Zhu You Art (Thanks to everyone who voted with monthly tickets-sending love)

His master's words held a deeper meaning, but unfortunately, Xu Feng was in no state to reflect on them.

He could not think that deeply anymore.

He was simply too tired.

His body was spent and his mind exhausted. His focus scattered, leaving him unable to rein in the monkey of his mind or the galloping horses of his thoughts.

Every manner of demon and monster rose from his heart and wandered through his head.

Zhao San's body was no match for Xu Feng's own.

Xu Feng had kept his own body healthy by climbing mountains again and again, then resting and recuperating. A little work like this would never have drained him.

Zhao San's body was different. That little bit of work had already done him in. He slept fitfully all night, beset by bizarre dreams, and spent much of it somewhere between sleep and waking. When morning came, he had not even fully woken up. He merely moved.

"Hiss—"

Xu Feng snapped wide awake.

That single movement set everything off. Pain surged from a dull haze to a sharp stab through his body. The numbness of sleep vanished at once. Xu Feng's face twisted; he held his breath and bared his teeth.

For a moment, he could not even control his expression.

It lasted only an instant, but his master saw it.

Xu Feng even suspected his master had woken long ago and chosen the perfect angle to watch him wake up, just to enjoy the look of agony on his face.

Only at times like this did the gloomy, reclusive, dull corpse stitcher seem a little like a living person!

It was just like when he had frightened a child in someone else's courtyard.

A little spark of life.

"Awake?"

His master spoke as soon as he saw Xu Feng stir. Without waiting for an answer, he took several medicinal patches from beside him. "I bought these from a traveling doctor on the street who sells his 'priceless cure for bruises and sprains.' They're the only real medicine he carries.

"They're called Dragon-Tiger Plasters.

"Just the thing for your injuries.

"That quack sells nothing but fake medicine, except for these Dragon-Tiger Plasters. They actually do some good. Come here and put one on!"

Suppressing the pain, Xu Feng tried to reach for one without setting off another ache. But the moment he touched it, text appeared before his eyes again!

[Item detected]

[You obtained a consumable item: Dragon-Tiger Plaster]

[This item can be equipped]

[Equip it?]

[Yes/No]

Xu Feng had never expected this. A medicinal plaster could have the same effect as his protective talisman!

While he weighed whether to equip it, his master took his hesitation for uncertainty about where it went. He applied it himself, pressing it over the place where Xu Feng's muscles and tendons joined.

Once it was on, he gave it a firm slap.

Xu Feng grimaced, teeth bared.

But it really worked.

And when Xu Feng opened the item description—

[Item: Dragon-Tiger Plaster (consumable)]

[Grade: unranked]

[Assessment: The Zhu You Art heals illness through prayers, charms, and incantations. The Dragon-Tiger Plaster is a Zhu You Art patch made with secret invocations and cloud talismans. It is remarkably effective on injuries to muscles and flesh.]

A cool, soothing sensation like a clear spring flowed from the plaster against his skin.

It seeped through his pores and into his body. In an instant, the pain throughout him eased by a third! More than that, the medicine—or some stranger power—slowly spread from the patch until the remaining pain was bearable!

"Dragon-Tiger Plaster... the Zhu You Art?"

Xu Feng spoke without thinking. Whatever it was, this was good stuff! It seemed that traveling doctor had some real skill after all. People from every walk of life in this world had a trick or two up their sleeves!

"Not bad, boy. You even recognized the Zhu You Art. And that is what it is! But it's about all Doctor Qi knows of the art.

"You'd be wrong to expect any other skills from him. If he had them, he wouldn't be wandering the streets as a doctor. He'd have opened a practice of his own!"

His master motioned for Xu Feng to get up. "If you can walk, get ready. We're setting out this morning! I've prepared food. We'll eat on the road."

He took out a shoulder bag and slung it over Xu Feng without bothering to tell him where they were going.

Then he went outside and hung a water gourd on Xu Feng too. It seemed they were ready to leave.

"Master, where are we going?" Xu Feng asked.

"To lay some foundations for you."

Even so, before leaving, they respectfully paid their farewells at the shrine. Xu Feng saw his master plant incense sticks and read the pattern of their smoke.

The incense burned steadily. The Land God offered no sign.

"Let's go!"

Only after seeing no omen in the incense did his master speak to Xu Feng. He harnessed himself to the wheelbarrow again. Something on it lay covered by a straw mat.

Xu Feng could not help looking twice. As they walked, he asked about Doctor Qi, the traveling physician.

"Don't worry. Next time we go into town, I'll take you to meet him.

"Just remember not to believe a word he says. There's little truth in his mouth.

"He cheats strangers and acquaintances alike! If you can't tell a real plaster from a fake one, he won't give you the genuine article even if he knows you.

"But if you're at the end of your rope and have nowhere else to turn, you can go to him. Only—"

At that, his master gave Xu Feng a grave look. "If you can die a clean death, there's no need to seek him out. Sometimes living isn't necessarily a good thing!"

Xu Feng fell silent.

Those few words left him feeling that something was wrong with Doctor Qi.

They chatted as they followed the road. At first, the going was decent, but by the time his master had traveled five li from the shrine, things had changed. On a smooth asphalt road or highway, five li would have taken little time.

Here, it was different. After about three li, especially as they headed away from town, the broad road quickly vanished. Xu Feng saw many trees, ridges, channels, and even underground streams.

But what caught his attention were the great trees. They grew wild and unruly, like living snakes.

A saying came unbidden to Xu Feng: when mountains grow old, they turn strange; when things grow old, they turn monstrous.

He checked the map as well. They were not heading toward the banks of the Yellow River, which came as a relief.

In a world like this, he had no desire to wander down to a remote Yellow River ferry crossing for no reason.

But when they reached a grove, the tall, thin Zhao Er suddenly stopped. He unhitched himself from the front of the wheelbarrow, turned, and lifted the straw mat, showing Xu Feng what lay beneath.

Besides incense, prayer papers, and a brazier, Xu Feng saw a shovel and a wrapped bundle.

His master rolled up his sleeves, picked up the bundle, and slowly unwrapped it. As layer after layer came away, Xu Feng caught an overpowering smell of rust.

Or perhaps it was not rust, but dried blood.

For what his master was uncovering was a broken Ghost-Head Saber!