Ecstasy and Agony

"What was the question you wanted to ask me just now?"

"Here's the thing. I have a friend who ran into some problems during Martial Arts Practice..." Lin Yuan explained his situation in detail.

"A friend? You don't mean that little brother you mentioned last time, do you? [Smile]"

"Never mind who it is. Junior Sister, your family has a deep Martial Arts heritage. What should someone do in a situation like this?"

Wu Zihan thought for a moment and said, "Senior Brother, you... oh, no, that little brother of yours has obviously overtrained, causing stagnation of qi and blood stasis. You need to tell him to take it easy. If this isn't handled properly, it could leave hidden injuries. Many predecessors were like this—they didn't know moderation when they were young and trained too hard, leaving behind all sorts of hidden injuries. Once they got old, in mild cases, they became disabled and could only lie helplessly in bed. In severe cases, they went to the next world early."

"Then, in Junior Sister's esteemed opinion, what should that little brother of mine do?"

"I'll send you a medicinal bath recipe. Also, I'll send that little brother of yours a few bottles of medicinal wine for bruises and injuries today. Have him apply the medicinal wine after every bath, once every two days. And Senior Brother, you absolutely must remind that little brother of yours to be more restrained when practicing martial arts in the future. Slow and steady wins the race—don't rush things."

The more Lin Yuan read, the more something felt off. So there was no getting around this "little brother" thing, was there?

"I'll definitely make sure that little brother of mine takes Junior Sister's words to heart. [Smile]" Lin Yuan could only force himself to reply.

When Wu Zihan saw his message, she nearly burst out laughing.

"Serves you right for using that little brother excuse to fool me before. Now you know how formidable I am, don't you?"

Her grandfather, seated across from her, was utterly baffled. Young people's happiness really was impossible to understand.

"Oh, right, Senior Brother. I need to tell you about the friendly match. Among our opponents this time is someone named Li Hongze. He's a 7th dan black belt in Taekwondo. My grandfather specifically told me to warn you to be careful. I'll send you his information later—make sure you study it properly," Wu Zihan messaged.

"Is he very strong?"

"Senior Brother, don't worry too much either. My grandfather said that winning or losing doesn't matter. Just give it your all."

"Alright. I'll look over his information later and see exactly what level a 7th dan black belt in Taekwondo is."

A day later, Lin Yuan was finally able to move around a little, though he still couldn't make any vigorous movements.

That day, he rode his little electric scooter to a traditional Chinese medicine hall in the city and bought ten doses of the medicinal bath ingredients according to the prescription Wu Zihan had given him.

One dose cost nearly two thousand yuan. Ten doses set him back almost twenty thousand.

He now deeply understood the true meaning of "poor scholars, rich martial artists"!

He had only been practicing martial arts at home for a few days, yet his money was already pouring away like water.

He had previously spent over two thousand yuan on fitness equipment. It might have been just a few pieces, but they were all made of solid steel, making them far more expensive than ordinary equipment.

Then there was the meat he ate every day. Calculating based on beef alone, he had to eat at least six jin of beef daily.

Beef cost around thirty yuan per jin where they lived, which came to one hundred and eighty yuan a day. Including other fruits and vegetables, it was about two hundred yuan a day, or six thousand a month.

The ninety thousand yuan he had on him really couldn't withstand spending like this.

That afternoon, the medicinal wine Wu Zihan had sent him arrived.

Lin Yuan carried out a small stool and opened the package in the courtyard. Inside were six bottles of medicinal wine, each stored in a blue-and-white porcelain jar and placed inside an exquisite wooden box.

There were no labels and no product instructions.

There was only a sheet of paper with the dosage and precautions written in crooked handwriting, followed by a cartoon drawing of Sailor Moon.

Anyone could guess that this had to be Wu Zihan's handiwork.

The medicinal wine had arrived, and he had the ingredients for the prescription, so Lin Yuan immediately got to work.

He walked into the small house on the west side of the courtyard, where miscellaneous items were usually stored, and brought out a large wooden tub covered in dust.

This wooden tub had been left behind by the old man. Lin Yuan had heard his mom say that it had been part of his grandmother's dowry.

Because it was in genuinely good condition, they had never had the heart to throw it away. It had been gathering dust in the storage room ever since, though he had no idea whether it was still usable.

Lin Yuan rinsed it clean with a hose, filled it with water, and found no signs of leaking.

He then asked his mom to help simmer the herbs for the medicinal bath.

According to Wu Zihan's instructions, the herbs for the bath needed to be slowly simmered over low heat for three hours, using about one and a half liters of water. A little water could be added every hour during the process, but no more than two hundred milliliters.

After three hours, all the medicinal properties of the herbs would be concentrated in the liquid.

Then he simply needed to prepare a large tub of hot water and pour the medicinal liquid into it. The bath was supposed to last around two hours.

By evening, in the courtyard.

Li Xiuqing poured the heated water into the wooden tub while muttering to herself.

"You've only been training for a few days, and you've already ended up like this. Honestly, you're such a worry."

It was impossible for her not to have opinions about her son suddenly ending up in this condition.

Lin Yuan watched his nose, his nose watched his heart, and could only patiently endure his mom's scolding.

Once the hot water was ready, Li Xiuqing touched it and said, "Try it. Is this temperature alright?"

Lin Yuan reached out and touched it. Though it was a little hot, it was still within an acceptable range.

Then Li Xiuqing poured in the medicinal liquid that had been simmering all afternoon.

The water in the wooden tub instantly turned golden yellow, and a rich medicinal fragrance rushed toward him.

Without another word, Lin Yuan climbed in and sat cross-legged. The water reached just below his neck.

At first, he didn't feel anything. It was like soaking in mugwort water during the Dragon Boat Festival.

But several minutes later, Lin Yuan felt as though his entire body was being pricked by needles. The pain nearly made him jump straight out of the tub.

Then came an intense itch. It began in his legs, then spread to his waist and back before covering his entire body, as if countless ants were crawling all over him.

That feeling lasted for nearly half an hour!

After the itching subsided, there was no further torment. Instead, a wave of comfort spread through every limb and bone, leaving his whole body exceptionally relaxed. His originally tense, stiff muscles felt as though they were being gently kneaded by a pair of supple, delicate hands.

It felt so good that Lin Yuan nearly cried out.

More than two hours later, that comfortable sensation gradually weakened before finally disappearing.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes reluctantly. His gaze was once again brimming with vitality, and he immediately leaped out of the wooden tub, splashing water everywhere.

The contours of his muscles were faintly visible, their lines graceful without being exaggerated. His eight-pack abs were naturally firm.

Lin Yuan dried himself off, wrapped a bath towel around his body, and rushed straight into his room.

After the medicinal bath, he needed to apply the medicinal wine for the best effect.

Lin Yuan took out a bottle of medicinal wine from the wooden box. The moment he pulled out the stopper and took a slight sniff, he was hit by a sharp, pungent smell.

It was the scent of high-proof alcohol mixed with Chinese herbs.

Lin Yuan poured the medicinal wine into his hand. It was a dark brown, glossy liquid.

After examining it for a moment, he smeared it all over his body. As he did, a fiery burning sensation rose from his skin.

It felt like he had rubbed chili water all over himself. It was truly an "exhilarating" experience.

It was fucking torture!

The whole process was practically ecstasy and agony.