Back Again

"You're back."

The car slowed down as it drove onto a village road. Chu Tianshu rolled down the window and looked outside.

The spring chill lingered, but the air inside the car was pleasantly cool.

Looking across the river, one can see that every household has changed the couplets on both sides of their doors, and the "Fu" character with a red background and gold powder is pasted on the top of the door frame.

There were young couples living in the house, and on their second-floor windows, there were pictures of a golden boy and a jade girl.

In some homes, scraps of firecracker paper and spent firework tubes remained in the courtyard.

These firework tubes were shaken clean, removing the sealing clay and any remaining gunpowder.

The remaining thick paper tubes were taken to the stove to be used as fuel, as they burned longer than straw and were easier to ignite than firewood.

A very familiar scene after the Lunar New Year.

When they arrived at the bridge near their home, Chu Tianshu got out of the car, and Yao Qianshu and Second Master Chu, who were in the driver's and passenger's seats, also got out.

Chu Tianshu came in with Sanqi Sword and a package, and began to change couplets and paste the word "Fu" on his home.

Second Master Chu walked into the kitchen with practiced ease, found a bag of red dates, and squatted behind the earthen stove to brew date tea.

Yao Qianshu also helped in the kitchen, boiling a large pot of water on the gas stove to scald and wash the bowls and chopsticks.

When everyone had finished their work, Li Tao arrived, followed by a few more elderly people.

They were all acquaintances of Second Master Chu, old friends who practiced unorthodox magic.

Everyone had discussed it on the phone beforehand, and when they entered the living room, each of them had a bowl of jujube tea.

After greeting everyone, Chu Tianshu turned on his phone to video call and set it up on a stand on the table.

The phone screen displayed Yin Fengxin's face.

"Don't let Yin Fengxin's youth fool you; he's already accumulated a lot of experience helping with transactions of herbal teas and sachets online."

Chu Tianshu said with a smile, "You can chat with him first, get used to the atmosphere of these basic business operations, and also learn from his online promotion methods."

"Once the pharmacy officially opens, everyone will find their niche more easily. With this buzz, they'll have a wider range of choices when selecting apprentices in the future."

Chu Tianshu originally planned to finalize the pharmacy matter after the New Year.

As a result, he accidentally entered the Spirit Realm, and after a difficult journey back, his Fortune Bar was already full.

Overall, this is certainly a good thing.

With this influence in the Thin Night Continent, his future business of selling spiritual medicines will surely be much smoother.

This can be considered a result of years of hard work and preparation. Since that's the case, we might as well make sure to do all the preparatory work even more thoroughly.

Second Master Chu said, "Everyone is willing to come not only because they respect me, but also because they have some concerns about their family's heritage."

"With the ability to Refining Spirit into Qi, one can broaden the prospects of their respective lineages, develop more applications, and live up to the expectations of their ancestors, passing on the teachings to future generations. This is no empty statement."

"I have successfully cultivated internal energy."

Second Master Chu stood up and stepped back, then pointed a finger into the air.

About a meter away, the water in his teacup suddenly rippled slightly, then slowly rose.

It was just close to the rim of the bowl at first, but now it has risen quite a bit beyond the rim, and the surface of the water looks bulging.

Chu Tianshu's eyes flickered.

The last time he saw the Second Master use his internal energy, the amount wasn't large, and the effect wasn't obvious.

Now it seems that the Second Master's internal energy characteristics are indeed very different from those of the "Sky-Spanning Divine Art".

The internal energy that each person develops through Refining Spirit into Qi into qi, transforming it from Mind Power, is connected to their original Mind Power attribute.

The ability of Second Master Chu to expand the volume of liquid is likely a characteristic of his Feng Shui lineage.

"See?"

Seeing the expressions on his old friends' faces, Second Master Chu was even happier.

"Those who practiced martial arts in the past always talked about the benefits of internal strength for the body, but that's not as obvious as training internal power."

"But now, I feel that just by having internal energy, my body is much lighter and more agile than before."

The crowd's faces immediately lit up with even more excitement.

At this age, every practitioner of unorthodox methods has some minor ailments; they all suffer in silence.

Those who cultivate internal energy, as long as it's not a sinister or evil practice, will more or less have some health-preserving effect on their bodies.

In any case, these elderly people are unlikely to face frequent battles and repeatedly exhaust their internal energy.

This avoids the most common problem for internal martial arts practitioners: they easily lose the benefits of maintenance.

The group became even more enthusiastic in their discussion, frequently asking questions of Second Master Chu and Yin Fengxin.

Chu Tianshu stood by, enjoying the leisurely moment, picking out the red dates with his chopsticks and eating all the plump, unbroken ones from the tea.

They chatted for the entire afternoon, and Yin Fengxin said everything he could think of before asking Chu Tianshu a question.

"Boss, if we're going to do this pre-launch promotion, shouldn't we give the pharmacy a more formal name?"

"I've already had someone register the name for me; it'll be called ' Calming Spirit Pharmacy '."

Chu Tianshu tapped the bottom of his bowl with his chopsticks and said, "I originally planned to call it Health Pharmacy, but there are too many stores with the same name."

Yin Fengxin nodded and said, "It's good for calming the mind too."

Having covered most of the matters, Chu Tianshu had everyone exchange Yin Fengxin's contact information, took them to a hotel for a meal, and then saw them off to their homes.

Yao Qianshu, however, stayed.

"I've already sold my house to them anyway."

Yao Qianshu smiled and said, "I'd like to buy a house in your village."

Second Master Chu shook his head and said, "Our village is full of people who are used to living here. If you try to buy it, it will probably be very difficult. You should just rent a room."

Yao Qianshu said confidently, "I see that to the west of your house, Chu Er, is just wasteland, but further west are vast fields of rapeseed flowers."

"I'll rent a place to live first, then I'll ask around the village if that land is for sale, buy a piece of land, build my own house, and be your neighbor."

Second Master Chu saw through his lie. "Are you afraid that when you practice magic alone at home, some Spirit Realm creature will target you again?"

Yao Qianshu frankly admitted, "Yes, it's impossible not to practice the Mirage Technique. I've been practicing it for decades, but now, practicing it again, I do feel a bit scared."

"I'm renting a place, and I plan to rent the one next to Tianshu."

Although the Xianhe said that the fact that his home could be sensed by the Spirit Realm was due to a combination of coincidences.

However, he was still wary, and besides, if he could live next door to Chu Tianshu and get closer to him, it would be a win-win situation.

Among his children, there were some who hadn't participated in poisoning him back then, but once bitten by a snake, he became extremely wary and dared not associate with them much.

If Yao Qianshu lived next to the legendary doctor Chu Tianshu, his courage would naturally grow stronger.

When the time comes, reconnecting with the children might make his later years less lonely.

Second Master Chu chuckled, "However, Tianshu is probably going on another trip and won't be staying at home."

Chu Tianshu asked in surprise, "How did Second Grandfather know?"

"I'm observant, of course I can see it."

Second Master Chu said, "You had a stroke of luck on your first long trip, and you cured your strange illness."

"Ever since then, you've developed a penchant for traveling far away, especially after experiencing some risky events. You like to travel alone and give yourself a break."

Second Master Chu, with his keen insight, spoke eloquently and logically.

"This is only natural. When I was a feng shui master, I encountered many people who, after experiencing a change in fortune due to a certain event, quickly developed related habits and maintained them for many years."

Chu Tianshu clapped his hands in admiration. "Second Grandfather has such discerning eyes!"

"However, didn't we bring some elixirs with us when we came back? I plan to take the medicine in peace these next couple of days before setting off on my long journey."

Second Master Chu nodded. "Oh dear, I haven't watched TV in quite a while, I'm really itching to."

The three returned to the village. Chu Tianshu went home first, and the two old men went to Second Uncle's house together.

As soon as he opened the door, Chu Tianshu heard the soft ringing of a longsword, as if it were welcoming him.

The sword was in its sheath, and overall, there were no signs of vibration.

The sound of the sword ringing out was naturally emitted by the Weapon Soul.

Chu Tianshu walked over with a smile, touched the hilt of his sword, took the sword upstairs, turned on the TV, and settled into the sofa.

The long sword rested across his lap, and the elixir was held to his chest.

"I've tried a little of everything before, and I've already been able to discern the effects of these elixirs."

Chu Tianshu chatted idly with the swords, "Now, I've arranged the order and amount of food for them."

"If you take this, even if the medicinal effects cannot be absorbed immediately, it won't cause any conflicts or losses in your body. I can refine it slowly."

Although the stronger Chu Tianshu becomes, the more Fortune he will need to consume during his transmigration.

However, it's more cost-effective to carry medicine than physical items.

The longsword rang softly once more.

"Would you like to try it too?"

Chu Tianshu chuckled and said, "Okay, let me eat first, then I'll get some medicinal blood to feed you."

A stirring theme song started playing on the television.

Chu Tianshu looked closely and exclaimed, "Huh? Why is this a romance drama?"

He fumbled for the remote, trying to find a martial arts drama, but unknowingly stopped at a spy drama.

Although it's a spy drama, the action scenes were surprisingly well done.

Chu Tianshu put down the remote control, stared at the TV, picked up a piece of medicinal herb, and slowly chewed it.

The sun and moon shone outside the window, and two days passed.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Chu Tianshu took a shower, changed his clothes, and sent a message to his family and friends group on his phone.

"Okay, off I go."

He raised his longsword, took a step, and vanished.

Call!

The light and shadow before my eyes suddenly changed.

Chu Tianshu saw the low, old city wall, and his foot lightly touched the ground as he stepped out.

The noise came from all directions.

Along both sides of the street, under the low shacks, many coolies wearing short jackets were squatting.

They all had short hair, but it was cut unevenly, and some of them had their back hair noticeably longer than their front hair. They were enjoying the shade while eating unleavened flatbread.

Some people were exhausted after a long day, while others took advantage of the meal to loudly share their experiences, which naturally drew cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Several people noticed that Chu Tianshu had appeared abruptly, and their expressions showed surprise.

Chu Tianshu exchanged a glance with the others, then used his lightness skill to disappear from their sight in a flash.

After circling around to a deserted spot, he slowed down and slowly walked towards the busiest main street within his hearing range.

A man wearing a top hat but dressed in a long robe and mandarin jacket, riding in a rickshaw.

Street vendors hawking their wares, police officers in black and white uniforms carrying batons, and security personnel loitering around.

Republic of China era.

Chu Tianshu looked at the token, where the first mark that had appeared had now been lit up.

Like a gently coiling dragon, or like a leaf with clearly defined veins.

It appears round but is not quite; tiny veins are present in every corner of the entire pattern.

This place is not only the Republic of China, but also the Republic of China he had visited before.

(End of this chapter)