When Zhao An came out of the clinic, his head was already wrapped in thick gauze and salve.
The medicine didn't smell too pungent, but it wasn't pleasant, either.
"Everyone says that young lady doctor at the clinic is heartless. Turns out they weren't wrong." Li Gou'er was still lamenting the cost of the medicine, and the exorbitant consultation fee had left him clicking his tongue.
"She's heartless, sure, but she's also a real beauty," Zhao Chunzi said with a sly grin.
"What, you want to give her a try?" Li Gou'er shot Zhao Chunzi a sidelong glance.
"Not a chance. I don't want to get drugged and tossed out onto the street." Zhao Chunzi hunched his neck and replied sheepishly.
The lessons of those who had come before were still vivid. The two female physicians could work miracles with their hands, but they could also kill without leaving a trace.
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Their skill with poison was especially fearsome, making it impossible to guard against.
Some men who'd let their lust get the better of them had even found themselves impotent after leaving the clinic. It was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
Anyone who dared open a clinic in the Outer City was no ordinary person. Poison Lady had earned her name.
Fortunately, the Female Physician still had some medical ethics. Even when insulted, she'd never actually poisoned anyone to death.
Otherwise, Zhao An would never have gone to that clinic to have his head treated today.
In eastern Outer City, near the bustling market, stood a somewhat dilapidated little courtyard. That was Zhao An's residence in Lianjiang City.
Of course, the courtyard's rightful owner wasn't him. It belonged to a family that had gone missing.
His predecessor had seen that the place was empty and unattended, so he'd simply seized it and lived there without a second thought ever since.
His fearsome reputation had kept the neighbors from daring to say anything to him.
"Brother Zhao, get some rest. Chunzi and I will keep watch at the gate," Li Gou'er said as they entered the courtyard.
"Mm," Zhao An murmured.
Today, he'd come back from the dead and crossed into another world.
He'd also killed a man and treated his injury.
After all that, he was indeed exhausted and ready to rest.
He went into the house without looking around and collapsed straight into bed.
In the courtyard, Li Gou'er brought out some peanuts and dried fruit, then sat facing Zhao Chunzi.
"Don't you think Brother Zhao's been a little different today? I feel like he looked at us strangely after he woke up. It was kind of scary, too..." Li Gou'er asked quietly.
"Did he?" Zhao Chunzi thought it over with a vacant look, then shook his head. He hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"Forget it. Why am I even telling you this? Maybe I'm just imagining things." Li Gou'er shook his head helplessly. Why was he bothering to discuss this with a blockhead like Zhao Chunzi?
The next day, Zhao An slept until the sun was high before finally waking.
The wooden bed wasn't particularly comfortable, but he'd slept soundly all night.
Now that he was awake, he felt much better than he had the day before. Even the wound on his head seemed to hurt less.
The Female Physician's medical skills really were impressive.
After checking his wound, Zhao An turned his attention to the Soul Pool deep in his mind.
The malicious soul of Xu San, the bald man, had already finished its refinement and become his second Soul Slave.
[Soul Slave: Xu San]
[Period of Enslavement: 5 years]
[Trait One: Pureblood Human (Can cultivate human techniques!)]
[Trait Two: Substitute Death (Any Soul Slave can passively die in the master's place when the master suffers a fatal injury!)]
[Trait Three: Martial Savage (Possesses the basics of third-rate martial arts. Gains a slight bonus when cultivating human martial arts!)]
Xu San's Soul Slave panel had gained another trait, giving him an extra bonus when cultivating martial arts. He was a more valuable tool of a Soul Slave now.
In addition, Xu San's period of enslavement was a full five years.
Zhao An reckoned the length of enslavement might depend on the severity of the sins committed while alive.
His other Soul Slave had also stopped studying and refining the blade technique.
[Soul Slave Jiang Erniu's period of enslavement has ended. Extract Karma Fruit?]
"It's already over..." Zhao An remembered that this Soul Slave's period of enslavement was a full year, but only a single day had passed since yesterday.
"So one day in the outside world is a whole year of martial arts practice for a Soul Slave in the Soul Pool?" Zhao An considered this briefly and reached a conclusion.
One day outside, one year in the Soul Pool.
No wonder the Soul Slave's progress in studying martial arts had seemed sped up when he watched it yesterday.
"Extract."
He gave the command silently. The Soul Slave bearing Jiang Erniu's name burst apart in an instant, transforming into specks of dim light.
The lights swirled rapidly, soon gathering into a pale red fruit, very much like the white Virtue Fruit Zhao An had obtained before, except for its color.
This time, he didn't need to give an order. The fruit was absorbed as soon as it took shape.
It felt like enlightenment pouring into his mind: countless scenes of practicing the Black Tiger Blade Technique overlapped, then all transformed into the purest form of technical experience.
At the same time, every muscle in his body tensed.
It wasn't just his mind absorbing the experience of practicing the Black Tiger Blade Technique. His body was gaining the benefits of the training, too!
His muscles grew firmer, especially the arms he used to wield a blade. They were visibly thicker.
His wrists and the five fingers gripping the blade grew stronger, too.
"Hungry! So hungry!"
The process of imparting the technique was interrupted by a sudden wave of hunger. Zhao An was so hungry that cold sweat broke out all over his body.
It wasn't just his stomach. The sensation came from every part of him.
He realized that the energy needed to change his body wasn't coming from nowhere.
His eyes fell on the large plate of beef on the table, along with half a jar of liquor.
It had been Zhao An's habit to eat meat and drink liquor first thing every morning.
Over time, Li Gou'er and Zhao Chunzi had started preparing the food and drink for him every day without needing to be asked.
Zhao An's eyes gleamed. He lunged for the food and, without bothering with chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth with his hands, washing it down with liquor.
Liquor was the essence of grain, packed with energy. It was just what he needed right now.
In the blink of an eye, he'd finished the beef and liquor, but he didn't feel full at all.
"Still not enough..."
Zhao An understood that the energy released by this meal wasn't enough to replenish what his body had consumed.
"Ordinary food won't cut it..." His thoughts raced. Suddenly, he pulled out the Earth Origin Pill he'd wished for.
This was a great medicinal treasure for martial artists.
Zhao An didn't overthink it. He popped it into his mouth.
Once swallowed, the pill's medicinal power quickly spread throughout his body. Heat surged through him, and at last, the hunger subsided.
With the Earth Origin Pill supplying him, the changes to his body could continue.
Soon, he had two arms like qilin limbs. His right arm in particular felt several times stronger than before.
His qi and blood surged, and even the breath he exhaled grew hotter.
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the transformation finally stopped.
Zhao An reached under the bed and pulled out a Big Ring Blade with a broad, thick spine, then effortlessly spun it in a flourish.
It moved smoothly and freely, far better than before.
Then Zhao An moved with the blade, using the few moves of the Black Tiger Blade Technique.
Whoosh!
The iron rings on the blade's spine chimed softly, merging with the fierce whistle of its passage through the air. The blade carried boundless killing intent!
The moves were broad and powerful, executed with consummate ease. Anyone who saw him would surely think Zhao An was an expert blade wielder.
Suddenly, Zhao An changed the course of his blade. A flash of silver fell, cleanly slicing off a corner of the table. It dropped to the ground as smoothly as a severed head!
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