Rest and Recuperation

Rest and Recovery

Run! Run for your life!

They were practically sprinting the entire way.

It was only when Lin Nan and his companion cleared the perimeter of Withered Locust Village that they realized it was still midday. The scorching sun beat down on them, its searing heat doing a little to dispel the chill lingering in their hearts.

Yu Qianqian looked back, and a fresh wave of goosebumps erupted across her skin.

The narrow, winding path they had taken to get there had vanished, as if it had never existed.

Behind them lay nothing but empty space; a steep cliff face stood before them, and there was no sign of Withered Locust Village or the surrounding woods.

"Don't look back. Let's just get back to the Outer City!"

Lin Nan did not turn around, though his expression was equally grim.

Through the Creation Furnace in his mind, he could clearly perceive a terrifying, malevolent force lurking behind them.

If one were to count an ordinary Corpse Ghost or Corpse Wraith as one, then the malevolent force behind them was like an endless, surging ocean, layer upon layer, numbering in the thousands upon thousands!

A great terror!

Even with the Creation Furnace, which allowed him to refine such evil, he could not stop a tremor of inexplicable dread from shaking his soul.

It was the instinctive fear a living creature felt when faced with something of ultimate horror.

"What on earth is this evil entity?!"

Lin Nan felt a chill in his heart. He pulled Yu Qianqian along, their blood and qi surging as they ran with everything they had, circling around a small path for about ten miles.

They finally managed to return to the Outer City before the sun dipped below the horizon.

Black Dragon Outer City, West District, Yu Family Apothecary.

As night fell, the lamps flickered inside the house, and the rich aroma of a meal wafted through the air.

Several home-cooked dishes were laid out on the table: braised pork, stir-fried green beans, pickled vegetables...

Lin Nan and Yu Qianqian, both covered in bandages, sat at the table and devoured the food.

Only after they had eaten their fill did they truly let out a sigh of relief.

"That was truly too dangerous..."

Thinking back on the events at Withered Locust Village, Yu Qianqian still felt a lingering fear. She reached into her bosom and pulled out the pouch that held her jade talismans.

She discovered that the several talismans hidden inside had completely shattered, reduced to a handful of fine powder.

"The jade talismans have all turned to dust..."

Lin Nan opened his own talisman pouch and found that it, too, contained nothing but a handful of powder.

He shook his head and began to silently review the details of his fight with Peng Huo.

"White Snake Fist relies on soft force. It has a natural advantage against power-based martial artists like Peng Huo, but if I were to face an expert in light-body techniques, hard-body techniques, or weapons, I would inevitably be at a disadvantage."

"Stance training is for internal cultivation, while fist techniques are for external. The White Snake Stance is only a basic, three-layer foundation. To break through to the Skin-and-Flesh Realm, I must obtain higher-level stance techniques from the martial school."

His external training was sufficient for now; his next priority was to improve his martial cultivation as quickly as possible.

"In the future, I need to strengthen my speed, explosive power, and defense. Once my stance training improves and my blood and qi are full, perhaps I can try practicing a few more external martial arts."

Just then, he noticed Yu Qianqian staring at him, her expression strange and hesitant.

"What is it?"

Yu Qianqian's lips moved slightly as countless questions flashed through her mind.

For instance, why was Lin Nan only at the third level of blood and qi, yet able to disguise himself so well that even Master Jie could not see through his true strength?

But then she thought, everyone had their own secrets, and she was no exception.

Ultimately, Yu Qianqian was sensible enough to keep her mouth shut and shook her head.

"It's nothing."

"Please keep the details of this mission confidential," Lin Nan said with a serious expression.

Yu Qianqian understood immediately. This mission had claimed the lives of five fellow martial artists, and even the lead constable hadn't survived. Yet, they were the only two from the White Snake Martial School to return unscathed.

Even a fool would know something was wrong. Afterward, whether it was the Yanei, the Gale Martial Hall, or the Azure Rock Martial Hall, they would surely come knocking one after another to interrogate them.

Yu Qianqian said solemnly, "Don't worry, Brother Lin. We will stick to the story we agreed upon for this mission."

Lin Nan nodded, a thought quietly crossing his mind.

If I were to kill Yu Qianqian as well...

But he quickly shook his head. He was not a murderous maniac like Peng Huo. If Peng Huo hadn't struck first, he wouldn't have made the first move, even if he had been suspicious.

Lin Nan sighed inwardly, I suppose I am still too kind.

At that moment, Mother Yu walked in with two more freshly stir-fried dishes.

"Auntie, that's enough, really. You don't need to make any more," Lin Nan hurriedly urged.

"A young man practicing martial arts needs to eat well!" Mother Yu replied sternly.

"That really is enough, enough." Lin Nan gave an awkward laugh, and with no other choice, he steeled himself and shoveled down another bowl of rice.

Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had ever eaten his fill.

Seeing Lin Nan looking so constrained, Yu Qianqian suddenly found it amusing.

The person who had just displayed such divine might to take down the Blood-Qi Third Layer martial artist Peng Huo was, at this moment, acting like a shy youth.

Click.

Father Yu pushed the door open and walked in. The moment he entered, he caught the scent of blood and his expression changed in an instant.

"Qianqian, are you hurt?!"

Father Yu rushed in, burning with anxiety, and kept asking about her injuries as he looked at his daughter, who was covered in bandages.

"Dad, they're just minor wounds!"

Lin Nan sat quietly to the side, watching the family exchange pleasantries and feeling a strange, unfamiliar warmth.

Home...

It was a pity that this was not the modern, civilized world of his past life.

In these chaotic times, with evil spirits running rampant, without sufficient strength, this warmth before his eyes was nothing more than a mirage, a flower in a mirror that would shatter at the slightest touch.

"I told you, don't go taking on those martial school missions! I'll find a way to deal with the money."

Yu Qianqian's expression was bitter. "I actually thought it was just a simple collection mission, that there wouldn't be any danger."

Speaking of the mission, Yu Qianqian suddenly gave a start, finally remembering.

"Ah! Brother Lin, the Flower Dew we collected, it wouldn't have..."

"It wasn't lost." Lin Nan reached into his robes and pulled out a few white porcelain bottles. "We were in a rush when we left, so I only managed to save these few."

"Thank you so much!!"

Yu Qianqian's face shifted from worry to joy. She hadn't expected Lin Nan to have kept a hand in, otherwise, the entire trip would have been a complete waste.

"And you are?" Father Yu finally noticed that there was a guest in the house.

Yu Qianqian hurried forward to briefly introduce Lin Nan.

"So you are my daughter's fellow disciple from the martial school. A pleasure, a pleasure."

Father Yu squeezed a smile onto his face, seemingly transforming back into the medicine shop owner he was during the day.

As the saying went, literature is for the poor and martial arts for the rich. In his eyes, anyone who could make a name for themselves at the White Snake Martial School must come from a wealthy background, and the vast majority were considered people of status and influence in the Outer City.

"May I ask your surname? My daughter is naive, I hope you will look after her."

"My surname is Lin, Lin Nan."

"Surname Lin..." Father Yu searched his memory carefully, but he couldn't recall any prominent wealthy merchants in the Outer City with the surname Lin.

"Forgive my poor eyesight, but which lord's son might you be?"

"I am an orphan," Lin Nan said calmly.

Father Yu's expression froze instantly.

Orphan—what a heavy word. For a moment, Father Yu didn't know how to respond.

"Dad!"

A flash of anger appeared on Yu Qianqian's face as she hurriedly changed the subject.

Lin Nan clearly sensed Father Yu's enthusiasm cooling, but he didn't mind. He shook his head, exchanged a few more pleasantries with the family, and then returned to his room to rest.

The next day, early morning.

Lin Nan bid farewell to Yu Qianqian and left.

As he was leaving, Yu Qianqian's lips trembled, but in the end, she didn't make a sound, only casting a lingering, subtle glance at Lin Nan.

"See you at the martial school."

Lin Nan acted as if he hadn't seen her expression, turning calmly to leave and heading in the direction of the White Snake Martial School.

As someone who had lived two lives, he could naturally see the hazy feelings in Yu Qianqian's heart.

However, he had no mind for romance right now. After experiencing this mission, he felt only a deep sense of urgency.

He returned to the White Snake Martial School.

The moment he stepped into the training grounds, a flurry of shouts and calls erupted.

"Look, Liu Feng and Zhong Jing are fighting!"