Changing Impressions

Fu Feng simply couldn't believe his eyes. "Have you no shame? Choosing to follow the enemy of your alma mater? Don't you intend to wash away the shame of your school? Have you no dignity as martial artists?"

Noticing Fu Feng's gaze, Gaoyang Wuji turned around and glanced at him, responding with a dismissive chuckle. "Why wouldn't I cling to a powerful figure? I'm not stupid. What does a martial artist's dignity matter? Can it be more important than my life?"

The World-Ending Mad Demon is not only incredibly powerful, but also possesses extraordinary strategic wisdom. If I don't cling to his coattails, am I supposed to listen to your nonsense and become the thankless commander of this fleeing army?

"Captain?" Hou Fei asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing. He's just a fool who can't even understand his own situation. Don't bother with him."

Gaoyang Wuji knew what Fu Feng was worried about, but he had a completely different opinion. Public grudges were not the same as private grudges. He did not want to make enemies with a genius like Si Ming, who clearly had a bright future, because of school matters. However, as a student of Sun Wu University, some things were unavoidable, and now was a good opportunity to get out of the quagmire.

Once he acknowledges this favor, he can use the excuse of "not wanting to repay kindness with enmity" or "being caught between loyalty and righteousness" to back down when others try to instigate him against Si Ming in the future, leaving others with nothing to say.

Gaoyang Wuji wouldn't miss such a chance to both curry favor with a powerful ally and turn an enemy into a friend. As for the requirement not to question the tactical plan, from Military School perspective, it was actually the most correct approach. The commander-in-chief was responsible for formulating the tactics, and the soldiers were responsible for executing them. This was the most efficient way. If the lower-ranking soldiers were all wondering whether the commander-in-chief's tactics were reasonable, then there was no way to win the battle.

Most importantly, they don't even look at their current situation. They're surrounded by a massive army, with thousands upon thousands of enemies. At a time like this, they're still thinking about fighting for power and profit. They must be out of their minds!

Just in case, Gaoyang Wuji reminded his teammates, "Stay away from Fu Feng from now on. Don't believe anything he says, or he'll drag you into this mess sooner or later. Stupidity isn't contagious, but it can be harmful."

The teammate nodded in agreement.

Chapter 668 Reversing Impressions

I disagree!

Ying Zhou shouted loudly at Murong Wu.

"But... but if we don't do this, there won't be enough time, and he'll die from the poison."

"That's his own problem. We saved him and prevented him from being killed by the Demon General, which is already a great favor to him. We're not his father, so there's no need for us to do anything for him for free."

"But... I'm a doctor. Saving lives is my responsibility. I can't just watch him die, especially when I have the ability to save him." Murong Wu clenched his fist and said, "To love someone is to love oneself. This is also a principle of the Mohist School. How can I stand by and watch him die?"

"Of course I don't object to doctors saving patients, but I've never heard of a doctor sacrificing themselves to save a patient. Even the Mohist School never advocate this. From the Mohist School perspective, you're sacrificing the opportunity to save the world for the sake of saving one person. This is a petty act of righteousness, not a greater one!"

"I don't intend to sacrifice myself, I'm just taking a small risk. Taking a small risk to save a life is worthwhile."

The two were locked in a dispute, Murong Wu, seeing that he could not persuade Ying Zhou in time, worried that continuing would only cause them to miss the best time for treatment, so he asked Si Ming to act as an arbitrator.

"... So, Xia Guanxue has been poisoned and there's currently no antidote, so you plan to donate your blood to him because your blood contains powerful medicinal properties."

This was the core of what Si Ming had gleaned from their accounts. Just as he was about to ask Murong Wu where his confidence came from, he remembered something and blurted out, "You've cultivated the Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body from the Shennong's Three Fists?"

Murong Wu nodded and said, "Master provided a large number of heavenly materials and earthly treasures to help me quickly Cultivation Body. Although I have only just begun, and cannot guarantee the removal of the toxins from Xia Guanxue's body, it should be enough to strengthen his physical functions and prolong his life."

The Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body is a physical technique recorded in "Shennong's Three Fists." There is also a technique called the Hundred-Warding Poison Body, each with its own unique effects. The former has an astonishing recovery ability, and it is said that once mastered, even if only a piece of flesh remains, it can grow back into a human. Moreover, the cultivator's flesh and blood have the effect of healing injuries and removing deadly poisons. The latter possesses a thousand layers of poisonous gas and can create various plagues at will. If injured in battle, a single spit of blood onto an opponent is enough to poison and kill an opponent of the same level.

Si Ming believed that most people would choose the Hundred-Warding Poison Body, which could scare away enemies and prevent them from making a move. The Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body, on the other hand, would completely transform oneself into a human- heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Once the news spread, it would attract countless covetous people, such as some martial arts masters suffering from chronic illnesses who might want to take a bite of "Tang Sanzang's flesh" in order to heal their injuries.

Of course, the Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body has another use: testing medicines. Once any medicine is swallowed, the cultivator can quickly analyze the ingredients of the prescription. If it's not the temperature, proportions, or other processes that cannot be deduced, the prescription can be reversed.

Regardless of its intended use, it's clear that the Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body is a self-sacrificing practice that benefits others; only those with a spirit of dedication would cultivate it.

Ying Zhou said, "We still need to break through the encirclement later. After the blood transfusion, your body will definitely become weak. Wouldn't that just increase your chances of getting into danger for nothing? This guy is not related to you. He might not take such a big risk for you."

Ying Zhou always acted differently based on personal relationships and did not follow the Mohist School's doctrines. He would fight with someone to cheer Xia Guanxue up, but Xia Guanxue's position in his heart was only slightly better than that of a stranger, far inferior to that of his companions in the orphanage. He would not mind helping her out, but he would not agree to it if it meant putting his companions at risk.

"It's not a doctor's principle to only save lives if you're related to someone. Besides, didn't Brother Ying Zhou tell me that a real man is one who dares to take responsibility and do what others dare not do? If I choose not to save someone because I'm afraid of death, what right do I have to call myself a man?" Murong Wu said firmly.

Ying Zhou was speechless. He had indeed said similar things many times, such as that a man should have the courage to challenge all difficulties and dangers, never yield to a powerful enemy, and that the more dangerous the situation, the more composed he should be... But how could an elder brother let his younger brother take risks?

In short, I just disagree!

If reasoning fails, then all that's left is to resort to sophistry and unreasonable arguments.

Murong Wu wasn't angry. He looked at Si Ming with pleading eyes. In terms of family status in the orphanage, Si Ming was undoubtedly superior to Ying Zhou, who was superior to Murong Wu. Based on past experience, as long as Brother Si Ming nodded in agreement, Brother Ying Zhou wouldn't object. Even if he was unwilling, he would still do it with a lot of complaints.

Si Ming didn't have a good impression of Xia Guanxue, but his master Yan Jinghong chose to forgive her. As her disciple, he had no reason to hold a grudge. Besides, judging from her recent behavior, there was no sign that she had broken her promise. Perhaps he wouldn't save Xia Guanxue if she were in danger, but he wouldn't stop others from saving her if they wanted to.

"Have you made up your mind?" Si Ming asked.

"Yes!" Murong Wu nodded heavily.

Si Ming stared at him for a while, confirming that the other's determination was genuine. He couldn't help but sigh, "He really is Murong Qing's younger brother. Even though he looks very weak, his inner determination is exactly the same. Once such a person has decided on the path he wants to take, no one can pull him back."

In some ways, Murong Wu was more mature than Ying Zhou; the former already possessed the responsibility of a man, while the latter still had some childishness.

So Si Ming turned to Ying Zhou and said, "Big brother has a duty to protect his younger brother. You wouldn't be so worried about your own safety as to prevent him from saving Little Wu, would you?"

It was an obvious attempt to provoke him, akin to fishing with a straight hook, but Ying Zhou took the bait without hesitation. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course I'm confident I can protect him; this is just a precaution!"

"If you truly have confidence in your abilities, nothing unexpected will happen. If you feel you can't protect him, then leave him to me. He can save as many people as he wants; I can guarantee he'll be unharmed."

"Tch, acting all high and mighty... I'll protect him, so you don't need to worry about him. Go do whatever you need to do; this is none of your business."

Si Ming chuckled inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. Before leaving, he asked Murong Wu, "There are no instruments here. How do you plan to give blood transfusions?"

Murong Wu said in Anomalies tone, "What kind of equipment is needed for blood transfusion? Divine Arts will suffice. I worship the Holy Mother of Eastern Yin Kun Yuan Ji Sheng, and one of the three original Divine Arts is the Blood Transfusion Art."

The Holy Mother of Dongyin Kunyuan Jisheng is known as the Goddess of Medical Care among the common people. She is a lower-ranking deity in the lineage of the Goddess of Mercy. Si Ming has never paid much attention to the Mohist Religion pantheon. He only recognizes the Taiwei God and the three main gods. He never expected that the other party would have such a down-to-earth, technical Divine Arts.

No wonder this world's technological development is lagging behind; it turns out that even the basic steps have been exploited with shortcuts. Divine Arts are far safer and more reliable than instruments, eliminating concerns about the dangers of reuse or the possibility of bacterial infection. Basic Divine Arts also consume less internal True Qi; they can be mastered with just two levels of Internal Cultivation energy cultivation, and four levels of Internal Cultivation are enough for twenty uses. Twenty uses may not seem like much, but under normal circumstances, no one can transfuse blood that many times unless they are a "true blood tank."

Of course, Blood Transfusion Art can not only give away one's own blood, but also give away the blood of others, provided that the other party does not resist and actively cuts a wound.

Si Ming didn't stay to watch how Murong Wu received the blood transfusion. Time was precious, so he went to an open space to the left of the waterfall, where nearly forty people had gathered. They were all followers who had agreed to Si Ming's conditions and were willing to follow him without raising any questions. In other words, a full two-thirds of them had chosen to follow Si Ming.

Half of these people were staff members on the island. They didn't have the arrogance of the chosen ones. Since they had no say in who they followed anyway, they might as well choose the strongest one, as this would increase their chances of breaking through and escaping. In their eyes, Si Ming was undoubtedly the strongest among them.