Severe Backlash

A month later.

Ma Yan was startled when he saw how much weight Zhou Yan had lost. He looked nearly two sizes smaller.

"How did you end up like this?"

The sturdy, dark-skinned young man had once looked strong and fit. Now, though he wasn't quite skin and bones, he seemed to weigh less than a hundred pounds. His face had grown very pale, and there wasn't a trace of color in his lips.

At first glance, he looked like a chronically ill patient on the verge of death.

Zhou Yan himself didn't seem to care. He waved a hand and said, "It's nothing. I've just been training a little too hard."

He still hadn't succeeded in refining a zombie, but while he nurtured it, large amounts of yin energy and corpse qi filled the air. Zhou Yan absorbed and refined it all from nearby, which was why he had changed so drastically.

The Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique was a heretical path. It lacked the balanced cultivation of blood and qi and the spiritual fulfillment found in the Orthodox Profound Sects.

But heretical arts had the advantage of rapid progress. Drawing on the yin energy and corpse qi, and pushing himself day and night, Zhou Yan had not only raised the Mystic Yin Art to the "proficient" level but also condensed fifteen drops of Profound Yin Essence Blood.

He could condense nearly one drop every two days.

It was well known that the further one progressed in cultivation, the slower the pace of condensing essence blood became.

The human body had its limits. Before undergoing a complete transformation, condensing each drop of essence blood was almost like wringing the body dry. That was why the process grew slower and slower as one advanced.

With the Orthodox Profound Sects' methods, such rapid progress would have been impossible.

"Cough, cough..."

Zhou Yan tried to continue, but couldn't help coughing.

Ma Yan hurried over to support him. The moment he touched him, he felt a bone-deep chill, as if he were holding a block of ice.

"Your cultivation is far too strange. Maybe you should just give it up," Ma Yan said again, unable to hold back.

He had known there were drawbacks, but he hadn't expected them to be this severe.

Seeing Zhou Yan go from a strong young man in his prime to his current state, Ma Yan felt a pang of regret—and fear.

People naturally feared what they couldn't understand.

Zhou Yan shook his head firmly. "I've come this far and paid such a high price. How could I give up now?"

Ma Yan hesitated. "But if you keep going like this, I'm afraid you'll collapse before you finish refining the zombie."

Zhou Yan waved a hand. "It has nothing to do with refining the zombie. I've been too reckless in my cultivation. I pushed myself too hard, and my body can't take it. I really do need to find a solution."

He had trained too frantically over the past month. His cultivation had advanced at a breakneck pace, but he had nearly damaged his body beyond repair.

The simple herbs he used to boost his qi and blood, along with the Five Animal Frolics, weren't enough to sustain his training.

Besides, all medicines had some toxicity. Taking too much was harmful to the body.

Zhou Yan's cultivation had been too intense. If he had slowed down a little and given his body enough time to recover on its own, things would have been much better.

But that would have set his progress back by several levels, which he was unwilling to accept.

"Brother-in-law, do you know where I could find a health-preserving method? A genuine one, preferably a well-known one," Zhou Yan asked after a moment's thought.

If the Five Animal Frolics weren't enough, he could practice a few more health-preserving arts. Maybe they would help.

It was a choice born of necessity.

He had no money, no resources, and no cultivation methods. All he could do was push himself as hard as possible.

Even knowing the risks, he had no choice but to press on.

Once he began fighting demons and exorcising evil, those malevolent spirits wouldn't care whether he was a fresh-faced novice or a respected elder. They were all deranged, irrational fiends who wanted nothing but to destroy everything.

Ma Yan thought it over. "Health-preserving methods usually circulate among the wealthy and the doctors. Of them, Doctor Zhuang at Tianhong Medical Hall is the most renowned, and his methods would suit you best."

Zhou Yan grew interested. "Why?"

"They say Doctor Zhuang's ancestors served as imperial physicians, and Tianhong Medical Hall has been passed down for nearly a hundred years. It has quite a reputation. Doctor Zhuang is over sixty now, yet his hair is still completely black. He has a booming voice, a strong build, and can eat two large bowls of rice in one sitting..."

As he spoke, Ma Yan glanced at Zhou Yan and teased, "Anyway, Doctor Zhuang looks far healthier than you."

Zhou Yan couldn't help coughing lightly. He knew he had gone a little overboard with his training that month.

"...Most importantly, Doctor Zhuang once said publicly that he was willing to teach anyone who wanted to learn a health-preserving method, free of charge. All they had to do was go to Tianhong Medical Hall and become his apprentice," Ma Yan finished.

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course. Lots of people know that," Ma Yan said with a nod.

"I heard that when Doctor Zhuang was young, his dream was to become a teacher. But he was the only child in his family, and he couldn't abandon a medical hall with a century of history, so he inherited the family business."

"That became one of Doctor Zhuang's regrets. Later, he made that offer..."

"Besides, health-preserving methods aren't anything rare. Every medical hall has them, and there isn't much difference between them..."

Zhou Yan nodded, understanding.

Health-preserving methods could at most help someone live longer, which made them appealing to the wealthy.

But ordinary people hadn't come into this world to enjoy themselves. They had come to atone for their sins.

The longer they lived, the more painful life became for them!

For people at the bottom, a top-tier health-preserving method was less useful than an external martial art like Spring Leg or Boat Fist.

Besides, wealthy families could easily get their hands on health-preserving methods. They had no need to become anyone's apprentice.

Even if the apprenticeship was only nominal, the wealthy weren't willing to get involved so casually.

After hearing all this, Zhou Yan still had some doubts. "Are you sure Doctor Zhuang really teaches people, and isn't just building his reputation or putting on a good show?"

"You can trust him. Doctor Zhuang has had a good reputation for decades. He's definitely not that sort of person," Ma Yan said earnestly.

It was clear that he trusted Doctor Zhuang deeply, and even held him in some esteem.

Hearing this, Zhou Yan didn't hesitate any longer. "In that case, I'll go to Tianhong Medical Hall and become his apprentice once I've finished refining the zombie."

Ma Yan blinked. "You're not going now? What about your health..."

Zhou Yan shook his head firmly and looked toward the inner room. "Until the zombie is finished, I won't set foot outside this house."