Brewing Blood-Strength Powder

"Gulp, gulp."

Chen Xun drained the bowl of pitch-black, bitter medicinal soup in one go without changing expression.

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Chen Xun began practicing the Stake Stance to speed up the digestion and absorption of the medicine.

"Whew. Only after drinking this bowl of medicine could the hidden injuries in my body finally be considered mostly nursed back to health."

As he held the stance, Chen Xun pondered.

After discovering the hidden dangers within his body, Chen Xun had immediately relied on Major Accomplishment in the [Green Pouch Medical Art], along with the [Lesion Awareness] trait, to quickly prescribe a remedy for himself.

Afterward, he personally handled everything: buying the herbs, preparing them, and decocting the medicine.

Combined with the [Absorption Acceleration] trait, it had taken Chen Xun only five days to heal all the hidden injuries throughout his body.

Although Chen Xun could not cultivate while recovering, he had not been idle. While attempting to prepare [Blood-Strength Powder], he also worked on increasing the progress of the [Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art].

In truth, during those days when he had served as the Seventh Young Master's human punching bag, Chen Xun had been injured every day and unable to practice the Stake Stance, so he had spent his spare time studying this secret art.

By today, its progress had reached [Martial Art: Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art, Beginner 288/300].

He was about to master it.

Chen Xun was not satisfied with this speed. If he could equip that painting, he would have long since cultivated this secret art to the proficient realm.

Unfortunately, that painting was the Seventh Young Master's prized possession. With Chen Xun's current strength and status, obtaining it would be harder than climbing to heaven.

Fortunately, even without that painting, Chen Xun's cultivation speed was merely a little slower.

"Another day or two, and this secret art should be proficient."

"Once my cultivation reaches the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit, I can begin my breakthrough."

Chen Xun mulled it over.

[Cultivation: First Blood-Qi Transformation (92%)]

Reaching the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit would take only a few more days.

In fact, if not for the dozen or so days he had wasted, Chen Xun's cultivation would have reached the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit long ago.

Ending the Stake Stance, Chen Xun closed his eyes and sensed his body. Enhanced by the [Lesion Awareness] trait, he could clearly feel that the lesions which had once been like masses of black shadow inside him had now vanished completely.

This meant that Chen Xun's body had fully recovered.

"Very good."

A delighted smile appeared on Chen Xun's face, and he even threw a few punches in celebration.

"I can finally resume cultivating."

Afterward, he went to the cleared-out medicine room and approached a small bronze cauldron placed in its center.

There was a furnace beneath the bronze cauldron. The flames inside had already gone out, but the cauldron still retained some warmth.

Chen Xun casually picked up a rag from the nearby table and laid it over the cauldron lid. A faint sizzling sound immediately arose.

Only after the sound faded did Chen Xun carefully lift the lid.

At the bottom of the bronze cauldron lay a thin layer of pale red powder.

Chen Xun fetched a spoon, reached it into the cauldron, and scooped out a small spoonful of the red powder.

Holding it before his nose, he gave it a light sniff, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. The smell is right."

"I just don't know how it tastes."

So he sampled a little.

After closing his eyes to feel it out for a while, he abruptly opened them, his eyes brimming with excitement.

"Success. I successfully refined Blood-Strength Powder."

That was right. The red powder in the bronze cauldron was the [Blood-Strength Powder] Chen Xun had just refined.

To refine even this small amount, Chen Xun had no idea how many times he had failed.

That was with his Major Accomplishment-level [Green Pouch Medical Art] and Minor Accomplishment-level [Green Satchel Alchemy] experience.

For others, successfully refining a batch of [Blood-Strength Powder] would be far more difficult.

Most of Chen Xun's failures had come from controlling the heat.

After working hard these past days, Chen Xun had improved enormously in that regard. This success was only natural.

After pouring the red powder from the bronze cauldron into the prepared porcelain bottles, Chen Xun ended up with three and a half bottles of [Blood-Strength Powder].

"What outrageous profits."

Chen Xun could not help sighing.

The medicinal ingredients for refining this batch of [Blood-Strength Powder] had cost him only around two taels of silver.

Yet at market prices, the [Blood-Strength Powder] he had refined was worth more than ten taels of silver.

That showed just how terrifying the profits were.

After tidying the medicine room, Chen Xun took the half bottle of [Blood-Strength Powder] that still carried a trace of warmth and began cultivating.

Strands of Blood Qi condensed into being, then circulated throughout his body to strengthen it.

Time slipped by bit by bit as Chen Xun immersed himself in cultivation.

The next morning, Chen Xun got up and headed out.

This house was one Chen Xun had rented separately. It was much larger than his previous one.

At the Li Family Martial Arts School, after announcing himself, Chen Xun soon arrived in the rear courtyard and saw Chen Qingqing.

"Brother, you finally came to see me."

When Chen Qingqing saw Chen Xun, she was first delighted. Then her lips trembled, and she nearly burst into tears.

"Qingqing, I'm truly sorry. I've had some matters to deal with lately."

As he apologized, Chen Xun produced a roast chicken as though performing a magic trick.

"Come, see what tasty food your brother brought you."

Chen Qingqing's eyes immediately lit up. Slurping at the corner of her mouth, she said, "Roast chicken! It smells so good."

"Smells good, right? It's all for you."

Smiling, Chen Xun handed the roast chicken to Chen Qingqing.

"Brother, aren't you eating?"

"No, I already ate."

"Then thank you, Brother."

"You're not angry with me anymore, are you?"

"I'm not. Brother, you should focus on your business. I'm doing very well here. The school master and his wife both treat me very well."

"That's good."

Chen Xun simply watched Chen Qingqing enjoy the roast chicken with a look of pure delight on her face.

The scene of bringing Chen Qingqing to the martial arts school for the first time surfaced in his mind.

Originally, Chen Xun had planned to let Chen Qingqing learn martial arts at the school while also living there, so she could receive the school's protection.

But when the school master asked Chen Qingqing's age and learned that she was still too young to study martial arts, he had not intended to take her in.

Chen Xun had hurriedly pleaded with him, explaining that he had recently encountered danger and feared it would implicate his younger sister, which was why he had brought her here.

Chen Xun had even promised that as long as they took Chen Qingqing in, he would continue paying the tuition as usual.

In the end, it was the school master's wife who stepped in and accepted Chen Qingqing, without taking Chen Xun's money.

Thus, Chen Qingqing began living at the martial arts school.

Because Chen Xun had warned her not to leave the school without him accompanying her, Chen Qingqing had spent half a month there without taking a single step outside.

After seeing Chen Qingqing, Chen Xun went to pay his respects to the school master and offer his thanks.

The school master was named Li Mingyuan, a direct descendant of the Li Family.

Looking at Chen Xun, he could not help asking, "Has your matter been resolved?"

"Not yet."

Chen Xun shook his head.

"Do you need my help?"

After hesitating for a moment, Li Mingyuan asked.

He had originally not intended to involve himself, but after his wife had repeatedly urged him, he still spoke up.

Besides, Chen Xun could be considered one of the Li Family's people. Giving him a hand was not impossible.

Chen Xun was somewhat surprised. He had not expected the other man to offer help voluntarily.

He had just wanted to refuse, but after thinking it over, he smiled at Li Mingyuan. "Then sorry for the trouble, School Master."

Chen Xun then told Li Mingyuan about the trouble he had encountered, mixing nine parts truth with one part falsehood.

The false part involved the deaths of the brothers Yu Sheng and Yu Qiang.

In Chen Xun's account, the brothers had been killed by an unknown person. Because Chen Xun had some grievances with them, Ma Qianli had threatened Chen Xun.

"This is simply outrageous—utterly lawless."

"That Wild Wolf Gang has the audacity to threaten someone from my Li Family."

Li Mingyuan said angrily.

"I'll send a letter and have that Jiang Tianlang of the Wild Wolf Gang keep his subordinates in line."

Jiang Tianlang was the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang.

"Thank you for your help, School Master."

Chen Xun hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

Before long, Li Mingyuan's letter was delivered to Jiang Tianlang.

After reading it, Jiang Tianlang frowned.

"What the hell is Ma Qianli doing? I told him to find out who killed Yu Qiang. Instead of finding the murderer, he dragged the Li Family into this."

"Someone, bring Ma Qianli to me."

"Yes, Gang Leader."

When Ma Qianli rushed over, what greeted him was a torrent of abuse, raining down on him from head to toe.

"Don't provoke that Chen Xun again in the future. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you."

"Get lost."

"Yes, Gang Leader."

After leaving in a sorry state, Ma Qianli dropped the humble expression from his face, replacing it with twisted fury.

"Damn Chen Xun. Sooner or later, I'll kill you."

After returning, Ma Qianli reluctantly withdrew the people monitoring Chen Xun and Chen Qingqing.

Feeling stifled and miserable, he left the Wild Wolf Gang and went to drink at one of his lovers' homes.

But what he did not know was that a pair of icy eyes had already fixed upon him.