Advice

Braving the swirling snow and biting wind, Gao Wu rode his bicycle out of the school gates. He first went to a nearby supermarket to stock up, then returned home in Dong'an's old district laden with bags of goods.

The old district was full of aging apartment buildings, with sprawling rows of single-story houses along the streets. At a glance, the newest things on the road were the streetlights.

His home was a two-story building facing the street, with its own separate courtyard.

Old Master Shang Hongyi stood beneath the eaves with his hands behind his back while three eleven- or twelve-year-old children stood there in horse stance, chests thrust out and heads held high.

Gao Wu parked his bicycle and gestured at the several large shopping bags in his hands, all stuffed to the brim.

Grinning happily, he said, "Grandpa, we're eating well today!"

Shang Hongyi raised his long, thick brows. "Made a fortune?"

The old man was of average build, with white hair and white brows. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were as deep as knife carvings, and his gaze was profound.

He wore an old-fashioned dark-blue padded gown and thousand-layer cloth shoes. Standing there with his back ramrod straight, he truly carried something of a Martial Dao Master's bearing.

It was precisely because of that impressive appearance that the training class the old man ran could always recruit a few elementary school students.

Gao Wu knew that even the old man's phone was not a smartphone. He had never watched short videos on apps like Kuaiyin. The only time he went online was to video chat with Shang Qingjun on Gao Wu's phone.

He chuckled. "I came into a little money today."

"Mm. Go cook first." The old man nodded and did not ask further.

Carrying the groceries into the kitchen, Gao Wu skillfully sorted the fruit and meat into the refrigerator.

He took out a piece of Iron-Horned Black Sheep meat, turned on the gas stove to boil water, blanched the rack of lamb to remove the gamey smell, then put it into the pressure cooker.

Iron-Horned Black Sheep were Strange Beasts from the Spirit Realm. Their meat was rich in source-force particles and all kinds of nutrients, making it an excellent tonic for humans.

After a long period of exploration, The Alliance had finally found a way to raise them on a large scale.

Even so, Iron-Horned Black Sheep meat still sold for more than three hundred yuan per jin.

Wealthy families often ate this kind of lamb. It strengthened the body, enhanced vitality, nourished yin, and had other effects.

For Martial Artists in particular, long-term consumption of this meat made it easier to establish resonance with source force.

The red envelope Song Yunhe had given him contained a full eighty thousand yuan. That gave Gao Wu the nerve to indulge himself for once and buy ten jin of Iron-Horned Black Sheep meat.

After the incident when he was fourteen, Gao Wu had been taken in by the old man.

Originally, the old man had intended to take Gao Wu as a disciple, but later decided against having him kowtow and formally enter the school due to the issue of seniority.

Gao Wu had thus always called Shang Hongyi Grandpa and called his granddaughter, Shang Qingjun, Sister.

More than four years had passed, and Gao Wu had come to regard this place as home. It was the first time he had ever had so much money, so naturally he wanted to show his gratitude properly and make the old man happy as well.

Dinner consisted of four dishes and a soup, lavishly spread out.

After Shang Hongyi learned what had happened, he was very pleased.

The old man was upright by nature and treated Gao Wu very well, but he rarely praised him. This time, he gave Gao Wu rare praise.

After dinner, Gao Wu went to the study to speak with Shang Hongyi.

"Grandpa, the Song Family gave me eighty thousand yuan. I'm young and don't understand these things, so you should hold onto the money for me."

The old man looked at the thick red envelope and said with some feeling, "That family is quite generous. Were they from that Song Family?"

A Martial King named Song Xuetao had emerged from Dongjiang City, and ever since then, Beizhou had gained a great clan surnamed Song. If someone in Dongjiang was surnamed Song and rich, there was a high probability they belonged to the Song Family.

"I heard he's a manager at Longteng Company, so he should be from the Song Family," Gao Wu replied.

"Money is nothing. The key is that you saved a life. That is a great good deed, great Merit. As for this good affinity with the Song Family, there is no need to take it too seriously."

The old man had abundant life experience and knew that a great family like the Songs would be extremely complicated internally. Getting too close to them might not be a good thing.

Shang Hongyi pushed the red envelope back toward Gao Wu. "You've always been disciplined. Next year will be your college entrance exam, a critical time. I'm old and can't help you much. Plan this money carefully and don't waste it."

The old man then said sternly, "Remember this: never use enhancement agents. They all require a specialist physician to formulate a Neutralizing Agent according to each person's genes before the side effects can be eliminated to the greatest extent possible.

"Especially imitation agents. Their side effects are highly unstable. They can cause enormous harm to the body, and more importantly, drain all of a person's potential.

"Top universities conduct strict physical examinations on Martial Dao applicants. Anyone who has used inferior enhancement agents will have almost no chance of being admitted."

The old man sighed softly. "I only hope you children can stay healthy. Becoming a Warrior isn't necessarily a good thing either..."

As he spoke of this, the old man's expression turned desolate. Clearly, he had recalled some painful memories.

Gao Wu did not know how to comfort him. The old man waved a hand. "Go back and cultivate. You don't need to keep me company."

Shang Hongyi was not good at expressing affection with younger people. Nor did he want to appear too weak before Gao Wu.

Gao Wu understood this well. Returning to his bedroom, he took out the Blood Dragon Agent Huang Hai had given him.

The old man had once served in the military, resisting Strange Beasts on the front lines. He had been a formidable Warrior. But after suffering grievous injuries, his bodily functions had declined drastically. Now, he could only run a training class at home and teach children.

Yet the old man's discernment and experience remained. He had just said that this substance was extremely harmful, making Gao Wu hesitate.

By rights, he should have listened to the old man. At the very least, he should have discussed it with him.

The problem was that it involved the Boundless Merit Book, and that was not something he could tell anyone.

After pondering for a long time, Gao Wu still decided to first test the effects with a small dose...

The bag Huang Hai had given him contained a handheld injector. The agent came in standard ten-milligram cartridges, loaded into the injector like bullets. The dosage could be adjusted freely, making it very convenient.

Gao Wu injected two milligrams of Blood Dragon Agent into the inside of his left arm. The crimson, water-like agent caused no immediate reaction upon entering his body, leaving only six tiny puncture marks from the injector needles on his skin.

Martial Artists had firm muscles, and the injector used a multi-needle design to minimize skin damage and reduce pain.

After sitting and waiting for twenty minutes, Gao Wu felt his entire body grow scorching hot, as though he had fallen into a furnace. His muscles tensed on their own, and a powerful urge to destroy welled up within him.

Taking off his coat, Gao Wu carefully examined himself in the large mirror embedded in the wall. He could see blood vessels bulging across his skin one after another. Even the tiny veins stood out beneath the surface, creating an intense visual effect.

His skin had turned purplish red, and even his pupils were a solid crimson. It felt as though the blood in his body had entered a boiling state.

His stomach rumbled. The lavish dinner he had just eaten seemed to have been completely digested, and an intense hunger rose within him, as though he had starved for three days!

The fierce hunger sent Gao Wu into an even more frenzied state. He wanted nothing more than to seize someone and eat them alive!

Gao Wu forcibly suppressed the urge and opened the Boundless Merit Book. He projected his divine intent onto the lifespan number, and the divine artifact unfolded the lifespan figure in detail according to his will.

The Boundless Merit Book could project Gao Wu's true physical condition, merely converting it into the most convenient and efficient textual form based on Gao Wu's understanding.

As his consciousness entered it, the number under lifespan became precise down to the hour.

Compared to before the injection, his lifespan had decreased by thirty-seven hours. It was clearly a side effect caused by the Blood Dragon Agent.

Even with a physique more than seven times stronger than that of an ordinary adult, he could not fully neutralize the Blood Dragon Agent's side effects. That showed just how potent the substance was.

Following his prior plan, Gao Wu recited the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation ten times in succession.

One incantation could be completed in thirty seconds, so ten recitations of the Divine Mantra required only five minutes.

Gao Wu no longer felt hungry. The blood vessels that had surfaced over his skin had disappeared as well. When he checked the Boundless Merit Book again, the thirty-seven hours of lifespan he had lost had already returned.

He was overjoyed. The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation at the minor accomplishment level could indeed penetrate deep into the five viscera and six bowels. The pure primordial Qi it stimulated could nourish his body inside and out, completely resolving the Blood Dragon Agent's damage to his internal organs while retaining the agent's strengthening benefits!

"I'm fucking amazing!" Gao Wu could not help planting his hands on his hips, lifting his head, and wearing an utterly proud expression.

He had to praise himself. He had to be proud for a moment!