On the way back, the young man glanced at Qingshui Town from afar but didn't slow his steps. By dusk, he had arrived safely in Qingyun City.
Returning to the gates of Qingyun City, the boy's childishness had faded in the mere dozen days since he'd left. The setting sun cast its afterglow across his face, which was now resolute and calm.
"I should check the clinic first."
Su Mu arrived at Jiuchen Alley. Seeing the bamboo gate firmly shut, his heart tightened. He turned to leave, then suddenly stopped and looked back. A surge of joy rose in his heart—the wooden sign announcing that the pharmacist was away traveling had been taken down.
The boy hurried to the entrance of the quiet clinic and peered inside. An old man came toward him and offered a reminder.
"Kid, Pharmacist Lin was invited to the County Magistrate's residence today. You'd better come back tomorrow."
At that, Su Mu was not worried but delighted. To him, it was undoubtedly good news: Pharmacist Lin had returned.
"Old sir, do you know when Pharmacist Lin came back to the city?"
"I can't remember clearly. It must've been five or six days ago."
"Thank you for letting me know, old sir."
Five or six days.
Counting back five or six days, it had been right when he was occupied with taking revenge. He hadn't been able to do much to help with the Young Physician's request, but this trip to Qingshui Town had meant a great deal to Su Mu.
Su Mu cupped his hands in thanks, then hurried out of Jiuchen Alley and headed for the market.
He remembered the Young Physician saying that Pharmacist Lin liked Osmanthus Cake. Fortunately, when Su Mu reached the pastry shop, there was exactly one box left.
"Little brother, we've also got some date-paste pastries left today. They're soft, flaky, and sweet. The young masters and ladies from the wealthy families in the city love them. A box usually sells for one tael of silver, but you've come at just the right time. This box is only half a tael."
As she spoke, a young girl from the pastry shop opened the wooden box. Su Mu saw golden, peach-blossom-shaped pastries with flaky crusts. They were small, delicate, and quite exquisite.
"Good. Wrap them both up for me."
One box of Osmanthus Cake for Pharmacist Lin and one box of date-paste pastries for the Young Physician would be just right.
After buying the pastries, Su Mu returned to his courtyard and first boiled Three-Complete Body Strengthening Soup. Then he studied the Torrential Rain Spear Technique he'd obtained, beginning with a close reading.
Rustle.
The turning pages made a soothing sound.
After reading it closely once, Su Mu had basically memorized the entire manual. He then skimmed it several more times to fill in the gaps, and with his powerful comprehension, he began to grasp its meaning.
He hadn't had his spear forged yet. Remembering the black-armored strongman's baton, he casually picked up a bamboo broom from the courtyard. When learning spear techniques, one had to begin with stance training; otherwise, they were nothing but flashy moves.
Su Mu warmed up with a set of Five Animal Frolics, then gripped the broomstick with both hands, using his front hand to control direction and his rear hand to control explosive force. He coordinated his waist and legs as he practiced the four-square stepping pattern.
"The basic spear moves are parrying, binding, thrusting, and, in addition, lifting and sweeping."
"The Torrential Rain Spear Technique has four forms: Surging Clouds, Pear Blossoms in a Rainstorm, Thunderclap Breaker, and a Hundred Waterfalls Plunging. Each corresponds to one of the technique's four realms."
Su Mu had never handled a weapon before. In his previous life, there was a saying: "A month with the staff, a year with the saber, a lifetime with the spear; keep a treasured sword at your side."
The saying emphasized how much time it took to master different weapons. A month to get started with the staff, a year to become proficient with the saber, and a lifetime to study the spear. As for swordsmanship, one had to keep a sword close at hand to maintain one's feel for it.
This showed just how difficult spear arts were. Yet there was another saying: "Weapons are extensions of the fists and feet."
Fist techniques were the ancestor of all martial arts!
Su Mu had cultivated the Five Animal Frolics and Tiger Subduing Fist to perfection, bringing his understanding of fist techniques to a level beyond that of ordinary people. So even though he was handling a long spear for the first time, he quickly gained some insight.
Every half an hour, he switched between basic stances. After practicing the bow stance, horse stance, empty stance, and others in turn, Su Mu began trying out the basic moves.
When holding a spear, the side facing one's chest was the inner gate, while the side facing one's shoulder and back was the outer gate.
This distinction determined how one parried and bound. Against a thrust to the outer gate, one used a parry to defend; against a thrust to the inner gate, one used a bind. These were the parrying and binding techniques of spear arts.
Whoosh!
Su Mu rolled his wrist upward through half a circle and gripped the shaft, executing a parry. The bamboo broom spun and thrust forward, and the wind howled.
He hadn't used any internal force in that thrust. It was purely the result of his physique, which already far surpassed that of ordinary people, and his raw strength.
After ten parries and ten binds, Su Mu's eyes brightened slightly.
After a hundred parries and a hundred binds, he began to gain insight. With a comprehension stat as high as 17, Su Mu was able to get into the swing of spear techniques quickly, even as a beginner.
The sound of the long spear whooshing continued through the night.
The sun rose in the east, and the first rays of dawn fell across the earth.
Whoosh!
A swift, level thrust shot out in the courtyard. The "spear," which had no spearhead, stirred up a gust of wind and sent the fallen leaves whirling.
Crack!
Then came a crisp sound. The spear had sunk three inches into the wood, piercing the old locust tree.
The tree shuddered, and its yellowing leaves rained down in a flurry.
If anyone had been there, they would have gaped in astonishment. The "spear" embedded in the locust tree was actually a bamboo broom.
Torrential Rain Spear Technique (Initiation 1%)
The boy wiped the bead-sized drops of sweat from his forehead, looking pleased. After a night of hard training, the Torrential Rain Spear Technique had finally appeared on his status panel.
"Spear techniques really do share quite a few things with fist techniques."
Su Mu raised his eyes to the first rays of sunlight. His clothes had been soaked with sweat overnight, then dried by his internal force, again and again. After countless repetitions, a layer of salt had crusted over his clothes, making it seem from afar as if they were covered in White Frost.
"It's still early... I'll take a bath, eat something, then head to the clinic."
After bathing, Su Mu felt ravenous. He wolfed down three catties of braised meat and several large bowls of rice before finally letting out a breath. Then he picked up several boxes of pastries from inside and headed for the clinic.
He was delayed a little. Su Mu had underestimated Pharmacist Lin's reputation in Qingyun County. Though the sky had only just begun to brighten, several people were already standing outside the clinic when he arrived.
Su Mu quietly went to the back of the line. Just then, a delighted voice rang out from inside the courtyard.
"Little brother, come in!"
The Young Physician spotted Su Mu and waved eagerly, a slender forearm as pale and tender as a lotus root.
At the call, Su Mu made his way through the crowd, carrying two boxes of pastries, and stepped into the quiet courtyard.
"Little brother, are these for me?"
"Mm. One box for you, and one for Pharmacist Lin."
Su Mu followed the Young Physician to a side room. The Young Physician brought him a cup of tea. "This is Camellia tea my master just brought back from the south. He's fast asleep right now, so I'll go wake him. You can sit here for a while, or wander around the back garden."
Hearing that the pharmacist was asleep, Su Mu planned to wait a little. He was about to speak, but the Young Physician hurried out of the room before he could say a word.
"Then... sorry for the trouble, Young Physician."
Su Mu lifted the lid of the teacup. As wisps of steam curled upward, the fragrance of tea filled the room. He took a sip of Camellia tea, and its rich aroma spread through his mouth.
"Excellent tea."
After finishing the cup, Su Mu opened the door and walked through the medicinal garden. A few footsteps sounded behind him. They were steady, unlike the Young Physician's light, quick steps.
It wasn't the Young Physician. Then it had to be Pharmacist Lin!
A white-haired old man, with a childlike face beneath his snowy locks, paused when Su Mu turned around. Then he smiled and spoke.
"It's been several days since we last met, young friend. I trust you've been well."
The boy's pupils contracted slightly, and surprise showed on his face.
"You're... Pharmacist Lin?"
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