The Effects of the Medicinal Bath

Lin Yan headed straight for his second brother's house after leaving Duke Lu's courtyard.

However, a burly young man approached him.

This was his second sister-in-law's elder brother, He Zhi, who was now the Neighborhood Chief of the sixth street in Lin Jiang Ward. He was doing quite well for himself in this area.

It was thanks to him that Lin Yan had been able to get a job at the slaughterhouse back then.

"A'Yan! Where have you been these past couple of days?"

"There have been Malevolent Spirits causing trouble in the city these past two days, so I didn't dare to go out."

"You kid, you're not exactly skinny, and you've killed plenty of pigs. You're still so timid. You need to toughen up your courage from now on. Maybe I'll take you to move dead bodies sometime."

He Zhi laughed heartily and said, "The older generation says butchers have Malevolent Energy. If Malevolent Spirits see you, they'll probably be afraid of you! They say Malevolent Spirits fear wicked people, so why are you afraid of Demonic Evils?"

"There have been Malevolent Spirits causing trouble in the city these past two days, and the slaughterhouse has been requisitioned by the outer city yamen. You'll have to take a break for two or three days. I was thinking since you haven't had work lately, I'd have you do some odd jobs. You could at least earn a few dozen copper coins."

He stepped closer, intending to chat with Lin Yan for a moment.

Just then, a young man ran up in a hurry.

"Big Brother, there's a noble from the inner city who wants to go hunting outside the city. The District Chief has specifically requested you to escort them."

"It hasn't been that long since the Demonic Evils attacked the city, and they still want to go hunting outside?" He Zhi's brow furrowed with a headache.

Outside Gao Liu City, the boundaries between the various wards had already been demarcated by forests and streams.

For example, between Qing Shan Ward and Lin Jiang Ward, there was Ox Horn Mountain.

"Inside the city, at most, they can go for a spring outing or enjoy the scenery. They've long found that boring."

The young man chuckled and said, "These nobles from the inner city don't have to work and still get enough to eat, so of course, they want to find some exciting activities! But luckily, the reward money is quite generous..."

"Alright, then go prepare."

He Zhi said this, then turned to Lin Yan and added, "I have something to attend to, so I'll be busy. We'll have a meal together when I have free time."

"Okay."

Lin Yan nodded and waved his hand.

The night before last, the Demonic Evils had attacked the city, resulting in many casualties, and quite a few houses in the ward had collapsed.

Lin Jiang Ward was currently short-handed and had been ordered to clean up the mess, which was still not finished.

Yet today, a group of people had to be dispatched to serve these nobles who were coming out from the inner city for entertainment.

Lin Yan glanced at the Zhou Family's house nearby, where white banners had already been hung, and his expression grew a little somber.

As he walked into his second brother's house, he heard his second sister-in-law's voice from inside.

"A few days ago, you went to that girl's house to discuss A'Yan's marriage. Why has there been no news since?"

"Although our family is a bit short on funds, if I ask my brother, he's willing to lend us money for A'Yan's wedding."

"You interrupted me before when I was about to ask, what's the meaning of that?"

"Could there be another change in A'Yan's marriage prospects?"

"Is that girl looking down on our family's poor circumstances?"

His second sister-in-law said this, her voice laced with worry.

Lin Lei's expression became even more complicated, and he hesitated to speak.

It wasn't that the girl looked down on their family's circumstances.

It was that the girl's family circumstances were too dire.

Recalling the scene that night, Lin Lei's face turned pale, and he felt a lingering sense of dread.

He glanced at his wife but ultimately didn't tell her the truth.

If he said it, it would only make his wife terrified and unable to sleep all night, with no other benefit.

Moreover, if the news got out, wouldn't the neighbors in the ward gossip everywhere that Lin Yan was bewitched?

It would be difficult for him to find a wife in the future!

"You're not speaking again, just like a block of wood. He's your own brother!"

His second sister-in-law sighed helplessly and said, "A'Yan is already of marriageable age. Look at the rhymes he teaches the children, like 'bowing my head and thinking of a maiden'..."

"This clearly shows he's using the children to remind us, his two siblings, that he wants to get married."

"He's found a girl he likes now, so you should go and arrange the marriage for him."

"If you're too late and someone else proposes, ruining A'Yan's chance at this marriage, won't you blame yourself for the rest of your life?"

As his second sister-in-law spoke, his second brother's expression also gradually became complicated, pondering whether he should really find a wife for his brother.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Lin Yan's expression grew increasingly complex.

With his second sister-in-law's talent, it was a real shame she wasn't writing books and composing stories.

"Bowing my head and thinking of a maiden..."

Lin Yan watched the little girl happily trot over, calling out "Little Piggy, Little Piggy" as she ran.

He took a deep breath, unable to help but sigh helplessly, his expression complex as he said, "You little silly pig, you're ruining my reputation..."

He had no choice but to pick up the child and walk into the house, calling out, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, I'm hungry."

In front of Lin Yan, his brother and sister-in-law didn't mention the "engagement" that hadn't been settled yet.

After eating, his second sister-in-law washed the dishes and played with the children.

Meanwhile, Lin Lei was in the courtyard building a wooden ladder.

Lin Yan took the initiative to fill the water缸 at home and boil a pot of hot water to take a bath in the inner room.

He first took out the medicinal packet and simmered it in the water, then scooped up the medicinal liquid and added it to the bathtub. He repeated this process many times until the medicinal dregs had no color left from simmering.

By then, the bathwater was no longer scalding hot, but at a perfect temperature.

He took off his robes and sank his body into the tub.

The warm steam made him feel quite comfortable.

The Blood Essence within his body gradually circulated.

"The materials for the Inner Strength medicinal bath, if bought and mixed from outside, would cost at least five taels of silver per dose."

"And this dose of medicinal ingredients is clearly one that the 'Dao Protector' beside Duke Lu often uses, belonging to the medicinal bath materials for the Essence Refining Realm."

"Duke Lu asked me to add three taels of silver, meaning this bucket of medicinal water would cost eight taels of silver."

"In Gao Liu City, many people work themselves to death and only earn two or three taels of silver, barely making ends meet, or even struggling to survive."

"Even my elder brother, with He Zhi's help and working diligently, would need half a year to save up for one dose of these medicinal ingredients."

"The path of martial arts is indeed not a path that ordinary commoners can hope to tread."

Lin Yan thought this, closed his eyes slightly, and mused, "However, from now on, appearing in public as a Junior Banner of the Lin Jiang Department will certainly remove many shackles..."

He closed his eyes slightly, sensing his physical body and its absorption of the medicinal effects.

With his powerful senses, he could tell that once the water cooled, the medicinal effects became negligible.

This proved that his absorption of the medicinal effects was almost perfect, reaching ninety-nine percent.

He then took a deep breath and sensed the progress of his cultivation.

Cultivation: Essence Refining Realm (652/3650)

Then, when he opened his eyes, his face was almost black.

"Spent eight taels of silver and only gained a little?"

"One medicinal bath, only a small increase in cultivation?"

"If I rely purely on medicinal baths to increase my cultivation, it would take at least ten years to reach the peak of the Essence Refining Realm?"

"And I'm considered to have a special constitution, absorbing over ninety percent of the medicinal effects."

"If it were another martial artist's constitution, even if they cultivated to the Essence Refining Realm, and even if they could take a medicinal bath every day, wouldn't it still take them twenty to thirty years to ascend to the peak of the Essence Refining Realm?"

"No, a person's Blood Essence reaches its peak and then declines. Martial artists over forty are considered to have reached their peak, and after that, they will gradually age and decline."