Gently Wiping the Longsword

"Take one pill every morning for seven days straight. Crush and burn this herb; it will help the injured recover faster." Song Miao took out the medicinal ingredients and instructed them.

"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor. This is the consultation fee. Please accept it!"

Seeing their elder brother's injuries improve, the few people around them were all in high spirits, with none of the dark killing intent from before remaining. How could Song Miao dare accept their consultation fee? He repeatedly waved his hands.

In the end, unable to withstand Jian Liang's enthusiasm, Song Miao cautiously accepted one tael of silver. The smiles on the faces of those around him grew even broader, and they no longer pressed Song Miao to accept the rest of the consultation fee.

Chen Fei watched from the side, a chill running through his heart. Song Miao understood the ways of the world; if he had truly accepted all the consultation money just now, the two of them would likely have lost their heads by now.

These people appeared forthright, but how could they truly give away money so casually? Even if it was consultation money, it was no different.

When they left the room and entered the main hall, they discovered that Pu Liao had already fainted on the floor.

"This man tried to run just now. The brothers caught him and brought him back, then broke one of his legs," someone beside Jian Liang said.

Jian Liang's brows twitched slightly. He looked at Chen Fei and Song Miao with a faint smile, then finally cupped his hands and said, "The brothers don't know their own strength and injured him. How about we give this brother some silver so he can go back and recover properly?"

"No, no, we wouldn't dare!"

Song Miao hurriedly waved his hands. He glanced at Chen Fei, who understood at once. Stepping forward, Chen Fei hoisted Pu Liao onto his back and quickly left the courtyard.

"Should we chase after them and kill them?" someone suggested.

"Forget it. They did save quite a few of us, and Big Brother's injuries have stabilized now. Their lives can count as the consultation fee." Jian Liang gave a cold smile and turned toward the rear courtyard.

Chen Fei ran for a while with Pu Liao on his back and could not help growing short of breath. Though the bone-attached sore had been driving him onward and his cultivation had steadily improved lately, his stamina was only somewhat better than that of an ordinary person.

Running while carrying someone was truly more than he could bear.

"Run quickly, in case they change their minds."

Song Miao was panting heavily beside him as well, yet he did not dare stop to rest, afraid that those people might come after them again.

Chen Fei nodded. The urgency in his heart for greater strength tightened even further. They had truly been lucky today; otherwise, one wrong step and they would likely have fallen inside that place.

Pu Liao was already no weakling. He had seized the chance to escape while Jian Liang was away, yet he had still been captured and dragged back. It was clear how many skilled fighters there had been among those people.

All the contingencies Chen Fei had previously considered would likely have led only to certain death if they had truly been put into action.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the two of them had run back beneath the city wall. Cui Sanjie and the others were startled when they saw Chen Fei's group, especially Pu Liao's miserable state.

"What happened?" Zhang Sinan frowned deeply as she looked at Pu Liao's broken leg. Even if it could be treated, he would not be able to walk normally in the future.

"We ran into a nest of bandits. Sigh..."

Having arrived here, Song Miao finally let out a breath of relief and recounted everything that had happened. As he spoke, the people around him listened with their hearts pounding in fear.

One could imagine that if Song Miao's medical skills had been a little worse, if they had lacked healing pills, or if he had been a little greedier, they would likely have been separated from their heads by now.

"These bandits are outrageously bold! I'll report this to the County yamen and have them hunted down!"

Zhang Sinan gave a cold shout and turned toward the county seat. Cui Sanjie hurriedly stepped forward and whispered a few words beside her. Zhang Sinan's expression shifted, but she said nothing and simply continued walking onward.

Chen Fei took several deep breaths. This matter would probably end in nothing. The County yamen would not concern itself with matters outside Pingyin County, and the Zhang Family would most likely pretend that none of this had happened.

No one had died, so wasn't everything fine?

Just as Chen Fei had expected, the Zhang Family did not make a fuss over the matter. They merely compensated Chen Fei and the other two with some silver afterward as consolation.

Pu Liao received more compensation, after all, since one of his legs had been broken.

Chen Fei received more than ten taels of silver. At the same time, word spread through the Medical Hall that he could refine healing pills.

Zeng Defang was gratified beyond measure. He even invited Chen Fei to his home, where the two shared several cups of wine.

Healing pills were somewhat more difficult to refine than Blood Qi Pills. Yet Chen Fei had managed to refine healing pills on his own barely more than ten days after obtaining the formula, clearly demonstrating his talent for alchemy.

It also dispelled the notion some people had held that Chen Fei could only refine Blood Qi Pills and would revert to his original form when refining any other pill.

"Elder Zeng, do you have the formula for Revival Pills here?" Chen Fei asked in a low voice.

Revival Pills were considered an advanced version of Blood Qi Pills, with a stronger effect in promoting cultivation. Naturally, they were also more expensive. Only Muscle Tempering Realm martial artists could possibly be willing to spend money on such pills for cultivation.

Chen Fei had originally felt that cultivating with Blood Qi Pills was not slow. But this world was too dangerous, and he never knew when some mishap might strike. He hoped his cultivation could advance a little faster.

Using Revival Pills for cultivation was likely an extravagance even for people from ordinary aristocratic families while still in the Skin Tempering Realm. But Chen Fei could refine them himself, so there was no issue of being unable to afford taking them.

Just like with Blood Qi Pills, he could keep a portion for himself after refining them and take those himself.

"Revival Pills? They cannot be passed on without the Zhang Family's permission."

Zeng Defang shook his head and picked up a chicken claw with his chopsticks, tossing it into his mouth.

"Then how can the Zhang Family be persuaded to agree?" Chen Fei pressed. At his current rate of earning money, if he bought Revival Pills himself for cultivation, he would likely find his income unable to cover his expenses.

"Marry into the family."

Zeng Defang smiled as he glanced at Chen Fei. "But you no longer have a chance. All the Zhang Family's young ladies have already married out. Still, aside from marrying into the family, there is another way: render merit to the Zhang Family."

"Please enlighten me, Elder Zeng." Chen Fei cupped his hands.

"You have good talent, and the Zhang Family can see it as well. Tomorrow, I'll help you ask around. I'll tell you then."

After three rounds of wine, Zeng Defang had already collapsed over the table, snoring loudly. Chen Fei returned to his own courtyard and wiped the longsword in his hand.

Aside from Revival Pills, Chen Fei also wanted stronger martial arts techniques. But from what he had learned from Zeng Defang just now, the Clear Wind Sword and Wind Suspension Force were already the finest techniques that outsiders to the Zhang Family could obtain.

Stronger techniques would only be passed down among Zhang Family members, unless one married into the Zhang Family and became one of them. Otherwise, even if one rendered merit, one could not obtain the techniques inherited by the Zhang Family.

"Every aristocratic family, or places like the Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, hides away their profound techniques. I'm fine while I'm in the Skin Tempering Realm, but once I reach the Muscle Tempering Realm, the Wind Suspension Breathing Method's effects will certainly weaken further. And the Green Mountain Sword I use against enemies will definitely be unable to keep up afterward!"

Chen Fei muttered to himself. Looking at his panel, an idea slowly surfaced in his mind.

The panel could simplify cultivation techniques, and techniques cultivated to the Great Perfection Realm could even be fused. Since he could not obtain profound martial arts techniques, why not cultivate more basic techniques and fuse them together later? That would surely bring about a change.

When quantitative change accumulated into qualitative change, why should he bend his knee and beg others? Chen Fei could carve out a path of martial arts for himself.

Do you all have recommendation tickets? Toss a few my way!