Body's Drastic Change

If his guess was correct, the series of changes happening to his body had to do with the Marrow Cleansing Pearl.

Yang Heng speculated that the pork strips he had just eaten were too rich in nutrients for his body to absorb all at once—his system was too weak for such a supplement. The Marrow Cleansing Pearl had activated to help, allowing his internal organs to perfectly absorb the leftover nutrients, gradually strengthening his physique.

In the past, the food he ate was so lacking in nutrients that part of it went to the Marrow Cleansing Pearl, and the rest was fully absorbed by his body. Even if the pearl secretly lent a hand, he never noticed. Not like today, where it was so obvious.

By sheer accident, he had discovered a hidden function of the Marrow Cleansing Pearl.

Besides releasing mysterious energy once it was fully charged to cleanse the marrow and scour the bones, transforming his constitution and enhancing his talent, on a daily basis, it also helped digest the food he ate, ensuring not a single bit was wasted, allowing his body to absorb it perfectly and silently strengthen his physique.

A day or even a month might show no visible effect, but over time, his body would grow stronger and stronger—just a little bit each day, enough to avoid drawing attention.

Realizing that the Marrow Cleansing Pearl also aided digestion, constantly tempered his body, and strengthened his physique, Yang Heng was ecstatic. He grinned so wide his mouth nearly split, even forgetting the pain and itch from the transformation.

Soon, the changes in his body came to an end.

After carefully feeling himself over, Yang Heng was beaming.

Whether it was psychological or because the Marrow Cleansing Pearl's first tempering was especially effective, he truly felt a massive change in himself.

His originally rough skin had become smooth and firm, and his withered arms had gradually filled out, no longer looking like skin and bones.

His body felt much lighter and more agile, as if he had shed several pounds of weight. His steps were brisk and nimble, with a spring in his stride.

The world before his eyes seemed a bit clearer, like wiping dust off a pair of glasses and seeing everything anew.

The remarkable changes in his appearance truly stunned Yang Heng.

So this was the power of the Marrow Cleansing Pearl?

So this was the power of the legendary cheat?

With just a little effort, his body had undergone earth-shattering changes. If its energy ever fully charged... then the transformation it would bring was simply unimaginable.

Yang Heng eagerly looked forward to that day.

He took a deep breath, slowly calming his restless emotions.

He had been out for a while. Normally at this time, he would already be lying in bed asleep. If he didn't go back soon, he might arouse suspicion.

When Yang Heng's figure appeared at the entrance of the dormitory, the room instantly fell silent. The others cast him a glance filled with awe, then quickly looked away, afraid to catch his attention.

One apprentice near the door, by the moonlight, noticed the changes in Yang Heng and was so shocked his mouth fell open, frozen in place.

In just a short while, Yang Heng looked like a completely different person, as if he had swallowed some miraculous pill.

His eyes were bright and spirited, his skin smooth and firm like silk. His arms were solid and strong.

This transformation only further confirmed the suspicion that he had a martial artist backing him.

Only a powerful martial artist could cause such a dramatic change—no one else.

Gradually, the other apprentices noticed the strange look on that one apprentice's face, and then they noticed the changes in Yang Heng himself. They were stunned, mouths agape, utterly incredulous.

They thought the same as that apprentice—they were certain Yang Heng had a martial artist supporting him. When they looked at him again, the awe in their eyes deepened.

Yang Heng also noticed the shock on everyone's faces. They were staring straight at him, sizing him up as if he had flowers growing on his face.

In an instant, he understood why they were all staring at him like that.

They must have noticed the changes in him.

He was filled with regret, but he kept a calm expression on his face. He swept his gaze across the room, walked straight past everyone, and came to his own bed.

To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault.

In his past life, he had just been an ordinary person, not some secret agent. How would he know any special techniques for disguising himself? He had been too excited to think about how his changes might draw attention.

Even if he had thought of it, it wouldn't have been easy to cover up.

He didn't know any Disguise Technique.

If he tried to handle it carelessly, he might just make things worse and attract even more attention.

What was done was done. Now he had to figure out how to deal with the aftermath.

He thought for a while but came up with no solution—only a few strands of hair he had scratched out.

After racking his brains for a long time, he still couldn't find a good idea.

Yang Heng sighed. He would just have to take things one step at a time.

If the apprentices asked, he could find some excuse to brush them off.

But if the medicine shop masters started questioning him, it would be hard to fool them.

After all, the medicine shop masters were well-traveled and experienced, far beyond what the apprentices could compare to. Tricking them would be no easy task.

Suddenly, a murmur of whispers caught his attention.

After being tempered by the Marrow Cleansing Pearl, his ears had become much sharper. He could make out conversations within five meters, even if they were very quiet.

"Second Fool Yang Heng, how did he get so lucky? He actually has a martial artist helping him."

"He was gone for just a moment, and now his face is ruddy and he's full of energy. That martial artist must have given him something good to eat."

"Still calling him Second Fool? Aren't you afraid he'll hear you and cause trouble? Don't drag me into it."

One of the apprentices lowered his voice.

"Our voices are so quiet, how could he possibly hear us?" This apprentice said dismissively.

"Sigh, people's fates are just different. With a martial artist backing him, Yang Heng is destined to rise high, while we can only watch helplessly, unable to share in his fortune."

"I regret it! I regret not getting along with Yang Heng back then, or else when he made it big, he might have given me a hand."

"You regret it?" Another apprentice sneered. "When you were bullying Yang Heng before, you didn't hold back—plenty of punches and kicks. Where was your regret then?"

"Damn it, don't stand on a moral high ground and lecture me. You took part in messing with Yang Heng too."

"Yeah, I did take part." Realizing this, the apprentice spoke more and more quietly, his voice trailing off.

At that moment, another apprentice joined the whispered conversation.

"Whether Yang Heng rises high or not doesn't matter much to us. I just hope he doesn't come looking for trouble later."

"Yeah, yeah."

"We missed the chance to offer help when it counted. Since he's not truly powerful yet, we can still find a way to patch things up with him."

"Oh, you have a good idea?" one apprentice asked.

"Money! Give him money."

"That day, when Li Kui mentioned buying his life with money, Yang Heng's eyes lit up and his expression softened a lot. That shows he likes money and needs it."

Hearing his analysis, the other two apprentices nodded in strong agreement.

"Money, but I don't have any. I gave it all away that day to make amends."

"Yeah," another apprentice chimed in.

"If we don't have money, we can give him some medicinal herbs.

Not long ago, the pharmacy organized us to gather herbs up the mountain. I saw with my own eyes that you stashed away an Old Ginseng in a hidden spot. Later, I went looking for it but didn't find it, so you must have taken it.

I bet you haven't sold it yet. People in Qingyang Town who need herbs come to our pharmacy to buy them; they wouldn't buy herbs of unknown origin."

"That's not true," the apprentice quickly denied, though his eyes betrayed a hint of unease.

The other apprentice, meanwhile, wore a thoughtful expression.

With that, the whispered conversation ended.

And Yang Heng had also figured out how to handle the pharmacy's interrogation.