Petty Villains

"..."

Zhang Xuezhou's silence corresponds to the transformation of the world.

One second he was still expanding his acupoints to restore the level of the Ceasefire Technique, and the next second he opened his eyes and was already lying under the quilt.

Despite all the precautions he took, by the time he finally decided to get down to business, the world travel was back to normal.

The seven-day travel interval has become twelve days. Zhang Xuezhou can adapt to the change in time, but he can't stand the fact that he is traveling while inside the X446 device.

Just thinking about the dead look on Turcolando's face told him that the high-end medical care Turcolando was demanding would come at a high price.

Zhang Xuezhou had no intention of wasting anything, nor could he afford to.

But as he focused intently on circumventing the law, he suddenly lost control of himself in the real world, a change that caused him great distress.

But Zhang Xuezhou quickly changed his mind.

He had no choice but to move.

"What's going on? Why is my head wrapped in cloth? And why do I smell of herbs? Why are you all restraining my body too? Cousin? Cousin? Master Dong?"

Zhang Xuezhou shouted.

Dong Zhongshu and Rong Tianding did not appear; instead, an old man wearing a tall hat and carrying a medicine gourd appeared before Zhang Xuezhou.

"You've actually regained consciousness?" the old man exclaimed in utter astonishment. "I thought you were about to die!"

"How can you talk like that?" Zhang Xuezhou retorted. "I'm not as old as you, how could I be almost dead!"

"Erudite Dong bought an old house, but it's been uninhabited for years and no one has taken care of it. A few days ago, there was an unusually heavy rain, and the house collapsed." The old man didn't mind Zhang Xuezhou's words and sighed, "The bed you were sleeping in was smashed. You haven't eaten or drunk anything for days and you're not lucid. Several colleagues said you're beyond saving!"

"It's raining? The Dong residence collapsed? What about my cousin and Master Dong?" Zhang Xuezhou pressed.

"Erudite Dong was able to walk around yesterday, and your cousin is still recuperating in another room. He should be able to get out of bed in a couple of days!"

"How so?"

"It's inevitable that something bad will happen in such heavy rain," the old man shook his head repeatedly. "The old house needs to be repaired to prevent further disaster. His Majesty took pity on Erudite Dong's misfortune and has already ordered people to help rebuild the house. Many scholars have also gone to help!"

The old man was a medical official sent by the imperial court, and his medical skills were far superior to those of Wang Er Ermazi, the legendary doctor of Shu County.

Looking at the splints on his body, Zhang Xuezhou felt that they were very realistic, almost identical to the methods used in real life.

He had herbal plasters on his head and body, and it seemed he had been treated with magic.

Apart from the fact that he was not yet fully conscious, all medical measures were extremely thorough.

After the old man inserted several gold needles into Zhang Xuezhou's body, Zhang Xuezhou felt his body, which had been numb from lying down for so long, come alive, and he was no longer as unable to move as before.

"Miracle doctor, your medical skills are truly amazing!"

One second Zhang Xuezhou was comparing his medical skills to those in reality, but when the old man used needles to stimulate his body and directly relieved the numbness, he felt that the other man's medical skills were so amazing that they were beyond compare.

He understood what was going on, and changed his way of addressing the old man, using respectful terms that made the old man extremely pleased.

"Come, come, have some ginseng soup to help you recover... Oh, you can get out of bed now!"

After the old man turned around to get the medicine, he looked back again and saw that Zhang Xuezhou had already gotten up normally and was even starting to remove the splints that were fixing his bones.

A faint aura of Law Power lingered in the air, indicating that the other party had clearly performed a medical ritual to heal themselves.

The effects of the Technique Method were extremely miraculous, which amazed the old man.

"Even traditional Chinese acupuncture techniques rarely produce such rapid results. This must be a technique used in the military. This Technique Method treats very quickly, but it depletes the body's potential. Unless there's an emergency, try to use it sparingly, because every time you do, your lifespan will be shortened!"

"You're right, miracle doctor!"

Zhang Xuezhou took the ginseng soup and drank a sip.

Ginseng is expensive, but its nourishing effect on him is limited. To restore his body to normal, he also needs to supplement his diet with various meats and other nutritious foods.

Zhang Xuezhou was aware of the hidden dangers of the Supreme Purity True Technique, but he wasn't too concerned about it at the moment.

After lying in bed for twelve days straight, he didn't want to stay in bed any longer.

Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou did indeed feel a slight hunger in his stomach.

He left Xieluosi River, Yedie River Holy Land, then went to Yanmen Pass, and then to Chang'an City. In between, he was caught in the process of returning to reality. A full month has passed since then.

This extremely long time span also revealed Zhang Xuezhou's limit in the Grain Avoidance Technique.

This level represents one-third of the progress towards perfection in the Grain Avoidance Technique, roughly equivalent to a cultivator in the Sole Self Realm opening 72,000 acupoints.

This clearly lessened some of the gloom in Zhang Xuezhou's mind.

Regardless of how wasteful the X446 repair was, he was quick to come to his senses.

Grain Avoidance is not a good thing. Long-term Grain Avoidance will also make the body need to replenish nutrients. With the addition of the Supreme Purity True Technique released on himself, Zhang Xuezhou felt that he could have a big meal to replenish his body.

He drank the ginseng soup, then drank a bowl of the thin porridge offered by the other party, before wiping his mouth and thanking them.

"You don't need to thank me. You're only doing this because of Erudite Dong. We were just following orders!"

The old doctor's words served as a wake-up call for Zhang Xuezhou.

He has recently been plagued by a series of misfortunes, and everything he has encountered has made Zhang Xuezhou question the meaning of life.

This misfortune was just like everything Dong Zhongshu experienced when he went from Shu Commandery to the Northern Border; the contrast was so great that it was hard for people to accept.

This prompted Zhang Xuezhou to bid farewell to the old physician and, following his directions, to visit Rong Tianding.

Rong Tianding is in good condition, except that his leg bone was broken. He has recovered most of his life and if forced to heal using Technique Method, he will be able to get out of bed now.

"Cousin, I thought you were dead..."

Don't say such unlucky things!

Rong Tianding uttered his jinx, Zhang Xuezhou immediately covered his mouth.

Let's go get something good to eat and shut us up!

Zhang Xuezhou also added a Supreme Purity True Technique to Rong Tianding's repertoire.

After they found Rong Tianding a cane, the two cousins limped out of the resettlement house affected by the rain disaster.

The two men failed to find Dong Zhongshu in the vicinity, which forced Zhang Xuezhou to abandon his plan to exploit the wealthy household.

He touched the several hundred half-ounce coins in his bag, and then asked a passerby for recommendations on places to eat and drink.

"Walk two miles west from here, and you'll find the bustling West Market. There's a restaurant there that specializes in selling meat!"

After getting directions, Zhang Xuezhou continued walking towards the restaurant, feeling his strength waning with each step, and his hunger pangs growing stronger.

The prolonged Grain Avoidance state obviously brought about extremely intense demands on the body.

He touched his somewhat thin body, and his pace quickened involuntarily.

"Cousin, wait for me!"

Rong Tianding walked with a wooden stick in his hand, his body swaying slightly.

Venturing out into the world is indeed different from staying in Hibiscus City; all sorts of unexpected events are hard to prevent.

If you want to make a name for yourself, the most important thing is not to become incredibly skilled, but to adapt to your environment and survive.

Only when they An Ran can we talk about development.

Thinking of this, and recalling the "Grave Classic" that Zhang Xuezhou had repeatedly recommended, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, praying that the Grave Classic could bless him and Zhang Xuezhou with fewer illnesses and disasters, even if it was just for a few years.

His wish was very ordinary, and it rarely involved any rigid requirements.

As Rong Tianding muttered to himself, he felt as if he were riding a dragon as he trod on the blue stone path.

He walked much slower with his cane, but he was still able to keep up with Zhang Xuezhou's pace, as if a force was propelling him forward and drawing him closer to Zhang Xuezhou's body.

He could even sense that he felt light and healthy, and that his pain was gradually subsiding.

"Your Majesty, can you feel it? You cannot protect this Great Han Dynasty. Even these villains can tear a piece of your flesh!"

A faint scolding voice reached his ears, and Rong Tianding shook his head vigorously.

He felt as if the face of a dignified old woman floated before his eyes, followed by the face of a young emperor whose face was flushed red.

This strange sight made Rong Tianding rub his eyes hard.

As soon as he stopped reciting the "Grave Classic," the strange phenomenon immediately subsided.