There Had Never Been a Broken Temple!

Traveling merchants and escorting shipments was actually quite dull. Aside from traveling, all they did was travel.

Though they had carriages, only Chen Moshan, the steward, was qualified to ride in one. Everyone else had to walk.

The carriages were loaded with all sorts of supplies meant for the Spirit Medicine Manor, including fertilizer and seeds. Adding people would increase the weight, and the horses would not be able to bear it.

Along the way, Han Zheng spoke with Li Feng for a while about Spirit Medicine Baths.

He was a pharmacist at Shenghe Hall, one capable of seeing patients independently and qualified to prepare Spirit Medicine Baths. Naturally, he knew this field inside and out.

Han Zheng had always thought that a medicinal bath simply meant taking a ready-made prescription, preparing the spiritual medicines, and soaking in it.

But that was not the case.

Everyone had different constitutions, cultivated different techniques, and focused on different directions. Naturally, the formulas for their medicinal baths also differed.

The medicinal bath formula for someone specializing in body-tempering arts did not even share a single medicine with one meant to strengthen inner force.

"Pharmacist Li, if I asked you to prepare a medicinal bath for me, roughly how much would it cost?"

Although Han Zheng had his cheat, in the absence of materials to sacrifice to the Gluttonous Crucible, using medicinal baths to raise his cultivation should have been the fastest method.

Li Feng considered it for a moment. "Your Zhenwei Martial Arts School's Iron Elephant Skill is heavy and balanced in nature. The spiritual medicines it requires are not particularly high-grade. One dose should cost around a hundred taels of silver."

"So the money I earn escorting a merchant caravan once isn't even enough to buy a single medicinal bath."

Han Zheng shook his head. It truly was said that the poor pursued literature while the rich practiced martial arts.

Li Feng smiled. "The martial path is simply like this. I have spent so many years at Shenghe Hall, and I have seen no fewer than several hundred martial artists, if not over a thousand.

"Other than a very small number who can rely entirely on talent to cultivate, most people can only depend on external resources if they wish to improve their strength.

"The Houtian Realm is still manageable. Even without medicinal baths, one can slowly grind away at it and open their acupoints and meridians.

"But if one wishes to advance to the Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm, without relying on medicinal baths to temper the body and meridians, perform Marrow Washing and Hair Replacement, how could it be so easy to return from Houtian to Xiantian?

"Still, Brother Han, you are young. As a disciple favored by Master Li, you will certainly have hopes of reaching Xiantian in the future."

In a small county like Black Stone County, those who had only just entered Xiantian were already considered experts.

Those who reached the Late Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm and completed Condensing Mercury Blood and Silver Marrow could be considered notable figures.

For example, Li Jingzhong and Gao Kaiyuan of the Three Harmonies Gang were both in the Late Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm, having completed Condensing Mercury Blood and Silver Marrow.

Meanwhile, martial families such as the Shen Family and the Song Family had great experts in command who had reached Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm Perfected and already cultivated the Water-Fire Immortal Robe.

Li Feng saying that Han Zheng had a chance of reaching Xiantian in this lifetime was absolutely high praise.

"By the way, Pharmacist Li, martial artists have different ranks. What about pharmacists like you?"

"Of course pharmacists have ranks as well, though they are not so clearly defined.

"Ordinary pharmacists can only distinguish spiritual medicines and rigidly prepare medicinal baths according to the properties of those medicines.

"Senior Pharmacists need a deeper understanding of the properties of spiritual medicines. They must also understand a martial artist's realm, martial attributes, and so on, tailoring a formula to each individual."

Li Feng waved a small jade folding fan and said with a trace of pride, "Right now, fewer than five people in all of Shenghe Hall can do that, and I, Li Feng, am one of them.

"The head shopkeeper's skills are naturally the strongest. He can be considered a top-tier pharmacist.

"Those Xiantian martial artists all seek him out to prepare their medicinal baths, while we are responsible for preparing medicinal baths for Postnatal Martial Artists.

"However, if I could gain a detailed understanding of a Xiantian martial artist's meridian pathways, power attributes, and the like, I am confident that after becoming familiar with it a few times, I could prepare Xiantian medicinal baths as well."

"Pharmacist Li, what you lack now is merely a little experience. Once you accumulate it over time, becoming a top-tier pharmacist will only be a matter of time."

Li Feng waved his hand. "I would not dare say that. Even being able to prepare Xiantian medicinal baths would not qualify one to call oneself a top-tier pharmacist. The head shopkeeper's identity as a top-tier pharmacist is recognized by every Xiantian martial artist in Black Stone County.

"The martial path stretches long and far, and the medical path is no different.

"Preparing medicinal baths is only the most basic method of using spiritual medicines. Above that lies the Pill Dao.

"Refining all manner of spiritual medicines, altering and merging their properties to create spirit pills—that is the Great Dao of medicine.

"With the same spiritual medicine, turning it into a pill makes its effects more than ten times stronger than a medicinal bath, and its price more than ten times higher.

"Unfortunately, the Pill Dao is controlled only by great sects, great families, and the imperial court. Even someone at the head shopkeeper's level cannot come into contact with the Pill Dao."

After hearing Li Feng out, Han Zheng felt even more deeply that the martial path encompassed all things beneath heaven.

The medical path—or rather, the Pill Dao—was already so complicated despite merely serving as an auxiliary to the martial path. That was even more true of the martial path itself.

At that moment, Han Zheng suddenly felt that this road looked familiar.

Wasn't this the very place where he had first crossed over?

There was a slightly raised slope by the roadside, with an abandoned Broken Temple atop it.

But now, the slope was there—where was the Broken Temple?

There was actually nothing at all on it!

Han Zheng rubbed his head and carefully recalled the terrain from that time.

The sky had already been faintly bright then. There was no way he could have seen unclearly. This was definitely the place.

Even the tree by the roadside, whose branches leaned slightly crooked, was exactly the same. Only that Broken Temple was missing.

"Pharmacist Li, there used to be a Broken Temple on this slope. Why is it gone now?"

Li Feng glanced at the slope and shook his head in confusion.

"A Broken Temple? There has never been any Broken Temple here."

"There never was?"

"That's right. Half a year ago, when I went to the spirit fields manor, there was no Broken Temple here either.

"Besides, there are no temples at all within fifty li of Black Stone County. These days, poor people can barely afford to live. Who has the leisure to burn incense and worship Buddha?"

Li Feng gave Han Zheng a slightly strange look. "Brother Han, did you remember wrongly?"

"Perhaps I remembered wrong."

Han Zheng appeared calm on the surface, but a chill rose within his heart.

There had never been a Broken Temple. Then what was that abandoned temple where he had crossed over?

His transmigration did not seem so simple after all.

The journey afterward was just as dull. They traveled by day and rested after nightfall, while Han Zheng and the other four took turns keeping watch.

During their spare moments, Han Zheng also exchanged a few words with the other two Martial Arts Academy disciples.

One was named Wang Bao, and the other was Zhao Jinming.

Their family circumstances were both quite ordinary. Their parents had nearly emptied their savings to send them to the Martial Arts Academy.

It was not easy for commoner disciples to practice martial arts. Their aptitude was average, and they had no outside resources. Reaching the peak of the Houtian Realm would probably be the end of the road for them in this lifetime.

Still, they were quite optimistic.

As long as they successfully completed their training, they could guard homes and protect courtyards for wealthy families. By then, the money spent on the Martial Arts Academy would be earned back.

They traveled for five consecutive days, covering roughly eighty li each day. With only one day's journey left before reaching the Spirit Medicine Manor, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For the entire journey to remain peaceful and uneventful was truly thanks to the Bodhisattva's protection.

As darkness fell, Steward Chen called for everyone to set up camp and cook where they were.

Han Zheng arranged to take the first watch. After eating, he simply sat cross-legged on the ground and began circulating the Iron Elephant Skill, accumulating inner force.

During these days of travel, Han Zheng had never once abandoned his cultivation.

Because he had observed the Martial Intent of the Iron Elephant Skill within the Gluttonous Crucible and witnessed the heavy power of the Iron Elephant Stomp,

Han Zheng mobilized his inner force whenever he walked. Each step he took was incomparably powerful, consuming the inner force of more than ten acupoints.

This method accorded with the true intent of the Iron Elephant Skill. It too was a form of cultivation, allowing the inner force within his acupoints to become increasingly vast and profound.

Thus, although Han Zheng had not broken through a single acupoint over the past five days, if given a quiet environment, he could break through five acupoints in succession within a short time.

This could also be considered accumulating strength for a great burst.

"No wonder Brother Han is so valued and praised by the master. He truly never forgets to cultivate, every moment of every day."

Wang Bao could not help but praise him.

It was not frightening when someone else had better talent than you. What was frightening was when they not only did not have worse talent than you, but were also more diligent than you.

Li Sancheng chuckled. "Of course. My brother was born to practice martial arts. He is no worse than disciples like Song Tianqing, who come from great families."

Just then, Steward Chen passed behind them. Upon hearing those words, he could not help but sneer. "The Song Family is a branch of the 'Heavenly Blade' Song Family of Shannan Dao. You think you are worthy of comparing yourselves to them?

"And you were hired to escort the merchant caravan, not to cultivate here in peace!

"I told the head shopkeeper before that there was no need to hire any Martial Arts Academy disciples.

"Now it seems this money was simply thrown into the water!"

Han Zheng, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He said coldly, "Steward Chen, speak with your hand on your conscience. Have we neglected our duties in the slightest along the way?

"We scouted the road by day and kept watch at night. We have handled all of it without the slightest slackness.

"Isn't it good that this journey has been safe and peaceful?

"Could it be that Steward Chen insists something must go wrong?

"This is Shenghe Hall's own business. Can't you hope for your own family's affairs to go well?"

Steward Chen's face flushed red from the retort. Li Feng came over to smooth things over, and only then did he persuade Steward Chen to leave.

Li Sancheng darkened his face and cursed under his breath, "What the hell is his problem!

"Did I sleep with his wife or dig up his ancestors' graves? He has done nothing but sneer and show us a sour face all along.

"Shenghe Hall hired us. It is not as if we came begging to be here!"

"Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. It is only natural that we would be targeted after blocking his path to wealth."

Han Zheng narrowed his eyes. "Steward Chen wanted his nephew's little escort agency to escort the caravan, but the head shopkeeper rejected it. That was why he hired us instead.

"If we were not here, who knows how much silver his nephew's little escort agency might have charged? A considerable portion of it would certainly have ended up in Steward Chen's hands."

Li Sancheng spat. "Our escort fee for this trip is only two or three hundred taels of silver. As a steward of Shenghe Hall, he should not be short of that little money.

"He even wants to embezzle such a small sum. He truly is not a thing!"

Zhao Jinming advised from the side, "We take people's money and dispel their disasters. We only need to bring the merchant caravan safely back to Black Stone County.

"Steward Chen is the employer, after all. It would not be good for us to clash with him."

Li Sancheng had just been about to say that they could not indulge that old bastard either when a sound of heavy footsteps suddenly came from the forest beside the camp.

Han Zheng abruptly rose to his feet, looking toward the source of the sound as he gripped the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand.

Along with a foul, fishy stench, an enormous, bloated figure nearly three meters tall emerged from the branches of the dense forest.

Its entire body was covered in coarse black hair. It wore only a pitch-black loincloth, and atop its shoulders sat a huge, jet-black boar head, its mouth full of sharp teeth and two keen tusks curving upward.

"Demon!!"