The Mysterious Little Pot

The little pot's lid fell shut, and Cui Lang was completely dumbfounded.

When he had come to this world, he had discovered a little pot in his mind, but he had never figured out how to use it. Today, after slaying a monster, it was the first time he had seen the little pot change.

Feeling himself over carefully, he seemed not to have the slightest sensation of being poisoned by monster venom. Had the little pot absorbed all the monster venom?

But he immediately put on a weak appearance. "Magistrate Zheng, I have not failed your expectations. This monster has been slain."

Zheng Fengyun cast Cui Lang a satisfied glance, then turned toward the commoners. "With this official here, should demons and monsters appear again in Cloud Mountain County, I will discover one and slay one. I will never allow a single demon or monster to leave Cloud Mountain County alive, and I will make them fear ever coming to Cloud Mountain County again."

Someone immediately cheered. "With Magistrate Zheng in the county, we won't have to worry about demons and monsters causing trouble anymore!"

"My nephew's family has finally been avenged. Thank you, Magistrate Zheng. This old man will kowtow to you."

Listening to the commoners' praises, Zheng Fengyun was greatly pleased.

"Enough, everyone disperse. Do not crowd forward. If you get monster blood on yourselves, it may attract evil spirits."

Only then did the commoners retreat and disperse.

Seeing Cui Lang still standing to one side, Zheng Fengyun pulled out a piece of broken silver from his waist and tossed it over. "You did well. This is your reward."

"Hurry and wash the monster blood off yourself, then go home and cultivate martial arts properly."

"This official looks forward to you breaking through to the late Refining Essence Realm soon, becoming a constable, and protecting the people of Cloud Mountain County."

With Cui Lang's strength, having gotten so much monster blood on himself, the poisoning must have been severe. Whether he could continue cultivating martial arts in the future was uncertain, yet he still wanted to become a constable?

Cui Lang cupped his hands. "Thank you for granting me this opportunity, Magistrate Zheng. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations."

He slowly made his way down from the platform and entered the courtyard beside it.

The instant he shut the door, his steps became light again.

"Damn it, I slew a monster and all I got was two taels of silver?"

Two taels of silver was enough for a family of three to live comfortably for a month, but if someone in the household cultivated martial arts, it might be spent in just a few days.

Poor scholars, rich warriors. Was martial arts the exclusive domain of the wealthy?

Then he would find a way to become wealthy.

After fetching water and rinsing himself off, he discovered that the monster blood on his body seemed to have faded considerably, and even the rank stench appeared to have vanished.

Though he still had not figured out what exactly the little pot did, it seemed pretty good if it could keep him from being poisoned.

He would go back and prepare properly, striving to break through to the late Refining Essence Realm soon and become a constable.

After changing back into his own clothes, Cui Lang hurried home to the western part of the city.

"Xiao Ling, open the door. I'm back."

The courtyard gate opened, revealing a young girl in a plain cloth dress. She gave Cui Lang a sweet smile.

"Brother, you're back from watching the excitement?"

Cui Lang walked into the courtyard and casually tossed the broken silver to his younger sister, Cui Ling. "What do you mean, watching the excitement? Your brother was invited by County Commandant Zheng to slay a monster. This is the reward silver he gave me. Keep it for household expenses."

Cui Ling was shocked. "Huh? Why did they ask you to slay a monster? Aren't there two executioners in the county?"

"You didn't get any monster blood on you, did you? I heard anyone who gets it on them will fall ill."

Cui Lang turned around and shut the courtyard gate. "No. Look, aren't I alive and kicking?"

Cui Ling wrinkled her nose and sniffed. Sure enough, she could not smell any monster blood. It was her elder brother's first time slaying a monster, yet not a single drop of monster blood had splashed onto him?

"Brother, I know our family doesn't have much money, but you can't risk your life for two taels of silver."

Cui Lang sat on a stone stool in the courtyard. "I didn't do it for these two taels of silver. Magistrate Zheng also promised that once I break through to the late Refining Essence Realm, he'll let me become a constable."

"If your brother becomes a constable, our family's days will get better, and Father's matter can be properly investigated again."

A constable's salary was not high, but it was far better than earning nothing at all. He could also learn martial arts for free.

"Brother, you still think there was something wrong with Father drowning after falling into the water?" Cui Ling immediately asked.

Cui Lang nodded. His father in this body's previous life could swim, and he had also been at the middle Refining Essence Realm. How could he have drowned so easily?

Moreover, the previous owner of this body had drowned alongside him, allowing Cui Lang to be reborn in his body.

Why had father and son gone to the riverbank in the middle of the night, and why had they fallen into the water? None of it existed in the memories he had fused with.

He always felt the constables had not investigated seriously at all, merely giving them the perfunctory conclusion that they had died after falling into the water.

This was the previous owner's obsession. Cui Lang also wanted to get to the bottom of it, lest he die again without ever knowing why.

Cui Ling calculated silently. "Brother, you're currently at the middle Refining Essence Realm. If you can eat a little better, perhaps you can reach the late Refining Essence Realm in two or three years."

"I'll take on more mending work with Auntie Wang. Then you can eat more meat, and if there's anything left over, I'll go to the apothecary and buy you some nourishing medicinal soup."

Cui Lang forced a smile. "Xiao Ling, you don't need to worry about this. Your brother will think of something."

How could he, a grown man, let his sister, who was only fourteen, earn money to support the household?

If he truly could not become a constable, he would just linger around the entrances of martial arts schools and see which school master had an unmarried daughter. Didn't young ladies from wealthy families all like poor boys?

"I'm a little tired. I'm going back to my room to rest."

Cui Lang returned to his room, bent his legs, and began practicing with the Fierce Bull Stance.

Though the Fierce Bull Stance was considered a lowly technique in others' eyes, it was what the previous owner of Cui Lang's body had practiced for many years. For now, it was the only technique he could rely on to find a way to break through to the late Refining Essence Realm.

Closing his eyes, he looked at the little pot floating in his mind. What exactly was this thing? Other than helping him remove the poison from monster blood, did it have no other use?

Suddenly, the little pot, which had been standing upright, began to tilt, and a stream of green liquid poured from its spout.

Cui Lang was horrified. Hadn't the monster blood been absorbed by the little pot? Why was it pouring it back out?

With his current strength, he did not even know how many years it would take him to become a constable. If he was poisoned by monster venom again, forget becoming a constable—his path in martial arts might truly be cut off for good.

"Eat it back! Eat it back!"

Cui Lang urged it over and over in his heart, but the little pot did not heed him. Once all the liquid had flowed out, the lid closed again, as though nothing had happened.

Cui Lang watched helplessly as the green blood merged into his body. At once, he felt a hot current arise within him, as if he were being scorched by fire.

Why did this feel like what Father had described after taking nourishing spirit medicine?

His heart stirred. He continued holding the Fierce Bull Stance and paired it with the breathing technique. Only then could he completely refine and absorb that current of heat.

Gradually, Cui Lang felt the hot current seep into his limbs and bones. His entire body grew warm, and the exhaustion in him was swept away in one stroke.

After the hot current completely vanished, Cui Lang opened his eyes, clenched his fists, and stared at his hands in disbelief.

"Didn't they say getting monster blood on you would poison you? How come I not only don't feel poisoned, but it even feels like my strength has increased by a huge amount? Did I break through?!"