New Mighty Bull Great Medicine

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.

That day, in the study.

"Huff—huff—"

Panting heavily, Zhang Ming took deep breaths to suppress the uncontrollable spasms wracking his body.

Only after he felt somewhat better did Zhang Ming rise and quickly step into the water barrel beside him, washing away the clothes that had already stuck fast to his body.

As the water in the barrel took on a layer of crimson, the discomfort in his body was washed away.

Refreshed, Zhang Ming returned to the desk. Feeling the abyssal, sea-like memories in his mind, a trace of delight crept onto his face.

"Success."

"It took a full two uses of [Ignite Comprehension], but I finally optimized it!"

"Sure enough, my original intuition was right. The Mighty Bull Great Medicine was full of disharmony—or rather, full of deliberately mystifying nonsense."

The first time Zhang Ming cultivated the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] through [Ignite Comprehension], he had automatically acquired the prescription for the Mighty Bull Great Medicine.

Yet at the time, knowing the prescription was merely knowing it.

He knew that it was so, but not why it was so.

After obtaining medical skills at the perfected level, Zhang Ming had again felt that there was something wrong with the Great Medicine's prescription, but it had only been a feeling.

Not until recently, when the Hundred Beasts Sect crisis would descend within a few months and his ordinary means of advancing to the Innate realm would likely take at least three years—far too long—

Did Zhang Ming make time to use [Ignite Comprehension] to verify his earlier intuition.

The result was no surprise.

After spending two uses of [Ignite Comprehension] and combining it with his perfected medical skills, he successfully optimized the Mighty Bull Great Medicine once more.

He removed many unnecessary ingredients, optimized its structure, and raised its efficiency.

"Compared to the previous Great Medicine, this one is roughly ten times more effective. It uses far fewer medicinal ingredients, cutting costs while increasing efficiency."

"Only..."

"Only, the new Great Medicine has three more main ingredients than before."

"Demon Beast blood, flesh, and bones! Three ingredients."

There was no need to say more about the effects of Demon Beast Meat. Zhang Ming had used it several times.

In terms of effect alone, it was not even inferior to the Great Medicine.

Naturally, when using [Ignite Comprehension], he would combine such a tremendous benefit into it.

Thus, adding Demon Beast blood, flesh, and bones to the new Great Medicine had successfully increased its medicinal efficacy tenfold.

"Looks like I need to return to the Mine."

Wang Er was not from Yang City. He was a tenant farmer from a village outside Yang City, farming land for a landlord.

As a tenant farmer, his life had been miserable in the past.

Ever since he was old enough to remember, he had rarely eaten his fill throughout the year.

Wang Er had thought he would live out his life like that, just like his father and grandfather.

But recently, Yang City had undergone enormous changes. Wang Er did not know exactly what those changes were.

He only knew that the landlord had changed, replaced by the master of the Zhang Family in the city.

The Zhang Family master in the city was a good man. He promised that they would only pay thirty percent in land taxes for farming, with no other additional levies whatsoever.

Even after so many days, Wang Er still remembered the excitement, wild joy, and disbelief he and the other villagers had felt upon hearing the news that day.

But that was not all. A few days later, the Zhang Family master came to the village to recruit workers.

And so, Wang Er became a night watchman in Yang City.

Being a night watchman was wonderful. Food and lodging were provided, and he was paid every month.

A full fifty copper coins a month—six hundred copper coins a year. Six hundred copper coins!

In the past, Wang Er could not earn even half that amount after working himself to the bone for an entire year.

Wang Er was happy, incomparably happy.

He threw two hundred percent enthusiasm into this job as a night watchman.

Dong—dong! Dong! Dong!

Under the night sky, Wang Er vigorously struck his bronze gong.

"The air is dry, beware of fire."

"The air is dry, beware of fire."

In the predawn night, not a soul could be seen on the streets. A thin mist that had arisen at some unknown time obscured his vision.

The surroundings were utterly silent, like a ghostly realm devoid of people.

But Wang Er was not afraid. With a wonderful future ahead, hot blood in his heart, and money filling his pockets, he did not feel the slightest fear.

Instead, his spirits were high and his mood cheerful.

"The air is dry, beware of fire."

Wang Er's voice echoed through the silent street.

Rustle—

Rustle, rustle—

Several hurried, inexplicable sounds rippled through the silent night.

In the stillness of the night, those sounds were especially conspicuous.

Wang Er's ears twitched. Curiosity rising in his heart, he followed the sound into a nearby street.

Within the street.

Under the dim glimmer of moonlight, a figure was gnawing on something as patches of blood sprayed all around.

A corpse. A corpse—it was a corpse.

That humanoid figure was devouring a corpse. A great hole had been torn open in the corpse's chest, its flesh and blood a mangled mess.

Frozen, Wang Er stood where he was, staring blankly at the bloody scene. His body stiffened, and he did not know what to do.

Then.

The humanoid figure seemed to notice Wang Er approaching and turned its head toward him at the street entrance.

A purplish-blue face, its skin rotting and covered in densely packed maggots, entered Wang Er's sight.

"Ah—gh-ghost! There's a ghost!"

The scream lasted only a moment.

Puchi! Puchi—

In the blink of an eye, the figure appeared before Wang Er. A pair of rotten right hands pierced through Wang Er's chest.

It pulled out his heart, still pounding thump-thump, and began chewing it in great mouthfuls.

For a time, the street was filled with rustling sounds.

A moment later.

After the humanoid figure finished feeding, its body became increasingly solid. Even the rot covering its body and the overflowing madness in its eyes seemed to lessen slightly.

Dong, dong—

The figure staggered out of the street, its gaze somehow turning toward the distance.

"Zhang... Zhang... Zhang Family."

An endlessly hoarse, venomous voice drifted through the air.

The next day.

The blazing sun shone high in a cloudless sky.

"Ah, I left in such a hurry that I actually forgot to visit Old Steward's grave."

At the Qingmang Mountain Mine, Zhang Ming looked at the Mine gates he had been away from for over a month and rubbed his temples.

"Forget it. I did not go when I came, so I'll stop by on my way back."

"I won't be staying long anyway. Once I've hunted some Demon Beasts, I'll have to return."

With that, Zhang Ming spurred his horse and galloped toward the heart of the Mine.

Racing all the way, Zhang Ming passed checkpoint after checkpoint by showing his face and successfully met Lin De, whom he had not seen for over a month.

"Not bad. You haven't slacked off these days, and your conversion to the new Cultivation Method has gone smoothly."

Before leaving the Mine, Zhang Ming had given Lin De the second-to-last version of the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] and had him switch to it.

Now that more than a month had passed, Zhang Ming, who possessed perfected-level experience with the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method],

Could tell at a glance that Lin De had not slacked off in the slightest during this time, and his cultivation had improved remarkably.

"It's all thanks to the divine technique Young Master bestowed upon me. Young Master's divine technique is unimaginably powerful—I feel several times stronger than before. One punch from me could definitely kill the old me."

The version and level of the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] Lin De cultivated were a full tier higher than even those cultivated by the household guards.

After successfully switching methods, his strength had multiplied several times over. Naturally, he felt immensely powerful.

Zhang Ming smiled. "Cultivate well. Simply switching methods is not enough. This little strength of yours is nowhere near enough to serve as my right-hand man."

"Rest assured, Young Master. I will work hard. I will give it my all."

With a grave expression, Lin De vowed.

"Mm, I believe you."

After a few casual words, Lin De asked,

"Young Master, you've returned. Has Yang City already stabilized?"

Qingmang Mountain had no connection to the outside world, so news traveled somewhat slowly.

The information the Mine had received over a month ago was that Yang City was still in a state of chaos.

Zhang Ming gave a faint smile, as though everything lay in the palm of his hand.

"It's fine. Yang City has stabilized. It has become 'Zhang City.'"

Naturally, such somewhat "treasonous" words could not be spoken before outsiders.

But Lin De was no outsider.

Upon hearing this, Lin De was overjoyed and cupped his hands. "Wonderful, Young Master. Congratulations, Young Master."

"Alright, alright, don't bother with such formalities. Take me around the Mine first."

"I haven't been here for two months. Let's see what has changed."

A leader who could inspect things at any time was the best form of supervision and control.

"Alright, Young Master. This way."

Without further nonsense, Lin De led him through the Mine, introducing its changes over the past two months one by one.