Taking the Greater Returning Pill

"Boom-crack!"

A bolt of lightning split the sky, and then the weather turned as fickle as a child's face—moments ago it had been clear and cloudless, but in the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered at the horizon, and raindrops began to patter down, soon swelling into a torrential downpour as if celestial gods were pouring water straight from the heavens. Before long, the entire street was drenched.

"Innkeeper, open for business."

Beneath Treasure Pearl Mountain, in Xiongyuan City, inside an ordinary inn called the Welcome Inn, a mysterious figure wearing a black bamboo hat and a loose black robe, his face obscured, strode slowly through the rain into the inn. He spoke to a drowsy waiter dozing behind the counter.

"Oh! A guest! Please, have a seat, sir. Will you be stopping for a meal or lodging for the night?"

The waiter eyed the mysterious man in the black bamboo hat with some curiosity, but still replied with warm enthusiasm.

After all, ever since the barbarians had entered the city a few days ago, business had grown increasingly bleak. Not just ordinary customers, but even the high-flying martial heroes who used to frequent the place had vanished without a trace, leaving the inn barely breaking even these past days—even the owner had stopped bothering to show up.

Now that a bit of business had finally come his way, even if the guest was a little odd, the waiter had manned this inn for years, greeting and seeing off all sorts. What strange customers hadn't he seen? A mere bamboo hat was nothing—small potatoes.

And from his experience, the more someone tried to hide themselves, the more generous they tended to be.

Sure enough...

"Thump!"

A heavy object slammed down. The mysterious black-robed man slapped the counter, and a ten-tael silver ingot suddenly appeared before the waiter's eyes.

"Lodging! Give me your best room!"

From beneath the black robe, Gu Han spoke in a low voice.

He naturally wasn't short on silver. Not only was Treasure Pearl Temple itself wealthy, giving him a few taels of allowance each month, but just two days ago, after killing the "Mad Wolf Butcher" Wang Lang and over a dozen barbarian soldiers, Gu Han had pocketed over a hundred taels in gold notes and more than a thousand taels in silver notes.

In an era where one tael of silver could comfortably support a family of four for an entire month, over a hundred taels of gold plus over a thousand taels of silver was an astronomical fortune for any ordinary person.

"Right away, sir! Please, follow me—the Heaven Word First Room is ready for you!"

Seeing the gleaming silver before him, the waiter's eyes went wide, and he immediately beamed, leading the way ahead.

"Creak—"

With a faint sound, the wooden door swung open. The beaming waiter led Gu Han inside.

The room was arranged much like the guest chambers Gu Han had seen in period dramas from his first life—small, with simple furnishings. Aside from an ornate carved bed, a table, a few chairs, an incense altar holding a small Buddha statue, and a large wooden bathing tub, there was nothing else.

That was how it was in small-city inns. Even the so-called Heaven Word First Room was no more than this in layout and decor.

But Gu Han wasn't one to be pampered. He was easygoing about where he stayed—imperial palaces were fine, and so were broken-down temples and rickety beds. He had no such fussiness.

"Sir, you've come from afar and must be soaked through. Shall I fetch some hot water for a bath?"

The waiter smiled ingratiatingly as he asked, eyeing Gu Han's dripping black robe.

"No need. Just get me a straw rain cape—I'll need it when I go out later."

Gu Han shook his head.

It was only because he had yet to achieve Internal Qi that he needed such a thing to shield himself from the wind and rain.

Otherwise, with a mere stir of his internal energy to cover his body, he could form an impenetrable, blade-proof, high-tech bulletproof raincoat, standing unmoved no matter how the elements raged outside!

"Yes, sir. I'll go fetch it right away."

Hearing Gu Han's order, the waiter dared not delay and quickly replied.

"Mm. Once you've brought it, no need to come in. Just leave the cape at the door. When I go out, I'll take it myself."

Gu Han gave a light nod.

"Yes, sir! I'll get one and leave it at the door. If you need to go out later, just take it. I won't disturb you."

The waiter nodded repeatedly with a cautious expression, then respectfully withdrew from the room.

He knew that these martial artists, though generous with their money, were always secretive and full of rules.

He'd dealt with plenty over the years and knew well what to ask and what not to. If he were too curious, he'd have lost his head long ago—how could he have survived until today?

"Mm. Go on."

As the waiter finished speaking, Gu Han waved him off, then turned around, clasping his hands behind his back, and gazed out the window at the pouring rain.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Gu Han heard the footsteps of the inn waiter, who had delivered the straw cape and was now slowly retreating. Only then did he make a move.

"Click!"

The sound of a mechanical gear turning rang out as Gu Han opened the exquisite golden box in his hand. His eyes burned with intensity as he looked at the three pills inside, each the size of a longan, flawless as white jade, exuding a faint, refreshing fragrance.

These were one of the treasures of Treasure Pearl Temple—the legendary Greater Returning Pill, famed throughout the land, hailed as a Divine Pill or Sacred Pill, said to revive the dead and regrow flesh and bone.

Over the past few days, Gu Han had been tirelessly investigating in the city and had finally learned the true identity of the barbarian chieftain who had killed Jingyuan.

This man was named Salachi, the leader of the Flame Tribe, the fifth-ranked tribe among the barbarians. He had achieved the Minor Accomplishment of Internal Qi, and his blazing, supremely yang fire-based internal energy dominated the land, sweeping all before it with few rivals. Even among those at the Minor Accomplishment level, he was a top-tier figure.

Thus, even with Gu Han's current strength, it was nearly impossible to "swiftly kill" him without drawing the attention of the Barbarian King, A Yanda. Boosting his power was a necessity.

"Sigh. It's a pity the Greater Returning Pill was originally meant for healing—enhancing cultivation is just a side effect. Now, to raise my strength, I have to waste some of it."

Gazing at the three jade-white pills before him, a flicker of reluctance passed through Gu Han's eyes.

These three pills were no ordinary items—they represented three lives, three chances to turn defeat into victory! Now, just to kill a piece of trash like Salachi, he had to use one of them. He had to admit, it was a terrible waste.

"Forget it!"

After hesitating for a few breaths, Gu Han still decided to swallow one. After all, though his physical body was formidable now, he was still a clear distance away from the Barbarian King A Yanda. If he wanted to kill Salachi today and return safely, he had to sacrifice something.

"Gulp!"

In the silent room, a swallowing sound rang out. Gu Han closed his eyes, picked up a jade-white pill, and gulped it down in one go. He was not an indecisive man—once he made up his mind, he acted on it!

"Boom!"

As soon as the snow-white pill entered his stomach, it began to be digested by Gu Han's powerful intestines and stomach, which were strong enough to smelt mountains and rocks.

Within less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Gu Han felt a surge of potent medicinal power erupt from within his body.