Pharmacist Shen

The panel did not respond.

Li Pingsheng tried again, but there was still no response.

He was not panicked, however.

He had just "borrowed" a large sum of money from the Black Water Gang.

It was the perfect time to head to the black market and pick up some medicinal plasters.

Li Pingsheng made up his mind, hid the beast blood and silver notes, changed into a grey cloth tunic, and left the martial arts hall.

Half an hour later.

The entrance to the black market.

The guards at the mouth of the alley were gone, replaced by over a dozen Black Water Gang thugs wielding steel blades.

They glared fiercely at everyone entering or leaving.

This posture made it clear that the Black Water Gang was preparing to go to war with the Zhao Family.

Li Pingsheng lowered his head, blended in with a group of merchants, and slipped into the black market.

The main thoroughfare of the black market was split into two sections.

The east side was filled with Black Water Gang members, their weapons already drawn.

The west side was occupied by Zhao Family guards wearing matching uniforms.

The two factions stood in a standoff, separated by a stone-paved alley less than three feet wide.

A few casual customers and small vendors were caught in the middle, not daring to make a sound.

"The Black Water Gang and the Zhao Family are about to fight; won't the City Lord's Mansion do anything?"

"How could they? The relationships between these factions in the Inner City are a mess; the City Lord's Mansion doesn't want to wade into these muddy waters."

Li Pingsheng avoided the confronting crowds and ducked into an abandoned drainage ditch nearby.

Before long, he found the stall belonging to One-Eyed Dragon, whom he visited often.

One-Eyed Dragon was frantically stuffing his wares into a large bundle, sweat pouring down his forehead.

Li Pingsheng stepped out from the shadows, just about to speak.

"Ah!?"

One-Eyed Dragon jumped in fright, but upon seeing it was Li Pingsheng, he looked up.

He grabbed Li Pingsheng by the arm and dragged him behind the stall.

"Young man, why are you still here? Leave, quickly, leave!"

"Something huge is going to happen here tonight! The Black Water Gang and the Zhao Family have blocked all three exits; they're clearing the area! If you don't leave now, you won't be able to!"

One-Eyed Dragon hadn't even finished speaking.

"Kill them all!..."

Shouts of battle erupted from the end of the alley, followed by the sound of clashing weapons and human screams.

The two sides had started fighting.

The chaotic melee spread instantly.

People charged and collided in the alley, blood splattering all over the walls.

Li Pingsheng turned around, intending to retreat the way he came.

He did not want to get involved.

A Zhao Family death soldier, pursued and slashed at by three Black Water Gang thugs, was retreating into the very alley where Li Pingsheng stood.

"Get lost!"

The death soldier's eyes were bloodshot, his steel blade swinging wildly.

With one strike, he slashed toward an elderly man with white hair who had collapsed on the ground nearby.

The old man's clothes were tattered, and he carried a medicine chest; he was a traveling physician.

He had nowhere left to dodge.

Li Pingsheng could have easily avoided the conflict.

But the moment he saw the old man, he was reminded of his own grandfather.

In the next second, Li Pingsheng raised his right hand to meet the blade's edge.

He caught the steel blade directly in his hand.

His [Tiger Bone] specialty made his palm as hard as a block of iron.

The blade scraped violently against his palm, even sparking, yet it didn't leave so much as a white mark.

The Zhao Family death soldier had yet to react.

Li Pingsheng exerted force through his wrist, snapping the steel blade in two.

Without even glancing at the death soldier, he swung his arm, sending the burly man flying into a distant wall, where he slid to the ground and remained motionless.

Following this, Li Pingsheng lashed out with a kick.

A Black Water Gang thug who had been pursuing him had his chest cavity cave in instantly; he flew backward, knocking over two more men.

The entire sequence took no more than three seconds.

The alley fell silent at once.

Li Pingsheng turned, preparing to search for the other stall owners.

The white-haired old man he had saved scrambled up from the ground, dusting off his clothes.

He stared at Li Pingsheng's retreating back.

"Young brother, wait."

Li Pingsheng did not stop.

"The blood and qi within your body have already begun to backflow."

The old man spoke again.

Only then did Li Pingsheng halt his steps.

"If you don't treat it, you have three days at most."

"Every time you engage in combat, your meridians cannot withstand the strain; they will rupture from the inside out."

"By then, not even the gods could save you."

Li Pingsheng turned around, locking his gaze onto the old man.

Meeting his stare, the old man pointed to Li Pingsheng's right hand.

"Your strike just now looked effortless, but in reality, you have reached your limit."

"When you crushed that steel blade, didn't your fingertips turn blue and purple?"

"After you threw that man, didn't your palm tremble?"

The old man continued, "Those are the signs that your blood and qi are blocked and your meridians can no longer hold. Your condition is already critical."

Everything the old man said was spot on.

Li Pingsheng grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into a nearby vacant warehouse, shielding them from the chaos outside.

He demanded, "Who are you? How did you know that?"

"Cough, cough..." The old man coughed twice, appearing unperturbed. "This old man is Shen Tong, a pharmacist. As for how I knew... I saw it."

"Your foundation is excellent. But have you recently consumed the essence blood of a high-level demonic beast that exceeded what you could handle?"

Pharmacist Shen explained, "Your blood and qi are rising too quickly, and your meridians cannot strengthen at the same pace. Your meridians cannot contain this power, and eventually, they will burst."

This explanation matched Li Pingsheng's own suspicions.

"How do I fix it?" he pressed.

"To fix it is neither hard nor easy."

Pharmacist Shen said, "It requires a second-tier medicinal herb called 'Red Marrow Vine' as the primary ingredient, combined with several other herbs to refine into a 'Meridian Clearing Pill'. This pill can widen and reinforce your meridians."

"Where can I find Red Marrow Vine?"

"That is the difficult part."

Pharmacist Shen shook his head. "This vine grows in very treacherous places; it can only be found in the deepest parts of the 'Black Mist Forest', thirty miles outside the city."

"Black Mist Forest?"

Li Pingsheng recognized the name.

"Correct." Pharmacist Shen's face turned stern. "That place is shrouded in toxic black mist year-round. The forest is crawling with venomous insects and demonic beasts; an average martial artist would die the moment they stepped inside. That is why it is also known as a 'Forbidden Zone'."

Hearing this, Li Pingsheng's heart sank.

The Martial Hall Grand Exam was fast approaching.

If he could not resolve his meridian issues before then, not only would he be unable to use his full strength in the exam, but he might even die from a blood and qi rupture while fighting Zhao Ming.

If that happened, all his calculations over this period would be in vain.

Pharmacist Shen sensed Li Pingsheng's anxiety.

"Young brother, you saved this old man's life, and I cannot stand by and watch you die."

As he spoke, he took a set of silver needles from his medicine chest and said to Li Pingsheng, "Sit down. I will use these needles to clear your blood and qi; it will suppress the condition temporarily."

Li Pingsheng did not waste words and sat cross-legged.

Pharmacist Shen's technique was fluid. As dozens of silver needles were inserted, a current of energy flowed through his meridians, and the throbbing pain eased significantly.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Pharmacist Shen withdrew the needles, his face covered in sweat.

"That's enough. But this is only temporary."

He looked at Li Pingsheng, whose complexion had improved slightly, and said, "In exchange, you must lead me out of here safely."

"Agreed." Li Pingsheng nodded.

He no longer held anything back, leading Pharmacist Shen through the chaotic black market.

Anyone who blocked their path, whether they were from the Black Water Gang or the Zhao Family, was sent flying by a single punch from him.

Not a single one could withstand a single blow.

Pharmacist Shen followed behind, watching the young man's back, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Soon, the two of them broke through the black market's encirclement.

Before leaving, Pharmacist Shen shoved a bamboo tube into Li Pingsheng's hand.

"Young brother, great kindness needs no thanks."

"Inside are three Pulse-Suppressing Pill, one per day; they will help you suppress your surging blood. But remember, the medicinal effect lasts for three days at most."

"Within these three days, you must bring back the Red Marrow Vine."

Pharmacist Shen cast a glance at him.

"If you manage to survive and retrieve the medicinal herb, come find me at Dry Well Alley in the west of the city. This old man will be waiting for you there."

With that, the old man turned and vanished from sight.

Li Pingsheng took the bamboo tube and returned to the martial arts hall's small courtyard.

He closed the door and swallowed one of the black Pulse-Suppressing Pill.

The pill dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, and as its power spread through his body, the swelling pain in his chest and meridians instantly receded.

His body felt much lighter.

But he knew this was only temporary.

[Potential Points: 1]

He had potential points now, but no way to use them.

He had originally thought he could cultivate in peace and shock everyone during the grand examination.

But now, all his plans were in disarray.

Three days.

He only had three days.

He had to sneak into the Black Mist Forest outside the city alone within the next two nights and snatch the Red Marrow Vine from that hellish place crawling with demonic beasts.

Before the grand examination, he had to resolve this trouble and unlock his fourth specialty!