Four Methods

But after two sips, he stopped at once. Reluctantly, he licked his lips, catching the last trace of wine.

Only then did he put it away.

Too much wine made his hands shake.

Best to know when to stop.

His tall, thin master settled into the most comfortable position he could find and watched Xu Feng eat. Xu Feng could clearly sense how pleased he was.

After a little idle chatter, Xu Feng said, as though the thought had just occurred to him, "Master, say we were offering incense and saw the smoke and flame rise higher than two palms, almost as big as a wealthy household's painted wall. Would that be an ill omen too?"

At that, the tall, thin Zhao Er put away his wine gourd and looked at Xu Feng.

Xu Feng thought he might have pushed his probing too far. As he wondered how to smooth things over, Zhao Er scoffed. "You brat! You haven't learned to walk, and already you want to run?

"You dare imagine an incense omen like that? Even I've never dreamed of such a sight!

"Of the nine incense omens your grandmaster passed down, not one looks anything like it!

"How could either of us possibly handle an omen of that magnitude?

"Just eat your food! Don't say things like that again. Learn to avoid ill-fated words!

"You brat, keep your feet on the ground! Learn the basics before reaching for advanced matters! I spent more than ten hard years learning them!"

Xu Feng nodded and bent over his meal.

It seemed Zhao Er had not taken his words seriously.

But Xu Feng had no intention of asking more. Further questions, he sensed, might rouse his master's suspicions.

Especially questions about the Land God's shrine in the real world.

Xu Feng did not know what the Land Gods outside were like.

But he knew the Land God in this village temple possessed a true spirit. There was no way he could ask about the Land God here.

Even so, that one answer made his heart sink throughout the meal.

This business with the Ancient People's Tomb really is troublesome.

Of the four methods—observe, listen, ask, and examine—asking seemed unlikely to yield anything more. Could the other three help Xu Feng understand his predicament in the real world?

After the meal and a short rest, it was time to sweep the courtyard, heat water, and splash it over the ground.

His master was dealing with what remained.

The night before, Xu Feng had stitched only one corpse. His master had handled all the others himself.

By the time Xu Feng finished cleaning the courtyard, the sun had climbed above the roof. It was already morning.

There was no need to rest. His master handed him an illustrated manual he had kept tucked away and told him to study it.

Xu Feng opened it.

It resembled a modern anatomy text. After a few more pages, it also looked like a collection of coroner's notes. It reminded Xu Feng of an ancient book.

Song Ci's Record of Clearing Injustice.

"There's nothing else for you to do. Stay here and study!" his master told him. Xu Feng nodded repeatedly and immersed himself in the book.

The whole volume was thin, with many passages left vague. It was more an outline than a complete work; one afternoon was enough for Xu Feng to read it until the pages were worn.

First learn the framework, then fill in the details.

I can compare it with anatomy from outside—but it's nowhere near as complete. Some of these arts are worth a look, though.

The thin book contained a few arts that made use of plants and animals.

Xu Feng quietly committed them to memory. He could not recite them backward, but he knew them well enough to recall them with ease.

Apart from reading,

Xu Feng had nothing else to do. His master deliberately stayed out of the room and even lowered the noise of his work outside, afraid of disturbing him.

That afternoon, someone knocked at the gate. Xu Feng started to put down his book and answer it, but his master stopped him.

His master came out of the rear courtyard with his sleeves rolled up. He listened to the knocking, then motioned for Xu Feng to go back.

"Stay in the room. Don't look outside."

His master shut the side room's door, making a point of warning him.

Xu Feng obeyed without question. His eyes could not look, but his ears could still hear. After his master went out, the sound of cartwheels turning came from the courtyard.

A while later, the room door opened. Xu Feng caught a foul stench still lingering in the courtyard. Looking around, he saw wheel ruts on the ground.

The stone carving at the entrance to the west room had also been covered.

His master pulled the red cloth off the carving. When he saw his apprentice come out, he said, "What, lost your patience? Can't sit still?"

Xu Feng did not ask what had happened. Plainly, someone had carted away the corpses from the west room.

But why had they covered that stone beast?

The thought flashed through his mind. Xu Feng said, "Master, I've memorized the book. Are there any others I can read?"

At that, his master straightened.

Zhao Er looked at his apprentice with suspicion.

He was tempted to challenge the claim. But because of his increased fondness for Xu Feng—though he knew nothing of favorability ratings—his apprentice's actions the night before had made him more patient. After a moment's thought, he softened and lowered his voice. "Then how about I test you?"

"Sure," Xu Feng said.

Seeing how readily Xu Feng agreed, Zhao Er grew even more uncertain.

He began with a few simple questions. Xu Feng answered them without hesitation.

He asked more; Xu Feng answered again!

At last he asked something more profound. To his surprise, Xu Feng could even draw broader conclusions from it!

Xu Feng saw no game notification announcing another rise in favorability. Even so, Zhao Er—his tall, thin master—had clearly grown warmer toward him.

"You're a good lad!"

In the end, that was all he said. He clapped Xu Feng hard on the arm. "I underestimated you before. I never expected you to be so eager to learn!

"Since that's the case, I'll find you a few more books I've kept tucked away while things are quiet these next few days."

He brought several books from his bedroom and handed them to Xu Feng.

Xu Feng looked them over. Their subjects were remarkably varied.

Several were plainly medical texts, and one even covered the Zhu You Art.

There was also a drawing manual and a book on identifying signs of corpse transformation.

His master handed him the books one by one. "You're doing well, lad, very well. Since you're so eager to learn, I'll let you in on something.

"Outsiders think we corpse stitchers rely on nothing but a needle.

"In truth, to become a corpse stitcher, you must learn not only the Needle Method, but also the Filling Method, the Drawing Method, and the Medicinal Bath Method."

He held up four fingers. "Only when you've learned all four methods can you call yourself a qualified corpse stitcher. These methods are how we truly earn our living. They must not be passed to outsiders.

"For now, start with these books, beginning with the medical texts.

"Since you're so clever, here's what we'll do. In three days, I'll test you on these three medical texts. If you can answer my questions, I'll teach you another incense omen.

"If three days isn't enough, you'll have five.

"If you can answer my questions in five days, I'll take you into town for a meal!"

"Thank you, Master," Xu Feng said.

It was not the meal he cared about. To him, both the incense omens and the books themselves were far more precious than eating out.

Trading a chance to learn for a meal would be like buying a casket and returning the pearl.