Arrogance

Chapter 40: Arrogance

On the table lay a calling card, giving off a faint scent of pine.

"The entrance examination for True Martial Academy... I never thought I'd get the chance to take it." Zhang He gazed at the card, sinking into thought.

True Martial Academy was a name that carried immense influence throughout Western Chu. Unless you were deaf, you'd have heard of this famous institution!

The civilized lands across the continent were mainly divided among five great powers. Each had its own center where the finest talents gathered.

In the northwest stood True Martial Academy of the Northwest Empire; in the northeast, Mystic Water Academy of the Black Dragon Empire; in the east, Sage Academy of the Eastern Qi Empire; in the south, Phoenix Academy of the Southern Wild Empire; and in the southwest, Caesar Academy of the Western Luo Empire!

True Martial Academy was a jewel of the entire Northwest Empire. Its students were all elites, every one of them from an impressive background.

But Zhang He was wondering whether he should enter True Martial Academy at all.

"To other people, True Martial Academy is irresistible, because getting in means a bright future. But for me, entering it might become a burden." Zhang He hesitated.

If he entered True Martial Academy, he would have to leave home. He was worried about his family, of course, but there was another reason: once he joined the academy, he would face certain restrictions. He knew all too well that after graduating from True Martial Academy, Western Chu would certainly not let him live in peace.

Did Zhang He care about fame and fortune? Of course not. Though they were tempting, and he was willing to strive for them, he did not do so out of vanity or greed. He only wanted to spare his loved ones from further hardship.

"Whew, it's too early to worry about all this. True Martial Academy's examination will surely draw countless talents. Even if I take it, I might not get in." Zhang He gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Still, it's a good opportunity. There'll be plenty of experts taking the examination, and I can broaden my horizons by going."

Zhang He thought it over quietly.

"Whatever happens, I should focus on improving my strength. That's what matters. I absorbed an entire Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, yet I still couldn't open my eighth acupoint."

Zhang He had absorbed the entire Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, but it hadn't produced the results he expected. He had thought that once he finished absorbing it, his cultivation would improve enough to open his eighth acupoint with ease and smoothly reach the first level of the Rejuvenation True Explanation. But in the end, his true qi had grown, his physical constitution had improved, and he had reached the Possession Realm—yet that final acupoint remained stubbornly sealed!

The reason was that as Zhang He absorbed the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, the fiery poison of his Kirin Bloodline and the Cold Flood Dragon's icy poison had tempered his body in an endless clash of ice and fire. As a result, his meridians had expanded, and his acupoints had grown larger too. The true qi that should have filled them was no longer enough!

"I still have one Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill left. I'm sure absorbing it will let me reach the first level. But even if I absorb it, I'll only reach the peak of the Possession Realm. Breaking through to the next level, the Burst Qi Realm, won't be easy."

Zhang He knew that both the Force Martial Realm and the True Martial Realm could be divided into three major stages. The first three levels of the Force Martial Realm made up one stage, the middle three another, and the final three a third. The True Martial Realm followed the same pattern.

Advancing from one stage to the next was the most difficult part of each realm. Zhang He had now reached the True Martial Realm's third level, the Possession Realm, where true qi could cling to weapons and other objects. In the Burst Qi Realm, however, true qi could be released directly from the body without relying on an external object.

The difference between the two was like heaven and earth!

"To advance from the Possession Realm to the Burst Qi Realm, I need not only abundant true qi, but, more importantly, the ability to circulate it throughout my entire body. That means I have to control my true qi with pinpoint precision."

Releasing true qi from the body required extremely fine control. Such control placed strict demands on a person's spirit!

"The first three levels of the True Martial Realm focus on circulating true qi through the meridians, guiding it until the process becomes second nature. With enough time and practice, one will eventually succeed. But the middle three levels require minute control over true qi. A person's spirit has to be strong enough to meet that demand."

Cultivation in the first three levels focused mainly on the meridians.

The middle three focused mainly on guiding true qi with the spirit.

The final three focused on merging the spirit with true qi! At that point, true qi could leave the body and still be controlled entirely by the spirit!

The farther one advanced in the True Martial Realm, the harder cultivation became!

Zhang He knew what he needed to break through to the Burst Qi Realm: a stronger spirit. Put more simply, he needed to make his senses incredibly sharp!

"The Mad Heart Fox's demon poison is a power that targets the spirit. What a pity it isn't potent enough. If its effects were ten times stronger, absorbing it would strengthen my spirit."

"It seems I'll still have to rely on pills. The Mind-Clearing Pill... Making that thing took me so much time. Just finding the two main ingredients with opposing properties was hard enough."

Zhang He sighed. If he wanted to strengthen his spirit, he had two options. One was to find a demon beast like the Mad Heart Fox and obtain its poison to temper his spirit. Once his spirit was strong enough to completely control his body, he could break through to the Burst Qi Realm. The other was to rely on pills and use their power to forcibly temper his spirit!

That pill was the Mind-Clearing Pill. Making it, however, was no easy task! Its two most important ingredients, the Drunken Immortal Peach and the Six-Leaf Heart-Extinguishing Flower, were extremely hard to find. In his previous life, even with the combined power of technology and money, Zhang He had needed a full three years to find them in a remote mountain forest!

In this world, there was no advanced technology to help him, and Zhang He had no money to spare. How could he possibly find the two ingredients?

Zhang He was at his wit's end when a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind.

"Right, I'm an Iron-Rank Pharmacist of the Pharmacist Association. When I run into trouble, I can ask the organization for help!" His heart stirred, and he immediately dug out the book Lu Tiao had given him. It contained information about the Pharmacist Association. According to one passage, pharmacists could use their rank to post requests within the association and search for medicinal ingredients they needed.

Finding the two main ingredients on his own would be harder than climbing to heaven, but with help from other pharmacists, it would be much easier.

Zhang He found the relevant information in the book and could barely contain his excitement.

"Better sooner than later. I'll head to Luowang Prefecture and look for an opportunity." Zhang He decided to set out for Luowang Prefecture. It would also give him a chance to leave home, avoid all the matchmakers coming to propose and the endless invitations to visit, and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Luowang Prefecture was one of the eighteen prefectures of Western Chu. It produced abundant grain and leather, making it one of the kingdom's granaries. It also had many remote mountain forests, home to countless demon beasts and medicinal herbs. That was why the Pharmacist Association had chosen to establish a branch there.

"The Pharmacist Association's headquarters is in the Northwest Empire's capital, and it has a branch here in Luowang Prefecture. That shows just how important this place is to the association."

From the carriage, Zhang He gazed at the prefectural city of Luowang. Its towering, blue-black walls stretched on and on, vanishing beyond the horizon.

"Luowang Prefecture's city is more than thirty times the size of Mengyin City! By the standards of later generations, it would rival a major metropolis." Looking at the city before him, Zhang He marveled. Technology might be primitive in this era, but he was astonished that Luowang Prefecture's city could be so vast.

The carriage slowly entered Luowang Prefecture's city. At the gate, the guards stopped it.

"The entry fee is thirty copper coins per person!" The guard's expression was all business, but his eyes glinted with cunning.

"Thirty coins per person just to get in? That's far too much for ordinary people!" Zhang He couldn't help clicking his tongue. That was what an ordinary family earned in a hard day's work. He didn't know whether the soldiers had set up an unofficial toll booth here. He could see, though, that many carriages nearby had passed straight through without stopping.

Still, such a small sum meant nothing to Zhang He. He knew it wasn't worth offending the guards over a few coins.

He took out a silver coin, and the soldier collecting the entry fee immediately brightened.

"Officer, sorry for the trouble, but where in the city can I find the Pharmacist Association?" Zhang He slipped the silver coin into the soldier's hand. The man tucked it into his sleeve. His stern face instantly broke into a radiant smile, and his manner turned warm.

"The Pharmacist Association? It's right in the center of the city, easy to find. Just follow this road straight ahead without turning. Not far from the Chu Emperor statue, you'll see their sign. That's the place."

"Thank you, officer." Zhang He smiled and told the driver to take the carriage into the city.

The roads in Luowang Prefecture were very wide. As the carriage rolled along, Zhang He listened to the vendors' lively cries outside and felt the city's bustling energy.

Following the soldier's directions, Zhang He soon found the Pharmacist Association.

"The Pharmacist Association really is held in high regard. Its grounds are right across from the Chu Emperor statue." Zhang He couldn't help marveling as he saw the association. The statue stood in a large square, and the Pharmacist Association's sign stood prominently there.

"So many people! Those carriages are lavishly decorated. Their owners are clearly rich or noble!" Zhang He saw numerous luxurious carriages parked outside the Pharmacist Association. Compared to them, his own carriage looked utterly shabby.

The carriages ahead had taken up all the space, leaving no room for his to pass. Zhang He told the driver to stop outside, then climbed down and prepared to walk to the Pharmacist Association's entrance.

He had just stepped down when a coarse voice suddenly called from behind him.

"Hey, you in front—move your carriage!" Zhang He turned around and saw a luxurious carriage approaching. Its well-dressed driver frowned at Zhang He's battered old carriage. He was looking for a good place to park, and Zhang He's carriage happened to be under the shade of a tree, sheltered from the sun. It seemed the man had set his sights on that spot.

The driver's haughty expression made Zhang He furrow his brow.