Accumulating Energy

Ever since Master Zhang adjusted his position, Yang Heng had discovered that he was being treated preferentially without realizing it. The way others looked at him was completely different from before.

At lunchtime, there was visibly much more food in his bowl than usual, with faint specks of minced meat sauce mixed in.

When it was his turn to receive food, the serving master's hand no longer shook. His face was wreathed in smiles, as though serving Yang Heng was an honor in itself.

Everyone's behavior left Yang Heng greatly puzzled.

Even if Master Zhang valued him, things should not have looked like this. Their enthusiasm was clearly excessive.

After thinking for a while and still getting nowhere, Yang Heng stopped dwelling on it and focused on eating.

After wolfing down three large bowls of food, he felt full for the first time. Resting a hand on his round belly, he quietly observed the changes in the Marrow Cleansing Pearl.

With a slight thought, he saw that the white threads on the Marrow Cleansing Pearl's surface had increased considerably since yesterday, nearing twenty.

At the same time, a message suddenly surfaced in his mind: Marrow Cleansing Pearl (0.1%).

After one day, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl had accumulated 0.1% energy.

If Yang Heng did not give himself extra meals and relied solely on the pharmacy's daily food, he could only accumulate 1% energy in ten days.

In one month, he could accumulate only 3%.

To fully charge the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would take nearly three years.

He could not wait three years!

In this world where danger lurked on all sides, if he did not quickly gain the strength to protect himself, then should disaster suddenly descend one day, he could only wait helplessly for death.

Strength!

At that moment, Yang Heng desperately wished to become powerful as quickly as possible.

And the only path before him was the Marrow Cleansing Pearl.

Its residual energy alone had sent his eyesight, reaction speed, strength, and every other aspect soaring, allowing him to easily crush the brawny Li Kui.

If he underwent one complete baptism of energy, how powerful would he become? It was simply unimaginable.

By then, even if he was no match for a martial artist, he would surely stand at the very top among ordinary people.

Within Qingyang Town, that would be more than enough for self-protection.

Marrow Cleansing Pearl, I'm counting on you.

Yang Heng said silently in his heart.

That afternoon, Yang Heng carried a paper parcel of medicinal herbs in his right hand, stepped out of the pharmacy, and merged into the bustling crowd. In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.

Hundred Herbs Pharmacy stood in the center of Qingyang Town, the most prosperous area in the entire town. Those who could open shops here were either local tyrants or formidable outsiders with martial artists backing them.

Otherwise, opening a shop in this inch-of-land, inch-of-gold district was out of the question.

Hundred Herbs Pharmacy had put down roots here and monopolized the town's medicinal herb trade. First, it had deep foundations: this was merely a branch, while its main store was located in Qinghe City, the nearest city to this place.

Second, it had martial artists guarding it. That was why it possessed such immense prestige in Qingyang Town and why ordinary people dared not provoke it.

Outside the pharmacy lay Qingyang Town's main street, paved with neat, uniform bluestone slabs. The road was wide enough for four or five horse carriages to travel abreast.

Shops stood shoulder to shoulder on both sides: weapon shops, restaurants, inns, brothels, treasure houses, and more.

Most pedestrians entering and leaving this area were splendidly dressed, their faces rosy with health. There were handsome young masters with jade pendants at their waists, daughters of wealthy households in luxurious long dresses followed by maidservants, and wandering martial heroes carrying sabers and swords. Some traveled alone, others in groups, their laughter and chatter unceasing. It presented a peaceful scene, with not the slightest trace of a chaotic age.

Yet once he left the center of Qingyang Town, the sight before him made Yang Heng unable to believe his eyes.

The ground had split in every direction like a spiderweb. Excrement piled up along both sides of the road, flies buzzed back and forth, and the stench was so overwhelming that one would feel sick enough to vomit at a whiff.

The road was muddy and difficult to walk on. The people on the streets were yellow-faced and gaunt, like walking corpses. If their eyeballs had not still been moving, one might have thought a procession of zombies had appeared.

There were no magnificent shops here, only a few scattered stalls selling steamed buns or hot tofu. Yet few people bought anything, and business was bleak, completely incomparable to the crowded food stalls on the main street.

Though both lay within Qingyang Town, the difference was so vast. One place was heaven, the other hell. Yang Heng could not understand it.

Had he not joined the pharmacy, he would probably have been one of the people before him now.

Though the work at the pharmacy was exhausting and he often suffered beatings and scoldings, at least he did not have to worry about food or clothing. He received one set of clothes each in spring and winter. Compared with the starving people before him, it was the difference between heaven and earth.

And now that his status had changed, his days ahead would only grow better and better.

At that thought, his previously heavy mood brightened considerably in an instant.

After transmigrating into this world, he had not come to be a savior. He only wanted to live his own life well, free from oppression and humiliation, with a place to stand.

If he had the ability, he might follow his heart and occasionally help suffering commoners. But for now, he could only watch.

Reining in his emotions, Yang Heng quickly passed through this area and headed toward his destination.

More than an hour later, Yang Heng arrived at a village five li from Qingyang Town. When he reached a landlord's house, he called out the steward, handed over the medicine, accepted the receipt issued by the pharmacy, confirmed that it was correct, and turned toward the homes of the other people who had ordered medicinal herbs.

Unfortunately, he did not receive any reward money this time.

He had heard other pharmacy apprentices who delivered medicine outside discussing that, over the past few months, very few people had received reward money.

After a busy stretch, the sky was gradually darkening by the time he returned to the pharmacy. He handed six receipts to the counter, and the master on duty nodded in confirmation. His work for the day was finished.

Compared to scrubbing toilets in the early morning and hauling medicinal herbs around during the day, this was indeed much easier, and it consumed far less physical strength.

His stomach did not even feel hungry yet, whereas at this time in the past, it would already have been growling loudly.

After dinner, Yang Heng watched the Marrow Cleansing Pearl slowly accumulate energy, and a trace of satisfaction flashed through his heart.

After washing up, Yang Heng went to an unoccupied place, took out the dried pork strips he had bought on the way back, and began devouring them with gusto.

Food was expensive in this year of disaster. One jin of dried pork strips cost one hundred copper coins. Yang Heng had bought one jin, intending to test the effects first.

One strip of pork after another fell into Yang Heng's stomach and, with the help of the Marrow Cleansing Pearl, was quickly digested completely.

Sure enough, the higher the nutritional value of the food, the faster the Marrow Cleansing Pearl accumulated energy and the greater its progress.

Through his spiritual perception, Yang Heng saw misty vapor drifting around the Marrow Cleansing Pearl. White threads continuously emerged from within, touching and merging in pairs to form a hazy, fog-like scene.

After a while, the phenomenon vanished.

When he noticed the message transmitted into his mind, Yang Heng was beside himself with joy.

0.5%!

In just that brief moment, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl had accumulated 0.5% energy, bringing it to 0.6%.

The energy provided by one jin of dried pork strips equaled the total from five days' worth of food at the pharmacy.

Before Yang Heng could continue rejoicing, he suddenly felt heat coursing through his entire body. It felt as though insects were crawling beneath his skin, the pain and itch nearly unbearable. His fingers involuntarily scratched at his body.

With one light scratch, he scraped off a layer of old skin.

Witnessing this scene, Yang Heng vaguely understood what had happened.