Recuperation

Li Bufan returned home with his back full of rice, grain, and clothes. As he pushed open the wicker door, Li Ping'an, who had been curiously peeking around the stove, immediately rushed over.

"Big brother! You're back! Wow! You bought so much stuff!" Ping'an's eyes went wide as saucers, watching his brother set down the heavy baskets. Inside were gleaming white polished rice, glossy brown rice, crisp radishes and cabbages, and neatly folded new cotton-padded jackets. The little boy's face lit up with unprecedented radiance.

Especially when Li Bufan pulled out two sets of thick, soft cotton-padded jackets and trousers, along with warm fur hats, Ping'an could hardly believe his eyes. He cautiously reached out, touching the brand-new fabric. It was soft and warm to the touch—material better than anything he'd ever worn.

"Big brother... these... these are really for us?" Ping'an's voice trembled with disbelief and joy. In past New Years, having a patched-up old cotton coat was already a luxury. He'd never seen brand-new, thick, good clothes like this before.

"Of course they're for us. Try them on and see if they fit." Li Bufan smiled, handing his younger brother's set to him.

Ping'an took the clothes, his little face flushed with excitement. He fumbled to put them on. The clothes were a bit big, but that meant he could wear them for another two years. The thick cotton wrapped around him, instantly shutting out the bitter cold.

"Warm! So warm!" Ping'an spun around the room in delight, touching the sleeves, tugging at the hem. Even though there were only two sets, he tried them on three or four times, each time as happy as if it were his first.

Li Bufan watched his brother's innocent smile, his heart filled with both bitterness and relief. For a poor child, a new set of clothes was the greatest joy in the world.

"Little brother, stay home and put away the rice and grain. I'm going out again, I'll be back soon," Li Bufan said to Ping'an, who was still admiring his reflection in the large water bucket.

Ping'an immediately turned around, curious. "Big brother, where are you going? Didn't you already buy everything?"

Li Bufan smiled, his tone light. "I'm going to buy some pastries for you."

"Past... pastries?" Ping'an's eyes went even wider than when he'd seen the new clothes. His mouth fell open slightly, and he unconsciously swallowed. The word "pastry" only existed in stories and imagination for him—a delicacy only the children of wealthy town families could taste. He'd never even seen what a pastry looked like.

"Re... really, big brother?" His voice was full of longing and disbelief.

"Of course it's true. Stay home and wait obediently." Li Bufan ruffled his brother's head and turned to leave.

Once outside, Li Bufan's relaxed smile faded slightly. He did plan to buy pastries, but more importantly, he needed to visit a medical clinic. The wound on his left arm had scabbed over, but it was deep enough to reach the bone. If he wanted to avoid lingering issues and recover quickly, he needed professional treatment and medicine. The best clinic in Huaiyuan County was Huichun Hall, under Lin Manor.

He made his way to Huichun Hall with practiced ease. The familiar scent of herbs filled the air. The physician on duty was Doctor Liu, the same one who had taught Li Bufan to identify herbs and imparted basic medical knowledge while he was recovering.

Doctor Liu had white hair and a ruddy complexion, full of vitality. He was writing a prescription, head down. Li Bufan stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Elder Liu."

Doctor Liu looked up at the sound. Seeing Li Bufan, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. "You, boy? Haven't seen you in a while. You look much better than last time. Hmm... steady steps, vigorous blood and qi. Looks like your martial arts have improved quite a bit." The old physician's sharp eyes saw Li Bufan's changes at a glance.

"Thanks to your blessings, Elder, my health has indeed improved a lot," Li Bufan said humbly, then revealed his left arm. "I was hunting in the mountains and got careless—wounded by a beast. I treated it myself, but I'd like you to take a look and prescribe something to speed up recovery."

Doctor Liu gestured for him to sit, carefully unwrapped the bandage, and examined the wound. Seeing the scabbed-over but still gruesome gash, the old physician frowned slightly. "Deep wound! Nearly damaged the tendons and bones. Lucky you treated it in time and used the right herbs, or you'd be in serious trouble. What kind of beast did you run into out there, to be so dangerous?"

Li Bufan was vague. "Ran into a big one. Got lucky and escaped." He didn't want to go into details about the mountains.

Doctor Liu gave him a look but didn't press further. He carefully cleaned the wound, applied better Trauma Ointment, then wrote out a new prescription. "The wound's fine. Just keep applying the ointment. This is an internal prescription—boosts qi and blood, promotes healing. It'll help you recover. Take the medicine as directed: three bowls of water boiled down to one, once in the morning and once in the evening."

"Thank you, Elder." Li Bufan took the prescription, thanking him repeatedly.

He went to the counter to get five doses of the medicine and bought some extra high-quality Trauma Ointment for backup. When he settled the bill, it cost nearly one tael of silver, which made him wince again. But for his health, the money had to be spent.

Leaving Huichun Hall, he finally stopped by a pastry shop, buying two catties of fine malt sugar cakes, sesame biscuits, and plum blossom cakes, wrapped in oil paper.

When he returned home with the medicine and pastries, Ping'an was waiting eagerly at the door. The moment he saw his brother, he flew over like a little bird.

"Big brother! You're back!"

When Li Bufan handed him the bag of sweet-smelling pastries, Ping'an's little hands even trembled. He carefully opened the oil paper, revealing the golden malt sugar cakes and sesame-studded biscuits. His eyes went wide, and he held his breath.

"Big brother... these... these are pastries?" He picked up a small malt sugar cake, cautiously took a tiny bite. The sweet taste instantly melted in his mouth—a flavor he'd never experienced before.

"Mmm! Sweet! So sweet! Big brother, you have some too!" Ping'an squinted his eyes in bliss, standing on tiptoe to offer the bitten pastry to Li Bufan's mouth.

Li Bufan smiled and took a small bite, watching his brother's expression of pure contentment, as if he owned the whole world. All the hardship and risk felt worth it.

That evening, the brothers cooked fragrant polished rice, stir-fried a large plate of beast meat, and enjoyed a hearty meal with radish soup. After dinner, Ping'an carefully stored away the remaining pastries, saying he'd eat them slowly.

Li Bufan, meanwhile, boiled the medicine Doctor Liu had prescribed. The bitter smell of herbs filled the room, but it carried the promise of recovery.

As night deepened, the house was warm and peaceful. Li Bufan looked at his younger brother, who slept soundly, warm and full, with pastries tucked close to his chest. Then he touched the remaining six-odd taels of silver in his pocket and the three Cinnabar Fruits hidden on his person. His gaze was calm and resolute.

Having enough to eat and wear was only the first step. The martial path ahead would require more resources and silver. These six taels had to be spent carefully, on what mattered most. And the Cinnabar Fruits were key to his breakthrough—he couldn't take them until his injury was fully healed.

For the next four or five days, Li Bufan completely relaxed. He didn't get up before dawn to train as usual. Instead, he deliberately immersed himself in a slow, peaceful rhythm, trying to wash away the exhaustion, tension, and the buried, unspoken pressure of killing that the twenty days in the mountains had left behind.

During the day, he no longer buried himself in training. He spent more time with his brother Ping'an. With their modest but sufficient silver, they went to Huaiyuan County's market—not bustling, but full of the lively energy of everyday life.

The market was crowded, with vendors hawking their wares. Ping'an held tightly to his brother's hand, his little head swiveling like a rattle-drum, taking in everything with wonder. Sugar figurines, dough sculptures, street performances, dried goods stalls, fabric stalls... To a child who had spent years in poverty, it was all irresistibly fascinating.

Li Bufan watched his brother's sparkling eyes, his heart softening. He bought Ping'an a skewer of bright red candied hawthorns. The sweet-and-sour taste made Ping'an squint, smiling like a cat that had stolen a fish. He also bought some treats they usually couldn't afford—fragrant roasted pumpkin seeds, a small bag of sweet frozen pears, and even half a catty of fatty-and-lean pork to make dumplings at home.

He also took Ping'an to listen to a street storyteller spin tales of chivalrous wanderers with swords. Though rough, the stories captivated Ping'an, his eyes full of longing for the world beyond.

Those days, their meals were no longer monotonous gruel and pickled vegetables. Sometimes it was fragrant shredded pork noodles, sometimes oily meat-and-vegetable dumplings, sometimes slow-cooked beast bone soup. Every meal, Ping'an ate until his little belly was round, his face glowing with happiness.

Li Bufan himself slowly savored this plain, warm life. Hot food, his brother's carefree smile, the warm brazier—they gradually dispelled the chill and bloodshed of the mountains. His taut nerves slowly loosened. Even the wound on his left arm healed rapidly under Doctor Liu's medicine and ample nutrition. The scab began to fall off, revealing tender new pink flesh beneath.

Of course, he didn't completely abandon training. Every morning and in the dead of night, he still practiced the breathing method of the Spirit Ape Muscle Tempering Technique, nourishing his blood and qi, tempering his muscles, feeling the growing power within. But he no longer pushed himself as hard as before, instead consolidating his Initial Muscle Tempering cultivation in a gentle, steady way.

The [Heaven Rewards Diligence] fate still worked silently. Even in daily activities—walking, sitting, lying down—his control over his muscles and the flow of his blood and qi seemed to improve subtly. The profound intent of the Nameless Fist Technique at its Great Completion realm often flowed through his mind, deepening his understanding of power.

More importantly, these days of peaceful living were like a spiritual tempering. They allowed him to look back and digest his mountain experiences with a calmer mind. The life-and-death struggles, the shock of taking another's life for the first time—all of it slowly settled and absorbed in this ordinary routine, transforming into a deeper calm and resilience. His mind, after extreme tension and killing, found balance and elevation in this warmth and simplicity.

Four or five days passed in a flash. Li Bufan felt his body and mind had adjusted to their best state. His left arm injury was no longer a problem. It was time to handle the next matters.

That morning, he got up early. He carefully inspected the twenty imitation Armor-piercing Arrows, confirming they were identical to the Lin Manor standard, then wrapped them in cloth. From the pile of hides in the corner, he took out the two most precious Silver-Crowned Snow Fox pelts and three regular snow fox pelts, carefully wrapping them in plain hemp cloth.

He told Ping'an to watch the house, then shouldered the arrows, picked up the fox pelts, and headed out the door toward Lin Manor.