Qi and Blood Pill

"Sir, your ability to observe medical conditions is truly profound!"

When the patient changed from Zhou Cang to Zhao Mu, Li Jiao found it somewhat easier to use the technique again.

He went from unfamiliarity to proficiency, gaining a thorough grasp of the wave diagrams Zhang Xuezhou had drawn on the spot. When he used the Supreme Purity True Technique, he no longer pressed down with brute force like a charging bull, but alternated between tightening and relaxing his control.

In a daze, Li Jiao felt that his Supreme Purity True Technique, which had long struggled to advance even an inch, had crossed a major threshold.

His command of the Supreme Purity True Technique had gone from proficient to masterful, undergoing an almost qualitative change.

Li Jiao felt a quiet joy, as though he had finally reaped the rewards of a new beginning after hardship.

"Your cultivation has only just entered the first realm, so you can only cultivate the basic section of the Supreme Purity True Technique's first three layers. If you want to cultivate the remaining six, your cultivation must first cross the five realms of Meridian Circulation, Blood Penetration, Body Control, True Spirit, and Consciousness Creation!"

Li Jiao weighed his words before revealing some things he had kept to himself.

"You mean the technique you gave me is incomplete? You only gave me the beginning?"

Zhang Xuezhou had happily accepted the Supreme Purity True Technique and had been reciting the corresponding words and diagrams drawn on the level ground of the temple courtyard. When he suddenly heard what Li Jiao said, his joy faded somewhat.

"I spent several months studying the first three layers of the Supreme Purity True Technique before I grasped the basics, and I know every last detail of them as well as I possibly can," Li Jiao said. "But each of the remaining six layers is harder than the last. I never cultivated it to the pinnacle, so how could I recite them to you?"

Li Jiao spread his hands and spoke plainly of his predicament.

"This technique is a second-grade, upper-rank Technique Method of the Northern Frontier Legion. It takes a considerable amount of military merit to learn it all. My cultivation was limited in the past, and I never exchanged for the complete technique!"

"Then aren't you cheating me?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with a frown.

"Since I gave you my word, I'll naturally keep it and exchange for the complete Supreme Purity True Technique," Li Jiao said with a smile. "But you should cultivate faster too, so you don't end up with the technique in hand but no qualifications to cultivate it!"

"Just give me the complete technique. Whether I succeed in cultivating it is my own business!"

"Cultivation sects guard their teachings strictly. If you aren't strong enough, having the complete Supreme Purity True Technique may not be a blessing. Without even realizing it, you might bring upon yourself the calamity of being guilty for carrying a jade treasure!"

Li Jiao looked into Zhang Xuezhou's eyes, his words full of sincerity.

"As long as you're qualified to cultivate it, you can come find me in the Northern Frontier Legion. I'll naturally entrust the complete Supreme Purity True Technique to you!" Li Jiao said.

"My father used to be a squad leader in the Flying Feather Army. People of the Flying Feather Army don't cheat their own, so don't go back on your word!"

Knowing it would be hard to get the complete Supreme Purity True Technique, Zhang Xuezhou did not make a fuss. He merely reminded Li Jiao to keep his word.

"Your father used to be a squad leader in the Flying Feather Army?" Li Jiao asked delightedly.

"That's right. His name is Zhang Zhong. You can check his military records. My father fought alongside Grand General Li," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If you welsh on your promise, I'll have my father run to the Northern Frontier Legion and cry foul until your name stinks!"

"There's no need for that, no need!"

Li Jiao was overjoyed.

Privately teaching techniques to outsiders violated the Northern Frontier Legion's rules, especially when it involved teaching important techniques to outside factions in exchange for something.

But teaching someone on their own side in an emergency was another matter entirely.

The former was hard to forgive and would inevitably bring severe punishment, while the latter was understandable and only needed to be registered on record.

The son of a Flying Feather Army squad leader counted as half a member of the Flying Feather Army, even if Zhang Xuezhou had joined the Yin Yang Nine Heavens Sect.

Having thought it through, Li Jiao could not help feeling somewhat closer to Zhang Xuezhou.

"You're cultivating under Daoist Priest Zhou now, but if you run into difficulties, you can return to the Northern Frontier Legion at any time. When it comes to advancing in cultivation, our Northern Frontier Legion isn't lacking either. As long as you have the ability, you can get ahead!"

Sects placed importance on personal ties and were governed by people: whoever had good relations with the elders and sect master would receive special attention in their training, and there was no shortage of open and covert struggles for favor.

But the rules in the legion were different. As long as they had enough military merit, anyone could obtain what they needed.

Although the army had its share of shortcomings, it was still a relatively fair place and more comfortable than those factions.

Li Jiao extended the invitation and patted Zhang Xuezhou on the shoulder.

Only when his pat sent Zhang Xuezhou staggering did he realize why Zhang Xuezhou had not joined the army.

Given Zhang Xuezhou's physical condition, being an ordinary soldier really was a little unsuitable. Even after ten years in the army, he would only be able to earn some silver and money, with little chance of any real fortune.

"Your physique is a little weak!"

He had nearly knocked Zhang Xuezhou over, and he looked a little embarrassed.

"The poison injuries of Zhou Cang and Zhao Mu have only been suppressed temporarily. I can't wait for your teacher to return, so I have to hurry back to the Northern Border. I can't spend more time with you and give you guidance on the Supreme Purity True Technique," Li Jiao said. "I need to leave immediately. Please accept this as a small token of apology!"

Li Jiao felt around in his belt, then took out a porcelain bottle.

"This is a Qi and Blood Pill from the Northern Border. Taking it can strengthen your Qi and Blood, making it just right for restoring your health!"

"Does it really work?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"I think it should be fine!"

Li Jiao nodded.

"Why didn't Dad get me a Qi and Blood Pill before?"

Zhang Xuezhou muttered to himself, and Li Jiao thought nothing of it.

Qi and Blood Pills were remarkably useful, but they were also extremely expensive. Low-ranking officers at the squad leader level were rarely able to exchange for such medicine in the military district.

He called to Zhou Cang and Zhao Mu, who had managed to get to their feet, then called out beyond the temple.

"Mr. Zhong, since you've also been afflicted with Golden Toad Poison, why not lend us a hand? As long as you help me get Zhou Cang and Zhao Mu back to the Northern Border, I imagine our Alchemists should be able to cure your poison!"

After extending the invitation and discussing it quietly for a while, he directly enlisted Lonely Rogue Person as a laborer.

Li Jiao's proposal tempted Lonely Rogue Person greatly.

He would also have to pay a price to ask Zou Bugui for a cure at the Nine-Foot Daoist Temple, and he did not know what conditions Zou Bugui would set.

What Li Jiao had asked of him, on the other hand, was perfectly clear.

The Northern Frontier Legion also had Alchemists. If they could cure Zhou Cang and Zhao Mu of the Golden Toad Poison, they could certainly cure the Golden Toad Poison in his body.

Having thought it through, Lonely Rogue Person agreed at once.

In the space of a moment, the Nine-Foot Daoist Temple went from bustling to quiet.

Zhang Xuezhou continued reciting the contents of the Supreme Purity True Technique as he gazed toward Nine-Foot Slope.

He watched the four figures grow indistinct until they finally vanished in the distance beyond the foot of the mountain.

His relationships with the others had grown complicated with the arrival of these people, only to fade into nothing when they left.

Zou Bugui had not returned, and he had neither secured the protection of Li Jiao and the others nor had Lonely Rogue Person confirm the relevant details and expose his false identity. All his little schemes had come to nothing.

But being there at the right time had brought him some benefits.

Zhang Xuezhou gazed at the contents of the Supreme Purity True Technique, which consisted of only three layers.

He felt little displeasure.

Besides, Li Jiao had also given him a Qi and Blood Pill, which might really improve his health.

As a physically weak member of Zhang Household Village, it was one thing for Zhang Xuezhou to be less strong than Zhang Changgong and the others, but many women his age and old women in the village were also stronger than him. This left Zhang Xuezhou feeling quite ashamed.

As the clan leader Zhang Baojia teasingly put it, with a body like Zhang Xuezhou's, he would not even be able to keep a wife in line in the future; she would hang him up and beat him.

Although Zhang Xuezhou said he did not care about being beaten by a wife, in his heart he still hoped, to some extent, to be a strong man.