her. I delivered three rapid strikes in succession, hitting her in the stomach, chest, and head.

    Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she was knocked out. The bear roared, turning its rage back to me as I stole its prey. However, I hadn¡¯t struggled to avoid its strikes before and it was even slower while affected by my poison.

    I delivered another dose and began to incapacitate its limbs one by one. Since completing my breakthroughs less time had passed than it took to burn a stick of incense, but two enemies had already fallen at my hands.

    I¡¯d carefully ensured they were not dead, only knocked out. Cultivators advocated for pulling trouble out at the roots; eradicating nine generations and ensuring no one lived to seek vengeance.

    That would¡¯ve been the smarter decision, but it was impossible to suppress one¡¯s true nature. I was a healer, but also an ambitious man. Killing someone would stop me practising my healing techniques and advancing my cultivation.

    Taking a few risks was a necessity in order to achieve greatness. The battlefield was chaotic, so even if they eventually woke up they couldn¡¯t attack me again without facing the other cultivators and beasts first.

    I kicked off the ground again, swimming towards the surface. It was time to make my grand debut as a Middle stage Qi Gathering Cultivator.

    My strength was exponentially greater than before and I overestimated the force of my kick. A great torrent of water burst forth as I breached the surface of the spirit pond and soared into the air.

    Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t fly yet, nor had I learnt the Drifting Cloud Steps to Master accomplishment, allowing me to drift on the air currents for a brief moment. If only the former Zhao Dan had been more diligent about copying the sect¡¯s techniques into his personal notes¡­

    Putting aside my ambitions of striding through the skies like those lofty masters, I cast my gaze around the rocky basin. The battlefield was soaked in blood, the heavy scent of blood and steel slamming into me like a hammer moments after I surfaced.

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    Strangely it was less chaotic than before, with the different factions more clear cut than they had been when I arrived at the summit. There were now just three.

    The Soaring Sword Sect had always moved as one cohesive unit, but they were now diminished. Previously the Cloudy Falls Sect had been split into many warring factions.

    Now however, they were acting with a singular purpose. They slaughtered beasts and struck down their blue-robed rivals with ruthless efficiency.

    As the hellish conflict unfolded I found myself transfixed. A few presences pushed down on me as I emerged, but they felt far less oppressive than they had done prior to my breakthroughs.

    Watching the disregard for life on display, I was disappointed. I understood their motivation, having experienced the power of the Ten Ascensions Lily myself. That didn¡¯t mean I agreed with their methods.

    I felt as though I¡¯d become more decisive since coming to this world, but also more vicious. I had no problem with fighting¡ªit was a great way to settle differences and compete. However, needless death was another matter.

    If I wanted to change this world I needed power. I knew this, but until now I¡¯d never had the power required to make a difference. Until now.

    Granted, there were a few five-star cultivators and even a six-star I could sense, but I had the advantage in my potent techniques. My confidence was absolute.

    There was also two petals worth of energy remaining of the Ten Ascensions Lily I had yet to refine, my qi reserves constantly increasing while I fought and observed. The Soaring Sword Sect¡¯s defeat seemed inevitable, while the beasts were no longer coordinated and gradually being slaughtered or forced to retreat.

    I spotted the flaming spear wielder among the red robed figures, my eyes narrowing as he carved through beasts and cultivators with ease. I was only human; letting go of grudges wasn¡¯t easy.

    For now I decided to assist the disciples of my former sect. I had a few allies among them at least, whereas I had no friends in the Soaring Sword Sect and had already put myself at odds with the local beast population. Beating half of them to the edge of death wasn¡¯t the finest way of forging a positive relationship.

    A sudden gust of wind brushed my cheek. I was still falling through the air towards the edge of the pond, unable to adjust my position. Three sharp blades of qi carved apart the air in their wake as they raced towards me.

    An unassuming man in loose fitting blue robes walked through the battlefield as though he was on an evening stroll through a field of flowers. His blade lazily floated back into his scabbard and his face was relaxed.

    He seemed truly uncaring of the carnage unfolding around him. A red robed disciple stepped into his path, their clothes bloody and torn. They brandished a spear and yelled something incoherent as they thrust it at the peaceful man.

    I threw up my hands to guard my face and chest as the three blades of qi sliced into my skin. My tough skin offered little resistance as the sharp qi carved deep wounds along both forearms and my right side.

    As I dropped my arms and landed heavily on the ground, I looked up and saw the man still walking forwards, with the spear wielder nowhere to be seen.

    No, that was wrong. A single drop of blood was splashed onto his cheek like a falling teardrop, a fresh corpse sliced in two at his feet.

    He had reaped a life like wheat in an instant, even as his sword technique carved my defenses apart like tofu. A six-star Qi Gathering cultivator, likely approaching seven-star.

    This otherwise regular fellow was actually the strongest cultivator present, a deadly threat who had decided to make me his target. That was perfect.

    Taking on an opponent two small realms above me was the fastest way to establish my dominance of the battlefield and test my newfound strength. I exhaled, releasing a breath that rose in a cloud of steam as the spiritual water evaporated from my body.

    Mysterious green energy was released from my lungs in a cloud, filling me with energy as the three wounds left by his sword technique healed in a single breath. The man¡¯s unbothered expression finally broke as he raised a single eyebrow.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± he drawled, as though the very act of speaking was too exhausting. He suddenly frowned. ¡°I was supposed to claim the lily. Die.¡±

    I blinked and he disappeared. All that remained in his place were a few falling flower petals. Wind blew against the side of my head and I leapt away.

    He¡¯d missed.

    Or so I thought, until I felt hot moisture dripping down my neck and soaking my collar. Reaching up a hand I touched my ear, only to find half of it missing.

    He stood a few metres away from me, his sword still in the scabbard and his face expressionless. I took a deep breath, the wound healing as I exhaled once more. Not fully¡ªI was far from being able to regrow flesh in moments¡ªbut enough to stem the bleeding.

    He sniffed and vanished. I tensed, drowning out all my senses except hearing and touch. A breeze. The scent of flowers.

    I twitched, bending backwards. Cold air buffeted my face as I opened my eyes to see his sword passing over my head.

    His eyes widened and I saw a flower petal falling from the tip of his sword. He stepped backwards and I saw his body blurring, but I was already on the move.

    My fist planted itself square on his jaw, his head snapping to the side with a satisfying crack. I saw him cough blood as his body disappeared.

    He reappeared a few metres away, stumbling and spitting blood. I didn¡¯t want to give up the advantage, so I began closing the distance.

    When he saw that he instantly reacted, stomping on his blood and smearing it across the rocky ground in a fluid motion. He drew his sword from its scabbard while I increased my speed and began twisting and writhing on the spot.

    Just before I reached him I kicked against the ground and my leg exploded outwards like lightning. It smashed into his chest, but the impact felt strange. Soft.

    My strike continued onwards, but not a moment later his body exploded into a cloud of petals. Every petal was like a tiny blade, slicing into my skin.

    I winced as dozens of burning wounds appeared across my body. Every petal left behind a drop of sticky orange sap, which began seeping into my blood.

    He attacked again before I had a chance to examine the sap, slashing across my chest in a wide swing filled with openings. As his sword descended I moved to strike the flat of the blade to parry, but found my joints locking up.

    The steel parted my tough skin like tofu, blood spurting in a crimson fountain in its wake. I staggered on the spot, my movements clunky as my ligaments and joints ignored my mind¡¯s command.

    He wasn¡¯t done yet. Even as I gasped for breath, my right lung partially severed, his hand twisted slowly and his sword swirled back towards me.

    I raised a hand, but it felt as though I was dragging it through honey, failing to stop his blade as it lazily sliced my neck. Streams of blood poured down, joining the waterfall of life escaping my body.

    Even then he gazed upon me with utter disregard. He stepped towards me and his sword curved around a third time. His movements looked sluggish while being paradoxically fast, flashing through the air like lightning.

    He thrust the ornate blade into my heart, delivering the final judgement. At once all of my blood started flowing upwards, crimson streams dancing along the blade¡¯s edge. My heartbeat slowed to a crawl and a powerful scent of orchids crawled under my skin, my vision blurring.

    This was unfair.

    The difference in cultivation was one thing, but his ridiculous technique was another. Against another six-star cultivator, I might have had a chance of victory, but this was an awful matchup.

    I grew dizzy with the scent of orchids and iron, my mouth filled with blood. My heart thumped weakly, a final protest against the blade lodged inside it.

    This kept happening. Against the spirit snake. Before my breakthrough to one-star Qi Gathering at the end of the fire cultivator¡¯s spear. And at my new peak, the most powerful I¡¯d ever been, I¡¯d still lost.

    It stung.

    And that wasn¡¯t just the sap in my wounds, though most of it had been burned away by my qi by now. I¡¯d lost too much blood to move my limbs, despite the joints no longer being jammed.

    Another heady burst of flowers struck me, threatening to tip me over the edge. I was dancing the line between life and death, my performance fast approaching its end.

    I frowned, the small movement sending bursts of pain down my neck. This fresh scent was different to the man¡¯s technique. It was familiar.

    The scent of lilies.

 Patreon Announcement [Book 1 Completion]

    Don''t worry, today''s regular chapter is still coming as usual¡ªthis is simply an interlude to share some great news! As of tomorrow, the top supporter tier on my patreon will have reached an initial goal of having 30 advanced chapters!! That is only the beginning, as anyone subscribed to that tier gets an extra weekly chapter compared to the 4 available for free here on RoyalRoad. In addition, patreon readers can read all the way to the end of Book 1 and the first few chapters of Book 2.

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    Also, I would like to take this moment to thank all of the readers who supported Dao of Healing until now. Thanks to the success of the story and the generosity of my patreons, I have been able to leave my job and begin living my dream of writing for a living. I only hope that things continue to grow and improve from here as I will continue to provide high quality entertainment for you all :)

    Even those readers here on RR who were an essential part of climbing to #1 on the Rising Stars list for almost two weeks and reaching 3,500 followers have a special place in my heart. Thank you for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy Dao of Healing and any stories I release in future!

    Have a great day and enjoy Chapter 42, which will be releasing a few minutes after this announcement!

 Chapter 41

    ¡°In the end, trash is still trash, even if they obtain the favour of the heavens. Meeting your end by my sword is your fate, but fear not. Your blood shall feed my blade and I will carry your will as I ascend to immortality, as I do with every soul she reaps,¡± the man murmured, stroking the blade as my blood continued to stream down its edge.

    I saw true passion in his gaze, his previously dead eyes sparkling with life as he spoke about his sword. Creepy.

    Bad timing, too. Why was he telling me this now? I¡¯d rather die in peace. Suddenly I smelled an overpowering floral aroma, making my head spin.

    Unlike the dizzying scent of the sword cultivator¡¯s techniques, this scent was familiar. Lilies.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, aside from the obvious. I was still refining the energies of the Ten Ascensions Lily, but a breakthrough wouldn¡¯t save me now.

    My vision went black. I snapped my eyes open, forcing myself to stay conscious. As soon as I let myself slip under, it was truly the end.

    The fifth petal of the Ten Ascensions Lily withered, the spiritual energy all gobbled up by the abyssal void in my dantian. It had stopped producing qi a while ago, but I hadn¡¯t noticed while fighting for my life.

    I still didn¡¯t know what it was, the mysterious hole in my spiritual core that had appeared while I passed out during my breakthrough. All I knew was that it sometimes stole my cultivation resources and paid me back in qi.

    For all I knew it was a hidden aspect of my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. In the end, my speculations wouldn¡¯t change my fate.

    ¡°You are close, insignificant one. It was a gift from I, your predecessor. Your reckless actions led me to intervene as you woke me from my slumber. Those who desire my favour number in the trillions. Be grateful you were graced by my presence,¡± an ancient, heavy will spoke directly into my mind.

    I wondered if I was going insane as I died, but it continued, shaking my very soul with each word. ¡°You released your innate vital qi, a lethal action without proper precautions. It is the essence of life, brought into existence at birth. Every drop spent represents your very lifespan vanishing. For you though, inheritor of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique, it represents a unique opportunity.¡±

    Time was frozen in this moment as an incomprehensible existence imposed its thoughts upon my being. I was frozen in the instant before my death, staring into the crazed eyes of my lethargic murderer.

    ¡°What are you?¡± I thought to myself, but it seemed to hear my question.

    ¡°Perhaps you may find out one day, if you can crawl high enough. A frog in a well cannot see anything except the sky. First climb Mount Tai before you try to gaze upon what lies beyond. For now, I have corrected your mistake. It will be the only gift you receive from this exalted one. If you cannot even break free from that pathetic, crippled realm then you are not worthy of further attention.¡±

    Time resumed, the streams of blood meandering along the steel blade. The strange sword cultivator looked into my eyes and furrowed his brow.

    The void in my dantian collapsed, leaving behind a stream of golden qi, far denser than anything I¡¯d ever felt. The stream exploded into mist, countless tiny droplets infusing every inch of my body.

    My wounds healed instantaneously under the influence of the golden qi, but that wasn¡¯t all it did. About a third of the qi was directed to my heart, infusing the bleeding muscle with life.

    Pierced through by the insidious flower sword, it hadn¡¯t beat for a few seconds. However, that changed the moment the potent golden qi appeared.

    My heart absorbed the energy like a man dying of thirst in a desert, the withered organ regaining a lustrous sheen. A metallic thump echoed across the basin, like a giant pounding on a steel drum.

    I recognised the sound, even if it was a variation on the last two. My heart had been fully refined according to the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique, the process accelerated by the mysterious golden qi.

    A feeling of indignation welled up inside and I was confused as to the source, until I looked down at the sword that still pierced my heart. Two thoughts crossed my mind simultaneously as I moved to act.

    The sword cultivator noticed something was off and had already begun to withdraw his blade, but it was too late to escape my grasp. My body was healed, my qi circulating as I purged the fifth meridian of impurities having broken through to five-star Qi Gathering without much effort.

    I had paid in suffering instead. A price worth paying. I gripped his sword by the blade, not caring about the sharp edge digging into my skin.

    Thankfully the impurities expelled were eradicated by the golden qi that suffused my body. The source of my indignation was this bastard trying to steal my blood to fuel his sword.

    It was an insult to the heavens. An insult to me¡ªwhich in my opinion was the graver offense of the two. With my touch and the influence of the golden qi, which seemed unbound by worldly restrictions, my blood began to flow in reverse.

    Now I drank from the blade. I saw a dark qi gathered in the hilt of his sword, the screams of dozens of tormented souls unable to have their final rest. A sinister technique, even by the standards of this world.

    He¡¯d claimed it was my bad fortune to encounter him, but today I would teach this man an important lesson. There are heavens beyond the heavens. With a twist of fate, destiny had reversed and now I was in control of this moment.

    I had reclaimed my blood, tearing the sword from my heart as my body became whole and unblemished once more, brimming with power. As the last drops of blood left his sword, I scowled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called a demonic cultivator for my techniques, but this weapon is truly evil,¡± I admonished him, eliciting a frown and narrowed eyes from the cultivator.

    ¡°She is simply acting as is her nature, imparted by the man who forged her. To carry the blood of the defeated on my path is to give them face even in death. You dare impugn this sovereign¡¯s honour!?¡± he cried, voice crescendoing as he spewed his nonsense.

    I didn¡¯t respond. There was no reasoning with someone who either didn¡¯t understand the truth of his weapon¡¯s power, or knew and was blind to the implications.

    Instead, I began doing what I do best¡ªhealing. The souls trapped inside his sword were beyond my medicinal skills, but that didn¡¯t mean there was nothing I could do to help.

    To be forged into a sword, metal must undergo a myriad of processes that warp it from its natural form. It is twisted, this evil sword even more so than other blades. I wasn¡¯t sure what trapped the souls within, despite being able to feel their desperate pleas for help.

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    Nonetheless, I had confirmed my application of the poison technique on the awakened bear beast earlier and now had another opportunity to put it to use. Poison, when applied correctly, can be used to treat all manner of afflictions.

    I was no saint; I could not return the sword to its natural state, nor could I bring a soul back from the dead. Or at least whatever unnatural state they were trapped in.

    What I could do was release them and return the sword to the earth. Balance restored, the natural order healed. Poisonous qi surged from my fingertips and grasped the blade.

    Under the corrosive nature of my technique, the once magnificent sword returned to dust. As the ornate, flowery hilt crumbled I felt the gratitude of the released souls as they were returned to the six paths.

    I clenched my fist, the cut on my palm already healed. All this had felt like an eternity, but in reality only a moment had passed. I inhaled sharply, my gaze descending on the hapless villain.

    What was a sword cultivator without a sword? He discovered that they were nothing as my fists unleashed my fury upon him, bursts of toxic qi surging through his flesh with each strike.

    I preferred to leave my opponents with a single breath remaining, thus leaving them a path to salvation through healing. For this man, the only treatment I could devise was a swift death.

    The old me¡ªthe me who yet to experience this world¡ªwould have perhaps let him live. I was merciful, but only to a point. I knew now that to reach the peak and bring true enlightenment I needed enough strength to give weight to my philosophy.

    Might makes right in the Celestial Jade Empire. The only language cultivators like this understood was their own and I was growing more proficient by the day.

    He coughed blood as I held him by the neck. His head rolled to the side and I tossed away his corpse like trash. There was nothing to be gained.

    I felt another wave of qi spread through my body as the remnant energies of the Ten Ascensions Lily were fully refined. The fifth petal hadn¡¯t allowed me to break through another small realm to six-star Qi Gathering, but I was already satisfied with my current cultivation.

    It would be enough to deal with the rest of these violent children. I surmised this six-star sword cultivator was one of, if not the strongest person present.

    With his death, I noticed a few of the elite cultivators of the Soaring Sword Sect despair, their battles growing desperate and hurried. Mistakes were made and in the time it took to drink a cup of tea, every blue robed disciple lay dead or incapacitated.

    ¡°Junior Brother¡­ your cultivation,¡± Wang Ren exclaimed, scratching his blood soaked chin as he approached.

    His glaive was equally baptised. I could see he had fought well, the man¡¯s strength spoke for itself. His technique was fearsome and I doubted anyone at two-star Qi Gathering was his match. Perhaps he could even handle a three-star.

    ¡°I was fortunate to obtain the Ten Ascensions Lily for myself,¡± I replied with a wry smile.

    More than anyone else, Wang Ren knew how meteoric the rise of my cultivation was. From a mere four-star Body Tempering practitioner I had ascended an entire realm since leaving the Cloudy Falls Sect. If one counted the extra ten and eleven-star small realms and my current cultivation, then it was even greater than that.

    ¡°Fortunate indeed. Truly, the heavens are smiling on you, Zhao Dan. I am not sure I understand how one can accomplish such a rate of cultivation, but it makes me happy to see you thrive.¡±

    ¡°As are you, Senior Brother Wang. Your glaive technique is formidable, even more so than it was when we last met. If not for this treasure I would still be looking up to you like a tiger cub does its father.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, you overpraise me for my meagre accomplishments. You must tell me what you have been up to since leaving the sect. I am intrigued. First though, let us deal with these beasts,¡± he said, planting his feet in the ground before swinging his heavy glaive overhead.

    A strange beast struck him. It looked like the bastard child of a wolf and a lizard, with scales and fangs in all the wrong places. A three-star awakened beast and yet he cleaved it in half with a single slice.

    Looking at Wang Ren¡¯s bulging arms I couldn¡¯t help but joke, ¡°You certainly didn¡¯t slack off in the Body Tempering Realm, Senior Brother!¡±

    He raised an eyebrow as he looked towards me. ¡°Unlike you, I didn¡¯t rush through it in a matter of months,¡± he retorted.

    ****

    Clearing out the beasts was only a matter of time. Once the Soaring Sword Sect had fallen all of the Cloudy Falls Sect disciples gathered at the summit worked together to slaughter or drive them back into the mountain range.

    Now, the only people who remained in the rocky basin were red robed inner disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect and myself. With no enemies to unify them, they had already begun arguing amongst themselves as long standing rivalries flared up.

    I had many bones to pick myself, especially with the spear cultivator whose name I had yet to discover. ¡°Who is that disciple?¡± I asked Wang Ren to finally put a name to his sneering face.

    Wang Ren¡¯s gaze flickered to the haughty man, eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the flaming spear. ¡°That is Huo Ze Qiang, one of the inner disciples closest to becoming a core disciple,¡± he replied. ¡°He¡¯s also an arrogant bastard and the heir of some powerful cultivator clan,¡± he added with a snide chuckle.

    That made a lot of sense given his behaviour until now. All that spouting about demons and evil was just him compensating for his failures after the elders poured all their spirit stones into his training. Or something like that, anyway¡­

    All I cared about was getting a little satisfying revenge. Killing him felt too far, but he had killed me¡ªor would have, if not for my breakthrough.

    He believed I was dead, which meant the intent was there. Although with an elder of the Cloudy Falls Sect supposedly on the way, I would have to be careful about my actions.

    Until that point, however, I was free to do as I pleased. At five-star Qi Gathering I was among the strongest there. Most of the other disciples were injured after the harrowing battle, whereas I¡¯d received a second wind through the release of my innate vital qi healing me.

    I followed Wang Ren until we joined the disciple leading his group, where three large groups were having a standoff. Sun Deng was leading the group we joined, gazing down on the others like an emperor looks upon a common criminal.

    He heard our approach and turned to face us. I saw his fingers twitch upon seeing my face, but he didn¡¯t act. ¡°You survived, Junior. Impressive,¡± he said, his tone indicating he felt otherwise.

    ¡°Is junior the correct form of address still, Sun Deng?¡± I replied with a smirk. ¡°We are both five-star cultivators now, after all.¡±

    He exhaled heavily, cocking his head to one side. ¡°I suppose not, Zhao Dan. An impressive journey. From a four-star Body Tempering trash to a Middle Qi Gathering cultivator in a matter of months. Who else could boast such a speed of progression? I imagine there are those who would accuse you of cultivating unorthodox methods,¡± he replied, eyes sweeping over the crowd.

    I saw many small conversations break out in hushed whispers, weaker cultivators throwing wary glances my way. I ignored them all and strode forward, joining Sun Deng at the front of his group.

    ¡°Let us put aside our¡­ differences for now, Sun Deng. Let me ask you a question. What is your relationship with Huo Ze Qiang?¡±

    I gazed at the spear cultivator himself as I spoke, the man noticing my stare and meeting it in kind. His eyes widened and his jaw fell open as he recognised my face. I smiled and waved.

    His eyes lit up with rage and he turned to the person next to him, waving his arms as he shouted something I couldn¡¯t hear. Which was strange, because my hearing had improved a lot with four breakthroughs.

    Perhaps he had some kind of talisman that guarded against eavesdropping. Knowing he was the young master of some clan, it made sense that he had plenty of extravagant treasures on hand.

    ¡°We have our differences. Differences I would happily settle here and now, before the elder arrives,¡± Sun Deng intoned slowly, sounding out my reaction. ¡°If that is what you were suggesting, of course.¡±

    I turned to him with a frown on my face. ¡°What!? You would kill a disciple of your own sect in front of all these witnesses? Of course I would never suggest something so villainous,¡± I exclaimed, internally chuckling as his face paled and he stepped back.

    Sun Deng coughed. ¡°Of course, I was only testing fellow cultivator Zhao to see his true intentions. Forgive me,¡± he said sheepishly behind his hand.

    I burst out laughing, wheezing and pointing at him. ¡°You¡¯re too easy, dude. This is why you need to care less about face. Let loose. You know what the best way to blow off some steam is?¡± I asked once my ribs began to hurt and I had to stop teasing him.

    ¡°This is not the time for trickery, Zhao Dan. We have limited time. Will you move on Huo Ze Qiang or not?¡± he demanded, gripping the hilt of his sword.

    ¡°So impatient,¡± I tutted. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll tell you. The best way to blow off steam is to slap the face off an annoying bastard. Lucky for us, we have one right there.¡±

 Chapter 42

    I¡¯d lied. The true best way to relax and de-stress was a hot bath with a gorgeous woman by your side, but as I¡¯d so painfully discovered, there were no baths out here¡ªespecially not the steaming hot variety.

    I would settle for a small dose of petty revenge followed by a long stint of healing the wounded. Personal satisfaction and improved cultivation would be a well deserved reward for my efforts.

    Leaving Xiao Cui alone with the village head was a hasty decision. I didn¡¯t regret it, but I did need to check up on them. The few silver coins I¡¯d left wouldn¡¯t last much longer.

    Sun Deng interrupted my idle thoughts, appearing beside me as we both appraised our shared enemy. Huo Ze Qiang was arguing with another cultivator in his group, while the twin leaders of the third group watched the unfolding action with interest.

    ¡°Do you know those two women?¡± I asked, nodding my head towards the startlingly similar female disciples. I guessed twins, but it could also be coincidence.

    ¡°Xin Xue and Lei Chunhua. They are the top inner disciples on Gentle Lake Peak, both candidates to become core disciples under Elder Ling Liling. The reason for their appearance is the Gentle Lake Peak¡¯s unique method of cultivation¡ªRefining Purity Scripture,¡± Sun Deng explained.

    Wang Ren interrupted. ¡°Most disciples of the Gentle Lake Peak are stunning beauties¡ªthe object of desire for all male disciples in the Cloudy Falls Sect. Which among us hasn¡¯t dreamt about Senior Sister Lei before,¡± he said, smiling as he looked around the group.

    Many of the male disciples were red in the cheeks while plenty of the women scowled at Wang Ren. I appraised him with fresh eyes. Had he always been that bold?

    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. Their beauty is akin to the first drop of dew rolling from a lily as the sun rises,¡± I replied, earning a few nods of appreciation. ¡°However, none of that information is useful. Will they intervene if we attack Huo Ze Qiang?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely. Not only is he arrogant and domineering, but he constantly tries to seduce the female disciples. They¡¯d be more likely to help us kill him,¡± Sun Deng snorted.

    For once, the world didn¡¯t seem to be throwing a pile of dragon shit my way. This was one grudge I could settle before returning to Three River City.

    There, with my newfound cultivation, I could return to the palace and settle the grievances I had there¡ªfor both mine and Xiao Cui¡¯s sake. I looked forward to a clean slate, though I suspected I would need to leave the city and the influence of the Cloudy Falls Sect depending on what unfolded here on the Jagged Sword Peak.

    However, there was nothing that would stop me. I was a healer, but I was not a saint. I tried not to be violent when I didn¡¯t need to. Maybe a doctor working in safer conditions would¡¯ve had different views, but my life had always been lived on the edge.

    I came to these mountains to seek enlightenment so that I could protect those around me, but all I found was the callous cruelty of a cold spear and the indifference of cultivators.

    Sometimes, healing the world began with a beating. Even the body followed this principle. Devouring damaged and rotten cells was the first step in defeating an infection.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him,¡± I said as I cycled my qi through five meridians, each completed cycle filling my body with an overwhelming sense of power.

    Sun Deng raised an eyebrow at my remark. ¡°I thought the goal was to kill him before the elder arrived?¡±

    ¡°We have plenty of time¡­ and I need to practise my healing techniques. Don¡¯t ruin this,¡± I replied, cracking the stone ground as I kicked away from the group.

    I leapt forwards, arriving in front of Huo Ze Qiang before he realised we were on the move. However, he reacted fast, his spear whirling around as flames erupted at the tip.

    He jumped to the side and thrust his spear at my neck, but I had no need to defend. Sun Deng appeared in a gust of wind, his sword expertly parrying the spear to the side.

    Huo Ze Qiang frowned. ¡°You would work with this demonic scum, Sun Deng? I always knew you were a despicable bastard but this is a new low,¡± he sneered, his confidence unshaken even though he was battling against the odds.

    ¡°Ze Qiang, you would doubt the judgement of the Elders? Either you¡¯re more of a fool than everyone believes or you¡¯re more arrogant than a damn dragon,¡± Sun Deng retorted without pause.

    I was tired of all this talking. The only thing cultivators seemed to love more than slaughtering each other was the sound of their own voices.

    My leg flashed, a sharp kick aimed at his knee. Ze Qiang avoided it but a swift slash from Sun Deng¡¯s sword blocked off his path of retreat.

    He grunted in annoyance as the pressure continued to increase. I erupted into a flurry of punches and kicks, ducking and weaving as his flaming spear danced through the air like a phoenix.

    Sun Deng interspersed the clash with precise thrusts and cuts of his sword. As a surgeon I could appreciate his surgical attacks, but now was not the time for admiration.

    I was forced away from the clash as another cultivator joined the battle. It was the guy that had been whispering with Huo Ze Qiang earlier. He was only three-star Qi Gathering, but I couldn¡¯t ignore his heavy sword strikes.

    I couldn¡¯t avoid every single one, his sharp blade carving gashes along my arms and legs as we traded blows. Eventually I delivered a swift whirling kick to his chin, his head whipping to the side with a sharp crack.

    Exhaling, a wave of medicinal energy flowed from my lungs towards the wounds on my skin. Since breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm, my healing techniques had been far more potent on my own wounds.

    I¡¯d noticed it before but could confirm it now; every time I healed myself the renewed flesh was a little tougher than before. In Body Tempering I¡¯d achieved two extra small realms, so was the Qi Gathering Realm going to be an endless cycle of self improvement instead?

    There was no time to ponder such things. Without my assistance Sun Deng was at a standstill in the fight against Huo Ze Qiang, the overpowering techniques of the spear user made a perfect defense against Sun Deng¡¯s elegant sword style.

    I leapt back into the fray, pushing back Huo Ze Qiang once more. He was on the backfoot, his spear suited to defend against two enemies at once but not fast enough to block all the strikes headed his way.

    More of my punches and kicks connected, with a few of Sun Deng¡¯s slashes also drawing blood. When it seemed as though we were about to finally break his guard, I sensed his qi erupting from his dantian and leapt away, grabbing Sun Deng¡¯s arm.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    However, I couldn¡¯t get away in time. Sun Deng was hit worst as a storm of flames radiated outwards from Huo Ze Qiang.

    I smelled the burning flesh before I saw it, the acrid stench of meat assaulting my improved senses. I weathered the fire, my body and dantian working overtime to sustain itself. However, my qi was draining rapidly.

    An attack of this scale had to be a final technique. I doubted Huo Ze Qiang could use any techniques after this, let alone unleash another one on this scale.

    Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t sure whether my healing could outlast the burning maelstrom, while retreat would mean leaving Sun Deng to suffer alone. We were only allies of circumstance, but I wasn¡¯t the type of pig bastard to leave him suffering while saving my own skin.

    Surprisingly, I was taking a little less damage from the flames with each passing moment. I still had to clench my jaw through the agony. Burning alive was not a fun experience, but it was growing more bearable with each breath.

    I had a sudden spark of inspiration. This was fire born from qi, not natural flames, which meant that when reduced to its base it was just energy. My physique refined energy into healing¡­

    What I was about to do was extremely risky but would have enormous payoff if it worked. Not only for the immediate battle, but for future techniques and my path.

    I exhaled, letting the cold wave of medicinal energy restore my flesh. It tingled and I hesitated for a breath, knowing if my theory was wrong I was about to experience an entirely new level of agonising torture.

    Preparing myself I took a deep breath, letting the violent flames race down my throat into my stomach. If not for my stomach being refined I may not have risked this. It didn¡¯t seem to have the same function as my lungs but I was betting it would be similar.

    The fire qi went wild as soon as it entered my body. My tongue melted, my throat ablaze as the qi seared away my flesh. However, as the breath came to completion a portion of the fire qi was absorbed into my lungs.

    Instead of burning away the flesh, it was devoured. I exhaled, an action that should be natural sending waves of devastating pain through my chest. Along with the pain came the most potent stream of healing energy I¡¯d created, rejuvenating every burnt cell in its wake.

    Once my flesh was restored, the fire qi attacked again with renewed vigour. However, it was far less effective. It still burnt through my flesh but it took about twice the time as before.

    What happened next surprised me. The remaining fire qi in my body suddenly all moved in a single direction, sinking into my stomach as though it was being drawn into a black hole.

    My stomach sucked in the flames and I watched as it drew a stream of qi from my dantian. The swirling mess reminded me of my healing technique, the fire qi blending with my own as it was mixed inside my stomach.

    The stream of qi sped up as the two types of qi merged, the line between the flames and my own qi blurring. Soon a single strand of qi was all that remained, a gentle orange that reminded me of the sky at sunset.

    Instead of being forced outwards into my body, the new strand of qi became inert within my stomach. I realised it would not move without me exerting my will.

    I couldn¡¯t know what the effect of this new qi would be however, without having experienced it before. My body continued to burn under the onslaught of the fire storm, so I repeated the process a few times until I had five strands of this strange new qi stored in my stomach and my flesh no longer burned.

    The fire qi storm began to withdraw as Huo Ze Qiang was drained of energy. I raced forwards, finding Sun Deng kneeling on the ground.

    I barely recognised him, every inch of his skin was blackened and charred like meat that had been left on the grill too long. His qi was faint, barely a pulse.

    I placed a hand on his shoulder and he didn¡¯t even react. His skin cracked at my touch, a few flakes peeling away and crumbling to the ground.

    The fact he was still alive was testament to his immense willpower and the fortitude of his physique. I was a healer first; before claiming vengeance on Huo Ze Qiang I would ensure Sun Deng would not die or be forced to live as a burnt cripple.

    What I was about to do was risky, but I had a gut feeling it was going to be more effective than any of my previous healing techniques. Plucking two strands of the strange new qi from my stomach, I guided them into Sun Deng¡¯s body while clamping down with my intent.

    The steps were identical to any other use of the qi healing technique, but every single component was unique to me and my physique. The final outcome was a mystery, but the instant the orange qi entered his body I watched it explode with vitality.

    The charred flesh on his shoulder cracked and fell away, revealing pristine skin like jade. This spread like a wave across his body as the two strands of orange qi exploded into a mist of rejuvenating energy.

    His scarred eyes opened as he inhaled sharply, coughing black blood. He leapt to his feet and then staggered.

    I caught him and chuckled. ¡°Take it easy, Sun Deng. That fire storm technique was potent. You were on death¡¯s door.¡±

    He stared at me wide-eyed. ¡°You healed me? How!? No technique exists to heal such wounds, unless you¡¯re¡­¡± he exclaimed, suddenly going quiet towards the end. ¡°Are you a hidden nascent soul sage!?¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± I snorted, doubling over at his outburst. What a ridiculous accusation, though given how lacking this world¡¯s healing techniques were I wasn¡¯t too surprised at his line of thought.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± I replied. ¡°I have a unique physique suited for healing. My techniques are derived from that and far more potent than the regular qi healing technique or any healing pills.¡±

    He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation but still threw me suspicious glances every now and then. The whirlwind of qi within his body came to an end and I watched as the strands of orange qi reformed.

    However, they seemed to have lost the unique effect that had been created in my stomach, returning to the vibrant green of my regular qi. Additionally, the quantity of qi had doubled, four strands rushing into my dantian as I gasped at the cold sensation.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if that was unique to the qi refined in my stomach or if I could expect similar gains through every application of my healing technique in the Qi Gathering Realm.

    Before discovering the answer to that question, I had to finish the battle. I walked forwards to where Huo Ze Qiang stood.

    He was panting, the flow of his qi erratic and weak after unleashing the devastating storm of fire qi. His spear still burnt brightly and he levered it at me as he noticed my approach.

    He couldn¡¯t stop the shock from showing on his face however, eyes wide and mouth open. ¡°How are you still alive!?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I was right, you truly are a demon.¡±

    I slapped him, the sound reverberating across the basin as the gathered cultivators watched. Everyone else had rushed away from his technique, though I spotted a few unfortunate souls who had been caught in the blast, burnt and bloody on the rocky ground.

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    He stumbled backwards, clutching his face. ¡°You dare?¡±

    I rushed forwards, sweeping his legs from beneath him as I delivered a chop to the back of his neck. He fell to his knees, unable to move.

    Some weaknesses still remained even on a cultivator¡¯s body, it seemed. ¡°Stop blabbering. Your ass must be jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth. Calling me a demon while your own fellow disciples tread the line between life and death after burning in your technique,¡± I snarled.

    At first this had been for personal satisfaction. To pay him back for trying to kill me during my breakthrough. I¡¯d planned to leave him beaten for his master to drag back to the Cloudy Falls Sect.

    That was letting him off lightly.

    For a moment I stood in silence, watching the flow of his qi. His body was like a furnace, his dantian the bellows blowing the fiery energy around his meridians.

    Qi could be used to heal, reversing the damage left by a weapon. A surgeon¡¯s scalpel could carve out a tumour, but it could also sever tendons.

    A man like this did not deserve to have power over others. He was irresponsible, rash, and cared little for the collateral damage he caused.

    Not to mention that he was trash who had constantly betrayed fellow disciples of the same sect. For a man like this, there was only one punishment I felt would suit his crimes.

    Qi gathered around the tip of my finger as I bent down so that my face was level with his. ¡°You throw your power around without care. As a healer it is my duty to eradicate infections anywhere I find them,¡± I said as I placed my finger against his stomach, right above his dantian.

    ¡°What are you doing! Stop!¡± I heard a panicked voice cry from above right as I unleashed my qi and shattered his dantian.

 Chapter 43

    Crippling Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s cultivation had been surprisingly simple. Figuring out the connection between the dantian and the spirit during my breakthrough to Qi Gathering was the foundation.

    Once I knew where to cut, the actual application of the technique was as easy as turning my hand. A few strands of my qi and decades of painstaking cultivation were gone.

    At the moment I¡¯d crippled him I¡¯d heard an unfamiliar voice crying out from above. Throwing my gaze to the skies as a shadow fell over me, I saw a man in white and gold robes standing in the air. The next moment I staggered as a presence like a dozen mountains slammed into me.

    I righted myself, clenching my teeth as the elder continued to hammer down on me with the full weight of his cultivation. It seems my timing was rather unfortunate¡­

    The earth rumbled as the elder slammed into the rocky ground, his robes billowing as the nearby disciples seemed either relieved or terrified. I immediately thanked the heavens that it was not Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s master who had arrived or I might already be dead.

    Nonetheless, crippling the cultivation of a Cloudy Falls Sect disciple in front of one of their elders was not a wise move. I didn¡¯t regret my actions though, defiantly staring down the elder as his furious gaze fell on me like a meteor.

    ¡°Hmph! Junior, you dare?¡± he flicked his sleeve and a scroll appeared in his hands, the inscriptions glowing with mystical golden light.

    I reached into my dantian, knowing I would need every drop of qi I possessed if I wanted to survive the elder¡¯s strike. My chances were slim, but even a deer can escape a tiger in the right circumstances.

    The pressure of the elder¡¯s aura reached a peak as the golden inscriptions began to peel from his scroll. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can remain so audacious in the face of my Seven Edicts Judgement Scripture!¡± he cried, flicking his other sleeve.

    I imagined he could have utilised his magic treasure with a lot less fanfare and yelling, but I had to admit he made a fearsome figure as he prepared to end my life. Suddenly Sun Deng threw himself between me and the elder, hands raised.

    ¡°Elder Shen, wait!¡± he exclaimed.

    The elder harrumphed and shot Sun Deng a look of disdain, all but one of the glowing characters falling back onto his scroll. The final glowing character continued to vibrate and suddenly it shot into the sky, where it exploded into countless golden chains as thunder rumbled in the background.

    ¡°Junior Sun, I expect a plausible excuse for this ridiculous behaviour. Forcing me to waste the first edict of my Seven Edicts Judgement Scripture is no small cost,¡± he snarled, rolling the scroll and keeping it with a wave of his sleeve.

    ¡°Elder Shen, this man is no enemy of our sect! He fought with us against the treachery of the Soaring Sword Sect and the fury of the local beasts, even claiming the Ten Ascensions Lily. Furthermore, he is an ex-disciple of our sect, not some random vagrant. I owe him a life debt and I ask that you honour this and spare him,¡± Sun Deng proclaimed, waving his hands dramatically and bowing to his waist.

    Honestly I¡¯d half expected him to leave me to my fate, taking two of his enemies off the table in a single swoop. However, I had to respect his honour and the face he was giving me.

    I sighed. I truly was becoming part of this world. The elder¡¯s gaze flicked back to me. He looked me up and down like a merchant appraising a fresh shipment of fruit, then his heavy eyes returned to Sun Deng.

    The crushing weight of his cultivation lessened and he rubbed a palm against his temple, sighing. ¡°Rise, Junior Sun. It seems this situation is complicated. Explain this business with the Soaring Sword Sect. I may need to report this to the Sect Leader,¡± he ordered.

    Before allowing the disciples to approach, the elder rushed to Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s side and placed a hand against his stomach, frowning as he realised what I¡¯d done was incurable. The boy would never cultivate again.

    Sun Deng was joined by others as they began babbling to the elder, who had a look of severe annoyance on his face. No doubt he would have preferred to remain at the sect cultivating rather than deal with a bunch of junior disciples.

    I turned my attention to the countless wounded across the rocky basin. Any of the beasts still able to had fled when the battle turned, but there were endless beasts and cultivators lying in their own blood, painting a gory scene.

    It was as though a dozen asuras had carved their way through the mountain summit, leaving nothing but death and destruction in their wake. I would do my utmost to heal those who still lived, but lamented that I could only focus on a single patient at a time.

    Identifying those closest to entering the six paths, a step away from death, would be crucial. Triage was as effective here in this new world as it had been on Earth.

    Actually, why did I have to limit myself to a single patient? The qi healing technique had those limitations and my own version which I had derived from Wang Ren¡¯s display shared those limits, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t improve it.

    After all, my goal was to advance the healing arts of the Celestial Jade Empire. In order to do that I would need to build on the meagre foundations that already existed.

    The only issue was that I still had a limited understanding of qi. My Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique had proved to have myriad functions and incredible utility for healing, but I wasn¡¯t sure it could help here.

    I¡¯d seen the potent healing effect of the mysterious orange qi when I used it on Sun Deng, but it had taken two full strands to heal him. Whether I could glean enough to create a working technique from the three remaining strands was uncertain, but I would give it my all.

    A plethora of techniques existed at the Qi Gathering Realm which could disperse one¡¯s qi over a wide area, though most of them were combat techniques. Then again, most techniques were combat techniques in every realm¡­

    Nonetheless, I could learn a lot from the methods used to direct the flow and dispersal of qi and apply those lessons to my own techniques. Unfortunately I wouldn¡¯t have the time to do so in the immediate future, meaning I instead needed to tend to every patient individually.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    I began my task after spotting a beast with the faintest hint of qi emanating from its core. The strange awakened beast resembled no creature from Earth, with slimy scales covering its body, a curved beak filled with a dozen rows of razor-sharp fangs, and two sets of wings.

    Despite my apprehension at approaching such a hideous creature, I swallowed my fear and kneeled beside it. Every living being was deserving of healing and I was simply the guiding hand.

    It had dozens of sword and spear wounds across its body along with light burns from Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s firestorm technique. I separated a single droplet of the mysterious qi from one of the strands. It seemed successful at first but as soon as the drop was pulled from the strand the entire construct collapsed and dissipated.

    Crap.

    Those were extremely valuable resources, which I assumed I could create more of using my refined stomach, but only if I had the prerequisite ingredients. Namely, a foreign source of qi alongside my own.

    Restoring the beast was relatively simple despite the severity of its wounds. I opted not to use the mysterious qi until I knew more about how to manipulate it, only infusing my own qi with the technique.

    The beast¡¯s wounds rapidly healed and I soon felt a surge of qi returning to my dantian. The increase was not double as it had been when I healed Sun Deng with the mysterious new qi. However, I was not disappointed.

    In this case I would be able to use quantity over quality, with dozens of patients awaiting treatment the gains would surely stack up. I felt as though I was not close to reaching the bottleneck for six-star Qi Gathering and hoped to draw nearer by the time I returned to Three River City.

    After healing the beast I wandered through the corpse-strewn battlefield, healing cultivators and beasts one after another. At first I was uninterrupted, but I soon had a growing crowd following my work.

    When one of the disciples grabbed my arm and tried to stop me in the middle of healing a wounded disciple, I was faced with a difficult trial. Cancelling the technique midway would put the patient at risk, but I couldn¡¯t ignore the man¡¯s actions.

    Thankfully, Wang Ren had noticed the commotion and stepped in to assist, removing the disciple¡¯s grip and scolding him severely. After that, the number of disciples watching my actions only increased with even the elder gaining an interest.

    ¡°Junior, what are you doing? This lot can simply take some healing pills and sleep it off back at the sect. Don¡¯t waste your qi,¡± he scoffed.

    I threw him a look of disdain. ¡°Is that truly how the Cloudy Falls Sect treats its disciples? I am glad I was expelled in that case. Healing others is my path, Elder. Do not attempt to stop me.¡±

    ¡°You dare!?¡± he exclaimed, but Sun Deng once again threw himself between us.

    ¡°Elder, forgive him. Zhao Dan is a fervent follower of the healing arts. To stop his work is tantamount to blaspheming against the heavens in his eyes. He means no disrespect,¡± he hurriedly explained.

    That was an over exaggeration, but it seemed to placate the elder. Me nodding and bowing my head with a brief, ¡°Indeed,¡± was enough to quell his rage.

    My qi was growing with every patient I healed and I felt myself approaching the limits of five-star Qi Gathering. Every new meridian I opened increased the rate I could cycle my qi and the amount I could infuse into a single technique, which meant every small realm in the Qi Gathering Realm represented a qualitative increase in the potency of my healing techniques.

    When I moved onto the disciples of the Soaring Sword Sect, I felt countless gazes piercing my back. The disciples of the Cloudy Falls Sect clearly didn¡¯t like the fact I was healing their enemies, but I didn¡¯t care.

    The lion does not listen to the opinions of sheep. There were very few of them left alive, so they would not be able to escape the clutches of the Cloudy Falls Sect regardless. Especially with the presence of a Foundation Building Elder.

    After healing everyone I took a short rest on the least bloodstained boulder, with Wang Ren joining me. We reminisced on our days in the sect and promised to meet again in the future¡ªunder less violent circumstances.

    As I prepared to return to Three River City, Elder Shen appeared in front of me, barring my path.

    ¡°Junior, I would ask that you return with us to the sect. The other elders may have questions and your techniques would be of great interest to the council and perhaps even the sect leader,¡± he declared, his gaze no longer holding so much contempt towards me.

    ¡°I must decline your offer, Elder Shen. I have business in Three River City and I have been gone for too long already,¡± I replied, realising as I spoke it had been almost a week since I left.

    His mouth twitched. ¡°Are you sure, Junior Zhao? Refusing will not look favourable for you when I recount the events of today.¡±

    ¡°I am sure, Elder. I appreciate your perspective but I am no longer a disciple of the sect. You may tell the sect leader or the other elders they may seek me out in Three River City if they have further questions.¡±

    That was a risky move, inviting further scrutiny from cultivators who could squash me like a bug, but I needed a way to politely decline, giving the elder face while not bending to his will.

    Additionally, I had a throbbing headache. About halfway through healing the wounded my temple had spiked with pain and my dantian felt weak, the flow of my qi a trickling stream compared to the raging river it had been.

    I suspected that even though my healing technique increased my total qi, constant use still exerted me in some unseen ways and I would need rest in order to be at my full potential once again.

    The clamouring of the disciples who were barely injured to heal their minor cuts and bruises hadn¡¯t helped the headache, but Wang Ren and Sun Deng had put a stop to that. Sun Deng had even gone as far as saying I could call on him whenever I needed as he now owed me a life debt.

    A little extreme in my opinion, but I would not complain about having another ally. Especially one as talented as Sun Deng. He was sure to rise through the ranks of the Cloudy Falls Sect to a position of power one day, so having him owe me such a debt was no small affair.

    I knew cultivators took these sorts of things seriously and to renege on his word would bring great dishonour, stripping him of face. Once expertly slipping away from Elder Shen I began the long walk back to the city.

    A long walk which would be far quicker than it had been on the way there thanks to my improved cultivation. I wondered how little Cui was getting on alone. I hoped she hadn¡¯t caused any trouble¡­

    ****

    The sun was approaching its zenith as I reached the city walls, the roads filled with caravans of merchants and citizens alike. The guards inspected each and every one, but upon sensing me one of them immediately rushed out to greet me.

    I didn¡¯t recognise him as he wasn¡¯t on duty the first time I¡¯d entered the city or been present in the palace during my brief incarceration. He bowed once he appeared in front of me in the queue.

    ¡°Honoured cultivator, you need not wait with the rest of the rabble. Please, follow me,¡± he said, a little out of breath.

    I wasn¡¯t usually the kind of guy who skipped queues, but looking out along the winding line of caravans that still needed inspection I decided that for once I would allow myself the luxury.

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I replied with a flick of my sleeve. One had to play the part, after all.

    The city was buzzing with action, the restaurants full of patrons and endless mortals going about their daily business in the streets. I made a beeline for my building, avoiding the crowds.

    When I was a street away I saw a line of young women that snaked around the corner. Turning onto the street I saw it went all the way down. Following the line I ended up in front of my own building, where the queue of women went inside.

    I raised an eyebrow as I read the sign above the door. At least Xiao Cui hadn¡¯t been slacking off in my absence¡­

 Chapter 44

    Looking above the door of the building that was supposed to be my clinic, I sighed. Someone¡ªI assumed Xiao Cui¡ªhad affixed a sign that read ¡®Madame Cui¡¯s Mystic Spice Emporium¡¯.

    I had barely given the girl any training and I was certain she knew nothing of healing, alchemy, or herbalism, so what in the eighteen hells was she up to? If she was scamming innocent people, I would see to it that she received a severe scolding.

    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a queue, you can¡¯t just walk in,¡± a lady shouted at me as I strode through the front doors of the building.

    I ignored her. I wasn¡¯t going to let a stranger tell me what to do in my own damn place¡­ The line ended at the marble countertop, where a woman was nodding her head with wide eyes sparkling as Xiao Cui explained something to her.

    Rather than interrupt the conversation, I snuck close enough that I could eavesdrop on what was being said without drawing attention to myself. When I heard what they were talking about, I was shocked!

    ¡°Madame Cui, you¡¯re telling me that if I give my husband just one drop of this mixture at night, he will be able to keep going until the sunrise? I don¡¯t believe you,¡± the woman protested, but her devious smirk told another story.

    Xiao Cui, the little demoness, waved the woman closer to whisper in her ear. ¡°You will see the effects for yourself. He will be like a man reborn, possessed with the stamina of a dozen horses. If you are not satisfied, I will refund every coin.¡±

    The woman let out a girlish giggle, unbecoming of a lady her age, before thanking little Cui for her generosity and walking out the door. She clutched the fabric wrapped package she¡¯d received as though it was a heavenly treasure, throwing sideways glances at everyone she passed.

    I scoffed, before cutting in front of the line. ¡°Little Cui, what an interesting business you¡¯ve created in my absence. How did a young lady like yourself create a mixture with such¡­ hair raising effects?¡± I asked, silencing the complaints of the other patrons as Xiao Cui shot out of her chair like a jack-in-the-box.

    She raced around the marble counter and bowed to me. ¡°Master! You¡¯re finally back. I¡­ can explain everything, just give me a moment,¡± she stuttered.

    Turning to the long line of expectant women, Xiao Cui raised her hands to silence the chatter. Since her pronouncing me her master, I noticed a few appraising gazes landing on me. I shivered. Women could be scary.

    ¡°Ladies, I am terribly sorry to say that the emporium will be closing for a brief break. It will be opening again this evening so that you can get last minute orders before night falls,¡± she declared, outrage erupting at her first statement with relieved pacification following in the wake of the second.

    The village head appeared from thin air, herding the disgruntled women out along with Xiao Cui. Annoyance dispersed down the long line, but eventually they made their way back into the city, leaving the building in peace.

    I took a seat on a comfortable padded sofa, gazing over the transformed lobby. Xiao Cui and the village head had done an impressive job decorating in my absence, turning the empty marble tiled room into a luxurious reception that could¡¯ve been the lobby of a five star hotel.

    ¡°I like what you¡¯ve done with the place,¡± I said, waving a hand and dispersing the nervous looks on their faces.

    Xiao Cui collapsed into a padded armchair, letting out a heavy groan of relief. ¡°Thank the heavens, I was worried you¡¯d be furious,¡± she said, then she sat bolt upright as though struck by a cattle prod. ¡°Even if you hated it, you¡¯d have no right to complain, bastard master! You just ran off for over a week without telling us anything.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect to be gone for so long, but I ran into a series of fortuitous opportunities. One thing led to another and well¡­ I¡¯ll tell you how that ended up,¡± I apologised as I gave them a brief recounting of my outing.

    They reacted at the appropriate times, oohing and aahing. When they heard my cultivation had skyrocketed they were overcome with happiness.

    Of course they were glad for my personal accomplishment, but I believed most of their relief stemmed from the fact they no longer needed to fear the threat of the city lord¡¯s reprisal. I was a few star-realms ahead of him in the Qi Gathering Realm now, after all.

    ¡°...To make a long story short, I saved the day, defeated the bad guys, and managed to slip the grasp of a Foundation Building Elder like a devious eel. Isn¡¯t your master incredible,¡± I preened, flashing a dazzling grin.

    Xiao Cui scoffed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re amazing, Master,¡± she intoned impassively.

    The village head at least nodded and offered a decent reply. ¡°You are truly a dragon amongst men, Cultivator Zhao.¡±

    I waved him off. ¡°You overpraise me, village head. There is a far more important matter to deal with than my brief misadventure, however,¡± I said, my gaze turning serious as it fell on Xiao Cui. ¡°How did you hear about such mischievous deeds and set up this little operation, my dear disciple?¡±

    She went bright red and the village head coughed, turning away from her when she looked to him for support. ¡°Well¡­ let me explain. When you left, the first day I sat around wondering what to do with myself. The second day, I figured that if I was going to be your disciple I should at least try to learn about healing, so I wandered around the city exploring the different remedies available to the citizens. Alchemists, herbalists, and even breweries. What I realised was that compared to master¡¯s healing arts, they were all a bunch of crap,¡± she began telling her story with plenty of colourful language, but I was satisfied she had the prescience to recognise my greatness.

    ¡°So one day I was in a herbalist¡¯s shop, when I overheard a conversation between the owner and a female customer. She requested something for fertility as she and her husband were having trouble¡­ you know¡­ and the owner seemed disgusted but still brought out a herb, proclaiming that he normally doesn¡¯t sell that kind of thing,¡± she continued, drawing me into her tale.

    ¡°I realised then that this was an easy opportunity to make some money while you were gone, so I researched around the different stores and eventually figured out a recipe that helps¡­ things along. As you can see, it worked out well. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think you really were born to be a saleswoman,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°I was worried I¡¯d get back to find you holed up in the house or getting up to no good again.¡±

    ¡°What kind of disciple do you think you¡¯ve taken on? I¡¯m always on my best behaviour,¡± she said with faux horror.

    ¡°Hah! As if,¡± the village head exclaimed, shaking his head with mirth.

    ¡°However, despite your success I wasn¡¯t exactly hoping to build that sort of clinic. Now that I am back, I plan to dive into research surrounding healing available to the commoners of this city and return to my original goal of making healing more accessible,¡± I explained, standing up from the comfortable sofa and walking across the lobby.

    ¡°What about us?¡± Xiao Cui asked.

    ¡°You can keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing. I see no reason to shut down a profitable business and while you aren¡¯t exactly transforming the world, you¡¯re not hurting anyone. Though I imagine the men of this city will be a lot more subdued in the near future¡­¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    It reminded me of the stories of returning home the soldiers used to tell me. Their wives would go wild, having not seen their husbands for months or even years at a time. When they flew back out, they were a little less excitable for the first few weeks.

    There were the sadder stories too, like those whose wives and girlfriends hadn¡¯t been patient enough to wait, but that wasn¡¯t relevant right now.

    ¡°Thank you, Master! I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± she exclaimed with joy, before rushing into the back room.

    When she came out, she had a small leather pouch in her hands. ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s your share from the profits,¡± she said, throwing it to me.

    I caught it and opened it up. There were a bunch of silver coins inside along with a few coppers. Considering she¡¯d had almost no money when I left and this was just my share, I was truly impressed.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, I was just thinking I needed some money to do my research. I do need one thing from you though.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Whatever you need, I will do my best!¡±

    ¡°Can you give me a list of all the alchemists and herbalists in the city? I want to trial the existing healing pills, medicines, and tonics that are available. I could wander around but if you can tell me where to go it will make my life easier,¡± I asked, pocketing the coins.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue, I remember most of the places that I visited so I can just write them down for you, give me a moment,¡± she replied while grabbing a piece of bamboo paper and a brush.

    She handed me a long list of names that all sounded like snake oil merchants, but I wasn¡¯t surprised given the standard of healing in this world. After thanking her and saying goodbye I made my way into Three River City.

    ****

    The first alchemist¡¯s shop had been a complete waste of my time. The man running the store had bent over backwards to accommodate me when he sensed my cultivation, but he only offered me pointless cultivation aids.

    In fact, when I¡¯d asked to see his most basic healing pills he refused, claiming that ¡°such trash isn¡¯t worthy of sir cultivator¡¯s attention.¡±

    I¡¯d dismissed him and left after that. It didn¡¯t stop him rushing after me begging to show me his most valuable products, but I had little interest in his sycophantic desperation.

    Crossing his name off my list and scoffing at the ridiculous name of his shop¡ªZu An¡¯s Heavenly Pill Pavilion¡ªI searched for the first store that was a herbalist rather than an alchemist. I would eventually make my way through the entire list but I felt that getting some variety in early would stop me growing bored, especially if the rest of the visits would go in a similar manner to the first.

    My plan was to use my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique to analyse the various remedies available in the city and then hopefully learn enough basic alchemy to create my own formula that was more effective. Ideally at a low cost so that I could then make it widely available to the common people.

    Yet I had been stumped at the first step by something entirely unexpected. I was too overqualified for the products I was attempting to obtain. Then again, one bad experience didn¡¯t necessarily mean all the alchemists and herbalists in Three River City would be the same.

    With renewed vigour I asked the nearest person for directions to Yu Chun¡¯s Blossom Parlour. They gave me a strange look and hurried away without answering.

    The second person I asked actually replied, giving me directions and then winking as they walked off. I thought nothing of it, rolling up the list and tucking it into my robes before stepping into the busy streets to make my way there.

    ****

    Standing outside the cherry wood building with flowery balconies, from which scantily dressed women with layers of makeup caked on their face waved to the passersby, I understood the reactions of the two people who I¡¯d asked for directions. This was not a herbalist¡¯s shop, but a brothel¡­

    I would be having severe words with Xiao Cui when I returned, but for now I simply crossed off the shop on my list and turned to walk away. That was when I heard an alluring voice drip into my ears like honey.

    ¡°My, it is a rare occasion that such a powerful man graces my humble establishment. Are you disappointed, Young Master? Why the hurry to leave?¡±

    I turned to see a stunning beauty, with skin like milky jade and glistening eyes. She wore makeup, but it was far more expertly applied than on the other women, elevating her natural features rather than masking her insecurities.

    Her blood red lips curled upwards when she caught me staring, snapping open a fan and waving it a few times as she approached. ¡°Do you like what you see, Young Master? Anything you see can be yours, for the right price,¡± she purred.

    I coughed, covering my mouth with a fist as my cheeks flushed. I¡¯d almost lost myself for a moment. It had been a while since I¡¯d last been with a woman, but now wasn¡¯t the time for such activities. Especially not in such a place¡­

    ¡°You are beautiful, madam, but I am not here in search of pleasure. My¡­ assistant told me that this was a herbalist¡¯s shop, but she seems to have made a mistake. Enjoy your day,¡± I replied with a shallow bow, turning to leave before she could suck me inside.

    ¡°Ha! There is a first time for everything under the heavens,¡± she chuckled, even her laughter sending tingles down my spine. ¡°Your assistant made no mistake, but perhaps your directions were wrong. There is indeed a Yu Chun¡¯s Blossom Parlour that sells herbal remedies. In fact, that old hag is always complaining about how many lustful men find their way to her shop in search of my parlour. However, this is the first time the reverse has happened.¡±

    I slapped a hand over my face. This was like a plot straight out of a television drama. Could one of the proprietors not change the name of their business to ease confusion?

    For the second time, as dangerous as it was, I gave the seductive beauty my attention. She fluttered her eyelashes as I did so, not giving up the hard sell even knowing I hadn¡¯t intended to be here. A businesswoman through and through.

    ¡°Would you be so kind as to give this clueless one directions to the herbalist¡¯s shop, madam?¡± I asked in a firm tone, attempting to suppress the redness in my cheeks.

    ¡°Stop with this madam nonsense¡­ I¡¯m still a young and delicate flower,¡± she protested, fluttering her fan. ¡°You may call me Miss Yu. What is your name, handsome cultivator?¡±

    ¡°My name is Zhao Dan. It is a pleasure to meet a woman more beautiful than the stars in the night sky, but I really must insist on those directions, Miss Yu.¡±

    ¡°Tch. All the handsome men are already married or too well behaved. Go two streets down and then enter the fourth building on the right. You should tell her you came here first, she¡¯ll find the story hilarious,¡± she muttered, waving me off once she realised I wasn¡¯t going to fall for her charms.

    As I walked away, I turned back to look at her delicate arms as she ordered a few of the girls about. Hopefully this herbalist had what I was looking for, or I would perhaps need to resort to stealing the pills I sought¡­

    ****

    Yu Chun told Feng Ai to handle the running of the house while she entered her office and locked the door behind her. After waiting a moment to ensure no one had followed or was listening¡ªa brothel had eyes and ears in every corner¡ªshe sat at the cherry wood desk and pulled out a slip of jade.

    She tapped the jade three times, before waiting while staring at its smooth surface. It took an incense stick¡¯s worth of time before it finally flashed with orange light, breaking her from her nervous tapping on the desk.

    ¡°What is it, wench? I¡¯m busy enough dealing with things today, I don¡¯t need to listen to your prattling,¡± a harsh and gritty voice hissed from the jade.

    ¡°Oh? In that case I suppose you won¡¯t want to know who visited my parlour just now¡­¡± she drawled, letting the temptation hang in the air.

    ¡°Out with it, woman,¡± the man snapped.

    Yu Chun kissed her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Councillor. A cultivator calling himself Zhao Dan just had a pleasant conversation outside my front door. He was quite an interesting fellow, but rather boring. You¡¯re quite similar in that regard.¡±

    ¡°What? That bastard¡¯s finally back. I could kiss you, Yu Chun. This is wonderful news. If you run into him again, keep him busy and let me know,¡± the man on the other end of the communication jade replied, his attitude having done a complete turnaround.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try. He didn¡¯t seem very interested in my charms¡­ Perhaps he prefers spring rolls to bao buns,¡± she giggled.

    ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t care who you need to throw at him to keep him occupied. You can¡¯t deal with the consequences of failure,¡± he snapped as the orange lights vanished and the jade went inert once more.

    Yu Chun replaced the jade in her desk and sighed, rubbing her temple. ¡°That councillor is so overbearing. He can¡¯t even handle a little joke,¡± she sighed. ¡°Well, perhaps I should get Du Wen here just in case he does like his pork belly grilled upside down.¡±

    She composed herself and unlocked the door, marching out into the parlour and yelling orders at everyone she saw. Soon the Blossom Parlour was a hive of activity as they prepared an enticing honey trap for the unsuspecting cultivator.

    ¡°Now I just need to figure out a way to get him back here¡­¡± she muttered, staring into the sky.

 Chapter 45

    I found the shop as directed by Miss Yu. It was a simple wooden shop front without much in the way of decoration, missing even a sign. No wonder people struggled to find it.

    Walking inside, I heard a delicate bell ringing followed by shuffling footsteps from a back room. The shelves were old, but kept in pristine condition. A myriad of different potted herbs and living plants lined the shelves, producing a powerful aroma that soothed me the moment I took my first breath inside the room.

    An old lady came out from the room, wearing gloves covered in soil and staring at me with a disgruntled expression. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you looking for, brat?¡±

    Miss Yu hadn¡¯t been wrong when she called her an old hag. This lady certainly had a stinky attitude, but if I had a stream of men looking for a brothel entering my shop all day I might be grumpy as well.

    ¡°Madam Yu, I was told your shop deals in the finest quality herbs and herbal remedies. Was my assistant mistaken?¡± I replied, stepping forwards and dispelling the tension in the air with a soft smile and a raised eyebrow.

    I had to devote an exceptional quantity of concentration to discern the minor brightening of her face. It went from grumpy and wrinkled to slightly less grumpy and somehow even more wrinkled.

    While her expression hadn¡¯t improved that much, her tone shifted a great deal. ¡°At least you aren¡¯t one of those lecherous layabouts,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Your assistant gave you the right information. Most of the young men who come into my shop are looking for flowers of a more delicate variety. Trash, the lot of them!¡±

    Before she could explode into a rant and take up my dwindling time, I interrupted. ¡°Actually¡­ I was at the young miss Yu¡¯s blossom parlour before this. We had quite an interesting conversation, she¡¯s a fascinating woman. I mistook her¡­ business for yours.¡±

    ¡°What?! And you led me on, making me think you weren¡¯t like the rest of those bastards. Honestly, young people these days are all wastrels. Get out of here if you aren¡¯t going to be a pleasant customer. Scram!¡± she cried, waving her hands and pushing me towards the door.

    It seemed I had been misled by the young miss from before. She told me that the old woman would find the misunderstanding hilarious, but clearly that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Honestly I should¡¯ve trusted my gut. Beautiful women are all bad news. The good ones attract too much negative attention while the wicked ones¡­ Well, I¡¯d just experienced that firsthand.

    ¡°Madam Yu, I believe there has been another misunderstanding here. I simply wish to buy some simple healing herbs and remedies. That is all. The young miss Yu and I had a simple conversation, nothing more,¡± I protested, not letting her force me out of the shop.

    If I couldn¡¯t obtain anything on my second attempt I might as well give up now. Perhaps I should have simply sent Xiao Cui on an errand run instead¡ªshe seemed to be far better at dealing with people than I.

    I suspected my social skills had adapted to war over the years. Even though this world was far from peaceful, there were many cultural nuances that I had yet to grasp and this had led to plenty of misunderstandings.

    Not all could be blamed on me, but quite a few could. Improving one¡¯s bedside manner and people skills was just as important as one¡¯s cultivation and techniques.

    The granny seemed mollified by my response, though her face still looked like a puckered sphincter. ¡°Hmph. Healing remedies, he says. What exactly are you looking to heal, young man?¡± she asked, wandering back behind the counter.

    A sagacious question that I had no answer for. I wasn¡¯t looking to heal any specific malady, but simply gather various remedies to dissect and attempt to form my own.

    I could¡¯ve lied, but I felt as though the granny would see right through me. Despite being a mortal, she had that ancient sage vibe. Her piercing gaze felt as though it uncovered all my secrets.

    ¡°To be honest with you Madam Yu, there is no affliction I specifically need to treat. I simply wish to have some simple remedies on hand. Any general purpose herbs or salves will do,¡± I told her, putting on my nice young man smile in an attempt to win her over.

    She remained unmoved. In fact, she raised an eyebrow upon seeing my face. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s a little creepy,¡± she berated me. I winced as she continued, ¡°General purpose remedies eh, let me see what I have back here.¡±

    The granny disappeared into the back room once more and I heard the sounds of clinking jars and groaning wood as she rummaged through what had to be her storeroom.

    After what felt like forever but in reality was only a few moments she returned, carrying three small jars and a sprig of spiky, dark green herbs. She placed them all on the counter, then waved me over.

    ¡°Come, lad. These jars are a basic healing tonic, refined from a few local herbs with basic medicinal properties. It¡¯s nothing fancy like those expensive alchemists, but it will help with any cuts and bruises. Even minor infections and flu are treatable, but anything more and you should seek proper healing,¡± she explained while holding up one of the jars.

    ¡°Now, these are a little trickier. Ten year vital spikeroot, harvested in the Jagged Sword Mountains by this old granny herself. I¡¯m only willing to part with it because I¡¯ve realised in my old age that I don¡¯t have the skill to refine it without ruining such a potent herb. You can have it, but it¡¯s not cheap.¡±

    I waved a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the price, I have a modest amount of coin. This is perfect, thank you Madam Yu.¡±

    ¡°Braggart,¡± she scoffed as she carefully wrapped the spikeroot in silk and then placed it inside a wooden box.

    She handed me the jars as they were and I slipped it all inside my robes. I really needed a better way of storing and carrying my things¡ªmy robes were growing heavy with the amount of treasures and random items I was stuffing inside them.

    While I was out shopping for healing pills and herbs I would make sure to find somewhere selling a useful storage item. Perhaps I could finally get some use out of that half spirit stone in my coin pouch.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Zhao Dan had been too poor to afford a proper spatial storage treasure, having to use all the resources the sect allocated on maintaining and attempting to progress his cultivation. That hadn¡¯t worked out so well for him, but I had no such obligations.

    ¡°Twenty-six silver and five copper coins,¡± she declared, making my jaw drop.

    That was extraordinarily expensive considering these were supposed to be basic remedies. I¡¯d only taken the herb as I suspected my physique would make excellent use of it, but how were commoners supposed to afford this kind of treatment!?

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. How do people pay for these?¡± I argued.

    ¡°You expect me to part with that valuable herb for less? That¡¯s a ten year vital spikeroot that I spent weeks hunting through those blasted mountains for. I¡¯m giving you a great deal here, ungrateful bastard!¡±

    ¡°How much would the tonics be without the herb, then?¡± I asked, realising I may have been hasty in my assumptions.

    ¡°They¡¯re just five copper coins each. One silver and five copper for the three I gave you. I¡¯m giving you the spikeroot for twenty-five silver. Those alchemists in the centre of the city would charge you triple that if you¡¯re lucky.¡±

    I sighed. Even in this mystical world where immortal cultivators lorded from the sky, it seemed that economies of scale were still functioning on a wide scale. Human greed was truly inescapable.

    Opening the pouch of coins that little Cui had given me, I realised there was plenty of money in there. Enough to afford the herb three or four times over.

    She really had been busy while I was gone. As her master I felt a little embarrassed. Nonetheless I would make full use of her generosity and ensure to pay her back tenfold when my experiments paid off.

    After handing over twenty-seven silver coins, I waved the granny off when she tried to give me the change. ¡°Keep it. You¡¯ve been very helpful, Madam Yu. I shall be back unless I find a better herbalist elsewhere,¡± I quipped.

    She chuckled, taking my joke in stride. ¡°Ha! You¡¯d have to go to the next city to find a better herbalist than me. Bunch of amateur fools prancing about with their meagre knowledge as though they¡¯re princes. Frogs in a well, the lot of them. You get on now, you¡¯re scaring away customers.¡±

    Her cheery attitude surprised me. I¡¯d half expected her to bite my head off when I made the joke but I wasn¡¯t about to let one grumpy old woman suppress my personality. Humour made life worth living, especially one as violent as this.

    ¡°Thanks, Madam Yu. See you later,¡± I chuckled as I exited the shop. I took a last deep inhale of the floral aroma as I walked through the door, soothing my nerves as I took out the list of shops.

    My own suspicions combined with Madam Yu¡¯s quips led me to believe that the rest of my shop visits wouldn¡¯t be as entertaining. Especially when it came to alchemists. She seemed to despise the lot of them.

    Then again, the healing pills I¡¯d had at the city lord¡¯s palace didn¡¯t do much and I imagined they were the highest quality available in Three River City. That could also simply be my skewed perspective due to my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique.

    If these healing pills existed back on Earth they would be considered a miracle medicine. Like paracetamol, penicillin, and codeine all in one. Cultivators certainly seemed to down them the way hypochondriacs did in my previous life.

    The next store down the list was an alchemist¡¯s. The name was as complex and overbearing as the rest¡ªMaster Wei¡¯s Perfect Pills.

    I scoffed, imagining that the pills I would find there would most likely be far from perfect. However, that wasn¡¯t really a problem. I was dealing in quantity, not quality. As long as I had a large enough sample size figuring out a superior recipe wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    Hopefully.

    ****

    As I feared, my visits to plenty of the alchemy pavilions and herbalist shops were not pleasant experiences. For vastly different reasons.

    In some, they realised my cultivation level and bent over backwards to serve me. That treatment made me uncomfortable, but it was a reminder of the difference in status between mortals and cultivators.

    While I was only a crawling child compared to those lofty Core Forging masters and Nascent Soul sages, I was already a heavenly existence compared to the average mortal. I would still be youthful while their grandchildren grew old, unless someone ended up assassinating me along the way.

    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that had happened, after all. I had to stay vigilant when I¡¯d already made enemies.

    Others were starkly different. In a few of the grottier shops they didn¡¯t sense my cultivation which I¡¯d hoped would lead to a more positive shopping experience, but my tattered robes led to prejudicial treatment of a far worse variety.

    The experience was tiring, but after my struggles I did end up with quite the collection of healing pills, herbs, tonics, and other assorted remedies. Some of them had unusual scents and unappealing appearances, making me nervous to consume them.

    I hoped that the combination of my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique and sturdy cultivator¡¯s body would allow me to weather the experience like an ancient tree standing tall in a fearsome storm.

    There were still a few shops left on Xiao Cui¡¯s list, but I felt as though more medicines would have diminishing returns at this point and decided to head back. The sun was setting, painting the sky in vivid hues of gold and violet and I let the final rays of light wash over me as I made my way back to the clinic.

    I reckoned I should save the best for last, once I¡¯d advanced my lacking comprehension of the basic healing medicines available. Wasting the ten year vital spikeroot because I didn¡¯t understand its mysteries would be a shame.

    Reaching into my shiny new spatial storage bag, which had 5 cubic metres of space, I picked out a pill at random from the assortment I had in there. It was a useful find, though it had cost me the half spirit stone.

    I¡¯d received a few gold coins and some silver as change, which meant I ended up with more coins than I¡¯d started the day with even though I was poorer overall. Inspecting the pill, I grimaced at the purplish-green surface that resembled poison.

    However, I¡¯d devoured my fair share of poisons in this world already and they tended to benefit me. I tossed the pill in my mouth and it began to dissolve.

    The taste was a pleasant surprise, notes of cinnamon and lavender teasing my taste buds as I swallowed the pill. It started to disintegrate, the medicinal energy attempting to spread out into my body. However, my physique refused to let that happen.

    Before the waves of energy could travel beyond the confines of my stomach, I felt the same swirling sensation that had occurred when I swallowed Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s firestorm technique. The energies of the healing pill were trapped within and names began appearing in my mind.

    First, the name of the pill¡ªAverage quality, Mortal grade Healing Pill. Simple enough. The grades went from Mortal as the worst grade of treasures, then Martial, King, and Emperor.

    Most Qi Gathering cultivators would have a few Martial grade treasures and perhaps some King grade if they were wealthy, talented, or lucky enough to chance upon one. Wang Ren¡¯s glaive was an example of a King grade treasure, given to him by his master.

    Within the grades I knew there were differing qualities, with Poor being the worst followed by Average and Resonant being the best. That meant this healing pill was¡ªto put it bluntly¡ªshit.

    Nonetheless, as the names of various herbs and catalysts entered my mind, most of which I didn¡¯t recognise but gained some meagre information about, I was satisfied. One of these pills didn¡¯t help much, but the combined insights from all that I had collected would definitely allow me to start working on my own recipe.

    I opened the door of the clinic, the queue of women seeking little Cui¡¯s secret remedy for their husbands gone home for the evening. I took out another pill and prepared myself to consume it, when I realised I¡¯d made a terrible mistake.

    How was I supposed to develop my own recipe when I had no idea how to perform alchemy!?

 Chapter 46

    The next week went by in a blur. I secluded myself in one of the upper floors of the building so that I could carry out my experiments.

    For now that consisted of simply consuming the myriad pills, herbs, and other remedies I¡¯d acquired during my shopping trip. The reason it took me so long simply to eat a bunch of pills was that I was forced to slow down and begin taking comprehensive notes around three days in.

    Similarities between the various healing remedies began to correlate and I wanted to ensure that I didn¡¯t miss anything. My mind was sharper, faster, and processed information far better since my consecutive breakthroughs, but writing things down remained a potent method of spotting connections one may have missed in their head.

    Eventually I figured out some patterns and made connections between different remedies. While there were many differences between the various creations of the dozens of alchemists and herbalists in the city, there were underlying rules that must govern their creation.

    Two things remained almost identical in every single pill, salve or tonic that I tried. They all contained an ingredient called Rejuvenating Spirit Grass and they all contained at least as much energy as a single drop of my qi.

    That wasn¡¯t a reliable measure of their potency, as other cultivator¡¯s qi could be more or less dense than my own. I suppose it would have to suffice for now. Until I had a reason to share my discoveries and research with others there was no need for a standard measure of energy.

    This was of course different when it came to the raw herbs and some of the more esoteric remedies that I¡¯d acquired. Herbs hadn¡¯t been processed, possessing medicinal spiritual energy in its purest form.

    While the healing effects of the raw herbs was worse than the refined pills or concocted herbal remedies, the effect they had on my physique was more pronounced. I¡¯d actually made a minor amount of progress in refining my heart.

    Only around one or two percent, but progress was progress. I exhaled, rubbing my eyes. I was tired. Even at my realm of cultivation, going a week without sleep was intensive. Especially while focusing my mind the entire time.

    Before having a rest however, I wanted to eat. It wasn¡¯t a necessity, but more of a ritual to keep me grounded the further I strayed from humanity. Cultivation gave me superhuman strength, reflexes, and vitality, but also left me feeling less human than before.

    I looked inside the spatial storage bag, realising there were only the three jars of herbal remedies and the ten year vital spikeroot I¡¯d purchased from granny Yu. I would analyse them after I¡¯d eaten and then move onto the next stage of my experiments.

    Exiting the stuffy room I¡¯d been in all week was like taking the first breath of spring air, rejuvenating me. I¡¯d felt rather nauseous due to all the toxins present in the cheap healing pills I¡¯d bought.

    The quality of healing available in Three River City was shocking. These alchemists were charging exorbitant prices for shoddy products. Whether that was simply because they lacked the skill to make anything better and this was the norm or this city in particular had an issue I wouldn¡¯t know unless I explored the world further.

    For now I would have to be satisfied with bringing my own higher quality products into the market. This would benefit the citizens and my own wallet, as well as give me a foundation in alchemy.

    With my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique, the pill toxins did not seem to affect me. Rather than build up and form impurities in my body, my refined stomach separated the toxins as a strand of purplish-black goop.

    The first time it happened I¡¯d been quite shocked. My body attempted to expel the strand of toxins but the void within my dantian burst to life and devoured it whole. Nothing had come of the constant devouring of the pill toxins yet, but I would keep watch and pray it didn¡¯t suddenly fill me with some kind of super toxin.

    Walking down the stairs I smelled a tantalising meaty aroma from the kitchen. It seemed like my timing was perfect as I walked in on Xiao Cui cooking while humming to herself.

    ¡°That smells incredible, little Cui,¡± I said, startling her as I entered the kitchen.

    She yelped and almost dropped the knife she was holding, but caught it in a rather elegant display of acrobatics. For a mortal she was rather flexible.

    It was a shame there was no way to turn her into a cultivator. There would come a time where we would have to part ways, but I would do my best to teach her what I could and enjoy these moments until that day came.

    Then again, nothing was impossible. My own path of cultivation proved that, so I would keep an open mind. Such a mindset was important as a doctor. If one stubbornly refused to accept new discoveries they would never advance their own abilities and the field of healing as a whole.

    ¡°Master! You scared me,¡± she exclaimed, continuing to chop the spring onions on the wooden board. ¡°However, you¡¯re just in time for dinner. The village head and I were worried you would never leave that room.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I did warn you I would need some time to experiment,¡± I chuckled, leaning over the pot and inhaling deeply of the rich aroma.

    ¡°You did, but a week? You look like you haven¡¯t slept at all. Did you even eat?¡± she scolded, pushing me away from the pot as she tossed the spring onions in.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep or eat. To be honest, I believe I soon won¡¯t have any need to do either,¡± I replied and she raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Really? Cultivators are strange.¡±

    ¡°Indeed they are. I didn¡¯t know you could cook.¡±

    ¡°My mother taught me a little when I was in the village, but I¡¯ve been practising over the past week. While I was creating my remedy for the women I experimented with a lot of herbs and spices and managed to pick some things up,¡± she explained, tossing a handful of chopped herbs into the pot and placing the lid on. ¡°It will be a few more minutes.¡±

    I walked over to the wooden dining table, where the village head was leaning back with a pained expression on his face. A half drunk cup of tea sat on the table in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, village head?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You both keep calling me that. I don¡¯t deserve the title. Nine Paddy Village is no more. I failed to protect it,¡± he sighed, reaching for the tea and then pulling his hand back. ¡°That bastard City Lord Teng, how can he slaughter his own people without reprise!? Does the Cloudy Falls Sect not care about us lowly mortals?¡±

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    I empathised with his feelings but I had a slightly different perspective. Perhaps my cultivation was already shaping my thoughts but when you knew you would outlive everyone around you as well as two generations of their descendants a level of detachment had already appeared.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say they don¡¯t care, but cultivators have different priorities. If they spent all their time tracking down every corrupt city official in their lands and purging them, they would have no time to do anything else. Mortal affairs and the business of cultivators are separate, in their mind. Perhaps it is the wrong way of doing things, but it seems to be the only way they know,¡± I replied.

    There was certainly a middle ground to be struck. I fell on neither side, still a stranger in this world and coming to grips with the culture and my own path. I still felt human for the most part, but from my first breath in this world I had been more than that, starting a second life already in Middle stage Body Tempering.

    ¡°You are right. Power is what matters in this corrupt empire. The village was wiped out because I was powerless. That spirit bear fought bravely, but the city lord sent a powerful contingent of guards. They used poison and strange creatures. The villagers turned on each other, brothers killing brothers and fathers killing sons. It was a nightmare come to life. If I was stronger¡­¡± the village head clutched his temple, a tear falling from his eye as a silent fury burned within.

    ¡°Dwelling on these thoughts will only breed resentment and suffering, Village Head. Think of the future. Xiao Cui still lives and so do you. The spirit of Nine Paddy Village will never be snuffed out as long as you forge ahead. Those who did this to you will pay, that I promise.¡±

    He wiped away the tear and nodded, downing the rest of his tea in a single gulp. ¡°You are right, Cultivator Zhao. Thank you for snapping this old fool out of his misery. However, do not throw away your own bright future for our sakes. You have your own path,¡± he said, clamping a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Grandpa, if I didn¡¯t stand up for the pair of you, how could I look myself in the eye. I am a man who values the sanctity of life. Such wanton cruelty cannot go unpunished. I made an oath to uproot infection and disease wherever I found it and in this city there is a cancer most foul. I shall remove it before it can spread.¡±

    ¡°As long as you stay true to yourself, then I shall support you from here, Cultivator Zhao,¡± he replied, sitting back in his chair.

    ¡°Enough of that nonsense, grandpa. Let¡¯s eat,¡± said Xiao Cui cheerily as she carried two steaming bowls of noodle soup to the table, placing them in front of the village head and myself.

    I let the meaty aroma wash over me, the golden broth sparkling in the candlelight. Taking my chopsticks, I lifted some noodles to my mouth, blowing once to cool them down before tasting.

    Powerful umami and a kick of ginger and chilli exploded across my mouth, the freshly pulled noodles balancing it all out. The broth was rich and meaty, the herbs and spices combined brilliantly.

    ¡°Delicious. You¡¯ve outdone yourself, little Cui,¡± I said, smiling along with her when she beamed at my compliment.

    ¡°Indeed, wonderful as always, Cui¡¯er,¡± the village head added, already reaching for a second mouthful.

    She brought a third bowl for herself and sat down beside me, digging in immediately with gusto. We ate in relative silence, save for the sounds of slurping and the occasional satisfied moan.

    I finished the bowl and raised it to my lips, downing the rest of the soup. I exhaled, leaning back in my chair and patting my stomach. ¡°That was exactly what I needed.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really need to eat, but there was something spiritual about the ritual of a meal. The human connection and shared joy. That was healing for the soul.

    I felt a warmth in my stomach from the soup, my body already breaking the food down into energy and wasting nothing. Actually, I hadn¡¯t needed to urinate or defecate since¡­ I couldn¡¯t even remember how long. Most likely since I¡¯d reached the Qi Gathering Realm.

    Not everything about cultivation was vicious or brutal. We conversed for a few hours after that, well into the late evening. The village head no longer had an air of gloomy suffering about him and Xiao Cui had a sparkle in her eyes that hadn¡¯t been present since she¡¯d heard about the death of her parents and the destruction of Nine Paddy Village.

    As I returned to my room, I thought back to what the village head had told me about the attack on Nine Paddy Village. He said the soldiers fought using strange creatures and poison.

    At the time I¡¯d brushed over it, preferring to comfort the man rather than dwell on the events of the past. However, the more I thought about it the less it made sense.

    The city lord¡¯s guards didn¡¯t use poison. Whatever I felt about Captain Kang, he wasn¡¯t the kind of man to fight with such underhanded methods. This whole time I¡¯d blamed the city lord for the destruction of the village, but things were perhaps more complicated than they seemed.

    However, I had little information to work with. Ruminating on these matters would only bring distress to the village head and little Cui. For now, my priority was to finish my experiment and work on a healing product.

    Once I¡¯d accomplished that I could turn my focus to uncovering the city lord¡¯s plots and punishing the bastard who¡¯d harmed Xiao Cui. Only then could I feel unfettered by the events of the past.

    There was also the matter of Councillor Gao. He held a potent grudge against me, blaming me for the death of his relative.

    While it had been the spirit bear who killed him, I was somewhat to blame. I had incited the bear to defend the village and hadn¡¯t made a move to stop it when it slaughtered the guards.

    I would find out the truth when I confronted City Lord Teng and Councillor Gao in the palace. All in time.

    Entering my room, I sat down on the wooden floor and entered a meditative pose, taking a few deep breaths to calm my thoughts and centre myself. It was time to use Granny Yu¡¯s healing tonics and then the ten year vital spikeroot.

    After all her bluster and attitude, it would be quite hilarious if her remedies turned out to be just as shoddy as the rest of the products I¡¯d tested. I was being harsh of course, as a few of the healing pills and salves were decent considering the ingredients used and the skill of the alchemists and herbalists who¡¯d created them. However, they still overcharged for those average products which I couldn¡¯t abide.

    I had three jars of the tonic, but I would likely only need to drink one in order to figure out the composition and effects. Uncorking the jar, I downed it in one gulp and let the cooling tonic wash down my gullet.

    It was difficult to test the healing effects when I wasn¡¯t injured, but almost immediately the names of herbs and flowers appeared in my mind. Surprisingly, only a couple droplets of toxins were present in the tonic. Granny Yu hadn¡¯t been boasting about the quality of her remedies.

    I noticed two major differences between her tonic and similar products I¡¯d tested from other herbalists. Hers contained an ingredient I¡¯d never encountered before¡ªPowdered Stone-Ape Scales.

    Thinking back to those vicious and mischievous monkeys in the Jagged Sword Mountains, I compared that with the wrinkly, unassuming figure of Granny Yu. Was the old herbalist a secret master?

    I shook my head. Surely not. Some wandering cultivators may have acquired the scales and sold them to her no doubt.

    The other difference was that she didn¡¯t include an ingredient that had been present in almost all the other tonics¡ªRejuvenating Spirit Grass. I wondered why, but didn¡¯t have the knowledge to understand.

    Rather than waste the other two tonics, I believed I needed to return to Granny Yu¡¯s Blossom Parlour for answers. Maybe she could even be the one to teach me the foundational knowledge to begin preparing my own remedies.

    With that settled, there was only one item remaining in my storage bag that I had yet to test. The ten year vital spikeroot.

    I took out the spiky herb, inspecting its spiny body and giving it an experimental sniff. It had little odour, only a faint earthy scent that tingled my nostrils. Without delay, I snapped off a piece and tossed it into my mouth.

    The spines scratched at my throat as I swallowed, but my sturdy body resisted. I imagined anyone below High stage Body Tempering would be sliced open trying to ingest this herb.

    It settled into my stomach and I waited for it to be broken down and analysed. For a moment, nothing happened.

    I frowned, wondering if I¡¯d run out of an unknown source of energy or stamina that drove the process. A breath later, my stomach lurched and I felt a familiar sensation; a sensation I¡¯d only experienced once before.

 Chapter 47

    Rather than being broken down and analysed like the other herbs I¡¯d ingested, the ten year vital spikeroot began to dissolve into motes of brownish-green energy that swirled in my stomach.

    It had been a few hours since dinner, but the remnants of Xiao Cui¡¯s herbal, spiced noodle soup were still present in my stomach. As the spikeroot was broken down into energy I noticed a similar process occurring with a few of the herbs.

    Not all of them reacted, but those that did were broken down into energy in a similar manner to the vital spikeroot. The different streams of energy began to swirl and mix together.

    At first the different energies didn¡¯t blend, simply swirling around each other in a mesmerising dance. After a few breaths of time, there was a sudden change and two of the strands of energy merged with each other to form a single strand.

    The process repeated and accelerated until there was only a single double helix of energy that was a deep, earthy colour like fertilised soil. The swirling slowed down until the strand of energy hovered inert in my stomach.

    It was exactly what had happened at the summit of Jagged Sword Mountain when I¡¯d inhaled Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s firestorm technique and created the five strands of orange qi. This felt different to then, the resulting energy giving a feeling of incompleteness.

    However, my body did not direct me or make any moves of its own. I was left confused, with an unfamiliar strand of energy with my stomach. I thought back through everything that had led up to this point.

    Xiao Cui said she discovered the flavours she was using while experimenting with products to sell. That meant that they weren¡¯t herbs typically used for cooking, but rather herbalism?

    The meal had certainly been delicious, but when I¡¯d introduced the potent ten year vital spikeroot it had stirred up the remnant herbs. My refined lungs were able to turn qi and spiritual energy that I inhaled into healing energy, while my stomach seemed to break down ingredients I swallowed, producing raw medicinal qi or sometimes processing the resulting energy to create new forms of qi.

    Sitting in silence for a few minutes, my brow furrowed as I once again ran through the steps in my mind. What was the difference between that time on the mountain summit and now. Was there even a difference?

    I jerked upright, slamming my fist into my palm as the pieces fit together. The answer had been staring me right in the face this entire time, but I had simply been too close to the problem to realise.

    The purpose of the refined stomach in the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique was to perform alchemy! It was quite literally an organic cauldron within my own body.

    All I needed to do was provide the ingredients and direction and I could produce a myriad of outcomes. Thus far I hadn¡¯t even performed any traditional alchemy, mixing qi and spiritual energy rather than raw ingredients.

    The reason the strand of earthy energy felt incomplete was because it was formed from raw herbs. Rather than a completed product like the orange healing qi, this was an intermediate product that needed further refining to create a finished product.

    Wasn¡¯t this an incredible cheat? Alchemists usually needed to purchase a quality cauldron, either upgrading it or acquiring a more powerful version as they increased their cultivation and alchemy skills.

    However, I had a powerful cauldron within my own body, which could process ingredients with incredible efficiency. Furthermore, the flow of qi was simple to control and smooth given that it was within my body and almost directly next to my dantian¡ªthe source of my qi.

    With this realisation I realised what I needed to do next. I was working on instinct mostly, lacking any formal training in alchemy or herbalism. However, my physique was inherently focused on healing and medicines, while I also had plenty of medical knowledge from my old world.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how relevant it would be in this new world, where even the natural laws seemed different, but it was better than entering blind. I took control of the strand of earthy energy, infusing my intent as I began to mould it.

    Rather than swirling, I was condensing and twisting the shape of the energy. The herbs Xiao Cui had used to cook the noodle soup appeared in my mind, a few of their effects making themselves known.

    Unsurprisingly given the product she had ended up selling, they mostly focused on boosting stamina and energy. I frowned briefly. I really needed to have a talk with her, but she seemed happy with her work.

    I didn¡¯t want to disrupt the peace she¡¯d found after the tragedy by telling her to pursue something else¡­ I¡¯d think about it later.

    Those effects complimented the vitalising effect of the spikeroot, though I couldn¡¯t be sure what the final results would be. At the very least I had a fairly complete idea of how to guide the process.

    The energy condensed until it was no longer a stream but a writhing and shifting ball of energy. The colour brightened from the deep brown as I continued to push down on it with my qi and intent.

    A golden shimmer burst from within the sphere, but it was incomplete. At the last moment when I felt as though the process was coming to an end, I felt a sharp spike of pain in my temple and lost focus.

    The golden shimmer dissipated in a brief burst, only a few streaks of gold remaining in the mostly brown sphere. However, despite my minor failure I had still succeeded in completing the process.

    I had refined my first pill!

    Information appeared in my mind, telling me about the pill I¡¯d created. It was incomplete and a little mysterious, but I gained a rough idea of what it would do.

    Even then I couldn¡¯t stop the grin creeping onto my face. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I exhaled, a brown mist being released from my mouth. Pill toxins.

    As for the pill I¡¯d refined? The effects were in line with the effects of its ingredients. It wasn¡¯t quite a healing pill, but more of a stamina boosting pill. If I had to compare it to a product I knew, it was basically a potent pre-workout pill.

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    Average quality Mortal grade Vital Spike Pill. That was the name that had appeared in my mind at the moment I¡¯d refined the pill.

    If I hadn¡¯t lost concentration at the final moment, I believed it would have crossed the threshold and produced a Polished quality pill. I needed a short break first, but I wanted to attempt the process again.

    This would be great practice for when I eventually wanted to produce a healing pill of my own. Despite the minor failure, I was still extremely satisfied with the results.

    Actually, it would have many uses in this world. Cultivators could use it prior to a battle in order to gain a minor boost in their combat strength and allow them to fight at their maximum strength for longer.

    Body Tempering practitioners could use it to practise for longer and harder, allowing them to make more gains during each session of cultivation. If not for the relative rarity of the ingredients, I could mass produce it.

    There was still around eighty-five percent of the ten year vital spikeroot left in my storage bag, which meant I could make five or six more of the pills. If I refined the process I might even be able to produce more.

    Experiencing the alchemical process myself, being more in control this time compared to the time on the mountain summit, had given me some insights into improving the efficiency and speed of the process.

    Instead of rushing into another round of pill refining, I stood up and stretched my muscles. They were extremely sore, similar to the fatigue I felt after the extended battle at the summit of Jagged Sword Mountain.

    My head still throbbed, the same feeling I had when I overexerted myself with my healing technique. Other than my qi, there seemed to be an invisible pool of mental exhaustion that determined how many times I could perform certain techniques.

    I continued to be amazed at my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique. I had only completed two steps of the first of five layers, refining my lungs and stomach, but the effects were already incredible.

    I looked forward to the benefits I would receive when I completely refined my heart and the rest of my organs. Would there be an additional benefit when I finished the first layer?

    My hands shook in anticipation. Much of my experience in the Celestial Jade Empire had shaken me, being rather brutal and violent, but this was the opposite. I felt elated and excited for the future.

    When I¡¯d been a young man in my first life, before seven years of study and the horrors of war had ground away my passion and fervour, I¡¯d felt this way about the pursuit of medicine. That burning passion for the art of healing had ignited within me once more and I couldn¡¯t wait to see what came next.

    With my energy restored and my mind devoted to my task, I took a meditative posture once more and snapped off another portion of the vital spikeroot. There were about half of the herbs remaining from dinner, so I could try the process one more time before having to go and ask little Cui if she had any more of the herbs I could use.

    Taking a deep breath I tossed the spikeroot into my gullet and swallowed, turning my focus inwards as the alchemical process began.

    ****

    Another week passed as I sunk into my project. After the second time I¡¯d needed to ask Xiao Cui for more herbs. Luckily she had plenty in stock and I was able to continue uninterrupted after that.

    My efficiency gradually improved as well as my control the more times I repeated the process. I¡¯d used almost all of the vital spikeroot by now and this was going to be the final time I could make this particular pill.

    This was going to be the seventh time I attempted the process. I had just ten percent of the root left, less than I¡¯d used before. Over the course of six attempts I had whittled down the amount I needed to use to produce the same pill.

    Not only that but the quality of the pills improved little by little. Not enough to push the quality up yet, but more and more golden streaks appeared each time.

    For an unknown reason that sharp spike of pain struck each and every time I drew near to completing the refining process. It seemed unavoidable despite my best efforts to stay focused.

    This had delayed my project of producing a healing pill by a little, but I wasn¡¯t dismayed one bit. This practice would lead to me producing a far higher quality end product when I moved onto a healing pill.

    If I¡¯d attempted to dive right in without this practice I may have ended up making a pill that was only a little better than the ones I¡¯d tested, if not of similarly shoddy quality. My goal was to not only create a more potent healing pill, but at a lower cost.

    Pushing aside those thoughts, I dedicated my entire mind and body to the task at hand. First, I ingested the last of the herbs from Xiao Cui. I followed them as they sunk into my stomach and tried to ensure that I extracted as much of the beneficial spiritual energy from them as they were broken down.

    The earthy golden energy sat in my stomach, forming into a floating cloud of golden mist. Once that was completed I took the final piece of the ten year vital spikeroot and swallowed it, so used to the scratching sensation that it barely bothered me.

    I did the same with the spikeroot as I¡¯d done with the herbs, guiding the process as it broke down into the rich brown energy. Once I had a strand of energy from the root I guided it into the golden cloud and started to compress.

    The process was different to the first time as I¡¯d discovered that condensing the energy of the herbs into the energy of the root resulted in a much smoother mix than the inefficient manner I¡¯d used the first time. The brown energy drank in the golden mist as I compressed it all into a spherical shape.

    Another change from my earlier attempts was that I infused a single strand of my own vibrant medicinal qi from my dantian, seamlessly blending it into the mix. I¡¯d not tried this particular step yet but it felt right.

    Instead of rejecting my qi as I¡¯d feared might happen, the moment it was infused the sphere was compressed even further than ever before. A few droplets of pill toxins and impurities were forced out, devoured by the void in my dantian.

    My qi had a positive effect on the pill and I continued to focus as I approached the final step. This was where I¡¯d failed each time before as my concentration was broken. This time I intended to see the process through to the end.

    I felt a spike of pain in my temple, but ignored it and focused even harder on the pill that was forming. I compressed it further, the golden streaks spreading across the brown surface.

    The pain intensified, but I refused to slip. Streaks of green emerged from within the brown, melding with the gold as I felt a wave of heat burst from my stomach.

    My head was on fire, throbbing worse than any migraine I¡¯d experienced, but even covered in sweat and grime I was elated. My nonstop effort had paid off and with the last of my ingredients I¡¯d produced a pill greater than any I¡¯d refined before.

    A single phrase appeared in my mind, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise. I¡¯d gone above and beyond even my own expectations.

    Masterful quality Mortal grade Vital Spike Pill. I¡¯d somehow skipped an entire quality, going straight from Average quality straight to Masterful, missing out on Polished quality.

    I suspected the last minute decision to infuse a strand of my own qi had caused such a drastic improvement in the quality of the finished pill. I extracted the pill from my stomach, letting it fall into my hand.

    I hurriedly slipped it into the pill box I kept from my time imprisoned by the city lord, snapping the lid shut before the pill aroma could escape. There were a total of seven pills of varying quality in the box.

    I planned to save them to either use myself or find a buyer. I suspected they would fetch a high price as a premium product. Before seeking to make money from my creations however, I needed a bath.

    Then, it would be time to tackle my original project. It was time to produce a low cost healing pill with greater efficacy than any others available.

 Chapter 48

    At dinner that evening, Xiao Cui informed me that during my secluded alchemy sessions, a woman who smelled of flowers and honey and was frustratingly annoying had visited, seeking an audience with me. I deduced it was the younger Miss Yu, waving away both her and the village head¡¯s teasing about a beautiful woman calling for me.

    I was curious as to the reason she had decided to visit my clinic. In the first place I wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d figured out this was where I lived, given that its current fame among the citizens of Three River City was due to Xiao Cui¡¯s stamina concoctions, rather than my own healing abilities.

    Unfortunately for her, I had bigger priorities than seeking out a brothel mistress for entertainment. I¡¯d narrowed down the myriad ingredients in the various remedies and pills I¡¯d tested down to a few of the most potent and least toxic and planned to stock up on them in preparation for my tests.

    The main obstacle to my goals was that most of the shops which stocked the ingredients I required would massively overcharge me for even a small quantity. Also, if they caught wind of me attempting to purchase larger quantities they might suspect me of being a new competitor.

    I was a new competitor, but giving them advance warning wouldn¡¯t be beneficial to my plans. I needed to figure out my recipe in secret and then flood the market overnight, catching the rest of the city¡¯s alchemists and herbalists off guard.

    My healing techniques were far superior to theirs, but as the saying goes even a dragon cannot suppress the local snake. I would be a fool to move so blatantly and let the competition know my every move.

    Instead of attempting to purchase larger quantities, I enlisted little Cui and the village head to help me in buying small quantities of every ingredient from various shops around the city. We convened at the end of the day, so that I could figure out whether I would need to make another shopping trip or not.

    For the majority of the ingredients on the list we¡¯d acquired enough between the three of us that I could experiment for a month without running out¡ªalthough that depended largely on how quickly my skills improved. While Granny Yu had avoided Rejuvenating Spirit Grass for her healing tonics, I decided to use it.

    I believed her decision was due to the large quantity of impurities in the commonly found grass. However, I could avoid that problem with the near perfect efficiency of my stomach which removed most of the toxins and impurities during the refining process.

    Alongside the grass, the basic ingredients I planned to use were Sparkcap Amanitas, Powdered Beast Cores, and Pulsing Hibiscus petals. They were all common ingredients present in many of the pills I¡¯d tested and the ones that would synergise best.

    However, there was a slight problem. Of all the ingredients I required, there was one particular ingredient which none of us had managed to acquire¡ªten year ash bark.

    Plenty of the herbalists had regular ash bark, which they had tried to sell us with increasing levels of persuasion and frustration, but I specifically needed the potent spiritual energy contained within ten year ash bark for my recipe.

    That unfortunately meant that I would need to make another detour outside the city before beginning my experiments. I could choose a substitute ingredient of course, but I had a feeling that would lead to a subpar final product.

    I intended to produce the highest quality pill possible, in order to give the people of the city the greatest healing at the lowest possible cost. Besides, my own pride wouldn¡¯t allow me to create something that wasn¡¯t the absolute limit of my abilities.

    Of course, without a real grounding in alchemy or assistance from a skilled master, I could be making poor decisions guided by arrogance. Unfortunately, lacking such a master I would have to stumble forwards and learn from my failures.

    The best case scenario would be to succeed, learning little but benefiting greatly. An easy and prosperous life was the dream of any human, be they mortal or cultivator.

    ****

    I¡¯d feared a repeat of my brief journey to the Jagged Sword Mountains when going on a trip to acquire the ten year ash bark. A short detour that had turned into a chaotic battle and led to me almost losing my life multiple times.

    That risk had brought an ample reward in the form of multiple breakthroughs and the rekindling of my friendship with Wang Ren. However, I did not have the luxury of time right now and couldn¡¯t afford for another world shaking treasure like the Ten Ascensions Lily to appear.

    Thankfully the place I was travelling was a lot less popular with local cultivators. Mostly it was herbalists and alchemists who came to Silent Wind Glade to gather ingredients.

    I spotted a few as I made my way through the grassy knolls of Silent Wing Glade, harvesting various herbs and spiritual plants. A few nodded my way but we didn¡¯t interact much. All of them had some level of cultivation, though it was restricted to the Body Tempering Realm.

    I¡¯d learned during my research that distinguishing spirit herbs which had reached milestones such as Ten-Year or Hundred-Year was rather simple once you knew what to look for. The spiritual energy was far more condensed, having gathered over a longer period or due to unusual circumstances.

    While the phrases ten year or hundred year were used, or even thousand year in the case of exceptionally rare instances, it didn¡¯t always take that length of time for a herb to accumulate enough spiritual energy. That was just how long it would take if only the natural energy of the world was absorbed by the plant.

    Due to my talent at sensing different forms of energy, an ability I¡¯d possessed since arriving in this world and had yet to make sense of, I didn¡¯t believe this particular task would pose too much difficulty.

    ****

    I sighed, sitting at the base of yet another ash tree that was more spiritually potent than its peers but hadn¡¯t quite crossed the threshold into being a ten year specimen. My hubris had led me to believe this would be an easy search but thus far I was finding it frustratingly difficult.

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    I glanced around, frowning at the rustling grass. Someone had been following me for the past hour or so as I went around Silent Wind Glade.

    At first I had ignored their antics, as they were just a three-star Body Tempering practitioner and posed no threat to me. However, it was getting a little annoying having a stranger tail me.

    ¡°Stop hiding, you¡¯re not very good at it,¡± I called out, chuckling as a startled man jumped out from the tall grass.

    He was wearing robes that I¡¯d seen before. One of the larger alchemy pavilions had a sort of uniform, all their alchemists wearing the same forest green robes with red trim as the man before me.

    The Jade Cauldron Association wasn¡¯t the richest group of alchemists in Three River City, nor did they have the most talented alchemists in their employ. They did however, have the greatest number of them.

    Why one of their number was following me around as I searched for magic tree bark was a mystery. The worst case scenario was that they had somehow figured out my intentions or guessed at them through my shopping trips and had sent a spy to confirm them.

    Given how startled he seemed at being noticed, I wondered if they even knew the extent of my cultivation. If they had, I doubted they would¡¯ve tried to send such an obvious weakling to tail me.

    His face was pale and while I was lost in thought he tried to make his escape. I instantly crossed the distance between us, appearing in front of him as he fell on his backside in shock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try it. Who sent you?¡± I demanded.

    Of all the responses I was expecting, from the man cracking and spilling his secrets all the way to outright denial, what he actually did hadn¡¯t even made the list. Before I could stop him, crunched something between his teeth and his eyes rolled back into his head.

    I leapt forward and shoved my fingers into his mouth to try and fish out whatever he¡¯d swallowed, but it was futile. As his mouth started foaming and his body convulsed I turned to my healing technique.

    However, I was too late. My technique was ridiculously powerful, able to heal almost any injury or affliction.

    What it couldn¡¯t do was revive the dead. Not yet, anyway. I cursed at the sky, angry and confused at the senseless loss of life.

    The confusion dominated the anger. Getting caught wasn¡¯t a great look for the Jade Cauldron Association, but it shouldn¡¯t have warranted such a severe reaction.

    For the man to kill himself to avoid questioning¡­? I suspected that the person who sent him was either working to their own purposes from within the Jade Cauldron Association or simply using the alchemy group as a cover.

    When I returned to the city I would investigate, but as I had come all the way out here I wasn¡¯t going to return without finding what I sought. First, I approached the man¡¯s corpse and searched through his belongings.

    Looting the dead was distasteful, but I wasn¡¯t above taking the possessions of someone who¡¯d been collecting information about me for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. Throwing away dessert when it falls from the sky is the act of a fool.

    Unfortunately he seemed to have been well prepared for his untimely demise. There was very little of value stored on his body. Six silver coins and three coppers, which wasn¡¯t a bad haul, but aside from the meagre wealth there was only a plain jade and some distasteful pills.

    After collecting everything, I stored the man¡¯s body in my storage bag. The bag didn¡¯t stop the effects of time entirely, but I noticed it reduced it to a negligible crawl while objects were stored inside. Once that was sorted, I resumed my search with renewed vigour.

    ****

    Yu Chun stared at the rune inscribed jade in her hands with simmering rage in her eyes as the nasal voice of her employer scratched at her ears. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to crush the piece of magic rock worth more than her entire parlour, but she had no doubts about the grisly fate that her employer would bring about if she dared defy him.

    ¡°My patience wears thin, whore. I don¡¯t care what you need to do to keep him occupied, just ensure it is done. You have until the end of the week to get Zhao alone or I will find another rotten tofu seller to carry out my orders. There is no shortage of desperate bitches in this city. Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking you are unique, Yu Chun,¡± Councillor Gao snarled as the glowing inscriptions faded from the air and sank into the now inert jade.

    She almost smashed her desk in fury as the communication ended. However, Yu Chun knew herself to be better than Gao Deng Luo, at least when it came to comporting oneself with dignity.

    In that regard, the snivelling rat was no better than a common street thug. ¡°If not for the influence of his clan¡­¡± she sighed.

    A knock at the door broke her from her daydreams and she moved to unlock it after ensuring the hidden drawer in her desk was once more hidden from sight. Opening it, she found a scowling Du Wen waiting outside.

    ¡°I am rather busy and not in the most pleasant of moods, Du Wen. What is it this time?¡± she demanded, rubbing her temple as she returned to her padded chair.

    ¡°Everyone is complaining about losing money. I can¡¯t imagine that as the proprietress the situation is much better for you. Now, we¡¯ve known each other since the day we slid out of our mother¡¯s wombs into the stinking gutters of this rotten city, so I know that you wouldn¡¯t do this without a compelling reason,¡± he began, gently closing the door behind him and taking a seat opposite her.

    ¡°The rest of them don¡¯t know that. There¡¯s been talk of ousting you. Feng Li Mei has been spreading rumours and gathering support. She has enough to make a move,¡± he slid a hand across the cherry wood desk, grimacing at the dust that gathered at the tips of his fingers. ¡°You aren¡¯t usually this messy. I need to know why.¡±

    Yu Chun let out a deep sigh, sinking into the chair as she allowed Du Wen to see a side of herself that no one else in the city was allowed a glimpse at. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you much, unless you want to put yourself in danger.¡±

    ¡°Life for a man like me is dangerous by nature. Powerful men with that kind of secret don¡¯t enjoy having it walking around. Tell me, Yu Chun,¡± Du Wen chuckled, his tone whimsical but his eyes painting the sorrowful truth.

    ¡°Gao,¡± she replied, meeting his gaze with an equally pained stare.

    He sighed. ¡°How did you get yourself tangled up in this nonsense again, little Chun? I thought we left that life behind when you managed to scrape together the money for this place.¡±

    Du Wen never called her that unless he was burning with the fury of the heavens. The last time he had called her little Chun had been the night Long Bao had¡­ She opened her mouth to explain but he raised a hand to cut her off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else. I know their filthy fingers are shoved into every dark crevice of the city, but I prefer to live in ignorant bliss. I will handle Feng Li Mei, but I won¡¯t be able to delay her long. A week at most,¡± he conceded, standing up and walking to the door.

    ¡°Thank you, Wen. A past like ours is not easy to escape. As you know, heaven¡¯s net is wide and its mesh inescapable. In this city, the Gao Clan are the heavens beyond the heavens. All we can do is struggle and pray we aren¡¯t devoured first.¡±

    Du Wen scoffed, shaking his head as he walked out the door. ¡°You aren¡¯t as profound as your ego would have you believe, Yu Chun. Leave that to the old hag.¡±

    The lock of the door clicked shut behind him. She turned her gaze to the ceiling, sinking into the comfortable padding of her chair.

    ¡°I suppose I shall have to pay that man another visit. Avoiding that infuriating little girl will be difficult, though I have to commend her enterprising nature. A stamina boosting concoction of all things¡­¡± she muttered, a grin forming on her face. ¡°She reminds me of myself when I was that age.¡±

 Chapter 49

    The sun had already set by the time I returned to Three River City. Finding the ten year ash bark had taken far longer than I expected and the unfortunate incident with the man tailing me had left a sour aftertaste.

    Even when I pursued alchemy and healing I was unable to avoid the brutality of this world. I¡¯d become mired in plots and schemes far beyond my grasp and despite my best efforts to avoid them, it seemed inevitable that I would need to dirty my hands or find myself caught unawares as a dagger slit my throat in the night.

    When I tried to open the front door I found it locked. Xiao Cui and the village head must have retired to bed already, given the late hour.

    Unlocking it was easy. It was a very simple array formation that had been inscribed prior to Grandpa Guan giving me the building. The instructions for unlocking and locking it were included in the deed.

    The faint aroma of cooking permeated the lobby and when I entered the kitchen I found a bowl of noodles and silky tofu left out for me. Xiao Cui was a devoted disciple, cooking for me even though I didn¡¯t need to eat.

    I reached for a chair to sit, but my eyes narrowed as I sensed movement on the upper floors of the building. I immediately dashed out of the kitchen and raced up the stairs.

    When I reached the floor which Xiao Cui and the village head slept on, I stopped for a second. Upon sensing that they were both alive and well, their aura that of peaceful rest, I continued upwards until I was outside my bedroom.

    My hand hovered against the door, allowing my senses to permeate the room before I entered. When they brushed against a feeble presence within I let out a relieved breath.

    The door clicked as I opened it, but I was already gone from the entrance. There was a feminine yelp as I grabbed the intruder and pressed them against the wall where they¡¯d been standing.

    ¡°You know, Sir Zhao, there are those who would say that pressing an unfamiliar woman into the wall against her will is not how a gentleman conducts himself,¡± drawled a honeyed voice.

    I kissed my teeth and released her, taking a step back as she twirled around and leaned into where I¡¯d been standing a moment before. She staggered, eyes widening in shock but I saw through the act.

    Yu Chun caught herself before falling and stood up straight, staring at me with a predatory smile painted in red. ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± she harrumphed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t take kindly to strangers invading the privacy of my home, especially where the safety of my disciple is concerned. You¡¯re only alive because you left the two downstairs untouched,¡± I snapped. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    She sighed, taking a seat on the edge of my bed and lounging against the frame as though it were her own room. ¡°All the men in my life are so high strung. Where are all the relaxed playboys I can wrap around my finger like dragon¡¯s beard candy?¡±

    I let the weight of my qi slip out, pressing down on her as though she was deep under the ocean. I admired her courage, her bemused facade not shifting an inch.

    Unfortunately for her, I could see beyond the poorly constructed falsehoods. Her fear was a hideous stench marring the air of my room, reminding me of the impurities left after a breakthrough.

    ¡°Do not test my patience. You have five seconds to explain yourself or you¡¯ll spend the next few weeks as a test subject for my experiments,¡± I snarled.

    ¡°Cultivators are far too perceptive. If only I was gifted with spirit roots, perhaps I could raise my skills to a level where even the likes of you and that vile man would fall under my spell¡­¡± she mused, trailing off when she saw my fierce glare.

    ¡°I confess, the reason I am here is a little embarrassing, Sir Zhao. After our last meeting, I found myself entranced by your talent and handsomeness, desiring another conversation with you,¡± Yu Chun continued, her words dripped into my ears like honey, her eyelashes fluttering as she spoke.

    Honestly if not for the fact that I was exhausted after my trip and the events of the last couple months, I might have believed her. Yu Chun was a beautiful woman and it had been a while since I¡¯d spent the night doing anything but cultivating or sleeping¡ªboth in my own company.

    Hurting a woman was near the bottom of the list of things I wanted to spend my time doing, but I¡¯d had enough of her games. Before she could blink I grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall.

    She screamed, but I muffled it with a hand over her mouth. ¡°I told you to be honest. If you had any idea about cultivation, you would know not to try and slip something past one at my realm,¡± I sighed, holding up a jade, orange runes floating in the air around it. ¡°What is this?¡±

    I knew what it was already. A communication jade. However, what I needed to know was why Yu Chun had snuck into my room with one hidden inside her clothes.

    ¡°A communication jade,¡± she replied blankly.

    I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip on her throat.

    ¡°My employer wanted to listen in on our conversation,¡± she wheezed.

    ¡°Who is your employer?¡± I demanded, crushing the jade in my hands.

    As the dust fell between my fingers Yu Chun¡¯s eyes grew wide and I felt her heart rate quicken. I supposed these were sturdy, from a mortal perspective. Not my intention, but if it squeezed more information from her then I¡¯d play it up. My grip tightened a little more.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say. He¡¯ll kill me. Please,¡± she begged, a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

    She could¡¯ve been lying, but with her emotions on full display and her soul crushed under the weight of my qi, I doubted it.

    Treating a woman like this, even if she was a duplicitous brothel mistress, wasn¡¯t my idea of fun. As I considered what to do, I felt a shift in the spiritual energy around the clinic, triggered by the security array.

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    I threw Yu Chun onto my bed, leaping in the opposite direction right as the window shattered. A throwing dagger buried itself in the door, the blade twanging as it cast scattered moonbeams across the room.

    Where the dagger struck, the wood hissed and smoked as it rotted away. Poison or acid coated the blade.

    It might not harm me if I was struck instead, but better not to take the risk. Keeping that ace up my sleeve might allow me to catch the intruders by surprise.

    By now I didn¡¯t need to interrogate Yu Chun to figure out her purpose here. Whether she had been informed or not, her goal was to distract me while the real threats broke in to assassinate me.

    There was an obvious culprit, based on the evidence. Councillor Gao had apparently decided that he couldn¡¯t tolerate the city lord¡¯s decision to free me.

    When the masked figure leapt through the broken window, followed by another similarly black-clad assassin, I met their gaze. A pair of familiar eyes stared back.

    Wang Bao and I shared a brief moment of recognition before the second assassin tossed a dagger at my heart with pinpoint accuracy. We both knew that no matter the outcome, only one of us was leaving here alive.

    I applauded Yu Chun for not making a noise this time, remaining out of sight and wrapped in my covers. Fighting against two foes was going to be challenging enough without having to protect a mortal.

    I dodged another dagger and danced around Wang Bao¡¯s sword strikes, my mouth curling into a frown. It wasn¡¯t challenging at all.

    The last time Wang Bao or the city lord¡¯s men had seen me, I wasn¡¯t even in the Qi Gathering Realm. Vice Captain Wang didn¡¯t even put me in his eyes and even then he¡¯d brought help to take me out.

    However, my cultivation had advanced in leaps and bounds. My unique methods combined with serendipitous encounters had allowed me to reach five-star Qi Gathering far faster than usual with half the effort.

    Three clashes later and I realised that I was simply delaying the inevitable. Wang Bao¡¯s associate grew frustrated with their continued failure to strike me and rushed forward.

    ¡°Wait-!¡± Wang Bao cried, but it was too late.

    I had guided the battle towards the door and ripped the dagger from where it was buried in the wood. The would-be assassin thrust his own dagger at my neck, but I was faster.

    He clutched at his throat as his blood spilled, the scent of burning flesh filling my nostrils as the last remnants of the poison went to work. I stepped past his dying clutches at my legs, facing off against the city¡¯s vice guard captain.

    ¡°You know, I was quite shocked to learn that Captain Kang¡¯s right hand man was colluding with that vile bastard Gao,¡± I admitted, pushing him for information. ¡°Despite our differences, I respect his pride and honour. I believed those under his command would hold themselves to similar standards, but perhaps he is a diamond hidden in dogshit.¡±

    Wang Bao snarled, abandoning caution as he leapt at me. He slashed wildly, waving his sword like a child throwing a tantrum. I ensured that my dodges were timed to the last second, giving him the illusion of almost catching me.

    I planned to play with him a little longer until his focus slipped, but the battlefield shifted in an instant. I felt two more intruders on the floor below.

    I dodged Wang Bao thrusting his sword at my gut, grabbing his wrist and crushing it in a single movement. To his credit, he barely winced as I turned his bone to dust. My next strike was a palm to the side of his head.

    His eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground. His sword clattered against the floorboards, but I was already gone.

    I burst into little Cui¡¯s room to see the village head standing between her and two Body Tempering practitioners garbed in the same black outfits as Wang Bao and his accomplice. The closest of the assassins stabbed the village head as I took a step.

    Before his blade could cut the village head I smacked it away and backhanded the man without controlling my strength. I had no time to hold back with the head¡¯s life at risk.

    A sharp crack rang out as the man dropped to the ground like a sack of cabbages. The second assassin looked at me, then at his fallen comrade.

    His eyes were conflicted, fear of me and whoever had sent them here clashing as he froze in indecision. I made the choice for him, my fist smashing into his gut and the follow up kick snapping his neck.

    Killing wasn¡¯t enjoyable, but they had come to kill Xiao Cui. If they had left her and the village head alone and only come for my life, perhaps I would¡¯ve spared them. However, they crossed a line they never should have.

    I stored their bodies, realising that my spatial storage bag was now full. There was still a corpse in my room, but I could at least keep little Cui and the village head away from that one.

    ¡°Zhao D- Master! Who are those men?¡± Xiao Cui exclaimed, clearly startled but to my surprise, not crying or breaking under the pressure of the situation.

    For a teenage girl she was sturdy. Whether that had been her character from the beginning or she was being tempered by her time in Three River City and travelling with me, only the heavens knew. I suspected it was a little of both.

    ¡°I believe it is related to the matter with your village and that irritating councillor. I will handle it,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, Cultivator Zhao. We shall clean the room and make some food. I think we need to have a little comfort after that shock,¡± the village head said with a smile. ¡°It seems I owe you a life debt twice over. I am not sure what more I can offer, but I am at your beck and call.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, Head Wei. I only did what any man in my position would do,¡± I dismissed him with a wave.

    ¡°Ha! If only that were true, benefactor Zhao. The Celestial Jade Empire would be a paradise,¡± he scoffed.

    I didn¡¯t reply. He was right of course, but it was important to see the best in people. Or so I believed, anyway. I hoped I would still hold true to that belief if I ever reached the pinnacle of my path.

    When I entered my room once more, I found Yu Chun sitting at the edge of my bed, gently kicking the unconscious Wang Bao. I raised an eyebrow quizzically, scoffing at the stifled yelp she emitted when she noticed my presence.

    I took the two corpses back out of my bag. She yelped again as they hit the floorboards. ¡°Can you stop that? I¡¯m trying to focus. Also, your acting is as believable as pigs being able to fly.¡±

    ¡°I heard there are spirit boars which can fly. Apparently their meat is a delicacy,¡± she replied, smirking at me from behind her sleeve.

    ¡°Of course there are¡­¡± I muttered. Damn magical world and its implausible creatures.

    There would be no hiding this incident. If the city guard vice captain went missing there would be a search and I was sure that Captain Kang would not leave me out of it.

    Instead of allowing it to get to that point, it would most likely favour me if I approached the captain and the city lord myself. Doing things this way might even lead to Councillor Gao exposing himself.

    At the very least, Wang Bao would face punishment for his crimes. That was an outcome I would be pleased to witness.

    Of course, I was no fool. Leaving everything to the whims of City Lord Teng without taking precautions would be idiotic.

    With my five-star Qi Gathering cultivation, I could force his hand by exerting my strength. However, there was always a bigger dog. A taller sky.

    Doing that would only bring the Cloudy Falls Sect down on my head. As it was, I was already under scrutiny from the elders of the sect and had no desire to exacerbate that particular problem.

    I stomped on Wang Bao¡¯s chest hard enough to make him cough. His eyes flickered open and he tried to sit upright. I kicked down and his head smacked the floorboards.

    That seemed to do the trick, startling him awake. Before contacting Captain Kang, I would squeeze every last drop of information from this filthy bastard.

 Chapter 50

    I stood beside Captain Kang, watching the impassive face of City Lord Teng Shi. To his side, Councillor Gao was containing his emotions far better than our previous encounters.

    However, he was not skilled enough to hide from my senses entirely. I felt the broiling rage beneath the surface.

    ¡°Lord Teng! I assure you, there is a reasonable explanation for my actions,¡± Wang Bao begged on his knees.

    Captain Kang spat on the ground, slamming his boot against his former Vice Captain¡¯s back. ¡°Silence, black-bellied bastard!¡± he roared.

    The city lord raised a hand and the captain stepped back. ¡°Enough, Captain. Let the man speak. I wonder what rambling nonsense he will come up with to excuse his actions.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Teng!¡± he spluttered, raising his head to face the throne. ¡°This bastard, Zhao Dan, was plotting against you. My men found evidence of a treasonous plot and we moved to end it before it could take hold. Somehow, he has raised his cultivation to an absurd level in such a short time. The only explanation is nefarious techniques!¡±

    The city lord sighed deeply, while Captain Kang looked at his former brother with a forlorn expression. ¡°Former guard Wang, do you think this lord a bumbling imbecile?¡± Teng Shi asked, cocking his head to one side.

    ¡°N-no, Lord Teng! You are a dragon amongst men, the mightiest cultivator for a thousand li,¡± he exclaimed, arms waving madly.

    ¡°And yet you dared to take the life of a man I declared free, spitting on my face in the process? Give this bastard a dog¡¯s death, Captain. First, ensure you squeeze every drop of information from him. Any methods are fine,¡± he ordered with a flick of his sleeve.

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± the captain replied, hauling Wang Bao to his feet and dragging him out.

    I was left alone in the throne room with the city lord and the councillor. ¡°Honestly, if he¡¯d managed to kill you without causing such a mess, I might have even been grateful. Bumbling idiot,¡± Teng Shi chuckled while staring at me.

    I frowned. I knew the city lord hadn¡¯t let me off the hook entirely, but to declare it so freely made me suspicious of his intentions.

    He suddenly turned to Councillor Gao. ¡°Councillor, you¡¯re getting sloppy. I don¡¯t mind you throwing your weight around, as long as you keep it to the slums. This is your only warning. Do not test me again or you will find yourself seeking more modest employment.¡±

    Councillor Gao¡¯s eyes widened as the city lord spoke, but he remained restrained. Coughing once, he replied, ¡°Of course, Lord Teng.¡±

    I was confused at the interaction and more perplexed about why the city lord had allowed me to witness it. However, I remained silent.

    ¡°Zhao Dan, it seems I owe you an apology. It is a little demeaning to be apologising to a criminal, but I am not the kind of ignorant bastard who overlooks the folly of his subordinates. Wang Bao will be dealt with. Thank you for helping to clean up my house,¡± Teng Shi said, gripping the edge of his throne.

    ¡°We would be having a different conversation if Xiao Cui came to harm. However, I am glad to see that the city lord is magnanimous and upright,¡± I replied with a bow. ¡°I shall take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t get into any more trouble, Zhao Dan. I am growing tired of your face.¡±

    I didn¡¯t reply further. Turning around, my face twisted into a snarling frown. As I marched out of the palace I allowed my cultivation to expand outwards.

    Suppressing my five-star Qi Gathering cultivation down to two-star was a necessary expenditure while facing the city lord and the councillor. I only needed to show I was stronger than Wang Bao, while still concealing the fact I was a threat to both of them.

    On the plus side, this incident had allowed me to sow the seeds of discontent between the two ruling forces in the city, while blunting one of the councillor¡¯s swords. I had no doubt that Councillor Gao was not done with me, but I could rest easy for now.

    I wanted nothing more than to beat the annoying councillor senseless, but I would restrain myself until the time was right. If I wanted to ensure the Cloudy Falls Sect stayed off my back, I had to keep City Lord Teng in power while removing the tumour that was Councillor Gao.

    ****

    Xiao Cui was busy when I returned. Despite the events of the previous night, she seemed unshaken and was happily serving the long line of customers leading out the door of the clinic.

    She greeted me with a smile and a wave. I noticed that as well as women, there were even a few men in the queue now. I guessed they¡¯d heard of the miraculous effects of my disciple¡¯s medicine and wanted to try it for themselves.

    As for me, I planned to seclude myself in my room once more in order to finally begin working on my healing pill recipe. I hoped there would not be any further incidents that required my attention for a while.

    Refining a low cost, high efficacy healing pill was only the first step towards achieving my goal of raising the healing arts of this world to a new level, but managing to accomplish it would be a magnificent feeling. I opened my door, preparing myself for the long session of alchemy ahead.

    However, when I went into my room I found Yu Chun sitting on my bed. I frowned. I¡¯d expected her to leave while I was handling Wang Bao and the city lord, but she seemed to have taken it upon herself to stay.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking that question? Why the hell are you in my room? Wang Bao won¡¯t be a problem anymore,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t return to the blossom parlour. My life is in danger,¡± she said with a shudder.

    ¡°Your employer? Councillor Gao, I assume?¡±

    She shivered again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak so freely. The walls have eyes and ears everywhere in this city. Let me stay with you for a while. I can make myself useful,¡± she implored, opening her eyes and pressing her palms together.

    I rubbed my temple while sighing. This situation kept getting more irritating. However, I wasn¡¯t a callous bastard. Even though she¡¯d been part of the plot to keep me distracted, I knew it was difficult for a mortal to ignore the pressure of a cultivator¡¯s orders.

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    Especially a man as sinister as Councillor Gao. Even I got the creeps from him and I was strong enough to kill him in a few blows.

    ¡°Fine. However, I am about to enter a period of seclusion. I will need to be left alone for a few weeks at the very least. You can ask Head Wei what you can do to help. Maybe give Xiao Cui a hand with her customers. You know how to convince people to do what you say,¡± I told her.

    She nodded. ¡°Thank you, Zhao Dan. I am in your debt. That little girl is quite the specimen. I will see what I can do to teach her,¡± Yu Chun replied.

    I snorted, placing a hand on her arm as she walked past me. ¡°My disciple is an innocent young flower. Don¡¯t lead her astray,¡± I warned.

    ¡°Ha! If you truly believe that then you are a fool, Zhao Dan,¡± she giggled, closing the door behind her.

    I waited for her retreating footsteps to fade before sitting on the floor of my bedroom. I took out a portion of the ingredients I¡¯d prepared, laying them out on the ground before me.

    While my physique allowed me to analyse the composition of the various remedies and pills I¡¯d tried, it didn¡¯t tell me much about the actual process of refining them. I would need to experiment and practice my alchemy skills in order to figure that out.

    First, I wanted to figure out how to refine each ingredient in order to extract the most beneficial energy from them. My physique would guide the process, but in order to produce the most effective pill possible I would need to take more control over the entire procedure.

    I started with the Rejuvenating Spirit Grass as it was the simplest of the ingredients. Even when my stomach went through the process automatically there were very few toxins extracted, though that was also dependent on the quality of the herb. The different sources which we¡¯d acquired the ingredients from all had varying degrees of skill and the quality of the ingredients would be vastly different.

    I picked up a stalk at random and put it in my mouth. Unexpectedly, it was like chewing grass. I wasn¡¯t sure why I¡¯d expected anything else given that I was¡­ well, chewing grass.

    Swallowing the chewed up spirit grass, I observed the process without interfering. It dissolved in my stomach and a small stream of herbal energy was extracted, with two individual drops of impurities getting sucked into the void in my dantian.

    That must¡¯ve been a decent quality stalk of grass, to produce so few impurities. I imagined most of the herbs we¡¯d gathered wouldn¡¯t be so pure. However, as long as I continued to improve my technique it wouldn¡¯t matter too much.

    The next few days passed by in a blur as I continued to improve my technique. I tested each of the ingredients, except for the valuable ten year ash bark. By the time four days had passed, I was able to refine all of the base ingredients without a single drop of impurities forming.

    The only exception was when the quality of the ingredient was so low that it was impossible for there not to be any impurities left behind. That was the case even when I squeezed all of the spiritual energy possible out of the herb in question.

    Satisfied with my progress, I let out a breath stained with black mist, before inhaling clean air. I snapped off the smallest possible portion of the ten year ash bark and swallowed it, ready to begin the last step of improving my technique. After this, it would be time to dive into alchemy for real.

    ****

    Captain Kang held Councillor Gao¡¯s arms behind his back, his grip like an iron vice. The councillor struggled against him but it was futile. There was no escape.

    They were at the base of the stone dais which held City Lord Teng Shi¡¯s throne. The lord himself wasn¡¯t in the throne, but instead descending the stone steps with cold fury in his eyes.

    His anger was bubbling out into the room, the full weight of his presence as a four-star Qi Gathering cultivator pressing down on Gao Deng Luo. ¡°Treacherous snake! You dare smile in my face while preparing to thrust a dagger in my back?¡± he snarled.

    ¡°Hmph! You are a fool, Teng Shi. Your actions have continued to allow Three River City to fall further and further into the mud. I was hopeful when I first took this position. A powerful City Lord with ambitions of rising to the heavens. Yet you constantly abandoned your duties to seek increasingly ridiculous cures for that mewling brat of yours. My only regret is not trying to kill you sooner,¡± the councillor hissed.

    ¡°As the water recedes, so the rocks appear. Rather than the fortress of a dragon, my palace seems to be a nest of snakes. At least you remain loyal, Captain Kang,¡± Teng Shi sighed.

    It was phrased as a statement, but he gazed pointedly at the man in question as he spoke. Captain Kang felt a shiver run down his spine. Teng Shi may have grown soft in recent years, but there was a time he was feared as the Iron Fist of Three River City.

    ¡°Of course, Lord Teng. This lowly servant is yours to command until the day I draw my last breath,¡± he replied, stamping his foot in place of a salute.

    ¡°The only question that remains then, is what to do with you, Councillor?¡± the city lord mused, now face to face with the treacherous Gao. ¡°I believe a slow, agonising death seems appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± replied Captain Kang.

    ¡°First though, I will lower myself to your level, Gao Deng Luo, and extract a little personal satisfaction,¡± the city lord chuckled, before slapping the councillor across the face with the back of his hand.

    A sharp crack rang out across the throne room as the man¡¯s head snapped to the side. He spat blood while staring daggers at the city lord.

    ¡°What a beautiful expression. I hope you continue to look that way until the moment of your death, old friend,¡± the city lord said, before turning with a flick of his sleeve and taking a step towards his throne.

    He froze as his foot touched the step. Captain Kang opened his mouth to ask what happened when he found himself unable to move.

    Taking advantage of the moment, Councillor Gao struggled to free himself. However, the moment he slipped from Captain Kang¡¯s grasp, he felt a burning pain explode across his chest as he was smashed across the throne room.

    A stone pillar cracked as his back wrapped around it. He coughed blood and collapsed to the ground. ¡°Who dares!?¡± he weakly cried.

    Shadows swirled from the edges of the room, condensing into the figure of a man. He stood in front of the former councillor, leaning over until he was staring directly into his eyes.

    ¡°I dare, little cousin. Do you have a problem with my actions?¡± the man said, slapping the councillor¡¯s cheek twice with a sadistic grin on his face.

    ¡°Gao Shan! Why are you here?¡± the councillor exclaimed, fear crawling from the deepest recesses of his soul as he stared into his elder cousin¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s better. This is how people should react to my presence,¡± he said, stretching his arms wide as he stood up. He snapped his fingers. ¡°Seal the palace. Don¡¯t let anyone escape. Control or death,¡± he ordered as five shadowy figures darted in different directions.

    Councillor Gao watched this all unfold, clutching at his burning chest. Blood ran down his chin and he grimaced as he pulled himself to his feet.

    ¡°Cousin, why are you here? I had the situation under control,¡± he asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Clearly. You seemed to have everything in the palm of your hand, little Luo. The patriarch sent me to fix your mess. He detected the strand of his will that he sent with you had disappeared. Explain.¡±

    The councillor kissed his teeth. ¡°That bastard, Zhao Dan. He uses an esoteric healing technique; one I¡¯ve never heard of before. It expelled the puppet poison from the city lord¡¯s son. I sent someone to assassinate him but somehow he managed to raise his cultivation three stages in a matter of weeks! If you find him, you will find the answers the patriarch seeks.¡±

    ¡°An unfamiliar healing technique, you say? No matter. Whatever happened, I am here to fix it. There will be no more mistakes. You were given an opportunity to prove yourself to the clan, little Luo. Three River City is essential to the patriarch¡¯s plans. You failed. Your fate is no longer yours to decide,¡± the shadowy man declared.

    ¡°Gao Shan! Give me one last chance. I will handle the bastard myself.¡±

    Gao Shan waved his arm. City Lord Teng suddenly moved, racing from where he was frozen to appear in front of Gao Deng Luo. He grabbed the former councillor by the neck and slammed him into the stone pillar once more.

    ¡°You disappoint me, little cousin. I used to have high hopes for you. Now, you will be more useful as a puppet,¡± Gao Shan sighed as he flicked a small worm into the councillor¡¯s mouth.

    Turning to the throne, he casually strolled up the steps and then reclined in it as though he was the emperor himself. ¡°The reign of the Cloudy Falls Sect is drawing to an end. The era of the Gao Clan approaches. Eventually the patriarch will be under my thumb. As the heavens will it,¡± he cackled, the full force of his cultivation descending on Captain Kang, who was crushed to the floor as his legs exploded.

 Chapter 51

    I smiled, exhaling a mist of impurities as my latest experiment came to a close. It had been two weeks since I began working on my healing pill recipe and I¡¯d advanced my alchemy skills in leaps and bounds.

    Refining the ingredients was as easy as waving my hand, with only the few low quality exceptions still producing impurities. The ten year ash bark took far more concentration than the rest of the ingredients, but even that was simply a matter of time and focus.

    After figuring out how to make the most of each ingredient on its own, I had begun experimenting with combining different ingredients to figure out the synergies between them and how to best combine them. This was difficult at first and I was essentially throwing various combinations together at random and seeing what worked.

    Trial and error wasn¡¯t a bad way to work. I quickly figured out the best order to refine the ingredients in as well as which ones interacted most smoothly within my stomach. It wasn¡¯t as simple as adding one and two to get three.

    Every little step of the process would affect the final output. From the quantity of each ingredient used all the way down to how long I spent refining them, every minor variation could change what I created.

    This wasn¡¯t outside my expectations, but the sheer level of complexity involved in the alchemical process was insane. I grew a newfound appreciation for even those mediocre alchemists in Three River City.

    They were able to produce a myriad of pills and other concoctions without the benefit of a physique helping them along. I was cheating and even then it was difficult.

    At last I was ready to begin the true process of creating a healing pill. I knew roughly the quantity of each ingredient I was going to use as well as the order in which to combine them. All that remained was streamlining the process until I could replicate it en masse.

    My final product didn¡¯t need to be perfect. As long as it was more effective than other products on the market and I could sell it at a much lower cost that would be enough. I also wanted to ensure the quantity of pill toxins that the consumer would receive was far lower.

    That last attribute was arguably the most important. For cultivators, they might eventually stumble upon a treasure that could cleanse their meridians or have a senior cultivator perform the procedure for them. For mortals however, they would be stuck with those impurities marring their body for life and shortening what little lifespan they had.

    As long as I could achieve all three of those goals to a reasonable degree I would be satisfied with the outcome. Gathering each of my ingredients, I picked up two stalks of Rejuvenating Spirit Grass and tossed them into my mouth.

    As soon as they began dissolving I grabbed a pinch of powdered beast cores and swallowed them too. Of all the ingredients I was using, the powdered beast cores were the foulest tasting. The texture wasn¡¯t great either.

    I forced myself to ignore my discomfort and focused on the process. I managed to draw three strands of spiritual energy from the grass, with only a single drop of impurities forming.

    Not my best work, but this was only the first attempt. Already I was finding splitting my attention across the various tasks difficult. The powdered beast cores began dissolving as I grasped the strands of energy with my consciousness.

    While that was occurring I prepared one Sparkcap Amanita and three Pulsing Hibiscus petals. I threw them into my mouth together and then turned my consciousness inwards to prepare for the first important step.

    The ten year ash bark was not needed until the next step of the process, so I didn¡¯t need to split my focus anymore. I extracted one strand of energy from the beast cores, but there were two drops of impurities left behind.

    Compared to the fairly pure energy of spirit herbs, beast cores were rampant with impurities. That was due to the savage nature and the fact they grew by consuming other beasts.

    The clash between their energies was what gave rise to impurities in their developing cores. Even after I¡¯d refined my methods to a reasonable level it was impossible to avoid such an outcome.

    I kept the strands of energy from the different ingredients separate for now while the blue mushroom and the petals dissolved. When the first strand of energy was extracted from the sparkcap amanita, it was time to get to work.

    I began to weave the energy from the mushrooms and spirit grass together, squeezing individual drops of the energy from the beast cores out to use as a binding agent. Once the hibiscus petals dissolved I began adding the energy from them as well.

    It was a complex balancing act between the four ingredients, ensuring that I didn¡¯t add too much of each while trying to merge them into something greater than the sum of its parts. Mix too fast, or add too much of the wrong ingredient at an inopportune moment and I would end up creating something entirely different to what I intended.

    Of these ingredients, only the Rejuvenating Spirit Grass and the petals had effects that directly influenced healing. The others were rooted in bolstering the energy of the patient or working aggressively against infections.

    This was intended to be a generalist pill to treat all kinds of low level wounds and afflictions, which meant I couldn¡¯t use ingredients with effects that were too specific. There were herbs which were far more effective on flesh wounds for example, but if I incorporated those into my pill it might not do much for a patient suffering with a cold.

    My efforts had paid off. I smoothly combined the spiritual energy from all four ingredients without a problem, leaving me with a swirling mass of energy in my stomach. I was far from complete, however.

    The next step of the process was arguably the most important. I allowed my focus to withdraw from my stomach so that I could snap off a small chunk of the ten year ash bark.

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    I swallowed it, preparing myself for the influx of spiritual energy. The single piece of bark contained almost fifty times more energy than the swirling mass of ingredients in my stomach and handling it delicately was essential.

    It began to break down the moment it entered my stomach; the unbreakable and ridiculously efficient cauldron. This time there was no waiting around.

    As soon as the first drops of spiritual energy were separated from the bark I began to weave them into the swirling mass like a master seamstress weaving a grand tapestry. This would be my first attempt at refining a healing pill, but that didn¡¯t mean it had to go wrong.

    I was surprised how intense the process was. Similar to an intensive surgery where a single instant of lost focus could lead to disaster, I knew I was threading a wire here.

    It was only the first attempt, so even if something went wrong it wouldn¡¯t have severe consequences. However, I wasn¡¯t willing to accept failure if it could be avoided.

    It took as long as burning a stick of incense to complete the process, but I was able to extract most of the energy from the ten year ash bark without waste. There were quite a few impurities extracted but they were all drawn into the void in my dantian.

    There was one final step left in the process. I had to take the swirling mass of mixed energy and refine it into a healing pill. Well, I hoped it was a healing pill at the very least. If I messed up any one of the steps then it could have any number of effects.

    The science loving part of my brain was intrinsically fascinated by the idea. Turning energy into solid matter was something incredible, yet here in this world it was just one of many miraculous disciplines that cultivators practised. Often as little more than hobbies or distractions.

    The truly great alchemists were dedicated masters of their craft of course, but the fact remained that what I was about to do was a miracle by the standards of my old world. Despite that, the process itself was ironically simple.

    To finish refining the pill I simply had to use my own qi and spiritual presence to compress the energy extracted from the ingredients and mixed in the cauldron¡ªmy stomach, in this instance¡ªinto a solid form. While it was simple in theory, it was difficult in practice.

    At first I was able to condense the energy with ease but it rapidly grew more difficult. It was like an intense workout, trying to squeeze the final rep out when you were already exhausted.

    A sharp spike of pain in my temple nearly broke my focus but I had been tempered by many similar situations and was able to push through it. Shortly after, I felt that I could compress the energy no more.

    It had taken on a dark green hue, still writhing and swirling in different shades. I could compress it further if I had more qi or my cultivation was higher, but those were both impossible at this moment.

    I exhaled as the mass of energy settled, taking on a solid form as it condensed into a pill. Once the process was complete, I winced as a mass of information streamed into my mind.

    With the improvements in my cultivation it was far easier to handle such a large quantity of information, but that still didn¡¯t make it an easy thing to do in such a short timeframe.

    A brief glean of the information told me that at the very least, I had succeeded in my experimentation. The pill I had produced would heal minor afflictions and perhaps even a shallow cut.

    However, the quality was lacking and there were still side effects, as well as some unintended effects that I wanted to remove. I¡¯d produced a poor quality mortal grade healing pill.

    Granted, I wasn¡¯t expecting a miracle on my first attempt but for it to be the absolute worst quality and the lowest grade was a little hurtful. On the plus side, I could¡¯ve failed to produce a pill entirely, so I¡¯d done decently.

    There were still plenty of ingredients left in my storage bag, which meant all I needed to do now was refine the process of refining the pill in order to remove the unwanted effects and increase the quality. I was glad I¡¯d told the others not to expect me out for at least a couple of weeks¡ªI would need the time.

    ****

    About ten days into my experimentation I realised I was going to run into a big problem sooner or later. I¡¯d acquired plenty of ingredients to perfect the recipe of my healing pill and they were dwindling.

    I would have enough to create a perfect healing pill¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the issue. The problem came afterwards. Once I had created a recipe which I could replicate en masse, I would need to constantly acquire ingredients in order to maintain production.

    In order to get enough for my experiments I¡¯d needed to split the task between three people and between us we¡¯d visited almost all the big alchemy and herbalist shops in Three River City. Getting more would be an issue.

    Perhaps they would have the stock in the quantities I required, but I doubted they would still be happy to sell me the herbs and reagents I wanted after they learned I was their competition. Not ordinary competition either, but someone with a cheaper and more effective product that might end up putting them out of business.

    I would have to find someone who could source all the ingredients I needed at a relatively low price, who would benefit from an ongoing deal and not be affected when my healing pills hit the market. I would need to make some enquiries when the time came.

    For now, I could forget about the impending supply chain issues and focus on the task at hand. I¡¯d spent the last ten days doing nothing but refining pills in my stomach, which had turned out to be the most efficient cauldron I could¡¯ve ever asked for.

    The void in my dantian had continued to hungrily devour all the impurities produced during the process without belching anything up in return, leaving me confused but excited about what it would eventually produce. So far it had only benefited my cultivation.

    I had made solid progress. The first pill I created had been mortal grade, poor quality. On top of being an absolute mess of a pill it had unwanted effects that included hair growth, satiating hunger, and making extremities glow in the dark.

    While those were all rather interesting effects that might be desired from another pill, they weren¡¯t at all what I was going for here. I wanted low level, generalist healing that stimulated the patients energy and recovery times.

    That was simple, but complex at the same time. The most recent pill that I had created was much closer to my goal than that first failed attempt.

    The pill was still mortal grade, but it was polished quality, two steps higher than the first one. In addition to the improved quality I had managed to iron out the refining process and get rid of all but one of the unwanted side effects.

    This side effect stubbornly refused to be removed from the final pill no matter what I tried. It was the effect that made the extremities glow in the dark when the pill was consumed.

    Aside from that small annoyance and the quality still being a little lower than I hoped, things were going well. There was about a third of the ingredients left and I still had plenty of time to spare.

    As this was intended to be a cheap consumer pill I didn¡¯t need to push the quality to a ridiculous level. However, I was driven by my strong personal pride and a desire to give the citizens of Three River City the best product I could create.

    The days blurred as I settled back into my experiments, refining pill after pill. If this was how all alchemists practiced I could see why it was renowned as the profession that burned through money like kindling.

    Five days later, I had another breakthrough. I¡¯d been expecting a better quality of pill and to hopefully get rid of the damned glow in the dark side effect. As I examined my most recent creation, I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.

 Chapter 52

    I extracted the pill from my stomach, the most efficient cauldron I could have hoped to acquire. As I did, I noticed that my heart had continued to refine itself during the alchemy practice.

    Over the course of a few weeks it had only improved by a few percent. Considering that was purely through the excess energy produced during my experiments that was exceptional.

    I heartily anticipated the new effect that would come with refining a third organ. Turning my focus to the pill as I rolled it between my fingers, I considered the information in my head.

    To begin with, I had exceeded my quality goal by far more than I¡¯d hoped. My first pill was the worst of the worst, being Mortal grade, Poor quality. After around ten days of experimentation, I¡¯d managed to produce a Mortal grade, Polished quality healing pill.

    The progress from that first failed attempt was huge. I¡¯d removed most of the unwanted side effects that weren¡¯t useful for a healing pill and also brought the quality closer to my goal.

    Unfortunately there was one stubborn side effect that refused to be removed. This effect was harmless to the person who ingested the pill, but would make their extremities glow luminescent blue in the dark.

    I suspected this effect was from the Sparkcap amanitas, but no matter what I¡¯d attempted I hadn¡¯t been able to remove the side effect at first. Now, five days later, I¡¯d produced my best pill yet.

    What I wanted to create was a Mortal grade, Master quality pill. That was the step above Polished quality and I felt that for a mass produced, low cost product it was exceptional.

    The pill I held in my hands, various shades of dark green across its surface in a marbled texture, had not reached Master quality. However, I wasn¡¯t disappointed with this result.

    In fact, I was elated. Rather than simply improving the quality of a mortal grade pill I¡¯d ended up jumping all the way up to the Martial grade!

    The quality had dropped even below polished, but given that this pill was an entire grade higher I suspected it would be far more effective than any of my previous creations. The name given to it in my mind was Martial grade, Average quality Healing Pill.

    There was a lot more information than that, such as the effects and what kind of afflictions and wounds it could heal. Additionally, if a cultivator with an exceptional appraisal technique examined it they might even glean some information about the alchemist who had created it¡ªme.

    However, despite the many successes of my latest creation, I couldn¡¯t help but curse the heavens. Or perhaps more accurately, the damn Sparkcap amanitas. The mushrooms were absurdly persistent.

    I¡¯d managed to stop the side effect of glowing extremities from slipping into the most recent pill, but instead it would make all of one¡¯s blood vessels glow beneath the skin after they consumed the pill. This would last for four hours, while the pill healed the body.

    At this rate I was going to burn through the rest of my ingredients before figuring out how to remove this damned effect. However, the more I thought about it the more I realised it might not be such a bad thing.

    The effect was strange, but harmless. Having such a unique side effect could actually help to make my pill stand out above other products.

    Also, it was a little crude, but mortals enjoyed such spectacles. To them, these kinds of flashy effects symbolised the power of cultivators.

    I stretched my stiff muscles as I stood up, spreading my senses across the building to see what the other three were up to. I wondered if Yu Chun was still here, almost two weeks later.

    My senses struck one person on the middle floor, who I knew to be Village Head Wei from the feeling of his aura. Continuing downwards I found dozens of presences on the ground floor.

    That wasn¡¯t surprising. Xiao Cui¡¯s business had been booming even before I secluded myself. Yu Chun was still here, standing right beside little Cui. I hoped she hadn¡¯t been teaching my disciple anything offensive.

    I no longer needed to eat, but right now I felt like I could do with a big bowl of noodle soup. Or perhaps some mapo tofu.

    As I reached the middle floor, I knocked on the village head¡¯s door. ¡°Head Wei, I need your help with something,¡± I called out.

    I heard shuffling behind the door and a second later it swung open to reveal the old man looking a little worse for wear. He coughed twice, covering his mouth, while clinging to the door for support.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Head Wei? Are you sick?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t Xiao Cui get you some medicine?¡±

    He waved a hand dismissively, closing the door behind him as he stepped out of the room. ¡°I told her not to. It¡¯s only a little cough, I¡¯ll be fine in a few days. Little Cui needn¡¯t waste her hard earned coin on me,¡± he replied.

    I chuckled. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a hardass, grandpa. Actually, it¡¯s perfect that you¡¯re a little sick.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow at me, cocking his head to one side. ¡°Damn brat, are you wishing for this old man¡¯s death!?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing of the sort,¡± I snorted, raising the healing pill up to eye level. The village head¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the pill and smelt the powerful medicinal aroma emanating from the pill. ¡°I want you to test this. It is the result of my two weeks of effort. It should clear up your cough.¡±

    ¡°Cultivator Zhao, I couldn¡¯t! Something so valuable should be saved for someone important,¡± he refused, pushing the pill back towards me.

    Shaking my head at the stubborn grandpa¡¯s antics, I grabbed his arm and moved it out of the way. Before he could react I tossed the pill into his mouth and clamped his jaw shut. ¡°Swallow,¡± I ordered.

    He gulped, staring at me with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Stop being so stubborn. It might have taken me two weeks to make that, but now that I know the recipe I can make dozens with ease. In the first place, my goal is making cheap pills for the masses,¡± I explained as a faint blue glow began to seep through his skin.

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    The village head looked down at his body with wonder, his movements light and fluid as he shook his arms and legs. ¡°What is this, Cultivator Zhao?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Healing pill. How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel like a young man again!¡± he cried, jumping on the spot. ¡°Forget that blasted cough, all my aches and pains have disappeared. This pill is a miracle cure!¡±

    I waved his praise away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing so grand. I¡¯m glad you feel better, Grandpa Wei. Just uhh¡­ don¡¯t worry about the glow. It¡¯s harmless,¡± I added, suppressing my laughter at the bright blue blood vessels glowing through his skin.

    ¡°What glow?¡± he muttered, glancing down at his arms. His eyes widened as he realised what I meant. ¡°DAMNED BRAT! WHAT HAVE YOU FED ME?¡± he roared, but I had already raced down the stairs with a smile on my face.

    Xiao Cui threw me a curious expression, all the customers staring at me and wondering what the shouting was about. I shrugged my shoulders as I arrived beside her and Yu Chun.

    ¡°Miss Yu, I hope you haven¡¯t been a bad influence on my innocent disciple,¡± I remarked, my expression neutral.

    She baulked, taking a step backwards. ¡°Of course not! I treated Xiao Cui as if she were my own daughter these past two weeks,¡± she replied indignantly.

    ¡°Is that true, little Cui?¡±

    Xiao Cui nodded enthusiastically as she served another customer, tossing the coins into a huge mound on the desk. ¡°Miss Yu has been really helpful, especially when it comes to the business. I think we might have even made enough gold to buy my own house!¡±

    ¡°That is impressive, well done little Cui,¡± I replied, tousling her hair.

    ¡°Master! Not in front of customers, it¡¯s unprofessional,¡± she pouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that your business is booming. I will need your help with something later. I¡¯m heading out for a little while,¡± I told her.

    She nodded and returned to serving customers. Honestly, I wondered if she even needed me anymore.

    Despite everything she¡¯d been through, little Cui had proven herself to be an enterprising and adaptive young woman. If she had the talent for cultivation it would be another matter entirely, but I wondered if it might be better for her future to leave her in this city when I eventually moved on.

    Of course, I would need to ensure that Three River City was a place I could leave her alone. City Lord Teng Shi had assured me that he would deal with Wang Bao and Councillor Gao, but I would check myself that he had followed through.

    ****

    ¡°Hmph, back so soon brat? A good alchemist should spend years perfecting their foundations before rushing ahead,¡± Grandma Yu harrumphed as I entered her shop.

    ¡°Granny, don¡¯t be so harsh. Thank you for the ingredients you gave me last time, they were incredibly useful,¡± I said with a shallow bow.

    I still had all of the pills I¡¯d created using the ten year vital spikeroot she¡¯d sold me the last time I was here. I needed a buyer with a lot of funds before I parted ways with them, but I hadn¡¯t gone out of my way to find one.

    My priority had been the healing pills. ¡°Granny, I was wondering if you knew someone who could get me large quantities of Rejuvenating Spirit Grass, Sparkcap Amanitas, Powdered Beast Cores, Pulsing Hibiscus petals, and Ten Year Ash bark on a regular basis?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow quizzically at my request. ¡°What do you need large quantities of those for? Are you planning to start a damn pill factory?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Well, it depends how much you need and how often. There are a few reliable fellows in this city who would have what you need. You might need to deal with more than one of them, though. Feng Tao would have the grass, petals, and amanitas in huge quantities. As much as you need. However, he doesn¡¯t stock rarer ingredients like the ash bark and I don¡¯t think he deals in beast reagents, either. Give me a day or two and I should be able to figure out an arrangement that suits you, brat,¡± Grandma Yu began rambling as I stood there.

    She really was well connected. As I¡¯d suspected, there was more to her than she let on. With a supplier for my ingredients secured, one of my potential issues was solved.

    ¡°Thanks, Granny Yu. I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± I called as I left her shop and headed back into the streets of Three River City.

    That left me with just two more obstacles to my plan. The first was the easiest to overcome. The issue of distribution. I already had an idea of how to start, which was the reason I¡¯d asked Xiao Cui for assistance.

    Her business was thriving. At this point most of the people in Three River City knew about her particular brand of stamina boosting concoctions. Actually, now that I thought about it, Yu Chun would benefit greatly from such a drug¡­

    I would need to ensure she didn¡¯t take advantage of my disciple. Though if little Cui played her cards right she might end up a very rich woman indeed.

    I wouldn¡¯t think about that until it became relevant. In order to rapidly spread the word about my healing pills, I would piggyback on Xiao Cui¡¯s success.

    Offering free samples to a select number of her customers would allow people to test the effects and see that my product worked. It was similar to the strategy we¡¯d used when we first arrived in the city.

    The most difficult obstacle for any new product was overcoming people¡¯s suspicion. Letting them use it for free at first would mean they could have proof it worked. Once that was achieved, I could then use the clinic to sell them en masse.

    The benefit of this would be that people with minor injuries and afflictions wouldn¡¯t need to seek out healers or expensive medicines from the other alchemists. My time would be freed up to focus my talents on pushing the bounds of my techniques so that I didn¡¯t stagnate at five-star Qi Gathering.

    That left only the final obstacle, which I expected to be the most annoying one to deal with. The other alchemists and herbalists in the city.

    There was no way they would stand by idly and allow me to establish a competing product to their own without resistance. I would need to keep an eye out for any sabotage or false rumours spreading.

    My guard was raised, especially after the strange encounter with the alchemist out in the Silent Wind Glade. Someone was watching me. At first I believed it was Councillor Gao, but it didn¡¯t make sense for him to use an alchemist¡¯s association to do his dirty work.

    With all of this sorted for now, I needed to return to seclusion and continue practicing. I¡¯d perfected the recipe, but that was only the beginning.

    Ensuring I could replicate it with perfect precision each time was essential. All of my pills needed to be identical. If I could push the quality up another step that would be amazing, but I wasn¡¯t holding out much hope on that front. It was enough as it was, anyway.

    Even more important than that however, was attempting to produce more than one pill per batch. Right now, I was using my stomach as a cauldron. While it was more efficient than any external cauldron, it would be a problem for replicability.

    If I ever wanted to leave the city or take on a new project, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sit there all day churning out pills like a human refining machine. Being able to produce huge quantities in a short time so that I could focus my efforts elsewhere was a great first step towards that.

    Making it so that other alchemists could recreate my pill while following the recipe, regardless of the equipment they used, would be the final step of perfection. Though I would need to take things one step at a time.

    First, attempting to create two pills in a single batch. Once I¡¯d accomplished that, I could gradually increase the quantity until I reached my limits. Being able to focus on a project with such single minded dedication was a joyful experience.

    The chaos of my early days in this world had taken that from me as I was thrust into battles and bloodshed. It was a wonderful change of pace to be working on something that would help so many.

    I separated out the ingredients I would need as I sat down on the floor of my room. I had a few days until Granny Yu would be ready for me, which was enough time to push my skills to their limit.

    Taking a breath, I tossed the stalks of Rejuvenating Spirit Grass in my mouth and focused as they began to dissolve. Soon, Three River City would be the seed from which I grew the revolution of the healing arts.

 Chapter 53

    Gao Deng Luo, the former councillor of Three River City, lounged on the throne while City Lord Teng stood subserviently at his side. He sneered as he looked down at the empty throne room.

    The doors groaned as someone pushed them from the other side and his eyes went wide. He leapt to his feet and rushed to the bottom of the stone stairs. After brushing off his robes he stood still and waited.

    To his great relief, it wasn¡¯t his elder cousin who entered the throne room. Gao Shan terrified him to the core and he¡¯d been ruthless in his handling of the city. He feared the fate that awaited him upon his return to the Gao Clan¡¯s ancestral home in the Black Rose Swamps.

    However, if he was able to perform well while Gao Shan was here in the city, his cousin might report as such to the patriarch. As his first disciple, Gao Shan¡¯s word held weight with the man and might revert any punishment that had been planned.

    Simply relying on the word of another to decide his fate wasn¡¯t a favourable outcome though, so Gao Deng Luo was also making plans of his own. One of the city guards entered the throne room, striding up to the former councillor and bending a knee.

    Every single man, woman, and child in the palace had either been killed or placed under the control of the Gao Clan members using puppet poison or in the case of the more powerful cultivators, slave gu. They still operated as though nothing had changed, but they now danced to their master¡¯s tune.

    ¡°What news?¡± Gao asked the guard.

    ¡°Young Master, an unknown alchemist has begun selling a miracle healing pill throughout the city, undercutting all of the Gao Clan¡¯s operations. The citizens report that it is far more effective than any other pills despite being a fraction of the cost. If the product continues to sell it may put some of the smaller fronts out of business,¡± the guard reported, his eyes glazed over and dull.

    Gao Deng Luo kissed his teeth, stomping back up the steps towards the throne. He stopped in front of the seat, glancing at the padded chair before turning back to the guard with a flick of his sleeve.

    ¡°What is the name of this mystery alchemist? Or are you so incompetent that you failed to bring me any actual information?¡± he snapped.

    The guard remained unmoved, showing no trace of emotion on his face. His mouth moved stiffly as he replied. ¡°Young Master, there is no guarantee that the information is true, but the chief alchemist of the jade cauldron association did give us a name.¡±

    ¡°Well, spit it out, fool. I could slow cook a dozen pigs by the time I learned anything useful from you!¡±

    ¡°Zhao Dan.¡±

    The former councillor roared in fury, slamming his fist into the nearest stone pillar and leaving a sizable indent. Chunks of marble clattered against the ground and tumbled down the stairs while the guard stood unperturbed.

    ¡°Why is it always that bastard? Every time I have him in my grasp, the cockroach finds a way to slip through my fingers. Is he the illegitimate son of the heavens and the laughing buddha!?¡± he hissed, blood dripping from his fingers as he clenched his fist.

    He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, opening and closing his bloody fist. After a few breaths he walked back down the stairs until he was standing face to face with the guard.

    ¡°Tell me about these supposed miracle pills,¡± he demanded. ¡°Our Gao clan products should have people hooked, so how was he able to draw so much attention in such a short time? In fact,¡± he slammed a fist against his open palm, ¡°How does he even know alchemy?¡±

    The guard stood as if frozen, an unmoving statue. Gao Deng Luo paced back and forth while shaking his head and muttering obscenities.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even matter. Gao Shan is a despicable, irritating bastard, but there is no way Zhao Dan can stand up to him. Even if he skipped half a dozen stars in the Qi Gathering Realm while sucking on heaven¡¯s golden teat¡­¡± he mumbled.

    He continued pacing in this manner for as long as it took to eat a meal, muttering and shouting while making odd gestures. The guard stood there, eyes dull, without moving.

    Suddenly, Gao Deng Luo froze on the spot. He tipped his head back and began to cackle like a street beggar who just discovered he is descended from the jade emperor himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need to get my own hands dirty. I can simply let the bastard¡¯s hubris rot him like a festering plague. I¡¯m a genius,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°All this time I cursed Gao Shan¡¯s arrival, but his shadows are exactly the tools I need for this task.¡±

    He turned and strode out of the throne room with a flourish of his robe. As he passed the guard he paused for a second. Resting his chin in his hands, he stared at the immobile guard.

    Then, he suddenly delivered a sharp backhand slap to the man¡¯s face. A red welt formed, but other than to stand upright once more the guard didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Go and find my cousin¡¯s shadows for me. Tell them to come to my chambers immediately,¡± he ordered, smirking at the results of his handiwork.

    ****

    I was getting the hang of alchemy, each experiment and pill refining that I completed improving my overall grasp of the vocation. I doubted I would ever wholly dedicate myself to it, as it was but one path of healing not in complete alignment with my own talents. However, it would certainly be a powerful asset to my cause.

    I had secluded myself for longer than I¡¯d planned, taking four whole days to improve and streamline the process of refining my healing pills. It was worth it; my efforts had borne fruit and now I could produce far more pills in each batch.

    I had not managed to increase the quality further, meaning the finished product was Martial grade, Average quality when I began mass production and started distributing it among the citizens of Three River City.

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    To begin with I was producing batches of five pills at a time with a fraction of the ingredients I had used at the beginning. That meant I could produce around two hundred pills a day if I worked nonstop.

    I was happy to do that to begin with. Finding a way to offset production could come later. For now I simply wanted to spread the healing pills.

    I used Xiao Cui¡¯s blossoming business as a ladder to reach the heavens in a single step. She already had the women of Three River City flocking to her doors each day, so all I needed to do was offer a few pills for free to her earliest customers at sunrise.

    Once the effects had been proven, I set myself up across the lobby and now there were two meandering queues that ran out of the clinic door each day and night; one for magic stamina drugs and the other for my healing pills.

    I was making a lot of money despite pricing my pills at just five coppers per pill. I could¡¯ve priced them even lower, but the mind was a strange thing. People didn¡¯t trust miracle cures that came too cheap.

    I managed to strike a balance between making it affordable for the commoners while still not being so cheap as to sow doubts to its effectiveness. As such, the demand for my pills was even greater than that for Xiao Cui¡¯s tonics.

    Of course, this was only the initial wave. Once people were cured of their ills they would not need my medicine for a time, but sickness was an inevitability of life. For mortals, at least.

    Cultivators could avoid the common afflictions, but they often suffered wounds of a far deadlier nature. For me that was a curse and a blessing. I¡¯d been able to soar ahead in my cultivation by healing stronger and more injured cultivators, but I remained dismayed at the brutality of this world.

    For now I was satisfied. The first small step of my path had come to fruition. Since arriving in this world in this body I had struggled to find meaning and understanding amongst death and suffering.

    My goal was to bring about a revolution of healing, though the bounds of that goal were wider than I could¡¯ve first believed. While my personal goals had shifted to the development of my spiritual techniques and the advancement of my physique and cultivation, bringing this small change in Three River City was a great achievement that I was proud of.

    Of course, there was still a long way to go with these pills. Figuring out how to mass produce them outside of my own body to begin with.

    Doing that would allow me to increase production and allow it to continue even when I turned my focus back to my other goals. Spreading distribution beyond Three River City would hopefully come next; allowing everyone living in the territory of the Cloudy Falls Sect and perhaps even the Celestial Jade Empire to receive these wondrous pills.

    Those were all far off dreams, only drawn a little closer through my own work. For now, I was happy to distribute the pills in Three River City. As I handed over pills and collected copper coins, I thought ahead to the evening.

    It had been a while since Wang Bao had been captured at my hands. City Lord Teng Shi had promised to deal with the man himself and any consequences that arose from his actions.

    I knew Councillor Gao was behind him or at the very least working with him, but whether or not the city lord would deal with all the corruption in his court remained to be seen. I planned to travel to the palace and check for myself.

    Now that my cultivation was above that of even the city lord, I had nothing to fear from anyone in this city. Only the hegemons above them could still bring me trouble.

    For the time being, I had pushed the Cloudy Falls Sect off my back. However, in order to do that I had left them an invitation to seek me out again if they needed. That had been a dangerous play, but one that could still serve to benefit me in future.

    Keeping the sect away from the city was the better plan, attempting to deal with things quietly. I would compromise if need be, but I would ensure that little Cui had her vengeance at the very least.

    ****

    I paced through the streets of Three River City with a furrowed brow, muttering to myself. When I¡¯d visited the palace, Captain Kang had met me at the outer gates.

    Since the incident with Wang Bao he had warmed up to me a little, though his hostility remained. The incident at Nine Paddy Village would forever mark me as a criminal in his mind, even though cruel retribution had been delivered on the villagers long since.

    What I found strange however, was that upon greeting me, Captain Kang didn¡¯t have a trace of hostility or hatred in his eyes. In fact, he¡¯d welcomed me with a smile as if we were old friends.

    That had felt odd at the time but in my haste to discover Wang Bao¡¯s fate I had not questioned it. Unfortunately, Captain Kang had refused my entry to the palace, citing the business of the city lord.

    While I was marginally more powerful than Teng Shi, I wasn¡¯t a fool. Taking on everyone in the palace to force my way in would either end in my death or all of theirs. Either way, I wished to avoid shedding blood. Except the blood of those who deserved it.

    I found myself questioning everything about the interaction as I strolled through Three River City. Something had been very odd about the captain¡¯s behaviour. And it wasn¡¯t only Captain Kang.

    All of the guards had moved like robots, stiff and unwieldy. Of course, I couldn¡¯t discount my heightened perceptions as a five-star Qi Gatherer. The movements of most people looked like the flailing of a drunken pig to me now, but I couldn¡¯t put the encounter out of my mind.

    Somehow I ended up at Granny Yu¡¯s shop. I stood outside the overgrown wooden frame of her shop and stared at the myriad species of moss and ivy that made it their home.

    A sense of calm fell over me as I inhaled deeply. The spiritual energy around this place was less erratic than in the rest of the city. Whether that was an accident of nature or by design, only the old woman herself could know.

    The shop was closed. I suspected Granny Yu might be inside nonetheless, but I had no reason to disturb her at this late hour. She would probably be furious with me for interrupting her rest.

    Instead, I made my way back to the clinic, mulling over the day¡¯s events continuously. What had caused the change in the captain¡¯s behaviour? The city lord had told me he had everything in hand, but there was a nagging feeling in the depths of my consciousness that refused to go away.

    ****

    I took a deep gulp of the rich bone broth, the potent flavour of the chicken and pork bones simmered overnight washing over me like heavenly medicine. Xiao Cui was flourishing as both a cook and herbalist, as well as a businesswoman.

    Many things had gone wrong in this city, but she had prevailed nonetheless. I wondered if the source of my frustration was that I had begun to outgrow this small city, while there was still unresolved business to handle before I could consider moving on.

    ¡°Something is bothering you, master,¡± little Cui declared as I put down my bowl.

    Village Head Wei looked between us before standing up and excusing himself from the table. I turned to my first disciple. I wondered if even that decision had been a mistake, taken in haste when I didn¡¯t truly realise the difference between a mortal and a cultivator. The battle on Jagged Sword Peak had changed me in more ways than one.

    My spoon made a soft clunk as I let it fall into my empty bowl. ¡°You are right, little Cui. Though there is more than one problem that rattles around inside your master¡¯s head,¡± I replied with a chortle. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t share my distress. Let¡¯s celebrate the success of your business instead. You are flourishing as an herbalist. I imagine you might one day have all of this city in your hand. Perhaps even the region.¡±

    I raised my cup of wine in toast. She blushed, embarrassed at my praise. She looked as though she was about to respond when a sweaty Yu Chun slammed open the door, panting as she stood with a hand against the kitchen counter.

    ¡°I went back to the blossom parlour today, to make sure my employees hadn¡¯t been misbehaving in my absence,¡± she said, pausing to take breaths between her words. ¡°Instead, I found my oldest friend stricken with illness. His body rotted from within. They told me he took one of your pills. The ones you guaranteed were safe, Sir Zhao.¡±

 Chapter 54

    I stormed up the stairs of Yu Chun¡¯s Blossom Parlour, startling a nearby couple who were engaging in the activities of the night. I barely spared them a glance as the girl shrieked and the man hurried to cover his rather¡­ insignificant privates.

    Then again, I wasn¡¯t here to judge people for how they spent their time. Or money, in this instance. I was here to see Du Wen, the young Miss Yu¡¯s old friend who had fallen sick after taking one of my healing pills.

    I was sure that something else had caused his sickness, but until I examined his body all I had to go on were the whispers of Three River City¡¯s rumour mill. Reputation could live and die from a single word, whether it was the truth of the heavens or the lies of the hells.

    People only cared for the perception of words and what they believed. The actual truth of matters was often of little consequence. I reached the door and pushed it aside forcefully, startling a young girl who was placing a wet cloth against the sick man¡¯s brow.

    Yu Chun followed soon after, entering the room and shutting the doors behind us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little An. Sir Zhao is here to treat Du Wen¡¯s illness. Thank you for tending to him all this time,¡± she said, wrapping an arm around the girl¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Zhao? Like the bastard who¡¯s been selling poisoned-¡± she exclaimed before Yu Chun clamped a hand over her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t spread rumours when you don¡¯t know the truth of them, girl. Haven¡¯t I taught you better than that?¡± she chided, an icy edge to her voice.

    ¡°But, Feng Li Mei said-¡±

    ¡°Feng Li Mei,¡± Yu Chun snarled, ¡°Is not the arbiter of wisdom that she believes she is. Nor is she the madam of this house, even if she and her gaggle of powdered witches have convinced themselves otherwise.¡±

    The girl flinched at the sudden explosion of anger, but Yu Chun softened her expression and pulled her into an embrace immediately after. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things that do not concern you, little An. Thank you for your help looking after brother Du. Go to bed now.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied, shuffling out of the door and pulling it closed behind her.

    I raised an eyebrow at Yu Chun as she pulled herself upright. ¡°You act like that girl¡¯s mother,¡± I remarked.

    ¡°What of it?¡± she snapped back, storming over to the bed and kneeling beside the poisoned man who lay within.

    ¡°I meant no harm. You have a gentle touch. It was an interesting contradiction to your honeyed tongue when you try to mess with me,¡± I replied with a shake of my head.

    She sighed as she grasped the man¡¯s hand. I winced, my hand outstretched to stop her. ¡°Well, I suppose neither of you can leave until I¡¯ve figured out what is wrong.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If this is not a poison, but an infectious disease or plague, you may have exposed yourself by touching him. Even breathing the same air could carry it. In fact, everyone in this building might be at risk,¡± I explained as her eyes gradually widened in realisation and shock.

    I flicked my sleeve as I stood on the opposite side of the bed. ¡°That is only one possibility, of course. It could be poison, as the rumours suggest. However, I told the truth. It is impossible that my healing pills caused this. Either someone is selling false products under my name, or someone was aiming to kill this man in particular and my pills provided an easy cover.¡±

    ¡°How can you know it is impossible that your pills caused this? What if there was an unforeseen side effect?¡± she demanded, knuckles going white as she gripped the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Relax, Yu Chun. You will hurt your friend,¡± I sighed, gently removing her arm from Du Wen¡¯s. ¡°It is a personal secret of mine, but I can guarantee that there is no effect of any pill I refine that escapes my knowledge. Trust me on this.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± she relented, letting her head fall into her hands as she sat on the edge of the bed.

    I turned to Du Wen, whose shallow breathing had provided a wheezy backdrop to our conversation. Inside his body, I could see traces of a potent poison. The traces of energy seemed familiar.

    However, before making any guesses the first priority was to heal him. I placed two fingers against his chest and let a strand of my qi infuse itself within him.

    It did not take long for my technique to work, expelling the poison and healing all other afflictions he was suffering with. The boost to my cultivation was miniscule, barely noticeable.

    Healing mortals was no longer a way to advance my own cultivation, but that did not mean it was not a worthwhile pursuit. As the name of the poison appeared in my mind, I felt conflicted.

    My initial suspicions were correct, but that only served to muddy the waters. Three River City was clouded in mysteries and I was no closer to solving them than I had been when I first found myself in the viper¡¯s nest.

    Mortal grade, Polished quality Iceflower Poison. That was the name that appeared in my mind. The same poison that someone had attempted to use to kill little Cui when we were held prisoner in the city lord¡¯s palace.

    All roads seemed to lead to Councillor Gao. His dirty fingers were in every rotten crevice of Three River City. I¡¯d had some faith in the city lord¡¯s sense of honour, as well as Captain Kang¡¯s.

    However, it was clear that Councillor Gao was continuing to act as he wished without retribution. The time for conversation was over. I needed to act.

    ¡°Du Wen will be fine. Let him rest for a while to recover. His body is healed but his mind is most likely exhausted from the poison,¡± I told Yu Chun.

    She sighed in relief, clasping Du Wen¡¯s hand in her own.

    ¡°You should stay here. I know you don¡¯t believe you will be safe from your employer here, but I imagine you would be in even more danger at my clinic. Hopefully, that rotten bastard will not plague this city much longer.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°I am heading to the city lord¡¯s palace myself. This has gone on long enough,¡± I replied, striding out of the room.

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    ¡°Wait, Sir Zhao!¡± she exclaimed, grabbing my sleeve. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Councillor Gao is just the serpent¡¯s tail. The Gao Clan¡¯s influence spreads deeper than you can hope to understand. One man cannot fight an army, especially not one as evil as them.¡±

    I stopped, rubbing my temple in frustration. I wanted nothing more than to storm the palace and put an end to Councillor Gao¡¯s schemes, but if he had a powerful backer then I would need to tread carefully.

    Taking a seat on a nearby armchair, I looked up at Yu Chun. ¡°Tell me everything. Enough of the secrets and half-truths. You know more than you let on,¡± I demanded.

    She perched on the end of Du Wen¡¯s bed, throwing the man a melancholy glance before turning back to me. ¡°Both of us have a history with the Gao Clan. You think the councillor a lonesome plague, corrupting Three River City from within? The truth is far worse. The Gao Clan have their insidious tendrils in almost the whole of the Cloudy Falls Sect¡¯s territory.¡±

    ****

    The former councillor, Gao Deng Luo, whistled a merry tune to himself as he strode through the halls of the city lord¡¯s palace. The man himself, Teng Shi, walked beside him like a servant.

    He pushed open the doors of the throne room like an emperor, strutting inside with his chest puffed like a peacock. However, he deflated like a burst balloon with a single sharp word from the man lounging in the throne.

    ¡°What makes you so pleased on this sunny morning, little cousin?¡± Gao Shan inquired with a wicked smile.

    Despite the piercing gaze of his elder cousin, Gao Deng Luo was not deterred. He had failed in his original task, but he was well on his way to regaining control of Three River City once and for all.

    If he accomplished this without the aid of Gao Shan, he would be able to regain his standing in the clan. Of course, he would need to share some of the glory with the despicable, shadowy bastard, if only to save his own skin.

    ¡°The last thorn in our side is almost torn out. His downfall brought about by his own hands. I find it rather hilarious, hence my cheerful demeanour,¡± he replied, stopping at the base of the stone dais.

    ¡°Ah, you speak of the dissemination of the clan¡¯s iceflower poison among the citizens. I did wonder why you took it upon yourself to order my shadows about as though they were your dogs,¡± Gao Shan said, clapping his hands together as he sat up in the throne.

    ¡°You will remember that it was your failure to complete your assigned duty that brought me here in the first place. The patriarch gave you a strand of his intent, carefully cultivated over decades, to use as a guarantee. Where is Young Master Teng now, little cousin? I don¡¯t seem to have caught his attention these past few weeks,¡± he continued, now standing at the top of the dais and staring down at Gao Deng Luo, letting the full weight of his cultivation creep out.

    ¡°My scheme is infallible, cousin. Zhao Dan¡¯s reputation will crumble and the city¡¯s alchemy trade will fall entirely into our hands. The other businesses are already under the control of your shadows. What does it matter if the little brat ran away?¡± the former councillor scoffed.

    Gao Shan remained silent, then took a single step down from the stone dais. ¡°You are a fool, little cousin,¡± he sneered. ¡°Only chasing your own glory while ignoring the shadows cast by the heavens. The patriarch sent you here to learn that you serve the clan, yet you continue to imagine that the Gao Clan exists to serve you.¡±

    Gao Shan had walked down the steps as he spoke and stopped in front of Gao Deng Luo¡¯s face as he uttered the final word, pushing a bony finger into his chest. Gao Deng Luo shivered, glancing at the former city lord before returning his gaze to his elder cousin.

    ¡°What would you have me do instead, wise cousin of mine? If the patriarch wanted me to learn something he could¡¯ve told me instead of sending me to this backwater shithole to suffer for years while he rotted in a cave somewhere,¡± he hissed.

    A sharp crack rang out across the throne room. Gao Deng Luo clutched at his swollen face as he stumbled backwards, glowering at his cousin. Rage burned in his eyes but fear of retribution stopped him from responding.

    ¡°Do not speak of the patriarch with your foul tongue. He has led the Gao Clan to great heights through his wise leadership. Secluded cultivation is a necessity at such lofty heights. We cannot presume to understand the level of his comprehension or the decisions he makes. Complete your business with this upstart alchemist. Find Teng Sheng and bring him here or I will be returning to the clan alone and you will be feeding the stray dogs and cats of Three River City,¡± Gao Shan ordered, flicking his sleeve.

    As his cousin turned to leave, he snapped his fingers and Gao Deng Luo froze in his tracks. ¡°You claim this city insignificant, but is it not the closest to the Cloudy Falls Sect itself? You might be a foolish, insolent brat, but you are one of the clan¡¯s heirs. At least consider the future when you make your decisions, little cousin.¡±

    The former councillor¡¯s eyes shot open as though struck by heavenly lightning. He had not realised the clan held such ambitions, but it made him curse his own lack of foresight. ¡°As you command, cousin,¡± he replied before leaving the throne room with a determined expression.

    ****

    I found myself sitting on the second floor of a restaurant in the heart of Three River City. We were in a private room that one of the other people at the table had rented out for the purpose of holding this meeting.

    ¡°I am at a disadvantage here,¡± I said, drumming my fingers on the table. I had been served a cup of tea but I held off on drinking it yet. ¡°You all seem to know who I am and yet I only recognise one of you.¡±

    The person I recognised was a woman, a herbalist who I had purchased ingredients from when I went around the city to acquire them for my tests. She had been one of the friendlier ones, but I saw no trace of that jovial nature now.

    ¡°We represent the alchemists and herbalists of Three River City, whose business you have upended and thrown into chaos with your ridiculous pills. You may be able to deceive the citizens with your shoddy products, but you cannot fool us masters,¡± hissed a young man wearing flashy golden robes with silver clouds of smoke embroidered all over the folds.

    I frowned. Was this another of the councillor¡¯s schemes? Picking them all apart was like trying to find enlightenment in the Dao by scratching one¡¯s backside. An impossible task.

    ¡°You should be careful with your words. My pills are reputable and safe. I have not lied about their effects and I do not charge ridiculous prices to those who cannot afford them. Perhaps if you didn¡¯t want to lose business, you should¡¯ve treated your customers with more respect,¡± I replied, picking up the cup of tea and taking a sip.

    ¡°You dare!? When commoners are falling to an unknown plague after taking your pills, you would sit here and claim they are safe?¡± the woman snarled.

    I didn¡¯t let my emotions bleed into my expression. Since treating Yu Chun¡¯s friend Du Wen, I heard that many people had experienced similar symptoms. After doing some research I found that none of them had acquired their pills from me, but instead from an unknown source claiming to be me.

    Knowing that it was the iceflower poison, I knew the culprit to be Councillor Gao. I also knew what he hoped to achieve by poisoning my reputation. What I didn¡¯t understand was why all the other alchemists and herbalists in the city seemed to be on his side.

    ¡°What is it about the councillor that makes everyone support his cause?¡± I mused, draining the rest of my tea and placing the cup on the table. My tongue tingled, but I ignored it.

    All of their faces darkened, except for the young man who leapt to his feet with rage on his face. I smirked, turning to the eldest of the group who had not spoken a word or moved until now.

    ¡°Do not levy such accusations at us, brat. Not all alchemists in this city are slaves to whoever throws the most gold at them. You say your pills are safe, but the evidence says otherwise. Why should we trust you, when the reputation of our ancient and honourable vocation is at stake?¡± he said, slamming a fist against the table.

    Interesting. I had guessed incorrectly, judging from the fury with which the old man reacted to being accused of working for the councillor. The young man, however, was another matter.

    He was the only one whose anger seemed to be a facade. I sat back in my chair, thinking through everything I¡¯d experienced since entering the restaurant. I threw a glance at the empty cup in front of me, before beginning to choke.

    I clutched at my throat as my mouth began to froth and I collapsed, my head slamming into the table. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the old man turning to the golden robed youngster with disappointment written across his wrinkled visage.

 Chapter 55

    It was not a necessity to cultivate in order to practice alchemy, but in order to achieve true mastery one needed both. To one side of the room, the golden robed youth was sprawled against a broken table.

    It hadn¡¯t been me who delivered the blow, but the elder now facing me. Upon finishing my cup of tea I realised it contained poison. Not just any poison, but the very same Mortal grade iceflower poison that was being spread through Three River City under my name.

    Of course it was not harmful to me. In fact it would aid in further refining my heart, but I wanted more information about the group of alchemists who had summoned me. That was why I¡¯d played along and pretended the poison had taken hold.

    The moment my head hit the table the elder had erupted in fury, turning on the golden robed youngster. Listening to the discussion between them, he had recently had a surge in his skills which he¡¯d told the elder¡ªhis grandfather¡ªwas down to a sudden enlightenment from the heavens.

    The woman had her suspicions, as did the elder, but they never gave them voice and chose to trust the young man¡¯s words. However, the moment I was poisoned they realised it had to have been one of them at the table. The youngster was the obvious culprit.

    That had been all I needed to hear. I wiped away the froth from my mouth and stood up, prepared to confront the youngster and squeeze him for information. However, before I could make a move the elder roared in despair and fury and struck his grandson square in the chest.

    That led to this moment where the boy was knocked out on a broken table while I faced the elder, the woman, and the other alchemist who¡¯d remained silent the entire time. I couldn¡¯t fault the grandpa for doling out discipline the way he saw fit, but I did wish he¡¯d allowed me to ask the boy some questions first.

    Regardless I had learned a lot from this brief encounter. There seemed to be two main factions among the herbalists and alchemists of Three River City.

    Those who were under the control of the Gao Clan via the councillor and those who aimed to control the trade through business and alchemy expertise. There were plenty who were not a part of any faction, such as Grandma Yu and of course myself.

    Usually these two factions were in a delicate balance. The quality of the products produced by the Gao Clan¡¯s alchemists was much lower, while they were able to hook customers by using addictive ingredients.

    On the contrary, the alliance of the other alchemists used higher quality ingredients to produce better pills and related products, but they weren¡¯t able to match the rate of production of the Gao Clan.

    This meant there was a tentative understanding between the two groups. It was the richer citizens who tended to purchase from the alliance of alchemists while the poor went with whatever they could afford. That meant they usually relied on the products from the Gao Clan.

    Truly it was insidious. After learning that they not only sought to control the pill trade of the entire region, but poison their customers with poor quality, addictive ingredients, what little respect I had for them vanished.

    Until now I¡¯d been operating under the assumption that Councillor Gao was just one bad apple in the orchard, while his clan remained upright. Apparently the Cloudy Falls Sect needed to gain a firmer grip on the factions in their territory.

    ¡°How can I ever trust the alchemists of this city to have the interests of the people in mind when you can¡¯t even keep your own ranks free from corruption?¡± I demanded of the wrinkled elder.

    To his credit, he remained firm in the face of my barrage, caressing his long, wispy beard while meeting my gaze with fire in his eyes. He was a Middle stage Body Tempering practitioner, unlike the other alchemists I¡¯d met.

    ¡°Young man, you dare speak to me of trust while pills being sold in your name are poisoning the people of this city? It seems to me that you have this situation backwards,¡± he said while still stroking his beard.

    I scrunched up my face. I had nothing to prove to these people, but in the long term it might be beneficial to make a connection with them. When I left the city I would need alchemists to help produce my pills. Ones not associated with the councillor and his clan.

    ¡°You are right. These poisoned pills are not my doing, but as they are using my name to distribute them it is my responsibility to clean up the mess and restore my reputation,¡± I replied, sighing and taking my seat once more.

    I lifted the pot of poisoned tea and poured myself another cup. The elder raised an eyebrow at me while the woman rushed to stop me from downing the cup in a single gulp.

    Iceflower poison had a minty aftertaste. I was growing quite fond of it. When I dealt with Councillor Gao I would need to ask him for the recipe. Even though it was too weak to aid much in refining my heart, a little progress was better than no progress. Delicious tea was hard to come by, even in a world where tea was a ritual and not just a drink.

    ¡°You are an interesting man, Zhao Dan,¡± the grandpa chuckled. ¡°Too clever for the fools in this city. I know that you could squash us like ants if you wished, but I will wait to see what kind of man you are.¡±

    ¡°Just watch, grandpa. I¡¯ll cut the infection out of this city at the core,¡± I replied with a smile as I left the room.

    In the end I hadn¡¯t had a chance to taste the food here. Supposedly they made dishes with spiritual beast meat that were beneficial to Body Tempering practitioners. Not that that was of any use to me, but I enjoyed food for the taste and to keep myself grounded. Spirit beast meat was sure to be more delicious than regular meat. Another time.

    ****

    ¡°Where did you get the ingredients for these damn pills?¡± I snarled, lifting the terrified alchemist off the ground and slamming him against the wall.

    The room was filled with smoke from two large cauldrons in the centre of the tiled floor. He had been in the middle of refining a batch of pills when I smashed the door down to confront him.

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    All the colour had drained from his face the moment I let a sliver of my cultivation slip out and press against him. He had attempted to kill himself the same way that the alchemist who had been following me did: crushing a pill between his teeth.

    Having experienced it I recognised what he was attempting the moment his jaw began to close. I grabbed hold of it and ripped it open, seizing the poisoned pill for myself and swallowing it instead.

    That had made him smirk, his delight rapidly fading when he realised the poison wasn¡¯t affecting me. He shook in my grasp, but wasn¡¯t answering my question.

    ¡°Let me ask you something, bastard,¡± I said coldly, tightening my grip. ¡°Are you more scared of that rat Gao hiding away in the palace, or the man holding your life and death in his hands?¡±

    He glanced down at my arm then back to my cold eyes. He hesitated for a breath¡¯s time and then finally snapped.

    ¡°It was him! That terrifying bastard Gao,¡± he exclaimed, breaking down into tears.

    I grimaced at the sight of a grown man crying. There was nothing wrong with showing emotion but to cry about that rat Gao was simply disgraceful.

    ¡°Always the fucking councillor. Is he the heavens for everyone in this city to fear him this much?¡± I sighed, dropping the man to the ground where he crumpled in a heap and didn¡¯t get back up.

    ¡°The councillor? No, he¡¯s nothing compared to¡­¡± the man muttered.

    ¡°What do you mean, not the councillor? Who-¡±

    Suddenly the man scrambled away from me, grabbing a tiny knife from the ground nearby and jamming it into his neck. He ripped it out in a fountain of crimson blood.

    His face was frozen in a twisted expression of fear as he bled out. I rushed towards him, intent on saving his life, but he had cut right into his jugular.

    I stared down at the latest in a line of corpses left in the wake of the Gao Clan. Not the councillor¡­? Was another member of his clan here in the city?

    Having gained confirmation that it was definitely the councillor behind the poisoned pills, I had nothing stopping me from storming the palace. Captain Kang wouldn¡¯t be able to keep me out now.

    ****

    As I was marching through the streets of Three River City towards the palace, I heard a commotion ahead. The citizens parted as a cohort of marching guards stormed through the streets.

    I noticed that they all had the same expression as the captain when I¡¯d spoken to him at the palace gates. It was extremely strange but I didn¡¯t know what to make of it.

    I could cling to the naive hope that they were headed to some incident in the city, but knowing my luck I had no doubt that they were here for me. As expected, the guard at the head of the group stopped a few metres away from me and stared at me with dull eyes.

    ¡°Zhao Dan! By order of City Lord Teng you are to be apprehended and brought to justice for disseminating poisoned pills to the citizens of Three River City,¡± he shouted out.

    The eyes of every person in the busy street turned to me the moment he said that and I winced. Not only were they trying to pin this on me but they were intent on destroying my reputation among the citizens.

    I had to give the councillor credit. It was a devious plan that made full use of the tools at his disposal. However, I wasn¡¯t going to play along this time. Being a prisoner once was enough for me.

    ¡°Enough of this nonsense,¡± I retorted. ¡°Everyone knows the real culprit behind these fake pills. You can tell Councillor Gao I¡¯m coming for him.¡±

    The commoners nearby erupted into gossip at my remark, whispering amongst themselves. Some of the bolder ones even started shouting at me and the city guards.

    The guards barely reacted to my insult. Surely not¡­?

    ¡°Zhao Dan, if you do not come peacefully we will be forced to exert our strength. It is not the city lord¡¯s desire to cause a commotion,¡± the guard continued without moving.

    I ignored him and rushed around the guards. There was no longer a need to hold myself back. Not only had the city lord failed to deliver justice but he was perverting it, coming after me once more and allowing the councillor to act as he wished.

    The streets blurred as I raced across the rooftops. As a five-star Qi Gathering cultivator my speed was ridiculous. I would make prime Usain Bolt look like a dithering grandpa.

    My endurance was also far greater. I could keep up this pace for days without sleep or food, sustaining myself on spiritual energy alone. The only limit was my qi.

    The city lord¡¯s palace came into view less than a minute later. The gaudy towers and towering walls stood out against the rest of Three River City. If nothing else, he knew how to make a statement.

    The building was beautiful, but just like a monkshood flower it was poisonous within. I didn¡¯t stop at the gates, leaping over them in a single step and continuing directly to the throne room.

    I knew the layout of the palace well after being a prisoner as long as I had been. Oddly, the guards at the gate made no commotion. They only began rushing after me, but stopped as soon as they realised I was too fast for them.

    There was no alarm raised either. I was certain something had happened in the palace. The behaviour of everyone I¡¯d met in the city guard had been far too strange recently. The culprit was obvious: Councillor Gao.

    I didn¡¯t bother taking care with the doors to the throne room. I gathered qi in my fists and blasted a hole in the thick stone, large enough for me to stride through without stopping.

    As soon as I broke the door I sensed movement on the other side. Five cultivators, between one and four-star Qi Gathering rushed towards me, but stopped before engaging.

    The dust cleared, the tiled ground covered in debris from the broken doors. Five shadowy figures formed a circle surrounding me and on the throne was the council-

    I frowned. Councillor Gao was nowhere to be seen. I cast my senses across the entire throne room but other than the five cultivators surrounding me and the strange man lounging on the throne, there was no one else with us.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, cocking my head to one side.

    ¡°I was going to ask you the very same question, but I can make an educated guess,¡± the man replied with a smirk. ¡°Unlike my little cousin, I don¡¯t possess the intelligence of a spirit beast.¡±

    Little cousin? Ah. The man was hiding his cultivation and I couldn¡¯t get a grasp of his strength. However, even that was enough to tell me that his cultivation was higher than mine.

    To be able to completely suppress his cultivation required superior foundations or perhaps a potent stealth technique. Looking at the shadowy figures surrounding me, it could be the latter, but I doubted it.

    Someone who referred to Councillor Gao as little cousin so derisively was likely a member of the Gao Clan and stronger than me. I had to step carefully.

    In fact, I was already in serious danger. Instead of delivering swift justice and making my way back to the clinic I found myself in the tiger¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°So, Zhao Dan. You are the man who has been causing little Deng so much frustration. I can see why he would struggle to deal with a man with your cultivation,¡± he said, standing from the throne and making his way down the steps. ¡°And a physique I have never seen before. You are an interesting specimen,¡± he finished, standing face to face with me.

    How had he seen through all of my secrets in a single glance? Was he a Foundation Building expert? If that was the case then my life and death was now in his hands.

    Although, he seemed to be far more rational than the councillor. Perhaps there was a way out of this situation that didn¡¯t end with me greeting King Yama?

 Chapter 56

    ¡°I believe you came here to see the city lord?¡± the strange Gao Clan member asked me, turning on his heels and walking out of the encirclement of shadowy cultivators.

    ¡°I was curious why he had failed to deliver justice to his treasonous councillor, but I can see now it was an impossible task. With the weight of his clan behind him, what is one mere City Lord?¡± I replied with a sigh.

    ¡°Well, you could ask him yourself. Here he comes,¡± the man said, pointing at the doors of the throne room.

    Councillor Gao walked through the hole I¡¯d punched in the stone while looking around in confusion. When his gaze landed on me it twisted first into fury, but he settled on a depraved grin.

    Behind him, City Lord Teng Shi shuffled in with his head raised. However, his eyes were glazed over, exactly as Captain Kang and the rest of the city guard¡¯s eyes had been.

    I was now certain that the powerful Gao Clan cultivator had placed them all under some sort of hypnosis or mind control. I felt the clutches of death tighten around my neck.

    ¡°The city lord isn¡¯t in a very talkative mood these days, but maybe my little cousin can offer his perspective. He is the acting ruler of Three River City these days, after I fixed his mistakes,¡± the man said, lounging on the throne once more.

    ¡°Zhao Dan, how does it feel to have your reputation destroyed and your life held in my hands?¡± Councillor Gao sneered, staring down his nose at me.

    It was rather comical, given that he was a head shorter than me. It left his head tilted and twisted as he tried to impose his dominance despite having a weaker cultivation and a lacking stature.

    ¡°My reputation is unimportant. You are a disgusting bastard, Councillor. Poisoning your own citizens is an act of pure evil. If you wanted to take revenge you should¡¯ve done it with your own hands like a man, instead of slaughtering the innocent,¡± I replied, keeping a lid on my bubbling fury.

    I threw a glance at the man on the throne. He hadn¡¯t reacted even when I berated the councillor, but that didn¡¯t mean he would ignore me if I tried to kill him.

    Before making any rash moves I needed to figure out the relationship between the two cousins. My only hope of escape was somehow slipping out of the powerful cultivator¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Zhao Dan?¡± the councillor cackled.

    I scratched my temple and the man on the throne snorted. The councillor¡¯s face twisted in rage but he schooled his expression and continued.

    ¡°Confronting a cultivator three small steps above me would be suicide. This method was far easier and more entertaining. Crushing your prey before squeezing the last drop of life from its neck is a satisfying process,¡± he remarked, walking over to the city lord.

    I winced as he struck Teng Shi in the gut. The city lord doubled over before standing back up. A trickle of blood fell from his lips but he didn¡¯t react.

    The councillor struck him two more times and on the third blow he collapsed to the ground, spitting blood. I watched with a cold glare as the councillor pressed his foot on Teng Shi¡¯s head.

    ¡°This fucking bastard thought he was better than me, trying to keep me on a leash like a dog! Gao Deng Luo is no one¡¯s fucking pet,¡± he roared, stomping down on Teng Shi¡¯s neck with a sickening crunch.

    ¡°Enough, cousin. I need the city lord alive,¡± the strange man snapped, tossing a pill onto the ground beside the councillor.

    Gao Deng Luo threw a look of annoyance at his elder cousin, but fed the city lord the pill regardless. I watched the pill work, the city lord¡¯s erratic qi calming as his wounds were healed enough to keep him alive.

    ¡°You¡¯re a powerful man, Councillor. Beating someone who can¡¯t hit you back is impressive,¡± I said, staring at the furious little man.

    He growled and stormed towards me. When he was a few paces away he stopped and took a deep breath. His lips twisted into a smirk, the rage replaced with satisfaction.

    ¡°Say what you like, Zhao Dan. Soon you will be my puppet, just like the rest of these unimportant wretches,¡± he sneered, taking a wriggling worm from a pouch on his belt.

    I narrowed my eyes at the creature, sensing a powerful flow of qi within it.

    The man on the throne scoffed. ¡°Is this really necessary, little cousin? Can¡¯t you kill him and be done with this nonsense?¡±

    The councillor didn¡¯t reply, instead taking another step towards me. I tried to move away but I felt a heavy weight pushing down on me, freezing me in place.

    Despite his obvious derision for the councillor, the other Gao Clan cultivator was supporting his actions. I clenched my jaw. I would rather die than allow this impotent bastard to turn me into a puppet.

    He stopped when his nose was almost touching my chin. He looked up at me with sparkling eyes, like a child who¡¯d unwrapped a new toy. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you kill that little bitch with your own hands. Did you know about our Gao Clan¡¯s hypnosis gu? It takes root in your soul and allows us to control your body, but your mind stays active the entire time,¡± he snickered.

    My face fell as he explained what the worm did. I had suspected mind control, but the reality was far worse.

    That meant the captain, the city lord, and all of the guards were still conscious as they were forced to obey the orders of the councillor and his older cousin. It made me sick.

    Had they not even spared the city lord¡¯s son? I hadn¡¯t sensed him anywhere in the palace. Perhaps they killed him. Death was the better option anyway.

    Even knowing the fate that awaited me, I was powerless to resist. I could detonate my cultivation, but I wasn¡¯t ready to give up yet. There might still be a path to freedom¡ªperhaps even victory.

    Councillor Gao raised the worm until it was level with my mouth. I stared at the wriggling creature. It was pure white all across its body with red eyes, reminding me of albino creatures from Earth.

    He flicked his fingers and I choked as the worm fell straight down my gullet. I felt a scratch as it pierced through my throat and began burrowing through my body towards my dantian.

    I tried to move, anything to resist as the worm slowly made its way towards the source of my qi. However, the full cultivation of the powerful Gao cultivator wouldn¡¯t let me move an inch.

    The worm met resistance as it reached the outer shell of my dantian, but it seemed designed to pierce it. I felt a sharp sting as it dropped through and into the pool of qi.

    I looked up at the councillor, watching the twisted amusement on his face as his worm took control of my body. My face revealed nothing except the occasional grunt and grimace.

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    Internally however, I was laughing like a madman. The force of the man¡¯s cultivation gently released as my body stiffened and my eyes glazed over.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, little cousin?¡± Gao Shan sighed.

    ¡°Not yet. I want to watch as he kills his little bitch,¡± Gao Deng Luo replied.

    ¡°How tasteful. Do whatever you wish, but ensure you take the alchemists in hand by the end of the day. The patriarch is arriving in two days. We must have Three River City in our grasp by then,¡± he ordered.

    ¡°Two days!? The patriarch is coming himself, are you sure?¡± he exclaimed, taking a step backwards.

    ¡°Indeed. I told you to look ahead, little cousin. Did you ignore my advice, as usual?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, cousin. Actually, there¡¯s more to this Zhao Dan than you¡¯d expect. If the clan¡¯s target is the Cloudy Falls Sect, then I believe I have exceeded the patriarch¡¯s expectations,¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°Oh? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Well, it began when I heard about an encounter between a disciple of the sect and¡­¡±

    ****

    Xiao Cui paced nervously around the lobby of the clinic. Village Head Wei sat to one side of the room while staring at her with amusement in his eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s done this plenty of times before, little Cui. He will be back soon enough,¡± he chuckled.

    She stopped and turned to face him. ¡°How do you know? You said the same thing when he vanished into the mountains for over a week! What if something happened at the palace?¡±

    ¡°What could possibly happen? I know little of cultivation but if your Master Zhao was confident enough to face the city lord and that treacherous Councillor alone I am sure he felt nothing could go wrong.¡±

    Xiao Cui glared at him for a moment before resuming her irritated pacing. Yu Chun called out from the kitchen, bringing them both relief.

    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±

    Village Head Wei rushed into the kitchen, eager to escape Xiao Cui¡¯s muttering and fretting. She followed after him but as she was about to pass through the doorway, three loud knocks came from the door.

    At first she raced towards it eagerly, but then she stopped and frowned. If it was Zhao Dan returning, he wouldn¡¯t have knocked. He knew how to unlock the formations.

    Yu Chun poked her head out of the kitchen. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s late. Are you expecting a visitor? Actually, why are you here again? I thought Master said you should stay at your¡­ place of work,¡± Xiao Cui replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable there. Du Wen can handle things. I feel safer here.¡±

    ¡°Right, but it¡¯s not your building.¡±

    ¡°I cooked dinner, you ungrateful brat. Now open the damn door and see who it is.¡±

    Xiao Cui kissed her teeth and walked to the door, unlocking it and swinging it all the way open in a single motion. A boy covered in blood, wearing torn yet expensive looking robes stumbled forwards and collapsed onto the ground.

    She scrunched her face in confusion and annoyance. This reminded her of when the village head had arrived in the city bearing terrible news.

    Xiao Cui hoped this boy hadn¡¯t arrived with equally ill omens, but she wasn¡¯t naive enough to truly believe it. She helped him to his feet and shut the door behind them, banishing the cold draughts of wind to the city streets.

    When she saw the boy¡¯s face, as bloodied and unrecognisable as it was, she cursed under her breath. She helped him over to one of the closest chairs and sat him down before storming into the kitchen, dark clouds gathering over her head.

    ¡°Do you know the boy?¡± Yu Chun asked as she brushed past her.

    ¡°His name is Teng Sheng. The city lord¡¯s son,¡± she replied, opening the tap and taking a cloth from the counter.

    ¡°What!?¡± Yu Chun exclaimed, throwing a wide eyed look at the injured boy before slamming the kitchen door shut behind her. ¡°This is bad.¡±

    ¡°Is it? Maybe it means that Master Zhao is delivering justice in the palace,¡± Xiao Cui snapped back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. You know Sir Zhao is not that sort of man. The city lord is extremely protective of his son. If he is in this state, that means something must have happened to the city lord. He is supposed to be the strongest cultivator in the city. There¡¯s only one way he could¡¯ve succumbed¡­¡± she began tripping over herself as she spewed word after word.

    Xiao Cui squeezed out the cloth and walked up to her. The girl placed a soft hand on Yu Chun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure Master Zhao is fine,¡± she said through clenched teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s clean the young master¡¯s wounds and ask him what happened before we jump to conclusions.¡±

    A while later, Teng Sheng was no longer drenched in blood. They had to take his damaged robes off and give him some of Zhao Dan¡¯s spare robes in exchange.

    They were quite large on the boy, draping all over and looking awkward. It was better than being naked or wearing robes filled with rips and holes, nonetheless.

    ¡°Thank you, ladies. I am in your debt,¡± the young city lord wheezed once he¡¯d woken from a brief nap.

    ¡°What happened to you? Why did you come here?¡± Xiao Cui demanded, not giving him a moment to relax.

    Yu Chun placed a firm hand on her arm, squeezing gently. Xiao Cui¡¯s gaze softened and she took a step back, giving the boy some breathing room.

    After a few moments filled with only the sounds of his shallow breathing, he grunted and pulled himself upright in the chair. Even while grievously injured he maintained his pride as the young lord of Three River City.

    ¡°It was that treasonous snake, Councillor Gao. I knew he was depraved, but my father allowed him leeway as he was an exceptional official. Keeping the bureaucratic side of the city running smoothly would be twice as difficult and take twice as long without his expertise,¡± he explained with a sigh.

    ¡°However, my father¡¯s refusal to do the right thing is what led to our downfall and the sorry state I find myself in. I suspect that even the poison which plagued me for most of my life was that bastard¡¯s doing. I owe your master a life debt for curing me of it. Since then I have even managed to achieve three-star Body Tempering, though I fear my progress slows already.¡±

    ¡°Well, that much is obvious. No matter how talented an official he is, keeping such a venomous man by your side was bound to cause problems sooner or later,¡± Xiao Cui said, perching herself on the chair¡¯s arm. ¡°What about my master? Where is he? Did you see him in the palace?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he came to the palace before I fled. I barely escaped with my life. The guards almost killed me,¡± he said, slamming his fist against the chair.

    ¡°The guards? Why would your father¡¯s men try to kill you, their young city lord?¡± Yu Chun asked, raising her eyebrow.

    ¡°It was that Gao bastard. They came in the night and used strange pills and creatures to force the minds of the guards into submission. Even Captain Kang and¡­¡± he cursed, his knuckles white from clenching them so hard. ¡°Even my father has fallen under their control. He was powerless against that cultivator from the councillor¡¯s clan. That man was terrifying.¡±

    Yu Chun¡¯s face went white as all colour drained from it. She staggered backwards, covering her mouth with a hand as she squeaked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure my master is stronger than another Gao bastard. Just wait for him to get back with news of his victory,¡± Xiao Cui said with a wave of her hand.

    However, when she turned and saw the terrified Yu Chun who was breathing shakily, she furrowed her brow in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Even Sir Zhao will be powerless if cultivators from the Gao Clan have come here. We need to run. There is no hope left for the people of this city,¡± she said, shaking her arms and standing tall.

    Xiao Cui frowned. She didn¡¯t want to believe that what Miss Yu was saying was true, but her fear and hesitation were genuine. She¡¯d grown to trust and admire the woman as they worked together, the older lady¡¯s advice helping her tremendously in growing her business.

    If her master was in danger with no allies, what could she do? Xiao Cui knew she had no real strength of her own. If she ran to the palace she would only make her master¡¯s life more difficult.

    She thought back to the first time she¡¯d met Zhao Dan, in the forests near the Cloudy Falls Sect. He¡¯d also mentioned a friend that he caught up with in the Jagged Sword Mountains¡ªan inner disciple of the sect.

    If there was anyone who could help them now, it would be that friend. If she told him about the trouble Zhao Dan was in, then perhaps he could come to save him.

    ¡°There might be one way we can save Three River City. However, it won¡¯t be an easy journey. There are spirit beasts on the road and vile bandits. I owe Master Zhao my life, so I will go. If you want to run, I won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± she suddenly announced.

    Yu Chun exhaled, clenching and unclenching her fists. ¡°I also owe Sir Zhao my life. If you say there is a way, I will accompany you.¡±

    Teng Sheng leapt to his feet, then clutched his chest and coughed a little blood. ¡°Even though I am injured, I am still a Body Tempering practitioner. I can protect you on your journey. Let us leave at once.¡±

    Xiao Cui nodded, a warm feeling bubbling inside her chest at the support of the two people. Zhao Dan had saved each of their lives and countless others in this city. Now it was their turn to save his, no matter the cost.

 Chapter 57

    Wang Ren¡¯s brow glistened with sweat as his glave swam through the air like a carp attempting to leap the waterfall. Every single one of his steps was precise, his body moving with the grace of a crane.

    The tip of his glaive reached towards the sun and a ray of the dawn light reflected across his body, casting him in a golden glow. He sighed in satisfaction and lowered the shaft of his heavy glaive to the ground of Elder Bang¡¯s courtyard.

    ¡°Very good, disciple,¡± Elder Bang exclaimed with a sharp clap of his hands, striding towards Wang Ren, his blue and orange robes fluttering behind him. ¡°I can sense you have approached the pinnacle of Polished accomplishment in the Shattering Earth, Carving Heavens Heavy Glaive. You will need to test yourself in the fires of battle to overcome this bottleneck. With the Soaring Sword Sect growing bolder by the day, perhaps that chance will come soon,¡± he added with a wry chuckle.

    ¡°Indeed, Master. I am ready to defend the honour of the Cloudy Falls Sect at a moment¡¯s notice. I welcome any chance to test my glaive and improve my comprehension of your techniques. Thank you for the guidance,¡± he replied with a deep bow to his waist.

    ¡°You¡¯re so serious, disciple,¡± Elder Bang said, stroking his wild beard. ¡°You should be more like me and cause some mischief. All those boring Elders need some excitement in their life.¡±

    Wang Ren shook his head with a sharp snort. ¡°Master, one of us has to be the sensible one. If we both forgot decorum then we might fall afoul of the sect master.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you are right. It matters little. I am pleased with your understanding of my technique. It warms my heart to know that even if I fall in battle my legacy will continue.¡±

    ¡°You should not speak such things into existence, Master. How can any cultivator slay the wild and deadly Master Bang?¡±

    ¡°Pah! It seems you¡¯ve been training your tongue just as much as your glaive, disciple,¡± Elder Bang snorted with a flick of his sleeve.

    Wang Ren was about to move onto cultivation and practicing his breathing techniques when there was a sharp knock at the door of Elder Bang¡¯s manor. Wang Ren and Elder Bang shared a look of surprise before the young man walked to open it.

    It was rare for anyone to visit Elder Bang. He was renowned as an eccentric with an erratic temper and apart from his disciple and a few of the other elders, none dared risk an encounter with the man known as the Firecracker Glaive Lord.

    He was named such not for any affinity for fire techniques, but simply because of his temper and the fury he displayed on the battlefield. As the door swung open, both men were even more surprised to see that it was an outer disciple waiting outside.

    The disciple bowed down to his waist before returning to standing. ¡°Senior Brother Wang, I have an urgent message for you,¡± he announced.

    Wang Ren waved his arm and the outer disciple entered the courtyard, the iron studded wooden doors closing behind him with a wave of Elder Bang¡¯s arm. Wang Ren motioned for him to speak.

    ¡°Earlier this morning, right before sunrise, two mortal women accompanied by a Body Tempering practitioner arrived at the sect gates. They were exhausted, having travelled from Three River City without rest. They claimed to have a message of life-and-death importance for your ears only, Senior Brother Wang.¡±

    Wang Ren frowned. Why would a pair of mortals and an Early stage Body Temperer be seeking him out? The only mortals he knew were his family, who he hadn¡¯t seen in years. Could it perhaps be his mother and brother?

    However, that didn¡¯t make sense to him. His brother had no spirit roots when they were tested by the Elder who visited their village and there was only his mother in the family¡­

    Rather than waste his time guessing he figured it would be easier to just meet them and see what message they had. There was no risk in going, after all.

    ¡°Thank you for relaying the message to me, Junior Brother. What is your name? Let¡¯s go and meet them. I trust they were offered the sect¡¯s hospitality?¡± he asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°Of course, Senior Brother. This lowly disciple is called Tian Qi. They are currently residing in one of the auxiliary buildings of the Legislation Hall. I shall lead the way,¡± the man replied with a shallow bow.

    ¡°No need, Junior Brother Tian. I will be quicker alone. Thank you for your assistance,¡± Wang Ren replied, taking a spirit stone from his spatial bag and flicking it to Tian Qi.

    The outer disciple caught it and his eyes widened. He bowed all the way to his ankles before retreating, hiding the spirit stone in his robes as though it was a heavenly treasure.

    Wang Ren chuckled, fondly remembering the days where he too struggled for every single spirit stone to advance his cultivation. The outer sect was harsh, but it had taught him valuable lessons that had been the foundation for his rise through the sect.

    He turned to Elder Bang. ¡°Master, I shall go to meet these mortals who have journeyed to meet me. I shall return for more practice later this afternoon,¡± he said.

    Elder Bang waved him off, already sat cross-legged on the ground while reading from a book with crumpled pages. Wang Ren sighed and shook his head, recognising it as one of his master¡¯s trashy romance novels.

    If the cultivators of the Celestial Jade Empire knew the fearsome Firecracker Glaive Lord was addicted to romance novels, what would they think?

    The Legislation Hall was a few peaks away from his master¡¯s manor, but for him the journey would only take as long as burning an incense stick to reach it. His Drifting Cloud Steps were not his most advanced technique, but he had still reached Average Accomplishment in them, offering him graceful movements down the mountains of the sect.

    ****

    Xiao Cui shuffled nervously in her seat, sipping at the delicious tea they had all been served. Even though they had been treated cordially since announcing the reason they were here, she couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    She knew Zhao Dan was an experienced cultivator, stronger than anyone in Three River City including the city lord himself. Yet in these towering mountains, he could be considered above average at best.

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    There were Elders who could shatter mountains with their fists and walk in the air as though it were solid ground. How could she not feel terrified being surrounded by such monsters when she was only a mortal?

    ¡°Stop fidgeting, little Cui. We are here as guests, they will not harm us,¡± Yu Chun chided her.

    She was the picture of serenity, leaning back in her seat and sipping on the cup of tea like a jade beauty from a painting. Teng Sheng was looking around the room and had been since they arrived, wonder etched on his face.

    Xiao Cui wasn¡¯t in such a curious mood. Each passing moment made her more nervous.

    At long last, they heard a gentle thud outside the door, followed by footsteps. There came a single knock on the door before it was pushed open, revealing a tall, muscular man wearing a bright red robe.

    His gaze fell on each of them in turn, his mouth curling downwards and his brow furrowing deeper each time. He walked up to them as they stood from their seats and bowed.

    ¡°I must admit my confusion,¡± he declared, nodding politely before sitting down in front of the three people. ¡°I do not recognise any of you, yet you say you have an urgent message for me. You have the advantage here.¡±

    Xiao Cui was the first to speak, sitting back down in her chair and letting her cup of tea clatter against the small plate that held it. ¡°Cultivator Wang, you do not know us but I heard from my master that the two of you are close friends. His life is in mortal danger and you were the only one we could turn to for help,¡± she exclaimed, a hint of panic in her voice.

    ¡°Your master?¡± Wang Ren replied, growing even more confused. ¡°What sort of master would a mortal girl have? What is his name?¡±

    ¡°His name is Zhao Dan,¡± Yu Chun interjected. ¡°Each of his owe him our lives, some more than once over. He is currently imprisoned or locked in battle with members of the Gao Clan, who have taken control of Three River City and usurped the city lord.¡±

    ¡°Junior Brother Zhao!? Why would he¡­¡± Wang Ren scratched his temple while throwing glances at Xiao Cui and Yu Chun in turn. ¡°Never mind. This is perfect. I needed a chance to test my glaive technique.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll help Master Zhao?¡± Xiao Cui said, leaning forwards in her seat.

    ¡°Indeed, I would be a pig with no face if I left my Junior Brother in mortal danger without lifting a finger to help. If what you say is indeed true, that the city lord has been usurped, then this is also a matter of grave importance to the sect. Before we leave I must inform my master and the other Elders. I will meet you at the sect gates in an hour¡¯s time. You are free to stay here until then. Thank you for bringing me this news,¡± Wang Ren said with a smile, getting to his feet.

    As he closed the door behind him, all three let out a sigh of relief and sank back in their seats. They¡¯d been worried that the cultivator might dismiss them out of hand as they were simply mortals and in Teng Sheng¡¯s case, a mere Early stage Body Temperer.

    ¡°That was easier than I expected,¡± Yu Chun said. ¡°He seems to be a good man. Zhao Dan is lucky to have such a friend.¡±

    ¡°Did you see how fearsome and heroic he looked?¡± Teng Sheng said in admiration, his eyes having taken on a sparkle.

    Xiao Cui rolled her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t help but agree. The cultivator Wang Ren was rather handsome, if a little bulky. For the young city lord, having dreamed of cultivating all his life, it must be even more infatuating to meet those he saw as heroes.

    They spent the rest of the time before they had to meet Wang Ren drinking the exceptional tea and chatting idly. They knew Zhao Dan¡¯s life was at risk, but there was no use worrying when they¡¯d already done their part.

    ****

    Wang Ren stood still, listening as the gathered Elders bickered about the situation unfolding in Three River City. As his master¡¯s disciple he was qualified to be in this esteemed gathering, but he was nervous to interrupt even though he had been the one to bring them the news.

    Once hearing of what had happened, almost all of the Elders not away from the sect or in secluded cultivation had rushed to Elder Bang¡¯s manor. It was the most people he¡¯d seen in his master¡¯s courtyard at one time, the man being a recluse most of the time.

    Despite that, Elder Bang was in his element, leading the discussion and not wasting any opportunity to tease his fellow Elders. It was rare that they all gathered together like this.

    ¡°Elder Jin, I have to say I am surprised to see you here. Are you so eager to save the man who crippled your former disciple?¡± Elder Shen said, his expression unmoving.

    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t care about that impudent brat. He wasn¡¯t even worthy of the sect. I am here to ascertain what to do about the situation in Three River City. It is an act of direct rebellion for the Gao Clan to claim control and usurp the city lord,¡± he replied with a flick of his sleeve.

    ¡°Indeed, it is a worrying state of affairs,¡± Elder Bang said, stroking his beard. ¡°Have you all been sitting on your asses and ignoring the outside world?¡±

    ¡°Bang Ji, you dare!?¡± Elder Sun roared, the full weight of his Foundation Building cultivation exploding outwards to suppress Wang Ren¡¯s master.

    Wang Ren stumbled as his breath caught. Being in the presence of so many powerful masters was suffocating. However, he felt a wave of relief flooding him as Elder Bang allowed his presence to flare in reply.

    ¡°This is between us elderly folk. Don¡¯t get my disciple caught up in your overblown pride, First Brother Sun,¡± Elder Bang warned, a smirk on his face at the surprise in Elder Sun¡¯s eyes.

    The reason for Elder Sun¡¯s surprise was that their auras were evenly matched. Elder Sun was a six-star Foundation Building master, second only to the sect leader and the rumoured ancient ancestor who never left secluded cultivation deep in the sect.

    The last time they had gathered, Elder Bang had been stuck at five-star Foundation Building, but it seemed the tricky old fellow had found a way to break through and sneak up on the First Elder.

    ¡°Congratulations on your breakthrough, Second Brother Bang,¡± Elder Ling giggled, covering her mouth with a fan of vibrant yellow and orange feathers. ¡°Once again, you have found a way to surprise us all. Perhaps I shall soon be calling you First Brother.¡±

    Elder Sun threw Ling Liling a sharp glare, cold fury in his eyes. ¡°Watch yourself, Fourth Sister.¡±

    ¡°Relax, First Brother. I am sure Fourth Sister Ling was only joking. We are all allies here. It is important for us to remain tightly knit when our enemies are encroaching ever closer. The situation with the Soaring Sword Sect was already becoming a sharp thorn in our side, but now with the Gao Clan making their move as well I fear we are on the precipice of disaster,¡± Elder Shen spoke, defusing the tension as all the elders nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Third Brother is correct,¡± Elder Fei said, stroking his beard. ¡°We must tread carefully. This stinks of schemes and trickery. I fear that the Gao Clan have allied themselves with the Soaring Sword Sect. Both groups have eyed our territory with hunger for decades. That mess with Zhao Dan was unfortunate, but he was still once a disciple of our sect. We need to act decisively and regain our hold on Three River City.¡±

    Elder Jin and Elder Sun snorted at the same time. A war was spoken without words, the elders trading glances and shifts in their presence that painted a picture worth ten thousand words.

    Wang Ren watched it all with wide eyes. The level at which these old men and women operated was incomprehensible to him. He thought the chasm between Body Tempering and Qi Gathering was steep, but the elders were so far above him he couldn¡¯t even imagine reaching that level.

    ¡°Personal feelings aside, Elder Fei speaks wisely. One Qi Gathering brat is of little importance, but if we allow the Gao Clan to act as they wish, we will be seen as weak. I shall go to Three River City with my disciple,¡± Elder Bang declared, ending the discussion.

    The gathered elders nodded in agreement, though Elder Sun and Elder Jin still seemed annoyed. ¡°I shall accompany you. We should show our strength through this move. Sending two elders will demonstrate that we have strength to spare to stamp out insurrection,¡± Elder Jin said.

    ¡°An admirable suggestion,¡± Elder Bang replied with a wide grin. ¡°Let us show those upstart Gao brats what they seem to have forgotten¡ªthe reason the Cloudy Falls Sect reigns over these lands is not by chance, but because we claimed them by wading through fields of blood and death.¡±

 Chapter 58

    I stood beside Gao Deng Luo, the former councillor. His elder cousin lounged on the throne, watching us with disinterest.

    I dared not move, in case the powerful cultivator decided to act and end my life. He seemed content to allow Gao Deng Luo to play his games for now, but it was in my best interests to try and sow discord between the two.

    When the white worm had entered my dantian, I had prepared myself for the worst. For my soul to be ripped from my control as I was forced into submission and left at the mercy of the sick former councillor.

    Instead, the seemingly endless void in my dantian which had done nothing but devour the impurities left behind by my alchemy experiments for the past couple months had awoken and torn the worm apart, swallowing the remains. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    Rather than remain silent as it had done for a while, it seemed ready to spit something out. Given how much it had been fed I was worried that whatever it released might attract the attention of Gao Shan, so I did my best to suppress it until I was alone with Gao Deng Luo.

    Luckily, the man turned to stride out of the throne room shortly after. I didn¡¯t move an inch. He turned and snarled, ¡°Follow me, worthless dog.¡±

    I began to walk after him as he stormed out of the throne room. He didn¡¯t make any detours, heading directly for the palace gates to carry out Gao Shan¡¯s orders.

    Unfortunately I would not get the chance to be alone with him. Two of the shadowy cultivators followed after us, trailing from a distance.

    Gao Deng Luo seemed annoyed at their presence but he was far from powerful enough to defy his elder cousin. Despite the numbers putting me at a disadvantage, I felt confident.

    The former councillor was only a three-star Qi Gatherer, while the two shadowy figures were two and three-star respectively. With my peak five-star Qi Gathering cultivation it would be a tense battle, but one I could win without too much difficulty.

    Choosing the right time to act was essential. I couldn¡¯t wait until we arrived at my clinic. He had already made his intentions clear¡ªto have me kill Xiao Cui with my own hands.

    That would not be happening. We walked through the streets of Three River City as the sun shone high in the sky, approaching its zenith. It was a busy day, with hundreds of people milling in the streets and going about their business.

    However, many seemed to have dark clouds hovering above them. I heard whispers of the evil Zhao Dan and his poisoned pills, making me curse internally.

    Gao Deng Luo was a vile man. His grievance was with me, but instead of fighting me directly he had chosen to slaughter innocents. Every one of his actions was unforgivable and worthy of death.

    Pretending that I had fallen under the control of his strange worm, which I now knew was called a hypnosis gu, was quite difficult. Keeping my movements stiff wasn¡¯t hard, I had near total control over my body and that only became more true the further my cultivation advanced.

    What was tough was maintaining the neutral facial expression and dull, glazed eyes under the constant insults and threats that Gao Deng Luo was spewing. He couldn¡¯t even be dignified in carrying out his vengeance.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you squeezing the life out of that little bitch. You were so protective of her in the palace, begging for her life at Teng Shi¡¯s mercy like a dog. It will bring me great satisfaction to enact the heavens¡¯ justice,¡± he cackled.

    We were only a few streets away from my clinic now, close enough that I could throw out my senses to check who was inside. Unfortunately such an act would instantly draw attention to the fact I was not under the control of the hypnosis gu.

    Since I was not able to ascertain who would be in danger, I needed to act before we reached the clinic. There were still too many innocent citizens around us, but it was unlikely that would change.

    I picked a moment where there were just two mortals in the street. They were under the awning of a restaurant, conversing in whispers as they threw glances at the councillor.

    They might still be in danger from our techniques, but unfortunately there would be no better moment. Gao Deng Luo had just finished another round of his endless gloating and the two shadows were too far to react in time.

    In a single fluid motion I kicked against the tiled road, shattering it to dust with the force of my step. I crossed the distance of a few steps to Gao Deng Luo in a single breath and reached out to grab hold of his head.

    His eyes widened in surprise, his neck half-turned towards me as he realised I had broken the control of his worm. He opened his mouth to say something, but I no longer cared to listen to his venomous prattling.

    My fist closed around his skull. I unleashed my corrupting touch as I squeezed, reducing the integrity of his head. The swelling flesh burst like a melon in my hands, covering me and the nearby street in brains, blood and shards of bone.

    I spat out a fragment of his skull as his headless corpse fell to the ground. I didn¡¯t even care to store the body or loot it, but even if I¡¯d wanted to there was no chance.

    The two shadows had begun to move as soon as I had. They were too slow to save their master¡¯s little cousin, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t try to kill me.

    They were unswayed by his death, only glancing at the body with annoyance before their attention returned wholly to me. Even though I had superior cultivation, I wouldn¡¯t take them lightly.

    Unlike the arrogant bastard Gao, who had been caught by surprise and was far from a martial expert, these two were direct subordinates of the fearsome Gao Shan. Even though I knew he was just as despicable as his younger cousin, he seemed less childish.

    I had no doubt the shadowy figures would be well trained in combat. That suspicion was confirmed as they moved in sync, one cutting off my path of retreat as the other drew twin daggers.

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    I felt their qi flowing smoothly through their bodies, guiding two lightning fast stabs as the other shadow drew a spear and thrust it towards the side of my ribcage. It was a perfectly constructed cage that a cultivator at their own level would find impossible to escape.

    However, I was a peak five-star Qi Gatherer and I was no slouch myself when it came to combat. I¡¯d experimented using my qi to reinforce my body and I had the advantage of eleven stars in Body Tempering, making my physical body a weapon in itself.

    I stepped backwards, avoiding the spear thrust and grasping the shaft of the spear in the same breath. With a second breath I kicked the spear wielder¡¯s chin, his neck snapping as his eyes rolled back into his head.

    My feet pivoted, shifting my weight onto my front foot. The first dagger had been aimed at my heart but it instead sunk into my shoulder. My flesh burned as the poison coating the blade instantly started to seep into the muscles surrounding the wound.

    The shadow was caught off guard by my sudden movement, but he maintained his course. The second dagger was less than a centimetre away from my gut as I struck his ankle with my back foot.

    He stumbled. I grabbed the spear with both hands and shoved it into his chest. The strike pushed him away and cut his second strike short as he coughed blood.

    I¡¯d pierced his lung with my strike, but he was still clinging to life. I ripped the speartip from his chest, causing blood to spray over me once more.

    He staggered, spitting blood then tossing a healing pill into his mouth. I watched the medicinal energy spread across his chest and the hole in his chest started to close. His movements were shaky but he recovered before I could strike a second time.

    We circled each other. The other shadow was dead, but he was the two-star Qi Gatherer. With such a difference between us and the decisiveness of my strike he stood no chance.

    The shadowy figure took a sudden step forwards and lashed out with one of his daggers. I stepped back and prepared to engage, raising the spear.

    I was no expert with the spear but it allowed me to keep the man at a distance. Range was a great advantage against an enemy wielding daggers.

    However, as soon as I stepped back he kept his daggers. Then he turned on his feet and vanished, throwing an object at the ground.

    A thick cloud of smoke billowed outwards as it exploded on the tiled road, briefly blocking my vision. If it was ordinary smoke it wouldn¡¯t have posed much of an obstacle, but it was infused with strands of qi that matched the cultivator¡¯s own qi, giving the illusion that there were many copies of him in every direction.

    Rather than waste time, I opted to remove the smoke with the fast method¡ªinhaling it all. A simple smoke bomb was a far cry from Huo Ze Qiang¡¯s firestorm technique and I barely felt a burn as it entered my lungs and was refined into a thin trickle of healing energy.

    I shook my head to clear my senses and immediately felt the shadow racing off towards the palace. I had to commend his decisive action.

    He immediately knew he was outmatched and could not defeat me. Instead of throwing away his life he¡¯d decided to go and bring his master to kill me.

    That left me in a difficult situation. Gao Shan could squash me like a bug as easily as turning his hand. I didn¡¯t want to flee the city while my reputation was still in tatters and the citizens were suffering from the evil schemes of the Gao Clan.

    However, staying would lead to death. Before figuring out my next steps I raced towards the clinic to ensure that little Cui and the village head were safe.

    I frowned as my senses passed over the building, feeling only a single presence within. I unlocked the door and stormed upstairs to find Village Head Wei reclining in a chair while reading from a scroll.

    ¡°Village Head! Where is Xiao Cui?¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°Cultivator Zhao, I am glad to see you are safe,¡± he replied, leaping from his chair to greet me. ¡°When the young city lord came to our door, hovering between life and death, we feared the worst. He travelled along with little Cui and Young Miss Yu to the Cloudy Falls Sect. They wanted to enlist the help of your friend, Wang Ren, to save you.¡±

    ¡°Wang Ren?¡± I replied with a quizzical look. There was a lot of information to digest at once, but at the very least I was glad to know that Xiao Cui was safe.

    Yu Chun had apparently returned to the clinic even though I¡¯d told her to remain at the blossom parlour. And then there was the matter of Teng Sheng, the young city lord.

    Again, I was relieved to hear the young man had escaped the grasp of the Gao Clan. If he¡¯d been placed under their control or worse, killed, I had no doubt he would be facing a grim fate.

    My heart warmed to know that the three of them had gone to such lengths to try and help me, but I couldn¡¯t help but despair. Wang Ren was a powerful cultivator, able to fight opponents at a higher cultivation than his own thanks to his devastating glaive techniques.

    However, Gao Shan was still a deadlier opponent than either of us were ready to face. Even working together I wasn¡¯t sure we¡¯d be able to defeat him.

    That was made worse by the fact I still wasn¡¯t sure of Gao Shan¡¯s exact strength. He was so much stronger than me that I hadn¡¯t even been able to sense the depths of his cultivation. For all I knew he could be an Early stage Foundation Building master.

    To take on such an opponent as Middle stage Qi Gatherers would be suicide. I paced the room while tapping my chin at regular intervals. Village Head Wei watched me with an amused look in his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things, Cultivator Zhao. You have done more for each of us than you had to. We are all grateful. Even if the situation spirals out of control, know that it is not your fault,¡± he said, placing a hand on my arm.

    His words were kind and I returned a smile, but inside my heart I knew it wasn¡¯t true. I had been the one to bring little Cui here. I could have chosen to send her back to Nine Paddy Village rather than bring her with me.

    Although even then she may have been slaughtered along with her parents. That was on the city lord¡¯s head, unless it had been Gao Deng Luo behind that despicable act as well.

    ¡°Your words mean a lot, Village Head Wei. Thank you for being such a steadfast friend and watching out for little Cui. You should escape the city while you still can. Gao Shan will arrive soon. I will do my best to defeat him, but my chances are slim,¡± I sighed, making up my mind.

    Even if I stood no chance, I was not a coward. I had decided to face every challenge on my path no matter how insurmountable it seemed.

    If I died here then so be it. However, I had many techniques at my disposal that might allow me to take Gao Shan by surprise. Perhaps I could fight fate and overturn the order of the world, defeating the terrifying bastard.

    Wang Ren would be on his way by now. If I was able to weaken Gao Shan even a little, my dependable Senior Brother might gain an opportunity to strike the finishing blow.

    ¡°If you will it, Cultivator Zhao, then I will leave. Thank you for everything you have done for us. Good luck. May the heavens favour you,¡± the village head said as he hurried to gather his things.

    It had been around the time it took to eat a meal when I heard a deafening roar from the direction of the palace. Village Head Wei had departed around ten minutes ago and I was alone in my clinic.

    I hoped Grandpa Guan had insurance on this place. I doubted it would survive the battle ahead. A few breaths later I felt an overwhelming pressure drown out the world around me.

    I blinked and suddenly found myself bathed in sunlight. In a single strike, Gao Shan had blasted the roof of the clinic to smithereens.

    ¡°Zhao Dan! You dare take the life of my cousin and defy the Gao Clan? I shall make an offering of your head to herald the patriarch¡¯s arrival,¡± he snarled, crushing me with the full weight of his cultivation.

 Chapter 59

    My heart dropped. The patriarch!? Gao Shan was already enough of a headache, but if the patriarch of the Gao Clan came to Three River City then all hope was lost.

    Perhaps Wang Ren and I could overturn the natural order of the world to defeat Gao Shan. Even now I hadn¡¯t lost my will. However, the patriarch of the Gao Clan was sure to be an existence I could barely comprehend.

    Forget squashing me like an ant, he could sneeze and blow away a city if he was as strong as I suspected. Nonetheless, I would take each problem as it came. If I was fated to die here I would at least do my utmost to drag another Gao bastard with me to the hells.

    I grimaced as I returned Gao Shan¡¯s fearsome glare. It was a struggle to stand under the weight of his cultivation.

    My legs buckled, my breath coming in short bursts. It was as though I was standing at the base of the Cloudy Falls themselves.

    The entire building shuddered as he crashed from the skies, landing in front of me. The pressure grew until I could barely breathe. Our eyes locked, unchecked fury in his and cold loathing tinged with defiance in mine.

    ¡°Would you not take revenge if someone slaughtered your family members and clan? I won¡¯t apologise for giving that sniveling bastard what he deserved,¡± I replied, holding my head high.

    If I was going to die I was going to go out with a bang. And if he decided to act in haste and make a mistake that I could take advantage of, then that was all the better.

    To my surprise, Gao Shan¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He doubled over and began to laugh from his belly like a man possessed.

    Despite his casual attitude, the pressure on me didn¡¯t lessen whatsoever. I knew that if I tried to strike now he could reap my life in an instant.

    After a few moments he stood back up. He gathered his breath and straightened his robe before levelling his gaze at me once more.

    ¡°You are a funny man, Zhao Dan,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t often aim to be but we can¡¯t choose where we find humour,¡± I replied, unsure where the conversation was heading.

    ¡°Indeed. Wise words from a man soon to be dead. How often that seems to happen. Why is it that they can¡¯t be so wise in life and avoid a bloody fate? Perhaps it is the will of the heavens that we live stupidly and die with intelligence. You misunderstand the reason for my rage, Zhao Dan.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You actually think I cared about that worthless trash cousin of mine? He was sent out here so he would stop causing trouble in the clan. I¡¯m only here now because he managed to fuck up so badly that he broke the patriarch from his secluded cultivation. I¡¯m going to kill you not for revenge, but because you dared to kill a man with the name Gao,¡± he declared, his voice taking on a steel edge as he spoke the name of his clan.

    ¡°And if I dared to kill one more?¡± I replied, cocking my head to one side and smirking.

    Gao Shan¡¯s smirk vanished entirely and he took another step towards me. My legs were trembling like jelly but I steeled my resolve.

    It would take the jade emperor himself descending from heaven to knock me to the ground. He took another step, drawing closer and closer towards me.

    When he was a single step away from me, I watched the flow of his qi. It was almost impossible to sense, but I¡¯d always had a heightened ability to see energy flows since the day I arrived in this world.

    Straining every sense in my body to the limit, I felt a throbbing in my skull. Gao Shan didn¡¯t notice my efforts, his eyes a spectre of fury that threatened to tear my soul apart.

    The crushing weight of his cultivation surrounded me as though I was standing ten thousand metres deep in the ocean.

    This close, I could reach out and grab Gao Shan¡¯s arm. A single touch was all I needed to inflict the most devastating of my techniques¡ªordering his body to grow and multiply in lethal ways.

    My own understanding of the body had increased through my cultivation. When I came here I had a doctor¡¯s knowledge of the human body, but that was far from sufficient.

    Now I had pulled back the veil a little, peering at the secrets of this new world. Blood essence, spiritual energy that became qi¡ªthese changed the body in a myriad of ways that I was only beginning to comprehend.

    Gao Shan, being one of the most powerful cultivators I¡¯d ever encountered, was the perfect target to test how far I could corrupt a cultivator¡¯s body. My technique began with causing tumours in the physical body, but how devastating would it be if even my target¡¯s qi turned against them?

    ¡°Die,¡± Gao Shan uttered, his arm exploding towards me with the majestic grace of a serpent.

    Even knowing the strike was coming, I struggled to react. The speed at which he moved was ridiculous.

    His arm blurred and I couldn¡¯t follow his strike. I didn¡¯t need to. I knew I was likely to die or at the very least be mortally wounded.

    So instead of attempting to defend myself or avoid the strike of a cultivator who outshone me in almost every way, I played to my strengths. My own arm shot out as soon as I noticed him move.

    His gaze flicked to my arm, but he snorted and ignored it. His overconfidence would be my weapon.

    His fingers tightened around my throat a breath before I grabbed onto his arm. To him it might seem like the dying struggles of his victim, but letting me make skin contact was a mistake.

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    I opened the floodgates. All my qi poured from my dantian in a torrential wave. I had been suppressing the void in my dantian all this time, in an effort to prevent the dead councillor from noticing I was not under his control.

    It had been trying to push something into my dantian. As my qi raced out of the dantian I felt the void awaken, something emerging.

    Until this point it had only fed me medicinal qi, refined from the energies it consumed. However, it had mostly absorbed the residual impurities of my alchemy experiments and then the hypnosis gu. I was curious to see what would emerge.

    At the same time as my qi left my body, I felt icy tendrils spear into my throat from Gao Shan¡¯s tightening fist. I instantly recognised them as poison.

    It was no surprise that a cultivator of the Gao Clan would use poison as a weapon, but that was yet another miscalculation on his part. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry at the situation.

    Unfortunately, there was still the problem of the strength of the poison. My physique could only handle so much. It all hinged on what Gao Shan¡¯s true cultivation was.

    If he was a Foundation Building master, it didn¡¯t matter that my physique was able to refine poisons¡ªone of that level would simply overwhelm me and ravage my body from within. However, like a ray of piercing sunlight breaking through a blanket of storm clouds, I clung to a single hope of survival; if Gao was still in the Qi Gathering Realm, I might be able to resist his poison.

    The final strand of my qi left my body, a raging swirl of corrupting energy now blossoming along Gao Shan¡¯s arm. I staggered backwards as he released my neck, the poison burning into my chest.

    Gao Shan stared down at his arm with derision painted across his face. ¡°Is this your final hope? A last ditch technique to try and kill me?¡± he snorted.

    I didn¡¯t give him any face by responding. Either the technique would work and he would die, or it would fail and he would live as I struggled to fight against the poison.

    I coughed, my breathing short and sharp. The poison was burning through my windpipe and spreading towards my lungs.

    My body had already begun to refine the poison, but it was slow progress. It was a powerful toxin and I barely made a dent. Each breath managed to refine a drop of the poison, but there were rivers of it.

    Gao Shan¡¯s face remained twisted into a sneer, but I saw the doubt creeping in from the corners of his eyes. My qi was spreading through his arm, far slower than I expected but still making constant progress.

    I saw tiny lumps forming on his skin as he tore back the sleeve of his robe and glared at his arm. However, I was unable to keep focusing as the poison reached my heart and lungs.

    I felt as though a fire had been lit inside me, scorching its way through my organs. Even with the excessive stages of body tempering I¡¯d been through and the refining of my organs due to my physique, the poison continued to spread and wreak havoc.

    Gao Shan didn¡¯t put my technique in his eyes, but I would have to hope it could at least leave a mark. Wang Ren was on his way and if I could weaken our enemy then perhaps he would take revenge for me.

    The tang of iron mixed with the acrid taste of poison in my throat as I spat blood, falling to my knees. I looked upwards, but all I saw was a mountain of blades and a sea of fire.

    My vision failed me as the poison spread from my neck to my head. My dantian swelled like a fat-bellied drunkard as the void spat something out.

    At the same time, the first drops of Gao Shan¡¯s poison reached my stomach. That had two effects. First, the pain was incomparable to what I¡¯d been feeling until then. It was as though a tiger was trapped inside my gut and clawing its way out in a furious rage.

    The second and more useful effect was that my stomach began to refine the poison alongside my lungs. That increased the rate at which I was fighting against the poison, but it was still far from enough.

    My entire body shuddered in weakness. I was locked in a life-or-death struggle with the rampaging poison. Expending all my qi to try and kill Gao Shan had been a risky gamble.

    It left me weakened, unable to use my full cultivation against the poison. However, if it was able to injure or kill the bastard, that was a trade I would happily take.

    There was a positive side to this torture. My heart was being refined faster than ever before, with every wheezed breath and churn of my gut refining the poison into fuel for the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique.

    It was hard to focus on anything other than the pain, but an uncomfortable sensation had been scratching at my dantian for the last few seconds. Whatever the void had spat out seemed to be acting on its own, beyond my control.

    Unlike previous instances, it had clearly not produced a form of energy or qi that I could bend to my own uses. My senses pierced my dantian and when I saw what was inside I cursed.

    A small purple worm with green spots all over its body was crawling along the walls of my dantian. The underside of its body was covered in tiny hairs¡ªthe cause of my discomfort.

    For a brief moment I thought that the Gao Clan¡¯s hypnosis gu was too powerful to be devoured by the void in my dantian. I soon dismissed that notion, realising that I felt no threat to my soul from the small worm.

    A fresh wave of burning agony cut through my moment of focus. I coughed black blood and yelled in pain. It was a moment of weakness, but also a cathartic expulsion of rage.

    After a few seconds I was able to focus once more. The agonising pain still burned through my flesh and bones as I struggled to refine and cleanse it, but it was manageable once again.

    The worm had crawled a few inches along my dantian¡¯s interior surface while I was distracted. It seemed to have a purpose¡ªthough I couldn¡¯t begin to guess at it.

    Since this creature had been produced by my body I suspected I might be able to form a connection with it. At least I hoped the void was part of my body¡ªhaving a mysterious phenomenon inside the most vulnerable part of me was a terrifying prospect if it was controlled by an unknown force.

    Unfortunately I had no experience in beast taming. Forming a connection with a puppy or a kitten was one thing, but how the hell was I supposed to go about taming a mysterious worm produced by an endless void in my dantian.

    This didn¡¯t seem to be a common occurrence. Nothing in my memories would be able to help. My first instinct was to try and reach out with my consciousness, but the moment I tried that the poison went wild.

    I was in a tentative balance with the destructive toxin. It was steadily corroding my flesh and bones, but by focusing I could keep it at bay as my organs refined it.

    The healing energy they produced restored the damaged flesh, though not fast enough to actually keep me alive¡ªnot forever, anyway. A small portion was split to refine my heart, which was gradually taking on a metallic sheen as it approached the point of being half refined.

    If I couldn¡¯t utilise all my focus to try and make a connection with the worm, I would need another solution. My second choice would be to use a strand of my qi, but I had consumed it all in my attempt to kill Gao Shan.

    A few drops splashed around in my hollow dantian, but it was far from enough to be useful. I allowed myself to settle into a trance as I fought against the poison. The flesh on my neck was black and rotten now, my head wobbling as I lost the strength to hold it up.

    The worm suddenly stopped moving. I watched with curiosity as it lifted its head off the ground. A hint of disgust and wonder was added to the mix as it peeled back the front of its mouth to reveal rows of teeth like microscopic needles.

    Then, it lunged down and bit into the shell of my dantian. I gasped. The pain was indescribable, making the poison seem like the tickling of phoenix feathers. That caused me to lose focus and I collapsed to the ground as the poison gained a second wind.

    What the hell, little fella!?

 Chapter 60

    I thought the void in my dantian was only a benefit, but it had produced this fearsome little devil that might put me into an early grave. Then again, could I blame the worm for looting a burning house?

    I coughed blood a dozen times as I fought to regain control against the spreading poison. My flesh blackened and rotted in its wake, my physique not powerful enough to resist.

    A tiny corner of my mind was trying to keep watch over the strange worm now crawling out of my broken dantian. I wondered if the damage was permanent¡ªthat all my struggles would amount to nothing in the face of this tiny creature.

    However, the dantian was a sturdy thing. Like a towering elm tree standing tall against a storm, it was not going to break from a single wound.

    Strands of medicinal energy refined in my stomach and lungs split off to patch the hole. My qi worked from within, the energy from the outside.

    It was excruciatingly slow, but I didn¡¯t mind. As long as I had not been crippled and barred from cultivating¡­ again.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had actually passed. To me, every instant of agonising pain stretched into infinity. For all I knew, only a few breaths had passed outside.

    To make matters worse, I had no idea if Gao Shan was the type to ensure I was dead or simply leave his poison to do its work. Time was not on my side.

    Not knowing whether my technique had been effective on him was also a worry. However, worrying about these things was like watching rice cook¡ªa waste of time.

    What would be would be. All I could do was try to purge the poison from my body and heal myself.

    If I could make a connection to the worm that would also be miraculous. Currently, it seemed intent on becoming another enemy to me. That would not do, but given its origin in the void in my dantian I had hope that it was simply a wayward ally.

    Inhale. Exhale.

    Focusing on my breathing, trying to refine as much of the poison as I could with every breath, kept me conscious. Even staying awake was a battle.

    As time passed, the fraction of my mind that was keeping watch on the worm grew. I wasn¡¯t sure if it could even be done, but it seemed I was succeeding nonetheless.

    When I realised that losing focus on the poison would be lethal, I¡¯d tried to figure out a way to maintain watch on the worm inside my body. Without qi, I¡¯d been left with a single method¡ªto separate a strand of my consciousness from the whole.

    It had proven impossible, at first. Trying to tear a piece of one¡¯s mind away was insanity¡ªto a mortal, at least.

    As a cultivator I had continually broken and bent my limits as I climbed closer to the peak. I had no idea what I might be capable of, so it couldn¡¯t hurt to try.

    The scientist in me thrived on these experiments, seeing what new doors opened with every breakthrough, even as others shut behind me. Until now I hadn¡¯t succeeded in my original goal¡ªa true separation of a sliver of consciousness.

    What I had managed to accomplish however, was sectioning off a portion of my mind to focus on the task of managing the worm. It was not enough to make a connection or form a bond with the creature, but I could at least keep an eye on its activities.

    Currently, it was crawling away from my dantian, making a beeline¡ªperhaps wormline would be more accurate¡ªfor my stomach. Rows of sharp needle teeth chewed through my flesh and sinew like silken tofu as it wriggled onwards.

    I wondered what it was searching for with such determination. Since it had fallen into my dantian it had not stopped moving once, except to chew a hole through it and enter my physical body.

    Was the worm made of energy or physical matter? That was an interesting question. While the dantian occupied a space in a cultivator¡¯s body, it was also something far greater, the core of their cultivation where spiritual energy was refined into qi.

    Did that make this strange worm a spirit beast? Could it cultivate too? Was that what it hoped to achieve by devouring my flesh?

    Part of my senses probed it, searching for signs of cultivation. Spirit beasts all possessed cores, so that was what I searched for.

    However, I wasn¡¯t able to find anything. In fact, I couldn¡¯t sense the familiar signs of cultivation on the worm whatsoever. It was like a bowl of soup without dumplings or noodles.

    Yet it still possessed the strength and tenacity to chew through the flesh and dantian of a five-star Qi Gathering cultivator. I shivered, giving the worm a new appreciation.

    Even if I could survive Gao Shan¡¯s poison, was I doomed to fall at the hands¡ªor jaws¡ªof this fearsome little grub? That was a worry I couldn¡¯t afford to let poison my mind.

    Clouded trickles of information and knowledge had begun to stream into my mind. Each droplet of poison that I refined brought me a sliver of understanding, but they were fragmented and difficult to understand.

    It was as though I was collecting tiny fragments of a gigantic painting, unable to truly appreciate what they depicted without piecing together the whole. I suddenly coughed blood once more, crying out in pain.

    I felt as though I¡¯d been stabbed in the gut with a flaming spear. It reminded me of Huo Ze Qiang¡ªthough he would never cultivate again, after I¡¯d crippled him.

    Clenching my jaw through the agony, I realised the worm had made another hole in an essential part of my body. This time, it had chewed through my refined stomach as though it were paper.

    I feared the worst as it crawled through the hole and began wriggling along the lining of my stomach. A drop of poison dripped down and fell onto the worm.

    Instead of the poison infecting and corroding the small, fragile body of the worm, something unexpected happened. The poison splashed against its head and it shivered¡ªor more accurately, wriggled.

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    It leaned its head forwards, making the drop of poison roll off of it, before suddenly flicking it back and opening its maw wide. The poison fell inside its mouth and it swallowed the drop whole.

    The next moment, it froze on the spot. This was the first time I¡¯d seen it stop moving other than when it was chewing through my vital organs.

    Then it began to vibrate and wriggle. That was an odd sensation. The rest of my body was burning as though set aflame, locked in a struggle against the deadly poison, while my stomach was vibrating and itchy.

    It was a strange duality of sensations. As I was wondering what was going on with the worm, it began to compress and decompress in pulses, like a wave travelling along its body.

    I watched this happening for a few breaths until I realised what it was doing. This damned worm wasn¡¯t¡­ He pooped in my stomach.

    Suppressing the urge to vomit, I took a closer look at the glowing green excrement that had come out of the backside of the worm. The worm itself had continued crawling along my stomach lining, heading towards the highest concentration of poison.

    That cleared up the mystery of what its goal had been. All along it had been sniffing out the poison in my body and trying to devour it.

    I wondered if the void in my dantian had a connection to my Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique, and hence the worm too. We shared the same ability of being able to purify toxins, although I had never seen the material that it produced emerging from my own organs.

    Now that I knew the worm wasn¡¯t an immediate threat, I instead focused on the material it had produced. In fact, the worm might actually help me to survive Gao Shan¡¯s poison if it continued to devour it, assisting my own efforts.

    The small pile of glowing green¡­ I hesitated to say poop, because it wasn¡¯t, but I couldn¡¯t shake the image of the worm expelling the pile from its backside. Whatever it was, it reminded me of my own medicinal energy.

    Making that comparison was a little gross, but the similarities were undeniable. And I¡¯d seen far more disgusting things in my time as a doctor. This was only made worse by the fact it had happened inside my stomach.

    Unfortunately for me, my physique was providing no information about this mystery material in the way it often did with poisons, herbs, or other medicinal ingredients. I would need to figure it out myself.

    Luckily, it being inside my body gave me a great deal of control over the substance. The worm also seemed uninterested in its excrement after it had left its body. The little guy was happily drinking more poison as he wriggled through my stomach.

    Everything went black.

    I snapped back to awareness, noticing that the poison had almost taken complete hold of my mind. That was less than ideal. How could I devise a method to refine and cleanse it if I died?

    Then again, I had known this was a losing battle from the moment Gao Shan arrived. The fact I had held on this long was testament to the power of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique.

    That the man himself hadn¡¯t struck me with another technique spoke to the lethality of my own cancerous technique. Either he was the kind of sadist who enjoyed watching his victims suffer, or he was struggling to deal with the tumours ravaging his body and unable to attack me again.

    Both scenarios worked in my favour, though the latter only meant that my death was a matter of time, rather than in my own hands. For now though I could only continue fighting the poison while refining my heart.

    The worm was on my side for now. The more poison it devoured and transformed into the strange glowing substance, the less I had to cleanse myself. I wasn¡¯t sure what the substance was yet, but it was not harmful to me in the way the poison was.

    The rate at which I was able to refine my heart was astonishing. Until being inflicted with this poison I had managed to refine it around ten percent of the way through all my alchemy experiments. Since Gao Shan poisoned me, it had gone from there to almost three quarters of the way to being completely refined.

    If I was able to hold on a little longer I might be able to fully refine it, completing the third of five organs refined for the first layer of the physique. I wasn¡¯t sure what the function of my refined heart would be, but I had to hope it would improve my chances against the poison.

    Darkness struck me once more.

    I continued to struggle on, knowing nothing but the constants of my breathing and the swirling in my stomach. It was producing something from the poison it refined, but what that would be was yet another mystery.

    I felt as though too much that happened to me these past few days was in the realm of the unknown. I¡¯d felt confident since my success with refining my healing pills, but I once again felt like a child looking up at an infinite cosmos, my knowledge far greater than it had ever been and yet a mere fraction of what was out there to discover.

    The first pellet that the worm excreted suddenly fell from my stomach lining, falling into the swirling mix of my qi and Gao Shan¡¯s poison below. The moment it made contact with a drop of my qi it burst into a shower of green light.

    I instantly recognised what it was¡ªmedicinal energy! Not quite identical to the energy produced by my body, but something adjacent. The worm, as I suspected, devoured poison and the heavens¡¯ knew what else, refining it into crystallised medicinal energy.

    When that pellet touched my qi, something happened that caused it to instantly sublimate from solid crystal to energy. The energy from the burst washed over my body in a wave, healing my blackened flesh in its wake.

    Compared to the vicious onslaught of the poison it had little effect, but the worm was constantly munching on the poison and pooping out the pellets of medicinal energy. Every small counter measure added onto the whole, giving me a greater chance of survival. I felt a sense of fondness and connection with the strange little worm, our abilities remarkably similar. We fought the same battle right now¡ªwe were brothers.

    I blacked out again.

    At the moment I returned to consciousness, I felt a wrenching sensation as my mind was split in two.

    The majority of my mind returned to the battle against the poison¡ªan endless struggle to maintain the integrity of my vessel against the corrosion of the vile toxins. A small part of it however, went somewhere else entirely.

    My consciousness was tugged towards that small sliver. I resisted the pull at first, fearing that if I let my focus slip for even a single breath my body would succumb to the poison.

    However, even as I was pulled further away from my mind, I felt no sense of danger. If anything, my consciousness seemed to work even more efficiently without my irrational human hand guiding it.

    Everything went black. It wasn¡¯t the darkness of unconsciousness this time, but the infinite darkness of the void.

    I wondered what this was¡ªa vision of some kind? That would be plausible if I was asleep, but I was occupying a portion of my consciousness.

    If anything, this endless space reminded me of the void that resided within my dantian. Was there a connection between the two?

    Why had I been taken here after waking up? All questions that I could not find the answers to on my own, so I simply watched and waited.

    I heard a deep hiss, echoing with bass and subsonic tones that made my entire body rumble. The void filled with mist, a deep, lush green in colour. It reminded me of my own qi but far richer and infinitely more condensed.

    I suspected that even a single droplet of that mist had enough energy to fill my dantian a million times over. And everywhere the void spread, the mist filled.

    The scale of it boggled my mind. I was an ant before this vision. Despite being just a sliver of consciousness, my vision was locked to what was in front of me. I attempted to turn around, but instead of my vision shifting it simply expanded.

    The sensation was a little nauseating. If I was inside my body right now I suspected I might throw up or collapse given how intense it was. I felt like the frog at the bottom of a well, realising that the small sky it believed to encompass the world was but a miniscule fraction of true reality.

    As my vision expanded to reach a full three-hundred-sixty degrees around me, I came face-to-face with the source of the endless mist. If I had eyes they would be bursting from my head in surprise and confusion.

    I thought confronting the endless void and the mist of boundless energy was an eldritch experience, but what I saw now made it seem tame in comparison.

 Chapter 61

    In every direction as far as I could sense, stretched a fleshy mass of pure white. It was difficult to tell for sure given the astronomical scale of the being, but I instantly knew what I was looking at.

    A worm larger than anything I¡¯d ever known.

    Telling the true size of everything I was seeing was hard, being a sliver of consciousness in an almost empty void. We could¡¯ve been shrunk down to the size of an atom for all I knew, but something told me that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The rumbling hiss was the sound of the worm exhaling, the mist excreted from within its body. As I watched, its maw split open, white flesh peeling back to reveal an even deeper, more endless void than the one we currently occupied. Within the worm¡¯s gullet I glimpsed at the endless mysteries of the cosmos.

    If I could retain even a fraction of what I was seeing, my own knowledge and comprehension would advance in leaps and bounds. Teeth more numerous than the stars in the sky lined the worm¡¯s maw, each one sharper than a sage¡¯s sword intent and larger than a planet.

    This creature was the single most powerful entity I¡¯d ever encountered. I wondered if I was even in the same world as before or if my consciousness had travelled an infinite distance.

    Perhaps none of this was real¡ªthe crazed hallucinations of a dying man. The vivid image and the pressure I felt told me that was unlikely to be the case, but I was no fool to rule out any possibility without undeniable proof.

    The mist continued to spill out into the void, filling every single gap. I was reminded of a lecture I¡¯d had on infinities during a brief period where I¡¯d been fascinated with maths.

    Even though infinity was meant to stretch on forever, there was actually a difference in the scale of infinities. Some were larger than others.

    To me it seemed that this infinite void was on a smaller scale than this worm. The void within was that vast and incomprehensible.

    Yet that was only the beginning. As I watched, the mist settled and sunk into the void. In its place I saw endless wonders being birthed. The creation of stars and nebulae, galaxies and black holes, and even civilisations in the trillions that rose and fell like mere splashes of paint on a boundless canvas.

    The rumbling hiss of the worm¡¯s breath halted. In its place I heard the vibrant sounds of a universe come to life. The human mind was only able to understand the scale of a universe in the simplest of terms, yet that pure white worm was greater still.

    I was lost in what I saw. Witnessing the birth and death of planets and stars, entire galaxies consumed by black holes with nothing left behind. It was magnificent¡ªthe most beautiful thing I¡¯d ever seen.

    Even though I struggled to connect this to my own abilities or my physique¡ªwhich I suspected the void in my dantian was part of¡ªI was making endless gains nonetheless. The pursuit of the grand Dao was vast and ever expanding, with a single cultivator unable to grasp the entire tapestry, unless they exceeded the limits of this small world.

    As soon as it had begun, I heard a sharp hiss that snapped across the cosmos like the twang of a zither. Nearby, I saw a solid, swirling sphere of energy, green and yet colourless, spinning faster than the speed of light.

    Everything nearby was drawn towards the sphere, pulled into its rapid rotations as though it were the centre of a solar system. However, any planet, star, or celestial body that touched the sphere was obliterated and absorbed into the swirling mass.

    It grew and grew, devouring everything in the infinite universe the worm had created until there was nothing left but the endless void and a colossal swirling sphere of deep green energy. It reminded me of the process through which my refined stomach condensed energies, but on an infinitely grander scale.

    As I watched, I heard a deafening groan as the sphere started to shrink. The energy and mass of an entire universe being compressed as easily as closing a fist.

    It shrank and shrank until it was a miniscule sphere, the size of¡­ a pill. My mind almost shattered as I realised what the worm had done. The tiny sphere was a pill refined from the birth, life, and death of an entire universe.

    The worm¡¯s inhale sucked the pill into its maw, where it vanished into the endless void. My mind was blank, unable to even put words to what I¡¯d witnessed.

    Simply seeing the act of creation and destruction of a universe was more than I¡¯d ever believed a human mind could perceive, yet the purpose of such grand acts was the same as a common alchemist tossing herbs into a cauldron¡­

    To treat this scale of energy and life with such little regard, just how ridiculously lofty was this worm¡¯s point of view? I was reminded of that strange voice that had spoken to me during my breakthrough.

    Was this worm the owner of that voice? Or perhaps was the entity that spoke to me on a greater level. That idea was insanity to even suggest, but the limits of my comprehension had been broken.

    I suspected the voice that had spoken to me was on a much lower level than this worm, but I was thankful for the experience I¡¯d been granted. I felt a heavy tugging on my consciousness and this time I didn¡¯t resist.

    I flew through the void and in the blink of an eye found myself back in my own mind and body. I gasped, my eyes snapping open as awareness of the world around me flooded back.

    My body was still ravaged by poison. It seemed that barely a breath¡¯s time had passed while I watched an entire universe be born, live, die, and then get refined into a pill.

    I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. The worm was still crawling its way through my stomach, my heart was continually being refined, and I was approaching my death at a slow crawl.

    I felt all the insights and comprehension I¡¯d gained witnessing the vision slipping from my grasp like water through a strainer. Keeping hold of them was impossible. In the end I felt as though I¡¯d lost more knowledge than the universe could hold.

    However, I wasn¡¯t left without gains. Even the miniscule fractions of insights I¡¯d kept hold of were nuggets of jade¡ªcondensing my understanding into something greater.

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    My actual cultivation hadn¡¯t progressed, but I felt as though what I had gained was infinitely more valuable. It was as though my path had widened as it was laid before me, clearer than ever before.

    Where I had been stumbling like a child taking its first steps, I was now a teenager¡ªstill unsure of my final destination but with a clear resolve, even if it was shaken at times. I realised that this was my comprehension of the Dao.

    Or perhaps not the Dao as a whole, but my Dao. The Dao of Healing. Healing was an act of defying death, gathering and guiding life. Watching the birth and death of a universe through energy remarkably similar to my own had been enlightening.

    All my techniques could be improved with the insights I¡¯d gleaned. That would have to come later. Right now I knew that I could overcome Gao Shan¡¯s poison once and for all.

    Inhale. Exhale.

    The rate at which the poison was being refined had not increased by much, but it was approaching a tipping point. The worm had almost cleared all the poison from my stomach, every pellet of crystallised medicine it left behind a boost to my efforts.

    That sliver of consciousness that returned from the void remained a little separate. I felt as if I could control it with ease. This was what I¡¯d been aiming for all along.

    I pushed it towards the worm. I didn¡¯t want to dominate the creature, but rather open my mind to it in hopes of forming a connection. Neither I nor the former occupant of this body was learned in the ways of beast taming, so for all I knew this could be a suicidally reckless or utterly useless attempt.

    However, the moment my consciousness touched the worms I felt something. Its mind was far¡­ lesser than my own, but there was a sense of kinship. I¡¯d called the worm my brother and that feeling remained. We had a shared purpose and abilities¡ªkindred spirits.

    The worm returned the connection, feelings of satisfaction and joy being sent back. I felt the consciousness return to my mind, along with a foreign drop of¡­ not energy, but soul perhaps?

    I didn¡¯t have the understanding, but I knew that I had formed a bond with the worm in some shape or form. I tried to convey that its burrowing hurt me and it sent back images, feelings.

    The worm didn¡¯t communicate in words, but we managed to have a semblance of conversation. The itching as it crawled through my body remained. It turned towards my chest, having cleansed my stomach.

    This time however, rather than chewing through the wall of my stomach it simply passed through it as though it wasn¡¯t there. Did it possess that ability all along or had it gained it through our new connection?

    Either way I was glad. It would continue to cleanse and refine the poison, while no longer damaging my internal organs. I heard a shattering noise followed by a metallic clang like a gong being struck.

    I coughed blood, the poison still ravaging my chest, but cracked a grin. Looking upwards, I saw Gao Shan for the first time since he struck me.

    The man was panting and groaning, but firmly on his feet. He glared at his arm which was swollen and lumpy with tumours. That wasn¡¯t all.

    I saw that the qi flows in his arm were disrupted, two slightly different signatures warring with each other. Turning his energy on itself and not simply corrupting the physical body had worked, though already I could see many improvements I could make to the technique.

    It was rough, imperfect. If I¡¯d twisted my intent in different ways or used my qi more efficiently I might actually have stood a chance at killing Gao Shan.

    I could sense his cultivation now. Nine-star Qi Gathering Realm, a peak cultivator of our realm. That was great news.

    I wheezed breaths as I felt my heart beating faster and faster. It began to beat at a rate that felt unsafe, like drums of war. However, I knew this was not dangerous for me.

    I had been uncertain of the effects of completely refining my heart, but the moment it was finished I knew. My lungs were a refinery, purifying ingredients and toxins into medicinal and healing energy for my body to use.

    My stomach was a cauldron, turning all forms of energy and physical ingredients into new forms of energy or refining alchemical products. The heart didn¡¯t have its own individual function per se, but it was still a boon.

    A stream of healing energy travelled from my lungs to my racing heart, entering through the atrium as my blood did. The heart continued to beat, the energy within swirling and writhing.

    A breath later, pure spiritual energy was expelled from the aorta, spreading through my body. That spiritual energy entered my dantian where it was slowly refined into qi.

    The heart could take medicinal energy and turn it back to pure spiritual energy that could be refined into qi or used for any other purpose. Not a world shaking effect, but incredibly useful nonetheless.

    To be able to restore my qi internally, not having to rely on spirit stones or ambient spiritual energy, was a powerful asset. Many cultivators would be green with envy if they knew I possessed such a talent.

    As my heart beat, it extracted more and more healing energy from my lungs and even started to pull the writhing creation from my stomach. That energy was an odd blend of poison and qi, but it absorbed it nonetheless.

    Rivers and streams of pure spiritual energy surged into my body, most of it being absorbed and refined by my dantian, but part of it simply vanished. I realised it was being expelled into my surroundings.

    Not necessarily wasted, as I was giving back to the world. While that was not a direct gain, it felt right. Maintaining harmony with heaven and earth was equally as important as increasing my cultivation and refining my physique.

    Within a few breath¡¯s time, all of Gao Shan¡¯s poison had been cleansed or refined. The final pellets of crystallised medicinal energy burst and healed my body as I was able to crawl back up to my knees.

    I coughed blood, but it was no longer black and corrupted. With another exertion of will I clambered to my feet. My body was ravaged, the endless waves of healing energy not enough to restore me to full health.

    However, I felt stronger than ever before. I wasn¡¯t a Body Tempering practitioner anymore, but each time my flesh and bones were destroyed and rebuilt, my physical body grew more durable and strong.

    Even my cultivation had benefited. I was right at the pinnacle of five-star Qi Gathering, needing only a small push to break through to the next star.

    As I reached my feet, I heard Gao Shan roar and watched as he gathered all of his qi in his right hand before jabbing two fingers against his shoulder. My eyes went wide, realising he had severed his own spirit veins, cutting off the flow of qi to his arm.

    It was a devastating move, dealing permanent damage to his circulation of energy, but it effectively cut off his arm. Next, he jabbed his arm in three places and quickly subdued the virulent tumours and rebelling qi.

    He spat blood on the ground before snorting and flicking his sleeves. Our gazes met, mine filled with defiance and pride while his burned with fury and wounded arrogance.

    Gao Shan had looked at me like a god looked at an ant. However, I had proven myself to be more than a paper tiger. I was in a far worse state, but I had still damaged a cultivator four stars above me and survived his most lethal technique.

    ¡°My little cousin was right about one thing. You¡¯re like a damn worm, always regrowing no matter how many times you are carved apart. I do not think you are immortal, Zhao Dan,¡± he sneered, though it lacked the imperious arrogance he¡¯d held before.

    Within my consciousness, I felt the affirmative satisfaction of my new wormy friend. I would need to give him a name. Whatever the bastard was about to throw at me, I wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°That last poison was the most potent technique I possess. However, it requires little sacrifice. The Gao Clan have a devastating technique, one that trades the vital qi of the caster in order to inflict an incurable poison on their foe. I hadn¡¯t thought I would need to use it on five-star trash, but the patriarch must arrive in the city to find it firmly in my grasp,¡± he declared, taking a single step and appearing in front of me.

    I saw him gasp and shudder, the very essence of his life shrinking as he thrust his hand into my chest, ripping into my flesh as though it were tofu.

    ¡°Die, worm.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Even as my chest was torn apart and I felt an immense pressure descending onto my very soul, I couldn¡¯t help but grin through bloody teeth at Gao Shan. ¡°Worm, you say?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Worms are stronger than you think, arrogant bastard.¡±

    Gao Shan¡¯s strength was ridiculous. Even with the numerous temperings my physical body had gone through he was still able to tear through my defences.

    However, that was false power. He was burning his vital qi as fuel to empower his technique. Right now it was a battle between whether I would be able to hold on longer than him.

    His strike was not only a physical one, but I felt a presence settling into my chest. It was similar to the hypnosis gu, but much more intense.

    If the hypnosis gu had been a burrowing worm attempting to crawl into my soul, this was like the hand of the heavens reaching down to grasp my soul and crush it whole as easily as turning a hand. However, I refused to give in so easily.

    Gao Shan sneered, staring imperiously down his nose as I shrunk towards the ground. My legs buckled and my body trembled, but I remained standing.

    He took that as a personal insult. Using two of his strongest techniques on a mere five-star Qi Gathering cultivator and failing to kill them was a major loss of face.

    He ripped his hand from my chest, blood spurting out as he did. Chunks of flesh splattered against the ground and he flicked the mess from his hand with a wave of his sleeve.

    I staggered backwards. The force gripping me was not physical, but the pressure it emitted was intense.

    I wanted to scream, but I would not give Gao Shan the satisfaction of seeing me do so. I felt as if this was becoming a common occurrence, but this pain was beyond anything I¡¯d felt.

    Even the poison that burnt away my flesh and corroded my mind had hurt less. Additionally, while this presence felt beyond my understanding, it paled in comparison to the infinitely colossal worm I¡¯d seen in my vision.

    Even if it was the hand of the heavens themselves clutching at my soul, what did that mean next to a being that could create and destroy an entire universe to refine a single pill? My mind was still reeling from that encounter, my consciousness and soul tempered by the experience.

    Gao Shan coughed blood, stumbling himself. While he had dealt lethal damage to me and unleashed whatever was clutching for control of my soul, it had taken a great toll on him.

    Vital qi was a finite resource, granted at birth. Cultivators could not replenish or create it anew. Once it was gone, it was gone forever.

    He had consumed a substantial amount to power this technique. I could see why it was the most powerful forbidden technique of the Gao Clan.

    No matter how high one¡¯s cultivation, they would still have to pay the same price to cast the technique. Even a nascent soul sage could not escape the backlash, although they might unleash a version of the technique that was far more devastating than Gao Shan¡¯s.

    This time I felt control of my mind and body slipping away from me. The hypnosis gu had failed entirely, getting devoured the moment it entered my dantian, but this was a new realm of threat.

    My movements stiffened. My arms and legs jerked. I lost control for fleeting moments, leading to odd shakes and trembles. My mind was more resilient, my thoughts remaining my own for now.

    The Gao Clan¡¯s methods were truly insidious. I couldn¡¯t imagine a more evil technique than mind control. Even their vile poisons seemed like swallows before a dragon.

    Unfortunately, whatever was attempting to wrestle control away from me was not something I could refine. My physique seemed useless here. I was satisfied that I¡¯d forced Gao Shan to pay a heavy cost to take my life, but I do wish I could¡¯ve lived to see him die.

    ****

    Xiao Cui¡¯s hair fluttered in the breeze. She wondered why there was a breeze, given that the elder¡¯s flying treasure shielded them from the wind as they soared high above the ground.

    Given the dramatic way the robes of the three cultivators were fluttering about, she suspected it might be a function designed for aesthetic flair. Her master always said that cultivators were theatrical bastards.

    They¡¯d travelled all the way to the Cloudy Falls Sect to seek Wang Ren¡¯s help in saving Zhao Dan from the Gao Clan. Xiao Cui had expected some resistance, though her master always spoke highly of his friend.

    Instead, they not only gained the help of Wang Ren, but Wang Ren¡¯s master and another Elder of the Cloudy Falls Sect. She almost felt sorry for the Gao Clan. Almost.

    They deserved every bit of pain and suffering that was about to befall them. They said even a dragon could not suppress the local snake, but in this instance it was more like a foreign snake trying to suppress a local dragon.

    The Gao Clan were doomed.

    The ones who¡¯d come to Three River City, anyway. Xiao Cui didn¡¯t really understand the difference between various cultivators.

    What made that granny and grandpa so much better than her master? Was it because they could fly? She frowned. They were using a giant sword to fly, not their own power, so that didn¡¯t make sense.

    Then again, she couldn¡¯t fly even if she had a giant sword. It was all quite confusing. Zhao Dan once tried to explain the different realms of cultivation to her, but she didn¡¯t get it.

    He¡¯d babbled about harmonising with the spiritual energy of the world and refining and tempering things. She preferred it when he taught her about healing and alchemy. She was quite good at mixing tonics and salves.

    Her product had become famous all across Three River City. She¡¯d made more money than anyone in her village had ever seen in their lives, wore fine silk clothes that made her as elegant as a princess, and ate delicious food every single day.

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    Her life had been transformed by Zhao Dan. If he died, she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself.

    Wang Ren turned around to face the three of them with a comforting smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it was just me I would be nervous, but with Master Bang and Elder Jin here, those trash don¡¯t stand a chance,¡± he said, puffing out his chest.

    ¡°Pah! Where did you learn to speak such flowery words, brat? Maybe I need to be harsher with your training,¡± Elder Bang exclaimed, slapping Wang Ren on the back of the head.

    Wang Ren staggered and coughed, turning to his master with a look of betrayal in his eyes. ¡°Master Bang, surely you jest? I already spend sixteen hours a day working on my glaive forms!¡± he protested.

    ¡°That¡¯s eight hours going to waste. Youths these days, no wonder upstarts like the Gao Clan think they can muscle into our territory,¡± Elder Bang said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Indeed, the discipline of the disciples grows more lax with every cohort. I believe they need more motivation. When we return, let us enact these reforms with haste, Second Brother Bang,¡± Elder Jin agreed with a taciturn nod.

    ¡°I suppose it has been a while since I left my peak,¡± Elder Bang mused, scratching his chin. ¡°A walk around the sect will do this old fool some good.¡±

    ¡°You are as insightful as you are humble, Second Brother,¡± Elder Jin said, raising his head with a smirk.

    He suddenly shouted in shock and spat blood as Elder Bang kicked him in the backside. He almost tumbled from the flying sword, but caught his balance at the last moment.

    Before Xiao Cui knew what was happening, the two grandpas were brawling like rowdy teenage boys. This was the final hope of Three River City? Heavens save them all¡­

    ****

    It had taken them the better part of an entire day and night to reach the Cloudy Falls Sect when they rushed off in search of Wang Ren. On the back of Elder Bang¡¯s flying sword they crossed the distance in just a few hours.

    ¡°No wonder cultivators look down on us mortals,¡± Yu Chun said, peering over the edge of the wide, flat sword at the rice paddies and ant-sized people scurrying about.

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Xiao Cui replied, smirking at the young city lord, Teng Sheng.

    He¡¯d had a starry admiration in his eyes, his fervent gaze locked on the tall backs of his three heroes. Even the elders, with their white hair and beards, had perfectly smooth skin and muscular bodies.

    She¡¯d heard that cultivators aged slower than mortals, so for the two men to show the signs of age, how many years had they lived? Xiao Cui didn¡¯t care, as long as they saved Zhao Dan¡¯s life.

    She shuddered as a heavy and invisible presence swept over them. A firm but comforting hand squeezed her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just my Master,¡± Wang Ren assured her.

    She nodded in reply, glancing down at Three River City as they approached its towering walls. From this high in the sky, they looked like carvings in the mud.

    ¡°There is a nine-star Qi Gathering cultivator somewhere in the centre of the city. Likely the Gao brat,¡± Elder Bang said, opening his eyes.

    ¡°Is that it? Why did both of us make this journey again?¡± Elder Jin scoffed.

    ¡°You and your master insisted on it,¡± Elder Bang replied with a wry chuckle.

    ¡°My master is dead, what do you-¡± Elder Jin began with confusion written across his face before spitting. ¡°Watch your words, Second Brother. You may be First Brother¡¯s equal in cultivation now, but he has a clan at his back. You have an untested disciple,¡± he added with a sneer in Wang Ren¡¯s direction.

    Xiao Cui didn¡¯t understand their conversation, but she could tell it was about politics. Old men always bickered about pointless things.

    The way they spoke about the Gao Clan members, it was clear they didn¡¯t expect it to be a hard battle. So why were they delaying?

    ¡°The brat isn¡¯t the only cultivator in the city. Perhaps if you paid more attention to your surroundings and less to the condition of your beard, you might have noticed that, little Jin,¡± Elder Bang said, pointing a finger directly at the palace.

    Elder Jin frowned at the insulting use of his name, but followed the direction of the finger until his eyes rested on the palace. Xiao Cui could barely make out the individual buildings from this height, but the palace was big and shiny enough to stand out.

    ¡°Interesting. The Gao Clan truly are plotting against us, it seems. We shall have to crush this rebellion with the full force of the sect. A tiger does not allow a snake to make a nest in its home. Let us meet this master face to face, Second Brother,¡± Elder Jin declared.

    ¡°You can handle him on your own, Fifth Brother Jin. I shall retrieve Zhao Dan from the Gao brat and meet you afterwards. It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±

    Elder Jin spat again. ¡°That trash ex-disciple isn¡¯t the reason we are here. Our objective is to remove the stain of the Gao Clan from our lands and remind them why the Cloudy Falls Sect is the hegemon of this region. We don¡¯t need to waste our time with the boy.¡±

    ¡°Does allowing the Gao Clan to kill one of our former disciples show them that we are in control of our lands, little Fifth? Use your head. I know you are blinded by the Sun Clan¡¯s wealth, but there is a brain in there somewhere,¡± Elder Bang snapped, letting a little of his presence spill out.

    ¡°As you say, Second Brother Bang. We must show the strength of our sect. Don¡¯t take too long, or you¡¯ll miss all the fun,¡± Elder Jin agreed with a stony expression, taking a single step off the side of the sword and plummeting to the city below.

    Elder Bang snorted as the other man disappeared, before turning to Wang Ren. ¡°My disciple, I will not step in to save your friend. That is your responsibility. These three loyal people came to seek your help and that is what they will receive.¡±

    ¡°Master, you cannot be serious!¡± Wang Ren protested, his tone taking on a sharp edge.

    Master Bang chuckled loudly, falling into a cross-legged sitting position at the front of his flying sword. ¡°Relax. You need a chance to test your techniques in battle. This is a perfect opportunity. I said I won¡¯t help your friend, but if my precious disciple is in danger, then that is another matter entirely,¡± he said with a wink.

    Wang Ren froze for a moment then sighed, sinking into the flat blade of the sword. ¡°I see. Master is wise,¡± he said, bowing his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not wise, Wang Ren, just old. When you live as long as I have you see a lot of things. Some strange, some disturbing, some beautiful, but all experiences shape the spirit of a cultivator. Now, let me see what your spirit is made of,¡± he announced, disappearing from view.

    Xiao Cui¡¯s eyes went wide as he reappeared in front of Wang Ren and planted a foot in his disciple¡¯s chest. The boy went flying over the edge of the sword towards the city below with a startled shout.

    Bang Ji began to cackle like a madman, the tip of the flying sword descending towards the earth below. Xiao Cui wondered if he¡¯d truly gone insane, or if he¡¯d always been that way.

    Teng Sheng and Yu Chun had rushed to the edge of the sword to watch Wang Ren fall through the sky like a meteor. ¡°Will he survive?¡± the young city lord exclaimed.

    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t survive, he isn¡¯t worthy to be my disciple,¡± Elder Bang replied with no trace of amusement remaining on his face.

    ****

    Wang Ren was shocked when his master kicked him off the flying sword, but it took less than a breath¡¯s time for him to accept it. Bang Ji was eccentric at the best of times, but he¡¯d known the sort of man his master was before he attempted to become his disciple.

    The fall to Three River City was long and dangerous, but he would survive it. If he did nothing, he¡¯d land and break most of the bones in his body, arriving a cripple and unable to save his Junior Brother.

    He knew what Master Bang¡¯s intentions were in giving him this trial. He had told him that his glaive forms were untested in the crucible of battle. This was only the first of many challenges that lay ahead and if he failed to meet his master¡¯s expectations then he was worse than trash.

    However, Wang Ren was not nervous in the slightest as he drew his glaive. Master Bang¡¯s expectations of him might be ridiculously high, but the standards to which he held himself were even more severe.

    ¡°Shattering Earth, Carving Heavens Heavy Glaive, first form,¡± he whispered as his body began to ripple and writhe in the air, his glave singing a song of destruction and power.