Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder

Oh, oh!

As the rooster crowed in the city, the two night watchmen from the Cautious Punishment Division who remained at Chen's Apothecary visibly relaxed.

Three crows of the rooster meant the most yin period had passed, and the accumulated yin energy had begun to dissipate. Even if remnants of those evil spirits lingered, they would be like rootless duckweed, unable to cause much trouble.

As the first ray of dawn broke through the night and illuminated the courtyard, Zhao Hu and Feng Yong, who were responsible for guarding the backyard of Chen's Apothecary, exchanged a glance and stood up from the stone stools they had been sitting on.

"The sky has brightened, and there's nothing else to do now," Zhao Hu said indifferently.

"You can tidy up the courtyard," Feng Yong added casually before walking out of the courtyard with Zhao Hu.

Hu Yong stood to the side and politely said, "Sirs, since there's nothing else, would you like to have some morning tea before you go?"

"No need," Zhao Hu replied distantly, ignoring Hu Yong's attempt to get closer.

As night watchmen for the Cautious Punishment Division, even with the same Second Blood Forging cultivation, his authority and status were far beyond what Hu Yong could compare to. He was also confident in achieving Third Blood Forging in the future, so he naturally treated Hu Yong and the others with indifference, having no interest in befriending them.

Let alone Hu Yong and the others, even among the young masters of the Chen family behind this apothecary, only the second young master, Chen Hua, who had entered the Inner Hall of the Seven Martial Alliance, was someone he considered remotely significant.

Zhao Hu and Feng Yong left the courtyard directly, not sparing a second glance at Hu Yong, Wu Ming, and the others within the courtyard.

Seeing them leave, Hu Yong escorted them to the courtyard entrance, shaking his head slightly. After all, they were officials from the Cautious Punishment Division, so it was normal for them to ignore him. If Chen Gui were here and invited them for tea, perhaps they would have shown some respect.

All in all, the night had been fraught with danger but ended without any losses. They had successfully defended the main hall.

"Everyone, let's have some medicinal tea while we wait for the Young Master," Hu Yong said as he turned to look at Sun Wang, Wu Ming, and the others behind him. He then walked into the main hall, took out a few grams of Bloodgrass Tea, boiled water, and brewed a large pot.

Sun Wang, Ma Liu, and the others didn't stand on ceremony. They had put in a lot of effort to defend the main hall last night, even depleting some of their Qi and Blood. It was natural for them to enjoy some Bloodgrass Tea. When Chen Gui arrived, there would be other forms of compensation.

Wu Ming also sat down and took a cup along with Sun Wang and the others.

After drinking, he immediately felt the warmth of the medicinal tea spread through his abdomen, turning into streams of warm currents that flowed to every part of his body. This time, his perception was much clearer than ever before. He could even perceive the internal structure of the medicinal tea, realizing it contained a special kind of essence that could nourish the body and stimulate Qi and Blood.

"The Qi and Blood that were depleted before, by drinking Bloodgrass Tea like this, it should take about a month's worth to replenish," Wu Ming felt the changes in his Qi and Blood more keenly.

Excluding other forms of nourishment like meat consumption, if he only considered the nourishment provided by Bloodgrass Tea, drinking it once a day would replenish the Qi and Blood that was extracted and refined by the Black Emperor's Demon Subduing Diagram in about a month.

Of course, in reality, he also consumed meat daily to nourish his body, so his recovery would be faster. It would likely take less than half a month, around ten days, to fully recover.

Qi and Blood, in general, were easier to replenish than to accumulate, especially during youth.

Not long after.

Chen Gui also arrived after hearing the news.

"I've heard the general details of what happened last night. Everyone has worked hard," he said. He already knew that the shop had been attacked last night and that Hu Yong and the others had fought hard to defend it. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he immediately expressed his concern for everyone. This shop might not be much to the entire Chen family, but it was now his personal property, the foundation upon which he wanted to build his career.

If the shop suffered heavy losses, although he could still seek compensation from his family, he would inevitably lose face in front of his brothers and be reprimanded by the old master. Being mocked by his brothers, however, was unbearable.

Chen Gui didn't waste time with pleasantries.

He went straight into the main hall and quickly retrieved four medicinal packets, distributing them directly to everyone.

"This is the Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder. Everyone's Qi and Blood were depleted defending the shop last night, so use this powder to replenish it. Also, I've doubled your wages for this month," Chen Gui was very generous.

The Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder was a type of tonic. It was made from seven precious medicinal ingredients in a special ratio, and a packet sold for forty-five taels of silver at the shop. Wu Ming didn't know the actual cost, but it was certainly not low.

In addition, doubling the monthly wage meant an extra ten taels of silver in remuneration.

Although ordinary families, when facing trouble and injuring their guards, would also give some subsidies to their guards, it was usually just a small amount of silver. Someone as generous as Chen Gui was indeed rare.

"Thank you, Young Master!" Sun Wang and Ma Liu were naturally very pleased. A packet of Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder was enough to replenish their depleted Qi and Blood, allowing them to recover quickly. The additional silver remuneration was also substantial.

Wu Ming accepted the subsidy from Chen Gui and cupped his hands in thanks, but Chen Gui waved him off.

"No need for thanks. Brother Wu and everyone else fought bravely against the malevolent spirits last night and protected the shop, preventing the destruction of the medicinal ingredients in the main hall. I should be thanking Brother Wu and all of you."

In fact, the generous subsidies were given partly because the shop was saved, thus avoiding significant losses, and partly to show Wu Ming that he would never mistreat those who worked for him.

Without displaying such an attitude, how could he make Wu Ming willing to become his right-hand man and work for him in the future?

Wu Ming was unaware of Chen Gui's intricate thoughts, but he appreciated Chen Gui's generosity and the many favors he had shown him.

The group didn't chat for long. After the fierce battle last night and with their injuries, they soon returned to their rooms to rest.

Time passed quickly.

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

With the Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder provided by Chen Gui, Wu Ming's lost Qi and Blood was mostly recovered within just three days. Although not fully replenished, it no longer had any significant impact on his body.

For the past two days, Wu Ming had been staying in the backyard of Chen's Apothecary, chatting with Sun Wang and the others. They didn't need to handle the night patrols either, as Chen Gui had temporarily brought in a guard from the Chen family to be responsible for the night watch during these few days.

"This 'Lin' Word Incantation truly has endless marvelous uses."

Inside the room, Wu Ming sat on the simple bed, his chin resting in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.

During these past few days, while recuperating and restoring his Qi and Blood, he had also been studying the 'Lin' Word Incantation derived from the Black Emperor's Demon Subduing Diagram. He was becoming increasingly proficient in its application, essentially meditating on this incantation every night before sleep.

By holding onto the 'Lin' Word Incantation, he could enter a state of tranquility and sleep almost instantaneously. Unlike normal sleep where consciousness is lost, during his transition from tranquility to sleep, his consciousness held onto the 'Lin' Word Incantation, remaining fully aware.

Although it appeared as though he wasn't asleep, he was actually in a state of deep meditation, conserving his energy. This was ten times more effective than normal sleep, and he only needed an hour of this meditative state each day to feel completely refreshed and energetic.

This was undoubtedly another pleasant surprise for Wu Ming.

In the martial world, various crises were endless, and sleep itself represented a kind of danger. Many advanced martial arts practitioners focused on controlling their sleep through breathing techniques, maintaining an extremely shallow state of slumber, and waking up instantly at the slightest disturbance to guard against ambushes. However, even with these methods, they still fundamentally needed to fall asleep.

But now, with his mastery of the 'Lin' Word Incantation, he had no periods of unconscious rest. For all twelve hours of the day, he maintained constant external awareness. It would be incredibly difficult for anyone to approach and ambush him without him noticing!