Recognizing Medicinal Herbs, Studying Medicine, Practicing Fists

Early the next morning, Li Bufan went to work as usual. Before leaving, he instructed, "Ping'an, take this money. Your brother might eat at Lin Manor at noon. If you're hungry, go buy yourself a steamed bun. Don't you dare scrimp."

Li Ping'an clutched the copper coins and nodded hard. "Mm! Don't worry, Brother, I'll watch the house!"

Li Bufan once again set out for Lin Manor. His steps were steadier now, and his gaze brighter.

When he arrived at Huichun Hall's rear entrance, Steward Zhang still wore that stern, unsmiling expression. Yet when assigning work today, he seemed even harsher than yesterday.

"Slice all this newly delivered Poria into thin pieces today. Keep the thickness even." Steward Zhang pointed at a huge basket of Poria. "If you don't finish, there'll be no lunch."

Looking at the basket packed full of medicinal herbs, Li Bufan did not complain in the slightest. He answered respectfully, "Yes, Steward Zhang."

He picked up the heavy herb-cutting knife, calmed his mind, and began working. He knew this was not merely work; it was training as well. Practicing fist techniques could increase his strength and control over his body, while finely slicing and weighing herbs were no less a tempering of patience, focus, and skill in his hands.

Perhaps all of this fell within the scope of "Heaven Rewards Diligence."

He brought the knife down steadily, and a slice of Poria, even in thickness, quietly fell.

[Medicinal Herb Processing: Slicing]

Proficiency: +1

The corner of Li Bufan's mouth lifted into an almost imperceptible curve.

His struggle had only just begun.

The days quietly flowed by like a stream amid Li Bufan's daily labor and persistence. Autumn deepened, and the cold wind grew increasingly biting, yet the shabby thatched hut rarely held a hint of warmth.

Every day, Li Bufan rose before dawn and practiced his fist technique several times without fail. He felt his proficiency grow bit by bit, while the thread of heat within him gradually thickened and warmed as his realm improved. It drove away the morning chill, and his strength grew at a visible pace. The strain he had initially felt moving that basket of Panax notoginseng had mostly vanished. Now, carrying medicinal herbs of the same weight still felt heavy, but no longer left him gasping for breath.

The work at Huichun Hall remained burdensome and trivial. Steward Zhang always wore that cold face, his orders brief and demanding, never giving even the slightest extra praise or concern. But Li Bufan gradually discovered that as long as he completed his assigned work flawlessly, even occasionally exceeding expectations, a trace of nearly imperceptible softening would flash through Steward Zhang's sharp eyes.

Like a greedy sponge, he absorbed every scrap of knowledge he could reach. Slicing herbs, grinding herbs, packaging, drying... he silently memorized every method for processing medicinal herbs and swiftly became proficient under the blessing of the Heaven Rewards Diligence talent.

[Medicinal Herb Processing: Slicing] Proficient (212/1000)

[Medicinal Herb Processing: Grinding] Beginner (87/500)

[Medicinal Herb Identification] Beginner (43/500)

He even took advantage of chances to sweep the front hall and wipe down the medicine cabinets, secretly memorizing the prescriptions written by the resident physicians and their analyses of patients' conditions. At night, after returning home, he used a twig to write them out from memory on the ground, pondering the roles of sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy among each ingredient. The logical mindset from his previous life in science and engineering gave him a grasp of medicinal properties and pharmacology far beyond that of an ordinary apprentice.

[Basic Pharmacology] Beginner (11/500)

His daily wage had gradually risen from five copper coins to seven because he was quick and never made mistakes. Occasionally, when Steward Zhang seemed to be in a good mood, he even received an extra copper coin as a reward. Li Bufan remained frugal. Each day, he spent at most two or three coins on the coarsest grain that filled his stomach best, carefully storing the remaining copper coins in a small pottery jar hidden beneath the kang mat. That was the hope that would carry the two brothers through the winter.

His younger brother, Li Ping'an, was also obedient and sensible. Not only did he keep the home in perfect order, he had even figured out how to clear a small patch of land behind the house. Somehow, he found some cold-resistant vegetable seeds and scattered them there. Though the sprouts grew sparse and thin, they still displayed a tenacious vitality.

That afternoon, a special patient came to Huichun Hall. A man dressed in silk robes, looking like a household steward, supported an elderly woman whose face was deathly pale as she groaned without pause. He entered and directly demanded to see Doctor Liu, the resident physician.

"Doctor Liu, hurry and examine our old madam! After lunch, she suddenly developed agonizing stomach pains and has been vomiting nonstop!" The steward's tone was anxious, yet carried an unquestionable air of superiority.

Doctor Liu did not dare delay. He hurried forward to take her pulse, observe her complexion, and question her. After a moment, he stroked his beard and pondered. "This is an acute condition caused by cold evil striking directly, compounded by unclean food. We must warm the middle, dispel cold, transform dampness, and stop the diarrhea." He immediately picked up his brush and wrote a prescription, ordering the clerk to prepare the medicine at once.

The clerk took the prescription and began measuring out the herbs with nimble hands. Li Bufan was packaging medicinal powder nearby and instinctively glanced at the prescription. There was nothing wrong with it. It was a common formula for this kind of acute illness: Agastache, Eupatorium, Atractylodes, Magnolia Bark, Poria, and so on.

However, when the clerk reached for the Poria, Li Bufan's brows furrowed slightly. He recognized that batch. It had arrived only a few days ago, but improper storage had left some of it damp. Its texture had softened, and its medicinal potency had likely been greatly reduced. Yet in Doctor Liu's prescription, Poria was a key herb for strengthening the spleen and draining dampness. If its potency was insufficient, it might affect the efficacy of the entire prescription.

He hesitated. The less trouble, the better. Besides, he was only a lowly apprentice, with neither status nor influence.

But when he saw the old woman groaning in pain and thought of the words "a healer's benevolent heart"—though he was not yet a healer—Li Bufan still drew a deep breath. He set aside his work, strode over to Steward Zhang, who was supervising the medicine preparation, and quietly explained what he had noticed.

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhang's eyes abruptly sharpened. He first gave Li Bufan a cold glance, as if judging whether he was simply meddling, then personally walked to the medicine cabinet. He pinched up a piece of Poria that was about to be weighed, inspected it carefully, and raised it to his nose for a sniff.

His expression darkened.

"Stop." Steward Zhang barked at the clerk, then turned and cupped his hands toward Doctor Liu and the steward. His tone was calm but carried unquestionable seriousness. "Doctor Liu, honored guest, my apologies. This batch of Poria has absorbed some dampness, and its medicinal potency has been impaired. I fear it would not benefit the old madam's condition. Please wait a moment. We have another batch of superior Poria in the storeroom. I will have someone fetch it immediately."

The steward's expression eased somewhat, and he nodded. "Steward Zhang is indeed meticulous. Much obliged."

Doctor Liu also breathed a sigh of relief and gave Steward Zhang an approving look.

Steward Zhang immediately sent another clerk running to the storeroom for the medicine. The entire process proceeded in perfect order, without the slightest delay. Soon, high-quality Poria was brought out, the prescription was filled, and the medicine began to simmer.

Not long after the old woman drank the medicine, her groans gradually subsided, and her complexion improved considerably. The steward's face looked much better as well, and before leaving, he even exchanged a few polite words with Steward Zhang.

After seeing the patient off, calm returned to Huichun Hall.

Steward Zhang paced over to Li Bufan, who had lowered his head and resumed packaging medicinal powder, then stood before him silently for a while.

Li Bufan's heart thumped uneasily. He did not know whether what he had done just now was right or wrong.

After a long while, Steward Zhang's flat, unruffled voice finally sounded. "You have a good eye. From now on, the routine inspection and airing of the storeroom herbs will also be your responsibility. Check them once every ten days. Pick out any that are damp or insect-damaged and report them to me promptly."

Li Bufan froze, then joy surged through his heart. This was not merely an additional responsibility—it represented recognition!

He hurriedly bowed. "Yes! I will handle it carefully!"

Steward Zhang gave an "Mm" and turned to leave. But after taking two steps, he stopped and added as if casually, "After closing at night, if you have nothing else to do, you may come to the front hall and listen to Doctor Liu explain the Classic of Materia Medica."

Li Bufan abruptly raised his head, scarcely daring to believe his ears!

Listening in the front hall! That was treatment reserved for formal apprentices! It meant he would have a chance to systematically study medicine!

The immense surprise struck him. He fought to suppress his excitement, then bowed once more toward Steward Zhang's back, his voice trembling slightly. "Thank you, Steward Zhang! Thank you for your guidance!"

Steward Zhang did not look back. He merely waved a hand.

For the rest of that day, Li Bufan felt filled with drive. He knew that the door leading toward a higher realm had finally opened a crack for him, thanks to his day-after-day Heaven Rewards Diligence and that little bit of meddling at a critical moment.

That evening, he collected eight copper coins for the day's work—one more than usual. When he stepped out of Huichun Hall, the cold wind still blew, but his heart was ablaze.

As usual, he bought food and walked home with light steps. He even began considering that, after a while, perhaps the money he had saved would be enough to buy some thick coarse cloth and make new padded jackets for Ping'an and himself.

When he pushed open the door, Ping'an still rushed up to greet him enthusiastically.

But today, Li Bufan's smile was especially radiant. He raised what he held in his hand, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Ping'an, today we don't just have steamed buns. Brother even brought you a piece of malt candy!"

In the days that followed, Li Bufan's pace of life became even more intense. During the day, he toiled at Huichun Hall like a mule or horse, never letting his hands rest. He had to finish all the heavy and miscellaneous work Steward Zhang assigned him, while also dividing his attention to carefully inspect the medicinal herbs in the storeroom, not daring to slack off in the slightest. After closing at night, he stayed in the front hall with a thirst for knowledge, holding his breath as he listened to Doctor Liu explain the Classic of Materia Medica, engraving every word of those dry medicinal properties and pharmacological principles into his mind.

[Medicinal Herb Identification] Proficient (102/1000)

[Basic Pharmacology] Beginner (189/500)

However exhausting the day had been, no matter how dark the sky was when he returned home at night, there was one thing he never stopped doing—practicing martial arts.

That Nameless Fist Technique had become the foundation on which he survived, as well as the sole comfort for his weary soul.

"Ha!"

Late at night, all was quiet save for the howling wind. In the dilapidated little courtyard, Li Bufan spread his stance once more. The thread of heat within him, growing stronger by the day through his fist practice, circulated with his movements, driving away both bodily exhaustion and the night's bitter cold.

His movements were smoother and fiercer than they had been half a month ago. His fists split the air, faintly carrying the sound of wind. Every move of Directly Strike the Yellow Dragon sought to drive power to his fingertips, as though it would truly pierce the void. Every Thousands of Soldiers Split Easily sank the shoulders and dropped the elbows, carrying a resolute intent to cleave and slash. Feint to the East, Attack to the West shifted between substance and illusion, his body following his fists, his footwork becoming much more nimble.

Sweat soon soaked through his thin clothes. His muscle fibers trembled faintly amid repeated stretches and bursts of force, bringing soreness and swelling, yet also a deeply satisfying sensation. His mind, however, remained intensely focused, all his attention immersed in his subtle control over his body and his contemplation of the force within each fist move.

[Nameless Fist Technique] Proficient (377/1000)

He could clearly feel that as his proficiency increased, his strength was growing, the speed of his attacks was quickening, and even his five senses seemed to have sharpened slightly. Moving those heavy medicine bundles during the day no longer felt so strenuous, and whenever he needed to climb up to retrieve something, his body felt somewhat lighter as well.

More importantly, the current of heat born and circulated within him while practicing fists seemed to possess some miraculous effect. Not only could it rapidly restore his energy after extreme fatigue, but the bruises and contusions he had suffered from accidentally bumping into things also faded much faster after the heat circulated through him.

This only strengthened his conviction—martial arts were his greatest reliance in this unfamiliar world. His work at Huichun Hall could keep him alive, and the medical arts he might learn in the future could earn him respect, but only power held in his own hands could grant him true security and protect those he wished to protect.

"It's still not enough. Faster, stronger!" Determination shone in Li Bufan's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he drove his already aching arms and threw another savage punch.

"Pa!" A crisp crack, clearer than before, burst through the silent night sky.

His entire body jolted. He felt the thread of heat within him seem to break through some subtle barrier. Its circulation suddenly accelerated, and after flowing through his whole body, the warmth and sense of power it brought noticeably strengthened as well.

He looked again at the words in his mind.

[Nameless Fist Technique] Proficient (378/1000)

Effect: Strengthens the body, slightly increases strength, invigorates the blood and dissipates stasis, moderately increases recovery speed.

The effect had strengthened! Though his proficiency had increased by only one point, the improvement it brought was utterly real!

Li Bufan slowly withdrew his stance, feeling the fuller strength and more vigorous heat within his body. His chest rose and fell from the intense exertion, yet the corner of his mouth could not help but curl upward.

Heaven Rewards Diligence—truly, it did not deceive him!

Not a single punch, not a single drop of sweat, would be wasted. He would walk this path of martial arts without wavering!

He raised his head toward the pitch-black sky, where cold stars glimmered like scattered specks.

One day, he would make these fists capable not only of shattering cold and poverty, but of fighting a true future into existence in this world.