After calming his surging blood and qi, Shen Fan felt much more at ease.
Looking at the corpses of his fellow disciples not far away, Shen Fan said calmly, "I didn't save you, so I was unkind. But I avenged you, so I've done right by you!"
He was just about to clasp his hands behind his back and put on the air of a master when he caught sight of a corner of a silver note sticking out of a burly man's clothes!
Golden Light flashed in Shen Fan's eyes, and he snatched up the note even faster.
"What? It's a hundred-tael silver note!"
Now, when he looked at the other corpses, Shen Fan saw nothing but piles of treasure.
After a thorough search, he'd nearly stripped the clothes off their backs. In the end, his haul made him burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! More than four hundred taels! I've never fought such a prosperous battle in my life! I'm rich! I'm really rich!"
A flock of birds took wing in the distance, but Shen Fan didn't care in the slightest. After gathering up the corpses, he finally left the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
He could have interrogated them about why they'd attacked the Martial Hall's disciples, but he didn't. Whatever information he got, he wouldn't do anything about it anyway.
Since that was the case, it was better not to know. After all, ignorance was bliss.
Leaving the Black Dragon Mountain Range, Shen Fan arrived at the temporary camp the Martial Hall had set up and entered an empty tent.
He hung up the "Occupied" sign, then began to focus on planning his life from here on out.
"This time, I earned another four hundred taels or so. That means I probably don't need to sell my excess medicinal herbs to the Martial Hall."
"Selling them to the shops would definitely get me a better price. Besides, I can use a lot of these herbs myself. If I can learn how to make medicine, I might be able to get even more out of them!"
The thought made Shen Fan's excitement grow.
Once he'd made up his mind, Shen Fan immediately turned in the three low-grade medicinal herbs required for the mission and hid most of the rest.
Steward Zhang, who was in charge of registration, smiled when he saw the young disciple.
"Shen Fan? Two months since joining, at the Skin Refining stage, and your mission was to gather three low-grade medicinal herbs. Mm, not bad. These herbs meet the requirements. Congratulations, you've completed your mission.
"You won't have any missions for the next week!"
Steward Zhang quietly put a check mark beside Shen Fan's name in the register.
Setting down his brush, Steward Zhang studied the young man who'd left such a deep impression on him and reminded him, "This mission is a great opportunity for you. It'd be a real shame not to continue!"
"Thank you, Steward. I understand, but I think the world outside is still too dangerous. Missions like gathering herbs are better left to the Senior Brothers!"
Although Shen Fan understood what Steward Zhang was implying, he wasn't tempted.
He knew he'd reap a great deal if he continued, but after seeing those disciples meet such tragic ends, he was sure plenty of things could go wrong on this herb-gathering mission.
So when a vortex was about to form, the best thing to do wasn't to disperse it, but to steer clear.
Perhaps afraid the steward wouldn't believe him, Shen Fan continued, "The Senior Brothers are far too strong. I can't compare. Competing with them for herbs would just be asking for humiliation!"
As he spoke, he put on the weathered look of someone who'd been battered by life.
If Steward Zhang hadn't been able to use a remarkable technique to sense the terrifying blood and qi within Shen Fan, he might actually have believed this whole load of nonsense.
Forcing himself not to roll his eyes, Steward Zhang took a deep breath and said, "If that's not where your ambitions lie, then so be it. Go back."
Shen Fan breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, the steward's expression seemed strange, as if he'd noticed something.
But the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed. His acting was so good—how could he have given himself away?
But this time, Shen Fan was wrong. His acting had been flawless; he'd simply forgotten that this was a world where the Martial Path transcended the ordinary.
Martial Artists had all kinds of formidable abilities. Shen Fan had never imagined Steward Zhang could cultivate a technique that let him sense blood and qi. His knowledge was simply too limited!
Just as Shen Fan was about to take his leave, something occurred to him. He asked respectfully, "May I ask if you know what I should do if I want to study medicine?"
Steward Zhang looked up at Shen Fan, a trace of amusement flickering at the corner of his mouth.
"Medicine? That's not something just anyone can study. To be an ordinary physician, you only need to read a few medical texts. But to become a Medical Sage capable of treating the powerful, you need to meet some very particular conditions!"
"What conditions?" Shen Fan perked up at once, sensing there was a chance.
"What conditions? You know about the Health Cultivation Method, don't you? Oh, right, you've practiced it yourself. In that case, I'll be blunt."
"The Health Cultivation Method is a prerequisite for entering the field of medicine!"
Shen Fan's pupils contracted as he seemed to understand.
No wonder his perception had improved so much since he'd mastered the Three Yuan Art. He didn't yet know what it could do for his healing abilities, but when he remembered the properties of the blood and qi he'd felt after producing that special health-cultivating energy, everything suddenly became clear.
"Thank you for enlightening me, Steward!" Shen Fan bowed excitedly.
Steward Zhang waved a hand. "It's nothing. It's no secret at all. Ask anyone with a few years of experience and they'll tell you.
"But while the requirement is clear, truly getting started in medicine isn't easy. The Health Cultivation Method takes a patience most people simply don't have!"
As he spoke, he gave Shen Fan a long look, then remarked casually, "Our Ox Demon Martial Arts School once had a Medical Sage, and even the Hall Master respected him greatly!"
"But he passed away many years ago. What a pity that his legacy has been gathering dust in the Scripture Pavilion ever since!"
His words sounded half like a sigh and half like a fond remembrance.
Seeing Steward Zhang like this, Shen Fan tactfully took his leave. But he remembered every word.
"The Scripture Pavilion? Looks like I'll have to search it carefully. A legacy worthy of being called that of a Medical Sage must be at least a second-rate cultivation method, right?"
Shen Fan was excited. Carrying a big bundle, he hurried back to the Martial Hall that very night.
From the day Shen Fan left, masked Martial Artists began appearing in the Black Dragon Mountain Range in large numbers, repeatedly attacking the disciples gathering herbs. In the end, the Martial Hall even sent experts at the Blood Condensation and Viscera Refining stages to wipe them out, but the enemy's powerful fighters held them back.
Ultimately, the Martial Hall could only retreat to the city in disarray, taking its many wounded disciples with it.
But that's a story for later.
Early the next morning, Shen Fan arrived at the Scripture Pavilion. Looking at the grand, towering building, he also gave his money pouch a squeeze, feeling its unusual heft.
Only then did Shen Fan's nervousness ease a little.
He strode inside with his head held high.
Before you continue