The Doctor

Although Chen Wu had decided to take revenge, it wasn't something he could set in motion at once. There was a lot of preparation to do.

The first thing he needed to do was practice. He had to use these next two days to cultivate a Jade Bone. Only then could he continue practicing the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method.

After much deliberation, Chen Wu decided to keep practicing this bizarre martial art.

The main reason was that he had already completed the most difficult first step: borrowing the Concentrated Spirit Realm. After that, things wouldn't be so hard.

Over the past two days, Chen Wu had been thinking about the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method. He felt it resembled the Dao Heart Demonic Seed Method and the Longevity Formula described in novels from his previous life. Not that they worked the same way, but their approaches to cultivation were somewhat alike.

Both were difficult at first, then easy afterward: first ascending to immortality, then laying the foundation.

In Great Shun's world, martial artists generally cultivated step by step, improving their essence, energy, and spirit in that order, putting one foot in front of the other.

Even people from other countries might cultivate the Three Wheels and Seven Channels instead of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, or focus on things like the rational soul or the Tree of Life. But, by and large, they followed the same pattern, and their ultimate results were much the same. That was what people meant when they said the Heavenly Dao kept no secrets to itself.

The Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method did the opposite. By borrowing the Concentrated Spirit Realm, one entered it directly from the very beginning, then used it to nourish one's cultivation in return.

It was like the Longevity Formula, which granted innate true energy as soon as one began cultivating, or the Dao Heart Demonic Seed Method, which required one to plant a demonic seed within a Dao embryo from the start and directly form a Yang Spirit.

Chen Wu had already borrowed the Concentrated Spirit Realm and passed the greatest hurdle. It would be a real pity to stop cultivating just because he was afraid of the risks. Besides, this manual seemed to point toward the path of a Grandmaster—a matter even Old Jin couldn't explain.

When a man dies, his bird faces the sky; if he doesn't die, he'll live ten thousand years.

He'd played by the rules in his previous life. If he kept doing that after transmigrating, then what the hell was the point of transmigrating?

That day, on the sheep-hide raft, Old Jin had examined Chen Wu's bones and concluded that he was on the verge of achieving a Jade Bone. He was now just one step away.

For this reason, Chen Wu stood in front of an inconspicuous clinic. He wanted to buy some herbs for a medicinal bath, combining them with the Concentrated Spirit Realm to nourish his body from two directions and forge his Jade Bone as quickly as possible.

It was already late, and the clinic's front door was tightly shut. But those in the know understood that this was when it truly opened.

This clinic catered specifically to wealthy figures from the martial world. It welcomed everyone, whether they came from the black or white paths. Its absolute discretion was especially well regarded among the black path's wealthy patrons.

Chen Wu didn't bother hiding his identity. Following the pattern of three short knocks and one long, he gently rapped on the door.

Creak—

The door opened just a crack, revealing half a face inside.

"Come in."

The man moved aside, opening the gap enough for Chen Wu to squeeze through.

As soon as he entered, Chen Wu caught the strong smell of medicine, mixed with faint traces of blood.

"State your business. Don't ask questions." The doctor sat behind the counter, weighing some herbs without even looking up.

Chen Wu took out a prescription and handed it over. "Just fill it according to the prescription."

The doctor took the prescription and examined it carefully. "Everything else is fine, but this Bone-Piercing Herb is temporarily out of stock."

"I can pay extra!" Carrying a fortune, Chen Wu spoke with confidence.

"Then please wait a moment. I'll send someone to get it."

With that, the doctor called over the attendant who had just opened the door and gave him a few instructions. The attendant was about to leave.

"You're in such a hurry. You're not going to report me to the authorities, are you?" Chen Wu joked.

"What are you talking about? Are you accusing me?" The doctor immediately flew into a rage. "If we reported people to the authorities, how could we keep doing business? It's only a single herb, Bone-Piercing Herb. If you're worried, you can come along and get it yourself."

"Of course not. I was just saying."

Roughly half an hour later, the attendant returned with a bundle of herbs and handed it to the doctor. After checking them, the doctor passed Chen Wu the Bone-Piercing Herb along with the other herbs he'd prepared earlier.

"When you take the medicinal bath, watch the heat. Once the water boils, put out the fire within a quarter of an hour. Otherwise, the medicinal properties will dissipate and it won't work as well."

"How did you know I was going to take a medicinal bath?"

"A body-tempering medicinal bath formula. They all follow the same basic principles. I've seen plenty of them. You added a few herbs that don't matter, but you couldn't fool me."

"Sir, you have a keen eye!"

This man was a master!

Chen Wu suddenly thought of something and asked, "I'd like to ask you something, sir. If a Mystic Realm expert who cultivates body-tempering techniques had his Astral Energy shattered, his arteries severed, and his bones and sinews crushed by another Mystic Realm expert, how long would it take him to recover?"

"You're talking about Li Changgeng, right?"

"You even know that?"

The Daya Hall that took Li Changgeng in is run by my brother.

The medical community in Jincheng Prefecture was surprisingly small!

"Then can you answer my question?"

"That'll cost extra."

Smack—

Chen Wu immediately pulled out a banknote and slapped it on the counter.

The doctor didn't show the slightest reaction. He simply tucked away the banknote briskly, then spoke in an unhurried voice.

"Li Changgeng's other injuries aren't a problem, but his Jade Bone was damaged by powerful internal energy. The damage reaches deep into the marrow, and it won't heal in a short time. Without some extraordinary stroke of luck, he'll very likely be left with a lasting injury."

"So he won't be able to fight for the next few days?" Chen Wu's heart leaped.

"Li Superman is a Mystic Realm expert. He can still force himself to fight, but he won't be able to keep it up for long, and it'll shorten his life."

That was good enough! Chen Wu quickly considered his options.

"Thank you!" Chen Wu bowed and left the way he'd come.

After Chen Wu had been gone for a while, the doctor called the attendant over. "Go find Zhang Zhihe and tell him someone came in to buy herbs for a body-tempering medicinal bath and asked about Li Changgeng."

The attendant was shocked. "Aren't we forbidden from revealing our customers' information?"

"Do you really think Zhang Iron Ruler doesn't know about this place?" The doctor gave a self-mocking smile. "He needs somewhere to gather information about people from the martial world. He turns a blind eye to me, so I can't pretend not to understand."

"Normally, I'd let it go. But since this involves Li Changgeng, I have to tell Zhang Iron Ruler. I've already been discreet enough by not reporting this person on the spot." The doctor's expression turned sly. "Besides, we haven't actually revealed anything, have we? Did I say who this person was? Do you know who he is?"

The attendant suddenly understood. He nodded and asked no more questions.

At the Qingbaishi estate, Old Ma had already prepared the firewood for the medicinal bath.

As soon as Chen Wu walked in, Old Ma asked anxiously, "Did everything go smoothly?"

"No problems."

Chen Wu told Old Ma everything, from beginning to end.

Old Ma stroked his beard and thought it over. "Chen Gawa, you were a little reckless. Doctor Wang must have reported you. Next time, buy your medicine somewhere else."

"Huh?" Chen Wu immediately tensed up.

"Everything else is fine, but you asked about Li Changgeng. That's a serious matter. He'll definitely have to inform the authorities to distance himself from it."

"Then why did you say he was discreet?"

"He'll keep quiet about small matters, but when things get too serious, he'll protect himself," Old Ma explained. "Do you really think the authorities don't know about his shady business? They've just reached an understanding."

"If they get rid of him, the authorities lose a source of information. If they leave him alone, they can still get some information from time to time. He's definitely already reported your business to Zhang Iron Ruler."

So that was it. He'd suffered because he lacked experience in the martial world! Chen Wu couldn't help feeling frustrated.

"Don't worry too much. Men like him are old hands. They won't take things too far." Seeing Chen Wu's frustration, Old Ma comforted him. "He must have reported only vague details, just enough to give the authorities an explanation. He won't reveal too much."

"He's been in business this long because he doesn't offend either side. Otherwise, he would've been done for long ago."

"You're the experienced one, all right." Chen Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mm, that's all small stuff." Old Ma shook his head and grew serious. "For us martial artists, everything still comes down to martial arts. If you really want to avenge the Patrol Commissioner, hurry up and forge your Jade Bone."

He spoke with solemn conviction, but Old Ma's own martial arts had long since gone to seed. Coming from him, the words had a distinctly darkly comic edge.

"Got it!" Chen Wu's lips curled up as he carried the herbs into the inner room.

"All right, I understand."

After hearing the report, Zhang Iron Ruler replied with those words and fell silent.

The spies below exchanged glances, unsure what this chief constable was up to now.

No one had forgotten the scene from a few days ago, when Wu Chengyi escaped from prison, Qiao Weisheng was killed, and Chief Constable Zhang flew into a rage. At this moment, no one dared to ask a single question.

After a long while, Zhang Zhihe suddenly slapped the table, making everyone jolt.

"Send more men to protect Li Changgeng over the next few days!" Zhang Zhihe ordered. "Bring the firearms and iron armor. Don't let your guard down for even a moment!"

"Yes!" The men below answered in unison, though they all breathed a sigh of relief.