Different World Anatomy?

Different World Anatomy?

Nanshan Town was never large to begin with, and after one bandit-suppression campaign and the casualties of over a hundred patrol inspectors, funerals had scarcely stopped across the entire town these past few days.

Walking down the street, any random household had white funeral streamers standing in rows, mourning halls set up, paper money scattered everywhere, and people in sackcloth and mourning were everywhere he looked.

Even though his hands were already stained with blood, and he did not put much faith in ghosts and gods, in this dim hour, with such a sinister, gloomy sight spread everywhere, Chu Mu still could not help feeling a chill crawl under his skin.

Subconsciously, Chu Mu quickened his pace quite a bit.

After roughly a short while, Chu Mu arrived at the destination of this trip.

The only medicine hall in town, and also the place where the town's only doctor could be found... "Mingxin Hall!"

The reason he had come here was more or less the same as why he studied at the Private School at night.

The steep price of a hundred silver had bought Doctor Li's instruction on knowledge such as meridians and acupoints.

A hundred silver—money like that, even with Chu Mu's Monthly Salary, which was far more than enough compared with those below him, would still take nearly a year to save up if dirty money was not counted! If expenses were included, he might not even be able to save it in two or three years! Without a doubt, the price of knowledge... was once again terrifyingly high!

According to Doctor Li, practicing martial arts was a path beyond the ordinary and mundane; how could mere silver be used to measure it?

With one light, airy sentence, a hundred silver was gone, and no one could utter even half a word of objection.

"Take these books first and study them for a while. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me."

When he entered the medicine hall, Old Li picked up several thick books from the table and handed them to Chu Mu.

After Chu Mu took them, Old Li pointed toward a side room. "That room is rather quiet, and no one will disturb you. Go read there."

Chu Mu glanced at the thick stack of books in his hands. The titles had undoubtedly already made the contents of these books clear.

One volume of Meridians and Acupoints Diagram, one volume of Five Viscera Diagram, one volume of Orthopedic Illustration, and one volume of Three Treasures Inner Classic—four books in total.

Chu Mu's gaze skimmed over the first three books before finally settling on the fourth, Three Treasures Inner Classic.

For the first three, one could no doubt tell what their contents were from the titles alone. Only this Three Treasures Inner Classic left Chu Mu somewhat lost in clouds and fog.

What were the Three Treasures?

Chu Mu was puzzled, but the very first page of the opening made him understand in an instant.

The so-called Three Treasures clearly referred to the human body's three treasures of "Essence, Qi, and Spirit"! Chu Mu slowly leafed through it, and slowly sank into the world within the book.

There were quite a few terms, adjectives, and even a considerable portion of the meanings of words and phrases that Chu Mu only half-understood, or that were obscure and difficult to grasp.

But just like with Chinese characters, a small portion of unclear meanings did not really affect reading much.

Of course, this was only a rough browse. If he wanted to study it in detail, Chu Mu estimated that he still could not avoid reading it carefully.

Three Treasures Inner Classic was not very thick either, only a dozen-odd pages. In just a short while, Chu Mu had roughly flipped through it.

Perhaps because Essence, Qi, and Spirit were too mysterious and subtle, the descriptions of them in the book were all extremely brief and arcane, giving quite the sense of mystery piled upon mystery.

After roughly reading through it once, Chu Mu still found it difficult to form any effective concept.

Closing the cover, Chu Mu did not think too deeply about it. The description of Essence, Qi, and Spirit clearly exceeded the scope of his knowledge. It would be better to wait for Old Li to clear up his confusion.

Shifting his gaze, Chu Mu looked at the other three books as well. Compared with the thin volume of Three Treasures Inner Classic, the other three books were undoubtedly much thicker.

Each volume was at least around an inch thick.

He casually picked up the Five Viscera Diagram and began flipping through it. The first page alone made Chu Mu's expression change noticeably.

After roughly browsing through it once, Chu Mu picked up the other two books and likewise flipped through them quickly.

In the end, when he closed the books, surprise and doubt were hard to conceal between Chu Mu's brows.

Based on his impression of medicine in this era, he had originally thought these few books would lean more toward theories that were mysterious upon mysterious—things like Yin Yang Five Elements corresponding to the human body, and so on.

But of these four books, aside from the Three Treasures Inner Classic that he still found difficult to understand, the other three—whether Meridians and Acupoints Diagram, Orthopedic Illustration, or Five Viscera Diagram! Although their overall theory was Yin Yang Five Elements, their contents clearly leaned far more toward practicality.

So practical that... Chu Mu even felt as if he were reading professional anatomy books from his previous life!

Meridians, acupoints, bones, organs...

The structure of the human body was described in detail with both pictures and text throughout these three books.

If there had not been large-scale experience in human dissection, yet they could still be written in such detail, Chu Mu would never believe it no matter what.

But... in this kind of era, large-scale human dissection?

This was undoubtedly something of an Impossible Tale.

Looking at the four books on the tabletop, Chu Mu found it truly difficult to stay calm.

Many of the doubts he had once had also resurfaced in his mind once again under the impact of these four books.

The paper currency production process that did not quite fit the era, the illogical ore handover, and this medicine that did not conform to the morals and ethics of the era...

Everything, every single thing, seemed to carry threads of strangeness within normality.

Chu Mu picked up the four books on the table and walked toward the outer hall.

"If you want to ask about where the contents of these books came from..."

Before Chu Mu even had time to open his mouth and ask, Old Li spoke without lifting his head.

"These books were all handed down from this old man's master. As for their exact origins, this old man is not very clear either."

"When this old man was young, I once traveled all over. These books were widely circulated among doctors in various places as well; they were not some family medical inheritance forbidden to outsiders..."

"This old man thinks they must have been written by predecessors. It is only that too much time has passed, and no one knows which great physician it was anymore."

Old Li's tone was clearly rather admiring, and his eyes, already carrying a few traces of candlelight, revealed a hint of yearning.

"A physician ought to be like this. Too many rules, too many misgivings, only become shackles instead."

Chu Mu did not answer. Only after Old Li finished sighing with emotion did he speak. "I'll have to trouble Old Li to explain the Three Treasures Inner Classic to this junior."

"The three treasures of man, the saying of essence, qi, and spirit, has been passed down for a long time. The profundities within, however, are not something this old man can see through."

Old Li rose, took the Three Treasures Inner Classic from Chu Mu's hands, and continued, "In this old man's view, this volume of the Three Treasures Inner Classic also contains quite a few errors."

"But... the three treasures are profound and mysterious. If one cannot glimpse the whole picture, then naturally everyone will have their own view. For now, just listen to this old man's understanding, and do not put blind faith in it."

Chu Mu nodded, his expression turning somewhat more solemn. "This junior understands. Please explain, Old Li."

"The so-called saying goes: when a person first comes into being, essence is formed first."

"This essence refers to the kidneys. According to the numbers of the Yin Yang Five Elements, the kidneys govern water, and also blood, receiving the essence of the five viscera and six entrails and storing it."

"According to this old man's understanding, essence refers to the source by which a person maintains survival... In our usual three meals, eating meat and vegetables is also absorbing the essence of external things to replenish the essence of the human body..."

"When essence is abundant, a person is strong and a hundred illnesses do not arise. When essence is exhausted, a person is plagued by a hundred illnesses, and their life will not last long."

"A person's essence is one part innate, one part acquired."

"The so-called innate is like how some people are born with divine strength and a sturdy body, while others are born deficient and weak. That is what it means."

"The so-called acquired, then, refers to..."

At this point, Old Li looked at Chu Mu. "Take you, Mu-xiaoge, for example. Before, you were weak and sickly. Recently, you have been bitterly practicing martial arts and tempering your body, so your body has grown strong, and the essence of the human body naturally strengthens along with it..."

"Once you formally come into contact with martial studies and effectively temper your body, the essence of your body will naturally grow ever more vigorous."