The next day.
Jiang Gui and several other refugees were brought by the steward into an inconspicuous little courtyard within the city.
The courtyard was not large. It looked like an ordinary commoner's residence, plain and unremarkable.
Looking around, the group felt somewhat nervous.
But that nervousness did not last long.
A young nobleman emerged from the rear courtyard.
The young nobleman was handsome and carried himself with exceptional grace, but for some reason, he wore a white coat and what seemed to be gut gloves on his hands, making him look rather unusual.
The newcomer was Zhang Ming.
The moment Zhang Ming appeared, the steward hurried over to greet him, his face covered in a fawning smile.
"Young Master, Young Master, these are the newly arrived Drug Trial Participants."
Zhang Ming glanced over them casually as he washed the bloodstains from his hands.
"Mm, I know. Has the follow-up been arranged?"
"It has been arranged, Young Master. Please rest assured."
"Mm. Take them for a physical examination first. Let them bathe and change into clean clothes. Let them recover for a few days before bringing them over."
"Yes, Young Master."
Watching the steward urge the group along and lead them away,
Zhang Ming came back to himself.
"This time, quite a few should survive, right?"
Ever since Zhang Ming had used Ignite Comprehension several times two months ago to comprehend the original version of the Zombie Skill,
he had spent those two months continually revising and deepening the Zombie Skill, adapting it to normal human physiques.
With the aid of Ignite Comprehension, the research process and progress advanced step by step.
Every use of Ignite Comprehension brought a certain degree of improvement.
Now, after two months, aside from its most core component, the new Zombie Skill had become as different from the original version as north from south, undergoing enormous changes.
Moreover, after two months of research, his understanding of Corpse Qi and the Zombie Skill had risen to a higher level.
Take the original version, for example.
At a glance, the Zombie Skill really seemed like nothing more than a martial art manual.
But the version from two months later had developed many additional effects and contents upon its original foundation.
For example—
The Zombie Skill was called the Zombie Skill, but did Zombies truly need to "practice martial arts"?
Clearly, they did not!
They did not need to train through the dog days of summer and the coldest days of winter like humans did.
It was instead an instinct. So long as time accumulated and energy was not lacking, the Zombie Skill, like a passive ability, would cultivate and evolve on its own, strengthening a Zombie's body.
It was practically a miracle.
All human martial arts fell more than one level short before such an instinct.
Who would not want such an ability?
Of course Zhang Ming also wanted a cultivation method that could cultivate itself.
Thus, over those two months, he repeatedly simulated, observed, and studied the paths along which the Zombie Skill operated by itself within a Zombie's body.
He wanted to take it down.
The result went without saying.
Two months of time, plus repeated uses of Ignite Comprehension, had successfully allowed him to take it down.
But the consequence was that the Zombie Skill's complexity soared in a straight line.
If the original Zombie Skill was merely going to the dining hall to buy an identical steamed bun,
then the version after two months was growing vegetables yourself, raising pigs, slaughtering the pigs, kneading dough, and steaming the buns.
Its complexity had risen several tiers.
In short, the preliminary development of a new Zombie Skill that could cultivate independently, form a self-circulating circuit within the body after being implanted, and theoretically adapt to the human body had finally succeeded on a theoretical level!
Research was progressing steadily.
Naturally, experimentation had to keep up as well.
Thus, Zhang Ming had begun human experiments more than ten days ago.
The earliest human experiments had used condemned prisoners from within the city.
But Yang City was merely a small city. Even including the Zhang Family's great purge from several months ago,
the number of condemned prisoners held in its cells was limited. They were quickly used up, and new test subjects were needed.
Zhang Ming had a clear understanding of himself.
He knew that perhaps he was not a good person, but neither was he a heinous villain.
The evil act of seizing ordinary civilians for human experiments
was something he truly could not do.
After all, the probability of successful experiments was right there for all to see.
If the success rate had been a little higher, Zhang Ming could still have spouted nonsense to himself, claiming that he was giving people a fortuitous opportunity and bestowing them with good fortune.
But an experiment with an extremely high death rate was not giving anyone a fortuitous opportunity!!!
He could not even convince himself.
As it happened, refugees fleeing Shu Land arrived at this time.
So Zhang Ming inevitably set his sights on those foreign refugees.
The refugees had no stable social connections in the area and were in absolute poverty, with one meal but no idea where the next would come from.
For a very small price, he could recruit some test subjects willing to "contribute."
They were truly an excellent source of test subjects.
Of course, Zhang Ming still had a conscience.
He would do his utmost to ensure the survival rate of the refugee test subjects.
This could be seen from the most basic chance of surviving after the experiments.
For Yang City's condemned prisoners, due to destructive and extreme experiments, the death rate was close to one hundred percent.
For refugee test subjects, the death rate was only thirty percent, forty percent suffered accidental disabilities, and twenty percent were ineffective or extremely inefficient.
Ten percent displayed varying degrees of success!
Yes, the experiment success rate had already neared ten percent, while the death rate had dropped to thirty percent.
Aside from Zhang Ming's own efforts, such rapid improvement was entirely thanks to the condemned prisoners' vigorous support!!!
"Keep it up."
Zhang Ming encouraged himself.
"No matter what, the success rate is rising, and the experience being summarized is growing greater and greater."
"I believe it will not be long before the death rate can be reduced to single digits."
"Then it will be usable."
How could Zhang Ming not covet a Zombie Skill that could cultivate on its own and independently strengthen one's physique?
But before its safety rate reached a certain level, Zhang Ming absolutely did not dare imitate that Vital Energy circulation circuit within his own body.
"Come to think of it, the Zombie Skill's essence is to imitate the circulation of Zombie Corpse Qi."
"And the circulation of Zombie Corpse Qi, in certain aspects, coincides with Martial Dao theories of acupoints and meridians. Is this a coincidence, or the most fundamental secret of Martial Dao?"
"Did Martial Dao originally imitate these Demons, Monsters, Ghosts, and Oddities?"
"Humanoid Demons like Zombies are like this, so what about Demon Beasts?"
"Also, isn't it somewhat inappropriate to still call it the Zombie Skill now?"
"Zombie Skill, Zombie Skill, Zombie, Zombie—once the name comes out, it makes people who do not know the truth uncomfortable."
Zhang Ming rubbed his chin.
"I should change its name. What should I call it?"
"The cultivation method imitates the circulation of Zombie Corpse Qi, but now it has been changed into the circulation of human Vital Energy. Its defining feature is automatic cultivation, growing every moment."
"Then I'll call it the Cycle Devour Art. Cycle, turning wheel—it signifies that the cultivation method never ceases. Devour, devour—if it never ceases, it naturally needs to devour energy to sustain its cycle."
"Simple, convenient, and straightforward."
In the blink of an eye, several days passed.
Over the past few days, Jiang Gui had lived exceedingly comfortably.
The Zhang Family gave them warm new lodgings and new clothes, and they could even see meat in their daily meals.
Compared to the days of fleeing famine, the two were as far apart as heaven and earth.
One was like struggling in hell, while the other was arriving in heaven to enjoy its blessings.
It was only a pity that, for some unknown reason, Yang City had neither brothels nor gambling houses.
This prevented Jiang Gui from visiting those two places he had only ever heard about and never entered.
He wanted to take a look, have a peek, and fulfill his final wish before death.
Yes, before death.
Over the past few days, Jiang Gui had not merely sat around doing nothing.
In the temporary residence arranged for them by the Zhang Family, Jiang Gui had met some Drug Trial Participants whose experiments had failed.
From them, Jiang Gui learned that the death rate for Drug Trial Participants was extremely high, and that even those fortunate enough to survive would be left disabled.
But it was also from them that Jiang Gui learned the Zhang Family truly would keep its promises.
There was no need to mention those who died.
Even Drug Trial Participants left disabled would receive different treatment depending on the severity of their disabilities.
Those lightly disabled had already been assigned relatively easy work and could earn monthly wages.
Those more severely disabled were the ones Jiang Gui and the others had seen. Someone managed their food, drink, toilet needs, and daily life every day, supporting them continuously.
Therefore, even though Jiang Gui's group knew the death rate for Drug Trial Participants was extremely high, no one left.
Instead, they chose to trust the Zhang Family.
Jiang Gui believed that the Zhang Family had deliberately arranged for them to live together with those disabled Drug Trial Participants as a form of demonstration.
Before you continue