Bone Setting

With a sharp crack of bone.

The thin, middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up.

"Rongrong, come over and help me move this guy inside... Never mind, I'll do it myself."

"You go to the second floor and grab two bottles of medicinal wine."

Zhou Zhi looked down at the burly man on the floor.

He was dressed in a laborer's uniform, his muscles exceptionally solid, yet his right arm possessed a slight, unnatural deformity.

He had already fallen completely unconscious.

"Got it."

Su Rongrong waved her hand.

"Dad, Aunt Mei is here, her flu is acting up... Could you prescribe two more doses of medicine?"

The man called Dad pursed his lips. "Running around while sick..."

Afraid of being overheard by Aunt Mei, his voice was very low.

Then, his gaze shifted to Zhou Zhi.

"A Plague Exterminator?"

"Interesting. Your hand with the scalpel is incredibly steady, like a veteran who has been practicing for years."

Su Xing tilted his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face, before glancing at Su Rongrong's retreating back as if something had occurred to him. "You... what are your intentions?"

"If you dare to set your sights on Rongrong, this old man will fight you to the death."

Zhou Zhi shook his head. "I am here to stay at the inn; my target is next door... The landlady should be there."

He offered a calm explanation, his eyes sweeping over the burly man on the ground.

Information flowed.

[Strong Man].

[Pathogenization Index: 27.6%].

[Source of Pathogenization: Recurrent Dislocation].

[As a laborer in freight, years of improper posture have led to certain skeletal deformities and misalignments. If not corrected, the pathogenization will only worsen... But then again, in this life, how often do things go exactly as one wishes?]

Bone dislocation itself could be considered a form of pathological deformity.

The sense of danger the man had just exuded gave Zhou Zhi a brand-new experience.

"I have heard of you, Plague Exterminator Su."

Zhou Zhi bowed slightly.

The person before him was a Plague Exterminator—a Formal-level Plague Exterminator.

In fact, Zhou Zhi had already realized that even in Changdu, individuals capable of reaching the Formal-level were extremely rare.

And this thin, scrawny man was one of them.

Generally speaking, they all possessed a considerably high social status.

"You know me, Su Xing?"

The man stroked his non-existent beard and chuckled.

"I do not, but your technique just now was impressive."

Zhou Zhi answered earnestly.

[Su Xing].

[Combat Power Level: Formal-level Plague Exterminator].

[Pathogenization Level: 9.8%].

[Source of Pathogenization: Osteoporosis].

[Plague Extermination Art: 1. Traction Reduction: Utilizing hands or instruments to apply traction to the affected area to reduce fractures and joint dislocations].

[2. Secret Medicinal Patch: Used for bruising and blood stasis, capable of promoting circulation, repairing capillaries, and lowering pathogenization].

[3. Bone-Setting Art: A certain secret, non-disclosed method of bone-setting].

[????].

[The mysterious ancient dynasty of the Far East (Chengyun) contains significant pharmacological and plague-extermination knowledge that deviates from the mainstream Xuanyuan Plague Extermination Arts. This man may or may not be hiding secrets].

Su Xing looked suspiciously at the young man who appeared to be coveting his precious daughter. He sized him up. "You recognize the technique I just used?"

"A type of Bone-Setting Art... but I am not sure which school it belongs to," Zhou Zhi said. "It is different from the current Xuanyuan mainstream. It was quite novel, so I took a few extra looks, but I had no intention of stealing your craft."

Su Xing nodded.

"Fine, I doubt you could learn it anyway."

"Since you're already here, come in and sit for a while. Once Aunt Mei is feeling better, I'll have her take you back; it's just next door anyway."

Zhou Zhi didn't think Su Xing was at the age where he could call her Aunt Mei, but that didn't stop him from remaining silent.

After all, he was still quite interested in the Plague Extermination Art of this world.

The primary function of the Plague Extermination Art was to purge pathogenized monsters, but he rarely saw it used for the actual treatment of humans who hadn't yet been pathogenized.

Bone-Setting Art. He just used spiritual power infusion and specific bone-setting techniques to restore the bones... Even so, his Pathogenization Index increased significantly.

Spiritual power contact leads to pathogenization; this was something Zhou Zhi had already known.

"Dad, I've finished the tasks you gave me."

Su Rongrong hopped out from inside, her large eyes fixed on Zhou Zhi. "Zhou Zhi... I can call you that, right? You're actually a Plague Exterminator?"

"It's really rare to see someone so young."

"I'm still in school, and you're already a Plague Exterminator..."

From afar, Su Rongrong's father's drawn-out voice drifted over: "An apprentice~ though I don't know where that blade came from. Looks like someone with money."

"Old Man Su is right; I can't really be considered a Plague Exterminator yet."

Zhou Zhi didn't mind.

Because Su Xing was busy tinkering with something at his medicine counter.

[Ephedra], [Cinnamon Twig], [Honeysuckle]...

Zhou Zhi narrowed his eyes.

These weren't ordinary medicines; Su Xing was using his own spiritual power to decoct them.

"So this is his method for treating the flu."

"Very interesting."

About half an hour later, Aunt Mei drank the decoction, and her face looked a bit more flushed.

"The speed is fast, and the Pathogenization Index has dropped significantly... As expected, I can't use memories from my past life as a benchmark."

Zhou Zhi carried his black case, continuing to observe from the side.

But it was clear that Su Xing was already preparing to show him the door.

He couldn't stand having someone who looked so dangerous and mature, yet was the same age as his precious daughter, hanging around her.

"You can go now, right... Don't you have work tomorrow, this... uh, Zhou..."

Su Rongrong reminded him from the side: "Zhou Zhi."

"Mm, Zhou Zhi."

Su Xing acknowledged, speaking loudly.

Zhou Zhi nodded: "Sorry for the intrusion."

"Doctor Su..."

Su Xing interrupted Zhou Zhi: "Although this is Xuanyuan, I still have to say, back in Chengyun, you'd have to call me [Physician]."

"Oh."

Zhou Zhi had a very good temper; he turned slightly: "Physician Su, your Bone-Setting Art just now was impressive. I admire it."

"I should be living next door from now on. Aunt Mei? It is next door, right... Oh, right."

Aunt Mei, having finished the decoction, was catching her breath: "You're staying long-term?"

"If it's over seven days, you have to report it to the Xuanyuan civil affairs agency. What do you do for a living?"

Zhou Zhi stood still: "Oh, starting today, I'll be at this [Suhui District] Plague Prevention Center... If I were to use the Chengyun term, I suppose it would be... [on duty]."

"Dad, you don't seem to like Zhou Zhi very much. He's very young and very capable."

In the room, Su Rongrong was helping the patient into the side room.

"The world isn't very peaceful lately."

After a long silence, Su Xing spoke: "I've heard that recently, all around the outskirts of Changdu, [Strange Events] are becoming more frequent. They say there's been a lot of martial law declared inside Changdu city, too. No one knows what's going on."

"At a time like this, a young brat like that shows up in Suhui, and he likely comes from a very wealthy background."

Su Rongrong looked up, curious: "Dad, how do you know that?"

"The spots at the Prevention Center are in high demand. You think just anyone can get a brat who hasn't even attended a Medical Academy in?"

"Also... I took a look earlier at his [Plague-Slaying Blade]."

"Tsk tsk."

"That quality... it's worth at least eighty thousand Xuanyuan Coins."

"Given the recent situation, it's best not to provoke him. You just need to work hard, my girl. Pass the Medical Examination, and we'll move to the inner city..."